florida travel warning 2023

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Civil rights groups warn tourists about traveling to Florida

The Associated Press

In this aerial photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, attendees watch and toast the sunset at a Florida Keys bicentennial celebration, Friday, May 19, 2023, on the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, Fla. Andy Newman/AP hide caption

In this aerial photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, attendees watch and toast the sunset at a Florida Keys bicentennial celebration, Friday, May 19, 2023, on the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, Fla.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are "openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals."

The NAACP, long an advocate for Black Americans, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state's largest job sectors.

The warning approved Saturday by the NAACP's board of directors tells tourists that, before traveling to Florida, they should understand the state of Florida "devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color."

Critics say Florida aims to rewrite history by rejecting African American studies

An email was sent Sunday morning to DeSantis' office seeking comment. The Republican governor is expected to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination this week.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.

Several of Florida's Democratic mayors were quick to say Sunday that their cities welcomed diversity and inclusion.

"EVERYONE is always welcome and will be treated with dignity and respect," tweeted Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg in a message echoed by the mayor across the bay in Tampa.

"That will never change, regardless of what happens in Tallahassee," tweeted Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa.

Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, claiming 'government retaliation'

The NAACP's decision comes after the DeSantis' administration in January rejected the College Board's Advanced Placement African American Studies course . DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory , and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses held by undocumented immigrants, among other things. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.

"The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state," said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region.

Recent efforts to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new restrictions on abortion access and a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit contributed to Equality Florida's warning.

"Taken in their totality, Florida's slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state," Equality Florida's advisory said.

Florida travel warnings intensify as state lawmakers strike back

• Mia Taylor TravelPulse (TNS)

A growing chorus of leading civil rights groups are issuing travel warnings about visiting Florida amid Gov. Ron DeSantis’ increasingly hostile laws toward women, minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community.

On Tuesday, The Human Rights Campaign, which is the country’s largest LGBTQ organization, issued an updated travel advisory designed to highlight laws passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature in what the organization called the “most anti-LGBTQ legislative session in history.”

In total, six anti-LGBTQ bills have recently been passed in Florida and nearly all signed by DeSantis. The organization, however, stopped short of calling for an all-out ban on travel to the state or a boycott. Instead, the move is designed to shine a light on the state’s growing extremist policies.

“The travel advisory outlines the devastating impacts of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety policies, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum in order that prospective travelers or residents can make the best decisions for themselves and their families,” the organization said in a statement.

This latest announcement comes on the heels of similar statements from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Florida Immigration Coalition and Equality Florida. Each of these organizations have either issued travel or relocation warnings for the state amid its shift to increasingly harsh policies.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said her organization stands in solidarity with the other civil rights groups.

“Because of Ron DeSantis and his frenzied appeal to extremists, LGBTQ+ people in Florida are finding themselves in a state of emergency every single day. Since the day he took office, Governor DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate, and discrimination into public law for his own political gain. We see it as our duty to join Equality Florida—and LULAC and the NAACP—to provide guidance to our community,” said Robinson.

On Saturday, the NAACP issued a travel advisory and said that the state of Florida has become too hostile to black travelers under DeSantis. In particular, the group noted the state’s efforts to “erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.”

“Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon,” NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson said. “He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation.”

Johnson later expanded upon his comments during an interview with CBS News.

“(DeSantis is) using his platform as governor to try to promote ‘otherism,’ or racial hate and division,” Johnson continued. “That should not be the case. And America needs to understand as he prepares to run for the presidency, we cannot stand as a nation another individual occupying the White House with this type of belief system.”

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) said Tuesday, meanwhile, that the DeSantis administration has passed some of the strongest anti-immigration laws ever in the state of Florida.

“There’s no question that SB 1718 is the framework for a man who’s bent on getting to the Oval Office over anybody’s back and well-being. It’s sad to see that a man with his potential is stooping to something so low to get to the White House,” David Cruz, spokesman for the League of United Latin American Citizens, said according to News 4 JAX.

LULAC said its travel warning comes in direct response to SB 1718, adding hat Florida’s anti-immigration laws are creating fear in the state of Florida.

The organization previously issued a similar warning for the state of Arizona, which it says caused that state to lose more than $141 million during the initial four months the warning was in place.

The spate of warnings follows an onslaught of policies in Florida that target specific groups of individuals. The policies have included DeSantis’ move to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades and an expansion of the law that has been dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The state has also rolled back reproductive rights decades under DeSantis, passing a bill to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, when many women do not even yet know they are pregnant.

And at a time when deadly shootings are taking place in this country on a daily and weekly basis, Florida has passed a measure that allows state residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

In a move not unexpected given the state’s hostile laws, various lawmakers in Florida are mocking or ridiculing the warnings by civil rights organizations or striking back in ways that only further undermine the role of elected officials — who are elected to lead rather than engage in antics — further polarizing and alienating Americans.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott, for instance, issued his own travel advisory Tuesday addressed to what he called “socialists” visiting the state of Florida.

“Travelers should be aware that attempts to spread Socialism in north Florida will fail and be met with laughter and mockery,” Scott tweeted.

