Orlando Pride Postponed Due to Hurricane Matthew
The impending Hurricane Matthew has forced the city of Orlando, Fla. to postpone its upcoming LGBT Pride event.
In a press release Thursday, event organizers said the risk of the storm to central Florida is too great and that Come Out With Pride, which was initially planned for this weekend, will be moved to November.
"The safety of participants and attendees is our highest priority," a statement from organizers reads.
The release adds:
The Central Florida area is currently facing the possibility of widespread power outages, obstructed roadways, and high demand for Police and Fire services in the period following the storm. While the weather forecast for Saturday is favorable for our event, expected conditions today and Friday will severely impact the ability of our team to set up and prepare the park for a festival. Additionally, many non-local vendors, entertainers and supporting businesses will be unable to participate due to transportation and logistical issues.
With so many in the community looking forward to uniting together at Pride, the Come Out With Pride board is committed to making the event happen at a later time in November. We will be working with officials on alternative plans and will announce the details as soon as possible.
As the Advocate points out, a party planned for Saturday was to benefit those impacted by the Orlando massacre at the Pulse nightclub in June.
Come Out With Pride also posted about the postponement via Facebook.
To check on updates for Come Out With Pride, visit the organization's website by clicking here.