this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2023
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Governor DeSantis's policies targeting the LGBTQ community, restricting academic freedom, and banning diversity programs have negatively impacted Florida's economy. Several organizations have canceled conventions and events in Orlando due to concerns over DeSantis's "anti-woke" agenda, resulting in an estimated $20 million loss in revenue for the state. Despite this, DeSantis's spokesperson dismissed the economic impact as a "media-driven stunt." However, boycotts in the past have caused enough economic pain to lead to policy changes, so organizations avoiding Florida are doing the right thing by not spending money there while these policies remain in place.

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[–] Uniquitous@lemmy.one 57 points 1 year ago

DeSantis is poison for Florida. He's so busy trying to prove how much he hates gays & non-whites that he doesn't take any time to govern. But I guess that's the standard GOP playbook these days.

[–] Four_lights77@lemm.ee 37 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Favor@beehaw.org 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh they for sure care, just yesterday I was listening to a podcast and one of the ads was for Orlando. The theme of the ad? "Orlando is still great for gay people" They cited all kinds of statistics in an attempt to prove gay people should still visit and that it was a safe and fun place for them. They understand how critical those DINK tourists are, especially when you already have a lot of infrastructure and investment in attracting and serving them.

DeSantis doesn't care, but I promise you that lots of conservatives on the ground will start caring when their business traffic starts to choke off. Conservatives retire to Florida, but I'd imagine liberals make up at least half of the tourists between spring break, nightlife/LGBTQ hotspots, and how "woke" Disney has become.

Florida's current economic landscape is only possible due to tourism money, and once that reality becomes clear people are suddenly going to become far less concerned with non economic issues. Even the promise of tax cuts won't work when entire industries see their revenues drop by meaningful %'s.

I'm from Kansas, I know what it looks like and feels like to live in a conservative economic death spiral. The reality is you have to let it start getting worse before people take it seriously and put a stop to it. Even the conservatives here voted out Brownback after he started gutting every maintenance, service, and school budget in a failed attempt to balance his tax cuts. All those people who treat politics as a game get real serious once it hurts them directly, but until then I'm not sure there's an effective way to reach them.

[–] Khotetsu@lib.lgbt 14 points 1 year ago

And it's not just the tourism industry that's suffering, but construction and anything that requires freight shipping as well are already feeling the effects. There's been videos for the past several months of completely empty job sites with half finished houses and condos because DeSantis has made it a crime to drive undocumented workers, who make up almost the entirety of the construction workforce. A vast number of freight truck drivers also said that they won't deliver to Florida for similar reasons, though I don't remember exactly what law caused them to refuse to go into the state.

[–] Szymon@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So regarding going broke, this was a result of.. checks clipboard going woke, right?

[–] AresUII@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

Texas Education Agency furiously scribbling "DESANTIS WOKE" into textbooks

[–] lemillionsocks@beehaw.org 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At the end of the day Florida is guaranteed 2 seats in the senate and due to their size it will be a long while before momentum moves to the point where their house numbers are low.

Republicans want this. They want people of opposing political beliefs to leave their state en mass. Lets not forget that up until recent conservative craziness florida was known as being the most infamous swingstate.

I dont blame people for leaving from an area where their kids will be more poorly educated, where local infrastructure is decentralized highway centric HOA built community hell, and where they may be actively persecuted. It's what the republicans want though.

[–] acastcandream@beehaw.org 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

spoilerasdfasdfsadfasfasdf

[–] Auzy@beehaw.org 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As an Aussie, I'd never go there..I don't want to get shot and then someone claim they were standing their ground or whatever. As I have no problem with foreigners, lgbt people and I hate guns, why would I go?

As far as we know, it feels like I'd be stepping into kkk/nazi territory. I can go Europe instead where people are super chill

[–] OceanSoap@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Uh, yeah, none of that is going to happen to you. Go where you want, but comparing FL to Nazi territory is so ridiculous.