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Despite Battle Over Politics, Florida Tourism Rolls On

Even as civil rights groups suggest travelers should rethink trips to the state because of policies enacted by its Republican lawmakers, it remains a tourism juggernaut. And some visitors say their spending actually supports opposition to the new laws.

By Tariro Mzezewa

For months leading up to Jean Franco Rivera’s one-year wedding anniversary, he had the perfect plan to celebrate: Travel to Disney World and go on all his favorite rides with his husband, Ahmed, and brother-in-law, Luis. The three men, all gay and Latino, are originally from Puerto Rico, but now live in Texas. As the trip approached, ‌Jean Franco, 42, said they felt somewhat concerned about traveling to a state that had passed legislation targeting L.G.B.T.Q. people in recent months.

But in the end, they went.

And on a recent Saturday, they were just part of the usual throng of people at the Orlando theme park, waiting in line for Space Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy and Jean Franco’s favorite ride, Flight of Passage. At Disney World that day, you would never have known that the League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the L.G.B.T.Q. organization Equality Florida had all recently issued warnings telling people to reconsider coming to Florida because of the policies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers.

I had traveled to Florida in the wake of the N.A.A.C.P.’s advisory to see whether the warnings had any effect. The Riveras and other travelers told me that while they were against many laws recently passed in Florida,they didn’t feel that canceling their vacations would help anyone — or change the policies. In fact, several travelers said that they visited Disney and certain parts of Florida to get away from politics.

“Coming to Disney, especially, is like entering a safe zone,” ‌‌Stephanie Kate Jones, who was visiting the park from Wales in the United Kingdom, told me. “Coming here is a way to escape reality and the stress of everyday life.”

And while the warnings were widely covered outside the state , they have so far seemed to have little or no impact on tourism numbers.

“Travel has always transcended politics,” said Stacy Ritter, the president and chief executive of Visit Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale tourism organization. “People have always traveled to places where they don’t agree with the politics because they want to see something new, different. They want an experience. They want a vacation.”

DeSantis vs. Disney

Governor DeSantis, who was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2022 election, has introduced socially conservative policies, from the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” education bill limiting gender and sex education to the decision to bar the teaching of Advanced Placement African American history because it was a form of “ indoctrination ” to a tough crackdown on undocumented immigration.

Mr. DeSantis, who recently entered the 2024 presidential race, has also been in a dispute with Disney since last year, when the company said it would pause political donations in Florida‌ because of the‌ sex education bill. ‌ The two sides then began battling for control of the board that oversees Disney World’s development, with Mr. DeSantis trying to take control of it and limit Disney’s authority.

Disney sued the governor over the issue this spring and in May the company said it was scrapping a $1 billion development in Orlando.

While announcing his candidacy for presidency, Mr. DeSantis said that the N.A.A.C.P. advisory was “a total farce.” The travel warnings, he said, were a political stunt . “These left wing groups have been doing it for many, many years. And at the end of the day, what they’re doing is colluding with legacy media to try to manufacture a narrative,” he said.

But Brandon Wolf, the press secretary of Equality Florida said that the organization has received an increasing number of inquiries about whether it is safe for L.G.B.T.Q. travelers to go to Florida. “We felt it imperative that we answer the incoming inquiries honestly and completely,” he said.

In announcing L.U.L.A.C.’s advisory, the group’s president, Domingo Garcia, had warned that “DeSantis’ enforcement regulations will treat us like criminals, transporting a dangerous person who only wanted to visit family or enjoy Disney World.”

And Derrick Johnson, the president and chief executive of the N.A.A.C.P. said in an email in response to Mr. DeSantis’s comments: “As long as our contributions to this country and the powerful stories of our rich backgrounds, continued struggle and survival are denied, Black Americans need not pour our labor, time, or money into the state.”

The Sunshine State juggernaut

Florida is a tourism juggernaut. In 2022, it had 137.6 million visitors, the most in its history, according to Visit Florida, the state tourism organization, and in May the governor’s office proudly shared that Florida welcomed 37.9 million people in the first three months of this year.

Orlando remains the most-visited city in the United States — 74 million people traveled there in 2022. According to Visit Florida, in 2021, visitors to the state contributed $101.9 billion to Florida’s economy and supported more than 1.7 million Florida jobs.

While many Floridians said that travel warnings from civil rights organizations have symbolic meaning, few said they were concerned that people would stop visiting the state altogether. Some people recalled the backlash over North Carolina’s‌ 2016 “bathroom bill,” which kept transgender people from using bathrooms that aligned with their gender. The fallout over that bill was immediate and significant, leading to its repeal.

Nicolas Graf, associate dean at New York University’s School of Professional Studies’ Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, said a state’s policies might keep those who are politically active from visiting a destination, but “the notion that travelers — business or leisure travelers — will really change their behavior due to politics, I think that’s a minority of people.”

And that’s true across the political spectrum: Lance Toland, a conservative Georgia-based business owner who approves of Mr. DeSantis’s attempts to rein in Disney, said a state’s policies wouldn’t keep him from visiting. Liberal laws in California, for example, don’t keep him from going there, he said. “I can’t worry about what each state’s stance is. It doesn’t affect me.”

