Category Archives: CLICK HERE for Dishing with “Mark & Carrie”

Tampa City Nightclub Regulation Watch

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    The GaYBOR District Coalition with it’s Ybor City family were all out if full force at a recent Tampa City Council Workshop to change Tampa Liquor laws and regulations. (i.e.) 18 up or 21 up bars? Regulations on hours, locations? These new regulations that Tampa City Council adopts and passes will affect all of Tampa. Yes, even SOHO district, Fowler Ave and the Westshore areas besides Ybor City! Unfortunately, 95% of the people there were from Ybor City. This speaks highly of how GaYBOR -Ybor City businesses work together and communicate together. Another open council hearing is set for June.
Viva La Ybor City!!!
(More Photos below)
To see the whole meeting visit….

International Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa

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    What an amazing display of international military might as the week long (SOFIC) convention conference to combat terrorists attacks was held in Tampa at the Tampa Convention Center. Over 90 countries were invited to the annual Military Special Forces Conference. Taking part in a mock downtown waterfront terrorists attack, the imitative situation was a group suppositively snatching Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn as the mock hostage. The real life military maneuvers had thousands of downtown locals and international visitors watching in open mouthed amazement all around the Garrison Channel shoreline in the very hot Tampa sun.
    High powered rapid dummy gunfire and thundering explosives were everywhere. A team of fast response navy seals with special dynamic powered gunnery forces on the water in low profiled military boats woke up the crowd!  By air the Black Hawk helicopters and Marine’s multi flying Osprey planes came in quick and quietly.  An armed parachute 6 man team jumping from over 6000 feet in the air came flying in all in formation landing on the precise big X placed on the river. On land, assaults from armored humbies and all terrain vehicles captured the simulated terrorists groups in front of the Tampa Convention Center. It was a portrayal of what our special forces is doing here and overseas protecting us Americans. It was a big eye opener to myself on the great coordinated effort and swiftness of the demonstration., And I was in the military.
70 countries worked together and participated in the mock terrorists attack demonstration!
    After witnessing the special performance, the thousands watching cheered loudly and heard throughout downtown Tampa. Special guest speaker for the evening gala was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

GaYBOR White Party 5-27-2012

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Our camera broke just as the party started.  Very sad!!!

    ‘Annual White Party’ at Honey Pot
        Beautiful white linen outfits, flowing white sheers from the rafters, an area cascade of white blocks symbolizing ruins set a pace to the imaginary. Local set designer, Mathieu Stonach did it again transforming a large club into an intimate lofty white cloud dimension. White was the motif and the record crowd expounded on the theme of the annual social event. The HP bartenders, doormen and staff all dressed in white perpetuated the party even more. Owners, Stephen Moss and Ernie Webb sparkled in the festive White Party benefit scene for the GaYBOR District.
        To the attendees surprises came fire eating contortionists, stilt walkers, jugglers,and magicians adding an exciting carnival atmosphere to the already magic. The dancers weren’t bad either!!!
(More Photos below)

 

GaYBOR Movie Night 5-28-2012

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    World Premiere Movie,” Frances: A Mother Divine” & Proclamations
        In co-sponsorship of the GaYBOR Days 2012 Movie, Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and GaYBOR District Coalition brought in a world premiere film, ” Frances: A Mother Divine.”
A quirky com-docu-drama about the infamous iconic movie “Pink Flamingo’s”, “Female Trouble” “Hairspray” drag film star, Divine’s Mom, Frances! She was an extended ” Gay Mom” to thousands of Divine’s friends and  followers.
        The pre-movie  program had local attending political leaders sharing and reading Proclamations by Florida State Representative Janet Cruz and from Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner. Other awards complimenting GaYBOR Days 2012 came from Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Tampa City Council Members and a letter of congratulations to GaYBOR District from Hillsborough County Board Commissioner member, Mark Sharpe!
 (More Photos below)

You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!!! 5-30-2012

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You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!!!
The names have been changed to protect the innocent!!!

This week… “Fred, Get the GUN!!!”
(3)
    Back when we were in college at USF we had a very fun upstairs neighbor. Her name was Miss Mary Jane. She was a beautiful young professional who was also a nudist, loved pot & sex. One time she told us that if anybody broke into her apartment she would yell out “Fred, get the gun there is somebody in the apartment”. Miss Mary Jane was out of town and we were looking after her pets. Two long haired oversized hamsters. So I went upstairs to check on them and decided to borrow some ice from her frig. As I was cracking the ice out of the ice trays….. you guessed it, I heard her scream “Fred, get the gun there is somebody in the apartment!!!” Then to my surprise there was a mans voice who said, “Who’s Fred???”  It was Miss Mary Jane, who had come home early & the UPS driver who she was having sex with!!! Suddenly I realized why the UPS truck was parked outside so often. LOL LOL Look for more stories about Miss Mary Jane.

