Scott Simon at the 2026 WONDER Awards. (Photo by Dylan Todd)
ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride has confirmed that local LGBTQ+ advocate Scott Simon will match $25,000 in donations to support next year’s landmark celebration.
The nonprofit shared “an urgent message” about funding Oct. 5. St Pete Pride President Trent Brock said they needed to raise at least $289,000 by Nov. 30 to “move forward responsibly with our 25th anniversary in 2027,” an ongoing endeavor.
Organizers subsequently announced Simon — a finance/accounting professional and fan favorite Bradley’s on 7th dancer who had already sponsored the 2027 street festival — would match up to $10,000 in donations. He increased that amount to $25,000 Oct. 10 after an “outpouring of support.”
The organization received a total of $16,000 within the first week. St Pete Pride shared they were “incredibly thankful for Scott’s generosity and commitment to St Pete Pride and our community’s future,” noting “this is what community looks like.”
Brock says nearly $25,000 came in by Oct. 16, Simon’s match deadline, and that additional checks dated within that timeframe are expected. Simon confirmed he will donate $25,000 regardless of the final total.
“These events are not guaranteed,” he stresses. “There is a national funding challenge in this political environment — and within Florida, it’s probably even more difficult with legislation.”
He and Brock point toward SB 1134, the state’s “anti-DEI” law set to go into effect next year. LGBTQ+ advocates say it’s already impacting how municipalities support events like Pride.
“This is all part of the plan in D.C. and in Tallahassee,” Brock says. “We’ve seen these attacks for years and the community has to step up and say we will not go anywhere. One way to do that is by supporting Pride organizations like St Pete Pride as well as the other organizations in this area and across this state.”
Brock encourages other members of the community — and local businesses, citing St Pete Pride’s local economic impact of tens of millions — to “do something similar to what Scott has done, either with a match or significant donation.”
“If we’re able to raise the $289,000, and I truly believe that we will, it will send a strong message to everyone in Tallahassee that this behavior will not be tolerated in Tampa Bay,” he says.
“This isn’t a St Pete Pride only problem, it’s a national problem, but we as a community should be especially attuned to the fact that these events can go away,” Simon adds. He points toward the “one-year hiatus” of Tampa Pride, which has yet to announce a return. The celebration’s void was filled by Pride of Tampa, expected to return next year.
“We cannot assume they will just carry on,” he continues. “If these events matter to you — and they matter to me, which is why I’m doing what I’m doing — the only way to guarantee that they happen is to step up.
“If you find value and can spare $5, $10, $25 or you’re an individual who can spare a lot more, you should do it,” Simon notes. “The Tampa Bay area has lost enough Prides and I don’t think we need to lose more.”
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For more information about St Pete Pride, visit StPetePride.org.
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