In many popular tourist spots, life was going on without interruption when I visited. In Winter Park, just north of Orlando, lines for restaurants like Prato, a casual Italian spot with a large outdoor patio, were lengthy. When I stopped several shoppers exiting upscale boutiques along Park Avenue, they said that while they had heard of the dispute between Disney and Mr. DeSantis, they hadn’t heard about the travel advisories.

Ashley Smith, 32, was visiting a friend in Winter Park for the weekend and was heading out for a boat tour of Winter Park’s lakes. Asked what she thought about the advisories, she said that she didn’t understand how limiting her travels could possibly be connected to the state’s political dramas.

A more welcoming stance

The advisories come after years of work by tourism officials across the state to expand its visitor base. In 2021, for example, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that it had changed its name to Visit Lauderdale and it had a new flashy tagline: “Everyone Under the Sun.”

Visit Lauderdale was just one of several tourism boards in the state that, in the past decade, have recognized that international, Black, Latino and L.G.B.T.Q. travelers have the discretionary income to spend on vacations and real estate and that it would be smart to appeal to them.

But these days, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations and travel businesses around the state are trying to figure out how to keep appealing to a diverse range of travelers.

Many of them prefer not to address the controversy directly. Florida’s tourism marketing organizations are funded through a bed tax — when a traveler checks into a hotel or resort, a percentage of what they pay for their stay goes to fund the work done by visitors’ and tourism organizations. That tax is controlled by state statute. Leaders of three destination marketing organizations‌, all asking to speak anonymously, said that while they do not support the recently enacted laws‌ they are worried that criticizing Mr. DeSantis publicly could lead to retaliation by the Legislature, which could cut back or eliminate funding for their organizations.

Jen Cousins, the co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project and a mother of four who is part of a federal suit challenging the sex education bill, said she believes that players in the travel industry, including cruises, airlines, destination marketing organizations and others, ‌should speak up against the recent legislation. She also noted that in meetings with the education secretary, Miguel Cardona; the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adm. Rachel Levine; and the secretary of health and human services, Xavier Becerra, she and other activists were told they had the support in Washington, but, she said, “no one has stepped in.” The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.

Ms. Ritter, the president and chief executive of Visit Lauderdale, ‌was willing to go on the record. “Do I think the impact will be felt immediately? No, I don’t,” she said.

But, she said, she’s already seeing business and corporate travelers, who make up a significant part of the travel industry, look elsewhere. In the week after the civil rights organizations issued their warnings, seven large conferences and conventions walked back their plans to be in Fort Lauderdale, she said. Many event organizers, Ms. Ritter said, are looking ahead to events happening three to five years from now and far fewer are considering Florida. Her organization isn’t even bidding for certain events because they feel like a lost cause.

“And that’s directly related to state policies,” she said.

Not really Florida‌‌

Part of Jean Franco Rivera’s reason for going ahead with his anniversary trip was that he felt his travel dollars were actually being spent in opposition to Mr. DeSantis’s policies, because they were going to Disney. “Disney is standing up for our rights and being here feels like supporting their decision to stand up to DeSantis,” he said. “Many people who work at Disney are part of our community, the ‌L.G.B.T.Q. community, and being here is our way of supporting them.”

Many travelers‌ I met at Disney World and along the Jacksonville Beach Pier suggested that the parts of the state that they were most likely to visit were, in some way, not really Florida. ‌Key West, Miami, Wilton Manors, St. Petersburg and Sarasota traditionally vote Democratic and have swaths of ‌L.G.B.T.Q. and immigrant residents who, in many cases, disagree with the legislation being put forth. Visitors said that by supporting the economies of these places they could defy the state’s Republican lawmakers.

They also said they felt conflicted about the advisories, saying the warnings felt like an escalation of politics that could potentially harm local business owners, low-earning residents and liberal enclaves more than Mr. DeSantis or Republican lawmakers.

Some Florida residents felt the same way. “As a resident of Orlando, our tourist mecca, I don’t tend to advocate for a travel ban because a lot of our friends work in these low-paying travel jobs,” said Ms. Cousins. “They’re the ones being affected, not the top-paid C.E.O.s.”

For the moment, those involved in tourism in the state feel like they are walking a line. Rachel Covello, of Outcoast , a digital magazine that focuses on L.G.B.T.Q. community, said that the publication used to promote the state overall as an ‌inclusive destination. Now, while not telling people to say away, she said, it is highlighting specific destinations that are known to welcome L.G.B.T.Q. travelers.

“We pivoted our focus,” she said. “We don’t want to look like we’re blind to what’s happening in our own state as we’re promoting tourism.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

Tariro Mzezewa , a former national correspondent at The Times, is a reporter who writes about culture and style. More about Tariro Mzezewa

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NAACP says Florida is ‘actively hostile’ to minorities and issues travel warning

Civil rights group cites Governor Ron DeSantis’s ‘attempts to erase Black history’ and other groups have followed suit

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has issued a travel advisory for the state of Florida , calling the state “actively hostile” to minorities as Florida’s conservative government limits diversity efforts in schools.

