As mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Dean J. Trantalis sees his work as “building a city where everyone has the opportunity to belong, thrive, and be heard.” His duties include modernizing public infrastructure, protecting beaches, and yes, fighting for equality.
“My public service began almost five decades ago in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and I remain committed to ensuring that Fort Lauderdale is a welcoming community on the world stage — where diversity is celebrated, and every person is treated with dignity and respect,” he asserts.
Since 1982, Trantalis has practiced law in Broward County, which encompasses Fort Lauderdale (and Wilton Manors, its thriving gayborhood). In 1995, as cochair of Americans for Equality, Trantalis helped secure passage of an ordinance preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in 1999, he helped advance a domestic partnership law in Broward. For his longtime advocacy, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Harvey Milk Foundation in 2018.
Trantalis knows that diversity is a strength, a reality he sees through his city’s rich tapestry of cultures. “Every one of us deserves the liberty to live authentically and pursue happiness, and if we embrace one another as members of the human family, we can help secure that freedom for one another,” he says. @mayordeanftl
