St. Pete Pride Guide - 2022

2022 Pride Guide

HOSTED BY

Brianna Summers & Company

RE D M ES A EVEN TS

2 SHOWS

BRUNCH ENTRÉES

BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS AND BLOODY MARY’S 90’S THEMED COSTUME CONTEST

Contents Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Letter from the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 St Pete Pride Leadership Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Letter from the Mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Proclamation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Pride Swells in St. Pete Since Its 2003 Origin . . . . . . . . . 29 Being Todrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Sandra Bernhard Promises a Palladium Powerhouse . . . . . 35 Interview with Carson Kressley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Meet the Headliners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Reality Behind Amazon’s Tampa Baes . . . . . . . . . . 64 Volunteer with Pride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Know Your Pride Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Centering Voices of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Proud in Public with Shine Mural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The Positive Impact of Pride Participation For Large Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 St. Petersburg: The Sunshine City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

PrideGuide Contributors

OUR MISSION To strengthen St. Petersburg’s legacy of inclusion and diversity, providing a safe space for the education, self-exploration, and celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community and allies. By championing equity and representation, we aim to create an open and compassionate community where people are empowered to thrive. No matter who they are. stpetepride.org | PO Box 12647, St. Petersburg, FL 33733 | (c) 2021 St. Pete Pride 6

stpetepride.org

Nicole Berman Rachel Covello Tiffany Freisberg Megan Hickey David Howard Brian Longstreth Tamara Leigh Shelby Meaders Carey Mears Brianna Murphy SHINE Mural Team

GET ON BOARD

JOIN US FOR THE LARGEST PRIDE PARTY AT SEA For the fourth year, we’re celebrating Pride across our award-winning fleet—all around the world. Step aboard one of 12 stunning ships in destinations like Alaska, Europe, and the Caribbean, and experience a party like no other this June, as we pass the baton from ship to ship and keep the festivities going across hemispheres and time zones.

Don’t let the world’s most unforgettable Pride event set sail without you.

To celebrate with us, simply book any sailing that falls over June 4.

CALL 1-888-245-4254 | CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR | VISIT CELEBRITY.COM ©2022 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

stpetepride.org

7

Ian Stanislaus Gómez Esquire

Lindsey Sheppy Esquire

Personal Injury • Auto Accidents • Criminal Defense 8

stpetepride.org

We’d like to wish Saint Petersburg a “HAPPY PRIDE” month!

Ainsley MacDonald Smith Esquire

Robert W. Pope Esquire

(727) 895-7932 • (813) 877-8181 stpetepride.org

9

relax

proudly

With miles of dazzling waterfront, authentic culture, cuisine and nightlife, Tampa Bay has a million ways to play. All with an easy, laidback vibe.

10

stpetepride.org

VisitTampaBay.com

Greetings St Pete Pride Community!

Tiffany Freisberg, Board President It’s the 20-year anniversary of St Pete Pride! I feel humbled to sit in the seat of Board President in this landmark moment for our organization and our city. While ‘Board President’ may sound like a lofty title, the reality is this: I’m one of the many hundreds of volunteers who have shown up over the last two decades to link arms with like-minded people and do the hard and joyous work of creating the kind of community we want to live in and share with others.

Twenty years ago, while I was a teenager in London, England, a handful of people across the Atlantic in St. Petersburg, Florida were figuring out what to do in the aftermath of Tampa Pride, which had been crushed by a city commissioner who felt that Pride had no place in Tampa Bay. Rather than retreat back into the shadows or even move away from Florida to a more queer-friendly city, a handful of bold visionaries in the LGBTQ+ community decided to hunker down and raise the rainbow flag even higher on the other side of the bay: St Pete Pride was born!

In the two decades since its launch, the work of thousands of volunteers and partners has not only grown St Pete Pride to become one of the top 15-largest Pride celebrations in the country but has also been instrumental in shaping the social and cultural landscape of the city as a whole. St. Pete continues to evolve as a bastion of diverse and progressive values in the South, drawing a staggering number of new residents to the area from all over the world, like me, each year.

The 20th Anniversary season will be St Pete Pride’s most ambitious, inclusive and diverse yet. Along with the parade, a month of celebrations will include a Friday Night Concert featuring Todrick Hall and Pussy Riot, a family day for LGBTQ+ youth, families and allies, St Pete Pride’s second official Juneteenth event, and intimate events at The Palladium with cultural icons Sandra Bernhard and Carson Kressley.

In a moment when Florida is the national epicenter of LGBTQ+ legislative backlash, the mission of St Pete Pride is more crucial than ever. As Florida’s largest Pride, we have a powerful platform for providing representation, love and support for the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community. Since last season, we’ve expanded our all-volunteer Board of Directors to a diverse group of ten and brought in a dynamic new Executive Director, Nicole Berman. Dozens of partners and community sponsors have stepped up to lend support. Our team of volunteers is wider and deeper than it’s ever been, and we welcome ALL who want to get involved.

Last year at the family event, a young girl bounded up to me while I worked the merch table and asked if I was one of the people organizing the event. When I told her I was, she gave me a huge smile and outstretched her hand, which was holding a painted, handmade, rainbow clay heart that read “PRIDE.” She told me it was her first Pride ever and that she was so happy to be there, and she thanked me for all I did to make it possible. For the past year, that heart has hung in my kitchen. My wife, three daughters and I talk about it regularly. It’s why I sometimes can’t be home for dinner. Or have to stay up extra late working. It’s why I sometimes can’t join in at Mario Kart, or be the one to pick them up from practice. It’s a symbol of the honor and necessity of serving others.

For me, the heart that hangs in our kitchen represents the heart of St Pete Pride. Every Pride is someone’s first Pride, and creating that experience for people is an enormous privilege. If LGBTQ+ kids, youth, and adults alike are relying on Pride to be one of the only places that they feel safe being their most authentic selves throughout the year, then we’re going to make absolutely sure that Pride Month is the best, happiest, most diverse, and love-filled place it possibly can be. We hope that you will attend this year and agree!

stpetepride.org

11

Dear Pride Community Nicole Berman, Executive Director As one of the area’s newer transplants, I drove from Seattle to St. Petersburg, picturing an idyllic setting nestled between the Bay and Gulf, lined with palm trees, white sand beaches, and rainbow flags. Once I arrived, I was not disappointed. I was delighted to find an eclectic mix of people, spaces, art, entertainment, experiences, food and drink within a quick drive to the beach. What has made St. Pete truly special for me was the warmth with which I was embraced, not only as a new resident, but as a member of the queer community. I’ve had the opportunity to live all across the country, and I’ve never felt as welcome as queer person as I do in St. Pete. This speaks volumes about the beauty and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community in the area. To stand so proudly in a time that often tells you not to is an act of bravery and love not to be overlooked. The people of St Pete are the reason it is such a gem, and I am incredibly excited to be part of a city and an organization that embraces that spirit.

This year’s Pride is on track to be the biggest and best yet, embracing all of the incredible individuals who created, built, grew, enjoy, and love St Pete Pride. I am honored to be part of an organization that wants to be better, that strives to hear from those that historically have not been represented by Pride, and I am proud that those voices and stories will lead our organization into its 20th Anniversary season and beyond. Pride, as an event, means so much to me. I remember my first Pride and how it felt to look up and be surrounded by people who represented me. That is an experience St Pete Pride aims to replicate for all LGBTQ+ people in and around the Tampa Bay area. No matter what the outside world is telling you, you belong here, you belong with us, not only in June but all year long. St Pete Pride will continue to work outside of June with our outstanding community partners to ensure the visibility afforded to us lasts long after the glitter is swept off the parade route.

St Pete Pride is all of ours. It is the culmination of our right to exist in our bodies in whatever way we see fit. It is a reminder to everyone that we belong here and are not going anywhere. It is a time when we all fit in, we move safely together, and we don’t back down to the pressure to conform. It is a moment, set aside from everything else that is going on in the world, to celebrate the amazing people in our community and bask in our collective joy. In 2022 the importance of St Pete Pride cannot be overlooked and I look forward to sharing Pride with you!

12

stpetepride.org

Fine Craft Gallery in Downtown St. Pete

We take PRIDE in bringing the JOY of ART to ALL Discover art by 250 of Florida’s fine craft artistS

Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Metals, Sculpture, and Wood.

Landry

Enjoy free admission to our nonprofit gallery and eight curated exhibitions annually, featuring 250 Florida artists and nationally renowned artists, along with lectures and workshops. Visit 20 Artist’ working studios in Artlofts upstairs.

501 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 821-7391 FloridaCraftArt.org Gascot

Kidd

Freeman

Derwent

Gallery Hours Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Admission is always free.

Florida CraftArt is a statewide nonprofit serving artists and the community since 1951. Our mission is to grow the statewide creative economy by engaging the community and advancing Florida’s fine craft artists and their work.

stpetepride.org

13

St Pete Pride Leadership Team Tiffany Freisberg She/Her

Byron Green He/Him

Tiffany is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of LionMaus Media, a creative advertising and social agency with Pride-supporting clients like Tampa General Hospital and Riverside Recovery. Originally from London, England, Tiffany moved to St. Pete during Pride 2019 with her wife and three daughters.

Tiffany has a B.A. in Literature and a Masters in Shakespeare from University College London.

Dr. Byron Green is a successful coach, business owner, consultant, and public speaker.

He holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University. His educational and research background centers in the intersection of Adult Education and D.E.I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). His experience as a Non-Profit Sr. DEI professional, corporate trainer, and peer-reviewed researcher led him to become an advocate for equity in all spaces.

PRESIDENT

Nicole Berman She/They EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nicole recently moved to St Pete to join the Pride team. Their background is in non-profit administration, behavioral health, and hospitality management. She enjoys being outdoors, random adventures, good tequila and better food. Nicole, partner Cait, and their pup PJ are incredibly excited to be a part of the St Pete Pride team and the St Petersburg community.

Stanley Solomons He/Him/His TREASURER

Served on Pride Board since 2008 as Co-Chair, VP, President, Secretary and Treasurer. Former financial analyst with Credit Suisse. Attended St Pete High School and happy to give back to the community upon my return to St Pete.

Molly Robison She/Her SECRETARY

A Colorado transplant, I moved to FL 3 years ago to escape the cold and snow! I love our St Pete community and the wonderful, diverse people who make it special. I joined the St Pete Pride team as a volunteer in 2019 and joined the Board in the Fall of 2020. Delighted to be helping celebrate SPP’s 20th Anniversary!

14

stpetepride.org

BOARD MEMBER

Carey Mears She/Her BOARD MEMBER

Carey is originally from Columbia, South Carolina and moved to St. Petersburg in 2013. She received her B.A. in English with Emphasis in Creative Writing from Presbyterian College and currently works as an Underwriting Supervisor for a super regional property & casualty insurance company. She joined the St Pete Pride Board in December 2021 and is excited to help usher the organization into its 20th anniversary year and beyond.

Clifford Hobbs III He/Him/His BOARD MEMBER

Clifford Hobbs III is a native of Des Moines, Iowa who moved to St. Petersburg 9 years ago by way of Atlanta, GA where he lived for 8 years. Clifford is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and has worked as a Chef, Server and Bartender in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. Clifford enjoys serving his community in a plethora of different ways and was once a candidate for St. Pete City Council back in 2021. Clifford lives with his partner Patrick along with their 3 fur babies.

Darius Lightsey He/Him/His BOARD MEMBER

Darius C. Lightsey is a native of Winter Haven, FL who has called St. Petersburg home since 2018. Darius is a proud graduate of Florida State University and has worked in the area of Mental Health/Public Health for over 10 years. Darius relocated to St. Pete. from Tallahassee, FL to work as the HIV/AIDS Program Manager for the Florida Department of Health-Pinellas leading the effort to reduce new incidences of HIV acquisition in an 8 county service delivery area.

Fernando Chonqui He/Him BOARD MEMBER

Originally from Ecuador, Fernando has been calling St Pete home since 2019, (though he fell in love with the city back in 2012.) Fernando worked for St Pete Pride in 2019 as the Development Director and is thrilled to be back on the Board giving back to the community and advocating to continue making St Pete Pride a more inclusive organization and celebration. Fernando’s also a Contemporary Dancer with local St. Pete dance company, ProjectAlchemy Dance.

