DeSantis signs Florida law banning local DEI funding, says white men are ‘disfavored’
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Discrimination against white men diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis He said Wednesday after signing legislation banning counties and cities from funding or promoting DEI initiatives.
The Republican governor described DEI at a press conference as “an ideological construct designed to promote a particular political agenda, particularly to the detriment of disadvantaged groups.”
“The No. 1 disadvantaged groups, of course, are going to be white males, and I think they are discriminated against,” DeSantis said in Jacksonville. “And a lot of people say: ‘Oh, it’s okay. That’s okay.’ No, it’s not good. This is wrong.”
Evelyn Foxx, president of the NAACP branch in Gainesville, said that while the governor has his own opinion, his views are “different from everyone else’s.”
“If you talked to 100 white men, they wouldn’t feel the same way as DeSantis,” Foxx said Wednesday when asked about his comments. “The governor is out of touch with the people, and that’s the bottom line.”
Supporters say the goal of DEI is to address the effects of long-term discrimination against certain groups. A nationwide crackdown conservatives limiting diversity programs, many companiesschools and governments have begun to pull back from these initiatives, especially during the current Trump administration, and DEI has become a frequent target for the governor.
DeSantis also said Wednesday that Asian Americans face discrimination in college admissions and that people should be judged on their merits, not their demographic background. If people still face barriers due to discrimination, he said, there need to be policies that “level the playing field.”
“But that is not the same as trying to socially engineer certain outcomes to the detriment of groups that some intellectual elites dislike,” DeSantis said.
During his two terms in office, DeSantis’ administration supported legislation banning public colleges and universities from spending money on DEI programs and backed the “Stop WOKE Act,” which restricts how race and gender are taught in schools.
Democratic lawmakers have warned that the law is overly broad and likely unconstitutional.
According to the legislation, residents can sue local governments for violations. If local officials are found to be funding DEI initiatives in violation of the law, they can be removed from office.
“People are much more likely to toe the line when they know there is accountability,” DeSantis said.
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