LGBTQ+ group blames DeSantis and political climate for cancellation of Pride festival and other events

A Florida LGBTQ+ activist group says that fewer donations to its cause have forced the cancellation of all Pride events, including its Tampa Pride festival.

A statement on Facebook from Tampa Pride Board president Carrie West also blamed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for passing laws hostile to the LGBTQ+ agenda.

'Draconian anti-LBGTQ+ policies and legislation in states like Florida, and across the country, are having their intended impact — to marginalize and dehumanize a segment of our population as a major step toward implementing an authoritarian state.'

"The current political and economic climate, including challenges with corporate sponsorships, reductions in county, state and federal grant funding, and the discontinuation of DEI programs under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has made it increasingly difficult for our organization to sustain ongoing operations for 2026," West wrote.

The group will take a year off in order to seek more funding, with the hope to return in 2027.

"We recognize the festival and parade's significant financial contribution to local businesses and its vital role to our LGBTQIA+ community," West continued. "However, this pause is necessary for the organization to regroup, reassess our long-term strategy, and identify additional avenues of funding to secure the future stability of Tampa Pride events."

Pride organizers in St. Pete told WFTS-TV that they had lost $150,000 in funding over the last few years.

"That has slowly trickled down. We saw a sharp decrease this past year, our 2025 season where we did see less engagement from partners that have been with us for a while that shared different reasons to why they were unable to engage with us this year," Dr. Byron Green-Calisch said of the group.

Wendy Via of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism blamed right-wing activism in a statement to Newsweek.

"The cancellation of the Tampa Pride events is the latest outcome of a coordinated nation-wide campaign by right-wing political figures and organizations to chill public participation and coerce companies into withdrawing their financial sponsorships for events that celebrate the diversity that makes our country great," Via said. "Draconian anti-LBGTQ+ policies and legislation in states like Florida, and across the country, are having their intended impact — to marginalize and dehumanize a segment of our population as a major step toward implementing an authoritarian state."

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Green-Calisch said the group is ramping up fundraising efforts as a result of the drop in donations.

"Really encouraging our partners, 'Hey, this is the time that we need you to double down on your support and not step away but really lock arms with us as we continue to push forward,'" he added.

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