In November 2022, Ron DeSantis won re-election to his second term as Governor of the state of Florida. DeSantis ran as a Republican and had a very conservative platform. However, since he began his second term in office, the Governor — and the Republican-controlled state legislature — have passed a number of laws and taken many actions that are considered extreme even by fellow conservatives. Most notably, the state passed the Parental Rights in Education Bill, which banned educators from discussing things like sexual orientation and gender affirmation with students. The bill — also called the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” — was initially passed for K through 3. Now, it is K through 8, and the state wants to expand it to all grades.
In addition to that, the state has passed a bill that makes gender-affirming care for minors a crime. Parental rights only extend to the classroom, and the law can punish both parents and healthcare providers. If one parent objects to the gender-affirming care, the state can step in and remove the child from the other parent’s home. In addition to that, the state has passed a bill that makes it a crime for transgender individuals to use the restroom that matches their gender identity.
Things have become so extreme in Florida, that human rights groups have warned certain people against traveling there. Florida is no longer considered a safe place for LGBTQ+ people to visit. Unfortunately, Walt Disney World Resort is right in the middle of the state. There are many LGBTQ+ people who are big Disney fans, but they are now thinking of traveling elsewhere.
Redditor u/PureLove_X went on the social media platform to ask if people had other vacation spots they would recommend, instead of Walt Disney World.
Me and my group of friends have been planning a trip to Disney world in 2025, we have been planning this trip for a long time now, but most of us are lgbt+ in someway and one of my friends is Trans. Besides the fact I’m at this point honestly terrified to step into the state despite myself not being trans, I do wear more masculine clothing and have short hair, I also just don’t want to give them any money. I’ve been reading more and more horror stories and I’m scared they are only going to get worse before they get better.
We’re going as a group of 7 and all together were planning on spending around 60,000k on flights, hotel, food, and obviously Disney world itself. We all live in different parts of the country and one person is in canada. It was going to be a lot of fun but I don’t want to give them money to turn around and spend to spread more hatefulness. I don’t want my friends to feel unsafe and I don’t want to feel unsafe.
So basically, I’m looking for other options of things to do, preferably somewhere wheelchair friendly or something that doesn’t require a lot of standing. I’m looking for a few different options because I want to have some ideas to present to the group for us to agree on, Maybe a cruise would be fun? I’ve also considered going to California and going to DisneyLand and it’s definitely an option but I’d like to see some other ideas.
It was recommended that the Redditor look into an all-inclusive resort, which gives more flexibility than a cruise. However, for Disney fans who want to continue to live in the Disney magic, Disneyland Resort is always a great alternative. California considers itself a state very LGBTQ+ friendly. California has passed several laws protecting the rights of gay and transgender people, whether they are visiting or are permanent residents.
Disneyland also recently celebrated its very first Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite. Pride Nite was a massive hit, with rare character sightings, a special fireworks show, a Pride cavalcade, and dance parties throughout Disneyland Park. California Governor Gavin Newsom even attended the event. The popular governor was spotted watching the fireworks, greeting Guests, and giving out hugs to anyone who asked.
