{"id":2489,"date":"2025-05-19T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=2489"},"modified":"2025-05-20T13:07:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T13:07:14","slug":"queer-travellers-are-boycotting-florida-but-there-are-other-ways-to-fight-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/19\/queer-travellers-are-boycotting-florida-but-there-are-other-ways-to-fight-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Queer travellers are boycotting Florida \u2014 but there are other ways to fight back"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Florida may have long voted red, but Miami Beach remains defiantly blue (Picture: Miami Beach Tourism Board)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Calum McSwiggan<\/a> is celebrating 20 prides on seven continents over 12 months.\u00a0 In his latest despatch from Florida \u2013 under fire from anti-LGBT+ legislation \u2013 he finds a community bonded together.<\/p>\n

Calls to boycott the state of Florida<\/a> flood my social media<\/a> feed. \u2018Boycott Florida, no trips, no purchases,\u2019 one woman writes, her message shared thousands of times. People from around the world are resisting the Sunshine State\u2019s anti-LGBT+<\/a> legislation.<\/p>\n

It led to further reflection on my decision to include Miami<\/a> in my Year of Pride<\/em><\/a>. None of the destinations I am visiting have been included without consideration.<\/p>\n

The boycott has been gaining traction for several years, driven by a slate of laws that have scaled back LBGT+ freedoms. In 2022, Florida Governor Ron de Santis signed the \u2018Don\u2019t Say Gay\u2019 <\/em>bill<\/a>, which prevents LGBT+ topics from being discussed in classrooms. One year later, Republicans passed the Bathroom Ban<\/em>, which effectively makes it a crime for trans people to use single-sex spaces.<\/p>\n

Sweeping LGBT+ book bans, attacks on drag performers, and a petition to make it illegal for Pride flags to be flown from government buildings have also made headlines. It\u2019s making queer travellers think twice about visiting.<\/p>\n

I understand this, but spending time in Miami has helped me to see a different perspective.<\/p>\n

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Florida may have long voted red, but Miami Beach has remained defiantly blue, consistently voting Democrat<\/a> across local, state, and national elections.<\/p>\n

These aren\u2019t just statistics; you can feel this liberal identity everywhere you go.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tJoin Metro’s LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel<\/a> is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

Simply\u00a0click on this link<\/a><\/strong>, select \u2018Join Chat\u2019 and you\u2019re in! Don’t forget to turn on notifications!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

From the famous rainbow beach hut to the iconic pastel crossing, the city is decked out in Pride colours year-round. Twist, Miami\u2019s oldest gay bar, flies two enormous rainbow flags in the middle of the busiest boulevard, while Palace is renowned for its drag shows that run seven days a week. <\/p>\n

Every night, the crowds are so large they spill out onto Ocean Drive; it\u2019s impossible to visit this tourist landmark without seeing LGBT+ people not only represented, but loudly celebrated, too.<\/p>\n

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Miami Pride filled the city with a sense of togetherness (Picture: Calum McSwiggan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During my visit, I attend a street naming ceremony for Matti Bower, the beloved activist who founded Miami Beach Pride. It\u2019s unprecedented to name a street after a person who\u2019s still living, but for her, they make an unchallenged exception.<\/p>\n

Bower served as the city\u2019s first female and first Hispanic mayor, as well as being a Cuban migrant and a proud Democrat. Naming a street after her is a win for the LGBT+ community, but it\u2019s also a win for other minorities living in the state of Florida.<\/p>\n

Alongside famously queer cities like Key West and Fort Lauderdale,Miami Beach has long been a haven for the LGBT+ community. Yet in catering so heavily to queer travellers, the city is reliant on revenue from LGBT+ tourists to keep queer establishments afloat. Go figure.<\/p>\n

A boycott threatens the livelihood of queer business owners, many of whom are already struggling. At the iconic \u2018hetero-friendly\u2019 Axel Hotel, I witness this firsthand.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tPride Around the World\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Calum McSwiggan, author of Eat Gay Love, is a man on a mission. He plans to spend 2025 exploring how the\u00a0LGBT+ community is celebrated everywhere on Earth: 12 months, 7 continents, 20 Prides.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive Metro<\/strong> series, Calum<\/a> will journey from the subzero climes of Antarctica to the jewel-toned streets of Mumbai<\/a>, telling the story of Pride around the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Follow his journey on Metro<\/strong>, in print and on our socials to learn how Pride is celebrated around the world. Next up? Thailand<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Thunder and lightning flash overhead as the DJ bops up and down by the side of the pool. It\u2019s long served as a thriving hub for the LGBT+ community, but today, they are being forced to close their doors before Pride has even begun.<\/p>\n

