{"id":49822,"date":"2025-11-17T14:09:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T14:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/49822\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T14:09:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T14:09:12","slug":"art-of-expression-makes-waves-for-lgbtq-community-at-usfsp-the-crows-nest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/49822\/","title":{"rendered":"Art of Expression makes waves for LGBTQ+ community at USFSP \u00a0 \u2013 The Crow’s Nest"},"content":{"rendered":"

By The Crow\u2019s Nest Staff<\/p>\n

Gazing at an electrified crowd of students immersed in blue light, surrounded by seashells and ocean-themed decor, sophomore digital communications major Robert Kordon was struck with one thought.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite frankly,\u201d he told the crowd. \u201cThis place, currently speaking, it\u2019s about as straight as Elton John.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This was the point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Art of Expression, hosted by the Multicultural Programming Board (MPB) on Nov. 13, the LGBTQ+ community was celebrated and given a platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reflecting the name, the under-the-sea themed event was a celebration of expression \u2014 featuring a student-made zine and performances from students and Tampa Bay-based drag queens.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Jasmin Parrado | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

Kordon also helped MPB commemorate, co-hosting the program with queen Niomi Onassis Long Knight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The event is an annual affair for the St. Petersburg campus \u2013 for the last 15 years<\/a>, it was known as \u201cThe Drag Show.\u201d This year is the first as The Art of Expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Camryn Trapasso, a junior marketing major and student assistant with MPB, said that she was happy with the turnout.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that we were working really hard to get such a huge turnout,\u201d she told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of the team, and I really couldn\u2019t have asked for anything better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amid attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and local LGBTQ+-centered organizations and events, students were worried<\/a> that the event would be discontinued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, MPB ensured that the event could go on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think having a safe space for all our LGBTQ people right now is just so, so important,\u201d Trapasso said. \u201cI really want to emphasize that, like we have in the years prior, and I want people to know that this event is a safe space for everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Jasmin Parrado | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

To keep the event in circulation, additional regulations were implemented last year, including the 18 + age restriction and limitations on student conduct during performances \u2014 even causing several student performers to drop out<\/a> of the event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of this year\u2019s student performers, one did a drag performance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gyro Hulsmann is a freshman digital communication and multimedia journalism major who practices drag in their free time and was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to do so at USF.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to have a community of people to share [drag] with, and also to have that ability to share it,\u201d Hulsmann said. \u201cI\u2019m really glad that we have this, and I was not expecting us to have anything like this. So I\u2019m really glad, and I\u2019m really glad that it was open to students as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Irena Mesa| The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

Just as in previous years, the event also included performances from local drag queens like Veronica Fox, Autumn Vee and Knight herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fox, who performed at last year\u2019s event, stated that she agreed to come back to USF St. Petersburg because she aspires to be a leader and role model for LGBTQ+ students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not get to have drag in college, so saying yes to all of you was the easiest decision I\u2019ve ever made,\u201d she told the crowd.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Irena Mesa| The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

Though spirits were high for this year\u2019s Art of Expression, concerns about the current political atmosphere still lingered in the back of everyone\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n

Knight made it a point to highlight the violence and discrimination that have long plagued the transgender community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI need you guys to support your trans people more than ever,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This statement brought the central theme of the event forward: Uplifting LGBTQ+ voices and identities and giving students a safe place to express themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Irena Mesa | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t think there is a better opportunity for people to have such a good time, especially in, like, the climate of the world,\u201d Kordon told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cI think that it\u2019s so important to give people \u2014 students \u2014 not only the ability to witness the beauty of queer art, but also to be able to participate in it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t Post Views: 127 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"More<\/a>
Written by: Alisha Durosier<\/a> on November 17, 2025.
Last revised by: Julia Ferrara<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By The Crow\u2019s Nest Staff Gazing at an electrified crowd of students immersed in blue light, surrounded by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49823,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-49822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}