DeSantis’s New Anti-LGBTQ+ Ad Draws Concern Among Gay and Trans Republins | Tthout

Contents:

• VIDEO: THE 5 MOST COMILLY BAD ANTI-GAY ADS, EVER
• DESANTIS CAMPAIGN FAC BACKLASH AFTER PROMOTG UNHGED ANTI-LGBTQ ADLOG CAB REPUBLINS LLED THE AD “DIVISIVE AND SPERATE.”BY JACK MCCORDICKJULY 2, 2023FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTISJOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS’S PRINTIAL MPAIGN SHARED A BIZARRE, MEME-FILLED VIO FRIDAY CELEBRATG THE ERNOR’S ANTI-LGBTQ RERD AND ATTACKG DONALD TMP’S 2016 PLEDGE TO “DO EVERYTHG MY POWER TO PROTECT OUR LGBTQ CIZENS.” THE VIO, WHICH WAS POSTED BY THE DESANTIS WAR ROOM ACUNT AND AMPLIFIED BY DESANTIS FLUENCERS, HAS BEEN WILY NMNED AS HOMOPHOBIC, EVEN BY SOME REPUBLINS.THE VIO OPENS WH A STRG OF CLIPS OF TMP MAKG POSIVE MENTS ABOUT THE LGBTQ MUNY, CLUDG ONE THAT ME THE WAKE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE 2016, WHICH TOOK PLACE DESANTIS’S HOME STATE. "TO WRAP UP PRI MONTH, LET'S HEAR OM THE POLICIAN WHO DID MORE THAN ANY OTHER REPUBLIN TO CELEBRATE ,” THE VIO IS PTNED, SEEMGLY REFERRG TO TMP. THEN THE TONE SHIFTS TO THUMPG, DARK MIC AND JUXTAPOS PICTUR OF DESANTIS—CLUDG ONE WH LASERS SHOOTG OUT OF HIS EY—WH IMAG OF BODYBUILRS AND POP CULTURE REFERENC, CLUDG CHRISTIAN BALE’S PATRICK BATEMAN (AMERIN PSYCHO) AND BRAD PT’S ACHILL (300). THE IMAG ARE MIXED WH HEADL AND D CRYG DESANTIS’S LEGISLATIVE ATTACKS ON LGBTQ PEOPLE, CLUDG ONE CLAIMG THE LAWS “LERALLY THREATEN TRANS EXISTENCE.”THE VIO WAS WILY CRICIZED, CLUDG BY SOME REPUBLINS. RICHARD GRENELL, WHO SERVED AS TMP’S ACTG DIRECTOR OF NATNAL INTELLIGENCE AND IS THE UNTRY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER, SCRIBED THE VIO AS “UNNIABLY HOMOPHOBIC.” LOG CAB REPUBLINS, A LARGE, PRO-LGBTQ GOP GROUP, LLED THE AD “DIVISIVE AND SPERATE” AND SAID “VENTURED TO HOMOPHOBIC TERRORY.” AND SARAH LONGWELL, A MORATE REPUBLIN STRATEGIST, WROTE ON TWTER THAT “THE NSULTANTS WHO THK THIS KD OF ‘NNG TO TMP’S RIGHT’ IS GOG TO BE EFFECTIVE SHOULD BE SACKED.”SEVERAL MENTATORS NOTED SATURDAY THAT THE AD’S TONE AND NTENT REFLECTED DESANTIS’S MPAIGN’S URTG OF THE OBSSNS OF YOUNG, VERY ONLE RIGHT-WGERS, CLUDG THE SO-LLED GROYPERS, LED BY WHE NATNALIST AND HOLOT NIER NICHOLAS FUENT. “IT'S AN AD MA BY GROYPERS FOR GROYPERS WH ALL SORTS OF WEIRD LTLE SHOUTOUTS (PATRICK BATEMAN, 300),” WROTE THE NATN’S JEET HEER.THE VIO WAS SHARED BY NATE HOCHMAN, A FORMER NATNAL REVIEW WRER, AND MEMBER OF DESANTIS’S MUNITNS TEAM, WHO MA HEADL LAST YEAR AFTER HE PARTICIPATED A TWTER SPAC TALK WH FUENT AND PRAISED HIM FOR GETTG “A LOT OF KIDS ‘BASED’.” IT WAS ALSO PROMOTED BY PEDRO GONZALEZ, A PRO-DESANTIS FLUENCER AND MAGAZE EDOR WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN AMPLIFIED BY NUMERO MEMBERS OF THE DESANTIS MPAIGN. GONZALEZ WAS THE SUBJECT LAST TUDAY OF A MAJOR PROFILE (OF ALL PLAC) BREBART, WHICH PUBLISHED A SERI OF RACIST AND ANTISEMIC TEXTS GONZALEZ ALLEGEDLY SENT LEAKED GROUP CHATS. IN ONE, GONZALEZ CLAIMED HE WAS “TAKG UP ARMS WH THE GROYPERS.” FOLLOWG THE EXPOSé, ROLLG STONE REPORTED THAT MANY PRO-DESANTIS FLUENCERS WERE “QUICK TO RALLY” BEHD GONZALEZ.SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATN PETE BUTTIGIEG, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER EVER NFIRMED BY THE SENATE (GRENELL DID NOT GO THROUGH SENATE NFIRMATN), RPOND TO THE VIO ON SUNDAY MORNG. “I’M GOG TO LEAVE ASI THE STRANGENS OF TRYG TO PROVE YOUR MANHOOD BY PUTTG UP A VIO THAT SPLIC IMAG OF YOU BETWEEN OILED-UP, SHIRTLS BODYBUILRS,” BUTTIGIEG SAID ON CNN. IN A TWEET, BUTTEGIEG’S HBAND, GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST CHASTEN GLEZMAN BUTTIGIEG, JOKED THAT THE AD WAS “ACTUALLY VERY GAY.”“I JT DON’T UNRSTAND THE MENTALY OF SOMEONE GETTG UP THE MORNG THKG HE’S TRYG TO PROVE HIS WORTH BY PETG OVER WHO N MAKE LIFE HARST FOR A HARD-H MUNY THAT IS ALREADY SO VULNERABLE AMERI,” THE TRANSPORTATN SECRETARY ADD.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHJACK MCCORDICK
• DESANTIS’S NEW ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD DRAWS CONCERN AMONG GAY AND TRANS REPUBLINS
