Mayor: Gays Deserve Respect
Jun 17, 2005
Mayor: Gays Deserve Respect
By MARK HOLAN and ELLEN GEDALIUS
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - Mayor Pam Iorio on Thursday sought to distance the city from Hillsborough County's decision to refuse to acknowledge, promote or participate in gay pride events.
During a breakfast meeting at The Tampa Museum of Art, Iorio said everyone who lives, works or visits Tampa is welcome and respected.
``Our diversity is one of our strengths and should be celebrated,'' Iorio said. ``We build on tolerance, not intolerance. We should build on inclusiveness, not exclusivity. We are not a community that pits one group against another. This is a community that is built on the value of respect. Gays and lesbians are part of our diversity and deserve respect.''
Tampa city Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena read Iorio's remarks at Thursday's council meeting. She said the council supports a diverse community. No one spoke up to disagree.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce President Kim Scheeler and Chairman Sam Ellison each refused to comment on the policy after luncheon meeting Thursday with county officials.
The two chamber leaders said they were not familiar with the policy and didn't have time to look into it for comment Thursday.
Commissioner Ronda Storms proposed the policy Wednesday after some parental complaints about a Gay Pride Month display at the West Gate Regional Library. Only Commissioner Kathy Castor opposed the policy.
The West Gate display, and two more like it at the John F. Germany branch downtown, was ordered dismantled shortly after the vote by Library Director Joe Stines, who said he consulted with Assistant County Attorney DeBora Cromartie-Mincey.
Stines and other county officials, however, were still questioning Thursday how to interpret and implement the policy.
``Our department, like everybody else, will wait to see what's in that policy,'' Stines said. ``I'll wait for direction from the attorneys.''
County Administrator Pat Bean and Deputy County Attorney Don Odom said they will draft guidelines for the board to review and the staff to follow.
People outside county center also were confused.
``That's one of the problems with the policy, its vagueness,'' said Rebecca Harrison Steele, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's West Central Florida regional office.
Karen Doering, regional counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she can't figure out what the policy means other than that it appears to be broad in its scope. She wonders, for example, whether the sheriff's office would be allowed to provide deputies at gay pride parades.
Storms said ``the intent of the motion is clear'' but didn't offer further explanation. She said the policy is being ``construed and described in inaccurate ways,'' including an Internet site claiming gays will be arrested in Hillsborough.
Storms didn't appear worried by threats of a lawsuit against the county from American Civil Liberties Union and other groups.
``I'm not sure the courts will order Hillsborough County to promote'' gay rights, Storms said. ``That's the question.''
Determining how many gay men and lesbians live in the county is difficult.
Hillsborough had more than 3,100 same-sex couples, according to 2000 census data.
But the census does not ask about sexual orientation, and advocates estimate their population may be undercounted by as much as 50 percent because the census only counts gay men and lesbians in a relationship. Advocates also say some who answer the census might not acknowledge they are in a homosexual relationship to protect their privacy.
Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, a statewide gay advocacy group, commended the city's efforts to attract a ``creative class.''
The term typically refers to young, upwardly mobile artists, entrepreneurs and other professionals, such as those the chamber is attempting to attract with its Emerge Tampa program.
The policy ``completely flies in the face of that,'' Winfield said. ``It's counterproductive to the financial and human resources that have been committed to the effort by Tampa [to be] a big-tent city that is welcoming.''
Doering also commended the city.
``It was very refreshing to hear an elected official publicly acknowledge the contributions of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people,'' Doering said. ``Kathy Castor and the mayor are two of the very few elected officials I've seen that will stand up and not run and duck and hide.''
Reporter Mark Holan can be reached at (813) 259-7691. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679.
This story can be found at: http://tampatrib.com/MGB7QQRU1AE.html
Mayor: Gays Deserve Respect
By MARK HOLAN and ELLEN GEDALIUS
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - Mayor Pam Iorio on Thursday sought to distance the city from Hillsborough County's decision to refuse to acknowledge, promote or participate in gay pride events.
During a breakfast meeting at The Tampa Museum of Art, Iorio said everyone who lives, works or visits Tampa is welcome and respected.
``Our diversity is one of our strengths and should be celebrated,'' Iorio said. ``We build on tolerance, not intolerance. We should build on inclusiveness, not exclusivity. We are not a community that pits one group against another. This is a community that is built on the value of respect. Gays and lesbians are part of our diversity and deserve respect.''
Tampa city Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena read Iorio's remarks at Thursday's council meeting. She said the council supports a diverse community. No one spoke up to disagree.
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce President Kim Scheeler and Chairman Sam Ellison each refused to comment on the policy after luncheon meeting Thursday with county officials.
The two chamber leaders said they were not familiar with the policy and didn't have time to look into it for comment Thursday.
Commissioner Ronda Storms proposed the policy Wednesday after some parental complaints about a Gay Pride Month display at the West Gate Regional Library. Only Commissioner Kathy Castor opposed the policy.
The West Gate display, and two more like it at the John F. Germany branch downtown, was ordered dismantled shortly after the vote by Library Director Joe Stines, who said he consulted with Assistant County Attorney DeBora Cromartie-Mincey.
Stines and other county officials, however, were still questioning Thursday how to interpret and implement the policy.
``Our department, like everybody else, will wait to see what's in that policy,'' Stines said. ``I'll wait for direction from the attorneys.''
County Administrator Pat Bean and Deputy County Attorney Don Odom said they will draft guidelines for the board to review and the staff to follow.
People outside county center also were confused.
``That's one of the problems with the policy, its vagueness,'' said Rebecca Harrison Steele, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's West Central Florida regional office.
Karen Doering, regional counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she can't figure out what the policy means other than that it appears to be broad in its scope. She wonders, for example, whether the sheriff's office would be allowed to provide deputies at gay pride parades.
Storms said ``the intent of the motion is clear'' but didn't offer further explanation. She said the policy is being ``construed and described in inaccurate ways,'' including an Internet site claiming gays will be arrested in Hillsborough.
Storms didn't appear worried by threats of a lawsuit against the county from American Civil Liberties Union and other groups.
``I'm not sure the courts will order Hillsborough County to promote'' gay rights, Storms said. ``That's the question.''
Determining how many gay men and lesbians live in the county is difficult.
Hillsborough had more than 3,100 same-sex couples, according to 2000 census data.
But the census does not ask about sexual orientation, and advocates estimate their population may be undercounted by as much as 50 percent because the census only counts gay men and lesbians in a relationship. Advocates also say some who answer the census might not acknowledge they are in a homosexual relationship to protect their privacy.
Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, a statewide gay advocacy group, commended the city's efforts to attract a ``creative class.''
The term typically refers to young, upwardly mobile artists, entrepreneurs and other professionals, such as those the chamber is attempting to attract with its Emerge Tampa program.
The policy ``completely flies in the face of that,'' Winfield said. ``It's counterproductive to the financial and human resources that have been committed to the effort by Tampa [to be] a big-tent city that is welcoming.''
Doering also commended the city.
``It was very refreshing to hear an elected official publicly acknowledge the contributions of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people,'' Doering said. ``Kathy Castor and the mayor are two of the very few elected officials I've seen that will stand up and not run and duck and hide.''
Reporter Mark Holan can be reached at (813) 259-7691. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679.
This story can be found at: http://tampatrib.com/MGB7QQRU1AE.html
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