GAZETTE Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian News

November, 2005

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
A lot of people in our community seem to believe that because the Hillsborough County Commission hasn’t reversed the anti-gay policy it passed in June, then nothing is happening. It’s as though they figured all they had to do was show up for one meeting and chant a few pride slogans and the Commissioners would pop the heels of their palms against their foreheads and say, “Well, what were we thinking! How unfair of us! We must fix this right away!”

Let’s get real people. If the battle for our civil rights was that easy, we’d have won it years ago, and people like Nadine Smith and Karen Doering wouldn’t have anything to do.

But Nadine and Karen, and all of the others who are working to win our rights, whether as paid professionals or as volunteers, have lots to do. And they can’t do it without our help.

The Hillsborough County Commissioners are not going to miraculously come to their senses and see the error of their ways. It is going to take ongoing pressure from the entire community, LGBT and straight alike, to convince them that discrimination is bad public policy.

And the more they are pressured, the more they will resist — and press back. As we celebrated the opening of the 16th Annual Tampa International Film Festival the County Commissioners not only rejected their own Human Relations Board’s recommendations that they revisit the County’s exclusion of sexual orientation as part of its Human Rights Ordinance, but at Ronda Storms’ urging, they voted 5-2 to require a supermajority of the Commissioners’ approval to even bring the issue up for a vote.

Following the Commission’s lead, at the October 18 meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board, several “concerned parents,” demanded that the School Board ban GSAs (Gay/Straight Alliances) from Hillsborough County schools.

After the June 15 decision by the County Commissioners to ban any positive portrayal of LGBT people in County agencies, Equality Florida began to organize a community response. More than 700 people attended that first Town Hall meeting, and a preliminary course was charted. Affinity groups representing a business response, faith response, legal response, artistic response and direct action response were formed.

A “Buycott” was also initiated, which encourages businesses and service providers to support diversity and the rights of all people in the workplace, and calls upon all of us to pledge our support of those businesses and service providers who do.

Some will say that because nothing has changed with the County Commissioners, these projects have failed. Some say that because nothing has changed, nothing will change.

Such an attitude could be considered short-sighted or defeatist. I think it is just plain lazy. People who give up on fighting for their rights because the battle is hard — or inconvenient — and victory doesn’t come overnight, don’t deserve their rights.

The Affinity Groups and the Buycott were the first response to the County Commission’s anti-gay actions, not the entire response. The fight for our rights will take time and energy — and money. Our leaders need our help and support in finding new and creative ways to energize our community and forge relationships with those outside of “our” community who will be allies in the fight for equality.

The greatest response we can give the Hillsborough County Commission is our visibility. The more they try to legislate us into invisibility, the more visible we must become.

With successful LGBT events like The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, St. Pete Pride and our newest event, Winter Pride Tampa Bay (scheduled for February 25, 2006), as well as smaller events like the Citrus Classic Tennis Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, the Gasparilla Classic Softball Tournament and GAGME Bowling Tournament in February, we remain visible. As our families, friends, acquaintances and colleagues learn who we really are, LGBT issues become more personalized for them and they are less likely to support harsh anti-gay policies.

The County Commissioners are not going to change their minds. The more we push, they more they will push back, and the more fair-minded people will see how their true agenda is bad for the County — bad for everyone. The way to change the minds of the County Commissioners is to win the support of enough fair minded voters to elect new County Commissioners.

This week I received a “personalized” letter from the General Manager of the Brandon auto dealership where I bought my car, inviting me to take advantage of a “spectacular” deal on a new vehicle. I wrote back and explained that as long as “his” County Commissioners push their anti-gay agenda, I cannot buy a car from him. I said, “You don’t have to be gay to be hurt by antigay policies.” I also invited him to join the Buycott.

We only fail when we give up.

October, 2005

While We Were Sleeping
If you think it can’t happen here, remember: It took less than ten years for Berlin to go from being the “toast” of Europe to the center of the Holocaust.

It is alarming how many gay people claim that they “avoid politics,” or don’t bother to vote. Or just vote in presidential elections. It’s time for gays to wake up and smell the coffee. Avoiding politics is no longer an option.