• NETFLIX’S PEAKY BLRS SLAMS RON DESANTIS FOR USG CLIP ANTI-LGBTQ+ CAMPAIGN ADTHE TEAM BEHD NETFLIX’S H GANGSTER SERI LLED OUT DESANTIS FOR HIS UNTHORIZED E OF PEAKY BLRS NTENT A RECENT AD SLAMMG THE LGBTQ+ MUNY: “WE DO NOT SUPPORT NOR ENDORSE THE VIO’S NARRATIVE AND STRONGLY DISAPPROVE OF THE E OF THE NTENT THIS MANNER.”BY CHRIS MURPHYJULY 6, 2023MATT SQUIRESAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFIRST, FLORIDA ERNOR RON DESANTIS STARTED A WAR WH DISNEY. NOW HE’S UPSET NETFLIX. THE CREATIVE TEAM BEHD PEAKY BLRS, NETFLIX’S GANGSTER SERI STARRG OPPENHEIMER’S CILLIAN MURPHY, HAS SLAMMED THE REPUBLIN PRINTIAL NOMEE HOPEFUL FOR G FOOTAGE OM THE SHOW HIS MOST RECENT MPAIGN AD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNR BIPARTISAN FIRE FOR S HEAVILY ANTI-LGBTQ+ RHETORIC. DESANTIS’S AD BEGS BY TAKG SHOTS AT HIS BIGGT PETN FOR THE REPUBLIN PRINTIAL NOMATN, FORMER PRINT DONALD TMP, FOR ALLEGEDLY BEG SOFT ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. “TO WRAP UP ‘PRI MONTH,’ LET’S HEAR OM THE POLICIAN WHO DID MORE THAN ANY OTHER REPUBLIN TO CELEBRATE ,” READS A TWEET OM DESANTIS’S “RAPID RPONSE” OPERATN, WHICH EMBEDD THE MPAIGN VIO THE TWEET. THE VIO THEN FEATUR A SUPERCUT OF TMP MAKG STATEMENTS THAT ULD BE TERPRETED AS SUPPORTG THE LGBTQ+ MUNY.HALFWAY THROUGH THE AD, DESANTIS—A VOL ANTI-LGBTQ+ POLICIAN WHO SUPPORTED AND SIGNED FLORIDA’S “DON'T SAY GAY” BILL TO LAW—ATTEMPTS TO SET HIMSELF APART OM TMP, SPLICG HEADL THAT AFFIRM HIS MMENT TO STRIPPG THE LGBTQ+ MUNY OF THEIR RIGHTS. THE VIO OF DESANTIS NTAS MULTIPLE CUTS TO MURRO, HYPER-MASCULE CHARACTERS OM FILM AND TELEVISN, CLUDG MURPHY PEAKY BLRS, BRAD PT TROY, AND CHRISTIAN BALE AMERIN PSYCHO. TWTER NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.ON WEDNDAY, JULY 5, THE TEAM BEHD PEAKY BLRS MA CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE NOTHG TO DO WH DANTIS’S AD OR WH HIS POLIL BELIEFS. “ON BEHALF OF THE PARTNERS OF PEAKY BLRS—STEVEN KNIGHT, CILLIAN MURPHY, CARYN MANDABACH PRODUCTNS, TIGER ASPECT PRODUCTNS AND BANIJAY RIGHTS—WE NFIRM THE FOOTAGE OF TOMMY SHELBY’S CHARACTER ED WH THE VIO POSTED BY RON DESANTIS’ MPAIGN WAS OBTAED WHOUT PERMISSN OF OFFICIAL LICENSE,” READS A TWEET OM THE SHOW’S OFFICIAL ACUNT. “WE DO NOT SUPPORT NOR ENDORSE THE VIO’S NARRATIVE AND STRONGLY DISAPPROVE OF THE E OF THE NTENT THIS MANNER.”THIS IS FAR OM THE FIRST TIME AN AD MPAIGN HAS BEEN LLED OUT FOR G AN ARTIST’S WORK WHOUT PERMISSN, OFTEN TAKG OUT OF NTEXT TO SUPPORT A POLICIAN OR E. A PLETHORA OF MICIANS AND BANDS, CLUDG BUT NOT LIMED TO ALE, AXL ROSE, THE BEATL, BCE SPRGSTEEN, NICKELBACK, THE ROLLG STON, RIHANNA, QUEEN, TOM PETTY, AND THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, HAVE VOICED THEIR OPPOSN TO TMP G THEIR MIC AT HIS MPAIGN RALLI AND HIS MPAIGN ADS, WH MANY TAKG STEPS TO LEGALLY FORBID THE FORMER PRINT OM G THEIR MIC. LAST MONTH, MATT DAMON AND BEN AFFLECK’S PRODUCTN PANY, ARTISTS EQUY, ALSO SLAMMED TMP FOR G D OF DAMON OM S MOVIE AIR A MPAIGN AD, SAYG THE PANY “HAD NO FOREKNOWLEDGE AND DID NOT NSENT” TO TMP’S E OF THE CLIP. AND WHEN THE NRA SHARED A CLIP OF AMY POEHLER’S BELOVED LLIE KNOPE OM PARKS AND RECREATN ON TWTER 2018, THE EDIAN FOUND A WAY TO VOICE HER DISAPPROVAL SPE THE FACT THAT SHE IS NOT ON TWTER. “CAN YOU TWEET THE NRA FOR ME AND TELL THEM I SAID FUCK OFF?” SHE TEXTED PARKS AND RECREATN CREATOR MICHAEL SCHUR, WHO DID JT THAT. MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISTWTER NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)CHRIS MURPHY
• THIS AD IS BEG LLED THE “GAYT COMMERCIAL OF 2021”
• RON DESANTIS’ VERY GAY AD: WHO MA THIS STEAMG PILE?
• DESANTIS’S NEW ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD DRAWS CONCERN AMONG GAY AND TRANS REPUBLINS
• I WAS TEAM DESANTIS BEFORE HIS DISGTG ANTI-GAY ADGONE TOO FARTO DESANTIS, IF YOU ARE GAY, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.YVONNE DEAN-BAILEYUPDATED JUL. 05, 2023 12:28PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 01, 2023 11:46PM EDT OPNMICHAEL M SANTIAGO/GETTY IMAGIN THEORY, I AM RON DESANTIS’ PERFECT VOTER. I AM A LIFELONG NSERVATIVE, I VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE ANY AND ALL COVID RTRICTNS, AND I AM PASSNATELY ANTI-TMP. WHAT ULD BE A MORE IAL VOTER FOR A NDIDATE LIKE DESANTIS?THERE’S ONE PROBLEM FOR DESANTIS, THOUGH: I AM A GAY WOMAN. AND I N’T STAND BEHD HIS ATTACKS AGAST THE LGBTQ+ MUNY.I WAS UNNIABLY ON TEAM DESANTIS BEFORE HIS MPAIGN SHARED WHAT ULD BE NSIRED THE MOST ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD RECENT HISTORY, BOASTG ABOUT ALL THE MEASUR HE’S SUPPORTED CRACKG DOWN ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. NOT ONLY DID DESANTIS SHOW THAT HE IS AS ANTI-LGBTQ+ AS THE MASTREAM MEDIA HAS ALLEGED, HE MA A MOCKERY OF ANY GOP NDIDATE THAT SHOWS AN TERT LGBTQ+ RIGHTS, SETTG THE WHOLE PARTY BACK S. DPE MY NSERVATIVE CRENTIALS, YOU ULDN’T PAY ME