St. Petersburg mayor raises rainbow flag at City Hall in celebration of Pride

St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman raised the Pride Flag above City Hall June 23 for the third year in a row to signify the start of St. Pete Pride in downtown.

More than a hundred people gathered at the flagpole as Kriseman, local officials and Equality Florida’s executive director Nadine Smith launched the Pride Flag into the sky.

Kriseman spoke to the crowd, reading a “Prayer for the World,” a poem by Rabbi Harold Kushner, and telling them that this is a time of remembrance and of celebration.

“When you get tired…tired of being picked on by politicians in Washington or Tallahassee … tired of being targeted by the most radical and dysfunctional fringes of religion … please remember that St. Pete is your shelter,” Kriseman says. “We are a city that no longer simply tolerates diversity – we embrace it, and for as long as I am your mayor, this progressive city will continue to be forward-thinking, refusing to turn back to the days of old.”

Photos by Jeremy Williams.

You can find St. Pete Pride information and the schedule here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxdM1wRtCok&feature=youtu.be

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