Creative Loafing Tampa — May 30, 2024

PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

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I heard a new language, code, and slang. Remembering Tampa Bay’s shuttered gay bars, p. 40.

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Photo by Madison Hurley. Design by Joe Frontel.

In the Mx

Photos by Dave Decker

Last Sunday St. Pete Pride hosted its first official event of the season—its annual MX St. Pete Pride Pageant where 15 glammed-up contestants competed for the title of Mr., Mrs. and Mx. St. Pete Pride 2024. In the categories of Presentation Pride Wear, Evening Wear, Q&A and Talent, members of the local LGBTQ+ community battled for their respective crowns, alongside a number of performances from previous title holders and “Drag Race” star Alyssa Edwards. At the end of the more-than-five-hour program filled with billowing laughter, banter

from gracious host Angelic Sanchez, and a few tear jerking moments, the judges crowned Kiala Nicole Santi as Mrs., Amari Lavish as Mr. and Justine B. Knights as Mx. St Pete Pride. There was also a special designation to Vivion Rachel Clark, Miss St. Pete Pride Elite. St. Pete Pride, which organizes the Sunshine State’s largest Pride parade every June, has been hosting its annual pageant since the early 2000s, but added the gender diverse “Mx” category a few years ago. See all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.—Kyla Fields

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from May 30 - June 06

Yes, chef

In Tampa’s now bustling downtown, an evening inside The Vault remains a coveted must-do. Next week, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay unlocks the historic, restored 1923 Exchange National Bank for a night of light bites and lively conversation with some of the Bay area’s best-known, plus up-andcoming culinarians, including Danny Hernandez (Brisket Shoppe, pictured), Maria Sierra (CW’s Gin Joint), Nernier Nueleje (The Dan), Jon Walker (The Tides), and more. The cocktail-style sampling is only open to a limited number of ticketholders, and serves as a pre-party to Tampa Bay Restaurant Week kicking off June 13. A portion of the proceeds benefit Feeding Tampa Bay.

Meet The Chefs: Next Thursday, June 6. 6 p.m. $75 & up. The Vault, 611 N Franklin St., Tampa. meetthechefstampabay.com — Ray Roa

Oh, word?

Once you figure out what aphasia is, the language disorder is hard to forget. It doesn’t affect intelligence, but can impact the way a person speaks, understands, reads and writes. About a third of strokes result in the condition—and at least 2 million people in the U.S. live with it. One nonprofit, Voices of Hope for Aphasia, has been helping them cope for more than a decade through socialization at free workshops and outings. The St. Pete-based organization’s annual Wordplay fundraiser brings people together for a night of puzzles, and this year’s special guests include Tampa Bay Rays pitchers Jason Adam and Pete Fairbanks who love crosswords. There’ll even be a special tribute to the late Merl Reagle, who pens the Creative Loafing Tampa Bay crossword in the back on the book. Tickets include a buffet dinner, drink ticket and programming, with table options available.

Word Play: Next Thursday, June 6. 6:30 p.m. $95 & up. Banquet Masters, 13355 49th St. N, Clearwater. vohaphasia.org —Ray Roa

Out and about it

St. Pete may host one of the largest Pride celebrations in the state, but its quaint neighbor on the other side of the peninsula helps kick off the month-long celebration each year. Gulfport Pride has a mission to “celebrate diversity and promote equality through education, advocacy, and support,” and its annual parade returns this weekend with over 100 vendors, live music and activities in tow. This year’s free, family-friendly festival will raise money for two local nonprofits, the Sonia Plotnick Women’s Health Fund—which provides financial assistance for women’s healthcare—and the Gulfport Kiwanis Club, a worldwide volunteer organization with a few local chapters. According to its website, Gulfport Pride has donated over $15,000 to charitable organizations since its 2021 inception. Check out a thicc listing of Pride events happening in June throughout Tampa Bay on page 49.

Gulfport Pride 2024: Saturday, June 1. 10 a.m.-8 p m. No cover. Downtown Gulfport along Beach Boulevard South. gulfportprideflorida.com —Kyla Fields

MICHAEL DUPRE

Story time

Not every kid is lucky enough to have someone read to them every night. Still, those who do cuddle up next to a book and loved one, probably don’t take the ritual for granted, and the bookstore at Oxford Exchange welcomes more than two dozen children’s book authors including Julia Bodwell, musician and owner of The Gilded Page bookstore in Tarpon Springs (pictured). The event is being held upstairs and includes an all-day story corner, plus book-themed scavenger hunt.

OE Children’s Book Fair: Sunday, June 2. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. No cover (RSVP encouraged). Oxford Exchange, 420 W Kennedy Blvs., Tampa. oxfordexchange.com — Ray Roa

On the fringes

A lot of people want to “Keep Ybor Weird.” There aren’t a lot of better ways to do it than by hitting up Tampa Fringe. The international festival of independent standup, improv, theater, dance, and performance art can launch careers (Willi Carlisle, who plays MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre this week quit his day job after playing Tampa Fringe, more on p. 55), and kicks off an 11-day run in Ybor City on Wednesday. “Batman” and “Titanic” parodies, a Florida fever dream, an oboe trumpet duo, magic, drama, and more are just part of the offering at four different performance spaces. There are even stories about developers who want to build a kinkier version of The Villages (“Captain Havoc & the Big-Titty Bog Witches,” pictured), dark tales of life in fast food (“Sandwich Artist”), and candid explorations of what it’s like to watch three siblings die (“Last Sibling Standing”). Special no-cover “preview” shows offer teasers of all the shows, too. A top-tier “Eliminator Pass” gets you into any and every show for $255, and there are discounts if you buy tickets to multiple shows, but entrance for single performances start as low as $9.

Tampa Fringe: June 5-16. Times vary. $9 & up. Kress Contemporary, 1624 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. tampafringe.org —Ray Roa

Tampa’s Brew Bus, which is perhaps the ultimate designated driver, promises guests of its upcoming “Uncharted Ales Tour” that they’ll experience “all the best breweries off the beaten path.” Pinellas County’s Gulfport Brewery, Mastry’s Brewing Company, and Bayboro Brewing Company are all stops on June’s Uncharted Ales Tour, a monthly beer tour that Brew Bus hosts in efforts to showcase smaller, more in the cut breweries throughout the greater Bay area. “This tour focuses on breweries that you wouldn’t necessarily see or visit in your everyday travels, but still offer some of the best beer in the Tampa Bay area,” Brew Bus writes about the June installation of its monthly Uncharted Ales Tour. The cost of a ticket includes a round trip shuttle service from Cigar City Brewery’s Tampa taproom, at least an hour at each brewery stop, waters and koozies for each attendee.

Uncharted Ales Tour: St. Pete. Sunday, June 2. Noon. $43. Cigar City Brewing, 3924 W Spruce St., Tampa. brewbususa.com —Kyla Fields

All aboard

“We need solidarity that impacts the lives of the comfortable.”

POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

It takes more

To the monsters, we’re the monsters.

By Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw

Do you know what helps distract me from the dumpster fire that glows all around us, here in the Sunshine State? Post-apocalyptic books and shows. Rarely has a line resonated with me so deeply as this: “To the monsters, we’re the monsters.” It is an often-repeated refrain in “Station Eleven,” a television series based on the book of the same name. I fi nd myself going back to that line, as I witness the dehumanization that is happening to marginalized communities today.

As we consider who is seen as a monster, I’ll offer an example from a recent political ad. An elected official makes bold claims about what’s happening in Florida classrooms. He states that kids are exposed to teachers who are not teaching them math or English, but instead are teaching “that men can have babies and become women.” The ad ties this to another accusation, that these teachers are forcing the worship to the god of government and not the God of creation. Finally, he names these things as “socialism.” We then see an image of a classroom, with a screen that says, “Men Have Babies Government Knows Best.”

Some things are too asinine to warrant the sacrifice of precious words in a column such as this, so I’ll skip over the lesson on how that is not socialism, not to mention the fact that it’s not even happening. I am far more interested in explaining that American society is harmed by the demonization of LGBTQ+ people and others. The implication that it is monstrous to be different is a slippery slope that threatens to take down anyone who is marginalized.

I spend much of my time dealing with the fallout from hate directed at my community. I am ordained as Christian clergy. I am also both gay and transgender. I serve openly, without fear or shame, as the pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa (MCC Tampa), a church that was founded as a haven for LGBTQ+ people and allies, and is the oldest LGBTQ+ organization in the Tampa Bay area. If you, personally, have been treated as a monster, you know how it feels to witness your own humanity stripped away. I have been queer a lot longer than I have been clergy. It is not despite my gender identity and sexual orientation that I’m a pastor; rather, these things led me to ministry. My experiences of being treated like a monster

forced me to recognize my calling, which took me to seminary and eventually to the pulpit.

As clergy, I have witnessed the miracles of healing that come when marginalized people bind together. My hope is that as we venture into Pride Month, all of us, across communities, who are deemed monstrous can build solid alliances that help us combat the harm coming our way. Let’s take to the streets at Pride events, keeping in mind the real meaning of Pride Month. Pride is more than just a party. Pride is an affi rmation of the humanity of all, especially those who fi nd themselves on the outside. Without a deep commitment to solidarity, Pride would lose its meaning.

Queer people are a primary target of many elected officials at this moment. Pride events should be the antithesis to this hatred.

Politicians know that fear mongering around difference is a simple way to get people worked up and scared. When they convince people that there is a monster, they can amplify the fear. Frantic and frightened people are easier to sway and easier to control. These tactics are not new, the targets change from time to time, but the fear is just as pervasive.

This isn’t just a rallying cry for other queer folks. We need solid allies in this struggle. I am often asked what it takes to be a good ally. As lovely as it is to see straight folks decked out in rainbows and non-trans folks waving the pink, blue, and white flag of the trans community, it takes more than this. We need solidarity that impacts the lives of the comfortable. We need you to have conversations with friends and family members, educate them on the issues, and teach your community that none of us are monsters.

elected official. In the wake of the Pulse massacre, I was in the office of my friend and colleague, Rev. Terri Steed Pierce, the pastor of Joy Metropolitan Community Church, in Orlando. We were preparing for a worship service in memory of those slain in that horrific, homophobic hate crime that had taken place days before, and this elected official joined us. He prayed with us. He and I held each other’s hands, and there were no monsters there.

COLUMN

After that night, his policies would continue to harm my community. His rhetoric would demonize my people. I would go on to struggle to see his humanity as he would struggle to believe in the humanity of people who are like me. I would eventually risk losing the optimism I have in others. To the monsters, we’re the monsters, after all.

I am painfully optimistic about humanity. I believe in people, to a fault. Years ago, I was hopeful as I held the hand of the abovementioned

Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa (mcctampa.com). Jakob and his husband are proud fathers in a family that was legalized through marriage equality and adoption.

THE HUMANITY OF ALL: (L-R)The Hero-Shaw family; Allan, Mima, Jakob, and Ruben.

Season’s greetings

This hurricane season will have ‘highest-ever’ number of named storms.

By Colin Wolf

It’s only May, and there are currently near record-setting water temps in the Atlantic, which is bad news if you’re reading this in Florida. And, since warmer water equates to more intense storms, forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are now predicting an “extraordinary” 2024 storm season.

Last week, NOAA released a dire prediction for the upcoming storm season, calling for 17 to 25 named storms, and of those, eight to 13 are expected to become hurricanes. NOAA says there’s an 85% probability of an above average hurricane season, which spans from June 1-Nov. 30.

This “above average” prediction, which is also the “highest ever” for a May forecast, is based on a number of factors, including increasingly warming temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as La Niña conditions forming in the Pacific, which can help storm formation by reducing wind shear.

According to the report, NOAA is calling for, “17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).”

Besides La Niña and warmer than average water temps, the report also highlighted climate change as a major contributing factor.

“Human-caused climate change is warming our ocean globally and in the Atlantic basin, and melting ice on land, leading to sea level rise, which increases the risk of storm surge,” said the report. “Sea level rise represents a clear human influence on the damage potential from a given hurricane.”

Notably, this month Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill scrubbing any mention of “climate change” from state law, resulting in state agencies rolling back renewable energy goals.

away, Florida Retail Federation President Scott Shalley said Wednesday it is important that residents are ready as “we’ve already seen some pretty severe weather in the state.”

