Republican senator grilled by students
Senator Ben Sasse's visit to University of Florida did not go unchallenged on Monday, October 10, as protestors and others grilled the Nebraska politician on his anti-LGBTQ stances, and on his qualifications to run a school of over 50,000 students. Sasse stands as the only finalist for the school's presidency.

"Sasse does not really believe in equality on the basis of sexual orientation," said student Nathan Knorst. "So how can he adequately represent the student body and faculty and UF's core values, which are diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Sasse's résumé for the role includes a presidency at the much smaller Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, which has around 1,600 students. When asked whether he opposed same-sex marriage, he sidestepped, saying that the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of it and that his goal was to create a "place of respect and inclusion for all Gators."

He also said that his political positions as a senator were meant to represent the views of Nebraskans, and that "it's a completely different job to have the job of president of UF," according to the Sun.

He would resign from the US Senate to take the position.

1-in-7 US voters will be LGBTQ+ by 2040, says HRC report
Queer voters are set to increase considerably over the next two decades, says a report recently published by the Human Rights Campaign Thursday, October 13. According to the report, nearly 18 percent of eligible voters will identify as LGBTQ+ by 2040. In several red states — including Texas and Arizona — the proportion of LGBTQ+ voters is expected to as much as double by 2040, surpassing the national average and potentially pushing the vote toward Democrats in those states.

With 27 percent of Gen Z identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, the national average of eligible Queer voters has already increased from 10.8 percent in 2020 to 11.3 percent in 2022. HRC Interim President Joni Madison said the role Queer voters play will grow to "fundamentally reshape the electoral landscape."