Change of Pride?
If you were out in Ybor City March 26, you were able to witness some of the usual things Pride has to offer – a parade, a street festival, a lot of beautiful people running around in their underwear.
One thing you may have seen that many in Tampa thought would never happen was a certain 34th Street pastor by the name of Tom Scott out and about, shaking hands and catering to the LGBT vote. Rev. Scott is running to pick up the Hillsborough County Commission District 6 seat currently held by out and proud commissioner Kevin Beckner, who after doing his time in the commissioner seat is running for the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
What makes it a bit strange that Rev. Scott would be out at Tampa Pride is that, in 2005 he, along with then county commissioner Ronda Storms, led the charge to have Hillsborough County abstain from promoting, participating in or even acknowledging any kind of gay pride events.
Now, this was more than a decade ago so views may have changed. After all, Rev. Scott did vote in 2009 in support an ordinance that protects transgender people from discrimination.
Could Rev. Scott have seen the light? Is he now on board with not only acknowledging that Tampa Pride exists, but participating and promoting it as well? He certainly was using it to promote himself.
It’s been a Hot year
Morning radio tends to follow a formula, or at least it has for as long as we can remember. They are usually white, they are usually men and they are usually straight, and that’s the interesting and wonderful thing about what Hot 101.5 did one year ago; they decided not to do that.
They brought in a gay, black man and a straight, white woman team and let them talk about themselves. So was born “The Miguel Show.”
Miguel Fuller and co-host Holly O’Connor get you up every weekday morning with music, comedy and chatter, but they also talk about boys and reality TV and dating and gay issues and women’s issues. They talk about the issues that seem to sit on the fringe of mainstream pop radio. Now this isn’t to say that there haven’t been gay people or women on the radio, but rarely do you get to hear them be there true, authentic selves. They more than likely are the set up for the lead guy or the punchline for the joke. This station has allowed Miguel and Holly to be who they are and talk about that, and it has made it a very successful show and in turn made Tampa Bay and better place.
“So thankful to have a job and even more grateful to work for a company that took a chance and continues to take a chance on a morning show that’s a bit different,” Fuller wrote on his Facebook page. So thankful we are to have this show.
Congratulations on a year of being different and fresh, and we look forward to many more years of the not-the-same old stuff.
