Florida Tourism Website Removes ‘LGBTQ Travel’ Section As DeSantis’ ‘War On Woke’ Escalates

Florida has removed the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its tourism website, marking another move by state officials to separate themselves from a community that once made up a large portion of Florida tourists.

“It’s just disgusting to see this,” leader of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce Keith Blackburn said in a statement. “They seem to want to erase us.”

Visit Florida still features few listings for LGBTQ destinations, though the section dedicated to the market has been eliminated. Before its removal, the LGBTQ section on the website read, “There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities – a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance.”

This is not the first blow to the community in Florida, as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) supported bills forbidding classrooms to educate about sexual orientation and has stood in opposition to gender-affirming care for minors. In May, he announced that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge would no longer be illuminated in rainbow colors to celebrate Pride Month.

Despite the most recent knock to LGBTQ Floridians and tourists, Blackburn reminded the community that several cities within the state are still home to LGBTQ-owned businesses and are represented by gay officials.

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

Florida is one of the most tourist-heavy states in the country. Close to 141 million tourists visited last year, with the state previously being touted for having some of the best gay beaches.

Since his failed presidential campaign, DeSantis has doubled down on his “war on woke” campaign, including banning mentions of climate change on state websites and allowing a record number of book bans.