In the Florida Keys, where the economic engine is fueled by tourism, the official advertising tagline is simple: “Come as you are.”
That’s long been a particularly relevant—and successful—pitch for Key West, the storied island at the end of the 125-mile tropical archipelago that attracted more than a million visitors in 2025.
Many of those visitors are drawn here for Key West’s LGBTQ+ scene, its all-are-welcome vibe, and its weeklong Pride celebration every June.
Key West’s first Pride event was a modest walking parade in 1982. By the 2000s, Pride became so big that the nonprofit Key West Business Guild started to manage it, using county tourism funds to support the effort.
But a Florida state law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in April is eliminating funding for events considered to be in support of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion). In response to the law, Monroe County (where the Keys are situated) recently announced that funding, as well as grants from its Tourism Development Council, will no longer be available to Pride and other LGBTQ+ events starting in 2027.
Pride 2026 will still take place, and it kicked off June 3 with a flourish, but the law is already having an impact.
What the law says
On the Florida state website, a statement about the law explains that it “prohibits local governments from establishing or maintaining DEI offices, officers, or programs; bars taxpayer funding for DEI-related initiatives or third-party contractors promoting such efforts; and requires grant recipients to certify that public funds will not be used to advance DEI.”
Following the announcement of the law, the county posted a statement on its website, naming a list of events that are no longer eligible to apply for 2027 Tourism Development Council grants as a result, including all three of Key West’s main LGBTQ+ events: Pride, Tropical Heat (a festival for men), and Womenfest (a festival for LGBTQ+ women and allies).
Funding is administered to groups by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC), and it comes from taxes on hotels and lodging across the Keys, often called a “bed tax.”
Across all three of its annual events, the Guild stands to lose more than $200,000 in funding, according to the nonprofit’s board president Cori Convertito.
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The county’s statement also explained potential consequences: “The legislation also establishes enforcement provisions, including potential legal action by residents against counties that violate the law, and penalties for elected officials, including removal from office for misfeasance. Monroe County emphasizes that these changes are not discretionary and are required to comply with state law.”
In a podcast interview with Afar, Kara Franker, president and CEO of Visit Florida Keys, the area’s marketing arm for tourism, weighed in: “Yes, this is a challenging situation. There’s no other way to describe it,” she said. “We’ve been the destination that’s always been aligned with the LGBT community . . . and so it’s really ingrained in the history, and this is challenging for everyone to figure out how to navigate. But at the same time, we’re required to follow the law.”
What happens now
The Key West Business Guild, a marketing organization that’s been promoting LGBTQ+ businesses in Key West since 1978 and that has managed the island’s Pride festivities since the early 2000s, says it’s committed to keeping Pride going—not only for the nearly 250,000 tourists it says are drawn to the event, but also for the LGBTQ+-owned businesses and community on the island.
“We have to look forward,” says Convertito, the Guild’s president. “We’re already in the planning phases of how to adapt. We’ve been in talks with the city already, before this bill was signed.”
To that end, the group has started a new nonprofit called Gay Key West, which, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, can accept donations specifically earmarked for Pride 2027 and beyond. (Gay Key West doesn’t yet have a standalone website, but people can contact the Guild for now with any questions.)
“I think people are fired up to support [Pride events],” says Franker of Visit Florida Keys. “And so even though they have been dependent on tourism development taxes in the past, I think you’ll even see a renewed excitement from folks who want to make sure that the event happens.”
Not all local organizations that contribute their talent and effort to the annual Pride festivities depend on government funding though, and many already have grassroots support systems in place.
For example, Queer Keys is a prominent Key West LGBTQ+ nonprofit that runs community programs and services year-round.
“We have never received any government funding and though we have had a few small grants, most of our funding is private,” says Beth Moyes, the event coordinator, operations manager, and interim executive director of Queer Keys. “So we were already in a position not to rely on others.”
Funding is one thing, but then there are the optics, said Susan Kent, a 35-year Key West resident and activist who has worked for decades on LGBTQ+ events. Kent discovered Key West while working at regional airlines for 15 years. She went on to work for local Keys’ nonprofits.
“With all the negative press around the U.S. and especially Florida, the question is, will anyone come to Key West for Pride, or will it go back to being a small local event that doesn’t bring in many tourists?” Kent said.
What’s happening this June for Pride in Key West?
This year’s Pride month events began June 3 with a Guild luncheon featuring guest speaker Reverend Gina Durbin, who recently moved to the Keys with her wife to take on the role of pastor at Key West’s Metropolitan Community Church. The annual Pride kickoff party was held later that night.
“The luncheon was incredibly inspiring and the kickoff party was full of joy,” said Sarah Compton, a local resident who owns the marketing company Discover Your Key West. “It was wonderful to see our community come together to celebrate authenticity, inclusion, and love.”
For now, Key West Pride rolls on. The Sunday evening parade (this year on June 7) is a hometown gathering that’s always included everyone who wants to join in: churches and city officials, along with the scantily clad men from Bourbon St. Pub, drag queens, and local celebrities.
“The feeling in the air right now is unity,” said Fritzie Estimond, the Guild’s associate director.
“This year’s theme, ‘Color the Island: A Celebration of Identity Through Color & Creativity,’ gives us something we all need—a reason to come together and celebrate who we are together.”
Estimond added: “Key West has long been a refuge for the free-spirited and the welcoming, and we’re not about to change that now. This week is hopeful. This week is ours.”