TO VOTE FOR THE FLORIDA ERNOR NOW. I AM A LBIAN AND DESANTIS HAS MA ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE DON’T WANT ANY LGBTQ+ NSERVATIV ON HIS TEAM BEE OF THEIR INTY. WHEN DESANTIS WAS TOYG WH THE IA OF NNG FOR PRINT, HE SOUND LIKE THE PERFECT NDIDATE: HE WAS TMP WHOUT THE TMPS. LTLE DID I KNOW DESANTIS WAS FARTHER TO THE RIGHT ON ISSU THAT MEANT THE MOST TO ME AND THE MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF AMERINS WHO SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS.HE HAS MA CLEAR THE PAST FEW WEEKS THAT HE’S MORE TERTED APPEASG TWTER TROLLS WHO ABHOR ANY AMERIN WHO INTIFI AS LGBTQ+. TO DESANTIS, IF YOU ARE GAY, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.A FEW YEARS AGO, I WOULDN’T HAVE BELIEVED THIS, BUT DESANTIS' RECENT ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD HAS PROVED THAT HE IS TO THE RIGHT OF TMP WHEN TO LGBTQ+ ISSU. IF TMP WAS SOMEONE WHO DON’T SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT, DESANTIS IS AN ALL-OUT HATER.MY GAYNS HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THE FACT THAT FLORIDA IS A BOOMG STATE AN OTHERWISE LACKLTER ENOMY. THAT BEG SAID, DESANTIS HAS MA ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE DO NOT SUPPORT GAY AMERINS REGARDLS OF WHETHER THEY SUPPORT HIS NSERVATIVE AGENDA.WHEN I FIRST ENUNTERED DESANTIS DURG HIS BOLD STANCE AGAST COVID MANDAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, I WAS GENERALLY PLEASED WH THE FLORIDA ERNOR. HE SEEMED JT LIKE WHAT NSERVATIV HAVE BEEN MISSG. BUT WHEN THE LEGISLATIVE SSN BROUGHT ISSU NCERNG LGBTQ+ RIGHTS TO THE FOREONT, MY EXCEMENT QUICKLY TURNED TO DISAPPOTMENT. IT BEME EVINT THAT DESANTIS WAS NOT THE CHAMPN OF DIVIDUAL EEDOMS AND RIGHTS THAT I HAD HOPED FOR.HIS ANTI-GAY RHETORIC AND ACTNS ARE NOT ONLY EPLY HURTFUL TO LGBTQ+ AMERINS LIKE MYSELF BUT ALSO TARNISH THE IMAGE OF THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT. AS A LIFELONG NSERVATIVE, I BELIEVE THE PRCIPL OF LIMED ERNMENT, PERSONAL RPONSIBILY, AND DIVIDUAL LIBERTI. YET, DESANTIS’ APPROACH TO LGBTQ+ ISSU GO AGAST THE VERY PRCIPL.BY EXCLUDG LGBTQ+ NSERVATIV AND ATTACKG THEIR RIGHTS, DESANTIS ALIENAT A SIGNIFINT PORTN OF HIS POTENTIAL BASE, EFFECTIVELY DRIVG AWAY VOTERS WHO SHARE MANY OF HIS OTHER NSERVATIVE BELIEFS. IT IS DISHEARTENG TO WNS A NDIDATE WHO ULD HAVE BEEN A UNG FORCE WH THE PARTY STEAD NTRIBUTG TO FURTHER DIVISIVENS.DESANTIS’ STANCE ON LGBTQ+ ISSU NOT ONLY NTRADICTS NSERVATIVE VALU BUT ALSO REFLECTS A SEVERE DISNNECT OM THE MAJORY OF AMERINS WHO SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS. ACRDG TO POLLS, OVER 70 PERCENT OF AMERINS SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE, AND THIS NUMBER NTU TO RISE. BY DISREGARDG SUCH A SIGNIFINT PORTN OF THE POPULATN, DESANTIS REVEALS A NCERNG LACK OF UNRSTANDG OF THE EVOLVG SOCIETAL NORMS AND VALU.AS A GAY WOMAN, MY SEXUAL ORIENTATN IS JT ONE ASPECT OF MY INTY, AND SHOULD NOT FE MY POLIL BELIEFS OR MY PLACE WH THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, DESANTIS SEEMS TO BELIEVE THAT ONE’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN TERM THEIR WORTHS TO BE PART OF THE NSERVATIVE E. THIS DIVISIVE MENTALY DO NOT BO WELL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE REPUBLIN PARTY OR S CHANC OF SUCCS BROAR ELECTNS.THE REPUBLIN PARTY SHOULD STRIVE TO BE A BIG-TENT PARTY, EMBRACG DIVERSE PERSPECTIV AND VOIC. ALIENATG LGBTQ+ DIVIDUALS ONLY WEAKENS THE PARTY’S APPEAL AND RTRICTS S ABILY TO ATTRACT NEW SUPPORTERS. IT IS VAL FOR THE PARTY TO EVOLVE AND ADAPT TO THE CHANGG ATTUS OF THE AMERIN PEOPLE, RATHER THAN CLGG TO OUTDATED AND DISCRIMATORY VIEWS.DESANTIS MT REGNIZE THAT HIS ANTI-GAY RHETORIC IS NOT ONLY HARMFUL TO LGBTQ+ AMERINS BUT ALSO TRIMENTAL TO THE VERY PRCIPL HE CLAIMS TO UPHOLD. IF HE TLY AIMS TO LEAD THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AND BRG ABOUT POSIVE CHANGE FOR ALL AMERINS, HE MT ABANDON DIVISIVE TACTICS AND FOC ON POLICI THAT PROMOTE UNY AND CLIVY.SO FAR, HE IS ONLY LOSG EVERYDAY AMERINS, CLUDG MANY NSERVATIV LIKE MYSELF, THROUGH HIS DISGTG ANTI-GAY RHETORIC. HIS ATTACKS AGAST THE LGBTQ+ MUNY AND EXCLN OF LGBTQ+ NSERVATIV ARE NOT ONLY MORALLY WRONG BUT POLILLY MISGUID. THE REPUBLIN PARTY MT DISTANCE SELF OM SUCH HARMFUL BEHAVR AND STRIVE TO BE A PARTY THAT WEL ALL AMERINS, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN. ONLY THEN N HOPE TO REPRENT THE TE VALU OF NSERVATISM AND GARNER THE SUPPORT NEED TO SUCCEED FUTURE ELECTNS. YVONNE DEAN-BAILEY

