PRESS RELEASE: As DeSantis’ Censorship Agenda Escalates, Lawmakers Poised to Advance Sweeping Anti-DEI Bill and Two Additional Anti-LGBTQ Proposals

As DeSantis’ Censorship Agenda Escalates, Lawmakers Poised to Advance Sweeping Anti-DEI Bill and Two Additional Anti-LGBTQ Proposals

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Today, Florida lawmakers are advancing some of the most sweeping and punitive bills of the 2026 legislative session. This includes legislation that bans cities and counties from sponsoring or promoting Pride festivals, sets up local electeds to be removed from office for recognizing Black History Month or Pride Month, defunds translating information about city services for Spanish-speaking residents, repeals public health outreach programs on HIV/AIDS targeted to the LGBTQ community, and invites lawsuits from ideological extremists.

The “Anti-Diversity in Local Government” bill (HB 1001/SB 1134) will be heard in its final Senate committee of reference today, placing it just one vote away from the Senate floor. 

Florida has long been the testing ground for attacks on LGBTQ visibility in public life and teaching truthful Black history. Last year, after the DeSantis Administration tore up Pride and Black Lives Matter street murals and crosswalks. In response, local governments installed new Pride murals and rainbow displays to reaffirm their commitment to inclusion. Now, lawmakers are moving sweeping bills to strip cities and counties of the ability to express support for the diverse residents they serve.

“This bill is a sledgehammer aimed at cities and counties that dare to recognize the diversity of the people they serve,” said Joe Saunders, Senior Political Director of Equality Florida. “It is a sweeping expansion of Ron DeSantis’ censorship agenda and blatant government overreach. It would silence local leaders,  punish them for recognizing holidays like Pride or Black History Month, and empower far-right agitators to sue local governments for perceived diversity and inclusion efforts. Floridians are watching as lawmakers once again manufacture culture wars instead of addressing skyrocketing insurance costs, a housing crisis, and a lack of affordability across the state.” 

Some opponents have dubbed the bill “Don’t Say Black,” after Florida A&M University College of Law initially barred a student from using the word “Black” on a Black History Month poster earlier this month. 

When asked whether the bill could allow a white supremacist to sue cities for recognizing non-state-recognized holidays like Yom Kippur, bill sponsor Representative Dean Black responded, “Every citizen deserves their day in court.” 

At the same time, two additional anti-LGBTQ measures are moving rapidly through the Florida House and are being heard today in their final committees of reference. 

HB 641/SB 1642 would expand Florida’s notorious “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law into government workplaces and many private businesses. It would shield employees from accountability for intentionally bullying transgender co-workers and block LGBTQ-inclusive workplace training, effectively legitimizing harassment and undermining professional standards across public and private sectors. 

HB 743/SB 1010, the “More Lawsuits for Teachers and Doctors,” would empower the Attorney General to investigate, sue, or even jail teachers, mental health providers, and even parents under vague and sweeping standards. The bill would intensify legal threats, making it harder, and in some cases impossible, for transgender youth to access essential mental health care, while driving qualified providers and teachers out of the state and increasing costs for taxpayers. 

If approved in committee, both House bills will advance to the full House floor for a vote.

Dozens of Floridians joined Equality Florida in Tallahassee this week to speak out against this wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation, warning lawmakers that these proposals reach far beyond the LGBTQ community and threaten local control, public education, healthcare access, and fundamental freedoms for all Floridians. 

As the session accelerates, Equality Florida is urging Floridians to contact lawmakers immediately and demand they reject this dangerous expansion of state power.