On Tuesday (April 5), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors suspended all official travel to Florida and Texas following the passage of two discriminatory laws targeting the LGBTQ community.
The law would only affect travel for the county government, paid for by the county.
Sheila Kuehl, the L.A Count Supervisor, explained the normality of the motion “As we’ve done in the past where states have enacted some egregious laws that contravene everything that we have done in L.A. County and in California, this motion calls for a travel ban on all travel to these states,” Kuehl is also co-sponsor of the motion, along with Hilda Solis.
Hilda Solis shared that she “came from a family that has parents whose children are LGBTQ+” and “how important it is to support each other”.
Late last month Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sign into law House Bill 1557 – Officially known as the “Parental Rights Education” bill. The bill has been pejoratively and accurately described as the “Don’t say Gay” bill. The law contains a provision that, in effect, prohibits the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, sparking a wave of outrage across the country and in the media.
The DeSantis administration has been stable in it's anti-LGBTQ+ stance – Desantis's press secretary, Christina Pushaw, calling it the "Anti-Grooming bill, and those who are apposed to it "probably a groomer."
Texas Leutnant Governor Dan Patrick claimed in a letter that he intends to pass a similar bill. This again was called the "Don't Say Gay" bill, and was met with the same criticisms as the one in Florida.
According to KTTV news, Solis and Kuehl say that the law will perpetuate a "culture of bullying secrecy, shame, and fear"
It has not been made clear in the bill what "official" travel is according to the ban.