Gay, immigrant groups warn against travel to Florida

LGBT and immigrant advocacy organizations are warning against travel to Florida in light of the Sunshine State's political shift rightward and enaction of policies perceived as hostile to those groups.

Various gay organizations have maligned the state for its Parental Rights in Education law, which such groups have dubbed a "Don't Say Gay" bill. The law restricts discussion of gender and sexuality with younger students in public schools.

Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith issued a warning this week to would-be gay travelers to the Sunshine State.

"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," Nadine said, according to the Washington Times.

Equality Florida is the state's largest LGBT organization. The group encourages LGBT individuals within the state to push back against Tallahassee's policies.

The warning comes alongside a comparable advisory from the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which warned of "devastating consequences" for those who could not immediately prove citizenship or lawful residency in the state, per the Times.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has endorsed plans that would grant the state greater oversight of businesses suspected of using illegal immigrant labor. In late February, the governor proposed the expansion of an E-Verify system that the state uses for public employees.

He also deployed the National Guard to the Florida Keys earlier this year to combat a rising tide of maritime migrants using the archipelago as a stopover on their way to the U.S. mainland.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.