USF students said the lack of LGBTQ+ themed events this spring feels disappointing. ORACLE GRAPHIC/CAROLINA MOLERO ROCA

At the USF Tampa campus, where LGBTQ+ and drag shows were once staples of semester nighttime events, students are beginning to notice a shift in the university’s programming priorities.

USF’s Campus Activities Board has hosted many LGBTQ+ themed events in the past — including Pride Night in spring 2024 and spring 2025, as well as a Pride Showcase and a Jumanji-themed drag show in fall 2025.

Although CAB has a calendar full of thematic events, USF Week parties and Centre Gallery exhibits, there are no LGBTQ+ themed events in its spring programming this semester.

USF spokesperson Althea Johnson said CAB is a student-led, Student Government-funded organization that plans its own events and programming.

“CAB votes every year on the events they choose to focus on,” Johnson said. “If an event that is typically held annually is not planned for the current year, it’s possible the event may still take place in other future semesters.”

Additionally, Johnson said USF follows all laws and regulations established by the Florida Board of Governors.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 266 in 2023 — prohibiting state universities from spending state or federal funds on initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Because SB 266 specifically targets state and federal dollars, student-led organizations — such as CAB — using their own activity fees remain exempt from the funding ban.  

Johnson did not answer whether the bill did or did not affect CAB’s decisions when creating this semester’s event lineup.

Still, the impact of this legislation is already being felt across the state. Student organizations at the University of Florida recently cancelled annual drag shows, citing new policies derived from the bill, according to The Gainesville Sun.

As Florida universities navigate the fallout of SB 266, the silence on the USF stage is raising questions about the future of LGBTQ+ expression on campus.

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Tyler Simpkins, a freshman public health major, said the absence of drag shows this spring is a missed opportunity for students to gain new experiences. 

Simpkins started at USF this spring but was aware that the university previously offered opportunities to attend drag shows on campus. 

“I saw a video of fall semester’s drag show on someone’s Instagram story,” Simpkins said. “I was excited to see a drag show on campus in spring.”

Simpkins, who identifies as gay, said he wanted to see a drag show during his first semester at USF — but was disheartened to find none scheduled for the spring. 

“I’ve never seen a drag show,” Simpkins said. “I was interested in venturing out and seeing different things.”

Despite the lack of drag shows on campus this semester, Simpkins said he was able to venture into the Tampa Bay area to see a show in February at the Disco Pony Nightclub — and has continued to go out to see performances there since.

Disco Pony Nightclub is a gay nightclub in Ybor City that hosts weekly drag shows and performances and is a 15-minute drive from USF Tampa, according to its Instagram.

“[Disco Pony Nightclub] has really good drag,” Simpkins said. “It’s fun to see other people be authentically themselves.”

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Justin Neil-Hernandez, a freshman environmental science and policy major, said he attended CAB’s Pride Showcase in the fall and loved the event. Still, he found the shift in programming this semester disappointing.

“The on-campus drag show was amazing,” Neil-Hernandez said. “Since I’ve seen every season of [RuPaul’s] Drag Race, I have been so eager to go see one in person. It was really fun, I was singing along and gasping every two seconds after every move they did.”

Neil-Hernandez said learning that CAB’s spring calendar did not feature a drag show — or any other LGBTQ+-themed events — was frustrating, given how much support he saw previous shows had from students.

“We need some this semester,” Neil-Hernandez said. “It makes me kind of upset because we had so many last semester, but we can’t have any this semester. Something needs to happen about that.”

Simpkins said he finds USF generally inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, but noted a visible lack of recognition of minorities. 

“I do think that there needs to be a little bit more push to recognize the achievements of minorities and make it so they’re more heard,” Simpkins said. 

Related: USF LGBTQ+ student ceremony carries on quietly amid DEI restrictions

USF only features two LGBTQ+ student organizations on its website — the P.R.I.D.E. Alliance and the Trans+ Student Union.

USF Housing and Residential Education also offers the Stonewall Suites, which offer housing for students of all genders and sexual orientations, according to USF Housing.

Therefore, Simpkins said he is finding community in smaller programs, such as the Peer Sexual Education Training Program — a student organization that trains members in leadership and advocacy for sexual education, according to its Instagram.

Simpkins said his time in the program has helped him discuss gender, sexuality and self-acceptance more openly. 

“It’s a great program because it forces people like us to make a voice for the people that can’t speak up,” he said.

For students like Neil-Hernandez, it is important to have drag performances on campus because they are about more than just entertainment — they are a source of social recognition.

“I love our [LGBTQ+] community so much,” Neil-Hernandez said. “Having the exposure USF has given us is amazing, but we need to continue it so people see us for us.”