Citing budgetary shortfalls, St. Pete Pride canceled its July 19 Shades of Pride event, signaling waning support from bay area sponsorships, and increased costs to put on the event. According to St. Pete Pride’s nonprofit leadership, though individual donations grew this year, it wasn’t enough to save Shades of Pride, billed as a celebration of Black queerness.
Events like that require large enough business sponsorships to operate without a deficit, explained Byron Green-Calisch, St. Pete Pride Board President. This year’s deficit begs the question of where that money will be sourced next year, if events must be cut and if Pride – which celebrates the LBGTQ+ community throught the month of June and beyond – can reignite community support.
“We are searching for partnerships that allow us different financial models,” said Green-Calisch.
But the St. Pete organization’s financial challenges did not emerge overnight. The economics have shifted over the last two decades, as Pride has grown and evolved.
The Pride parade wasn’t always held along the waterfront. The original event started at Georgie’s Alibi on 3rd Avenue N. and 34th Street, and ran through Central Avenue in the Grand Central District before terminating at Haslam’s Bookstore.
That route was intentional: businesses in Grand Central historically supported and welcomed the LGBTQ+ community, and the economic boost that followed the parade was a way of rewarding those businesses for supporting the community.
That route sustained from 2003 to 2016, but in 2017, the Pride Parade moved to Beach Drive, fundamentally changing its economics. The effect for Grand Central businesses was negative: the higher-end Beach Drive establishments received the economic boost Grand Central once anticipated.
Notably, at that time, Beach Drive was less friendly to the LGBTQ+ community, though separate events were held at places like the Dali Museum, according to Brian Longstreth, the original founder of St. Pete Pride. This was one of the factors that limited Pride to the Grand Central District.
“I think Pride has lost something on Beach Drive. It always had a better feel in the community in the Grand Central District,” he said.
“I’ve never felt that Beach Drive was the right place for the parade,” Longstreth added. “It’s a very short parade route now, and those who have to pay to enter, I don’t think they get the bang for their buck.”
The previous route was 14 blocks, nearly two miles, versus the 1.5 miles it is now. From a police, sanitation and permitting perspective, however, limiting the event to the waterfront is more manageable and safe – something Longstreth is cognizant of, and Green-Calisch echoed. Green Calisch stated that “moving the parade to Beach Drive, we are along the water and only have to worry about one side of the street. Down Central they have to focus on two sides of the street.”
When asked if returning Pride to Grand Central would garner more sponsorships, Longstreth opined that there isn’t a noticeable correlation between location and sponsorships.
“There might be some smaller businesses that would be willing to contribute more, but I’m not sure it’s on a large dollar amount level,” he said.
Still, the organization must make up for this year’s economic shortcomings before next year – an issue exacerbated by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s anti-DEI and LGBTQ+ legislation, which could curtail the city’s ability to contribute to the event without penalties.
The relationship Pride has with the City currently is a discount on Pride’s bill for using city services. Pride is billed about $300,000 for the event, and the city provides a discount that slashes the bill in half to approximately $150,000. But under the new legislation, the city may not be able to engage in the discount moving forward.
Instead, Green-Calisch said they may have to “reimagine the events,” i.e., make them cheaper without cutting them entirely, such as they had to do with Shades of Pride.
Longstreth said they are going to have to tighten their belts fiscally, but also noted that whoever runs the event should be well compensated because it’s a difficult job.
“Having done that job, I would not wish anyone to do it for free,” he said.
Despite the budgetary shortfall this year, St. Pete Pride remains a massive economic driver for the city. Hotels are booked solid from St. Pete Beach all the way to downtown, effecting massive bed tax gains for the city and county. Meaning money is still collected from tourism, while the event suffers.
“They may have to scale the event back,” said Longstreth. “Pride needs to support itself, and that comes down to sponsorship dollars.”
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