In spite of the recent turmoil surrounding a slate of new state laws that impact LGBTQ+ communities, Orlando is still planning to put on Pride celebrations and Pride marches this year.
The annual “Come Out With Pride” festival on Oct. 21, which has been taking place in Orlando since 2005, is still scheduled to happen, according to its executive director, Tatiana Quiroga.
Quiroga said the event is anticipated to bring more than 200,000 people this year to Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.
“We feel that, if anything, this is the most critical time for us to gather and bring our community together,” she said. “Folks in our community need to see that they are loved and accepted and welcomed, especially in the city beautiful.”
Meanwhile, other Pride celebrations across Florida are being canceled in response to the passage of several laws in Florida that critics and travel advisories say create a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ communities.
The president of Tampa Pride canceled its Pride on the River event in September, and in April, Port St. Lucie Pride event organizers canceled its Pride parade, WPTV reported.
Last week, organizers of “PRIDE in St. Cloud” announced they’re canceling their upcoming Pride event out of fear for the safety of their patrons after receiving an increased amount of hate speech this year.
The travel advisories were issued in response to recently signed legislation that enable the targeting of drag shows, limit the use of preferred pronouns in public schools, ban certain gender-affirming care for minors and restrict where trans people can use the restroom.
Rachel Covello, publisher of the LGBTQ+ travel website Out Coast, said travelers seeking LGBTQ+ safe spaces should use the advisories to decide what’s the best and safest option for them. But she also stressed that Florida still has many communities where LGBTQ+ people can feel not only safe, but welcome and accepted.
“It’s not just physical safety we’re seeking, it’s an emotional one too. People from all walks of life want to feel included and to not feel like they’re going to get stared at or be asked to leave a space,” she said. “There are still towns in Florida, like DeLand, that have made so much progress to welcome LGBTQ+ travelers.”
According to the “Gotta Go Orlando” website, there are still several family-friendly and age-restricted events taking place next month that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
Lake County Pride is also marching forward with Pride celebrations as a show of solidarity.
The KindRED Pride Foundation in Orlando is planning a meetup at Magic Kingdom in Orlando to commemorate an age-old tradition of people who would meet socially on the first Saturday in June in front of the castle and wear red shirts as an expression of pride.
On the website GirlTalkHQ, Alison Burgos, co-founder and vice president of the KindRED Pride Foundation, said its important to stand up against recent attacks on LGBTQ+ progress in the state.
“We have seen a rise of hate crimes towards the LGBTQ+ community as well as politicians targeting our community, working to take away our rights and remove access to basic needs including health care and support of the transgender community,” she said. “It is imperative for us to stand up against these attacks or our rights will be stripped away and many lives will be harmed.”
arabines@orlandosentinel.com
