Tallahassee, FL – The Tallahassee District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Florida State University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) held a rally outside of the Leon County courthouse, June 17, to demand that Tallahassee become a sanctuary city for LGBTQ+ people.

Organizers are taking action to prevent the Tallahassee Police Department from arresting people based on gender identity when using public restrooms.

Activists have advocated for the city to allow drag performers to access any venue without discrimination. Furthermore, various demands from the FRSO and other organizers could affect Leon County Schools and the public.

“They want to take away our right to exist in public. They want to reinforce gender ‘norms’ for everyone!” said Delilah Pierre, FRSO district organizer and president of TCAC. Other activists explained how the bill forced LGBTQ+ people to leave Florida.

Regina Joseph of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee says, “I know there are a lot of people who want to leave Florida because they see the writing on the walls. They see how awful Ron DeSantis has been to queer people, how awful Ron DeSantis has been to African Americans, how awful he has been to unions, to women, to the environmental movement. He's attacked every single sector of life. But we aren't going to let that stop us.”

Joel Nuñez of Students for a Democratic Society shamed Democrats and progressives who didn't fight hard enough to prevent these repressive bills. “To allow this to happen when you are in a position to do something is unacceptable.”

Activists in the Tallahassee area encouraged people to attend the upcoming LGBTQ+ Advisory Task Force gathering at City Hall on July 13 at 6 pm.

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