Come Out With Pride’s 2021 parade in downtown Orlando. (Photo by Dylan Todd)
ORLANDO | After more than 15 years under The Pride Chamber, Come Out With Pride announced in a press release Jan. 25 that its will begin operating on its own moving forward.
COWP began in 2005 as a fundraiser for Orlando’s LGBTQ chamber of commerce, the Metropolitan Business Association now called The Pride Chamber.
“As Come Out With Pride continued to grow in size and scope, a major milestone was the forming of an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit entity in 2010,” said Jeff Prystajko, Come Out With Pride’s board president, in the release. “Though still intertwined with the Chamber, the new COWP leadership was granted the authority to focus solely on event planning. As a result, this allowed The Pride Chamber to direct their full attention towards furthering equality and pro-LGBTQIA+ policies for local businesses.”
The Pride Chamber voted to approve the separation and subsequent independence of COWP “after concluding each operates with a unique mission and vision.”
“By no means will this represent a future disconnect between us — if anything this has the potential to strengthen our relationship and create new and exciting ways to collaborate,” said Chad P. Frye, board chair of The Pride Chamber, in the release. “We’re immensely proud of everything our sister organization has accomplished, and simply realized it was time to let them continue to chart their own course. With the forthcoming WorldPride bid and a newly hired executive director, Tatiana Quiroga, COWP is poised to continue to be one of the premier Pride events in the country. I speak for the entire Pride Chamber when I say we are incredibly excited to support COWP now and in the future.”
The organizations stated that while the two will now operate independently from each other “there are still many opportunities for cooperation and partnership.”
Last year, COWP named Quiroga the organization’s new executive director and held its largest Pride celebration in downtown Orlando with an estimated 200,000 individuals attending the nonprofit’s festival and parade. COWP is also working on a proposal to bid for WorldPride to come to Orlando in 2026.
COWP is a majority volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization inspired to make an impact in Orlando’s LGBTQ community. Celebrated in October, COWP welcomes everyone from Central Florida and beyond to come together and celebrate diverse communities. It is also dedicated to supporting the community through grants and scholarships via its “Pride Gives Back” program. In 2021, COWP attracted over 200,000 people and had a $26M economic impact to the local economy. For more information, go to ComeOutWithPride.org.
The Pride Chamber is Central Florida’s leading LGBTQ business organization and an affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Named the 2017 Chamber of the Year, The Pride Chamber works to champion economic opportunities for the LGBTQ community through alliance, inclusion and diversity efforts. Formerly known as the MBA Orlando, the organization changed its name in 2019 to better represent the proud LGBTQ and allied members. Visit ThePrideChamber.org for more information.
