2019 Grand Marshal Nominees

6S Boutique is LGBT owned and operated. 6S has proudly been a part of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area since February 2011. With sass and class, open, loving hearts and minds, we happily serve our more than 3000 diverse, eclectic, creative, and beautiful customers.

Family Resources has been providing shelter for vulnerable youth in Pinellas County since 1978. In 2013, the agency opened one of the first transitional living programs in the state to specifically serve LGBTQ+ homeless and transitional youth. In 2016, Family Resources secured additional funding to double their capacity for serving these young people.

Street Warriors is a grass roots group who want to help the invisible people in the community become visible again. We serve food and hope to those who live on the street. Over the years, we have added others groups into this ministry, some of which are highlighted here. The ‘Sweet’ Warriors bake homemade desserts for the lunches. We have also partnered with Noah’s Landing, a community for adult developmentally disabled people to help prepare and package the lunches. 

Amanda Patanow is a 13th generation Floridian and proud resident of downtown St. Pete whose dedication to community and the transformative power of local business began in childhood at her grandparents’ small-town gas and grocery store. Amanda is passionate about building communities to battle increasing isolation in society and delivering on our shared obligation to serve others. She works as a business leader, community activist, and yoga instructor.

Theo comes from a large Greek/Filipino family brought up with strong values and a community minded spirit.  He has devoted much of his adult life on advocating for individuals where their voice is left unheard due discrimination or lack of awareness on social issues – specifically with the LGBTQ community.  He understands the issues, questions and fears that arise with the LGBTQ community as he faced them for many years during his transition.

Commissioner Long is no stranger to public service and a pillar of Florida politics for decades. In 2002, she was elected to the Seminole City Council and elected again in 2004 without opposition. In 2006, she was elected as a Democrat to the Florida House of Representatives from District 51 and served through 2010.

Alexis De La Merr was born in New York in 1965, and has lived her life on Long Island with her parents until about 15 years ago. Being an only child she kept busy being creative by coloring and putting car models together. Art was her favorite subject in school and always had a creative flair.

Sam(ira) Obeid identifies as a masculine performing Indian lesbian immigrant who was raised Hindu on her mother’s side of the family and Muslim on her father’s side. Moving to the US in 2007 to pursue a Master’s degree, Sam travelled the struggle of both her gender identity and sexuality by herself for fear of how she would be received in India and abroad.