St. Pete Pride on Friday canceled its already postponed Juneteenth celebration, alluding to further cancellations due to a lack of funds.
In a social media announcement, organizers also asked for donations.
“This was not a decision we made lightly,” the post reads. “The reality is, without financial support from our community, St. Pete Pride will look different in the years ahead. Events will become smaller, less frequent, or, in some cases, no longer possible.”
St. Pete Pride previously caught heat from community organizers for discontinuing its partnership with Tampa Bay Black Lesbians and their Get Nude event. TBBL leader Tamara Leigh claimed to have started the Shades of Pride event and posted that it was quietly rescheduled for July, just over a week before Juneteenth.
St. Pete Pride President Byron Green-Calisch previously told CL that the nonprofit lost $150,000 in corporate sponsorships for 2026, either due to the declining economy or to cater to anti-DEI Republicans, and that a new state law banning DEI in local governments will mean $150,000 more lost in city support next year.
Last week’s Pride celebrations were marked by a last-minute venue change for its Friday Night concert and pleas for attendees to “bring at least $1 to donate to St. Pete Pride upon entry.”
When the organization posted that it did not reach its fundraising goal over the weekend, several commenters said they couldn’t find anywhere to drop off donations.
This article appears in July 02 – 08, 2026.