DishingFeb 19 2009
GaYBOR & Tampa Bay Gossip & News
St. Pete Pride: 100,000+ GLBTA Marchers
The sun appeared after a few showers, making for another great parade and street festival for the 7th Annual St. Pete Pride. We were on the GaYBOR District Coalition’s float and the sight was breathtaking being high perched on the second level of the float. The Grand Marshall this year was newly elected openly gay Hillsborough County Board Commissioner Kevin Beckne, who walked the parade route and was followed by Flamingo Auto Group (FAG) members driving 1969 model classic cars. Also in the parade were ROTC (Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corp), PFLAG, gay couples groups, square dancers, Gay Rodeo Association, a few major Fortune 500 companies, bear clubs and more! Hundreds of gay and gay-friendly small businesses, clubs, and non-profits helped the City of St. Petersburg’s coffers with the over $1 million economic impact St. Pete Pride made. Super kudos goes to all the volunteers and officers of St. Pete Pride for making this one memorable day!
Tampa Bay Play Houses and Performers
I guess that Tampa Bay loves its plays and artistic quandaries! We have in Tampa, now playing, gay plays. The award winning singing musical comedy of love all around a gay bathhouse, “Bathhouse the Musical,” is being performed thru July 11th at Arts on Ninth in Ybor City. Stageworks will be performing “The Little Dog Laughed,” a fast-paced and hilarious look at the world of celebrity, at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center July 9th through the 26th. The noted gay Tampa theater group, Gypsy Productions, Inc., is performing “Three Guys in Drag Selling Their Stuff,” a comedy of 3 elders helping out a friend in need. The play is produced by Daniel Harris and runs through July 19th at Club Nautico’s Crown Theatre in St. Petersburg.
Flamingo Hotel Opening Soon!
The speculation that the owners of the closed Suncoast Hotel would be opening another fizzled out, but another group of investors are planning to open Flamingo Hotel on South 34th Street in St. Pete in the next couple of months. General Manager David Rhinehart said,”It is a major work in progress. We are happy to say we are opening soon!” David and business partner David Baker are hard at work and have numerous meetings with city officials and neighbors to the property. “We all want to work together and be friends and a good neighbor,” said David. More info is coming, as you can tell. Read the press release at MCFilmFest.com – just click on the gossip star!
