Watermark Issue 21.04: Sochi and Russian LGBTs by Watermark Publishing Group

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • SARASOTA • ISSUE 21.04 • FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM

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DEPARTMENTS 6 // MAIL 8 // ORLANDO NEWS 12 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 16 // STATE 18 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 27 // IN DEPTH 43 //ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 49 // COMMUNITY CALENDAR 51 // TAMPA BAY OVERHEARD 53 // ORLANDO OVERHEARD 54 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 55 // TRANSITIONS 56 // ORLANDO MARKETPLACE 61 // SPORTS

PAGE

We will strive to ensure that same-sex marriages receive the same privileges, protections and rights as opposite-sex marriages under federal law. —US ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER

ON THE COVER

PAGE Russian President Vladimir

appears to respect 27 Putin diversity at the Sochi

Olympics, but his laws say otherwise, allowing government officials and anti-gay groups to attack LGBTs with little consequence.

Preview

PAGE

43 LOOKING FOR GROFF: Jonathan Groff, center, stars in HBO’s newest series, Looking, which follows the lives of gay friends living in San Francisco.

WATERMARK ISSUE 21.04 //FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014

ORLANDO NEWS

TAMPA BAY NEWS

PAGE Orange County Sheriff’s

PAGE A conference discussing

SPORTS

GALLERY W

Photo illustration by Jake Stevens

Read it online!

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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

Deputy Tom Woodard has retired, and looks back at his career in law enforcement; Lake County GSA battle continues in court; Youth Summit makes history in Orlando.

where St. Petersburg stands in relation to the rest of the world will also focus on LGBT rights; A benefit for a popular Ybor shot boy injured in a car accident helps with medical expenses; more.

PAGE University of Missouri

football star Michael Sam made history by coming out publicly Feb. 8, making him possibly the first out NFL player if drafted; One soccer star plans to boycott the World Cup—twice.

PAGE The Sant’Yago Knight

continued the 52 Parade Gasparilla celebration in

Tampa with its annual event along Seventh Avenue in Ybor City. Our photographer captured the festivities from a balcony overlooking the popular nighttime destination.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Equality Florida and the couples filing the lawsuit in Miami should be applauded for their organizing efforts and commitment to equality.

ISSUE

—MARCIA HAMM

21.03

DEAD ON WITH DUCK DYNASTY COLUMN

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED STEVE BLANCHARD’S EDITOR’S DESK covering the “Duck Dynasty controversy” [Issue 21.01]. He is dead on. When Anita Bryant did her “Save Our Children” campaign in San Francisco, Conan Dunham wrote a song entitled “Tell Ol’ Anita.” While in Florida. everyone was boycotting oranges and demonstrating. Not only did his song have a wonderful message, it was a great way to get his feelings across and helped launch his �irst album. Conan now lives here in Tampa and stills writes and plays at some of the local clubs. We totally agree with Steve›s stance. Keep up the good work. With age comes wisdom and he is ahead of the curve. SUZY SIZEMORE TAMPA

THANKS FOR ‘WATERMARK WEDNESDAY’

HANK YOU TO BILL JEFFRIES AND STEVE BLANCHARD WITH WATERMARK for putting on Watermark Wednesday and working with the Tampa Bay Bears and Georgie’s Alibi to raise funds for Metro Wellness and Community Centers’ LGBT Youth/ Welcome Center.

POLITICAL CARTOON

Also, thank you for your continued support and coverage of the project. CHRIS RUDISILL ST. PETERSBURG

FINALLY MOVING FORWARD

WAS SO EXCITED TO LEARN ABOUT THE LAWSUIT CHALLENGING FLORIDA’S BAN ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY. Equality Florida and the couples �iling the lawsuit in Miami should be applauded for their organizing efforts and commitment to equality. Florida has for too long been behind the curve when it comes to embracing diversity. Our string of government of�icials, and yes, I include Charlie Crist in the mix, have always ignored or outright opposed the gay community. Finally, we’ve organized and can �ight this injustice. I wish the plaintiffs good luck and thank Watermark for the comprehensive coverage of the lawsuit. This should be required reading for everyone in Florida’s LGBT community. MARCIA HAMM ORLANDO

WHY DO WE CARE?

HE GAY COMMUNITY CONFUSES ME. Why in the world would anyone care if Queen Latifah is gay or, if she is, if she hasn’t come out

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

yet? The woman is an incredibly talented singer and actress and an ally to the LGBT community. She supports us, and whether or not she’s a lesbian or not should be secondary. If she is, in fact, gay. Great for her. If she isn’t, equally as great. It sounds like she’s a nice person who has her priorities straight, especially when it comes to equality. We need to leave her alone and thank her for her support, not chastise her for not being what we want her to be. DAMIAN SIMMS SARASOTA

GAME PROVES WE ARE EVERYWHERE

“T

HAT’S SO GAY” is a real world game/quiz that is queer history/studies for everyone. For people who like to play games and see who knows more answers on a subject, this is the �inal one. It has everything. I wonder how many people have heard of Charley Shively, or even AJ (co-founder of the Advocate), and certainly only political fanatics will remember Walter Jenkins, who showed what Lady Bird, and in a sense LBJ, thought of homosexuals (good). And how wonderful to �ind mention of Lem, who was JFK’s gay friend who lived in the White House. Not many �ilm fans even remember the movie Victim,

