Pride event organizers are forging ahead with this year’s celebrations across Florida. And they’re hoping to draw larger crowds than last year, when some celebrations were canceled due to the state’s political climate.
Among the hurdles that organizers say they’re now facing: It has become more challenging to secure sponsors.
Not all companies want their names connected to Pride events “because of economic concerns but also political concerns,” said Patrick Gevas, spokesman for Miami Beach Pride, which will start its week of events April 5. “Sponsors are worried about spending going into an election.”
The Stonewall Parade & Street Festival, one of South Florida’s largest pride celebrations, will take place on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors on June 15. Finding sponsors has risen as a primary concern, said Jeffrey Sterling, CEO of Stonewall Pride Inc. “It’s a No. 1 topic,” Sterling said.
He said he hopes to pick up new sponsorships after losing some business support last year. To ensure it succeeds, the city of Wilton Manors also is considering kicking in some financial help.
LGBTQ advocates decried many Florida bills last year as a “slate of hate,” ranging from keeping children out of drag shows, to pronouns in schools, to transgender treatments for minors. And additional initiatives are being advanced this year. One bill would ban teachers and other government employees from displaying a rainbow flag. There’s also the recent state effort to ban gender changes on driver’s licenses.
“Overall with the political climate, the LGBTQ community still feels under attack by the governor,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida. “The atmosphere has not overall changed, but there is a renewed sense of determination for a lot of people in the LBGBTQ community to show up and support the parade marchers.
“They have to, right? To show they are visible, real people, not a threat and they…
Read the full article here
