second class citizens
permalink | categories: Tampa vs Hillsborough, diversity, economy, hc bocc, tampaby tommy @ 8:55 pm
Update 2005 Jun 22 10am: added link to today’s Dan Ruth column.
A week after saying a library is no place for a gay-themed display of books, Ronda Storms suggested and the Hillsborough County Commission voted to not acknowledge anything to do with gay pride.
The Tribune denounced the decision in an editorial, and Mayor Pam Iorio is embarrassed by the commissioners’ action. This kind of policy will have all people wanting to leave.
To shun any segment of a society is elitist, pompous, and downright offensive. Not to mention the potential effect on the entire area’s economy. Dan Ruth sees that as well.
I’m not sure if Ronda thought this policy would drive gays and lesbians out of the county, but I’m inclined to think these actions will energize the gay community. You can be assured this issue will stay in the news until it is reversed, and I hope Ronda has to answer questions about this every day.
You can email Ronda and all the commissioners from the BOCC website. Kathy Castor voted against the proposal.
Tags: diversity, economy, hc bocc, tampa, Tampa vs Hillsborough
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June 22nd, 2005 at 4:35 am
I’m disgusted by the ignorance of the commisioners.
July 1st, 2005 at 11:18 am
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any kind of display in any library for people based on their heterosexual preferences – why? because any presentation/discussion on sexual preference is not appropriate for a library and the small children that are there. In my view, the county commission were not ignorant, they appropriately had the interests of the public in mind, they just did not handle it well.
August 12th, 2005 at 2:43 pm
[...] [...]
August 16th, 2005 at 1:22 pm
[...] As I told you, the gay community rightly refuses to let this disappear. [...]
November 12th, 2005 at 12:35 am
[...] First this bit on the Tampa Bay County Commisioners: Well I’m sure you know about how our wonderful County Commissioners in June refused to acknowledge Gay Pride here [following commisioner Ronda Storms suggestion], and refused to allow a Gay Pride display in several of the county buildings….resulting in the parade not be approved and so on. Well, you can’t “Tread on Me” and not slip and fall. Someone with enough money, and really great attorneys is taking the Hillsborough County Commissioners to task on this…. and has filed a lawsuit against all the Commissioners but the one for violation of our Consititutional Rights. There is more info and lots of links to news reports over at Sticks of Fire. [...]
November 30th, 2005 at 6:53 pm
[...] Politics: Big difference here – Washington politicians are concerned with an entire country of diverse citizens. Hillsborough County politicians are just trying to get rid of gay people and titty bars. But these locals fight harder and dirtier, ‘cuz it’s more important. However, none of our mayors have been arrested for crack. They do get their cars immobilized though. [...]
December 13th, 2005 at 9:18 am
[...] It all stems from the Hillsborough County decision to ban gay pride displays at libraries. Joe Redner, the undisputed king of Tampa’s adult industry sued Hillsborough County for a violation of first amendment rights due to discrimination against gays. Instead of denying the charges, the county’s response was to say Redner could not bring a lawsuit, because he is not gay. So this morning, Joe Redner says he is gay. [...]
August 31st, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Well I am glad the Hillsborough County commissioners decided to do the right thing and stop this disgusting “gay” parade. Gays think that they are a minority, as if they were a race and they’re not. They are however abnormal and have serious problems and the people who give in to them are even more disgusting than the gays, because they’re not putting a stop to this disgusting and abnormal behavior. Eventually the gay people in this country are going to push too far and there is going to be a huge backlash on them and they will be hunted down and abolished. I will be glad when that day is here……
February 5th, 2008 at 11:27 am
[...] She also suggested the county’s more conservative values would ruin public recreation, bringing up Ronda Storms attack on gay themed displays at libraries. [...]