Miss St Pete Pride 2025 Seduction Dickerson. (Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent)
ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride kicked off its signature weekend June 27, welcoming supporters to Jannus Live for their annual Friday Night Concert featuring Durand Bernarr.
The evening was hosted by local entertainer Daddy Sparkle, alter ego of Adriana Sparkle. Fellow fan favorites like Rolando Xavier, Sissy Gripp and Alice Marie Gripp performed, with the St Pete Pride grand marshal encouraging attendees to use their voices to advocate for the community.
St Pete Pride royalty also took the stage, including former representatives Justine B. Knights, Amari Lavish, Kamarion Lavish and Isaiah Sanchez Hilton, and this year’s reigning royal court. Miss St Pete Pride 2025 Seduction Dickerson, Mr. St Pete Pride 2025 Dioscar DeMilo and Mx. St Pete Pride 2025 Roman Lewinsky each performed elaborate numbers for the crowd.
The evening culminated with Bernarr, the Grammy-nominated artist who reflected on Pride with Watermark Out News ahead of the concert.
“To have pride is to foster community anchored in love, inclusion and safety,” he said. “To shine light in places of darkness and taking collective action to safeguard the inalienable rights of future generations. I securely rest on the shoulders of Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, Marsha P. Johnson and countless others who tirelessly fought with courage and conviction so that I — we — can live fully, freely and unapologetically in our truth.”
Read more about this year’s celebration here and in the official guide. View Watermark Out News’ photos below.
Photos by Ryan Williams-Jent, Luis Salazar.
You must be logged in to post a comment.