Florida drag queen says years of LGBTQ legislation feeds hate [Video]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pride month was celebrated in Jacksonville Wednesday night with the city’s downtown Art Walk theme “Bold City Pride.”

This Pride month comes two years after the Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics, took effect. That legislation led to protests and people telling First Coast News that they worried it would generate hate toward the LGBTQ community. First Coast News is following the story now, years later, to see if that happened.

“This new legislation has just opened the door for more and more hate,” said Karrissa T. Wade, a Jacksonville drag queen. 

Wade said years of legislation impacting Florida’s LGBTQ community has empowered people to be openly intolerant.

The Parental Rights in Education law limited what teachers can say about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. It’s viewed as the beginning of …