By MARK HOLAN
mholan@tampatrib.com



Photo by: JAY NOLAN
Dean McCane, 56 from Tampa, waves a flag during a packed meeting at the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa Tuesday night. The meeting, held by Equality Florida was in response to Tampa city commissioners gay pride policy.

TAMPA - Hillsborough County's refusal to recognize gay pride has reopened the campaign to protect sexual orientation in the county's Human Rights Ordinance.
More than 400 people packed the Metropolitan Community Church in Seminole Heights on Monday night to plan the effort and protest last week's county policy decision.

``They believe gay people shouldn't exist, and if we exist we should be forced to hide,'' said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, a gay and lesbian rights group. ``What they are trying to do will have the exact opposite effect.''

A large wooden cross behind her was draped with rainbow bunting, symbolizing the gay community.

``Pride is back,'' Smith said. ``Thanks for rousing us.''

Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena and Clerk of the Circuit Court Pat Frank, a former county commissioner, joined the call to reinstate the sexual-orientation provision rescinded in 1995.

``We are going to walk and talk and work against discrimination,'' said Frank, removing one of her red shoes and shaking it in the air, to the delight of the audience.

A downtown ``Pride is Back'' rally and march from the John F. Germany Library to the County Center is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday.

Last week Commissioner Ronda Storms called on the county to ``abstain from acknowledging, promoting and participating'' in gay pride recognition or events. She suggested the policy after a Gay Pride Month display at the West Gate Regional Library angered some parents.

Commissioner Kathy Castor was the only member to vote against the policy. Commissioner Ken Hagan missed the vote because he was outside the chamber but has said since then that he supports the policy.

On Monday, several members of the audience targeted Storms with signs and T-shirts, a few misspelling her first name: ``Don't Let Rhonda Storm on Anyone's Parade,'' and ``Stop Redneck Rhonda Storms.''

The most popular T-shirts, though, were those distributed by Equality Florida, which read: ``Banned in Hillsborough.''

The Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee sent a resolution to Monday's meeting condemning the vote and calling on all county residents to ``stand up for fairness.'' Party activists urged those at the meeting to form ``a strategic alliance.''

Members of the Log Cabin Republicans of Tampa Bay also were disappointed by the vote, said Jim Pease, president of the gay and lesbian GOP group.

In addition to Sunday's march, activists called for daily afternoon protests outside county center and said they will organize an interfaith church service on county grounds to oppose the policy and support diversity.

Others said they will organize events in the arts and business communities.

For now, gay activists are toning down threats about filing a lawsuit.

``We are looking at our options,'' said Karen Doering, regional counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. ``There are a lot of unknowns, and that's why it makes sense to see what happens.

If not removed by the courts, eliminating the policy could be difficult. Storms bolstered her proposal last week by requiring a public meeting and supermajority vote of the commission to overturn the policy.


Reporter Mark Holan can be reached at (813) 259-7691.



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