Project Pride SRQ has named Tom Edwards as its new executive director. A longtime advocate and Sarasota County School Board member since 2020, Edwards brings decades of entrepreneurial experience to the role. He aims to build on the nonprofit’s strong foundation by using his reputation as a moderate to unite diverse coalitions, promote inclusivity and defend human rights. His plans include launching student-led anti-bullying initiatives, expanding youth and family programs and creating after-school offerings focused on critical thinking. Edwards recently sat down with SRQ to discuss his new position.
You’ve spoken about creating a “silo-free community unified by shared values.” How do you plan to bridge ideological or political divides while advancing LGBTQ+ advocacy in today’s polarized climate?
Many siloed communities are being bullied and are experiencing the loss of protections and rights. Some of those communities are women, blacks, Hispanics, veterans, seniors, LGTBQ+ and folks with disabilities, just to name a few. The idea is to wake up, unify and build a large moderate coalition that advocates for the protections of rights for ALL through shared common values, not tribal policies. The reason we are living in a polarized environment is because extremists on both sides are the loudest and are dictating policy when we should be governed by the moderate majority voices. Believe me, change is going to come!…