2013 St. Louis PrideFest moving

Recently, The St. Louis LGBT Pride Committee decided to move St. Louis' LGBT Pride from Tower Grove Park in South St. Louis City to our Downtown area. I'm not pleased with the move. As a resident of the area that Pride directly affects/effect financially, I feel as if the move slaps the area in the face after nearly 15 years of loyalty and open arms. No communication was given, just the announcement.
My concerns come from the amount of money generated in the 2 days of Pride and how that may hurt the South Grand Business District. Also, the argument from Pride supporters of how Tower Grove Park, a privately owned park, allegedly raised rates, won't allow tent and booths on the grass and no stakes of any kind are allowed. Now, as a privately owned park and not part of the public system, I can see how the funds may not be there for the amount of grounds keeping it would need after an event that draws about 80,000 people. I get that.
However, I can't support this argument when two other events use stakes. The Pagan Picnic uses stakes to mark off its Circle and other areas, if needed. And The Festival of Nations uses stakes while also having Scottish Games. This includes tossing logs 10-15 feet long and also throwing stones. This tears up the ground worse than stakes, so I can't see how The Stake Argument from Pride stands. But that's me. Also, I can't say anything about rates, I'm not part of that.
I'm really against the move due in large part that Pride is moving from a park, with green spaces and shade, to a downtown full of buildings with reflective glass and few green spaces/shaded areas. Add on to the fact that there are few, if any, alternatives to the over priced Pride Food Court and beverages, both alcohol and non-alcohol based. Other parts of this I'm against is the lack of communication from The Pride Board to the community at large, not just The LGBT Community. PrideFest moving affects/effects more than just us homosexuals.
Now, with my general disapproval of this move, I can't say that I'm as against it as I was just two days ago. I talked with a former Pride Board President, Rolf Rathmann, who was around for the Pride move from Forest Park/Central West End to Tower Grove Park/South Grand. He said all the same arguments are coming up and yet the Central West End didn't die, even though that weekend was a loss to the businesses the following year. He gave valid arguments about how this would help Downtown as much or more as it helped South Grand. And honestly, Downtown St. Louis needs help. It's not a 24-hour area, it's honesty open only on normal business hours, Monday through Friday.
I truly hope this move works, I do. And at first I wasn't going to go to support Pride. However, Rolf changed my mind. He talked of how Pride St. Louis reaches people from all the states that border Missouri and beyond. He said that if I wasn't there, what about the 16 year old gay boy from Middle-of-nowhere, Nebraska who's gay, fat and Pagan? Seeing me and my Husband may be the one thing he needs to make it and not kill himself. Or that just seeing that not all gay men are Ken Dolls may be enough for those at Pride and outside Pride to see that we come in all shapes, sizes and colors and religion.
I love Rolf. He annoys me when he's right, but he has never steered me wrong. I've stood by him when he went through a dark time in his life and did 5 years for it. He's the first out gay man I've ever known and we met when I was a scared 16 year old calling the former GLBT St. Louis Hotline. After 17 years, he's like family to me, I love him very deeply. I love him like family. So this post is his fault...in a good way.
I really wish that The Pride Committee did a better job communicating before they act instead of after. I hope that this won't be a disaster as The Fence Debacle was, when pride felt is was a good idea to fence in PrideFest a few years ago. That was such a disaster and I can freely admit that that whole mess still colors my view of Pride. However, I'm going to give this a try and see. Yet, I'm also a 33 year old gay man who's not into the bar scene anymore and PrideFest seems just like a big bar/dance party/hook-up scene to me. I'm over the whole corporation backing of Pride and wish we had more of a issues based event that people would be just as hyped for as they are for a one weekend only party.

So I'm going to let this go where it may. I hope the best to Pride and all who go. Maybe the protests and those who have gone to the monthly Pride meeting will change how St. Louis Pride, Inc. will interact with the community it serves.