ABOVE: The Rainbow Rider, photo via the Rainbow Rider Fan Page on Facebook.
LGBT Truckers, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the growing diversity within the trucking industry, is hitting the road in Tampa Bay to spread some holiday cheer.
The organization has six core members and represents more than 4,000 LGBTQ and ally truckers and supporters nationwide. They will team with the Pasco County-based, equality-focused Florida Trans Proud to host a variety of events Dec. 25-28.
Events begin with a “Meals for 18 Wheels” event in Dade City and an outing on Dec. 27 will follow at Busch Gardens Tampa. Organizers will close out 2019 with a year-end bash benefiting St. Petersburg’s VFW Post No. 39 led by Tampa Bay entertainer Victoria Michaels on Dec. 28. Michaels has worked throughout the year to restore the post’s 175-seat theater.
The evening will feature two inaugural pageants, Miss New Face and Miss Florida Trans Proud, and begin at 7 p.m. Entry is $5. Each of the events will feature the group’s Rainbow Rider, a rig painted in the colors of the rainbow, marking the truck’s Florida debut.
“We’re taking steps to create outings within the LGBT community across the nation,” LGBT Truckers VP and Marketing Director Bobby Coffey-Loy says. “We love helping others and as the opportunity came about with Victoria, the VFW and Florida Trans Proud, it certainly has created some excitement.”
For more information about the LGBT Truckers and the upcoming events, visit their website and Facebook page. For more information about Florida Trans Proud, click here.
