Gov. Ron Desantis vs. The First Amendment

Get the Point!

The State of Florida’s own mini version of the Federal DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), created and announced like a good little boy by Gov. Ron Desantis earlier this year after his MAGA master, Donald Trump, created the prototype under Elon Musk’s direction, has issued a list of terms and phrases that should be wiped from all State owned/affiliated websites.

Ron Desantis

While most of these terms will not come as any surprise to anyone who has paid attention to Desantis’s culture war against racial, religious, and sexual orientation minorities, such serves as yet one more reminder that Florida A&M University (FAMU), the state's sole public HBCU that has always stood as a beacon of light in white supremacist darkness, has no real allies among the madding MAGA crowd as FAMU employees, too, have recently received Desantis's dumb directives.

The list of banned terms and phrases include:

• Affirming care (interventions—social, psychological, behavioral, or medical)

• Allyship (supporter, advocate)

• Antiracist or anti-racism

• Bias or Biases (inclinations, aptitudes)

• BIPOC

• Clean energy (be specific: renewable energy, sustainable energy)

• Climate crisis

• Climate science

• Commercial sex worker

• cultural competence (social literacy, intercultural knowledge, social perceptiveness)

• cultural sensitivity (Awareness, acumen, sensibilities, respect)

• culturally appropriate

• culturally responsive

• DEI

• DEIA

• DEIAB

• DEIJ

• Discriminated/Discrimination (Differential treatment, contrariety, divergence, inconsistent, unlikeness)

• Discriminatory (Same as above)

• Disparity (Difference in treatment, contrast, distinction, divergence, variation)

• Diverse backgrounds (Variety of backgrounds, different backgrounds, various backgrounds)

• Diversified (Assorted, broadened, varied)

• Diversity (Variety, assortment, variousness, distinctness)

• Environmental quality (Ecological quality, condition of an environment)

• Equal opportunity (Fair treatment, evenness, fair treatment)

• Equality (Impartiality, balance, parity, even-handedness, fairness)

• Equitable (Even-handed, reasonable, fair)

• Equitableness (Objectivity, honesty, impartiality)

• Equity (Parity, Same chance, same opportunities)

• Excluded (Deny access, overlooked)

• Exclusion (Debarment, prohibition)

• feminism (Sisterhood, philosophical system, school of thought)

• Gender identity

• Gender ideology

• Gender-affirming care

• Gulf of Mexico

• Health disparity (Poverty-related diseases, health variations, health divide)

• Health equity (Balanced health)

• Identity (Personality, Characteristics, Originality, Individuality)

• Implicit bias (inclinations, aptitudes)

• Implicit biases (inclinations, aptitudes)

• Inclusion

• Inclusive (comprehensive, extensive, exhaustive)

• Inclusiveness (comprehensiveness, extensiveness, exhaustiveness)

• Inclusivity

• Increase diversity (broaden perspectives, expand representation)

• Increase the diversity

• Indigenous community

• Inequalities

• Inequality (imbalanced outcomes/access)

• Inequitable (imbalanced, unfair, partial)

• Inequities

• Inequities

• Inequity

• Injustice

• Institutional (established, foundational)

• Intersectionality (compounded differential treatment)

• Latinx

• LGBT

• LGBTQ

• Male dominated

• Marginalize (diminish, overlooked)

• Men who have sex with men

• Minorities

• Multicultural (International, global, worldwide, cross-national)

• Non-binary

• Oppression

• Oppressive (Cumbersome, burden, severe)

• Privilege (advantage, favor, entitled)

• Pronoun

• Pronouns

• Race (Nationality, kindred, traditions, origins)

• race and ethnicity (Same as above)

• Racial (Same as above)

• Racial diversity (Same as above)

• Racial identity (Same as above)

• Racial inequality (Same as above)

• Racial inequality (Same as above)

• Racial justice

• Racially

• Sexual orientation

• Sexual preferences

• Sexuality (expressed desires)

• Social justice (community well-being)

• Systemic (structural, organization-wide, fundamental)

• Systemically (generally affected)

• They/them

• Trans

• Transgender

• Transsexual

• Unconscious bias (unrecognized assumptions)

• Vulnerable populations (Populations in jeopardy, exposed populations)

Lest we forget that the First Amendment prevents local, state, and the Federal government from abridging the right to free speech! Let us remember this little fact as we move steadily towards the 2026 election season, one in which Florida will select a new governor, new State legislators, and a new Congressional delegation. How can you help? You can help by studying the candidates, knowing the issues that are at stake—including our right to express ourselves freely—and by VOTING!