DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • SARASOTA • ISSUE 19.23 • NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM
YOUR LGBT LIFE.
MAJORITY
RULES Winners of the highly coveted WAVE-Awards inside! PLUS:
KEVIN BECKNER AMELIA EARHART secures second term
re-imagined
We created special edition covers! As we have for the past three years, we created featured two separate covers for our WAVE Awards issue, (an Orlando edition and a Tampa Bay edition) each featuring features winners from their areas.
DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • SARASOTA • ISSUE 19.23 • NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM
YOUR LGBT LIFE.
MAJORITY
RULES Winners of the highly coveted WAVE-Awards inside!
SAUNDERS heads to Tallahassee
PLUS:
AMELIA EARHART re-imagined
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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
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I am a partner, an editor, and a runner. And I am living with HIV. TM
TM
Oriol (left) has lived with HIV since 1992.
Get the facts. Get tested. Get involved. www.cdc.gov/ActAgainstAIDS NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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DEPARTMENTS 6 // MAIL 8 // ORLANDO NEWS 12 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 15 // SARASOTA 17 // NATION & WORLD 31 // EVENT PLANNER 33 // WAVE AWARDS 57 // TAMPA BAY OVERHEARD 59 // ORLANDO OVERHEARD 60 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 61 // TRANSITIONS 62 // ADVICE 63 // ORLANDO MARKETPLACE 68 // CLASSIFIEDS 69 // SPORTS
PAGE
20
I thought, ‘What if Margaret Mead and Amelia Earhart were lovers?’ It totally came out of the blue. —MARY WALKER BARON
ON THE COVER
Orlando Edition Tampa Bay (Back row, L-R) Edition Richard Harem, Chrysanthemum, Duane Hoyle, (Front row, L-R) Pat O’Rourke, Tony Edge, Jamie Hyman, David Dorman and George Wallace pose by Lake Eola in celebration of their respective WAVE Award wins. Photo by Lee Vandergrift
(L-R) Jay Aller, Amy DeMilo, Rev. Phyllis Hunt, DJ Iorio and Chuck Henson represent their various crafts in front of the downtown Tampa skyline. All five are winners of 2012 WAVE Awards. Photo by Nick Cardello
Preview
PAGE
MARRIAGE VICTORIES:
39
At press time, it appeared as though voters approved of marriage equality in the states of Maryland and Maine. Washington State was also leaning that way. For more national election news, see Page 39.
WATERMARK ISSUE 19.23 // NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012
ORLANDO NEWS
TAMPA BAY NEWS
PAGE Joe Saunders made history
PAGE Hillsborough County
WAVE AWARDS
GALLERY W
Read it online!
SCAN QR CODE FOR
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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
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in Orlando, becoming the second out politician to win a seat in Tallahassee; Several local race results appear to benefit LGBTs; Gina Duncan resigns from the MBA; more.
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Commissioner Kevin Beckner sailed to a comfortable victory in his re-election bid on election night while the Pinellas County Commission appears to be shifting democratic; St. Pete Pride invites the public to meet the new executive director; more.
PAGE We asked and our readers
33
spoke! The results from our annual WAVE Award ballots are inside, and reveal who won which categories in Orlando, Tampa Bay and Sarasota. Several of our winners share their secrets of success and why they feel the LGBT community supports them.
PAGE Each year Halloween brings
the most creative within 70 out our community, and we
always want to be there to catch it on camera. We highlight a few of our favorite costumes in Tampa and Orlando spotted at parties, clubs and private events.
T H E H O L I D AY S A R E H E A T I N G U P — P O S T Y O U R E V E N T S F O R F R E E A T W A T E R M A R K O N L I N E . C O M . NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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A W A R D
2012
For 6 Years-In-a-Row, You Have Voted
DAVID DORMAN
FAVORITE ORLANDO REALTOR
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GREAT GUIDE
W
ANTED TO THANK YOU for providing our community with your voters guide. It really is very helpful in guiding decisions! RALPH HUBER VIA E-MAIL
“We’re disappointed in your endorsement of President Obama; he flip-flops for a vote.” —PAULA SUMMERS
DISAPPOINTING ENDORSEMENT
I
’M A 48-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER MALETO-FEMALE, AND GAY. I live and work as a female 99% of the time. I’ve been transgender since I can remember. I do have a husband who is also gay and we both, more so me being transgender, have experienced discrimination, harassment, cat calls, etc. As have most LGBTs. This was mostly in the San Francisco Bay area, where I was born. We recently moved to Central Florida. I am not alone. Not by a long shot. We’re disappointed in your endorsement of President Obama. He �lip-�lops for a vote. He sure didn’t do
much since 2008 to the present, and if he wins, our equality will go—if we’re lucky—to the back burner. As important as LGBT equality is to us, don’t you agree our economy is the number one issue—along with jobs and honesty—to the American people? Your paper in�luences too many people who don’t think or research for themselves. PAULA SUMMERS APOPKA
GREAT ELECTION RELIEF
T
HANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INCLUDING THE INTERVIEW WITH WINNIE FROM THE KINSEY SICKS in your recent issue
It’s About Finding You A Place To Call Home. 321.293.2240 DavidDorman.com 8
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[Issue 19.22]. I admit I wasn’t familiar with the dragapella group before reading the article and I had the opportunity to see their show at the Tampa Theatre. Their crazy interpretations of popular songs to �it into an election-themed show had my wife and me laughing hysterically long after their �inal curtain call. It feels like this election has taken up every minute of our waking hours, and I can’t thank Watermark— or the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival—enough for bringing comic relief to a stressful, ongoing election cycle. ABBY SALVES TAMPA
editor’s
Steve Blanchard EDITOR
SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com
E
Desk
LATION. THAT’S THE EMOTION LGBTS
felt on election night when Ohio turned blue shortly after 11 p.m. on Nov. 6 and the major networks projected President Barack Obama had won his re-election campaign. It’s a moment in history where a majority of us will remember what we were doing and who we were with when we heard the news. In his �irst term, Obama made incredible strides toward LGBT equality, ranging from the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to signing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. Earlier this year, the president went a step further and became the �irst sitting president to endorse marriage equality. His challenger, former Governor Mitt Romney, made his stance on marriage equality clear very early on, signing a National Organization
WATERMARK STAFF
for Marriage pledge to support a federal constitutional amendment to de�ine marriage solely as a union between one man and one woman. His running mate, Paul Ryan, assured the American Family Association that he and Romney would do whatever they could to ensure that only opposite-sex couples could enjoy the rights bestowed upon them by federal marriage. When it became clear that voters re-elected Obama, LGBTs everywhere took a collective sigh of relief. We �inally knew the man working in the White House for the next four years would look out for
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our individual rights and for the rights of our families. Of course, the 2012 Presidential election was about more than marriage equality and LGBT rights. The economy, healthcare, the Afghanistan War and the natural disaster that was Hurricane Sandy were on the minds of voters across the country—and with good reason. The United States is a long way from perfect. We’re in the midst of a recovery and many citizens are still looking for work. But knowing that we have a leader who recognizes the importance of equality regarding all of the citizens of the country offers some comfort, and hope that now the gridlock in Washington can cease and real progress can �inally be made. Denying that an Obama victory is an LGBT victory is simply turning a blind eye to the facts. He’s done more for our rights than any president in the history of the United States. It’s easy to focus on the president’s win. But there are many other victories to celebrate across the country this week. Three of the four states that put marriage equality in the voters hands appeared to be leaning in our favor as of press time on election night. It’s a sign that a divided nation has �inally turned a cornerwhen it comes to LGBT rights. If the projections of election night hold true, then it would be the �irst time marriage equality measures handed to the people favor the LGBT community and that more states
realize that separate does not mean equal for their citizens. Locally, Joe Saunders made history by becoming only the second openly gay state representative to head to Tallahassee when he won the new District 49 in Orlando. In Hillsborough County, Kevin Beckner remained in his commission seat and the Pinellas County Commission secured three progressive-leaning representatives. On a national scale, openly gay Tammy Baldwin made history in Wisconsin. Six years ago, Ryan’s home state voted to ban marriage equality. Today, it boasts the nation’s �irst openly gay senator. As a journalist, it’s exciting to report on historical changes in the country. As a gay man, it’s thrilling to see progress made in such a profound and public way. Watermark has paid attention to the races across the state and the national races of speci�ic interest to the LGBT community. What’s interesting is this issue of the newsmagazine also contains the results of our WAVE Award ballots, which has its own In Depth section sharing our readers’ choices in a variety of categories. So the entire paper is essentially a report on election results. Politically, we’ve divided election results by region—Tampa Bayspeci�ic results are found within its own section as are Orlando-speci�ic results. We’ve also included national election results on our Nation and World page. And as always, we’ll offer continuous coverage online at WatermarkOnline.com. We have a lot to celebrate after this election, but we can’t take our victories for granted. Now we must hold our elected of�icials to their promises to attain true equality. | |
When it became clear that voters re-elected Obama, LGBTs everywhere took a collective sigh of relief.
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CONTRIBUTORS REV. PHYLLIS HUNT
is the senior pastor of Tampa Metropolitan Community Church and is an LGBT rights activist. She lives in Tampa with her partner. PAGE 19
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
is the owner of Cardello Photography and he lives and works in Tampa Bay. He is the official photographer for several area events and organizations. Cover
LEE VANDERGRIFT
is a graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design, majoring in Illustration with a minor in Photography. He lives in Orlando with his partner. Contact him at LeeVandergrift.com. Cover
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
Duncan leaves MBA post Jamie Hyman JAMIE@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
O
RLANDO | Gina Duncan, president of the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), has resigned. Duncan’s term was set to end Dec. 31, 2013, but her resignation will be effective on Dec. 1, 2012. “It has been a true honor to have served this organization on the Board and as its President over these last four years,” Duncan wrote in her resignation letter. “I believe I am leaving the MBA in great shape organizationally, and �inancially, with the ability to continue the support and development of our LGBT Business Community.” Duncan told Watermark she’s headed back into the mortgage banking �ield. She said she drew no salary for her work with the MBA. “I’ve been living off of my pension the last two years. All of my time at the MBA was volunteer,” she said. “That was the plan, though; I wanted to give back to my community and am still very committed to supporting the LGBT business community.” Duncan said it was time for her to get “back into the corporate world” and “the timing was just good to do it,” mentioning that the MBA’s leadership is strong enough to handle the transition. MBA vice president Mikael Audebert will step in as president on Dec. 2 to complete Duncan’s term. “We are sad to see Gina leave this organization,” said Audebert. “She has been instrumental in helping the chamber expand its membership, its programs and most importantly, built a base for its growth and future.” On Dec. 5 the MBA will elect �ive new board members. | |
EQFL Gala raises record amount Staff Report
ORLANDO | More than 300 �illed The Mezz on Nov. 2 for the 2012 Equality Florida Greater Orlando Gala. They were treated to news that the fundraiser cracked six �igures for the �irst time, eventually raising more than $120,000 for the respected statewide LGBT advocacy organization. A $25,000 matching grant from local benefactors Jim Blumenfeld and Chris Cooney provided the needed boost. Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith thanked attendees for their support, and listed recent accomplishments including stopping anti-gay legislation in Tallahassee and passage of Domestic Partner Registries locally. Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie received the “2012 Voice for Equality” award for her important behind-the-scenes work in obtaining a countywide DPR. Donning a tiara and sash, Haynie said the honor “means more to me than any award I’ve received.” “I’ve faced down people with guns at the recording of�ice, so this took very little courage,” Haynie recalled before paraphrasing actress Anne Hathaway. “I am not being brave… I’m being a decent human being.” | |
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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
HISTORICAL: Joe Saunders, pictured at a campaign event, will represent District 49 in Tallahassee.
Saunders and Stewart secure their seats Central Florida’s staunch LGBT supporters fared well on election night Staff report
A
t 10 p.m. on election night, just before a few key races were called, the mood at the Orange County Democrats’ election viewing party at the Embassy Suites was celebratory. “What a night!” said Orlando attorney and LGBT activist Mary Meeks. “Except for Val [Demmings, U.S. Representative candidate], everything seems to be going our way.” A few minutes later, it was of�icially called a win for Joe Saunders and Linda Stewart, candidates for State Representative. Saunders won the race for District 49, becoming Florida’s second openly gay state representative. (The �irst was David Richardson, who secured his Miami-area District 113 seat with a victory in the August primary.)
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
The stakes were high for the new District 49 seat, created as a result of population shifts and redistricting. The territory leans Democrat over Republican (41% to 30%) and covers a largely Hispanic area of east Orange County that also includes the huge UCF community. Republicans were concerned a Democrat win would be just enough to deprive Republicans of the super-majority that allows them to pass legislation almost at will, so Republicans infused more than a half million dollars into the race to tout their candidate, former UCF student body president Pena. As the former statewide �ield director for Equality Florida, Saunders is well-known to the LGBT community. He’s smart, articulate and effective, and played a major role in recent non-discrimination and DPR successes throughout the state. He’s also a UCF graduate. Saunders won a hard-fought
watermarkonline.com
Democratic primary with 65% of the vote. Linda Stewart fought to �ill the shoes of Scott Randolph, who was successful in his race for Orange County Tax Collector, a role Randolph stepped into when Democratic incumbent Earl K. Wood passed away on Oct. 15. Previously, Randolph had served as State House Representative for District 47, which had been redrawn to give Republicans a slight registration advantage over Democrats (39% to 38%). Stewart faced off against physician Bob Brooks. Back in 1996, the former state legislator appeared on the cover of Watermark after he sent a letter to Disney expressing disappointment when they extended health care bene�its to same-sex domestic partners. “[They are engaged in] a lifestyle that is unhealthy, unnatural and unworthy of special treatment,” Brooks wrote in 1996. Sixteen years later Brooks has distanced himself from the letter, but not by much. He says he no
Continued on page 10 | |
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orlando NEWS
| | Orlando Election
Results from pg.8
longer focuses on social issues and supports domestic partner registries: “My principles are the same, but my priorities have changed.” As an Orange County Commissioner and afterward, Stewart has been a champion for full LGBT equality and she earned an endorsement by Equality Florida. She played an in�luential role in passage of the county’s HRO and DPR, and now sits on the advisory board of the Harvey Milk Foundation. Other races of interest: Former Congressman and outspoken liberal Alan Grayson is headed back to Congress to represent central Florida’s District 9. Grayson defeated his Republican challenger, conservative radio host and Tea Party favorite Todd Long. Grayson was a freshman representative when he was soundly defeated two years ago. This time around, he had a huge fundraising advantage over Long, more than 44-to-1.