Gabe Alves-Tomko He/Him BOARD MEMBER

Gabe was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His has a bachelor’s degree in International studies from the University of South Florida and has also earned extensive studies in Global Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Gabe has found his life passion in real estate, where he takes pride in helping each and every client achieve all their real estate needs and dreams.

Gabe and his husband Aron Tomko live in Gulfport. For the past 22 years Gabe has lived in the Tampa Bay Area where he is heavily involved in many organizations such as Balance Tampa Bay, Gulfport Chamber of Commerce, The Krewe of Cavaliers and the Diversity Chamber of Commerce.

His strong involvement in the community and the length of

time he has lived in the Tampa Bay Area has allowed Gabe to build a valuable network of resources and friendships.

Stephanie Morge She/Her BOARD MEMBER

A born and raised Floridian, Stephanie relocated to the Tampa Bay area in 2002 and graduated from USF Tampa with a degree in Finance.

She currently leads Power Design Inc’s Learning & Development dept and serves on their DEI committee.

Stephanie has also volunteered her time to Habitat for Humanity, SPCA Tampa Bay, USF’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP), and Empath Partners in Care (EPIC). Most recently, she joined the board for CASA Pinellas and St Pete Pride.

Kara Wright She/Her OFFICE MANAGER

Kara Wright made her way to St Petersburg, FL by way of Washington D.C. in 2019 and joined St Pete Pride in 2021. Kara loves helping and being a part of the SPP community. She has her B.S. in Business Management and also owns a Photography business since 2013.

Shelby Meaders She/Her VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Shelby Meaders joined SPP in 2021 and loves serving as the Volunteer Coordinator, the first point of interaction for interested volunteers. Shelby moved to St Pete in 2020 and resides with her partner and 3 fur babies. Shelby has a Master of Public Health (MPH) and is the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization, Florida Harm Reduction Collective.

stpetepride.org

15

Celebrate Pride with art on the side. The Dalí Museum congratulates St. Pete Pride on 20 years of success.

Advanced timed tickets at TheDali.org 16

stpetepride.org

TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TA K E S

IN SERVING

FLORIDA’S WEST COAST

85+ nonstop routes to domestic and international destinations

Conveniently located between Tampa’s business core and world-renowned beaches in St. Pete/Clearwater

Consistently ranked among top US airports for customer service and travel experience

TampaAirport.com or follow us @FlyTPA

“Tampa International Airport” and “The Spirit of Flight” logomark are registered trademarks of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. ©2022 Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. All rights reserved.

1603MKT-0422

18

stpetepride.org

stpetepride.org

19

20 stpetepride.org

stpetepride.org

21

FROM THE SUNSHINE CITY WITH LOVE

HAPPY PRIDE, ST. PETE! 22 stpetepride.org

stpetepride.org

23

STREET CARNIVAL SUNDAY JUNE 26, 2022 11am–5pm 2200–3100 CENTRAL AVENUE

GrandCentralDistrict.org 24 stpetepride.org

ROSÉ

THANK YOU DISTRICT SPONSORS

CeCe PENISTON

CRYSTAL WATERS stpetepride.org

25

PROVIDING 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE in the treatment and prevention of HIV, STD and Viral Hepatitis.

SERVICES * Comprehensive Primary Care

Lab Draws

Ryan White Provider Spanish Speaking Staff

Gender Affirming Care

Linkage to Care Services Medical Peer Navigators

Support Groups

HIV, STD & Viral Hepatitis Testing & Treatment

On-Site Pharmacy

Telehealth Services

Prevention, Education & Outreach

Patient Care Coordination

Transportation Services

PrEP & nPEP Services

LOCATIONS CLEARWATER 2349 Sunset Point Road #405 Clearwater, FL 33765 Office: (727) 216-6193 eFax: (877) 868-0981

NEW PORT RICHEY 4747 US Hwy 19 New Port Richey, FL 34652 Office: (727) 312-2040 eFax: (888) 806-9655

ST. PETERSBURG 3251 3rd Ave N #125 St. Petersburg, FL 33713 Office: (727) 498-4969

TAMPA 2105 N Nebraska Ave. Tampa, FL 33602 Office: (813) 769-7207

PALMETTO 408 7th Street West Palmetto, FL 34221 Office: (941) 803-7939 Fax: (941) 417-2328 eFax: (866) 622-3009 WALK-INS WELCOME AT ALL LOCATIONS

(844) 922-2777 CANCOMMUNITYHEALTH.ORG

* services vary by location

stpetepride.org

27

(844) 922-2777 CANCOMMUNITYHEALTH.ORG

LOCATIONS IN CLEARWATER, NEW PORT RICHEY, PALMETTO, ST. PETERSBURG and TAMPA 28 stpetepride.org

Pride Swells in St. Pete Since Its 2003 Origin

By Brian Longstreth

We were on such a short time frame, having a community meeting in late February of 2003, and starting essentially from zero. People of all backgrounds jumped in and provided expertise in marketing, sponsorship, parade planning, and vendor management. We were planning on maybe 100 people participating in the newly named Promenade, It wasn’t a parade or a march, but free for anyone to participate. It started in Historic Kenwood in front of the old Georgies Alibi which had become a fixture in the community as a bar and restaurant. The promenade wound through Historic Kenwood and then on to Central Avenue heading East towards the Street Festival in the 2400 and 2500 blocks of Central. About 50 vendors lined the two blocks as the parade and large 400 foot rainbow flag was unfurled. With no experience to go on, and no social media (pre-facebook) to help gauge the response we were expecting maybe 2000-2500 people to show up. Throughout the day people kept arriving and swamping the few bars and restaurants in the Grand Central District. All told an estimated 10,000 attended the inaugural event, and we knew we had a good model for success. Free to attend, affordable for small business to participate, and sponsors to cover the costs. Attendance doubled almost every year to quickly become the largest Pride celebration in Florida by 2007. In 2007 representatives from St Pete Pride attended the InterPride conference in Zurich Switzerland and won the right to host InterPride 2009. St Pete Pride had become a model for many other Pride organizations by focusing on local support and inclusive policies. Our Mayor at the time was conservative, but didn’t seem to mind as long as the events were in the Grand Central District.

stpetepride.org

29

Diversity makes for a better cocktail party.

30 stpetepride.org

Being Todrick We all respond to crises in different ways but when lockdown hit, Todrick Hall knew right away what he needed to do. Which of course was to buy a full-size, pink blue and yellow 80s Ms Pac-Man arcade machine and install it in his house. But there was something else he needed to do too. On a Monday in April he decided to record a lockdown-themed EP, by Tuesday night he was recording the first songs, by Friday the whole thing was finished, and four days later the Quarantine Queen EP was streaming worldwide. “People tell me they see it as work ethic,” he says, “but I see it as passion. I wake up, and the only thing I want to do is create.”

None of which might have seemed likely a few decades ago in the tiny Texas town of Plainview; a beautiful little place, Todrick remembers, if not a locale well known for its over-abundance of liberal views. “Back then there was no YouTube, no social media, no nothing,” he remembers. “I became creative out of pure boredom.” On Sundays he’d sing in church; every other day of the week he’d practice backflips in his back garden. An Easter Bunny-themed musical at elementary school led to classes at a local dance studio called Tip Tap Toes so, when the Nutcracker ballet came to town looking for auditionees, Todrick was ready. He was cast as a gingersnap.

“I can still remember the feeling of my heart beating,” he says of his first big performance. “It was the biggest adrenaline rush. I could not believe I’d done it. It was a feeling I’d never felt before. I felt like I’d ridden the biggest rollercoaster in the world and in that moment I knew: I want to feel like this forever, no matter what.”

Despite all that ambition, young Todrick would never have predicted the moment a couple of decades later when in the summer of 2019 he took to the stage at the VMAs with his friend (!) Taylor Swift, to accept the Video For Good award in recognition of his role in bringing the You Need To Calm Down video to life. “People I idolise were sitting feet away from me — it was the most insane thing ever,” he remembers. “Taylor putting that song on the radio is a huge part of the reason little gay kids who didn’t have anyone to look up to, and whose families tell them every day that they’re strange, can have three minutes where they feel like CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 stpetepride.org

31

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

they’re okay, and they’re not crazy or weird, and they can be alive. Being a small part of that is so magical that I can’t even express it.” The MTV Moonperson from that night is currently in Todrick’s front room, visible but just slightly out of reach of visitors. “People love to touch it but honestly, between you and I, it’s not the most well constructed award I’ve ever received,” he confides. “It could easily be broken, but what it represents is really important to me.”

In fairness that wobbly Moonperson isn’t the first time Todrick’s had to confront the fragility of success. Upon leaving American Idol in 2009 (after reaching the semi-finals, having initially auditioned with a song he’d written himself), he put his Broadway career on pause and moved to LA, reasoning that it was there that he could raise his profile high enough to return to Broadway and land bigger roles. It was, he says, like playing chess: having to think at least three steps ahead, not to mention protecting the queen at all costs. “You have to find ways to be strategic about how you’re going to get to your end goal,” he says, “and my end goal is EGOT. Moving to LA was the only way I knew how to be able to come back to Broadway as a star.”

In the short term things weren’t looking good. “I was super, super broke,” he remembers, adding that his saving grace was a song he’d recorded called It Gets Better which each month sold well enough to pay his rent. (Needless to say, this was before streaming took hold.) “I was performing in regional theatre, dancing at people’s birthdays and weddings, anything I could do in entertainment. Any money I could make on the side, I’d use to throw a video together.” Some of Todrick’s weekly YouTube videos gained traction although, in fairness, others didn’t. “I learned very quickly that when you have a viral moment those moments are very, very short-lived,” he recalls. “I’d allow myself to be excited for six hours and then I’d think: right, what are we doing next?”

But there was always something next. There was hit own MTV show, Todrick. It ran for precisely one season, but then there’d be albums like Straight Outta Oz, Forbidden or Haus Parties 1 and 2, or a tour, or a scene-stealing Drag Race appearance. Eventually successes began to outweigh failures and in turn failures didn’t really seem like failures at all. They were just parts of the journey. “Sometimes when people fall or hit a roadblock they strut with a little bit less confidence, and with their chest not quite as far out, and with their head held not quite so high,” Todrick says. “But right now I’m celebrating falling on my face and making huge mistakes — and I’m celebrating realising it’s okay to get right back up again.”

It’s no coincidence that Todrick has become one of the planet’s most inspiring LBGTQ+ role models — and he’s seen first hand how powerful such a popcultural presence can be for those growing up like he once did, surrounded by people who didn’t understand him. “Sometimes a fan will meet me after a show and they’ll whisper: ‘I’m here, but my family doesn’t know I’m gay,’” he begins. “The next year I’ll meet them and 32 stpetepride.org

they’re out of the closet. A year on they’ll have their first boyfriend, then they’re engaged, then they’re married, then they’re adopting kids. I’ve been doing this for ten years and I’ve seen it happen again, and again, and again. I’ve watched people grow. I feel so privileged to see their entire auras change.”

“It took me such a long time to say, as a kid from Texas: ‘I’m a proud gay man, I’m African-American: this is me’,” he adds.

“It’s not always accepted in the Bible belt where I’m from but now I’m so proud of all that, and I try to infuse those messages of self love and positivity and fierceness and feeling fabulous and being proud of who you are in every single thing I do. I don’t want to go around giving Miss America acceptance speeches but I really try to talk to people about real life. I want to give people the real tea.”

Fame in the modern era is notoriously hard to define but whichever way you frame it, fame right now looks and sounds a lot like Todrick Hall. “The only time in my life I feel completely understood is when I’m performing,” he reasons.

“When I’m making people smile and laugh it’s my food, my energy, my fuel, my drug, my everything.” And the next few years? You probably know Todrick well enough to realise you should never rule anything out, but he says his current goals involve a kids TV show, a Netflix extravaganza, and his own Broadway production. He’ll make it up as he goes along, of course, and the results — spontaneous, joyous, real — will be all the better for it. “When you’re younger you think you’re going to have it all figured out at some point,” he smiles. “These days I’m realising, you don’t need to have anything figured out. If you did, there’s be no point in living.”

S P R EAD THE LOVE W IT H S OME SWEET TALK.