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and most do not give the credit deserved for that good movie, Making Love. And good to remember Sukiefrom the Chicago paper. some of the answers are writers/authors such as Stuart Timmons, Lillian Faderman. And I do wonder, with all the new books each year, how many know such valuable books as Alexandra Chasin’s Selling Out—covering economics long before the Suzie Orman era. It is good to mention Bill Kelley’s work and NACHO’s conference, where Frank (Kameny) did his Gay is Good, but his work with the government is what he deserves great credit for. As I saw somewhere, my generation dreamed of a world of equality and today LGBT people are slowly starting to live that life. It is interesting that Dorr (Legg) is both a inter-racial group cofounder and a co-founder of the �ist public effort-ONE, so it is good to see him, and Don Slater, etc get credit-as well as the co-founders of Mattachine. I did think it might be interesting to mention Dale Jennings as a co-founder of Mattachine, also as the writer of John Wayne’s movie, The Cowboys, and that Mattachine co-founder Rudi Gernreich became a famous women’s fashion person. It was strange to see mention of the movie star who played Capote, who died of a drug overdose this year. Which brings up the eternal question-why has Patricia

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Warren’s book, Front Runner, not been made into a movie? It is good to give credit to a major contributor to �ighting the lies about homosexuality—Dr. Evelyn Hooker. I am glad Joe Hansen’s books get mentioned-they were great examples of having a homosexual character whose sexuality was not the main issue. He should get credit also a co-founder of the Homosexual Information Center, along with wife and writer, Jane. And then there is early politically focused Morris Kightwho used the media to put fear in a California county-that we were going to all move there and take control. Either the “media” were/ was stupid, or very pro-gay. For those of us who have lived this history, it is a enjoyable game, and for young LGBT people it is worth knowing just how much history there is of people trying to make the best of the world they found, and doing what they could to make it better for future generations of LGBT people. The bibliography is a good one. There are so many books that most people give up as they know they can only read so many In the list are books covering all aspects and they are the better ones, which librarians can recommend. Thank you, Tracy Baim and co-workers, for this fun and games with history. BILLY GLOVER VIA EMAIL

editor’s

Steve Blanchard EDITOR

SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

HE NFL FINALLY RECEIVED THE

test it’s deserved for so long, requiring the organization to look itself squarely in the mirror and ask if it’s ready for a gay player among its ranks.

It’s a stupid question, really. There have been gay players in the NFL before, and there probably were in the most recent season. The law of statistics proves that, even though none have made a public proclamation about their sexuality. We are everywhere, whether a macho-sports world wants to admit that or not. There were no gay men on my high school baseball team or track team—at least until a handful of us came out years later during and after college. We gay men are not more fragile than our hetero counterparts and

WATERMARK STAFF

orientation does not determine one’s ability to catch a ball, run a touchdown or block other behemoths on the �ield. The mentality of the NFL as an organization has evolved signi�icantly over the years, with players and teams supporting the gay rights movement and even participating in Pride events. But when it comes to one of their own declaring that he dates men—not necessarily those men with whom they share a locker room—players in the NFL have a long way to go. This month, University of Missouri player and suspected mid-

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round NFL Draft pick Michael Sam shared that he was gay on ESPN’s Outside the Lines. This “breaking news” immediately lit up news websites, social media and cable news channels. But it wasn’t news to his teammates. He told them about his orientation early on in the season when a team-building exercise required players to share something about themselves that others may not know. The men of the Mizzou Tigers— which represent my alma mater, I must add proudly— had an incredible season despite this not-so-earthshattering news. Now the debate is whether the NFL is ready to open its ranks—and locker rooms—to openly gay players. A similar debate was held when women entered the sports reporting �ield. How would women in the locker room affect the cohesiveness of a team? Won’t gay men in the locker room be distracting? Like those cameras aren’t distracting already? One player has even said that a gay player would make him uncomfortable, especially in the showers. It seems like those worried about gays invading their space need to do some internal re�lection before speaking out against a possible gay teammate. And, straight guys, not all gay men have an uncontrollable urge to peek or paw at your genitalia. Unless Sam has a pre-game ritual

of painting himself with body glitter and entering the locker room to a dance mix of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” there’s no evidence that he—or any gay man—would be a distraction in the showers or locker room. I’ve yet to see a report of a team falling apart simply because one of its members is in a relationship with another man. Every report discussing the decline of the Denver Broncos at the Super Bowl fails to mention homosexuality as being the cause of the embarrassing loss. Joking and snarkiness aside, Michael Sam has a heavy weight to bear and I hope that my mainstream media brethren are smart with how they handle his interviews and coverage of his career. The focus on his sexuality is interesting because it’s a cornerstone in the gay rights movement. But it’s unfortunate that it’s even an issue in 2014. For the immediate future, Sam will be the “gay football player.” His sexuality will be referenced every time his name appears on the news scroll along the bottom of the screen and each time he appears in public. But eventually, the media and NFL fans will have to look at his abilities on the �ield. He simply has to prove that he can continue his career into the NFL from the incredible start he had in college. He led the SEC with 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss last season, which helped Missouri reach the SEC championship game. NFL players should be held to a higher standard, but they aren’t. Just look at the arrest records. What matters is what happens on the �ield, and Sam should be no exception to that rule. |  |

Unless he has a pre-game ritual of painting himself with body glitter... there’s no evidence he would be a distraction in the locker room.