A few years ago, when then President Bill Clinton was under investigation for whatever Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr could think of to investigate him for that week, Hilary Clinton defended her husband, declaring that there was a “vast rightwing conspiracy” trying to bring down his presidency. Not surprisingly, the comment earned Mrs. Clinton outright ridicule from her detractors. Even some of her supporters thought she was being paranoid, or at the very least, exaggerating things a bit.

But not only was Hilary not exaggerating, she was, in fact, underestimating the extent of the situation. This “vast rightwing conspiracy” of which she spoke was not just about destroying Bill Clinton. It was and remains a plot to gain complete control of our government. And it’s working.

When I was in high school there was a group of kids who got together every week for “Bible-study” meetings. They toted their Good News editions of the New Testament with them everywhere and called themselves “born-again Christians.”

In an attempt to fit in somewhere in my small-town high school, I went to a couple of the meetings. They read their Bible verses and held hands and recited their testimonials, and asked me if I was ready to “accept Jesus as my ‘personal Saviour.’” I said that I was, and that I did, and they said that I was “born again,” but I didn’t really feel any different. The only thing I really felt was that this was all very silly.

“Born-again” Christians. Back then we called them “Jesus Freaks” and thought that they were a little weird, but harmless.

But they were very serious. Yesterday’s “Jesus Freaks” are today’s Fundamentalist Christians, and they are not harmless. They learned the political process, and that all politics is local.

While we were marching on Washington they were running for — and winning — seats on local school boards and county commissions, where they have a much greater impact on our daily lives than do Washington bureaucrats. Religious leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson may make outlandish statements, like blaming gays for the 9/11 attacks and suggesting we assassinate the leaders of foreign nations, and when they do, they look like fools. But school boards control what kids are taught.

An election is coming up on November 8. Just because it’s not a Presidential election doesn’t mean it’s not important. There are State and Federal legislative seats, and City Council, County Commissioner and School Board positions up for grabs. It’s time to start reading up on the people who are running for office in your district. Learn who they are and what their backgrounds are. And get out and vote! We don’t need any more Ronda Storms-types running — and ruining — our lives!

Some more food for thought:

We often hear people say things like “The Business Guild should . . .” or “The Film Festival needs to . . .” (fill in the blank). When such a suggestion is made, good or bad, the responsibility ultimately falls on the shoulders of a very small number of people — people who are most often volunteers, with full-time jobs and homes and sometimes families to tend to. If you don’t like they are doing things, don’t just bitch about it. Get involved yourself!

There is also no shortage of criticism noting the fractured, apathetic nature of our community. Leaders of organizations throughout the Bay area are constantly struggling with the challenge of how to activate and energize a community of individuals who don’t seem to care about anything but their next cocktail or trick. The Hillsborough County Commission gave us a grand invitation to come together and take a stand. Of the more than 700 people who stood together at the MCC church in Tampa back in June, how many are still standing? Are you?

Having an active community begins at home, with each of us. If we don’t want our community to be fractured and apathetic, we must each make a commitment to not be apathetic ourselves.

A too-small group of people is working to launch a Pridefest event for Tampa. Winter Pride Tampa Bay is scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2006. Your help is critical if Winter Pride is going to happen. Tampa MCC (408 E. Cayuga St.) has graciously offered a place to meet and plan the event. Meetings are alternating Thursdays at 7 PM. Volunteers and committee chairs are needed.

This is another invitation for Tampa’s LGBT community to come together and take a stand. Do you want a Pridefest in Tampa enough to help make it happen? Visit www.winterpridetampabay.com

COMMUNITY CALENDAR presented by the Tampa Bay Business Guild

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AIDS Memorial Bells

Tampa Bay Business Guild

Metropolitan Charities/Metro Center

gaystpete.com

Tampa Bay Lesbians

Equality Florida

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Winter Pride Tampa Bay

St. Pete Pride

queertampa.com

King of Peace MCC

First United Church of Tampa

Gypsy Productions

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