Watermark issue 19.17: Republican National Convention by Watermark Publishing Group

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • SARASOTA • ISSUE 19.17 • AUG. 16 - AUG. 29, 2012 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM

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This has become a

DEPARTMENTS

defining moral 17 question of our time.

6 // MAIL 8 // ORLANDO NEWS 12 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 16 // STATE 17 // NATION & WORLD 25 // ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 31 // EVENT PLANNER 33 // TAMPA BAY OVERHEARD 35 // ORLANDO OVERHEARD 36 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 37 // TRANSITIONS 38 // ADVICE 39 // ORLANDO MARKETPLACE 44 // CLASSIFIEDS 46 // GALLERY W

PAGE

—SCOTT DIBBLE, MINNESOTA SENATOR SPEAKING OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY

ON THE COVER

Preview

PAGE

FINDING COMFORT:

A supporter hugs Orange County Commission candidate Gina Duncan on Primary Election night. Duncan lost her bid for office when incumbent Ted Edwards took 60% of the vote.

W A T E R M A R K I S S U E 1 9 . 1 7 // A U G . 1 6 - A U G . 2 9 , 2 0 1 2

PAGE Representatives of the

conservative groups 12 gay Log Cabin Republicans

and GOProud will be in Tampa to enthusiastically endorse Mitt Romney as the Republican presidential nominee.

ORLANDO NEWS

TAMPA BAY NEWS

PAGE As expected, voter turnout

PAGE The Republican National

FABULOUS FILM FEST

GALLERY W

Illustration by Jake Stevens Photo of Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore

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Read it online! In addition to a Web site with daily LGBT updates, a digital version of each issue of the publication is made available on WatermarkOnline.com

was low for the Aug.14 primary and we take a look at two of the closest watched races in Orlando; The Fringe Festival will expand in 2013, thanks to a banner year in 2012; more.

Convention will bring LGBT conservatives to Tampa the last weekend of August; AIDS Walk Tampa Bay has a new name and a new location in September; more.

PAGE LGBT cinema is alive and

well in Sarasota, thanks to the Fabulous Independent Film Festival, which offers two days of queer films at Burns Court cinema. We provide a schedule for your viewing pleasure; more.

PAGE When St. Petersburg

the way for its 46 cleared domestic partnership

registry, couples didn’t waste any time to make sure they protected themselves. We share some photos of happy couples who registered within the first week.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR BEYOND WAFFLE FRIES

HILE I AGREE WITH STEVE BLANCHARD that supporting Chick-Fil-A is a direct attack on the rights of gay people everywhere, I don’t think the statement of one restaurant chain will ultimately make marriage equality a reality [Editor’s Desk, Issue 19.16]. I’ve learned my straight friends don’t understand the personal attack that Dan Cathy directed at me. Achieving equality must start with our circles of friends, and it’s easier to do than most think. While you’re discussing Dancing With the Stars, remind them about your relationship and the importance of acceptance. Controversies about waf�le fries aren’t going to get us there, but true communication with those who love us certainly will. KATHRYN FRANGIE SARASOTA

JUST A ONE-DAY BUMP

HE FIRESTORM CURRENTLY ENGULFING CHICKFIL-A HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING and reaches far beyond the recent incendiary remarks of its President, Dan Cathy. Chick-Fil-A has donated at least $5 million dollars to organizations

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AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

“Controversies about waffle fries aren’t going to get us there, but true communication with those who love us certainly will.” —KATHRYN FRANGIE

whose primary focus is to dehumanize LGBT people and to pass laws that treat us as second-class citizens. Among Chick-Fil-A’s benefactors is Exodus International, infamous advocates for discredited and harmful “exgay” reparative therapy. The American Family Association and the Family Research Council also receive ChickFil-A dollars and are both designated hate groups with close ties to those calling for the execution of gay people in Africa. The fuel that continues to feed this �ire is the knowledge that a portion of every dollar spent at ChickFil-A winds up supporting the discriminatory work of these anti-gay groups. While some will protest at Chick-Fil-A establishments,, most will not. They have simply chosen to spend their money elsewhere, resulting is a devastating 40% decline in the health of company’s brand since this controversy arose, according the industry experts.

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The franchise operators I’ve spoken with were unaware of how the pro�its they generate are being used and they lament being tarnished with corporate’s anti-gay image. They understand that a one-day bump in sales is nothing compared to the long-term damage being done. NADINE SMITH EQUALITY FLORIDA

FOND FAREWELL

JUST GOT A CHANCE TO PEEK AT WATERMARK [ISSUE 19.16] and you guys are so sweet to include me! I love Central Florida and will miss it incredibly. Hopefully, I can establish a good relationship with the Georgia Voice as I have with you guys these 4 years. There are great things going on at Joy and Central Florida, but duty calls and off to Augusta I go! REV. LISA HEILIG INTERIM PASTOR JOY MCC, ORLANDO

editor’s

Steve Blanchard EDITOR

SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

T’S OFFICIAL. I AM DOMESTICALLY

registered to my partner in St. Petersburg. That one awkward statement, isn’t it?

Since moving within the city limits in 2006, the local government of�icially classi�ied us as cohabitants or roommates. Now that we’ve registered, we are of�icially more than that. I expected to feel overjoyed with our new status, sharing the news with friends and family and resting comfortably knowing that as a couple, we are granted a handful of rights that will protect us in an unpredictable future. But that’s not how I feel, despite recognizing this signi�icant step for St. Petersburg—and many other cities across the state which have implemented their own registries. On Aug. 8, a week after the

WATERMARK STAFF

City of St. Petersburg opened its domestic partnership registry to unmarried couples as a way to protect themselves in cases of emergency, end-of-life planning and hospital visitation, my partner of 14 years and I drove to the city clerk’s of�ice to �ill out the appropriate paperwork. On our way into City Hall we met a lesbian couple exiting. The two women from Clearwater were all smiles, saying that after being partners for more than 25plus years, they were thrilled the government �inally recognized their relationship. I even took the opportunity to snap a photo of them holding their certi�icate on the steps of City Hall.

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Once my partner and I entered, the city staff was polite, kind and we even shared a few laughs with the clerks. After we paid our $30 and handed over the completed, of�icial looking form, we received a certi�icate recognizing us as partners. We smiled as the clerk took our photo at our request and then whe shared it on Watermark’s Facebook page. Hundreds of well wishes and congratulations �looded the post and my email immediately afterward. A few comments wished us luck as we ‘began our lives together.’ While those sentiments were well-meant, they aren’t accurate. I met my partner more than 14 years ago as a college student in Central Missouri. In 2000, we invited close friends to celebrate our relationship with us when we held a Holy Union in our Missouri church. In 2008, we took the next step and stood before a clerk in the San Bernardino County Courthouse and re-exchanged our rings as we took vows to become legally married in the State of California. What began as a political statement ended up being an eye-opening experience. Immediately after saying our “I do’s,” in September of 2008 we felt the importance of a governmental entity respecting and understanding the meaning of our relationship. Of course, since we are not residents of the Golden

State, the California marriage certi�icate is invalid in Florida, thanks to Amendment 2, which voters approved that same year in order to prevent the recognition of marriages like ours in this state. That marriage in California was an eye-opener. Our registration in St. Petersburg was not. While I thanked many for their wishes and told them how proud I was following our registration, I never shared how incomplete the entire experience felt. Something is missing. While the few protections we now have in our home city are appreciated, they are incomplete. A domestic partnership registry is not a marriage. Had we registered a week sooner, my sentiments may have been less critical. But just �ive days before we registered in St. Petersburg, we attended the wedding of a long-time friend in Bradenton as she married her husband. The wedding was beautiful—adorable, in fact—and at the reception we told the bride how proud we were of her while reminding the groom of his responsibility to take care of our friend, his new bride. I don’t wish to take anything away from that wedding. In fact, it was a perfect day for a perfect couple. But that new husband and wife do not have to redo their wedding multiple times, complete more paperwork once they settle into their new home or have to worry about the status of the viability of their relationship in the eyes of the local government as they cross city and/or state lines. They are married no matter where they are at any given time in the United States. My partner and I—and countless other samesex couples—are not. And that is the de�inition of inequality. |  |

A domestic partnership registry is not a marriage.

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CONTRIBUTORS GREG STEMM

lives in Gulfport, Fla., and has worked as a freelance writer for several local publications. He is a founding member of St. Pete Pride and active politically in Tampa Bay. Page 14

MARY MEEKS

is an Orlandobased attorney who is also an LGBT activist. She is a long-time contributor to Watermark. Page 29

STEPHEN WARNE

is the founder of Step Out Sarasota and is a social media strategist for the Manasota Diversity Conference. He lives and works in Sarasota and is a contributing writer to several publications and websites. Page 25

Greg Burton, Erik Caban, Scottie Campbell, Amy Dees, Kirk Hartlage, Rev. Phyllis Hunt, Joseph Kissel, Ken Kundis, Mary Meeks, Stephen Miller, David Moran, Anthony Paull, Greg Stemm, Brett Stout, Louanne Walters, Stephen Warne

PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Cardello, Angie Folks, Tom Eckert, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift

DISTRIBUTION Debbie Oliver, Phil Garris, Ken Caraway CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such organizations. WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail). The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

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orlando NEWS

Fringe reveals plans for 2013 expansion Erik Caban

ERIK@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

RLANDO | The record-breaking attendance in 2012 has made way for the Orlando International Fringe Festival to expand into nearby Ivanhoe Village for 2013. During “Fringe First Monday” on Aug. 6 at The Shakespeare Center, it was announced that after a 23% increase in attendance at May’s festival, three venues will be added, including The Theatre Downtown and Baby Blue’s newly opened home base, The Venue. George Wallace, general manager of Fringe, said that the move is part of the organization’s strategy to boost visibility of the annual festival and will allow for an increase in the number of shows it offers next spring. “It’s time,” said Wallace. “We want to keep the positive momentum going. We said as an organization that we weren’t going to expand unless we sold out more than we did in 2011.” There were 32 sold out shows in 2011 and in 2012, the number of sold out shows doubled, with more than 29,000 tickets sold. “The demand is there; demand for the artists and for the patrons,” said Wallace. “This year, we had to turn away 40 artists.” Not only will the expansion allow for more artists— there is the possibility to schedule at least 10 more shows—it will allow artists to do more with the new space, including the option for more 75- and 90-minute shows. According to Wallace, this will also do away with the outdoor venue—something he’s particularly happy about. “No more worrying about �looding, getting electrocuted and no more helicopters overhead,” he said. Wallace said Fringe carefully planned to ensure all added venues are no more than a mile away from Loch Haven Park. The Fringe will move its headquarters next to the Ivanhoe Village Main Street of�ice, and that community-development organization will sponsor the Theatre Downtown venue. “By Fringe expanding into Ivanhoe Village, it’s de�initely adding an economic boom,” said Scottie Campbell, executive director of Ivanhoe Village Main Street. “[Business owners] should take advantage of it. This is huge step for us and them.” Wallace sees the move as bene�icial for all. “We’ll be more present in the community, allowing us to continue developing our organization and build more partnerships, like Ivanhoe Village,” he said. He hopes this merger will open the door for Fringe sponsorships by neighborhood businesses. “There are so many great restaurants and antique shops, et cetera, that patrons may not even be aware of,” he said. “By opening up the festival, we’re opening up foot traf�ic.” Campbell said Fringe is already gearing up for next Continued on page 10 |  |

