Turning the Tide on Transphobia: How Florida Is Not Only Resisting But Working To Build A Better Future

Turning the Tide on Transphobia: How Florida Is Not Only Resisting But Working To Build A Better Future

Written by Charlie Croy, Communications & Field Elections Fellow

For years, Florida has been on the frontline of the fight against anti-LGBTQ attacks. In addition to Governor Ron DeSantis’ harmful “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law expansion, extreme anti-transgender legislation at the beginning of 2023 led to the state earning Travel advisories from Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

The increasingly hostile legislation sent an alarm through the LGBTQ+ community across the state, particularly for transgender and nonbinary people. According to the HRC and CMI’s 17th Annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey, bans on healthcare pushed 80.7% of transgender and nonbinary adults in Florida into either wanting or making active plans to flee the state, a number which has only grown as DeSantis has continued on his extremist agenda through 2024.

Journalist Erin Reed of Erin in the Morning has tracked anti-trans legislation nationwide for five years, releasing a consistently updated Anti-Trans Legislative Risk Map. With the overwhelming amount of anti-trans legislation coming from the DeSantis administration, Florida created a new category on the Risk Map beyond “Worst Active Anti-trans Laws” - the “Do Not Travel” category. Florida, which has stayed in the category as of September 2024, has been the only state with the advisory since it was added in May of 2023. 

Florida is unquestionably the state under the most attack when it comes to trans rights. This, more than anything, is why Florida can - and must - be a leader in turning the tide against transphobia. It is precisely our resilience in overcoming this adversity and our determination to keep fighting for progress that holds power in the message we send to all those watching our state’s next move. 

This election, now more than ever, is the time to fight back with our voices and our votes. We will continue to send the message that we will not be erased and that the residents of Florida will not stand for these discriminatory attacks against the transgender and nonbinary community across the state. 

The threats of this legislation can be terrifying and disheartening, but it’s important to note how much we have already overcome. When extremist politicians fought against marriage equality, we fought back - and won. When their attacks stopped working, they “threw everything at the wall” to find a new target - and now, it’s the transgender community. 

Let’s take a look at some of the ways the tide is turning against transphobia in the state: 

Important Milestones So Far:

• The 2024 Legislative Session
  At the beginning of this year, Republicans threatened to continue the trajectory of this extreme agenda by filing 22 of the most extreme anti-LGBTQ bills our state has ever seen, with several specifically targeting trans youth AND adults. Despite the initial outlook, we overcame the odds by joining in collective opposition to make our voices heard. We stopped or neutralized 21 of the 22 bills, even passing the first pro-LGBTQ bill in recent history: the PEP Access bill (HB 159). 
   
• Rejecting hate and division on the August 20th Primary Election.
  • The primary election in Florida this year delivered a resounding rejection of right-wing extremism and DeSantis’ obsessive anti-LGBTQ culture wars. Two-thirds of DeSantis-endorsed school board candidates failed to win in the primary election, and support for the right-wing extremist group, Moms for Liberty, dwindled dramatically this year along with their influence, earning only three outright wins.
  • Meanwhile, 75% of Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed school board candidates either won or are headed to runoff. Furthermore, several pro-equality candidates, including a few openly LGBTQ candidates, secured victories, already effectively doubling the number of LGBTQ state lawmakers in Florida in 2024 and setting the stage for a historic rainbow wave in November. 

What's On The Horizon:

• LGBTQIA+ representation is on the ballot - especially trans voices.
  • Electing out candidates means visibility, support, and ensuring our community has a voice at the table.
  • Two candidates, Ashley Brundage in District 65 and Nathan Bruemmer in District 61, are working to become the first-ever openly transgender legislators to be elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Another candidate, Vance Ahrens in District 19, is running to become the state’s first openly transgender senator. These victories would not only be an incredible and historical accomplishment for the transgender community in Florida, but they would also send a loud and clear rejection of DeSantis’ obsessive anti-trans agenda.

Even though DeSantis will be around for another two years before he terms out, this November election is the perfect opportunity to remind him once again what Florida stands for. The results of this election will also set the stage for the next governor by showing that we refuse to accept an extremist agenda that infringes upon the rights of the LGBTQ+ residents of our state.

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Visit Equality Florida’s Election Center to get your LGBTQ voter guide, make a plan to vote, and help WIN in Florida!