Broward County's $800,000 Rose Parade float hailed as 'powerful, timely and inclusive'

While many in Broward County may have been recovering from New Year’s Eve, a group of residents rolled down a breezy southern California street atop a 24-foot float advertising the county as a welcoming and inclusive destination.

The county's entry for Pasadena's Tournament of Roses New Year's Day parade featured a replica of the Seminole Guitar Hotel, alligators, manatees, a yacht and the Fort Lauderdale sea wall — all made from flowers and other organic material.

The float, which cost the county $790,000, also featured the Florida Panther’s mascot Stanley, Miss Florida Seminole Thomlynn Billie and Broward artist Alexander Star who performed an original song he wrote for the county’s tourism marketing organization Visit Lauderdale.

"It was everything that we wanted it to be," said the organization's President and CEO Stacy Ritter. "Which was to show the message of Broward County being welcoming and inclusive. And you can just come and have a wonderful experience notwithstanding what you might read about Florida."

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The front of the float read “Everyone Under the Sun,” part of the organization’s branding campaign, designed to welcome people of diverse cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disabilities, according to their website. The float also featured a lifeguard stand with an LGBTQ pride flag.`

The campaign aims, in part, to counter losses to Broward County tourism after attacks on LGBTQ rights from Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers. Last year, 18 conferences pulled bookings from the county, some repelled by the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and slashing of reproductive rights, among other policies.

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Visit Lauderdale

In August, Equality Florida, a statewide civil rights organization issued a travel advisory, warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering travel, or relocation to the state. The group cited "the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum."

Ritter pitched the idea to county commissioners weeks after the travel advisory made national news.

“We think this is a perfect opportunity to show that yes, there are Florida destinations that embrace diversity and inclusivity and are truly welcoming everyone under the sun,” she said during an Aug. 22 commission meeting.

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Gina Duncan, the Strategic Partnerships Manager with Equality Florida, called the float and performance "beautiful, powerful, timely and inclusive."

"We believe this amazing float represents the real Florida," Duncan said, adding that it "truly demonstrates the [Fort] Lauderdale area's commitment to inclusivity and diversity despite the divisive politics and culture wars against the LGBTQ community being waged by Governor DeSantis."

Other float riders included Broward County Public School Principal of the Year Marie Hautigan and Stuart Milk, who is the executive chair and co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. He is also a Broward County resident and the nephew of Harvey Milk, one of the country's first openly gay elected officials.