TAMPA PRIDE has a mission statement and commitment to demonstrate diversity as a community as displayed through a festival with vendors from organizations of national to local levels and the Diversity Parade. This event creates a positive economic impact to the Tampa Bay area through local and national tourism from scheduled events. A PRIDE Celebration in Tampa, Florida originally started in 1982
at the University of South Florida and continued through 2002. The original Tampa Pride organization held events at various venues as the event grew throughout the Greater Tampa Bay area including The Tampa Bay Performing Art Center, Tampa Aquarium, Raymond James Stadium, University of Tampa, Tampa Port Authority Terminals 2 & 5, and Tampa Convention Center. In 2005, the Hillsborough County Commissioners were led by Commissioner Rhonda Storms on a crusade to ban the county from acknowledging, promoting, and / or financing any county-wide LGBTQIA+ event. After 8 years of this inequitable ban, the Ga**OR District Coalition backed by numerous business leaders and proclamations from a multitude of government leaders including President Barack Obama, US House of Representatives, City Council, and Florida State House of Representatives was able to accomplish the repeal of this ban with a 7-0 vote from all Hillsborough County Commissioners in 2013. We are thankful for other area PRIDE events like on the other side of the bay, “St Pete Pride” and on the Central East Coast “Come Out with Pride” Orlando for giving the Tampa Bay area somewhere to celebrate. The success of TAMPA PRIDE events is only achievable through community partnership and donations from individuals, businesses, and corporate sponsorships. We are seeking all avenues of support from voluntary to financial contributions. If you would like to get more information on how you or your organization can get involved, please contact us. TAMPA PRIDE, Inc., a Florida Non Profit Corporation
