Equality Florida, a nonprofit gay rights group in Florida, on April 12 issued an unprecedented travel advisory, warning LGBTQ people against visiting or moving to Florida.
The advisory states, “Equality Florida took the unprecedented step of issuing a travel advisory to individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and students warning that Florida may not be a safe place to visit or take up residence. The advisory comes after passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ+ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws and allow untrained, unpermitted carry, and foment racial prejudice. The governor has also weaponized state agencies to impose sanctions against businesses large and small that disagree with his attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“Florida has recently adopted a slate of hateful laws, and is fast-tracking additional measures that directly target the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and basic freedoms broadly. Already, those policies have led Florida parents to consider relocating, prospective students to cross Florida colleges and universities off their lists, events and conferences to cancel future gatherings, and the United States military to offer redeployment for service members whose families are now unsafe in the state.”
While the advisory calls out Gov. Ron DeSantis for laws that it says are hostile to the LGBTQ community, some in the tourism industry worry about unintended and economic consequences, especially as communities throughout Florida prepare for gay pride events in June and the upcoming Gay Days at Disney World.
“It would have been nice to have a heads-up that they were doing this.” said Kevin Theriault, executive director of the Key West Business Guild, which promotes gay tourism. “Equality Florida just held a big event in Key West last week and didn’t mention a word.”
Theriault immediately contacted the Monroe County Tourist Development Council to figure out some consistent messaging to assure gay travelers they are and always will be welcome and safe in Key West.
“As a board, the TDC has not yet discussed the Equality Florida advisory. That said, the TDC remains committed to promoting the Florida Keys as a ‘One Human Family’ destination,” said Andy Newman of NewmanPR, which handles public relations for the Keys’ tourism efforts.
Theriault told the Keys Weekly on April 18 that the business guild offices indeed had gotten phone calls and people stopping in, concerned about their safety and that of their gay or transgendered friends and relatives in Florida.
“The concerns were about Florida in general, not Key West,” he said. “One woman was worried about her trans son, who is scheduled to come to Key West on vacation next month. And one couple emailed us through our website this morning, saying they always come to Key West, but had canceled their trip and are going to Palm Springs, California instead because they refuse to give any money to the state of Florida by vacationing here.”
“In a state whose economy is fueled by visitors from around the world, it is with great sadness that Equality Florida has had to take the extraordinary step of responding to inquiries by issuing an official advisory warning about the risks of travel to the state,” the advisory continues. “This moment calls for a grassroots movement in defense of justice and equality for all – so that we can turn back the tide of right wing authoritarianism, recommit to building a state that is safe and open to all, and once again celebrate Florida as a free state.”
