Think twice before visiting Florida, a pair of advocacy groups warned Wednesday, citing a slew of “hateful laws” that they say makes travel to the state a risky proposition.
Equality Florida, an organization that advocates on behalf of the LGBTQ community, said in an advisory against traveling or moving to the state that releasing the warning was an “unprecedented step” prompted by inquiries about whether travel to the state would be safe.
“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” the group’s warning says.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition issued its own warning, saying bluntly: “Traveling to Florida is dangerous.” The advisory goes on to say travel in Florida “can be unsafe for people of color, individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers,” and people in those groups could face “a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.”
Bryan Griffin, the press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), characterized the travel advisories as “a political stunt” in an email Wednesday. “We aren’t going to waste time worrying about political stunts but will continue doing what is right for Floridians,” Griffin said.
The warnings come after Florida reported a record tourism year, with an estimated 137.6 million visitors in 2022 — up nearly 13 percent from the previous year and 5 percent from 2019. Miami Beach Pride is scheduled to wrap up a weeks-long celebration with a parade Sunday. The website for the event describes it as one of the largest LGBTQ festivals in the country, drawing as many as 170,000 people to South Florida.
Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing body, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Last year, however, after legislators passed a controversial bill restricting classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity, the group told The Washington Post that it welcomed the community and considered it an important market.
“We want all travelers within the LGBTQ community to know that Florida is a place for everyone,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a statement at the time. “We pride ourselves on welcoming every visitor with the same hospitality and friendliness.”
Since then, under DeSantis, the state has investigated drag performances it alleged were being shown to minors and stripped Walt Disney World of its special self-governing status after the company, which DeSantis described as “woke,” spoke up against the classroom law that critics labeled “don’t say gay.” In November, Florida’s medical boards banned care for transgender minors, and DeSantis’s administration has moved to expand the earlier restrictions on education about gender identity to cover all grades through high school.
Last month, lawmakers approved a bill that would let people carry concealed guns without a permit or proof of training, a measure that has the governor’s support. And earlier this month, the Florida Senate passed a bill banning abortion after six weeks; the state House still needs to vote on the proposed law.
Equality Florida listed those and other measures as reasons for its advisory, alleging in a statement that DeSantis “has made the extremist policies the centerpiece of his presidential campaign strategy.” The governor is widely expected to join the 2024 race but has not yet declared his candidacy.
Proposed immigration crackdowns prompted the Florida Immigrant Coalition’s warning, which suggests people “make a clear safety plan” if they decide to visit the state.
Last month, the NAACP Florida State Conference agreed to ask the NAACP board of directors to issue its own travel advisory for the state in response to Florida’s decision not to recognize a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course. The resolution will be considered in the next couple of months.
After that NAACP Florida State Conference vote was cast in March, DeSantis scoffed at the notion during a public event.
“What a joke,” he said. “We’ll see how effective that is.”
