Tampa, FL – About 20 student activists from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) came together, June 24, to speak out against the Orlando shooting, homophobia and Islamophobia. The protest occurred on the campus of University of South Florida.

The group of students made clear that this attack was not because of mental illness or ‘Islamic extremism’ but rather homophobia and patriarchy perpetuated by the ruling class. The group of students also called out USF’s administration and their blatant homophobia for refusing to change the name of the C.W. Bill Young Building on campus.

The building is named after C.W. Bill Young a republican congressman. Bill Young was a member of the Johns Committee, a committee prominent during the 1960s which directly targeted and discriminated against suspected queer people, civil rights leaders and communists.

SDS member Brett Behers spoke on the media’s role in the Orlando shooting. “Coverage by the mainstream media has been doing a lot more harm than good. The LGBT community, being victimized, and made to feel fear; and the Muslim community, being demonized, and made to be feared.”

Sam Beutler, an SDS member, connected Tampa Bay SDS’s campaign with fight against systemic homophobia and patriarchy: “When SDS demands administration #ChangeTheName of the homophobic CW Bill Young building, we strike a blow to the foundations of homophobia at the root of the Orlando shooting.”

Tampa Bay SDS will continue to fight against homophobia, Islamophobia, and USF’s administration in the upcoming semester.

#TampaFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #Islamophobia #Orlando #homophobia

Tampa, FL – Over 30 students protested to change the name of the C.W. “Bill” Young building at the University of South Florida on April 19. Young was a Florida senator who participated in the Johns Committee from 1962 to 1964. The Johns Committee conducted witch-hunts, initially targeting communists during McCarthy’s red scare. However by the time Young joined the Johns Committee in 1962, it was zeroing in on gay people, driving hundreds of professors and students out of Florida universities and the teaching profession across the state.

The Johns Committee spread terror through interrogations, often using police to pull students and professors out of classes. Panels of politicians and government officials would brow beat and bully the academics, teachers and students. Hundreds of students and faculty were subsequently intimidated, expelled or fired, on suspicion of being LGBTQ or ‘subversives.’

USF administrators named the ROTC building after C.W. “Bill” Young in 2007. As a long-time U.S. congressperson, Young was fanatically pro-war and consistently delivered hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to the military-industrial complex. USF administrators publicly state that Young also directed millions of federal government tax dollars to USF, implying his actions as a member of the Johns Committee should be overlooked.

“Admin doesn’t care that they’ve made a symbol of hate the center of campus, so long as they keep getting their paychecks signed by right-wing homophobic donors,” said Jack Ling of SDS.

“Just as previous administrations allowed the Johns Committee and police to terrorize LGBTQ students and faculty on campus, the current administration continues similar repression. They have not only opposed our pro-LGBTQ demand from the start, but have also actively tried to silence us,” said Tori Stratis of SDS.

A growing number of students are demanding USF administrators #ChangeTheName of the Young building and want a prominent symbol of hate removed from campus. They gathered on the lawn outside the Marshall Student Center to start their rally.

“When I say Bill Young, you say homophobe! Bill Young! Homophobe! Admin! Homophobes!” was the call and response chant led by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

The student rally proceeded to march into the Marshall Student Center up to the USF administration offices on the fourth floor. Protesters chanted while hundreds of students watched and took pictures. The students entered President Judy Genshaft and Provost Ralph Wilcoxs’s office lobby and demanded they sign a statement agreeing to #ChangeTheName.

Representatives from the USF administration urged students to leave, but protesters sat in for two hours pressing for a meeting. Students encouraged people across social media to call President Genshaft and Provost Wilcox to meet with the students.

Eventually a student got through to the president’s assistant located in the Patel Center, an isolated building where the formal offices of the president and provost are located. The students marched across campus, expecting to meet with them. The Patel Center receptionist informed the students that the neither President Genshaft or her assistant were present there. Realizing President Genshaft was attempting to hide from them, the students chanted, “Bill Young and admin are the same!” as police repeatedly ordered the students, “Leave now!”