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DIFFERENT PATHS: Orlando candidates Joe Saunders and Gina Duncan, pictured marching together at a Martin Luther King Day parade Jan. 14, fared differently in their respective campaigns for political office Aug. 14. PHOTO COURTESY JOE SAUNDERS

Joe Saunders heads to general election Gina Duncan loses Orange County Commission seat to incumbent Ted Edwards Jamie Hyman

JAMIE@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

RLANDO | Orlando’s two candidates who are members of the LGBT community fared very differently in the Aug. 14 primary race. Joe Saunders, in his bid to become the Democratic candidate for State Representative, enjoyed a decisive win by earning 65% of the vote. If elected in November, Saunders would become Florida’s �irst openly gay state representative. In November, Saunders will face off against former UCF student body president and Republican Marco Pena. Saunders is a former �ield director for Equality Florida who’s been

AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

endorsed by police, �ire�ighters and teachers unions, as well as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan. Gina Duncan, who faced incumbent Ted Edwards for Orange County Commission seat District 5, lost in a 40-60 split. —GINA DUNCAN Had Duncan unseated Edwards, she would have been one of the �irst transgender candidates elected to public of�ice in a major city. Duncan thanked a crowd of about 150 supporters at her Campaign Victory Party, election

night at The Abbey downtown. “We sent a message to Ted Edwards that it’s time to bring government back to the people,” a tearful Duncan said. She was sunburned from standing at the corner of Virginia and Mills, campaigning in extreme weather—�irst brutal sun then a rainstorm—all day long. “When I �irst talked about seeking this of�ice people told me that it couldn’t be done and with 40% of the vote today, I think we proved that it can be done and it will be done at sometime in the future,” Duncan said. “I think we opened the door and I know at sometime in the future a transgender candidate will win of�ice in Florida.” |  |

“I think we opened the door and I know at sometime in the future a transgender candidate will win office in Florida.”

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orlando NEWS

Candidate calls for Amway, Magic boycott Staff report

AITLAND | Rights Equal Rights, a Californiabased marriage equality group, is calling for a boycott of Amway and all its subsidiaries, including the Orlando Magic and the RDV Sportsplex, which is located in Maitland. Republican Fred Karger, who is an openly gay presidential candidate, is president of Rights Equal Rights. The group’s reasoning for the boycott is Amway’s $500,000 donation—given via the Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation—to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a notorious group working against marriage equality. Doug DeVos is the president of Amway. Rights Equal Rights set up BoycottAmway.com to explain the boycott, collect donations for the cause and give visitors ways to communicate with both DeVos’ company and other supporters of the boycott. NOM’s activities have run the anti-gay gamut, from supporting so-called “ex-gay” therapy to �ighting to uphold Prop 8, the California law banning marriage equality. |  |

Zebra Coalition raises nearly $1,800 Staff report

RLANDO | The Zebra Coalition, a network of 18 businesses and organizations that support LGBT youth, raised $1,797 in 11 hours, said Dexter Foxworth, Zebra Coalition’s director. The funds were raised at “Gays and Straights Fight the Hate Day” on Aug. 10. Supporters were encouraged via social media to make a donation to The Zebra Coalition, as a pro-active response to Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. The Zebra Coalition is organizing a donation drive for Aug. 18, this time seeking items to ful�ill speci�ic needs for LGBT youth who may be homeless. “They are not attending school, therefore there is a need for us to �ind them emergency and short-term housing, reintegrate them back into the school system, provide transportation for school, work and job interviews, and basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter,” said Foxworth in a media release. There is a long list of client needs (available at WatermarkOnline.com) including bus passes, cleaning supplies, hygiene items and gift cards. Donors are asked to drop off items at 911 N. Mills Avenue, the future location of the Zebra Coalition House. |  |

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RISING STARS:

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) honored the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA) with its Rising Star Award Aug. 8 MBA Membership Director Robert Carnes (left) and MBA Corporate Development Director Jason Fox Holstein accepted the award at the NGLCC’s 2012 Certify Your Success National Business & Leadership Conference in Chicago. The Rising Star Award is given to a chamber that exhibits vitality and relevance in its community, brings a unified voice to the LGBT business community it serves, and proves its commitment to being part of the broader national movement. PHOTO COURTESY THE MBA

Alleged rape reported at P-House Staff report

RLANDO | Police are investigating an alleged rape at The Parliament House. According to the police report, at a little after 3 p.m. on Aug. 4, Kenneth Creuzer entered a hotel room where a male victim was sleeping face down in the nude. The victim said when Creuzer entered the room, he thought he was his boyfriend. But when Creuzer penetrated the victim, he realized it was a stranger and started to punch him until Creuzer stopped. |  | Fringe Expands from pg.8

year’s event. With help from The Main Street Project, an expanded Lymmo route is being added, pending funding, which would offer free transportation from downtown through Loch Haven Park to Mills to Virginia and back. The only foreseeable issue is parking, which

AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

Creuzer told the police that he engaged in a sex act with the alleged victim, but denied the rape. “The door was open and he was lying on his stomach and I penetrated him,” Creuzer said. He went on to tell the of�icer “that it was common knowledge that if a door was ajar and the blinds were opened and someone was on their stomach, then someone could go into the room and have sex with whomever in the room.” The victim told police Creuzer is a stranger to him, he didn’t give Creuzer permission to enter his room or penetrate him and he did

want to press charges. While talking to detectives, Creuzer admitted that he has been HIV-positive for 10 years. Creuzer was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center to have his injuries treated. He’s charged with burglary of a dwelling with a battery therein, sexual batter and crimes against a person for having sex with someone and not informing that person of HIV status. Parliament House management did not respond to a request for comment. |  |

they both acknowledge is going to be a challenge but they are currently exploring options. With its location to so many LGBT businesses, many see Fringe as a gay festival. “We’re very pleased that we have high-gay content,” Wallace said. “Based on a 2010 survey, 24% of patrons identi�ied as LGBT, which is up to 30% this year.”

Wallace thinks a lot of that is due to Fringe being held right before Gay Days. “From mid-May to mid-June, there’s a lot of gay in Orlando,” he joked. Campbell acknowledged the area’s diversity and hopes it will up the festival’s—as he calls it— “queer quotient” in Ivanhoe Village. |  |

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tampa bay NEWS

New name, location greets 9th AIDS Walk Zach Caruso CARUSO@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

T. PETERSBURG | The ninth annual AIDS Walk Tampa Bay is Saturday Sept. 8. While many aspects of the event will stay true to tradition, there are a few things that will make this year’s event a little different. The �irst and most notable change is the name of the annual walk. In previous years, the fundraiser was called AIDS Walk St. Petersburg. However this is the �irst year the title has of�icially been changed to AIDS Walk Tampa Bay. “We changed it to be more in-line with our other events,” said AIDS Service Association of Pinellas (ASAP) executive director William Harper. “There’s the Santa Speedo Run which is a Tampa Bay event, we have Dining Out For Life, which covers the whole Tampa Bay area, so we wanted to have all of our events be consistent and really acknowledge all of the areas that we serve.” AIDS Walk Tampa Bay, an of�icial 3.1 mile 5k event, is ASAP’s largest fundraiser and has traditionally been held at North Shore Park, but will be held this year at Vinoy Park. And with a new venue comes new features. “This year it’s going to be expanded a bit,” said Harper. “There’s actually going to be more entertainment along the route itself. Heretofore, that’s just been at the park itself at the start location, but this year we’re going to have more support for the walkers along the route, more things going on for the walkers along the route, and that’s going to be the biggest change.” Harper also says that he has seen support for the event grow over the years. “We had one little hitch one year where we got rained out,” he said. “But believe it or not, we still had very strong donations just from people going online and coming by the of�ice. Participation was also way up last year and we’re anticipating it being up again this year.” Harper added that sponsorship has risen in 2012, and ASAP is happy to see the increased support from the corporate community. In addition, he says there are numerous groups and individuals within the local community who are steadfast in their dedication to the event in the way of participation and donations. And with a goal of raising $125,000, Harper is optimistic that the corporate sponsors and local community will help that goal be realized. “It’s a challenge goal, it’s something to aim for,” he said. “Last year we went over our goal with the Continued on page 10 |  |

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RNC BASE: The Tampa Bay Times Forum will be teaming with Republicans—including members of the gay conservative groups Log Cabin Republicans and GOProud— the weekend of Aug 24-26.

Pink Elephants Tampa prepares for an in�lux of conservative, gay Republicans Steve Blanchard

EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

AMPA | Soon, the City of Tampa and its neighbors will be swarming with delegates and supporters of the Republican National Convention. During the weekend of Aug. 24-26, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will accept the party’s nomination for president. This comes two weeks after his major announcement that Rep. Paul Ryan will be his Vice Presidential candidate. For many LGBTs, the views of the Romney-Ryan team translates to a threat to equality. Both men oppose marriage equality and are criticized by gay rights groups like the Human Rights Campaign regarding their stances on

AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

“I disagree with [Romney] on same-sex marriage, but every issue is a gay issue. Gay people are living in the Obama economy too. We’re at a critical LGBT issues. point in our country’s history But the pair, and the party, and we have a failed president have their supporters within on our hands. the LGBT community, and “That’s why we endorse Mitt those supporters plan to be Romney. He has the best shot of front and center in Tampa at beating Obama.” the RNC. Representatives of GOProud, the only national the gay conservative groups gay organization that has GOProud and the Log Cabin endorsed Romney, will not only attend the RNC within the Tampa Bay Times Forum, but it will also hold its annual Homocon celebration —TAMPA MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN at The Honey Pot in Ybor City on Tuesday, Aug. 29, beginning at 10:30 p.m. A list Republicans will support the of conservative speakers (see Republican nominee. sidebar) are slated to attend the “The issues affecting our party held at one of Ybor City’s country and that are facing most popular LGBT night spots. voters are bigger than one Also coming to Tampa are the single issue,” said Jim LaSalvia, GOProud executive director, Continued on page 15 |  | referring to same-sex marriage.

“This is not a political event, this is an economic development opportunity.”