VIDEO: THE 5 MOST COMILLY BAD ANTI-GAY ADS, EVER

An expert told Insir the vio is a "culmatn" of DeSantis' "extremely homophobic" mpaign. "To wrap up "Pri Month, " let's hear om the polician who did more than any other Republin to celebrate …" the tweet clips garnered swift cricism om Republins, cludg Log Cab Republins — an anizatn reprentg LGBTQ+ nservativ that have shown support for Tmp — llg "divisive" and "homophobic.

"This is a mpaign that's extremely homophobic, " Caraballo said. She poted out, for example, that DeSantis' new expansn of his "Don't Say Gay" bill — which lims nversatns about LGBTQ+ people classrooms — was signed on the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. The anizatn prevly threw s support at DeSantis when he signed his "Don't Say Gay" law.

DESANTIS CAMPAIGN FAC BACKLASH AFTER PROMOTG UNHGED ANTI-LGBTQ ADLOG CAB REPUBLINS LLED THE AD “DIVISIVE AND SPERATE.”BY JACK MCCORDICKJULY 2, 2023FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTISJOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS’S PRINTIAL MPAIGN SHARED A BIZARRE, MEME-FILLED VIO FRIDAY CELEBRATG THE ERNOR’S ANTI-LGBTQ RERD AND ATTACKG DONALD TMP’S 2016 PLEDGE TO “DO EVERYTHG MY POWER TO PROTECT OUR LGBTQ CIZENS.” THE VIO, WHICH WAS POSTED BY THE DESANTIS WAR ROOM ACUNT AND AMPLIFIED BY DESANTIS FLUENCERS, HAS BEEN WILY NMNED AS HOMOPHOBIC, EVEN BY SOME REPUBLINS.THE VIO OPENS WH A STRG OF CLIPS OF TMP MAKG POSIVE MENTS ABOUT THE LGBTQ MUNY, CLUDG ONE THAT ME THE WAKE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE 2016, WHICH TOOK PLACE DESANTIS’S HOME STATE. "TO WRAP UP PRI MONTH, LET'S HEAR OM THE POLICIAN WHO DID MORE THAN ANY OTHER REPUBLIN TO CELEBRATE ,” THE VIO IS PTNED, SEEMGLY REFERRG TO TMP. THEN THE TONE SHIFTS TO THUMPG, DARK MIC AND JUXTAPOS PICTUR OF DESANTIS—CLUDG ONE WH LASERS SHOOTG OUT OF HIS EY—WH IMAG OF BODYBUILRS AND POP CULTURE REFERENC, CLUDG CHRISTIAN BALE’S PATRICK BATEMAN (AMERIN PSYCHO) AND BRAD PT’S ACHILL (300). THE IMAG ARE MIXED WH HEADL AND D CRYG DESANTIS’S LEGISLATIVE ATTACKS ON LGBTQ PEOPLE, CLUDG ONE CLAIMG THE LAWS “LERALLY THREATEN TRANS EXISTENCE.”THE VIO WAS WILY CRICIZED, CLUDG BY SOME REPUBLINS. RICHARD GRENELL, WHO SERVED AS TMP’S ACTG DIRECTOR OF NATNAL INTELLIGENCE AND IS THE UNTRY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER, SCRIBED THE VIO AS “UNNIABLY HOMOPHOBIC.” LOG CAB REPUBLINS, A LARGE, PRO-LGBTQ GOP GROUP, LLED THE AD “DIVISIVE AND SPERATE” AND SAID “VENTURED TO HOMOPHOBIC TERRORY.” AND SARAH LONGWELL, A MORATE REPUBLIN STRATEGIST, WROTE ON TWTER THAT “THE NSULTANTS WHO THK THIS KD OF ‘NNG TO TMP’S RIGHT’ IS GOG TO BE EFFECTIVE SHOULD BE SACKED.”SEVERAL MENTATORS NOTED SATURDAY THAT THE AD’S TONE AND NTENT REFLECTED DESANTIS’S MPAIGN’S URTG OF THE OBSSNS OF YOUNG, VERY ONLE RIGHT-WGERS, CLUDG THE SO-LLED GROYPERS, LED BY WHE NATNALIST AND HOLOT NIER NICHOLAS FUENT. “IT'S AN AD MA BY GROYPERS FOR GROYPERS WH ALL SORTS OF WEIRD LTLE SHOUTOUTS (PATRICK BATEMAN, 300),” WROTE THE NATN’S JEET HEER.THE VIO WAS SHARED BY NATE HOCHMAN, A FORMER NATNAL REVIEW WRER, AND MEMBER OF DESANTIS’S MUNITNS TEAM, WHO MA HEADL LAST YEAR AFTER HE PARTICIPATED A TWTER SPAC TALK WH FUENT AND PRAISED HIM FOR GETTG “A LOT OF KIDS ‘BASED’.” IT WAS ALSO PROMOTED BY PEDRO GONZALEZ, A PRO-DESANTIS FLUENCER AND MAGAZE EDOR WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN AMPLIFIED BY NUMERO MEMBERS OF THE DESANTIS MPAIGN. GONZALEZ WAS THE SUBJECT LAST TUDAY OF A MAJOR PROFILE (OF ALL PLAC) BREBART, WHICH PUBLISHED A SERI OF RACIST AND ANTISEMIC TEXTS GONZALEZ ALLEGEDLY SENT LEAKED GROUP CHATS. IN ONE, GONZALEZ CLAIMED HE WAS “TAKG UP ARMS WH THE GROYPERS.” FOLLOWG THE EXPOSé, ROLLG STONE REPORTED THAT MANY PRO-DESANTIS FLUENCERS WERE “QUICK TO RALLY” BEHD GONZALEZ.SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATN PETE BUTTIGIEG, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER EVER NFIRMED BY THE SENATE (GRENELL DID NOT GO THROUGH SENATE NFIRMATN), RPOND TO THE VIO ON SUNDAY MORNG. “I’M GOG TO LEAVE ASI THE STRANGENS OF TRYG TO PROVE YOUR MANHOOD BY PUTTG UP A VIO THAT SPLIC IMAG OF YOU BETWEEN OILED-UP, SHIRTLS BODYBUILRS,” BUTTIGIEG SAID ON CNN. IN A TWEET, BUTTEGIEG’S HBAND, GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST CHASTEN GLEZMAN BUTTIGIEG, JOKED THAT THE AD WAS “ACTUALLY VERY GAY.”“I JT DON’T UNRSTAND THE MENTALY OF SOMEONE GETTG UP THE MORNG THKG HE’S TRYG TO PROVE HIS WORTH BY PETG OVER WHO N MAKE LIFE HARST FOR A HARD-H MUNY THAT IS ALREADY SO VULNERABLE AMERI,” THE TRANSPORTATN SECRETARY ADD.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHJACK MCCORDICK

"Now that 's gone that extra step where 's basilly targetg even the wealthier whe gay Republins, now they're sayg ''s jt gog too far, ' and so I thk that's why there's been a b of phback, " Caraballo said. "But you know, there's been onle acunts like 'Gays agast Groomers' phg this stuff and beg ed as a pretext to spread homophobia. But beneath that subterranean level is another class of ads: those that throw lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr voters unr the b.

DESANTIS’S NEW ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD DRAWS CONCERN AMONG GAY AND TRANS REPUBLINS

And regardls of how you feel about gay marriage, the kds of ads h rock bottom for an entirely different reason. The Fail: Comparg homosexualy to smallpox, equatg wh pedophilia, general fear-mongerg, creepy facial hair, and the fact that our ma character (Jimmy) vanish at the end of the film, never to be seen or heard om aga.

Oh, and spiky-hair lady: How do gay marriage affect the way you live, anyway? DeSantis spokperson Christa Phaw slammed former actg Director of Natnal Intelligence Richard Grenell — who served unr Tmp as the first openly gay U. Cabet member — for llg the ad “unniably homophobic.

