Florida Is Somehow Both ‘Unsafe’ for the LGBT Community and a Popular Destination for Pride Events

Equality Florida issued an “advisory warning for travel” in response to Governor DeSantis’s “extremist policies” that are “hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.” The NAACP Board of Directors issued a “travel advisory” for Florida because the state is “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.” The website FloridaTravelAdvisory warns that “Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution as it can be particularly unsafe for people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers.” The Human Rights Campaign — which is not a government — declared its first national “state of emergency” for LGBTQ+ people in the United States; the press release quotes Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith, who asserted that “Florida stands at the forefront of the fight against these oppressive laws now proliferating throughout the nation.”

But despite the warnings and condemnations, people are eagerly visiting Florida for extravagant Pride-themed celebrations to display a giant middle finger with rainbow nail polish to DeSantis. 

The Associated Press recently published an article titled “LGBTQ+ people flock to Florida for Gay Days festival,” which is held annually at Disney World. The “Gay Days” event organizers encouraged people worldwide to participate, and more than 10,000 people attended. Similar stories appeared in the Washington Post, NBC News, and the Daily Mail, among other outlets. An organizer of Florida’s largest Pride parade affirmed that such events are now “more important than ever.” The president of Florida’s Lake County Pride said the LGBTQ events cultivate solidarity and boldly defy “the fascist laws that have been put in place to restrict our community.” There’s no shortage of celebrations to join: A quick Google search will reveal articles such as “22 Great Ways To Celebrate Pride Month 2023 In Miami” and “The Best Pride Month Events in Orlando 2023”

So, Florida is committing a “genocide” of transgender people, LGBTQ residents are preparing escape plans, and other gay U.S. residents should not — under any circumstances — set foot in the Sunshine State. Yet Florida is simultaneously hosting Pride events with thousands of people who emerge from them unscathed in their revealing, glittery outfits. (I have yet to see a single article reporting that a Pride-event attendee in Florida this month has been arrested for anything.)

Alas, we arrive at Schrödinger’s Floridians: The Pride attendees are both dead and alive, subject to genocidal persecution and shouting “Say gay” for DeSantis to hear; gay Americans should beware of entering — but book a flight to protest DeSantis.