St. Pete doesn’t just throw a Pride parade. The city celebrates all of June with LGBTQ+ extravaganzas leading up to the rainbow-sequined finale. But that wasn’t always the case. St. Pete Pride blossomed out of necessity 20 years ago after planning issues and politics put a temporary end to Tampa’s Pride. It was just the beginning.
Before then, St. Pete didn’t have an organized Pride event – or even much of a visible community. In 2003, St. Pete Pride was spearheaded by a small group of local LGBTQ+ folks, such as Brian Longstreth, Mark Bias, and Carrie West, and included a small parade.… Read More