Tallahassee, FL – On June 30, two days after the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, students and community members gathered at Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society’s annual pride talent show, one of the longest-running non-corporate pride events in the city. 

SDS organized the talent show to celebrate the historic victories that queer people have won through mass struggle, keeping the spirit of Stonewall alive while resisting rainbow capitalism.

Students enjoyed a wide range of performances from their queer classmates, centering the focus on the real heart of Pride - popular struggle, by and for the queer community, against oppression at the hands of the capitalist system. There are no Chase logos or Raytheon employees here – the students are standing up to corporate co-opting and carrying Stonewall’s torch of liberation.

The event was hosted by local drag queen Hahina Hollywood,who recounted their experiences as an organizer with SDS through the years from the fight against Florida’s anti-queer legislation to the movement for divestment from Israel. Their introduction was followed by music, poetry, comedy and dance.

The SDS pride talent show is one of Tallahassee’s largest Pride Month events, as the city government’s pride events are held in the spring academic semester to maximize profits and disconnect Tallahassee from the global queer movement. SDS presents an alternative for Tallahassee, a beacon of authentic queer culture and resistance. As SDS organizer Joelle Nunez said before her performance, “It is our duty as queer and trans people to know our roots and resist oppression everywhere.”

In July, Tallahassee SDS will be sending a contingent to the March on the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For more information on the march, go to marchonrnc2024.org. To join or support the Tallahassee contingent, reach out to @tallysds on Instagram.

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