{"id":199632,"date":"2026-03-20T20:36:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T20:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/199632\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T20:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T20:36:09","slug":"eskamani-may-have-to-wear-fake-mustache-to-pride-if-shes-elected-orlando-mayor-under-new-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/199632\/","title":{"rendered":"Eskamani may have to wear fake mustache to Pride if she\u2019s elected Orlando mayor under new law"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rep.Credit: Sarah Gray\/Florida House of Representatives<\/p>\n

Florida mayors will not be able to attend gay Pride parades in their capacity as an elected official, if a bill passed by the Florida Legislature this year (SB 1134) is signed into law, and that\u2019s rubbing aspiring Orlando mayor Anna Eskamani \u2014 a state representative representing parts of Orlando \u2014 the wrong way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can attend these events, but you can\u2019t denote that you\u2019re an elected official,\u201d Eskamani told<\/a> the hosts of a WMNF 88.5-FM Tampa radio program Friday morning. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s just so silly and impossible, right? It\u2019s as if, you know, I walk into Pride, and if someone calls me mayor, I have to duck and hide,\u201d she joked. \u201cI mean, that\u2019s how absurd and obscene, right, the legislation really is.\u201d (Donning a fake mustache, or a pair of sunglasses and a hoodie \u2014 \u00e0 la Damian from the iconic 2004 film Mean Girls \u2014 could also suffice.)<\/p>\n

Senate Bill 1134, passed largely along party lines earlier this month with most Republicans in favor, prohibits local governments from promoting or funding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with exceptions<\/a> for federal and state holidays and patriotic and national observances recognized by federal law. Local elected officials, including mayors, who violate this prohibition could be removed from office by the governor.<\/p>\n

Under the proposal, sponsored by GOP Sen. Clay Yarborough, DEI is defined as any effort to \u201cmanipulate or otherwise influence the composition of employees with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation other than to ensure that hiring is conducted in accordance with state and federal antidiscrimination laws.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is still awaiting the final approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis following the end of lawmakers\u2019 60-day annual legislative session last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bill, likely soon to be law, is unconstitutional, and I suspect there will be litigation filed primarily because it censors the First Amendment rights of elected officials,\u201d Eskamani predicted. <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Florida\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tIf enacted, officials could be removed from office for violating the bill\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Orlando\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u201cThese distractions are intended to take our attention away from real corruption in the state Florida,\u201d said Orlando Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Eskamani, a 35-year-old progressive born and raised in Orlando, is currently one of three candidates in the running for Orlando mayor next year. The other candidates are Elliot Kahana \u2014 unclear if it\u2019s the same Kahana indicted over alleged embezzlement<\/a> in 2014 \u2014 and Abdelnasser Lutfi. Sitting Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, also a Democrat who\u2019s attended Pride events in the city, confirmed<\/a> last year that after six terms, he\u2019s finally done with the job and won\u2019t be running against her in 2027.<\/p>\n

Dyer hasn\u2019t made any public statements about SB 1134 that we\u2019re aware of, but several other local leaders across the state, including St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch \u2014 a Democrat up for re-election this year \u2014 have publicly slammed the proposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis proposed legislation is a serious threat to local governments and directly challenges the constitutional principle of home rule in Florida,\u201d Welch said during a March news conference, according to reporting<\/a> by the Florida Phoenix. \u201cIt is also the latest attempt by some in the Legislature to redefine and demonize the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion. This legislation is vague, and the impacts will be much broader than many will realize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local leaders have warned it could affect cities\u2019 abilities to fund or promote anything from Oktoberfest celebrations to government workplace trainings on \u201cunconscious bias\u201d \u2014 an example specifically cited by Yarborough \u2014 and other cultural events or festivals.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers pointedly added a carve-out for memorials and monuments after facing backlash over how the bill could affect<\/a> a memorial that\u2019s in the works to commemorate the 2016\u00a0 mass shooting that killed 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.<\/p>\n

Eskamani said these carve-outs, though \u2014 roughly a dozen in total \u2014 essentially signal types of diversity that the state deems \u201cacceptable\u201d and create \u201cvagueness in what is not acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noted that events like Orlando\u2019s gay Pride festivities in October typically take place at public parks (e.g., Lake Eola Park) and are made possible through the coordination of public safety officials, public parks and recreation staff, and other public-private partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis could very well be one of the last Pride seasons where elected officials can just show up without these kind of fears and consequences,\u201d noted WMNF radio host (and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay editor-in-chief) Ray Roa, in conversation with Eskamani on Friday.<\/p>\n

Six Republican lawmakers \u2014 five in the House and one in the Senate \u2014 joined Democrats in voting against the legislation. DeSantis, who\u2019s finishing up his second and final term as Florida governor this year, has already expressed support<\/a> for the proposal and is expected to sign it into law.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of several controversial bills that is expected to cross his desk in the coming weeks, in addition to a bill drafted by<\/a> the governor\u2019s office that would allow the state to designate \u201cdomestic terrorist\u201d organizations<\/a> (HB 1471) and another one that would make it easier for the state to dismantle public employee unions<\/a> (SB 1296).<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tA proposal making its way through the state Legislature would prevent cities from funding any diversity, equity or inclusion initiative, with limited exceptions.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Orlando\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tA city attorney previously warned that failing to comply with Trump\u2019s anti-DEI policy would place at risk their federal funding assistance\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Nearly\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tFaculty cited state policy on tenure, elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and the cost of living\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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