Orlando Weekly

Feb. 15-21, 2023

News & Views

7 ICYMI: DeSantis engulfs Reedy Creek, Legislature OKs migrant transport flights out of Florida, and more news you may have missed

10 Recovery time: Florida could see more effective opioid addiction treatment options as feds lift buprenorphine restrictions

11 In session: Bills making their way through the Legislature right now

Arts & Culture

13 Spring Guide 2023: All the fairs, festivals and fun between now and May 31

25 Live Active Cultures: Three theme park food festivals currently competing for your dining dollars

Food & Drink

29 Hot damn: Chilispot hits the spot with its fire-and-tingle brand of Sichuan cuisine

29 Tip Jar: Local restaurant openings and closings, plus local food news and events

Film & Music

35 On (small) Screens: What’s new on Netflix, Hulu, etc. this week

39 Rebel hearts: Rise Against headline HeartSupport, a music fest with a cause

41 This Little Underground: Orlando Southern-rock band Prison Wine release debut album, ‘Drowning Amanda Lynne’

Back Pages

44 The Week: Our picks of the best things to do and see this week, plus plenty of event listings

51 Free Will Astrology: Your horoscope for the week of Feb. 15-21

52 Savage Love: Dan Savage’s relationship advice, plus ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not!’

53 Classified advertisements

Approved auditor info as required for public notices per section 50.011(1)(e), F.S.

Circulation

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Cover: design by Daniel Rodriguez

BY MCKENNA SCHUELER, CHLOE GREENBERG AND NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

» DeSantis gains control over Disney’s Reedy Creek Welp, it happened: Last week, Florida lawmakers gave final approval to changes that would shift control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District from the Walt Disney Co. to Gov. Ron DeSantis, effective June 1, 2023. That special tax district, first established in 1967, is essentially a full-fledged city government completely controlled by Disney. But, at the behest of DeSantis, Florida’s GOP-controlled legislature passed a bill last year to have the state take it over. The new changes, approved last week, include: changing the name of the district to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District; giving DeSantis authority to appoint the district’s five-member Board of Supervisors; and removing parts of the district’s authority, such as the power to potentially build a nuclear power plant, airport or stadium. ICYMI: This was initially proposed as retribution for Disney’s opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” law, restricting instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.

» Florida Board of Medicine backs ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth

The Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine last Friday refused to scrap proposed rules prohibiting doctors from using gender-affirming care for trans youths. Dozens of trans people and allies, during public comment, pleaded with the boards to reverse the treatment bans. Some shared personal stories, how they would not be alive today without access to this treatment. Nationally, trans youth have a four times higher risk of suicide compared to their cisgender peers. This comes after the boards in November approved a proposal from the DeSantis administration to ban doctors from using puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery to treat gender dysphoria for trans minors. In a change last week, one of the boards removed an exemption that would have allowed trans children to receive the treatments through clinical trials. Various health care organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, have endorsed gender-affirming health care. It’s unclear at this time when the restrictions will begin, but we do know it won’t apply to youth already receiving puberty blockers.

» Florida lawmakers give DeSantis permission and a budget to transport migrants out of state

After a sometimes emotional debate about immigrants and the nation’s border policies, state lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a plan that likely will lead to Florida transporting more migrants to “sanctuary” areas of the country. House Democrats called the measure a “political ploy” to help Gov. Ron DeSantis, who frequently criticizes the Biden administration on immigration issues. Republicans said it was about curbing undocumented immigrants from coming to Florida and the federal government’s failure to prevent a flood of people crossing the nation’s borders. When signed by DeSantis, the bill will create an “Unauthorized Alien Transport Program” and provide $10 million to transport migrants from Florida to other states. The bill emerged after the DeSantis administration sparked a national controversy in September by flying about 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The bill could help blunt a legal challenge to those flights. Just one Republican, Rep. Mike Beltran of Lithia, joined Democrats in opposing the bill.

» UCF student senate passes resolution opposing DeSantis’ STOP WOKE Act

The UCF Student Body Senate passed a first-of-its-kind resolution in opposition to Florida Gov. DeSantis’ “Stop WOKE Act,” also known as HB7, which restricts classroom instruction on race and discrimination, and diversity training in workplaces. The law, temporarily blocked, faces ongoing legal challenges, but it’s already had chilling effects. The UCF student resolution, sponsored by the UCF Student Black Caucus and the UCF Chapter of the NAACP, denounces the idea that college students can be so easily “indoctrinated” and demonstrates the student body’s support for protecting academic freedom. Grace Castelin, a UCF student senator who introduced the resolution, told Orlando Weekly she introduced it because she’s worried about the impact HB7 will have on the future of college education for Floridians and the effects it already has had on instruction at her public university, including the removal of anti-racist statements from UCF department websites and course cancellations. The University of Central Florida is Florida’s largest university by enrollment, and while students at other higher-ed campuses have staged rallies and other actions in protest of the DeSantis administration’s attacks on public higher education, Castelin told OW this is the first resolution they’re aware of that rebukes HB7.

» Abortion access for Florida minors is restricted by judges — mostly men

Abortion access, even before 15 weeks of pregnancy in Florida, isn’t guaranteed — especially if you’re uninsured, on Medicaid, live far away from an abortion clinic or are under the age of 18. A new report from Human Rights Watch, released last week, documents just how much power Florida judges have in granting — or denying — abortion care to Florida minors. Under a law passed in 2020, parental consent prior to an abortion procedure is required in Florida. Before that, Florida law only required parental notification. Getting parental consent may not be an option for some young people, however. The alternative is judicial bypass, a process that requires petitioning the courts for a waiver. Problem is, this process is confusing, intimidating, and can be traumatizing. And whether you get that waiver or not in Florida may depend on where you live. The new report found that many Florida judges (a majority of whom are men) deny abortion access to minors who don’t have parental consent. About 200 petitions are filed each year, and in 2020 and 2021, more than 12% of those petitions were denied. In Hillsborough County, over 50% of petitions were denied. Between 2020 and 2022, Orange County denied 7%. Abortion rights advocates are calling on the state to repeal state law requiring parental consent for minors’ abortions, arguing it’s a matter of safety as well as one of bodily autonomy.

» LGBTQ+ Center Orlando is offering gender-affirming chest binders for free

Let’s end on a bright spot, shall we? The LGBTQ+ Center of Orlando’s Affirmation Station Pop-up Closet program announced they’re now providing FREE gender-affirming chest binders out of their location at 1200 Hillcrest St. in the Mills 50 neighborhood. Through a partnership with transitional apparel company gc2b, the Affirmation Station will offer chest binders in addition to other gender-affirming items and clothing. Walk-ins are welcome Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1–5 p.m. If you can’t make it during that timeframe, contact the Center’s front desk to schedule a visit.