The start of June marked the beginning of Pride month, but is it safe to celebrate in Florida?
Out Leadership released its annual report of the best and worst states for the LGBTQ+ community, sharing that America’s acceptance of gay people has continued to decline over the years.
Experts ranked the 50 states based on 32 indicators, which were then grouped into five categories: Legal/Non-Discrimination, Youth/Family, Political/Religious, Health/Safety, and Work/Economic. Out Leadership added 12 new indicators this year to gauge the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ policies such as bathroom access restrictions, pronoun and name-use prohibitions and restrictions on adult gender-affirming care, according to USA TODAY.
An estimated 5.4% of adults in Florida identify as LGBTQ+, representing about 898,000 LGBTQ+ adults in the state. Florida has dominated headlines over the last few years when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, from controversial legislation to discourse over pride events.
Last year, Out Leadership put the Sunshine State at 40th out of 50. Have things changed this year?
Where did Florida rank for the LGBTQ+ community?
Florida ranked 46th in Out Leadership’s 2026 State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index, with a score of 33. It fell seven spots on the list from last year. The report states that increased hostile policy toward the LGBTQ+ community will continue to “have a negative impact on companies’ ability to attract and retain top talent.”
It saw low scores in all five categories:
Is there still a travel advisory for those traveling to Florida?
Yes, travel advisories remain in effect for Florida, issued by civil rights organizations such as Equality Florida, the NAACP and the ACLU of Florida, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals. These advisories have been in place since 2023 and have not been retracted.
“The move comes in response to a wave of safety inquiries Equality Florida has received following 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,” Equality Florida said.
What is the worst state for the LGBTQ+ community?
Arkansas took the bottom slot on the list, scoring a 28.1 out of 100. It finished last for the fourth year in a row.
Roughly 5.3% of Arkansas’s residents identify as LGBTQ+, according to the report. It saw particularly low scores for legal/non-discrimination and political/religious.
See the 10 worst states for the LGBTQ+ community
What is the best state for LGBTQ+ community?
Massachusetts finished first nationally for the fourth consecutive year with a score of 93.23. Roughly 6.5% of Massachusetts residents identify as LGBTQ+.
See the 10 best states for the LGBTQ+ community
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Is Florida gay-friendly? Not according to this list. Where it ranks
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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