(Background photo by Dylan Todd, graphic via Tampa Pride’s Facebook)
TAMPA | Tampa Pride has announced the grand marshals for their upcoming 10th celebration, scheduled to return to Ybor March 23.
The gathering will mark “10 years of celebrating you,” Tampa Pride has advised. This year’s festivities follow the cancelation of Pride on the River 2023 and officially began last month with Ultimate Showdown 2024.
The organization and its board, led by Tampa Pride President Carrie West, accepted grand marshal nominations from Jan. 3-Feb. 4. They sought honorees in multiple categories: grand marshal, community leader, grand couple, trailblazer and community business.
“Tampa Pride is pleased to announce our Grand Marshals for Tampa Pride 2024 … our 10th anniversary celebration,” they shared Feb. 13 via social media. This year’s honorees include two organizations and five individuals.
The first are Grand Marshals Dr. Gary Howell, “a renowned psychiatrist at the Institute for LGBT Health [who] has a remarkable history of serving and supporting the Ybor community,” and Tampa Bay entertainer Gabrielle Fearce Santi.
“Gabby [Santi], a compassionate [B]lack drag queen, actively contributes to various fundraising events focused on addressing the LGBTQ community and related challenges,” Tampa Pride shared.
The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be honored as this year’s Community Leader. Tampa Pride noted they “are admired for their leadership in the community, consistently embodying the values of empathy, acceptance and inclusion.”
Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is this year’s trailblazer. The organization noted he “played a pivotal role in launching Tampa Pride a decade ago, demonstrating his commitment to fostering a more inclusive and diverse city.”
Daniel and Dustin Johnson are 2024’s grand couple. The husbands adopted six siblings last year and subsequently began the process of adopting a seventh. Tampa Pride noted they have been “recognized nationally for their outstanding contributions [and] lovingly adopted six or more children, setting an inspiring example for others.”
Rounding out the list is the LGBTQ+ resource Out Coast, led by Publisher Rachel Covello. Tampa Pride noted their business honoree “not only offers exceptional content but also organizes engaging and inclusive events specifically tailored for the LGBTQ communities in Florida.”
Watermark has reached out to Tampa Pride for additional information about this year’s celebration. You can view their grand marshal announcement below:
For more information about Tampa Pride 2024, visit TampaPride.org.
