If you don’t live in Florida, you might be tempted to scroll past this. Don’t.
Florida has a habit of road-testing aggressive anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — and watching it spread. The state’s 2022 “Don’t Say Gay” law is the most famous example. At least a dozen states introduced similar laws, including Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Oklahoma.
Now Florida has a new one and it might be the most far-reaching yet.
So what did Florida just pass?
It’s called the “Anti-Diversity in Local Government” law (SB 1134), and it’s on Governor DeSantis’s desk. The legislation “prohibits counties & municipalities, respectively, from funding or promoting or taking official action as it relates to diversity, equity, & inclusion.”
Here’s what it actually does: it bans local governments from funding, promoting, or taking “any official action” related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, defining DEI as anything “designed or implemented with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation.”
That’s not just diversity training and DEI officers. It means cities and counties would no longer be able to spend public money on, or publicly express support for, programs supporting LGBTQ+ residents, women, or communities of color.
“DEI has to D-I-E, because it’s in our way,” said Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, one of the bill’s sponsors.
The punishment is the point
What makes this law stand out is the enforcement. Local elected officials who violate it can be removed from office by the governor or face legal action including by residents of Florida. The bill states “an action in circuit court may be brought by a resident of the municipality against a municipality that violates this section. The court may enter a judgment awarding declaratory and injunctive relief, damages and costs.”
Due to the law’s vague language, DeSantis could theoretically remove a mayor from office for sponsoring a Pride parade. And any citizen could sue a city for recognizing an unsanctioned holiday.
“This legislation is a sledgehammer aimed at cities and counties that dare to recognize and address the diversity of the people they serve,” Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director Joe Saunders shared in a statement as the bill headed to the House. “DeSantis and his allies are willing to sacrifice the critical support and inclusion that strengthen local communities to distract from his administration’s inaction, scandals, and corruption. A commitment to equity and inclusion makes us better. And our LGBTQ community will not be erased. As the bill heads to the House, lawmakers should reject this agenda of censorship and government overreach.”
What about Pride?
House Speaker Daniel Perez insisted the bill wouldn’t ban Pride parades, as he spoke to reporters on March 4.
“Do we want taxpayer dollars to be used to put on certain events that have to do with DEI, promoted by local governments? No, we don’t,” Perez told reporters. “But that doesn’t inhibit the ability for local governments to be able to have a gay Pride festival if that’s what they choose to do,”
Late amendments ensure cities can still permit Pride festivals, even while facing new restrictions on supporting or promoting them.
Local funding for LGBTQ+ events is already on the line. Miami Beach had committed up to $250,000 to sponsor its Pride festival, funding that would be at risk once the law kicks in January 2027. Other LGBTQ+ events and organizations like the Miami-Dade’s Gay Men’s Chorus stands to lose nearly $100,000 in local government funding annually.
And it’s not just LGBTQ+ organizations feeling the heat. St. Petersburg’s mayor Ken Welch spoke out against the law. “It could impact existing programs that support women and religious communities, and could even restrict, as has been said, celebrations for certain ethnic groups like St. Patrick’s Day, not to mention Black heritage, Hispanic heritage, and Pride,” Welch said.
Why this matters if you don’t live in Florida
Historically, Florida has been the breeding ground for new laws aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. These bills frequently become the “model policy” replicated across multiple states. It’s already happening: Missouri lawmakers introduced a similar bill this year that would force state agencies to revoke DEI funding, building off a state executive order.
Advocates are vowing to fight this in court before the 2027 effective date.