ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida's largest Pride celebration is one of the many things that the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on this year.
St. Pete Pride had events scheduled for all this week, but because of COVID-19, those plans were canceled.
That doesn't mean you have to hide your pride, you can still celebrate. Instead of taking their shows on the road, some performers are going to perform virtually to help those in the LGBTQ+ community come together.
Teraj is an emerging R&B singer/songwriter, originally from Miami, who was in the midst of rehearsing for his biggest show and tour to date. Then, the coronavirus hit.
"It was definitely crushing for me because this was really my opportunity as an artist to really take my career to the next level so it was a lot of hard work building up to that point."
But, he pushed on making his music video and looking for the next opportunity to share his music and message. He found that chance performing at virtual events-- reaching more people than ever.
"Because there's a lot of people who wouldn't be able to attend Pride or have the courage to show up at our Pride. It allows them to have that opportunity to share in the solidarity and just get a taste of what that pride atmosphere is like."
Teraj says he feels like solidarity is even more important now with people all over the world marching against racial injustice.
"The intersectionality of being a Black male and also a member of the LGBTQ+ community--this hits me profoundly. And, it's something I've been battling and fighting my entire life. For me, this is not just this period. This is my entire life."
He says he's encouraged by seeing such diverse groups of people coming together.
"It's just an incredible thing to see that people are fighting for incredible change."
Teraj also recently started hosting the podcast 'Gay Travel Today' on Amazon Alexa. He says it's more than travel tips. He also shares inspiring stories and how to find and participate in virtual pride events.
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