Hurricane season is now under way, but that is not the reason for this year’s Polk Pride theme, “Proud through the Storm.”
The official logo for the annual celebration of LGBTQ-plus people and culture depicts lightning bolts in rainbow hues against a black background.
“It’s just indicative of our commitment to continue to be proud and stand up and push back against the various forces that are coming to try and reel back rights and limit people’s freedoms,” said Scott Guira, president of Polk Pride, a nonprofit organization.
Amid a national atmosphere of retrenchment, the 11th rendition of Polk Pride begins June 13 and runs through June 20, with six public events planned in Lakeland. As is custom, the centerpiece is Pride in the Park, scheduled for June 20 at Munn Park in Lakeland.
Traditional LGBTQ Pride events have been canceled or paused throughout the country this year, as corporate sponsors have withdrawn financial support. Tampa Pride announced a one-year hiatus, and organizers cited a downturn in sponsorships and a loss of state and federal grants, according to Prism Reports.
After beginning his second term in 2025, President Donald Trump issued orders dismantling all federal support for DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs. Florida had already taken the same approach under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Some conservative groups are pushing for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established a national right for same-sex couples to legally marry.
“Following decades of progress, and then to be hit by so many different avenues that have tried to undo all of the progress that was done so quickly, it’s more important now than ever to stand up and be visible and be counted and make sure that the LGBTQ families — including young people and adults — and everybody see that they are welcome and embraced, and this is a safe place to be, and that we are going to continue to push back to make sure that everybody has the rights that they deserve,” Guira said.
Polk Pride had no problem securing a permit from the city of Lakeland to hold Pride in the Park at Munn Park, as it has since 2016, Guira said.
Remembering Pulse tragedy
Though Polk Pride officially opens on June 13, Guira’s organization is promoting a related event a day early. That is the 10th anniversary of the Pulse massacre, in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 58 more at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Beacon Hill Fellowship in Lakeland will host a Pulse remembrance ceremony at 6:45 p.m. on June 12.
Polk Pride will hold a kickoff party June 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Union Hall in Lakeland. The ticketed gathering for those 21 and older will feature “drag and drinks,” presented by Fierce Drag Events.
The traditional Pride for Youth party takes place June 17 at the United Women’s Club, 1515 Williamsburg Square in Lakeland from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The free event for youths age 11 through 17 is sponsored by Lakeland Youth Alliance.
Kerri McCoy, Vice President of Polk Pride, leads LYA, another group for LGBTQ people ages 17 through 24 and PFLAG, originally devoted to parents and friends of queer people and now billed as “the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.”
McCoy said the youngers in LYA eagerly anticipate the party held each year in conjunction with Polk Pride.
“It’s just a big celebration,” McCoy said. “We have decorations, food. The kids can hang out. We have music. We have a photo booth, where they can take silly pictures. Tons of candy to hype them up, food and all that, so it’s a really good time for the kids.”
Pride in Faith, an interfaith celebration of LGBTQ pride, is scheduled for June 18 at 7 p.m. Beacon Hill Fellowship, 220 W. Beacon Road in Lakeland, will host the free event.
Friday Night Pride, a free event featuring games and music, will be held June 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Rec Room Lkld, 202 N. Massachusetts Ave., in Lakeland.
Thousands expected in park
As always, the main event is Pride in the Park, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 20 in Munn Park. The gathering, billed as family friendly, promises nearly 150 vendors offering food and drinks, services, information and more. Some, but not all, vendors have an LGBTQ orientation.
DeSantis signed laws in April barring municipalities from using taxpayer funds to promote DEI, but Guira emphasized that Lakeland provides no financial support for Pride in the Park. Polk Pride pays to have off-duty Lakeland police officers provide security.
Organizers plan a lineup of entertainment on a stage, including music, dance and drag performances, Guira said. The Florida Legislature passed and DeSantis signed a law in 2023, the Protection of Children Act, aimed at preventing minors from attending “adult live performances,” but a U.S. District Judge blocked enforcement and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene.
The legal battle continues, while a panel of the federal 11th Circuit Court considers the state’s appeal.
Pride in the Park has drawn more than 5,000 attendees in recent years, despite the predictably punishing heat.
Polk Pride has not faced the financial difficulties that caused some organizations, such as Tampa Pride, to cancel events, Guira said.
“I think some organizations saw some financial impacts, some of these larger companies that have questioned whether or not they can continue to make the donations or the sponsorships that they have in the past,” he said. “We haven’t experienced any of that. We continue to have a great group of sponsors and folks that are investing in the LGBT community in Polk.”
Pride in the Park typically draws some participants from outside Polk County and even from other states, Guira said.
“I think that it makes a difference that our Pride is very family-friendly,” McCoy said. “Ours has a different feel, and people really do associate Lakeland as a small town, as a hometown county. I don’t think they realize that we’re as big as we are, and so I think a lot of people are shocked when they come out and see how many people actually attend our Pride.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Pride ready to launch Lakeland events amid national backlash
Reporting by Gary White, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gary White, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
