ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride announced its 2024 lineup Jan. 19, 11 signature events guided by one of the most diverse boards in the organization’s history.

That body is led by Dr. Byron Green-Calisch, an LGBTQ+ advocate, business owner and consultant who is also Black. His election as president marked a first for Florida’s largest Pride celebration.

“Being the first Black president is indeed a big deal,” he says. “I also want to acknowledge that we have further to go!”

Green-Calisch hopes his leadership will help St Pete Pride continue building bridges to the community it’s served since 2003. More specifically, to connect with “organizations and individuals that may not historically have thought we would be open to them.”

“Representation in and of itself is important,” he adds. “We want to make sure that people are able to see what the future might look like — and we know that if you see something, you’re more likely to engage in it.”

Head over to https://watermarkonline.com/2024/01/30/st-pete-pride-enters-22nd-year-with-1st-black-president/ to read the full article!