St. Pete ‘Shades of Pride’ event canceled due to financial challenges
by: Brianna Leonard
Posted: Jul 3, 2026 / 04:22 PM EDT
Updated: Jul 3, 2026 / 05:39 PM EDT
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — St. Pete Pride announced Friday morning that its “Shades of Pride” event was canceled.
The event was originally scheduled for July 19, but was canceled due to declining financial support from the Bay Area community, the organization said.
The announcement comes several months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation prohibiting counties and municipalities from funding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
When he signed the legislation in April, DeSantis said local governments were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on initiatives he described as discriminatory.
https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/st-pete-shades-of-pride-event-canceled-due-to-financial-challenges/