LGBTQ+ Coalition Plans Anti-Corporate, Anti-Police Pride Event In St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — While St. Pete’s largest LGBTQ+ pride celebrations feature corporate sponsors and police contingents, another event taking place Friday night is making a different statement.

The grassroots People’s Pride Night is created by and for the community, not corporations, V Garcia, a representative of both the People’s Pride Coalition, which is organizing the event, and the Tampa Alliance Against Race and Political Repression, told Patch.

Now in its second year, People’s Pride Night will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. at Allendale UMC, 3803 Haines Road North.

The event offers attendees drag performances and live music, free food, a crafts table, a free store, and vendors.

“We’re trying to lead by example,” Garcia said. “We’re cop free, corporation free and have elements of mutual aid.”

A dozen Tampa bay-area organizations have come together to form the People’s Pride Coalition and plan the event:

• Justice Advocacy Network
• Party for Socialism and Liberation Tampa
• Pinellas Democratic Socialists of America
• Progressive Jewish Coalition
• Progressive People’s Action Pinellas
• St. Pete Food Not Bombs
• Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
• Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society
• Tampa Democratic Socialists of America
• Tampa Food Not Bombs
• Tampa Freedom Road Socialist Organization
• Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee

People’s Pride Night is a direct response to official St. Pete Pride events, which coalition members criticize for its corporate sponsors, particularly weaponsmakers and those that use prison labor, and police ties, Garcia said.

With hundreds of thousands of people attending this weekend’s St. Pete Pride celebrations, including the Saturday evening parade along the downtown waterfront and the Sunday street market in the Grand Central District, it’s the largest pride event in the Southeast.

Ahead of the 2024 pride season, People’s Pride Coalition members began meeting with St. Pete Pride leaders in an attempt to work with the organization on a list of demands that include less corporate and police presence at pride events, especially because the St. Petersburg Police Department maintains a cooperative relationship with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the 287(g) agreement, Garcia said.

“It is far more dangerous to exist at pride [events] this year and last year than it ever has been, and not because of external factors, but because [St. Pete] Pride contract forces St. Pete police presence there,” they said.

Last year, the coalition members organized the first People’s Pride Night, organized a teach-in at Queer Expressions and had a presence in the St. Pete Pride Parade.

“This year, we’ve decided to do more programming,” Garcia said.

This included stepping up to organize a standalone march and grassroots event in Ybor City in March, after Tampa Pride canceled its standing event because of funding issues.

“They said they couldn’t do it because they didn’t have corporate sponsors and we said, ‘That’s [expletive,]’” Garcia said. “We had a march and a rally. You don’t need the corporate sponsors.”

Then, in addition to People’s Pride Night, the coalition also hosted two teach-ins this season.

Since 2024, the group has continued to try to meet with St. Pete Pride.

Initially, the nonprofit’s leaders “seemed earnest” in their meetings with the coalition, Garcia said. “They met with us. They responded.”

Then, in 2025, the organization “made so many different little excuses that were roadblocks to not meet our demands,” they said. “This year, they completely ghosted us.”

Garcia said coalition representatives have emailed various members of the St. Pete Pride board and leadership team and “we’ve received no response back.”

Dr. Byron Green-Calisch, the St. Pete Pride board president, told Patch that this simply isn’t true. He said that he welcomes conversations with the coalition, noting that the group has his contact information and even access to his calendar and availability for meetings.

“I share my cell phone [number] widely. I’ve had the same number since the seventh grade,” Green-Calisch said. “I’ve made myself available. I think they have more access to my calendar than my husband.”

The early conversations between the two groups were productive, he said. “We did have lots of really fruitful conversations and met some of their demands.”

These included conversations about pinkwashing, which is superficial support of the LGBTQ+ community to boost sales, and how to support queer people in the region who work for companies that aren’t supportive of the community.

Green-Calisch welcomes future conversations with the People’s Pride Coalition.

“To be in community requires nuance and communication, and I think my hope at the very beginning was to ensure those doors for communication stay open and continually engaged,” he said. “I don't ever see any pride moment as a moment to stop the conversation. There’s opportunity to reengage. The door is never closed. I wish we could talk more.”

He also said that he’s “rooting for” the People’s Pride Night event.

“I am always a massive fan of more queer space,” Green-Calisch said. “I am really excited about their event, and there isn't a world where two events have to be in conflict with each other and can’t share the same space.”