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Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Delray Beach's annual Pride Festival will go on, but city officials worried about finances
DELRAY BEACH — As the LGBTQ+ community faces serious financial and political trouble for its festivals and parades, Palm Beach County has started to feel the rising temperature of it all. In March, Julie Seaver, the executive director of Compass Community Center, the organizer of Lake Worth Beach's two-day Pride extravaganza, said the center's finances could take a significant hit if the federal government pulls back on grant funding that helps pay for its work providing health-care testing and other programming for those in the LGBTQ+ community. Now, in Delray Beach, after a heated discussion in early April to potentially defund the annual Pride Festival and Concert in June, the city will continue sponsoring the event — for now. Delray Beach officials discussed removing the annual festival from the list of city-sponsored events. When the item was discussed, Commissioner Juli Casale expressed concern about publicly backing the event, saying it could result in losing state appropriations. "Everybody wants to go ahead with this event. We just don't want there to be financial repercussions on our residents," Casale said. But then she claimed that the city's lobbyist, Mat Forrest, had warned in a private call about sponsoring the event, citing concerns about the Republican-led Legislature. "People are watching," Casale said Forrest told her. "And I would be mindful of what's going on when you're asking for money." Deputy Vice Mayor Angela Burns and Vice Mayor Rob Long opposed defunding the event. "It's hard not to see this proposal to single out this event as anything but suspicious, given the broader national and statewide political climate right now, at a time when LGBTQ+ communities are under increasing attack," Long said. "It sends the wrong message for Delray Beach to even consider or even talk about pulling our modest support for an event that celebrates inclusion, pride and community spirit." In an email to the city's commission the following day, Forrest, the lobbyist, said he had "no opinion on what events the city should or should not sponsor." "The State will not support organizations that it feels are using government funds to support programs, events, etc. that are inconsistent with the policies of the State of Florida," Forrest's email said. "I also think the City is free to sponsor any event that it feels is consistent with the policies of the City of Delray Beach even if it might impact the allocation of State funds to the City." Getting additional corporate support could prove challenging in the current political climate. Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump have attacked diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government and private industry. They argue that such programs shift focus away from merit while supporters see them as important efforts to make sure people from marginalized communities are included in job candidate pools and that their views are taken into account as policy is formulated. Delray Beach currently produces 21 annual events. These include its Boat Parade, St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival, 100-Foot Christmas Tree Lighting, July 4th celebration and Holiday Parade. The city's special events are estimated to cost $951,000. The Pride Festival and Concert makes up $20,000, or about 2%, of that. RELATED: Lake Avenue decorated in rainbows to honor Palm Beach Pride RELATED: Lake Worth Beach's Pride Weekend a celebration, but with concerns ahead "Because of your last meeting, and the agenda item in regards to trying to annihilate the Pride Festival, it galvanized more support for it," Delray Beach resident Steve English said at the April 8 meeting. "That showed this community, and all the people that have talked about economic development, if we want to tarnish or ruin our reputational capital, be designated as a discriminatory, non-welcoming, non-inclusive spot." The next time the commission will discuss the city's special events is May 6. This year's Pride Festival and Concert is scheduled for June 14. Staff Writer Wayne Washington contributed to this report. Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@ and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach considers defunding its Pride Festival
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lake Worth Beach's Pride Weekend a celebration, but with concerns ahead
LAKE WORTH BEACH — Pride Weekend took place this past weekend with a festival and parade that ended at Bryant Park, where thousands mingled, danced and celebrated under cloudy skies that illustrated the menacing climate the LGBTQ+ community faces across the country. Colorful pride flags flapped in the wind at businesses and along roads in Lake Worth Beach, commemorating the two-day event that faces a range of financial and political threats. Julie Seaver, the executive director of Compass Community Center, the Pride event's organizer, said the center's finances could take a significant hit if the federal government pulls back on grant funding that helps pay for its work providing health-care testing and other programming for those in the LGBTQ+ community. Compass has organized the Pride event with backing from community group sponsors, whose funds are also under threat as President Donald Trump's administration attempts to pull back from tens of millions in grant commitments. This year's event was about $21,000 more expensive than it was in the past, Seaver said, as Compass followed law enforcement's suggestion that it use new, special road barriers to prevent a repeat of the January 1 attack in New Orleans, where a man in a pickup truck plowed into a crowd on Bourbon Street and killed 15 people. Seaver said organizers have not wanted to increase the $10 and $12 admission prices in order to keep the event as accessible as possible. But with security and entertainment costs rising and with the financial threat to some of the event's sponsors, "we're going to have to make some hard choices next year," she said. The hope, Seaver added, is that a patron steps forward to help cover the $20,000 cost for the parade and the $50,000 to $60,000 cost for the festival. Getting additional corporate support could prove challenging in the current political climate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump have attacked diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government and private industry. They argue that such programs shift focus away from merit while supporters see them as important efforts to make sure people from marginalized communities are included in job candidate pools and that their views are taken into account as policy is formulated. Criticism of transgender people was one of the themes that animated Trump's campaign last year, and, since returning to the White House, he has sharpened his focus on them. On the day he was sworn into office for a second time, Trump signed an executive order declaring that there are only two sexes, a view he repeated in early March during a speech before a joint session of Congress. The president has attempted to bar transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, a bid that, so far, has been blocked by the courts. LGBTQ+ community members have not failed to notice what they view as attacks on their very existence. "That is why we need Pride this year," Seaver said. "We could all use a little joy, even if it's only for two days." Many of those who attended the Palm Beach Pride festival Saturday agreed. "I need to be around my fellow community members, especially in times like this," said 38-year-old Silvia Silvestri of Loxahatchee Groves, who is transgender. "Coming here is a chance to be myself and also to meet like-minded people." Silvestri said she fears that presenting herself as a woman would put her in danger. "I still present as a male to society for my safety," she said. Dominic Contreras of Palm Beach Gardens, 43, said the anger directed toward those in the LGBTQ+ community is palpable, across the U.S. and even overseas. "I have friends all over the world," said Contreras, who is straight and married to a woman who is bisexual. "A lot of them are saying the same thing: they're scared for us." That fear has led many to Ellie Mental Health, a Lake Worth Beach clinic that provides counseling for people dealing with trauma, depression and anxiety. Ellie Mental Health was a vendor at Saturday's festival, with staff members handing out fliers and answering questions from those who stopped by. "Mental health support is very important right now," said Gabriella Hernandes, a counselor who staffed Ellie's table along with fellow counselor Amaranta Bretas. Both counselors said the feeling of being attacked and discredited is acute among the LGBTQ+ patients they treat. "A lot of times, we're the only place where they can open up," Hernandes said. Eli Allen of Lake Worth, 31, said the vitriol seems stronger in news coverage from other places outside Palm Beach County. Allen, who is gay, said Pride remains an important opportunity to have fun and be together. "We fought all these years for equality and to not be judged or discriminated against," he said. Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@ Help support our work; subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pride festival at Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach draws thousands