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Live Music Series At Hyde Park Village Upcoming Concert Dates: September 26 and October 31

Wednesday, August 22, 7-10 pm Benefiting: Big Brothers Big Sisters Featured Band: Ben Bryan Band Rain Date: August 24

Celebrating 25 Years of Live Music in the Village! Complimentary Parking & Admission | Swann and Dakota Avenues, Tampa | hydeparkvillage.net

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tampa bay NEWS

Couples register in St. Pete, Clearwater Staff Report

T. PETERSBURG | More than 20 couples lined up to register as domestic partners on Aug. 1, the �irst day the City of St. Petersburg began registering couples in compliance with a new ordinance. The new domestic partnership registry, modeled after a similar one put into place in Tampa earlier this year, allows unmarried couples, both gay and straight, to register for protections within the city limits. The �irst couple to register was St. Petersburg City Councilman Steve Kornell and his partner, Bobby Poth. Also on had the �irst day was Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith and her partner, Andrea Hildebran Smith. The women had their young son, Logan, in tow. The registry allows for unmarried couples to be noti�ied in cases of emergency, allows for hospital visitation, funeral planning and a child’s education. On Aug. 6, the City of Clearwater began registering domestic partners, which bene�itted many living in the northern part of the county. Soon, the City of Largo could join the growing list of cities offering DPRs in Tampa Bay. “The Largo City Commission will bring the domestic partnership registry to the Sept. 10 work session,” said Largo commissioner Michael Smith. He added that the public won’t be able to speak at that particular meeting, but that the DPR is on its way to becoming a reality in the city, which has a checkered past with the LGBT community. If the registry survives the Sept. 10 work session, the public will have a chance to voice its opinion on the ordinance later in the month. Pinellas County commissioners expect to discuss a county-wide registry at its Sept. 25 meeting. |  |

Hillsborough creates Diversity Advisory group Staff Report

AMPA | Hillsborough County Commissioners have approved a proposal presented by Commissioner Kevin Beckner to create a countywide Diversity Advisory Council. The group will work to facilitate communication between the county government and diverse populations throughout the county, including the LGBT community. The council will also advise the County Commission and county staff on issues related to diversity affecting the County Government. |  |

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The Button Lady’s story of misplaced Pride Greg Stemm GREG@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

T. PETERSBURG | Anyone who’s ever been to a Pride celebration in Tampa Bay area has probably met Eunice Fisher. Fisher says she has been to every Pride celebration on both sides of the bay since the early 1990s. Because of the large number of interesting and often provocative buttons she has pinned on her suspenders, jackets and clothing she may be wearing, she has been affectionately dubbed by many as “the button lady,” In fact, Fisher has well over 500 buttons in her collection. Fisher said she’s collected buttons since the ’93 March on Washington and now has nearly 500. She �inds buttons at Pride and peace-related events “One set has mostly gay messages, one set has a lot of peace buttons and one set has mainly Christian or general religious messages,” said Fisher. “ Now Fisher is attempting to right a wrong she felt that she precipitated at the most recent St. Pete Pride celebration. After the 2012 festival, Fisher

said she was approached outside Georgie’s Alibi by a male stranger. “Sitting at a table there was a young man who admired my buttons,” said Fisher, adding that at 75, ‘young’ is relative. “He caught me off guard by asking for one.” Fisher isn’t sure why, but she refused to part with the button, despite the man’s insistance. However, moments later, she had a change of heart, but she couldn’t �ind the stranger in the crowd. “Suddenly the enormity of my rudeness and heartlessness was gnawing at me,” said Fisher, sharing that the message on the button was a Christian statement. “I realized I had just committed a very unchristian act.” Fisher contacted Watermark in hopes that its large readership will help her reconnect with the stranger she only met brie�ly. “Even if I never hear from the young man, this incident will remain a painful reminder that I should be more tuned in to the feelings of everyone I encounter, rather than suffer another lost opportunity to be kind,” said Fisher. Fisher won’t share the button’s message, but she›s ready to part with it. Her message to the stranger?

BUTTON LADY: Eunice Fisher

has well over 500 buttons in her collection, and she wants to give one away to a man she met briefly at St. Pete Pride. PHOTO COURTESY EUNICE FISHER

“The the button has been replaced on my clothes by another,” she said. “The one you want is in my pocket, ready to give you.” |  | If you are the man Fisher is seeking, please contact Watermark editor Steve Blanchard at Editor@watermarkonline. com and share the button’s message.

Jackson falls in School Board race Staff Report

T. PETERSBURG | Based on early returns Aug. 14, out Pinellas County School Board candidate Jim Jackson won’t be representing District 1 this school year. The candidate garnered 18% of the vote at press time, trailing incumbent Janet |  | AIDS Walk Gets a New

Name from pg.8

corporate sponsorships and private donations, so we keep it reasonable, but we also challenge ourselves.” But in the end, Harper says the event is really about one thing— camaraderie. “When people come out and participate and they see what’s going on and feel the camaraderie

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Clark’s 35%, Elliott Stern’s 25% and Shelly Ladd-Gilbert’s 21%. If no one gains more than 50% of the vote, the top two contenders will face each other in a run-off election this November. On the other side of the bay, the usually ho-hum race for property appraiser received special attention when Ronda Storms, the former Hillsborough

County Commissioner who ‘banned’ Gay Pride in 2005, took more than 70% of the vote to beat incumbent Rob Turner. Storms targeted Turner’s position after the incumbent made headlines for sending inappropriate e-mails to co-workers. More election results are available at WatermarkOnline. com. |  |

with their brothers and sisters who are there for the same cause, that is worth a million dollars of advertisement,” Harper said. “Because when they tell their friends and family about it, and someone needs our services, that word of mouth has educated them and they’ll know what we can do for the community and what services we can provide.” In addition, Harper feels the connection between ASAP and the

community is one that is priceless. “Everyone is having a good time, but really they’re also helping to provide services for those living with HIV and AIDS,” he said. “It’s a real communitydriven event.” For more information on AIDS Walk Tampa Bay or to register or donate, visit AIDSWalkTampaBay. org. For more information on ASAP and its services, visit ASAPServices.org. |  |

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|  | Republican National

Convention from pg.12

Log Cabin Republicans, the older gay conservative group which has yet to of�icially endorse Romney for president. But that’s not out of the ordinary, according to executive director R. Clarke Cooper. “We don’t endorse [before the RNC],” Cooper explained. “It’s out of protocol. Normally organizations are ancillary pieces of the party and we don’t endorse until the convention. One of two things will happen in Tampa: Organizations will endorse a candidate or they won’t. It’s either A or B, and it’s not until the convention is underway.” In May, Romney secured enough delegates to secure the nomination, so the convention is essentially a party celebrating that, rather than choosing a Republican contender to face President Obama in November.

ECONOMIC BOOST

Regardless of political af�iliation, it’s obvious that the RNC will bring a much welcome economic boost to the Tampa Bay area. Local businesses like restaurants and hotels are expecting an uptick in their coffers and the national media spotlight is invaluable for the Tampa Bay region, according to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “The convention is an international event of the magnitude of nothing we’ve ever done before,” Buckhorn said. “Other than the Olympics, this will be the most watched television event in the world this year. We will have 15,000 journalists alone in Tampa for this.” And it’s an opportunity to showcase Tampa and to relay a positive message, Buckhorn said. “This is not a political event,” the democratic mayor said. “This is an economic development opportunity.” The LCR will set up at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort on Clearwater Beach and its over�low guests have been directed to The Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg. Throughout the weekend, the LCR will hold special receptions throughout Tampa Bay. On Aug. 26, a mix and mingle is slated for 5-7 p.m. at The Rusty Pelican on N. Rocky

[Paul] Ryan is a strong choice for vice president, and his addition to the GOP ticket will help Republican candidates up and down the ballot. —R. CLARKE COOPER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS

Point Drive in Tampa and on Aug. 27, the group will celebrate the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund at Oystercatchers within the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay from 3-5 p.m. The GOProud contingent hasn’t announced speci�ically where its members will stay, but LaSalvia said he encourages members to get as close to the Tampa Bay Times Forum, and Ybor City, as possible. “I came to Tampa last fall to scout it out,” LaSalvia said. “Mariruth Kennedy of the Tampa Bay Business Guild showed me around and Mark Bias and Carrie West showed me around Ybor City. I loved it there and knew it would be a perfect setting for our main event—Homocon. LaSalvia said Homocon is a tradition now for gay conservatives and bringing the signature event to a premier stage like the RNC is an opportunity the organization did not want to miss.

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS?

For many in the LGBT community, hearing about strong, gay support for a presidential candidate who openly opposes same-sex marriage and supports a constitutional amendment de�ining marriage as between one man and one woman is confusing, if not frustrating. With the recent news that Romney chose conservative Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate may cause more LGBTs to scratch their heads at the enthusiasm of gay conservatives. But Cooper is excited by the Romney-Ryan pairing. “Congressman Ryan is a

strong choice for vice president, and his addition to the GOP ticket will help Republican candidates up and down the ballot,” Cooper said. “As chairman of the House Budget Committee and author of the Republican ‘path to prosperity’ that provided the blueprint for serious spending cuts in this Congress, nobody is more quali�ied to articulate a conservative economic vision to restore the American economy and stimulate job creation.” While both Cooper and LaSalvia praised Ryan’s 2007 vote in favor of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, the Human Rights Campaign sees his selection as counter to LGBT equality. “Paul Ryan does not support LGBT families, and has voted against allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt,” the HRC said in a statement. “He voted against hate crime protections. He opposed repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and he does not support marriage equality.” LaSalvia disagrees with the HRC’s point of view. “The selection of Ryan is a bold and inspired pick,” LaSalvia said. “He has been the architect of policies that would bene�it all Americans, especially gay Americans. Like all Americans, gays and lesbians in this country are concerned with the out-ofcontrol spending and growing mountains of unsustainable federal debt.” LaSalvia added that GOProud believes Ryan’s Social Security reforms would end the government’s discrimination against gay couples through personal savings accounts. “He has voted to end

the discriminatory death tax and for free market reforms to healthcare that will expand access to domestic partner bene�its.”

MAKING THEIR POINT

According to both LaSalvia and Cooper, being a gay conservative can be dif�icult, especially among the leftleaning LGBT community. But conservatism is the way to a prosperous future in America, both say, and sharing that message while in Tampa is the goal of both groups. But many question why the RNC is necessary, given that the Romney-Ryan ticket is a shoo-in for the nomination. “The reason the convention is happening, is to nominate Romney to be President of the United States,” LaSalvia said. “Any right-of-center organization going to Tampa darn-well better be going to elect Romney as president. That’s why we’re going.” LaSalvia is excited about Romney’s presidential run, and he believes the RNC will boost Romney’s popularity. “Most gay Americans, like their straight counterparts, are not better off than they were four years ago,” LaSalvia said. “The truth is that gay people are living in the disastrous failed Obama economy too. President Obama and his friends on the left want this election to be about divisive social issues because the President’s record on jobs and the economy is indefensible.” LaSalvia, and GOProud, believes Romney has the experience to “turn the economy around.” |  |

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GOProud Homocon

ANNOUNCES GUEST SPEAKERS The Honey Pot, Ybor City, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 10:30 p.m. David Keene: former chair of the American Conservative Union and Vice-Chair of CPAC Mary Matalin: Author, CNN contributor and longtime GOP operative Richard Grenell: Former U.S. Spokesman for the United Nations Amy Kremer: Chair of the Tea Party Express Dana Loesch: Contributor to Breitbart.com, radio host and CNN contributor Larry O’Connor: Editor of Breitbart.tv and radio host S.E. Cupp: Author and cohost of MSNBC’s The Cycle Will Cain: Analyst for The Blaze and CNN contributor Margaret Hoover: Former FOX News contributor, author and CNN contributor

Log Cabin Republican SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Note: Guests must RSVP through LogCabin.org to attend events Sunday, August 26 Florida Welcome Reception: The Rusty Pelican, 5-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27 ‘Republicans Out to Win’ with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund: Oystercatchers at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29 ‘Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry’: Holland & Knight, 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, August 30 ‘Celebrating Congressional Allies’: 108 S. Morgan St., Tampa, 4-6 p.m.

