HAPPY PRIDE

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Refuses to Pay for Counseling for Pulse Shooting Survivors

DeSantis’ veto comes 10 days before the fifth anniversary of the massacre.

Florida’s governor vetoed funding for mental health counseling for the survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting Wednesday, 10 days before the fifth anniversary of the massacre that killed 49. Combing through the state’s $100 billion budget, DeSantis cut $150,000 allocated to The LGBT+ Center in Orlando. Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Pulse shooting, wrote on Twitter, “Here’s @GovRonDeSantis in 2019, standing on hallowed ground, promising me that he would always support those of us impacted by the Pulse nightclub shooting. Today, he vetoed mental health services for us. I will never forget.” DeSantis also vetoed funding allotted for the construction of shelters for LGBTQ youth, who experience high rates of homelessness.