This should be a time of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community. Pride is just around the corner. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie featuring Ryan Gosling in his Himbo era as “And Ken” is about to dominate the box office. Janelle Monae is topless and making new music. Summer is officially here and we should be hoisting those rainbow-colored flags high while parading down streets in short shorts and bucket hats.
Instead, thanks to a red-faced, middle-aged man (Florida Governor “Meatball” Ron DeSantis) who has a weird obsession with a cartoon mouse, Gay Floridians are reportedly leaving the Sunshine State “in droves” because they just don’t feel safe there anymore. Thanks to the many anti-LGBTQ+ laws being ushered in by Governor Ron DeSantis, organizers in the state are being forced to shut down planned Pride events as some within the Queer community flee in fear of persecution. Just last week, The Human Rights Campaign joined the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and Equality Florida in issuing a travel advisory for minorities, immigrants, and gay travelers in the state.
Fortunately, there are a few organizations, like Lake County Pride, that are taking a stand against DeSantis’ brazen bigotry. The group’s President and CEO Danielle Olivani told The Daily Beast that their Pride celebration was still scheduled to take place, despite threats from right-wing agitators.
“It’s not exactly being welcomed by the community where we’re having it. In fact, yesterday I just got a cease-and-desist from them, telling me not to mention them at all. They don’t want this to take place, but we’re gonna persevere,” Olivani said. “We’re gonna have this Pride because we’re fully within our rights to do so. And you know, we’re just gonna deal with things as they go. But right now, it’s a mixture of apprehension, fear. Yet, I’m hopeful at the same time.”
(Via The Daily Beast)