DeSantis signs Florida law banning local DEI funding, says white men are ‘disfavored’
DeSantis signs Florida law banning local DEI funding, says white men are ‘disfavored’
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — White men have been discriminated against through diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday after signing legislation which prohibits counties and cities from funding or promoting DEI initiatives.
The Republican governor defined DEI at a news conference as “an ideological construct that is designed to promote a particular political agenda, particularly to the detriment of disfavored groups.”
“The disfavored groups, No. 1, obviously, would be white males, and I think they’ve been discriminated against,” DeSantis said in Jacksonville. “And it’s it’s like a lot of people are, ‘Oh that’s fine. That’s fine.’ No, it’s not fine. It’s wrong.”
While the governor is entitled to his opinion, his views differ from “everyone else’s,” said Evelyn Foxx, president of the NAACP branch in Gainesville.
“If you talked to 100 white men, they wouldn’t feel the same way” as DeSantis, Foxx said when asked Wednesday about his comments. “The governor is out of touch with people, and that is the bottom line.”
Supporters say the purpose of DEI is to remedy the effects of long-term discrimination against certain groups. A nationwide push by conservatives to limit diversity programs has led many companies, schools and governments to pull back on those initiatives, particularly during the current Trump administration, and DEI has been a frequent target for the governor.
DeSantis also said Wednesday that Asian Americans had faced discrimination in university admissions and that people should be judged on their merits not their demographic backgrounds. If people still face barriers because of discrimination, there should be policies to “even the playing field,” he said.
“But that is not the same as trying to socially engineer certain outcomes to the detriment of groups that some of the intellectual elite disfavor,” DeSantis said.
During his two terms in office, DeSantis’ administration has championed legislation which prohibits public colleges and universities from spending money on DEI programs and promoted the “Stop WOKE Act,” which restricts how race and sex are taught in schools.
Democratic lawmakers have warned that the legislation was overbroad and potentially unconstitutional.
Under the legislation, residents can sue local governments for violations. If local officials are found to have funded DEI initiatives in violation of the law, they can be removed from office.
“When people know there is accountability they are much more apt to toe the line,” DeSantis said.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.
Andrew Siciliano joins Nate Tice, Charles McDonald and Matt Harmon to recap round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Yahoo analyst Scott Pianowski reveals his top fantasy football takeaways from the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
This game can be pretty tough, so we’ve got clues if you’re stuck on today’s puzzle, #1,048.
Yahoo Tech
Minnesota pressured and sped up the Nuggets right from the jump, resulting in a blowout victory and 2-1 series lead.
Justin Boone breaks down Jadarian Price’s fantasy football outlook after he was selected by the Seahawks.
Are the Rams reaching, or are they checkmating the rest of the NFL and keeping their dynasty going before it even shows cracks?
The Raptors won Game 3 at home against the Cavaliers, who now lead the seven-game series 2-1.
Ty Simpson had just one season starting in college for Alabama.
Tolle made his 2026 MLB debut for Boston, while Schlittler continued his impressive season thus far for the Yankees.
Yahoo analyst Joel Smyth handed out grades for every fantasy football-relevant prospect in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Powered by WPeMatico