Mayor Ken Welch at the 2025 St Pete Pride flag raising. (Photo by Dylan Todd)
Elected officials from across the state are urging Florida lawmakers to reject bills targeting support for diversity, equity and inclusion on the local level.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis hosted a virtual press conference with Equality Florida March 4 to speak out against House Bill 1001 and Senate Bill 1134, deemed the “Anti-Diversity in Local Government Bills” by the organization.
Additional speakers included St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, Tallahassee Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox, Fernandina Beach Commissioner Genece Minshew and Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe.
Each official spoke out against the bills, filed as “Official Actions of Local Governments.” As written, they would prohibit local governments “from funding or promoting or taking official action as it relates to” DEI, from “expending funds” for DEI “offices” or for DEI “officers,” prohibit them “from providing or authorizing funds to be used to promote” DEI and more.
SB 1134 also notes that local officials “acting in an official capacity who violates certain provisions commits misfeasance or malfeasance in office, etc.” Participants condemned the vague language, characterizing the measures as state overreach.
“The bills seek to define diversity, equity and inclusion as ‘training, programming, or activities’ designed or even just with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation,” Equality Florida shared in a release. “… The alarm is being raised across the state by local elected officials who recognize the financial peril these bills represent, including not being able to contract with some qualified vendors, even if it would save taxpayers money, and defending against lawsuits from anyone alleging a violation.”
If enacted, advocates and officials warn the legislation would threaten local support for events like Pride — including in St. Petersburg, which hosts the largest LGBTQ+ celebration in the state. Welch called it a “serious threat” that “directly challenges the constitutional principal of home rule in Florida.”
“St. Pete believes in inclusive progress … our inclusive policies are neither discriminatory or symbolic,” the mayor noted. “They are essential tools for local governments and reflect the will of our local voters. We are committed to fighting this legislation and we will continue to advocate for our community and our priorities.”
Trantalis, who noted Fort Lauderdale welcomes more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ visitors to South Florida each year and has “one of the highest concentrations of same-sex households in the United States,” called the bills a direct attempt to denigrate LGBTQ+ and other minority communities. He said it falls in line with “rhetoric over the last several years” from Florida lawmakers and urged them to reverse course.
“Florida and America’s success have always come from our willingness to welcome people from around the world,” Trantalis noted. “Today we are urging the legislature to slow down, listen to the voices of local communities and recognize the unintended consequences these bills may create. Not only for our residents but for the economic engines that power cities across America.”
Equality Florida is asking supporters to contact local lawmakers about the bills, set for final votes this week. Read more from the organization below:
Updated March 5, 2026: The Florida Senate passed the measure late March 4, prompting this response from Equality Florida Senior Political Director Joe Saunders:
“Once again, Governor DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are advancing one of the most sweeping and extreme bills in the country—this time threatening decades of local progress supporting diverse communities, including the LGBTQ community. Sponsor Senator Clay Yarborough acknowledged that he has no idea how many existing ordinances, policies, and programs would be repealed by this legislation. He also made clear that while engineered carve-outs exist for some communities, he could identify no basis for broadly protecting the LGBTQ community.
This legislation is a sledgehammer aimed at cities and counties that dare to recognize and address the diversity of the people they serve. 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.”
The organization is now asking supporters to contact the Florida House:
Sign up for the Watermark Out News eNewsletter and follow us for more:
BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Threads | YouTube