In a Saturday press release , the civil rights organization better known as the NAACP said the travel warning comes as Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, “attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools”.

“Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color,” the advisory said.

Under DeSantis, Florida’s department of education has restricted classroom material covering race, gender, sexuality and other identities. The state’s education department has also prohibited mathematics textbooks and other material for a range of reasons, including alleged inclusion of critical race theory.

DeSantis last week signed legislation banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public colleges and universities.

In January, Florida rejected an advanced placement (AP) course in African American studies by the College Board, the company that oversees AP classes that can be used for college credit and standardized testing in the US. DeSantis said the proposed course violated Florida’s ban on “critical race theory”, signed by DeSantis last year, and “lacked educational value”.

Critics say that such laws supported by DeSantis are discriminatory and a threat to democracy.

“Let me be clear – failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” the NAACP’s president, Derrick Johnson, said in the advisory.

Prof Kimberlé Crenshaw is a leading voice and scholar of critical race theory, which explores systemic racism within US legal institutions. Crenshaw was one of several authors and academics edited out of the College Board’s AP African American studies course amid Florida’s rejection of the course.

Crenshaw told the Guardian in a March interview that laws against Black history in Florida and elsewhere were the “tip of the iceberg” of conservative efforts to roll back progressivism and push the US towards authoritarianism.

“Are [schools] on the side of the neo-segregationist faction? Or are [they] going to stick with the commitments that we’ve all celebrated for the last 50, 60 years?” asked Crenshaw, referring to progress made on equal opportunities since the 1960s.

“The College Board fiasco, I think, is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of interests that have to make this decision,” she said.

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Other groups have also warned against travel to Florida. Equality Florida, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, issued a travel advisory in April because of laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights, the Washington Post reported .

In a separate advisory , the Florida Immigrant Coalition said “traveling to Florida is dangerous”, warning that people of color, international travelers and those with an accent faced a higher risk of racial profiling and harassment.

The NAACP previously issued travel warnings in 2017 for Missouri over the death of a Black man in a jail and racist threats going unchecked on college campuses in that state, Time reported . Black drivers in Missouri were also stopped 75% more than white drivers, according to a 2016 report from the state attorney general’s office that the advisory referenced.

The Guardian could not reach a DeSantis spokesperson for immediate comment.

But DeSantis’s press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, responded to the NAACP travel advisory announcement on Twitter, the Post reported.

Redfern replied to the announcement with a gif of DeSantis saying: “This is a stunt. If you want to waste your time on a stunt, that’s fine. But I’m not wasting my time on your stunts. OK?”

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NAACP Issues Travel Advisory in Florida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

May 20, 2023

Contact: Chyna Fields [email protected]

WASHINGTON – Today, the NAACP Board of Directors issued a formal travel advisory for the state of Florida. The travel advisory comes in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis' aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools. 

The formal travel notice states, "Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color." 

"Let me be clear - failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all," said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson. "Under the leadership of Governor Desantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon. He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We're not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation."

The travel advisory was initially proposed to the Board of Directors by NAACP's Florida State Conference. NAACP's collective consideration of this advisory is a result from unrelenting attacks on fundamental freedoms from the Governor and his legislative body. 

"Once again, hate-inspired state leaders have chosen to put politics over people. Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have engaged in a blatant war against principles of diversity and inclusion and rejected our shared identities to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority," said Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Leon Russell. "We will not allow our rights and history to be held hostage for political grandstanding. The NAACP proudly fights against the malicious attacks in Florida, against Black Americans. I encourage my fellow Floridians to join in this fight to protect ourselves and our democracy."

Following Gov. DeSantis' so-called leadership in driving the state to reject students' access to AP African American studies course in March, the NAACP distributed 10,000 books to 25 predominantly Black communities across the state in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers's Reading Opens the World program. The majority of the books donated were titles banned under the state's increasingly restrictive laws. The NAACP continues to encourage local branches and youth councils to start community libraries to ensure access to representative literature.

The NAACP encourages Florida residents to join this effort to defeat the regressive policies of this Governor and this state legislature. Interested residents and supporters can visit www.naacp.org for additional information and updates. 

About NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.

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3 civil rights groups warn tourists about travel in Florida because of ‘openly hostile’ laws

The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by  Gov. Ron DeSantis  and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

The NAACP, long an advocate for Black Americans, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state’s largest job sectors.

The warning approved Saturday by the NAACP’s board of directors tells tourists that, before traveling to Florida, they should understand the state of Florida “devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

An email was sent Sunday morning to DeSantis’ office seeking comment. The Republican governor is expected to  announce a run  for the GOP presidential nomination this week.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries . More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.

Several of Florida’s Democratic mayors were quick to say Sunday that their cities welcomed diversity and inclusion.

“EVERYONE is always welcome and will be treated with dignity and respect,” tweeted Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg in a message echoed by the mayor across the bay in Tampa.

“That will never change, regardless of what happens in Tallahassee,” tweeted Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa.

