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First Coast Connect

10/06/15: Transgender Stories; Domestic Violence Awareness; Mental Health Counseling; Courtney Lewis

In 2012, the Jacksonville City Council failed to update the city’s human rights ordinance to include the First Coast's LGBT community. One of the sticking points was language referring to transgender residents. Some Council members reportedly didn’t want the ordinance to mention the words “gender identity or expression.”

In this week's issue of Folio Weekly, writer Clare Goforth follows the lives of several members of Jacksonville's transgender community. We speak with Goforth and two of the residents featured in the story: Jake Moore, UNF program coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center; and tattoo artist Synthia Roy.

According to a report recently released by Hubbard House and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, 18 murders in Duval County last year were the result of domestic violence. Roughly 5,000 incidents of domestic violence have been reported in Duval so far in 2015. Gail Patin, COO of Hubbard House, joins us with a look at these numbers as the nation marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Amid calls to improve Florida's system of mental health services, Jacksonville University has introduced the region's first hybrid-style mental health counseling degree program. We speak with program co-director Dr. Larry Wagoner and Dr. Lynnette Kennison, associate professor of nursing.

Jacksonville Symphony music director and conductor Courtney Lewis joins us with a preview of the Symphony's new season, which begins with three special concerts this weekend.

Subscribe to the First Coast Connect podcast in iTunes.

Sean Birch joined the WJCT team in late 2011 and was with the company until 2016.