Florida is quietly removing LGBTQ+ travel information from its website

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and St. Petersburg is among several Florida cities that have long been top US destinations for LGBTQ+ tourists. So it came as a surprise this week when travelers learned that Florida’s tourism marketing agency had quietly removed the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its website sometime in recent months.

Business owners who cater to Florida’s LGBTQ+ tourists said Wednesday that it marked the latest attempt by state officials to erase the LGBTQ+ community.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis previously supported a bill banning classroom teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity, and supported a ban on gender-affirming minors, as well as a law to keep children out of drag shows.

“It’s just disgusting to see,” said Keith Blackburn, who heads the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Greater Fort Lauderdale. “Looks like they want to wipe us out.”

The change to Visit Florida’s website was first reported by NBC News, which noted that a search query still pulled up some listings for LGBTQ+-friendly places despite the removal of the section.

John Lai, who chairs Visit Florida’s board of directors, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Dana Young, CEO and president of Visit Florida, did not return a voice message, nor did the agency’s director of public relations.

Visit Florida is a public-private partnership between the State of Florida and the state’s tourism industry. The state contributes about $50 million each year to the quasi-public agency from two tourism and economic development funds.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the US for tourists, and tourism is one of its largest industries. Nearly 141 million tourists visited Florida in 2023, and out-of-state visitors contributed more than $102 billion to Florida’s economy.

Before the change, the LGBTQ+ section of the Visit Florida website said, “There’s a sense of freedom about Florida’s beaches, warm weather and countless activities — a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community seeking a meaning. of belonging and acceptance”.

Blackburn said the change and other anti-LGBTQ+ policies in Tallahassee make it more difficult for him to promote South Florida tourism because he encounters potential travelers or travel promoters who say they don’t want to do business in the state.

Last year, for example, several civil rights groups issued a travel advisory for Florida, saying policies supported by DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “overtly hostile to African-Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ people.”

But visitors should also understand that many Florida cities are extremely inclusive, with gay elected officials and LGBTQ+-owned businesses, and don’t reflect policies coming from state government, Blackburn added.

“It’s difficult when stories like this come out and the state does these things and we hear people calling for a boycott,” Blackburn said. “On one level, it’s embarrassing to explain why people should come to South Florida and our destination when the state does these things.”