Fort Lauderdale’s Stonewall National Museum, Archives and Library has received a refund after they paid to promote their business on a since-deleted page for LGBTQ+ visitors on VisitFlorida.com.
Visit Florida, a public-private partnership promoting tourism to the state, recently removed its section devoted to the LGBTQ+ community at the direction of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). has fostered intolerance toward gay, lesbian and transgender individuals in a series of bills and executive actions.
DeSantis’ most notorious legislation, a series of “Don’t Say Gay” bills, has contributed to the state’s now-tarnished reputation as openly hostile to gay people. After DeSantis’ humiliating and failed run for president, erasing the pages devoted to LGBTQ+ tourists has only deepened the public’s anxiety about visiting the state.
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Ahead of receiving the refund, the Stonewall Museum’s executive director Robert Kesten expressed his disappointment with the decision to remove LGBTQ+ people from Florida’s tourist outreach.
“There is no reason to discredit a group of people that drive a tremendous amount of tourist dollars into the state,” Kesten told WPLG. “An apology should be made and the pages should be reinstated.”
“It’s just disgusting to see this,” Keith Blackburn of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce told the Associated Press. “They seem to want to erase us.”
DeSantis defended his actions at a press conference Tuesday.
“Our view as a state is we’re the best place to visit, we’re open to all, but we’re not going to be segregating people,” he claimed.
Visit Florida has not removed pages directed toward other identifying groups, including Black and Latino visitors.
On a page promoting “Florida’s African American Heritage,” the site explains “African Americans have shaped history and culture in the Sunshine State for centuries. Here’s where to discover the heritage of African American cuisine, attractions, arts, events, and the Sunshine State’s Civil Right [sic] Trail locations.”
The site similarly locates Latino visitors in the state’s history and culture.
No such page now exists extolling the LGBTQ+ community’s place among Florida’s history and taste-makers.
The omission hasn’t been lost on other states competing for gay tourist dollars.
“Hello gay tourists!” out Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado posted to Facebook recently. “Since Florida doesn’t want you, come on over to explore what Colorado has to offer!”
Illinois’ official tourism page, Enjoy Illinois, responded by asking, “Lack of Love in the Sunshine State? Come to Illinois!”
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