The newly passed SB 1438, the so-called "drag ban," which stipulates criminal charges for event organizers who "knowingly admit a child to an adult live performance," is already having a chilling effect on Pride celebrations around the state. The Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival in Wilton Manors, one of the largest Pride events in the state in its most significant LGBTQ community, has added a dress code banning parade participants, performers, and vendors — but not spectators or visitors — from wearing sexualized clothing or making suggestive gestures, to ensure they don't fall afoul of the regressive law. Cities such as Port St. Lucie have also scaled back their Pride celebrations, and politicians and governments all over the state are worried the law could end all Pride celebrations in Florida. The climate created by DeSantis' forceful legislation has caused travel advisories to be issued by advocacy organizations such as the NAACP and Equality Florida.
Things hopefully won't be changing much for Wynwood. The event has been 18-plus in the past and will be again this year, and the festival's drag show component, Miss Toto's FunDimension, requires two forms of identification. It's also recruited R&B star Tinashe to headline the festival on Saturday, June 10, at Oasis Wynwood.
Hosting famous pop divas has become a theme for the arts district's Pride celebration. The 2021 edition featured performances from Charli XCX and house music DJ Honey Dijon, while 2022 was marred by the eternally controversial Azealia Banks' aborted set. The "212" rapper took to the stage two hours late and performed four songs before launching into a tirade aimed at the festival organizers and walking off after her mic was cut.
Tinashe is a much less contentious pick. The singer is best known for her song "2 On" with Schoolboy Q and has been featured on songs by Calvin Harris and Britney Spears. She's recently appeared on the rebooted MTV Cribs and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She'll be joined by New York-based DJ/party promoter Ty Sunderland and a handful of other yet-to-be-revealed talents.
The festival is also hosting a few other events. The previously mentioned Miss Toto's FunDimension is where one of Miami's most celebrated drag queens will host Ru Paul's Drag Race stars, lip-sync battles, a fashion show, and more on Friday, June 9. Wynwood Pride kicks off with a pool party at Arlo Wynwood featuring local DJs such as Terence Tabeau on Saturday, June 3.
