City of St. Petersburg, FL

05/30/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/30/2023 10:33

City Celebrates Pride Month with Flag Raising, Community Installations, and Events

The City of St. Petersburg Celebrates Pride Month with Flag Raising, Community Installations, and Events

May 30, 2023 - The City of St. Petersburg and Mayor Kenneth T. Welch are kicking off Pride Month with a flag raising on June 1st and partnering with local businesses to host community installations for the entire month of June. Pride festivities will culminate with events organized by St. Pete Pride at the Pride Parade on Saturday, June 24, and the Pride In Grand Central Street Fair on Sunday, June 25.

"Intentional inclusivity has always been one of our administration's core principles" said Mayor Ken Welch. "Our annual Pride festivities, culminating with Florida's largest Pride parade and festival, highlight our city's support for our LGBTQ+ community, and all who have experienced marginalization. I'm proud to be leading a city that embraces our LGBTQ+ community. Our citizens are valued for who they are, not who they love or how they identify. We-all of us-Are St. Pete."

Pride Flag Raising
Mayor Welch will kick off the 2023 St. Pete Pride Month celebrations by raising the City's Pride flag on Thursday, June 1st, at 10 a.m. at St. Pete City Hall, (175 5th St. N.).

Mayor Welch will be joined by members of City Council, Nicole Berman, Executive Director of St. Pete Pride, as well as members of the St Pete Pride Board of Directors. Throughout the month of June, St Pete Pride will host several events, including the annual Pride parade, to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community while showcasing the best of St Pete.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies, and media are invited to attend.

Letters of Love
For the month of June, the City of St. Petersburg will partner with local businesses to create "Letters of Love," an interactive community activation to celebrate and share love and positivity for our LGBTQ+ community.

With Letters of Love, community members can share stories of strength, love, and empowerment at in-person take-and-make stations at participating locations or online at www.stpete.org/LettersOfLove.

Participating sites include:
*Additional sites may be added throughout the month

  • Center for Health Equity - 2333 34th St. S.

  • Metro Inclusive Health - 2235 Central Ave.

  • Pink Daddies Donuts & Delites - 449 Central Ave. # 102

  • Tampa Bay Rays Pride Night, Sat. June 10 - Tropicana Field

  • The Body Electric Yoga Company - 3015 7th St. N.

  • The Chelsea St. Pete, 2462 5th Ave S.

  • The Studio@620 - 620 1st Ave. S.

  • Thrive DTSP - 136 4th St N. Suite 201

  • Tombolo Books - 2153 1st Ave. S.

  • USF St. Petersburg Campus - 140 7th Ave. S.

Community members are invited to write and leave a letter that shares a personal story, words of encouragement, or a note explaining why celebrating Pride month and our LGBTQ+ community are important. Participants are also encouraged to take a letter that speaks to them.

Submitted letters may be shared on City of St. Petersburg social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @StPeteFL. More information about Letters of Love can be found at www.stpete.org/LettersOfLove.

St. Pete Pride Parade and Festival
Pride festivities will culminate at the end of June with one of the country's largest pride parades in downtown St. Pete. Tens of thousands are expected to attend.

St. Pete Pride Parade, TransMarch, and Festival, presented by Visit St. Pete Clearwater
North Straub and Vinoy Parks
Saturday, June 24, 2-10 p.m.

Grand Central Street Fair, presented by CAN Community Health
Grand Central District
Sunday, June 25, 12-5 p.m.

More St. Pete Pride events and information can be found at www.stpetepride.org.

The City of St. Petersburg is committed to intentional inclusivity as part of Mayor Kenneth T. Welch's Principles for Accountable and Responsible Government. More information about Mayor Welch's priorities can be found at www.stpete.org/vision. More about the City's commitment to the LGBTQ+ community can be found at www.stpete.org/pride.