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CONTRIBUTORS KIRK HARTLAGE

is an Orlandobased journalist a DJ and a former full time employee of Watermark. He specializes in celebrity interviews. Page 33

KEN KUNDIS

is a Florida native and a longtime contributor to Watermark. He lives in New York City. Page 34

CHRIS AZZOPARDI

is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service and has interviewed a wide range of celebrities, including Cher and Lady Gaga. He lives in Canton, Mich., and can be reached via his website at Chris-Azzopardi.com. Page 43

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orlando NEWS

THEN AND NOW: Officer Tom Woodard (left) appears on a

2001 cover of Watermark for a story about gay men in traditionally “straight” occupations. On the right, he’s pictured in a selfie posted online of his last day in uniform.

Trailblazing gay sheriff’s deputy retires from the force Susan Clary

RLANDO | Tom Woodard was born into a family of police of�icers. His father was a major with the Winter Haven Police Department. His mother retired as a detective from the Polk County Sheriff’s Of�ice. It was his destiny. After graduation from the police academy, he joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Of�ice. He paid his dues as a 911 operator and reserve deputy. Finally, on Halloween 1988, he became a full-�ledged deputy, his dream come true. Six months later, Woodard was outed by a fellow of�icer, �ired from his job and embroiled in a legal battle—all because he was gay. He was 24. “It was a terrorizing experience to be outed,” said Woodard. “They tried to equate gay people with child molesters..” Three years and two trials later, Woodard won his job back. After more than 30 years on the force, Woodard, 49, retired on Jan. 31 as a Master Patrolman. “I just said, ‘I’m done’ and gave my two weeks’ notice and left,” Woodard said. “I turned in my resignation on Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.” Woodard has spent the last 30 years �ighting for change in the very agency that discriminated against him and embarrassed his family. He successfully pushed for an anti-discrimination policy and same-sex bene�its. In July 2012, he �iled a request with Sheriff Jerry Demings for bereavement and sick time for domestic partners. “I never considered myself a hero or anything,” Woodard said. “But a lot of people do, they say ‘without you, we wouldn’t be anywhere.’” Woodard, who will be 50 on June 4, was born and raised in Lakeland. In high school, he worked as a dispatcher for the Dundee Police Department. It was a foot in the door and he already knew the police radio codes and signals. Continued on page 10 |  |

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REPEATING HISTORY: Carver Middle School is once again at the center of a controversial fight to create a GSA.

Still courting a GSA The fate of a GSA at Carver Middle School now sits in a judge’s hands Jamie Hyman

EESBURG | Both sides are awaiting a judge’s response to the second lawsuit �ighting for a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at Carver Middle School. There was a hearing Feb. 10 before Judge William Terrell Hodges at the United States District Court Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division. The plaintiff in the case is The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which �iled a lawsuit on behalf of Hannah Faughnan, 12, a seventh-grader who is attempting to form a GSA at her school. Faughnan is representing a group of students who want to create the GSA. The lawsuit was �iled in Dec. 2013. Judge Hodges is currently considering two motions—a motion to dismiss and a motion for a preliminary injunction, which would allow the GSA to meet while the lawsuit is pending. “The [Lake County] School Board is trying to end the lawsuit now,” said Daniel Tilley, staff attorney for LGBT rights with the ACLU of Florida. “We would like the lawsuit to continue and we believe it will.”

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The hearing lasted about an hour, with the ACLU making the �irst statement, attorneys for the Lake County School District spoke second, then the Tilley made the rebuttal. “The judge was very focused on procedural issues and whether middle school clubs are covered under the Federal Equal Access

later,” Tilley said. “Before moving forward, we need to know where the judge stands on some of the legal issues.” The Lake County school district would not comment on the case. “As Lake County Schools is in current litigation, it would not be prudent for the school district to make a comment regarding this pending lawsuit,” said Christopher Patton, Communications Of�icer for Lake County Schools. The last time the ACLU sued Lake County Schools, they were representing openly bisexual Bayli Silberstein, who at the time was a 14-yearold 8th grader at Carver Middle School. After months of legal wrangling and school board meeting debates, a judge granted Silberstein permission to form the club for the remainder of her 8th grade year, which ended in the summer of 2013. That settlement has expired, Bayli has moved onto high school and now, the GSA no longer meets at Carver Middle School. Before the club became inactive, Faughan and her friends tried to keep it going but ran into administrative roadblocks similar to the ones Silberstein faced.

“The judge was very focused on procedural issues and whether middle school clubs are covered under the Federal Equal Access Act particularly.” —DANIEL TILLEY Act particularly,” Tilley said. “We demonstrated at the hearing that middle school clubs are covered and we hope the judge sees through the school board’s arguments against that.” Tilley added that there’s no deadline for Judge Hodges’ response. “It’s impossible to say when the judge will rule, but I hope the judge will rule sooner rather than

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Continued on page 11 |  |

PRESENTS

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FEB. 26, XXXXX-XXXXX 2014 // ISSUE 21.04 MECH

