Homophobia & Disenfranchisement: Florida under DeSantis

Something sinister is happening in Florida – since the election of Republican governor Ron DeSantis, vulnerable minority groups have had their very existence threatened and turned into political points. Democratic norms have been worryingly chipped away. Republicans across the nation have shown passion towards these policies – DeSantis has sought to out-do them at every turn.

Long governed by conservatism, Florida (outside of a few enclaves) has never been a haven for those identifying as LGBTQ+, but state-sponsored homophobia has grown significantly under DeSantis.

He supported and signed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act – commonly referred to as the

– which prohibits classroom ‘discussions’ or ‘instructions’ about sexual orientation or gender identity not only from kindergarten to grade three, but in any grade if it runs against ‘state standards’. The hurtful and intentionally vague language of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ has created a culture of fear throughout Floridian schools. Desperate to avoid running afoul of ‘state standards’, or incurring the wrath of court action by parents (the act allows parents to sue schools if they feel their children have been subject to ‘inappropriate discussions’), teachers avoid discussions on any LGBTQ+ topics. As raised by Kara Gross (the legislative director of Florida’s ACLU), the law is so broad that a child of a same-sex couple showing a drawing of their parents to the class is enough to justify legal action. Meanwhile, queer teachers are forced to repress aspects of their private life, while queer students have been made to feel even more alienated, deliberately targeted by a law that labels their existence as inappropriate for school. Even more vile is a provision which requires schools to inform parents within six weeks if their child confides to a staff member that they identify as LGBTQ+. Exceptions remain if the educator fears that this could lead to abuse, abandonment, or neglect (an amendment to remove these protections was withdrawn) but this will still endanger child safety in instances where that judgement is not present - and regardless, represents a gross encroachment by the state on their rights to privacy.

The assault on trans rights has been devastating. Under DeSantis, gender-affirming healthcare has been banned for minors – meaning transgender Floridians under the age of 18 no longer have access to puberty blockers or hormone therapy. In issuing this decision, it was also decided by the Board of Medicine (a body stacked with DeSantis supporters) that social transition – acts such as changing one’s name and wearing clothes more suited to one’s gender identity – be inaccessible to minors. This move has been labelled by Equality Florida, a LGBTQ+ advocacy group, as a ‘dangerous escalation’ beyond any legislative attacks in other states. Protecting parental rights is apparently all well and good until those parents want to support their children, not repress others’ children.

Trans adults are no better off. They are still required to seek approval from this transphobic Board of Medicine before receiving gender-affirming care, and are prohibited from using Medicaid to fund ‘any transgender healthcare initiatives’, disproportionately impacting those with lower incomes who cannot afford to pay out of pocket.

School libraries have been wiped clean at DeSantis’ direction. During a statewide review, a record number of math textbooks were excluded for including ‘woke math’ (whatever the fuck that is!?), while textbooks containing mentions of racial profiling in law enforcement and housing were scrutinised as attempts to ‘indoctrinate’. His ramblings on removing ‘wokeness’ from math textbooks would be hilariously idiotic, were they not coming from someone with such impact. So vague are the laws, that books containing LGBTQ+ topics are hidden due to risk of distribution being labelled under state law as distributing pornography – a felony offence.

In an attempt to whitewash history, the ‘Stop WOKE Act’ (eyeroll) virtually criminalises any classroom discussions on issues relating to historical inequities and racial/sexual oppression. Colleges, too, have found themselves in the firing line, with further restrictions introduced on ability to offer courses like gender studies, and the employment professors now at greater mercy to appointees of the Governor.

Concerningly, crucial rights such as the right to vote have come under attack during DeSantis’ reign. In 2018, Floridians overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that restored voting rights to felons who have completed terms of sentence. In response, DeSantis supported a law requiring the repayment of ‘all fines and fees’ in order to have rights restored – which critics argued subverted the point of the ballot measure. Felon disenfranchisement has a disproportionate effect on the state’s African American population – in 2020, 15% were unable to vote, compared to only 6% of the white population.

An unnecessarily complicated system makes it nearly impossible for felons to determine their eligibility, entrapping those who believe they’re voting legally under state law. In 2022, DeSantis unleashed his election police force (yes, he’s got election police) on 20 individuals charged with voter fraud. The majority of these individuals were only guilty of thinking they were eligible to vote. They were provided with voter registration material yet never notified they were ineligible.

Unfortunately, DeSantis’ assaults on the vulnerable and the rule of law run far deeper than what’s been able to be covered in this short article: restrictions on abortion, attempts to criminalise drag performances, intimidation of public officials, letting people die of COVID-19 all in the name of ‘freedom’. The list goes on. As a lot of media attention becomes focused on the ‘will he, won’t he?’ situation of his potential 2024 Presidential run, it is important not to forget Florida. The damage DeSantis may cause the US as President is still a hypothetical, the damage he continues to impart on Floridians is very real, and very, very present.