


Left-wing LGBT activists have always had a flair for the dramatic. And this penchant for panic regularly leads to hyperbole, such as when the president of the biggest LGBT rights organization absurdly claimed Donald Trump was the most anti-LGBT president in American history. (Yes, that seriously happened.) So, it’s hardly surprising to see similar hysteria emerging from LGBT activists down in Florida.
The group Equality Florida just issued a “travel advisory” warning that the state “may not be safe” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people to visit.
LGBT AND IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN FLORIDA ISSUE TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR SUNSHINE STATEThe advisory warns “of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state … following the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.”
LGBTQ civil rights group Equality Florida has issued a travel advisory, warning of “risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state.” pic.twitter.com/2yBUYM6nmd
— Douglas Soule (@DouglasSoule) April 12, 2023
“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,” the advisory concludes. “It is with great sadness that Equality Florida has had to take the extraordinary step of responding to inquiries by issuing an official advisory warning about the risks of travel to the state.”
While one can surely agree or disagree with any of the Florida policies Equality Florida highlights, the notion that any of them somehow transform Florida into a dangerous place for visitors is absurd to the point of disbelief. Most of the supposedly “anti-LGBTQ” policies, such as restricting the gender transition of minors under the age of consent, have literally no relevance to tourists visiting the state.
The advisory also lists things such as restrictions on abortion and Gov. Ron DeSantis’s objection to proposed AP African American studies curriculum as policies that contribute to the dangerous environment in Florida — as if one casually gets an abortion or enrolls in high school courses during a beach trip. Also, what do either of these things have to do with LGBT rights?
The blatantly partisan nature of this activist group’s absurd advisory is clear when you review the list of policies it objects to, most of which have no bearing on the experience a tourist in Florida would have. Meanwhile, it ignores the fact that many urban parts of Florida are hugely accepting of the LGBT community.
In fact, I’ve personally been to Florida quite recently with my boyfriend and did not at any point feel my “freedom” or “safety” were in jeopardy — because they weren’t. Yet I’ve felt quite unsafe in liberal havens such as Washington, D.C., where I’ve been chased by homeless people yelling slurs on multiple occasions.
Indeed, the claim is particularly absurd as far as “safety” is concerned because if LGBT activists were truly concerned with travelers’ safety, they wouldn’t be warning about Florida, which has a middle-of-the-pack murder rate compared to other states. They would be warning people not to visit places such as D.C. and parts of Chicago, where murder and violent crime are out of control. But those places are run by Democrats who tweet about Pride Month, so they’re wonderful places to visit as far as these kinds of activists are concerned.
Meanwhile, all across Florida, countless gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people wake up every day and go about their lives in peace, freedom, and prosperity. If they knew activists were claiming their state was unsafe for people like them, they’d laugh at the sheer absurdity of such a twisted, rankly partisan notion.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINERBrad Polumbo ( @Brad_Polumbo ) is a libertarian-conservative journalist and the co-founder of BASEDPolitics .