Orange County proclaims June 2026 as Pride Month

(Photo by Jared East)

ORLANDO | Orange County formally recognized June as Pride Month June 2, reading and presenting a proclamation from the office of Mayor Jerry Demings to Watermark Out News.

Bellanee Plaza, Central Florida Bureau Chief of Watermark Out News, accepted the Pride Month Proclamation from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners in the Orange County Government BCC Chambers. The proclamation designates June as a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, commemorate the Stonewall Uprising and promote civil rights.

Plaza gave her acceptance remarks and thanked the county commissioners for the recognition of LGBTQ+ visibility and equality in Orange County.

“Pride month is a celebration of LGBTQ+ identity, history, and resilience but it is also a continued call for equal rights and visibility,” Plaza says. “Watermark has been telling our community’s stories for over 30 years, and I’m proud to keep that tradition alive today as a young Hispanic woman who identifies as a lesbian… I accept this proclamation with gratitude, and I look forward to continuing this work together.”

Watch the full meeting below.