Lux, a socialist feminist magazine, is touring US college campuses to support students affected by bans on teaching about race, gender, and sexuality. The tour recently stopped at New College of Florida, a public liberal arts college that has undergone a conservative overhaul under Governor Ron DeSantis.
At a February event, students gathered to discuss transgender rights, feminism, and immigration. Nya Jacobson, a senior and president of the LGBTQ+ club, said the discussion reminded her that people are still fighting for them. “All you hear is bad news, so it’s like, damn, there are people out here fighting for us,” she said.
New College, once known as the queerest campus in Florida’s state university system, has seen dramatic changes since 2023. DeSantis-appointed trustees ousted the female president, removed LGBTQ+ staff, and ended the gender studies department. The student body has shrunk, with over 100 students transferring and 40% of professors leaving. The school mascot was changed from the “null set” to the “Mighty Banyans,” and scholarship money is now directed at recruiting male athletes.
The changes at New College reflect a broader trend: according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 445 campuses across 48 states have altered DEI policies in response to state legislation. Lux’s tour also includes stops in Iowa and Texas, where similar academic bans have been enacted.
