Latest news with #SpaceCoastPride
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brevard County commissioners vote down funding for LGBTQ+ event, Space Coast Pride-Fest
The Brief Brevard County Commissioner Tom Goodson proposed funding for local cultural groups, including Space Coast Pride-Fest, but the motion failed. The decision matters as it impacts funding for an event supporting the LGBTQ+ community, raising questions about inclusivity and community support. Despite the setback, Space Coast Pride plans to proceed with their annual festival on September 27 in downtown Melbourne. VIERA, Fla. - The Brevard County Commission has denied a $5,000 grant request intended to support the annual Space Coast Pride-Fest in Melbourne, an event that celebrates and supports the LGBTQ+ community. What we know Brevard County Commissioner Tom Goodson requested $20,000 in funding for local cultural groups, including Space Coast Pride-Fest, during a Brevard County Commission meeting. Commissioner Goodson proposed the funding as part of a broader initiative to support local cultural events, but the motion failed to gain any support from his fellow commissioners. The rejection comes despite the festival's significant local turnout — reportedly drawing more than 20,000 attendees — and its claim to be a family-friendly event. This year's Pride-Fest is scheduled for September 27 in downtown Melbourne and is expected to include entertainment, a kids zone, and food vendors. The other side Brevard County Commissioner Katie Delaney opposed the funding, citing concerns about the event not being family-friendly. Space Coast Pride refutes this, emphasizing their family-friendly environment and community inclusivity. What they're saying It remains unclear whether alternative funding sources will be secured to replace the denied county support, and if the lack of public funds could affect the festival's scale or offerings. "We are absolutely family-friendly. We have over 20,000 people join our festival, and that includes a ton of families, including my own," said Tina Jensen of Space Coast Pride. "And we even have a kids zone. And that's something we really pride ourselves [on] here in Brevard County, to be a safe and family-friendly place." Commissioner Katie Delaney offered a contrasting view, stating, "I'm opposed to giving tax dollars to Space Coast Pride. The things that I've seen put out there that go on at this event is not what I would consider a family-friendly event." Commissioner Goodson, who sponsored the funding proposal, criticized the lack of support from his colleagues. "You answer this question. Do you have anybody in your family who could be of a different venue? Maybe you do, maybe you don't, but you're gonna persecute them? And meanwhile, we hear about 'We the people.' Those are 'the people.'" Despite the commission's decision, Jensen reiterated the organization's commitment to the festival. "There's also a big main stage of entertainment all day. There's a kid zone there, as you know, we'll call it Restaurant Row with our food trucks. There's a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy the day." Why you should care The decision highlights ongoing debates about public funding for LGBTQ+ events and the broader implications for community support and inclusivity in Brevard County. What's next Space Coast Pride plans to hold their annual festival on September 27 in downtown Melbourne, continuing their tradition of community celebration and support. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared at a Brevard County Commission meeting discussion and speaking with Tina Jensen via Zoom.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We won't go back': Trans Day of Visibility event in Brevard offers support, hope to crowd
This is Me. Human Rights for All. Jesus is an Ally. We Won't Go Back. Those were just a few of the messages — spoken, on signs or on T-shirts — shared Sunday by a crowd of around 250 gathered at Eau Gallie Square Park for a Transgender Day of Visibility event organized by Space Coast Pride. The rally, with music, speakers, resources and a march across Eau Gallie Causeway, is one of many being held nationwide to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility, marked on March 31 since 2010. For many in attendance, there was a shared sense of urgency. The 2025 TDOV follows President Donald Trump's recent executive orders restricting the rights of transgender Americans — impacting, for example, their ability to serve in the military, participate in school sports and obtain government documentation, including passports that reflect their gender identity. "Visibility," said Shelley Rodden, Pride youth director, who co-hosted with Vance Ahrens. "Visibility is life, now more than ever. It's standing up for our community, even when it's uncomfortable." For those who took the stage to share personal stories, the importance of visibility truly hits home. For speaker Finn Hobert, it was a chance to talk of generational channels of understanding, as shared with their 75-year-old grandfather. The older man, who grew up on a farm in the Midwest, could have easily hated what he did not understand, they said. Instead, he has come to embrace his grandchild. This past Christmas, he sent them a gender-neutral card stating that "people like you are what the holidays are all about." "Now his favorite pastime is trolling his close-minded family members on Facebook whenever they spout hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ individuals," they said. "Many people hate trans individuals because they do not understand us; they have not met us ... the problem is they are unwilling to learn, unlike my grandpa. ... This is how we fight; this is how we reject their hate. We keep living and show them the beauty that is our lives. Because trans rights are human rights." Speaker Michelle Salyer spoke lovingly of her transgender son, who came to her at 14 and said he wanted to buy a binder. She thought he meant a three-ring notebook. And as he shared more about who he was, she "tried desperately to convince him otherwise," she said. She gets a lot of credit now for being a good mom and a supportive parent, Salyer said, "but that wasn't always the case." "It wasn't until two different counselors confirmed that my daughter was in fact my son, and I realized the agonizing depth of his depression, that I started to accept the truth," she said. "I learned two things that summer: No. 1, this wasn't about me or what I envisioned for his life. And No. 2, I realized I could have a dead child or a live child. With that realization, I did a complete 180." Salyer imagined "a lot of setbacks and difficulties and prejudices," she said, but never what she's seeing today, what she describes as "maddening, heartbreaking misinformation and lies." Despite all that, "despite a daily dose of demoralizing legislation," her son is a senior in college, majoring in conservation biology — and has zero regrets about his transition, Salyer said. "He is smart, funny, thoughtful and affectionate. and as the result of having been raised as a female for 15 years, he brings a unique perspective to life that encapsulates both genders," she said. "He is 21 now, but he's still my baby, and this mama bear loves him ferociously. And make no mistake, I will do anything to protect him. When people tell him he's lucky to have such supportive parents, I disagree. It is we who are the lucky ones." Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@ Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Trans Day of Visbility: Crowd at Brevard event stresses awareness, hope
