Written by: Ny’Asia Bussie
The ‘Sunshine State’ is adored for its renowned coastlines, warm weather, unique heritage, and iconic theme parks, including Disney World. Why have civil rights organizations and activists issued travel warnings for this beloved tourist destination? In an effort to make Florida the blueprint for other American states, Governor Ron DeSantis has targeted BIPOC voters, birthing people/abortion seekers, students, LGBTQ+ youth and adults, black Americans, and immigrants, with discriminatory laws making Florida the epicenter of discrimination.
BIPOC Voters
In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched an attack that targeted BIPOC voters, in an effort to diminish their political power and voting rights. DeSantis reworked the boundaries of congressional districts to favor Republicans and reduce Black representation. With the new boundaries of the congressional districts, AL Lawson, a black Democrat who served in Congress from 2016- 2022, lost to his white conservative counterpart.
In addition, Desantis enforced rigid election rules that included requiring voters to request mail ballots every year, limiting the use of drop boxes, and banning private funding for election administration.
Lastly, in 2018, Desantis passed legislation that required voters with felony convictions to pay fines and fees before they could cast a vote. The poll tax issued by Desantis disproportionately affects BIPOC voters with limited resources to cover the fines and fees. Several civil rights organizations and activists opposed the poll tax by providing aid to voters with prior convictions and challenging the tax in court. The opposition resulted in the poll tax being overturned.
Birthing people/abortion seekers
The Heartbeat Protection Act was signed in April 2023, prohibiting abortion of a pregnancy when a heart has become detectable. Millions of birthing persons in Florida are unable to access abortion care, even though many abortion seekers from surrounding southern states rely on Florida for access to abortion care. The Heartbeat Protection Act disregards a person’s right to make decisions about their body, well-being, and life trajectory.
Students
In the fall of 2021, Florida’s public universities faced declining applications due to the state’s resistance to getting rid of the admission tests for applicants. Potential applicants were not able to access the testing centers. Florida’s Board of Governors willfully ignored the needs of future applicants, with the result that students made the choice to apply to universities outside of Florida which do not that do not require admissions testing. Florida Board of Governors’ lack of concern for students caused a decline of 5% or 16,214 applicants.
LGBTQ and Black Americans
Florida has become a hub for discrimination against African Americans and LGBTQ+ Americans. The NAACP has issued a travel advisory for Florida following an “all-out attack on black Americans. They have implemented the Combating Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act; the Stop Wrongs against Our Kids and Employees Act (“Stop W.O.K.E. Act”), and the Constitutional Carry Act. Governor Ron Desantis has led this ongoing `attack to criminalize protest, restrict educators from teaching black history, and attempt to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, policies, and practices. The Florida government, by implementing laws designed to promote a culture of hostility toward African-American and Latino communities. Florida has also shown the world that it does not value African American contributions to society, through attempts to control what educators teach and limit information made available in schools and libraries.
In addition to the NAACP, Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign have issued travel advisories. Florida lawmakers have passed six anti-LGBTQ bills that restrict access to gender-affirming care, the expansion of the ‘Don’t say gay’ bill and an anti-trans bathroom law. These laws stigmatize folks in the LGBTQ community and encourage hostile environments in school and the community. The Williams Institute issued a report stating, “More than half of LGBTQ+ parents in Florida are considering moving their families to another state.” Many LGBTQ+ parents fear being discriminated against by neighbors, and their children will face hostile school environments for their identity. These laws promote the idea that LGBTQ+ identities are unacceptable and isolate an entire sector of the community in Florida.
Immigrants
Florida is home to over 500,000 undocumented immigrants who work in various fields and businesses. In May 2023, Florida rolled out a new anti-immigrant law that will affect immigrants’ access to employment. The law mandates businesses with 25 or more employees to verify workers’ citizenship status through the federal online portal E-Verify. This bill affects not only immigrants’ access to employment but also their access to healthcare because Florida now requires Medicaid to collect the immigration status of the patients. These new restrictions have already impacted industries such as construction, agriculture, and hospitality because they rely heavily on immigrant labor.
To threatening the livelihoods and health of immigrants, Governor Ron Desantis has been accused of state-sanctioned kidnappings of migrants. Texas sheriff Javier Salazar and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are collaborating to pursue a criminal investigation against Ron DeSantis for his migrant relocation program. This program forcefully relocates migrants from Florida and Texas to other states, luring the victims through false promises of citizenship and legal assistance, jobs, and living quarters.
The Sunshine State has lost its shine, becoming the epicenter of discrimination in America. Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies have enacted laws that undermine the rights and dignity of BIPOC voters, birthing people/abortion seekers, students, LGBTQ, black Americans, and immigrants. These laws have sparked outrage and resistance from civil rights groups and activists, who have issued travel advisories and warnings for Florida. Please consider speaking out against harmful policies if you plan to travel to Florida. If you are intentionally avoiding Florida for school, work, or leisure, please make sure to clearly communicate your reasons for doing so. Our voices alongside each other can amplify the need for change to make a safer environment for the communities in Florida.
At Global Foundation for Girls (GFG), we are active thought partners, serving global communities of birthing persons in order to advance and support the advocacy movement. We lead webinars and trainings for providers, including doulas, social workers, childbirth educators, and more! To learn more about our upcoming trainings click here!