THIS IS SERIOUS! – If you aren’t boycotting Florida you are only helping DeSantis.
It has been over one year since Florida Governor Ron Desantis and his GOP-controlled Government set the original “Don’t Say Gay” law into motion. In that one year, it has been expanded to the point that surpasses the damage done by Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children Campaign” in the 1970s and is more in line with Vladimir Putin’s “LGBT propaganda laws” in Russia.
So two questions: Why is the LGBT+ community in Florida not fighting back? And why is there not a full-blown boycott of Florida by the LGBT+ community and our Allies? No companies have moved. No conventions were canceled. No pressure is put on the state whatsoever.
Excuses have run the gambit of “Oh it doesn’t affect me personally” (It does) and “Boycotts and protests don’t work.”(Some do.) to “What about all the LGBT businesses won’t they will be hurt?”(LGBT+ and Allies who live in Florida should only shop LGBT+ and Ally businesses and support them during a boycott.)
Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law has surpassed Anita Bryant’s heinous “Save our Children” campaign against us in the 1970s because those issues were electoral decisions. So we had the power to vote. But now Florida is under an anti-LGBT dictatorship and we have no other recourse at this point but to cut it off. Cutting off money is the best card we hold in a very weak hand right now. And it must be played.
The LGBTQ+A community MUST stand up and fight within the state also. But protests have been few and blowback within the state minimal. Case in point. Over the year Wilton Manors in Fort Lauderdale which has the largest community in the state has had only one “High Heel” protest march and has caved to DeSantis and has signed onto mot allowing drag queens “not performing” at PRIDE.
That IS NOT PRIDE.
Even the state group Equality Florida and the Florida Immigrant Coalition made a call for action and a boycott over a month ago. It has largely been ignored.
“As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith said in a statement.
Florida makes over 40 billion dollars each year on tourism alone. Let’s take our LGBTQ+ and ally money away. Any loss to the state is a win for us.
So sorry Flori-gays. You have dropped the ball. You don’t seem to understand that your inaction and passiveness have paved the way and emboldened 16 other red states to establish “Don’t Say Gay” laws because there is no major pushback in Florida. The Human Rights Campaign won’t save you and they have once again proven their uselessness also.
It is time for the rest of us to take over and organized.
It’s time to get serious and fight back.
WE ARE OFFICIALLY CALLING FOR A LGBTQ+ and ALLY BOYCOTT OF FLORIDA TOURISM AND PRODUCTS.
Florida companies apart from Disney who now stand in solidarity (even though they helped start it all) need to stand up, events and conventions need to be canceled and we all need to fight back. Regardless if we live in the state or not.
In the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s some of us have fought till bloody. In Fort Lauderdale and Miami, the majority are sipping Bloody Marys at Sunday brunch doing nothing.
We have lost over 40 years of progress in Florida and it’s well past time we fight back.
To quote the unknown lesbian who was arrested at the Stonewall riots and when shoved into the paddy -wagon shouted: “Why don’t you guys do something?”
Please sign onto this Boycott of Florida and share it widely.
Thank you:
Will Kohler – Editor and Activist