Follow us on Instagram @SweetTalkEdibles stpetepride.org

33

Tribeca Salons is the second largest LGBTQ+ employer in the Tampa Bay area, as listed in the Tampa Bay Business Journal 3 Locations,

Each As Unique As You:

Tribeca South Tampa 920 W Kennedy Blvd

Tribeca Ybor

1600 E 8th Ave • Suite A-137

Tribeca Seminole Heights 6008 North Florida Ave

TribecaSalons.com (813)250-0208

2022

PRIDE BUILD

habitatpwp.org/pride

At Habitat, we believe everyone deserves a decent place to live. We are proudly launching the Pride Build to invite members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to make homeownership dreams come true.

we are seeking qualified homeowner candidates & sponsors!

We are currently seeking homeowner candidates with a member of the household who identifies as LGBTQ+. Households of all sizes are welcome; families and single individuals.

join the 34 stpetepride.org

Jac Smith Group of

Interested in becoming a sponsor?

Contact jgonzalez@habitatpwp.org or (727) 536-4755 ext. 220.

in making affordable housing a reality

Sandra Bernhard Promises a Palladium Powerhouse

By Megan Hickey For one night only and as part of St Pete Pride’s 20th-anniversary programming, the iconic Sandra Bernhard will perform live at The Palladium. A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard will bring a completely unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-n-roll, and social commentary to her live stage performance. From her groundbreaking 1990s role as a bisexual woman on ‘Roseanne’ to her recent role as an HIV activist nurse in the FX series ‘Pose,’ Sandra Bernhard has been on the cultural frontlines of the queer community for decades, delivering her singular brand of irreverent, intellectually-informed comedy and social commentary. She spoke with St Pete Pride from her home in New York City.

What does it mean to you to perform in St. Pete at a moment when Florida is an epicenter for anti-LGBTQ backlash and cultural upheaval, from the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation to book-banning initiatives?

Prides have always been a great place to go and perform but because of the times we’re living in, it’s inspiring and exciting to be coming down to Florida and doing gay pride - because there’s something at stake and that always means a lot for all of us. So many times at gay pride it’s like –‘Gay pride! Woo woo!’ – and there’s nothing really anchoring it. But to have it actually be a time when everything is being challenged, and crushed… it’s just great because it’s always so much more inspiring. I think people come out to see a show looking for the artist to recalibrate them and unite them and I think that’s what I’ve always been good at when I’m at my best. And when things are at a lull and people aren’t as engaged, it’s hard to get them motivated. I think it’s going to be a really important night.

You’ve always been someone who’s wanted to blow up traditional categories within society - including within the queer community. Does this recent shift in the LGBTQ community toward a wide spectrum of identities and self-concepts feel like something of a realization of what you’ve hoped for?

Yeah, in theory. But it also gets exhausting when you’re being corrected all the time, you know, to use the right pronouns and language. It’s like – we’re all a little more complicated than that! So you gotta know when you have an ally in somebody who’s been in the trenches before there was any sort of you know, deeper understanding of it. You just gotta say: ‘I’m CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

gonna let this lady do her thing!’ So it’s a dual sort of experience. But any time people are thinking and intellectualizing, I think it’s a great thing.

And I think that people have to know and be steeped in history. So I think it’s all a good reflection of people just going a lot deeper than they ever have before.

During your decades being in the queer community and being an activist, there’s been so much progress on big-ticket items like marriage equality. What do you think are the highest stakes issues in the current moment?

I think it’s very fundamental and elemental. It’s more cultural and ideological than it is legislative. I think that we have to get to a place, as a culture, where we’re willing to give up some of our notions about what makes America great. You know, whether that’s having guns that are absurd, or being on the planet in a way that just breaks the spirit of our As an ‘elder stateswoman’ in the LGBTQ movement, environment. And the fact that that some of the politicians when you think about your art and your work, what and the patriarchy still feel that if they can control women do you feel like you can lend to the conversation that and women’s bodies and their decisions as to what to do a young 20-something might not be able to? What in terms of birth control and abortion… they think that if do you feel like your voice is at this stage of your life, they can control it then things will stay the same and they’ll using the platform that you have? maintain their power. I don’t know what it’s going to take to break them – and to also have them see that it’s a win-win I think it’s what it’s always been. I feel like I’m a warrior and for everybody, when you’re willing to let go of some of this that I have this sort of energy to fight the fight in a way that shit, and are willing to go: okay, I’m gonna make this little bit a lot of people don’t: I don’t fold, I don’t bend, I don’t break. of sacrifice. I’m not gonna be the king of every minute of my I’m just sort of like: Let’s get on with it! Let’s get into the day. I’m gonna let other people live and thrive. I think trenches. Let’s fucking make this shit happen, you it’s just really about trying to communicate with know? Let’s shoot down the enemy – I mean the patriarchy - and the women who supthe enemies are flying overhead – let’s port the patriarchy, which always shocks fucking bring ‘em down! It’s like, you me! – and find a way that says, we’ve gotta get tough, buck up, get on with all just gotta take a collective breath “I think people come out to the fucking show. You know, that’s and stop this bullshit. So I think that’s see a show looking for the always been my attitude, and I feel the biggest battle right now, and I like all the people I’ve looked up to artist to recalibrate them think we’re in it, I think we’re deep and respected over the years have in it. And I can’t say that I know one and unite them and I think that sort of stamina: the Lily Tombrush stroke that’s gonna fix it, but that’s what I’ve always been lins, the Gloria Steinems, the list is certainly all of us and all who are good at when I’m at my best. a mile long… Jane Fonda. Chrissy willing to do the work, know what Hynde... just women who are like, needs to happen and have the conI think it’s going to be an ‘get on with the shit!’ You know? So versations, if people are willing to have important night” it’s just like, let’s dispense with the them. But unfortunately, a lot of people parsing and get on with the battle. just aren’t willing to talk. It’s hardcore. It’s exhausting.

On the series ‘Pose,’ you play an HIV nurse and activist. Having lived in New York What should people expect at your St Pete Pride in the 80s during the AIDS crisis – losing friends, being show at the Palladium? an activist – what did it mean to you personally to go back into that space for your role and to have a platIt’ll be a powerhouse night! It’ll just be me standing on form to show young people today what it was like? stage. You know, when I’m singing, it’ll be pared down to It was emotional. A lot of emotion on set. I mean sometimes more for me than even other people because you know, a lot of the younger performers, MJ and everybody – they’re in their 20s and 30s. But I think it united everybody on the set and it gave everybody the opportunity to look at their own life and where they’ve arrived to. So it was like this full circle experience [for them]: to be trans and respected and taken care of and celebrated. And for me, it was just the opportunity to reflect all the emotion and the experience I had at the time and say, wow, you know, here we are telling the story in a way, we’re now looking back in the rear-view mirror, we can be, you know, triumphant.

36 stpetepride.org

me and Mitch [musical director] blasting out a real assortment of eclectic songs - I’ll be covering all kinds of material.

Yes, I’ll be hitting people with the obvious a little bit, then then there’s also poetry and emotion from the past two years that have come together into the show. It’s reflective, it’s introspective, it’s funny, it’s quirky. It’s not about fame or celebrity. I mean, it’s really personal. And it’s also about how we all got through the past two years, through my lens. I just love it – I love the material; I love talking about you know, just crazy quirky things that I’ve observed in the midst of all this.

For tickets, visit StPetePride.org.

Tear up this ad.

(Use it as confetti to celebrate the work we do for you.)

Advertising

Social Media

Brand Storytelling

stpetepride.org

37

NEW ENTERTAINEMENT IN GRAND CENTRAL DISTRICT

Full Bar, Restaurant & Private Karaoke Rooms

+1 (727) 329 9455 contact@lalastpete.com 2324 Central Ave St. Petersburg, FL 33712 38 stpetepride.org

June 25th & 26th

GCB will be grilling FREE hot dogs behind the Brewery 1-4pm

Donations welcome with 100% of proceeds benefiting METRO Inclusive Health

LIVE MUSIC ALL WEEKEND

Pet & Family Friendly Events planned throughout Pride Month in the Tasting Rooms & Beer Garden 2340 Central Ave • St. Petersburg, FL • 33712 • (727) 202-6071

grandcentralbrew.com • @grandcentralbrewhouse stpetepride.org 39

WE’RE PROUD TO CELEBRATE & SUPPORT

ST. PETE PRIDE In honor of our LGBTQ+ Team Members and allies, you make our brands as diverse and inclusive as the communities we serve.

BE YOU. BE LOVED. BELONG.

40 stpetepride.org

A little southern, a little Italian - that's Noble Crust's Deep South Italian. With a polished yet well worn vibe and a menu that features seasonal ingredients, Noble Crust turns traditional Italian dining into a whole new experience!

Enjoy our award winning weekend brunch

Saturday and Sunday 10:30am - 2:30pm.

Join us during our Saturday Brunch for $2 Mimosas, $4 Bloody Marys and $4 Sangrias.

8300 4th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33702 (727) 329-6041 | noble-crust.com stpetepride.org

41

Rated corporate Rated 100% 100% on LGBTQ-friendly corporate Rated 100% on LGBTQ-friendly corporate practices and and policies for four years practices years running. running. practices and policies for four years running.

Pride Pride is back (not left). (notthat that itit ever left).

Everyone deserves a great night’s sleep, regardless of background or identity.

Key West Pride June 1-5, 2022 keywestpride.org

Key West Pride is back. And this year’s celebration of LGBTQ+ freedom and diversity promises to outshine all others. From unhinged pool parties, street fairs, nightly drag shows and our off the wall glow party to the inaugural disco block party, one thing’s for certain: you’ll leave Key West even prouder than when you arrived. fl a-keys.com/gaykeywest 305.294.4603

42 stpetepride.org

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to who we are.

And it’s essential for us to recognize and celebrate all our associates and the customers we serve. Happy Pride!

Start your sleep journey at mattressfirm.com

Interview with Carson Kressley

By Carey Mears Carson Kressley is an Emmy Award-winning TV star, fashion expert, philanthropist, designer, and best-selling author amongst myriad other credits. In June, he will host QUEERE-OKEE at The Palladium, a new Pride event where local LGBTQ+ musicians will lead the audience in classic Pride songs with Kressley’s signature wit at the helm. He sat down with us to talk Pride, style, and advocacy.

Let’s take it from the top. Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?

I had a pretty idyllic childhood outside of Allentown, PA. When people hear that town, they think of Billy Joel and steel workers, but I grew up in the countryside where there was a farming community. I often say that I’m Amish-adjacent. It was a beautiful place to grow up.

Do you think you had an awareness that you were gay as a child?

Yes, of course! I distinctly remember being in the first grade when everyone was into The Six Million Dollar Man because he could blow things up. Meanwhile, I’m just thinking, “Wow, he’s really attractive.” I definitely knew, but like so many gay kids, no one had explained the terminology to me.

By the time I was a teenager, I was aware of what being gay was and I knew that I was super gay.

You eventually moved to New York City and were cast on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The show was a colossal success, but it was also airing before the passage of marriage equality, when calling someone “metrosexual” was cheeky. What was that time and that experience like for you?

The show was extremely liberating for me. I was working at Ralph Lauren when we shot the pilot, and I remember being timid when my colleagues asked me the name of the show I was doing. Once it came out, it allowed me to embrace my queerness because the thing that I thought was a flaw, my sexuality, had gotten me a great job and was being celebrated CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 stpetepride.org

43

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43

in the mainstream. I still remember when my mom called to tell me that her friends at the beauty parlor loved the show. It was major to finally embrace my entire person at work, with friends, and with family.

Still the most gratifying thing twenty years later is when I meet young people who say, “Queer Eye allowed me to have a conversation with my family about being gay, and it made my path so much easier.” Getting rid of mullets and pleated khakis was great, but making it easier for people to be their authentic selves is what I’m most proud of.

You now work on another groundbreaking show, RuPaul’s Drag Race. What has it been like watching drag culture and the language of the ballroom scene go mainstream because of the show?

Even I was learning things at first. I was like, “What is tea and shade?” It’s been fantastic because ball culture and the drag world were cloistered away in night clubs where not a lot of people got to experience them. Now, with shows like Drag Race, a light is shined on the artistry and the richness of that culture. The show also has a lot of heart and humor, not to mention the glamorous sage of our time, RuPaul, and all of that resonates. It’s been a great educational experience for people. These days, I’ll be in the airport and the person selling me a candy bar is like, “I don’t have any change – no shade!”

