Pride at the Capitol 2025. (Photo by Luis Salazar)
TALLAHASSEE | Equality Florida will hold Pride at the Capitol on select dates Jan. 20-28, a response to what the organization calls “the 60 most dangerous days of the year for LGBTQ+ Floridians.”
Florida’s 2026 legislative session began Jan. 13 and hundreds of bills have already been filed. Equality Florida says its team is “hard at work reviewing each one to understand the full scope and impact of the legislation we’re facing this year,” noting that “our rights, our families and our very existence are back in their crosshairs.”
This year marks an expansion for Pride at the Capitol, which saw over 400 people participate in 2025. LGBTQ+ advocates attended hundreds of meetings with lawmakers and supported events like the transgender-focused Let Us Live March last year.
“During the 2025 legislative session, we stopped every single anti-LGBTQ bill filed,” Equality Florida announced this year’s “bigger and bolder” Pride at the Capitol.
“This wasn’t just luck. It was people power — fueled by thousands of Floridians, who showed up, contacted lawmakers, and stood firm in every room of the Florida Capitol where these bills were debated every single day,” they noted. “Now, we need to do it again in 2026!”
In an email to supporters Jan. 9, Equality Florida Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer noted the state’s Republican supermajority is “pushing a slate of hate.” He specifically cited legislation attacking LGBTQ+ inclusion at work, renewed attempts to ban Pride flags on government property, book bans and more:
“These bills are a calculated distraction from the real issues Floridians are facing — and they could move quickly if we don’t speak out right away,” he added.
Pride at the Capitol’s first week will be held Jan. 20-21 with training sessions, lawmaker meetings and a family-focused press conference. Advocates will return Jan. 26-28 for week two, featuring more training sessions, meetings, a priority bills press conference and the third Let Us Live March.
“Our strategy is simple,” Maurer noted. “We win by showing up, outnumbering the opposition and refusing to be erased.” Registration for Pride at the Capitol is now live.
For more information about Equality Florida’s Pride at the Capitol, visit EQFL.org/PATC.