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orlando NEWS 10

|  | Tom Woodard from pg.8 His family tried to persuade him to follow a different career path. “They tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t listen,” Woodard said. “I really liked the investigative side, �inding the bad guy and solving the crime.” When a recruiter from the Orange County Sheriff’s Of�ice came calling, Woodard was eager to move to Orlando and a larger agency. As a reserve deputy, he walked International Drive, rode in the helicopter for medical transport and worked with the K-9 Unit tracking suspects. After three years, he was pulled up from reserves. His �irst assignment as a deputy was handling calls in Pine Hills and Apopka. His �irst six months, he trained with another of�icer. “My family was proud,” Woodard said. “I did cross training with forensics and assisted with a couple of murders.” At the time, Woodard had a casual relationship with an Apopka Police dispatcher, who worked with the Explorers, a program that allows youth ages 14 to 21 to experience a career in law enforcement by shadowing real cops. When Apopka discovered the dispatcher was gay, his supervisors demanded he name other of�icers he knew who were gay. The dispatcher named Woodard, who was immediately called in for questioning by Orange County’s Internal Affairs. “They said they had received information that I may be gay and they wanted to know all the details,” Woodard said. “They made me take a polygraph test and asked if I had sex on duty or with children.” Though Woodard passed the test and was cleared of wrongdoing, then-Sheriff Walt Gallagher decided to �ire Woodard because he was “an embarrassment to the agency.” Management said being gay was immoral and not in line the U.S. Military Code of Justice. “They told me that what they did to me they were going to do to everyone else,” Woodard said. Woodard hadn’t told his family he was gay. Soon, it was all over the news that he had been �ired and why. It was dif�icult for his mother. “It was like two knives at one time,” Woodard said. “She was devastated. She had to take two weeks off because she was crying all the time.” Three years later, a jury found Woodard was unfairly �ired and then-Circuit Judge William C. Gridley ordered Gallagher to give Woodard his job back with pay for the time he was out of work. “I loved my job and I loved the people,” Woodard said. “I never had any problems with anyone other than the sheriff. Everyone supported me.” Woodard went back to patrolling Apopka and Pine Hills. He later worked in property crimes and spent the last 10 years at the Orange County Courthouse providing security for the judiciary. Now that he has retired, Woodard and his partner of four years, Travis Smith, 30, plan to move to St. Petersburg to start a new business. Woodard is keeping the details under wraps until plans are �inalized. He has hung up his uniform, but he’s not done �ighting for equality. “I’ll continue the �ight,” Woodard said. “We’ve come a long way and I got some policies changed, but we aren’t there yet. Not just yet.” |  |

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Orlando makes history with first-ever LGBT Youth Summit Alyssa Merwin

RLANDO | From bullying to human traf�icking, the �irstever Central Florida Youth Empowerment Summit covered the gamut of issues and problems that LGBT youth may face. On Feb. 1, The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and Orlando Youth Alliance and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays teamed up for the Summit, inviting attendees of all sexualities, gender and ages. City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, the �irst openly gay elected of�icial in Central Florida, helped put together the event and was a keynote speaker. “We’re here to offer hope and to tell you that you are not alone,” Sheehan said in her address. “You all made history by being here today.” Florida State Representative Joe Saunders, one of the �irst openly gay Florida House members elected in 2012, also was in attendance as another keynote speaker at the event, and shared how the world was different today than it was before and these differences should be celebrated. “I remember feeling completely alone. I was the only person like me,” Saunders said. “My world was not full of positive LGBT �igures.” Resources, programs and information were provided for

|  | GSA fight from pg.8

The difference is that with the �irst lawsuit, the school district settled quickly and out of court. “We began settlement discussion the day [the lawsuit] was �iled,” Tilley said. “We did not even get a hearing in the previous iteration of the case because once the judge realized we were settling, the hearing was canceled.” He said the school board is taking it to court this time because there’s been a change in state law that would “permit [the school board] to discriminate where they couldn’t’ discriminate before.” Tilley is referring to Senate Bill

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anyone in the LGBT community and their families who attended, and other LGBT and progressive organizations—like Equality Florida and Planned Parenthood—attended the event to also provide resources and information for attendees. Workshops addressed issues like bullying, internet safety, the transgender community and creating gay-straight alliances in schools. Of�icer Karen Long of the Orlando Police Department talked about safety in schools and how to prevent bullying. “I have a passion for people who cannot defend for themselves,” Long said. “I’ve worked with kids who were afraid to go to school. There’s no reason for anyone to put up with this. We should be celebrating diversity. If you see someone struggling, help them out a little bit.” The workshops were not only targeted toward the youth in attendance but also their parents and family members. One of the workshops was titled “Parenting and Family Solutions,” where Brigid Noonan, a professor from Stetson University, discussed how parents and family members can help and support each other. “It’s really important to think about how scary it is to come out,” Noonan said. Another panel covered human traf�icking, where panelists spoke about how it affects LGBT youth and how they can get help if they have 1076, which went into effect July 1, 2013. Two of Lake County’s School Board members, Tod Howard and Bill Mathias, successfully lobbied the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee to change state law and remove the de�inition of “secondary schools,” which had previous been de�ined as grades 6–12. “They are relying on that change to say the Equal Access Act, which relies on state law to de�ine secondary schools, doesn’t apply,” Tilley said. “Our view is that secondary schools do include middle schools.” Tilley said the ACLU also has a �irst amendment claim in the case. “Under the 1st amendment,