I love a show where, if you sneeze, you might miss a great reference or a great line. The judging panel is like that every episode.

We all love gay culture. Whether it’s Michelle, Ross, Ru, or myself, we’ve grown up with it; it’s the fabric of our lives. We like to throw in as many references as possible. Sometimes the kids don’t get it. I’ll say, “That’s very Wayland and Madame.

Guys, put up a graphic of Wayland and Madame because no one is going to know what that is!” And they do it, and I’m like, “There, we’ve just enriched the children.”

You’re hosting our big singalong, QUEER-E-OKEE, this June. What are some of your favorite gay anthems?

What are we going to hear you belt?

I love “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross, the dance mix, of course. Anything by Madonna. Maybe a little “Philadelphia Freedom” by Elton John. I feel like I can sing in his range. I can’t really sing, but I think I could manage that one.

Or lip sync it, at least.

Oh, I can lip sync, don’t worry about that. I’m really looking forward to the celebratory nature of the event. There are so many awful things going on in the world, and I think that getting together with our community –gay, straight, allies, everybody– to celebrate who we are and where we’re going will be a great release that we all need.

44 stpetepride.org

How about some practical advice for Pride Month: what are your dos and don’ts for a Pride outfit?

I’m going to really contradict myself and say that this is the one time when you can do absolutely anything that makes you feel loud and proud. I think it’s one of the only days when there are no fashion rules.

What are you wishing you saw more of in fashion right now?

I totally understood the reprioritization of comfort over style during the pandemic, but I do hope that we can start to experience the joy of going out again and dressing up not only for ourselves, but for other people. My imaginary boyfriend, Tom Ford, always says that dressing well is a form of good manners because it’s something that you do to show other people that you care about them.

Also, a silver lining of the pandemic was that hardship forced creativity, and many people started new fashion businesses from their homes. So, you might have a new local designer or a new vintage boutique on Instagram that you can support and explore. I hope that people dive in and see what fashion resources are out there now.

You champion a number of philanthropic causes, but you’ve said that you’re especially passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ youth-focused charities. Can you tell us about the work you’re involved with?

I love supporting LGBTQ+ youth projects because our youth are our future, and they’re also our most vulnerable population. I’ve been working with Cyndi Lauper at True Colors United for about 20 years to end youth homelessness.

LGBTQ+ youth are 40% more likely to experience homelessness than their straight peers, which is a totally curable statistic. We’re working to end it, but we also make sure that when LGBTQ+ youth do experience homelessness, they have community and government resources available to them without discrimination.

I’ve also loved supporting The Trevor Project over the years.

More than ever, there’s so much pressure in certain places to reject who you are, and it’s critical for youth to have a 24-hour suicide hotline that they can call for support. People sometimes need a voice telling them that they are loved and have a community even if they feel unsupported in that moment. If we don’t support our youth, where are we going to be? We have to look out for our kids.

Thank you for the work that you do and for talking with us today. People of all ages will be excited to have you here in St. Pete.

I’m very excited to come see everyone in St. Pete! I know that St. Pete has a vibrant and growing LGBTQ+ community, and I’m looking forward to checking it out and seeing what’s new!

stpetepride.org

45

e h t n i E D I PR

WHERE THE SUN

MEETS THE FUN MLK St. to 16th St. & 1st Ave. N. to 1st Ave. S. EDGEDistrict.org

3 RESTAURANTS, 1 COMMITMENT

BellaBrava & Stillwaters Tavern Dedicated to Delivering the Best Quality in Food & Service

BELLABRAVA | TAMPA

BellaBrava and Stillwaters Tavern have been delivering quality scratch cooking and excellent service for over 17 years. Founded in 2004, the focus of our Team is ensuring that our Guests receive the best we have to offer.

Come visit us in our LGBT-friendly safe space, and celebrate your time in Tampa Bay; or if you live here, make us a regular date night. You’ll be glad you did.

46 stpetepride.org

BELLABRAVA | ST. PETE

STILLWATERS | ST. PETE

www.bellabrava.com 204 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg FL 33701 • 727.895.5515 1015 Gramercy Lane, Tampa FL 33609 • 813.524.5226 www.StillwatersTavern.com 224 Beach Drive NE, Saint Petersburg FL 33701 • 727.350.1019

stpetepride.org

47

NOV 1-6, 2022

NOV 29 – DEC 4, 2022

FEB 21-26, 2023

APR 11-16, 2023

JAN 31 –

MAY 2

8 48 stpetepride.org

Ev

– FEB 5, 2023

2-7, 2023

2022 - 2023

BUY

FEB 15 – APR 8, 2023

SEASON TICKETS

TODAY! EIGHT-SHOW

SEASON TICKET

PACKAGES IN THE

CLOUD CLUB START AS LOW AS

$

258 .

50

MAY 16-21, 2023

813.229.STAR (7827) • STRAZCENTER.ORG

vents, days, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice. Additional fees will apply. stpetepride.org

49

Please Drink Responsibly. Hard Seltzer with Flavors. All Registered Trademarks, used under license by White Claw Seltzer Works, Chicago, IL

BRING THE WAVE

INTRODUCING WHITE CLAW SURF ®

FULL FLAVOR. SENSATIONAL REFRESHMENT.

50 stpetepride.org

Calendar of Events Pride has always been about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and the people who are a part of it. This year at St Pete Pride, we are excited to be celebrating Pride Month with an additional layer: our 20th anniversary! We are going bigger than ever with amazing national acts and performances on top of a specially curated lineup of incredible events that has something for everybody.

We will be celebrating Pride through the entire month of June with performance concerts with artists like Todrick Hall, Pussy Riot, and more! Partnering with the Palladium, St Pete Pride is also bringing in Carson Kressley and Sandra Bernhard for unforgettable evenings of music and laughter.

This year also sees the return of St Pete Pride’s Parade! Bigger and better than ever, St Pete Pride is excited to march with you through the city this June. In addition to the parade, we have a whole host of amazing events, such as our family-focused event, LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Day, our “Pride In Grand Central” Street Carnival, and many more!

With something for everyone, we cannot wait to celebrate both the LGBTQ+ community and St Pete Pride’s 20th anniversary with you during this year’s Pride month!

Upcoming St Pete Pride Events Miss St Pete Pride Presented by Salon Centric 5/22/2022 Sunday 5:00pm Cost $20-75 Location: Coastal Creative - 2201 1st Ave S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Cost: $20 GA - Includes appetizers, cash bar, first come, first served seating $75 VIP - Private mezzanine area with cash bar & specialty cocktails. Lounge-style seating, private screening, and time with entertainers. Complimentary drink ticket (1) and catered light bites. Separate stage-side ADA accessible area with food & beverage service.

Join us for the 14th Miss St Pete Pride Pageant. A night of incredible entertainment, music, and fierce competition featuring the best of the area’s queens! Get ready to be

dazzled by a grand display of evening gowns, drag talent, and more glitter than you can imagine!

Kick-Off Party Presented by Love the Golden Rule, Inc 6/1/2022 Wednesday 6-9PM Cost FREE Location: Sirata Beach Resort - 5300 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706 - 855.344.5999 This free event, hosted by the Sirata Beach Resort, will bring hundreds of attendees to a beachside hotel to celebrate the start of Pride season. As the sun sets over the Gulf of Mexico, attendees will enjoy a DJ, drag performances, and cocktails.

QUEER-E-OKEE 6/11/2022 Saturday 7:00pm $45-75 Location: The Palladium (Hough Hall) - 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 - (727) 822-3590 Cost: $45 Reserved. $75 VIP Reserved - Includes premium seating and meet & greet with performers.

The newest addition to the St Pete Pride event lineup will bring hundreds to The Palladium Theater for a hilarious and love-filled evening of music and camaraderie. Celebrity host Carson Kressley will introduce a roster of local queer musicians who will perform some of the LGBTQIA+ community’s mostbeloved songs while the audience sings along with the help of karaoke-style lyrics projected onto a large screen. This will be an unforgettable evening!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 52 stpetepride.org

51

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

Sandra Bernhard 6/12/2022 Sunday 7:00pm $45-125 Location: The Palladium (Hough Hall) - 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 – 727.822.3590 Cost: $45 Reserved. $125 VIP Reserved - Includes pre-show meet & greet with Sandra and premium setting. VIP access begins at 6p. Extremely Limited Availability.

For one night only and as part of St Pete Pride’s 20th anniversary programming, Sandra Bernhard will perform live at The Palladium Theater this June 12th. A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard will bring a completely unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-n-roll, and social commentary to her live stage performance.

Get Nude: Drippin’ in Melanin June 17, 2022, 7-11PM. Cost $10 Location: Red Mesa Cantina, 128 3rd St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Join us Juneteenth weekend as St. Pete Pride and the Tampa Bay Black Lesbians Group collab to bring you, “GET NUDE: Drippin’ in Melanin”. Set at the beautiful indoor/outdoor Red Mesa Cantina event venue, we will dance the evening away to DJ Donnie Luv while meeting, mingling and celebrating the beautiful Black & Brown ladies of the St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay LGBTQ+ community. Dress to impress, the attire for the evening is Nudes & Earthtones to celebrate every shade of our Queer rainbow. All are welcome but we are centering the QTPOC community on this night.

Stonewall Reception presented

by Raymond James

This joy-filled event will bring thousands of LGBTQ+ youth, queer families and allies to North and South Straub Park for this one-of-a-kind Pride event. Last year’s event was a remarkable reflection of St. Pete’s diverse and open-minded community, with many of the attendees being ally families.

Guests will enjoy family-focused activities, vendors, and main stage performances.

Shades of Pride 6/19/2022 Sunday Time 2-7pm Cost FREE Location: The Factory, 622 Fairfield Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Shades of Pride will celebrate the history of Juneteenth while showcasing the Art and Qulture of our Black and Brown LGBTQ+ siblings. Come join us to learn more about the deep impact of Black and Brown qulture on the LGBTQ+ community as a whole and its deep roots in the evolution of Pride. We will purposefully center the too-often unheard voices of the Black and Brown LGBTQ+ community by uplifting their experiences through an educational panel, local entertainment, and vendors from within the community. St Pete Pride will welcome national talent, Ts Madison to host the “Shades of Pride” event. Madison is a reality television personality, entrepreneur, actress, and LGBTQ+ activist. Through her reality show, The Ts Madison Experience, she became the first Black Trans woman to star in and executive produce her own reality Series.

Art and diversity play a crucial role in the lives of individuals and communities and it is our duty to fight for the authenticity of every single member of the Florida LGBTQ+ community and worldwide. Without People of Color, there would be no Pride, and it is our honor and obligation to make sure that that is reflected in every aspect of our celebration.

6/17/2022 Friday Time 6pm-9pm Cost $75 Location: The James Museum - 150 Central Avenue St. Petersburg FL 33701 – 727.892.4200 The iconic Stonewall Reception will allow us to honor those brave individuals who have fought for the recognition of civil rights and given hope to so many. Join an original Stonewall demonstrator, meet with contemporary activists, and gain inspiration from young members of the LGBTQ+ community who will continue fighting for a better tomorrow. Share light bites, drinks, and entertainment with powerful luminaries including St Pete Pride sponsors, community partners, and government officials as we celebrate our progress in the beautiful James Museum and give credit to those who have made LGBTQ+ Pride possible.

LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Day presented by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consimer Services 6/18/2022 Saturday Time 10-3pm Cost FREE Location: North Straub Park - 400 Bayshore Dr. NE. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 – 727.893.7441 52 stpetepride.org

Friday Night Concert 6/24/2022 Friday 4:00 – 10:00pm Cost $10+ Location: St. Pete Pier Waterfront - 600 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 – 727.822.PIER (7437) Cost: $10 – General Admission – Lawn seating, $100 – VIP The Friday Night Concert is back and bigger than ever! This

year’s waterfront concert will feature international talent Todrick Hall, Pussy Riot, and some of the region’s top LGBTQ+ artists. Thousands of attendees will stroll the waterfront, enjoying vendors, food trucks, and participatory activities.

This will be both Todrick Hall and Pussy Riot’s first time performing at St Pete Pride.

