BRANDON – Despite smaller-than-expected crowds with larger-than-expected security, the organizer of the inaugural Brandon Pride says it managed to get its point across.

Mark Ferguson worked for nearly a year to create a GLBT pride event in a county commission district represented by staunchly anti-gay Ronda Storms. Even though an actual pride festival never happened in Brandon, other events recognized the traditional gay pride month of June.

On June 15, about 65 people listened to volunteers read from books by GLBT authors at the Bloomingdale Library in Valrico.

"The readers and coordinators were extremely fantastic at the book reading," Ferguson said. "It was great to share the works of gay and lesbian authors in a public library almost exactly one year after the commission decided to remove the same display from the downtown library."

In 2005, a display of books by GLBT authors was dismantled at the John F. Germany Library in Tampa when three patrons told the Hillsborough County Commission that it offended them. The commission then decided to prohibit any sort of recognition of gay pride in county buildings.

Bart Birdsall, a Hillsborough County Schools media specialist and candidate for school board, read several selections for those attending. Everyone present signed a board thanking the commission for the use of the library. The following week, Ferguson presented that board to the county commission.

"I was up there talking, and Ronda left the room," Ferguson said. "When she came back, I was flanked by security. It was an intimidation factor, but it didn’t work."

Ferguson teamed with Equality Florida for an Equality Mall Walk at Brandon Mall on June 16, where security was tighter than normal for a Friday night. About 35 people took part.

"I found out later that the mall had received some threatening letters from area churches who were unhappy that we were using the mall for the event," Ferguson said. "I don’t understand how a church that says it preaches love can have so much hate toward us."

Ferguson hopes to convince the mall’s management to share the letters so he can post them on the group’s Web site, BrandonPride.com. Everything Brandon Pride does, Ferguson said, is an attempt to educate people about diversity. He knows he has an uphill battle.

While Ferguson said he recognized that he’d face opposition from the Hillsborough commission and some conservative churches, he was puzzled about the apathy from the area’s GLBT community.

On June 25 – the day after more than 40,000 people attended St. Pete Pride – only eight people attended a Family Values Pride Picnic in Downtown Tampa across from the County Center.

"I guess timing is everything, and we just didn’t time it right," Ferguson said at Joe Chilula Town Square. "Maybe it’s the threatening skies. Maybe everyone is exhausted from (St. Pete Pride). But it looks like we’re not going to make a huge statement today."

Ferguson had hoped the picnic would showcase GLBT families in a public area – exactly one year after a pride rally was arranged in the same park in response to the commission’s anti-gay stance. Despite the small turnout, Ferguson is already preparing for next year.

"Brandon Pride isn’t going anywhere," he said. "Every organization starts out small, and I’m convinced this is one that will grow with every year. We just need the support of the community to help us grow." W Steve Blanchard