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 8 Bill Posey (R) 54% Shannon Roberts (D) 44%
STATE SENATE DIST. 29 Chris Dorworth (R) 50.1% Mike Clelland (D) 49.9%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 10 Daniel Webster (R) 50.23% Val Demings (D) 49.66%
STATE SENATE DIST. 42 Mike LaRosa (R) 51% Eileen Game (D) 49%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 9 Alan Grayson (D) 62% Todd Long (R) 38%
SERVING AGAIN: Linda Stewart will serve as the state representative for District 47. Grayson supports full marriage equality and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Here is a quick glimpse at some of the other Orange Countyspeci�ic elections: (As of press time on Nov. 6, 224 or 227 precincts were reporting) U.S. SENATE Bill Nelson (D) 63% Connie Mack (R) 35%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 5 Corrine Brown (D) 76% LeAnne Kolb (R) 21% U.S. HOUSE DIST. 7 John Mica (R) 56% Jason Kendall (D) 44%
STATE SENATE DIST. 8 Dorothy Hukill (R) 55% Frank Bruno (D) 45%
STATE SENATE DIST. 10 David Simmons (R) 56% Leo Cruz (D) 44%
STATE SENATE DIST. 12 Geraldine Thompson (D) 69% Fritz Seide (R) 31%
STATE SENATE DIST. 13 Andy Gardiner (R) 53% Christopher Pennington (D) 47% STATE SENATE DIST. 14 Darren Soto (D) 67% William McBride (R) 33% STATE SENATE DIST. 15 Kelli Stargel (R) 60% Stego Blue (D) 40%
STATE SENATE DIST. 30 Karen Castor Dentel (D) 53% Scott Plakon (R) 47%
STATE SENATE DIST. 43 Ricardo Rangel (D) 68% Art Otero (R) 32%
STATE SENATE DIST. 45 Randolph Bracy (D) 69% Ronney Oliveira (R) 31% STATE SENATE DIST. 47 Linda Stewart (D) 52% Bob Brooks (R) 48% STATE SENATE DIST. 49 Joe Saunders (D) 56% Marco Pena (R) 44% STATE SENATE DIST. 50 Tom Goodson (R) 54% Sean Ashby (D) 46%
ORANGE COUNTY COMM. DIST. 3 Pete Clarke (R) 50% Lui Damiani (NPA) 50% As of press time, Clarke had just 36 more votes than Damiami with 100% of the relevant precincts reporting. ORANGE CO. CLERK OF THE COURTS Lydia Gardner 95% Write-In 5% ORANGE CO. SHERIFF Jerry Demings (D) 62% John Tegg (R) 38%
TAX COLLECTOR Earl K. Wood / Scott Randolph (D) 56.5% Jim Huckeba (R) 43.5% SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS Bill Cowles (D) 68% Dan Fanelli (R) 32% SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 4 Vicky Bell 50.8% | |
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 7 Leticia “Letty” Marques 58% Joel Wilson 42%
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NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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bay tam E NEWS VOTI GUID NGpa
Board introduces Pride ED Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
NEWS
orlando
S
14
T. PETERSBURG | Area residents will �inally get a chance to meet the new executive director of St. Pete Pride. Eric Skains took over the role of executive director in September, and on Tuesday, Nov. 13, St. Pete Pride will hold an of�icial meet-and-greet event at The Queen’s Head at 2501 Central Avenue. For three years, Skains served as executive director of Pride Houston, and when the organization changed its format after last summer’s celebration, Skains began looking for other employment. It just so happened that former St. Pete Pride executive director Chris Rudisill stepped down last summer to accept a role with Metro Wellness and Community Center. The meet-and-greet event is from 5-7 p.m. and the popular restaurant will provide complimentary appetizers and happy-hour priced drinks during the event. The St. Pete Pride Board members will be attending along with Skains. When he spoke with Watermark in September, Skains said he wanted the community to get to know him and to understand that Pride is about much more than one large street festival one day a year. “The outside perception is that a Pride organization is a one-day event,” Skains said. “In reality it’s a year-round endeavor.” For more information, visit StPetePride.com. | |
Speedo Run moves to Ybor Dec. 9 Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
TWO-TERM COMMISSIONER: Kevin Beckner easily won a second term on the Hillsborough County Commission Nov. 6.
Beckner gets second term Pinellas Commission swings Democrat Steve Blanchard
EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
TAMPA | After two successful years in Gulfport, the Santa Speedo Run bene�itting AIDS Service Association of Pinellas will relocate to Ybor City on Dec. 9. Organizers hope the move will help the popular event raise more money in a more public area of Tampa Bay. Jay Aller, Resource Development Manager with ASAP and the run’s organizer said that he and his staff surveyed runners at last year’s run and learned that in order for it to continue growing, it needed to �ind a location that could host more people and provide better parking. Another bene�it of the new location is that the run begins and ends in the same location, meaning participants won’t have to walk back to a starting area to get to their vehicles. This year’s route begins at Centennial Park on 8th Avenue, proceeds down Palm Avenue to 13th Street and back. The run is a mile long. The 2012 run, the organization’s third, has some high expectations with its new location. It has set a goal of $50,000. Money raised bene�its ASAP’s Brighter Seasons for Children charity and it’s year-round food bank. The run begins at 2 p.m. with registration starting an hour earlier at 1 p.m. For more information or to register, visit SantaSpeedoRun.org. | |
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
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AMPA BAY | Election night created gains for the LGBT community on both sides of the bay Nov. 6, coming at a crucial time in politics where counties are considering domestic partnership registries to bene�it same-sex partners who are still unable to marry in the state. In Hillsborough County, out Commissioner Kevin Beckner easily won a second term, defeating his Republican challenger Margaret Iuculano with more than 55% of the vote. Meanwhile, anti-LGBT Republican Ronda Storms lost her bid for the property appraiser position when Bob Henriquez secured 52% of the vote. Storms, a former state senator, is remembered most locally for her decision while a Hillsborough County Commissioner to “ban” Gay Pride
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
in the county in 2005. Mark Nash failed in his attempt to become Hillsborough County’s second out commissioner, falling to incumbent Republican Al Higginbotham by a margin of 58%-37%. On the other side of the bay, Pinellas County saw gains on its county commission that could bode well for future domestic partnership plans in the county. Currently, the county’s major cities—St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Gulfport—all offer domestic partner registries. The county has yet to embrace the idea of such a registry. But that could change with the election. Two Pinellas County Commission incumbents lost their re-election bid while incumbent Ken Welch (D) held onto his District 7 seat with 70% of the vote. Charlie Justice doused Nancy Bostock after garnering 53% of the vote and Janet Long held back incumbent Republican
watermarkonline.com
Neil Brick�ield after capturing 55% of the vote. According to exit polling, many voters said the decision of Bostock and Long to remove �luoride from the county’s drinking water earlier this year under pressure from Tea Party activists. Here is a quick glimpse at some of the other Tampa Bay-speci�ic elections: PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF Bob Gualtieri (R): 59% Scott Swope (D): 40%
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: Deborah Clark (R): 76% Jack Killingsworth (D): 24%
PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSION DIST. 1 Janet Long (D): 55% Neil Brick�ield (R): 44% PINELLAS CO. COMM. DIST. 3 Charlie Justice (D): 52% Nancy Bostock (R): 48%
Continued on page 14 | |
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tampa bay NEWS
| | Tampa Bay Election
Results from pg.12
PINELLAS CO. COMM. DIST. 7 Ken Welch (D): 69% Buck Walz (R): 31% PINELLAS SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 1 Janet Clark: 65% Elliott Stem: 34% PINELLAS SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 7: Rene Flowers: 77% Glen Gilzean: 23%
U.S. SENATE: Bill Nelson (D): 59% Connie Mack (R): 37%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 12: Gus Bilirakis (R): 68% Jonathan Snow (D): 30% U.S. HOUSE DIST 13: Bill Young (R): 58% Jessica Ehrlich (D): 42% U.S. HOUSE DIST. 14: Kathy Castor (D): 85% EJ Otero Jr. (R): 15%
NEWLY ELECTED: Former state Rep. Charlie Justice won his bid to be a Pinellas County Commissioner. STATE SENATE DIST. 20: Jack Latvala (R): 58% Ashley RhodesCourter (D): 42%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 65: Carl Zimmerman (D): 53% Peter Nehr (R): 47%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 66: Larry Ahern (R): 53% Mary Louise Ambrose (D): 47% STATE HOUSE DIST. 67: Ed Hooper (R): 53% Ben Farrell (D): 47%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 68: Dwight Dudley (D): 50% Frank Farkas (R): 44%
HARD-FOUGHT: In a closely watched race, Bob Henriquez secured 52% of the vote to beat former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms in the race for Hillsborough County Property Appraiser STATE HOUSE DIST. 69: Kathleen Peters (R): 52% Josh Shulman (D): 48%
CITY OF DUNEDIN MAYOR Dave Eggers: 52% Bob Hackworth: 48% DUNEDIN C OMMISSIONER SEAT 3 Heather Gracy: 58% David Carson: 41%
LARGO CITY COMMISSION: SEAT 4 James Robinson: 59% Robert Hunsicker: 41%
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER: Bob Henriquez (D): 52% Ronda Storms (R): 43% COUNTY COMMISSION DIST. 4 Al Higginbotham (R): 58% Mark Nash (D): 37%
US HOUSE DIST. 24: Tom Lee (R): 54% Elizabeth Belcher (D): 46%
SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 7: Carol Kurdell: 57% Terry Kemple: 43%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 58: Daniel Raulerson (R): 58% Jose Vazquez (D): 43%
COUNTY COMMISSION DIST. 6 Kevin Beckner (D): 58% Margaret Iuculano (R): 42%
STATE SENATE DIST. 26: Bill Galvano (R): 57% Paula House (D): 42% STATE HOUSE DIST. 57: Jake Raburn (R): 59% Bruce Barnett (D): 41%
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: Craig Latimer (D): 56% Rich Glorioso (R): 44%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 59: Gail Gottlieb (D): 51% Ross Spano (R): 49%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 14: Kathy Castor (D): 68% EJ Otero Jr. (R): 32%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 63: Mark Danish (D): 51% Shawn Harrison (R) 49%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 12: Gus Bilirakis (R): 64% Jonathan Snow (D): 33%
U.S. HOUSE DIST. 17: Thomas Rooney (R): 57% William Bronson (D): 43%
STATE HOUSE DIST. 62: Janet Cruz (D): 69% Wesley Warren (R): 30%
||
Find even more election coverage at watermarkonline.com
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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
watermarkonline.com
Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
STATE SENATE, DIST. 74 Doug Holder (R): 61% Andrew Saltman (D): 39%
STATE ATTORNEY, DIST. 12 Ed Brodsky (R): 54% John Torraco (D): 46%
NORTH PORT COMMISSION SEAT 1 Cheryl Cook: 56% David Garofolo: 44%
STATE SENATE DIST. 16 Vern Buchanan (R): 53% Keith Fitzgerald (D): 48%
STATE SENATE, DIST. 71 Jim Boyd (R): 51% Adam Tebrugge (D): 49% STATE SENATE, DIST. 72 Ray Pilon (R): 54% Liz Alpert (D):46% STATE SENATE, DIST. 73 Greg Steube (R): 73% Doc McCann (NPA): 26%
CHARTER REVIEW BOARD DIST. 2 Donna Barcomb (R): 71% Alexandra Coe (LBT): 29% CHARTER REVIEW BOARD DIST. 5 John Fellin (R): 71% Kevin Connelly (NPA): 29%
NORTH PORT COMMISSION SEAT 3 Rhonda DiFranco: 52% Michael Treuburt: 47% HOSPITAL BOARD SEAT 1 Alex Miller (R): 50% Teresa Carafelli(D): 49% | |
Staff Report
S
ARASOTA | Sarasota residents began registering as domestic partners on election day, thanks to �inal approval on the ordinance from the City Commission during its Nov. 5 meeting. Registration began almost a month before it was originally scheduled. The City Commission unanimously adopted its Domestic Partnership Registry Program during its Oct. 15 meeting. That means residents who are in relationships but not married can register with the city as domestic partners. Those partners—both gay and straight—will be granted health care facility visitation, funeral and burial decisions, health care decisions, next-of-kin noti�ication and participation in children’s education between partners. On Nov. 5, the commission heard the process established to implement the program and partners began registering at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6. Commissioners wanted to move up the program because of its expected popularity. According to City Auditor and Clerk Pamela Nadalini, crowds were extensive enough to warrant a call for volunteers. Residents may register Mondays through Wednesdays at City Hall. Both partners must be present with a valid ID. There is a $35 charge to register. | |
sarasota
S
ARASOTA | Sarasota stayed mostly red on election night, and it elected two Republicans to its county commission. Christine Robinson took the District 3 seat of the Sarasota County Commission with 55% of the vote, handily defeating Democrat Jennifer Cohen. Charles Hines, who ran unopposed, easily sailed into the District 5 seat. On the Democratic side, voters elected Bill Nelson, a long-time incumbent back to the United States Senate with just over 50% of the vote, handing challenger Connie Mack a repeated defeat similar to those he saw throughout the state. On the national level, Sarasota County voted Mitt Romney for President, with nearly 55% of the vote.
According to Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent, nearly 75% of Sarasota County’s registered voters cast a ballot in the 2012 election. Here is a quick glimpse at some of the other Sarasota Countyspeci�ic elections:
Registry opens early
NEWS
Sarasota swings red on election night
Live Music|Open Late Brunch | Lunch | Dinner LOcatiOns taMpa | st pete | cLeaRWateR | saRasOta | ORLanDO | DeLRaY www.ceviche.com NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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state NEWS
Christian foster home accused of bullying
Coral Gables City Commission approves domestic partner ordinance
Staff report
Staff report
A former foster child of a religious school in South Florida claims that he was humiliated, harassed and exposed to “conversion therapy” while living in a foster home. A boy who came out to his foster parents said he was expelled from the Christian school, in which he had been enrolled by the shelter. He was forbidden to speak with his best friend, a young man shelter administrators erroneously believed also was gay. Staff tried repeatedly to “convert” him to heterosexuality. Other staffers “humiliated and harassed” the boy — and so did other foster kids who were housed with him. While administrators with Our Kids, a privately run foster care agency that oversees His House, found the teen’s story credible, the Department of Children & Families declined to look into the case—twice. After consulting with DCF’s civil rights division, DCF Inspector General Christopher Hirst wrote that the agency determined that “no violation of state or federal laws, rules or policies occurred” For more, visit WatermarkOnline.com | |
ORAL GABLES | City of Coral Gables LGBT employees will now have the same bene�its as everyone else. The Coral Gables City Commission unanimously passed a Domestic Partnership Ordinance on its second reading Oct. 31. The new ordinance will now treat live-in same-sex partners of city employees as spouses, giving them access to bene�its that, up until now, were only reserved for married, opposite-sex partners. The push for the ordinance began in April 2011, when Rene Tastet, Acting Major of the Coral Gables police department, was denied bereavement leave when her partner’s father died. Tastet
C
worked for the department for 22 years. SAVE Dade, the Fraternal Order of Police, the ACLU of Florida and Tastet �iled a grievance with the city manager’s of�ice, requesting the bereavement leave rule be amended to include “same-sex partners.” The city didn’t act on the request for a year, so Tastet went directly to the City Commissioners. “Although I knew I would not be �ired, my career and position as an Acting Major within the police department is important to me and I feared the unknown that even today many gay people still experience,” she said in a media release. “I will retire next year and feel good knowing that I made a difference for the next person and proud that the city I work for offers equal rights and
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watermarkonline.com
bene�its to all employees.” City commissioner Ralph Cabrera was an early supporter of the measure and said he’s “delighted” to see it approved. “I’m just sorry it took this long and was so dif�icult to have the professional administration accept it,” he said. “However, we have �inally done the right thing for our employees.” SAVE Dade Executive Director CJ Ortuño released a statement that said he hopes Coral Gables’ action “will motivate other cities across the state to pass LGBT inclusive policy to protect their employees and the community at large.” Coral Gables is now the eighth city in Miami-Dade County to approve domestic partner bene�its for city employees. | |
EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
W
ith a key win in Ohio, major news organizations declared before midnight on Election Day that Barack Obama had won a second term as President of the United States. Challenger Mitt Romney struggled to post a victory in several key battleground states, including Florida. Obama will apparently govern with the same legislative dynamic as during the previous two years: a signi�icant Republican majority in the House, and a slim Democratic majority in the Senate. But Democrats were buoyed by key Senate wins, including two strong progressives: Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, and Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, who became the �irst openly gay U.S. Senator in the nation’s history. And at Watermark’s press deadline, it appeared that voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington had approved same-sex marriage referendums, making a total of nine states with full marriage equality. In Minnesota, voters appeared to rebuff a same-sex marriage ban. Obama’s reelection was greeted with cheers and a sigh of relief by LGBT activists. Republican Mitt Romney is a staunch opponent of marriage equality, and the party platform called for preservation of the Defense of Marriage Act. President Obama successfully repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on open gay service in the military, and he instructed his administration to cease enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act and deportation of gay domestic partners. Just months before the election, Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage equality. Here’s a recap of signi�icant national election results:
LAVENDER CONGRESS
There are currently four openly gay members of the U.S. House. Barney Frank (D-Mass) is retiring,
and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) resigned to run for the U.S. Senate. But two incumbents won reelection amidst a record number of openly gay candidates running for Congress this year. Here are the results as of midnight on Election Day: • Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican former Gov. Tommy Thompson to become the �irst openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate. Baldwin, who is one of the most liberal members of Congress, replaces centrist Democrat Herb Kohl, won election as the �irst • Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline was reelected to a second term by a large margin. • Colorado Democrat Jared Polis easily won reelection to a third term. • Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney, a former Clinton advisor, was narrowly elected over �irst-term Republican Nan Hayworth in New York’s Hudson Valley. Hayworth has an openly gay son. • At press time, Democrat Mark Takano appeared to be on his way to becoming the �irst openly gay Asian American elected to the U. S. House in California. With 20% of precincts reporting, he had 54% of the vote. • At press time, and despite the fact that 97% of precincts had reported, Richard Tisei’s bid to become the �irst openly gay Republican member of Congress in Massachusetts was too close to call. • Democrat Kyrsten Sinema’s race to become the �irst openly bisexual member of Congress from Arizona was also too close to call, even with 80% of precincts reporting. • With less than half of precincts reporting, State Sen. Nicole Lefavour of Idaho was far behind her incumbent Republican opponent.
