St Pete Pride Guide – 2023

Celebrate Pride with art on the side. The Dalí Museum congratulates St. Pete Pride on 20 years of success.

Advanced timed tickets at TheDali.org

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Letter from THE PRESIDENT

Hello, St. Pete!

Pride Season is upon us once again, and despite a hostile legislative climate, here we are, uniting to celebrate equality, dignity, and love. We do so on the shoulders of so many who have fought for freedom and justice before us.

In 2022, we celebrated our 20th anniversary with St. Pete's biggest Pride ever. Your Pride is now not only one of the ten largest in the country, but it's one of the most important. Florida is under an international spotlight, and showcasing the resilience and collective energy of St Pete Pride is more necessary than ever. Our Pride celebrations have always been hugely influential locally, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and new residents each year who are drawn to the city’s progressive values. This year, our Pride will serve to show the world that our community cannot and will not be silenced nor forced back into closets.

This year, we celebrate while grappling with laws that aggressively target the LGBTQ+ community and with rhetoric that is recklessly endangering human lives for political ambition. The chilling effect of recent legislation has taken hold with alarming speed. We've lost corporate sponsorships from longtime supporters who are suddenly scared of the potential ramifications of supporting an organization like ours. And yet, we know that drag performers aren't what's threatening our kids and families. We know that trumped-up culture wars and fanning the flames of division are diversionary tactics designed to turn us against each other. Politicizing everything, including our existence, keeps We the People from solving real problems that truly affect us all. Are pronoun choices and gender-fluid kids really so menacing? No. Vilifying Trans people is just an easy (and dangerous, and morally repugnant) way to mobilize a base. Meanwhile, Trans youth are increasingly likely to be bullied or die from suicide.

On days like today, I lean on the wisdom of others to keep me optimistic and energized. When I take my kids to St. Pete Pier and see Janet Echelman's Bending Arc sculpture, I'm reminded of the words by Dr. Martin Luther King that inspired it: "We shall overcome, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I find comfort in the assurance that progress doesn't always happen in a straight line, as we wish that it would, but with persistence and resilience, we will always push forward. In 2023, it’s more important than ever that the large umbrella that is St Pete Pride holds fast, and as long as we're demanding and working for a better future, we know we'll get there.

Because you can't stop progress, and you can't stop Pride.

As a parent and as a member of this organization, I feel responsible for the freedom, well-being, and safety of so many people. Your St Pete Pride Board and its enormous army of volunteers work their tails off to ensure that at least once a year, EVERYONE feels welcome, at home, and celebrated. It's a colossal task, but there's healing in the effort, and seeing

hundreds of thousands of you come out smiling and celebrating makes the hours, the worry, and the stress worth it.

This is my last hurrah as Board President of St Pete Pride, and I’m deeply grateful for the experience and the friendships that have come from it. I’m humbled to have worked with such a passionate, motivated, and selfless team made up almost entirely of volunteers.

I know that a lot of us are frustrated, angry, and scared. It helps me, too, to remember this, from Coretta Scott King: "Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation." So keep your heads up, friends. Be proud. And keep fighting the good fight because backing down isn't an option.

Onwards and upwards, St. Pete. Let’s make this the happiest, most united Pride season this City has ever seen.

Tiffany Freisberg Board President • St Pete Pride

Letter from Executive Director

One year ago on June 1st, I stood at City Hall to raise the Pride flag for the first time as the Executive Director of St Pete Pride. I was excited and full of hope for the season.

While that sentiment still remains, I cannot welcome the 2023 Pride season without acknowledging the challenges that it brings. This year the LGBTQIA+ community, my community, has faced countless, cowardly attacks in an attempt to silence our voices, restrict our rights, and erase our presence. Well, I hate to break it to those who think our community does not belong in Florida, but you can’t cancel Pride. The LGBTQIA+ community is here, is freaking fabulous, and we are not going anywhere. To quote St. Petersburg’s Mayor Welch, “We are St Pete and the ‘we’ means all of us “. As an organization, the commitment of the City of St Petersburg to inclusivity and the St Pete Pride celebration is something to take pride in.

People don’t always realize how important Pride is or why it matters so much. It’s so much more than just an event or another festival. It is both the best party ever and so much more than just a party. I remember my first Pride and how it felt to look up and be surrounded by people who were like me. To feel normal, to feel accepted, to feel amongst family and to feel like for the first time ever I could be exactly who I was. That is an experience that St Pete Pride and the City of St. Petersburg hopes to provide for every single LGBTQIA+ person in and around the Tampa Bay area. No matter what the outside world is telling you, you are beautiful, you belong, you belong with us, not only in June but all year long. St Pete Pride will continue to work alongside a collection of outstanding community partners to ensure that the visibility afforded to us during Pride month lasts long after the glitter is swept off the parade route. We will fight with and for you for Trans Rights, for Black Lives, for your safety and your authenticity in Florida and beyond.

2023 is St Pete Pride’s 21st first season and is arguably one of the most important. This year we are asking you, the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies, to show up, stand up, and celebrate with us. We are endlessly grateful to our trans and drag communities and will continue to support them through our event programming and engagement with advocacy and activist groups. The Pride movement began on the backs of Black and Brown Trans women and they continue to lead the fight for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Without them there would be no Pride, and St Pete Pride will not leave them behind. At St Pete Pride we celebrate Trans Joy, Black Joy, Queer Joy, and the collective experiences of our community. The LGBTQIA+ community is a vibrant and incredible reminder that we are all worthy of love, a full life, and a long one at that.

Without question, St Pete Pride knows that Trans Rights are Human Rights, Black Lives and Black History Matters,

all people deserve the right to full bodily autonomy and to make healthcare decisions that best suit them, Drag is Art and is Not A Crime, that young people deserve to share their individual experiences and learn about others, that we should be able to live our lives authentically without government intervention, and that being queer is, quite possibly, the coolest thing you can be.

Creating St Pete Pride events is a labor of love that our team puts its blood, sweat, and tears into. We are not going to back down, be quiet, or be shoved back into the closet. St Pete Pride looks forward to celebrating Pride with each and every one of you. If you’re at any of our events and see me looking frazzled or typing frantically on my phone, please say hi, share your Pride experience, and know YOU are what makes everything we do worth it.