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been personally affected by it. “We wanted to talk about the vulnerabilities for the LGBT community for human traf�icking,” Kimberly Grabert, the director of Statewide Human Traf�icking Prevention, said. “There is a preconceived notion that girls are the only victims. I don’t think it’s reported because there is a lack of awareness. They don’t see boys as victims and there is a discomfort level that needs advocacy.” Another workshop discussed how LGBTs can �ind acceptance within religious communities. “You are not always safe in every church,” said workshop host Rev. Bryan G. Fulwider said. “We are all fellow humans; we are all trying to make sense of life when it is handed to us,” Pastor Jim Cof�in said. “We have to be there to help them. If [LGBTs] feel condemned, they’re not going to come to you.” After each workshop, panelists held a short question and answer session. Lindsey Steadman, a student at Seminole State College, said she found value in the Summit’s information. “I wanted an opportunity to grow more as a person and a leader in my community,” Steadman said. “I de�initely found answers to things like making a connection of religion and sexuality. I got to meet people I normally wouldn’t and coming to this was a great learning opportunity.” |  | [Carver Middle School] cannot deny student speech unless it would cause a substantial and material disruption in schools,” he said. “The school is alleging that a different standard applies, and we disagree.” The Federal Access Act, passed in 1984, requires secondary schools to provide equal access to extracurricular clubs. Religious groups initially lobbied for the law, to ensure students have the right to conduct Bible Study programs after school. |  |

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tampa bay NEWS 12

EQFL’s Feb. 22 Tampa Gala on track to break records Steve Blanchard

AMPA | If ticket sales continue to go as they have the last few months, Tampa is poised to set records with its fundraising totals at this month’s Equality Florida Gala. The Feb. 22 event, held at The Vault on Franklin St., could easily raise $225,000. But that doesn’t mean organizers wouldn’t appreciate adding more to the coffers. “All of the money goes to the same bucket,” explained Ed Lally, Equality Florida’s Central Florida Corporate and Development Manager. “All of the money raised at all of our galas goes to our program services. A bulk is used for educating the public on our objectives and how we can achieve them. The most exciting thing is that we now have this marriage equality lawsuit �iled, and there’s quite a buzz over it. Money is needed to fuel that suit as it makes its way through the courts.” Tickets are $100 and The Vault can hold 500 people. Lally said Equality Florida chose the space because of its use by the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival for its launch party in October. “We went back to the space with our steering committee and looked it over,” Lally said. “We loved it and we loved the location. We’re excited to be downtown.” In 2013 and 2012, the Tampa Gala was held in Ybor City. Before that, it was held along Bayshore at the Garden Club. A downtown location just makes sense this year, Lally said. “We’re giving away two awards on Feb. 22, and one is to the City of Tampa,” Lally said. “The city will receive our Voice of Equality Award.” Mayor Bob Buckhorn and the entire Tampa City Council is scheduled to appear, Lally said. Buckhorn will give a speech when he accepts the award. Tampa was named the number one Florida city on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipality Index. Also being recognized is PNC Bank, which will receive the organization’s Business for Equality Award. Accepting that award will be Joe Meterchick, the bank’s West Florida Regional President. “PNC has always enjoyed a 100-percent ranking from HRC’s corporate equality index,” Lally said. “The bank is also a statewide presenting sponsor this year.” Tickets are still available to the Tampa Gala, but Lally suggests purchasing them well before the Feb. 22 event, as space is limited. “The success of our galas are due to the dedication, passion and hard work of our local gala steering committees, including our chair, Scott Moore and Mark Puskarich the Vice Chair,” Lally added. Covered arking is provided off Zach Street, and Lally encourages attendees to look for the Equality Florida signs. Tickets can be ordered at EQFL.org, and then by following the Tampa Gala link. |  |

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FINDING OUR PLACE: The University of South Florida-St. Petersburg campus will welcome the second St. Petersburg in the World Conference Valentine’s Day Weekend. PHOTO COURTESY ST. PETERSBURG WORLD CONFERENCE

Knowing where we stand St. Petersburg in the World Conference will focus on LGBT issues around the world Greg Stemm

T. PETERSBURG | “American Human Rights Policy Should Stress LGBT Issues” is the topic of one of 17 seminars scheduled to be presented in the second annual “St. Petersburg in the World” conference to be held at the University of South Florida (USF) in St. Petersburg Feb. 13-15. The seminar dealing with LGBT issues in slated for Friday, Feb, 14 at 3:15 p.m. Other seminars deal with issues as far-reaching as our relationship with China to the issues brought up by the Snowden case. All seminars are free and open to the public. All sessions will be held in the Student Union and USF has agreed to offer free parking in their parking garage for the event. “The United States has been taking more of a leadership role in promoting LGBT rights around the world as part of our emphasis on human rights,” said Doug Mcelhaney, a retired U.S.

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diplomat and one of the founders of the conference. “The Obama administration has made LGBT issues an integral part of its position on human rights, but the question is whether that

“She encouraged a number of embassies to produce gay Pride events and even invited local LGBT activists to attend,” said Mcelhaney. “I’m hopeful that if she were elected president that this commitment would continue.” But it’s not all good news for LGBTs in the world, unfortunately. “I’m going to focus on the overall state of LGBT affairs around the globe,” said Michael Smith, a professor of political and social thought at the University of Virginia. He is one of four presenters at the seminar. “Unfortunately things aren’t so rosy for gay people in many parts of the world and in places like Uganda and even India, the progress has been backward, not forward,” Smith said. “Uganda laws now include the death penalty for homosexuality and in India they recently have turned back the clock to colonial era policies.” Other presenters include Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith, ACLU of Florida Attorney Daniel Tilley, and Adela Bejtovic, Head of The President’s Cabinet of the

“The United States has been taking more of a leadership role in promoting LGBT rights around the world.” —DOUG MCELHANEY focus will continue on in other administrations.” While it is unlikely that a Republican president would put as much emphasis on LGBT human right issues as this president has, Mcelhaney believes Hilary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, made LGBT issues an import priority during her tenure as secretary of state.

