TAMPA, Fla. — A small crowd walked from Water Works Park to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride.
It came after Tampa Pride announced the cancellation of its annual "Pride On The River" event. Its president cited a new law banning children from attending "adult live performances."
Gov. Ron DeSantis said it's aimed to protect children but the cancellation didn't sit well with Elizabeth Dugan of Tampa. She created a post on Facebook the same night the cancellation was announced urging people to take part in a walk.
"It was a very impulsive decision... in the heat of the moment," Dugan said during an interview in May.
More than 40 people showed up to take part in Dugan's "Tampa Proud PRIDE Walk." Friends, loved ones, and strangers who heard about it on Facebook attended the event.
Those like Oriana Roa donned a Pride flag around her and said she received criticism on her way to the event. However, she said they only empower her to celebrate Pride even more.
"It's a beautiful state and seeing all this hate, it's really sad. It's really scary," Roa said. "Love is love."
Dugan said the event was better than she could have imagined. She said she hopes it instills more love, especially during the month of Pride and beyond.
"This is all that is what meant to be and that's exactly what it was," Dugan said.
Multiple cities across Florida are holding Pride celebrations. The city of St. Petersburg is slated to hold its annual Pride Parade, the largest in Florida, next Saturday.