In Pride, Nicole Berman Executive Director • St Pete Pride

MEET THE TEAM

Tiffany Freisberg She/Her PRESIDENT

Tiffany is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of LionMaus Media, a creative advertising and social agency with Pride-supporting clients like Tampa General Hospital and Riverside Recovery. Originally from London, England, Tiffany moved to St. Pete during Pride 2019 with her wife and three daughters. Tiffany has a B.A. in Literature and a Masters in Shakespeare from University College London.

Nicole Berman She/They

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nicole recently moved to St. Pete to join the Pride team. Their background is in non-profit administration, behavioral health, and hospitality management. She enjoys being outdoors, random adventures, good tequila and better food. Nicole, partner Cait, and their pup PJ are incredibly excited to be a part of the St Pete Pride team and the St. Petersburg community.

Molly Robison She/Her BOARD MEMBER

A Colorado transplant, I moved to FL 3 years ago to escape the cold and snow! I love our St. Pete community and the wonderful, diverse people who make it special. I joined the St Pete Pride team as a volunteer in 2019 and joined the Board in the Fall of 2020. Delighted to be helping celebrate SPP’s 20th Anniversary!

Stanley

Solomons He/Him/His

TREASURER

Served on Pride Board since 2008 as Co-Chair, VP, President, Secretary and Treasurer. Former financial analyst with Credit Suisse. Attended St. Pete High School and happy to give back to the community upon my return to St Pete.

Fernando Chonqui He/Him SECRETARY

Originally from Ecuador, Fernando has been calling St. Pete home since 2019, (though he fell in love with the city back in 2012.) Fernando worked for St Pete

Pride in 2019 as the Development Director and is thrilled to be back on the Board giving back to the community and advocating to continue making St Pete Pride a more inclusive organization and celebration. Fernando’s also a Contemporary Dancer with local St. Pete dance company, ProjectAlchemy Dance

DArius Lightsey He/Him/His BOARD MEMBER

Darius C. Lightsey is a native of Winter Haven, FL who has called St. Petersburg home since 2018. Darius is a proud graduate of Florida State University and has worked in the area of Mental Health/Public Health for over 10 years.

Darius relocated to St. Pete. from Tallahassee, FL to work as the HIV/AIDS Program Manager for the Florida Department of Health-Pinellas leading the effort to reduce new incidences of HIV acquisition in an 8 county service delivery area.

Clifford Hobbs III He/Him/His BOARD MEMBER

Clifford Hobbs III is a native of Des Moines, Iowa who moved to St. Petersburg 9 years ago by way of Atlanta, GA where he lived for 8 years. Clifford is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and has worked as a Chef, Server and Bartender in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. Clifford enjoys serving his community in a plethora of different ways and was once a candidate for St. Pete City Council back in 2021. Clifford lives with his partner Patrick along with their 3 fur babies: Jackson, Bella and Sunny.

Carey Mears She/Her BOARD MEMBER

Carey is originally from Columbia, South Carolina and moved to St. Petersburg in 2013. She received her B.A. in English with Emphasis in Creative Writing from Presbyterian College and currently works as an Underwriting Supervisor for a super regional property & casualty insurance company. She joined the St Pete Pride Board in 2021 and is excited to help usher the organization into its 20th anniversary year and beyond.

Gabe

Alves-Tomko He/Him BOARD MEMBER

Gabe was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of South Florida and has

TEAM

found his life passion in real estate, where he takes pride in helping each and every client achieve all their real estate needs and dreams. Gabe and his husband Aron Tomko live in Gulfport. His strong involvement in the community and the length of time he has lived in the Tampa Bay Area has allowed Gabe to build a valuable network of friendships.

Stephanie Morge She/Her VICE PRESIDENT

A born and raised Floridian, Stephanie relocated to the Tampa Bay area in 2002 and graduated from USF Tampa with a degree in Finance. She currently leads Power Design Inc’s Learning & Development dept and serves on their DEI committee. Stephanie has also volunteered her time to Habitat for Humanity, SPCA Tampa Bay, USF’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP), and Empath Partners in Care (EPIC). Most recently, she joined the board for CASA Pinellas and St Pete Pride.

Byron Green He/Him BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Byron Green is a successful coach, business owner, consultant, and public speaker. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University. His educational and research background centers in the intersection of Adult Education and D.E.I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). His experience as a Non-Profit Sr. DEI professional, corporate trainer, and peer-reviewed researcher led him to become an advocate for equity in all spaces.

Immani Brown

aka Immani Love

She/Her BOARD MEMBER

Author, Erotic Poet, Performer, Freelance Writer and Goddess of LOVE, Immani Love was born in Philadelphia, PA and is currently making her home in St. Petersburg, Florida. She performs her Erotic Poetry and Short stories regularly throughout the US, UK, Europe, and Australia upon booking. She was a regular radio personality on a weekly LGBT radio show and has toured around the world performing at several venues, festivals and giving seminars. Named 2013 Erotic Poet of the Year.

Kyle Williams He/Him BOARD MEMBER

Dr. Kyle Williams, DAOM, is an acupuncture physician. He and his husband moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in February of 2022. He volunteered for the 2022 Pride season and fell in love with the organization. Kyle enjoys learning, reading, and living an active lifestyle.

Kara Wright She/Her OFFICE MANAGER

Kara Wright made her way to St. Petersburg, FL by way of Washington D.C. in 2019 and joined St Pete Pride in 2021. Kara loves helping and being a part of the SPP community. She has her B.S. in Business Management and also owns a Photography business since 2013.

Mickey Collins She/They VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Mickey grew up in the Florida panhandle and has moved further south in the state after graduating from the University of Florida in 2020. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, going to concerts, and hunting for a great burrito. They’ve been volunteering with St Pete Pride since 2021 and are excited to continue to serve the local community as the volunteer administrator.

Duncan

Kennedy He/Him VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Scottish guy semi-retired, avid picklballer, Dink anyone? Words I live by: this is not a dress rehearsal.

Marc Retzlaff He/Him BOARD MEMBER

Marc Retzlaff is a proud SPP Board of Directors member who believes in the mission of Pride and the events supported as a means to help give voices who might otherwise be silenced a chance to be heard in chorus with others as we celebrate all the diverse richness and our community. Marc has previously served as both Committee member and Committee Chair for Equality Florida Tampa Gala and Pride & Passion, the Tampa Museum of Art’s signature LGBTQ+ annual fundraising event. Marc comes to us from Tampa where he lives with his husband of 6 years, Don.