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tampa bay NEWS

Edie Windsor to attend St. Pete Gala Staff Report

our own house is order is a big deal,” said Tilley. “But that shouldn’t stop us from trying to pursue what we know is right and addressing much more signi�icant human rights issues in other countries.” Smith agrees. “There are many parts of the world where being LGBT can be very dif�icult or even dangerous,” he said. “The U.S. can play a vitally important role in helping to change that if we lead by example.” The St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs is a cooperative venture of a group of civic-minded St. Petersburg residents and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The panels are made of diplomats, military, media, and academic experts discussing

critical international issues of the day at each annual conference. The public, including students of USF St. Petersburg and other area universities, are invited to attend the annual conferences for free. Seating is on a �irst come, �irst seated basis. According to Mcelhaney, the launch of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs has been a resounding success. Several hundred local residents and students attended each of the panels in 2013 and Mcelhaney is hoping for even greater attendance this year. Participants showed their support through both �inancial contributions as well as their overwhelmingly positive comments on the presentations. For more information visit StPetersburgInTheWorld.com. |  |

S FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS: Marcus Grubb, right, was seriously injured in a Jan. 10 car crash on I-4. Alexis De La Mer organized a Feb. 9 benefit to help Grubb’s family pay his mounting medical expenses.

Benefit raises $1k for injured teen Steve Blanchard

BOR CITY | In the early morning hours of Jan. 10, a tire blew on the sport utility vehicle Marcus Grubb was driving eastbound on I-4 near Plant City. The explosion caused Grubb to lose control of the Ford Explorer, which veered into the median, overturned several times and �inally came to rest on its right side. Grubb ‘s passengers, Figueroa Marzan and Kezra Johnson, were not wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the vehicle. Marzan died from his injuries later in the day. Johnson was not hurt as badly as the other two and survived. Grubb also managed to survive the crash, but he remained in a coma for nearly three weeks. Now, he’s responding when friends and relatives enter the hospital room. And the entertainment community is rallying behind him and helped raise nearly $1,200 at a Feb. 9 bene�it at Liquid Tampa in Ybor City. Grubb was a shot boy at the popular bar and has made lifelong friends with most of the entertainers of Ybor City. Alexis De La Mer, a close friend of Grubb’s, planned the bene�it, and guarantees that almost everyone who frequents Tampa Bay bars has encountered her young friend. “He was a dancer and shot boy at Flamingo last summer and has been a dancer and shot boy at Liquid for the last year,” De la Mer explained. “He also worked at the Saint last year.” The bene�it, appropriately titled “Brotherly Love,” was hosted De la Mer and Bryan Smith and included special performances by members of the House of In�initi and Nicky Monet. Every performer donated tips to assist in paying Grubb’s medical expenses. Several raf�les also helped raise money for the constantly increasing expenses. There is no cover to attend the event. Currently, Grubb, 19, is recovering at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. AAnyone wishing to contribute to Grubb’s bene�it fund may contact Alexis De la Mer through Facebook. |  |

States Supreme Court released its 5-4 decision to overturn the section of the law banning recognition of same-sex spouses on a federal level. Her in�luence was so strong that she made the list for Time’s Person of the Year in 2013. She was third behind Pope Francis, who appeared on the magazine’s cover, and Edward Snowden. “I look forward to continuing to �ight for equal rights and educate

the public about our lives alongside my gay brothers and sisters and our allies,” Windsor told Time. “Even without taking the ‘Person of the Year’ even being in the top 5 is an extraordinary year that has been historic for all of us and truly spectacular for me. Thea would be thrilled, proud and so happy to see what we have all accomplished together.” But there’s more to the guest of honor than her historic 2013 lawsuit and her high rank on Time’s annual year-end list. According to her website, Windsor served on the Board of Directors of Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) from 1986-1988 and again from 2005-2007. She was a founding member of the Improv acting group, Old Queers Acting Up, whose rallying cry was, “Out of the closet, onto the stage.” For several years the group performed skits around ageism, racism, homophobia and other oppressions. The annual Gala will be held at the Mahaffey Theatre this year in downtown St. Petersburg. Tickets are $125 and are available at EQFL. org. Moneys raised help fund the organization’s mission to end LGBT discrimination in the state. |  |

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T. PETERSBURG | Representatives of Equality Florida’s upcoming Greater St. Petersburg Area Gala have let it slip that their guest speaker will be Edith Windsor this year. While the organization has yet to of�icially announce her as a speaker, several comments on the event’s Facebook page reference her appearance and attendees have already posted that they “look forward” to meeting her at the May 3 gala. Windsor is the force behind the challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Supreme Court ruled DOMA’s Section 3 unconstitutional last June, paving the way for marriage equality movements across the country. Windsor was the plaintiff in the case, which challenged taxes levied on her after the death of her wife, Thea Spyer, in 2009. The women were legally married in Ontario, Canada, in 2007, and had been a couple for more than four decades. Windsor sought to claim the federal estate tax exemption for surviving spouses, but was prevented from doing so by section 3 of DOMA. That meant Windsor was required to pay more than $360,000 in estate taxes. On June 26, 2013, the United |  | GSA fight from pg.8

