Florida Divide for Equality Florida!

On Friday March 2nd, 2024 I will be racing the Florida Divide Bike packing race to protest the discriminatory laws passed by Florida Governor Ron Desantis and to raise money for Equality Florida, a non-profit civil rights organization that fights for “full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community” and strives to make the state an inclusive place to work and live.

In 2023, Desantis signed 5 anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law. HB 1069, known as “don’t say gay”, prevents educators from teaching gender identity and sexual orientation from Pre K through Grade 8. It will also create an environment where school staff and students are forced to deadname and misgender one another. SB 254 penalizes healthcare providers for giving gender-affirming care to transgender youth and adults. HB 1521 prohibits gender-inclusive bathrooms and changing facilities in schools, public shelters, healthcare facilities, and jails. SB 266 allows the state Board of Governors to give direction to universities on the removal of subjects such as critical race theory and gender studies. And last but not least, SB 1580. This bill will allow healthcare providers to deny a patient care on the basis of religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.

These bills aren’t just Desantis protesting “woke” culture. These are bills aimed directly at the LGBTQ+ community. He is making a deliberate effort to strip freedom, dignity, and opportunity from a very specific community in Florida.

I am protesting these policies and fundraising for Equality Florida because I was born and raised in the strange state of Florida. I am a product of its public schools and universities. I have friends and family in Florida that belong to the LGBTQ+ community. I am not an activist, an influencer, a sponsored athlete, or a savior. I'm very aware of how unimportant I am. I’m just a person that loves to ride a bicycle. And I can no longer watch idly from the sidelines as my home state regresses into a pit of bigotry, ignorance, and hate.

Like some conservative politicians, Desantis justifies his politics with a distorted version of the values and teachings of the Christian religion. I was raised in a conservative Christian household. I’m very familiar with the teachings of Christ. And what did he actually say in the book of Matthew during the Sermon on the Mount?

Love your neighbor. Forgive your enemies. Care for the marginalized.

Join me and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community of Florida. Donate what you can. I’m gonna race my guts out.