Amid headwinds, Miami Beach Pride celebrates 17 years of joy, resistance
Miami Beach Pride is back for the 17th year, with events already underway and culminating this weekend with a two-day festival and parade.
Why it matters: The Beach's Pride event is one of the largest in the nation, attracting about 170,000 people annually from around the world.
But the celebration also comes as the Trump administration continues to push back against diversity initiatives and LGBTQ+ protections, and as Pride events nationwide report sponsorship withdrawals.
The latest: The annual event kicked off last Thursday with a flag-raising ceremony, a family picnic on Saturday and Queer Art Showcase at the Moxy Hotel on Monday.
Wednesday is the Mr. & Miss Miami Beach Pride Pageant at Palace Bar & Restaurant in South Beach.
Between the lines: While some events are ticketed, this weekend's two-day festival at Lummus Park is free.
What they're saying: "Our commitment is to try to make our programming as accessible as possible," Patrick Gevas, of Miami Beach Pride, told Axios.
Gevas says Pride is a time for people to come together and find community. He encourages those who don't think Pride is for them to peruse the events and "figure out what Pride is for you."
Zoom in: This year, the Lawn at the Calming Pavilion, which provides a space for those who have auditory sensitivities or feel overwhelmed by crowds, will offer a new "Tea with Elders" event for folks to speak with and learn from queer elders.
Pride carries a great responsibility to share stories of resilience and hope, Gevas said. The quiet space offers a "sense of community that's been lost when Pride got corporate."
Friction point: Like other Prides across the country, Miami Beach's nonprofit lost sponsors this year, Gevas told Axios.
Companies backing out have cited internal reorganizations or conserving resources, not politics, said Gevas, though he did acknowledge it could be an underlying issue.
Meanwhile, others, like Delta, have increased their sponsorships.
The festival's lineup also includes the Jack Daniel's women's pavilion and a bar and lounge sponsored by Tito's.
The bottom line: Current political discourse and the state of the economy has "certainly caused uncertainty," Gevas said. "But the spirit of Miami Beach Pride is resilience."
This year, the nonprofit focused on getting creative and making adjustments to ensure shortfalls weren't felt.
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