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state

S. Florida town hall addresses homophobia

NEWS

Staff Report NORTH MIAMI | Former CBS news reporter Aleen Sirgany publicly came out as a lesbian and introduced her longtime partner, Andrea Deeb, who is �ighting stage 3 breast cancer, during an emotional town hall meeting in North Miami to discuss anti-gay bulling and marriage equality on Aug. 8. “I never spoke out, ever, ever, ever,” Sirgany said. “But it’s really the death rate of these kids that’s so troubling to me. Shame on me for not saying something sooner. The town hall meeting at Temple Beth Moshe in North Miami was moderated by synagogue Rabbi Jory Lang and featured panelists from conservative and liberal organizations and churches. During the meeting, 21-year-old gay Haitian-American broke down in tears, sharing his story of trying to defeat his homosexuality. Most of the discussion at the forum focused on marriage equality and bullying, which is what prompted Sirgany to speak out. |  |

Gay ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ star dies Staff Report

ALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. | Openly gay Ron Palillo, who is best known for playing high school student Arnold Dingfelder Horshack on the ABC comedy sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, has died. He was 63. TMZ.com reported that Palillo’s longtime partner of 41 years, Joseph

Gramm, called for an ambulance at around 4 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 14. Palillo was pronounced dead at the hospital. From 1975 through 1979, Palillo starred alongside John Travolta’s Vinnie Barbarino and others on the ABC sitcom. Palillo authored two children’s books, The Red Wings of Christmas and A Gift for the Contessa, and wrote a full length play, The Lost

Boy, which was produced in 2005 in New York. He also appeared in numerous Broadway productions. Although Palillo shared his life with a man for more than four decades - including during the run of the show - he was not widely known to be gay. Palillo had been teaching at the G-Star School of the Arts in West Palm Beach for the past three years, according to TMZ. |  |

Jones’ bill removes “gender identity” and “gender expression” as protected classes, both of which were included in the original bill. The change could make the legislation more likely to pass since several council members said they are now more likely to vote for the updated ordinance. As with other HRO battles across the state, Equality Florida

is taking an “all or none” approach in arguing for protections for the LGBT community. Executive Director Nadine Smith called the changes “absolutely unacceptable.” If the new language is adopted and the HRO passes, Jacksonville’s transgender residents would no longer be included and could face discrimination based on gender stereotpes. |  |

Jacksonville HRO may ax transgender protections Staff Report JACKSONVILLE, FLA. | An updated Human Rights Ordinance submitted by councilman Warren jones could ax protections for transgender individuals in Jacksonville. Equality Florida is challenging the changes that could eventually include sexual orientation.

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Wire Report

“We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference,’’ the platform says. In May, President Barack Obama said he personally supported marriage equality. The platform also calls for repeal of a 1996 law, signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, which recognizes marriage as between a man and woman. Some federal courts have struck the law down as unconstitutional. |  |

Federal judge rules against Hawaii marriage equality Wire Report HONOLULU | A federal judge on Aug. 8 ruled against two Hawaii women who want to get married instead of enter into a civil union, handing a victory to opponents of marriage equality in a state that’s been at the forefront of the issue. U.S. District Court Judge Alan C. Kay’s ruling sides with Hawaii Health Director Loretta Fuddy and Hawaii Family Forum, a Christian group that was allowed

to intervene in the case. “Accordingly, Hawaii’s marriage laws are not unconstitutional,’’ the ruling states. “Nationwide, citizens are engaged in a robust debate over this divisive social issue. If the traditional institution of marriage is to be reconstructed, as sought by the plaintiffs, it should be done by a democratically elected legislature or the people through a constitutional amendment,’’ and not through the courts. The lawsuit by Natasha Jackson and Janin Kleid argues

they need to be married in order to get certain federal bene�its. Co-plaintiff Gary Bradley wants to marry his foreign national partner to help him change his immigration status. Their attorney, John D’Amato, said they will appeal. “The ruling af�irms that protecting and strengthening marriage as the union of one man and one woman is legitimate, reasonable, and good for society,’’ said Dale Schowengerdt, an attorney representing Hawaii Family Forum. |  |

U.S. to weigh gay relationships in deportation cases Wire Report SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. | Amid pressure from Democratic lawmakers, Homeland Security of�icials on Aug. 3 reiterated that a foreigner’s longstanding samesex relationship with a U.S. citizen could help stave off the threat of deportation. Bi-national gay couples are eligible for consideration under a federal program designed to focus resources away from lowpriority deportation cases and let of�icials spend more time tracking down convicted criminals, said

Marsha Catron, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. However, the Obama administration will not automatically shelve deportation cases or process green card applications involving foreign citizens married to same-sex American partners. Catron said Homeland Security will continue to comply with the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law that prohibits the government from recognizing same-sex relationships, even as it takes these relationships into consideration when evaluating

possible deportation. The Obama administration last year said it considers DOMA unconstitutional and would no longer defend it in court. Catron’s statement, which builds on comments Homeland Security of�icials made last summer, came three days after 84 lawmakers led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi demanded the agency put its position in writing and disseminate it to Immigration and Customs Enforcement of�ices to help keep same-sex couples together. |  |

On Aug. 11, Tammy S. Smith, 49, a 26-year veteran of the Army, was promoted to brigadier general in a ceremony at the women’s memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Smith openly acknowledged her wife, Tracey Hepner, when Hapner pinned a star to her uniform, thus becoming the first openly gay officer of flag rank in the United States military. The couple married in March 2011 in the District of Columbia.

NEVADA JUDGE SETS DATE FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY ARGUMENTS Las Vegas U.S. District Chief Judge Robert Jones said he’ll hear oral arguments Nov. 26 on a national gay rights advocacy group’s lawsuit challenging Nevada’s ban on same-sex marriage. The Lambda Legal lawsuit focuses on differences between rights granted by the state Legislature with a domestic partnership law in 2009 and a gay marriage ban that voters made part of the state constitution in 2002.

OBAMA OPPOSES BOY SCOUTS’ BAN ON GAYS On Aug. 8, President Barack Obama shared his belief that the Boy Scouts is a valuable organization but that he opposes discrimination in all forms—including the youth organization’s policy of excluding gays as members and adult leaders. The Boy Scouts say it respects Obama’s opinion and believe that “good people’’ can disagree on the subject and still work together to “accomplish the common good.’’

nation+world

ETROIT, MICH. | The national Democratic Party’s platform committee on Aug. 11 endorsed marriage equality for the �irst time and called for the repeal of a federal law that recognizes marriage as only between a man and a woman. The committee let stand the work of a separate group that drafted the platform in Minneapolis. The platform is a broad statement of the party’s priorities on the economy, social

issues and national defense and next goes for approval to the national convention in North Carolina in September. Scott Dibble, a committee member and a state senator from Minnesota, said support for gay marriage can attract new voters. “Young people are looking for a political home right now. This has become a de�ining moral question of our time,’’ said Dibble, who is gay. The platform says Democrats support “marriage equality’’ and the “movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples.’’

WOMAN BECOMES FIRST OPENLY GAY GENERAL

NEWS

Democrats embrace marriage equality

IN OTHER NEWS

MAN FALSELY REPORTED BEATING A man who reported being beaten outside a bar because he’s gay pleaded guilty Aug. 7 to filing a false police report after a video surfaced of him trying to do a back flip off a curb and hitting his face on the sidewalk. Police say Joseph Baken claimed three men beat him early Aug. 5 after he went into a bar, announced it was his birthday and asked if anyone knew where he could find a gay bar.

HRC: $1M IN GAY MARRIAGE FIGHTS The country’s leading gay rights group is donating $1 million to campaigns in four states where gay marriage is on the ballot this fall. The Human Rights Campaign is donating $250,000 apiece to allies in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington.

OUTED CANDIDATE WITHDRAWS A Democratic state House hopeful who was accidentally outed as a bisexual by a party colleague earlier this year withdrew from his race on Aug. 6. Nate Murphy, 23, of Pocatello was accidentally outed in March after Idaho’s only openly gay lawmaker, Sen. Nicole LeFavour of Boise, told The New York Times that Murphy would be taking up her legacy.

PROP 8 COMMITTEE FACING FINES California’s anti-marriage equality Proposition 8 campaign committee is facing $49,000 in fines for its handling and reporting of political contributions. The enforcement staff of the state Fair Political Practices Commission has proposed the fines on 18 counts against ProtectMarriage. com—Yes on 8, stemming from the committee’s repeated failure to properly disclose contributions.

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Me and Potus: ‘The Kiss’

Mary Meeks MEEKS@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

UG. 2 WAS A REMARKABLE

day for me. After President Obama’s campaign appearance at Rollins College, I met privately with him as a reward for my activism on behalf of the LGBT community. The most powerful man in the world gave me a hug and thanked me for my efforts. Amazingly, he even planted a kiss on my right cheek! During these two surreal minutes, I thanked the President for his incredible support for LGBT equality, and he went out of his way to send greetings to my wife, Vicki, by name. If I didn’t have photographic evidence of our meeting, I could easily believe I had dreamt it. The President of the United States (“POTUS”), who has transformed the worldwide conversation about LGBT rights in a way that now leads me to believe we will achieve equality in my lifetime, thanked me? After I left his side, my mind drifted back to that earlier moment when the most in�luential person in the world planted that kiss on my cheek in appreciation for me having waged that toxic battle for LGBT equality.

And I thought “My, how things have changed!” I recall the last President pounding his �ist on a podium and swearing to defend the country from the evils of same-sex marriage, �ighting against every LGBT civil rights initiative, and cynically using homophobia as a campaign strategy. That President repeatedly punched us in the gut. President Obama did something truly extraordinary. He became the �irst sitting President, and the most in�luential person ever, to publicly endorse same-sex marriage and our right to enjoy all of those 1,138 rights and bene�its. I remember speaking at the LGBT rally at Orlando City Hall right after the 2008 election, when our community was elated at the election of Barack Obama but simultaneously devastated by the passage of Amendment 2. I said then, “We have to look ahead. The election of Barack Obama will represent a sea change for our community.” I admit I had some doubts and concerns early on. Was he moving fast enough? Was he passionate enough? But all doubts are long gone. Consider just some of the President’s LGBT accomplishments: • The Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Hate Crimes Act. • Repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” • Ceased enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act, and supports it’s repeal • Ordered cabinet secretaries to extend all possible bene�its to samesex partners • Hosted �irst-ever White House LGBT Pride reception • Created National Resource Center for LGBT Elders • Hosted �irst-ever White House Conference on Bullying Prevention in America’s schools • Clari�ied Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure family leave for LGBT employees • Allowed transgender Americans to receive true gender passports without surgery • Led a United Nations measure to restore ‘sexual orientation’ to the de�inition of human rights; created �irstever U.S. government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad • Clari�ied meaning of “family” to include LGBT relationships, helping to protect bi-national families threatened by deportation • Issued presidential proclamation

calling for equal treatment for samesex adoptive parents • Announced HUD rule preventing housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity • Nominated numerous gay nominees con�irmed to the federal bench • Ensured transgender veterans receive respectful care through the Veterans Health Administration • Appointed two pro-gay rights judges to the U.S Supreme Court • Publicly endorsed marriage equality! That Presidential kiss on my cheek was a sweet reward for my small

role in advancing the cause, but this President has passionately embraced all of us. No matter what political ideology, or economic philosophy, you may support, nothing is more important than securing our civic equality and our dignity as human beings. President Obama is doing courageous and amazing things and he deserves our full-throated and unequivocal support. When I recover from the swoon from “The Kiss,” I intend to return his embrace of our community, and will do everything I can to make sure he gets re-elected to another term, so that our journey to equality will be complete. |  |

That Presidential kiss on my cheek was a sweet reward for my small role in advancing the cause.

