Latest news with #WiltonManorsStonewallPrideParadeandStreetFestival
Miami Herald
16-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Man tried bringing loaded gun and ammo into Wilton Manors Pride fest, cops say
A Palm Beach County man was arrested when he tried to bring a loaded gun and ammunition into the Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival Saturday night, police said. Michael Monheit, a 31-year-old man from Loxahatchee, entered through an east security checkpoint at 8 p.m., when the Pride event's parade was scheduled to begin, but set off the metal detectors, according to a Wilton Manors Police Department press release on Monday. Security told Monheit to stop several times, which he ignored. Officers then detained him and found a Glock 43 9mm handgun in his waistband and two loaded magazines in his shorts pocket, police said. Monheit was charged with trespassing and unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm. Police are investigating Monheit's motive and intentions, 'which are unknown at this time,' according to the press release. Monheit does not appear in county jail records as of Monday afternoon. Monheit did not have a valid concealed weapons permit on his person Saturday, police said. He used to have a concealed weapons permit, but it was revoked some time in the past after he was committed under the Baker Act, a state law that allows authorities to commit a person into a mental health hospital for up to 72 hours, according to the arrest affidavit. This year's Wilton Manors Pride event was the first time metal detectors were installed at all entrances, said Jameer Baptiste, the president of the Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival. In an interview with the Herald earlier this month before the Pride festivities, Baptiste said that police recommended the festival install metal detectors as an 'extra layer of safety and precaution for our community.' 'There wasn't anything in particular that occurred this year, last year or leading up that made [police] suggest having that,' Baptiste told the Herald before the event. 'It's just out of an abundance of caution.' Baptiste declined to comment on Monheit's arrest, citing the active police investigation. Leading up to Saturday's festival and parade, LGBTQ community members in Wilton Manors, known as South Florida's gay neighborhood, told the Herald that celebrating Pride Month felt especially important this year under President Donald Trump's second administration. Community leaders, organizers and residents criticized anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and the Trump administration's rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives— a move that led to some corporate sponsors backing out of the event.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judge rules in favor of Naples Pride drag performance. When is Pride Month? Florida events
An outdoor drag performance will be part of Naples Pridefest, thanks to a federal judge's May 12 order. Naples Pride filed suit after city officials denied a permit for an outdoor drag performance, instead requiring it be held indoors and restricted to adults only. District Judge John Steele granted a preliminary injunction, saying the drag performance is protected speech under the First Amendment. A day after the ruling, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called the decision "both radical and wrong." The ruling came just weeks ahead of Naples Pridefest, scheduled for June 7, 2025, during Pride Month. Florida Attorney General: Federal judge's ruling on Naples Pride 'radical and wrong' Here's what to know about Pride Month and Pride events across Florida: June is Pride Month, with events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. According to History, the riots started in the early hours of June 28, 1969, when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, and roughly hauled out employees and patrons. This led to six days of protests and violent clashes with police on Christopher Street and the surrounding area. The Stonewall Riots were a catalyst for the gay rights movement. Parades, events and other festivities are held to honor LGBTQ experiences and draw attention to issues the community faces. Naples Pridefest is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cambier Park in Naples. Organizers say the event draws over 5,000 attendees annually. "Funds raised during the event will support Naples Pride in its ongoing efforts and provide much needed funding to continue the lifesaving services at the Naples Pride Center including health & wellness services, LGBTQ+ safe resources, a safe community space, suicide prevention resources, youth and senior programs and much, much more," the Naples Pride website reads. St. Pete Pride's June festivities feature nine official Pride month events and is "Florida's largest LGBTQIA+ Pride celebration," according to organizers. The organization's Pride Parade Day and Festival draws "hundreds of thousands of marchers, attendees, and supporters to the beautiful downtown waterfront to celebrate the strength, diversity, and vibrancy of our community." The parade is scheduled for June 28, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival pays homage to the 1969 Stonewall Riots, also known as the Stonewall Uprising. The Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival takes place on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Here's a sampling of upcoming Pride events and celebrations across Florida: Memorial Weekend Pensacola/Pensacola LGBTQIA+ Memorial Day Weekend: May 22-26, 2025 Orlando Pride Month and Pulse Remembrance events: May 28 - June 12 One Magical Weekend Orlando/Walt Disney World: May 29-June 2, 2025 Project Pride SRQ's 2025 Grand Carnival: May 31, 2025 Treasure Coast Pride Fest: June 1, 2025 Naples Pridefest: June 7, 2025 West Palm Beach Pride on the Block: June 7, 2025 Gay Days at Disney World Orlando: June 5-8, 2025 Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride: June 14, 2025 Spacecoast Pride Rainbow Run: June 21, 2025 Key West Pride: June 22-29 PensaPride Festival: June 28, 2025 This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Pride Month in Florida: Where to celebrate Pride events, dates