SAYING “YES” TO MARRIAGE
Four states had same-sex marriage ballot measures. Although some were too close to call by our midnight deadline on Election Day, it appears there could soon be as many
SAN DIEGO SCHOOL DISINVITES PRO-GAY MARRIAGE FELLOW
4 MORE YEARS: With the re-
election of President Barack Obama, LGBT activists cheered—and breathed a sigh of relief.
as nine states with full marriage equality: • Voters in Maine overruled a samesex marriage law passed by that state’s legislature in 2009. This year voters were being asked to overrule themselves. With just over half of precincts reporting, 54 percent had voted to legalize same-sex marriage. • Maryland voters were being asked via referendum to uphold a same-sex marriage law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor. With nine in ten votes tabulated, 52 percent voted in favor of same-sex marriage. It appears that pollsters’ concerns about socially conservative African-American voters was unfounded. • Minnesota’s ballot measure on same-sex marriage is confusing (“yes” means limiting marriage to a man and a woman), and was considered a toss-up in Michelle Bachmann’s home state. At press time, and with just under half of votes tabulated, 49% had voted “no” to the ban on same-sex marriage, and 46% had voted “yes.” • Like Maryland, Washington’s referendum asks voters to approve a law already passed and signed. With just over half of precincts reporting at our midnight press deadline, 52% had voted to approve same-sex marriage in the state, and 48% had voted against. With votes from Seattle tabulated late, it looks promising that Washington will be added to the six states and District of Columbia with full marriage equality. | |
Tina Beattie, a British theologian who has expressed support for gay marriage, said the University of San Diego has withdrawn a fellowship because of her views. University President Mary Lyons that said the invitation from the Catholic school was being pulled because Beattie signed a letter in The Times of London newspaper that said it was ``perfectly proper for Catholics, using fully informed consciences, to support the legal extension of civil marriage to same-sex couples.’’
SUPREME COURT SETS DATE TO DECIDE FATE OF PROP. 8 The U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 29 announced that it will consider whether to grant review of the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8 at its private conference scheduled for Tuesday, November 20. The Court will either grant review, with a final decision on Prop. 8 and marriage equality expected by June 2013; or deny review, making permanent the ruling that found Prop 8 unconstitutional and restoring marriage equality in California.
nation+world
Two security guards at the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica, were released from duty Nov. 2 as police investigate accusations that they assaulted a student believed to be gay. A video shows the student being slapped, punched and kicked by one guard as he tries to shield himself from the blows while another guard holds him. The student apparently was found in a sexually compromising position with another student.
Baldwin Elected to Senate, Referendums Bring Good News Tom Dyer
2 GUARDS IN JAMAICA ACCUSED OF BEATING GAY STUDENT
NEWS
Obama Wins Four More Years
IN OTHER NEWS
BRAD PITT DONATES $100K FOR GAY MARRIAGE EFFORT The Human Rights Campaign announced Oct. 31 that Brad Pitt agreed to match contributions from the group’s members up to $100,000 to raise money for its efforts to support same-sex marriage initiatives in Maryland, Maine, Minnesota and Washington state. In an e-mail to HRC members, Pitt wrote that it was ``unbelievable’’ that people’s relationships would be put to a vote on Election Day.
TRIAL BEGINS IN IOWA OVER DEATH CERTIFICATE Opening arguments in the lawsuit of a same-sex couple suing Iowa state health officials for omitting the name of one parent on a death certificate for their stillborn child were held Oct. 26 in Polk County Court. The gay rights group Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit in February on behalf of Jenny and Jessica Buntemeyer after the state health department refused to issue a certificate that included Jenny Buntemeyer’s name.
MISSOURI SCHOOL OFFERS GENDER-NEUTRAL HOUSING About 35 students are participating in a new gender-neutral housing initiative at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. The university began offering the housing plan this fall after a request from some transgender students but it is open to all students. The policy allows male and female students to choose to live together and gives transgender students more flexibility in where they could live.
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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blessings ABUNDANT
A controversial journey to Thanksgiving
Rev. Phyllis Hunt PASTOR@MCCTAMPA.COM
T
HE PRESIDENTIAL
election all but demands us to look at our lives and our country.
It begs us to look at where we have been �inancially, emotionally, civically and militarily; and how we are today in these varied aspect of our lives. Both candidates offered their best persuasion that, if elected, “we” will be in a better place if we just elect one over the other—and a worse place if we don’t. Opinions both for and against each of these men is not dif�icult to �ind. As this election wraps up, our national Thanksgiving holiday sits on the horizon along with our joys and concerns of the next four years. Although our historical journey to Thanksgiving Day is embedded with controversy, no one can deny the opportunity this holiday offers us as individuals and citizens. If you stop and think about your life, there is so much to be thankful for. Just living in this country can take us down a path of deep gratitude. We have many freedoms to which most of us have become so accustomed that we do not even notice them. For example, freedom of speech, to legal counsel and to religious expression, are some we take for granted daily, if not weekly. I sit with people every week who share painful stories of rejection, painful pasts, heartbreak, sickness, work changes, �inancial fears and debilitating illness. Taking time in the midst of dif�icult, challenging and often painful circumstances is usually far from people’s minds. It is so easy to give more attention and more energy to what is not working in our lives than what is working. Last month, Hurricane Sandy approached and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses as we watched. News teams tracked and
reported the storm’s path as well as the preemptive efforts people employed to minimize the possible damage. And as the storm made landfall, news channels brought us glimpses of the fury as this storm tore through the cities and towns. The moment it was safe for the news team to venture outside, the magnitude of damage was the featured story on most networks. With many of these reports come human stories of people’s lives. This storm has impacted and forever changed lives of all ethnicities, orientations and religions. I lost count of the number of stories where those interviewed said, “We lost our car and our home, but we are all safe. The rest is stuff and we will rebuild.” Even in their deepest experiences of loss, they are �inding a deep sense of gratitude. However, that is not to say that deep grief is eliminated because of that gratitude. Grief will be a companion in the process of this recovery as many items are lost forever, never to be recovered or rebuilt. But even so, their sense of gratitude is palpable. I cannot escape the reality that with a perfect storm hitting Tampa Bay, the stories of Sandy could just as easily be our story. Maybe your Thanksgiving could be an opportunity to rededicate yourself to the relationships that really matter as you think about your blessings. John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to do some introspection on your life. No matter your circumstances, ask yourself: What are you thankful for and how will you live your gratitude day in and day out? After all, living from a place of gratitude will not just bless others, it will bless you. You will more than likely notice the gifts of life in a way you may have missed if gratitude and thankfulness were not inviting your attention. As we come together following a long and contentious election battle paired with one of the worst natural disasters in our nation’s history, may this holiday of Thanksgiving be the beginning of a new season of gratitude. May we include in our Thanksgiving celebration a prayer for the hearts and lives impacted by life’s storms. And as you express your gratitude, may you never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Abundant blessings and Happy Thanksgiving. | |
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May this holiday of Thanksgiving be the beginning of a new season of gratitude.
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perspective
PUBLISHER’S
Consequences— intended and otherwise
Tom Dyer TOM@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
T
WO WEEKS AGO I WAS ON
vacation, happily nested in a studio apartment in the East Village. I was vaguely aware of hurricane warnings, but the idea that they could impact me… in New York City… in late October… seemed preposterous.
As a jaded Floridian, I assumed the projected path would bounce around like a boiling spaghetti noodle before making landfall… if ever. I ignored granite-jawed Jim Cantore as his pronouncements from nearby Battery Park on The Weather Channel grew ever more hyperbolic. But by Saturday night there was clear evidence that my time off had been commandeered by dark and powerful forces. I’d obtained tickets for The Book of Mormon from an online broker. As my friend, Mike, and I excitedly got dressed for the hit show he asked about the location of the theater. I looked closely at the tickets—for the �irst time—and they listed a Hollywood Blvd. address. I’d purchased seats for the Los Angeles touring production. They weren’t cheap. Feeling like I’d been punched in the gut, I slumped down on the couch. On television, the Gators fumbled away a game to the hated Georgia Bulldogs. And on an embedded screen in the upper corner, Mayor Bloomberg held a press conference to announce the closing of mass
transit in anticipation of �looding and power outages. All of a sudden, I was in a very different New York state of mind. On Sunday morning we were awakened by a call from Mike’s airline notifying him that his Monday �light had been cancelled. When we turned on the TV Mayor Bloomberg was back, this time ordering low-lying areas just blocks from us to evacuate. I called my always-calm mother to tell her we would have to ride out the storm, and she suggested we rent a car and drive home. Two hours later Mike and I were at an Alamo car rental on 42nd Street, then heading through the soonto-close Holland Tunnel toward I-95. We caught up with Hurricane Sandy’s outer bands in southern New Jersey. They remained as we drove through Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. With 16 hours to kill Mike and I talked about the election, but blue, red and swing states were indistinguishable in the wind and rain. At home on Monday, I couldn’t resist turning on The Weather Channel and NY1 to watch Sandy’s arrival and devastating impact. Just two nights earlier, Mike and I had eaten pizza and watched a parade of costumed Halloween partiers in the East Village. The same vibrant streets were now underwater, in tragic darkness. Our decision to leave the city was the right one. Eavesdropping from sunny Florida felt surreal. With elections just a week away, one hurricane news story stood out. Due to global warming, climatologists are forecasting more punishing storms along the nation’s northeast shore. Scientists and engineers have proposed building a system of barriers like those in New Orleans and the Netherlands to protect population centers like New York City. It’s a huge project requiring further study. It would cost more than $15 billion, but the bene�its would be enormous. Estimates of total damage caused by Sandy are upwards of $75 billion. And here’s the footnote that got my attention: in addition to treasured lives, the combined cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq exceeds $1 trillion. Make no mistake about it: the people we elect make decisions that have an enormous impact on our lives. At a recent Orlando appearance, feminist icon Gloria Steinem shared a more microscopic example of the
chain-of-events that can result from a single election and a few votes. In 1982, Missouri Democrat Harriet Woods was favored to win a U.S. Senate race before a late infusion of cash pushed incumbent Republican John Danforth to victory by just 25,000 votes. The election could have gone either way, but because Danforth won he was able to sponsor his former legislative aid, Clarence Thomas, for appointment as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. At EEOC Thomas caught the attention of President George H.W.
Bush, who nominated him to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a justice, Thomas voted with the 5-4 majority that placed George W. Bush in the White House instead of Al Gore. The consequences, including the two aforementioned wars, are almost too profound to fathom. It’s midnight on election night, and right now it appears that President Barack Obama has been reelected to a second term. Right or wrong, the outcome is meaningful in ways we will never fully comprehend. | |
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TALKING POINTS
I wanted very badly to be a writer and filmmaker...
and it felt like my dreams were foreclosed simply because my gender was less typical than others.
165
—LANA WACHOWSKI, ACCEPTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN’S VISIBILITY AWARD
$
BRAZIL HOSTS ITS FIRST
‘TRANSSEXUAL
MARYLAND PRIEST PAGEANT’ BUCKS THE VATICAN R BILLION J will be spent on tourism globally by LGBTs by the end of the year
FRANCE
is predicted to be the number one tourist destination for LGBT travelers in 2013 —According to Out Now, an LGBT marketing organization
UST DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION, A MARYLAND PRIEST BUCKED THE VATICAN by telling his parishioners that he sees a future in which the Roman Catholic Church could recognize “the total, exclusive and permanent union of gay and lesbian couples as part of the sacrament of matrimony.” Rev. Richard T. Lawrence shared his personal thoughts after reading an archbishop’s letter encouraging parishioners to vote against marriage equality in the state. Lawrence, who has a history of �ighting for civil equality, asked his �lock, “Could not civil law be allowed to progress where church law cannot go, at least not yet? Personally I believe it can and that it should.” | |
OOHS AND OZ
H
OW I MET YOUR MOTHER STAR NEIL PATRICK HARRIS AND HIS PARTNER, DAVID BURTKA, celebrated Halloween in Wizard of Oz style this year. The pair dressed as the Tin Man and Scarecrow, respectively, and put their adorable two-year-old twins Gideon and
Harper in Dorothy and Cowardly Lion garb. Of course, their tweeted family photo went viral due to it’s adorable awesomeness. The couple can now say they traditionally dress the family in a theme. Last year the four went with a Peter Pan theme, with Harris as Captain Hook, Burtka as Peter Pan and the twins as Smee and Tinkerbell. | |
PEOPLE ARE TALKING AT WATERMARKONLINE.COM ON WATERMARK’S 2012 GENERAL ELECTION VOTING GUIDE: “Thank you for putting this together - it’s a fantastic resource.” —BILL JANSSEN
back in the early 90s - glad ON WATERMARK’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW she hasn’t gone away!” WITH ELVIRA: —JACOB “I love Cassandra Peterson! She was a Groundling back in the 70s where she created the basis for Elvira. Can you believe she’s 61?! She looks amazing. I remember being all around
ON DR. BARRY RODWICK’S RESIGNATION FROM HIS HIV/AIDS SPECIALIZED PRACTICE: “Rodwick left my partner on chemo with no Rx, with
IO DE JANEIRO PLAYED HOST TO THE FIRST TRANSSEXUAL BEAUTY CONTEST IN BRAZIL LAST MONTH. The pageant was held by the Association of Transsexuals and Transvestites, which hopes to show that transgender and transsexual people can choose their own profession regardless of gender stereotypes or prejudices. During the �ive-day competition, contestants went to lectures on human rights and sexual diversity and competed in a range
of categories, including evening and swimwear. The winner, Marcelo Ohio, went on to compete in the Miss International Queen pageant held in Thailand the week of Nov. 2. | |
WATERMARKONLINE.COM POLL
WHAT IS YOUR VOTING METHOD OF CHOICE?
Early voting.
I can still get my “I VOTED” sticker but don’t have to deal with Election Day crowds.
13% Absentee ballot.
I can vote from the comfort of my sofa!
no attending physician to administer the chemo. It took weeks to get the last treatment due to the fact that there was no documentation for an RX in the medical charts and now has to start chemo again. This is medical negligence and will be pursued.”
12% I don’t vote. 6% I go on Nov. 6.
I love the rush I get from participating in democracy on the traditional Election Day.
—KEVIN RUCKER NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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watermarkonline.com
WHAT
if... ART RTSS &
ENTERTAINMENT
Amelia Earhart intentionally disappeared in order to live life with a woman?
The novel But This is Different re-imagines history to tell an intriguing tale.
E
Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
VER SINCE SHE DISAPPEARED OVER
the Paci�ic in 1937, Amelia Earhart has been a mystery to historians and aviation fans. It’s widely believed that her Lockhead Electra crashed somewhere over the open waters. But what if she crashed intentionally so she could live out her life with a female partner? That’s the scenario imagined by author Mary Walker Baron in her book But This is Different (Steel Cut Press $14.99), which begins at the dawn of 1979 and follows a much older Amelia who has resided on a
secluded Paci�ic island for 40 years awaiting the arrival of her true love. Surprisingly, Walker Baron hasn’t always been an Amelia Earhart fan. But the idea of the iconic pioneer in the women’s movement as a lesbian
Mary Walker Baron’s book weaves history and fiction to explain Earhart’s disappearance.
living out her life in seclusion was a story she always wanted to tell. “I think she certainly occupies a place in everyone’s imagination, and for some reason people just can’t seem to let her go,” Walker Baron
says. “Something about her captivates our imagination. So many people have disappeared at sea, but we collectively can’t let this woman go.” While on the surface, the story may sound like a “lesbian love story,” it is so much more. The plot brings an 80-year-old Earhart back to New York, where she must �ind her ailing love, who is well-known and quite powerful in her �ield. (Spoiler alert: her long-lost love is Margaret Mead). Crafting a �ictionalized account of a historical �igure or event is a popular trend in literature and in Hollywood. Take, for example, the blockbuster Titanic, which weaves a
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
Continued on page 28 | |
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Discover The Art... Discover The Downtown...
Discover The DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts November 17th & 18th In Downtown DeLand Come and experience one of Florida’s largest and best outdoor Art Festivals. Set in beautiful, historic downtown DeLand, this festival features fine arts and crafts from over 180 of the nations finest artists. Enjoy live entertainment, Youth art exhibits and great food.
Steve Howell is our 2012 featured artist. Working from his studio in Gainesville, Florida, he creates Majolica Ware, Saggar Fired Vessels and Sculpture. His work has been recognized with multiple awards and is included in numerous Museum and private collections.
