Florida’sofficialtourism website has quietly scrubbed a page promoting local LGBTQ-friendly travel destinations, in what has been widely interpreted as another in a long series of steps meant to intimidate, persecute and marginalize the LGBTQ+ community under the state’s conservative governor, Ron DeSantis.
VisitFlorida.com’s “LGBTQ Travel” section ― which featured links to the state’s “top 10 gay beaches” and information about LGBTQ chambers of commerce and LGBTQ road trips ― was last documented as being operative in mid-April by the internet archive site Wayback Machine, as first reported by NBC News on Monday.
“SUNSHINE FOR ALL,” the page had declared when it was active. “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.”
An official reason for the page’s removal was not immediately clear. Representatives with Visit Florida did not respond to HuffPost’s calls and emails seeking comment. The website’s calendar of events still includes listings for upcoming LGBTQ-themed events across the state.
An American flag flies with a pride flag outside a home in Wilton Manors, Florida. It was reported this week that Florida’s official tourism website has quietly scrubbed a page promoting LGBTQ-friendly travel destinations. via Associated Press
Visit Florida is not a government agency, but it receives public funding in a public-private partnership with the state legislature, which has worked to strip and limit LGBTQ+ rights throughout the state under DeSantis’ leadership.
These policies include the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law (which was recently amended under a settlement), as well as laws regarding public school bathrooms, books and children’s sports. Indirectly, there was also a recent summer ban on cities lighting up bridges at night with colors other than red, white and blue, after a county commissioner objected to a rainbow display on a Tampa Bay bridge, as The Washington Post reported.
Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida ― which issued a travel advisory last year for the state, as did other civil rights organizations ― said the removal of the tourism page “is yet another deliberate step in making Florida a hostile environment for LGBTQ people.”
A billboard welcoming visitors to “Florida: The ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ State” is seen in Orlando in 2022. via Associated Press
“It sends a clear message to LGBTQ tourists and residents to ‘Get Lost,’” Smith said in a statement to HuffPost on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, a survey of LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and abroad found that these travel warnings negatively affected their plans to visit the state. Just under half the people surveyed said they’d cancel or reconsider their visit.
The survey ― published by the IGLTA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association ― also found that 53% of respondents said they would not attend an LGBTQ+ event in Florida because of the state’s laws and policies.
Worldwide, about 47% of those surveyed perceived the Sunshine State as somewhat unwelcoming or very unwelcoming for LGBTQ+ travelers. Within the U.S., 80% of respondents said the same thing.
When asked what might prevent them from visiting the state, an overwhelming 84% of respondents cited DeSantis’ statements or legislative priorities. The same percentage cited the state’s unfriendly laws and policies toward LGBTQ+ people.
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