21 viciously anti-LGBTQ+ bills die in Florida as DeSantis influence wanes

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) dropped out of the presidential primary after running on his record of demonizing the LGBTQ+ community and fighting against “woke” diversity efforts. Now, like DeSantis’ failed campaign, his anti-LGBTQ+ efforts are going down in flames.

21 of the nation’s most vicious bills proposed this year have died after the Florida legislature adjourned for the session. Only one bill that targeted the queer community was passed.

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Proposed laws that would have expanded the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law from the classroom into the workplace failed, as did another that would have banned Pride flags from schools and government buildings. Another bill would have required transgender people’s driver’s licenses to show their sex assigned at birth. A fourth would have made it “defamation” to describe someone as homophobic or transphobic.

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The lone bill that passed this year prohibits teachers from being educated on diversity topics and bans “teaching identity politics.”

Signed into law by DeSantis (R) in 2022, the “Don’t Say Gay” law initially banned classroom instruction on sexuality and gender identity in grades K–3 but was expanded to ban instruction on those topics in all grades. A settlement announced yesterday clarifies vague language in the law that is similar to the language in the one passed this year.

The law sparked DeSantis’s campaign against the LGBTQ+ community and “woke” businesses, including his notorious ongoing battle with Disney.

Last week, a federal appeals court ruled unanimously that Florida can’t enforce its new “Stop WOKE Act.” One of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ (R) most hyped laws, it prohibits businesses from requiring employees to attend mandatory diversity and inclusion training.

During his failed presidential bid, DeSantis hyped the “Stop WOKE Act” on the campaign trail.

“Despite years of relentless attacks and dehumanizing rhetoric, LGBTQ+ people and our allies have never given up the fight for Florida. And we are shifting the momentum,” Human Rights Campaign spokesperson Geoff Wetrosky said. “The fight to free Florida from the grip of Governor DeSantis’ devastating and extreme agenda of government censorship and intrusion into people’s lives is far from over. And the devastation he and his allies have caused will last long after these politicians are gone. But the tide is turning. Perhaps the anti-LGBTQ+ fever in Tallahassee is beginning to break. The people will prevail.”