St Pete Pride Parade and Festival 6/25/2022 Saturday Time 2-10pm, Festival Start 2:00PM, Parade Step Off 4:00PM Cost FREE Location: St. Pete Waterfront Downtown - 400 Bayshore Dr. NE. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 – 727.893.7441

participating businesses and organizations, there will be something for everyone!

Transtastic: TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022 AT 6 PM – 9 PM. Cost $10 Location: Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

The parade marches again! One of the country’s largest pride parades will bring tens of thousands of marchers and attendees to the St. Pete waterfront to celebrate our community. The largest of St Pete Pride’s signature events, the parade brings together members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to enjoy the parade at a largescale event. National musical artists will anchor a dynamic mainstage lineup that also features Florida’s most-beloved LGBTQ+ talent. Along with music, attendees will enjoy food, drink, and interaction with hundreds of participating vendors and organizations. This year’s event will begin with the annual Trans March and include a live stream of the parade to alternative viewing area, a 21+ pop-up nightclub, and unique VIP viewing opportunities.

‘Pride In Grand Central’ presented

by CAN Community Health 6/26/2022 Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm Cost FREE Street Carnival Location: Grant Central District –

Join us as we celebrate Tampa Bay’s Trans and Non-Binary community. A welcoming evening at the Museum of Fine Arts showcasing a variety of talent, artistry, poetry and more from our community. Guests will meander through both indoor and outdoor spaces enjoying appetizers and a cash bar.

Wrap Party: Presented by Postcard Inn and Tampa General Hospital June 30, 2022, 7-10pm, Cost FREE Location: Postcard Inn on the Beach, 6300 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, FL 33706 Close out Pride Month in true St Pete style with a sunset, cold drink, and great music on the beach at Postcard Inn. Join St Pete Pride, Postcard Inn, and Tampa General Hospital in celebrating the fantastic people who make Pride happen. We will say goodbye to Pride month with dancing on the beach, a performance from Miss St Pete Pride 2022, and a GIANT thank you to our hardworking and dedicated volunteers who will be this evening’s VIPs. We can think of a better way to end our favorite month of the year!

The area of Central Ave between 31st St. and 22nd St, St. Petersburg, FL St Pete Pride’s popular Sunday Street Festival will be reimagined as a carnival, bringing tens of thousands of all ages to the Grand Central District to enjoy block after block of entertainment, vendors, food, community partners, and interactive carnival games. With multiple performance stages, roaming street performers, and hundreds of stpetepride.org

53

Legal advocate. Pride grand marshal. Leading donor.

A life well planned can offer each of us – any of us –

THE POWER TO GIVE.

The causes that inspire you are as unique as the life you lead. We all live and give differently, but the support of the right financial partner has the power to multiply generosity. It’s our privilege to help people make an impact – and to make our own.

RAYMONDJAMES.COM/GIVINGBACK

Raymond James is proud to give back to the communities in which we live and work by supporting St Pete Pride.

LIFE WELL PLANNED

© 2022 Raymond James Financial. Raymond James® is a registered trademark of Raymond James Financial, Inc. Raymond James is not affiliated with the organization listed. 22-4P880-0003 KS 4/22

54 stpetepride.org

YOUR LOVE Weddings By Sirata Beach Resort

T:+1 727-363-5138 Sirata.com •

Siratastpete stpetepride.org

55

We’re honored to support St. Pete Pride.

St. Pete Pride’s mission inspires us. It reflects our own commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—because understanding the perspectives and experiences of people from all walks of life makes us stronger.

Truist.com Truist Bank, Member FDIC. © 2022 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, the Truist logo and Truist Purple are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation.

56 stpetepride.org

stpetepride.org

57

Meet the Headliners Siberian labor camps. In 2013, Pussy Riot’s Punk-prayer was named by The Guardian among the best art pieces of the 21st century (“feminist, explicitly anti-Putin, protesting the banning of gay pride and the Orthodox church’s support of the president”).

Toddrick Hall Todrick Hall is a multi-talented singer, rapper, actor, director, choreographer, and social media personality who rose to prominence on and after his appearance on American Idol.

His popular YouTube channel has over 3.5 million subscribers and 740 million channel views, consisting notably of original songs, musical collaborations, and choreographed flash mobs for Beyoncé. Todrick also appears regularly on RuPaul’s Drag Race and season two of The Greatest Dancer on BBC. Todrick distinguished himself as a Broadway star completing successful runs in Chicago, The Color Purple, Kinky Boots, Memphis, and Waitress. He visited over sixty cities worldwide with sold-out tours of “Straight Outta Oz”, “Forbidden”, and “Haus Party”; and won the 2019 “Video for Good” VMA as co-executive producer on Taylor Swift’s LGBTQ+ anthem “You Need to Calm Down”.

His newest EP “Quarantine Queen” is currently available on all media platforms; his groundbreaking visual albums are available for streaming via youtube/todrickhall; and you can follow him on Instagram, tiktok, and twitter at @todrick

Pussy Riot Conceptual artist and activist Nadya Tolokonnikova is the founding member of Pussy Riot, a global feminist protest art movement. Today, hundreds of people identify as a part of the Pussy Riot community.

In 2012, Nadya was sentenced to two years in prison following an anti-Putin performance. She endured a hunger strike protesting savage prison conditions and ended up being sent to a Siberian penal colony, where she managed to maintain her artistic activity, and with her prison punk band, tour around 58 stpetepride.org

Nadya is the co-founder of independent news service and media outlet, Mediazona, and has spoken before the US Congress, British Parliament, and European Parliament. She appeared as herself on season 3 of House of Cards and collaborated with Banksy on his Dismaland exhibition. Nadya is endorsed

by Marina Abramovic and Ai Weiwei, has created an immersive experience in the Saatchi gallery in London, and published a book “Read and riot: Pussy Riot’s guide to activism.”

Pussy Riot joined the NFT community in early 2021, co-founded UnicornDAO and formed UkraineDAO which has raised over $7m for Ukraine. Nadya is a PleasrDAO member, and a supporter of a stronger female representation in the NFT space.

Pussy Riot stands for gender fluidity, inclusivity, matriarchy, love, laughter, decentralization, anarchy, and anti-authoritarianism.

Sandra Bernhard Performer, actress, singer and author Sandra Bernhard now appears as a series regular in season three of the immensely popular FX Television/Ryan Murphy show “POSE” reprising her role as brassy but caring Nurse Judy Kubrak, who works with H.I.V./AIDS patients, following a memorable season one guest appearance and hugely successful second season.

Bernhard has also done a special guest appearance on Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story: Apocalypse”, highlighting a successful, decades long television career.

She is also currently in her fifth year hosting her weekly radio show Sandyland on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy channel 102, for which she won a broadcasting Gracie Award.

A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard brings a completely unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-nroll, and social commentary to her live stage performances.

Just last year she celebrated the 10 year anniversary of her iconic annual holiday shows at Joe’s Pub in New York City, while she also continues to tour throughout the country and overseas.

critic/commentator including; The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Queen Latifah Show, Bethenny, and The Wendy Williams Show, to name a few.Recently, Carson was a key judge-always standing out with his great wit and ability to be in the moment-for Logo-TV series RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s All Stars and Gay for Play.

TS Madison

When Kressley is not starring on stage or screen, he can be found astride one of his American Saddlebred show horses, with which he has achieved World Champion status.

The icon TS Madison made history as the first transgender to have their own reality show, TS Madison Experience on WE tv. She recently inked a deal with Fox Soul TV to launch her new show, “Turnt Out with TS Madison,” which debuted on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

Coined as “The Electric TS Madison,” by popular talk show host, Tamron Hall, TS Madison has netted millions of followers (and increasing daily) on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and other multiple media platforms. Her body of work in television and film for which she is known include TransMe, The Lady in the Locket (2017), The Comedy Show (2016), Zola (2021) and Bros. (2022). You can also catch Madison on RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked!

In 2019, TS Madison was honored in the Out Magazine as one of the top 100 influential LGBT people. Madison has built her social media influencer name by walking in her unapologetic truth, as an openly transgender.

SHAED: Multi-platinum D.C. trio SHAED spent much of 2018 and 2019 supporting their global breakout single “Trampoline.” With nearly 2 billion streams to-date, “Trampoline” first made waves after being featured in a MacBook Air ad campaign for Apple, which lead to feverish radio play. In free moments between international festival dates and headline tours, SHAED found themselves co-writing on the road with renowned songwriters and producers, creating an album-worth of songs under the pressure of following-up their first commercial hit.

SHAED’s debut album -- High Dive was released in May 2021.

The album features collaborations with Two Feet, Lewis Del Mar, and the newer version of their breakout single Trampoline featuring ZAYN. Tracks produced by SHAED, Ariel Rechtshaid (HAIM, Vampire Weekend, Madonna...) and Josh Fountain (Benee), and mixing by Rob Kinelski (Billie Eilish, Finneas, Karol G...) as well as strings throughout the entire album recorded via international pandemic zoom sessions performed

by FAMES Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra, co-composed

by SHAED and Jherek Bischoff (Brian Eno, Angel Olsen).

Carson Kressley Emmy-Award winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer and New York Times best-selling author are some of the credits of the multi-talented and unforgettable Carson Kressley. Kressley started his career as an independent stylist and became invaluable to major designers such as Ralph Lauren. A few years later, he took a leap into television when, in 2003, he became a breakout star as the fashion savant on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which won him a primetime Emmy and gained a worldwide following.

Since then, Carson has hosted his own show and appeared on many talk shows as a fashion stpetepride.org

59

There’s no place like home.

Helping everyone find their place in the world.

Ena Ebanks 727.433.2437 Ena@EnaSellsFlorida.com compass-tampabay.com © Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

Home is where you belong, let us help you find your place.

James W. Warren II 239.595.0084 jameswarren.org

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

60 stpetepride.org

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

Proud to help you find home.

Kaitlyn Kellin 727.409.7474 kaitlyn.kellin@compass.com

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

Pride lives here, welcome home.

Love where you live, live with pride.

Luxury Homes Group 813.777.6336 melinda.persuitte@compass.com

DJ Soucy Group 617.308.4442 dj@djsoucygroup.com

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

Guiding you home with pride.

Silver + Welch Collective 727.378.2290 @SilverWelchCollective

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

Live where you love, love where you live.

Peter Arner 646.298.4962 peter.arner@compass.com

© Compass Florida, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice.

stpetepride.org

61

PROUD SUPPORTERS OF ST. PETE PRIDE

Building a culture of belonging

www.nationwidetitleclearing.com

www.nationwidetitleclearing.com

PwC is proud to support St Pete Pride as we embrace the responsibility to drive change in our communities and across the business sector.

www.nationwidetitleclearing.com

Thank Pride Thank You to St. Pete. Pride for work for your your incredible incredible work and the and bringing bringing the community together.

TheNewEquation.com

community together.

Thank You to St. Pete. Pride for your incredible work and bringing the

© 2022 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved.

62 stpetepride.org 1324878-2022-St Pete Pride Parade 2022 Ad.indd 1

5/4/2022 12:00:45 PM

EPICUREAN HOTEL Tampa, FL

FENWAY HOTEL

Dunedin, FL

THE KAROL HOTEL Clearwater, FL

stpetepride.org

63

The Reality Behind Amazon’s Tampa Baes

By Brianna Murphy Haley and I met on a beach in Clearwater in May 2015 and share a love of traveling, business and, most of all, stories and movies.

We’ve always had a large group of lesbian friends who enjoy fun, memories and, of course, DRAMA. We often joked about how our ever-growing friend group would make an amazing reality TV show.

Busy growing our business, buying our home, and everyday life, we didn’t put our reality TV show plans into action until late 2018. At that time, we thought back about how few shows and movies displayed lesbian characters (other than a side character in a scene or two). We had a handful of show ideas, but in comparison to the other genres, we felt this type of media was so few and far between. Haley and I began brainstorming how to make this a reality. With the Tampa Bay area not being in a major city like New York or Los Angeles, we definitely had some doubts, but we thought, “Why not Florida?” As one of the most conservative states in the country, we felt we most definitely need this even more than the cities where acceptance is more prevalent.

During the show conception period, we took notes on interesting situations and crazy things that happened on any given weekend with our wild friend group. We examined personality types, past struggles, background, and fun facts about us, our friends, and our city.

