never learns

After his failed run for president in 2024, Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis is already blowing up his chances for 2028

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Ron DeSantis wearing a dark suit jacket with a white dress shirt and red tie.

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis ran for president on a vehemently anti-LGBTQ+ platform and failed miserably. His constant attacks on “groomers”, drag queens, and trans people didn’t resonate with voters the way he had hoped.

But it doesn’t appear as though he learned any lessons from his failed White House bid since he’s already back to the same homophobic tricks as before.

Now off the campaign trail, DeSantis is back to terrorizing LGBTQ+ Floridians. Home to a vibrant queer population, Florida continues to become one of the most regressive states in the U.S.

The situation is especially dire for transgender people. During last year’s legislative session, DeSantis signed bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors and bar transgender people from using public restrooms that correspond with their gender identities.

And now, Florida trans residents won’t be able to change the listed sex on their driver’s licenses or state ID to match their gender identity, if DeSantis gets his way.

Related:

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis still seems to think he’s running for president

Ever since dropping out, DeSantis has seemingly been running a shadow presidential campaign.

In a recent memo, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said “misrepresenting one’s gender, understood as sex, on a driver’s license constitutes fraud” and those with licenses that represent their gender identity could be subjected to “criminal and civil penalties.”

Under the old system, Florida residents could submit a court order for a name change or a letter from a physician to get their gender altered on state IDs. Now they cannot. At least not without risking severe repercussions.

If there is one positive takeaway for LGBTQ+ Florida residents, DeSantis’ hateful edicts seldom stand up to legal scrutiny. Many of his signature policy wins are under siege in court.

Last year, judges blocked Florida’s bans on gender-affirming care for minors, using Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care and performing drag shows in certain venues.

Nevertheless, DeSantis keeps moving forward with his atavistic platform. He also supports a proposed law that would prohibit government agencies and public schools and universities from flying flags that “represent a political viewpoint.”

It’s pretty easy to decipher the bill’s intentions. The proposal specifies that expressing any “politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint” is prohibited.

DeSantis’ war on Disney failed, so now, he’s declaring a war of flags.

Does this guy ever learn?

Though DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race two days before the New Hampshire primary–saving himself from a distant third place finish–he still seems to think he’s running.

Last week alone, he posted multiple videos about the border problem, called for multiple amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and perhaps most odiously, demanded Rep. Ilhan Omar be deported.

That’s led to speculation that DeSantis is already running for 2028…

For a supposedly “pro-freedom” guy, DeSantis sure likes to police people’s thoughts and actions. One of his new signature stances is backing a ban on lab-grown or “cultivated” meat.

“Cultivated” meat is produced with a small number of cultured cells from animals and grown in controlled settings to make food. Proponents argue the practice can reduce the environmental effects of growing animals for slaughter.

The U. S. Department of Agriculture has approved two companies to sell cultivated meat, but the faux meat isn’t available in most grocery stores.

When it comes to a nice slab of beef, DeSantis says he wants the real thing.

“I know the Legislature is doing a bill to try to protect our meat,” he said. “You need meat, OK. And we’re going to have meat in Florida. … We’re not going to have fake meat. Like that doesn’t work.”

Every politician has their signature speech. For FDR, it’s “the only thing we have to fear is for itself;” for JFK, it’s “ask not what your country can do for you;” for RDS, it’s “we’re not going to have fake meat.”

He fits right in!

Err… Maybe not! DeSantis keeps attacking LGBTQ+ people and expecting a different result.

That’s the definition of cruelty, never mind insanity.

Related:

Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis’ campaign debriefs are trickling in & OMFG what a mess that was

Pundits from across the political spectrum are calling DeSantis’ futile presidential campaign an utter failure.

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