Jack Petocz

Florida has become a testing ground for some of the most aggressive anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the country, and young queer people have been forced to decide whether to disappear or fight back. This talk chronicles Jack Petocz’s experience organizing openly and unapologetically as a gay student activist in the epicenter of the “Don’t Say Gay” movement. From confronting state leadership to organizing one of the largest student walkouts of the 21st century, this session explores how LGBTQ+ resistance is built under authoritarian pressure, the risks of visibility, and the power of youth-led defiance. Attendees gain insight into how attacks on queer communities are coordinated nationally and how grassroots action can disrupt them.