Recent legislation and safety concerns are all reasons SafeHome.org has named Florida second to last when it comes to its treatment of the LGBTQ community.
The Sunshine State came in with an “F” grade, just one spot behind South Dakota.
The organization cited Florida’s Parental Right’s in Education law and the Protection of Children’s Act, FBI hate crime data and a 1,000 person survey.
This weekend Orlando will host “Gay Days” and in October will host “Come out with Pride.”
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“Now Florida has a reputation for being unsafe and that is unacceptable for our tourism industry. We have people who visit here. We want people to feel safe when they come to the sunshine state,” said Orlando commission Patty Sheehan.
In 2016, 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando, injuring 53 others.
In December 2022, a performance of “A Drag Queen Christmas” at The Plaza Live in Orlando got them in hot water with the state after three minors were in attendance. The state threatened to take away the venue’s liquor license. However, the case was settled with the business paying a $5,000 fine and agreeing to prohibit minors from attending similar events.
“Attacking drag queens and gay performers. Doing all of this stuff, attacking transgender kids. This all has an impact,” Sheehan said.
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