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Queer Tonsil Hockey at Brandon Mall or:
Get A Room

I recently checked out the page for the The Brandon Equality Florida Meet Up. These "meet up" pages are used by groups to keep members (and prospective members) abreast of happenings within their respective groups. There are hundreds, probably thousands of these groups.

The Brandon Equality Florida Meet Up is planning (or attempting to plan) a gay pride event for Brandon area gays and lesbians (Why, I ask again, are men gay and women lesbians? Is it more fun to be a gay man?). One of the lead-up events to this inaugural "Brandon Pride" celebration is this:

*6/16/06, Friday Night PDA Equality Mall Walk, 7-9pm
1000+ participants wearing red shirts, Pride, and Equality Florida Shirts holding hands and displaying PDA.
Venue: Westfield Town Center, Brandon

I'm not sure where the "1000+" figure comes from but, given all that Rhonda Storms has already done for Hillsborough gays, is playing tonsil hockey in a suburban mall really the way to represent? Jeeze, even straight people have boundaries and in-your-face PDA isn't real fun to watch, gay or straight.

Of course, there won't be any security provided by county-funded agencies. I have to wonder if the group president, Mark Ferguson, has given this consideration. I am not a member of the group and, so, have not attended any meetings but I have also not read anything in Mr. Ferguson's posts to indicate that he has. I lived in Brandon for 36 years. It's not the same live-and-let-live little town it used to be.

My advice: proceed with caution..

Oh yes, if you're Out and Proud, the Brandon Pride Rally is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 from 12-4pm with a Pride rally to start beforehand at 11. Where? The Showmen's Association in Gibsonton.

Wouldn't that make it the Gibsonton Pride rally? If you're gay and out and have the balls to live in Gibsonton, you just let me know. I want your autograph.

Posted by: Likes2mtnbike at May 30, 2006 07:01 | link | comments

NYT Looks at Brandon(via nytimes.com)

Even the New York Times has noticed the cost of living in the Brandon/Valrico area (you have to register). I told you it wasn't just me. And an aside to Steve from the article: we have a right to complain. It's the American way. If you only knew what Brandon used to be like... Go back to Michigan/New York/Ohio/Jersey. Floridians have a right to be offended when being dismissively referred to as "them" and "they" by northern immigrants. It's rude. We never used to be a rude people. Had a flat in South Tampa and no cell signal. Called across the street to a woman and asked her if she would call AAA for me. Ignored me. Couldn't even be bothered to turn her head to acknowledge me. Me? Nice car. Dressed for evening. But the accent of the woman (who had just been speaking to the driver of a car dropping her off)? You guessed it. Not from anywhere near here.

Just another gift from the North.

Like my mother says, "There are yankees and there are damn yankees. Never lump me with the damn yankees."

Posted by: Likes2mtnbike at May 07, 2006 08:42 | link | comments