NYT: Florida County Ending Official Support of Gay Events

[DeepModem Mom]

Florida County Ending Official Support of Gay Events
By LYNN WADDELL
Published: June 26, 2005


TAMPA, Fla., June 25 - It started with a few complaints about a public library exhibit on gay authors, and resulted in an ordinance that has drawn the ire of gay rights advocates around the nation.

The Hillsborough County Commission approved by a vote of 5 to 1, with one abstention, a policy that directs the county government to "abstain from acknowledging, promoting or participating" in gay pride recognition or events. The measure was passed on June 15, after a Gay and Lesbian Pride Month display at the West Gate Regional Library here upset some library patrons.

The commission also voted to require a supermajority vote of 5 to 2 to overturn the policy.

Meagan Albright, a graduate student at the University of South Florida, created the exhibit on gay authors and literature to fulfill a requirement for a course on diversity. As part of the exhibit, Ms. Albright made available pamphlets that listed counseling resources for teenagers who have questions about their sexuality.

Commissioner Ronda Storms, who introduced the measure and has received the brunt of local criticism about it, said the pamphlet troubled her the most....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/national/26pride.html

[soup]

1. Equality Florida - march and rally information here

“Pride Is Back”: March and Rally
Sunday June 26 at 3pm

March and Rally from the John F. Germany library (Hillsborough County’s main library in Downtown Tampa) to County Center.

http://prideisback.org/

--

Don't know where they got our name - we don't live in Hillsborough county, but there was a phone message from Equality Florida on our machine regarding today's march and rally.

thought I'd share the info here for those able to attend.

[Dr.Phool]

2. Ronda Storms is a twit

But, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio informed the commission that the have very little to do with anything, and the vast majority of the county falls under Tampa's jurisdiction.

Therefore their motion was pretty much meaningless.

Dan Ruth says it best here.

http://tampatrib.com/News/columns/MGBPZDX29AE.html

[soup]

5. Daniel Ruth

thanks for the link, Dr.Phool.

The man wears me out with his word play. He's that good.

--

Hillsborough's Mother Omar Strikes Again
DANIEL RUTH
Published: Jun 22, 2005

F or purely political entertainment value Ronda Storms, the Mommie Dearest of Max Factor, and her fellow Hillsborough County Commission Pips from Podunk, are a sort of ``American Idol'' meets the ``Left Behind'' end days books.

It was the Tugboat Annie of L'Oreal who managed last week to cow most of her commission Pomeranians into adopting a homophobic policy with less debate or concern over the consequences than Janis Joplin pondering a syringe.

It was Storms, who must have attended the University of Billy Bob School of Law, who introduced a motion last week calling for the county to officially ``abstain from acknowledging, promoting and participating'' in gay pride related events.

This was Part Deux in the commissioner's ongoing bloomer- wadding over anything remotely having to do with homosexuality, having gone into full Old Yelleresque froth after the West Gate Regional Library set up a display featuring prominent gay writers in recognition of Gay Pride Month. <<

:thumbsup:

[dArKeR]

3. Now Florida only supports drug dealing, murder, smuggling products

to Central/South America, money laundering, and vote fraud.

[sattahipdeep]

7. Was gay-lover related blackmail involved...

:rofl:

Will there be a special investigation of Karl
Rove and the Gannon/ Guckert connection
regarding the "outing" of CIA agent Valerie
Plame?

Was gay-lover related blackmail involved,
regarding White House press secretary
Scott McClellan,who has been reported
frequenting gay bars and/or Bush's
behind-the-scenes Svengali-like handler Karl
Rove, who has also been recently outed?

http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=2&contentid=1921&page=2

[Orangepeel]

4. yea for Kathy Castor

who is running for Jim Davis' Congressional seat.

[xchrom]

6. moderates are going to be unhappy

if glbtq people keep asking for equal rights when it's not ''popular''.

those moderates are going to BERATE us for not keeping quiet.

[LiberalFighter]

8. They must not have bylaws or follow Roberts Rules of Order

Voted to require a supermajority vote of 5 to 2 to overturn the policy?

I wouldn't think they could change their bylaws as to the requirement for "overturning policy".

AND what happens when they add additional districts/seats?

[VegasWolf]

9. Well, I remember Hillsborough County mandating Black vs White

water drinking fountains.

[iverglas]

10. and the day will come too

when Hillsborough County celebrates June as Gay and Lesbian Heritage Month.

(Dang, there I thought I was being original, but I wasn't:
http://www.foothill.edu/clubs/gay-straight/why.html )

How many years between "black" and "white" drinking fountains in the US and Black Heritage Month?

http://www.niu.edu/northerntoday/2003/feb10/blackheritage.shtml

Black Heritage Month began as "Negro History Week" in February 1926 in local Washington, D.C.- and Baltimore-area school systems. This week-long celebration was dedicated to Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

In 1976, the week-long celebration was extended to a month by the Association of African American Life and History.

Not even Hillsborough County can stop progress!

Not that it can't make life unpleasant in the interim, of course ...