Special Thanks to our
Event Sponsor Presenting Partners; MainStreet DeLand Association, Museum of Florida Art and Sands Theater Center Funding and Support Services Provided in Part by; The City of DeLand and The Cultural Council of Volusia County
Located Between Daytona & Orlando From I-4, Exit at S.R. 44 West • More Information Visit DeLandFallFestival.com 28
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Denzel Washington in Flight.
Screened Out MOVIE REVIEWS
Searching for Some Change Wreck-It Ralph Voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane lynch, Jack McBrayer
O
NE CAN CERTAINLY SEE THAT
Pixar whiz John Lassiter has taken over all of Disney’s animation. This computer-animated �lick—directed by Simpsons and Futurama alum Rich Moore— has love and detail all over it.
Stephen Miller
STEPHEN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
It also has a nifty sense of nostalgia, a great visual palette and awesome plot twists. Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly) is the villain in a video game most likely built by the same people who made Mario Bros. Ralph uses his huge, ham hock �ists to punch down buildings, and Fit-It Felix (McBrayer) and his magic hammer �ixes them. When Ralph grows tired of being the villain, he escapes, searching for heroics in other games in the arcade. First, he visits badass Lynch and her sci-�i military game, and then he
Flight
Cloud Atlas
Starring Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle
Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgiss, Hugo Weaving, Doona Bae
W
FINDING GOOD: Wreck-It Ralph is tired of being the bad guy in this Disney crowd-pleaser.
visits Silverman in her Candyland cart racing game, always trying to change his lot in life. The several video game settings allow for some cool and varied art direction. Also, throughout, we get to see other classic video game characters—Pac Man, Dig Dug and Q-Bert. Neatly buried—so kids cannot sense it—is a more complex message about changing your lot in life. Are you trapped by your past? Is it always bad to be the bad guy if that’s what’s really needed? When should you go against the status quo? Pixar, and now Disney, has somehow made kids �ilms with some surprising emotional punch for adults. Good job, Wreck-It Ralph! | |
One of Tom Hanks’ many characters in Cloud Atlas.
C
ELL, HERE’S ONE FILM LOUD ATLAS IS AMAZINGLY THEY WON’T BE SHOWING AMBITIOUS. IT’S ALSO ON THE IN-FLIGHT MOVIE! FRUSTRATING. It seems an epic Yes, it contains some harrowing, �ilmed on a dare, missing many chances well-�ilmed action sequences with a at insight. That’s sad. Movie buffs will faulty plane in a stormy sky. (There’s want to see the astounding art, but the no doubt director Robert Zemeckis �ilm never totally emotionally engages. is behind the camera.) It also has a The grandiose, $200 million �lick couple great comic bits and able-bodied presupposes reincarnation. The same Washington at the helm. 20-some actors meet each other in Washington plays a gifted pilot, six stories throughout history, past, despite his all-consuming present, and future. Their alcohol and drug habits. When characters experience a �light from Orlando to Atlanta RATINGS GUIDE roughly the same themes goes awry, our hot dog �lier pulls of suppression, violence, some daring moves, saving many emancipation and love. lives. At the time, he was drunk The metaphor is that Overflowing and coked up—so was he really their souls are like clouds, with glittery the savior or, quite possibly, the forever changing, blending fabulousness cause of the accident? —sometimes they are the Sadly, that question of villains, sometimes the heroes. Pretty damn culpability is never really One can certainly good, but it’s no fully explored. Instead we understand why daring Sunset Boulevard get spiraling scenes of him �ilmmakers and A-list actors connecting with druggie friend found the challenge intriguing. An entertaining Goodman and talking to airline However, this three-hour enough flick wonks Cheadle and Greenwood. eye-popper is also seriously with perhaps In the hospital, Washington disjointed, damaged by a few holes meets Reilly, a delicate, the �ilmmakers’ hacked-up recovering heroin addict. At script. The visionaries—the Ever so slightly this very moment, we get the Wachowski brothers (the watchable, just sinking feeling that this �ilm is makers of the Matrix trilogy) for that hot actor quickly going south, landing in and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola emotional goo. Run)—offer way more Washington’s skillful turn style than substance. Their Two hours of your life you’ll at addictive histrionics doesn’t makeup and art direction never get back quite crash the endeavor. But are amazing, but the editing Flight remains a well-made, is choppy and frustrating, well-acted Lifetime �ilm about selfrobbing all six stories of arc and drive. destruction. (Did we really need another The performances can seem gimmicky. one?) A little post-�ilm re�lection will tell Connecting the dots with over 20 actors you there’s nothing new here. The script in multiple roles gave me a headache. has some serious holes and some major As a side note, Larry Wachowski now implausible moments—particularly goes by Lana. I would love to ask Lana at the end. Our 12-step friends may what she feels about reincarnation and love Flight, but the rest of us can �ind rebirth. There may be a more direct, better ways to �ly. | | heartfelt story there. | |
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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Readers should go beyond the women’s orientations and hopefully see this story as making
| | But This is Different from pg.25
�ictional story among a historically accurate account of the megaship’s sinking. But This is Different is similar in that it details historical facts while spinning a very plausible tale. “I literally had the idea when I was stuck in traf�ic,” Baron Walker says. “I thought, ‘What if Margaret Mead and Amelia Earhart were lovers?’ It totally came out of the blue.” The author says she sat on the idea for about 10 years before she �inally sat down at the keyboard. There, she found that history made room for her version of events. She had to change the premise slightly, and the tale soon followed Earhart’s journey to New York City, where she is summoned by a dying Mead requesting her presence at her death bed. “To keep history intact, I had to bring Amelia out of the Paci�ic and I realized that explaining fax machines, compuserve and a modern 1970s New York City to Amelia Earhart would make a very fascinating story.”
a powerful point about the depth of relationships —MARY WALKER BARON and the depth of commitment. A DIFFICULT JOURNEY
The historical accuracy in the book is incredible, and Walker Baron said that any resources she used were dated from the 1970s. For example, when describing Earhart’s frustrating and confusing experience with the city’s subway system, Walker Baron referenced a 1978 map of the routes that existed at the time. “We all �ind ourselves in situations that are so foreign to ourselves and we have to �igure out how to navigate those systems,” Walker Baron said. “So the complication for me was that while Amelia had been to New York before, the city she knew was a completely different New York than what she experiences late in life. This version doesn’t have ticker-tape parades for her. “This New York if familiar, yet
unfamiliar. Her experience in the city was as a 30-something, iconic woman. Her return is as an 80-yearold woman who is disoriented and searching for landmarks that no longer exist.” Along the way, Earhart meets a cast of supporting characters, from a homeless Vietnam veteran who heads up a rag-tag band and prominent of�icials of the city who see the aviatrix as crazy and homeless, to a nurse who is responsible for Earhart’s care in a mental facility later on in the book. “I didn’t want to make life easy for her,” Baron Walker admits. “If I had, it wouldn’t have been as good of a story.”
SEXUAL ORIENTATION AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT
Dealing with a historical �igure can be tricky, especially when
Raymond James Pops
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Experience the drama, excitement and thrill of fabulous film favorites performed live from both silver screen classics and more recent blockbusters...Casablanca, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Harry Potter and more. Jeff Tyzik conducts.
MORE INFORMATION WHAT: But This Is Different WHO: Mary Walker Baron WHERE: Amazon.com, Nook and Kindle WEB: ButThisIsDifferent.com
CraftArt Festival · November 17 & 18, 2012 10am-5pm
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an author re-imagines his or her sexual orientation. But for Walker Baron, visualizing Earhart as a lesbian was not dif�icult, nor central to the story of But This is Different. “In all honesty, I wasn’t trying to get an particular action from people,” Walker Baron says. “I was just telling a story. One reader told me that she had dif�iculty imagining Amelia Earhart as a lesbian. I reminded her that I made that up. I have no idea what her true sexual orientation was, and I don’t think it matters. Readers should go beyond the women’s orientations and hopefully see this story as making a powerful point about the depth of relationships and the depth of commitment.” Mead’s real-life daughter read Walker Baron’s book, and she not only told the author she enjoyed the tale, but that she wished her
luck with the success of the book. The tale within its pages is dif�icult to describe, Walker Baron admits. But This is Different could be a mystery, a conspiracy story, an adventure or a love story. “Truly, it’s a human story,” she says. “It speaks to the human condition and it’s so much more than a same-sex love story and it’s more than historical �iction.” It speaks to how people love, Walker Baron says, and how people in general love while maintaining their integrity. “People need to know that there is integrity and that we make promises that we can’t always keep and we have to realize how that affects people,” Walker Baron says. “We have to embrace life wherever our circumstance �inds us. And that’s my story of Amelia Earhart.” | |
Featuring the nation’s finest, newest and most exciting American craft artists Artists demonstrations, interactive activities, delicious food truck fare and the best in locally crafted beers.
Fri, Nov 23, 8 pm FOR THE
PERFORMING ARTS
Florida Craftsmen A statewide non-profit organization for fine craft art
Sat, Nov 24, 8 pm PROGRESS ENERGY CENTER MAHAFFEY THEATER
FOR THE
ARTS
Visit www.floridacraftsmen.net for more information.
Sun, Nov 25, 7:30 pm RUTH ECKERD HALL
Kristin Holeman
STRAZ CENTER
Sponsored by:
Tickets $15, $30 & $45
727.892.3337 or www.FloridaOrchestra.org 30
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west coast chapter
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Largo BUDDIES OF
ANNOUNCE IT. RENT IT. SELL IT. POST IT.
17 Years of Entertaining the Gay Community
Thank You for Voting Us #1 Two Years in a Row VIDEOS, NOVELTIES, MAGAZINES SHOOTING STARS CINEMA & PRIVATE VIEWING BOOTHS 13801 66TH ST. N. LARGO, FL 33771
watermark
727.539.7979
classifieds
NOV. 17 25 YEARS
Tickets: 813.229.STAR (7827) • STRAZCENTER.ORG
Outside Tampa Bay: 800.955.1045
Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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DEC. 4-9 25 YEARS
32
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Tickets: 813.229.STAR (7827) • STRAZCENTER.ORG Outside Tampa Bay: 800.955.1045 Group Services (10+ get a discount): 813.222.1018 or 1016
Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.
INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.
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ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT EVENT PLANNER QUICK PICKS Orlando
K
Love! Valor Compassion!
NOV. 8-25 The Pointe Performing Arts Center 407-374-3587 PointeArts.org
Venice
The Vagina Monologues NOV. 8-25 Venice Theatre 941-488-1115 VeniceStage.com
St. Petersburg Fall Costume Party/Dance NOV. 10 Gulfport Casino SPHF.org
Leather N Fetish Pride Nov. 9-11 Flamingo Resort FlamingoFla.com
Largo
Legally Blonde: The Musical THROUGH NOV. 18 8 O’Clock Theatre 727- 587-6793 EightOclockTheatre.com
For more events or to submit your upcoming show, concert or performance, visit
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KOOZA L
OOZA TELLS THE STORY OF THE
Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world, and is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil by combining two circus traditions—acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The touring production lands at Tropicana Field on Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 9. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor. The Innocent’s journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog. Cirque du Soleil is famous for
MELBOURNE, CLEARWATER, DAYTONA BEACH Leann Rimes
EANN RIMES HAS BEEN MAKING MUSIC FOR MOST OF HER LIFE, but she’s no longer that young, country phenom with the big voice. Rimes is now 30 years old, married to handsome actor Eddie Cibrian and touring to promote her new album, Spit�ire, to be released just in time for the holidays. Rimes rose to fame at 18 when she wowed country fans with “Blue” and other country hits. Recently, she has made the rounds on television, appearing on Katie Couric’s new show Katie, and
ST. PETERSBURG
posing with her husband for the third anniversary of the NO H8 Campaign, supporting marriage equality and antibullying initiatives. Rimes is more raw, professional and relatable than ever, and she’ll bring her signature sound to the King Center in Melbourne on Thursday, Nov. 8; Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Friday, Nov. 9; and to the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach on Tuesday, Nov. 13. For tickets, visit KingCenter. com, RuthEckerdHall.com and PeabodyAuditorium.org. | |
I
its beautiful acrobatics, its large entourage of LGBT performers and the form-�itting costumes that showcase the beauty of the human form. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement. For tickets, visit CirqueDuSoleil.com. | |
ORLANDO The Tempermentals
F YOU THINK YOU KNOW YOUR LGBT HISTORY, YOU MAY WANT TO THINK AGAIN. The Tempermentals tells the story of the �irst sustained gay rights organization in the United States—The Mattachine Society—and the love affair between two of its founding members, Harry Hay and Rudi Gernreich. The show earned rave reviews off-Broadway in 2009 and it will make its Florida premiere at the Footlight Theatre within the Parliament House this month. Shows run
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until Nov. 26 Locals Michael Marinaccio and Michael Colavolpe play Rudi and Harry, respectively, and other cast includes Doug Ba’aser, Doa Farrentine and Russell Trahan. The dramatic story reaches its historical benchmark when one of the Society’s founding members is arrested for solicitation in a public restroom. But director Michael Wanzie ensures us that Ba’aser provides some comic relief in several scenes. For tickets and information, visit Wanzie.com. | |
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watermarkonline.com
watermark
IN DEPTH WAVE AWARDS
A different kind of election
The 2012 WAVE Awards honor readers’ favorites
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COMPILED BY
Erik Caban, Jamie Hyman & Rick Claggett
012 HAS BEEN A WILD YEAR UP TO
this point. Election news, natural disasters and a slew of stories on domestic partner registries have dominated the headlines. And the headlines in Watermark have been no exception. So it’s a nice break from all of the heavy news to once again ask our readers about a few of their favorite things, namely, who and/ or what is worthy of the 2012 WAVE Awards. Each year, we ask our readers
to vote for their favorites in the Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence. And like many years past, our readers did not let us down. Our online poll was up throughout most of September and part of October,
giving readers across the state a chance to share their opinions on a variety of topics. Businesses and individuals campaigned on Facebook and Twitter again this year for “Favorite Bar,” Favorite Spa” or “Favorite Website.” A few close races brought some surprises— which is easier to do when you don’t have exit polling at every laptop or smartphone. The annual WAVES give these individuals and businesses some well-deserved bragging rights, but they also give us an opportunity to learn a little more about some of the people that make their respective LGBT
communities tick. We took some time this year to speak with a few of the winners not only to give them a chance to thank our readers for their recognition, but to explain to us a little bit more about what they do and how they see the world. The lists are long again this year and include �irst, second and third-place winners. There will no doubt be plenty of familiar names among the listings and possibly a few new ones as well. Get comfortable and dive into the WAVES, and afterward, congratulate the winners. After all, it was you, our readers, who chose them.
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Continued on page 35 | |
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Sit Outdoors Along the Sarasota Bay Before the Show
Bayfront Van Wezel Perfomring Arts Hall
Enjoy a drink and the view before the show
Thank YOU! The Van Wezel Performing Ars Hall Awarded 2012 Watermark Award for Variety and Excellence
Join us at the waterfront Van Wezel on the beautiful and breezy Sarasota Bay! The award-winning Van Wezel presents a wide variety of world renowned performances. Make the Van Wezel your destination in Sarasota.
Tickets and information
941.953.3368 • 800.826.9303 • vanwezel.org
The Bayfront Grand Foyer at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Mattison’s Bayside at the Van Wezel offers award-winning cuisine by Celebrity Chef Paul Mattison before the show
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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
Cathy Rigby Is Peter Pan
777 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236
The Van Wezel is located directly on the beautiful Sarasota Bay Enjoy a Relaxing Drink and The View on the Van Wezel’s Outdoor Terrace NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
Parsons Dance
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FAVORITE LOCAL POLITICIAN
Kevin Beckner
Hillsborough Co. Commissioner
Favorite Place to Impress a Date
ANNOUNCE IT. RENT IT. SELL IT. POST IT.
1. Vinoy Renaissance Resort 2. The Beach 3. Flamingo Resort
Favorite Charitable Event
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1. AIDS Walk Tampa Bay 2. St. Pete Pride 3. Pride & Passion
W
ITH HIS ELECTION IN 2008, BECKNER STARTED A TREND IN TAMPA BAY of LGBT candidates winning of�ice. With his re-election this month in the conservative county of Hillsborough, we’re hopeful that progress for equality will continue there.
