PLUS COMMUNITY IS MONTHS AWAY IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, BUT FINDING DETAILS ABOUT IT ON VISIT FLORIDA’S WEBSITE IS NOT AN OPTION. THE LGBTQ PLUS TRAVEL SECTION IS GONE WITH NO EXPLANATION. WESH 2 NEWS SPENCER TRACY SPOKE WITH ORGANIZERS OF ONE OF OUR BIGGEST LGBTQ PLUS EVENTS. IT’S A CELEBRATION LIKE NO OTHER. EVERY YEAR IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, SO COME OUT WITH PRIDE IS LITERALLY THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY EVENT THAT HAPPENS HERE IN ORLANDO. AND ORANGE COUNTY IN 60 DAYS. COME OUT WITH PRIDE WILL BE BACK FOR ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, ORGANIZERS SAY. NOT ONLY DOES IT BRING IN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, BUT IT BRINGS IN AN ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL IMPACT TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT COMES AS THE LGBTQ PLUS TRAVEL SECTION ON THE VISIT FLORIDA WEBSITE NO LONGER EXISTS. TATIANA QUIROGA WORKS WITH COME OUT WITH PRIDE AND JUST REACHED OUT TO THEM AND SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE A GREAT EVENT FOR THEM TO SHARE ON THEIR WEBSITE. SO NOW, A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, TO HEAR THAT THE ENTIRE THING HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, TAKEN DOWN REALLY FEELS, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S KIND OF ADDS TO EVERYTHING THAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN OUR STATE. LAWMAKERS CREATED VISIT FLORIDA IN 1996 AS A PUBLIC, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. IT’S NOT A STATE AGENCY, BUT IT DOES RECEIVE STATE FUNDING. QUIROGA BELIEVES THIS IS ANOTHER PUSH TO RESTRICT LGBTQ PLUS HISTORY AND EXPRESSION IN FLORIDA. SO TO SEE THAT FOLKS YOU KNOW AREN’T ABLE TO USE VISIT FLORIDA AS A RESOURCE TO FIND INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY SAD. IT’S IT’S REALLY DISAPPOINTING. IN RECENT YEARS, LGBTQ PLUS ISSUES HAVE BEEN A FLASHPOINT WITH EFFORTS TO LIMIT DRAG SHOWS, TRANS ATHLETES AND CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS. THE FOCUS ON SCHOOLS LED TO A NOW RESOLVED LEGAL DISPUTE BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND DISNEY, BUT QUIROGA SAYS THIS LATEST CHANGE WILL NOT STOP THE COMMUNITY OR FUTURE CELEBRATIONS. WE’VE YOU KNOW, ALWAYS PERSEVERED. WE’VE ALWAYS MARCHED ON. THAT IS JUST SIMPLY WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE
‘This is disappointing’: ‘LGBTQ Travel’ section is gone from Florida’s official tourism site
The largest event for the LGBTQ+ community is months away in downtown Orlando. Come Out With Pride is back this year for its 20th anniversary at Lake Eola Park. The festival is taking place on Oct. 19 and brings in thousands of people each year.Organizers say it also brings economic and cultural impact to Central Florida.”Come Out With Pride is literally the largest single event that happens here in Orlando and in Orange County,” said Tatiana Quiroga, the executive director of Come Out With Pride.But finding details about it on VisitFlorida.com is currently not an option. The LGBTQ+ travel section is gone with no explanation. The section previously featured blog posts and videos related to the state’s gay-friendly beaches, Pride events and LGBTQ+ road trip ideas.Quiroga said she recently reached out to Visit Florida a couple of weeks ago. “They said it would be great to put Come Out With Pride on their website. So now a couple weeks later, to hear that the entire section has been taken down is sad. Unfortunately, it adds to everything that has been happening in our state,” Quiroga said. Lawmakers created Visit Florida in 1996 as a public-private partnership. It is not a state agency, but it does receive state funding.Quiroga believes this is another push to restrict LGBTQ+ history and expression in Florida. “So, to know that folks can’t use Visit Florida as a resource to find information, it’s really sad and disappointing,” said she. In recent years, LGTBQ+ issues have been a flashpoint with efforts to limit drag shows, trans athletes, and classroom discussions.The focus on schools led to a now-resolved legal dispute between Gov. Ron Desantis and Disney. But Quiroga says this latest change will not stop the community or future celebrations. “We will always persevere and march on. This is who we are and what we do,” said she. We called and sent emails to Visit Florida about this change. We have yet to hear back. The website continues to provide travel information for destinations specific to other minority groups, including Black and Hispanic travelers.
The largest event for the LGBTQ+ community is months away in downtown Orlando.
Come Out With Pride is back this year for its 20th anniversary at Lake Eola Park.
The festival is taking place on Oct. 19 and brings in thousands of people each year.
Organizers say it also brings economic and cultural impact to Central Florida.
“Come Out With Pride is literally the largest single event that happens here in Orlando and in Orange County,” said Tatiana Quiroga, the executive director of Come Out With Pride.
But finding details about it on VisitFlorida.com is currently not an option. The LGBTQ+ travel section is gone with no explanation.
The section previously featured blog posts and videos related to the state’s gay-friendly beaches, Pride events and LGBTQ+ road trip ideas.
Quiroga said she recently reached out to Visit Florida a couple of weeks ago.
“They said it would be great to put Come Out With Pride on their website. So now a couple weeks later, to hear that the entire section has been taken down is sad. Unfortunately, it adds to everything that has been happening in our state,” Quiroga said.
Lawmakers created Visit Florida in 1996 as a public-private partnership. It is not a state agency, but it does receive state funding.
Quiroga believes this is another push to restrict LGBTQ+ history and expression in Florida.
“So, to know that folks can’t use Visit Florida as a resource to find information, it’s really sad and disappointing,” said she.
In recent years, LGTBQ+ issues have been a flashpoint with efforts to limit drag shows, trans athletes, and classroom discussions.
The focus on schools led to a now-resolved legal dispute between Gov. Ron Desantis and Disney.
But Quiroga says this latest change will not stop the community or future celebrations.
“We will always persevere and march on. This is who we are and what we do,” said she.
We called and sent emails to Visit Florida about this change.
We have yet to hear back.
The website continues to provide travel information for destinations specific to other minority groups, including Black and Hispanic travelers.