NETFLIX’S PEAKY BLRS SLAMS RON DESANTIS FOR USG CLIP ANTI-LGBTQ+ CAMPAIGN ADTHE TEAM BEHD NETFLIX’S H GANGSTER SERI LLED OUT DESANTIS FOR HIS UNTHORIZED E OF PEAKY BLRS NTENT A RECENT AD SLAMMG THE LGBTQ+ MUNY: “WE DO NOT SUPPORT NOR ENDORSE THE VIO’S NARRATIVE AND STRONGLY DISAPPROVE OF THE E OF THE NTENT THIS MANNER.”BY CHRIS MURPHYJULY 6, 2023MATT SQUIRESAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFIRST, FLORIDA ERNOR RON DESANTIS STARTED A WAR WH DISNEY. NOW HE’S UPSET NETFLIX. THE CREATIVE TEAM BEHD PEAKY BLRS, NETFLIX’S GANGSTER SERI STARRG OPPENHEIMER’S CILLIAN MURPHY, HAS SLAMMED THE REPUBLIN PRINTIAL NOMEE HOPEFUL FOR G FOOTAGE OM THE SHOW HIS MOST RECENT MPAIGN AD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNR BIPARTISAN FIRE FOR S HEAVILY ANTI-LGBTQ+ RHETORIC. DESANTIS’S AD BEGS BY TAKG SHOTS AT HIS BIGGT PETN FOR THE REPUBLIN PRINTIAL NOMATN, FORMER PRINT DONALD TMP, FOR ALLEGEDLY BEG SOFT ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. “TO WRAP UP ‘PRI MONTH,’ LET’S HEAR OM THE POLICIAN WHO DID MORE THAN ANY OTHER REPUBLIN TO CELEBRATE ,” READS A TWEET OM DESANTIS’S “RAPID RPONSE” OPERATN, WHICH EMBEDD THE MPAIGN VIO THE TWEET. THE VIO THEN FEATUR A SUPERCUT OF TMP MAKG STATEMENTS THAT ULD BE TERPRETED AS SUPPORTG THE LGBTQ+ MUNY.HALFWAY THROUGH THE AD, DESANTIS—A VOL ANTI-LGBTQ+ POLICIAN WHO SUPPORTED AND SIGNED FLORIDA’S “DON'T SAY GAY” BILL TO LAW—ATTEMPTS TO SET HIMSELF APART OM TMP, SPLICG HEADL THAT AFFIRM HIS MMENT TO STRIPPG THE LGBTQ+ MUNY OF THEIR RIGHTS. THE VIO OF DESANTIS NTAS MULTIPLE CUTS TO MURRO, HYPER-MASCULE CHARACTERS OM FILM AND TELEVISN, CLUDG MURPHY PEAKY BLRS, BRAD PT TROY, AND CHRISTIAN BALE AMERIN PSYCHO. TWTER NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.ON WEDNDAY, JULY 5, THE TEAM BEHD PEAKY BLRS MA CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE NOTHG TO DO WH DANTIS’S AD OR WH HIS POLIL BELIEFS. “ON BEHALF OF THE PARTNERS OF PEAKY BLRS—STEVEN KNIGHT, CILLIAN MURPHY, CARYN MANDABACH PRODUCTNS, TIGER ASPECT PRODUCTNS AND BANIJAY RIGHTS—WE NFIRM THE FOOTAGE OF TOMMY SHELBY’S CHARACTER ED WH THE VIO POSTED BY RON DESANTIS’ MPAIGN WAS OBTAED WHOUT PERMISSN OF OFFICIAL LICENSE,” READS A TWEET OM THE SHOW’S OFFICIAL ACUNT. “WE DO NOT SUPPORT NOR ENDORSE THE VIO’S NARRATIVE AND STRONGLY DISAPPROVE OF THE E OF THE NTENT THIS MANNER.”THIS IS FAR OM THE FIRST TIME AN AD MPAIGN HAS BEEN LLED OUT FOR G AN ARTIST’S WORK WHOUT PERMISSN, OFTEN TAKG OUT OF NTEXT TO SUPPORT A POLICIAN OR E. A PLETHORA OF MICIANS AND BANDS, CLUDG BUT NOT LIMED TO ALE, AXL ROSE, THE BEATL, BCE SPRGSTEEN, NICKELBACK, THE ROLLG STON, RIHANNA, QUEEN, TOM PETTY, AND THE VILLAGE PEOPLE, HAVE VOICED THEIR OPPOSN TO TMP G THEIR MIC AT HIS MPAIGN RALLI AND HIS MPAIGN ADS, WH MANY TAKG STEPS TO LEGALLY FORBID THE FORMER PRINT OM G THEIR MIC. LAST MONTH, MATT DAMON AND BEN AFFLECK’S PRODUCTN PANY, ARTISTS EQUY, ALSO SLAMMED TMP FOR G D OF DAMON OM S MOVIE AIR A MPAIGN AD, SAYG THE PANY “HAD NO FOREKNOWLEDGE AND DID NOT NSENT” TO TMP’S E OF THE CLIP. AND WHEN THE NRA SHARED A CLIP OF AMY POEHLER’S BELOVED LLIE KNOPE OM PARKS AND RECREATN ON TWTER 2018, THE EDIAN FOUND A WAY TO VOICE HER DISAPPROVAL SPE THE FACT THAT SHE IS NOT ON TWTER. “CAN YOU TWEET THE NRA FOR ME AND TELL THEM I SAID FUCK OFF?” SHE TEXTED PARKS AND RECREATN CREATOR MICHAEL SCHUR, WHO DID JT THAT. MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISTWTER NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)CHRIS MURPHY

”“Opposg the feral regnn of ‘Pri Month’ isn’t ‘homophobic, ’” Phaw wrote on Friday.

But might at least ease the embarrassment DeSantis is week, the Florida ernor’s mpaign shared a bizarre and staggergly homophobic onle ad that cricized Tmp’s past ments showg support for the LGBTQ muny and lled the former print “the polician who did more than any other Republin to celebrate” Pri Month.

” The vio, which was posted by the DeSantis War Room acunt and amplified by DeSantis fluencers, has been wily nmned as homophobic, even by some vio opens wh a strg of clips of Tmp makg posive ments about the LGBTQ muny, cludg one that me the wake of the Pulse nightclub massacre 2016, which took place DeSantis’s home state.

THIS AD IS BEG LLED THE “GAYT COMMERCIAL OF 2021”

Richard Grenell, who served as Tmp’s Actg Director of Natnal Intelligence and is the untry’s first openly gay bet member, scribed the vio as “unniably homophobic. ” Log Cab Republins, a large, pro-LGBTQ GOP group, lled the ad “divisive and sperate” and said “ventured to homophobic terrory. Secretary of Transportatn Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay bet member ever nfirmed by the Senate (Grenell did not go through Senate nfirmatn), rpond to the vio on Sunday morng.

