Dear Florida, You Lost Me
By Mariel Wiley, modeled by Emily Hernandez
It’s always the sunsets that draw me in. The way the sun disappears, daylight slowly fading away, all while painting the most beautiful colors in the sky. From the deepest shades of blue and orange to the lightest tints of purple and pink, no matter the color palette, it always leaves me in awe.
Florida has been my home all my life, specifically South Florida. Born and raised, all my memories — at least the ones I can remember — stemmed from here. Like the summers when my cousins and I would visit the beach and spend hours under the sun or when we would gather for the holidays, the barbeque smoking meats and Latin music blasting from inside the house or me meeting some of the most influential people in my life who have become my greatest friends, Florida has gifted me with many positive experiences. But it’s also brought negative ones, and as of late, as new laws approach and are set to go into effect this July, my home state has become a place where I no longer feel connected; Instead, I feel frustrated, disappointed and angered.
Florida has had a reputation for being an ‘interesting’ place. The popular ‘Florida Man’ meme is entertaining for most natives, so much so that anytime an outlandish news story from Florida breaks, it's no surprise, but Florida has also had a reputation for its politics, and these past few years, nowhere near has it been for being good.
The Florida Legislature, but mostly Governor Ron DeSantis, has made many headlines for his harmful rhetoric. His stance on immigration led to bill SB 1718, which requires private companies with more than 25 employees to verify their legal employment status, leading migrants to leave the life they’ve built in Florida with their families and flee the state. With education, DeSantis has made it clear what he wants schools and universities to teach. He’s blocked public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. He has been vocal about how he is against critical race theory. He’s made it clear what sex education should cover and not cover, going as far as prohibiting topics like menstruation from being taught before grade six. DeSantis has also demonstrated that he’s anti-LGBTQIA+. He’s signed bills that restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth or adults, criminalize transgender people for using the bathroom that matches their gender identity and more. The passing of these anti-LGBTQIA+ bills has led both Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign to issue a travel advisory for Florida. DeSantis’s anti-list goes on and on, and his dangerous views have affected the state and its many residents and have hit close to home.
Watching as my home state passes legislation targeting these areas and specific communities always leaves me fuming and swearing. It hurts that LGBTQIA+ family members and friends are looking into leaving Florida because their rights are being attacked, but understanding why they want and need to leave. It pains me that Latinos who left their home country and came here for a better opportunity for themselves and their family are also being targeted, being left with no option but to leave their home. It’s frustrating watching my home state turn on so many specific communities. It’s angering that its leader goes on a book tour when one of its cities experiences the worst rain in history, leaving residents to watch everything in their homes get damaged by intense flooding. It’s disappointing watching as the cost of living grows more and more, making it impossible to afford housing. It’s saddening that it has become a place I no longer love and instead feel such immense shame, grimacing every time I introduce myself to someone new from a different state. For a long time, I thought I would spend my future living in Florida. However, as the years passed, my disappointment in the place grew as I got older. That’s why when the affordability and moment arrive for me to part ways, I won’t feel guilty for leaving the place I was born and raised because the truth is, Florida lost me a long time ago, and no longer seeing its sunsets doesn’t bother me like it used to. ♦