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Tens Of Thousands Attend St. Pete Pride Fest

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By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 28, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Ian Hensley waved at parade-goers along Central Avenue on Saturday, a homemade art piece of fake orchids, roses and sequins radiating from behind his head.

"It's pride," Hensley said of his creation and festivities around him. "It's not just a celebration for gays. It's a celebration for the community."

Hensley, 25, of Tampa was among an estimated 70,000 people who attended the sixth-annual St. Pete Pride street festival and Georgie's Alibi Promenade, a parade named after the popular nightclub that sponsored it. The festival and parade, which cap three days of events, celebrate civil rights and self-esteem among gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons, organizers said.

Attendees ranged from drag performers to parents with young children and a handful of protesters carrying signs with anti-gay slogans. There were teenagers spray-painting a "Gay Pride" stencil onto the arms, legs, chests and backs of anyone interested. Men marched along twirling rifles to the Christina Aguilera song "Candyman." Women wore T-shirts that read, "I love my girlfriend." Rainbow flags waved while people on floats tossed colorful beads to the crowd.

"Anybody from all over the state knows about our Pride," said Charles Sutton of Tampa, a property manager who is on the board of directors of St. Pete Pride. "It's like a big community get-together. We support our community, and we raise a lot of money for AIDS research, literacy and Hospice."

Bob Bolen, 47, a vendor from Fort Lauderdale who sold CDs from his company, Centaur Music, said he's worked at other gay-pride events but this is his favorite. "I love the people," he said. "This is like the biggest crowd I've ever seen except for New York. It's a beautiful city."

"For some reason, everyone seems to want to come out and be a part of it,"' added Todd Bennett, 43, also of Fort Lauderdale, who was helping Bolen with sales.

Tami Bartels, 37, selling jewelry and other items from All Things Pride in Daytona, said she and her partner also enjoy the sense of family. "Every time we come over here, we're like, 'Why don't we live here?' They're a much more open community," she said.

Cathy James of Riverview said organizers thought it important to highlight their diversity. James watched over the family-play area where her 8-year-old son enjoyed the inflatable water slide. She is a board member of Securing Our Children's Rights, a political lobbying group that formed to repeal the ban on adoption by gay Floridians.

"It's important to show off our families," she said.

About 20 people with religious banners such as, "Ask Me Why You Deserve Hell," stood alongside the parade route at Central Avenue and 27th Street North. Among them was Kevin Whitman, pastor of Jefferson Lighthouse Baptist Church in Jefferson, Ga., who called their presence preaching, not protesting.

"We're interested in preaching against a particular sin," Whitman said. "We'll preach to whoever wants to listen. The biggest struggle we have is getting past the mindset that we hate them. It's their sin."

Patty Young of New Port Richey, who attended the parade with her son and his friends, tried to debate with the church group. Friend Jen Malenda, 23, of Hudson, urged her to keep walking.

"It's not worth it. It's just ignorance," Malenda said.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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