Equality Florida issues travel advisory for LGBTQ+ community due to passed bills

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Equality Florida issued a travel advisory for the LGBTQ+ community on April 12 warning members not to come to the state.

“The decision to issue the travel advisory was one that we didn’t take lightly, “says Jon Harris Maurer.

Maurer, who is part of the organization Equality Florida, says there was a reason why they decided to move forward with this idea.

“It comes after we have seen a number of bills that have been passed in recent sessions and bills that are under consideration now,” says Maurer.

Maurer stated that some of these bills that are being proposed and passed in Tallahassee are not how the majority of Floridians feel.

Senate Bill 1438, which punishes restaurants and businesses in Florida for holding live “adult entertainment,” such as drag shows, has already been passed.

Even HB 1521, which if passed could require people to use restrooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth, happened to get this reaction from Florida Republican lawmaker Webster Barnaby describing transgender people.

“I’m looking at society today and it’s like I’m watching an X-man movie with people when you watch the X-man movie from marvel comics. It’s like we have mutants living among us on planet Earth,” says Barnaby.

“They are.... demons and imps who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world. So, I’m saying my righteous indignation is stirred. I am sick and tired of this. I’m not going to put up with it. You can test me and try to take me on. But I promise you I’ll win every time.”

READ: Florida lawmaker compares trans people to ‘mutants’, calling them ‘demons and imps’

As for Maurer, he hopes this advisory could stop people from attacking the LGBTQ+ community.

“We want it to be the best state it can be for everybody and that includes its LGBTQ+ residents and visitors,” says Maurer.

The state of Florida has seen an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ bill proposals and laws in recent years, including DeSantis’ controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which limits how teachers may instruct about sexual orientation and gender identity.

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