TAMPA — Mayor Pam Iorio and the City Council issued a proclamation Wednesday officially recognizing GaYbor Days, a Gay Pride celebration in Ybor City commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that launched the gay civil rights movement.
And three of Hillsborough County's seven commissioners echoed that sentiment with their own endorsement.
The weeklong event, which started Monday and continued Wednesday night with the screening of the gay comedy Misconceptions, is being run by the GaYbor District Coalition, a union of 190 gay-friendly businesses and organizations across the Tampa Bay area.
In her proclamation, Mayor Pam Iorio said the coalition has put Ybor on the map as a gay travel destination and that it serves as a "safe, tolerant, welcoming focal point" for the gay community, both regionally and statewide.
It was signed by every member of Tampa's City Council.
Kevin Beckner, Hillsborough County's first openly gay commissioner, also initiated a proclamation. It was signed by himself and fellow Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Kevin White. Commissioners Mark Sharpe and Jim Norman declined to sign it, and Ken Hagan and Al Higginbotham were unable to sign, Beckner said, because they have been out of town.
"This is about recognizing the economic contributions that the 190 businesses and community organizations in the GaYbor coalition have contributed to our community," Beckner said.
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For a complete list of GaYbor Days events, visit www.gaybor.com.
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