2. Janet Long FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE 3. Steve Kornell ST. PETERSBURG CITY COUNCILMAN
TAMPA BAY WAVE AWARDS | | WAVE Award
Winners from pg.33
Greatest Straight Ally to the Local LGBT Community 1. Rep. Rick Kriseman 2. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn 3. Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association
Most Effective Local LGBT Organization 1. St. Pete Pride 2. Equality Florida 3. AIDS Service Association of Pinellas
Favorite Local Clergy Leader 1. Phyllis Hunt, Tampa Metropolitan Community Church 2. Scott Welch, Fresh Start Church, Tampa 3. Candace Shultis, King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church, St. Petersburg
2. St. Pete Garage Bar
Favorite Local Health Care Professional 1. Mike Hopkins, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Dentistry
1. Suncoast Softball League
Favorite Local Personal Trainer/Fitness Instructor
Favorite Local LGBT (Friendly) Writer/ Journalist 1. Steve Blanchard, Watermark Editor-in-Chief 2. Erik Caban, Watermark contributing writer 3. Brenda Cothern, Brenda Cothern Books 3. Dave Borman, Tampa Bay Gay Editor
Favorite Local LGBT (Friendly) Website 1. BigTampa.com
EXPIRES 11/30/12
3. Liquid Ultra Lounge
2. Michael Dunn, infectious diseases
3. Monday Mixed Classic
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1. Edison Food + Drink Lab
Favorite Local LGBT Spor ts League/ Organization 2. Advantage Tampa Bay Tennis League
FREE YEARLY MEMBERSHIP VALUE $
Favorite New LGBT Business
3. Tristan Byrnes, registered mental health counseling intern
1. Chip Wright, Kal-El Fitness 2. Chris Albert 3. Chris Anatasi, Hyde Park L.A. Fitness
Favorite Local Massage Therapist 1. Jeremy Couture, ENSO 2. Cory Jeffries, Tampa Pro Massage
Tampa’s only
BATHHOUSE/HOTEL. • Courtyard which boasts a 300 square foot heated Jacuzzi • Indoor Hot Tub • Fully functional gym • Regulation Tournament Size Billiard Table • Free internet café & Free WIFI access throughout the resort
• New Steam Room in the Courtyard • Dry sauna • New Dark Room “A Shot In The Dark” • The Sling – our famous Sling/Cage room • Gang showers
3. Ed Halleran, BodyWork By Ed 3. Roger C. Medrano, Bodywork by Roger C. Medrano
Ybor Resort & Spa is a BYOB facility 1512 E 8th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605 813-2-CUM NOW • 813-242-0900
2. BayNews9.com
www.yborresortandspa.com
3. WatermarkOnline.com
Continued on page 36 | |
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FAVORITE LOCAL LGBT (FRIENDLY) BLOG
Photo by Nick Cardello
Dishing with Mark and Carrie
Chuck Henson
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VERY WEEK, MARK BIAS AND CARRIE WEST SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS, OBSERVATIONS AND PHOTOS with thousands of readers throughout Tampa Bay and around the world with their popular blog. They also contribute their photos of Ybor City’s vibrant night-life to several publications, including Watermark.
2. Fire Down Below by Erik Caban 3. WatermarkOnline.com 3. Tampa Bay Gay 3. Rainbow411.com
Favorite Local TV/Radio Personality/ Person With Whom Readers Would Switch Jobs
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Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
AMPA BAY | FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS,
Chuck Henson has helped commuters navigate the entwining roads of Tampa Bay from his post as morning traf�ic reporter at Bay News 9, the Bright House Networks exclusive cable news channel. To many, it seems as though Henson, a former executive director of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, became a local television icon overnight. But that’s not exactly how it happened, Henson explains after learning he was voted Tampa Bay’s favorite Local TV/Radio Personality by our readers. “My entire career has been in broadcast media,” Henson says. “This is my 18th year reporting traf�ic.” When he moved to Tampa in 2005 with a different media company, he met John Thomas, a former president of TIGLFF and soon Henson became the organization’s executive director. “It was a great change of pace and it was a lot of fun,” recalls Henson, who held that position for three years. Toward the end of his run at TIGLFF, Henson learned about an opportunity to substitute at Bay News 9. He pulled double-duty for awhile, working the morning shift at the station and
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then arriving at his role at the �ilm festival by mid-morning. Eventually, station management offered him a chance to stay. With almost two decades of experience, Henson has a way of delivering traf�ic-related news in a more comfortable, compact way. He says he avoids the stereotypical phrases like “rubberneckers” and “That will cost you an extra 15-minutes.” “I call it Traf�ic-eze,” he laughs. “Those are things people don’t say in real-life conversations.” And since morning television is more about listening as one gets ready rather than watching intently, speaking directly and sorting through loads of information in a concise, twominute air block is important. Interestingly, Henson was also voted as the person with whom our readers would like to switch jobs. While he says he thoroughly enjoys his position at Bay News 9, Henson
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cautions that there’s a lot more work involved than simply pointing at a green screen while on camera. “I walk in the doors of work at 4:15 a.m. and I have my �irst report at 5,” he explains, adding that he’s live on the air six times each hour for at least two minutes each time. “Between those times I’m on the computer, scanning agency websites like FHP, EMS, Fire, and checking their info. Then I create all those maps viewers see behind me and then literally run back to the camera to do another report.” Henson repeats that for four hours without a break. After the morning show ends at 9, Henson works on traf�ic-related stories to air later in the week and researches ideas for other future clips. “I’m thrilled people think my job looks fun enough, but it’s a lot to do,” he says. It’s no surprise Henson has a large following in the LGBT community. He lives his life openly and is proud to say he’s been with his partner, Tom Young, for seven years. “It’s an honor that Watermark readers voted for me,” Henson says. “I am thrilled to not only be in the job I’m in, but to be an active and open member of our community. It makes me happy I don’t have to live in the shadows to do my job. I’m very happy to grab the torch of a role model and run with it.” | |
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| | WAVE Award Winners from pg.35
Favorite Local Gym and Fitness Center
Favorite Place to Pamper Your Pet
1. YouFit
1. Bark Place Hotel
2. The Facility
2. Pet Heaven
3. LA Fitness on Drew
3. Pet Smart
Favorite Local Spa
Favorite Local Realtor
1. Hopkins Aesthetics
1. Larry Mee, Keller Williams
2. Indaba Spa
2. Bill Knecht, Keller Williams
3. Ybor Resort and Spa
3. Ken Hodges, Coldwell Banker
3. Bodywork by Roger C. Medrano Massage & Day Spa
Favorite Local Veterinarian
Favorite Local Auto Salesperson
1. Carmen Saladino DVM, Connechusett Animal Hospital
1. Bill Ashe, Lokey Motor Company
2. Gabrielle Falk DVM, Animal Medical Hospital
2. Keith Roberts, Reeves Import Motorcars
3. Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital
3. John C. Crapper, Ferman BMW/Mini
Continued on page 38 | |
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Subscription Package $150*
Thank you
Watermark
Brandon Dahlquist, photo: Scott Braun
for honoring Asolo Repertory Theatre with the
2012 WAVE
AWARD
Favorite Local Performing Arts Venue *Some restrictions apply
2012–2013 Season
Out@AsoloRep 1776 Fri, Nov. 23 Glengarry Glen Ross Fri, Jan. 25 The Heidi Chronicles Sat. Mar. 9 Clybourne Park Fri, Apr. 26 Noah Racey’s Pulse
sponsored by
A New Dance Musical With The New York Song & Dance Company Fri, Jun. 7 In Sarasota, Next to the Ringling Museum
800-361-8388 • AsoloRep.org NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS VENUE
Photo by Nick Cardello
David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Rev. Phyllis Hunt Senior Pastor MCC Tampa Favorite Local Clergy Leader
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Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
AMPA BAY | FOR NEARLY A DECADE,
Rev. Phyllis Hunt has not only pastored a �lock at the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, but has spoken out at public forums concerning social injustices related to the LGBT community. Her ongoing service prompted Watermark readers to name her “Favorite Local Clergy Leader,” an award she’s won in the past. “Again, I am humbled by this nomination,” Hunt says. “We at MCC Tampa just celebrated our 41st anniversary in Tampa Bay. I stand on the shoulders of pioneers who made many sacri�ices to have a church that shares the good news of God’s love. I am grateful for this community and will continue to serve faithful inside and outside the walls of MCC Tampa.” While the MCC denomination is not an “LGBT denomination,” a majority of attendees at MCC Tampa are part of the LGBT community. That means many members are from other denominations that may not be very accepting to their sexual orientations. That, Hunt says, can make her job complicated. “There is a disequilibrium that happens for some people when they do not �ind the church traditions, beliefs and rituals they remember from childhood religious experiences,” says, who was raised Southern
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Baptist. “At a mainline church you will �ind a unifying belief system that is embedded in their doctrine and what most everyone believes. While there are some shared beliefs at MCC Tampa, how people understand who God is in their life is a personal decision.” Hunt understands how personal faith can be. At 15 she moved to the Assemblies of God denomination and later faced the challenges of being a lesbian working toward a post in ministry service. “Once I found my way to MCC, serving a church was a natural calling,” Hunt recalls. “I am a follower of Jesus who spent much of his ministry caring about the social justice issues of his day.” Hunt, as many in Tampa Bay know, is outspoken about LGBT social issues and is a constant at rallies, protests and other events that directly advocate for the LGBT community. “I was drawn to ministry because
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
I care about people,” she says. “What drives me to the public square is the fact that those religious voices who work hard to implement policies to exclude do not represent the whole of the Christian church, other religions or, for that matter, God.” During her journey to the ministry, Hunt says she was trained to not only stand in a pulpit every Sunday to preach the good news to those who already know it, but to be a countervoice to conservative, religious fundamentalist �ighting against LGBT equality. “The God I serve is mysterious and creative and offers extravagant welcome,” Hunt expalins. “This is the good news that drives me to speak up as an equal voice representing a spiritual voice for all people and their birthright to justice and equality.” It can be dif�icult to remain faithful, especially when certain communities are targeted negatively—like in an election year—and social networks broadcast trials and tribulations of acquaintances daily. “As we move into the coming year I encourage all to take a few moments to survey their lives,” Hunt recommends. “Who matters to you? Are you doing what you have been called to do? Repair fractured relationships and say ‘I love you’ today and often to those whom you love. And live a life of no regrets, for that will be your legacy.” | |
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A
FTER A QUARTER-CENTURY OF PROVIDING SPECTACULAR SHOWS FOR TAMPA BAY ARTS LOVERS, it’s only �itting the Straz is recognized for its ongoing successes. In its 25 years, numerous LGBT performers and Broadway plays with an LGBT-�lair have graced its many stages.
2. freeFall Theatre Company 3. American Stage 3. Mahaffey Theater
| | WAVE Award Winners from pg.36
Favorite Local Clothing Retailer/ Boutique
Favorite Area Museum or Galler y
1. Urban Body
2. Tampa Museum of Art
2. Banana Republic
3. St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts
3. Macy’s 3. 6S Boutique
Favorite Local Hair Stylist 1. Gandy Barber Shop 2. Jorge Bolivar, David Gavin Salon 3. Joshua DeBlock, Bambu the Eco Salon
Favorite Local Florist 1. Bay Boutique of Hyde Park 2. The Nature Shop
1. Dali Museum
Favorite Framing Shop 1. Tyrone Frame and Mirror 2. Michael’s 3. Abbey Fine Art
Favorite Place to Buy Ar t 1. David McClellan 2. Florida Frame and Art 3. Abbey Fine Art
3. Island Flowers, Tampa
Continued on page 40 | |
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| | WAVE Award
Winners from pg.38
Favorite Place to Buy Wine/Spirits (Non-Bar)
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: MUSICIAN
Double M Band
1. West Palm Wines 2. Total Wine 3. ABC Liquor
Favorite Restaurant: Upscale 1. Red Mesa 2. KitchenBar 3. Ocean Prime Steakhouse & Seafood
Favorite Restaurant: Casual 1. Bonefish Grill 2. Edison Food + Drink Lab 3. J. Alexander’s
Favorite Restaurant: Breakfast/ Brunch
M
ARIO JOOSTE AND MICHAEL MONRAD MAKE UP THE “DOUBLE MS” IN DOUBLE M BAND and can be found playing in venues throughout Tampa Bay, both gay and straight. Each energetic show not only incorporates spot-on versions of the latest radio hits, but a huge selection of their original music as well.
2. Karmic Tattoo 3. Alan Darcy 3. Judy B. Goode
1. Blue Heron Cafe
Favorite LGBT Happy Hour
2. Perkin’s
1. Flamingo Resort
3. Clear Sky Beachside Cafe
2. Georgie’s Alibi 3. Club CitySide
Favorite Restaurant: Late-Night Dining 1. Beak’s Old Florida 2. Taco Bus 3. St. Pete Diner
Favorite Local Hotel/B&B 1. Flamingo Resort 2. Postcard Inn 3. Gay St. Pete Guesthouse
Favorite LGBT Club/Bar 1. Georgie’s Alibi 2. Liquid Ultra Lounge
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1. Duffy (DJ) Iorio, Georgie’s Alibi 2. Sara, Georgie’s Alibi
Favorite Host for Karaoke, Trivia or Bingo
3. Shane Cullinan, Georgie’s Alibi
1. Amy DeMilo, Hamburger Mary’s Drag Queen Bingo
Favorite Local Performer: Drag
2. Anjila Cavalier, Georgie’s Alibi Drag Bingo
3. Justin, Hamburger Mary’s
1. Amy DeMilo
3. Flamingo Resort, Charity Bingo
2. Kori Stevens
Cruise Bar with the Choiciest Eye Candy
Favorite Local Performer: Stage
1. Georgie’s Alibi
2. Franki J. Markstone
2. Code Bar, Flamingo Resort
3. Madisyn Michaels
3. G. Bar
3. Tom Costello
3. G. Bar
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Favorite Local Bar tender/ Ser ver
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3. Alexis Mateo
1. Marcus Blake, MAD Theater
GAYEST LOCAL EVENT
E
VERY YEAR THE ST. PETE PRIDE STREET FESTIVAL GROWS, and in 2012 more than 100,000 people crowded Central Avenue the last Saturday of June as it celebrated its 10th year. It’s important to remember that St. Pete Pride isn’t just a festival, it’s an organization that gives back to the community throughout the year, which is why readers also named it the “Most Effective LGBT Organization” this year.
2. Erotica Weekend, Flamingo Resort 3. Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Favorite Local Performer: DJ
Favorite Hook-Up Website
1. Greg Anderson
2. Grindr
2. Don Lamb
3. Scruff
3. Jeffery J.
Favorite Local Photographer 1. Laurie Ross 2. Nick Cardello 3. Mark Melnick
Favorite Local TV/Radio Personality 1. Chuck Henson, Bay News 9 2. Russell Rhodes, Fox 13 3. Esme Russell, GSHRadio.com
1. Adam4Adam.com
Favorite Adult Novelty Store 1. Buddy’s of Largo 2. MC Film Fest 3. XTC
If I Could Switch Jobs with Anyone in Tampa Bay, it would be... 1. Chuck Henson, Traffic Reporter for Bay News 9 2. Bill Foster, St. Petersburg Mayor 3. Mark Bias and Carrie West of MC Film Fest 3. Steve Blanchard, Watermark Editor-in-Chief
Continued on page 42 | |
Photo by Nick Cardello
St. Pete Pride
Amy DeMilo
Favorite Drag Performer/Favorite Hostess
T
Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
AMPA BAY | FOR NEARLY THREE
decades, Amy DeMilo has performed in drag. For 18 of those years, she’s done so right here in Tampa Bay. It’s no wonder that the performer was selected by Watermark readers as the Favorite Local Drag Performer again in 2012. That makes threeyears in a row that she’s captivated our readers.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to be voted a favorite by your community,” DeMilo says. “I am humbled and honored. We have national title holders, RuPaul’s Drag Race stars and so many fabulous entertainers right here in Tampa Bay. To be chosen your favorite again is just thrilling” DeMilo is a regular at clubs throughout the area, but she’s probably known best for her Drag Bingo nights at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City every Wednesday. There, she keeps things light, fun, festive—and maybe a little bit dirty. “I love my Bingo nights,” she says. “It’s on, bitches!” DeMilo also performs at Cribari Club on Thursdays and on the �irst Thursday of every month she’s at Dunedin Lanes for Gay Bowling night. On Fridays she stars
in Daphne’s Fish Tank Review at Hamburger Mary’s and she’s at G. Bar every Saturday. That’s a busy schedule for one person. But drag continues to swell with popularity, and DeMilo is always ready for the challenge. “I think the profession grows because we grow as an art form and as part of society,” DeMilo says. “We are becoming mainstream through television media. We have come a long way, but we have so much further to go.” Modern media has helped enlighten people, DeMilo believes, and drag queens are no longer seen just as a joke. “Over my career, the biggest change I’ve seen is acceptance,” DeMilo says. “And that’s through television media’s coverage of us.” And while drag queens may
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not always be the butt of jokes these days, that doesn’t mean DeMilo doesn’t have a wicked sense of humor. Her Southern twang is infections and her playerparticipation encouragement during bingo is infections, oftentimes leading players to run around the bar or to show off more than they expected between games. When she’s not hosting a hilarious game of bingo or performing locally, DeMilo is busy with pageants. She has several titles under her belt, most recently that of Miss East Coast All-American Goddess 2012. She is also Miss Gay Florida USofA 2010, Miss GaYbor 2010, Miss Heart of Florida 2010 and Miss Florida Female Impersonator 2000. While the titles are impressive and reason to brag, DeMilo stays humble, and always returns to her local community to perform, raise money and to simply have a good time. “I’ve been doing drag since I could dress myself,” DeMilo laughs. “I feel the love of the community and of Watermark readers. I’m so appreciative of them voting for me this year. It’s the best title I could ever have.” | |
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MOST EFFECTIVE LGBT ORGANIZATION
The Center
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Dr. Rafael Pinero Favorite Healthcare Professional
O
Erik Caban ERIK@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
RLANDO | ONE THING IS CLEAR AGAIN
this year—Dr. Rafael Pinero has a loyal following. For the past 12 years, readers have consistently voted Pinero as one of Orlando’s top three Favorite Healthcare Professionals.
