Drag performances still planned for St. Petersburg Pride Parade, organizers say
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Saturday's St. Pete Pride Parade is expected to draw more than a 100,000 people to the city's waterfront.
Organizers of the event, say this is one of the most important parades in its history.
Security for the event will be tight according to St. Pete police.
"Speaking for myself and St. Pete Pride, we 110% - there's nothing wrong with being queer, with being trans, there's nothing wrong with drag. This is part of everyday life for so many people around the country," said St. Pete Pride executive director Nicole Berman.
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New this year, the route will go in reverse. The parade will start at Albert Whitted Airport and head north along Bayshore Boulevard ending at the Vinoy.
It starts at 6 p.m. and will be preceded by a separate trans march, that kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Police say security for the event will be tight, aided by state and federal authorities.
This years parade will have a slightly different route.
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"We’ll have every kind of surveillance possible because we want this to be a safe event for the people in the parade and those coming out to the parade," shared St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway.
Police will also be watching the parade's participants. Earlier this year, the governor signed a bill barring minors from attending performances that feature nudity or sexually explicit conduct, which activists say unfairly targets drag queens. Tuesday, Pride organizers admitted, drag performers will be present at the parade.
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"We have live performances on parade day from 2-10, they encompass all kinds of entertainment. We don’t anticipate any of those performances will violate any laws," Berman explained.
St. Pete Pride organizers wants everyone to know that they believe there is nothing wrong with being queer.
However, if there are violations they will be addressed by police and event organizers.
"If we see an issue, my team and I will contact Nicole, Nicole has her marshals throughout they will give a warning, then we'll take action that needs to be taken," said Chief Holloway.
A free-speech protest zone will be set up on Central Avenue, for those planning to protest the event.