{"id":429037,"date":"2026-10-16T00:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T00:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/429037\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T00:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T00:38:22","slug":"floridas-largest-pride-turns-to-community-for-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/429037\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida\u2019s largest Pride turns to community for help"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Florida<\/a> restricts public funding for diversity celebrations, St. Pete Pride<\/a> leaders say their event needs community support to cover a financial shortfall.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old St. Petersburg organization just launched a fundraising drive, hoping to raise $289,000 by the end of November. The organization said it needs that money to cover outstanding expenses from this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclining corporate sponsorships, rising event costs, and years of carrying expenses from one Pride season into the next have put the organization in a difficult financial position,\u201d St. Pete Pride President Trent Brock wrote in an email.<\/p>\n

Related: 83 Photos of Power and Diversity at St. Pete’s Pride in Florida<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWith approximately 300,000 people attending Pride Weekend this year, we\u2019re hopeful our community can come together to help. If just 4% of attendees donated $25, we’d reach our goal. But without this support, St. Pete Pride as our community knows it could be at risk in 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: Florida drag queen sells bricks from removed rainbow crosswalk to help save Pride celebrations
<\/a><\/p>\n

Like many Pride events across the country, St. Pete Pride has seen a dramatic decline in corporate sponsorships<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be clear that sponsorships naturally ebb and flow. Businesses evolve, budgets change, leadership transitions happen, and priorities shift. We don\u2019t expect every company to sponsor St Pete Pride every year or contribute the same amount year after year. We understand those realities and value the relationships we\u2019ve built with our corporate partners,\u201d Brock told The Advocate. \u201cBut what we experienced in 2026 was different. It was our largest decline in sponsorship support, and I don\u2019t believe that\u2019s a coincidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fundraising push has already drawn a substantial matching pledge. Scott Simon, a dancer who regularly performs<\/a> at Bradley\u2019s on 7th in Tampa, pledged to match up to $25,000 donated to St. Pete Pride through this Friday. In a social media video<\/a> encouraging donations, he said the first Pride he ever attended was St. Pete Pride in 2023, and he doesn\u2019t want the most recent event to be the last one.<\/p>\n

Related: Ron DeSantis signs law that could strip Florida of Pride celebrations<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNow I work three jobs, and I work hard for every single dollar that I make,\u201d Simon said in his video. \u201cI’m giving back to this community as aggressively as I can because I believe in the power of this organization, the importance of community and sharing joy, and also because I know this organization spends every dollar it gets judiciously, with Pride costing less than $5 per attendee. If you care about pride, take a stand. In life, you never want to utter the words \u2018I should have.\u2019 These events cannot be taken for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simon told The Advocate he is disappointed by corporate sponsors\u2019 retreat. \u201cAs we have seen, politics swing year by year,\u201d he said. \u201cGreat companies and brands are built by sticking to principles and not chasing each cycle\u2019s swing.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he said individuals can help offset the decline in corporate support.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor individuals, now is an especially important time to give. The reality is that many sponsors have backed away given the environment, and this is an opportunity for the community to stand up for itself,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to stand strong to hold our ground and make up for shortfalls elsewhere. Being a part of a community means working together and even sacrificing a bit for one another. I\u2019ve seen firsthand how powerful this community can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brock said politicians have complicated the funding landscape for Pride.<\/p>\n

Related: Florida Republicans pass bill empowering Ron DeSantis to oust local officials who support LGBTQ+ Pride<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe increasingly hostile anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric coming out of Washington, D.C., and Tallahassee has created an environment where businesses are becoming hesitant to publicly support our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Brock also pointed to a Florida law<\/a> signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis targeting local government diversity initiatives, saying public funding for St. Pete Pride has dried up. That legislation allows individuals to sue local governments that spend public dollars on diversity, equity, or inclusion programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI view SB 1134 as a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community and the progress we\u2019ve spent decades fighting for. By restricting how local governments can support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, Florida is creating barriers to the very partnerships that help make communities like ours welcoming and inclusive. Even beyond the law\u2019s specific restrictions, the message it sends is deeply concerning. It creates fear and uncertainty around supporting LGBTQ+ organizations, and that chilling effect is exactly what we\u2019re experiencing,\u201d Brock said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe LGBTQ+ community represents a significant consumer base, and we\u2019re paying attention to which businesses stand alongside us, especially when doing so isn\u2019t politically convenient. Allyship means more when it requires courage.\u201d<\/p>\n