Florida removes LGBTQ+ travel info from state tourism website

Florida’s tourism marketing agency recently removed the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its website. 

The change was made to the “Visit Florida” website sometime in the last few months, the Associated Press reported. 

NBC News, which first reported the news, found that LGBTQ+ listings still populate even though the section has been deleted. The link where the LGBTQ Travel page was now directs users to a general “things to do” landing page, NBC reported, and it’s not clear when the section was removed, although it was still accessible in mid-April.

The “Visit Florida” website is a public-private partnership between the state of Florida and the state’s tourism industry, the AP reported. Florida contributes around $50 million from two tourism and economic development funds per year. 

The LGBTQ+ section of the website previously read: “There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities — a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance,” according to the AP.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been at the forefront of the culture wars, signing into law legislation that restricted discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, as well as laws that ban minors from attending live performances of drag shows and prohibit anyone under age 18 from undergoing sex-reassignment surgeries or taking cross-sex hormones to treat gender dysphoria, which are both currently blocked amid ongoing litigation. 

In the wake of such laws, several civil rights groups issued a travel advisory for Florida, describing DeSantis and Florida lawmakers as “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and St. Petersburg are all top U.S. destinations for the LGBTQ+ community, the AP reported.

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DeSantis dismissed the “stunt” in May, claiming recent tourist travel data shows Florida has never been more popular for all travelers.

Florida is among the top tourist destinations in the country.   (iStock)

“As Governor DeSantis announced … Florida is seeing record-breaking tourism,” DeSantis press secretary Jeremy Redfern told Fox News Digital in 2023. “This is nothing more than a stunt.” 

Visit Florida CEO Dana Young previously told Fox News Digital that Florida is “one of the safest places in the country” and has been ranked as having among the most Black-owned businesses of any state.

“Tourism is our number one industry, and we are diverse and welcoming to everyone. We don’t discriminate on any basis. We welcome everyone to our state,” Young said. “Many of our destinations in the state have huge Pride festivals, and, you know, I think the diversity of our state is one of the reasons that people enjoy coming.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Visit Florida for comment, but did not immediately hear back. 

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Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.