12/04/2024
“Despite years of relentless attacks and dehumanizing rhetoric, LGBTQ+ people and our allies have never given up the fight for Florida. And we are shifting the momentum,” Human Rights Campaign spokesperson Geoff Wetrosky said this week. “The fight to free Florida from the grip of Governor DeSantis’ devastating and extreme agenda of government censorship and intrusion into people’s lives is far from over. And the devastation he and his allies have caused will last long after these politicians are gone. But the tide is turning. Perhaps the anti-LGBTQ+ fever in Tallahassee is beginning to break. The people will prevail.” LGBTQ Nation web portal takes up the story, reporting "Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the presidential primary after running on his record of demonizing the LGBTQ+ community and fighting against “woke” diversity efforts. Now, like DeSantis’ failed campaign, his anti-LGBTQ+ efforts are going down in flames. Twenty one of the nation’s most vicious bills proposed this year have died after the Florida legislature adjourned for the session. Only one bill that targeted the queer community was passed. Proposed laws that would have expanded the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law from the classroom into the workplace failed, as did another that would have banned Pride flags from schools and government buildings. Another bill would have required transgender people’s driver’s licenses to show their sex assigned at birth. A fourth would have made it “defamation” to describe someone as homophobic or transphobic." The only anti-diversity law passed this year in Florida stops teachers from being educated on African-American, LGBTQIA or other diversity topics. It's still poisonous, but there are indications that peak hatred has passed in the State.
