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Organizers in several cities across the country say they were forced to cancel historic Pride celebrations this month. Groups in several cities, including Tampa, Florida; Arlington, Texas; and Tucson, Arizona, cited a political environment that has made supporting queer events nearly impossible, both politically and financially, and attending them potentially dangerous.

In Florida, for instance, a bill passed earlier this year empowers Gov. Ron DeSantis to forcibly remove any elected official who supports Pride organizations in the state.

“Anybody who goes and gives anything to an LGBTQ Pride organization, be it a mayor, a county commissioner, a city councilman … the governor has the right to pull you, to eliminate you, and put in whoever he wants in your position,” said Carrie West, who was president of Tampa Pride until the end of last summer.

According to West, this is just the beginning of the unique obstacles facing organizers in Florida and across the country in 2026.

Tampa Pride was canceled earlier this year for the first time in the event’s history. The organization pointed to the political and economic climate for the one-year hiatus.

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In previous years, Tampa Pride had brought in over $100,000 in state and federal grants for its annual celebration in June. In 2026, the organization was unable to secure a single dollar in grants, according to West.

“I could not get any kind of funding. … We didn’t get anything free,” West said. West’s contract ended on Aug. 31 and was not renewed due to what the Tampa Pride board described on its website as a challenging political and economic climate.

Similarly, in Arlington, a Republican........

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