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<\/p>\nAcknowledging the current political climate in Florida and across the country, Tampa Pride cancelled its traditional parade and festival for 2026.<\/p>\n
Organizers of St. Pete Pride, however, did not buckle under pressure. There have been celebratory gay-centric events all through June (National Pride Month), and things culminate with Florida\u2019s largest LGBTQ-themed parade and festival this weekend. It\u2019s the 24th anniversary of St. Pete Pride.<\/p>\n
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Dr. Byron Green-Calisch is president of St. Pete Pride\u2019s board of directors. Photo provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t ever want to speak for why someone did the things that they did,\u201d the organization\u2019s board president Byron Green-Calisch tells the Catalyst, \u201cbut one of the things I was determined to do was to not let the environment that we have been placed in dictate how we respond to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were dedicated to creating an experience for our community that is close to what we have been able to do in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
The stumbling blocks, however, were real.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve raised less money than any other year that I\u2019ve been president,\u201d Green-Calisch said. \u201cAnd still tried to create experiences for our community, with less money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donations have been low. \u201cWe have had people have very frank conversations with us. Saying \u2018Hey, I do work with the government; I don\u2019t want St. Pete Pride on my budget.\u2019 Or \u2018If we were to get audited, I don\u2019t want them to say you gave money to Pride, so we\u2019re not going to give money to you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
There are no national \u201cheadline\u201d performers at the Pride Festival, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday at North and South Straub Parks, and fewer local artists. Same for Sunday\u2019s Grand Central Street Fair (a 12-5 p.m. block party, with streets closed to traffic). This year\u2019s budget simply wouldn\u2019t allow them.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say there won\u2019t be entertainment, food vendors and, in the case of the Sunday event, street performers. Celebration, as always, will be the star of these shows.<\/p>\n
Ten years have now passed since the mass murder at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando. For Green-Calisch, Pulse and the 1969 Stonewall uprising, which for many was the start of America\u2019s gay rights movement, are milestones on a continuing timeline.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis community is centered on resilience,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd at every turn, getting knocked down is met with getting back up. I think that\u2019s the real celebration. Every time we\u2019ve been in a moment where we have been kind of pushed back, or we recognize that our rights have continued to not be fully realized or acknowledged by oppressive governments, that we grew. That we stood up. That we fought.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the celebration, that we remember our forefathers, our foremothers, our ancestors, however you want to position it \u2013 that they fought.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think celebrating that history is intrinsic to what Pride is. We have to remember that this is not only about celebrating how far we\u2019ve come, but the fact that we continue to persist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green-Calisch, who\u2019s in the final year of his three-year presidential term, recognizes that the \u201cpendulum swings both ways\u201d and believes widespread community support for LGBTQ will return.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s imperative for us to remember how we show up in those moments, when people do come back and are ready to engage with us as a community,\u201d he said. \u201cHow do we engage with them? We don\u2019t get to pick and choose when we show up as queer. We don\u2019t pick and choose when our trans siblings get to identify as trans.\u201d<\/p>\n
In keeping with tradition, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and members of the City Council raised the Pride flag over City Hall.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the reasons St. Pete Pride has been as successful as it has been is because of the support of our elected officials, both at the city and the county level,\u201d said Green-Calisch. \u201cI don\u2019t think that we could continue to do this work without them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that the flag still goes up, regardless of this political pressure, means the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weekend events<\/p>\n
Friday, June 26: Slay the Bay concert, 6 p.m. at Al Lang Field. Performances by Chinchilla, Flyana Boss and Cain Culto, night market, fireworks. Find tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Saturday, June 27: Festival and parade. The family-friendly festival (with music, vendors and entertainment) starts at 2 p.m. at North and South Straub Parks. The Trans March steps off from Vinoy Park at 5:15 p.m., Pride Parade steps off from Albert Whitted Park at 6 p.m. and travels north along Bayshore Drive.<\/p>\n Sunday, June 28: Grand Central Street Fair: 12-5 p.m. in the Grand Central District, this free, family-friendly block party features food, street performers, interactive games, and hundreds of participating businesses. Central Avenue closed to traffic from 20th Street to 31st. Street.<\/p>\n