From the MC Film Mail Bag

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 PFLAG Tampa – Homeless Youth Forum Invitation

Dear Mark & Carrie-

PFLAG Tampa has been working for months with The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County (HCHC) and other service providers (some of whom are also members of GaYbor) to develop a Homeless Youth Forum event to raise awareness of the plight of homeless youth. On any given day there are hundreds of young people in our community who find themselves without a place to call home and this event promises to provide great insight into how our community can address this crisis. The Forum will include a guest panel of homeless and formerly homeless youth who will tell their stories through a powerful video and answer audience questions about their experiences and how they are addressing the challenges they have faced, including domestic violence, aging out of the foster care system, lockouts and commercial sexual exploitation. Resources for homeless adults in Hillsborough County are scarce. For youth, they’re almost non-existent. PFLAG Tampa is particularly concerned about this vulnerable population — research has shown that up to half of homeless youth are LGBT, having been locked out of their homes.

Mr. Jeremiah Kerr, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working at HCHC (and a PFLAG Tampa officer!), has worked tirelessly to make the Homeless Youth Forum a reality. This event will be hosted by HCHC and co-moderated by Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner and Homeless Coalition CEO, Rayme L. Nuckles. (Please see the attached flyer.)

Invitations have been extended to elected officials at the city, county, state and federal levels. Gov. Rick Scott has graciously accepted his invitation and will speak at the Homeless Youth Forum.

PFLAG Tampa would like to extend a special invitation to the members of GaYbor to attend this extraordinary event. Seating is limited, so be sure to register as soon as possible for your FREE tickets. A complimentary breakfast will be provided.

We’d like these kids to look out across a packed theater full of interested and supportive allies. If you can possibly attend, please do. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested.

Where:

Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Jaeb Theater, 1010 North W.C. MacInnes Pl., Tampa, 33602

Date:

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Time:

Complimentary breakfast — 8:30am to 9:30am
Forum — 9:30am to 11:00am

Cost:

Free, but registration required.

Register:

www.homelessofhc.org (If the link doesn’t work, browse to the HCHC website and register from there.)

Parking:

Inexpensive and plentiful parking available at the Poe Garage, with a covered walkway to the Straz Center. Hourly parking entrances are on W. Cass St. and N. Ashley Dr.(Please see the attached map.)

See you at the Straz!

– John & Nancy Desmond, PFLAG Tampa

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963

“We must make it clear that a platform of ‘I hate gay men and women’
is not a way to become president of the United States of America.”
– Jimmy Carter, 1996

Email: pflag.tampa@gmail.com
Web: http://pflagtampa.org
Telephone: (863) 535-5239
Calendar: http://goo.gl/gg3dp
Facebook: http://facebook.com/PFLAGTampa
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PFLAG Tampa meetings:
1st Wednesday of the month — 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall of the First
United Church of Tampa (UCC), 7308 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33617.
(Temple Terrace area of Tampa, just off I-75.)
3rd Tuesday of the month — 7:00pm at Faith Family UCC, 9350 Bay Plaza
Blvd, Suite 125, Tampa, FL 33619. (Off Rt. 60, E. Adamo Dr., between
Rt. 301 and S. Falkenburg Rd.)
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PFLAG is a nonprofit organization that is not affiliated with any political
party or religious institution.

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6th Annual LGBT Community Survey
Dear CenterLink Friend,

We would like to invite you to take a new survey about your opinions and preferences, from an LGBT perspective.

There’s power in our Pride! Participating in this study helps open minds and doors around the world, and influences positive changes for our community. Previous surveys have yielded 45,000 respondents from 100+ countries! You may have seen CMI research quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, etc.

Click here to start the survey, or paste the following into your browser: http://www.LGBTSurvey.com.

Please let them know that CenterLink referred you!

It only take about 10 minutes to complete. Everyone who completes the survey by June 30th may opt to be entered into a drawing to win one of five $100 cash prizes, or if you win, you can designate a charity to receive the $100.

If you have LGBT friends around the world who might be interested in this survey, please forward this message to them. And please post it to your Facebook and Twitter accounts

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 SPI Red Dress Ball

Novice Sister Tootie Truly Humble and the Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are excited to announce their first annual Red Dress Ball. It is a Sister event so it will be HOT, SEXY, and FUN.
The SPI Red Dress Ball in conjunction with St. Pete Pride is the Pre-Pride Kick-off in Tampa, and will be held at Bradley’s on 7th Avenue in Ybor City Saturday, June 23rd starting at 9 P.M.
ALL proceeds will benefit the Francis House and St. Pete Pride.  There will be Jell-O Shots, Two Raffles (prizes & 50/50), and Gift Basket drawings throughout the evening.
RED DRESS BALL
$10 suggested donation
June 23, 2012
9 P.M. till… ?
Bradley’s
1510 E. 7th Avenue
Ybor City, FL 33605
For more information about the Sisters and this event please visit www.tampasisters.org
Or search for the Red Dress Ball event on Facebook