The Second annual Naples Pride took place in Cambier Park Saturday. The festival brought more than a thousand people to Naples with business owners and community organizers and performers from all over Southwest Florida. The theme for this years even, “Equality for All”.
“It’s about time, it’s just amazing, its just uplifting“, Jay Tangeg told Four in Your Corner.
Tangeg helped organize Naples Pride last year and this year. He told Fox 4 that he was happy to help create an event that brought so many people together.
“We’ve had a year to plan and the turnout is just amazing, we’re absolutely amazed”, he said.
Tangeg is also a part of the Gay Social Network of Southwest Florida. The organization provides members of the LGBTQ Community in Southwest Florida with opportunities to socialize and network with one another.
Another person working hard to bring pride together was Debbie Gaffoli who brought something special to Pride this year. At the opening ceremony of Naples Pride, Gaffoli presented one of the original Gilbert Baker rainbow flags.
Baker created the Flag back in the 1970s. Gaffoli thought it was important to have the flag at Naples Pride for two reasons.
“This here is the 40th anniversary of the rainbow flag, and today is also Gilbert baker’s birthday”, she told Four in Your Corner.
The original flag has eight stripes on it. The one more commonly recognized has six. That modern version of the flag could be seen flying over Cambier Park all day Saturday. Gaffoli says it's a sign of Baker's lasting legacy.
“Part of Gilbert’s legacy was creating a flag to celebrate hope, hope for now, hope for then, hope for the future”.
