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Randy Fine has previously introduced bills restricting drag show attendance and gender-affirming care for children.
A Florida Senator who once said the state should ‘erase’ the transgender community now wants to ban the LGBTQ+ Pride flag in government buildings.
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Florida Sen. Randy Fine, a current candidate for Congress, filed legislation to prohibit government entities from displaying that and other flags deemed as supporting a political agenda.
“Government should not be flying political or ideological flags,” he told The Advocate.
Similar legislation died in the Florida Senate last year. At that time, Fine was still a member of the Florida House, but he won a seat in the upper chamber of the Florida Legislature in November, defeating transgender opponent Vance Ahrens.
Of note, Fine is already running for a higher office. He was endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump for a Northeast Florida congressional seat soon to be vacated by Florida congressman Michael Waltz, Trump’s choice for White House National Security Advisor.
But during his brief stint in the Florida Senate, Fine appears to be bringing his reputation for anti-LGBTQ+ policy-making with him. The former House member sponsored drag show restrictions signed into law by Florida Gov. DeSantis later blocked by federal courts and still under appeal.
Fine filed the legislation, which holds venues responsible if minors watch certain live drag shows, after objecting to a Drag Queen story hour at Space Coast Pride.
He also co-sponsored Florida’s ban on gender-affirming health care for minors.
Fine’s latest legislation specifically prohibits governments from displaying flags that represent a “politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.” That means the bill would ban Trump flags and Black Lives Matter flags as well.
If signed into law, the legislation would prohibit flags being flown at public schools, including colleges and universities. It would also stop local governments from erecting or displaying flags.
Several Florida governments have displayed various Pride flags. For example, Orlando has displayed the rainbow flag at City Hall during anniversary events related to the 2016 Pulse shooting, and in 2021 displayed the transgender pride flag for the first time in International Transgender Day of Visibility for the first time, as reported by Orlando Weekly.
