Menu

Advocacy Groups Say Florida Poses Risk to “Health, Safety, and Freedom”

Florida travel advisory
Credit: Equality Florida/Disney

In just over one year, Florida has quickly become one of the most controversial states in the country. A six-week abortion ban was just signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. The state also passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, which critics feel targets and discriminates against the LGBTQ+ community. Then, there is the huge fight between Governor DeSantis and The Walt Disney Company. The governor stripped Disney of its ability to self-govern and is now threatening the company because they outsmarted him. Many feel that the governor is overstepping and punishing Disney for speaking out against him.

Disney won the war with DeSantis

Credit: ABC

In addition to all of the above, the state has restricted the care that transgender people have access to. There is also a bill making its way through the legislature that would allow a “disapproving” parent to gain emergency custody of a child receiving gender-affirming care. The law would apply to children who don’t just live in the state, but also those who are visiting. Critics of the law have pointed out that the bill is so vague, parents receiving gender-affirming care may also lose custody. The proposed bill would put gender-affirming care into the same category as child abuse.

Disney Pride

Credit: Disney Parks Blog

With everything going on in Florida, advocacy groups are actively warning people NOT to travel there. On April 12, Equality Florida posted the following message on Twitter:

BREAKING: Today, we took the extraordinary step of issuing a travel advisory, warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state.

Equality Florida was not the only group to issue travel warnings to the Sunshine State. The Florida Immigrant Coalition also issued a stern warning. Per The Florida Immigrant Coalition website:

Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution as it can be unsafe for people of color, individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers. Due to unconstitutional legislation supported by Governor Ron DeSantis and introduced by Legislative Leadership, every county in Florida poses a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.

In Florida, routine daily activities for those who cannot immediately prove United States Citizenship and lawful residency at all times may result in devastating consequences. These consequences include arrest for operating a vehicle, no matter the state you are from, reduced access to healthcare services, and compromised safety. Exercise extra caution if you are over 6 weeks pregnant due to restrictions on reproductive health services.

Florida Immigrant Coalition Travel Advisory

Credit: Florida Immigrant Coalition

In September of last year, the controversial Governor shipped immigrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The immigrants claim that they were deceived, being promised jobs and English lessons. Some of the immigrants, as well as a watchdog group, are currently suing the governor. The lawsuits claim that DeSantis was trying to achieve a “hate-filled” agenda and broke the law.

Each year, millions of families travel to the Sunshine State for magical Walt Disney World Resort vacations. However, Equality Florida and The Florida Immigrant Coalition are telling travelers to rethink their visit and travel to other states.

About Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. I also love to share daily doses of Disney on my Disney Instagram @BrazzleDazzleDisney!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.