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February 28, 2024

In the wake of the current political climate in Florida, it's critical that we acknowledge, embrace, and bring to the forefront the deep diversity within our community. Despite Pride being born from a riot spearheaded by Black and Brown trans women, we have watched those very communities become increasingly excluded from the visual narrative of Pride celebrations. With violence against the trans community on the rise, it is imperative that Pride recommit to creating safe and equitable spaces that lift every person represented by the Pride flag!

In our twenty years of existence, St Pete Pride has worked hard to be inclusive, our umbrella ever more expansive. But we also recognize our shortcomings in that pursuit. Moving forward, we will refocus our efforts to bring more voices to the table, reimagining how we celebrate pride, and truly honoring the rich diversity that makes our community great.

As a result, and in response to requests from within our community, the annual Miss St Pete Pride pageant has been reimagined. In celebration of our city’s rich diversity, St Pete Pride is proud to introduce the Mx St Pete Pride Pageant. The 2023 Mx St Pete Pride Pageant will take place on April 30, 2023, and will be open to all contestants, regardless of gender.

St Pete Pride is excited to celebrate the incredible talent of our local LGBTQ2SIA+ community, and we look forward to honoring their artistry and beauty. We look forward to you joining us!

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Altar girls

By Josh Bradley

The world’s changed dramatically since the members of diverse, all-female alt-rock trio Meet Me At The Altar (stylized “Meet Me @ The Altar”) made their first Tampa Bay appearance at Ybor City’s dearly departed Blue Note in December 2019.

Only months later, neon-hair-braided lead singer Edith Victoria, Orlando-based guitarist Téa Campbell, and YouTube drummer Ada Juarez—all having come together from different states, thanks to the power of social media—quarantined together in Davenport, two miles northeast of St. Petersburg where the band is on the slate of performers for Pride.

The girls aren’t roomies anymore, but things only picked up from when they were. The band signed to Fueled By Ramen (home to Fall Out Boy and A Day To Remember), opened for Twenty One Pilots and Knuckle Puck, and earlier this year, released a debut album, Past // Present // Future, which largely takes on Internet haters and female empowerment.

And even before they made it big, Edith, Téa, and Ada wanted to make it blatantly clear that they love, respect, and honor everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. While Victoria is a major ally to say the least, Campbell and Juarez are both members of the community, and have totally different stories about coming out for the first time.

“I came out when I was 14 years old,” Campbell said during a phone call on the way to a Maryland gig. “I was out at school, and I had myself a little girlfriend.”

Of course, when Valentine’s Day rolled around, Campbell wanted to get her love interest a gift, but because her parents would have to give her money and drive her to the store, she was nervous about telling them the truth. “I knew that they were accepting, but it was just really nerve-wracking,” she added.

Luckily, when Campbell told her dad, he was indeed accepting, but also not at all surprised.

As for Juarez, she always knew that she was into girls, but tried to convince herself that she also liked guys. It didn’t work, and when she was 13 years old, her mom was driving her home from school, when they saw a female couple walking together and holding hands.

“My mom made a comment at that moment, and I told her that I was gay. Her response…it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good,” Juarez recalled. As the years passed, though, her parents both warmed up to the idea.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

“They came around, and it was just like, a learning experience,” she added. “Especially growing up in New Jersey, where everything is pretty liberal, and I had no problem coming out to any of my friends or really, anyone else.”

It makes sense that in the years to follow—mainly the postCOVID ones—Meet Me @ The Altar has been a common name at select Pride celebrations across the country. Needless to say, St. Pete Pride—which goes down at Vinoy Park on June 24—won’t be their first rodeo, but Campbell and Juarez fondly remember theirs.

Juarez attended her first Pride event—New York Pride—with her friends at the age of 18.

“Honestly, best day of my life,” she laughed. “The city was ours. It was that type of feeling: You were in New York City, and there were so many gay people around. Oh, and me and my friends had skateboards. We were just skating around following the parade, and meeting random people.” Ada would later add how cool literally everyone was. Let’s be real: The more LGBTQ+

friendly an event is, the less hostile the environment is. As for Campbell, she attended the 2017 iteration of Orlando Pride (no, not the women’s soccer team, you dope), and had the exact same sentiments.

“That was the first time that I got to see just the large amount of support for the community, and so many people unafraid to be themselves,” she recalled. “Especially because I was so young, I think that helped me feel a lot more comfortable with my sexuality.”

They don’t necessarily aim to have any songs become Pride-specific anthems (per Victoria, “The voice of the band doesn’t really relate to that”), but they never use specific pronouns in their songs about relationships. “I feel like that’s really powerful, in the sense that people can relate to it no matter what. They can put their own experiences into the song so they can think about the person that they like,” she added.

Meet Me @ The Altar formed after Campbell came across a drum cover of “Holding Onto You” by Twenty One Pilots on Juarez’s YouTube channel. Campbell reached out to the drummer—who had previously appeared in a lost-to-the-ages Kellogg’s advert for female empowerment—and the two started talking, eventually deciding to start a virtual band. But there was still a missing piece: A vocalist.

“You know how YouTube recommends videos like, randomly?” Edith asked. As it turned out, Juarez released a video announcing that her new band needed a singer, and while Edith auditioned, she initially ended up being beaten out by someone who turned out to not be the best fit. “I always say that you can’t be rude and bad at your job, but [the original singer] was both, so it didn’t really work,” Victoria explained.

In the end, following a few months of nagging Campbell via text, Victoria was given a chance to sing for the band on a cover, and the rest is history.

Half a decade later, the band was at last year’s mega When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, which the girls previously admitted to thinking of as a scam upon first finding out about it. Their hero, Hayley Williams—who they FaceTimed once in 2020—even sent them a note ahead of Paramore’s first set.

By the time Meet Me @ The Altar calls it quits much later this century, they hope to change the “gatekeepingness” of rock as a whole. “For the longest time, there were just certain rules that you had to follow that we just don’t anymore,” Campbell explained.

“We’re the type of people who were influenced by so many different genres, that if we were to just stick with specifically poppunk or something, we’d just be crazy to do the same thing over and over. We need people to be pushing the genre and adding their element and just like, making it their own, because that’s the whole point of making music: To put your own personal spin on it.”

In short, by the end of the century, rock will hopefully hold up the way Pride does, in that all influences will be welcome.

JONATHAN WEINER

PURCHASE 2023 2024

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Events, days, times, performers and prices

THE SOUND OF PRIDE: HEADLINER ENTERTAINMENT

By Josh Bradley

Meet Me @ The Altar is just the tip of the spear when it comes to St. Pete Pride’s stacked entertainment calendar, and other big names on the bill include Idina Menzel, Carson Kressley, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, Ts Madison and more. Get to know them below.

