By:
Steve Blanchard

     Brandon Mark Ferguson had to make a tough decision: Should he focus on the anniversary date that former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms removed a GLBT library display from public view, or should he avoid competing with other Pride events?
He decided that cooperating with other Pride events was the way to go.
     Ferguson, president of Brandon Pride, had planned to hold a book reading of the now infamous banned books at a Brandon library June 14. However, with so many events surrounding this year’s St. Pete Pride, the book reading would be in direct competition with another worthy cause, he said.
     “It’s about cooperating and working together as a community,” Ferguson said. “We need to remember that we’re all fighting for the same goal. We can have our event later, which will prevent us from pulling anyone away from St. Pete Pride events and also keep St. Pete Pride from preventing people from coming to our event.”
     Ferguson has moved the book reading to Thursday, July 5. More details on the reading will be made available soon, he said.
     “We do know we want to read passages from those books again this year like we did last year,” Ferguson said. “And a July 5 date puts us right in the middle of all the Independence Day celebrations. And that’s what this is all about, individual freedoms and expressions.”
     Ferguson said he knows Storms will be back in Brandon during that time because the legislative session will be over. While he said he would save her a seat for the reading, he doesn’t expect her to show.
     Details on the Brandon Book Display will be made available in the coming weeks.