After getting all of our ducks in a row and months of research, we talked to many different industry people about our ideas and found someone we instantly clicked with, Paul O’Malley. He, too, is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and we pitched him and presented our potential cast. Fun fact: Mack and Shiva were the only cast members from our initial pitch that made it to the show. All the others were friends or acquaintances that were added at a later date in the process.

We quickly started working with Paul to get the show off the ground and spoke regularly with him about any updates or news. The show caught the interest of a few networks and was eventually picked up by Amazon Prime video. We got the news from Paul on Haley’s birthday on October 13th during a sweaty outdoor workout session. We nearly passed out with excitement!

As a final note, there is more room for LGBTQ and lesbian-driven content available in the mainstream media. And we don’t just mean side characters in that “one movie” or the “fetishized women making out in that one scene”—we mean real lesbians, living their real lives just like everyone else! This journey has been long and well worth the wait for us. We are proud to have “Tampa Baes” under our belts and to have been so hands on in the process before and after filming. This is just the beginning as we have many other ideas on representing our community.

64 stpetepride.org

WHERE PRIDE SHINES A PROUD SUPPORTER OF ST. PETE PRIDE © 2022 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.

stpetepride.org

65

LOOK GOOD DO GOOD 100% OF PROCEEDS BENEFIT ST PETE PRIDE & LIVE LOVE ST PETE, TO HELP UNDERSERVED CHILDREN IN ST PETE Shirts are available at: Select June Pride events (look for the yellow tent!)

The Merchant – Central & The Pier Annex 400 Beach Dr Online at LiveLoveStPete.org

Dr. Bob Wallace, MD AAHIVS

Primary Care Physician with specialization in

HIV & Hepatitis C care We provide the highest level of personalized healthcare and offer FREE HIV and Hepatitis C testing.

3000 1st Ave North Saint Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 826-0700

lovethegoldenrule.com 66 stpetepride.org

We are proud supporters of St. Pete Pride HCA Florida Largo Hospital, HCA Florida Northside Hospital, HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital and HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital are a part of HCA Florida Healthcare, Florida’s largest healthcare family, and are committed to providing our community with innovative, advanced and compassionate healthcare.

Learn more at HCAFloridaHealthcare.com

stpetepride.org

67

Volunteer with Pride

By Shelby Meaders

Each year, it takes hundreds of volunteers to make St Pete Pride happen. This June, SPP will celebrate its 20th anniversary with more ambitious programming than ever before, and that means we’ll need even more incredible volunteers to help bring a robust, inclusive, and fun Pride season to life!

With two paid positions, SPP is almost exclusively run by volunteers. It’s people from the community, like you, who come together and realize the events that provide safe spaces for our friends and neighbors and make St. Petersburg one of the most LGBTQIA+-friendly cities in the country. SPP volunteers are involved with every step of Pride Month, from planning, to execution, to debriefing sessions. As a volunteer, you’re encouraged to get involved with whatever aspects of Pride you’re most interested in and have as much fun as possible in the process.

We are currenting looking for all types of volunteers, from those who would like to pursue dedicated leadership roles to those who would like to help out with an event day-of.

If you’re curious about non-profit work, want to share your skills to benefit the LGBTQIA+ community, or are wanting to meet a great new group of service-minded friends, we hope you’ll reach out to learn more about the opportunities we have to offer! We also love having students aboard and are happy to sign off on any hours needed for scholarships, university, etc.

68 stpetepride.org

More than ever, we want to show the State of Florida and the world how resilient and beautiful our community is, and that starts by engaging and empowering volunteers who make St Pete Pride possible. We hope that you’ll join us at our upcoming Volunteer Mixer at the SPP Office (3251 3rd Ave N, St Petersburg, FL 33713) on May 15th at 2PM. There, you can meet some of the SPP leadership team, mingle with other volunteers, and learn about our first event of the Pride season, Miss St Pete Pride. We’ll have an additional mixer in June, too, so stay tuned!

As Volunteer Coordinator, I’m passionate about working with individuals and groups alike to find volunteer roles that are best suited to their goals, talents, and availability. Please email me at shelby@stpetepride.com or scan the QR code below for more information about volunteering for any upcoming events this season. Our website has information regarding all of this year’s events as well as a volunteer page.

We’re looking forward to an impactful, high-energy Pride Month that will culminate in a celebration of our volunteers at the beach. Whether this is your first pride or your twentieth, we hope you’ll consider getting involved and would love to meet and work with you!

In Pride, Shelby

Don’t get too thirsty HAPPY PRIDE PRIDE 2021 HAPPY 2022

THREE LOCATIONS:

squeezejuiceworks.com

675 30th Ave N 18 22nd St S St.Points Petersburg, FL 30th 33704AveSt.NPetersburg, FL 33712 • 675 WO LOCATIONS: Five (727) 821-1095 (727) 324-3039 Central • 18 22nd S

495 7th Ave N

stpetepride.org

69

If we strive to make each moment more

Joyful every step in the journey can be truly meaningful.

Empath Health is here.

Here for expert care.

Here for exceptional support.

Here for you, for your family, for the community.

Here for the Full Life EmpathHealth.org 70

stpetepride.org

Know Your Pride Flags LGBTQ/Gay The iconic rainbow pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker for the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebration. He wanted the flag to be a symbol of hope and liberation, and an alternative to the symbolism of the pink triangle. In the original eight-color version, pink stood for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.

Agender The agender pride flag, created by Salem X in 2014, has seven horizontal stripes. The black and white stripes represent an absence of gender, the gray represents semi-genderlessness, and the central green stripe represents nonbinary genders.

Aromantic The aromantic pride flag consists of five horizontal stripes: green, light green, white, gray, and black. In this order, the stripes represent aromanticism, the aromantic spectrum, aesthetic attraction, gray-aromantic and demiromantic people, and the sexuality spectrum.

Bisexual The bisexual pride flag, designed by Michael Page, was first unveiled on December 5, 1998. Its aim was to represent and increase visibility of bisexuals in the LGBT community and society as a whole. This rectangular flag consists of a broad magenta stripe at the top, a broad blue stripe at the bottom, and a narrower, deep lavender band occupying the central fifth. Page stated, “The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian). The blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight) and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi).”

Asexual The asexual pride flag was created in 2010 by an Asexual Visibility and Education Network user. It consists of four horizontal stripes; the black stripe represents asexuality, the gray stripe represents gray-asexuals and demisexuals, the white stripe represents allies, and the purple stripe represents community.

Demisexual The term demisexuality was coined in 2008 by Asexual Visibility and Education Network. The prefix “demi” is derived from the Latin term dimidium meaning “divided in half.” The term demisexual refers to being halfway between sexual and asexual. A demisexual person is someone who can only experience sexual attraction or desire after an emotional bond has been formed. In the demisexual flag, the black chevron represents asexuality, gray represents gray asexuality and demisexuality, white represents sexuality, and purple represents community.

Genderfluid JJ Poole created the genderfluid pride flag in 2012. It has five horizontal stripes: pink for femininity, blue for masculinity, purple for both masculinity and femininity, black for lack of gender, and white for all genders.

Genderqueer Marilyn Roxie, a genderqueer writer and advocate, created the genderqueer pride flag in 2011. The lavender stripe is a mix of blue and pink—colors traditionally associated with men and women—and represents androgyny as well as queer identities. The white stripe, like in the transgender pride flag, represent agender or gender-neutral identities. The chartreuse stripe is the inverse of lavender and represents third gender identities and identities outside the gender binary.

72

stpetepride.org

Intersex The intersex flag was created in July 2013 by Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia. Interex people do not exhibit all the biological characteristics of male or female, or they exhibit a combination of male and female characteristics, at birth. The purple circle symbolizes wholeness and completeness and is a reference to the intersex community’s fight for bodily autonomy and integrity.

Lesbian (labrys design) The labrys lesbian flag was created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, and published in June 2000 in the Palm Springs edition of the Gay and Lesbian Times Pride issue.The design involves a labrys, a type of double-headed axe, superimposed on the downward-pointing black triangle, set against a violet background. The labrys was associated with the mythological Amazons and was adopted as a symbol of empowerment by the lesbian feminist community in the 1970s. The black triangle is a reference to the downward-pointing black triangle lesbians were made to wear in Nazi Germany. The color violet is associated with lesbians due to the poetry of Sappho.

Lesbian This version of the lesbian flag is a derivative of an earlier “lipstick lesbian” flag that had shades of pink with a red lipstick mark. It was introduced on Tumblr in 2018, with the color dark orange representing gender nonconformity, orange for independence, light orange for community, white for unique relationships to womanhood, pink for serenity and peace, dusty pink for love and sex, and dark rose for femininity.

Non-binary Kye Rowan created the non-binary flag in 2014. Each stripe’s color represents a different type of non-binary identity: yellow for people who identify outside of the gender binary, white for non-binary people with multiple genders, purple for those with a mixture of both male and female genders, and black for agender individuals.

Pansexual The pansexual pride flag was introduced in October 2010 in a Tumblr blog. It has three horizontal stripes: the pink represents attraction to women, the blue represents attraction to men, and the yellow represents attraction to everyone else, such as non-binary, agender, bigender, or genderfluid people.

Polysexual The colors and design of the polysexual flag are based on the pansexual and bisexual pride flags, borrowing the pink and blue stripes and replacing the yellow and purple stripes with a single green stripe.

Polysexuality is a self-identifying term that is somewhat amorphous. Polysexual identity is often related to gender identity and is used by some people who identify outside the gender binary. People who refer to themselves as polysexual may be attracted to third gender people, two-spirit people, genderqueer people, or people who are intersex. Polysexuality can be the exclusive attraction towards non-binary genders or sexes, or polysexual people l may be attracted to one or both binary genders or sexes.

Transgender A transgender woman, Monica Helms, designed the transgender pride flag in 1999. The flag represents the transgender community and consists of five horizontal stripes: two light blue, two pink, with a white stripe in the center. Helms described the meaning of the flag as follows: “The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives.” stpetepride.org

73

ADVERTISE WITH US! Call: 813-655-9890

Your LGBTQ News Source WATERMARKONLINE.COM WA W ATERMARKONLINE. ATERMAR KONLINE.COM OM

Read Watermark in print every other week, and get daily news updates at WatermarkOnline.com /WatermarkFL

@WatermarkOnline

/WatermarkOnline

/WatermarkMedia

D AY T O N A B E A C H • O R L A N D O • TA M P A • C L E A R W AT E R • S T. P E T E R S B U R G • S A R A S O TA

74

stpetepride.org

/WatermarkOnline

C.L_Vertical_Ad_with print marks_bleeds.pdf

1

4/26/22

2:44 PM

Want to feel

PROUD of

your

WEBSITE?

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

COME OUT & STAND OUT PRIDE WEAR SWIMWEAR SUNNIES SHORT SHORTS ACCESSORIES + MORE 919 CENTRAL AVE ST. PETERSBURG, FL 727.873.3500

BRANDING | WEBSITES | MARKETING

MileEndDigital.com

atlasbodyandhome.com

stpetepride.org

75

Centering Voices of Color

By Tamara Leigh

I moved to St. Pete a couple years ago carrying with me a lifetime of DEI experience and the sincere desire to make my new home, inclusivity-wise, as much of a utopia as the beautiful beaches and smiling faces suggested it should be.

Discovering my own Queerness years ago inspired a joy and freedom in me that I had never known in my life before it.

Sadly, it was always hampered by the incredible oppression that came with the world’s opinion of it and the shade of my skin. Intersectionality became my life and was fated to also be my work. I am a native New Yorker, where LGBTQ+ laws and protections are groundbreaking on paper but not so profound in practice. Where just like the South or the West or anywhere in between, being Black as well as being Queer can get you killed.

I came to my new home armed with experience, passion and purpose. I was ready to take on my new Floridian world and to be entirely honest, St. Pete Pride. I had turned several other Prides and organizations. I, along with a team of dedicated staff and determined volunteers were able to change the look of entertainment, of staff, of the color of the people at the table. We had made the orgs we interacted with, for the most part, Blacker, broader, less cis and less male focused. I was determined that the same could happen in St. Pete. Each time we can make the big, queer world big enough to fit everyone, we make the world a better place.

