Kay Thompson and Bobby Smith
This famous Tampa lesbian couple were educating the community about transgender people long before we even knew the word. You see Bobby lived his/her life as a man. The couple were founding members of The Metropolitan Community Church – MCC Tampa. Together with Dr. Walt Banks & his partner Jack Busciglio. The 2 couples took mortgages on their homes to purchase the 1st MCC building in the 1970’s. Bobby would laugh when telling the story about “The priest came to his parents’ home one day to talk about why the Tampa Tribune had done a story about the hard working paperboy!”
Kay who was Bobby’s 2nd girlfriend, would call Bobby her hot “Butch”. Kay was a true southern belle who owned and operated her Florist shop across from the Palma Ceia Country Club. When we were in church Bobby liked to be called she. “It was under the roof of God.” He’d say. Outside of church would be called he. Bobby worked his whole life at The Gold Triangle Photo Developers. His photos of the LGBT Community went back to the 1940’s. All the parties back in the 1940’s & 50’s had to be hidden and very private. Bobby would stay after work to develop his own private photos. He told me that at that time 2 gays or lesbians together, even drag photos were against the law and considered pornographic.
Shortly before Bobby died our friend Rex Maniscalco and us got together with Bobby & Kay and their historic Tampa Bay LGBT photos. We tried to remember times and days of the people in these photos. Our plan was to make a traveling exhibit of the collections. Then later that same year Rex died 4-4-2009 . Here is part one if his funeral, notice his camera on his coffin https://youtu.be/2ksgf8UwMgY https://youtu.be/mAqgqwinrAM . Shortly later that year Bobby passed away Kay did too. In the name of Rex we took his collection of Bobby & Kay’s photos along with 16 boxes of photos & VHS pride events tapes of Rex’s, to the University of South Florida Special Collections Library. Today this collection is available online.
To Bobby & Kay and Rex we all miss you and still love you all… Mark & Carrie
http://digital.lib.usf.edu/maniscalcor/all/brief
http://www.lib.usf.edu/special-collections/lgbt-collections/
This week we all say a good bye to the Dr. Trelles Clinic – Ybor Resort & Spa
The building was original built in 1917 as a coffee roasting building. In the 1930s’ Dr Telelles converted the building into the clinic. With the help of his second wife, Concha the clinic was the birth place of many famous people. Including in this list is Miss Esme Russell https://www.facebook.com/esme.russell3 In the buildings later years it was closed for over 20 years. We remember during this time there was an albino man who lived in one of the rooms. His hair was white and eyes were pink. He would only come out in Ybor after dark. In 2008 Fred Sshwartz & Vince Pawlowski purchased the old medical building.
At first it was to be a guest house on the 1st floor and upstairs a private men’s bath house. The building came with many ghosts. One of which was Conciha. There were even ghost TV shows that toured the building. In the court yard Miss Arica Love https://www.facebook.com/arica.love2 and others would perform in the pool. Then the YRS became a total men’s club. Shortly after its sale in 2018 the building was the victim of not one but three arson fires. We wonder if the ghost will be in the new building too. Many people (including us) stopped by the demolished building and were picking up bricks as souvenirs full of history. Below is part 1 of 5 part video from the building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCTiRFissKw
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More videos can be found on our channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/MCFilmFest/videos?flow=grid&view_as=subscriber&sort=p&view=0
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence 2009
39 years ago on March 31st ago three men dressed up in dead nuns’ habits, “borrowed” years before and delighted/terrorized the citizenry of San Francisco. On March 31 we celebrate the founding of the Worldwide Order of Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and We are so proud and honored to be a part of it. During GaYBOR Days 2009 the local chapter became a Fully Recognized Order in the Sisterhood. After the good sisters raised over $50,000 and 1,000’s of hours of donated community service. We (Mark & Carrie) were recognized and entered into the Sainthood during this celebration.
In the present Czar’s parking lot was the GaYBOR Days Carnival. At one point every seat on the Ferris wheel had a sister in it! We so wish somebody had caught this on film. Happy 39th birthday to all our Sisters/Guards around the world.
Scott Morath
We found the photographer of our favorite Tampa Pride photo. His name is Scott Morath and he is allowing Tampa Pride to use his photos. A BIG Thank you to Scott. Visit his facebook page to de more photos
