“In addition to previous infractions to the rights of LGBTQ people, DeSantis has also started attacking women, trying to create a Handmaids-Tale-esque society.”

   Under DeSantis’ governorship, Florida has gone down a self-destructive path, limiting the rights of women, LGBTQ individuals, people of color and any other minority in Florida, leading to a bleak and insufferable future. The re-election of DeSantis leads to a future where these groups’ freedoms are even more limited, leading to a dystopian-like society. 

   During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis passed legislation to ban any school in Florida from mandating masks. Not only that, but he also threatened to pull funding from schools that asked students to wear masks even during time periods where COVID especially rampaged communities, or in communities where many people were immunocompromised in some way or another. DeSantis ignorantly said in spring of 2020, “I don’t think nationwide, there’s been a single fatality under 25.” 

   DeSantis also signed the highly controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, banning any discussion of sexual identity or gender in classrooms. He said, “It’s not something [referring to discussions about gender identity or sexuality] that’s appropriate for any place, but especially not in Florida.”—further limiting the free speech that DeSantis claims is currently under attack. In the 2019 anti-discrimination act, DeSantis left out LGBTQ people, thereby allowing them to be denied the same opportunities as their cisgender or straight counterparts. As well as this, DeSantis has also attacked LGBTQ people throughout his entire career, banning trans athletes from competing in sports regardless of hormone levels. In addition, parents can sue any school that allows transgender students to compete. 

   In addition to previous infractions to the rights of LGBTQ people, DeSantis has also started attacking women, trying to create a Handmaids-Tale-esque society. After the Supreme Court document leak revealing the overturning of Roe v. Wade, DeSantis signed into effect a 15-week abortion outlaw. He also made it difficult to get an exemption for chromosomal or fetal defects and made no exemptions for victims of rape or incest. 

   DeSantis also signed legislation that would permit teachers to carry handguns. He did this a day after a school shooting Colorado, and a year after the devastating Parkland school shooting. DeSantis also took away funding for survivors of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, which killed 50 people and injured over 53 more, making it one of the deadliest mass shootings.

   As of right now, it is also unsure whether DeSantis will attempt to run for presidency. If he does, he will have to resign, creating a whole new wave of uncertainty. 

   In contrast, DeSantis’ opponent, Charlie Crist, has been a prominent moderate democrat since switching parties in the 2010s. He also continued to endorse Obama throughout the recession and is pro-abortion, as well as being more LGBTQ friendly. Although he lost, Crist’s government would have been a step in the right direction to get Florida back on a stable track. 

   As proven by his previous acts and campaign promises, DeSantis has no regard for the wellbeing of any individual who does not fit his ultra-right-wing prototype of what a person should be. DeSantis’ reelection will continue to bring our state down the hopeless path we are currently tumbling down. 

    Additional reading:

Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Bill to Protect the Lives of Florida’s Most Vulnerable (flgov.com)

Ron DeSantis signs the so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill : NPR