Generally speaking, it’s easy when you are the big fish in the small pond to take up all the air, resources and recognition in the room. St. Pete Pride had intentionally or unintentionally done that for many years. But it’s often less malice and more lack of intentionality that causes such oversight and exclusion. I was actually told at one point last year that there were no people or programs that supported, represented or served the QTPOC community in this area. Over the last year I was honored and grateful to learn that wasn’t true. As is everywhere, there are endless Black and Brown folks fearlessly doing the work to make that big queer world big enough to fit us all. I’d like to introduce a few.

2022 introduced six new Board Members of color to St. Pete Pride and the City of St. Petersburg: Dr. Byron Green, Clifford Hobbs III, Darius Lightsey, Fernando Chonqui, Gabe Alves-Tomko and Stephanie Morge. It matters. Who is at the table always matters. Each of us carries blind-spots and without full representation in every space, something always goes unseen. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work must come with overwhelming humility, the ability to name and acknowledge what you haven’t done and a sincere, fearless willingness to make it right. That must come even in the face of opposition, misunderstanding and embarrassment. For those who step in first to integrate that school, to come out in a crowd, to fight that legislation…. to take that seat, must do so fearlessly and 76

stpetepride.org

often without thanks. They must push through the Queer community who won’t ever fully accept them and the Communities of Color who equate their queerness with whiteness.

In some circles they won’t be remembered, but history will never forget. Thank you.

And of those Black-Queer orgs that I was told didn’t exist, who have done the work and carried the flag for eternity- I salute you. The proverbial descendants of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson who are the reason we have a Pride to celebrate or the right to live authentically at all. Folks like Rocky Butler and India Torrez who co-chair the People’s Council, the independent DEIA team that stands to hold St. Pete Pride accountable and consistently raising the bar higher in terms of equity. In addition, the newly formed BLaQQueer Unity Council, a collaborative comprised of Black and Brown Queer leadership dedicated to coordinating, innovating and collaborating on projects that support, empower and engage with Black Queer communities within Central Florida. This group of community leaders who have come together to support, empower and uplift each other and community define what it means to be fully representative and fight for it from their corners of the Bay each and every day. Read about the faces and fighters that are creating change

in our community and working to embody the principles of our ancestors with grit and grace. Look them up, support their visions and if your party, panel, presentation or event that centers Queerness doesn’t include one or all of them- you didn’t try hard enough.

The corner St. Pete Pride is turning is long overdue. The letting go of “we don’t see color’ and the adopting of celebrating, commemorating and uplifting a profound, important and inherently unique Black Queer qulture is a new one. This year St. Pete Pride will feature Ballroom (think POSE), one of the pillars of Black Queer qulture. There will be the 1st ever

official Juneteenth celebration to highlight Black, Queer history and a party to celebrate and honor Black Queer Woman in collaboration with the Tampa Bay Black Lesbians group.

I’m proud to have played even a small part in that and I look forward to a future where it’s a conversation we no longer even need to have because it’s just what St. Pete Pride is.

But even the baby steps matter. There is too much fighting that needs to be done in this state to be living in division.

No one is free, until we are all free. And I hope to hear “Black Lives Matter” being shouted just as loudly as “We Say Gay” this Pride parade. May St. Pete Pride one day be the organization leading both of those chants.

BlaQQueer Unity Council Orgs & Members: Rocky Butler 9 Colors Initiative

The 9 Colors Initiative supports youth by empowering the community through unity. Currently operating as a referral agent and community advocate for the LGBTQ community we strive to ensure equality, wholeness, & community engagement. 9colorsinitiative.org

of being Black and Queer. It means organizing, supporting, and communicating with one another to better serve the community we hold close to all of our hearts!” https:// www.theblunt.space

Tamara Leigh

Blaque/OUT Magazine, Blaque/OUT Consulting & Tampa Bay Black Lesbians

DeAndre “Yummy” Brown

Blaque/OUT Magazine is a monthly digital publication that firmly centers Black and Brown Queer qulture worldwide. Blaque/OUT Consulting provides workshops, trainings, process and procedure evaluation and education for schools, businesses and orgs around creating safe spaces and understanding intersectionality.

Tampa Bay Black Lesbians is a safe community space to build relationships, create and attend events with other Black Queer women in TB, Pinellas County and surrounding areas. You can find the group on FB, IG and TikTok. www. blaqueout.com

Cadin Small, Choya Randolph, Dominique Euzebe, Quin Killiings, Brook Carter

Antonio Miles

Yummy translated his joy of dance into a storied career that has stretched 15+ years. Brown’s mastery of Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Lyrical, Vogue, Hip-Hop and other forms of dance were cultivated as a student at institutions such as “The University of the Arts.” Cultural-based training in churches and organizations like Hype Elite, YCDT with Traci Young-Byron, Iconic House of Ninja and Iconic House of Prodigy only served to enrich his style, versatility and range. In the next ascention of DeAndre’s dance life, he stepped into his most recent form of artistry within the Black Queer Ballroom scene. Brown’s passion for showcasing his art and educating at a worldwide level just fuels his quest for bigger and more transformative stages.

The Blunt Space Incorporated

A non-profit corporation and media hub for art, advocacy, and culture. We aim to be a safe haven and provide resources to marginalized voices within the arts! Writers, Poets, Advocates, Journalists, Dreamers, Creators and Revolutionaries. They see the Council as an opportunity to ”truly be unified on one front about the events and initiatives that advocate for the intersectional identities

A passionate educator and sexual health advocate. He is also the proud Executive Director of EVOLVE Tampa Bay; Tampa’s unique non-profit organization, that provides empowering monthly events that uplift Black and Brown same-gender loving men. His work also reaches into the field of sexual health care, as the Program Manager for Positively U, Inc, a non-profit the focuses reducing the rates of HIV and other STIs through education, advocacy and care. Antonio, is laser-focused on creating connections across the bay area that foster creative, safe and affirming spaces for queer people of color. http://www.evolvetampabay.org/ stpetepride.org

77

FRIDAY

AUGUST 5TH

© 2022 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

AMALIE ARENA

Stronger Together JPMorgan Chase works to advance equity and inclusion for the LGBT+ community globally through philanthropic engagements, public stances and actions on relevant policy issues, and local community support.

We are proud to support St Pete Pride.

jpmorganchase.com/diversity

78

stpetepride.org

Tickets

on sale NOW!

ANSE L A DA MS:

The Masterworks

CLYDE B UTCHE R:

America the Beautiful

NOW through JULY 31, 2022

150 Central Ave, St. Pete | thejamesmuseum.org | 727.892.4200 Ansel Adams: The Master works is a traveling exhibition created by the Booth Western Art Museum.

Clyde Butcher: America the Beautiful is an exhibition organized by Window of the Eye, Inc Clyde Butcher, Badlands 23, 2006, silver gelatin print (detail)

stpetepride.org

79

80 stpetepride.org

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg is proud to support St. Pete Pride and LGBTQIA+ rights, history, and culture.

stpetepride.org

81

Proud in Public with Shine Mural

By Shine Mural Team

What’s up with diversity? I grew up in a street culture (NYC), where people of many backgrounds, many walks of life interacted and communicated with each other, since it was simply unavoidable. When I left and moved to LA (car culture), that diversity slipped away. It made me realize how fortunate I was to experience other vantage points, different ways to look at the world. Critical to what we do at SHINE and endemic of who we are as an organization, is celebrating that diversity. Not everyone interprets art the same way and that is the beauty of artistic expression. There are so many ways to look at the world, as we each bring our unique perspective to each other, learning and growing together.

Photo by Jenee Priebe

There is no better time than now to share your PRIDE. As a woman who chose another woman to share my life with, I know that being different, standing for equity and inclusion brings our world, our city to a higher place. The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance will always have the light of diversity shining. It

“Pride & Love” by Jay Hoff and Chad Mize with Metro Inclusive Health, SHINE 2019 82 stpetepride.org

is the very reason that we celebrate PRIDE with our Once Upon A Shine: A Very Gay Mural Scavenger Hunt - our second year of this city-wide experience hosted by our Fairy Dragmother, Miss McGee. Utilizing art-- visual and performing to communicate is powerful. Making art accessible in public settings, adds to the power of the messages we share. These messages should always be of acceptance, love, and harmony. Why in the world would we chose anything but that? Let us all take this moment in time to acknowledge and respect each other, to celebrate our differences and to teach future generations that there are so many colors in the rainbow and extracting one color, creates a cavity, an emptiness. We are all a part of the rainbow and all we need to do is look upwards.~ Terry Marks, CEO St. Petersburg Arts Alliance www.stpeteartsalliance.org/Pride

LOVE IS THE BEST MEDICINE. Tampa General Hospital proudly supports St Pete Pride.

As the exclusive Volunteer Partner of St Pete Pride’s 20th Anniversary celebration, we’re honored to help their mission to support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community through cultural events, educational programs, and more.

www.TGH.org stpetepride.org

83

PROUDLY SERVING TAMPA BAY PROUDLY SERVING TAMPA BAY YEARS FOR33 34YEARS FOR

CULTURE. FOOD &&DRINK DRINK CULTURE.NEWS. NEWS. EVENTS. EVENTS. MUSIC. MUSIC. FOOD CREATIVE LOAFING CREATIVE LOAFING

84 stpetepride.org

cltampa.com cltampa.com

The Positive Impact of Pride Participation For Large Organizations By David Howard The importance of large organizations’ involvement in LGBTQIA+ celebrations, such as St Pete Pride, cannot be overstated.

At Tampa General Hospital, we’ve observed firsthand what making meaningful contributions to Pride efforts and events signifies to our employees, customers, and the community. For businesses who are committed to being inclusive, safe places to work, getting involved with local Pride organizations is an obvious, necessary step.

To employees, it shows an acceptance and pledge that they can be their authentic selves in the workplace. An organization’s financial and volunteer support for Pride events demonstrates to their employees that the organization’s commitment goes beyond being performative or lip service, and that the organization truly cares about their employees as people, both inside and outside of work. At TGH, being authentic - who you are and not who you think others want you to be – is ingrained as part of our culture. Any organization should want its employees to feel free to be who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity. It is also important to note that for many LGBTQIA+ employees, an organization supporting Pride events makes them feel valued and proud. As someone who has seen St Pete Pride grow over the past 20 years, I know it makes me very proud to see how the event has expanded and to be able to work for an organization that contributes to its continued success.

An organization’s sponsorship of Pride events also signals to their customers and the broader community that they are truly allies. Many in the LGBTQIA+ community pay attention to which organizations support the community and which organizations support efforts that would impede progress and equality. Sponsorship provides visibility to your customers and the community, making certain that they can see which side of the fence you are on. Just like people, the actions of an organization speak much louder than its words. Organizations would do well to support our Pride events simply because it’s the right thing to do!

While I can’t stress the importance of large organizations supporting Pride events enough, the truth is that Pride would not exist without years of local grass roots efforts and small businesses helping, creating, and evolving Pride events into the extraordinary celebrations we see today. Hopefully, with collaboration from larger organizations and the support that they and their workers can provide, the celebrations can only keep getting better!

David J. Howard, Ph.D. Manager, Organization Behavior Science Director, TGH-USF People Development Institute Tampa General Hospital stpetepride.org

85

MEDICAL CANNABIS DISPENSARIES

25% OFF

25% OFF

20% OFF

10% OFF

10% OFF

10% OFF

First-time Patient

Veterans Discount

Higher Education

Pediatric Patients

SSDI Discount

Seniors 55+

MÜV NEAR YOU st. petersburg

pinellas park

1101 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33705

7263 Park Blvd N Suite A, Pinellas Park, FL 33781

MÜV PATIENT CARE 833.880.5420 support@muvbrand.com muvfl.com

WE'R E PROUD TO SUPPO RT THE LGBTQ+ REC OVE RY COMMUN IT Y.

Ever y day o f t he ye a r .

86 stpetepride.org

St. Petersburg’s newest upscale enclave of multilevel homes.

E N E R GY- E F F I C I E N T LU X U RY L I V I N G Terraces at 87th is a private enclave of 92 thoughtfully designed multilevel homes, perfectly situated between the best of St. Pete and Tampa—combining three- and four-bedroom open concept layouts, expansive terraces, and four car garages.

