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Local film's timing raises political eyebrows. Sunday, October 8, 2006 Nestor said the film isn't about Storms, but about discrimination against gays. Amy Nestor calls herself an independent filmmaker. She released her first documentary Sunday at the Tampa Bay Builder's Guild Expo. It's titled "Un!banned!" and Nestor hopes its release will ban people from voting for Hillsborough County Commissioner Rhonda storms, who is running for state senate. Nestor said she got the idea last year after Storms convinced fellow commissioners to ban gay pride materials from Hillsborough County public libraries. "Hopefully, we can open up some minds and eliminate some of the discrimination," Nestor said. But Nestor said the film's focus is not on Storms. "She's in the film, but basically it's about discrimination," Nestor said. The 15-minute film was released less than a month before the general election. Timing, Nestor said,was planned around the Tampa Gay Pride Film Festival. "It's ironic that it's a month before, but my goal was to get it in the film festival," Nestor said. Storms was unavailable for comment, but in previous media statements Storms questioned the legality of the film being released so close to the election. The film is being promoted on the web site www.unbanned.org. But the Storms thinks the timing of the film's release is curious given the election is next month. film's director said she is not a member of any political action committee or non-profit agency. "I'm not associated with anyone else," Nestor said. "I've received no money to do this. I've done it all out of my own pocket." She's hoping to recoup her costs with the outcome of November's election. The film was inspired by the controversy at a Hillsborough County Public Library and that's where it will be shown. A screening will be held at the John F. Germany public library next weekend and four other libraries across the county. Nestor said it's not only about the commission's discrimination against gays, but what she believes is it's discrimination against minorities. http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/10/8/189129.html Film sheds light on gay issues before election By KEVIN GRAHAM Published October 9, 2006 TAMPA - For those who have never met Hillsborough Commissioner Ronda Storms, a new documentary highlights where she stands on certain gay and lesbian issues. She doesn't want foster children placed in gay or lesbian homes. And she's sticking by her successful move in June 2005 for Hillsborough County government to abstain from recognizing gay pride. The producer of the 15-minute documentary titled un!BANNED wants viewers to look beyond the votes that Storms and other county commissioners have taken to hinder gay rights and see discrimination. "We're trying to wake people up and make them aware of what's going on," said Amy Nestor, who debuted her independent film Sunday at the Tampa Bay Business Guild Expo. "They're discriminating against human beings." The film contains footage from a march in downtown Tampa during the summer of 2005 in protest of the County Commission's vote. It features interviews from local gay activist and librarian Bart Birdsall, Brandon Pride president Mark Ferguson, Tampa strip club owner Joe Redner as well as gay and straight Tampa Bay residents who disagreed with the ban. The short film was also filled with quotes from Storms that were published in the St. Petersburg Times. Nestor has plans to show the film at libraries across Hillsborough County during the next month. When she heard about the documentary's focus, Storms defended the commissioners' vote. "I am more convinced today than I was then that that was the appropriate action for the board to take," said Storms. She questioned Brandon Pride's involvement in the film, because nonprofit organizations must file paperwork with the state to become a political action committee and be involved in anything political. Storms, a Republican, is running against Democrat Stephen Gorham and write-in candidate Victoria Brake for the District 10 state Senate seat. "Certainly people can advocate the election or defeat of a candidate," Storms said. "It's not appropriate for a nonprofit organization." R. Zeke Fread, spokesman for Nestor's film, said that Nestor produced, directed, edited and paid for the film herself. Brandon Pride only offered to help with research and getting the word out about the film when it was ready for viewing, he said. Storms said that the media never report that the gay pride library display that sparked so much controversy last year contained pamphlets that directed children to Internet chats and support groups where they could "explore their sexuality." "That's not safe behavior," Storms said. Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, said that a county librarian had pamphlets that provided resources to young people, like how to start a gay-straight alliance at school and how to get information from the Human Rights Campaign. "It was not in any way providing people information on how to go online to various chats," Winfield said. Nestor said her film is beyond anything personal directed to Storms, whom she's never met. "It's bigger than that," Nestor said. "To me, it's about healing." Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@.... © Copyright, St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved. http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/09/Hillsborough/Film_sheds_light_on_g.shtml Controversial film 'Unbanned' is unveiled Last Edited: Monday, 09 Oct 2006, 6:05 AM EDT Created: Sunday, 08 Oct 2006, 4:31 PM EDT A Gay rights group runs into a legal snag in the latest battle with Ronda Storms. TAMPA - While Ronda Storms says a documentary about Hillsborough County's policy to ban gay displays in public libraries violates the law and should not be made public, the producer of the film in question unveiled it Sunday afternoon. The film, "Unbanned," premiered at the Tampa Bay Business Guild Expo, part of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. And the producer of the film says making it public was perfectly legal, because it was independently produced. "Unfortunately, Ronda Storms is under the impression that Brandon Pride produced the film," said the documentary's producer, Shelby McIntyre. "Brandon Pride and Unbanned.org were only enlisted to assist during the project's production and help get the word out," McIntyre said. "I'm assuming that the people who put it on will correct that and will not proceed in violation of the law, now that it's been brought to them that they're proceeding outside the law," Storms said Friday. "Unbanned" chronicles how the many in the gay community feel about the ban on gay materials in Hillsborough County public libraries, as well as what they think of the county commissioner who pushed for it. Producers of the film now plan to show it in Hillsborough's public libraries, starting on October 15th at the John F. Germany library in downtown Tampa. Storms has said that gay books, pamphlets and any policy that would ask county librarians to refer teens to gay websites or chat rooms is inappropriate and unsafe. The gay activists produced the DVD on the gay book ban controversy to shed light on the policy Storms spearheaded, and to possibly dampen her chances for election to the Florida Legislature. "If she gets to the Senate she could possibly use the same tactics, the same motions and cause us more problems than she caused us locally," said activist Zeke Fread. We've got you covered Related Items Videos Stories Ronda Storms, gay activists clash again. http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=1120982&versionfiltered=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 |
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