Tallahassee students rally to celebrate restoration of LGBTQ+ housing

By David Margaryan and Lain Dorsey

Tallahassee, FL – On February 19, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society held a rally to celebrate the restoration of LGBTQ+ housing at Florida State University and to voice support for FSU’s queer community.

The rally included speakers from Graduate Assistants United (GAU), the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), Food Not Bombs, FSU Veggie Power, and Jacksonville SDS.

LGBTQ+ housing at FSU has offered safety and community for queer students since it was won by activists from SDS, Pride Student Union, and Gender Odyssey in 2021. This housing option allowed queer and trans students to fill out an interest form stating that they prefer to room with people who share or respect their identities. This did the bare minimum for LGBTQ+ students, preventing them from getting matched with homophobic and transphobic roommates.

Amid attempts by the far-right reactionary Trump administration to destroy diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the country, FSU’s administration quietly removed options for LGBTQ+ housing without warning or explanation.

Joelle Nuñez from FRSO spoke on the university’s tendency to bow down to reactionaries like Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron Desantis, stating, “FSU administration put up no fight when Desantis ordered universities to shut down their DEI programs and hid behind the excuse of ‘They made us do it.’ Nobody made them do it! And nobody made them do it this time! They tried to get rid of LGBTQ+ housing before their reactionary overlords even noticed it was there in the first place! Showing that they care more about winning points with racists than catering to students!”

Following published statements from SDS and Pride Student Union, as well as announcing plans to rally and submit public comment at the Student Senate, the FSU admin gave in and quietly restored LGBTQ+ housing. The rally, initially intended to be a protest, became a celebratory showcase of support for FSU’s LGBTQ+ community.

Delilah Pierre from TCAC highlighted the impact of this win, “Seeing FSU do this was a huge sign of hope and inspiration, not because I trust FSU’s leadership, but because I trust y’all and your power! The next time that FSU tells you that they ‘can’t do something’ because they’re ‘not allowed,’ let them know that they’re not the ones who get to decide! The people are the ones who get to decide!”

The successful pressure against the FSU administration to back off from its attempts to erase LGBTQ+ housing in the dead of night demonstrates the absolute necessity of organizing on campus. Organizing can successfully ward off right-wing and reactionary attacks on campuses. This message was not lost at the event, which also had the continued organization of students in Tallahassee as a key focus. “When we unite our forces, we’re unstoppable,” stated Justin Jordan, member of Tallahassee SDS and student at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University.

Jordan continued, “This goes beyond FSU. This goes across the tracks at FAMU. At FAMU we don’t have LGBTQ+ housing. We don’t have a Pride Student Union. And the only club we have to support LGBTQ+ people has been delisted. The impacts are very clear, so many students at FAMU feel unsafe where they live.”

In tandem with the joy brought about by this victory, the crowd had an energy of ongoing struggle. On Friday, February 28, FSU will host the far-right racist and transphobic commentator, Charlie Kirk. Tallahassee SDS will be there to show that he’s not welcome and demand racists off our campus.

Tallahassee SDS will continue to organize to protect LGBTQ+ students on campuses across the city and fight against other reactionary efforts at stripping the rights of students. This victory proves the validity of the mantra of SDS activists across the country: “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #LGBTQ #SDS