I live in Florida, as I believe you do as well. I am alarmed by current trends, but in my day-to-day life, it does not appear as bleak as the picture you paint. I heartily hope you’re wrong. We are a magnet, especially for very conservative white voters from the Northeast and Midwest. However, I think it is more due to low taxes and the weather than anything else. When I walk the streets and encounter the bigots, the most pushback I ever get is that they quietly shun me. I don’t see the open hostility of the demonstrations and protests that we’ve seen by the proud boys and their ilk. The bigots seem to understand that if they were vocal, the people around them, for the most part, would be disapproving and push back. They seem to slide back into the shadows more than engage in open confrontation.

There is no question that the self righteous “religious” bigots have been emboldened by the incredibly hateful policies of our current governor. We see this in school board meetings. But even there, there are glimmers of hope. Recently, in Hernando County a vocal minority tried to remove the school superintendent because he is democratic and viewed as too woke, too progressive.

When the vocal minority tried to have him removed, parents turned out in droves to express their support for the superintendent. In spite of the fact that the whole school board are Republican conservatives, they ultimately remained silent and took no action. The weight of public opinion forced them to do nothing.

I have seen statistics that most of the state is tolerant and progressive and getting more so as younger people also become residents. The challenge in my mind is that the people who are thoughtful and tolerant need to get out and vote. The hateful minority is well organized and well financed. To me this is the real issue in righting the ship.

The apparent trends of the last several years are disheartening. There have been real effects even in my life. As a mature passable trans woman not dependent upon government health services, I have been insulated from many of the restrictive policies enacted by DeSantis. But I have not been untouched. I lost my gynecologist and urologist due to the fact that significant portions of their practices were criminalized. It has required me to scramble, but I have found ways for me, and people like me, to continue to get the care we need . There is hope.