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When NBC affiliate WFLA in Tampa aired an American Family Association-financed program titled "Speechless: Silencing the Christians" on June 27.--the same day as the massive St. Petersburg Pride parade that commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots--the television station probably did not anticipate a quick and sustained response from the Bay Area’s LGBT residents.

The station received an estimated 1,000 phone calls and e-mails after the program, for which the AFA paid $35,000 to WFLA, aired. The station’s only response to the outcry to this point was a statement by station general manager Mike Pumo that stressed the program’s content did not "raise a red flag" to him. Equality Florida was quick to go on the offensive. And it has planned an online town hall meeting tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the controversy.

"WFLA’s silence on this issue is unacceptable," Brian Winfield, communications director for Equality Florida, said. "There’s been a lot of discussion about whether we should spend our time and resources going after WFLA on this issue and this will let us strategize on what the community wants to do next."

The program claimed the "radical homosexual activist agenda" victimizes Christians through the advancement of pro-gay legislation and increased media visibility. Featuring interviews with a number of "ex-gay" individuals, the program has also recently aired in other media markets. These include Los Angeles, Topeka, Kan. and Charlotte, N.C. Activist outrage pre-emptively blocked its broadcast in Columbus, Ohio and Grand Rapids, Mich.

"It is reprehensible that, in seeing the show, [Pumo] didn’t feel any red flags were raised in terms of what was said," Winfield continued. "If you had substituted interracial marriage where they used ’homosexual,’ or any other minority group, no one would have stood for it. It’s about time that LGBT people are accorded the same dignity and respect."

Winfield added he saw the documentary’s airing as presenting a threat to the safety of the area’s LGBT residents.

"We know that when this kind of anti-gay rhetoric rises in a community, hate crimes and anti-gay harassment also rise in that community," he said. "We believe firmly that airing these shows does real harm to the community and that is the minimum criteria that a network ought to have in choosing content."

The Rev. Phyllis Hunt of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, also criticized the program.

"I was shocked that it would even be aired," Hunt, who is openly lesbian, said. "I thought it was striking how they used the term ’Christians’ as if all Christians were in agreement with them. I know that not all Christians and people of faith are in alignment with their theological views."

She, like Winfield, singled out Pumo.

"If there were no red flags raised for [Pumo], then he’s really out of touch with the greater faith-based community’s perspective... and with what is healthy for our greater Tampa Bay community," she continued. "I believe [he] possibly didn’t give it much thought, to be fair to him... I wonder, if he’d known the kind of harm this would cause his community, would he air it again if he could do it over?"

Winfield added he hoped WFLA would issue a public apology, adding that a public demonstration against the station was among the options that could be considered at Thursday’s town hall. Some have also advocated urging the station to use the money profited from airing the AFA program to an LGBT-related cause.

"The forum will give people a chance to share where they, not just us at Equality Florida, stand on the issue," Winfield said. "We believe that they need to issue a public apology to our entire community for airing what was a dangerous show - a show that dehumanizes and demonizes gay people."

Both WFLA and the AFA could not be reached for comment on the story at press time.