Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently polling about nine points ahead of Democratic rival Charlie Crist, and is expected to hold onto his job after next week’s midterm elections. (NOTE: That’s not an excuse not to vote, Florida!)
So what does a guy with an electoral edge do with one week left to reach voters? For the GOP frontrunner, add insult to injury and ridicule the same marginalized community he’s staked his brand on attacking.
Related: There’s a new legal twist in Florida to block “Don’t Say Gay” and this time there are receipts
It wasn’t enough for the DeSantis campaign to spread lies about Crist and President Biden in its recent mailer. They took the added step in mocking queer people while doing so.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The flier in question misstates that Biden’s student debt relief plan forces “hard working Floridians to pay back student loans for degrees like Gender Studies and French Poetry.”
“The Biden-Crist College Loan Bailout will: Make inflation worse; Punish hard-working taxpayers; Reward universities,” the mailer claims alongside an image of the two men embracing.
But it’s the other side of the flier that really shows just what sort of leader DeSantis is, one who is only concerned with riling up hate among his base. That side shows what’s clearly meant to be a queer person graduating college.
As HuffPo points out, the image of a person wearing makeup and holding up a diploma is a stock photo. Congrats, fake student!
A DeSantis-approved speech bubble over the ‘student’s’ head reads: “Thank you, Joe Biden and Charlie Crist, for making Floridians pay off my student debt.”
The message is clearly meant to demean queer people and further divide Floridians, which unfortunately falls right in line with DeSantis’ governing.
In March, he signed the state’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, aka the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, into law. The law restricts classroom conversations about LGBTQ subjects in grades K-3, and leaves open a vague door to limit topics for older students if they’re deemed “not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.”
Related: Ron DeSantis is so scared of queer student activist Jack Petocz that he sicced security on him
DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw also helped popularize the bigoted “groomer” attack when she labeled the bill the “Anti-grooming bill,” drawing fierce criticism from LGBTQ activists.
President Biden responded to the legislation via Twitter in February, calling it nothing short of “hateful” and letting the LGBTQ community know “I have your back.”
I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are. I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve. https://t.co/OcAIMeVpHL
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 8, 2022
And in June, on the first day of Pride month, DeSantis signed into law a bill banning transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams at the high school and college level. He’s also continued to drum up his base by attacking trans athletes throughout his campaign.
Unfortunately, DeSantis’ political career appears far from over, but there will always be those who fight back against his orchestrated bigotry in ways big and small.
So to end with something that isn’t so bleak, here’s how one Florida high school senior brilliantly got around his school’s warning not to talk about being gay in his graduation speech, using a metaphor for his hair to discuss his sexuality. The kids are alright!
Watch below (the hair story begins around the 3:45 mark):
Prax07
Is it any surprise at all DeSantis does something shitty like that flier? The guy is scum, just like rest of his associates in the GOP.
stanpaske
So Florida is the first to be… (fill in what shit), but they want federal help. Now DeDont is winning. The questions are huge. How derange do we have to go? I guess the bottom is yet to be found.
Kangol2
So DeSantis is out to prove he’s a homophobic and transphobic fascist? I can’t say I expected anything less. And he’ll probably crawl right back into office on Election Day! Do better, Floridians!
jt1990
If there’s better, we have yet to see it in Florida. DeSantis is the gold standard, and will remain governor here unless he wins the next presidential election. Which I hope he does!
inbama
What gay and lesbian “assimilationists” struggled to keep hidden from the public during 50 years of LGBT progress is now the face we present.
DeSantis and all the other anti-gay Republicans should send our “Queer Leadership” thank you cards.
Cam
What a shock, the right wing troll claims it’s LGBTQ people’s fault that people are bigots. Sweetie, as always, your trolling is sad and weak.
DBMC
You really don’t know what you’re talking about.
inbama
Yes, Cam. If we lose both houses on Tuesday it will be because of brain-dead queens like you who are blind to how these issues are pissing parents off. We gays and lesbians were doing just fine until the “LGBTQIA+ Community” decided to “break the binary” and teach “queer theory” in school as if it were science.
Stefano
@inbama : You are somewhat right that the 2SLGBTQ+ movement may have gone a bit far in wanting to impose their worldview. However, we have to ask ourselves why there has been this reversal? It has a lot to do with Republicans not accepting that society is changing and that younger generations see things differently. They cling to models that no longer correspond to their aspirations. Unfortunately, DT has had such a hold on this party, that any evolution or change is now impossible within it. The biggest mistake the Democratic Party made was underestimating DT and not stepping in earlier to block him from coming to power because it was obvious that he was going to make a mess of things. By the way, that’s why you are now at a breaking point. It is a pity for your country and for the survival of democracies in the world.
James
GET LOST YOU STUPID UNCLE TOM IDIOT.
Cam
I love the fact that Republicans are so condescending of their own base that it NEVER occurs to them that any Republican voters would have student loans.
It also pays back loans people took out for things like cosmetology school, trade schools, ANYTHING, so apparently DeSantis thinks his entire voting base works at a fast food place or Wal Mart.
radiooutmike
You may be more right than you think about his voters, or at least, the ones he is trying to reach with that mailer.
Also, DeSantis does not understand loan forgiveness. It’s erased, written off book. No taxpayer pays for it. And unless there is a provision barring it, the IRS does consider loan forgiveness income; so there would be some kind of money going back into teh system.
Vince
How does helping someone pay off their student debt raise inflation? Seems that people that don’t have that burden or at least less of it will spend more and actually help the economy at least.
This is really an appeal to all out dumbasses who hate anyone not exactly like themselves ie his base.
Too bad Biden didn’t make DeathSanto’s beg for help when he needed it. Yeah, that would be a Trump move but still would’ve been deserving.
cuteguy
Deathsantis is a poor man’s orange turd. I hope Trumpf runs in 2024 so this other fatty doesn’t win the GQP nomination. Gavin for 2024!
RoyM
The Florida electorate is majority conservative so ignorance, hate and bigotry in a candidate will always get their vote.
James
RON DE SATANIS IS A PIECE OF SHIT.