Prideland: LGBTQ+ Culture in the Rural South

Hannah hired me to give a workshop on the intersection of disability justice and LGBTQIA+ rights at Metro St. Pete's youth camp last summer. Looking forward to seeing her film.

Weds, Aug 12, 7p EST WEDU, click on image to RSVP

Hannah Powell (she/they) is a queer, non-binary lesbian activist and artist from Florida. They are passionate about documenting and elevating the experiences of LGBTQ+ people living in the South, specifically peop

They graduated from Rollins College in 2018 with a dual degree in Critical Media and Cultural Studies and Sexuality, Women's, and Gender Studies. Hannah's thesis documentary, "Let's Escape Into the Music: A Cross-Generational Oral History of Orlando LGBTQ+ Spaces," explored the history and role of queer nightlife in Central Florida, and centered the impact of hate-motivated violence on queer Floridians through a series of interviews. The film won audience awards across Florida, and the project cemented Hannah's desire to merge oral history and narrative story-telling as a tool to recommend public policy change.

James Robinson is the Executive Director of ALSO Youth in Sarasota.  ALSO Youth is a safe drop-in space for LGBTQ+ youth that offers support, advocacy, and educational and social programming for young people ages 13 to 24.  Upon receiving a Masters degree in Urban Affairs from Hunter College of the City University of New York, he began a career in fund development and not profit management in New York City.  His work has landed him at non-profit organizations in Boston, Providence, Sanibel, Fort Myers, and now Sarasota.  He has been involved in LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS advocacy work for more than 30 years.