Tampa Pride Festival on 1-year hiatus for funding issues due to the 'current political and economic climate'

TAMPA, Fla. - The annual Tampa Pride Festival and other events were put on a one-year hiatus by the Tampa Pride Board for funding issues due to the "current political and economic climate." 

The Tampa Pride Board released a letter that was sent to its then-President, Carrie West, on Friday. The letter, which was dated August 1, 2025, informed West, who now serves on the Tampa Pride Board, that his contract would end on August 31, and they would be unable to renew it. 

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What they're saying:

The letter said, in part, "The current political and economic climate, including challenges with corporate sponsorships, reductions in county, state and federal grant funding, and the discontinuation of DEI programs under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has made it increasingly difficult for our organization to sustain ongoing operations for 2026."

READ THE FULL LETTER: 

What we know:

The board said in the letter that's why they decided to implement a one-year hiatus for the annual Tampa Pride Festival and Diversity Parade as well as all affiliated Tampa Pride events. 

"We recognize the festival and parade’s significant financial contribution to local businesses and its vital role to our LGBTQIA+ community," the board said in the letter to West. "However, this pause is necessary for the organization to regroup, reassess our long-term strategy, and identify additional avenues of funding to secure the future stability of Tampa Pride events."

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Dig deeper:

The board went on to thank West for his dedication as Tampa Pride's president for the past 12 years. 

FOX 13 reached out to West after the letter was posted on social media on Friday. He confirmed his contract concluded on August 31, and said the organization is looking forward to getting some of the grants they normally do and coming back after the one-year hiatus.