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TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The NAACP issued a travel advisory for Florida over the weekend, claiming Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policies were undemocratic and “openly hostile” to people of color and who identify LGBTQ+.
“Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the travel advisory issued Saturday reads. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”
The advocacy group officially approved the warning Saturday after it was proposed to the NAACP’s board of directors. In it, the NAACP blasted “DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.”
Jeremy Redfern, the governor’s press secretary, responded to the announcement by saying, “This is a stunt.”
The governor’s office responded similarly when the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, the nation’s largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization, issued a Florida travel advisory a few days ago. And last month, LGBTQ civil rights group Equality Florida and the Florida Immigrant Coalition, both warned people away from the state.
Tourism is one of the biggest industries in Florida. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency. And DeSantis announced Friday that the state “experienced record tourism” in the first quarter of 2023 with 37.9 million visitors.
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The governor, who rose to prominence in part because of his COVID-19 policies, has further elevated his brand with a polarizing but attention-grabbing agenda. That includes DeSantis recently signing into law a ban on state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at Florida’s public universities.
“What this bill is saying is, you know, some of these niche subjects like critical race theory, other types of DEI-infused courses and majors…” DeSantis said. “Florida’s getting out of that game. You want to do things like gender ideology? Go to Berkeley. Go to some of those other places.”
While DeSantis has characterized such programs as “trendy” and “woke,” DEI initiatives have existed on college campuses and in workplaces for years. In the wake of the 2020 police murder of George Floyd, the Board of Governors instructed the state universities it oversees to bolster anti-racism and social justice efforts, including DEI programs.
DeSantis’ administration also has rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies class.
“Let me be clear – failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO, in a statement.
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Other advocacy groups issue travel advisories
Other recent restrictions by the DeSantis administration have been criticized by the Latino and LGBTQ communities.
LULAC’s warning for potential Latino and Hispanic tourists or travelers cited a new state law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state identification cards held by undocumented immigrants, among other restrictions.
“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region, in a statement.
Anti-LGBTQ legislation has also been a large part of DeSantis’ agenda. Last week, the governor signed bills targeting drag shows, transgender minors and the use of bathrooms and pronouns.
Equality Florida’s warning cited DeSantis work to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, ban books with gay characters from school libraries and the state’s recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” Equality Florida’s advisory said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
USA Today Network-Florida government accountability reporter Douglas Soule is based in Tallahassee, Florida. He can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com. Twitter: @DouglasSoule.
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