The 2023 and 2024 Come OUT St. Pete Royal Courts. Photo courtesy COSP.
ST. PETERSBURG | Come OUT St. Pete will hold a Family Day celebration and chili cook-off Oct. 14 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Seminole Park, marking seven years of honoring National Coming Out Day.
“As Come OUT St Pete enters its seventh year it is with a vision of hope and promise of continuing to create a world unified around a culture of hearts and minds that values freedom of expression, acceptance, love and equality for all LGBTQIA+ people,” COSP Chair Pat Fearns says. “This is possible because of a dedicated Board of Directors that voluntarily work tirelessly to promote our mission throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.”
Additional support comes from COSP’s Royal Court, she notes, entertainers who represent the organization during a year-long reign. Miss COSP Rockell Blu, Mr. COSP Adam Cole and COSP Ambassador Ceazia Giovanni Kreshé concluded theirs on Sept. 24.
Around 50 supporters attended COSP’s fourth annual Come OUT As You Are Royal Pageant at the VFW Post No. 39, raising nearly $500 for the organization’s work. Tampa Bay drag king Silver Foxx was crowned Mr. COSP 2024 and drag queen Veronica Vixen was crowned Miss COSP 2024.
Vixen also won the People’s Choice Award for raising the most amount of money for COSP ahead of the pageant. The entertainer raised $1,200 for COSP and donated the $250 she earned that evening for a total of $1,450. View photos below:
“It was an honor to be crowned,” Vixen says. “Although my crown is full of rhinestones, my reign will be full of dedication, fundraising and kindness. I’m just a boy changing the world one rhinestone at a time.”
“I am honored and humbled to be crowned,” Foxx adds. “As a 65-year-old male impersonator, my success proves that no matter your age, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to!”
“This past year’s court was exceptionally productive and did a lot in the community,” Fearns says. “I’m really looking forward to working with Veronica Vixen and Silver Foxx and seeing the freshness that they can bring to COSP Royal Court experience.”
Each performer will feature prominently during COSP’s main event on Oct. 14, as will other local fan favorite drag entertainers. The Family Day celebration will also include live music from Divine AF, Foncy and more, as well as a DJ, beer garden and local vendors. COSP expects up to 5,000 attendees.
Restaurant and individual entries for the chili cookoff are still being accepted. Participants must provide a minimum of four gallons and voting ends at 3:30 p.m. First place winners will receive $200, second place $100 and 3rd place will receive $50.
“We are exceptionally excited about our upcoming 2023 Family Day and Chili Cook-Off,” Fearns says. “In celebration of National Coming Out Day, this event will also include nonprofit and retail vendors, performances by some of the best talent Tampa Bay has to offer and our annual unfurling of our 375-foot unity Pride flag.
“As our communities continue to be under attack from the far right … we must continue to speak up and say this isn’t acceptable,” she continues. “We will not go back and we will not go back into the closet! We encourage the entire greater Tampa Bay LGBTQIA+ community to come out and support.”
COSP 2023 will be held Oct. 14. For more information about the cook-off and event, visit ComeOutStPete.org and read the official 2023 Come OUT St. Pete Guide, publishing by Watermark soon.