Idina Menzel

The Disney legend hasn’t really toured since a 2018 run of arena shows with Josh Groban. It’s been six years since she’s been to town, but she did—probably unintentionally—make up for eventual lost time two years in advance. In 2015, a few months after a Ruth Eckerd Hall gig where she mainly leaned on showtunes, she headed to Raymond James Stadium dressed as Elsa from “Frozen” to join Taylor Swift—dressed in an Olaf costume—for a duet of, you guessed it, “Let it Go.” Undoubtedly her most iconic three minutes and 45 seconds were adopted as an LGBTQ+ anthem almost immediately after the Academy Award winning film emerged, a year and a half before the Supreme Court even declared gay marriage legal in the United States. In June, Menzel—who recently starred in the Disney+ exclusive feature film, “Disenchanted”—will be

spending her weekends at a handful of Pride celebrations across the country, including a St Pete Pride Eve stop at Jannus Live. Later this year, she will release her seventh studio record, Drama Queen, a dance album described as a love letter to the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as a children’s book, set for release in September.

Carson Kressley

Before winning Emmys and becoming a regular judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Carson Kressley was an independent fashionista, previously raised next door to his grandparents’ horse farm outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Eventually, he began working the golf department for Ralph Lauren, and even worked his way up the ranks after meeting the billionaire fashion designer in an elevator by accident. Once the 21st century dawned, Kressley—along with four other gay professionals—was picked up by Bravo for the resident fashion expert on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” The 100-episode series won Emmy Awards in 2004 and 2005, and while Kressley is not involved in the Netflix reboot, he’s keeping plenty busy weaving what he learned

COURTESY WARNER BROS RECORDS

at Ralph Lauren and beyond into television appearances. Since 2015, he has judged a Miss Universe pageant, “Beat Bobby Flay,” and most significantly, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” where he has held a recurring seat since 2015. Unfortunately, Kressley tested positive for COVID-19 in the middle of filming the most recent 15th season, which is why he was gone for the majority of it. Luckily, he’s all rested up, and set to return to host St Pete Pride’s Queer-E-Okee at the Palladium for the second year in a row.

Malaysia Babydoll Foxx

Malaysia Babydoll Foxx is a Miami-based drag queen and hairstylist. Her biggest break came as a contestant on the 15th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which started last January as the show’s first time running on MTV, rather than VH1. Foxx, the first “Drag Race” contestant to be based in Miami, had a successful 10-episode run before being eliminated due to losing the lip sync battle to Salina EsTitties over “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” by Beyonce. It wasn’t entirely over for Foxx, though. During the season finale, she was crowned Miss Congeniality by her former fellow contestants. Oddly enough, she was directly judged by Carson Kressley—who hosts Queer-E-Okee a week after Foxx’s St. Pete Pride appearance at Vinoy Park—this year. In the few episodes he was present for, she portrayed rapper Saucy Santana during the celebrity impersonation game, “exchanged flatulence for canned joy” in episode seven, and created a “Crystallized Elaganza Ball” for the show’s milestone 200th episode, created in her work room. Before “Drag Race,” Foxx was previously a hairdresser for Miami-based rappers such as Trina and Yung Miami.

Ts Madison

Earlier in the decade, Ts Madison made history by becoming the first Black trans person to have a reality show. “Ts Madison Experience” centered around the struggles of getting used to major fame, and was only around for six episodes. And last year’s “Turnt Out with Ts Madison” was a spoof of “Saturday Night Live” that was fairly well-received, but there’s no word about whether or not a third season will ever emerge. The good news is that Madison is not completely out of luck, because after a few years of guest judging—and even being impersonated—on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” she officially joined the group of permanent rotating judges starting with the 15th season. Before devoting everything to “Drag Race,” Madison recorded music with the likes of Todrick Hall and Ellis Miah, and appeared in films such as “Zola”—a black comedy which largely takes place, and was filmed, in Tampa Bay—and “Bros,” one of the first gay romantic comedies by a major studio, and yet another source of glass ceiling breaking in Madison’s life. She hosts the free Shades of

Pride Festival—a Juneteenth celebration—at The Factory on June 17, and promises to showcase the “Art and Qulture of our Black and Brown LGBTQ+ siblings.”

MALAYSIA BABYDOLL FOXX

From wildlife and wild rides to Tampa’s island paradise, your next adventure is here.

COME TOGETHER: NONPROFIT HIGHLIGHT

Let’s all come together this Pride season and support the transgender, non-binary and two spirit youth in our community!

The FitzLane Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered out of the Greater Tampa Bay, Florida area that provides fully funded LGBTQIA2S+ mental health sessions to underprivileged transgender, nonbinary and two spirit youth across Florida!

We have partnered with more than 50 mental health providers across the state of Florida who specialize in helping transgender youth to provide free therapy to those most in need! In only 1.5 years, we have provided more than 500 therapy sessions with another 200 pending!

Join us in supporting our transgender, nonbinary and two spirit youth of Florida obtain the care they deserve! Learn more at www.thefItzlaneproject.com or follow us on social media @ TheFitzLaneProject.

Stay strong & Happy Pride! 48 stpetepride.org

ST PETE PRIDE

LGBTQ+ siblings. Join us to learn more about the deep impact of Black and Brown qulture on the LGBTQ+ community as a whole and its deep roots in the evolution of Pride. The Shades of Pride Festival, with special guest TS Madison, will host the King Jives Show Live, Ballroom Extravaganza with host Yummy, BlaqueOUT Magazine writer Javannah Davis interview with TS Madison, Poetry Slam with the Blunt Space, Legendary Trans Panel, and the Pride Afterdark Party. This event purposefully centers the voices of the Black and Brown LGBTQ+ community by uplifting their experiences through collaboration, local entertainment, and vendors from within the community. This is an 18+ event.

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Presented by Metro Inclusive Health

FRI. 6/2/2023 • 7-10PM • FREE

Location: 22nd & 23rd Blocks of Central Avenue

This key Pride event will bring hundreds of attendees together to celebrate the start of Pride season. The 2023 Kickoff Party will be getting a face-lift, returning to St. Petersburg, celebrating what makes being a part of the LGBTQ+ community in this city great! Attendees will enjoy a DJ, entertainment, and cocktails from within the local community.