“It’s an opportunity to save some money, yes, and it’s an opportunity to generate activity for our retailers,” Shalley said of the tax holiday. “But most importantly, it’s an opportunity for Floridians to be reminded about hurricane season, to prepare for hurricane season and to get essential supplies.”

The tax holiday will run from June 1-14 and is timed with the start of the six-month hurricane season. It is part of a wide-ranging tax package (HB 7073) that lawmakers passed in March and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed May 7.

FLORIDA NEWS

In its forecast, NOAA also released the list of potential storm names for the 2024 season. So, if you’re doing the math, there’s a pretty strong chance we’ll see the return of Hurricane Isaac.

As hurricane season approaches, Florida’s 14-day tax ‘holiday’ returns

Retailers hope Floridians will heed multiple forecasts that the upcoming hurricane season will be more active than normal.

With the start of a 14-day sales tax “holiday” on storm-related items a little more than a week

The private meteorology company AccuWeather has projected a “turbulent” hurricane season, with the number of storms potentially exceeding the 21 names the World Meteorological Organization assigns annually for Atlantic hurricanes. Colorado State University researchers also have forecast a “very, very busy hurricane season” based on expected La Niña conditions that would result in hurricane-favorable wind shear conditions and warm water.

During the tax holiday, consumers will not have to pay sales taxes on items ranging from packages of batteries to portable generators.

A second “holiday” for the same items will be held for 14 days starting Aug. 24, ahead of the mid-September peak of the season.

State economists have projected the savings to shoppers during the two periods at $80.2 million, cutting state revenue by $63.3 million and local government revenue by $16.9 million.

Shalley said he expects retailers to offer complementary sales as hurricane season starts.

“I think anybody in the hardware industry, obviously, is super important in this regard. You’re gonna see those sorts of sales,” Shalley said. “The tax holiday also covers a wide range of pet supplies, pet medicines, pet food and those sorts of things. So, those are the types of retailers that are going to really be able to offer the sales and focus on disaster preparedness.”

The preparedness tax holiday was first offered in 2006, following the damaging 2004 and 2005 storm seasons. The Legislature has approved it each year since 2017. Pets supplies and medicines have been added to the mix since 2022.

Among other things, shoppers will be able to avoid taxes on reusable ice packs costing $20 or less; portable radios, fuel tanks and packages of batteries costing $50 or less; food-storage coolers costing $60 or less; tarps costing $100 or less; and portable generators costing $3,000 or less.

Also, the tax exemptions apply to such things as wet dog or cat food costing $10 or less; pet leashes costing $20 or less; cat litter costing $25 or less; pet beds costing $40 or less; and over-the-counter pet medications, pet carriers and bags of dry dog or cat food costing $100 or less. —Jim Turner/News Service of Florida

NOT NICE TO MEET YOU: Meteorologists are calling for calling for 17 to 25 named storms.

DAVE DECKER

PRIDE WEEKEND 2024

FOX’S HUNT: Touting the most endorsements and fundraising totals in CD 13 is Whitney Fox.

Feeling blue

Meet the Democrats who want to oust Anna Paulina Luna from Congress.

By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix

As a crowd tightly packed the Scottish Cultural Center in Ron DeSantis’ hometown of Dunedin this month, four Democrats attempted to make the case for why they are the best option for voters hungry to oust conservative Republican incumbent Anna Paulina Luna from office in November after her first term representing most of Pinellas County in Florida’s Thirteenth Congressional District.

already strongly Democratic District 14 seat held by Hillsborough County’s Kathy Castor.

ELECTIONS

The Cook Political Report lists the race as “Likely Republican,” defined as “not considered competitive at this point but has the potential to become engaged.” The Center for Politics’ “Sabato’s Crystal Ball” and Inside Elections also list the race as “Likely Republican.”

Pinellas County Primary Election: Tuesday, Aug. 20

Whoever survives the Aug. 20 primary will be a decided underdog to Luna this fall, as the district was drawn to be solidly Republican during the most recent congressional redistricting process in 2022.

Registration deadline: Monday, July 22 votepinellas.gov

Yet it’s also possibly the only seat that the Florida Democrats have a hope and a prayer of flipping this year in what has become an increasingly red state.

Fox also draws union support from the American Federation of Government Employees and the International Union of Operating Engineers. Most recently, she worked as director of communications and marketing at the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.

Fox says that she individually approached both former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and former Democratic state House member Ben Diamond to inquire whether they were going to run for the party nomination. When they said no, she said, she decided to seize the moment and become one of the first candidates to get into the race.

Establishment links

Liz Dahan,44, was raised in South Florida but has mostly called Washington, D.C., her home for the past two decades. Her CV is cluttered with D.C. Establishment links, including stints with the World Bank, the Council on Foreign Relations, the office of then Democratic Senate Leader Tom Daschle, the Albright Stonebridge Group (originally chaired by former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and co-chaired by former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger), and for the past eight years she’s served as a partner with the Brunswick Group, a D.C. business consultancy.

Although she visited her aunt in Clearwater as a youth, she’d never been a full-time resident of Pinellas County until this year. But that’s not much different from Luna, a Southern California native who moved to the district only a short time before her first run for the CD 13 seat in 2020.

not permitted to participate in the gathering, and will not receive any institutional support from the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee, according to party chair Jennifer Griffith, because he did not pass a vetting process.

Disdain for Luna

During the candidate forum, all four Democrats identified similar issues that they consider priorities, such as climate change, abortion rights, and standing up for democracy. And, of course, their mutual enmity for Luna, whom they claim is simply too conservative for the district.

The 35-year-old Luna is definitely one of the more right-leaning members of Congress. The first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress from Florida, she has supported impeaching President Joe Biden and last year successfully sponsored a resolution to censure California Rep. Adam Schiff for comments he made about investigations into Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.

This month, she became part of a group of GOP lawmakers who want to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Trump. Just hours before the forum took place, she became the latest Florida Republican to make the caravan to Manhattan to show solidarity with the former and potentially future president of the United States at his hush-money and campaign-finance violation trial.

“Whoever survives the Aug. 20 primary will be a decided underdog.”

Sabrina Bousbar, 27, is a Florida State University undergrad who gained a master’s degree in emergency management and natural disasters at Georgetown University on the same day that last week’s forum took place. She grew up in the county, first in Pinellas Park, and now lives in Largo. She worked as one of the first field organizers for the Joe Biden campaign in Iowa in 2019, and says the campaign utilized her trilingual skills (she says she speaks fluently in English, Spanish, and Arabic) to work as a field organizer in South Florida leading up to the election.

She then was hired to work as deputy director of transportation for the Biden inauguration. She served in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the past three years.

That turned the seat from a previously safe Democratic district into an even safer GOP-leaning area, with the heart of its liberal base (eastern and southern parts of St Petersburg) moved into the

Touting the most endorsements and fundraising totals is Whitney Fox, 36. She’s received backing not only of Castor but also other Florida Democrats such as Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and Lois Frankel.

Mark Weinkratz, 67, is an Air Force Veteran and former airline pilot for Northwest. A resident of Palm Harbor in North Pinellas, Weinkrantz is the only candidate with previous experience in local government, as an East Lake fire commissioner. He has the backing of two former Republican County Commissioners, Susan Latvala and Karen Seel.

There is a fifth candidate who qualified for the primary: John Liccione. However, he was

“So, I entered the race about six weeks ago, because I couldn’t stand by and watch Anna Paulina Luna destroy our democracy any longer,” said Dahan.

“My girls are growing up with fewer rights than I did,” said Fox. “Doctors are leaving our state. Women will die. Anna Paulina Luna supports this six-week [abortion] ban that is in place here in Florida, and she supports a national ban.”

“Right now, we have extremist Anna Paulina Luna,” added Bousbar. “She is denying our fundamental rights as women. She’s denying and disregarding the climate crisis, and she’s cutting Social Security and Medicare for a district that needs it the most.”

(That was apparently a reference to the Republican Study Committee, which Luna belongs to, supporting a proposal to raise the Social Security retirement age for younger workers, as well as transitioning Medicare to a “premium support model” in which the program would compete with private plans and beneficiaries would receive subsidies to shop for preferred policies, according to Spectrum News.)

Luna response

Olivia Carson is the campaign manager for Luna. She spoke to the Phoenix to address some of the comments, beginning with where Luna is on abortion.

“Rep. Luna has never said that it’s a federal issue,” Carson said. “It’s a state’s rights decision as was made by the Supreme Court.”

“There also were some comments about the climate and the environment, so while we’re on that topic, Rep. Luna has been the most strong supporter of beach renourishment and fighting for our sea turtles and manatees, so anything about her not caring about the climate or the environment is just false,” Carson continued.

“She has brought home millions back to the district and fixed Social Security problems for many constituents. We have a fantastic caseworker team on our official congressional side that has brought back hundreds of thousands of dollars for people who need returns from Social Security, so her wanting to cut Social Security is completely false.

for over 30 years, I have really broad support from influential Republicans and, between them and the number of nonparty-affiliated [voters], I feel really good about succeeding and beating Luna.”

ELECTIONS

“We are building the coalition necessary to defeat Anna Paulina Luna,’ Bousbar said. “We have Republicans, independents, Democrats, people from all walks of life. It’s for the people. It’s about bringing everyone together because right now our Congress is playing performative politics.”

“We are confident in our path to victory because I am running as a candidate who is not afraid to talk to people in the Republican Party,” said Fox. “I have many relationships with Republicans in this district and Republican elected leaders, and we are having very candid, sincere conversations with them.”

“Both Republican and Democratic parties’ bases have moved more to the right and to the left the last several years,” said Barry Edwards, who has worked with Democratic and Republican candidates in Pinellas County elections for decades. “She [Luna] is reflecting the party’s move to the more conservative side and, like Bill Young, she has an interest in defense policy and foreign affairs.”

2017 following the election of Donald Trump. He says the CD 13 seat isn’t what it used to be, because the Republican Party nationally isn’t the same.

“What you’re seeing in Pinellas County is sort of a microcosm nationally,” he says. “It’s not the Republican Party, it’s the party of Donald Trump, and Luna is one of the Trumpites.”

“As you can tell by these false claims from candidates running against her, they’re not serious. They’re not able to smartly discuss her platform or her voting record, and are unable to address local issues, which is a shame especially if they’re at a candidate forum where candidates are there to learn. We would expect them to be factual.”

Abortion

Regarding the state’s six-week abortion ban, which went into effect on May 1 and has been described by anti-abortion advocates as a “heartbeat bill,” Luna was interviewed in 2023 on a podcast called “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” At that time, the ban had been proposed in the Florida Legislature but not yet signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“It needs to happen,” she said, adding, “I have faith within my governor, within the state of Florida Legislature, to do the right thing and follow the science and actually protect life at heartbeat.”

But while that position may be out of favor of the majority of voters in the district, the 2022 redistricting map approved by DeSantis makes this a solidly red constituency. Moreover, as in virtually every other place in the state, Republicans continue to run up their numbers compared to Democrats in voter registration. More than 50,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats live in Congressional District 13, according to the Florida Division of Elections. The four Democrats maintain they can overcome that disadvantage if they win the nomination in August.

“What I learned from working with Tom [Daschle] is, you have to find the common ground,” Dahan said at the forum. “You have to be able to understand what the other side is actually looking for, and then you have to work really damn hard to find that common ground. I learned that from him, I will bring that to my service for the people of Pinellas County.”

Still, “no straight-line Democrat is going to win this district,” said Weinkrantz. “I’ve been committed and invested in this community

Fox added that “this is the moderate, pragmatic district with iconic leaders like Charlie Crist, David Jolly, and Bill Young,” referring to the last three officials who held the seat, with Jolly and Young being Republicans.

Not so moderate

However, longtime observers of Pinellas County politics conclude that the district isn’t so moderate anymore.

Luna has been outspoken in opposing additional funding for Ukraine, but that stance is in sync with the majority of Republican voters. A CBS News/YouGov survey released last month showed that 61% of Republicans oppose sending weapons and military aid to Ukraine. “She reflects where the majority of the base of her party is, which is why she didn’t get any challengers in her primary,” Edwards said.