The NAACP’s decision comes after the DeSantis’ administration in January rejected the College Board’s  Advanced Placement African American Studies course . DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having  programs on diversity, equity and inclusion , as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses held by undocumented immigrants,  among other things . The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region.

Recent efforts to  limit discussion on LGBTQ topics  in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new  restrictions on abortion access  and a law allowing Floridians to  carry concealed guns without a permit  contributed to Equality Florida’s warning.

“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” Equality Florida’s advisory said.

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"Hateful" laws make travel to Florida "dangerous," advocacy groups warn

By Megan Cerullo

April 13, 2023 / 4:34 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Two advocacy groups are warning that travelers might be at risk if they visit the state of Florida, citing a flurry of recent legislation that's hostile toward LGBTQ people as well as other communities. 

Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy group, this week warned that "Florida may not be a safe place to move or visit" over the state's anti-LGBTQ laws, restrictions on access to reproductive health care, its repeal of gun safety laws and racial prejudice.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition also issued a blunt advisory to those considering visiting Florida. 

"Reconsider travel to Florida due to unconstitutional laws which abuse civil liberties," the group said in a travel advisory . Travel to Florida "poses a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling," the advisory read. 

"Unprecedented" advisory

Equality Florida for its part acknowledged the "unprecedented" nature of its decision to issue a travel advisory over what it called assaults on medical and academic freedoms, as well as the "censorship and erasure" of the LGBTQ community and attacks on immigrants. 

"As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida's reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live, work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms," Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith said in a statement this week. 

The NAACP's Florida chapters on March 24 voted unanimously in favor of issuing a similar travel advisory for the state in response to DeSantis administration's decision to block a high school Advanced Placement course on African American studies. A formal advisory warning, however, has not been released.

• Gov. DeSantis laughs off proposed travel warning for Black people wanting to visit Florida
• DeSantis defends rejecting AP African American studies course, says it's "indoctrination"
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs law to put Disney district under state control

Equality Florida's warnings come in response to legislation including a classroom law dubbed "Don't Say Gay" that restricts teachings about sexual orientation and gender identity, bans on care for transgender minors and the approval of a bill that lets people carry concealed guns without permits. Gov. Ron DeSantis in February also announced legislation that would crack down on immigration. 

Equality Florida highlighted some of the negative effects such legislation has already had. Florida parents have considered relocating, prospective students have crossed local colleges and universities off their lists, and business groups have canceled events and conferences.

"Florida has recently adopted a slate of hateful laws, and is fast-tracking additional measures that directly target the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and basic freedoms broadly," Equality Florida's statement continued.

In an email to CBS MoneyWatch, DeSantis' office called the warnings "political stunts."

Travel with "extreme caution"

The Florida Immigrant Coalition's advisory advised that travel to all parts of Florida "should be done with extreme caution," particularly for people of color and individuals with accents or who are traveling from abroad. 

Every county in Florida poses heightened risks, including family separation and possible detainment, the advisory warned, blaming "unconstitutional legislation supported by Governor Ron DeSantis and introduced by Legislative Leadership."

The group even urged members of such groups visiting Florida to consult with an attorney prior to travel "to assess the level of danger." 

Finally, the group urged individuals and families traveling to Florida to "make a clear safety plan." That includes memorizing a civil liberties attorney's phone number, creating a plan for child custody in the event that families are separated.

• Don't Say Gay Law
• Ron DeSantis

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.

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NAACP says Florida is 'openly hostile' toward African Americans. What you need to know.

The NAACP joined the ranks of Equality Florida and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) over the weekend when the group issued a historic travel advisory for Florida, claiming that Gov. Ron DeSantis ’ policies were undemocratic and “openly hostile” to people of color and who identify LGBTQ+.

“Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals," the  travel advisory  reads. "Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

The travel advisory warning was officially approved Saturday after it was proposed to the NAACP’s board of directors . In it, the NAACP blasted "DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.”

Breaking down laws named in advisory: 'Hostile to Black Americans': Breaking down 5 laws NAACP named in Florida travel advisory

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DEI in Florida: DeSantis' new law defunds DEI programs in Florida state universities. What does it mean?

Jeremy Redfern, the governor's press secretary, responded to the announcement by saying, "This is a stunt."

The governor's office responded similarly when the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, the nation's largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization, issued a Florida travel advisory  a few days ago . And last month, LGBTQ civil rights group Equality Florida and the Florida Immigrant Coalition both  warned people away  from the state.

Who is the NAACP?

NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and is the oldest and largest civil rights organization. It was founded in 1909 and advocates, agitates and litigates for the civil rights of Black Americans.

The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.

Disney pulls plug on Florida: Yes, Disney pulled plug on $1 billion Florida project but not its future plans. What to know.

Florida anti-LGBTQ laws: Four new Florida laws target transgender, broader LGBTQ community. Here's what they do

Why did the NAACP issue a travel advisory?

The NAACP issued a travel advisory because it believes that under DeSantis, Florida has “engaged in an all-out attack on Black Americans, accurate Black history, voting rights, members of theLGBTQ+community, immigrants, women’s reproductive rights, and free speech, while simultaneously embracing a culture of fear, bullying, and intimidation by public officials.”

