Tampa & Fort Myers Cancel Pride Events

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS – LGBT Politics

Fort Myers Pride Put on Hold

LAS VEGAS — (September 28, 2025) — Organizers of Pride Southwest Florida (SWFL) in Fort Myers announced they will not hold their annual celebration this November, citing a lack of sponsorship dollars and planning time.

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According to board member Michael Hange, Pride-SWFL confirmed the cancellation, after struggling to recover from a multi-year Covid hiatus. The festival, which first launched in 2009, briefly returned last year before merging with LGBTQ nonprofit Visuality to secure its future. ¹

Adam Larivee, president of Visuality, said the merger “not only streamlines resources but also makes greater financial sense.” Still, he admitted the organization did not have enough time to plan for 2025.

“We are shooting for 2026,” Larivee explained, adding that organizers are exploring hosting the event at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers.

Tampa Pride on One-Year Hiatus

In Tampa, organizers also announced a hiatus for 2026, canceling both the Pride Festival and Diversity Parade. The decision follows the board’s move not to renew the contract of Tampa Pride President Carrie West, who has led the event for over a decade.

In a letter posted to Facebook, the board blamed economic conditions, declining corporate sponsorships, and political pressures in Florida, including Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

West later told NBC affiliate WFLA that donations from major sponsors had plummeted from $5,000–$10,000 to $1,000–$2,000, leaving the organization unable to cover its $225,000 operating budget.

The Bigger Picture: Pride Events Struggling Nationwide

The cancellations in Fort Myers and Tampa are part of a national trend. Organizers in multiple cities have reported shrinking sponsorships and rising political headwinds. Earlier this year, several of the country’s largest Pride celebrations told NBC News they were down hundreds of thousands in corporate dollars, forcing them to scale back.

Observers warn that the chilling effect stems from both economic realities and political backlash, with some corporate sponsors worried about being targeted by the Trump administration or state-level policies.

Footnotes

SWFL Pride 2024 announcement post – Facebook (retrieved September 2025).

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