LGBTQ Tourists Pour Billions Into Florida’s Economy. But Should We Pause Our Spending?

Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter

Last week, my boyfriend Sean and I visited my mom (an official Canadian snowbird) in South Florida. We had the best time playing tennis, swimming, walking the beach and enjoying oceanside dinners. The state really is a winter wonderland.

But beyond the ocean lies a deep red state that creates an unnerving feeling for LGBTQ people. As I hit forehands on the ball machine, I thought about how Sean and I could never comfortably raise a kid in Florida. After all, the “Don’t Say Gay” law makes it illegal for teachers to read students books that feature two dads, and—up until eighth grade—it’s illegal to discuss anything gay-related in the classroom.

Does that mean my kid’s teacher could not talk about whether it’s Sean or me picking them up after school? Genuinely not sure… but legitimately concerned.

Another thought that crossed my mind is whether we’d get fair medical care. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed SB 1580, a so-called “​​License to Discriminate in Healthcare” bill that allows providers and insurers to deny a patient care based on religious, moral, or ethical beliefs. In other words, if my doctor or nurse is the kind of religious person who believes homosexuality is a sin, she can legally turn me away if I’m bleeding out of my head because being gay is against her Biblical beliefs.

After tennis, we drove to my friend's house for lunch. On the way, we crossed many bridges. It made me think about how DeSantis banned rainbow lights during last year’s Pride Month. Instead, he coined it “Freedom Summer,” where bridges could only light up in red, white and blue. While this move doesn’t explicitly hurt anyone, the veiled homophobia isn’t helping the 41% of LGBTQ youth who seriously considered suicide in 2023.

Once we arrived at our friend's house and finished a fantastic barbeque, we got into our bathing suits for a swim. I thought about how effing weird, not to mention dehumanizing, it must be for my friend—a trans woman—to live in this state where she is legally forced to use the same bathroom or locker room as me in an airport, college campus or any other federal building.

Many people make it seem like these laws have minimal impact. But make no mistake—they penetrate everyday life for queer people. It’s a horrible feeling to implicitly understand that you’re a second-class citizen in a state like Florida.

LGBTQ tourism put Florida on the map, and our community contributes billions of dollars a year to the state’s economy. But as sunny and gorgeous as the state may be, at what point do we as a community need to press pause on hitting the beaches that are widely known for their homo/transphobic undercurrent?

---

Biblically Responsible Investing Is Booming and LGBTQ Americans Are Paying the Price

As Trump Bans Care, Trans People Flee to Shield States

---

• Republican Refers to Transgender Member as a Man, Cutting Short a House Hearing (The New York Times)

• LGBTQ Groups Call On Democrats To 'Do More' To Protect Their Rights (The Hill)

• Newsom Becomes Most Prominent Democrat to Buck the Party and Echo Majority Public Opinion on Trans Athletes (CNN)

• Dylan Mulvaney Is Ready to Move On (Glamour)

  • Two years after the Bud Light controversy she calls “Beergate,” the actor, comedian, and TikTok star is ready for her next chapter.

• Supreme Court Takes Up Challenge to Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban (NBC News)

---

• Two weeks ago, Uncloseted Media was the first publication to interview Jaxon Seeger, the good friend of Sam Nordquist, the trans man who was tragically murdered in upstate New York. In our live interview, Seeger explained why they had started a Change.org petition demanding that the perpetrators of their friend’s murder have their charges elevated from second to first-degree murder. “Second-degree murder is not even close to what they deserve,” Seeger told me.

  Last week, we were informed that prosecutors have officially upgraded the charges against Nordquist’s accused killers to first-degree murder.

  Seeger reacted to the news: "This is an important step toward justice for Sam. No one should have to fight this hard for the system to recognize the full horror of what happened to him. While this won’t bring Sam back, it sends a message that his life mattered and that crimes like this must be met with the strongest possible consequences."

• Our story in partnership with Fierce Healthcare, Unraveling the Urgent, Unspoken Struggle for Accessible HIV Prevention, was announced earlier this week as a regional Azbee award finalist. The Azbee Awards recognize outstanding work by business, trade, association and professional publications. The Azbees highlight editorial, online, and design excellence within print media, email newsletters, and digital publishing. What an honor!

• As political battles over gender-affirming care intensify, Illinois has emerged as a key refuge in the Midwest. In our first story in partnership with Chicago Sun-Times, we spoke with trans folks who are seeking refuge in Illinois. The story graced the front page of the Sun-Times’ Wednesday print edition!

---

---

This weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:

• 🆕 Tensions between Canada and the U.S. are at an all-time high. In a matter of weeks, there could be a new Prime Minister, as Liberal candidate Mark Carney and Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre get set to compete to lead our northern neighbor at a time when tensions could not be more fraught. But what are Carney and Poillievre’s track records on LGBTQ rights? Emma Paidra and Sophie Holland are co-reporting an analysis.

---

Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!

Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com

---

If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:

---