'Awesome to be a part of': In ninth year, Polk Pride begins Saturday in Lakeland

No matter how steamy the weather might be, Jonette Bacchus-Yates ventures to Munn Park each year for Pride in the Park, the centerpiece of the weeklong Polk Pride commemoration.

Bacchus-Yates and her wife, Towana Bacchus-Yates, have been fixtures at the LGBTQ celebration since it began in 2016.

“It’s just neat to see so many people come out, of all ages and races and sizes and levels of identification,” Bacchus-Yates said. “To see the families come out, allies come out, and then to see the supportive community, whether it's law enforcement, government agencies, and watching it branch out more and more each year. It's awesome to watch, and it's awesome to be a part of.”

Polk Pride opens Saturday at 11 a.m. with a kickoff brunch at Union Hall in Lakeland. The series of events, organized by a nonprofit of the same name, continues the tradition of the Polk Gay Pride Celebration, which began in 2011 and included such events as a drag pageant at the Polk Theatre.

“I think our continued success is just a sign that people know that this is a place for everybody and that they are inclusive, despite what they hear in the media and on the news, that this is a place that welcomes everybody and is a community for all,” Polk Pride President Scott Guira said.

Polk Pride occurs during June, designated as Pride Month to recognize the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, during which patrons of a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village violently resisted a police raid. That rebellion against profiling by law enforcement is considered the beginning of an organized LGBTQ rights movement.

As has become custom, Polk Pride culminates with Pride in the Park, a gathering in Lakeland’s Munn Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 15. Guira said he expects about 125 vendors and organizations to set up booths in the park, many of them selling clothing and other items with LGBTQ themes.

The free gathering will feature music and other entertainment, including drag performances, along with several food trucks, Guira said.

Pride in the Park attracts thousands of guests, Guira said. Many participants wear attire adorned with rainbows or bearing messages of LGBTQ pride or acceptance.

Last year’s event drew a small contingent of protesters, some holding large signs. Guira said that Polk Pride, which receives a permit from the city of Lakeland, arranges for security with the Lakeland Police Department.

Kerri McCoy, vice president of Polk Pride, acknowledged that anti-LGBTQ demonstrators could appear again.

“We just ask the LGBT community to ignore them, to rise above and just walk away, not to engage, because that's what they want,” McCoy said. “They want us to engage.”

'A safe space': Nonprofit unveils Polk County's first LGBTQ center in Lakeland

The lineup for Saturday’s kickoff brunch at Union Hall includes performances from Fierce Drag Events.

Pride for Youth, a gathering presented by the Lakeland Youth Alliance, will take place Wednesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the United Women’s Club, 1515 Williamsburg Square, in Lakeland. The free event is for ages 11 to 17.

McCoy serves as president of Lakeland Youth Alliance, a mutual support group for LGBTQ youngsters and allies. She said the youngsters in the peer-based group eagerly anticipate Pride in the Park each year.

“They get excited every year for this event,” she said. “They usually go out there with their families. So it's awesome to see that.”

Pride in Faith, described as an interfaith celebration, will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at Beacon Hill Fellowship, 220 W. Beacon Road, in Lakeland.

A late addition to the lineup is Pride Night with the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Friday, presented by AAA. The minor-league baseball team will be hosting the Jupiter Hammerheads at 6:30 p.m.

No special commemoration is planned during the game, Guira said, but Polk Pride will staff tables at the stadium.

Friday Night Pride, an adult-themed gathering, is scheduled for Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Parrot, 1030 E. Main St. in Lakeland. The party promises dancing and drag performances.

A final event follows Pride in the Park on June 15 — Pride After Dark, at Rec Room LKLD B-Side, 202 N. Massachusetts Ave. in Lakeland. The closing party featuring drag shows is scheduled for 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Florida has passed laws and adopted policies in recent years limiting health care for transgender people, restricting mentions of sexuality and gender identification in schools and otherwise affecting LGBTQ residents.

“I think it's so important that we continue to have these events to help show love and support to the marginalized within a marginalized community,” Bacchus-Yates said. “It’s unfortunate to see the attack on our trans community, but it's important that we get together and we support one another.”

Guira agreed that Polk Pride and similar gatherings are critical during a period when intolerance toward LGBTQ people seems to be rising in some quarters.

“There’s no more important time than now for people to come out and participate in events like Polk Pride,” Guira said. “We're going to have a great event and I'm sure a larger turnout than ever. We've grown each year.”

Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Pride, annual LGBTQ festival, opens Saturday in Lakeland