“My girls are growing up with fewer rights than I did.”

Redistricting moved the district from a Democratic +2 points district to a Republican +6 or possibly +7 district, Edwards said.

Daryl Paulson is emeritus professor of government at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. A former Republican who has listed Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and William F. Buckley as his political heroes, he left the party to become an independent in

Paulson noted that Luna had been a newcomer to Pinellas, which previously might have been a detriment to her electoral chances, but that changed when she was backed by Trump in September 2021. “She’s somebody who pledged her affiliation early on to Donald Trump and, in many cases across the country, that’s been the difference for winning Republican candidates.”

Whether any Democrat can take down Luna won’t be known until the fall. But these candidates have about two months before the first vote-by-mail ballots go out to make their case that they can flip the seat in November.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

LUNA TICK-TOCK: Time is running for the Democrats who want to unseat Anna Paulina Luna.

PROFESSIONALLY PRODUCED

STUDENT PERFORMED

SPONSORED BY: PETERS FAMILY FOUNDATION

The conservation of art—preserving objects through professional, specialized treatment—is one of the Museum of Fine Art’s most important goals. This small, intensive exhibition focuses on the conservation of a gilded, painted, and carved tabernacle made in Northern Spain during the mid-1600s.

Over the coming months, Luis Seixas—an alumnus of the conservation program at the prestigious Universidade Nova, Lisbon—will meticulously undertake the task of cleaning, consolidating, and restoring this precious artifact live within the Miriam Acheson Gallery.

Live conservation occurs most weekdays (Tuesday through Friday) between 10 am – 2 pm, with a break around noon. Special Saturday session on June 1.

JUNE 13TH - 23RD

CREATIVE LOAFING’S annual Food Issue hits stands on June 13th, and to celebrate, we’re hosting our 19th annual Tampa Bay Restaurant Week from June 13th through 23rd.

For a limited time, participating Tampa Bay area restaurants are o ering multiple-course prix fixe menus and exclusive pricing on drink specials and more!

To take advantage of Restaurant Week, all you have to do is ask for the Tampa Bay Restaurant Week menu, at any of the following participating restaurants:

3 CORNERS PIZZA

4 RIVERS SMOKEHOUSE

ALLELO

ANCHOR AND BRINE

BEACON ROOFTOP LOUNGE

BESITO MEXICAN

BIRCH & VINE

BON APPETIT RESTAURANT

BULLA GASTROBAR

CIDER PRESS PUB

DRIFTLIGHT STEAKHOUSE

ELEVAGE SOHO KITCHEN AND BAR

FORTU

GANGCHU

GOOD INTENTIONS

JACKSON’S BISTRO, BAR & SUSHI

JIMMY’S TACOS

KONA GRILL

LATITUDE 28 (@ JW MARRIOTT CLEARWATER BEACH RESORT & SPA)

LONA

LOS CHAPOS TACOS

LUNA LUX

MADFISH ST PETE BEACH

MEL’S HOT DOGS

MUST WINE LOFT

ROME + FIG GLOBAL BISTRO

SAL Y MAR ROOFTOP BAR

SEA SALT ST PETE

SEASONS 52

SIX

THE BRINEHOUSE

THE BRISKET SHOPPE

THE DUNEDIN SMOKEHOUSE

THE HONU RESTAURANT AND TIKI BAR

THE ORIGINAL CRABBY BILLS

THE PEARL TAMPA

THE SPANIARD

THE TIDES SEAFOOD MARKET & PROVISIONS

TIBBY’S NEW ORLEANS KITCHEN

TIMPANO HYDE PARK

WAGAMAMA

WILLA’S + MORE TBA

INTRODUCING

THE RESTAURANT WEEK APP! Scan the QR code to download, then check in at your favorite restaurants during Restaurant Week to win prizes.

This year, a portion of proceeds benefits:

RESTAURANTS

RECIPES DINING GUIDES

Cruelty-free

Golden Dinosaurs gears up for annual ‘Chick-Fil-Nay’ Pride fundraiser.

By Kyla Fields

Each June, Gulfport’s resident vegan eatery Golden Dinosaurs begs the question: “Do you love fried chicken sandwiches and hate homophobes?” To celebrate Pride month every summer, Golden Dinosaurs offers its Chick-FilNay sandwich all month-long, a plant-based take on a popular dish from a particular chicken chain with conservative Christian roots.

The sammie features housemade seitan fried “chicken” between two brioche buns with pickles, a riff on Chick-Fil-A sauce that has “notes of honey mustard and a smoky tang,” and the option to add cheese.

At the end of the month, a dollar from every Chick-Fil-Nay sandwich sold is donated to Metro Inclusive Health, a St. Pete-based not-for-profit healthcare organization that offers LGBTQ+friendly medical services.

by keeping its “charitable” donations as PR-friendly as possible. Its current president Tim Tassopoulos told Bisnow.com in 2019 that the chain would “stop donations to charities with anti-LGBT views” and focus on education, homelessness and hunger instead—although Cathy has donated to the National Christian Charitable Foundation as recently as 2021, according to businessinsider.com.

FOOD NEWS

Nonetheless, it’s often small businesses, not massive corporations looking for charity-related tax write-offs, that can often make a difference in their own communities. Last year, Golden Dinosaurs donated about $700 to Metro, which was a little less than par from previous years. In 2024, Audrey tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that they’re hoping to break last year’s record of sandwiches sold.

Besides obviously valuing an ethically-vegan approach to food, Golden Dinosaurs is one of the many small businesses in Pinellas County that spend Pride month—and the 11 other months of the year—proudly supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Golden Dinosaurs owners Audrey and Brian Dingeman have held their Pride month fundraiser for the past few years, and have been able to give about a thousand bucks to Metro Inclusive Health every summer.

“Action through fundraising or volunteering is super crucial to help these folks stay safe.”

The choice to make a plant-based chicken sandwich the center of its Pride fundraiser was to oppose what many LGBTQ+ activists over the years have considered blatant homophobia from Atlanta-based chicken chain Chick-Fil-A. While it’s common knowledge that the fast food franchise is a Christian-owed business (as evidenced by its closure on Sundays), the chain first came under scrutiny in the 2010s for being connected to donations to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and lobbying groups, as well as comments from former CEO and current chairman Dan Cathy, who publicly criticized same-sex marriage in 2012.

Over the past decade or so, Chick-Fil-A has relatively stayed out of the headlines

While Golden Dinosaurs hosts its monthlong sandwich fundraiser, the Dingeman’s other business—sit down vegan restaurant Good Intentions, co-owned by Jenny and Jeff Howe of Nah Dogs and Black Radish’s Mikey Schmidt and Bryon Lippincott—also celebrates Pride month with an inclusive dance party on June 3, queer trivia on June 10 and a parade afterparty on Saturday, June 22. Dingeman also says that a featured Pride-themed cocktail will be on the Good Intentions menu in June, and a portion of its proceeds will be donated to LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality Florida.

“As we all know the politics in Florida are completely messed up right now. We’re in our nice little bubble here in St. Pete, but it’s not the same for queer folks in other small towns throughout the state,” Dingeman tells CL. “And I think you can’t just slap a rainbow flag up and be like, that’s it—I think doing some action through fundraising or volunteering is super crucial to help these folks stay safe and keep our community prospering.”

For the latest news on Golden Dinosaurs, its rotating menu and this year’s Chick-FilNay fundraiser, head to @goldendinosaurs_fl on Instagram.

HAIL SEITAN: Golden Dinosaurs supports LGBTQ+ causes year-round.

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Ainsley MacDonald Smith Attorney

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Thomas Wadley Attorney

Almost haven

Remembering some of Tampa Bay’s best gay bars.

By Ray Roa

Illustration by Mia Makes It

St. Petersburg poet and author Tyler Gillespie once noted how he struggled with his outlawed sexuality in the day, then spent the night dancing away the fiery damnation at gay bars.

“In those bars, I got a different education. I heard a new language, code, and slang. I started to learn the history of men who had met in secret bookstores and clandestine spaces. Those generations had fought for people like me,” he wrote. “I learned these things from older guys. They’d usually arrive at the club early like me—them to get home at a decent hour, and me to get in for free. I’d sit at the bar next to them, and they’d tell me a story. I’ve always liked good storytellers, and those seasoned queens were some of the best.”

2606 A bit scary in look and reputation, 2606 was less intimidating inside. The spot at 2606 N. Armenia Ave. in Tampa had a leather shop on the second floor, and dark niches here and there, but the overall vibe was comfortable and welcoming no matter what you wore.

DRINKS

Bedrox Located on the beach at 8000 W Gulf Blvd. in Treasure Island, the service was great at Bedrox where no shirt and no shoes were no problem. The spot, a former Penguin Club that looked like an igloo, was hard to miss, too, since some people thought it looked like a set for “The Flintstones.” Owners filed for bankruptcy in 1996, and Bed Rox closed in 1997. The Sunset Beach Pavilion stands there now.

Tampa Bay is home to a plethora of gay bars, but we've also said goodbye to many more over the years. They all have stories, some dark at times—but all worth celebrating. See an extended version of this list at cltampa.com.

Chelsea Formerly Azalea (with a crew that once arrived at the Loafies in a fire truck), the Chelsea was similarly convivial and complimented for its “long stone bar, wooden tables, comfy, closed-in patio and attentive, friendly barkeep.” Advertising promised strippers, drag shows, a Latino night—and karaoke.

Club Chambers For a while, Club Chambers—or just Chambers for those who frequented it often—was a massive, sprawling, two-story dance club and bar located at 1701 N. Franklin St. on the edge of downtown Tampa (where Hall On Franklin and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s last office were). With over 16,000 square feet of available space, the club was by far one of the largest and most accommodating gay bars in Tampa’s history. Whether hosting its regular drag shows, or pumping high energy, non-stop dance music on its enormous dance floor, the club always seemed welcoming to and accepting of patrons of all ages and backgrounds, making it the perfect place to have a good time. While more often than not, gay bars tend to cater to either the very young or those more advanced in age, Chambers was unique in that it hosted and entertained a vast and varied crowd that crossed several generational lines with the mission of ensuring everyone was having a good time. The bars and bartenders were accessible and easy to reach, and the layout provided plenty of space to mingle, talk with friends,and, of course, dance the night away.—Gabe Echazabal

“In those bars, I got a different education.”

serving a community that loved the Suncoast Resort, which closed in 2007. Unlike gay bars of the ‘70s, neighbors embraced The Flamingo and credited it with freshening up the neighborhood. Drag and Sunday tea dances were beloved by patrons, but an apartment complex eventually went up at 4601 34th St. S. Georgie’s Alibi El Goya may have shifted the center of Tampa Bay’s gay universe to Ybor City, but Georgie’s, located at 3100 3rd Ave. N in St. Petersburg, was it its heart. There were few bars anywhere that managed to juggle so many balls at once so successfully: good food and strong drinks, amiable staff, stellar DJs, live performances and an eclectic clientele with something (or someone) for everybody—gay, straight, male, female, hot, not.

El Goya

The Flamingo Resort Iconic in St. Pete, The Flamingo closed in 2019 after 10 years

The Hotel Haya marquee on the corner of 7th Avenue and 15th Street in Ybor City is a reminder of the nightclub giant that once dominated Florida’s LGBTQ+ dance scene. A 1976 ad for the space advertised “an experience in illusion” and “Florida’s largest female impersonation revue,” plus 25-cent well drinks on Tuesdays and Sundays. Other newspaper clippings show how hard it was for the the LGBTQ+ community; Tampa Times (later known as the Tampa Tribune) in 1976

El Goya

Honey Pot

Knotty Pine

quoted someone at a HCC community meeting saying, “We don’t want any queers down here, is what it boils down to.”) But Historian Andy Huse told WTSP that gay bars like El Goya helped revitalize the historic district. At one point, the bar was part of the El Goya Mall complete with multiple lounges. It was so popular that straight people patronized it, making it one of the safest places for gay people to visit without fear of being outed. The space eventually became Tracks—where people lined up around the block to take part in different dance nights and the infamous Cactus Juice shots—and then Pleasure Dome and Czar.

