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LINK Florida LGBTQ rights group issues travel warning telling the queer community it may no longer be safe to move to or visit the state -- Business Insider

Florida's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization took the rare step of issuing a travel advisory on Wednesday, warning queer individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and students against visiting and taking up residence in the state.

Equality Florida said that issuing the travel advisory was an "unprecedented" move and a response to a slate of "hateful" laws and policies signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The advisory concluded that Florida "may not be a safe place" to visit or take up residence because of the passage of new laws and policies that are "hostile" to LGBTQ communities and may pose a "serious risk" to the health and safety of visitors.

It highlighted a number of laws and policies aimed at transgender Floridians, including a policy to restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth and a law to prevent transgender female students from playing on women's and girls' sports teams.

Parental Rights in Education Act. The bill prohibits public schools from having classroom discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through to third grade.

Florida's Board of Education is considering an expansion to the law.

Meanwhile, the "far-right's obsession with drag queens" poses a potential security risk to visitors, the advisory said, noting both the recent protests and counter-protests outside Florida venues hosting drag shows, as well as the DeSantis administration's move to revoke the Hyatt Regency Miami's alcohol license after one of its facilities hosted a drag show.

Other organizations also issued a travel advisory on Wednesday, with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, a coalition of 65 member organizations, warning people of color, individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers against visiting the state.

Last month, the NAACP Florida State Conference voted unanimously in favor of asking the NAACP Board of Directors to issue a travel advisory for the state of Florida.

Insider contacted DeSantis' office for comment. His deputy press secretary, Jeremy T. Redfern, responded by dismissing the travel advisories as "political stunts."

"We aren't going to waste our time worrying about political stunts," Redfern said.

snytiger6 9 Apr 13
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Maybe that state will wake up after all money that Florida lost is due DeSantis' bigoted agenda. Repubs are all about money and power. Instead of running the state the correct way.

One would hope so. However I am greatly concerned about the inability of most republicans to ever admit to ever being wrong. What do they say? "Pride goeth before the fall"? It is a matter of will they be too proud to admit they are wrong before ruin.

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Between pissing off Disney and tamping down tourism, their guv is doing a great job of turning Fladuh into, oh, i duuno, Mississippi?

A good chunk of Florida's tourist income came from LGBT+ tourism to the keys.

As Fort Lauderdale got 20 inches of rain in one day, putting airport runways underwater, Florida does nto seem like a good place to visit.

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