News and Press

His microphone was silenced. A moment later, two burly goons were grabbing him by each arm and forcibly removing him from the proceedings. His crime? Speaking out against a bill to allow teens and students to own guns, including assault rifles. Maxx Fenning was speaking before a House Committee in Tallahassee. Members were considering a bill (HB 1223) to allow 18-year-olds to own guns, including assault rifles. In the middle of his comments, he was silenced.

When Steven Rocha received his new driver's license — one that matched his gender expression — he nearly cried. "There were so many spaces he would have to present his ID, and as a queer transgender man, it was "always kind of uncomfortable and sometimes scary depending on where I was to essentially be outed by my license that wasn't up to date."

“The reality is that people have always been LGBTQ+. The results of this survey don't show an increase in the number of people who are queer, it shows an increase in the number of people who feel safe expressing their full and authentic selves,” said Maxx Fenning, the Executive Director of PRISM.

The orchestrated protests were largely coordinated by PRISM, a prominent LGBTQ advocacy group spearheading the “Let Trans People Drive” campaign– in collaboration with allies like the Youth Action Fund, Equality Florida, Hope CommUnity Center, GLSEN Central Florida, and SPEKTRUM Health.