One year, protestors scattered nails in the sand, so everyone got flat tires. “ There aren’t nails on the beach anymore. When asked about the changing social reception and importance of pride events, Dye explained that he hasn’t seen protestors at events for several years.
”ĭye has been using his time during the shutdown to bring some renovations and upgrades to the bar, while making sure his employees and regular drag queens continue to get paid. “ We have to acknowledge that this isn’t going to be our best year, but we’re going to persevere and get back to life as normal. Our locals here are a strong group, and they’re resilient ,” said Dye. “ With pride celebrations being canceled, of course there is going to be a financial impact -May is one of our strongest months at the bar- but, I’m lucky that we have a great cliental.
Cabaret also raises money for HIV organizations and local charities by fundraising during the pri de weekend. Paul Dye, the owner of Cabaret, has been going to the LGBT+ celebrations since the mid-90s and hosting event s at his bar since its opening in 2009.
Event sponsor, Johnny Chisholm announced the cancellation on April 2, which prompted other sponsored circuit parties to cancel their pride events as well. While many locals claim these numbers are down compared to numbers observed prior to Hurricane Ivan in 2004, this is one of the first times the event has ever been officially cancelled. Now, Pensacola Beach Pride Weekend is considered to be one of the biggest LGBT + events held in America bringing in thousands of tourists and millions of dollars each year.Īccording to data collected from Visit Pensacola, last year, the event brought in an estimated number of 54,000 people, 76 percent of whi ch were tourists, collectively bringin g in over $17 million in spending to Escambia County. One Pensacola couple, Ray and Henry Hillyer, are widely recognized for establishing the weekend beach celebrations by simply inviting a few friends out to Pensacola beach. While National Pride Month is observed in June following the history of the 1969 New York City Stonewall Riots, which set a catalyst for the gay right’s movement, Pensacola’s pride gatherings date back to the early 1960s. Pride in the Park, held in June in Seville Square, and Pensacola Beach Pride Weekend, held annually on Memorial Day Weekend, have both been cancelled, leaving Stamped Film Festival as the only remaining LGBT+ event scheduled for later in the year. Within Pensacola, two out of three LGBT+ events have been cancelled and postponed until 2021. For LGBT+ individuals, pride celebrations are a welcoming space to meet people, build a support system and find valuable resources. Major cities like New York City, San Francisco and Chicago have pushed their parades and park celebrations back one calendar year to protect citizens. Across the nation, events and gatherings have come to a crashing halt in response to COVID-19 social distancing -including annual LGBT + pride celebrations observed in May and June during National Pride Month.