Before 2020, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research had other priorities. That has changed. Now its model legislation is appearing in statehouses across the country, and the effects are tangible.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law this week that bars local governments from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The definition of DEI in that law was adapted from a Manhattan Institute model bill.
Since that model bill was released in 2023, a sharp rise in anti-DEI bills has followed. Several states have introduced legislation with nearly identical language. LGBTQ+ advocates call the Florida law a “pride ban.” They warn it could threaten nondiscrimination ordinances, local pride events, and other services.
The scene in New York City, where the Manhattan Institute is headquartered, is one of unease. Residents describe a sense that policies shaped blocks away are now hitting communities hundreds of miles distant.
This is not an old fight for the Manhattan Institute. Prior to the 2020s, the think tank did not have a strong focus on LGBTQ+ issues. The shift is recent.
And it is effective, according to Quinnehtukqut McLamore, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Missouri. McLamore points to why attacking LGBTQ+ rights works as a strategy. It pulls in people who would not normally back right-wing agendas.
They will, however, support anti-trans positions. The reach goes beyond Florida.
The U.S. administration continues to collaborate with the Manhattan Institute on policies related to gender-affirming care. The Department of Health and Human Services has been involved in a controversial pediatric gender policy. That policy has drawn intense scrutiny.
The Manhattan Institute’s fingerprints are on it. What happens next is already taking shape.
The model bill is a template. Lawmakers elsewhere can copy it, adjust it, and introduce it. That has been the pattern since 2023.
The language is nearly identical from state to state. The speed is notable. A think tank releases a bill.
Months later, it is law in one state and proposed in others. For local governments in Florida, the immediate effect is clear.
They cannot spend money on DEI programs. What that means for pride events is uncertain. Nondiscrimination ordinances could be at risk.
The law’s language is broad. Advocates are still parsing its reach.
The Manhattan Institute’s role in this is direct. It does not merely influence debate. It supplies the text of laws.
That is a specific kind of power. It turns ideas into statutes. The unease in New York City is partly about that.
A think tank a few blocks away helped write a law that now governs spending in Pensacola and Orlando. The broader trend is unmistakable.
Anti-LGBTQ+ policies are accelerating. The Manhattan Institute has become a key engine. Its model bill is a weapon.
States are using it. The administration is using it.
The effects are being felt across the country.
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