Municipal Court in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The �irst step in making any kind of difference either locally or global on LGBT rights is to educate yourself on the issues,” said Tilley. “This conference is a great platform for getting that kind of education from a variety of perspectives.” Some would say that the United States can be hypocritical on LGBT issues globally when we don’t have our house entirely in order here. “Sure you can �ind human rights violation on LGBT issues right in Miami or Tampa; and while we continue to make progress on these affairs here in the U.S., completely putting

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GUEST OF HONOR: Edith Windsor was the Grand Marshal for New York Pride 2013, and is slated to speak at the Equality Florida St. Petersburg Gala on May 3. PHOTO COURTESY LISA PADILLA

“Thea would be thrilled, proud and so happy to see what we have all accomplished together.” —EDIE WINSOR, IN TIME

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state NEWS

No response from Putin to Florida mayors on LGBT rights Jamie Hyman According to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s of�ice, there is still no response from Vladimir Putin in response to a strongly-worded letter urging the Russian president to repeal the country’s harsh anti-gay law. The letter was signed by Dyer, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and Tallahassee Mayor John Marks and sent in late January. All three cities have sister cities in Russia: the City of Orenburg for Orlando, the City of Krasnodar for Tallahassee and the city of St. Petersburg for St. Petersburg. Here’s an excerpt from the letter: “Our cities are proud of the longstanding relationships we have cultivated with the people of Russia. For decades, our sister city programs have played a signi�icant role in improving the post-Cold War relations between Floridians and Russians. It is due in great part to our concern for our friends in Russia that we are disturbed to learn about any potential infringement upon the rights of persons identifying as LGBT. ” |  |

Openly gay man nominated to federal judge seat Jamie Hyman

ASHINGTON, D.C. | President Obama is not giving up on appointing the �irst black, openly gay federal judge to a Florida seat. On Feb. 5, the White House announced four judicial nominations for federal courts in Florida, including the nomination of Judge Darrin P. Gayles for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. “We commend the

Administration for nominating a quali�ied jurist who will also add diversity to the federal bench,” said Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute Press Secretary Steven Thai in a statement to the media. “If con�irmed, Judge Gayles will be the nation’s �irst black, openly gay federal judge, and he will re�lect the talent and commitment that exists in communities that are underrepresented in public service.” Other nominees included in this current round, along with Judge Gayles, include Paul G. Byron and Judge Carlos Eduardo Mendoza,

nominees for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and Judge Beth Bloom, another nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Since 2011, Gayles has been a Circuit Judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. Previous to that, he’s been an assistant state attorney, an assistant United States attorney and a county judge. Gayles earned his J.D. in 1993 from George Washington University Law School and his B.A. in 1990 from Howard University. |  |

Camden County, Ga., Jan. 30. Jeremy Christian Pittman was booked into the Duval County jail on the single charge of the murder of Robert Glenn. Pittman’s arrest report lists his employer as the U.S. Postal Service in St. Marys, Ga. Glenn had last been seen on Jan. 16 leaving Metro, an LGBT bar in

downtown Jacksonville. When Hucks and Pittman left the bar, the Jacksonville police report reads, they went to Pittman’s residence where they argued. Hucks wanted to be taken home. Glenn was killed that same night. The murder is not being investigated as a hate crime. |  |

Murdered Jacksonville man discovered in Georgia Staff Report

ILA RICA, GA. | Police have charged a 34-year-old man with the murder of a 20-yearold gay Jacksonville man after the remains of the victim’s body were discovered in a wooden part of

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IN OTHER NEWS IDAHO HOUSE KEEPS DISCRIMINATION BILL ALIVE Idaho’s Capitol on Feb. 5 was again the focus of frustration among gay rights activists as lawmakers kept alive a bill that Republican religious conservatives argue is necessary to protect businesses from being forced to serve customers whose lifestyles offend their faith traditions. The House State Affairs Committee’s 11-5 vote to send the bill to the floor came two days after 44 gay rights activists were arrested for barring entry to the state Senate.

WHITE HOUSE PRAISES OUT FOOTBALL PLAYER The White House applauded a University of Missouri football player’s decision to announce that he is gay, with President Barack Obama’s spokesman, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden all portraying him as a courageous and inspirational athlete. Biden and the first lady took to Twitter on Feb. 10 to comment on Michael Sam, the all-American college player who declared publicly on Feb. 9 that he is gay.

NEWS

CLAY AIKEN TO RUN FOR CONGRESS Clay Aiken, the former American Idol and Celebrity Apprentice runner-up, announced Feb. 5 that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives seat held by North Carolina Republican Renee Ellmers. The openly gay North Carolina native is touting his non-musical career as a special education teacher, UNICEF representative and presidential commission member on education to explain his reasons for getting in the race.

WEST VIRGINIA COUNCIL BACKS MARRIAGE EQUALITY Morgantown’s City Council on Feb.4 unanimously endorsed resolutions that ask the state legislature to legalize same-sex civil marriages in West Virginia and to prohibit employers and landlords from discriminating against individuals based on their sexual orientation. West Virginia doesn’t allow same-sex marriage or recognize those that occurred in other states.

MAYOR WON’T MARCH IN NYC ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will become the first mayor in decades to sit out the nation’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade, deciding to skip one of his city’s signature celebrations because the event organizers refuse to let participants carry pro-gay signs, saying, ``I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade.’’