LGBTQ+ YOUTH & FAMILY DAY

SAT. 6/10/2023 • 10AM-2PM • FREE

Location: St. Pete Waterfront Downtown, 400 Bayshore Dr. NE

This joy-filled event will bring thousands of LGBTQ+ youth, queer families and allies to North Straub Park for this one-of-a-kind Pride event. Last year’s event was a remarkable reflection of St. Pete’s diverse and open-minded community, with many of the attendees being ally families. Guests will enjoy family-focused activities, vendors, and main stage performances.

GET NUDE: DRIPPIN’ IN MELANIN

SAT. 6/10/2023 • 9PM-1AM • $15

Location: Savant on Second, 634 2nd Ave. S

If you missed last year's TBBL GET NUDE party, you DEFINITELY don't want to miss this year. Join us at Savant on Second from 9pm-1am for a room full of the most beautiful, flyest Black Queer Women in all of Florida dressed in their grown & sexy shades of melanin.

SHADES OF PRIDE

SAT. 6/17/2023 • 6PM-2AM • FREE

Location: The Factory, 2622 Fairfield Ave. S

Shades of Pride Festival will celebrate the history of Juneteenth while showcasing the Art and Qulture of our Black and Brown

The iconic Stonewall Reception will allow us to honor those brave individuals who have fought for the recognition of civil rights and given hope to so many. Join us and gain inspiration from members of the LGBTQ+ community who will continue fighting for a better tomorrow. Share light bites, drinks, and entertainment with powerful luminaries including St Pete Pride sponsors, community partners, and government officials as we celebrate our progress in the beautiful James Museum and give credit to those who have made LGBTQ+ Pride possible. This is a ticketed event.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT

Presented by the Aids Health Foundation

FRI. 6/23/2023 • 6-10PM • $35

Location: Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave. N

The Friday Night Concert is back and bigger than ever! This year’s concert will be ticketed and feature high-profile national artists paired with the region’s top LGBTQ+ artists.

EVENTS

ST PETE PRIDE TRANSMARCH, PARADE AND FESTIVAL presented

by Visit St Pete Clearwater

SAT 6/24/2023 • 2-10PM • FREE

Location: St. Pete Waterfront Downtown, 400 Bayshore Dr. NE

The parade marches again! One of the country’s largest pride parades will bring tens of thousands of marchers and attendees to the St. Pete waterfront to celebrate our community. The largest of St Pete Pride’s signature events, the parade brings together members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to enjoy the parade at a large-scale event. National musical artists will anchor a dynamic mainstage lineup that also features Florida’s most-beloved LGBTQ+ talent. Along with music, attendees will enjoy food, drink, and interaction with hundreds of participating vendors and organizations.

TRANSTASTIC

presented by The Fitzlane Project

WED 6/28/2023 • 6-9PM • $TBD

Location: The Museum Of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE

Join us as we celebrate Tampa Bay’s Trans and Non-Binary community. A welcoming evening showcasing a variety of talent, artistry, and more from our community. Guests will meander through both indoor and outdoor spaces enjoying appetizers and a cash bar.

QUEER-E-OKEE

FRI 6/30/2023 • 7PM • $20-75

Location: The Palladium (Hough Hall), 253 5th Ave. N

‘PRIDE IN GRAND CENTRAL’ presented by CAN Community Health

SUN 6/25/2023 • 11AM-5PM • FREE

Street Carnival Location: Grant Central District

– The area of Central Ave between 28th St. and 20th St. St Pete Pride’s popular Sunday Street Festival will be reimagined as a carnival, bringing tens of thousands of all ages to the Grand Central District to enjoy block after block of entertainment, vendors, food, and community partners. With multiple performance stages, roaming street performers, and hundreds of participating businesses and organizations, there will be something for everyone!

Join us for the best big gay sing -a-long in town. Celebrity host Carson Kressley will introduce a roster of local queer musicians who will perform some of the LGBTQIA+ community’s most-beloved songs while the audience sings along with the help of karaoke-style lyrics projected onto a large screen. This will be an unforgettable evening!

VOLUNTEER!

Our volunteers are an integral part of St Pete Pride (SPP). An executive board of volunteers with our Executive Director, Nicole Berman, leads St Pete Pride. Volunteers staff every event. In 2023, we will have three volunteers dedicated to supporting and coordinating our volunteers. I am the Director of Volunteer Management, Duncan Kennedy is the Volunteer Coordinator, and Mickey Collins is the Volunteer Administrator. We pride ourselves on communicating, supporting, and informing our volunteers. We want everyone to feel supported and, most importantly, have a great time.

How to Volunteer

Eventeny is the event platform we use for volunteer management. The platform lists all Pride season events, shifts, and volunteer roles. We have over ten events in June. The primary source of our programming comes from our Tampa Bay community engagement. Our organization finances the events through donations and grants. The events range in experiences and venues. The roles vary based on the event but may involve checking people in, selling merchandise, setting up and breaking down, vendor coordinating, and many more. Our most significant need for setting up and breaking down volunteers is typically on Parade and Street Carnival Day. You can sign up on stpetepride.org.

Thank you!

If you volunteer or have volunteered, we are grateful! Our organization wouldn’t exist without your support. We give back to our volunteers by providing a t-shirt, access to whatever event they are volunteering at, snacks, water, a post-pride volunteer event, volunteer mixers, and many other ways! We love getting to know our SPP community. Thank you for supporting SPP and our St. Pete community.

I look forward to seeing you this Pride season, whether it is volunteering or attending one of the many events!

Dr. Kyle Williams, DAOM Director of Volunteer Management

Joyful

If we strive to make each moment more every step in the journey can be truly meaningful.

Empath Health is here. Here for expert care. Here for exceptional support. Here for you, for your family, for the community.

ONLY PARADISE WILL DO.

KNOW YOUR

LGBTQ/Gay

The iconic rainbow pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker for the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebration. He wanted the flag to be a symbol of hope and liberation, and an alternative to the symbolism of the pink triangle. In the original eight-color version, pink stood for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.

Agender

The agender pride flag, created by Salem X in 2014, has seven horizontal stripes. The black and white stripes represent an absence of gender, the gray represents semi-genderlessness, and the central green stripe represents nonbinary genders.

Aromantic

The aromantic pride flag consists of five horizontal stripes: green, light green, white, gray, and black. In this order, the stripes represent aromanticism, the aromantic spectrum, aesthetic attraction, gray-aromantic and demiromantic people, and the sexuality spectrum.