I N Q U I R E T O D AY

727-337-7980

Terracesat87th.com ORAL REPRESENTATIONS SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. PLEASE REFER TO THE WEBSITE AT WWW.TERRACESAT87TH.COM AND TO THE DOCUMENTS AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This is not intended to be an offer to sell, or solicitation to buy, a condominium unit to residents of any jurisdiction where prohibited by law. This offering is made only by the Prospectus for the condominium and no statement should be relied upon if not made in the Prospectus. No real estate broker or salesperson is authorized to make any representations or other statements regarding this project, and no agreements with, deposits paid to or other arrangements made with any real estate broker are or shall be binding on the Developer. The sketches, drawings, renderings, graphic materials, plans, specifications, terms, conditions and statements contained in this brochure are for illustration proposes only, and the Developer reserves the right to modify, revise or withdraw any or all of same in its sole discretion and without prior notice. All improvements, designs and construction are subject to obtaining the appropriate federal, state and local permits and approvals for same. All depictions of appliances, counters, soffits, floor coverings and other matters of detail, including, without limitation, items of furniture, finishes and decoration, are conceptual only and are not necessarily included in each Unit. Consult your Agreement and the Prospectus for the items included with the Unit. The photographs contained in this brochure may be stock photography or have been taken off-site and are used to depict the spirit of the lifestyles to be achieved rather than any that may exist or that may be proposed and are merely intended as illustrations of the activities and concepts depicted therein. Dimensions and square footage are approximate and may vary with actual construction.

The project graphics, renderings and text provided herein are copyrighted works owned by the Developer. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, display or other dissemination of such materials is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement. All prices are subject to change at any time and without notice, and do not include optional features or premiums for upgraded units. From time to time, price changes may have occurred that are not yet reflected in this brochure. Please check with the sales center for the most current pricing.

stpetepride.org

87

EXHIBITIONS ON VIEW NOW: Highlights from the Karam Collection On view now

An Irresistible Urge to Create: The Monroe Family Collection of Florida Outsider Art On view through May 22, 2022

HerStory: Stories of Ancient Heroines and Everyday Women On view through June 19th, 2022

VERTICAL VENTURES ROCK CLIMBING GYM CELEBRATES PRIDE AND HOSTS

PRIDE ROCKS

On view through July 24, 2022

A ROCK CLIMBING PARTY AND SILENT DISCO ON

Paul Jenkins: From America’s Heartland to an International Journey

from 6-10pm

Verde: Poetics of Shade

On view through June 26, 2022

In 2023, don’t miss the

best Pride event in Tampa: Stay tuned for next year’s date and theme!

Sunday, June 5th NEW CLIMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED! LEARN TO ROCK CLIMB, MAKE NEW FRIENDS, ENJOY BLACK LIGHT BOULDERING AND DANCE TO SILENT DISCO!

Register Online:

verticalventures.com/pride

116 18TH STREET SOUTH / ST. PETE, FL / 33712 (727) 304-6290 / VERTICALVENTURES.COM 88 stpetepride.org

St. Petersburg: The Sunshine City

By Rachel Covello at OutCoast.com

Photo by Rachel Covello,OutCoast.com

St. Petersburg, otherwise known as St. Pete or “The Burg” by locals, is one of Florida’s top destinations for fun, sun, culture, art, food, and sunshine. The City lives up to its nickname “The Sunshine City” most days, and for the rare day when the weather doesn’t cooperate, there are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy.

How Gay is St. Pete?

The Tampa Bay region, in general, is very LGBTQ-inclusive.

But St. Pete takes the “rainbow cake” as the gayest side of the bay. St. Petersburg is home to a very large, and growing, LGBTQ community.

For LGBTQ locals, St. Pete offers a laid-back vibe with tons to do and several places to connect with other like-minded LGBTQ people. St. Pete has long been known for attracting gay and lesbian retirees, but there is a younger and more diverse crowd moving here daily, including a growing transgender and nonbinary population.

St. Pete Area Gayborhoods

St Pete Beaches

St. Pete is home to numerous diverse neighborhoods and districts.

While the crystal sand St. Pete area beaches don’t specifically have a gayborhood, all are welcoming and inclusive. Still, one is worth mentioning.

Downtown St Pete St. Pete’s downtown area is home to many LGBTQ people.

Throughout the year, business owners proudly display pride flags and trans flags. It is here you can also find world-class museums, restaurants, a municipal airport, and ferry service to nearby Tampa.

Central Avenue

Pass-A-Grille, the southernmost tip of St. Pete Beach, is home to a growing LGBTQ popouation, especially for ladies! This beach even has a lesbian-owned botique hotel. On a weekly basis, the ladies gather for Wine Down Wednesdays, beach yoga, and Friday shuffleboard. The Hurricane is also a popular spot for LGTBQ “gaytherings.” And the regional Gay 5K has been hosted along this beach for several years.

Central Avenue spans the peninsula from the Bay on the east to the Gulf on the west. This retail and entertainment corridor includes dozens of restaurants, clubs, breweries, shops, and more.

The two LGBTQ hubs on Central are the Grand Central District (31st Street to 16th Street) and the Edge District (16th Street to MLK/9th Street).

Make sure to visit the Metro Inclusive LGBTQ Welcome Center.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 92

RANDY RAINBOW

PAULA POUNDSTONE

FRI AUG 26

FRI DEC 2

RUTH ECKERD HALL

BILHEIMER CAPITOL THEATRE

Gulfport Head southwest of St. Pete to the nearby charming and quirky town of Gulfport. Anything goes in this waterfront town where the motto is “If it’s too weird for Gulfport, it’s too weird.” Gulfport is an artsy enclave offering visitors a funky, beachy vibe.

Gulfport is also home to an award-winning LGBTQ Resource Center and hosts its own pride celebration at the end of May.

TRIXIE & KATYA LIVE FRI SEP 2 RUTH ECKERD HALL

RuthEckerdHall.com Artists, days, dates and times subject to change. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

stpetepride.org

89

90 stpetepride.org

If everyone knew their status, we could take steps to help protect ourselves and each other, bringing us closer to ending the epidemic.

But it starts with each of us being willing to get tested.

Through educational programs with the community, we are encouraging everyone to make testing a routine part of sexual health and to talk to their healthcare providers to get the care they need.

GILEAD IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF ST. PETE PRIDE

GileadHIV.com @gileadhivus

@GileadHIVUS

WHAT WE LIVE FOR, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC7499 UNBC7498 12/20

stpetepride.org

91

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 89

Where to stay in and around St. Pete All of the listed lodgings in our Saint Pete Gay Travel Guide are LGBTQ friendly.

Hotels & Resorts Bilmar Beach Resort 106500 Gulf Boulevard, Treasure Island Choose from gulf-front rooms, or studio apartments – all feature comfy pillow-top beds and amenities. When it comes to activities, enjoy the private beach, try out various water sports, or go for a dip in one of the properties heated pools.

Coconut Inn 113 11th Avenue, Pass-A-Grille This lesbian-owned boutique property offers 11 units, including studios, and one and two-bedroom options. Take a dip in the sparkling blue pool or stroll just 150 steps to the Gulf!

Enjoy amenities like complimentary beach chairs, umbrellas, bicycles, beach towels, and more.

Sirata Beach Resort 5300 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach Enjoy a variety of spacious and comfortable guest rooms facing the beautiful white sands and the Gulf of Mexico. At day’s end sip along with the Sunset Spirits Reception as you relax at Rum Runner’s Tiki Bar. The Hollander Hotel 421 4th Avenue North, St. Petersburg This charming vintage property, updated with all the modern comforts in the heart of downtown St. Pete, offers a variety of room types, including suites, and some with balconies overlooking the oasis-like swimming pool and sun deck.

The Avalon Hotel 443 4th Avenue North, St. Petersburg Art Deco meets mid-century mod at the Hollander’s sister property. Comfort and style come together in this updated historic property. Avalon guests also enjoy all the amenities of the Hollander next door, including free parking and shuttle service around town.

Postcard Inn 6300 Gulf Boulevard, St Pete Beach, FL 33706 Choose from 196 modern rooms with creative beachy, vintage-inspired vibe artwork and comfort. Relax in the gardens or float in the largest heated pool on St. Pete Beach.

Gay St. Pete Guest House 4505 5th Avenue North, St. Petersburg St. Pete’s only clothing-optional, dedicated gay bed and breakfast offers a casual tropical vibe in a central location.

FabStayz® Vacation Rentals fabstayz.com This LGBTQ-friendly vacation rental service specializes in inclusive accommodations. All property hosts are members of the LGBTQ community or supportive allies.

What to do in and around St. Pete There is so much to do in St. Pete. Many of these businesses have hosted events for or support regional and statewide LGBTQ organizations.

Arts & Culture Morean Arts Center Multiple locations throughout St. Petersburg Morean Arts Center Main Building 719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg Chihuly Collection 720 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg Morean Center for Clay 420 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg The Dali Museum 1 Dali Boulevard, St. Petersburg The Imagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art 1901 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art 150 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts 255 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg 92 stpetepride.org

The Factory 2622 Fairfield Avenue South, St. Petersburg Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum 2240 9th Avenue South, St. Petersburg Dunedin Fine Art Center 1143 Michigan Boulevard, Dunedin

Entertainment Cross Bay Ferry Service Vinoy Basin 375 Bayshore Drive Northeast, St. Petersburg Great Explorations Children’s Museum 1925 4th Street North, St. Petersburg Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 5223 Orient Road, Tampa The Straz Center for the Performing Arts 1010 North WC Macinnes Place, Tampa

##S STTPPEETTEEPPRRI D RDD || SST. T. PPEETTEE BBEEAC ACHH| |33 37 7006 6 I DEE | | 33440000 GGUULLFF B O U L E VA R # S T P E T E P R I D E | 3 4 0 0 G U L F B O U L E VA R D | S T. P E T E B E AC H | 3 3 7 0 6 stpetepride.org

93

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Premier Sponsors

AHF CAN Community Health City of St. Petersburg Visit St. Pete Clearwater

Exclusive Volunteer Sponsor Tampa General Hospital

Presenting Sponsors

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Girls Rock St. Pete Love the Golden Rule Raymond James Salon Centric

Gold Sponsors

Compass Realty LionMaus Media Metro Inclusive Health Tito’s Vodka Trulieve

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors (continued) PowerDesign PWC Riverside Recovery Straz Center Tampa Bay Lightning

Official and Exclusive Malt Beverage Partner

Bud Light and Bud Light Seltzers

Official Hospitality Partner The Don Cesar

Radio Partner Cox Media

Official TV Broadcast Partner 10 Tampa Bay

Official Transportation Partner PSTA

Bloomin’ Brands Epic Gilead HCA Naples, Marco Island, the Everglades Suncoast Credit Union Tampa Bay Rays and Bayfront Health Transamerica Truist USF Federal Credit Union Zoies

Partners of Pride

Bronze Sponsors

Daddies Donuts Dwell Home First Source Title Agency Fusion 1560 Kelp Sushi

Bananas Record Store Binske City of Largo Duke Energy Ernst & Young Florida Keys & Key West - LGBTQ Leisure & Sales Frisco Ventures LLC GE Aviation Grand Central District Jabil JBSI, LLC dba Bishop’s Cuts & Color John Hopkins Children’s Hospital JPMorgan Chase Macy’s Mattress Firm Monin MUV Northshore Realty NTC 94 stpetepride.org

Atlas Body and Home Climate First Bank Curaleaf Planned Parenthood Quench Tampa International Airport The Fountain Group The PLATTinum Team

Community Partners

In-Kind

Ben & Jerry’s Big Catch Dark Door iheartradio Live. Love. St Pete MileEnd Digital Museum of Fine Arts OUTFRONT Media OutKast Jeeperz Club Postcard Inn St. Petersburg Opera Company Sirata Beach Resort Tampa Bay Gay WUSF Public Media

stpetepride.org

95

vibrant

Feel the community wash over you.

Bask in the sunlit glow of being truly yourself in one of Florida’s most LGBTQ-friendly destinations. Enjoy every grain of pristine sand on St. Pete Beach. Or breathe in the fresh air during a stroll through the shops and eateries of one of our eclectic and inviting neighborhoods.

Your senses never had it so good.

FloridasLargestPride.com