[–] Auzy@beehaw.org 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Your governer (combined with Trump) is already following many of the tactics the Nazi's used (banning books, using dangerous language like "woke", etc).. This time though, its not against the Jews, it's against Trans people. Our government warns against it: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/united-states-america and I literally watched on Sky news, as Trump was setting things up for violence (it was SO obvious to anyone months in advance, and I literally worked it out within 5 mins of watching Sky news where it was headed.. I am not a smart guy...)

And a lot of this nonsense is spilling over to Australia.

I have no interest in going somewhere like that.. I can go elsewhere in the US, or Europe. I've got a trans friend and plenty of gay friends (but I'm totally straight myself). I probably have even more I'm not even aware of. Desantis isn't getting a dollar from me.

What benefits does Florida have over other places? Why would I visit? I can go elsewhere without the bigotry, people carrying guns everywhere, etc.

It's true not everyone in Florida is racist, but, if I'm on holiday, why go somewhere I'm dealing with all of that? Why go somewhere where school kids get shot? Why not go somewhere more positive

In fact ironically, I didn't think much of Disney, until they fought back against Desantis. Now I'm happy they exist..

[–] ArtZuron@beehaw.org 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The nazis also targeted transfolk as well. The repugnants aren't going to stop at trans people or liberals. They're going to go after everyone eventually, even each other.

[–] Auzy@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago

Yep.. I actually feel scared for you guys when Trump goes to prison, or for next election.

You're all welcome here in Australia, to see what things should be like..

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[–] Fish@midwest.social 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I don't know man, it's getting there. The same could be said for Texas.

[–] ikiru@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As a Leftist, who very much looks like a Leftist, I am currently visiting Florida's panhandle and I'm having a very great time. It's very much like the Deep South. People are very friendly. I see plenty of people of color too. It's not like genocide is raging and people are being hunted down en masse, not that I support DeSantis nor do I want to normalize him and I do think we are inevitably heading towards fascism in the US.

On the other hand, I did go to a restaurant and sat next to a table with a Neo-Nazi couple with swastika tattoos but we left our respective parties alone.

[–] Fish@midwest.social 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I have no doubt that the majority of Floridians will be civil, even around leftists and LGBTQ+ people. However, much of the recent legislation in Florida has been straight-up fascist. Also, Florida is seeing an influx of radical conservatives moving there, along with a lot of left-leaning and LGBTQ+ people leaving. That's what I mean when I say that "it's getting there".

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[–] Auzy@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

oh yeah.. It's unlikely I'll be shot, but, more likely than anywhere else. Thing is, what does Florida offer to someone like me that lots of other places don't offer, which don't have the negatives?

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[–] millie@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

Is it legal for you to use the bathroom? Because that makes a difference.

[–] millie@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

They're literally imprisoning people for trying to find a place to pee. At what point are the red flags enough? Literal death camps?

[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 26 points 1 year ago
[–] UnfortunateTwist@beehaw.org 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Might I add that this month CDC issued a letter that leprosy may be endemic to Florida now.

And back in June there were cases of locally acquired Malaria. FYI, U.S. malaria cases are typically acquired from international travel.

I don't have much hope with respect to Florida's Public Health, with DeSantis appointing the state surgeon general Joseph Ladapo who has cherry picked science research to push an agenda, wholly ignoring what the research actually concluded.

[–] mnrockclimber@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 1 year ago

I skipped the Agile2023 conference last month because they chose Florida for some reason.

[–] shiveyarbles@beehaw.org 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Their woke agenda and woke books, and woke teachers and woke doctors and woke postmen and woke Santa Claus and woke... FFS stfu you fascist pig

[–] noxy@yiffit.net 13 points 1 year ago

Yo, listen up, here's the story About a little guy that lives in a woke world And all day and all night and everything he sees is just woke Like him, inside and outside Woke his house with a woke little window And a woke Corvette and everything is woke for him And himself and everybody around 'Cause he ain't got nobody to listen (To listen, to listen, to listen)

[–] NecessaryWeevil@feddit.nl 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Earlier today, I heard someone refer to the Star Wars sequel trilogy as "woke." I'm still scratching my head.

[–] Krackalot@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 year ago

Of course. There were women jedi, that's not right.