Despite the two-dozen years of awards, the humble doctor is still thrilled with the support of the community and his patients. “I feel very happy and privileged by this vote of con�idence,” Pinero says. “Every time I get noti�ied, I’m so surprised!” While doctors are respected worldwide for their medical knowledge, not all patients can say they are comfortable with their healthcare professionals. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Dr. Pinero. He thinks he knows why he has such a loyal base. “I believe it’s the fact that I have an ability to make patients feel calm in a seemingly threatening situation,” he says. “I allow them to feel comfortable saying what they
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need to say; they don’t feel judged.” That’s especially important in the LGBT community, where people have felt uncomfortable or discriminated against by their doctors. Dr. Pinero understands that, and makes sure his staff does as well. He has made a point to have a very diverse staff, including a physician’s assistant that he assures is attuned with his practice and quality. “[My staff members] range from young gay men to straight older women,” he says. “I try to create an environment to make my patients feel comfortable and con�ident to want to come back and see us again.” The world of medicine is a constant changing environment,
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with new discoveries made daily by healthcare professionals. That’s why Dr. Pinero demands that his team—which also includes former Watermark CFO Mike Ames—stay up to date with the latest advances of the medical �ield. Pinero has seen a lot of changes in the world of medicine. He began his medical career 18 years ago after graduating from Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico in 1994. Since 1997, he has been a permanent �ixture in the Orlando community. In 2006, he opened his own of�ice—Pinero Preventive Medical Care—which offers the latest treatments and technologies available for patients 12 years old and older. His of�ice offers everything from comprehensive exams and urgent care visits to ultrasounds, echocardiograms and aesthetic procedures, like Botox®. He is quick to note that he is currently accepting new patients. When not tending to what ails you, Pinero keeps busy with his longtime partner, Dennis Dunham.
HE LGBT CENTER OF ORLANDO HAS PROVIDED A SANCTUARY FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, and has seemed to reinvigorate itself in the past few years with the help of executive director Randy Stephens. It not only provides locals with HIV/AIDS education but with meeting space and opportunities that are utilized by every aspect of the community.
2. Hope & Help Center of Central Florida 3. The Zebra Coalition
ORLANDO WAVE AWARDS | | WAVE Award
Winners from pg.41
Favorite Local Politician 1. Buddy Dyer, Orlando Mayor 2. Patty Sheehan, Orlando City Commissioner 3. Linda Stewart, former Orange County Commissioner
Favorite Local Clergy Leader 1. Michael Wanzie
1. Central Florida Softball League 2. Gay and Lesbian Bowling League 3. Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls
Favorite Local LGBT (Friendly) Writer/Journalist
2. Rev. Lisa Helig, former interim pastor of Joy Metropolitan Community Church
1. Billy Manes, Orlando Weekly staff writer
3. Rev. Alice Anderson, Christ Church Unity
3. Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel columnist
2. Erik Caban, Watermark contributor
Continued on page 44 | |
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Favorite Local LGBT Spor ts League/ Organization
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Thank You Watermark Readers for Voting Me One Of Your
Top Realtors
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Sue-Bee Laginess Realtor / Property Manager
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Old Towne Brokers 407.733.8370 - cell 407.425.5069 - office
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We WOOF Watermark Readers! Thank You for voting
R a n g e r Õ s P e t O u t p o s t a n d R e t r e a t ¨
O T E C A L T P E P T S R E U B O Y R E P M PA 2012
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GAYEST LOCAL EVENT
Come Out With Pride
Favorite Local Personal Trainer/Fitness Instructor 1. Tony Edge, freelance 2. Randy Simms, Signature Fitness 3. Blake McEntyre, House of Health
Favorite Local Massage Therapist 1. Carlos Mendez 2. Randy Becker 3. Mike Varona, Blue Fire Spa
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HERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF PRIDE IN ORLANDO, and the ongoing success of Come Out With Pride shows that. This year’s celebration showcased a diverse cast of LGBT residents and our allies as they lined the streets around Lake Eola to cheer on the largest COWP parade yet, proving it doesn’t get much gayer than October in Orlando.
2. Gay Days 3. Headdress Ball
David Bohnett Cyber Center · Support · www.thecenterorlando.org · Tai Chi · Advocacy · Coffee Club · Created in 1978 · Adoption · Veteran’s Day Parade · HIV Testing 7 Days a Week · Pride Ride · Education · Zebra House · Black and Latino LGBTs · Yard Sales · 1400 Monthly Visitors · WAVE Award Winner · Same Sex Domestic Abuse · Gay Days · Town Hall Meetings · Living and Thriving · Yoga · Health and Wellness · GBT Men · 33 Monthly Groups · Gallery Q · Trans Central Station · Recognition by White House · Adoption Seminars · Flambé Cooking Club · Latina Lesbians · Motorcycle Club · QUACK · Botox The Center · The NAMES Project · Centerlink · Coming Out · 12 Step Programs · Trans Women Support · LGBT Veteran’s Memorial · Pride Athletic Assn. · MBA Red · Miss P Memorial Library · Sisters · 200+ Volunteers · Dinner and a Movie · Adopt-A-Highway Program · GLBT History Center of Central Florida · Open Seven Days a Week · Full Time Trans · The Qiew · Pride of the Seas · Art Receptions · HIV Educational Series · STD Testing · Free Legal Seminars · Softball Concessions · Come Out With Pride · Interfaith Council · Transgender Wellness and Career Fair · A Night on Broadway · Karaoke Christmas · Asst. Secretary of HHS Round Table Discussion · Flag Pole · Centerfold · 3200 Book Lending Library · One of 12 LGBT Centers with Art Gallery · Orlando Gay Chorus · Oldest Continuous LGBT Organization in Florida · WiFi · Paws Care The Center wants to express gratitude to everyone for naming us the
MOST EFFECTIVE LGBT ORGANIZATION But we mostly want to thank our volunteers, without whom we could not open our doors.
Favorite Local Gym or Fitness Center 1. LA Fitness 2. Club Orlando 3. 24 Hour Fitness
Favorite Local Spa 1. EO Inn & Spa 2. Club Orlando 3. The Spa of Thornton Park
| | WAVE Award Winners from pg.42
Favorite Local LGBT (Friendly) Blog
Favorite Charitable Event
1. Daily City
2. A Very Beary Christmas
2. Fire Down Below by Erik Caban
3. Come Out With Pride
3. The Wanziegram
Favorite New LGBT Business
Favorite Local LGBT Website 1. WatermarkOnline.com
1.Headdress Ball
1. Bears in the City 2. The Venue 3. Brink
2. TheFlameOnShow.com 3. Wanzie.com
Favorite Place to Impress a Date 1. Stonewall 2. Hue 3. Funky Monkey Wine Company
Favorite Local Health Care Professional 1. Dr. Rafael Pinero, preventive medical care 2. Doctors Edwin DeJesus and Roberto Ortiz, Orlando Immunology Center 3. Dr. Dan Giaquinto, Chiropractor
Favorite Local Veterinarian 1. Dr. Jim Martin, Loch Haven Veterinary Hosptial 2. Dr. Rob Weigle, retired 3. Dr. Olfat Mansour, Michigan Street Animal Hospital
Favorite Place to Pamper Your Pet 1. Rangers Outpost 2. Dandy Doggie Do’s 3. All Creatures Pet Grooming
Favorite Local Realtor 1. David Dorman, Century 21 2. Jack Matthews, Weichert Realty 3. Sue-Bee Laginess, Olde Town Brokers
Continued on page 46 | |
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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
watermarkonline.com
Loch Haven Veterinary Hospital ORLANDO ’ S PREMIERE BOUTIQUE HOTEL & URBAN DAY SPA
it’s where the cool cats and dogs hang out!
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A W A R D
2012 For the 5th Year-in-a-Row, Watermark readers have voted us First Place for Best Local Spa & Best Local Hotel!
WAVE Award Winner wave ‘Favorite Local Veterinarian’
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A W A R D
2012
Thank You Watermark Readers for Choosing Us!
Jim Martin, DVM Dianne Rey, DVM Keith Tribble, DVM
2000 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando www.lochhavenvet.com 407.896.0941 / LochHavenVeterinaryHospital
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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FAVORITE PLACE TO BUY ART
Orlando International
Fringe Festival
Photo by Lee Vandergrift
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Chrysanthemum Favorite Local Performer: Drag
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Erik Caban ERIK@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
RLANDO | WHILE DRAG PERFORMERS
seem to be ever-present and constantly changing in Orlando, for the past 22 years, the high-energy Glen Pace has been performing as his alter-ego Chrysanthemum.
The performer has amazing staying power, and continues to �ind new fans. Enough new fans, in fact, that Chrysanthemum is a �irst-time winner for Favorite Drag Performer in Orlando this year. “[Chrysanthemum is] unpredictable and a little crazy,” says Pace of his drag persona. “She is a petite �lower and if you are nice, she will bloom for you. But if she feels in danger of being crushed, she will stick her stamen in your pistil.” For so many stars, there’s an interesting back story. The same can be said for the spunky persona of Chrysanthemum. After watching his best friend perform drag for years, Pace decided to start competing in
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talent contests throughout the city. Soon, the persona blossomed, which makes sense considering her name, and performance opportunities presented themselves. Chrysanthemum is currently a full time cast member of the Stonewall Starlettes at Stonewall Bar Orlando—which swept this year’s Orlando WAVE categories— every Saturday. She is also a guest performer at a number of other clubs throughout Central Florida. But Pace is no one-drag pony. He is looking at several other performance opportunities outside of drag. And when Pace isn’t in a dress and wig, he’s busy making others beautiful as a hair stylist at
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
Leslie Colleen Salon. Like so many queens, Chrysanthemum has seen a lot of evolution of her character. All the while, she has watched queens come and go. And after two decades of performing, the turnaround rate of drag performers can seem quite high. Hard work is the key to success, according to Pace, who says he has entered numerous drag and talent competitions without capturing the crown and sash. But staying consistent and true to the character of Chrysanthemum has earned her loyal fans, and the admiration of the loyal readers of Watermark. Up next, she has her sights set on being the next drag superstar and is auditioning for RuPaul’s Drag Race. “Ultimately I want her to be an international star!” When not making the world a prettier place through drag-tastic performances and superb styling, Pace keeps busy with his longtime partner, Edward. | |
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HE FRINGE FESTIVAL VERY WELL MAY BE THE GAYEST NON-GAY EVENT IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. The incredibly talented forces behind the large theatrical extravaganza always showcase the LGBT community, whether it be directly or indirectly, through a huge selection of plays, skits and comedy routines. The fact that art is available throughout the festival is an added bonus, and obviously one our readers appreciate!
2. Z-Gallerie 3. Winter Park Art Festival
| | WAVE Award Winners from pg.44
Favorite Local Auto Salesperson
Favorite Local Florist
1. Fred Berliner, Don Reid Ford
2. Publix
2. David Maus, David Maus Toyota
3. Forever Young Floral Design
3. Russ Fowler, Fields BMW
Favorite Local Clothing Retailer/Boutique
1. Lee James Floral Designs
Favorite Area Museum or Galler y 1. Orlando Museum of Art
1. Macy’s
2. Orlando Science Center
2. Dechoes
3. Morse Museum
3. Ritzy Rags
Favorite Local Hair Stylist
Favorite Framing Shop
1. Timi Hedrich
1. Michael’s
2. Staci Parent, Floyd’s 99
2. The Great Escape Frame & Art
3. Dale Dees, The Salon
3. Framing of Central Florida
Continued on page 49 | |
watermarkonline.com
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Clearwater - 727.483.5732
21760 US Highway 19 Clearwater, FL 33765
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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Brandon - 813.413.1262
10059 E. Adamo Drive Tampa, FL 33619
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
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National Cremation Society
Considering Cremation? Come join the National Cremation Society for a
FREE SEMINAR AND LUNCH on the benefits of pre-planning your cremation.
When the time comes wouldn’t you prefer your loved ones celebrate your legacy rather than stress about making arrangements? Give them the relief they’ll need during a tough time.
DAYTONA BEACH Port Orange Steakhouse 2851 S Nova Rd. Port Orange, FL 32127 Friday Nov.16th 11:30 am The Dish Tavern and Grille 1185 W Granada Blvd. Ormond Beach, FL 32174 Wed Nov. 14th 11:00 am
We’ll discuss
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Red Lobster 2355 W New Haven Ave. Melbourne, FL 32904 Thursday Nov 15th 11:00 am
ORLANDO So Napa Grille 640 S. Orlando Avenue Maitland, FL 327 Mon. Nov 19th 11:00 am Mon. Nov.26th 11:00 am
VERO BEACH
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Limited seating available.
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1-800-627-7456 First time attendees only please
TGI Friday’s Indian River Mall Next to the AMC theaters Thursday Nov, 15th 11:00 am Thursday Nov, 29th 11:00 am
BRANDON Mimi’s Café 804 Providence Rd Brandon, FL. 33511 Tue. Nov 13th 11:00 am and 5:00 pm Wed. Nov 14th 11:00 am and 5:00 pm Thur. Nov 15th 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
THE ViLLAgEs
*The winner of the Free Cremation Drawing will be selected every two months on the 15th of the month, with the first drawing being on December 15th. Please note that the free cremation does not include the Travel Protection Plan.
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Red Lobster 3830 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL Thursday Nov 15th, 2012 11:00 am
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
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watermarkonline.com
| | WAVE Award
Winners from pg.46
Favorite Place to Buy Wine/Spirits (Non-Bar)
FAVORITE LOCAL BARTENDER/SERVER
Drew Gilgiam, Stonewall
1. Total Wine & More 2. ABC Liquor 3. Funky Monkey Vault
Favorite Restaurant: Upscale
BAR
1. mi Tomatina 2. Capital Grille 3. Funky Monkey Wine Company 3. Hue
Favorite Restaurant: Casual 1. Rainbow Cafe 2. Hamburger Mary’s 3. Bananas: A Modern American Diner
Favorite Restaurant: Breakfast/Brunch 1. Banana’s: A Modern American Diner 2. Brain’s Restaurant 3. Dexter’s
Favorite Restaurant: Late-Night Dining 1. Banana’s: A Modern American Diner 2. Rainbow Cafe 3. Pom Pom’s Teahouse & Sandwicheria
Favorite Local Hotel/B&B
I
2. Timi Hedrich, Stonewall 3. Taylor Bulloch, Stonewall
Favorite LGBT Happy Hour 1. Stonewall 2. Parliament House 3. Savoy
Favorite Host for Karaoke, Trivia or Bingo 1. Cubby KJ, Bearaoke 2. Doug Ba’asar, Hamburger Mary’s Trivia 3. Scott Carter, Karaoke Stonewall
1. EO Inn & Spa
Cruise Bar with the Choiciest Eye Candy
2. Parliament House
1. Stonewall
3. Grand Bohemian
Favorite LGBT Club/Bar 1. Stonewall 2. Parliament House 3. Revolution 3. Pulse
+
T’S RARE THAT WE GET A FULL SWEEP IN A WAVE CATEGORY, but the bartenders and servers at Stonewall de�initely caught the attention of our readers in the 2012 poll. The historical recognition the bar gives to the original Stonewall Inn of New York City is just part of the downtown club’s draw. It’s friendly bartenders, spacious main bar and courtyard keep the staff busy and the patrons returning.
