Pride festivities went forward with enthusiasm in Lakeland despite Polk County Commission declining to declare June as Pride Month.
Thousands of people gathered for Polk Pride in the Park Saturday, a large LGBTQ+ pride festival designed for the whole family.
“I grew up in Lakeland and it’s changed a lot,” said Polk Pride president Scott Guira. “More and more people are accepting.”
“We’ve become an inclusive community,” he continued.
Walking through the park, you could find colorful pride flags, a bounce house, and a tent for diversity healthcare.
“Everybody is welcome,” Diversity Healthcare Owner Clay Reedy. “You don’t have to feel afraid to have healthcare.”
The Polk County League of Women Voters was also on-site, encouraging everyone to register to vote.
Pride celebrations continue into Saturday evening in Polk County with “Pride After Dark.”
The event featured live music, various booths and food trucks.
This year’s Polk Pride events are not without controversy. The Polk County Commission declined to declare June as Pride Month for the first time in years, with some comments made throughout the decision process drawing criticism.
“The truth of the matter is this issue gets more divisive by the day,” said County Commissioner Neil Combee. “I want to be on the record, as I said, for my grandkids, saying I can’t go along with men saying they are pregnant.”
“I think their comments were based in ignorance,” said Guira, when asked to respond to the commission’s comments. “They didn’t really seek to understand the people they were talking about.”
Guira said through the month of events that Polk Pride has organized, they’re “responding to ignorance” with pride.
“We’re responding with pride. It’s exciting when you look around the park and you see that, whether they want to say it or not, we are here and we are loud,” said Guira.
I would vote for mr. Combe again and again and again because he is 100 percent right. Why has the news media push this gay stuff down everyone’s throats for all these months when it is in fact a mental condition and is such a small part of the population. Don’t you think we have better things more important to work on? Why not a cancer day in the park to help raise money for those with cancer and other real medical issues? There is something cynical about this gay trans stuff. Can’t put my finger on it as of yet but there is a reason the government keeps pushing it on all of us. I have seen in the news lately drag shows at schools indoctrination of out small children turning them into the opposite sex when they don’t know better I have seem a man having sex with a tree and now a cnn guy that was busted having sex with his dog. If you ask me this is to help cover up Joe Kim Jong Un Bidens crimes by trying to use the gay trans people to help keep the news off him and his criminal way. I see a cancer in the park week I see mental health park day I see abused kids park days I see lots of more important things we can be using our time on other then this chittt.
Tired of them pushing this gay pride crap. If you want to be gay or trans, just do it and live your life. And let up white straight people live ours. We need a white straight white women and a white straight men month, each!!!!