The Human Rights Campaign — the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the country — joined several other civil rights organizations Tuesday and issued a travel advisory for Florida, warning that newly passed state laws may pose risks to minorities, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.
The travel advisory from groups — including the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Equality Florida — come as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to announce his 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
“Because of Ron DeSantis and his frenzied appeal to extremists, LGBTQ+ people in Florida are finding themselves in a state of emergency every single day,” president of the Human Rights Campaign Kelley Robinson said in a statement. “Since the day he took office, Governor DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate, and discrimination into public law for his own political gain.”
The organization did not call for a boycott or a blanket recommendation against travel but outlined some of the new, restrictive laws passed by DeSantis and the Republican-controlled legislature — including “laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety policies, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.”
“Those who visit must join us in their vocal opposition to these dangerous policies,” Robinson added. “Those who pick another place to work, to go to school or to spend their vacation should make clear why they’re not heading to Florida.”
While he is set to officially announce Wednesday, DeSantis has been quietly campaigning for president for at least the past year, using his GOP-dominated state legislature to pass laws that’ll appeal to the furthest-right MAGA voters and in turn helping to normalize the passage of sweeping anti-LBGTQ+ and “anti-woke” laws in other red states across the U.S.
“The organization did not call for a boycott or a blanket recommendation against travel…”
Call us when you are going to put some teeth into your outrage. Until then you’re just pissing in the wind.
I wish that travel advisories worked the other way. I wish that Floridians had to stay in Florida.
Applies to all who are denied basic human rights!
“What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?
I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass-fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy-a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.” ― Frederick Douglass
and
“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” ― James Baldwin
Good luck with that. Here’s the skinny:
Of the top most visited places IN THE WORLD…we have:
44: Universal Studios, Florida
33: Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando
23: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
22: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida
17 Epcot, Florida I was there last week.
8 Disneyworld’s Magic Kingdom, Orlando
To compare: Eiffel Tower: #38, Sydney Opera House: # 31, Great Wall of China: # 28
More world tourist locations in Florida than anywhere else in the world and they see what’s going down with Ronnie.
Puddin’ Cup’s war on woke is performative garbage. If you want to go to Florida, it’s fine. Second bluest red state in the nation. Although I could easily recommend some Texas itineraries that you’d find much better than getting your bank account jacked for the privilege of waiting in line at Disney.