Florida's New Laws Have Increased Threats Against LGBTQ People, Community Members Say

Seven years ago today, a gunman in Orlando, Florida, killed 49 people at a gay nightclub.

Now, many in the state's LGBTQ community say threats against them are worse due to a host of new laws. Those include restrictions on discussions of personal pronouns in schools, forcing people to use certain bathrooms, a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and restrictions on drag shows.

That has changed how Pride is celebrated in the Sunshine State. The new law on prohibits drag shows where children might be present, so performances have gone inside. But organizers of a Pride event in St. Cloud, Florida cancelled their festivities after this traffic sign appeared in nearby Orlando -- hacked to read, "kill all gays." Pointing to the other, new anti-LGBTQ laws, event organizers said an “...event in this environment would put our community at risk."

Drag queen Cherilyn Matthews was scheduled to perform and helped make the decision to cancel. She said, "With the government passing legislation, it kind of gives people the right to discriminate even more. It just puts targets on our backs."

Pride pushback nationwide has grown increasingly hostile this year. A scuffle broke out at a recent book reading about different kinds of families at this California elementary school. Stratton Pollitzer with Equality Florida said, "hard to imagine how fast and how cruel this backlash has come. We weren't expecting this."

A growing number of states are considering new laws that target LGBTQ rights. Those who support them say it's about protecting children. Erasmus Viviscencio was recently protesting a ruling by a federal judge who ruled the Tennessee anti-drag law as unconstitutional. "Children should not be allowed to come to these events.” Viviscencio said, “They'll be scarred for life."

But drag performers we interviewed believe it's part of a larger effort to erase the LGBTQ community. Twila Holiday said, "We are here. We've always been here, and we're not going anywhere, and you will not silence our voice."

Holiday and several other performers schedule to perform in St. Cloud say they will perform all month at other Pride events in communities where they feel safe.