Let’s not kid ourselves. The Hillsborough County Commission–even sans Topical Storms Ronda–is not undergoing some ideological makeover or morphing into the avatar of tolerance.
But, yes, it was newsworthy when the seven-member commission signed the proclamation saluting GaYbor Days, the annual event that promotes this area as gay friendly–to tourists as well as business owners. And, indeed, the commission, which still exceeds its quota of fundamentalist-fawning conservatives, has done the right thing. Finally. Actually, it has done the expedient, practical thing. Close enough.
This is not about diversity any more than its about acceptance and toleration. It’s about the consummate commandment, found in neither the Old nor New Testament, even for public officials who religiously practice pandering politics: “Thou shalt not pass up marketplace opportunities.”
And for good measure: “How intolerably dumb will we continue to look if we don’t make this nominal gesture of good will about recognizing community contributors after refusing to sign off for the last five years? Chambers of commerce have sent letters of support. So has the White House. It’s our county and we as a commission can’t formally recognize the value of an economic infusion? Why? Because it’s incompatible with ‘family values’? What ‘families’? The Cleavers? The Waltons? The Osbournes? The Cheneys? The Khardasians? The Kemples?”
This is a group, mind you, that would proudly sign a proclamation saluting a paint ball tourney, an AK-47 show or a monster truck rally if it thought it would yield economic benefits.
The three-day GaYbor Days event, which included a film festival, stage shows, parties and shopping, is now hosted by a coalition of nearly 300 Tampa Bay businesses. It has become a marketing tool for Ybor as well as the Tampa Bay area. GaYbor Days now draws a weekend crowd of about 10,000, many of them out-of-town visitors. And they spend real money–not $3 bills. GaYbor’s intent should also be Tampa Bay’s and the Hillsborough County Commission’s intent: seriously tapping into the $85 billion annual gay and lesbian travel industry. Economic diversity of the first order.
And while the unanimous proclamation saluting GaYbor gives shout outs for economic vitality and neighborhood revitalization, perhaps a future one could add another whereas clause: one that includes a “thank you.” Tampa has no shot at the burgeoning GLBT market without GaYbor as a catalyst and epicenter. That’s because the commission still puts a governor on progress with its less-than-tolerant stance on gay pride displays and a domestic partner registry.
But, then again, a commission that has finally manned up to do the pragmatically obvious on GaYbor Days may be open to additional precedents that don’t exactly require ideological u-turns. The political face-saving rationales would be familiar: whatever image improvement helps promote economic development.