Wilton Drive gallery owner Claudia Castillo says her studio, with its many rainbow-inspired artworks and prominent paintings and sculptures of the male form, displays LGBTQ pride all year long.
“For me, having this place, it's important that Pride is every day,” says Castillo, a member of the Wilton Manors Art District. “I'm not waiting until June. January and February are Pride.”
But it is June and artist Castillo can’t wait to celebrate the 26th annual Stonewall Pride street festival and parade June 20 right outside her eponymous studio at 2180 Wilton Dr.
“It’s a major event that Wilton Manors has for our community,” says Colombian-born Castillo, who serves on the Broward Cultural Council. “I feel great as a woman to lead by example, to show our support. It’s important to be united in this moment: gay, lesbian, everybody here.”
Organizers estimate the early summer LGBTQ festival – first held in Wilton Manors on a drizzly June day in 1999 marking the 30th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots in New York – now attracts up to 50,000 attendees.
“Stonewall Pride? It means everything to me,” says Fay Albernas, known throughout South Florida as lesbian media personality FayWhat?!, who’ll announce this year’s parade. “We all know what happened back in 1969. The Stonewall riots are our civil war.”
Albernas recalls growing up in New Jersey, being “singled out” and bullied. “I know what it's like to go to school and hide a piece of yourself,” she says.
Feeling alone, “I just wanted to see myself. I wanted to see other loud Latina lesbians being represented. And Pride was the place to do that,” says Albernas, who attended her first Pride festival at age 19 in New York City.
“Stonewall Pride does the same thing down here in Wilton Manors. They've been doing it for over 20 years,” says Albernas, who moved to Miami at 17 after high school graduation.
“Forty thousand people come and spend their time on Wilton Drive,” she says. “And they're among family. People they don't even know, but they're family for that day. And that's what pride is all about.”
Jameer Baptiste, COO and events president of HOTspots Happening Out media, produces Stonewall Pride and has helped plan the festival for 13 years.
“It is a tremendous undertaking to make this happen,” says Baptiste, who grew up in Pembroke Pines and is president of the Wilton Manors Art District. “When you're working at Pride, it's a whole different perspective.
“When you're going to a pride, you're celebrating, you're having fun, you're free, you're enjoying,” he says. “I'm doing my job to make sure you have the greatest time of your life. And that is very hard work, especially in the current climate that we're in.”
Baptiste makes clear he’s talking about both Florida’s political and physical climates.
“Because of the current administration. And because we live in Florida: It's either raining, or beautiful sunshine where it's beating down on you.”
Most concerning to Baptiste and other Stonewall Pride organizers: passage in April of a Florida law that prohibits local counties and municipalities “from funding or promoting or taking official action as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
That law, which becomes effective Jan.1, 2027, will prevent public money from directly funding cultural events such as Haitian Heritage Month and Stonewall Pride. In addition, the governor can remove any public official who violates the new law on grounds of “misfeasance or malfeasance.”
It costs about $1 million annually to produce Stonewall Pride, and the event generates “a direct economic impact of more than $6 million dollars for the City of Wilton Manors,” according to the festival’s nonprofit parent, Stonewall Pride I.
This year, Wilton Manors has signed a sponsorship for $50,000, Vice Mayor Chris Caputo says.
“That's really all earmarked towards public safety,” Caputo says.
The sponsorship helps pay the day’s security costs, including Wilton Manors police and off-duty officers from jurisdictions including Fort Lauderdale. “That money doesn't come to us,” he says of the festival. “It truly is a $50,000 contribution.”
Caputo expects the 2027 Stonewall Pride will be “slightly different” than previous festivals.
“But I think it's an opportunity for us to show up in a bigger, better way and really be seen,” he says. “It’s more important next year than ever.”
Baptiste is also concerned about the financial future of Stonewall Pride – along with all other publicly funded cultural events that spotlight minority artists and audiences.
“People think it's free and it just magically happens. But six figures – over six figures – go into producing a Pride. Our security bill at Stonewall Pride alone is $135,000. And that doesn't include private security. You can imagine what the complete package looks like.”
This year’s Stonewall Pride will not be affected by the new Florida law, but already many corporate sponsors have cut back their donations, Baptiste says.
Next year’s festival will happen, Baptiste says, but will probably be less lavish.
“Will it be smaller next year? Possibly. Will we have magic tricks in place or strategies that we created behind the scenes so that people don't notice that? Yes.
“Will it feel smaller? I’m not sure. It depends on what we are able to create,” Baptiste says. “But we pull rabbits out of hats every year that most people don’t even realize is happening.”
Regardless of next year’s festival size, Caputo assures Pride in Wilton Manors “will happen no matter what.”
“Pride was a protest,” he reminds. “If it needs to be a protest again, it will be.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride
WHERE: Along Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors
HOURS: Street Festival Party from 3 to 11 p.m. Saturday June 20; Glow Night Parade at 8 p.m.
ADMISSION: $15 general admission in advance; $18 at the event. $125 VIP in advance; $175 at the event. $250 Private VIP Club in advance; $275 at the event. $15 staff/vendor/parade participant, volunteers and Wilton Drive business people.
INFORMATION AND TICKETS: https://www.stonewallpride.lgbt
Photo provided by Claudia Castillo.
