Sparkle, defiance and grassroots grounding
Welcome to Glittergrit.
They teach us early in small-town church pews and dusty baseball diamonds to shrink our shine, tuck our truth behind grit-stained collars, and pray away our wildness. We chose another route: loud, femme, country-soft, and fiercely uncloseted. Here is where the boots meet the Florida pavement: an open sanctuary of raw country music, neuro-spicy play, and grassroots survival.
Deconstructing adult sports trauma through queer play.
Turning sports trauma into neuro-spicy joy
Growing up as a neurodivergent, genderqueer kid in rural Illinois meant athletics were often a battleground of shame, isolation, and young adult church-fueled conditioning. At Nerd Nite St. Pete, we ripped off that bandage to explore healing adult play through radical inclusion. So very thankful for Dawn and Gerni, and the whole Nerd Nite team!
Out of that healing grew Spice Rack, our deliciously chaotic, neurodivergent kickball family kicking up dirt in HotMess Sports. Because healing is never solitary; it is an open field where everyone gets to kick, stumble, and shine without apology.
Key reading from the talk:
White Rage by Carol Anderson
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
What to Say Next by Sarah and Larry Nannery
The T Guide by Gigi Gorgeous & Gottmik
Queer twang and community airwaves
Taking to the legendary Tampa Bay airwaves on WMNF 88.5 FM, Adam has become a frequent voice on The Big Gay Radio Show and The Big Gay After Show alongside hosts Chris Gorman, Esmé Russell, and Joanna Grosso, dishing on queer country music, ex-vangelical deconstruction, and radical community organizing.
Across multiple broadcast appearances, Adam has used community radio to champion southern queer survival:
Pride Grand Marshal and trans sports advocacy: Introduced on air as a 2026 St. Pete Pride Grand Marshal, Adam broke down the fight for trans-inclusive sports, local mutual aid, and creating physical and emotional sanctuaries for LGBTQ+ people.
Drag royalty, poetry and grassroots organizing: Returning to the mic to welcome Tampa Bay drag legend Daphne Ferraro, Adam shared his Hunky Jesus poetry, talked drag culture, and previewed grassroots initiatives like PFLAG's Mystery Oreo Back-to-School Night and Lakeland's Beyond Gender Conference.
Adam Rye discusses his passion for advocacy on Tampa’s Big Gay Radio Show with Chris, Jo, and Esme.
Representing the flag: City of St. Petersburg Pride campaign
Selected by Mayor Ken Welch and the City of St. Petersburg, Beyond the Rainbow was the City's landmark storytelling campaign launched to kick off Pride Month in June. Rooted in the living symbolism of the Progressive Pride flag, each participant was paired with a specific color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, brown, light blue, pink, and white) and photographed against a bold, saturated monochromatic backdrop to tell our personal truths and elevate local grassroots voices.
The campaign evolved from a citywide digital initiative and featured video into an official photography exhibition at The Studio@620, celebrating National Coming Out Week in October. As LGBTQ+ Liaison Nathan Bruemmer affirmed, living openly and demanding visibility is a foundational form of grassroots civil rights advocacy. Having our portrait, voice, and defiant queer joy woven into St. Pete's civic tapestry proved that our community is here to stay.
Adam Rye and friends explain what pride and their colors mean.
Unflinching solidarity at Tallahassee
When state politics target trans lives and bodily autonomy, showing up is not optional; it is survival. Across multiple legislative sessions, we made the journey to Tallahassee to flood the Florida Capitol steps with unyielding queer visibility and radical joy.
March 20, 2025 rally: Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with drag artist Lilith, chosen family Devika and Silvestre, PFLAG leader Wendy, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, our chanting voices and rainbow fuzzy-worm earrings were captured on the front lines by Dave Decker and the Tallahassee Democrat picture gallery as hundreds rallied against discriminatory legislation.
January 28, 2026 return: Marching once again alongside PFLAG, Devika, and Lilith, we returned to the Capitol granite to hold the line, proving to Florida lawmakers that trans advocates, grassroots youth, and queer elders will never be legislated into silence.
Under-the-radar community roots & creative resistance
Real solidarity happens on the ground, in mutual aid group chats, behind festival stages, and in quiet acts of care. Here are a few ways we show up for our Florida community beyond the microphone.
Rock camp changes lives.
Serving on the volunteer "dude crew" for Girls Rock St. Pete means rolling up our sleeves to support the next generation of powerhouse musicians and rebels. From hauling gear and stage prep for camper showcase day at the legendary Jannus Live courtyard to designing and distributing self-empowerment zines, we believe in passing the megaphone to young artists.
We show up loud.
Whether mic'd up for local television or rallying at festivals. When ABC News asked about standing up for trans folks at St. Pete Pride, we made it clear: community safety is non-negotiable, and solidarity is an everyday duty.
Ex-vangelical healing meets radical community satire.
In Tampa Bay's inaugural Hunky Jesus & Foxy Mary competition hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Adam took home the crown as "Florida Man Jesus." Reclaiming religious iconography through unadulterated camp, laughter, and joy is our favorite form of holy mischief.
Storytelling is a form of survival.
Through dispatches and written features for platforms like TransNetwork, we have documented local mutual aid, profiled grassroots organizers, and amplified southern queer resilience under Florida skies.
Take the joy home: Playbooks and visible armor
Whether you are stepping onto a kickball field, walking into a challenging family dinner, or organizing in your hometown, you deserve tools that protect your nervous system and celebrate your spark.
Download the playbook.
Grab your free copy of The Joyful Protest Playbook from the Beyond Gender Conference in Lakeland to start practicing radical micro-wins.
Wear the armor.
Explore shirts and gear designed as personal talismans of solidarity, including Trans Kids Rock and Keep St. Pete Queer.
What you need
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US
• High opacity film that’s impossible to see through
• Fast and easy bubble-free application
• Durable vinyl, perfect for indoor use
• 95µ density
Don't forget to clean the surface before applying the sticker.
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz./yd.² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US
Disclaimer: The fabric is slightly sheer and may appear see-through, especially in lighter colors or under certain lighting conditions.
Queer country for the exvangelical and the outlaw
Part ex-vangelical bard, part DIY pop star, and part dirt-road femme outlaw, Adam Rye makes music rooted in recovery, rage, and resilience. Singing about scars like sequins with a rich baritone voice, this music is built for anyone who was ever told they were too much, too soft, or too loud. You are not broken. You are magic.
A love letter to body hair, daisy dukes, and the defiant joy of showing up fully.
✨ My Body, As It Is - Now Live
A queer country demo.
A vertical body collage.
A heartbeat in motion.
🎧 Listen to the demo
🎥 Watch the video
📝 Read the story behind it
Soft and strong. Goofy and glam. Ordinary and divine.
This is what my body looks like when I take up space, for real.