ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The start of June marks the beginning of Pride Month across the country, giving the LGBTQ+ community, and allies, a season to celebrate individuals and experiences. 

What You Need To Know

  • Eric Vaughan is the City of St. Petersburg's LGBTQ+ Liaison

  • Vaughan serves as the connector between the LGBTQ+ community and the City

  • This community welcomed him from Harlem, N.Y.

As the new LGBTQ+ liaison for the city of St. Pete, Eric Vaughan has many responsibilities out in the community. Vaughan recently spent some time talking with business owners, passing out Pride flags.

“It represents the traditional rainbow color flag that we had and now they added the black and brown as well as the trans flag colors,” he said as he held up the Pride flag.

While the weeks leading up to the start of Pride month are busy, Vaughan’s role goes beyond the one-month celebration.

“This position is so important because of representation, people being able to see themselves, people being able to love where they live. St. Pete is known to be a welcoming place for everyone, but we want more people,” he said.

This community welcomed Vaughan eight years ago when he moved here from Harlem, N.Y. for grad school at USF St. Pete, and now, it’s home. That's another reason this role is so important to him.

“I’m a single parent myself, so I know how hard it is for LGBTQ parents to find support in the city, in the state, so just making sure they have that support and resources they need to thrive here in St. Pete," he said.

You may see Vaughan in a commercial he shot for the city, or out and about, and he says he always welcomes input serving as the connector for the LGBTQ community and the city, but, he admits, one of his biggest challenges now are policies targeting the LGBTQ community.

“That’s coming from the federal level. From state levels," he said. "Here in the city we do our best to make sure those policies don’t affect our residents in negative ways, and that our residents still feel this is a welcoming place for everyone to live.”

Through his work, Vaughan says he hopes to continue making the city a welcoming place for all. 

Vaughan replaced Jim Nixon, who served at the City’s LGBTQ+ liaison for the last seven years. Vaughan also served as the LGBTQ+ liaison for the Department of Education in New York City.