ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that white men are being discriminated against because of diversity, equity and inclusion programs after signing legislation that bars counties and cities from funding or promoting DEI programs.
The Republican governor defined DEI in a press conference as “an ideological construct designed to promote a specific political agenda, particularly to the detriment of disfavored groups.”
“Obviously, the least favored group is white men, and I think they’re being discriminated against,” DeSantis said in Jacksonville. “Like a lot of people, ‘Oh, that’s fine. That’s fine.’ No, that’s not good. That’s wrong.”
Evelyn Foxx, president of the Gainesville branch of the NAACP, said that while the governor is entitled to his opinion, his perspective is different from “everyone else’s.”
“If you talk to 100 white people, they’re not going to feel the same way” as DeSantis, Fox said Wednesday when asked about his remarks. “The governor is out of touch with the people, that’s the bottom line.”
Supporters say the purpose of DEI is to correct the effects of long-standing discrimination against certain groups. DEI has been a frequent target of governors during a nationwide push by conservatives to restrict diversity programs, leading many companies, schools and governments to roll back those initiatives, especially during the Trump administration.
DeSantis also said Wednesday that Asian Americans face discrimination in college admissions and that people should be judged on their own merit rather than their demographic background. He said if people still faced barriers due to discrimination, there should be policies to “level the playing field”.
“But that’s different than trying to socially engineer certain outcomes to the detriment of certain groups that the intellectual elite doesn’t like,” DeSantis said.
During DeSantis’s two terms in office, his administration championed legislation that would ban public colleges and universities from spending money on DEI programs and pushed the “Stop WOKE Act” to restrict the way race and sex education is taught in schools.
Democratic lawmakers warned the legislation was too broad and could violate the Constitution.
Under the legislation, residents can sue local governments for violations. Local officials may be removed from office if they are found to have violated the law in funding DEI projects.
“When people know they have responsibilities, it’s easier for them to follow the rules,” DeSantis said.
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