The civil rights group says these attacks include criminalizing protests, restricting the ability of educators to teach African-American history and engaging in a “war” against diversity and inclusion.

“On a seeming quest to silence African-American voices, the Governor and the State of Florida have shown that African Americans are not welcome in the State of Florida,” the advisory read. “Due to this sustained, blatant, relentless and systemic attack on democracy and civil rights, the NAACP hereby issues a travel advisory to African Americans, and other people of color regarding the hostility towards African Americans in Florida.”

Read the full travel advisory  here .

What other Florida travel advisories have been issued?

Other recent restrictions by the DeSantis administration have been  criticized by the Latino  and  LGBTQ communities .

LULAC's warning for potential Latino and Hispanic tourists or travelers  cited a new state law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state identification cards held by undocumented immigrants, among other restrictions.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region, in a statement.

Florida immigration law: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bill SB 1718 into law. Five takeaways:

Anti-LGBTQ legislation has also been a large part of DeSantis' agenda. Last week, the governor signed  bills targeting drag shows, transgender minors and the use of bathrooms and pronouns .

Equality Florida's warning cited DeSantis' work to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, ban books with gay characters from school libraries and the state's recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,”  Equality Florida’s advisory said .

What does 'woke' mean? And why does Florida Governor Ron DeSantis want to stop it?

What are the laws NAACP is talking about?

In its advisory, the NAACP says that under the leadership of DeSantis, Florida has “criminalized protests, restricted the ability of educators to teach African-American history, and engaged in a blatant war against diversity and inclusion.”

Here are the laws the NAACP specifically mentioned in its travel advisory:

Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act

DeSantis signed the Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act into law in 2021, which created new criminal offenses and increased penalties for those who target law enforcement and participate in violent or disorderly assemblies.

This law was ruled unconstitutional in a 90-page decision by U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee.

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HB 7 — Stop Wrongs against Our Kids and Employees Act(“Stop W.O.K.E. Act”) Florida

DeSantis signed HB 7 into law in 2022, and was meant to give businesses, employees, children and families tools to stand up against “discrimination and woke indoctrination.” The bill included provisions to prevent discriminatory instruction in the workplace and public schools and defines individual freedoms based on the fundamental truth that all individuals are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, and was meant to take on corporate “wokeness” and Critical Race Theory in schools in one law.

HB 543 — Constitutional Carry Act

DeSantis signed HB 543 into law in April. The new law strengthened Florida’s Second Amendment rights by allowing Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permit. It will go into effect on July 1.

SB 266 — Higher education

In May, DeSantis signed HB 266, which prohibits institutions from spending federal or state dollars on “discriminatory” initiatives like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The bill prohibits programs, majors, minors, curriculum and general education core courses that violate Florida law regarding prohibited discrimination or that are based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political and economic inequities.

SB 7066 — Election administration

SB 7066 was signed into law in 2019 and addressed Amendment 4, which Florida voters passed in 2018, that restored voting rights for some convicted felons. The new law enumerated a uniform list of crimes that fall into the excluded categories and “confirmed” that Amendment 4 did not apply to a felon who had failed to complete all terms of their sentence.

Contributed: Associated Press and Douglas Soule, Thao Nguyen with the USA Today Network .

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

‘Hateful’ laws may make Florida unsafe for travel, LGBTQ advocates say

Equality florida and the florida immigrant coalition have issued travel advisories warning visitors about prejudice.

Think twice before visiting Florida, a pair of advocacy groups warned Wednesday, citing a slew of “hateful laws” that they say makes travel to the state a risky proposition.

Equality Florida, an organization that advocates on behalf of the LGBTQ community, said in an advisory against traveling or moving to the state that releasing the warning was an “unprecedented step” prompted by inquiries about whether travel to the state would be safe.

“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” the group’s warning says.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition issued its own warning , saying bluntly: “Traveling to Florida is dangerous.” The advisory goes on to say travel in Florida “can be unsafe for people of color, individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers,” and people in those groups could face “a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.”

Bryan Griffin, the press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), characterized the travel advisories as “a political stunt” in an email Wednesday. “We aren’t going to waste time worrying about political stunts but will continue doing what is right for Floridians,” Griffin said.

The warnings come after Florida reported a record tourism year, with an estimated 137.6 million visitors in 2022 — up nearly 13 percent from the previous year and 5 percent from 2019. Miami Beach Pride is scheduled to wrap up a weeks-long celebration with a parade Sunday. The website for the event describes it as one of the largest LGBTQ festivals in the country, drawing as many as 170,000 people to South Florida.

Disney quietly dodged DeSantis’s oversight board, appointees realize

Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing body, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Last year, however, after legislators passed a controversial bill restricting classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity, the group told The Washington Post that it welcomed the community and considered it an important market.

“We want all travelers within the LGBTQ community to know that Florida is a place for everyone,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a statement at the time. “We pride ourselves on welcoming every visitor with the same hospitality and friendliness.”

