EQUALITY FLORIDA DECLARES FLORIDA UNSAFE FOR LGBT

John Hayden

The religious anti-LGBT movement used to tell people to “pray the gay away.” That didn’t work. Now they’re legislating the gay away, and it’s working.

Equality Florida is warning people to think twice before visiting or moving to the state. The organization issued a travel advisory that warns of risks to health, safety, and freedom of LGBT within the borders.

They cite many new laws targeting the LGBT community, including assaults on the trans community, LGBT youth, drag entertainment, and more.

“As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” said

Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s Executive Director.

Visit Lauderdale, Broward County’s influential tourism arm, continues to do outreach in the LGBT community. Last year they launched their “Everyone Under the Sun” marketing campaign, which stresses diversity and inclusion.

Stacy Ritter, Visit Lauderdale’s CEO and President, said this is a tough, but understandable, move.

“We are disappointed but not surprised by the position Equality Florida has taken. The LGBTQ+ community has had to endure a daily barrage of attacks by the leadership in Tallahassee, some reverting to calling members of that community ‘mutants,’ in a concerted attempt to dehumanize and marginalize people who are just living their lives.”

If you’re lighting up this 4/20, Cresco Labs has a message for you: we deserve better emojis.

The parent company of Sunnyside Medical Cannabis Dispensary, with a location in Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale, is calling on cannabis users to sign a petition to Apple for better weed emojis.

“We are fed up with using broccoli and tree emojis to talk about cannabis in texting,” Dana Mason, vice president of brand and commercial marketing at Cresco Labs, said in a press release. “With cannabis acceptance at an all-time high, it’s time to make our voices heard and demand better representation for emojis that will allow us to fully express ourselves and celebrate all the benefits that this amazing plant has to offer.”

Typically, cannabis users have to settle for the broccoli, fire or tree emoji when texting with friends. Cresco Labs is proposing three emojis to Apple: two fingers holding a blunt, a marijuana leaf, and a smiley face with marijuana leaves for eyes.

Those wanting to participate in the survey can fill it out on change.org, and the results will be shared with Apple after July 10 — another cannabis holiday, 7/10, for THC oil.

In Florida, voters legalized medical marijuana in 2016. Patients can get access to THC products with a prescription or a “marijuana card.” Recreational marijuana is still illegal, and advocates are pushing to change this. According to the CDC, marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug; 18% of Americans said they had tried it at least once. That’s over 48 million people.