The dismal weather doesn\u2019t stop people from showing up to say goodbye, though. They huddle together under the canopy as they celebrate the legacy of this important community space. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the only LGBT+ space to close down. Two gay swimwear stores have closed up shop since my last visit two years ago. A recent study from Booking.com shows that 43% of LGBT+ travellers have cancelled a trip after seeing that a destination is unsupportive of LGBTQ+ people.<\/p>\n

Now, businesses are struggling, but this goes much deeper than economics.<\/p>\n

\u2018Even in times when the state\u2019s political narrative is targeting the LGBT+ community, Miami Beach has a long history of standing against this,\u2019LGBT+ restaurant owner Egidio Guerreri tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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LGBTQ+ rights are being eroded across many US states (Picture: Miami Beach Tourism Board)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This support goes back to the battle against Anita Bryant\u2019s homophobic \u2018Save Our Children\u2019 <\/em>movement in the 70s. <\/p>\n

\u2018We will always be united, we will always make our voices heard, but we need support from the wider world too,\u2019 Egidio says. <\/p>\n

\u2018That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important that international LGBT+ travellers continue to visit \u2013 they\u2019re not just supporting our economy, they\u2019re supporting us by showing up and being visible, and helping to show that we\u2019re very much here to stay.\u2019<\/p>\n

Florida is home to both the world\u2019s largest cruise port and some of its biggest theme parks<\/a> \u2013 while an LGBT+ boycott certainly sends a message, it makes only a small dent in the state\u2019s broader economy. For small LGBT+ businesses, it could be fatal. <\/p>\n

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Across Miami, there is a push for trans inclusivity, too. During a pageant competition to crown Mr & Mrs Miami Beach Pride, contestants are invited to dress in one of the colours of the six-stripe Pride flag. Instead, however, Oscar Gonsalez takes the stage in white.<\/p>\n

Wearing an intricate headpiece and winged gown, he deliberately breaks the rules to wear one of the colours of the trans Pride flag instead. He explains, in Spanish, that his outfit is a tribute to his transgender sister. He\u2019s crowned the winner shortly afterward. Rules be damned, Miami Beach consistently stands firm in its love and acceptance of every letter of the community.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most importantly, drag performer Sacha Colby is invited to be Grand Marshal in the parade. With both the drag and trans communities under the attack of state legislation, it feels especially poignant that they also place a transgender drag queen to be the festival\u2019s headline act.<\/p>\n

\u2018Give it up for the dolls,\u2019 she calls to the cheering crowd, using a term of endearment for transgender women.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s still dripping wet from dousing herself in water during her performance. \u2018We\u2019re still struggling, y\u2019all. We still don\u2019t have healthcare. We still don\u2019t have human rights. We need to figure out how we can make everyone feel human. It\u2019s just being human.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Miami Beach consistently stands firm in its love and acceptance of every letter of the LGBTQ+ community (Picture: Calum McSwiggan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These words feel healing. In fact, the whole festival feels like a therapeutic moment for Florida\u2019s LGBT+ community. People carry bright colourful signs that read \u2018Just breathe\u2019 <\/em>and \u2018We will get through this.\u2019 \u00a0<\/em>One woman joyously waves a banner that reads \u2018Proud mother of a transgender son<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n

Moments of togetherness are what the city does so well. It\u2019s ironic that efforts to tear the community apart has only brought us closer together.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all political. Placing the Pride festival on the sands of Miami Beach makes for a unique atmosphere. People walk around in bikinis and swimwear, and there\u2019s a genuine sense of happiness and freedom that goes hand in hand with Miami\u2019s relaxed and easy way of life. <\/p>\n

To the outside world, it may seem like Florida is not a welcoming place to visit these days. But cities like Miami Beach are proof to the contrary. <\/p>\n

I can\u2019t tell you whether or not to boycott \u2013 that\u2019s a decision people will have to make for themselves. But if you are going to visit, my recommendation is that you spend your money generously within the state\u2019s queer establishments.<\/p>\n

That goes for our allies too \u2013 stop by an LGBT+ owned restaurant, go to see a drag show and tip those performers generously. Florida may be red, but the people of Miami are blue through and through.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tTravel guide to Miami Pride\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Getting there<\/strong><\/p>\n

Virgin Atlantic<\/a> offers\u00a0return fares from London Heathrow<\/a> from \u00a3412. Not only are they an inclusive airline, they\u2019ve collaborated with organisations like Open For Business to highlight the economic impact of LGBT+ discrimination.<\/p>\n

Where to stay:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hotel Gaythering<\/a> is now Miami\u2019s only LGBT+ hotel. For other queer-friendly recommendations, the following have all completed Booking.com\u2019s Travel Proud training: \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2013 Moxy Miami South Beach<\/a> (\u00a3\u00a3)<\/p>\n

\u2013 The Goodtime Hotel<\/a> (\u00a3)<\/p>\n

\u2013 Nobu<\/a> (\u00a3\u00a3\u00a3)<\/p>\n

Things to do (beyond Pride)<\/strong><\/p>\n