Florida Rolls Out Rainbow Carpet for Gay, Lesbian Visitors

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St. Pete is home to hip boutiques, fabulous dining and the major annual event Pride in Paradise

Photo Credit: Dorian Aerial & Architectural Photographics

Gay pride is celebrated with events from Pensacola to Miami.

Florida loves its gay and lesbian visitors. What began as unofficial springtime beach parties and grassroots gay pride events has evolved into a year-round celebration throughout the state. Gay travelers now spend billions of dollars in Florida every year, whether they come for the sunshine, the beaches, the culture, the cruises or the parties.

While spring is still the hot season, Florida rolls out the rainbow carpet year round, beginning with a gay-oriented food festival in Miami and ending with an extravagant New Year's Eve party in Key West, and everything from film festivals to gay rodeos in between. Here is a calendar of Florida's most popular gay-and-lesbian friendly and focused events:

Jan. 14
3rd Annual Taste of Miami: Samples from Miami's finest restaurants, including City Hall the Restaurant and Seasons 52. gogaymiami.com

Jan. 29-Feb 5
Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, Port Everglades: All-gay cruise expected to be the largest gay cruise in history with 5,400 passengers.

Feb. 16-20
Winter Heat 2012, Fort Lauderdale: Five-day weekend filled with beautiful people, beach scenery, clubs and parties. winterheatflorida.com

March 9-14
Winter Party Festival, Miami Beach: One of the biggest beach parties in the country and most anticipated events among the gay and lesbian party crowd. winterparty.com

March 10-11
South Florida Pridefest 2012, Fort Lauderdale: Dancing, food, cocktails, merchandise and vendors, Florida's largest AIDS Memorial quilt display. pridesouthflorida.org

March 24-25
PrideFest of The Palm Beaches: Food and merchandise vendors, entertainers, live music and activities for a weekend celebration of pride.

April 15
Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade & Festival: The gay-friendly city's largest one-day event. miamibeachgaypride.com

April 16-20
Pride Cruise, Miami: Four-night cruise to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Sky, departing from Port of Miami. pridecruise.com

April 20-22
Sunshine Stampede, Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, Davie: One of the largest gay rodeos in the United State. fgra.org

April 27-May 6
Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival: Based in the historic South Beach neighborhood, screenings are held throughout various South Florida locations. mglff.com

May 11-15
Aqua Girl, Miami Beach: Women's events in the sun and surf of South Beach with DJs and recording artists from around the world. aquagirl.org

May 19
Pride & Passion, Tampa: One of the Tampa Museum of Art's largest fundraising events of the year and the official kickoff to St. Pete Pride.

May 25-28
Gay Memorial Day Weekend, Pensacola: The unofficial kickoff to Florida's gay pride events has evolved to a party of thousands. memorialweekendpensacola.com

May 29-June 4
Orlando's Gay Days: Multiple events held at various Orlando theme parks and party venues. gaydays.com

May 31-June 3
Gay Days Expo, Orlando: One of the world's largest gay and lesbian expos with more than 80 gay-friendly vendors, entertainment and special events.

June 6-10
Key West Pride: The official celebration of gay pride for Key West, home to one of the more active gay and lesbian communities in the state. pridefestkeywest.com

June 9-10
Stonewall Street Festival and Parade, Wilton Manors: Parade and festival honoring the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York, representing to many the beginning of the fight for LGBT rights in the United States. stonewallwiltonmanors.com

June 30
St. Petersburg Pride, St. Petersburg: Considered the largest pride celebration in Florida. stpetepride.com

Sept. 4-9
Womenfest, Key West: Six days and nights of pool parties, dancing and women-only water excursions. womenfest.com

Oct. 4-14
Tampa International Gay &  Lesbian Film Festival, Tampa: One of the most well-known gay and lesbian film festivals in the country. tiglff.com

Oct. 6
Gay Pride Festival and Parade, Orlando: Central Florida's largest gay pride festival and parade with entertainment and a long route. comeoutwithpride.org

Nov. 21-26
White Party Week, various locations throughout Miami-Dade County: Week of fundraising parties and events culminating with the legendary White Party. whiteparty.org

Dec. 31
New Year's Eve, Key West: Called "the most gay New Year's Eve event in the world," rooms are booked several months ahead. Stay awake for the dropping of a drag queen in a red slipper at midnight.