Florida.

Need I say more?

All of DeSantis efforts to quash us just hit a speed bump over… money. It turns out that when we don’t go there our money doesn’t go there either.

Florida quietly removes LGBTQ+ travel info from state website
AP News
August 21, 2024

Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and St. Petersburg are among several Florida cities that have long been top U.S. destinations for LGBTQ+ tourists. So it came as a surprise this week when travelers learned that Florida’s tourism marketing agency quietly removed the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its website sometime in the past few months.

Business owners who cater to Florida’s LGBTQ+ tourists said Wednesday that it marked the latest attempt by officials in the state to erase the LGBTQ+ community. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis previously championed a bill to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and supported a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, as well as a law meant to keep children out of drag shows.

“It’s just disgusting to see this,” said Keith Blackburn, who heads the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “They seem to want to erase us.”

The change to Visit Florida’s website was first reported by NBC News, which noted a search query still pulls up some listings for LGBTQ+-friendly places despite the elimination of the section.

Hey! Wait a minute! The shopkeepers cried out "That’s our pocketbooks you are talking about!"

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. Nearly 141 million tourists visited Florida in 2023, with out-of-state visitors contributing more than $102 billion to Florida’s economy.

Before the change, the LGBTQ+ section on Visit Florida’s website had read, “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.”

Blackburn said the change and other anti-LGBTQ+ policies out of Tallahassee make it more difficult for him to promote South Florida tourism since he encounters prospective travelers or travel promoters who say they don’t want to do business in the state.

There’s money in our pockets and we are starting to go where we are welcome and the business owners are noticing that. People are starting to question what’s going on, the percussion of us, they are asking why? It is the independent who are starting to wake up over “Woke,” they are saying that it is wrong and they are saying it in the ballot box.

DeSantis takeover of Florida school boards has big setback
At least 11 of his endorsed candidates appear to have lost Tuesday.
Politico
By Andrew Atterbury
August 20, 2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to elect conservative-leaning school board members across Florida hit a snag Tuesday, as candidates backed by the Republican governor fell in several key races.

DeSantis, who has made reshaping Florida’s education system a top priority, endorsed 23 candidates ahead of Tuesday’s election. And as of late Tuesday night, at least 11 appear to have lost. That is a notable downturn from 2022, when DeSantis saw a runaway success: Of the 30 he endorsed two years ago, just five lost.

Candidates endorsed by DeSantis won six races, according to unofficial county election results, with another six heading to runoffs in November.

Has the gov lost some of his appeal?

The school board elections come just months after DeSantis dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. During his governorship, DeSantis built clout and power throughout Florida, reshaping the state legislature, state Supreme Court and school boards through his endorsements or appointments. That his preferred school board candidates didn’t win Tuesday could be a sign of his decreasing influence in the wake of his failed presidential bid.

I think that it is more do to people thinking he has gone too far and I think that a lot of independents are realizing that we do not justify what is being done to us.

A couple of years ago CBS News reported…

Florida and Texas governors face business backlash over anti-LGBTQ moves
By Kate Gibson
March 11, 2022

The governors of Florida and Texas are sparring with big business as some companies voice objections to new measures targeting LGBTQ rights in both states.

[…]

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a tweet on Thursday that he is "deeply concerned about laws being enacted across our country, particularly those focused on our vulnerable youth."

Bids by businesses to pressure states are not unprecedented. Under prior CEO Bob Iger, Disney at times weighed in on state legislation, threatening to stop filming in Georgia, for instance, if the state's restrictive abortion bill became law.

And since then it has progressed down to Main St. the restaurants and hotels are feeling the pinch.  The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association writes,

The IGLTA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, has released findings from its latest survey, “State Policy Impact on LGBTQ+ Tourism.” The report examines the impact of Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on tourism and was created with input from IGLTA member businesses and destinations in Florida.

While the data focuses on Florida, the findings are applicable to any destination confronted with governmental policies that could negatively impact LGBTQ+ travel. The state’s recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation serves as a stark reminder of the work needed for global LGBTQ+ inclusivity, demonstrating how such policies deter LGBTQ+ travelers.

Key Insights:

• A staggering 80% of US LGBTQ+ respondents perceive Florida as somewhat or very unwelcoming.
• The impact on business and meeting travel to Florida is considerable, with a significant portion of LGBTQ+ meeting planner respondents—49% of global respondents and 52% of US respondents—indicating hesitancy or outright refusal to book meetings or travel for business due to these policies.
• Despite these challenges, two-thirds of US LGBTQ+ respondents and 59% of global respondents would consider visiting LGBTQ+ welcoming cities within states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, highlighting community resilience and a commitment to destinations advocating for inclusivity.

Cha Ching! The cash register speaks! And everyone listens.

Politico goes on to write,

The Democratic Party of Florida endorsed 11 candidates this cycle, of which seven won Tuesday with two of those races heading to runoffs. The party’s efforts were meant to “fight back against Ron’s Moms for Liberty candidates and their partisan extremism,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.

I think that the voters are waking up to what the Republican party really is… a party of hate and not substance.

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I have company this weekend so my posts might be sparse