Space Coast Pride

Space Coast Pride is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community organization for Brevard County, Florida, and the group behind the Space Coast's biggest celebration of LGBTQIA+ life. Its focus is fostering a sense of community and bridging divides, and it welcomes the participation of all, regardless of age, creed, gender, gender identity, HIV status, national origin, race, religion or ability. The organization began in 2007 as The Living Room of Brevard, when about 50 people gathered for a picnic in the park.

Today the Space Coast Pride Festival + Parade is the pinnacle of that work. Held each September, it has drawn more than 20,000 people in recent years. The parade route runs through the heart of downtown Melbourne, and PrideFest is held at the Melbourne Auditorium, a fully accessible venue with indoor and outdoor space, zones for vendors and families, and an air-conditioned theater for performers. Shuttles connect the parade and the festival, and both are free to attend thanks to sponsors and donors. The parade includes a Trans March, first added in 2023, that invites trans people and allies to march together.

Pride on the Space Coast lasts all month. The September calendar has included drag shows, a Pride Month happy hour, a beach day, a movie screening, skate night, drag brunch and the annual Gay-la, a fundraiser held at the Hotel Melby Ballroom. Each June, the family-friendly Rainbow Run/Walk 5K at Wickham Park promotes wellness and healthy lifestyles in the LGBTQIA+ community, with vendors and a morning-long celebration for runners and spectators alike.

Space Coast Pride also invests in the people and groups doing year-round work. It makes annual donations to PFLAG Melbourne/Space Coast, which supports parents and young people through its Rainbow Youth and T-NET groups, and to Project Response, which provides HIV case management, education and testing; the Drag Thru Food Drop helps refill Project Response's pantry. The Randall D. Kelly/Kelli Randell Memorial Scholarship, named for the beloved entertainer Miss Kelli Randell, awards a scholarship to a Brevard County high school senior who identifies as LGBTQ+ or as an ally and is headed to college or technical school.

For anyone looking for connection between events, the LGBTQIA+ Resources page gathers regularly scheduled gatherings across the county, including Rainbow Youth, LGBT coffee socials, PFLAG meetings, HIV+ support groups, affirming churches, adoption and foster services, and health providers.

The organization is led by a board with directors for the parade, events, entertainment, health, community, volunteers and youth. Board meetings are held monthly in Melbourne and are open to the public. People can volunteer at the Rainbow Run or PrideFest, join the parade, perform, become a vendor or sponsor, shop Pride merchandise, or give online or by check.