Honey Pot Formerly Twilight, Honey Pot lived at a prime address on Ybor City’s Seventh Avenue strip and devoted about 75% of its square-footage to the dance floor. When the early days of the pandemic 86’d gathering in clubs, the writing was on the wall. In December 2020, Honey Pot said goodbye, and while its successor, PTL, brought a similar energy to the space, it, too, closed early this year.

KiKiKi III A classic dive bar indistinguishable from its straight counterparts except for the clientele, which included “its share of regulars looking for generous friends,” as tampa.gaycities.com so delicately puts it. The bar at 1908 W Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa also had Natty Lite on tap.

The Knotty Pine Known as Tampa’s first gay bay, The Knotty Pine opened in the '40s at 723 Morgan St. in downtown. The corner is now nondescript save for the Robert L. Timberlake, Jr. Federal Building, named for a police officer killed by his own weapon. Locals say that when officers would enter the Knotty Pine, dancing would switch from same-sex to opposite-sex partners. Old photos depict a checkerboard floor around the bar, lots of socializing, and even drag as it was in the 1950s. It eventually became the first Kikiki bar.

DRINKS

Ladies Room Largo’s Ladies Room was arguably the only dedicated lesbian bar in Florida. Founded by Vicky Gibson, who escaped harassment and came of age at gay bars with pina coladas in hand, the bar lived in a strip mall and sported “70s and ‘80s aesthetics, a proper dance floor, a proper stage, plus good food and good drinks,” plus drag shows, open mics, karaoke and more. “It’s a safe place to go with the ones you love,” Gibson told CL in 2023. “A place to go and escape for a while.” Despite the best efforts of a crowdfunding campaign, the bar off Ulmerton Road didn’t make it to 2024.

Play FKA Spurs Country Bar, with two stages, Play was meant to be a cornerstone for live music (now, Crowbar across the street from 1701 E 8th Ave. in Ybor City does the trick).

Punky’s The melting pot of people and their pets enjoyed seven years of drag bingo and community in St. Pete’s Grand Central District before closing in 2022. Punky’s filled the gap that Georgie’s left when the popular gay bar and club closed that same year. Known for its events, cheap drinks, a large outdoor patio, and welcoming atmosphere for all walks of life. The Central Avenue-facing restaurant offered a nononsense menu of burgers, wings, flatbreads, salads and sandwiches, in addition to a wide variety of beer, wine and signature cocktails. The spot at 3100 3rd Ave. S is now a pour-yourown-wine-and-beer bar, The Study.

Rene’s Club Cabaret Under the guidance of five-foot two-inch tall Rene Rodrigues, this cabaret at 2605 W Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa was a haven for drag, and the ire of homophobes. “Every time [you] left the bar, the police would pull you over. That was a very heavy presence, intimidation. They would do that outside Rene’s [Lounge],” Tampa Pride organizer Carrie West told CL in 2021. “So we left Rene’s, and cops pull you over, ‘That bar you just left, you know what kind of bar that was? That’s a homosexual bar. Did you know that, sir?’ Because remember, you got caught or anything like that, they could put your name in the paper and list your job too.”

Streetcar Charlie’s The gay-centric (but not gay-exclusive) restaurant managed to combine white-tablecloth service and good food with a neighborhood-hangout vibe. Plus, the windows at 1811 N. 15th St (now Barterhouse) offer a great view of the passing (and/or cruising) throngs. And don’t forget the cheap wings. Valentine’s Nightclub & Showbar Known for its five-nights-a-week drag shows, Valentine’s at 7522 N. Armenia Ave. was especially popular for its Latino night.

Ybor Eagle/ Ybor City Social Club The former home of Flirt is now The Catacombs and SpookyEasy Lounge. Ybor Social Club was upstairs and the Eagle below. The space at 1909 N. 15th St. was part of the mini-empire of D. Stephen Moss who also owned Honey Pot and G. Bar (the latter is now Southern Nights). Hunky dancers, all-’80s after-work parties and College Nights with $1 shots were part of the aesthetic along with. Downstairs’ Bear Hunt Fridays and a strictly enforced leather dress code on Saturdays; Sundays was Underwear Night (no jock string or thongs).

Did we miss a bar? Send your memory (and link to hi-res photos if you have 'em) to rroa@ cltampa.com. This story contains adapted reporting from former Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Editor-In-Chief David Warner.

The

Punky’s

Set the table

Lolita’s Wine Market debuts new concept in St. Pete, plus more local food news.

By Kyla Fields

Typically, a la carte restaurants and smaller, tasting menu eateries are two separate concepts that have different clientele, but one St. Pete wine bar and restaurant is trying its hand at both styles of dining. Chef’s Table by Lolita’s, a multi-course tasting menu from the owners of St. Pete’s Lolita’s Wine Market, welcomed its first customers at 16 18th St. earlier this month.

Inspired by Lolita’s Wine Market owners Kelly and Chef Alex Rodriguez’s global travels, their new Chef’s Table experience is aimed to give guests an “artistic” and curated culinary experience, vastly different from the wine bar’s casual tapas offerings. While some tasting menus can be formal and avant garde, Lolita’s wants its Chef’s Table experience to be fun and interactive, offering gourmet twists on everyday fare. The first installments of Chef’s Table happened on May 17-18, and featured 12 courses and wine pairings for $200 (with sales tax and gratuity included.)

three-and-a-half hours to complete, and that its tasting menu is “not meant to be an inand-out type of experience.” The downtown St. Pete Chef’s Table space will also be available for private events when dinners are not being hosted.

“In true Lolita’s style, this space is meant to be comfortable, yet as stylish as walking into a home curated with a global feel—it was not meant to reflect a specific culture but show the diversity of it,” Kelly writes about Chef’s Table’s dining room. “It is warm and textural with a bit of history from all the spaces prior to it.”

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

“The idea for Chef’s Table began over 2 years ago. It was meant to be a passion project… a place where we could bring an elevated pop-up experience with food and space that was still grounded and not too serious,” co-owner Kelly Rodriguez writes about their newest venture. “Ironically, this is why we originally ended up with the space at the Morean Center for Clay where Lolita’s Wine Market has moved to.”

Chef’s Table is located at the former downtown location of Lolita’s Wine Market which was supposed to be razed to make way for new condos. Last spring, Lolita’s relocated to the Warehouse Arts District, a few months before Texas-based developer Trammell Crow’s 1700 block development ultimately fell through. With the wine bar and tapas restaurant comfortable at its new home inside of the Morean Center for Clay at 420 22nd St. S, Kelly and Alex decided to take over the former Lolita’s space for their Chef’s Table concept instead.

These curated, multi-course dinners will happen at Chef’s Table about twice a month to start.

Next month’s installments will happen on Friday-Saturday, June 21-22, as well as June 28-29. Patrons that are alcohol-free can opt out of the wine and beer pairings and save $50 on their dinner reservation. Rodriguez tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the dinner’s 12 courses will take about three to

She tells CL that she didn’t want the dining room to be recognizable as the previous Lolita’s space, opting for globally-inspired, earth-toned decor instead of the wine bar’s classic bright colors. Each Chef’s Table dinner will seat no more than 24 patrons, who will be able to watch the chefs prepare and plate their dishes from the open kitchen. Even guests that are not facing the kitchen can still watch and interact with the chefs due to large mirrors on every wall of its dining room.

Head to @chefstablebylolitas on Instagram for the latest news on the popular St. Pete wine bar and restaurant’s newest venture. Email hello@lolitaswinemarket@gmail.com to make reservations at any upcoming Chef’s Table dinners.

Popular Tampa taco truck Esther’s opens new location

One of Tampa’s beloved, hole-in-the-wall taco trucks is expanding to a much bigger space. As any Tampa taco fan will admit, the original Esther’s Cafe has been a local favorite for nearly 12 years, but the truck is somewhat hard to find, since it’s tucked away behind the produce stands at 3001 E Hillsborough Ave.

But a couple weeks ago, owner Jorge Castellano debuted an easier to locate, new brick-and mortar outpost just down the street. Located at 2115 Hillsborough Ave., the new Esther’s Tacos officially opened May 12, and offers the same menu as the original, except with air conditioning, more seating and parking. Castellano told CL that the original truck will remain open with slightly different hours of operation (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), while the new spot will operate from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., seven days a week.

“People love our food, and so we just want to continue to do the same thing, but at a place that’s easier for the customers,” said Castellano, who added that the new spot will also make all their tortillas by hand. “For me, it’s important that we continue to do that,” said Castellano. “It’s difficult to make tortillas, and not everyone likes to do it. But for us, that’s the difference.”

For the unfamiliar, Esther’s offers a full menu of traditional Mexican cuisine, including tacos, sopas, burritos, tostadas, enchiladas and more. As of now, there’s no major grandopening festivities planned, but be sure to take advantage of Esther’s weekly Taco Tuesday special, where all tacos (any meat) are just $2.50. —Colin Wolf

ICYMI

Big Storm Brewing Co. recently announced the closure of its Pasco County taproom at 2330 Success Dr.—in the same part of town where the popular brewery got its start over 12 years ago.

“It is with mixed emotions that we announce the closing of Big Storm Brewery in Pasco, which saw its last day this past Saturday,” the brewery wrote on Facebook earlier this week.

“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support over the nearly 10 years we’ve been part of the Pasco community. Your patronage has meant the world to us.” The local brewery and distillery still operates taproom locations in Clearwater, Ybor City and Orlando.

MR & MRS WORLDWIDE: Lolita’s new Chef’s Table was inspired by the owners’ global travels.

“In a lot of senses, what we do can be considered more political than anything a massive nonprofit does.”

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Safe spaces

New HQ lets Queer Expression expand inclusive event programs.

By Kyla Fields

Last summer, St. Petersburg-based Queer Expression—a volunteer-run organization that “creates multigenerational Queer + Trans community spaces in Florida”—was fundraising for a new home base and headquarters. After reaching about 50% of its $30,000 GoFundMe goal after months of crowdfunding, the tiny team behind this hyperlocal queer organization has finally cemented itself in the Sunshine City with an “inconspicuous sanctuary” in an area near Roser Park.

With the recent debut of Queer Expression’s new home, founders T and Lauren (who requested their last names not be included for safety reasons), have been able to expand the footprint, programming and number of organizers within the group.

“We wanted to make sure there was enough space for physical activities, but also wanted it to feel homey and comfortable,” co-founder Lauren tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Besides storefronts in St. Pete costing way more than residential houses, we wanted our community space to feel incredibly welcoming for whoever would walk through our doors to help foster a deeper sense of connection.”

The group signed its lease on the first day of 2024, and has been hosting a variety of events and programs at its new homebase dubbed “The Nest,” from BIPOC-centered Futurity popup and arts and crafts nights to its weekly Wind Down Wednesdays and “Let Kids Be Kids” gathering, which offers a place of refuge for local trans youth. Cooking classes for kids ages 11-17, yoga, crocheting circles, and gardening days are also hosted at The Nest throughout the month.

Ruu, an event attendee-turned-new organizer with Queer Expression, tells CL that there are about 20 members of the local LGBTQ+ community that contribute to its many programs, who then split up into different factions like administration, social media, outreach and fundraising. And with Pride month around the corner, QE is gearing up for a month of events and crowdfunding efforts to help pay The Nest’s rent and utilities. QE currently has a Patreon and Ko-fi to raise funds for its year-round programming, but is still trying to find ways to consistently finance the organization.

is hosting a daytime market in the Grand Central District. Additionally, its second anniversary celebration will also take place sometime in June.

Pride month aside, Queer Expression is chugging full steam ahead with its recent rise in popularity and newly-secured space. Two specific goals are at the forefront of its mission: to provide more Black and Brown queer spaces led by BIPOC organizers, and to expand programming for Tampa Bay-based trans youth. Lauren says that a majority of LGBTQ+ spaces in St. Pete are “overwhelmingly white, Queer Expression included sometimes,” and that upand-coming organizers are taking the reins on their own events and projects for queer people of color.

sweet and special life filled with community and happiness.”

“Points of struggle are very important to emphasize and provide historical context, but it’s also not the only part of being queer—so much of it is so joyful and special,” they add.

