Florida traffic sign altered to read ‘Kill All Gays’

On Wednesday, a virtual traffic sign positioned in Orlando, Florida, used to be hacked and altered to show a regarding message that read “Kill All Gays.” Images of the tampered sign, positioned at a cross-section in Orlando’s Lake Nona community, had been posted on social media and therefore reported within the Orlando Sentinel.

The Orlando Police Department has showed that officials replied to the scene positioned at Lake Nona Boulevard and Nemours Parkway round 3:54 a.m. and located that the sign have been tampered with.

Many on-line have identified that the timing of the incident coincided with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signing expenses that experience a right away have an effect on on LGBTQ communities inside the state. Specifically, those come with Florida Senate Bill 254, which prevents transgender minors from having access to gender-affirming well being care. Additionally, DeSantis signed a variety of Florida’s debatable “Don’t Say Gay” regulation, which blocks dialogue of sexual orientation and gender identification in pre-Ok via 8th grades. The growth of the regulation, which can move into impact on July 1, additional restricts the instructing of “human sexuality” in highschool.

Moreover, Florida is one of the states the place conservative lawmakers are addressing LGBTQ-related issues. During the 2023 Legislative Session within the United States, law introducing 482 anti-LGBTQ expenses used to be logged, in accordance to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The FBI’s newest hate crime statistics reporting presentations that dislike crimes towards the LGBTQ neighborhood have witnessed an important surge lately. The information, which simplest comprises some collaborating police companies, illustrates that from 2020 to 2021, hate crimes towards homosexual males greater through 41%, hate crimes towards LGBTQ organizations rose through 70%, and hate crimes towards transgender other folks rose through 15%.

The Orlando police are asking any individual with any information to touch OPD at (321) 235-5300.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer mentioned, “Hate has no place in Orlando and this disgusting display is not who we are as a community. To Orlando’s LGBTQ+ residents and visitors: you are respected and valued here. And we won’t be deterred in our efforts to ensure that our city is inclusive for all.”