DeSantis Backs Proposed Bill, Florida's Worst Anti-LGBTQ+ Move Yet

Another day, another unfortunate announcement regarding Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida’s war on the LGBTQ+ community.

The new bill has been proposed by the Health & Human Services Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, according to the Philadelphia Gay News. Under the terms of HB1403, called the Protections of Medical Conscience Act, doctors and insurance companies would be allowed to refuse treatment to members of the LGBTQ+ community and women based on their religious, moral, or ethical beliefs. This would allow doctors to refuse to give birth control, abortion referrals, or gender-affirming care to these patients.

The bill provides reassurance to medical practitioners and offers legal protection for refusing treatment. While not proposed directly by Governor DeSantis, who does have the ability to veto or refuse support for the bill, it is influenced by his “Don’t Say Gay” bill and other anti-LGBTQ+ actions over the course of the last year. His bill, which originally only affected kindergarten through third grade students, was just expanded to cover students through twelfth grade, and bans teachers from discussing material concerning sexual or gender identity.

The state has also already banned medical care for transgender children, including gender affirming care or the ability to transition, and has now prohibited insurance coverage of the same medical treatments for adults. Visitors to the state recently received a travel warning from various advocacy groups advising against traveling to the state if they’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or traveling with a friend or family member who is.

The Florida theme parks are by far the largest area of employment, tourism, and tax payers in the state of Florida. Walt Disney World alone employs over 77,000 workers. The majority of these employees are women or members of the LGBTQ+ community and the theme parks have often been marketed and used as a safe space for these people. If this bill is passed, as well as the several others currently circulating, there’s no telling how it will affect those employees and the Florida theme park industry as a whole.

What do you think of Governor DeSantis’s actions? Share your opinions in the comments below.