GaYbor
GaYBOR District Coalition in Historic Ybor City (/ˈɡeɪbɔr/ GAY-bor) is a non profit 501 c (6),organization located within Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. It is an organization of LGBT Bars, Nightclubs, Restaurants, Shops, non Profit Organizations & More thru out the West Coast of Central Florida, with its headquarters in Historic Ybor City . The organization has many participants and is sponsored by both Gay & Straight members. The district is roughly centered around 8th Avenue and 15th Street in Ybor, with large rainbow flags & GaYBOR signs as markers. A yearly event around the 4th of July called "GaYBOR Days" is held in the district featuring celebrity appearances and street celebrations. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio originally met with the leaders of the group on several occasions to help with planning and issues such as police protection, including that by gay and lesbian officers. Current Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has met several times with the Coalition. As an organization, there are members of GaYBOR across the states of Florida & Georgia.
Creation of the GaYBOR District Coalition
For the West Coast of Florida’s GLBTA community the “downtown district – main street” is The GaYBOR District in Historic Ybor City on one of "America’s Top 10 Famous Recognized Streets", 7th Ave.
A grouping of business people stretching from Tampa Bay to Atlanta, have formed this group to promote local Tampa Bay business of all types. All sexualities are welcome. At GaYBOR monthly meetings everybody is always welcome. This is a chance for non profits, organizations, volunteers, groups, businesses to meet & network. By working together GaYBOR has created fundraisers, events, sponsorship,showcase and brought in national seminars and conventions to Historic Ybor City, the GaYBOR downtown to the world. This is a great way to incorporate visiting tourists into the community. In just the past months GaYBOR has donated over $12,000 in goods in kind and money to organizations like; The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, The Gasparilla Softball Classic, Francis House, Metro Wellness and Community Centers, St. Pete Pride, Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Stand-Up Florida, MCC Tampa, West Coast Florida Federation for the Blind, St. Jude's Helping Hands, USF Gay Alliance, The Krewe of Sant’ Yago & more. By pooling funds & resources together GaYBOR is able to advertise in HOTspots Magazine, Dishing with Mark & Carrie, What’s Happening Magazine, Watermark Magazine, Alternative Yellow Pages, Fun Maps and 50,000 ads daily on Facebook. GaYBOR District Coalition has also received positive press from; The St. Petersburg Times, South Tampa News, Creative Loafing, La Gaceta, Tampa Tribune, all local TV Stations & CNN News.
Together GaYBOR has created tourist maps, posters, banners, an outside 2 month piano art display & GaYBOR branding. With members working together on social networking they now have 24,000+ friends on www.MySpace.com/GaYBOR, 7,00+ fans at www.Facebook.com/GaYBOR & 400’s of hits daily on their web site at www.GaYBOR.com &. GaYBOR News at www.youtube.com/MCFilmFest. With unified members working together GaYBOR has come together to work; booths, expos, floats at many events. GaYBOR are members of organizations including; OUT (Organizations Uniting Together), The Tampa Bay Business Guild, The Key West Business Guild, Stand Up Florida, Gay American Heroes, The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Bay and Company (Hillsborough County Tourism, CenterLink, and IGLTA. GaYBOR is working together with government organizations like the Ybor City Development Corp., Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Police Department, City of Tampa & the City of Tampa Mayor’s Office. GaYBOR efforts have been truly recognized with proclamations and acclamations from Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners, Tampa City Council and honorable Bob Buckhorn, Mayor of Tampa.
All this GLBTA community spirit and dedication is all about working together. Membership to GaYBOR is like a gym membership. The more you put in, the more you will get back. Volunteers are needed for events like pool parties, bar crawls, festivals, booths, floats & more. With 280+ members in only two years, tells a story.
GaYBOR District Coalition MISSION STATEMENT"
The GaYBOR District Coalition is dedicated to forming a broad-based coalition, representative of the various interests of GLBT owned and friendly businesses, property owners, and residents for the purpose of promoting economic growth in the Ybor City National Landmark Historic District and prosperity of its members.
Living in Ybor City
Ybor City has a rich cultural history you can sense the moment you enter the district. Since its founding in 1886, Ybor City has been a welcoming community. In the early days Cubans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Jewish and African Americans all made the area home in a peaceful coexistence. Today Ybor City continues to have a diverse community with a live and let live attitude.
7th Avenue, Ybor City’s main street, is home to an eclectic mix of Cuban, Italian and Spanish architecture. The residential areas blend historic Key West style bungalows with modern condominiums and urban lofts. Whether you’re looking to restore a jewel from a bygone era or live like a true urbanite, Ybor City has it all.
Enjoy walking to your favorite restaurants, cafés, shops, movies, museums, galleries, club and bars; take part in almost weekly festivals and special events; or shop at the Saturday fresh market. Hop on the streetcar to Channelside and Downtown and expand your dining and entertainment options.
Ybor City residents are a warm and welcoming mix of people. They take pride knowing their community is filled with so much history and culture. Living in Ybor City means being part of its rebirth as a thriving mixed-use walkable urban community.
Ybor City is located just off I-4 and along the streetcar line in the center of metropolitan Tampa. The neighborhood offers residents quick access to the Channelside, Downtown Tampa, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, USF, Soho, Westshore District, Brandon, and everywhere in between.
Read more about GaYBOR District Coalition in the weekly newsletter "Dishing with Mark & Carrie" Visit MC Film and click on the Gossip Star.
Tampa Bay's large LGBT community is a catalyst for this neighborhood, with a study by UCLA placing Tampa as a "surprising" number four in the nation for LGBT citizen population at 6.1% in the city proper and 5.9% in the metro area area as a whole. The area was given national attention when Super Bowl XLIII came to Tampa. Despite the name more than half of the businesses in the GaYBOR District Coalition are straight-owned.
External links
See also
- Grand Central, similar district near Downtown St. Pete
- Gulfport, beachside town across the bay known for colorful ambiance and culinary scene
- SoHo, entertainment district a few miles southwest in Tampa
Coordinates: 30°26′25″N 82°17′29″W / 30.440278°N 82.291389°W