In war, there are casualties. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “war on woke” is no exception, writes Dean Obeidallah, as groups cancel gatherings in the state.

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.

  •  lemillionsocks   ( @lemillionsocks@beehaw.org ) 
    36•11 months ago

    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.