Against All Odds, Florida Queer Advocates Just Made History
In a shocking win for the Sunshine State, Florida’s LGBTQ+ community has blocked every anti-queer bill this year.
In this political climate where LGBTQ+ rights often feel like they’re under siege, Florida just delivered a surprising and hard-fought win for our community. In a stunning turn during the 2025 legislative session on Friday, not a single one of the proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bills made it into law. Florida has made national headlines over the last few years for many reasons, one major one being their “Don’t Say Gay (or Trans)” law, so this outcome is very unexpected. It’s a testament to the power of persistence, community organizing, and collective resistance.
Equality Florida, the state’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group, quickly recognized the significance. “Not a single bill passed,” said Executive Director Nadine Smith, whose tireless leadership helped galvanize opposition to over a dozen pieces of legislation targeting the queer and trans community of Florida. It’s not an overstatement to call this a landmark moment. After years of regressive policy wins, May 02, 2025 marked a shift in momentum.
In total, four anti-LGBTQ+ affirming bills failed to move forward. The proposed legislation included a Pride flag ban (HB 75/SB 100) that would’ve prohibited government institutions, including schools, from displaying flags deemed “political”—a thinly veiled attempt to erase queer visibility. Another, nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans at Work” bill (HB 1495/SB 440), sought to censor any workplace discussion of LGBTQ+ issues and essentially allow the harassment of trans employees. A third bill (HB 1571/SB 420) targeted local governments, attempting to strip cities and counties of their ability to recognize or protect LGBTQ+ people at all. And the fourth (HB 731/SB 1710) aimed to gut DEI programs in state agencies by banning the use of state funds for any diversity-related initiatives. That all four bills were stopped in their tracks isn’t just a political win—it’s proof that sustained pressure, organized advocacy, and refusing to back down can make a difference, even in the unlikeliest places.
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All four bills were an overt attempt to make LGBTQ+ Floridians feel less visible, less valid and less safe. And all four bills faced heavy opposition from advocacy groups, business leaders, and citizens who showed up to voice their dissent. Public pressure clearly worked. These defeats are not just legislative wins—they’re reminders that showing up matters.
Of course, it would be naïve to treat this moment as the finish line. Florida still has several harmful laws in effect. The main one is “The Facility Requirements Based on Sex Act,” which mandates bathroom use based on the sex assigned at birth. This law made headlines most recently after the arrest of Marcy Rheintgen, a transgender woman arrested at the Florida State Capitol for using the women’s restroom. Equally troubling is the stalled effort to formally repeal Florida’s outdated constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The bill that was aimed at removing this language failed to progress during the 2025 session. While Obergefell v. Hodges remains the federal law of the land, Florida’s failure to cement it for the state is disheartening.
Still, what is most worthy of celebration is the breath-of-fresh-air progress in a state where the LGBTQ+ community was feeling less and less welcome. It’s also a reminder that Florida is not a monolith. For all the national press painting it as a lost cause, there are fierce advocates on the ground—queer youth, elders, parents, teachers, healthcare providers, and everyday citizens who are standing their ground and refusing to be erased.
There’s something incredibly heartening about seeing the backlash actually work in our favor. The very extremity of these proposals galvanized enough “not again” opposition to stop them. Maybe we’re entering a new chapter of Florida politics where LGBTQ+ people are not just fighting to defend their rights but beginning to win. It didn’t come from a Supreme Court ruling or federal law but from people in Florida who showed up, spoke out, and refused to back down.
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