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The campaign comes after Florida removed LGBTQ+ travel information from its tourism agency website amidst the state's continued crackdown on LGBTQ+ residents.
The State of Connecticut has launched a campaign to attract LGBTQ+ visitors and potential residents, with a primary focus on LGBTQ+ individuals currently living in Florida. The announcement, shared via PR Newswire by the Connecticut Office of Tourism, directly responds to Florida’s recent decision to remove LGBTQ+ travel information from its tourism website—a move that local leaders have criticized as another effort to marginalize and push out queer people in the state. Many LGBTQ+ Floridians, and especially transgender Floridians, have already left the state permanently.
“We want to send a strong message to everyone, particularly to those in Florida—and across the country—who may feel their needs and identities are being sidelined, to know that in Connecticut you will always find acceptance" said Anthony Anthony, Chief Marketing Officer for the State of Connecticut. "Here, diversity is celebrated, and we remain committed to ensuring everyone who visits or lives here feels valued, respected, and free to be yourself.”
The campaign will include guides on the Connecticut tourism website to help residents and visitors find welcoming and inclusive LGBTQ+ spaces. The release also provides information about Connecticut's local laws and policies toward LGBTQ+ individuals, such as mandated transgender healthcare coverage for both youth and adults, bans on conversion therapy, availability of gender-neutral identification documents, and comprehensive anti-discrimination laws. Additionally, the state has an active shield law protecting transgender healthcare information from being subpoenaed across state lines. Due to these protections, Connecticut has been designated as one of the “Safest States” on the Transgender Risk Assessment Map updated at ErinInTheMorning.
A significant part of the campaign will target LGBTQ+ residents in Florida, who have faced increasing crackdowns by the state government. In recent years, Florida has imposed severe bans on transgender healthcare for both youth and adults, criminal bathroom bans, threatened adults who update gender markers on their driver’s licenses with criminal fraud charges, and enacted book bans in schools on LGBTQ+ topics. These laws are currently being challenged in court, with an upcoming Supreme Court case likely to affect many of these challenges.
Connecticut currently ranks highly in LGBTQ+ protections, with several nondiscrimination laws in place, including those covering housing and public accommodations like bathrooms. It is one of 23 states that ban conversion therapy, and its ban specifically includes protections for both gender identity and sexuality. Additionally, the state offers expanded coverage for transgender procedures through Medicaid, including gender-confirming facial surgery.
Connecticut seems to be strategically positioning itself as a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ individuals amid a growing migration trend. A recent Data For Progress poll found that 8% of transgender adults have already left their home states, with another 40% considering relocation. This equates to about 130,000 transgender people who have already moved, many of which have fled Florida. By highlighting its inclusive policies and robust legal protections, Connecticut is seeking to make public its status as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ individuals who are increasingly compelled to leave states with laws that jeopardize their healthcare and rights.
This article originally appeared on Erin in the Morning.