Since then, under DeSantis, the state has investigated drag performances it alleged were being shown to minors and stripped Walt Disney World of its special self-governing status after the company, which DeSantis described as “woke,” spoke up against the classroom law that critics labeled “don’t say gay.” In November, Florida’s medical boards banned care for transgender minors, and DeSantis’s administration has moved to expand the earlier restrictions on education about gender identity to cover all grades through high school.

Last month, lawmakers approved a bill that would let people carry concealed guns without a permit or proof of training, a measure that has the governor’s support. And earlier this month, the Florida Senate passed a bill banning abortion after six weeks; the state House still needs to vote on the proposed law.

Equality Florida listed those and other measures as reasons for its advisory, alleging in a statement that DeSantis “has made the extremist policies the centerpiece of his presidential campaign strategy.” The governor is widely expected to join the 2024 race but has not yet declared his candidacy.

Proposed immigration crackdowns prompted the Florida Immigrant Coalition’s warning , which suggests people “make a clear safety plan” if they decide to visit the state.

As DeSantis seeks Disney probe, Iger accuses him of ‘anti-business’ stance

Last month, the NAACP Florida State Conference agreed to ask the NAACP board of directors to issue its own travel advisory for the state in response to Florida’s decision not to recognize a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course. The resolution will be considered in the next couple of months.

After that NAACP Florida State Conference vote was cast in March, DeSantis scoffed at the notion during a public event .

“What a joke,” he said. “We’ll see how effective that is.”

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Bad behavior: Entitled tourists are running amok, defacing the Colosseum , getting rowdy in Bali and messing with wild animals in national parks. Some destinations are fighting back with public awareness campaigns — or just by telling out-of-control visitors to stay away .

Safety concerns: A door blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, leaving passengers traumatized — but without serious injuries. The ordeal led to widespread flight cancellations after the jet was grounded, and some travelers have taken steps to avoid the plane in the future. The incident has also sparked a fresh discussion about whether it’s safe to fly with a baby on your lap .

Florida travel advisory issued by state LGBTQ civil rights group

The group pointed to issues of gun violence, LGBTQ restrictions and more.

Florida’s largest LGBTQ civil rights group has issued a travel advisory for the state.

Equality Florida says the advisory, issued Wednesday, was prompted by “the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.”

A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office told ABC News in a statement: "We aren’t going to waste our time worrying about political stunts. We will continue doing what is right for Floridians."

Several bills in the state legislature aim to restrict education , programming or curriculum relating to sexual orientation or gender identity in state schools and limit access to transgender health care for people under 18.

Some state policies already restrict these issues, but new bills aim to expand restrictions. Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has also permeated the state legislature, with one lawmaker calling transgender people "demons" and comparing them to "mutants" before apologizing for the statements.

The organization is urging families to consider relocation, asking students to reconsider attending colleges and universities in the state and recommending that conference and event hosts relocate out of state.

“While losing conferences, and top students who have written off Florida threatens lasting damage to our state, it is most heartbreaking to hear from parents who are selling their homes and moving because school censorship, book bans and health care restrictions have made their home state less safe for their children,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director, in a statement.

Smith continued, “Whether you stay away, leave or remain we ask that you join us in countering these relentless attacks. Help reimagine and build a Florida that is truly safe for and open to all, and where freedom is a reality, not a hollow campaign slogan.”

DeSantis has made his fight against many diversity and inclusion efforts a centerpiece of his administration.

MORE: Battles over politics, race, LGBTQ issues have made teaching harder, according to new survey

In his election night speech in November, DeSantis asserted: "We reject woke ideology ... We will never, ever surrender to the woke agenda. People have come here because of our policies."

Woke is defined by the DeSantis administration as "the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them," according to DeSantis' general counsel, as reported by The Washington Post.

Other organizations representing marginalized groups in the state, including the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Florida chapters of the NAACP, have also issued similar travel advisories for the state.

The NAACP advisory came after the state rejected an Advanced Placement African American studies course in high schools.

“Any attempt to intentionally erase or misrepresent Black History is a direct attack on the foundation of comprehensive education,” said NAACP Board of Directors Chairman Leon W. Russell.

He continued, “Any location in America where our history has been erased does not offer us, or our children a bright future."

In a March press conference, DeSantis responded to a reporter asking about the NAACP travel advisory.

“It’s a pure stunt and fine, if you want to waste your time on a stunt, that’s fine,” DeSantis said. “But I’m not wasting my time on your stunt.”

MORE: Map: Where gender-affirming care is being targeted in the US

The news comes as major LGBTQ-oriented events such as Miami Beach’s Pride and Orlando’s Pride Prom are set to take place later this month.

Other events – such as the Out & Equal Workplace Summit and Gay Days, which affects many businesses in Orlando such as SeaWorld, Walt Disney World, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and more – may also be affected.

ABC News has reached out for comment from the affected companies. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News.

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The Florida Immigrant Coalition issues travel warning for Florida 

A national advisory warning immigrants on travel to Florida has been issued by The Florida Immigrant Coalition for what the group said was unsafe conditions for immigrants and their loved ones.

