USPS Publication Number 16300
T h i s C om mu n it y Ne w s p a p e r i s a p u bl i c a t ion of E s c a m b i a-S a nt a Ro s a B a r A s s o c i a t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icia l Ci rcu it Section A, Page 1
Vol. 21, No. 25
V isit T he S ummation W eekly O nline : SummationWeekly.com
June 23, 2021
1 Section, 8 Pages
PE NSA PRI D E P E N SACO L A’S N E W L GB T+ PRI DE FE S T I VA L by Dakota Parks Every June, people in cities across the world flood the streets in rainbow regalia, flying flags and holding signs in parades and festivals to celebrate the LGBT+ community. National Pride Month not only brings members of the community together to celebrate, but also marks the catalyst for gay rights in the U.S. and the on-going fight for equality. For the last 10 years, Pensacola’s family-friendly park c e l e b r a t i o n ‘ Pe n s a c o laPRIDE’ has been hosted by the now defunct organization Gay Grassroots of Northwest Florida, which permanently dissolved due to f inancial constraints during the pandemic. To fill the void in the community, the nonprofit organization Strive has partnered with Pensacola Arts Market, located at Cordova Square, 1101 N 12th Avenue, to host its newest event: PensaPride, a caravan and pride festival from 10 am–5 pm on June 26. At the height of the pandemic last summer, pride events worldwide were canceled, and Strive began to brainstorm alternative ways to celebrate Pride Month, while adhering to social distancing and safety protocols. In June 2020, the inaugural Pensacola Pride Caravan was established and more than 29 cars and 50 people showed up at Open Books with decorated cars, flags and even a few dogs dressed up in rainbow gear to drive around downtown Pensacola and celebrate safely. Building on the success of last year’s event, Strive is kicking off the PensaPride 2021 event with another caravan from Open Books, located at 1040 N Guillemard Street, to the
Pensacola Arts Market, where the pride festival will be held. As an added bonus, there will be prizes awarded for the best decorated cars. The caravan will meet at Open Books at 10 am and make its way through downtown Pensacola to the Pensacola Arts Market, reminder of what still needs where the festival will be held to be done.” from 11 am–5 pm. Part of returning to the For Devin Cole, the pres- political roots of pride ident of Strive, the need for involves making space for this event is deeply embed- activists and organizers at ded in the political origins the festival. The festival of pride, which began as a will feature food trucks, art riot against police brutal- vendors and performances ization amidst vice raids from local drag queens, in New York in 1969 and LGBT+ musicians, comeraised political traction to dians and poets. In addition, the issues that still affect local activist organizations the LGBT+ community to like Pensacola Community this day. “Pride is impor- Action Committee and Black tant because it gathers us all Voters Matter will be tabling together and reminds us that and speaking at the event we have to keep fighting and to provide information and that there is still work to be resources to the community. done,” they said. “The fight As Cole explained, giving did not end in 2015 when organizers space at pride gay marriage was federally allows them to connect and recognized. Homelessness educate the community on in the LGBT+ community is the interconnected issues of still an epidemic. Violence police brutalization and the against black trans women is Black Lives Matter movestill an epidemic. There are ment, which directly impacts still undocumented, migrant black transgender and black trans people locked away in queer people. ICE detention centers. All Another new facet of this of these issues are politi- family-friendly pride festical issues that must be paid val will be its designation as attention and acknowl- a sober space with no alcohol edged at pride. Pride is a permitted or sold at the venue. time to reflect on what we “Alcoholism and drug use as a have accomplished and a whole are major issues in the LGBT+ community,” Cole Strive Secretary and explained. “Whether people Social Media are ready to admit it or not, Coordinator, it’s dangerous, deadly and Indigo Lett very rampant in Escambia reading County and the surroundfrom Leslie ing areas. Many major pride Feinberg’s events are surrounded by book Stone alcohol and alcohol adverButch Blues at the 2020 tising. This designation as a Pensacola sober space is for people who Pride Caravan. are dealing with alcoholism or people who are in recovery,
which can be very alienating. We want to respect those struggles and make everyone feel included and welcomed at pride.” Strive will be raising money through the sale of raffle tickets at the festival to support the Pensacola LGBT Shelter, a co-op nonprofit that is currently raising funds to open Pensacola’s first transgender and queerfriendly homeless shelter. The shelter is a joint coalition between the following organizations: Strive, Pensacola Osteopaths, Pridesacola Support Group and Evolve ‘n Thrive. Board members from the Pensacola LGBT Shelter will be tabling at PensaPride to answer questions and pass out flyers that illustrate the need for the shelter. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT and 29 percent of transgender people report being turned away from shelters entirely, with some being brutalized, harassed and sexually assaulted at the shelters. “There are no homeless shelters in Pensacola that will accept transgender people, and many queer people must
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hide their sexual orientation to stay in the local shelters,” Cole explained. “Most of the local shelters are faith-based and make up their own policies. The Pensacola LGBT Shelter is secular and paramount to the wellbeing and safety of LGBT+ people, specif ically transgender people. Strive exists as an emergency housing program for transgender people, and we have had to suspend the housing program during COVID. This shelter is sorely needed and has been needed for years.” The PensaPride event is free and open to the public and will live stream on social media through the Strive Facebook account for those that are unable to attend in-person. Visit the PensaPride 2021 Facebook page for updates and details on this year’s event, scheduled for June 26 from 10 am–5 pm at Cordova Square, 1101 N 12th Avenue. To learn more about volunteer, donation and sponsorship opportunities for the Pensacola LGBT Shelter, visit p e n s a c o l a l g b t s h e l t e r. wordpress.com or follow its progress on Facebook at @pcolalgbtshelter.
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