ST. PETERSBURG | The 18th annual St Pete Pride, originally scheduled for June 26-28, has been postponed until the fall in response to COVID-19.
Organizers originally intended to proceed with a June celebration, but opted to move the gathering as communities continue to deal with the coronavirus. St Pete Pride is actively working with city officials to secure new dates.
“Due to social distancing measures imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19, St Pete Pride festivities scheduled for June have been postponed from their original dates until Fall 2020,” St Pete Pride shared April 20. “St Pete Pride is actively working with the City of St. Petersburg to secure new dates for the events and will make additional changes to the schedule (as necessary) to move forward with the celebrations.”
More than 265,000 people are estimated to have attended last year’s outing, creating an economic impact of $67.2 million on the city of St. Petersburg. Mayor Rick Kriseman, one of the celebration’s earliest and most steadfast supporters, also addressed the decision to postpone.
“St Pete Pride recognizes that there is simply too much uncertainty right now to plan an event that draws such large numbers of people from near and far,” Kriseman said in a statement. “I appreciate their thinking ahead, and their eagerness to look ahead to a future date that is in the best interest of public health.
“Our annual parade and festival is one of the best and biggest in the nation and will certainly outlast any challenges that come its way,” he continued. “In the interim, we should continue to embrace and celebrate our LGBTQ residents and allies each and every day for their efforts in helping the sun to shine so brightly on us here in St. Pete.”
The sentiments were echoed by St. Petersburg City Council.
“While the postponement of our St Pete Pride celebration is disappointing, I fully support the decision to put health and safety first,” Vice Chair Gina Driscoll, who represents District 6, shared. “We can still stand together in other ways with our LGBTQ+ friends and family to recognize and honor the path that has led to our city’s beautiful diversity. We must remember that the spirit of Pride lives here in St. Petersburg every day – this is who we are.”
“While we have seen progress towards ‘flattening the curve’ in St. Petersburg, the need to continue social distancing remains high and mass gatherings are not likely to resume any time soon,” District 8’s Amy Foster added. “I support the difficult decision to postpone this year’s St Pete Pride celebrations. I and many residents and businesses look forward to Pride and it saddens me to see such a unifying and uplifting event delayed. I have faith that our resilient community can continue to promote LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance all year long and even without a parade. This sadness is temporary and I look forward to being able to celebrate with our community this fall.”
District 1’s Robert Blackmon further noted that “St Pete Pride is a beloved celebration of community and togetherness. In the past 18 years, Pride has become a vital part of the St. Pete story. However, COVID-19 respects no person or tradition. It will not stop until we stop it. I applaud St Pete Pride for making the difficult decision to follow public health advice and postpone Pride Weekend 2020. Pride and the values it represents have never been more important, and I look forward to working with Mayor Kriseman and St Pete Pride to make Pride 2020 the best yet.”
“We recognize how meaningful our PRIDE celebration is to the LGBTQ community in Tampa Bay,” St Pete Pride President Chrys Bundy reflected. “Although we may not be able to physically gather as we normally would this June, our postponement will in no way diminish what it means to be PROUD in St. Pete and Tampa Bay! We will still find ways to raise our flags of all colors, celebrate the beauty and vibrancy of our community, and spotlight the issues our movement still faces.”
You can read St Pete Pride’s full announcement below:
To read more about this year’s celebration, visit StPetePride.com. For the latest updates about COVID-19 and its impact on the LGBTQ communities in Tampa Bay and Central Florida, view Watermark’s frequently updated coverage here.
