Two days after I launched a petition to demand Florida Lt. Governor apologize after she made her anti-gay and sexist comments about Black women and lesbians, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has apologized.

The controversy erupted when a former staffer claimed she was fired after walking in on the Lt. Governor in a sexually “compromising position” with a female aide. In responding to the allegations, Carroll told reporters earlier this month, "Black women who look like me don't engage in relationships like that."

Her Chief of Staff faxed her written apology to Equality Florida and the Lt. Governor called me to personally apologize for the words she used in refuting allegations brought by former staffer.

Apologies by elected leaders for public mistakes are rare and it is to the Lt. Governor’s credit that she has taken this step.

In Florida, which has no statewide legal protections from discrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents, the words of our elected leaders matter a great deal.

Take a moment to send a note to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll thanking her for showing the strength of character to apologize and taking responsibility for her words by responding to the harm those words inflicted.