Students again rallied outside the Patel Center and SDS called for a follow-up meeting and action. Sam Beutler of Tampa SDS said, “USF administration has demonstrated its complete unwillingness to listen to and provide for students. They are afraid of the people organizing and working together in order to fight back and win their rights.”

SDS members are united and determined to press their demand until a victory is won. Noah Peretz of Tampa SDS stated, “Admin fears nothing more than confrontation with students. They know they are on the wrong side of history, and can’t stand up to the power of people united.”

#TampaFL #SDS #CWBillYoung

Tampa, FL – Over 30 students gathered for a vigil, March 29, in remembrance of the LGBTQIA+ people murdered by U.S. militarism. The event was held in response to the University of South Florida (USF) administration’s defense of LGBT-phobic and militaristic C.W. “Bill” Young. Young was a senator and member of the Johns Committee in Florida, which persecuted hundreds of LGBTQIA+ people across the Florida university system.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is currently waging a campaign to change the name of a building on campus that honors Bill Young. When SDS first confronted USF administrators about changing the name of the C.W. Bill Young Hall in late 2015, administrators refused SDS’s demand. They responded to SDS by saying, “Facilities may be named for an individual who has distinguished himself or herself through significant contributions to the university.” Administrators later elaborated in a meeting with SDS that Bill Young’s contributions were related to his support of U.S. military programs on campus.

Jared Austin of Tampa Bay SDS explained, “Bill Young’s active participation in the Johns Committee, which oversaw the outing and persecution of LGBTQIA+ people across the state of Florida, stands parallel to a military establishment which seeks to allow the persecution of LGBTQIA+ people to go unnoticed or mislabeled.”

Another student at the vigil stated, “Young’s support for the U.S. military is not worthy of praise.”

USF administrators stubbornly support Bill Young’s legacy on campus. The administration even acts similarly to the Johns Committee. “As student activists they actively try to silence us with threats of police intervention, but have no problem allowing preachers to harass students and spread their hateful messages of on our campus.” said Tori Stratis of Tampa SDS.

The vigil ended with an announcement by SDS, stating that the campaign to #ChangeTheName is shifting in a more militant direction. Jack Ling of Tampa SDS said, “USF administration has left SDS and the student body with no other route for change than direct action against admin’s complicity in homophobia. Students are tired of admin’s excuses, and we will have our voices heard.”

SDS’s first action to mark the changed character of this campaign will be a protest on April 19, 1:00 p.m., on the Marshall Student Center lawn.

#TampaFL #AntiwarMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #LGBTQ #PeoplesStruggles #LGBTQRights

Tampa, FL – Over a dozen students from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held signs and chanted on March 22 to mark the 13th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In 2003, the U.S. launched an illegal invasion of Iraq in order to destabilize the region and secure its own interests. Meanwhile, the people of Iraq continue to suffer from U.S. intervention. Since 1991, the U.S. has been responsible for the death of an estimated 1 million Iraqis due to sanctions and invasions.

Students stood at the corner of a busy intersection at the University of South Florida (USF) holding signs and chanting “Out of Palestine! Out of Iraq! What do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Police tried to stop SDS from chanting but the students stood firmly and continued, “No, no, blood for oil. U.S. off Arab soil!”

“It's important that we remember this anniversary in light of recent revelations of the U.S. military presence in Iraq. U.S. imperialism is always on the move and if we want to stop it we should stay constantly vigilant,” said Gage Lacharite.

In addition, SDS is currently working on a campaign to #ChangeTheName of the CW Bill Young building on campus. Young served on the Johns Committee in the 1960s that persecuted LGBTQIA+ teachers, faculty, students and staff throughout the Florida public university system.

Lacharite stated, “Just as Young’s legacy generates a climate of hate on campus, the U.S. military has a history of cultivating sexism, racism and homophobia among its ranks. Young was an avid supporter of the U.S. military. The USF administration has used this as reasoning for continuing to honor the hateful legacy of Bill Young.”

SDS ended the rally by dedicating themselves to end the presence of Bill Young’s homophobic and militaristic legacy on campus.

#TampaFl #AntiwarMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #PeoplesStruggles #Iraq #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #USF