ORLANDO, Fla. — Just days from the five-year remembrance of Orlando’s Pulse nightclub massacre, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday vetoed $150,000 in state funds that would have provided counseling for survivors — despite a budget that has $9.5 billion in reserves. And in what advocates describe as “war” on LGBTQ+ Floridians, the governor also eliminated $750,000 approved by the Florida Legislature for the Orlando-based Zebra Coalition to create housing for homeless gay and transgender youth.
The move comes one day after DeSantis signed a bill banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports.
“Let’s be clear about what this is: Gov. DeSantis has declared war on Florida’s LGBTQ community,” said Brandon Wolf, a Pulse survivor who now works for Equality Florida, the statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. “Before the 2019 remembrance ceremony, Gov. DeSantis stood on hallowed ground, steps from where I escaped the building in 2016, and promised me that he would always support those of us impacted by the Pulse nightclub shooting. Today, almost two years later to the date, he vetoed mental health services for us. I will never forget.”