Bisexual

The bisexual pride flag, designed by Michael Page, was first unveiled on December 5, 1998. Its aim was to represent and increase visibility of bisexuals in the LGBT community and society as a whole. This rectangular flag consists of a broad magenta stripe at the top, a broad blue stripe at the bottom, and a narrower, deep lavender band occupying the central fifth. Page stated, “The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian). The blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight) and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi).”

Asexual

The asexual pride flag was created in 2010 by an Asexual Visibility and Education Network user. It consists of four horizontal stripes; the black stripe represents asexuality, the gray stripe represents gray-asexuals and demisexuals, the white stripe represents allies, and the purple stripe represents community.

Demisexual

The term demisexuality was coined in 2008 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network. The prefix “demi” is derived from the Latin term dimidium meaning “divided in half.” The term demisexual refers to being halfway between sexual and asexual. A demisexual person is someone who can only experience sexual attraction or desire after an emotional bond has been formed. In the demisexual flag, the black chevron represents asexuality, gray represents gray asexuality and demisexuality, white represents sexuality, and purple represents community.

Genderfluid

JJ Poole created the genderfluid pride flag in 2012. It has five horizontal stripes: pink for femininity, blue for masculinity, purple for both masculinity and femininity, black for lack of gender, and white for all genders.

Genderqueer

Marilyn Roxie, a genderqueer writer and advocate, created the genderqueer pride flag in 2011. The lavender stripe is a mix of blue and pink—colors traditionally associated with men and women—and represents androgyny as well as queer identities. The white stripe, like in the transgender pride flag, represent agender or gender-neutral identities. The chartreuse stripe is the inverse of lavender and represents third gender identities and identities outside the gender binary.

FLAGS

Intersex

The intersex flag was created in July 2013 by Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia. Interex people do not exhibit all the biological characteristics of male or female, or they exhibit a combination of male and female characteristics, at birth. The purple circle symbolizes wholeness and completeness and is a reference to the intersex community’s fight for bodily autonomy and integrity.

Lesbian (labrys design)

The labrys lesbian flag was created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, and published in June 2000 in the Palm Springs edition of the Gay and Lesbian Times Pride issue.The design involves a labrys, a type of double-headed axe, superimposed on the downward-pointing black triangle, set against a violet background. The labrys was associated with the mythological Amazons and was adopted as a symbol of empowerment by the lesbian feminist community in the 1970s. The black triangle is a reference to the downward-pointing black triangle lesbians were made to wear in Nazi Germany. The color violet is associated with lesbians due to the poetry of Sappho.

Lesbian

This version of the lesbian flag is a derivative of an earlier “lipstick lesbian” flag that had shades of pink with a red lipstick mark. It was introduced on Tumblr in 2018, with the color dark orange representing gender nonconformity, orange for independence, light orange for community, white for unique relationships to womanhood, pink for serenity and peace, dusty pink for love and sex, and dark rose for femininity.

Non-binary

Kye Rowan created the non-binary flag in 2014. Each stripe’s color represents a different type of non-binary identity: yellow for people who identify outside of the gender binary, white for non-binary people with multiple genders, purple for those with a mixture of both male and female genders, and black for agender individuals.

Pansexual

The pansexual pride flag was introduced in October 2010 in a Tumblr blog. It has three horizontal stripes: the pink represents attraction to women, the blue represents attraction to men, and the yellow represents attraction to everyone else, such as non-binary, agender, bigender, or genderfluid people.

Polysexual

The colors and design of the polysexual flag are based on the pansexual and bisexual pride flags, borrowing the pink and blue stripes and replacing the yellow and purple stripes with a single green stripe. Polysexuality is a self-identifying term that is somewhat amorphous. Polysexual identity is often related to gender identity and is used by some people who identify outside the gender binary. People who refer to themselves as polysexual may be attracted to third gender people, two-spirit people, genderqueer people, or people who are intersex. Polysexuality can be the exclusive attraction towards non-binary genders or sexes, or polysexual people l may be attracted to one or both binary genders or sexes.

Transgender

A transgender woman, Monica Helms, designed the transgender pride flag in 1999. The flag represents the transgender community and consists of five horizontal stripes: two light blue, two pink, with a white stripe in the center. Helms described the meaning of the flag as follows:

“The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives.”

Pride is more than just rainbows and parades

We walked into the doctor’s office and in the sterile atmosphere of white walls and blue medical beds with paper linings, I was surprised to see the PA walk into the room wearing a rainbow name badge. It was a normal medical ID badge but hers had a rainbow flag around her photo and name as well as her preferred pronouns, “she/her” and the word “Ally” on the bottom. I thought to myself, It’s a little early for the typical, “It’s Pride month so let’s capitalize on the Gays,” propaganda we have become so used to seeing. I watched as she cared for my sister, attentive, listening and responding, answering questions, and offering sound advice and reassurance. As she started to leave the room, I had to ask her, “Excuse me, does everyone wear those Pride name tags for June?” She was professional and respectful and politely responded, “No, I am a ‘Safe Place’ trained, LGBTQI Ally. There are 4 of us here in this office. We know it’s already difficult for a person to come seek medical help and it’s compounded when you don’t feel seen. We want to make sure every patient feels comfortable here.” I was shocked and impressed at the same time but the only thing that I felt more was gratefulness! I thanked her for that. I told her how much I appreciated her for being that person.

As we left the doctor’s office, I thought more about why I was so surprised. I had become so used to big corporations only supporting Pride in June. It’s not uncommon to see banks, grocery stores, gas stations, fast food restaurants, and especially large chain stores suddenly all have rainbow flags and claim to be “Proud supporters” of the LGBTQI community. At least for the month of June, then suddenly, come July, they are super patriotic and no sign of the rainbow anywhere, until the next year of course. It hadn’t crossed my mind that there were some who not only believed in supporting our community year-round but actually provided training on HOW to be supportive to us. There are websites like The Trevor Project and The Safe Zone Project that offer curriculum and tools to help individuals to be better educated on the correct terms to use, the proper use of pronouns, and other things that may seem small but mean a lot to a queer person that struggles to be recognized and acknowledged. It’s an unspoken challenge that thankfully is getting addressed more often these days but there’s still a long way to go, even within the LGBTQI community. I have to admit that even I have been guilty of assuming a pronoun or forgetting to simply ASK how someone prefers to be addressed. In those instances, I would advise anyone to be humble enough to first, apologize, then proceed to make a conscious effort to remember and use the correct identifier. It doesn’t take much effort on your part but means a lot. It’s a matter of respect.

