GULFPORT, FLORIDA: A sidewalk march and flag raising ceremony will kick off a month of events celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month in Gulfport on Thursday, May 30. All are invited to participate in this free event. Marchers can begin to gather at 5:30 p.m. The march will commence at 6 p.m. from the historic Gulfport Casino (5500 Shore Blvd.) and proceed four blocks north to the front lawn of Gulfport Public Library (5501 28th Ave. S.). Participants are welcome to dress colorfully and to bring their own signs to celebrate Pride and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The march will be led by the Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band.
Following the march, a special LGBTQ Pride Flag raising ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Library, home of the LGBTQ Resource Center. The City of Gulfport displays the LGBTQ Pride Flag every year for Pride Month in June. Join City and State elected officials, including Florida State Representative and Gulfportian Jennifer Webb as Gulfport raises the Pride Flag and displays its inclusiveness of the entire community!
Following the flag raising, all are invited to step inside the Library to attend the opening reception of the 3rd annual ArtOut, a free exhibit of art work by local LGBTQ and allied artists, beginning 7 p.m. Complimentary food and beverages will be offered.
These events are part of a full month of programs sponsored by the LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Public Library to celebrate Pride Month in June. For a full schedule of Pride events, and for more information about the Center, visit the Center’s website: www.mygulfport.us/lgbtq-resources or email LGBTQGulfport@gmail.com. The Resource Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in 2014 and is the first of its kind in a public library setting in Florida, providing collections, services and events throughout the year to the local LGBTQ community, its friends and family.