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This year, The University of Tampa Center for Public Speaking and the speech program have launched a new speaker series, showcasing talented speakers from throughout the state. For this year’s series, the center has partnered with Equality Florida, the primary statewide organization advocating for gay and lesbian rights. All events in the series will be held in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values on campus and are free and open to the public.The series will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. with Hannah Willard, public policy director for Equality Florida. Willard is responsible for all of Equality Florida’s work in the Florida capital, including the passage of a statewide nondiscrimination bill to protect LGBTQ Floridians. She also manages local policy campaigns, including anti-discrimination ordinances and safe school policies. Willard previously led Equality Florida’s marriage campaign during Florida’s victory and through the Supreme Court ruling.On Thursday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m., the series will continue with Gina Duncan, chair of TransAction, Equality Florida’s transgender inclusion initiative. TransAction advocates for transgender rights and protections through public policy, advocacy and education efforts statewide and nationally. Duncan has trained major corporations across the United States on transgender inclusion and was a guest speaker at the Global Summit on Human Rights in Milan, Italy, sponsored by the Harvey Milk Foundation.The series will continue in the spring with two additional speakers.For more information, contact Chris Gurrie, speech program coordinator and assistant professor of speech, at (813) 257-1711 or cgurrie@ut.edu.