To young Americans, Florida is at risk of becoming a pariah

Anyone who has lived in Florida long enough has had to put up with jokes about our state from friends who live elsewhere. Young Floridians have grown up with a lifetime of “Florida Man” memes and late-night comedy jokes — and for the most part, it has just been silly fun. But due to alarming, dangerous bills being considered in Tallahassee, and our state’s continued failure on the COVID-19 crisis, we run the risk of something much worse than harmless jokes. We are on the verge of becoming an embarrassment and pariah to young people around our country. This would have impacts on our economy and culture for generations to come.

I grew up in a working-class family in Broward County. It was not easy transitioning to life in Washington, D.C., and other places up north. But like so many other Floridians, I decided to lean in. I showed that I was proud of my home, and convinced other young people it was a great place to live.

Many friends visited. Quite a few moved here.

But now, every call I get from someone my age outside of this state is not about our sunshine or beaches. It is about the latest abhorrent bill being considered by the Legislature, or the latest viral clip of our new surgeon general making a mockery of COVID-19. I am certain most of my fellow young Floridians have the same experience on a daily basis.

We have potential here in Broward County that stretches far beyond our weather and our food. We have one of the fastest growing airports and ports in the country. We have a transportation surtax that will allow us to create a worldclass transit system. Our Climate Change Action Plan will give us the tools to address the defining issue of our time. We are one of the most diverse places in the country and filled with natural treasures. But none of these great assets matter if young people are too alarmed and too ashamed to move here.

To young, forward-thinking Americans, the laws coming out of Tallahassee are shocking. Senate Bill 242 would forbid the teaching of our racial history in our schools. House Bill 167 would functionally ban abortions in Florida. SB 620 would effectively cripple local government’s ability to make important laws. Last legislative session’s SB 90 is already working to restrict voting rights, especially for voters of color. HB 1557, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, is something so cruel it would be considered over-the-top in a movie. On top of all this, our surgeon general has flatly denied that vaccines work, among other absurd claims that have limited our ability to fight COVID-19.

What kind of young person would want to move to a state that rejects basic science, pretends slavery didn’t happen, restricts reproductive rights and discriminates against gay kids? These actions will tarnish our state for an entire generation.

The impacts of this smeared reputation go beyond just bad press. We need young Americans to move here to continue our economic growth and expand our cultural footprint. We have seen realworld impacts in Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia of what bad laws can do. Arizona and North Carolina never had a full recovery in terms of growth and economic trajectory. Georgia has seen significant cultural migration. All three have lost events and businesses that would have brought young families and lasting cultural relevance.

These examples were the negative impacts from just one dangerous bill or idea. Florida is on the brink of implementing several at the exact same time.

To young people across our country, Florida is not just the fun state to joke about alligators and crazy drivers anymore. It is starting to look like a bigoted, backward state that very few in the younger generations will want to visit or move to. Any person who is proud of our state and has spent years pleading the Florida case to our friends should be terrified by this possibility. If we lose an entire generation of young people, our home might never recover. Soon, we will be wishing for the days when “Florida Man” jokes were the worst of it.

Clay Miller was the president of the Broward Young Democrats from 2019 to 2021. He currently serves as the legislative director for Broward County Commissioner Beam Furr and is a candidate for state House District 100.