[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10102-10103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF KEITH MORRISON

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, 
Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Keith 
Morrison. Born in Jamestown, New York, Keith moved to Central Florida 
in the late 1970s where he quickly became an advocate for social 
justice. He became involved with Joy Metropolitan Community Church 
(MCC), an open and affirming church that reaches out to the LBGT 
community. Keith worked with Joy MCC on social justice issues

[[Page 10103]]

such as feeding the homeless and informing the community of safe spaces 
for LBGT meetings.
  Keith has worked with a variety of community organizations. In the 
early 1990's he worked with Central Floridians United Against 
Discrimination. This group fought to stop discrimination based on 
sexual orientation on a local and state level. He also worked with the 
Orlando Regional Pride on their early parades. These events gave the 
community the opportunity to express their pride in themselves and in 
the LBGT Orlando community.
  Keith is a founding member of several local groups. In 1991, he 
helped found the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), a LGBT 
business association. He and Debbie Simmons served as the first co-
chairs of MBA. In 1993, Keith helped found the Rainbow Democrats Club 
of Orange County and served on its Board of Directors for five years. 
The organization worked to empower the LBGT community by registering 
residents to vote, educating people about the importance of their vote, 
and motivating them to get involved. In 1996, Keith worked with the 
State Democratic Party to form a state-wide LGBT caucus.
  Keith is also the founding President of the Triangle Democratic 
Caucus, which gave the LBGT community a place at the political table in 
Florida. While serving as President of the Rainbow Democrats and the 
Triangle Democratic caucus of Florida, Keith worked with Congressman 
Barney Frank and other LGBT leaders from around the country to found 
the National Stonewall Democratic Federation. Keith served as the first 
Executive Director and helped establish offices in Washington, D.C., 
where the organization served as a voice and advocate within the party 
for LGBT equality.
  Keith has also worked for local candidates that support equal rights 
for LGBT citizens. He ran the campaign for the first open candidate for 
Orlando City Council, Patty Sheehan, and the first open candidate for 
Florida State Representative, Tom Runyan.
  Keith returned to Central Florida in 2000, where he remains an active 
member of Joy Metropolitan Community Church. He also works with 
Equality Florida and the Zebra Coalition to end discrimination based on 
sexual orientation, to strengthen women's reproductive rights, and to 
seek social justice for all without regard to socio-economic status.
  For more than 30 years, Keith has worked for justice for his 
religious beliefs and sexual orientation. He is proudest of his 20 plus 
years of political work to empower LGBT voters in order to obtain full 
equality for members of the community.
  I am happy to honor Keith Morrison, during LGBT Pride Month, for his 
tireless work to empower and achieve equality for the LGBT community in 
Central Florida and around the country.

                          ____________________