"Due to unconstitutional laws being passed in the state aiming to criminalize immigration and invite harassment of people without a regulated immigration status, every county in Florida now poses a high risk of unlawful detainment and potential family separation based on racial profiling," a media release issued by the group said. "Not only is this an attack on immigrants, but U.S. citizens and people who hold other migratory statuses could be charged with a felony if traveling or housing themselves with someone without a regulated immigration status."

The group said Governor Ron DeSantis is exercising an overreach of his power by criminalizing residents of other states who have legally issued licenses given to them by their states’ governments after meeting the requirements.

“We cannot in good conscience advise people to travel to a state where pretty soon they may be harassed by law enforcement and told their legally issued driver's licenses are invalid which could trigger a sequence of events where there is a potential for that person to never return home to their state but instead be swept up by immigration detention,” Adriana Rivera, Communications Director for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said. “With political leaders in the state creating an increasingly hostile atmosphere for non-white citizens, many local officials are now feeling pressured to comply with unconstitutional directives that call into question their commitment to the safety of all those who reside in their communities.”

The Florida Immigrant Coalition is a statewide collective of more than 65 member organizations and over 100 allies, founded in 1998 and formally incorporated in 2004. 

Details of the advisory are attached and can be found at floridatraveladvisory.com .

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our communities and it is clear that our rights and civil liberties are under attack in Florida,” Rivera said. “For immigrants and people of color, it is vital that you understand that traveling to the state of Florida right now could put you and your family in immediate danger of unlawful detention and harassment within the state.”

A similar advisory was urged earlier in April by the Florida State Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to its national board.

In addition to the threat of detainment, recent changes in Florida call into question the availability of emergency medical or public safety services for all those without a regulated immigration status and with legally issued driver’s licenses from other states as a form of identification.

If travel to the state cannot be avoided, immigrants and people of color should be aware of resources that are available to them should they find themselves facing legal jeopardy.

“We are urging everyone who must travel to Florida to make a Safety Plan for themselves and their families before they arrive in the state,” advised David Metellus, Director of Policy and Politics for the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “All those visiting Florida should memorize the phone number of a licensed civil liberties or immigration attorney, discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care or custody of children, pets, and belongings, and be aware of the resources available to them through organizations on the ground dedicated to protecting their safety.”

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and  donate  now. Thank you.

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CDC issues leprosy warning for people making Florida travel plans

by Cindy Krischer Goodman, South Florida Sun Sentinel

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that cases of leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, are surging in Florida and should be considered by those making travel plans.

The infectious disease primarily affects the skin and nervous system and can be easy to treat if caught early.

Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States, but has more than doubled in the South over the last 10 years. In a case report issued Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Central Florida has accounted for 81% of reported cases in the state and almost one-fifth of reported cases nationwide.

Of the 159 new leprosy cases reported in the United States in 2020, Florida was among the top reporting states with nearly 30 cases. The Florida Department of Health reported 19 cases from July 2022 to July 2023, with one South Florida case in Palm Beach County.

The CDC said if untreated, the disease can progress to paralysis, blindness, the loss of one's eyebrows, physical disfigurement, and even the crippling of hands and feet. Symptoms include loss of feeling in hands and feet, nasal congestion and possibly dry, stiff, sometimes painful skin.

The warning comes because of what health officials learned when examining patients diagnosed with leprosy.

"Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, about 34% of new case-patients during 2015–2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease," the CDC report says. According to the World Health Organization, medical officials report more than 200,000 cases of leprosy every year in more than 120 countries. While the reason behind the rising cases in Florida is unclear, there is some support for the theory that international migration to Central Florida of people with leprosy is fueling the locally-acquired transmission.

"Prolonged person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets is the most widely recognized route of transmission," the CDC report says.

When contact tracing cases in Central Florida, health officials found no associated risk factors, including travel, zoonotic exposure, occupational association, or personal contacts. "The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in Florida, coupled with the high proportion of residents who spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into environmental reservoirs as a potential source of transmission," the report says.

Because Florida, particularly Central Florida, may represent an endemic location for leprosy, the CDC recommends that physicians consider leprosy if patients who recently have traveled Florida show symptoms.

2023 South Florida Sun Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Solar eclipse 2024: Photos from the path of totality and elsewhere in the U.S.

Images show the Great American Eclipse, seen by tens of millions of people in parts of Mexico, 15 U.S. states and eastern Canada for the first time since 2017.

Millions gathered across North America on Monday to bask in the glory of the Great American Eclipse — the moment when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. 

The path of totality measures more than 100 miles wide and will first be visible on Mexico’s Pacific coast before moving northeast through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and upward toward New York, New Hampshire and Maine, then on to Canada.

Total solar eclipse 2024 highlights: Live coverage, videos and more

During the cosmic spectacle, the moon’s movements will temporarily block the sun’s light, creating minutes of darkness, and will make the sun's outer atmosphere, or the corona, visible as a glowing halo.

Here are moments of the celestial activities across the country:

Breaking News Reporter

Elise Wrabetz is a Senior Photo Editor for NBC News digital

Chelsea Stahl is the art director for NBC News Digital