LOCAL NEWS

There’s a common understanding amongst queer people that sometimes we have to choose our own families since those who we’re biologically related to can oftentimes misunderstand, disown and reject us.

QE’s events like its “Let Kids Be Kids” gathering is a laid-back way to not only help queer kids relax and connect with each other, but to

The Trevor Project reports that only one third of LGBTQ+ youth experience parental acceptance at home, and that access to queer-affirming spaces is directly connected to mental health and quality of life.

Both Queer Expression’s new homey headquarters and the dozens upon dozens of folks it serves are living proof that found families (and the cozy houses they occupy) can pop up just about anywhere—even amidst state-sanctioned hatred and discriminatory legislature.

Lauren shares that Queer Expression has recently gained a new slew of followers and event attendees, eager to contribute to its mission of providing inclusive, safe spaces throughout Tampa Bay. The group also tabled at queer pop star Chappell Roan’s ultra-sold out Jannus Live show earlier this month, which helped spread the word about Queer Expression and its community-building ethos.

“Visibility is a double-edged sword sometimes, but because there are a lot of queer-owned or allied businesses in St. Pete, we can use that visibility to help build out more programming,” Lauren says. “Ideally, we wouldn’t have to center Pride month around fundraising, but it seems to be the time where people are more keen to help.”

To help provide an alternative to St. Pete’s massive Pride parade on Saturday, June 22, QE

bridge a generational gap between them and the older, 20-to-30-something organizers.

“When T and I were growing up, so much of our lives were just being told that our lives were going to be hard, scary or just an overall negative experience. That’s why a big part of Queer Expression has been allowing these kids to see that they can be a happy trans or queer person—that you can have a really

And while Queer Expression offers a variety of different safe spaces every week, the volunteer-run organization makes a blatant decision to not participate in the official Pride parade due to its abolitionist and anticapitalist values. Although there are certain spaces or grants that it will never have access to without a 501(c) (3) designation, QE can wholeheartedly support its community with no financial strings attached.

“There are small, grassroots organizations that aren’t funded by big corporations that are actually making a difference in the day-today lives of queer and trans people in Florida. In a lot of senses, what we do can be considered more political than anything a massive nonprofit does,” Lauren explains. “I just think the liberatory potential is a lot greater when you know your neighbor and are truly building a community—that way you know who you’re fighting with and what you’re fighting for.”

For the latest news on Queer Expression, its new homebase or any of its upcoming events, head to @queerexpressionstpete on Instagram. Folks that would like to join or volunteer with the organization are encouraged to reach out via social media.

ALL SMILES: Queer Expression members collected donations at Chappell Roan’s recent St. Pete concert.

Gay for days

Here are over 20 Pride events happening throughout Tampa Bay in June.

By Kyla Fields

St. Pete Pride’s big parade—the largest in the Sunshine State—happens later this month, but venues and organizations on both sides of Tampa Bay celebrate gay pride. From brunches, to drag shows, concerts, and gaylas, here are 20 Pride events to get into over the next few weeks.

A&E EVENTS

St. Pete Flag Raising

Join St. Pete mayor Ken Welsch and St. Pete Pride Executive Director Nicole Berman as they raise the classic rainbow flag to help kick off 2024’s Pride season. Friday, May 31. 9 a.m. St. Petersburg City Hall, 175 5th St. N, St. Petersburg. stpete.org

The Outies Inaugural Awards Gayla Local nonprofit the LGBTQ Resource Center recently rebranded to Out Arts & Culture (stylized “OUT”), and it’s hosting a gay gala (aka gayla) to celebrate. It honors several LGBTQ-friendly organizations, media outlets, small businesses and local foundations at the first annual “Outies” awards. Dress code is anything from “glam to flip-flops.” Friday, May 31. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $25 & up.Gulfport Casino Ballroom, 5500 Shore Blvd. S, Gulfport. outartsandculture.org

St. Pete Pride: Kick-off Block Party St. Pete Pride teams up with Cocktail to host a

free block party kicking off 2024’s Pride season. Organizers say to expect DJs, performers, outdoor games and a “few surprises.” Saturday, June 1. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. 2300 & 2400 blocks of Central Avenue, St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

Loveher Pride Party LuvHer Lounge event promoter is bringing its “sexy, sapphic, social space” to St. Pete’s Lost & Found, and its upcoming party features gogo dancers, burlesque performers, fire acts and a drag show from local queen Brianna Summers. Sunday, June 2. 5 p.m.10 p.m. $15. Lost & Found, 2420 Central Ave.,St. Petersburg. @luvher_lounge on Instagram

Brunch of Pride Downtown Tampa’s Hotel Riverwalk hosts a loaded brunch with performances from Esme Russell, Kylie C. Augusto, Joey Brooks and Veronica Foxx. For an extra $20, you can add bottomless mimosas to your brunch spread. Sunday, June 2. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $50. Hotel Tampa Riverwalk, 200 North Ashley Dr., Tampa. eventbrite.com

Dyke Night St. Pete x We’re Sweet Girls: Queer Joy Party Two local event organizers are teaming up to host a Pride month launch party featuring DJ sets from We’re Sweet Girls, a photobooth, a collage table, and food and drink specials from Good Intentions. Monday, June 3. 7 p.m.-midnight. $10 (free for BIPOC). Good Intentions, 1900 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. @ dykenitestpete on Instagram St. Pete Pride: Stonewall Reception

The James Museum's night at the museum fundraiser features an open bar, guest speakers, “and some other special treats.” Funds raised at the event go to St. Pete Pride each year. It also serves as a reminder of the days when police raided gay bars, and that pride originated as a protest, not a party. Thursday, June 6. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $75. The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, 150 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

continued on page 51

TIME TO FLY: Every year to help kick-off Pride month, the City of St. Pete raises the rainbow flag. CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

Welcome to Pride Drag Show Bearded wonder Adriana Sparkle hosts a “Drag Kings vs Queens” show and competition in downtown St. Pete. to celebrate both Pride and Gemini season. Thursday, June 6. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $6-$10. The Floridian Social, 687 Central Ave. N, St. Petersburg. eventbrite.com

St. Pete Pride: Family Youth & Family Day The kids are alright, and St. Pete Pride’s annual Family Youth and Family Day helps celebrate all of the LGBTQIA+ youth, queer families and allies out there. Attendees can enjoy family-friendly activities, vendors, and performances. Saturday, June 8. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. No cover. North Straub Park, 400 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

What Pride Means to Me The Gulf Coast Artists’ Alliance’s springtime exhibition coincides with Pride month and the Second Saturday Art Walk, featuring over 30 artists who will display their own interpretations of Pride. The exhibit will remain up through the end of June. Saturday, June 8. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover. St. Pete Artworks, 2604 Central Ave.,St. Petersburg. stpeteartworks-onlinestore.com

Rhythms of Pride St. Pete Pride hosts a night of Latin-filled music, drag performances and art. Thursday, June 13. 7p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Wet Spot, 2355 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. cocktailstpete.com

Emerald Rabbit Cabaret There’s two nights of exciting, Pride-themed drag, acrobatic and circus performances happening at downtown St. Pete’s Floridian Social, courtesy of local entertainment group Emerald Rabbit Cabaret. Thursday-Friday, June 13-14. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $15-$20. The Floridian Social, 687 Central Ave.,St. Petersburg. thefloridiansocial.com

St. Pete Pride: Shades of Pride Juneteenth and Pride coincide at this annual, two-day Pride event that “showcases the Black and Brown experience of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Tampa Bay region” through art, culture, music, panel discussions and more. Friday’s festivities include a poetry slam and dance party, while Saturday’s main event is a concert and massive ballroom competition featuring celebrity commentator Kevin Jz Prodigy. Friday-Saturday, June 14-15. 5:30 p.m.-3 a.m. & 1 p.m.-3 a.m. No cover (VIP upgrades available).The Factory, 2606 Fairfield Ave. S., St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

R&B Vibes with Pride DJ Donnie Luv spins R&B tunes at this inclusive, Pridethemed party with flowing drinks and local vendors in tow. Saturday, June 15. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $9 & up. 1920 Ybor, 1920 E 7th Ave.,Ybor City. eventbrite.com

St. Pete Pride: Friday Night Concert Season 15 “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Sasha Colby headlines Jannus Live at this St. Pete Pride-hosted concert, which also features a slew of local performers like Adriana Sparkle,

Justine B. Knights and Mr. Vyn Suazion, plus many more. Friday, June 21. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. $25. Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

Pride Kick-Off Party Downtown St. Pete’s The Salty Nun kicks off St. Pete’s parade weekend with a silent disco dance party. Friday, June 21. 8 p.m.-11 p.m. $7-$9. Salty Nun, 2501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. eventbrite.com

St. Pete Pride Parade Day Festival The main event draws thousands of queer Floridians and allies alike to the streets of downtown St. Pete each summer, and finally returns to North & South Straub Parks. It’s kicked off by the sixth annual Trans March and continues with its annual street parade, a performance by main stage headliner Saucy Santana, tons of local food trucks, vendors and local drag entertainers. The parade itself begins at 6 p.m. and travels from Albert Whitted Park to Vinoy Park along Bayshore Drive. And please, remember to stay hydrated. Saturday, June 22. 2 p.m.-10 p.m. North Straub Park (400 Bayshore Dr NE) and South Straub Park (198 Bayshore Dr NE), St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

St. Pete Pride: Get Nude 3 Tampa Bay Black Lesbians hosts a celebration and parade afterparty with the theme of “Nothing But Your Flag.” Ladies are encouraged to bare it all in Carnival or Carribean-themed attire while they enjoy live music, food, and entertainment. Saturday, June 22. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $15. Nova 535, 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr St. N, St Petersburg. stpetepride.org

4th Annual After-Parade Block Party

A&E EVENTS

Just a few blocks from the parade route, featuring a massive dance floor, carnival games, dancers and elaborate decor. Saturday, June 22. 6 p.m.-11:30 p.m. $5. Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave. N,St. Petersburg. jannuslive.com

Pride Pub Crawl Pride-themed crawl gives guests a tour of downtown St. Pete’s LGBTQfriendly bars and restaurants, and businesses like Crafty Squirrel, Enigma, Tequila Daisy and Where’s Jubes are stops on the journey. A ticket includes shots at each location, exclusive drink specials and more. Saturday, June 22. 4 p.m.-midnight. $15-$20. Where’s Jubes, 277 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. crawlwith.us

St. Pete Pride: Grand Central Street Fair This daytime block party and market is a great way to spend your hungover, post-parade morning. Tens of thousands are anticipated to attend this event filled with vendors, food trucks, local organizations, entertainment, street performers and family-friendly activities. Sunday, June 23. Noon-5 p.m. No cover. 2000-3100 Blocks, Central Avenue, St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org Queer and Fearless Celebrates author Rob Sanders’ newest non-fiction picture book “Queer and Fearless,” an aptly named work about the nature of Pride and importance of queer joy. The event also features a few local poets and authors who will read excerpts from the work. Tuesday, June 25. 7 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. Allendale United Methodist Church, 3803 Haines Rd. N, St. Petersburg. eventbrite.com St. Pete Pride: Transtastic St. Pete Pride’s last event of the month will honor the transgender and gender non-conformning community “through a celebration of music, art, and social gathering.” There will be light bites and a cash bar, too. Friday, June 28. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $10. The Museum of Fine Art, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. stpetepride.org

WALK THE WALK: The ‘Burg’s massive Pride parade happens on Saturday, June 22.

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REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK

A bigger tent

Willi Carlisle brings his radical bundle of love back to Tampa.

By Ray Roa

Seven years ago at Tampa Fringe, Willi Carlisle spent the night with about a hundred people, plucking banjo and playing with puppets in a performance of “There Ain’t No More: Death of a Folksinger.” The oneman show—a collection of square-dance calls, poems, fiddle tunes, and field-recordings from the Ozarkian artist’s notebooks—was a potent mix of darkness and humor sprinkled with dirty jokes, a strip-show, and music.

After that, the kid born in Kansas and based in Arkansas stepped outside of Crowbar and got cat-called for one of the first times in his life.

cheap seats while big orchestras filled concert halls. Now, music sometimes exists on an inhuman scale, so he’s working with the crew to adapt. “The professionals that are there to make you Herculean, or rather gargantuan,” Carlisle added.

