Organizers in several cities across the country say they were forced to cancel historic Pride celebrations this month. Groups in several cities, including Tampa, Florida; Arlington, Texas; and Tucson, Arizona, cited a political environment that has made supporting queer events nearly impossible, both politically and financially, and attending them potentially dangerous. In Florida, for instance, a bill passed earlier this year empowers Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove any elected official who supports Pride organizations in the state. “Anybody who goes and gives anything to an LGBTQ Pride organization, be it a mayor, a county commissioner, a city councilman … the governor has the right to pull you, to eliminate you, and put in whoever he wants in your position,” said Carrie West, who was president of Tampa Pride until the end of last summer. According to West, this is just the beginning of the unique obstacles facing organizers in Florida and across the country in 2026. Tampa Pride was canceled earlier this year for the first time in the event’s history. The organization pointed to the political and economic climate for the one-year hiatus. “I could not get any kind of funding. … We didn’t get anything free.” In previous years, Tampa Pride had brought in over $100,000 in state and federal grants for its annual celebration in June. In 2026, the organization was unable to secure a single dollar in grants, according to West. “I could not get any kind of funding. … We didn’t get anything free,” West said. West’s contract ended on Aug. 31 and was not renewed due to what the Tampa Pride board described on its website as a challenging political and economic climate.
Similarly, in Arlington, a Republican government has made Pride not only challenging for organizers, but also potentially dangerous for attendees, advocates said. “At this point, we cannot in good conscience invite people to a city that refuses to protect them,” said DeeJay Johannessen, CEO of the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health, the organization that plans Arlington Pride. In September, the Arlington City Council suspended an ordinance that included LGBTQIA+ people in Arlington’s discrimination protections. The suspension was upheld in December, soon followed by the city’s decision to cancel its annual Pride celebration for the first time in the event’s history. While Arlington’s and Tampa’s celebrations previously drew tens of thousands of attendees, smaller rural Prides are also bearing the weight of the hostile political climate, according to organizers. In February, the small northeastern Ohio town of Ashtabula announced that its annual celebration would also be canceled this year. “We’re in a culture where hate is celebrated more than hated,” said Becke Powell, executive director of Ashtabula Pride Inc. “So our volunteer base went down because people are more afraid to show up and show out.”
According to Powell, Ashtabula Pride attracted around 3,000 attendees and over 100 vendors in 2025, in a town of just under 18,000. Last June, the organizers awarded around $8,000 in scholarships to LGBTQIA+ high school students in Ohio as part of the celebration. The decision to cancel this year’s events was largely due to a drop in financial support from sponsors. Powell detailed a conversation they had with a leader from a formerly supportive organization. “He was heartbroken to tell me that he couldn’t support. And not only could he not support by writing a check, but he also couldn’t have a presence there,” said Powell. The company, like several others across Ohio and the country, had shuttered its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that made sponsorships of local Prides possible. “At this point, we cannot in good conscience invite people to a city that refuses to protect them.” Tampa, Arlington and Ashtabula join a growing list of canceled Pride celebrations as organizers face obstacles such as funding and local anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. In January, Tucson Pride canceled all 2026 events and effectively dissolved as a result of financial hardships. In May, Long Beach Pride in California was forced to pull events as a result of permitting issues. Some cities, however, are forging ahead despite the anti-LGBTQIA+ forces against them.
“I want San Francisco Pride to provide hope for people who are feeling a lot of pressure and feeling like people don’t love them,” said Suzanne Ford, executive director of San Francisco Pride. “And I want them to know that here in this city, you can love who you love, and you can be who you are.” San Francisco’s annual Pride celebration attracts over 1 million attendees, and last year, it raised an estimated $2.8 million in sponsorships. According to Ford, San Francisco Pride is on track for another year of parades, parties and pride, despite the obstacles. “Do not let hatemongers keep you from what is yours. If you’re in the queer community in San Francisco, San Francisco Pride is yours. So don’t miss that opportunity,” Ford said. Whether Pride celebrations are able to move forward with events this year or not, the one message that organizers are shouting in unison is vote, vote, vote. “Getting involved in elections is crucial,” Johannessen said. “We got too comfortable in Arlington. … This is not who we are as a country. It’s not who we are as a population.” And for those Pride celebrations that attendees will miss in 2026, organizers say they are already laying the groundwork for a stronger, more resilient model for future events. “The rain doesn’t last forever,” Powell said. “The storms will pass, and we’re going to be here at the end of it.”
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