KTB TV: St. Petersburg Pride 2015
Pride sweeps across the Tampa Bay
America has collectively rejoiced in the ruling of gay marriage legalization across all 50 states. The timing was impeccable, as cities all over the world celebrated Pride that same weekend, including both New York City and Tampa, Florida. St. Pete Pride took over the Bay Area starting as early as June 12th at Tropicana Field, and concluded its annual festivities at the Pride Street Festival on June 28th in the heart of St. Petersburg.
That Saturday, I took part in the festivities for the first time, getting a taste of what South Florida has to offer in the spirit of Pride. I ran in the 5K the morning of June 27th, and attended the Downtown St. Pete Block Party that was closed out by the annual LGBT Pride Parade. Central Ave was filled with excitement and happiness as drinks were passed around, hugs were shared, protestors were ignored, and pride was celebrated.
In this video, I hoped to capture some of the ambiance that the Block Party had to offer. Being there made me feel nothing but good vibes and cheerfulness, and that was exceedingly hard to capture fully on camera. The best thing about events like this was the union of ALL types of people. Gay, straight, queer, trans, anyone was welcome, and it was a beautiful thing to be a part of. There was so much positivity in the air, and you couldn’t leave without a little piece of your soul being lifted.
Celebrating a historic moment for the LGBT community on Pride Weekend was definitely something to be remembered. St. Pete brought it, and South Florida exuded some powerful expressions of love this June. If you ever get a chance to take part in such an event, definitely do it.