But the songs, like Carlisle's tall, broadshouldered fame, are plenty big on their own.

INTERVIEW

Tyler Childers w/Valerie June/Willi Carlisle

Seventh Avenue was more of a party than he had ever really witnessed. A line about the scene made it into the lyrics of “Tulsa’s Last Magician” from his 2022 album Peculiar, Missouri. “Then he wandered down to Tampa, blew everybody’s mind. ‘Cause the crowd was cheap and easy there on beer and blow and wine,” Carlisle sings on the tender ballad.

Wednesday, June 5. 7:30 p.m. $49.50 & up.

MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. 4802 U.S. Hwy-19, Tampa. livenation.com

Peculiar, Missouri was one of the best roots records of 2022 and offered folk music that captures all sides of Appalachia from barns to back alleys. Critterland, released last January, cuts even deeper on tales of human suffering, offlimits love, addiction, generational trauma, and joy—things he’s seen a lot of driving coast-to-coast at least twice a year since first visiting Tampa. “The thing that you learn is that so much of America is homogenous, regardless of geography. So much of the conditions that create crushing poverty are the same nationwide,” he said.

Reviews of “There Ain’t No More” were positive, and the day after playing Tampa Fringe, Carlisle quit his job as a teacher at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

“They wanted to let me go anyways, but I told them to frigg off just shortly after that,” Carlisle said. “It was a new career for me.”

This week, the 34-year-old does a fourshow run through Florida opening for Tyler Childers. Carlisle hasn’t played to more than 4,000 people, but in Tampa, up to 19,000 fans could fill the venue. What constitutes a small show, however, is debatable.

And while analytics tell Carlisle that he needs to write more angry songs for young men (“Cheap Cocaine”), the show is fruitier than that, complete with those puppets, dumb little dances, and singalongs. In real life, the crowds reflect a plurality of the lived experiences that Carlisle, who identifies as bi-or-pansexual, brings to his records.

“Intimacy is a quality that can scale.”

“We’ve got punk kids and crispy hats and square toes and cis folks, trans folks, young folks, old folks,” he said. Onstage, where his songs are meant to live, Carlisle gets to see people he might not have loved when he himself was an angry high schooler.

get a Florida elementary school teacher fired if they played it in a classroom. Carlisle sings the cut in towns that need to hear it, and changes his banter about the tune in cities where audiences might think they’re better off because the laws are less fascist than they are in Florida. “Instead, have some compassion, solidarity and a sense of duty to the people that are fighting the good fight in the part of the world that you might look down on,” Carlisle said.

Creating togetherness, it turns out, is one of his superpowers.

that catharsis is the price of admission; he only wants to write songs that make him feel better after singing them. “I don’t want it to merely be about feelings. I want it to be a release of something I struggled to say normally,” he said.

Carlisle wrote the lyrics to “Big Tent” in full earnest with no irony, but he’s since added an addendum to the way he lives its message.

“I’d say that there’s no small shows, only small performances, And that intimacy is a quality that can scale, especially with modern technology,” Carlisle, who’ll play solo for the gig, said.

“My plan is to project my voice to the back of the stadium, to sing to the person sitting farthest away,” he said, adding that in the day’s before amplified sound, opera singers hit the

“That’s probably the best part for me, feeling like I’m talking to a younger version of myself with some understanding, and compassion," he added. Empathy is something that Carlisle’s songs create at every turn.

“Life on the Fence,” is a heartbreaking reflection on bisexuality in the poetic vein of James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room.” It’s not an explicit song by any means, but could still

On “Your Heart’s a Big Tent,” Carlisle unleashes a straight up anthem of self-discovery. It’s a song that’s juxtaposed to the parts of his catalog that are about drugs and hard times. Instead, the rising Ozarkian folk hero sings about happiness, loving everybody and how hard both can actually be.

“Gotta let everybody in,” he sings. “Doesn’t matter who they are, if they do right or where they’ve been—everybody gets in.”

It’s the kind of song that changes somebody’s day, and maybe their life. For Carlisle,

“I think for a while I thought that that meant that everybody got first in line at the buffet, and they got to leave a mess in the tent,” he said, adding that he’s been learning boundaries in really hard and practical ways. Wanting to be there for and and around everyone regularly leaves him feeling a little wrung out and wet doggy.

“My issue has never been with welcoming people. It’s actually been not knowing when to say, ‘Alright, the buffet line is closed,’ or ‘No, you can’t come in first,’ and so on,” Carlisle added.

“Now I see it with a little bit more human clarity. And that human clarity, I hope it helps me to do better by more people. And that will be a lifelong process.”

A life of song, we hope, too.

BOY HOWDY, HOT DOG! Willi Carlisle plays Tampa’s largest venue solo this week.

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL Recommends

THU 30

C Jazz night: Chance Reynolds Trio If Piebald was a jazz band, it might sound a little like Chance Reynolds. The young Bay area songwriter and drummer has a deadpan delivery and songs that knock listeners out with their irony and humor. Look for Reynolds & co. to play an anxiety-calming new single, “Weeki Wachee Blues,” plus obscure ‘70s jazz covers like “Mermaid” by British composer Alan Hawkshaw and drummer Brian Bennett alongside vibraphonist Eric Zabala and bassist Cooper Madden. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

C Zero Context (EP release) w/I$iah the Prophet Zero Context (which declares that its genre in any given moment depends on the situation) has been frequenting Dunedin Brewery since its inception last year. The new spacey rock quartet’s debut EP Out Of Nowhere finally releases on Memorial Day, but out of respect for the holiday, the band is hosting a release party at Florida’s oldest microbrewery three days later. Pinellas SoundCloud rapper I$iah the Prophet opens. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

FRI 31

C Dale Watson & His Lonestars Ameripolitan is a fancy word for swinging, honky-tonk music that draws from outlaw country and rockabilly. Not a lot of people do that better than Dale Watson. The 61-yearold is a Lead Belly disciple and released Starvation Box last year in tribute to the seminal folk and blues icon. Watson’s set under the oak trees promises to be the kind of performance that makes newbies and natives fall, or stay, in love with the Skipperdome forever. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

C Domani w/Jinx/Nasja Ybor City’s 7th + Grove has long been a staple of the historic district, and every now and then its calendar flexes with bookings like this one featuring Atlanta rapper Domani Harris. The son of three-time Grammy winner T.I. has a song with dad (2018’s “Family Connect,” produced by Domani’s brother Messiah Harris), but is making a name for himself beyond VH1’s reality program “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle.” He supports a new EP, Last Letter, alongside heavyweight Tampa emcee Jinx who recently-revamed a lost dance record, Change My World . (7th + Grove, Ybor City)

Kane Brown w/Tyler Hubbard/Parmalee I have to wonder how many local fans of Mr. “Used To Love You Sober” will be telling fellow showgoers the tale of how they saw the once-Internet-only star in 2016 at Tampa’s Dallas Bull. The 30-year-old country star recently said that while he’s in no rush to release any new material, the collaborations

THU MAY 30-THU JUNE 06

up his sleeve for his next album—currently being kept a secret—are bound to turn some heads. In the meantime, Brown brings one of only a handful of two-night stints on his current “In The Air” tour to ol’ Channelside, along with Tyler Hubbard (aka half of Florida Georgia Line) and North Carolina-based country outfit Parmalee. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

Moonberry w/Henry Locke & Lilli Grady Blake High School product Henry Locke has been playing guitar by himself on the patio of Ella’s for a few weeks now, but he gets a little company on the inside stage care of young, and recently-rebranded rock outfit Moonberry (fka Bryce N Beans), plus Lilli Grady. Grady, a bassist headed to Blake next year, will sing lead and backup with Locke, who's adding in harmonica while scene vet Ash Dudney (The Dags) holds down drums on a setlist that runs the gamut of rock from Elvis to My Chemical Romance, Radiohead, Twisted Sister and more. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa)

C Niall Horan w/Del Water Cap There’s a lot of new-wave influence on Niall Horan’s latest album The Show, on which the Irish member of One Direction discusses mental health and hoping to never grow out of certain aspects of an ages-old friendship. This damn-near-sold-out gig was announced over a year ago, and since then, Horan even found time to give local fans a sneak peek at what this year had in store for him. In short, if this set is anything like his headlining appearance at last November’s 93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball, his solo work will be just as hyped up as Harry Styles’ in no time. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Seranation w/Ichroniq/Brother Within/ The Hulagans A few days ago, the Floridian Social issued a low ticket warning for its upcoming hometown gig with Seranation, self-proclaimed purveyors of “swamp reggae rock.” The Florida-based reggae-pop outfit has been touring throughout the

Southeast and beyond for the last six or so years, but brings its unique trop-rock sound back to its motherland with openers Ichroniq, Brother Within, & Hula Gans in tow. Although Sernationation hasn’t released an album since 2018’s Livin’ the Dream , fans can still expect to hear newer singles like “It’s Alright” and “Birds of Paradise.” (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)—Kyla Fields

Spanish Needles (EP release) w/Human Error/Articles/Last Bias Spanish Needles finally released its five-track debut earlier this month, and if you’re not a fan of the working class life these days, Sifting Through The Wreckage might be up your alley. Frontman Anthony Ateek and his three-year-old punkrock outfit depict admiration for local unions, disdain for toxic, hypocritical managers, and frustration with not being able to notice young kids struggling before their troubles come back to bite them in the ass later on down the road. “When those signs are ignored, an all too familiar outcome tends to rear its ugly head,” Ateek told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. He also didn’t take time to rack his brain for song titles, so he just named every track after comedy actors. But knowing George Carlin (who shares a name with the EP’s first track), he was probably ultra pro-union. (Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg)

Tampa Punk Rock Karaoke The only karaoke machines in sight at New World on Friday will be members of punk bands Down By Law and Pink Lincolns. Should you garner up the courage to take a crack at performing live with them, a signup sheet—with about 70 songs to choose from—will be out when you arrive, with lyric sheets provided for whatever song you choose (mostly punk-rock anthems, including “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways and “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones). (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

Dale Watson

C Unruly Industry w/Dead Mirrors/The Path of Increased Indifference Unruly Industry’s been cooking since its debut last March. The rock band includes James Beard-nominated chef Greg Baker, former Tampa Bay Rowdie Fred Stolz, Scott Laval, and Andy Van Cleave. Two singles released over the last few months (“The Mountain,” “Beach Psychic”) support the notion that the outfit is for fans of Dillinger Four and Dough Boys, but also Cheap Trick and Jawbreaker. Dead Mirrors and The Path of Increased Indifference, even harder-rocking bands also fronted by local OGs play support for this nocover gig. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

SAT 01

C Frickstock: Western Gypsies w/Rich Sheldon Band/The Strolling Moans/ Matt Frick and Friends/Tim Balajadia/ Nick Holm Matt Frick is a busy guy, and he wants the St. Petersburg music scene to drink that in. The 44-year-old multi-instrumentalist grew up in a musical family, but was heavily influenced by a 1988 concert from late banjo legend John Hartford. After years of playing Grateful Dead covers, opening for the likes of Santana and OK Go, and even developing “banjotronic” music with his friend Nick Holm (who plays a closing DJ set at the end of “Frickstock”), Frick moved to Tampa in 2015. He went into music full-time in 2021, and his showcase this weekend will display just how much he has taken on since he moved here. He’ll play keyboards with the Rich Sheldon Band (featuring local guitar legend Steve Connelly), rhythm guitar with Stones tribute band The Strolling Moans, and along with his buddy Ashton Farner, do some instrumentals on his acoustic during his Western Gypsies set. As for his beloved banjo? It’ll surely make an appearance at some point during the day. It’s frickin’ inevitable. (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg)

Hauser Not a lot of people knew that 2Cellos broke up in 2022 due to factors that include Luka Šulic wanting to stay home and raise his young children. But the good news is that Stjepan Hauser—the other half of the Croatian duo—still has a tour-related fire in his belly, and his solo gigs have been built around a healthy mix of movie soundtrack instrumentals and even some of the pop standards from his 2Cellos days. Expect to hear all that, and the obligatory classical tunes, some of which may be exported from his new album Classic II , featuring compositions from some of his favorite maestros. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

