After (r)onda (s)torms & the former Hillsborough County banned PRIDE in 2005 in Hillsborough County a group came up with an idea. Pride in EXILE!!! Jay Allar, Mark & Carrie, Brian Longstreth and several others organized a Tampa Pride in Key West. Jay & friends came together and chartered  buses for the trip to Key West. Mark aka Tea Cup was the bartender onboard. The Hostess onboard one of the buses was Miss Melanie Minyon. The beer was donated by MC Film. The buses were loaded in Channelside packed and followed a group that had driven up from Key West. Tea Cup was pouring the beer and Melanie was keeping everybody in high spirits. The line started to form and Melaine became the bathroom monitor too.

As we started to go down the Fl Keys a RED Light came on the dashboard! The toilet was too full and started to overflow! LOL OMG LOL The bus made an un scheduled stop at a park to drain the tank. Just out side of Key West we were met by the Monroe Sherrif Dept squad cars and Key West Police. They pulled over the buses.

 OMG!!! Out of the police cars popped the Mayors of Monroe County and  Key West. They wanted to ride the bus into town with us. All by police escort. The Mayors had also made a special exception and allowed our bus to drive down Duval Street. We stopped in front of La Tee Da and our weekend of fun started. There even was a huge Gay Pride Parade down Duval Street too. Our honorary Tampa Pride Grand Marshall was resident Key Wester Margaux Hemingway. PRIDE in EXILE  in 2005.