2. Parliament House 3. Savoy
Favorite Local Performer: Drag
Favorite Local Performer: Stage
ARCADE +
1. Doug Ba’aser 2. Matt stevens 3. Baby Blue
Favorite Local Performer: Musician 1. Taylor Bulloch, scHattEn kiCk mOnkEy
GALLERY
2. Emily Kopp 3. Kelly Dewayne Richards
Favorite Local Performer: DJ 1. Vegas 2. Brianna Lee 3. Adam Brenner
1. Chrysanthemum
Bartcade.com / Bartcade / Bartcade
2. Darcel Stevens 3. Carol Lee
1205 N. Mills Ave. Orlando, FL 32803 Tue-Sun: 5pm - 2am
Continued on page 50 | |
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FAVORITE ADULT NOVELTY STORE
Photo by Angie Folks
Fairvilla Megastore
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Stonewall
Favorite LGBT Club/ LGBT Happy Hour/Cruise Bar With the Choicest Eye Candy/Place to Impress a Date
O
Jamie Hyman JAMIE@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
RLANDO | STONEWALL OWNED THE nightlife categories in the 2012 WAVE Awards, and that’s no accident.
“Politicians go out there and campaign, so it’s the same with Stonewall,” says Steven Watkins, the bar’s owner. Watkins said they’re invested in the WAVEs and strongly encourages in-house participation—if you enter the bar while voting is open, someone puts a laptop in front of you and asks you to keep Stonewall in mind while you cast your votes. It’s a simple strategy that clearly pays off, partly because Stonewall’s regulars are invested in the success of their favorite bar. “We have a very loyal clientele,” Watkins says. “Anyone who comes into Stonewall is part of our family, and you always look out for family.” The Best New Business WAVE winner, Bears in the City, is part of that family as well. Pat O’Rourke, Bears in the City founder and owner, said he got his start hosting bear karaoke— “Bearaoke”—at Stonewall one night a
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week. Bears in the City incorporated just seven months ago. Now he hosts two nights a week at Stonewall, a weekly game night at Parliament House and he works out of Sawmill Campgrounds in Dade City two nights a week. “Steven is so dedicated and loyal to the people he brings on to work with him,” O’Rourke says. “He was very vital in making sure that I knew, no matter what I did, he backed me 100%.” Part of that backing was Watkins making sure O’Rourke knew it is okay to host events at different bars in town, a departure from the sometimes competitive nature of Orlando’s LGBTfriendly establishments. “We want them to work everywhere,” Watkins says. “On Stonewall’s website, we advertise for every single bar that allows us to. That’s just how Stonewall is. Our bartenders work at other bars, too.” He says Orlando’s LGBT community
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
tends to be transitive and he believes that by working together, the gay community can be improved. It appears Stonewall’s philosophy of collaboration is paying off, because the bar is a growing business— literally. Watkins said they’re in the process of a 1,000-square-foot expansion. “We just got blueprints in for the rooftop bar,” he says. “We’re going to bring a little bit of Vegas to Orlando. It’s going to be cool, cutting edge.” He said he didn’t want to give too many details because it will have features “that nobody else has done,” but after the outside work is done, they’ll do an interior renovation with a March 2013 goal for completion. “It’s been a project we’ve been working on forever,” Watkins adds. So what does Watkins think of his successful WAVEs run? “Every year, I think it’s awesome,” he says. And as the bar grows and change, Watkins says one thing will stay the same—the way Stonewall treats its customers. “When they come in, they’re like family,” he says. “We call it the Stonewall Family.” | |
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HEN ORLANDO’S LGBTS ARE FEELING FRISKY, THEY SEEM TO RELY ON FAIRVILLA for their, uh, desires. The popular, expansive store has welcomed LGBTs and straights alike with its expansive selection of everything from erotic wear to other bedroom essentials.
2. Premier Adult Factory Outlet 3. Bar Codes
| | WAVE Award Winners from pg.49
Favorite Local Photographer
Favorite Hook-Up Website
1. Jamey Walls
1. Growlr
2. Kristopher Reynolds
2. Adam4Adam.com
2. Phantom Photographics
3. Grindr
3. Behind Bricks Creative Group, LLC
Favorite Local TV/Radio Personality 1. Jim Philips, The Philps Phile, 104.1
If I Could Switch Jobs with Anyone in Orlando, it would be... 1. Buddy Dyer, Orlando Mayor
2. DJ Justice, Outloud Orlando
2. Mickey Mouse
3. Michael Wanzie & Doug Ba’asar 104.1
3. Theresa Jacobs, Orange County Mayor
Favorite Local Performing Ar ts Venue
Who Best Exemplifies LGBT Orlando
1. Orlando Shakespeare Theater
1. Steven Watkins
2. The Venue
2. Randy Ross
3. The Abbey
3. Jeff Horn 3. Randy Stephens Continued on page 52 | |
watermarkonline.com
WAVE Award Winning puppies and award winning fierce flowers from
lee james flor al designs
LEE JA MES FLOR A L DESIGNS 12 49 N .O R A N G E AV E . O R L A N D O • 4 0 7- 8 9 7- 53 0 0 W W W. L E E J A M E S F L O R A L . C O M
Piñero Preventive Medical Care
HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8A–5:30P SATURDAY 9A–1P Dr. Rafael E. Piñero, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE 1720 S. Orange Ave., Suite 500, Orlando 407-426-9693 www.PineroMedical.com
PROVIDING PRIMARY CARE FOR ALL TYPES OF FAMILIES NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED
MOST EFFECTIVE LOCAL LGBT ORGANIZATION
ALSO Out Youth
Favorite Local Home Fur nishing Retailer 1. Black Bird Home Gallery 2. Home Resource 3. American Signature
Favorite Restaurant
FOR HIV GENE THERAPY TRIALS
1. Lucky Pelican Bistro 2. Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant
GET INVOLVED & VOLUNTEER TODAY
3. Ophelia’s on the Bay
T
HIS YEAR HAS BEEN A BIG ONE FOR ALSO OUT YOUTH. Not only did it mark 20 years in 2012, it is credited with making Sarasota one of the 11 best communities for LGBT Youth, according to the Huf�ington Post. Youth ages 13-21 �ind support at ALSO’s center, where peer groups meet and discuss their interactions with other students, their families and to form life-long friendships.
2. Step Out Sarasota 3. G2H2 (Gay Guys Happy Hour)
SARASOTA WAVE AWARDS You may qualify for an ongoing research program with Orlando Immunology Center ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
*
1 ) Aviremic and on HAART 2) Heterozygous for CCR5 delta-32 mutation (testing will be provided) 3) Clean and Sober 4) No Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C 5) 18 years of age or older
| | WAVE Award
Winners from pg.50
Favorite Local Politician 1. Suzanne Atwell, Sarasota Mayor 2. Ken Shelin, former Sarasota City Commissioner 3. Rep. Keith Fitzgerald
Favorite Local Performing Ar ts Venue 1. Florida Studio Theatre
Favorite Local Realtor 1. Jim Jablonski 2. Tony Boothby 3. Donald Geike
Favorite Local Auto Salesperson 1. Lenny D’Amelio, Venice Nissan 2. Annette DePaul, Sarasota Ford 3. Dan Bonora, Coast Infinity Volvo
1. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Favorite Area Museum or Galler y 1. Ringling Museum of Art 2. Hodgell Gallery 3. Brian Miller, Artist
If I Could Switch Jobs with Anyone in Sarasota, it would be... 1. Keep My Job 2. Michael Saunders 3. Congressman Vern Buchanan
Who Best Exemplifies LGBT Sarasota 1. Bart Coyle, GAIN Sarasota, Dignity USA 2. Greg Taylor, President of ALSO Out 3. David Phillips, ThisWeekInSarasota.com 3. Cindy Barnes, Sarasota Pride organizer | |
2. The Players Theatre 3. ASOLO Rep Theatre
CONTACT ORLANDO IMMUNOLOGY CENTER
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Jeffrey Garrett, ARNP for more information Phone: (407) 647-3960, ext. 2151
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
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WHY AREN’T THERE MORE AWARDS FOR SARASOTA? Sarasota’s LGBT community is growing and becoming more active, which is obvious at events like Sarasota Pride. But our Sarasota readers may have noticed that there are fewer WAVE Awards categories for this area compared to Orlando and Tampa Bay—and the reason behind that is simple. We consistently have minimal voter participation in Sarasota’s WAVE Awards. We had fewer voters this year than in any previous year, which makes compiling categories difficult. Our challenge to you: in 2013, campaign for the WAVE Awards and get the community involved so we can pump up the ballot next fall!
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watermark’s
A W A R D
2012
STONEWALL BAR WINS FIRST PLACE ... FAVORITE LOCAL LGBT BAR/CLUB
FAVORITE LOCAL BARTENDER/SERVER Drew Gilliam - 1st Place FAVORITE LGBT HAPPY HOUR CRUISE BAR WITH THE CHOICEST EYE CANDY LGBT PERSON WHO BEST EXEMPLIFIES LGBT ORLANDO Steven Watkins FAVORITE HOST FOR KARAOKE, TRIVIA OR BINGO Cubby KJ (Bearaoke) - 1st Place FAVORITE LOCAL DRAG PERFORMER Chrysanthemum FAVORITE PLACE TO IMPRESS A DATE - 3rd Place FAVORITE HOST FOR KARAOKE, TRIVIA OR BINGO Scott Carter, Friday Karaoke - 3rd Place FAVORITE LOCAL BARTENDER/SERVER Timi Hedrich - 2nd Place, Taylor Bulloch - 3rd Place
We Aƒƒ T¬an√ You For Votıng For Us! 741 W. Church Street 3 blocks West of Amway Centre Open Monday – Friday 4:00 PM – 2:00 AM Saturday & Sunday 12:00 N – 2:00 AM
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9 YEARS IN-A-ROW FOR FRED BERLINER #1!
wave
watermark’s
A W A R D
2012
And Congratulations for 27 Years of Making Your Customers #1
In Every WAVE Awards Since 2004, You’ve Voted Fred Berliner at Don Reid Ford Your
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Honorable Mentions
LEGALPERSON
A look through some of the worthy—and surprising— nominations on this year’s WAVE ballots
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Steve Blanchard EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM
HEN VOTES COME IN FOR OUR ANNUAL WAVE
Awards, there are several names and organizations we expect to see—Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, The Center in Orlando, ALSO Out Youth in Sarasota. Typically, those familiar names show up in the top 3 lists presented in the previous pages.
But every year we are surprised by a few of the nominations submitted by our readers in a variety of categories. Some elicit the “Oh yeah!” response from our staff while others just simply have us scratching
our heads. We’re suckers for tradition, so in the tradition of WAVE Award ballots of the past, we proudly present to you our 2012 batch of Honorable Mentions:
Oh Yeah! Favorite Politician:
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe, Congressman Bill Nelson, Congresswoman Kathy Castor, Largo Commissioner Michael Smith, Rep. Rick Kriseman
Greatest Straight Ally:
Marci Singhaus, Pam Iorio, Walt Disney Company, President Barack Obama, Watermark online media director Jamie Hyman, Crowbar owner Bonnie Plumtree, JCPenny, Kathy Griffin, Starbucks, Joe Redner
Favorite Local Clergy: Rev. Lisa Helig, Rev.
Elder Nancy Wilson, Pastor Joyce Stone, Rev. Candace Shultis
Most Effective LGBT Organization:
Favorite Charitable Event: Santa Speedo Run,
Red & Green Ball, Babes in Bonnets, Red Ribbon Ball, Orlando Fringe Festival, Scooters for Hooters, Miracle on 7th, Strike Out for AIDS, Wine Art & Heart, Sarasota Pridefest
Favorite Local LGBT Sports League:
Lee Vandergrift, Chris Stephenson, James Michael McCracken, Layden Photography, Phantom Photographics, Julie Milford, Angie Folks, Byron Schaerr, Rainbow411, Todd Richardson
WTH?
Favorite Local Politician:
Bert and Ernie, Florida Governor Rick Scott
Favorite Straight Ally to the LGBT Community: Mitt Romney,
Myself, Teresa Jacobs, Captain Underpants
Favorite Local Clergy Leader:
Oxymoron, My Priest, Me and all other witches
Gayest Local Event: The Holy Land Experience
Switch Jobs With Anyone:
Anyone with more money than me, A rich retiree, Donald Duck, Shamu, Pluto
afilimon@legalperson.com www.legalperson.com
407.488.1865
Metro Wellness and Community Centers; GaYbor District Coalition, MyQmunity; Rainbow411, TIGLFF, Church of the Trinity MCC, Stonewall Democrats, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Florida QUACK, Step Out Sarasota, OADO
Frontrunners, Gay Bowling, Tampa Bay Outlaws, Orange Blossom Tennis Association, A League of Our Own, UKA Kickball
ASHLEY FILIMON P.A.
Favorite Photographer:
Favorite Local Journalist: Jamie
Hyman, Liz Langley, Ken Kundis, Mary Meeks, Kirk Hartlage, Scottie Campbell, Stephen Miller, Tom Dyer
• Adoption • Divorce • Domestic Partnership Agreements
• Power of Attorney • Wills • Child Support • Health Surrogacy
37 N. Orange Ave. Ste. 500 Orlando, FL 32801
Who Best Exemplifies the LGBT Community: Chris Rudisill, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor, Esme Russell, Greg Henchar and Victor Lopez, Alexis Mateo, Kevin Beckner, Mark Bias, Carrie West, Stephanie Shippae, Roger Medrano, Michael Wanzie, Sue Bee Laginess, Gina Duncan, Tom Dyer, Joe Saunders, Mikael Audebert, Erik Caban, Doug Ba’aser, Blue Starr, Sam Singhaus
Editor’s Picks!
Straight Allies to the LGBT Community:
Parliament House owners Don and Sue Granatstein, Chelsea Nightclub owner Nikki Turnon, St. Petersburg City Councilman Jeff Danner, Karaoke Jockeys Scott and Normie Dunn, Dr. Kathleen Farrell, Radio DJ Steve Kramer
Favorite Local Journalists:
Tampa Bay Times columnists Sue Carlton and Daniel Ruth, Bay News 9 anchor Veronica Citron, Creative Loafing editor David Warner, Watermark contributors Zach Caruso, Greg Stemm and Joe Kissel
Who best exemplifies the LGBT Community:
Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan, Trans*Action executive director Michael Keefe, Performer Darcel Stevens, Andy and Sasha Citino, ASAP’s Jay Aller and William Harper, Rev. Phyllis Hunt, Miss Sammy, Carol Lee, Thompson Kellett, Hillsborough Democratic Caucus President Sally Phillips, St. Petersburg City Councilman Steve Kornell and partner Bobby Poth, Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, Tampa Police officer Gil Sainz, Mark Bias and Carrie West, Chris Tate, Brian Longstreth
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
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ShotonSite
Tampa Bay
1- CHEERING SECTION: A crowd enjoys the live music at the Erase Hate Tampa Bay Festival in Curtis Hixon Park on Nov. 4. PHOTO COURTESY JAMES GEIGER PHOTOGRAPHY 2- CROWNING MOMENT: Contestants for the Miss Sawmill 2013 pageant are flanked by hostesses Daphne Ferrero, left, and Sofonda Cox after Dede Taylor won the crown Nov. 3. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD
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3- WHERE’S WALDO?: Finding the storybook character has never been as fun as it is in Ybor City the weekend before Halloween. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 4- DOUBLE TROUBLE: The Twat Sisters of Tampa Bay were spotted outside Bradley’s on 7th Oct. 28. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 5- PRE-PERFORMANCE MOMENT: Sharon Needles and Stephanie Shippae bond at Georgie’s Alibi before Needles’ performance on Nov. 3. PHOTO COURTESY TINKERFLUFF.COM 6- SING IT SISTAHS: The Kinsey Sicks launch their campaign for president at the Tampa Theatre on Oct. 26. PHOTO COURTESY PROSUZY.COM 7- MONSTER MASH: Performers at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City mixed drag with a little bit of creepiness to offer up a special Halloween-themed show Oct. 27. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 8- BRAVING THE STORM: Carlos Lopez braved the rain on election day to cast his vote in Tampa Nov. 6. PHOTO COURTESY CARLOS LOPEZ
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OVERHEARD THE “FETISH” RESORT
O
VER THE WEEKEND OF NOV. 9-11, THE FLAMINGO RESORT WILL BE TRANSFORMED into a world of leather and fetish fantasy— and the place sold out its rooms nearly a month ago from anxious participants! A nearby hotel is also nearly �illed to capacity for that weekend. According to organizers with the Tampa Bay Leather Tribe, Leather & Fetish Pride will all be contained within the expansive courtyard of the popular resort. Tents will be set up for demonstrations and several contests—including a “puppy pageant”—are planned for throughout the weekend. Vendors will have their toys and
leather products available for sale and volunteers will kindly explain the intricacies of the fetish and leather lifestyle. The celebration is de�initely not for the closedminded and organizers remind us that since the Flamingo is private property, there are fewer limits as to what demonstrations can feature. Everything is, however, well within the law and the celebration is all about mutual, consensual fun. A full schedule is available at FlamingoFla. com and admission to most of the demonstrations is free. Organizers ask that if you decide to check out Leather and Fetish Pride, do so with an open mind.
