(Photo by Marc Averette; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

MIAMI — The Miami-Dade County Commission on Dec. 2 voted 8-3 to add gender identity and expression to the municipality’s anti-discrimination ordinance.

Supporters and opponents of the proposal spoke during an hours-long hearing before the vote.

Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director of Equality Florida, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, in a press release noted Miami-Dade is the 28th municipality in the state to ban anti-trans discrimination.

“Now, all people who live or work in Miami-Dade County can continue to provide for their families without fear of losing their job or being denied housing just because of who they are,” he said.

Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE, a South Florida-based LGBT organization, also applauded the vote.

“With the commission’s action today, those of us who are transgender no longer have to fear being outed at work, because now we can all live with the confidence in mind that it’s illegal to fire us just for being who we are,” he said. “It’s a truly historic moment not just for those of us who are transgender and gender nonconforming, but also for all of South Florida and for the American values that it’s SAVE’s mission to defend.”