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    The month is full of historical GLBT events locally and nationally. Last week ended the 24th Annual Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Another great successful community event drawing thousands of attendees. This past weekend had Orlando PRIDE celebrating its biggest PRIDE event to date with over 120,000 participating. Congratulations to Orlando. We hope to start a Tampa PRIDE event soon!

    The hopeful 2018 Gay (Olympic) Games in Orlando’s bid was lost to Paris, France was announced this week. They said they will continue to try!

    The National Coming Out Day is October 11th. October is also National GLBT History Month. USF Tampa campus have events planned all month for National GLBT History Month education..

    The other big events locally are ALL Hallows Ball, the largest private Gay party in Florida. Not to be out done to the traditional Halloween parties scattered all over the region and country.

     Historically noted in 1979, the first National March on Washington For Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights took place, drawing an estimated 125,000 participants. The march itself was largely galvanized by the assassination of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician to hold office in California. Speakers at the event included Allen Ginsberg, Audre Lorde and Harry Britt.