A crowd gathers for a drag performance at the St. Pete Pride festival on June 27. With the parade still hours away, hundreds of thousands of attendees were already present and getting the party started.

St. Pete Pride loud and proud despite statewide restrictions

All photos by Sophia Brown.

Florida has a reputation for being an unwelcome, unsafe state for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The state sits near the bottom of LGBTQ+ safety rankings and inspires travel advisory warnings due in large part to state legislation such as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, bathroom bans in government-owned public buildings and limited access to gender-affirming healthcare.

But one city challenges that reputation, year after year.

Attendees crowd the barriers separating them from the street, waiting for the Pride Parade to begin.

St. Pete Pride celebrated its 24th annual run in 2026, culminating in a Pride Parade and festival at North Straub Park in downtown St. Petersburg on June 27.

Despite restrictions at the state level, St. Petersburg’s local government boasts a perfect score for 12 years in a row on the Municipal Equality Index, led by the Human Rights Campaign.

An estimated 350,000 people were present for the June 27 festivities, which included live music and drag performances, nearly a dozen food truck options and more than 30 vendors representing local artists, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Guests came from across Florida, and some from across the country. The line to check in snaked down the block, and volunteers and attendees alike handed out free water bottles, energy drinks and moisture-wicking towels. 

Mx. St. Pete Pride 2026 Kenzi D. Lavish.
Miss St. Pete Pride 2026 Imani L. Valentino.
Mr. St. Pete Pride 2026 Ashton Thee Fatha Opulence.
A parade float with a sign that reads: “The City of St. Petersburg wishes you a Happy Pride!”

Free, rainbow-branded merchandise from larger businesses abounded, including bracelets, stickers and fans, but art, jewelry, clothes, custom-made pride flags and more from independent proprietors were also for sale. One stand, staffed by members of a local Lutheran church, gave away children’s books with LGBTQ+ characters and topics. Volunteers from Planned Parenthood, Equality Florida and the League of Women Voters of Florida patrolled the festival with tablets for attendees to register to vote and sign petitions.

Guests came in outfits and costumes of all kinds, including some who wore shirts with slogans such as “Protect the Dolls,” I Love My Bisexual Wife” and “‘We The People’ Means Everyone.”

Shirts for sale by Felinious, a local clothing brand.
Someone’s furry friend gets in on the fun.

This year’s St. Pete Pride came following the cancellation of Tampa Pride the year before, citing the “political and economic climate.” St. Pete Pride President Dr. Bryon Green-Calisch told WFLA News Channel 8 that, despite the massive turnout, the organization still fell about $146,000 short of its fundraising goal. 

Additionally, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law earlier this year SB 1134, which prevents local governments from funding or taking action in support of “diversity, equity and inclusion” events, policies or programs. The law goes into effect in January 2027, and leaves the future of St. Pete Pride uncertain.

Even so, turnout for St. Pete Pride 2026 is indicative of the widespread public support for LGBTQ+ Floridians and a thriving LGBTQ+ community, despite how Florida might seem from the outside

Members of Sound of the South, a mobile marching band based in St. Petersburg, stationed themselves near a group of religiously-motivated counter-protesters for several hours in order to play over their condemnations of the attendees.
A mobile dance floor lets attendees strut their stuff and engage in impromptu dance-offs.
Members of the St. Petersburg-based funk band WSAB performed during the June 27 festival and at a street fair in downtown St. Petersburg the following day.
Members of the Christ the Cornerstone Church in Pinellas Park set up a booth at the June 28 street fair with a sign that read,” God ♡ ‘s You Because…” Additional text on the sign includes: “Your joy is holy,” “You are queerfully and wonderfully made,” “You carry divine light” and “She just does!”
Tampa-based musician John Silvestry sang original songs in English, Spanish and Italian for a crowd of onlookers. “You are blessed, you are not a mistake,” he told the crowd in between songs.
Tampa-based drag queen Veronica Foxx went all out in her routine.
Members of this parade float held signs that said: “Love for Lesbians,” “Let my Drag Queens Read,” “Black Lives Matter” and “Transphobes Suck.”
Two religious counter-protesters stand across the street from North Straub Park outside festival bounds, where they remained for several hours before the parade. A lone Pride attendee stands against the fence in front of them with a rainbow sign that says, “We Are Family. You Are Loved.”
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