Pride fest spotlights arts talents in the LGBTQ+ community

By Ian Swaby
| 3:45 p.m. May 5, 2024

Sarasota
Neighbors

At a table in the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, Bren Bacon found a perfect space to watch the lineup of musicians during the Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest on May 4.

“I’m enjoying it,” Bacon said. “Zeta the Babe is amazing. “It’s my second time at this facility. I like it a lot. It’s very chill.”

Formerly known as the Harvey Milk Festival, the event highlights the local LGBTQ+ arts community and returns next year to its previous location of Five Points Park.

The three-day festival began with the “Empowered” exhibition, a collaboration with SEE Space Alliance on May 2 and the art collective “Swamp Yell” at The Players Studio on May 3.

The lineup on May 4 brought together talent from the local area including Grace Cespedes, nowincolor, Brittany Zeff and MeteorEYES of Sarasota, as well as Zeta the Babe and Summer Hoop of Tampa.

“This was not only just a Pride event. It's a great showcase of LGBTQ artistic talent, which we don't get to see as often in this community at a normal Pride event or function," said Jules Rayne, a local transgender activist and a community organizer with Equality Florida who was the keynote speaker at the May 4 event. "It's great to give voices to such a marginalized community, and that means everything to me to have their stories, their artistic talents, heard and seen.”

“It’s great to be a supporter of the community — to be part of the community,” said Andrew Ensign, a board member of Fabulous Arts Foundation.

Shannon Fortner, executive director and founder of Fabulous Arts Foundation, plays with the band MeteorEYES.

Andrew Ensign talks with Kay Basham of The Narcan Project.

Bren Bacon watches a performance by Zeta the Babe.

Audrey Meyer and Zoe Toundas browse the items on offer at the table of The Players Centre.

Artist Bianca Clyburn takes a look at the typewriter of poet Steve McAllister.

Ben Beronda, Summer Hoop and Zach Hillier offer a performance.

Reid Overton and his wife Leigh Hackney watch a performance.

Vincent Batista of Lafleur Artist Corp had the chance to offer his artwork at the event.

Lori England, Joshua Hardinger and Lori England's wife Mica England. The owner of Blvd Cafe in Sarasota, Mica England is known for her lawsuit against the Dallas Police Department filed in 1990, which succeeded in changing its hiring policy towards gays and lesbians as well as laws criminalizing homosexuality in North Texas.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.