C Opera Tampa: OutLoud For the 2021 edition of St. Pete Pride (well, the “Arts & Qulture” day, anyway), it was tough getting a national act to come in and perform—let alone in one of the top COVID-19 hotspots in the country—due to most artists not wanting to push at-the-time loosening pandemic precautions too far. In the end, local artists made up that year’s concert lineup, including select members of Opera Tampa, who sang Broadway tunes and gave local LGBTQ+ peeps a taste of actual opera. This year, we do have Saucy Santana and Sasha Colby playing St. Pete Pride events, but let’s be real: Is there a better way to kick off

Pride month than with opera singers doing Broadway and beyond inside such an intimate setting? (Jaeb Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)

C St. Pete Indie Night: Mustard Service w/Rohna/Miróux/Pilot Jonezz Indie Night promoters have been busy in Tampa, and make a debut in St. Petersburg where they’ve dialed up ultra-smooth—and, yes, zesty— indie-pop band Mustard Service to headline after Rohna (which includes Indie Night principal Andres Hernandez), high-energy rock band Miróux and Tampa punk trio Pilot Jonezz open. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

Tim Cappello Yes, it’s that Tim Capello from Tina Turner’s band, plus the 1987 classic vampire flick “The Lost Boys,” and yes, he still rocks a saxophone. The 69-year-old and his muscles return to Tampa less than a year after his performance at Ybor City’s Tabernacle Of Oddities Convention. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

SUN 02

Happy Together Tour: The Turtles w/ Jay & The Americans/The Association/ Badfinger/The Vogues/The Cowsills Despite the reputation Badfinger has in rock music, Joey Molland doesn’t associate it with tragedy, mainly because he doesn’t center his memories around the respective suicides of founding members Pete Ham and Tom Evans, which happened eight years apart. “The actual experience of being in the band for those four or five years was really exciting,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay during a recent phone call. On the other hand, one thing that does bum the last surviving original member of Badfinger out was that his latest studio album Be True To Yourself didn’t perform very well, even with involvement from Monkee Micky Dolenz and producer Mark Ronson, the latter having worked with anybody who is anybody. “I like the songs, and we did have some good, good players,” Molland added. Read our Q&A with Joey Molland at cltampa.com/music. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

C Motion City Soundtrack w/Prince Daddy & the Hyena/The Iron Roses

Motion City Soundtrack celebrates the 20th anniversary of its 2003 album I Am The Movie , so fans can expect to hear popular Y2K singles like the aptly-named “The Future Freaks Me Out” and “My Favorite Accident.” The Minneapolis rock group hasn’t released an album since 2015 though, so maybe Sunday’s Tampa gig will be a nostalgiafilled trip to a simpler time. Politically punk group The Iron Roses—which often writes songs about injustice and activism—opens the show alongside Albany-based four piece Prince Daddy & the Hyena, still riding the high off of its beloved emo LP Adult Summers . (The Ritz, Ybor City)—KF

Mr. Big w/Robin Taylor Zander With the 2018 death of drummer Pat Torpey, Mr. Big initially decided to prepare to call it quits with one last tour and one last album. It took five years, but the “Big Finish” tour began overseas last year with Nick D’Virgilio (who has worked with Genesis and Tears For Fears) banging the cans in Torpey’s place. A

brand-new album, Ten , was just announced last recently, but this gig (a postponed date from earlier this year) sees surviving members play their sophomore album Lean Into It in its entirety, so if that’s how they’re planning to go out, you shouldn’t complain. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

TUE 04

C The Remix: Swell Rell Nerdcore is alive and well in Tampa, as evidenced by popular Bay area rapper and Best of the Bay finalist Swell Rell, who often incorporates his love of video games and other niche pop culture interests into his songs. Swell Rell just dropped his latest single “No More Social Battery” on Bandcamp, an introverted anthem that Larry David would probably appreciate. Expect to hear that track alongside other newer songs like “Darkseid” and “Danny Phantom Goin’ Ghost” at Shuffle’s open mic. And when he’s not hosting open mic nights or performing his nerdcore originals at Tampa Heights’ Shuffle, he’s hosting karaoke at 7venth Sun Brewery or hanging out at Crowbar. (Shuffle, Tampa)

WED O5

C Tyler Childers w/Valerie June/Willi Carlisle On his last three albums, Tyler Childers asked his listeners to look inside. Some of that introspection hurt feelings in the wake of the George Floyd murder, and most recently, the 32-year-old who’s reinventing country music has released videos that showcase same-sex relationships in a manner that would probably get him banned from a Florida classroom (see “In Your Love” below). Now, Childers, who made his local debut at Ybor City’s since-dissolved Whigfest, is bringing all of that to Tampa for his biggest Bay area show ever. Read our interview with opener Willi Carlisle on p. 55. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

THU 06

C Frankie and the Witch Fingers w/ Kairos Creature Club/Mak Los Angelesrock group Frankie and the Witch Fingers is no stranger to Tampa Bay, with a few sweaty gigs at The Bends under its belt. The band, best known for its small-room energy and

Tyler Childers

FIND MAGIC IN THE GARDENS

The magic of nature is always present in the historic Olmsted Gardens. Join us for beautiful blooms, fantastical fairies, melodic music, tasty treats, and quality time with friends and family!

WAWA SUMMER FUN DAYS

COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)

MAY 30, MAY 31, JUNE 27, JUNE 28, JULY 25, JULY 26, AUGUST 29, AUGUST 30

FAIRY FESTIVAL

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

NATURE DISCOVERY CAMPS

JUNE 10  14 & JUNE 17  21

CLASSICALLY SUMMER CONCERT: OPO BRASS

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

FRUIT FEST

SATURDAY, JULY 13

CLASSICALLY SUMMER CONCERT: OPO HARP, STRING, & FLUTE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

CARNIVOROUS PLANT TALK & SALE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

explosive psych-rock, garage rock-adjacent songs, will play to a bigger crowd at Ybor City’s Crowbar alongside Lena Simon of La Luz and Glenn Van Dyke of Boytoy in their new project dubbed Kairos Creature Club. Tampa-based indie rocker Mak, which released a few easy-listening singles last year, opens. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—KF

Hunxho If the 24-year-old rapper’s opening set for Lil Baby at Tampa’s Amalie Arena wowed you last fall, be ready to go looking for love all over again, just on the other side of the Bay. On his latest album For Her, the Greensboro-based emcee—born Ibrahim Muhammed Dodo—melodically goes through the ups and downs of how he sees his relationship, from begging his partner to come back home after an argument to complaining about how morning communication can be hard between the two of them. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

See more shows below, and a full version of this listing at cltampa.com/music.

Also playing

Boundaries w/Orthodox/Kaonashi/No

Cure Friday, May 31. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

DJ Blenda & DJ Casper Friday, May 31. 9 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Alter Ego, Tampa

Hot Tonic Quintet Friday, May 31. 8 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Slick Palm w/Soul*/Razor & The Boogiemen/The Roulettes Friday, May 31. 7 p.m. $8. Oscura, Bradenton

Space Laces w/Muerte Friday, May 31. 10 p.m. $20. The Ritz, Ybor City

Taylor Fletcher & the Fake Blues Band Friday, May 31. 7 p.m. No cover. Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor

Urban Gypsies of Florida Friday, May 31. 7:30 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Chantel Jeffries Saturday, June 1. 12 p.m. $20 & up. WTR Pool, Tampa

Chas Collins Saturday, June 1. 8 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg

Cypress Creek Jazz Band Saturday, June 1. 8 p.m $12 for members, $17 for GA. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa

Displace Saturday, June 1. 8 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Eyelid Cinema w/Rutterkin/Frostfang Saturday, June 1. 7 p.m. $8. Oscura, Bradenton

First Saturday Jazz: Acme Jazz Garage Saturday, June 1. 8 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa

Impulse Saturday, June 1. 8 p.m. $10 at the door only. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

K-Pop Rave Saturday, June 1. 9 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

Mobious Loop w/Savant/Murder The Crow Saturday, June 1. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Rev RC Saturday, June 1. 6 p.m. No cover. Riverwalk Stage at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

Acoustic Sunday Brunch: Johny G. Lyon Sunday, June 2. 1 p.m. No cover. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

Barely Pink w/The Henrys Sunday, June 2. 7 p.m. $10 suggested admission at the door. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Bossa Joy Sunday, June 2. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa

Deorro Sunday, June 2. 12 p.m. $30 & up. WTR Pool, Tampa

Ghost.Wav Sunday, June 2. 2 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Sade Sundays: Jask Sunday, June 2. 7 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Alter Ego, Tampa

New Horizons Tampa Sunday, June 2. 2 p.m. $12 for members, $15 for GA. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa

Ol’ Dirty Sundays: DJ Casper w/DJ Fader Sunday, June 2. 10 p.m. $5. Crowbar, Ybor City

Rob Irie Duo Sunday, June 2. 2 p.m. No cover. Hard Rock Cafe, Tampa

St. Pete Sax Quartet Sunday, June 2. 12 p.m. No cover. Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg

Sunday Jazz Project Sunday, June 2. 3 p.m. No cover. The Studio Public House, St. Petersburg

Sunday Jazz with The Crew Sunday, June 2. 6 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Wayne Newton Sunday, June 2. 8 p.m. $55 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Roar w/Bedside Kites/Buboy Monday, June 3. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Kyle Schroeder Tuesday, June 4. 6 p.m. No cover. The Fenway, Dunedin

Deana Carter Thursday, June 6. 7:30 p.m.

$34.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo

Grupo Firme Thursday, June 6. 8 p.m. $55.75 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

Quail Hollow w/Wim Tapley/Five Door

Sedan Thursday, June 6. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Rock The Park: George Pennington & The Odyssey w/Dwn Ta Earth/Leanne McGroary Thursday, June 6. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Custis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa

SATURDAY 6/1

When John Legend played the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino last fall, fans couldn’t shut the fuck up as he weaved stories about his songs into the setlist.

“There were times when the nature of Legend’s revelations was so enthralling that they provoked an absolute hush throughout the venue, like talking about his beloved grandmother’s early, unexpected death, or his mother’s bouts with addiction,” Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Senior Music Correspondent Gabe Echazabal reported. “But as is so common nowadays, sometimes attendees see no fault in chit-chatting throughout live performances, and this night was sadly not immune from those types of gabbers.”

Tampa Bay gets a re-do this summer when the 45-year EGOT (that’s an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, folks) once again brings his evening with to the same room.

Tickets to see Legend play this very intimate set at Tampa’s Hard Rock Event Center on Sunday, Aug. 25 start at $275.

