Yesterday, June 5, Kevin Beckner, the Commissioner for Florida's Hillsborough County, passionately spoke out against a ban that forbid any public promotion of gay pride events in the county.
Eight years after the ban was established, Beckner, the openly gay commissioner, sought to see Hillborough County repeal the ban during a vote yesterday, and gave a emotional speech on why it should be nixed.
Holding up a copy of the Constitution, Beckner said:
"The real question is what are the ongoing costs to this community? How has it damaged the brand of hillsborough county? and more importantly how has it desecrated the social fabric of our community? What does it say to a community when its own government sanctions discrimination against a class of its citizens. Does it give authority to others to discriminate agains their fellow human beings?"
The ban was overturned 7-0. Watch Beckner's emotional speech in the video above.
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