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perspective

PUBLISHER’S

Tea Time in Tampa

Tom Dyer TOM@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

HE REPUBLICANS ARE COMING!

For Democrats in Tampa Bay, home turf is being turned over to the rival team. And for many Watermark readers, the invasion will feel downright hostile.

Let’s face it: the GOP has consistently obstructed every step toward full LGBT equality. Access to open military service and same-sex marriage rights are just the most notable recent examples. Political conventions bring out the most extreme, obnoxious partisans. The Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum will be no exception. But judging the GOP based on their convention is like judging Florida Gators based on the frat section at Ben Hill Grif�in Stadium during the last quarter of a Florida State game. They’re not all like that. And in important ways the current presidential ticket marks a refreshing change. With the addition of vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan, we are closer to engaging the key political issue of these dark economic times—the role and size of government—than in past election cycles. At their core, Republicans believe in limited government. They believe if productive people are unencumbered by taxes and regulations they will create abundance. Government, on the other hand, lacks

accountability and market constraints and is wasteful and de-motivating. Most Americans believe these things to at least some degree. They lie at the heart of our capitalist economy. While wholeheartedly endorsing free enterprise, Democrats emphasize the importance of government to provide essentials—schools, infrastructure, health care—that create opportunity and security for all. And they note that government must monitor and regulate greed and other sel�ish human behaviors that ultimately penalize everyone. We forget that elections are supposed to be the means by which we debate and determine the balance between these competing philosophical impulses. The common goal of �inding the best solutions to our nation’s challenges is all but lost in the land of 24-hour cable news, special interest super-PACs and negative ads. Two different types of Republicans have risen to prominence. Both will be on display in Tampa later this month. One is evil, the other worthy of consideration and even respect. Power-based Republicans want control of government to bene�it a few in�luential constituencies. They tend to cultivate �igurehead candidates— Ronald Reagan—that they elect with fear-based campaigns and then manipulate toward sel�ish ends. Compromise is counter-productive. The overall well-being of the nation is secondary at best. The best expression of this powerbased focus was made by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). With high-unemployment, crushing de�icits, precarious economic circumstances and two ongoing wars, he was asked to list his priorities if Republicans gained the majority in the Senate in 2010. His response: “For President Obama to be a one-term president.” Policy-based “Tea Party” Republicans, on the other hand, sincerely believe that small government is the key to our nation’s future well-being and productivity. Their evangelical certainty is off-putting, and their recent unwillingness to compromise is arrogant. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney nonetheless shed light on his perspective with his choice of a running mate. Ryan of is certainly a policy-based Republican. His proposed federal budget plan would fundamentally reshape

government by lowering taxes, mostly for middle and upper class Americans, and diminishing the social safety net comprised of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. It is naïve, philosophically limited and unsupported by fact or history; the product of a privileged white Roman Catholic male who discovered Ayn Rand in the bedroom of his family’s stately Janesville, Wis. home. But it is pure, and will force President Obama to similarly focus his vision for addressing unemployment, economic investment, the de�icit and looming unsustainable entitlements. The upcoming candidate debates

should be riveting. Of course, the choice for LGBT voters is stark. Obama has advanced LGBT equality in signi�icant ways, and would continue to do so during a second term. Romney and Ryan both support a federal constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. But they prefer to sidestep issues of LGBT equality. Since 2004, the percentage of Republicans under 30 who favor marriage equality has grown from 28% to 37%. It could be more than half by the next election. In the future, perhaps concurrence on that issue will serve as a reminder that we’re all in this together. |  |

Judging the GOP based on their convention is like judging Florida Gators based on the frat section at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

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TALKING POINTS

I accept people as they are;

that’s not my place to judge.

I ain’t God and I ain’t runnin’ for office.

—DOLLY PARTON, DISCUSSING HER GAY FAN BASE

The rating GOP Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan received from the Human Rights Campaign for his anti-gay stances

$10,000

The amount MItt Romney has donated to the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes marriage equality and LGBT rights. —Source: MSNBC, Kinsey Institute, June 20, 2012

COOPER’S MAN

CHEATING?

UST A MONTH AFTER PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGING HE IS GAY, Anderson Cooper is back in the headlines, but not for a good reason. It seems his longtime, hunky boyfriend Ben Maisani may be cheating on the CNN anchor. According

to an article in The Examiner, Maisani was photographed kissing a dark-haired man at a New York park earlier this summer. Cooper had announced he hoped to marry his partner of three years as soon as Labor Day weekend. The “secret relationship” between the two hasn’t been all that secret over that time, and they live together in Cooper’s townhouse apartment in New York. No word on how legitimate the news of Maisani’s supposed in�idelity is, and Cooper hadn’t responded to the news as of press time. |  |

CHICK-ON-CHICK FILET AT BEAVER’S Y ES, YOU READ THAT HEADLINE RIGHT. The newest, tasty treat at a lesbian-owned restaurant ironically (or not) named Beaver’s Restaurant in Houston is having its say (and raking in some cash) on the Chick-Fil-A controversy. For the unaware,

SEE YOUR COMMENT HERE!

head over to watermark0nline.com and tell us what YOU think.

the Chick-Fil-A folks have received backlash (and support) thanks to its CEO’s opposition to marriage equality. Calls for boycotts have made chicken a political statement. But at Beaver’s, chicken isn’t a means for hate. The new Chick-on-Chick �ilet is

described as “two loving chicken breasts married on toasty buns with honey mustard witness and joined in celebration with tolerant fries.” Two breasts have never sounded so good to gay men, ever. |  |

PEOPLE ARE TALKING AT WATERMARKONLINE.COM NOT EVERYONE AGREED “If I were in Orlando I would vote for Joe Saunders.” WITH WATERMARK’S 2012 PRIMARY —JIM MERRITT VOTERS GUIDE: ON CHICK-FIL-A “[Antoinette] Plogstedt for BOYCOTT, PROTESTS: judge not [Adam] Mcginnis like you have recommended. He has no experience.”

—ROB NICOLETTI

“We really need to focus on more pressing issues.” —MARCUS RANDALL SPEED

“A corporation contributing millions towards global hate groups that condone the murder of LGBT people? What is supposed to be more pressing?” —COCO PAZZO

RUSSIA TAKES ON MADONNA

ORGET MADONNA VS. ELTON JOHN. Now it’s Russian President Vladimir Putin’s staff vs. the Material Girl. Madonna has become an advocate for the jailed Russian band Pussy Riot and released concert footage in Russia in support of LGBT rights. Her not-so-candid thoughts sparked threats of violence to concertgoers in the notoriously anti-gay former Soviet Union Madonna has refused to back down, saying on video, “I am here to say that the gay community and gay people here and all around the world have the same rights!” Putin’s spokesperson wasn’t impressed, tweeting, “Every ex-whore tends to lecture everybody with age. Especially during world tours and concerts.” |  |

WATERMARKONLINE.COM POLL

ARE YOU A VOTER?

Yes,

I voted in the primary and will vote in November.

14%

Yes,

but I skipped the primary.

7% Sometimes

I try to vote but sometimes don’t.

7% No.

I opt out of politics.

AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

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ARTS &

ENTERTAINMENT

Fabulous for films

The Fabulous Independent Film Festival keeps LGBT films relevant in Sarasota

Stephen Warne WARNE@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

ARASOTA SARASOTA HAS A WELL-

deserved reputation for being a town that devotes much of its time and talent to the arts. Theater, music and �ilm thrive along Florida’s West Coast and �ilm festivals in particular have seen a boon in recent years. But up until last year, there seemed to be a missing part in the overall wheel of the celebration of �ilms. Sure, the Sarasota Film Festival squeezed in some LGBT-focused �ilms and the small LGBT Film

Festival showcased some fabulous movies. But it wasn’t until last summer that residents witnessed the arrival of the Fabulous Independent Film Festival, which returns for its

second year Aug. 17-19. According to Magida Diouri, managing director and programmer of the festival, the festival is organized by Broken Rules Production in association with the Harvey Milk Festival, which celebrated its third anniversary earlier this year. “The Fabulous Independent Film Festival celebrates diversity and acceptance and is sponsored by the Sarasota Film Society,” Diouri says. She is also the founder of the FIFF and worked with the Sarasota Film Society in the past to make sure each year included more than

token LGBT �ilms. She was on the board of directors at ALSO Youth for several years in the mid-2000’s, and last year she founded the Fabulous Independent Film Festival. This year, the Fabulous Independent Film Festival begins on Friday, Aug. 17, with a 10 p.m. pre-party celebration at Throb Nightclub. Admission is $5 at the door—$3 if patrons mention the �ilm festival. On Saturday, Aug. 18, the opening night party begins at 9:15 p.m. at Eat Here, 1888 Main St., Sarasota, and those

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presenting a ticket for the opening night �ilm Sassy Pants presented by Watermark, will receive a free cocktail. Food and drink specials are available throughout the night. The FIFF closes on Sunday, Aug. 19, with a 9:30 p.m. party at Caragiulos, 69 South Palm Ave., Sarasota. Film lovers can see the festival’s selections at Burns Court Cinema at 506 Burns Lane. Here’s a quick look at this year’s selections:

Continued on page 28 |  |

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Cillian Murphy in Red Lights.

CJ Adams in Timothy Green.

Red Lights Starring Sigourney Weaver, Robert DeNiro, Cillian Murphy, Elizabeth Olsen

R Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano in super-sweet Ruby Sparks.

Screened Out MOVIE REVIEWS

Miracles for Morons Ruby Sparks Starring Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan

OME MOVIES ARE LIKE QUESTIONABLE

miracles, meaning you have to give them the bene�it of the doubt or they don’t work. I wish I could believe charming Ruby Sparks, but it’s just a mite too full of itself.

Stephen Miller

STEPHEN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

This �lick wears pretentiousness on its sleeve, right next to its heart. Dano portrays a famous author clumsily named Calvin Weir-Fields. For no reason, he works on an old-fashioned typewriter. He also suffers writers block in all the cliché ways. Then he scripts the perfect girlfriend (Kazan, who also wrote the script), and one day—it’s a miracle—quirky-girl Ruby shows up. Dano soon �inds he can control everything about her via his writing. It’s never happened before, except in Weird Science in 1985.