We look forward to June and all of the festivities it brings. We invite you to join us. We want you to go to that Pride parade, buy that super cute rainbow outfit with matching shoes, get that fabulous rainbow makeup with as much glitter as you can stand! We love it! We want you to “come

out” and have a fantastic time celebrating with us. All that we ask is that you please remember that Pride was, and still is, a protest. It’s an opportunity to educate our families, friends, and loved ones. Although we don’t have to throw bricks through windows or get arrested for protesting anymore (we hope,) we are still fighting. We are fighting for fair legislation, fighting against discrimination in the workplace, and trying to protect our youth who are literally killing themselves to be seen. We want you to join us because we as a community need you… not only for all of the month of June but for every day after that. <steps down from soapbox and throws rainbow glitter in the air>

by Immani Love She/ Her • @immanilove

Say It Loud Say It Proud and Then Say It One More Time

The Britannica Dictionary defines pride as: a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people. When I was a kid, this type of belief was very important to my father. He taught me to be proud of who I was and I’ve never forgotten that lesson. Although we are in a time where some would like to tell me I shouldn’t have pride in being me, that being black and Trans is nothing to be proud of, I beg to differ. I cannot listen to the hate that would try to erase me from the world. Everyday I get out of bed with my chest out and my head up which is no small feat, but I do it. I do it even though this year has felt like a battle. A battle to be seen and a battle to be respected in a world that is not designed for me to be free. At every turn, it feels like I have been screaming from the top of my lungs, “I’m Here”!!!!

So many of us are here. Here during a time where King Social Media battles for the likes instead of real change. Doesn’t it mean we (the elders) must continue to contribute to the changing of the narrative? We are lacking in passing down the knowledge of the struggles and the successes. Historically, this is how we impressed upon our young people the richness of history and heritage. Our community is being attacked, our rights and liberties being stripped away, and our culture is being ignored. It is vital that we pass on to the youth that there was a time when living as your true self from our community was unheard of and that in order for us to not slide back into that closet, we must meet our adversaries in the very places that they don’t want us. We must be present in the voting booths, the judges’ benches, the political offices, and anywhere else where we can directly impact the change we want to see. To have a say in what happens to us we must be in places of power.

I can remember going to my first Pride event, filled with so much emotion to know that I wasn’t alone and I didn’t have to be afraid. Moments like that are the bricks that built my self confidence, connected me with lifelong friends, and ignited my activism. Can you believe it’s been 53 years since the Stonewall Riots? It feels like the road that was paved for us is looking rockier by the moment. This is why we need to keep standing. We need to keep showing up for those who will come behind us and let them know there is pride in our history.We should never stop sharing the history of the struggles, the successes, and the culture of community. We must handle the treasure correctly. We should be proud of who we are. Here’s to the next 53 years!

May we stand and be heard. May we be respected for who we are and if not may we have the courage to continue to demand our respect in every place and space that we occupy with PRIDE.

by E. L. Winston

St. Petersburg: The Sunshine City

By Rachel Covello at OutCoast.com

St. Petersburg, otherwise known as St. Pete or “The Burg” by locals, is one of Florida’s top destinations for fun, sun, culture, art, food, and sunshine. The City lives up to its nickname “The Sunshine City” most days, and for the rare day when the weather doesn’t cooperate, there are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy.

How Gay is St. Pete?

The Tampa Bay region, in general, is very LGBTQ-inclusive. But St. Pete takes the “rainbow cake” as the gayest side of the bay. St. Petersburg is home to a very large, and growing, LGBTQ community.

For LGBTQ locals, St. Pete offers a laid-back vibe with tons to do and several places to connect with other like-minded LGBTQ people. St. Pete has long been known for attracting gay and lesbian retirees, but there is a younger and more diverse crowd moving here daily, including a growing transgender and nonbinary population.

St. Pete Area Gayborhoods

St. Pete is home to numerous diverse neighborhoods and districts.

DOWNTOWN ST PETE

St. Pete’s downtown area is home to many LGBTQ people. Throughout the year, business owners proudly display pride flags and trans flags. It is here you can also find world-class museums, restaurants, a municipal airport, and ferry service to nearby Tampa.

CENTRAL AVENUE

Central Avenue spans the peninsula from the Bay on the east to the Gulf on the west. This retail and entertainment corridor includes dozens of restaurants, clubs, breweries, shops, and more. The two LGBTQ hubs on Central are the Grand Central District (31st Street to 16th Street) and the Edge District (16th Street to MLK/9th Street).

GULFPORT

Head southwest of St. Pete to the nearby charming and quirky town of Gulfport. Anything goes in this waterfront town where the motto is “If it’s too weird for Gulfport, it’s too weird.” Gulfport is an artsy enclave offering visitors a funky, beachy vibe. Gulfport is also home to an award-winning LGBTQ Resource Center and hosts its own pride celebration at the end of May.

St Pete Beaches

While the crystal sand St. Pete area beaches don’t specifically have a gayborhood, all are welcoming and inclusive. Still, one is worth mentioning. Pass-A-Grille, the southernmost tip of St. Pete Beach, is home to a growing LGBTQ population, especially for ladies! This beach even has a lesbian-owned boutique hotel. On a weekly basis, the ladies gather for Wine Down Wednesdays, beach yoga, and Friday shuffleboard.

RACHEL COVELLO

Where to stay in and around St. Pete

All of the listed lodgings in our Saint Pete Gay Travel Guide are LGBTQ friendly.

Bilmar Beach Resort

106500 Gulf Boulevard, Treasure Island

Choose from gulf-front rooms, or studio apartments – all feature comfy pillow-top beds and amenities. When it comes to activities, enjoy the private beach, try out various water sports, or go for a dip in one of the properties heated pools.

Coconut Inn

113 11th Avenue, Pass-A-Grille

This lesbian-owned boutique property offers 11 units, including studios, and one and two-bedroom options. Take a dip in the sparkling blue pool or stroll just 150 steps to the Gulf! Enjoy amenities like complimentary beach chairs, umbrellas, bicycles, beach towels, and more.

Sirata Beach Resort

5300 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach

Enjoy a variety of spacious and comfortable guest rooms facing the beautiful white sands and the Gulf of Mexico. At day’s end sip along with the Sunset Spirits Reception as you relax at Rum Runner’s Tiki Bar.

