In St. Petersburg, Florida, where the “Don’t Say Gay” bill go to effect this week, hundreds of thoands gathered to celebrate 20 years of Pri on Saturday.
Contents:
‘WE SAY GAY’: FLORIDA’S LARGT PRI PARA DRAWS HUNDREDS OF THOANDS
It was St. Petersburg’s first LGBTQ Pri march sce the onslght of the Covid-19 panmic, and jt three months after Florida’s ernor signed what crics ll the “Don’t Say Gay” law. * st pete gay pride *
”Both the state ernment and the Supreme Court were already chippg away at the rights of gay, bisexual and transgenr Floridians, Pri atten para Saturday me on the heels of the historic reversal of Roe v. Explore all your optnsAs right-wg punds and policians amped up their rhetoric — even llg for executns of LGBTQ people and parg them to pedophil — civil rights anizatns beme ncerned that homophobic speech had embolned extremist groups, who threatened Pri Saturday morng, St. Pete Pri goers awoke to news of a shootg at a gay bar Norway that lead Pri anizers Oslo to ncel their ftivi for the Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway promised an “all hands on ck” approach to secury at Pri events.
Some snapped photos ont of the preachers, cludg one para-goer wearg fishs and a vt that read, “Say Gay. A retired teacher, he worried what legislatn like Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn Bill — nicknamed by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill — uld have on on children who, like him, knew they were part of the LGBTQ muny om a young age.
Petersburg’s first LGBTQ Pri march sce the onslght of the Covid-19 panmic, and jt three months after Florida’s ernor signed what crics ll the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Along wh rabow hats, eye makp, clothg and flags, there were prott signs the sea of Pri revelers, cludg those that said “We say gay” and "Bans off our bodi. The measure, which crics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, prohibs classroom stctn on genr inty and sexual orientatn Florida classrooms for stunts “ krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards.
Rachel Covello, of , is an LGBTQ+ advote, travel blogger and wrer. She's happy to ll St. Pete, Florida, home. Not jt bee 's close to Ameri’s most stunng turquoise water and whe-sand beach – but bee 's also one of the most gay-iendly ci the natn. Each year, thoands of visors to the “Burg” celebrate all orientatns and inti at a slew of Pri-foced events. * st pete gay pride *
McKeon hosted a booth where he sold water bottl, T-shirts and stickers wh “Jt Say Gay” emblazoned across the ont of each em. In the week until the “Don’t Say Gay” law tak effect — and a moment time that for many queer people has brought a sense of unease about their future — the ever-faiar “pri as prott” rea lored how many celebrated the largt event of s kd Florida, a state that has propelled self to the center of the latt culture war.