There’s a pretty obvious underpinning of feminism here. Kazan spins the old yarn about straight men trying to manipulate their perfect women, instead of setting them free like the butter�lies women are. It gets a little heavy-handed, as in Bening’s hippie dippy mother character—who once herself broke free of the fetters of an Alpha male, and who has apparently had little to no positive in�luence on her sons. It’s easy to spot that fellow writer Coogan is going to be evil. What’s more dif�icult to swallow is that Dano and Messina are brothers, despite their obvious rapport. In fact, that casting is the only really surprising thing in this affable but heavy-handed, lecture-riddled romance. |  |

The Odd Life of Timothy Green Starring Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton,

CJ Adams, Dianne Wiest ED LIGHTS IS AN INTERESTING FAILURE, with a black-hole logic HAT THIS DISNEY FLICK gap so gargantuan, it’s a wonder LACKS IN SUBTLETY, it the �ilm ever got made. The challenge makes up for in cloying, is how to describe why this is terrible diabetes-inducing sweetness. My stuff without destroying the purported friend who saw this with me said that plot twist, because the subject is the �ilm’s saccharine approach doesn’t probably something that audiences just smack you over the head, it drags are clamoring for. you into a dark corner, beats the hell Weaver and Murphy are doctors out of you, and then ri�les through in an underfunded university your pockets for extra sugar packets. department. They investigate Edgerton and Garner are paranormal activity for hoaxes a small-town couple who’ve and charlatans. They both have their reasons for uncovering RATINGS GUIDE longed for a child. When the medical report comes back frauds, and they’re good that they can never succeed, at what they do. However, they mourn. Their grief takes when megastar, blind psychic Overflowing a special tact. They write DeNiro comes out of a 30-year with glittery down attributes of their retirement, Murphy wants fabulousness perfect child and then bury to take him on while Weaver these papers in Garner’s inexplicably shies away. Pretty damn beloved garden. That night a The cast list is impressive, good, but it’s no miracle occurs and the garden and the �ilming is slick. Sunset Boulevard sprouts Timothy (Adams). Director/writer/editor Roberto He’s a small boy with leaves Cortes attracted great talent— growing out of his ankles, and An entertaining and a few million in production he’s come to teach his ersatz enough flick money—despite the fact that, with perhaps parents some skills. at the end, the movie makes no a few holes Who’s this �ilm for? If sense whatsoever. it’s for parents, why do the It’s a cool concept, dialogue and plot sound Ever so slightly fatally executed. The trick like they were written for a watchable, just is how I can explain this to for that hot actor kindergarten play? If it’s for audiences without ruining it kids, why are the parents for an audience who I think the protagonists? If this is a deserves better. Two hours of magical allegory, why is the your life you’ll Let’s try this: if you spent a art direction so realistically never get back whole �ilm watching someone dull and the pace so slow? try to boil water, and then the Garner is pretty wooden, and the end reveals he is a four-star chef, you’d plot is also fairly stiff. Adams plays be pissed. Another example: if a pianist one note: precocious. Edgerton can play the Rach 3 (which is insanely tries to inject some nuance, but he’s dif�icult), then playing Chopsticks �ighting a dying battle. Sure, some shouldn’t be a problem. Do intelligent visual moments still work, but the actors and experienced producers have overall, syrupy experience is about as a blind spot for massive plot holes that exciting as watching grass grow. |  | should’ve been spotted before the �irst camera was turned on? |  |

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

|  | The Fabulous Independant

Film Festival from pg.25

HE WISE KIDS—Coming out is never easy, but for Tim in The Wise Kids it’s especially intimidating. Tim and his best friends Brea and Laura live in Charleston, S.C., and are part of Southern Baptist families. Tim seeks to understand his sexuality and plans on leaving his home for �ilm school at NYU. Brea, a preacher’s daughter, struggles with her faith. Laura plans to attend a Christian college. As three friends reach their own realizations on what adulthood means and how their new found freedom affects their relationships, they struggle to understand the changes.

ORTH SEA TEXAS—This ‘coming of age’ story is about a teenage boy’s search for love, and how that search leaves him �ixated on the boy next door. Raised by an alcoholic and ex-beauty queen mother, the main character ‘Pim’ faces obstacles that might be unique to his situation, but that most people can relate to—including unrequited love and a sexual relationship that means much more to one partner than the other. This �ilm is in Dutch and features English subtitles.

OVE OR WHATEVER—Corey and Jon have a great relationship, but when Jon begins ‘sewing his wild oats’ with a woman, Corey is devastated. He quickly recovers though, after his lesbian sister introduces him to Grindr and he begins to see a hunk named Pete. Everything is going great for Corey, and then Jon comes back begging for forgiveness. Will Corey �ight for love, or settle for whatever?

HE COVER—This short �ilm was created by syndicated columnist, author, �ilmmaker and Watermark contributor Anthony Paull and will be debuted at the opening night of the �ilm festival at the showing of Sassy Pants.

SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 17 10 P.M.: Celebration Pre-Party at Throb Nightclub / $5.00 donation, $3 if you mention FIFF

Saturday, Aug. 18 3 P.M.: United in Anger: A History of ACT UP 5:15 P.M.: North Sea Texas 7 P.M.: Opening Night Film: Sassy Pants w/short The Cover 9:15 P.M.: Opening Night Party at Eat Here

NITED IN ANGER: A HISTORY OF ACT UP—A documentary about the lives and struggles of people with HIV/AIDS in the early days of the disease, and who came together to form ACT UP, the country’s most famous HIV/AIDS advocacy group in history. FIFF says: “What makes this extraordinary documentary so special is the rare, contextual interviews of those af�licted with the disease that are unfortunately no longer living. The producers and the proli�ic writer/activist Sarah Schulman, superbly captured a magnetic and signi�icant time that is the precursor to movements like Occupy Wall Street where people simply set out to change the world.”

LOUDBURST—Oscar®-winning actresses Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker are well known and excellent actors, and this �ilm is another great example of their talents. The �ilm is a comedy adapted from a stage play and Dukakis and Fricker play Stella and Dot, a lesbian couple with 30-plus years together. The pair are suddenly faced with the prospect of being shipped off to a nursing home by Dot’s granddaughter. To avoid their fate, Dot and Stella take a road trip to Nova Scotia to get married and along the way pick up a ‘pseudo hustler’ hitchhiker who enlivens their trip.

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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Sunday, Aug. 19

ASSY PANTS—If you have a ‘Sixth Sense’ for comedy, you’ll enjoy this movie. In fact, if you enjoyed the movie ‘Sixth Sense’, you’ll probably like this movie too, since the young star of that movie, Haley Joel Osment, is now an adult and stars as Chip, the young ‘boy toy lover’ who lives with Dale (Diedrich Bader of the Drew Carey Show) and becomes fast friends with Bethany, Dale’s daughter who’s come to live with the couple in suburbia. The plot revolves around the quirks of each character, and the journey Bethany makes from a home-schooled valedictorian to a self-assured woman living with her Gay father and his younger partner. |  |

3 P.M.: The Wise Kids 5:15 P.M.: Cloudburst 7 P.M.: Love or Whatever 9 P.M.: Closing Night Reception at Caragiulos

MORE INFORMATION WHAT: Fabulous Independent Film Festival WHERE: Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Lane, Sarasota WHEN: Aug. 18-19 TICKETS: FabulousIFF.com

watermarkonline.com

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TAMPA

ARTS &

Electile Dysfunction:

The Kinsey Sicks for President

OMETIMES POLITICAL SEASON CAN GET TO BE

a bit much—negative political ads, constant debates over the morality of chicken sandwiches and the closure of roads in Tampa for the Republican National Convention. It’s stressful, but it also offers an opportunity for entertainment unlike any other when the Kinsey Sicks arrives at the Tampa Theatre on Friday, Aug. 24, just a mile from the RNC hoopla! The dragapella divas offer their political satire for one night only in

their special show, Electile Dysfunction Dysfunction. Not only do they tackle issues like immigration, unemployment, scandal, sex, pandering and corruption, they do it all in amazing four-part harmony. Winnie, Rachel, Trampolina and Trixie, who most recently appeared in Tampa over the holidays, are back with a political show complete with songs like “Sell the Poor,” “Eliminate the Schools,” and the campaign anthem, “Vote for Me (I’m Not From Kenya).” This bene�it performance for the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival takes place at 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St. Tickets are available at TampaTheatre.org/Kinsey-Sicks, at the box of�ice or by calling 813274-8981. |  |

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Surviving Mommie Dearest

Beer demo for charity

HE FILM MOMMIE DEAREST HAS BECOME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON, but have you ever wondered about the people who lived the story of Joan Crawford? Now’s your chance. The Footlight Theatre within the Parliament House will bring Christina Crawford, real-life adopted daughter of Joan Crawford, to the stage on Thursday, Aug. 30, to talk about

her experience and share her new documentary, Surviving Mommie Dearest. The �ilm is produced by Jacksonville businessman and Metro Night Club co-owner Jerry Rosenberg. The showing of the �ilm at the Parliament House will be the Florida premiere of the documentary. Show time is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at WanziePresents.com. |  |

F YOU EVER NEEDED A REASON TO DRINK A BEER OR TWO, NOW IS THE TIME to take advantage of the generosity of The Ale and the Witch, 111 2nd Ave. NE, in St. Petersburg. The pub will hold a special demo and tasting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23, to raise money for The Children’s AIDS Foundation, a 501c3 going to the needs of children and their families battling HIV/AIDS. A selection of light Cajun

AUG. 24 House of Blues 407-934-BLUE HOB.com

Venice

Random Acts

appetizers provided by Bayou catering will be on hand and the $10 door charge will help the charity. Get there early for $1 off all drafts and a free Ale and the Witch beer �light glass. Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP through the group’s Facebook page. Entertainment from Wild Love and The Fear of Nothing will kick off at 9 p.m. and donations of WalMart gift cards, school supplies and diapers are all welcome. |  |

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THROUGH AUG. 25 Venice Theater 941-488-1115 VeniceStage.com

MORE INFORMATION For more events or to submit your upcoming show, concert or performance, visit WatermarkOnline.com.

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

TIGLFF Presents America’s Dragapella® Phenomenon

Electile Dysfunction: Kinsey Sicks for President! “One act that should not be missed.” ~ Billboard

Friday, August 24 • 8:00 pm Tampa Theatre • 711 Franklin Street

(Outside perimeter of RNC; parking at Poe Garage, 800 N Ashley Dr)

FMI & Tickets: tampatheatre.org/kinsey-sicks You know the RNC is coming. BUT did you know that the finest in political satire is in Tampa just 2 days before — for 1 night only? Songs include “Sell the Poor,” “Eliminate the Schools” and “We Arm the World, We Harm the Children.” ~ Promotional Sponsors ~ Hillsborough County GLBTA Democratic Caucus • hcglbtadc.org ~ Stonewall Democrats Pinellas County • stonewallpinellas.org Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus • floridaglbtdemocrats.org ~ WMNF Community Radio • wmnf.org Equality Florida • eqfl.org ~ Gasparilla International Film Festival • gasparillafilmfestival.com Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida • progressivedemcaucusfl.org

ANNOUNCE IT. RENT IT. SELL IT. POST IT.

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You can get a virus as simple as your computer can. And you can protect yourself just as easily. AIDS Service Association of Pinellas (ASAP) is a community resource for HIV education and prevention and for those already infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. With one in five U.S. adults or teenagers unaware of their HIV status — which may later turn to AIDS without care and treatment — it’s something you shouldn’t ignore for your own health. Get the facts. Visit ASAPservices.org to learn more about HIV testing in our community. For those 20 and under, visit our youth site at GTECCH.org.