[–] Puppy@kbin.social 16 points 1 year ago

DeSantis will forever be remembered as "that woke guy from Florida" lmao

He kinda attached himself to that word now. At least, that's the only thing I remember form his campaign; "WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE"

[–] TheTimeKnife@beehaw.org 15 points 1 year ago

Obvious consequence of alienating half the country.

[–] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

And what the hell does woke mean anyway?

[–] CoderKat@lemm.ee 35 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Fortunately for everyone, they had to define "woke" during a court case.

DeSantis' general counsel, Ryan Newman, responded that the term means "the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them."

So there we have it. Recognizing the flaws in the justice system is woke.

[–] circularfish@beehaw.org 10 points 1 year ago

If they actually have that level of self-awareness, which I doubt they all do, then we should just reclaim the term. As in, “Yeah, I’m woke. Fuck you”.

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[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 16 points 1 year ago

It means that you're aware of the social and racial issues that exist in America and the world. So to be anti-woke means to be willingly ignorant.

[–] interolivary@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

Something about "cultural Marxists" sapping and impurifying our precious bodily fluids

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[–] Jearom@beehaw.org 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

My family wants to do our first-ever Disney trip, but we’re boycotting Florida for the foreseeable future, and it’s 100% on their government. We look *at a trip to FL like vacationing in Berlin circa 1933 right now.

[–] CrypticFawn@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Go to Disneyland in Cali instead. It's great.

[–] Jearom@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Love the idea, but that’s a 6 hour flight, where FL is only 2, and I’m not ready to fly with twin Kindergarteners :)

I’ll wait.

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[–] synae@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 year ago

Yea I'm not traveling to or spending any money in any of these fascist states if I can help it

[–] CrypticFawn@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 year ago

I wouldn't go to Texas either. Fuck that noise.

[–] SolNine@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago

I grew up here, have family here and have built a life here. It really is awful how much the state is being destroyed, so much has changed since 2016, it is unreal.

The propaganda has been incredibly effective here, and it is absolutely disheartening.

[–] Veraxus@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

I had planned a WDW vacation before COVID scuttled those plans. Now that it's safe to travel again, I have no plans to visit Florida for any reason whatsoever for the foreseeable future. Still taking the family on that vacation; we're just doing it in California instead.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 8 points 1 year ago

🤖 I'm a bot that provides automatic summaries for articles:

Click here to see the summaryHis anti-“woke” message is prompting organizations and corporations to cancel conventions and other events that are an essential part of Florida’s vital hospitality economy.

The NAACP issued a travel advisory in May warning that the Sunshine State has come to be seen as “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals” under DeSantis.

Its statement was followed by similar warnings from the League of United Latin American Citizens and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, advising about extreme policies that travelers from some communities might view as hostile.

Tony Pals, spokesperson for the group, in an email to CNN, explained that the organization would not hold a conference or event in a state such as Florida that has enacted anti-trans laws.

As CNN reported Sunday, Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of the Visit Lauderdale tourism marketing agency, noted that 10 events and conventions were canceled by organizations “citing recently enacted laws, policies and travel advisories.”

The consequences for North Carolina meant millions in estimated lost revenue, especially after the 2017 NBA All-Star Game and NCAA championships were moved from the state.

[–] Puppy@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

DeSantis will forever be remembered as "that woke guy from Florida" lmao

He kinda attached himself to that word now. At least, that's the only thing I remember form his campaign; "WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE"

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 14 points 1 year ago

I think of him as the dumbass fascist who declared war on an adjective. W said a lot of really dumb shit but he at least had the grammatical sense to declare war on a noun.

[–] HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 6 points 1 year ago
[–] Hype@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

As a Floridian, please don't come. We make most of our money off of tourism, hospitality, and healthcare services. Go somewhere else, let this state die.

[–] Cobrachickenwing@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm sure Disney must be happy they let Ron win in 2022.

[–] Texas_Hangover@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Disney decides political outcomes now?

[–] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 year ago

Man I never wanna leave the west coast... Let alone go to Florida

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