Monday, April 1, 2024

Florida Future Leaders hands out branded condoms, rolling papers on college campuses after SCOFLA rulings

Jesse Scheckner

April 1

A Gen Z-led PAC is running a clever marketing campaign to celebrate and spread the word about the Florida Supreme Court's approval of 2024 ballot questions on recreational marijuana and abortion rights.

Florida Future Leaders, which launched in February, is handing out condoms, rolling paper and other materials with Florida College Democrats branding and messaging.

The initiative launched Monday, shortly after the court ruled to allow Florida voters to decide in November whether to legalize recreational marijuana and amend the state constitution to protect abortion access.

Florida Future Leaders is calling Monday "Condoms and Cones Distribution Day." It serves as a kickoff for the group's "Roll Up to the Polls" campaign that includes giving out thousands of rolling papers, literature and stickers.

To promote awareness about the abortion rights amendment, the PAC and its college campus partners are distributing thousands of branded condoms, Plan B packs, stickers and abortion access-specific literature. The condoms feature the message, "Don't get F*cked by the GOP. Protect Abortion in Florida."

Distributions are happening at the University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

*Available now at four major college campuses. Image via Florida Future Leaders.*

Abortion and recreational marijuana rights have repeatedly proven to be winning issues among youth voters, and Republicans' limited support for either is an opportunity Democrats must seize upon, Florid Future Leaders Chair Jayden D'Onofrio said in a statement.

"Florida's youngest Democrats are organizing their peers on a scale never seen before, to ensure a substantial youth turnout to the polls. Florida Republicans now face what they consider a doomsday reality for November: a combined passage of the pro-choice amendment, recreational marijuana amendment, and historic youth turnout to the polls," he said.

"Our distribution of condoms and rolling papers is not just about celebration; it's about education and empowerment, while serving as tangible reminders to youth voters that these are the exact items Republican lawmakers wish we did not have."

D'Onofrio launched Florida Future Leaders in February with Treasurer Jackson McMillan, Executive Director Sabrina Briceno, Florida College Democrats President Alexis Dorman, and Florida High School Democrats Chair Rhea Maniar.

The PAC's goal is to energize and recruit high school and college progressives to turn back a rising red tide in Florida, which Tufts University found had the ninth-worst participation in the nation among voters ages 18-29 in the 2022 election cycle.

That includes awareness campaigns on hot-button issues about which younger voters are especially fervent, from the marijuana and abortion ballot questions to policies the GOP-dominated Legislature passed in recent Sessions to suppress LGBTQ topics in public schools, loosen gun restrictions, and ban diversity, equity and inclusion spending by state-run higher education institutions.

Hollywood Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo, who is set to lead Senate Democrats in 2024, said he's been waiting "a long time" for an organization like this. Accordingly, he assisted the group in its fundraising, which crossed $100,000 within a month.