In a Tweet, Buttegieg’s hband, gay rights activist Chasten Glezman Buttigieg, joked that the ad was “actually very gay. Ron DeSantis is fendg an anti-LGBTQ vio his mpaign shared onle that attacks rival Donald Tmp for his past support of gay and transgenr people, spe some of his fellow Republins llg homophobic. DeSantis, an terview Wednday on the podst of nservative mentator Tomi Lahren, did not addrs accatns that the vio was homophobic but said the tent was “intifyg Donald Tmp as really beg a pneer jectg genr iology to the mastream where he was havg men pete agast women his bety pageants.

The Log Cab Republins, an anizatn dited to reprentg LGBT nservativ, lled the vio "divisive and sperate" and said “ventured to homophobic terrory. ”Republin Richard Grenell, who served as Tmp's natnal telligence director and was the first openly gay Cabet member any admistratn, said the vio was “unniably homophobic. Transportatn Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat who is openly gay, cricized the vio durg an terview on CNN on Sunday.

RON DESANTIS’ VERY GAY AD: WHO MA THIS STEAMG PILE?

Gay and Trans Republins exprsed dismay after the DeSantis mpaign’s rapid-rponse Twter acunt, DeSantis War Room, recently released an attack ad that unabashedly promot what lls the “most extreme slate of anti-LGBTQ+ laws history” and claims s polici “threaten trans existence.

A number of gay and trans Republins, who have the past supported anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ polici, now found themselv cricizg the mpaign for turng on them. Notably, Stt Prler, -founr of “Gays For Tmp, ” publicly qutned the DeSantis mpaign’s stance and asked what the mpaign felt about a gay person like him.

It’s worth mentng that Prler had prevly endorsed DeSantis’s anti-LGBTQ+ polici, cludg the ntent “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, and has boasted about his voter registratn efforts playg a role DeSantis’s electoral succs.

DESANTIS’S NEW ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD DRAWS CONCERN AMONG GAY AND TRANS REPUBLINS

Richard Grenell, a proment gay Republin polil operative and former member of Print Tmp’s bet, also exprsed nsternatn, labelg the ad as “unniably homophobic. ” It’s noteworthy that Grenell has a history of cricizg “wokens” and “trans radilism, ” and has been an advote for var anti-LGBTQ+ measur, cludg bans on genr-affirmg re and the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. She has often ntend that supportg LGBTQ+ dividuals schools equat to “groomg, ” backed drag bans, and prevly exprsed beg a “big supporter of Ron DeSantis” specifilly for his “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law.

The official acunt has the past acced “LGBTQ leftists” of attemptg to “censor Ron DeSantis’ speech, ” and mend him for the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law.

Calyn Jenner, for stance, cricized the anti-LGBTQ+ anizatn “Gays Agast Groomers, ” and disclosed that the anizatn’s lear is on the payroll of DeSantis mpaign. Meanwhile, Christa Phaw, the Rapid Rponse Director for DeSantis’s mpaign, addrsed cricism by gay and trans Republins by llg for an end to the feral regnn of Pri Month.

