Despite bringing nearly 100,000 people to the Grand Central District of the city every June, former St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker never acknowledged St. Pete Pride. He refused to sign the proclamation and was even seen leaving the council chambers when it was read.
Many in the LGBT community hoped things would change when a new mayor was elected last fall. Since Bill Foster took office in January, things have changed—at least in some regard.
“Unlike past years the current mayor has actively stepped into expedite solutions to small problems that naturally arise during events of this size,” said St. Pete Pride co-chair Scott Turner. “We have an active two-way line of communication open with the mayor and look forward to his personal involvement in Pride as his schedule allows.”
In 2009, during a town hall meeting hosted by St. Pete Pride at the King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church, then-mayoral candidate Foster told the audience that he would not support Pride and that when he attended in the past he was “disappointed” in some of the behavior he saw.
Since then, however, Foster campaigned directly to the LGBT community when he spoke with local LGBT business owners at Georgie’s Alibi in September. Earlier this month he placed a welcome letter in the official St. Pete Pride Program. While the letter invites attendees to explore the city, it never uses the words “Gay,” “LGBT” or “Pride.” The letter does mention diversity and it’s the first time the mayor’s office has even acknowledged the massive outdoor event.
Foster’s relationship with the LGBT community is tricky. Many close to the mayor say he’s open-minded and is a “live and let live kind of guy.” Others say he is too concerned with the opinions of his conservative base and that he is too afraid to appear too accepting.
Foster’s office was contacted for quotes in this story. After several messages were left seeking comment on St. Pete Pride, his scheduling secretary called and said the mayor decided to decline the interview. No specific reason was given.
Even though Foster isn’t waving a rainbow flag in support of the community, those involved with the organizing of the state’s largest Pride event are pleased with the working relationship with the mayor.
“Foster has done more for St. Pete Pride this year than his predecessor ever did,” said David Schauer, a past co-chair of St. Pete Pride. “There’s a dialogue there that we’ve never had before.”
Schauer added that while Foster has not officially said he will attend the June 26 street festival, the mayor has hinted that he’ll make an appearance at the Stonewall Commemorative Reception for sponsors and friends on June 24.
“He said he’d attend that,” Schauer said. “He’s walking a fine line but he has made an effort, and we’re happy about that.”
Growing larger anyway
A major dichotomy exists in the mayors’ offices of Tampa Bay’s two largest cities. While St. Petersburg hosts the state’s largest Pride celebration, its mayors have historically remained quiet about supporting LGBT rights. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, on the other hand, has charged sweeping legislation in that city to include same-sex domestic partnership benefits and consistently appears at LGBT events—from the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to Tampa Bay Business Guild dinners and GaYbor receptions.
So what effect, if any, would such a dynamic and supportive mayor have on an event like St. Pete Pride? Some, Turner believes, but not too much.
“Personally I don’t think it would make St. Pete Pride much bigger if we had an accepting mayor,” Turner said. “What our board does makes St. Pete Pride happen. It would be great if we had a supportive mayor like Pam Iorio here, but I don’t see that having a major impact on what we’ve created here.”
When St. Pete Pride started in 2003, about 10,000 people attended. This year, Turner said the organization is expecting nearly 90,000. That exponential growth in eight years is directly linked to the LGBT community of St. Petersburg, the St. Pete Pride board and supportive allies, according to Turner.
Plenty of other political powerhouses support LGBT equality and a record number of politicians submitted welcome letters to the 2010 St. Pete Pride Program, which was published by Watermark.
St. Petersburg as a whole has been supportive of St. Pete Pride and LGBT rights. Rep. Rick Kriseman, who was at one time a St. Petersburg city councilman, signed the first proclamation for St. Pete Pride in 2003. Since then a member of the council has always signed and read the proclamation at the council meeting in early June. That tradition will be repeated this year on June 10.
And this year, the city’s first-ever openly gay council person, Steve Kornell, will appear as Grand Marshal. Kornell, who describes his working relationship with Foster as “amicable and respectful,” says that by living openly and honestly, LGBTs will influence those who oppose LGBT rights to see the community as real people rather than a “scary entity.”
“As Harvey Milk said, ‘Come on out,’” Kornell says. “Every time I’ve said I was gay doors have opened. Some slam shut, true, but being gay doesn’t stop you from living your life and we have to let people know who we are.”
