“Don’t Say Gay and Don’t Visit Florida”: Businesses and Tourists Turn Backs on Florida Over Ron DeSantis’ Policies

William FurneyNov 23, 2023

Minute Read

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is not only losing out in the presidential race to be the Republican nominee for 2024 but also his state’s tourism fortunes.

Convention Cancellations

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Over a dozen money-generating conventions have been moved out of Florida in recent months, as organizers were concerned about the febrile political atmosphere in the Sunshine State, the Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.

Tourism Losses Mounting

That leads to big and growing losses of revenue for major convention venues, as well as for hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses.

Fears Over DeSantis’ Policies

Described as “woke” policies by his critics, Governor DeSantis has brought in laws affecting the LGBTQ community, migrants and how Black history is taught in the state.

Transgender Healthcare

In May, DeSantis signed a bill that restricts healthcare access for people under the age of 18, triggering outrage in Florida and beyond. The law says that “Sex-reassignment prescriptions and procedures are prohibited for patients younger than 18 years of age.”

Black History Teaching

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Churches in Florida have been forced to share their Black history books and other materials with the public after DeSantis banned funding for books in state libraries and introduced a new curriculum for middle school students that says “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, can be applied for their personal benefit.”

DeSantis’ Disney Battle

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Theme park giant Disney has been embroiled in a fierce fight against Governor DeSantis, starting with a new state law — the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — banning school classes on gender identity and sexual orientation that Disney said was wrong.

Court Case

The governor reacted to Disney’s criticism of the “gay law” with a state takeover of a district in which the entertainment company’s central Florida is located. Disney has filed lawsuits against the move, in federal and state courts, claiming a $40.3 billion impact as a result.

Tougher on Immigration

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Governor DeSantis has also brought into law stronger policies to deal with migration. Signing a bill into law in May, the governor’s office said it would “combat the dangerous effects of illegal immigration caused by the federal government’s reckless border policies.”

New Penalties

The new migration law in Florida means companies in the state that have more than 25 employees must use the E-Verify system that confirms their eligibility to work in the US. It also contains “enforceable penalties” for firms employing illegal migrants and for people smugglers.

US ‘Migration Crisis’

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As the US continues to endure what some call a “migration crisis,” with a substantial rise in the number of people crossing its southern border with Mexico, Governor DeSantis took aim at the Biden administration.

Hitting Out at Biden

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DeSantis said of his new migration law: “The Biden Border Crisis has wreaked havoc across the United States and has put Americans in danger. In Florida, we will not stand idly by while the federal government abandons its lawful duties to protect our country. The legislation I signed today gives Florida the most ambitious anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, fighting back against reckless federal government policies and ensuring the Florida taxpayers are not footing the bill for illegal immigration.”

DeSantis a ‘Racist Fascist’

Many people online were critical of the Florida governor’s contentious policies that are blamed for harming the state’s tourism. One wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “There’s always a price to be paid for making a big mistake. In this case, electing a racist fascist!”

‘Don’t Visit’

Another X user said: “Way to go Ron. Don’t say gay and don’t visit Florida. Great to see people don’t embrace hate.”

‘Won’t Go Back’

And someone else on X commented: “We used to go to Florida multiple times a year and spend a ton of money down there. Not anymore and we won’t go back until the politics change down there.”

DeSantis’ Presidential Hopes

The Florida governor is hoping to become the GOP candidate for the 2024 presidential election, in primaries to be held in January. But while his campaign got off to a solid start, it soon suffered difficulties over issues including his policies and Disney troubles and he has plunged in the polls.

Trump’s Big Lead Over DeSantis

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From a high in national polling of close to 40 percent of Republican voter approval, DeSantis has plummeted to near single digits. An average of national polls shows he’s currently at 14.1 percent, and that compares to frontrunner Donald Trump’s massive almost 60 percent lead over the entire field, making the former president the likely GOP nominee for 2024.