Two organisations committed to “equity, justice and belonging” have expressed deep concern about the decision to feature Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, at the upcoming PwC Insurance Summit, presented with the Financial Times.

LGBTQ+ charity OutBermuda and antiracism group Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda issued a joint statement that said while Mr DeSantis, once a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, would be speaking on insurance and governance, his political record must not be overlooked.

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group that falls under the American Human Rights Commission, reported in 2023 that Mr DeSantis signed “a slate of extreme anti-LGBTQ+ Bills” and enacted a record-breaking number of discriminatory measures.

Among the Bills was one designed to prohibit instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, an extreme gender-affirming care ban and exclusive use of restrooms and changing facilities by gender.

In 2022, Mr DeSantis signed the so-called Stop WOKE Act, which attempted to prohibit schools and businesses in in Florida from teaching concepts that suggested a person is privileged or oppressed based on their race, colour, sex or national origin.

Parts of the law relating to workplaces were later overturned in court

OutBermuda and Curb said yesterday: “While we understand that Governor DeSantis has been invited to speak on matters of insurance and governance, his broader record cannot be separated from his presence.

“He has championed and enacted laws and policies that target LGBTQ+ people, restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare, silence educators and punish diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

“His actions have also undermined racial equity and censored teaching and dialogue about systemic racism and historical injustice.

“To give such a voice a platform in Bermuda, a country still healing from its own history of racial inequality and striving to create a more inclusive future, undermines the values of justice, compassion and equality that many in our community and corporate sector hold dear.

“True allyship means more than sponsorship or symbolic gestures. Leadership in every sector carries a responsibility to act with care for the wider community.

“Corporate and community leaders must ensure that the voices they elevate reflect a commitment to dignity, equality and respect for all people.”

The charities encouraged the event organisers and corporate leaders to “make choices that reflect Bermuda’s shared values of fairness, compassion and belonging”.

Arthur Wightman, PwC Bermuda territory and insurance leader, said last week that Mr DeSantis would attend the forum tomorrow “to provide his perspectives on the state’s longstanding collaborative relationship with the Bermuda [insurance and] reinsurance market dating back to 1992’s Hurricane Andrew”.

Legislative reforms driven by Mr DeSantis in Florida — to stabilise its volatile homeowners insurance market — were hailed by a Gallagher Re news publication as a success story for the Sunshine State, noting that they were making it “a viable destination for [insurance and] reinsurance capital once again”.

In May 2024, The Guardianreported that changes in the political climate were noted by LGBTQ+ people in Florida, where a settlement between the state and its premier advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights was said to have included an agreement to reinstate the rights of students and teachers to speak freely in the classroom about LGBTQ+ people, families and issues.

The agreement was also reported to have acknowledged that the law does not prohibit the reading of books or the staging of musicals and plays featuring LGBTQ+ characters in public schools.

It was reported in the same article that Mr DeSantis signed the HIV Infection Prevention Drugs Act, hailed by community advocates as Florida’s first pro-LGBTQ+ Bill in recent history, expanding access to medication critical to preventing HIV transmission.

PwC and FT Live, the events division of the Financial Times, were contacted for comment but none was received by the time of publication.

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