KOP TO HONOR TRANS COMMUNITY
K
ING OF PEACE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH WILL CELEBRATE TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE with a special service on Sunday, Nov. 18. The day is a way to memorialize those who have died due to anti-transgender prejudice and to also celebrate those who have survived. The church is welcoming to the entire LGBT community and is celebrating the increasing protections offered to transgender individuals in cities across the country, while recognizing the need for more transgender-speci�ic acceptance.
The service begins at 10 a.m. and the entire community is invited to attend. The church is at 3150 5th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg.
DEDE TAYLOR WINS MISS SAWMILL 2013
A
FTER WEARING THE MISS SAWMILL CROWN FOR TWO YEARS, SOFONDA COX HANDED IT OVER TO DEDE TAYLOR ON NOV. 3. Taylor won the Miss Sawmill 2013 pageant held at the Sawmill Campground in Dade City—the �irst such pageant held since 2011. Taylor was joined by four other contestants, who competed in categories of creative fashion, on-stage question and evening gown. Taylor surprised
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the crowd with her initial entrance on stilts and continued to go big throughout the pageant with a massive photograph of herself as a backdrop during her talent number—Gladys Knight’s “End of the Road” medley. First runner-up was Kathryn Nevets, who’s talent was impersonating comedian Kathy Grif�in with lip-synching perfection, and Stephanie Stewart took the second-runner up trophy, following a Sordid Lives/Brother Boy performance. Taylor will represent the campground at events throughout the state in the coming year and will headline pageants and shows at Sawmill until she gives up the crown in the fall of 2013. | |
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DYER&BLAISDELL, P.L. Attorneys at Law
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Holiday Open House & Boat Parade!
November 17th Saturday
Holiday Fun For The Entire Family!
3:00 pm - Art & Street Vendors! 4:00 pm - Live Music Begins! 5:00 pm - Santa Claus Arrives! 6:00 pm - Wine Stroll begins! 6:00 pm - Shopping & Dining! 6:00 pm - 15 Food Trucks Open! 6:30 pm - Boat Parade Begins! Until 11:00 pm - Shop & Dine!
W. Thomas Dyer
TDyer@DyerBlaisdell.com
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EBlaisdell@DyerBlaisdell.com
414 N. Ferncreek Ave., Orlando, FL 32803 407-648-1153 • DyerBlaisdell.com THE HIRING OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION THAT SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. BEFORE YOU DECIDE, ASK US TO SEND YOU INFORMATION ABOUT OUR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE.
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ORLANDO
1- FEET ON THE STREET: (L-R) Vicki Nantz, Mary Meeks, Stuart Milk and Margo Dixon work at a Nov. 1 LGBT Get Out the Vote rally at Orlando City Hall. PHOTO BY TOM DYER. 2- FUNDING EQUALITY: (L-R) Bill Segal, Greg Reynolds, David Rice, Joe Saunders, Tom Dyer and Ron Legler all helped raise money at the Equality Florida Orlando Gala at The Mezz on Nov. 2. PHOTO BY TOM DYER
3- ZIPPED UP: The Three Amigos face their Gay El Guapo on Halloween night at Parliament House. PHOTO BY ERIK CABAN
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4- MOVIE NIGHT: Aleesha Kerri (second from left) gathered with friends at Revolution Night Club Oct. 27 for a monthly lesbian movie night. PHOTO COURTESY OF A.K. STARR MEDIA 5- TEMPERAMENTAL CAST: (L to R) Doa Farrentine, Michael Colavolpe, Michael Marinaccio, Doug Ba’aser and Russell R. Trahan star in the Wanzie Presents production of Jon Marans’ Off Broadway Hit, The Tempermentals, now playing at The Footlight Theatre. PHOTO COURTESY OF WANZIE PRESENTS
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6- SPEED RACER: Kiersten “Amina Acid” Taylor races around the track for the Orlando Psycho City Derby girls in their Nov. 3 game against the Sintral Florida Derby Demons at Skate City in Daytona. PHOTO BY SOUTHERN EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY 7- FUNNY MEN: Celebrity impersonator Michael L. Waters, as Dame Edna, poses with comedian Jeff Jones following his performance at The Abbey in downtown Orlando Oct. 26. PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL L. WATERS
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8- CRAZY KARAOKE: Liz Langley and Sam Singhaus get a little grody for a special Halloween edition of Karaoke for Swingers, Oct. 31 at Maxine’s on Shine. PHOTO COURTESY SHELLY BROADWELL
OVERHEARD LEANN RIMES AGAINST BULLYING
C
OUNTRY STAR LEANN RIMES HAS GIVEN AN ANTIBULLYING CAMPAIGN A BIG BOOST by publicly pledging her support. As part of her upcoming concert Nov. 13 at The Peabody Auditorium in Daytona, she is offering “buy-one-get-one-free” on tickets for her No Hate, No Bullying campaign exclusively through Watermark. These specials are only good through Ticketmaster.com. Simply use the code: RIMES2 to get this offer. The “Blue” singer, 30, recently completed a stint in rehab for anxiety and stress brought on by vicious attacks on her marriage to actor Eddie Cibrian by two cyber-bullies. Her own experiences
prompted her to post a message on The Butter�ly Project’s photo page on social networking site Tumblr. Rimes uploaded a photo of herself with a butter�ly drawn on her left wrist last month to show her solidarity with other bullying victims in the online community. An accompanying caption read, “I’ve been reading about so many bully in�licted deaths. I wanted to show my support.”
HEY MARY IN DEBARY
C
LUB 17-92 IN DEBARY HOSTED THEIR FIRST EVER GAY NIGHT on Friday, Nov. 2. Orlando resident DJ Joanie spun in between shows hosted by Virgatease Bee and starring Orlando’s own Samantha Stone,
Kitana Gemini and Ava Norell Adonis. “The new Friday went really well,” said Virgatease. Starting in December, she will host Fridays permanently. “We’re turning it into a College Night and we’re coming up with new specials and themes and everything.”
C.A.R.E FOR CHRISTMAS
C
HRISTMAS SHOPPING, NETWORKING AND PRIZES! On Friday, Nov. 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., shop for a cure. C.A.R.E., a non-pro�it organization that offers educational resources of clinical and public education about reproductive cancers around the United States, will host a networking and bargain shoppers dream at Houlihan’s on East
Colonial. Name brands like Lucky Brand, Betsey Johnson and Guess will be offered at 75% off and even gift-wrapped free. A portion of the proceeds raised that evening will go to the C.A.R.E For Women Foundation. For more information CARE-for-women.org.
GIVING HIV A FACE
T
HIS WORLD AIDS DAY, DEC. 1, will mark the �irst anniversary of the Faces of HIV art exhibit. Faces of HIV, a mobile exhibit started by the non-pro�it organization We Make the Change, has been making its way across Florida. The exhibit and speakers aim to show that HIV doesn’t care what gender you are, who you sleep with or what
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nationality you are, and hopefully alter perceptions about HIV/ AIDS. Participants include Keith Theriot, an accomplished Orlando painter and who’s been living with HIV for more than 20 years; Omar Mayes, from Daytona Beach, a veteran of the US Marine Corps as well as community volunteer and activist; and Dab Garner, from Sarasota, an activist who wants people to know that living with HIV isn’t as easy as taking one pill a day. Launched in 1999 by the Florida Department of Health, We Make The Change is a statewide campaign designed to increase the awareness of HIV/ AIDS and its impact on minority communities throughout Florida. For more information visit WeMakeTheChange.com. | |
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tampa bay marketplace
FOUR DECADES-PLUS: (L-R) Sarasota power couple Jim Jablonski and Bart Coyle celebrate 43 years together on Nov. 15.
Transitions
CHANGE-OF-LIFE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations Revolution Nightclub celebrates its fourth business anniversary on Nov. 14. Sarasota residents and activists Bart Coyle and Jim Jablonski celebrate 43 years together on Nov. 15. What’s Happening publishers Peter AguasGarcia and Frank Aguas-Garcia celebrate 20 years together on Nov. 17. Orlando’s Nick Massoni and Mark Pierpont celebrate the anniversary of their commitment ceremony on Nov. 20.
Local Birthdays Park Avenue salon owner Gary Lambert (Nov. 10); Margate, Fla. video gamer Scott Keener, former Tampa resident and book author/ activist Steven Reigns and Tampa leatherbear Brooks Davis, (Nov. 11); top zebra Chad Cason (Nov. 12); TIGLFF volunteer, ASAP
star and owner of 7HL Studios Jonathan Aller, Sarasota opera singer Ron Rispoli, Tampa networking guru Vincent Papaleo, Orlando performer Miss Aiysia Black and DJ Joanie Stanco (Nov. 13); Handsome Orlando bear-bartender Christopher Torge, Ritz Ybor Marketing Director Okie Tilo; paper bag mushroom artist Doug Rhodehamel; Tampabased but world-renowned flutist Joseph Rose and Disney application developer Dan Peters (Nov. 14); Sarasota activist and GAIN member Bart Coyle and Tampa-based Serious Satellite’s Out Q news freelancer Mike Wells (Nov. 15); The Closing Agent main man, Orlando Youth Alliance supporter, and godfather of the Orlando International Fringe Festival, Barry Miller (Nov. 16); Ray Sickles, AKA Sarasota diva Angelique Monet (Nov. 17); Lithia equestrian expert James Meeks and Orlando Gay Chorus tenor and sky hostess Todd Michael Hayes (Nov. 18); Orlando Gay Chorus belter Pattie Noah (Nov. 19); Orlando hair artist Dale Dees, St. Petersburg Equality Florida spokesperson Todd Richardson, make-up artist Timothy Spivey and Honey Pot show director Toby Brees (Nov. 20).
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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Do This! SAGE ADVICE FROM ‘THE TRUTH’
Share your opinion without bringing out the claws DEAR TRUTH,
I
RECENTLY WENT OUT DANCING IN YBOR WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS and I got into a huge argument over how a couple of the guys were dressed. Both of them were wearing skin-tight t-shirts that looked like they came from the Sears boys’ department and low cut skinny jeans that left nothing to the imagination. When they asked me what I thought, I was honest and told them they looked like Goodwill crack whores. They got really upset and wouldn’t shut up about it the whole night, mostly trying to turn everyone else in the group against me. I get that these guys are in their 20s and believe they’re being “fashion forward,” but in reality they look ridiculous wearing clothes that are three sizes too small—for any adult. My question is: How tight is too tight? —Bad Fashion Hurts Everyone
had written in to ask about the situation, I would have advised them to reduce contact with you in the future. No one likes a judger.
DEAR TRUTH,
M
Y FRIENDS, KYLIE AND GENNIFER, ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING A 14-YEAR-OLD who has been in foster care for most of her life. I would normally celebrate the arrival of a new child—an infant—with a baby shower and the usual gifts. In this situation, however, I don’t know when or how to commemorate the occasion. I really want to support Kylie and Gennifer as they continue this process, but I’m concerned that I might say or do something inappropriate or prematurely that will make them uncomfortable or embarrass their new daughter. What’s the etiquette, e.g. cards, gifts, parties? Should I wait until the adoption is �inal or is ok to say something now? —St. Pete Shower Power
You acted like a shade-throwing bitch and got called out for it.
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Dear Fashion Police, How tight is too tight? As tight as the person wearing the garment is comfortable with. Here comes the Truth: you acted like a shade-throwing bitch and got called out for it. It’s not your place to judge anyone else’s attire. Yes, they asked. But that didn’t give you the right to pull out the claws and call them names. If it truly makes you uncomfortable, maybe you shouldn’t go dancing with them. I would possibly feel a bit differently if you were in an environment where such clothing would make them stand out. But dancing in a gay bar in Ybor City ain’t one of those places, honey. In fact, I would imagine no one in the club (but you) even batted an eye at their attire. If we can’t express ourselves as we choose in our own spaces, where can we? In the future I would recommend focusing on what you’re wearing and having fun with your friends, instead of moralizing to them about something as silly as how they dress to go clubbing. By the way, if they
Dear Shower-er, Surely Kylie and Gennifer know that adopting a 14-year-old is different than having a newborn in their home. I would follow their lead about celebrating this event. They may (or may not) have something akin to a ‘baby’ shower, and that would be an appropriate moment to give (age-appropriate) gifts. It may be unconventional but I don’t see how you could say something inappropriate, embarrassing, or even premature, which would cause them pause. The best thing you can do is get to know their new daughter, and when you feel comfortable, or are encouraged to by a party invitation, buy a gift that would be special and meaningful to the lucky young lady. This is a joyous event and a wonderful expression of love by your friends. If you’re thoughtful and kind, which you seem to be, you’ll know the right thing to do when it is the right time to do it. | |
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MICHAEL E. MORRIS ~ CHRISTOPHER P. HANCOCK Adoption, Family Law & Estate Planning specifically directed for LGBT people. 2014 E . R O B I N S O N S T. O R L A N D O • 407-894-0853 W W W.MOR R I SH A NCO C K .COM
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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.
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NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
watermarkonline.com
sports
Film hopes to promote dialogue about out athletes Staff Report
F
ilmmaker Joshua B. Porter, writer Rick Bauer and producer Matthew Donaldson have been working hard to bring the story of the �irst openly gay professional baseball player to the big screen in the �ictional The First Out. The �ilmmakers believe the time is right to continue the national dialog on the subject in the hopes that the four major American pro leagues will soon accept a gay superstar in their ranks. “Many former players have come out after retiring, and I applaud them” Porter said, “but the heart of this �ilm is the con�lict that arises when a rookie player is outed when he doesn’t ask for it and how that effects not only his young career, but also the clubhouse around him”. Bauer’s screenplay won “Best GLBT Screenplay” at the 2010 Rhode Island International Film Festival, but wasn’t originally about the �irst gay player in Maojr League Baseball. “The script was originally about an older player looking back on his �irst days in the pros”, said Bauer. “A friend’s recommendation a few years back to make the character gay is what started the journey of the story we have now.” Porter, who discovered the script while looking for a baseball �ilm to direct, recalls the types of �ilms that inspired him to want to make motion pictures in the �irst place: “The �ilm Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks had a tremendous effect on me when I saw it as a teenager” said Porter. “It taught me the power of motion pictures and the effects they can have on society. I know it did for me”. “If we can have that powerful effect on even just one person with this �ilm then we’ve done our job!” For more information on The First Out, including how to donate to the project’s Kickstarter campaign, visit TheFirstOut.com.. | |
“Visit the Dalí Museum — the #1 rated attraction in St. Petersburg.” — TripAdvisor
One Dalí Boulevard St. Petersburg, FL 33701 1.800.442.DALI (3254) | thedali.org
$2 Off up to 4 admissions
WM
With coupon | Adults/Seniors | Not valid w/ other discounts
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All Hallow’s Eve Ball, Tampa: Photo courtesy TinkerFluff.com
Georgie’s Alibi, St. Petersburg: Photo courtesy TinkerFluff.com
Parliament House, Orlando: Photo by Erik Caban
Parliament House, Orlando: Photo by Erik Caban
All Hallow’s Eve Ball, Tampa: Photo courtesy TinkerFluff.com
Parliament House, Orlando: Photo by Erik Caban
PHOTOGRAPHY: HALLOWEEN HOOPLA
Galleryw Go see more photos at
watermarkonline.com
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HEY SAY HALLOWEEN IS THE GAY HIGH-HOLY HOLIDAY, and the communities of Orlando, Tampa Bay and Sarasota celebrated in style. Watermark photographers visited some major parties and clubs to check out the incredibly creative costumes this year. This is just a small sampling.
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
Photography by TinkerFluff.com and Erik Caban
watermarkonline.com
NOV. 8 - NOV. 20, 2012 // ISSUE 19.23
watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.
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