The Hollander Hotel

421 4th Avenue North, St. Petersburg

This charming vintage property, updated with all the modern comforts in the heart of downtown St. Pete, offers a variety of room types, including suites, and some with balconies overlooking the oasis-like swimming pool and sun deck.

The Avalon Hotel

443 4th Avenue North, St. Petersburg

Art Deco meets mid-century mod at the Hollander’s sister property. Comfort and style come together in this updated historic property. Avalon guests also enjoy all the amenities of the Hollander next door, including free parking and shuttle service around town.

Postcard Inn

6300 Gulf Boulevard, St Pete Beach, FL 33706

Choose from 196 modern rooms with creative beachy, vintage-inspired vibe artwork and comfort. Relax in the gardens or float in the largest heated pool on St. Pete Beach.

Gay St. Pete Guest House

4505 5th Avenue North, St. Petersburg

St. Pete’s only clothing-optional, dedicated gay bed and breakfast offers a casual tropical vibe in a central location.

FabStayz® Vacation Rentals fabstayz.com

This LGBTQ-friendly vacation rental service specializes in inclusive accommodations. All property hosts are members of the LGBTQ community or supportive allies.

Mint House St. Petersburg minthouse.com

You’ll be able to live like a local in a brand-new building devoted exclusively to Mint House studio apartment rentals in St. Petersburg’s trendy Edge District.

What to do in and around St. Pete

There is so much to do in St. Pete. Many of these businesses have hosted events for or support regional and statewide LGBTQ organizations.

ARTS AND CULTURE:

Morean Arts Center

Multiple locations throughout St. Petersburg

Morean Arts Center Main Building

719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg

Chihuly Collection

720 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg

Morean Center for Clay

420 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg

The Dali Museum

1 Dali Boulevard, St. Petersburg

The Imagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art

1901 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg

The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

150 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg

Museum of Fine Arts

255 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg

The Factory

2622 Fairfield Avenue South, St. Petersburg

Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum

2240 9th Avenue South, St. Petersburg

Dunedin Fine Art Center

1143 Michigan Boulevard, Dunedin

ENTERTAINMENT:

Cross Bay Ferry Service

Vinoy Basin 375 Bayshore Drive Northeast, St. Petersburg

Great Explorations Children’s Museum

1925 4th Street North, St. Petersburg

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

5223 Orient Road, Tampa

The Straz Center for the Performing Arts

1010 North WC Macinnes Place, Tampa

a poem for Pride as it gets cancelled in some Florida cities

We crawled from the ocean to get to this beach then argued over who can sit on its sand.

I mean, I may not know much about science but weren’t we all in the same primordial goo?

Didn’t we all adapt to land & language? I never learned those details. Southern Baptists

taught me God made humans & there’d be more moondust if science were true. Animals like me

went to hell for doing what we do. I tried to change. Pressed my ear to shell. Only heard you. A million years

passed: the storm is nothing new. At first, this poem thought it would trace Florida’s homophobia from the Johns Committee

in the 1950s to Anita Bryant’s campaign in the 70s to now. This poem thought it would make a political statement about history

& book bans & fascism & saying gay & voting & civil liberties & trans youth & safety concerns & healthcare & LGBTQ+ elders & the government & demanding change. This poem thought it would be political, but deep down it felt the thumpa thumpa music of a parade so it put on lipstick, eyelashes

a dress & a wig then shimmied into the sea of Pinellas Queens & Floridians who want to clean the red tide. This poem danced

all day. Got sweaty flirted & even consensually made out with another poem who understood its form.

Pride helped this poem realize we will withstand these waves & our joy is a resistance itself.

- Tyler Gillespie (2023)

Special thanks to all our partners, sponsors, supporters and friends:

Presenting Partner

VSPC

AHF

CAN Community Health

Salon Centric

City Of St Petersburg

ViiV Healthcare

The Fitzlane Project

Metro Inclusive Health

Volunteer Partner

Tampa General Hospital

Adult Beverage Partner

Absolut (Vodka)

Great Bay Distributors/Bud Light (Malt Beverage)

Malibu (Rum)

Hospitality Partner

Mint House St. Petersburg-Downtown

AC Hotel By Marriott St. Petersburg

OFFICIAL OFFICIAL

Broadcast Partner

10 Tampa Bay

Radio Partner

Cox Media Group

Transportation Partner

PSTA

Platinum Partner

Compass Cocktail

Love the Golden Rule

Gold Partner

Bloomin' Brands, Inc.

Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB

Tampa Bay Rays

Bayfront Health

Silver Partner

Empath Health

HCA Florida Healthcare

Suncoast Credit Union

Raymond James

Yoga Village

Zoie's

Citi Bank

GTE Financial

GE Aerospace

Truist

ATT

Bronze Partner

Atlas Body + Home

City of Largo

MÜV by Verano

Power Design

The Kraft Heinz Company

AAA

Busch Gardens

Dog Bar St. Pete

Duke

Jabil

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

Macys

PwC

Santander Consumer USA

Straz

Suffolk Construction

Tampa Bay Lightning

Transamerica

USF Federal Credit Untion

Gilead

BDO

Evara Health

First Unity

Justworks

NatuChips

Partner of Pride

A Little Hope LLC

Power Home Remodeling

The Mosaic Company

The Mott Law Firm

Berman's Botanicals

Catalent

Keys Tourism

Kroger Delivery

Motorola

The Mosaic Company

La Vien Blue

Community Partner

Bananas Records

Enstar Group

PDQ

Rad Power Bikes St Pete

Sanctuary Cannabis

Scent Fill

Sunshine Health

The Phoenix

WUSF Public Media

Climate First Bank

Elite DNA

Great Clips

Hage Fence & Repair

Qcare+

Tampa Airport

Supporter

Frisky Business

Salter, Healy, Rivera & Heptner

Edge District

Cider Press

In-Kind

Mother Kombucha

mixing proudly.

LET’S MAKE EVERY MOMENT A MASTERPIECE.

Discover a vibrant arts scene in St. Pete/Clearwater. With over 30 museums, 400 murals and multiple arts districts, inspiration is everywhere you look. Soak up the surrealism at the Salvador Dalí Museum, gaze at glass installations at the Chihuly Collection and support local makers at independent art galleries. Come for America’s Best Beaches, stay for the astounding Arts Coast.

Let’s shine—explore the arts at ArtsSPC.com