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1- BAM! MORE SCREEN TIME: Local celebrity and RuPaul Drag Race alum Alexis Mateo speaks with Telemundo at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City as part of the Spanish speaking network’s coverage of the RNC from a gay perspective. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 2- TIED UP: The women who attended the 1st Thursday Mingle at Mythos in Tarpon Springs took the theme of ProSuzy’s upcoming retirement party of “Tie-ing the community together” to heart on Aug. 2. PHOTO COURTESY PROSUZY.COM

3- STUNNING: Performer Kori Stevens patiently awaits her turn to entertain during the Michael Keefe benefit at Pepperz Nightclub in Gulfport on Aug. 3. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 4- REMEMBERING THE REASON: Garry Bruel of the Suncoast AIDS Theater Project welcomes a full house at American Stage for the second encore performance of A Wizard of Oz on Aug. 2. PHOTO COURTESY PROSUZY.COM

5- A WICKED SPIN: Matthew McGee played “The Wicked Witch” during the Suncoast AIDS Theater Project’s encore performance of A Wizard of Oz at American Stage on Aug. 6. PHOTO COURTESY PROSUZY.COM 6- POLITICAL HOPE: The GaYbor District Coalition welcomed former Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, center, at it’s Aug. 10 meeting at Bradley’s on 7th. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 7- NOT YOUR MAMA’S OZ: The cast of the Suncoast AIDS Theater Project’s A Wizard of Oz performed to a sold out the American Stage Theater for its third show on Aug. 6. PHOTO COURTESY PROSUZY.COM

8- HEARTFELT THANKS: Muffy Vanbeaverhausen listens as Michael Keefe thanks attendees at a benefit for him at Pepperz Lounge in Gulfport Aug. 3. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

OVERHEARD TELEMUNDO TV GOES GAY

ELEMUNDO, THE SPANISH SPEAKING TELEVISION NETWORK OWNED BY NBC/UNIVERSAL, will offer its viewers a different view of the Republican National Convention. Host Grace Solorzano toured Ybor City and the GaYbor District with coalition president Carrie West. She said she wanted to do a show on the RNC from an LGBT point of view. According to West, Solorzano and her camera crew �ilmed throughout the historic district and conducted several interviews with not only West, but with local celebrity and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Alexis Mateo. Telemundo

�ilmed along 7th Avenue at Hamburger Mary’s, the Ybor Social, King Corona, El Centro Espanol, the candle bridges and several historical buildings in the area. The crew even enjoyed Latino Night at Liquid Tampa where Lady Janet was the special guest performer.

RECORD-BREAKING SHOWS

OR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE SUNCOAST AIDS THEATER PROJECT NOT ONLY SOLD OUT IT’S ONE ANNUAL SHOW, but two encore shows as well. This year’s presentation of A Wizard of Oz, starring Matthew McGee in the hilarious role of The Wicked Witch,

is by far the most popular show in the non-pro�it theater company’s history and is usually a one-time event as a “Prelude to Pride” in June. A packed house �illed American Stage in St. Petersburg on Aug. 6 when project honcho Garry Breul spoke to the audience. Breul acknowledged several notables in the audience for their support and leadership in the LGBT community and became emotional when he remembered those we’ve lost to AIDS. But tears were short-lived. When the staged reading began, laughter started immediately from the audience. And when McGee made his huffy appearance in green face at the top of a staircase, the audience reaction literally stalled the show

for several minutes. During intermission, Breul once again came on stage to acknowledge volunteers, and also let it slip that next year’s Prelude to Pride show could very well be a re-imagined version of Gone With The Wind, starring none other than McGee as Scarlett O’Hara, of course.

OVULATION AND PINK COWGIRL BOOTS

T. PETE PRIDE DARLING CHRISTINE O’LEARY, WHO ACTUALLY LIVES IN THE NORTHEAST, HAD A ONCE-INA-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY to open for music sensation kd lang on Tuesday, Aug. 14, when the singer performed at the Ridge�ield

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Playhouse in Ridge�ield, Conn. O’Leary, who was this year’s Mistress of Ceremonies at St. Pete Pride, shared her preparatory moments with her Facebook friends, referencing an accident she had on a Segway during the Promenade in June: “My fat left foot doesn’t �it in my pink cowboy boots now. I’ve waited years for a chance to wear them and tonight is kd lang! Help queens or bloating swellers. What is your advice?” Fortunately O’Leary managed to get her boots on and was ready to perform in front of a packed theater. She couldn’t be more ready, she shared. “I ovulated and can feel my heart rate in my molars,” she wrote. “But for kd, anything!” |  |

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1- WORK ETHIC: Zebra Coalition volunteers prep the new Zebra Coalition House for construction. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA MCHARG 2- PRESENTATION: During July, State Representative Scott Randolph became the first civilian to have a U.S. Flag flown in his honor at the Veterans Memorial at the GLBT Community Center. On July 31, his flag was retired and presented to him at a reception. PHOTO COURTESY OF OUT AND PROUD VETERANS OF ORLANDO

3- CHICKEN SPEECH: Protesters gathered outside of the Bumby/ Colonial location of Chick-fil-A on Aug. 3 to speak out against the company’s stated stance against marriage equality. PHOTO BY DAVID

MORAN

4- MUSIC HISTORY: Planned Parenthood volunteer Ida Vishkaee Eskamani talked about the organization’s services to music fans attending the Warped Tour, July 27 at Central Florida Fairgrounds.

PHOTO BY DANIELA GONZALEZ

5-TEAM EFFORT: Team MyOptics paused for a photo break partway through the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association World Series, which runs through Aug. 18 in Minneapolis. PHOTO COURTESY NORM GENTRY

6- EQUALITY REUNION: EQFL staffers (L to R) Michael Farmer, Joe Saunders and Mallory Wells reunite in Saunders’ Orlando campaign headquarters to do a final push for Saunders’ bid for Florida House District 49. PHOTO BY ALEX BARRI 7- POOLSIDE PARTY: Women gather poolside at a T-Dance held at Tropical Resort LGBT in Palm Bay. The gay and lesbian-focused resort just opened its doors June 17. PHOTO BY CHERYL CUOMO

8- BIRTHDAY BOY: Scott Dunkle (right) celebrated his birthday with friends at Hamburger Mary’s Wednesday night trivia, hosted by Doug Ba’aser. PHOTO BY JAMIE HYMAN

OVERHEARD A VENUE FOR BLUE

OCATED IN THE UP AND COMING IVANHOE VILLAGE, ENTERTAINER BLUE STARR will unveil her very own venue in September. Aptly named The Venue, it will be the of�icial home to babybluestar Productions, including VarieTEASE. Beginning in September, it will run a VarieTEASE-R for about three weeks and then a variety of shows in October. Starr says this will include the ladies of the Peek-a-Boo Lounge, boy-lesque, drag king shows, improv nights and even coffee house-esque nights. She hopes the space will offer something for the entire community such as rental space

for the arts community and other events. as a venue for weddings and fundraisers. “[The Venue] will also be a way for me to be able to perpetually raise money for The Barber Fund and other charities,” she adds. She says a portion of all ticket sales will go to a charity. “I am also trying to work with the venues that have supported me throughout my journey.” This would include partnering with local �lare like Tako Cheena or Savoy to offer patrons a full evening experience; dinner and/ or drinks and a show. “We need something fresh that will lend itself to the growth of Orlando and I really do believe [Ivanhoe Village] will become and Orlando staple,” she says. Earlier this month, it was

announced that The Venue will be a locale for performances as part of Orlando International Fringe Festival’s expansion into Ivanhoe Village for 2013.

SIN-FULLY SCANDALOUS

ATERMARK REPORTED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT A NEW LGBT NIGHTSPOT, SIN ORLANDO, was slated to open March 23 at the former MrSisters location. Since then, we learned that SIN began scouting other locales. In July, the club posted on its Facebook page, “we’re looking at a few warehouse spaces in the downtown area that we are considering.” Shortly after, a Facebook page going by the name

Off Limits Nightclub launched in July, listing its address as 5310 E. Colonial Drive, the address for the now defunct MrSisters and marketing itself as a straight/ hip-hop club. On July 23, a post read, “we have now gotten fully inspected and have passed all inspections. Now we are going to be preparing for our opening. Get Ready for the Hottest Nightclub to come around in a long time.” In that same time period, a website launched, of�limitsorlando.com, which simply offers the headline “Are you ready to experience another rerun of Mr Sisters?” Beneath that are links to articles pertaining to the owners of MrSisters, including a murder-forhire case that one of the owners

AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

was suspected in, bankruptcies, denied liquor licenses listing the current owners as the owners of the soon-to-be Off Limits Nightclub and ongoing litigations with the club owners. On Aug. 9, SIN posted, “updates will be coming shortly! We have been working behind the scenes to provide Orlando with the best club that has yet to come!” It was rumored that SIN could not open in the initially desired former MrSisters venue due to ongoing litigation against the clubs owners. A source close to the situation veri�ied that indeed litigation is currently underway and told us that part of the depositions, taken last month, entailed disclosing a number of accusations, including the murder-for-hire scandal. |  |

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ANOTHER YEAR: ASAP Executive director William Harper, pictured with Sheryl Hooslema, celebrates

Bánh Mi • Sandwiches • Vietnamese Iced Coffee Fresh Fruit Smoothies & Boba Tea • Vegetarian Dishes

his birthday Aug. 19.

CHANGE-OF-LIFE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations Tampa Bay’s Grahame Harte and Wendell Wilson enjoy another year together on Aug. 22. Altamonte Springs residents Sammy Goldstein and Bill Yahner celebrate their 20th anniversary on Aug. 26. Walt Disney World entertainment specialists John Bearse and Ray DeChiara mark 17 years together on Aug. 27.

Passing Longtime volunteer and supporter of Central Florida performing arts, Wallace “Wally” Harper, passed away in August. He was 73.

Local Birthdays Tony-winner Kenny Howard, former Watermark sales rep Jim Nixon and St. Petersburg interior designer and artist Scott Velez (Aug. 17); Tampa Bay performer and recording artist Macaviti, Sarasota orthodontist Michael Radall and handsome Orlando lawyer Paul SanGiovanni (Aug. 18); Lakeland American Idol Hollywood week singer Danny Pate, Tampa pastor Scott Manning, St. Pete ASAP Executive Director William Harper, Georgie’s Alibi bar maiden Duffy Iorio and Tampa economics specialist

and softballer LJ Sosa (Aug. 19); Clearwater bear Keith Schorr and Brandon restaurant executive Rob Roberts (Aug. 21); Largo mom and social worker Megan Szczepanik and Ryan Skipper’s father and LGBT activist Lynn Mulder (Aug. 22); Tampa Bay retailer and leather cub Charles Germaine and Orlando graphic artist Marcus Vale (Aug. 23); Sunnyland Slammer Shana Moshen, founder of Tampa’s The Taylor Company and PR god Scott Taylor and St. Petersburg actor and director Steven Flaa (Aug. 24); Come Out With Pride board member and OrlandoJobs.com sales manager Brad Partridge, Spring Hill psychologist David Chandler, St. Pete Twirling Project veteran Steven Caruso and Tampa bear and softballer Andrew Cohen (Aug. 25); Orlando’s Eddie Mora, Central Florida singer and actress Jill Wilson and Watermark writer and film critic Stephen Miller (Aug. 26); Chiropractor Jason McWhirter, Tampa’s shirtless softballer Scott Lenker and St. Pete Allstate superstar Carl Lovgren (Aug. 27); Orlando artist Keith Theriot, St. Petersburg and Gypsy Productions’ Darryl Epperly, St. Pete songstress-turned-student Lorna Bracewell, Clearwater bear and Bucs superfan Chris Miller and handsome Tampa Otters softball star and Verizon guy Jim Green (Aug. 28); Leather stud Randy Sullivan, Seminole painting expert Karen Santos, Studio@620 founder and friend to the arts Bob Devin Jones and Orlando artist and photographer Lee Vandergrift (Aug. 29).

