Parents Call Out DeSantis and Lawmakers for Cruel Attacks on LGBTQ Children and Families
Parents Call Out DeSantis and Lawmakers for Cruel Attacks on LGBTQ Children and Families
Tallahassee, FL — Today, parents, families, and advocates gathered at the Florida Capitol to speak out against years of relentless attacks on their children by Governor Ron DeSantis and extremist lawmakers. These families are living with the consequences of laws and policies designed to strip parents of their right to protect, support, and care for their children — simply because their kids are LGBTQ.
This legislative session, lawmakers have once again filed a slate of anti-LGBTQ legislation that targets children, families, schools, and local communities. Among the most extreme is the More Lawsuits for Teachers and Doctors (HB 743/SB 1010), which escalates the state’s authority beyond existing restrictions, allowing the state to investigate and sue teachers and health care professionals under vague standards — further chilling professional judgment, reducing access to care, and undermining public trust. The bill has already moved through its first committees of reference in both the House and Senate, where dozens of Floridians — including parents — spoke out against the harm it would cause.
Lawmakers are also pushing renewed attempts to ban Pride flags and LGBTQ visibility, defund and ban local diversity and inclusion programming, and revive the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans at Work” bill. The attacks continue alongside bills that would expand book bans, even as Florida ranks #1 in the nation for banned books.
“We are standing shoulder to shoulder with parents who are doing exactly what parents are supposed to do: Loving their children, protecting them, and fighting for their futures,” said Stratton Pollitzer, Executive Director of Equality Florida. “But once again, Ron DeSantis and his extremist allies in the legislature are choosing cruelty over care. These bills are not about protecting anyone. They are about censorship, surveillance, and government intrusion into our most private decisions. While Floridians struggle with lack of affordability, a housing emergency, and skyrocketing insurance costs, this administration is using fear and division to distract from its failures. Parents see through it. And we will not be silent while politicians attack our children and call it leadership.”
“When people ask why we don’t just leave Florida, my answer is simple: this is our home,” Jennifer Solomon, Parents and Families Support Manager at Equality Florida. “We will fight for our children with love, courage, and everything we have. No politician has the right to interfere in our families, our schools, or our doctor’s offices. Parents across Florida are standing together to protect the safety, dignity, and future of our children — and we are not going anywhere.”
For years, Florida has been ground zero in the escalation of attacks against the LGBTQ community, especially transgender people. Under DeSantis, laws have been passed that insert government into private family decisions, block access to medically necessary care, censor classrooms and workplaces, and reduce LGBTQ children to political talking points. In response, Equality Florida launched its Parenting with Pride program, which has grown to nearly 4,000 families statewide in the last two years. This program provides parents with resources, community, and tools to understand their rights, access support, and fight back against laws that put their children at risk -- all with one shared goal: keeping their kids alive, safe, and surrounded by love so they can grow and thrive as their authentic selves.
“My child is kind, creative, and resilient,” said Dr. Luisa Montoya, Fort Lauderdale PFLAG president and mother of a transgender child. “He loves being himself, even in a world that often makes that very hard. Every day, I fight for him because I want him to be safe, respected, and free to grow into the person he knows he is. We have faced so many obstacles just trying to access basic healthcare, support from our school district, and safety in our community. My family has even been the victim of seven hate crimes. Each one left a scar, but none of them broke our love or our determination. I will never stop advocating for my child and for all children in Florida.”
“The challenge we face today as a family is receiving the right medication,” Juan Dominguez, parent of a transgender child. “The state of Florida doesn’t recognize transgender kids for their uniqueness and bans doctors from providing them with the medical care they need. The doctor that originally helped Kai can no longer see us. We are not allowed to be open with other doctors because they won’t accept our child in their clinics. Doctors spend years studying the research. They know their patients. Medical decisions belong with families and doctors, not politicians. I love my son. I am so proud to watch him grow up. I love our home here in Florida, and I want to make sure we will be safe here. I am urging our government to respect all families, including my family, and stop passing laws that cause so much harm.”
Equality Florida and Parenting with Pride will continue organizing families, elevating parent voices, and fighting back against extremist policies that endanger LGBTQ children and undermine the freedom of all Florida families.
Resources:
Equality Florida’s full slate of priority bills for the 2026 legislative session.