There's also the possibility that DeSantis is being quite intentionally provocative in his actions. Fox News and the rest of the right wing media will trumpet how brave and honest he is to be going into this den of iniquity in NYC, and how the gays and other libtards are trying to silence him with their wokeness.

DeSantis was never going to win many gay voters anyway, and this brings him attention. We're talking about DeSantis right now, and not any of his Republican rivals, right? That's a win for him. Trump has shown that any publicity, even notoreity, is helpful to a political career in today's media circus.