F***ing Florida

Holy shit the move to Fort Lauderdale is 15 days away! In my last column (https://www.camprehoboth.com/letters/1997/april-21-2023-visiting-view-robert-dominic) I talked about my upcoming move back to Florida. I also discussed my trepidation at moving to a red state. A red state that just in the weeks since my last column, we have seen DeSantis escalate his all-out war to eradicate the queer community.

The fact that Florida is a red state, and the fact that the shit is hitting the proverbial fan there is a major reason I am moving back. Since my wild and crazy party-all-the-time 20s and 30s (and some of my 40s admittedly) my priorities have shifted somewhat,  am now a full-time queer activist these days. A role I gladly take on.I envy the youth of Gen Z today who at 18-25 today are much more politically active than I ever was at their age. I truly believe that Gen Z is going to make the Republican party extinct, or at least i’m hoping they willAnd I want to do my part as well.

And I ‘m hoping that extinction day will come sooner than later, sooner being this November at\every local, regional, and national election to continue the Republican’s losses from 2020 and 2022. .  We all know that. They also lost in 2016 but because of an outdated, easily manipulated electoral college – that needs to be abolished – the GOP weaseled their way into the White House. Did you know a Republican President has not won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004 And yet this party, led by the now disgraced, twice impeached one term former Orange POTUS, was allowed to put THREE, not worthy in any sense of the word, justices on the Supreme Court? Deciding on the rights for ALL of us, even the most popular ones.  Completely nonsensical. 

This leads me back to the topic of my impending move and how some people believe this is also irrational and makes no sense. My friends fall into three camps of reactions to this next phase of my journey (I totally just sounded like a contestant on “The Bachelor” lol. }

Camp one – great, we are so happy for you. I love this for you. I will miss you but we will see each other lots its only Florida, Perfect weekend getaway. (Maybe solid 65% of the group.)

Camp two – WTF do you not read the news? How and why The F&$K are you going down there? I love you and I am scared for you. The non-profit Equality Florida and NAACP has said don’t come here.  And you take that as a challenge or an invitation to move there? Bitch, this ain’t the price is right and you can’t bid on a safe experience. It is getting very very bad for our community there. And it’s getting worse and worse every day.  (20%.)

Camp three – wow that is ballsy of you. Go down and kick some fucking ass. But girl, if you think I am coming down there to visit you you gonna be waiting a long time. We will not spend any money down there. We are boycotting that state. (15%)

All opinions are valid. I know that These s are voices of love and kindness just wanting the best for me. Each has their own thoughts and rationale for their response too. Many of these activists have been on the front lines for decades from ACTup to Queer Nation to Prop 8 to DOMA. To hear them consider me one of their own is an honor and a privilege. And I don’t take that lightly. 

And as the co-President of the newest chapter of “Gays Against Guns,” South Florida, I hope to make them proud. However, It’s an honor I carry with a heavy heart.  I don’t want to have to be in a group called GAG. The GOP is brilliant at creating a fake problem and convincing their rabid, uneducated, uninformed, racist, sexist, homophobic base that pronouns and drag queens are ruining America.

Everyone, no matter where they sit, can be part of the fight even by educating others. So Republicans, why are you railing and raging about someone you never met, who has zero effect on your life using THEY as their pronoun.

For example, Did you know that if you buy a megayacht you don’t have to pay any taxes on that sale. Meanwhile, your teacher friend and her firefighter husband with three kids who are living paycheck to paycheck have to pay taxes.  But please, go on about that drag queen lip-syncing to “Physical” –  in a gay bar you have never been to and will never go to – and how she is grooming children. Which specific children are you talking about? And what exactly does grooming mean? Please provide detailed facts and evidence.

So the day after NYC Pride, at the end of June, look for a car filled with rainbows and glitter heading down to the Hellmouth to stand up for everyone in the queer community, myself included. It’s time for all hands on deck. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. FIGHT BACK no matter where you are.. and above all else, VOTE BLUE. Every. Single. Time. DeSantis we are voting you off the island.