Florida tourism website takes down its LGBTQ-dedicated page

The state of Florida’s tourism marketing site quietly took down part of its website dedicated to attracting LGBTQ+ visitors.

Visit Florida’s website once contained a robust marketing section on its website that once promoted Pride events and popular destinations for LGBTQ travelers. A web archive of the page can still be found using Wayback Machine, but the last snapshot of the landing page dates back to April 19, 2024.

At that point, the site had dedicated pages promoting Florida’s top 10 gay beaches and LGBTQ-friendly destinations (Wilton Manors topped the list).

But anyone who had the page bookmarked and tries to go to that section now will end up at a generic "Things To Do" page instead.

That said, a search on the page for “LGBT” content still brings up information on a handful of destinations that market themselves as LGBT-friendly, including Sandova Spa and the Hyatt Regency in Clearwater and the Stetson Mansion wedding venue in DeLand. It also pulls up a page on Wilton Manors that still describes the community as “South Florida’s LGBT+ Capital”

Of note, Visit Florida acts as a destination marketing organization for the state, and operates in partnership with a number of similar organizations around Florida. While it runs independently of state government, it relies heavily on public funding. Republicans in the Florida Legislature have wrestled for decades with to continue funding, though that argument has chiefly centered around the value in publicly subsidizing marketing efforts for Florida’s most successful industry.

The Legislature this year provided $80 million in the coming year for the agency, according to Florida Politics. Debate about the content on its marketing sites has rarely been the subject of heavy debate.

But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has implemented many policies considered hostile and unwelcoming to LGBTQ+ residents and visitors alike. Equality Florida issued a travel advisory to the LGBTQ+ community “warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state.”

Now, the state doesn’t appear to be making any effort to convince LGBTQ+ to come either.

DeSantis has supported funding Visit Florida, and often touted the record-breaking tourism in the state.

The Advocate has reached out to Visit Florida and DeSantis’ office for comment on why the LGBTQ+ section of its website can no longer be accessed.