June is widely celebrated as LGBTQ Pride Month; this is the 20th anniversary of St. Pete Pride, the largest Pride parade and street festival in Florida.
On Wednesday morning, before the city raised the Pride Flag over City Hall, Mayor Ken Welch slammed politicians who make life more difficult for LGBTQ people.
Listen:
When WMNF asked Mayor Welch to clarify, he said,
“I’m talking about the ‘Don’t Say Gay‘ bill. I’m talking about the ‘[Stop WOKE]’ bill, which tries to, i think, blur the lines of real history.
“And in a city like St. Petersburg, we have to have a foundation that’s based upon an understanding of our true history. Think about Tropicana Field. It’s not just a blank slate. There’s a history of what happened there. It was a community that existed there before that.
“So, aytime we’re talking about facts, data, science, or we’re talking about fundamental human rights, I think those are both under attack by recent actions in Tallahassee. And we need to stand up and say so.”
-St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, to WMNF
Listen:
St. Pete Pride is hosting events all month long, including the Pride Parade along the downtown waterfront and the Street Carnival in the Grand Central District.