See Josh Bradley’s latest roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Ray Roa

Blood Handsome w/Ortrotasce/Healing/ DJ Winters Friday, July 19. 7 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Virginia Sweet w/Last Resort/The Hand of Reason Saturday, July 27. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Weekend Nachos w/Cold Steel/ Contention/Plague Spitter/Migrant Fury Saturday, Aug. 11. 6 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

Gable Price and Friends w/Carver Commodore Wednesday, Aug. 21. 6:30 p.m. $20 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Angeria w/Jorgeous/Plastique Tiara/Roxxxy Andrews/Shannel/Vanessa Vanjie Thursday, Aug. 29. 8 p.m. $38.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Grinder Blues Friday, Aug. 30. 8 p.m. $24.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo

Childish Gambino w/Willow Wednesday, Sept. 4. 8 p.m. $55.75 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

US103.5 Country Jam: Cody Jinks w/ Jake Worthington Saturday, Sept. 7. 7 p.m. $44.50 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa

Saxkixave w/Alfred Banks/Albert Allenback Sunday, Sept. 8. 6:30 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Buddy Guy w/Bobby Rush/Tom Hambridge Saturday, Sept. 14. 7:30 p.m. $62.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Yung Gravy Saturday, Sept. 21. 7 p.m. $35.75 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa

CG5 Friday, Oct. 4. 6:30 p.m. $40. Crowbar, Ybor City

America Friday, Oct. 11. 7 p.m. $63.25 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Tropidelic w/The Supervillains/Palmer Squares Friday, Oct. 11. 7 p.m. $22. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Wednesday, Oct. 23. 8 p.m. $35.75 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa

‘60s Rock N’ Roll Revival: The Brooklyn Bridge w/The Duprees/ moreThursday, Oct. 24. 7 p.m. $46 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Mannequin Pussy w/Margaritas Podridas Saturday, Oct. 26. 8 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

Miss May I w/In Hearts Wake/Traitors/ Bloom Thursday, Oct. 24. 6 p.m. $22.50. Orpheum, Tampa

Candy Dulfer Friday, Nov. 1. 8 p.m. $39 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Rise Against Saturday, Nov. 2. 8 p.m. $45. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Cancellations/reschedules

Peso Pluma at Amalie Arena, June 21 Rescheduled to Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Manchild

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, my husband and I met when we were young and have been together for nearly 20 years (14 of those married.) We have a kid together, and we’ve gone through so much together. But, I feel like as I keep growing, he’s still the same person he was 20 years ago. He’s a great dad, but he’s really immature as a partner and can be thoughtless. I feel like the same things that have been bothering me for a decade are still there. He’ll work on issues for a bit, but then it’s back to the same old habits. I feel like he doesn’t really see anyone outside of himself, and I feel like I have two kids, him and our actual child. I have a milestone birthday coming up and I honestly don’t know if this is what I want in middle age or older. I love him, but I don’t know if that’s enough anymore. What do the cards suggest? —Growing up/apart

religion, or family upbringing. I know plenty of married fathers who still act like teenagers and a few teenagers who act like retired college professors. Some dudes embrace adulthood, some do not. Judging by the cards, it wouldn’t surprise me if you have little tolerance for the immature. In this spread, you’re the King of Cups, a natural leader and protector who radiates power. You are strength incarnate, the dependable one, someone who undoubtedly has their shit together. You have vision and, most importantly, self-knowledge. Your husband does not.

ORACLE OF YBOR

Send your questions to oracle@cltampa.com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram

Cards: King of Wands, Five of Wands, Two of Wands (reversed), Nine of Cups, The Fool

Dear Growing, there are many men in my life, of all ages, whom I love. Some of these men have their shit together; some do not. I cannot tell you what does the trick. It’s not necessarily marriage or having children. It’s not a career they love or fi nd success in. It’s not hobbies, or

As the Nine of Cups, your husband sees everything in a dreamy, rose-colored way. He has an optimistic (yet distorted) view of both his own behavior and what’s going on in this relationship. It might be because he doesn’t really know himself. He doesn’t realize he isn’t 17 or 21 or even 30 anymore. He might think that somehow the issues aren’t that big of a deal, or that you aren’t serious when you bring up the problems, or that your dynamic is healthy and fi ne. Whatever it is, he’s not getting it right now. And what’s happening now is the Five of Swords division; this type of conflict thrives on miscommunication and misjudgment. You and your husband might not even agree right now

what the problems in the marriage are (or even if there are problems at all). Often, this card comes up when teamwork is necessary, and from your question, it seems you don’t feel as if you and your husband are a team. You describe him as your “second” kid—which is not uncommon but pretty grim. (Nobody wants to parent their fucking spouse!) What that really means is you’re alone out there.

I don’t think it started this way. For your past, we have reversed the Two of Wands. The twos are cards of balance; in this suit, it’s a card of hope, of working towards a dream. I think you and your husband started off as equals with the same hopes and vision for the future. I think that hope is what has kept this relationship going for as long as it has. But that hope needs both of you to believe in it to survive, and I’m not sure that’s the case here.

For the fi nal outcome we have the only major arcana of the spread, The Fool. I’ve written many times about The Fool being a card for new beginnings but the image shows The Fool about to walk over a cliffs edge. He will either fly or fall. It is impossible to continue on the path as he knows it.

This suggests a radical change to me. It might mean couples counseling, prioritizing your shared vision for the future, and doing everything you can to make it happen. It might mean quitting jobs and moving and starting off somewhere new.

It also might mean divorce.

In your question, you mentioned that you loved your husband but didn’t know if that

was enough anymore. I think you know that answer, and I think you’ve been waiting for someone else to tell you that it’s ok for this to end. Your husband doesn’t have to be a bad guy. He can still be a great dad and just not be the person you’re supposed to be with right now.

How you describe your relationship in your question gives me the impression that you’re done. (If I’m wrong, disregard.) Couple that with the King of Wands, and I think you’ve already come to terms with the fact that your husband will not be the partner you need him to be or want to have. Twenty years is a long time to know someone. You know if they’ll change or they won’t.

If you are through with the marriage, you should tell him. This might totally blind side him (see: Nine of Cups delusion), but neither of you deserves to be in a relationship that cannot be salvaged. However, I hope this new path includes a very amicable co-parenting relationship. You’ve mentioned that he’s a great father, and hopefully, he does stay that way. (You mention he’s “thoughtless,” but hopefully, that doesn’t apply to things like school pickup or tossing off casually cruel remarks to your child.)

I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I could tell you that you’ll be OK, but I suspect you already know that. The King of Wands has a lion’s strength. I hope that however your family evolves, all of you—you, husband, and child—have a peaceful and happy future. Get more Caroline, and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.

Frozen

By Dan Savage

I’m a 40-year-old woman, he’s a 35-year-old man, we’ve been together for fifteen years. We met young, and I was his first serious partner. In the beginning, sex was fun, but I’ve never had an orgasm with anyone, ever. We had a ton of other things in common and we stayed together because it mostly worked. Fifteen years later, I have two big issues: I can’t orgasm—that’s issue number one—and even if I could accept that, the sex I have with my partner is unsatisfying and has been for years. He’s a caring partner, but he’s not good in bed. My attempts to explain to him what gets me excited were ignored. When he’s unsure, he gets quiet and retreats. When I finally told him I couldn’t keep having unsatisfying sex, his self-esteem in bed was completely destroyed. Now we don’t have sex at all.

Neither of us wants to end the relationship. We still cuddle, and we’re a great team. We have shared hobbies that take up 95% of our time (mountain sports), no kids (by choice), a decent income (finally!), and an otherwise rewarding life. We’ve also never demanded monogamy from each other but living in a small town in rural Canadian makes seeking out others extremely complicated. I sometimes wonder if exploring my sexuality with someone else—maybe even a woman (I’m pretty sure I’m bi)—might help me get my playfulness back and inspire me to try again with my partner. We talk about these things very openly, so it wouldn’t be cheating. Has that ever worked?

doesn’t listen when you suggest ways to make sex slightly more pleasurable, sooner or later you’re gonna give up or blow up.

But even if you decide to give up on sex—at least for now, at least with your long-term partner—Dr. Brotto, who is also a sex researcher and sex therapist, doesn’t want you to give up on orgasms.

“Most people assigned female at birth who cannot reach orgasm during insertive vaginal sex—80% of females—but most can reach orgasm on their own during clitoral stimulation,” said Dr. Brotto. “SOTIRED mentions needing her mind needing to be very present, which is not only normal but required for high arousal and orgasm in females. Thus, having her mind ‘totally there’ is an excellent skill, and I’d encourage her to build on that.”

SAVAGE LOVE

Now, Dr. Brotto isn’t just telling you to “masturbate more,” SOTIRED, she’s telling you not to give up.

your partner may not have known you were this unhappy. If you were gentle and opaque, SOTIRED, if you said something like, “Things are great! But this [small change, vibe shift, sex act] would make things even better,” he may have come away from those conversations thinking, “Hey, things are great,” not because he’s an insensitive asshole, SOTIRED, but because he was socialized as a cis man. Many cis women (and most gay men!) will find the tiniest criticism under a mountain of compliments (find it and obsess over it); many cis men (and some gay men!) will entirely miss the mountain of criticism because they can’t take their eyes off the single, half-hearted compliment perched on top.

“People can experience orgasm after years, even decades, of not being able to orgasm,” said Dr. Brotto. “But the key ingredients to getting there are 1. knowing what the inhibitors are and how they’re getting in the way, 2. being open to experimenting with a variety of new types of stimulation, including ones you hadn’t considered before, and 3. working with a skilled sex therapist. And if a partner is relevant to this equation, having a partner who is focused on prioritizing your pleasure without guilt or shame is quite important too.”

About never having an orgasm: it’s not just him. Nothing I’ve ever tried—toys, masturbation, different toys, more masturbation, pot, alcohol, porn—has helped. I just can’t come. Arousal builds then abruptly ends before I come. People say, “just masturbate more,” but I’ve been doing that for years and nothing changes. I’m pretty frustrated and wondering if I should just give up. But if I break up with my partner over this and I can’t orgasm with the next person I fall for, what was the point of breaking up? Years ago, I had a super-hot summer fling with a very attractive guy—which my partner knew about and encouraged me to enjoy—and still zero orgasms. Am I just broken? Has anyone who never orgasmed finally achieved one? What worked? —Sadness Over This Inability Ruining Entire Days

“Pleasure is why people are motivated to have sex,” said Dr. Lori Brotto, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia. “When pleasure is absent, it’s not surprising that motivation and desire fade.” Now, it’s certainly possible to have a pleasurable sexual experience without coming—because of course it is—but if you never come and the sex isn’t very pleasurable and your partner

“But if, despite experimenting with all types of stimulation and focusing her mind on sensations in the present moment, SOTIRED still isn’t reaching orgasm during masturbation, more may be going on,” said Dr. Brotto. “I would want to rule out any physical causes like vulvo-vaginal pain, skin dermatoses, nerve damage from an injury, diabetes, or neurological issues. I’d also ask a physician to review the medications she’s on—and was on previously—to see whether there’s something pharmacological blocking climax.”

As for your partner, SOTIRED, Dr. Brotto thinks you should see a sex therapist.

“A good sex therapist can reframe ‘working on it’ in a pleasure-focused way,” said Dr. Brotto. “And a therapist could perhaps convey to SOTIRED’s partner that learning to give his partner pleasure will directly benefit him as well. And since many sex therapists offer virtual appointments, living in a small town is no problem.”

And now, at the risk of making myself deeply unpopular in the comment thread this week, I rise in defense of your dense partner.

If you pulled your punches when you tried to talk to him about your dissatisfaction… if you prioritized your male partner’s ego over advocating for your own pleasure because that’s what cis women are socialized to do…

Being confronted by a deeply dissatisfied romantic partner—being told you suck at sex by the person you’ve been having sex with most of your adult life—won’t leave a scratch on a selfish asshole who couldn’t care less about his partner’s pleasure, SOTIRED, but it has the power to devastate a decent person who was too dense to hear what you were trying to say. So, the fact that your partner was hurt

Finally, SOTIRED, sometimes people will say, “I feel so safe with my partner—I don’t understand why the sex isn’t working?” Well, sometimes the sex isn’t working because things feel too safe. Stepping outside your comfort zones together—taking risks together—can make sex feel dangerous and exciting and chaotic again. Deciding to get sex elsewhere could be exciting, but you risk putting more distance between you and your partner. That said, deciding to wait until you’re finally having good sex with your partner isn’t without risk. If leaving your partner is the only way to have sex you’re actually excited about, SOTIRED, that incentivizes leaving your partner. And you may find, as so many other open couples have, that getting out there and fucking other people— having sexual adventures together or on your own— will make you wanna fuck each other again until you’ve given it a try.

P.S. Some recommended reading from Dr. Brotto for SOTIRED and other women facing similar struggles: “Becoming Cliterate” by Laurie Mintz and “Becoming Orgasmic” by Julia Heiman. “These step-by-step guides towards finding pleasure consider all the inhibitors and facilitators along the way,” said Dr. Brotto.

when finally blew up is a good sign. Which is a very long way of saying I agree with Dr. Brotto about seeing a sex therapist and giving your partner a chance to make the sex work.

And don’t lose hope—for yourself as an individual, SOTIRED, or for you and your partner as a couple.

P.P.S. Dr. Brotto is too modest to recommend her own excellent book, so I’ll have to do it: “Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire” has helped countless women find their way— or find their way back—to pleasurable sex. Follow @DrLoriBrotton Threads and Twitter. To learn more about her research, her public speaking, and her books, go to loribrotto.com.

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

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