The first day of the month of June also marks the first day of Pride Month.
Wednesday morning, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor kicked off the month-long celebration with a flag ceremony, something she referred to as the reason she’s proud of her community.
Topher Larkin has called St. Petersburg home for just a little over two years now.
“Friends and family are all here and I just kinda wanted to connect with my community again,” he said.
The Tampa native came out the evening of his 16th birthday.
He shared, “I always knew I was different growing up and was scared to admit it, say it, or acknowledge it, because it would all of a sudden be true and I knew that it would change things."
He told Spectrum Bay News 9's Katya Guillaume that as a gay Thai man, things certainly haven't been so easy for him.
“Grew up in a Roman Catholic family," he said, "So you know we had the religion to deal with. I’m also adopted so living as an Asian male in a Caucasian household…I stuck out a little bit more than most.”
Sticking out turned out to be a good thing.
He’s found a home in downtown St. Pete, one he wants more people to experience.
“This place really is about community and normalizing things,” he mentioned while looking at LGBT merchandise at inclusivitea on Central Avenue downtown.
The space is operated by Metro Inclusive Health.
It's a place where everyone is welcome to work, get pride merchandise or get their health questions answered.
Topher likes to browse in between projects.
As an event and experience manager in the area, he takes pride in bringing awareness, collaboration and just making this conversation part of the norm in the community.
His biggest reason for moving back to the area?
“It’s about finding family," he said, "And that’s what it is here, that’s what it is at inclusivitea. That’s what it is at Metro and at all these places. We are finding family, we’re finding their community and a sense of belonging, and to me that’s the most powerful thing.”
St. Petersburg also had its flag-raising ceremony Wednesday.
You can stop by inclusivitea to learn about what other events are happening in the community.