Are you making a Transition? Having a birthday or anniversary? Did you get a new job or promotion? See your news in Watermark! Send your Transition to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com or go to WatermarkOnline.com/Submit-a-Transition - it’s that easy!

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DEAR TRUTH,

Child Leaver, If it is the responsibility of a single person to parent the children of their friends, I must have missed a memo. I don’t think the problem is a societal one, though. I think your friends are just sel�ish. The behavior you describe here is absolutely terrible, where they ignore their child doing harm to your things and then chastise you for trying to establish some boundaries. I’m tempted to wish you congratulations for extricating yourself from an awkward circumstance, but I’m guessing that’s not a very satisfying response. But here comes the Truth: Kate and Paula have inappropriate expectations regarding how much care you’re supposed to give to their child. Don’t allow them to put the blame on you for their shoddy parenting. Before they come over again, set very clear ground rules about what is acceptable in your home and what isn’t. You’re the godparent, and that’s an honor. But you’re not the parent. That’s their job and they are doing a poor job at it. While you’re at it and since they’re not sparing you their opinion, a well-timed lecture about drinking and driving—particularly with their child in tow—would seem appropriate right about now.

Dear T-Diddy, This is a sticky one, and an odd one to boot. So just to be clear, you feel sexual harassed because your boss is viewing straight porn on your computer? It’s super weird, yes. But I’m not sure it’s harassment. He’s not leaving it up on your computer for you to �ind; you’re only aware of it because of your ability to investigate his poorly hidden tracks. While I agree his behavior is creepy, I don’t quite see how it’s creating a hostile work environment for you. What, in my opinion, you should be more concerned with is the potential that you’ll get blamed for all the smutty searching. I think you could actually kill two birds with one stone here. I would schedule an urgent meeting with your boss and bring to his attention what you see transpiring on your computer. As your manager, it is important he ‘know.’ Don’t accuse him at all, but rather seek him out for his ‘advice’ on how to handle it. “Should I go to HR and report it? Should I work with the IT staff to �igure out when it is taking place?” Don’t give him any hint that you suspect him. Just let him know that you know. I’m guessing he’ll either �ind another terminal to do the dirty on, or he’ll just start searching porn from his home computer, like a normal person. That way, you’ll also go on record that it is not your doing before anything goes down. |  |

XACTLY WHEN DID IT BECOME A SINGLE PERSON’S RESPONSIBILITY TO PARENT OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN? I am a successful, single woman with a beautiful home in Longwood and no children. Five years ago, however, I agreed to be a godparent when my friends Kate and Paula had their son, Jake. Last weekend, Kate and Paula showed up unannounced with Jake, but without any food or toys. I ran out to get snacks and returned to total chaos. Jake had trashed my living room while Kate and Paula merrily drank beer out by the pool. When I raised my voice to Jake, they proceeded to berate me, saying “We don’t talk to our child that way,” and told me I should childproof my house! They scooped up Jake and left in an uproar. Now neither of them is speaking to me. Your thoughts? —No Child Left Behind

AM A 30-SOMETHING GAY MALE WHO HAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH MY BOSS, MR. HOLDEN. I suspect that he frequently views straight porn on my computer and he isn’t very adept at covering his tracks. Sometimes I suspect he actually wants me to know what he’s up to—I’ve found vast numbers of straight x-rated website titles that he apparently visits almost daily, either before I arrive or after I leave the of�ice. I think Mr. Holden’s behavior is extremely creepy. I almost feel like I’m being sexually harassed. I’d look for another position, but with the exception of the porn problem, I love my job and don’t want to lose it. I don’t know if I should confront him. Any advice? —Disgusted in Downtown Tampa

While I agree his behavior is creepy, I don’t quite see how it’s creating a hostile work environment for you.

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Head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

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AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

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employment offered Small Bi/Gay Company Needs B2B Sales Pro Support Plus (SW Orlando) - We are in search of an Intelligent, Organized, and Dynamic B2B Sales Professional with a proven sales record to setup qualified* sales appointments. We require not less than 5 appointments from the first week. Thereafter, not less than 10 appointments per week. Our historic closing rate on sales appointments is above 60%. We are not looking to train or achieve sales goals months down the road. Our candidate must have excellent phone etiquette, a great English speaking voice, excellent people skills and must enjoy talking on the phone. We want a sales pro who can very quickly get people to like them over the phone and ultimately set up qualified sales appointments. This position’s priority is qualified* appointment setting by developing list of qualified contacts and making outgoing cold business to business qualified* sales appointments for our sales staff. Use our CRM System (Create complete record of every prospective, new and existing client. Solicit new business, schedule appointments for sales team, track leads, and document all activities in data base). Other light duties include; scanning, filing, billing, answering phones, other general office duties and errands. We are a small (3 guy) professional company in south Orlando working out of our home office. We are masculine bisexual men and prefer working with masculine bi or gay males. This is a full time job 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday paid hourly with 1 hour for lunch. You will be reimbursed 20 cents per mile gas allowance for company related errands. Compensation: $10.00 per hour plus a $100.00 bonus for every qualified appointment you book that becomes a paying client. You must have dependable transportation, auto insurance, email address and cell phone. We perform an initial and ongoing background and drug testing on all employees. If you feel qualified for this position please email your current resume today ( tcb2k9@yahoo.com ) Thanks for checking out our posting...Looking forward to hearing from our new Sales Pro! 350.00 +35 hours @ $10.00. 600.00 + bonus (based on minimum requirement of 10 appointments weekly with estimated 60% closing rate) 6 @ $100.00. 950.00 + total weekly potential earnings. Qualified* will be discussed directly with qualified candidates...

Looking For IN-HOUSE Professional Dynamic Website Engineer (SW Orlando) - NOTE

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407-481-2243 • Deadline for classifieds is August 24, at 5:00pm. Visit WatermarkOnline.com for Brand New Listings Every Day!

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personal services MAN-TO-MAN - very friendly, masculine, good looking man with solid athletic body. Total relaxation & stress reduction. Rick 813-349-6789

VIZCAYA LUXURY CONDO Should there be a swimsuit competition for Realtors??

Sure that may seem silly but what is your criteria for selecting an agent to represent you with the most expensive asset you will probably ever own? Although my swimsuit days are over, my real estate career is still in full force. If you are thinking of buying selling or investing in real estate, think of me first. Stan Madray–Keller Williams Realty (407)928-7791 / www. StanMadray.com My commitment to you! •Communicate Effectively - Answer calls, respond to emails and keep you informed. •Be Knowledgeable - Know the market place, follow the trends and track the numbers. •Have Fun - It’s not just about the destination, It’s also about the journey. •Keep Integrity - Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. •Seek the Win-Win - Negotiate effectively to meet our needs and our objectives. Making real estate dreams come true! *BTW... If you do require your prospective agent to compete in talent, I will be twirling a fire baton to “Half-Breed” by Cher.

Lakefront 2 bedroom, 2 bath. Over 1800sf located in exclusive gated community, walking distance to Sandlake Road Restaurant Row. Relaxing lake views from all windows. Incredible opportunity! SHORT SALE priced to move at $279,000. Danny Veal, Realtor Coldwell Banker (407)496-2662 / www.DannyVeal.com

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Watermark does not knowingly print advertisements for sexual services. Beyond printed content, Watermark does not inquire into the nature of personal or professional services advertising. Payment for sexual services is illegal in the State of Florida, and respondents to classified advertising should govern themselves accordingly. As required by law (Florida Statute 480.0465), Licensed Massage Therapists include their license number in all advertising.

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10 out Olympians medal in London L

ONDON, ENGLAND | While literally hundreds of metals were earned by athletes from around the world during the XXX Olympiad earlier this month, 10 from four countries have the special recognition of being openly gay medal winners this year. The United States, Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands all have openly gay Olympians who brought an extra souvenir home after the worldwide sport spectacular. Gold medalists include Seimone Augustus, a member of the USA women’s basketball team; Carl Hester, Great Britain’s equestrian who, along with his two teammates, won Britain’s �irst-ever Team Dressage gold; Marilyn Agliotti, Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Kim Lammers and Maartje Paumen of the Netherlands women’s �ield

Staff Report

GOLD STANDARD: Out Olympian Seimone Augustus, pictured with USA women’s basketball teammates Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen, was one of 10 out athletes to medal at the London Games. hockey team; and Megan Rapinoe, of the USA women’s soccer team. Rapinoe had two big goals in the semi�inal match and team coach Pia Sundhage is also out as a lesbian. One out silver medalist �inished the London Games and that was Judith Arndt of Germany, who took second in women’s cycling. Arndt was the �irst out athlete to medal this year in the road race time trial. Out bronze medalists include

Edward Gal of the Netherlands Equestrian team, which placed in Team Dressage; and Lisa Raymond, a USA tennis doubles player who medaled with partner Mike Bryan on the court. This year’s Olympics had 23 out athletes participating. The 10 medals won by those athletes translate to 43% of out athletes walking away with Olympic hardware in 2012. |  |

John R. Dickson,

INNEAPOLIS, MINN. | A total of 14 teams from throughout the State of Florida traveled to Minneapolis this week to participate in the annual North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association Softball World Series Aug. 13-18. Of those 14, �ive are from Fort Lauderdale, �ive are from Orlando and four are from Tampa Bay. Among the 11 teams competing in the A-Division are the Fort Lauderdale Noize and the Orlando Force. Only one Florida team, the South Florida Metz, is competing in the B-Division, which totals 35 teams. Florida has its most entries in the 53-team C-Division. The Fort Lauderdale Alibi Angels and Mayem are joined by the Orlando Royalty, Orlando Fusion, Tampa Crocs and Tampa Venom. And in the crowded 48-team D-Division, the Tampa VooDoo, Tampa Eagles, Orlando Sliders, Orlando Myoptics and Fort Lauderdale Renegades are competing for the trophy. For tournament results, visit TwinCities2012Series. org or �ind NAGAAA on Facebook. |  |

sports

Staff Report

14 Florida teams battle for World Series titles

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A N D TA K E YO U R P E RS O N A L T R A I N I N G B U S I N ES S TO N E W H E I G H T S AT FLO R I DA FI T N ES S CO N C E P T S! V I S I T W W W. F L O R I D A F I T N E S S C O N C E P T S . C O M /N E W T R A I N E R

TO H I R E A N FFC T R A I N E R O R FO R M O R E I N FO, V I S I T

W W W. FLO R I DA FITN ESS CO N C E P TS .COM AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

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Partners Steve Kornell and Bobby Poth and partners Amanda Hildebran Smith and Nadine Smith, along with son Logan PHOTO COURTESY TODD RICHARDSON

Frank Clemente and Toby Anderson PHOTO COURTESY TODD RICHARDSON

Jacob Hamm and Chris Rudisill PHOTO COURTESY TODD RICHARDSON

Lisa Meyers and Amanda Edenfield Patanow PHOTO COURTESY TODD RICHARDSON

Peggy LaRosa and Pamela Scott

Rich Hughes and Doug Nederveld

Steven Barefield and Kyu Yamamoto

PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

PHOTO COURTESY DOUG NEVERVELD

PHOTO COURTESY TODD RICHARDSON

PHOTOGRAPHY

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AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

N AUG. 1, THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG ALLOWED UNMARRIED COUPLES to register as domestic partners. Here are a few of the couples who have registered since that ďż˝irst, historic day.

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AUGUST 16-29, 2012 // ISSUE 19.17

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