Trans activists protest DeSantis

Members of the Trans+ Student Union and other students at the University of South Florida (USF) recently protested Governor DeSantis’ requirement that public universities in Florida report data related to “gender-affirming” care. 

Protestors handed out flyers, condoms, and “Tampa Bay Abortion Fund stickers,” student newspaper The Oracle reports. 

Others offered a petition for individuals to sign, urging attendees to oppose the DeSantis admin’s plan to require universities to “hand over personal health data concerning trans students by February 10th.”

[RELATED: DeSantis announces sweeping changes to dismantle DEI, CRT in higher education]

The petition accuses the DeSantis admin of “abject disregard for trans students’ consent,”  ”violation of the civil rights of the most vulnerable students in our state,” and “tighten[ing] governmental control of our basic rights.” 

The USF College Democrats advertised the petition with an Instagram post, which states, “Tell USF to refuse to comply with this invasive order. Sign in the petition in the link below.”

The protest took place on January 31 from 9am to 5pm near USF’s Student Center. 

[RELATED: Gov. Ron Desantis appoints six new board members to New College of Florida]

Students at other Florida universities have also expressed concerns over DeSantis’ initiative. 

A University of Florida (UF) op-ed, for example, claimed that “it’s ignorant to believe this data is being collected for unbiased use. DeSantis’ history with the transgender population has repeatedly proven his only goal is to silence our communities into fitting his transphobic beliefs and biased narratives.”

The University of South Florida, The University of Florida, The Trans+ Student Union at USF, and the College Democrats at USF have not responded to comments requested by Campus Reform.