TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Market on Water Street had all of its typical things like handcrafted products and fresh foods, but Sunday it had an entire section dedicated to LGBTQ+ pride.
“This one here is a boys play with dolls,” Nelson Perez Jr. said as he pointed to one of his paintings.
Perez is the mind behind VodkaBaconStudios.
“It’s designed to be a full 3D interactive experience,” he explained.
The 3D acrylic painter showed off his artwork Sunday morning while celebrating pride.
Perez describes pride as “to be out, to be proud.”
“A lot of people hide and they’re scared afraid they’re going to be denied and even worse a lot of people are denied by their family,” he continued.
He said events like the pride celebration in The Market at Water Street Tampa help to send a message of love and inclusivity to the community.
“You can’t internalize someone else’s feeling or hatred because that’s on them not on you,” he explained. “So, you need to be out celebrating who you are instead of looking at yourself through the eyes of someone else.”
People were able to walk through the market with sights of pride flags, face painting, and a booth showcasing the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
“It allows you to see yourself on screen,” said TIGLFF president Rob Akins. “We’ve been showing films for 34 years now; we’re one of the oldest LGBTQ film festivals in the country.”
When asked what pride meant to him Akins said it means “means being yourself, being comfortable with who you are, respecting yourself, [and] not letting others tell you how to live your life.”
“It’s about being you, being out and loving yourself,” he said.