(Photo via Equality Florida’s Facebook)
TALLAHASSEE | Leaders across Florida are pushing back against SB 1134, a new law that will restrict counties and municipalities from funding, promoting or taking certain official actions related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The law defines diversity, equity and inclusion as an effort to “promote or provide preferential treatment or special benefits to a person or group based on that person’s or group’s race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
It is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, but the Miami Beach and Tallahassee city commissions are already planning on preserving funding for several community programs. They include programs related to LGBTQ issues, according to a press release from Equality Florida.
“Protecting Pride and other inclusive programs recognizes that welcoming communities are the lifeblood of our state and a message to leaders across the state: do not comply in advance or concede your authority beyond the law’s scope,” Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida general counsel and public policy director, said. “Every Floridian deserves a state where their local leaders have the freedom to champion their communities. That’s the Florida we’re fighting for.”
According to the same release, Miami Beach allocated $250,000 for Miami Beach Pride, which attracts nearly 200,000 visitors annually. In Tallahassee, the commission maintained contract funding and staffing for the Commission on the Status of Women & Girls and fully funded support for Tallahassee Pride, the Experience Asia Festival and the Filipino Festival.
The law’s potential impact extends beyond programs specifically serving the LGBTQ+ community. Equality Florida’s release points to other community events and programs that could face questions about future funding once the law takes effect.
“Apopka Mayor Nick Nesta recently unveiled a draft budget that called for slashing funds for the Martin Luther King Jr. and Christmas parades, Halloween in the Park, Breakfast with the Bunny, Holiday Tree Lighting, the 4th of July, Emancipation Day, Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Juneteenth, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and more,” the release states.
The release also raises concerns about potential effects on local economies that rely on tourism and community events.
“Upending inclusive programming and community support doesn’t just send a devastating message to millions of Floridians, it is a drag on local economies already strained under the weight of soaring costs and slowing tourism,” Equality Florida wrote. “Pride festivals alone generate tens of millions of dollars for local economies across the state each year, easily returning on local governments’ investments in them.”
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