Florida has removed the LGBTQ+ section from its state tourism website, according to NBC News reports.
The site no longer has the state’s LGBTQ+-friendly travel destinations listed, which it did as recently as four months ago. An archived version of the website on the Internet Archive shows that the website featured an LGBTQ+ page on April 19, but now, it is nowhere to be found.
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The state that has become synonymous with anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination—thanks to the infamous so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bills, book bans, and anti-trans laws signed by the blatantly bigoted Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)—once said “SUNSHINE FOR ALL” and had blog posts and videos related to the state’s gay-friendly beaches, Pride events, and LGBTQ+ road trip ideas.
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“There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities—a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance. Whether you’re a couple seeking a romantic getaway or a modern family searching for kid-friendly fun, here are some LGBTQ-friendly destinations for you, throughout the Sunshine State,” the website once read.
Now, when users go to the website, it links to a “Things to Do in Florida” page that doesn’t mention LGBTQ+ people.
Visit Florida, a nonprofit created as a public-private partnership by the Florida Legislature in 1996, operates the page. LGBTQ Nation reached out for comment and this article will be updated accordingly if they respond.
The suppression of LGBTQ+ culture and issues is nothing new in Florida. Last week, a Florida college made the news for throwing away what looked like hundreds of library books into the garbage, most of which belonged to its now-defunct Gender and Diversity Program.
In May, DeSantis sued the Biden administration for the right to deny trans people gender-affirming care. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued regulations clarifying that Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act—which bans discrimination on the basis of sex—and also extends to include protections against anti-trans discrimination.
That same month, DeSantis signed a law that stops minors from accessing gender-affirming healthcare like puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
A mother in Broward County was suspended from her job with the school district because her trans daughter played on a school volleyball team. Jessica Norton worked as an information specialist and JV volleyball coach at a different school in the same district. The state of Florida fined the school $16,500 for Norton’s daughter’s participation.
The NAACP issued a travel advisory for the entire state last year, writing that “Under its current Governor, the State of Florida has engaged in an all-out attack on Black Americans, accurate Black history, voting rights, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, women’s reproductive rights, and free speech, while simultaneously embracing a culture of fear, bullying, and intimidation by public officials.”
