Despite Marriage Ban, Support Grows For Gay People

TAMPA – Chicago, Philadelphia. Tampa?

Carrie West, who helped start the GaYbor District in Ybor City, wants to turn his community into one of the nation’s top destinations for gay men and lesbians.

“It’s revolutionary, I know,” said West, an owner of MC Film Festival. “But we can do it. Things are changing.”

Gay men and lesbians have had their share of setbacks in the Bay area. In 2005, Hillsborough County commissioners voted to prohibit any display of gay pride on county property. Then, in this year’s general election, 62 percent of Florida’s voters cast ballots to amend the state Constitution to prohibit gay marriage.

But amid all the high-profile heartbreak, there are signs large and small that the Tampa Bay area is growing more supportive of gay men, lesbians and their families. Consider:

The gay and lesbian community that left Ybor City in the early 1990s is returning to play a key role in its resurrection.

A local salsa instructor is satisfying a growing interest in a class for gay and lesbian dancers.

And in Palmetto, the nation’s first gay and lesbian retirement community is appealing to people nationwide seeking a slice of Florida paradise.

Perhaps no sign of support is clearer than the election of Kevin Beckner, the county’s first openly gay commissioner. He defeated Brian Blair, a supporter of the county’s ban on recognizing gay pride.

For many, the election of Beckner signaled a tidal change that gives gays men and lesbians some swagger in the community. Beckner’s success, they say, is part of something bigger.

See Despite Marriage Ban, Support Grows For Gay People
Tampa Tribune, FL