I WAS TEAM DESANTIS BEFORE HIS DISGTG ANTI-GAY ADGONE TOO FARTO DESANTIS, IF YOU ARE GAY, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.YVONNE DEAN-BAILEYUPDATED JUL. 05, 2023 12:28PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 01, 2023 11:46PM EDT OPNMICHAEL M SANTIAGO/GETTY IMAGIN THEORY, I AM RON DESANTIS’ PERFECT VOTER. I AM A LIFELONG NSERVATIVE, I VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE ANY AND ALL COVID RTRICTNS, AND I AM PASSNATELY ANTI-TMP. WHAT ULD BE A MORE IAL VOTER FOR A NDIDATE LIKE DESANTIS?THERE’S ONE PROBLEM FOR DESANTIS, THOUGH: I AM A GAY WOMAN. AND I N’T STAND BEHD HIS ATTACKS AGAST THE LGBTQ+ MUNY.I WAS UNNIABLY ON TEAM DESANTIS BEFORE HIS MPAIGN SHARED WHAT ULD BE NSIRED THE MOST ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD RECENT HISTORY, BOASTG ABOUT ALL THE MEASUR HE’S SUPPORTED CRACKG DOWN ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. NOT ONLY DID DESANTIS SHOW THAT HE IS AS ANTI-LGBTQ+ AS THE MASTREAM MEDIA HAS ALLEGED, HE MA A MOCKERY OF ANY GOP NDIDATE THAT SHOWS AN TERT LGBTQ+ RIGHTS, SETTG THE WHOLE PARTY BACK S. DPE MY NSERVATIVE CRENTIALS, YOU ULDN’T PAY ME TO VOTE FOR THE FLORIDA ERNOR NOW. I AM A LBIAN AND DESANTIS HAS MA ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE DON’T WANT ANY LGBTQ+ NSERVATIV ON HIS TEAM BEE OF THEIR INTY. WHEN DESANTIS WAS TOYG WH THE IA OF NNG FOR PRINT, HE SOUND LIKE THE PERFECT NDIDATE: HE WAS TMP WHOUT THE TMPS. LTLE DID I KNOW DESANTIS WAS FARTHER TO THE RIGHT ON ISSU THAT MEANT THE MOST TO ME AND THE MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF AMERINS WHO SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS.HE HAS MA CLEAR THE PAST FEW WEEKS THAT HE’S MORE TERTED APPEASG TWTER TROLLS WHO ABHOR ANY AMERIN WHO INTIFI AS LGBTQ+. TO DESANTIS, IF YOU ARE GAY, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.A FEW YEARS AGO, I WOULDN’T HAVE BELIEVED THIS, BUT DESANTIS' RECENT ANTI-LGBTQ+ AD HAS PROVED THAT HE IS TO THE RIGHT OF TMP WHEN TO LGBTQ+ ISSU. IF TMP WAS SOMEONE WHO DON’T SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT, DESANTIS IS AN ALL-OUT HATER.MY GAYNS HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THE FACT THAT FLORIDA IS A BOOMG STATE AN OTHERWISE LACKLTER ENOMY. THAT BEG SAID, DESANTIS HAS MA ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE DO NOT SUPPORT GAY AMERINS REGARDLS OF WHETHER THEY SUPPORT HIS NSERVATIVE AGENDA.WHEN I FIRST ENUNTERED DESANTIS DURG HIS BOLD STANCE AGAST COVID MANDAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, I WAS GENERALLY PLEASED WH THE FLORIDA ERNOR. HE SEEMED JT LIKE WHAT NSERVATIV HAVE BEEN MISSG. BUT WHEN THE LEGISLATIVE SSN BROUGHT ISSU NCERNG LGBTQ+ RIGHTS TO THE FOREONT, MY EXCEMENT QUICKLY TURNED TO DISAPPOTMENT. IT BEME EVINT THAT DESANTIS WAS NOT THE CHAMPN OF DIVIDUAL EEDOMS AND RIGHTS THAT I HAD HOPED FOR.HIS ANTI-GAY RHETORIC AND ACTNS ARE NOT ONLY EPLY HURTFUL TO LGBTQ+ AMERINS LIKE MYSELF BUT ALSO TARNISH THE IMAGE OF THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT. AS A LIFELONG NSERVATIVE, I BELIEVE THE PRCIPL OF LIMED ERNMENT, PERSONAL RPONSIBILY, AND DIVIDUAL LIBERTI. YET, DESANTIS’ APPROACH TO LGBTQ+ ISSU GO AGAST THE VERY PRCIPL.BY EXCLUDG LGBTQ+ NSERVATIV AND ATTACKG THEIR RIGHTS, DESANTIS ALIENAT A SIGNIFINT PORTN OF HIS POTENTIAL BASE, EFFECTIVELY DRIVG AWAY VOTERS WHO SHARE MANY OF HIS OTHER NSERVATIVE BELIEFS. IT IS DISHEARTENG TO WNS A NDIDATE WHO ULD HAVE BEEN A UNG FORCE WH THE PARTY STEAD NTRIBUTG TO FURTHER DIVISIVENS.DESANTIS’ STANCE ON LGBTQ+ ISSU NOT ONLY NTRADICTS NSERVATIVE VALU BUT ALSO REFLECTS A SEVERE DISNNECT OM THE MAJORY OF AMERINS WHO SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS. ACRDG TO POLLS, OVER 70 PERCENT OF AMERINS SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE, AND THIS NUMBER NTU TO RISE. BY DISREGARDG SUCH A SIGNIFINT PORTN OF THE POPULATN, DESANTIS REVEALS A NCERNG LACK OF UNRSTANDG OF THE EVOLVG SOCIETAL NORMS AND VALU.AS A GAY WOMAN, MY SEXUAL ORIENTATN IS JT ONE ASPECT OF MY INTY, AND SHOULD NOT FE MY POLIL BELIEFS OR MY PLACE WH THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, DESANTIS SEEMS TO BELIEVE THAT ONE’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN TERM THEIR WORTHS TO BE PART OF THE NSERVATIVE E. THIS DIVISIVE MENTALY DO NOT BO WELL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE REPUBLIN PARTY OR S CHANC OF SUCCS BROAR ELECTNS.THE REPUBLIN PARTY SHOULD STRIVE TO BE A BIG-TENT PARTY, EMBRACG DIVERSE PERSPECTIV AND VOIC. ALIENATG LGBTQ+ DIVIDUALS ONLY WEAKENS THE PARTY’S APPEAL AND RTRICTS S ABILY TO ATTRACT NEW SUPPORTERS. IT IS VAL FOR THE PARTY TO EVOLVE AND ADAPT TO THE CHANGG ATTUS OF THE AMERIN PEOPLE, RATHER THAN CLGG TO OUTDATED AND DISCRIMATORY VIEWS.DESANTIS MT REGNIZE THAT HIS ANTI-GAY RHETORIC IS NOT ONLY HARMFUL TO LGBTQ+ AMERINS BUT ALSO TRIMENTAL TO THE VERY PRCIPL HE CLAIMS TO UPHOLD. IF HE TLY AIMS TO LEAD THE NSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AND BRG ABOUT POSIVE CHANGE FOR ALL AMERINS, HE MT ABANDON DIVISIVE TACTICS AND FOC ON POLICI THAT PROMOTE UNY AND CLIVY.SO FAR, HE IS ONLY LOSG EVERYDAY AMERINS, CLUDG MANY NSERVATIV LIKE MYSELF, THROUGH HIS DISGTG ANTI-GAY RHETORIC. HIS ATTACKS AGAST THE LGBTQ+ MUNY AND EXCLN OF LGBTQ+ NSERVATIV ARE NOT ONLY MORALLY WRONG BUT POLILLY MISGUID. THE REPUBLIN PARTY MT DISTANCE SELF OM SUCH HARMFUL BEHAVR AND STRIVE TO BE A PARTY THAT WEL ALL AMERINS, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN. ONLY THEN N HOPE TO REPRENT THE TE VALU OF NSERVATISM AND GARNER THE SUPPORT NEED TO SUCCEED FUTURE ELECTNS. YVONNE DEAN-BAILEY

Halfway through the ad, DeSantis—a vol anti-LGBTQ+ polician who supported and signed Florida’s “Don't Say Gay” bill to law—attempts to set himself apart om Tmp, splicg headl that affirm his mment to strippg the LGBTQ+ muny of their rights. The largt anizatn of gay Republins slammed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' latt advertisement targetg LGBTQ+ rights on social media for venturg "to homophobic terrory. Dpe takg several actns crackg down on LGBTQ+ rights as print, Tmp has touted himself as the "most gay-iendly" print Uned Stat history.

Many the LGBTQ+ muny have sound the alarm about creasgly anti-gay and anti-transgenr rhetoric om Republin printial ndidat, while at least 491 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have troduced to state legislatur so far this year, acrdg to the Amerin Civil Liberti Unn (ACLU).