Jack Petocz

Jack Petocz is a 21-year-old LGBTQ+ rights activist, political strategist, content creator and student pursuing a degree in sociology. An openly gay man known for consistently fighting anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in his home state of Florida and beyond, Petocz has challenged discriminatory book banning on a national level, publicly confronted Gov. Ron DeSantis in protest of his policies, and organized one of the largest student mobilizations of the 21st century, the “Don't Say Gay” walkouts.

For this organizing, Petocz received a Webby Special Achievement Award for leading “the Social Movement of the Year” and the PEN America Benenson Courage Award; he was included on Teen Vogue's and GLAAD's 20 Under 20 lists and was named an LGBTQ+ Nation Hero of the Year. He has regularly appeared in international press, including The New York Times, MSNBC, CNN, Politico and The Washington Post, and has participated in in-person engagements with key stakeholders, including the White House, NetRoots and the GLAAD Media Awards, to platform the struggle for queer rights as a trusted advocate.

Outside of his individual endeavors, Petocz serves as the Head of Partnerships and Electoral Strategy at Gen-Z for Change, one of the nation's leading youth-led advocacy organizations that leverages the power of social media, content creators and disruptive digital tools to drive tangible progressive change. In this role, Petocz works across the progressive movement ecosystem to cultivate strategic alignment and a shared vision to fight this new era of fascism in America.