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT PASSES GAY MARRIAGE BILL The Scottish Parliament on Feb. 4 voted 105 to 18 in favor of a same-sex marriage bill, allowing the first such ceremonies to take place by the end of the year. Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil called the bill’s approval ``one of the great historic days of the parliament.’’

SENEGAL SENTENCES 2 GAY MEN TO 6 MONTHS IN PRISON A judge in Senegal sentenced two men to six months’ jail in a rare conviction of a gay couple on criminal charges. The two were arrested after neighbors alerted police to their home in Dakar, the capital. Judge Racky Deme sentenced them under Senegal’s penal code that calls for prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to $3,000 for committing ``an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex.’’

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Holder applies same-sex marriage ruling to Justice Wire Report

ASHINGTON, D.C. | In an assertion of same-sex marriage rights, Attorney General Eric Holder is applying a landmark Supreme Court ruling to the Justice Department, announcing that same-sex spouses cannot be compelled to testify against each other, should be eligible to �ile for bankruptcy jointly and are entitled to the same rights and privileges as federal prison inmates in opposite-sex marriages. The Justice Department runs a number of bene�its programs, and Holder says same-sex couples will qualify for them. They include the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and bene�its to surviving spouses of public safety of�icers who suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries in the line of duty. “In every courthouse, in every proceeding and in every place where

a member of the Department of Justice stands on behalf of the United States, they will strive to ensure that same-sex marriages receive the same privileges, protections and rights as opposite-sex marriages under federal law,’’ Holder said Feb. 8 in prepared remarks to the Human Rights Campaign in New York. Just as in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, the stakes in the current generation over same-sex marriage rights ``could not be higher,’’ said Holder. ``The Justice Department’s role in confronting discrimination must be as aggressive today as it was in Robert Kennedy’s time,’’ Holder said of the attorney general who played a leadership role in advancing civil rights. Human Rights Campaign President Chad Grif�in said Holder’s ``landmark announcement will change the lives of countless committed gay and lesbian couples for the better. While the immediate

effect of these policy decisions is that all married gay couples will be treated equally under the law, the long-term effects are more profound. Today, our nation moves closer toward its ideals of equality and fairness for all.’’ Holder’s speech was criticized by the conservative National Organization for Marriage. ``This is just the latest in a series of moves by the Obama administration, and in particular the Department of Justice, to undermine the authority and sovereignty of the states to make their own determinations regulating the institution of marriage,’’ said Brian Brown, the group’s president. On Feb. 10, the Justice Department issued a policy memo to its employees instructing them to give lawful same-sex marriages full and equal recognition, to the greatest extent possible under the law. |  |

longer defensible.” Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto �iled a motion with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that said Nevada’s legal arguments supporting the voter-approved prohibition aren’t viable in light of the court’s recent ruling that said potential jurors cannot be removed from a trial during jury selection solely because of sexual orientation. “After thoughtful review and analysis, the state has determined that its arguments grounded upon equal protection and due process are no longer sustainable,” Masto

said in a statement. Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican seeking re-election this year, said he agreed with the Democratic attorney general’s action. “Based upon the advice of the attorney general’s of�ice and their interpretation of relevant case law, it has become clear that this case is no longer defensible in court,” Sandoval said in an email to The Associated Press. While it won’t mean the ban will be lifted immediately, the state’s move was hailed by gay rights advocates and civil libertarians. |  |

federal court in Cincinnati, arguing that the state’s practice of listing only one partner in a gay marriage as a parent on birth certi�icates violates the U.S. Constitution. ``We want to be afforded the same bene�its and rights as every other citizen of the United States,’’ said one of the plaintiffs, Joe Vitale, 45, who lives in Manhattan with his husband and their adopted 10-month-old son, who was born in Ohio. The pair married in New

York in 2011. Gay marriage supporters are working to put the issue back on the Ohio ballot in November. The other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are three lesbian couples in the Cincinnati who married in other states. One woman in each of those marriages is pregnant through arti�icial insemination, and are due this summer in Cincinatti hospitals. |  |

Nevada won’t defend ban on marriage equality Wire Report CARSON CITY, NEV. | In an aboutface, Nevada has decided against defending its constitutional ban on same-sex marriages, the latest step in a series of battles being waged across the nation on the volatile issue. Both Nevada’s attorney general and governor said Feb. 10 they won’t defend the state’s gay marriage ban pending before a federal appeals court, saying a recent court decision made the state’s arguments “no

Couples sue to force Ohio’s hand on gay marriage Wire Report CINCINNATI, OHIO | Four legally married gay couples �iled a federal civil rights lawsuit Feb. 10, seeking a court order to force Ohio to recognize same-sex marriages on birth certi�icates despite a statewide ban, echoing arguments in a similar successful lawsuit concerning death certi�icates. The couples �iled the suit in

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FRIEND FROM HIGH

school called me this week for advice regarding her 12-year-old son. It seems the sixth grader is ready to come out, and is already dealing with crushes—and rejection—from male classmates.

At a time when most kids just want to �it in, he’s de�iantly �lamboyant. He’s been bullied, and his parents aren’t sure what to tell him. Neither am I. But I was able to refer him to the Orlando Youth Alliance, a peer-based group that attracts teens from throughout Central Florida to supervised weekly meetings. With his parents’ support, he’ll soon begin making like-minded friends. Also this week, University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam came out prior to entering the NFL draft, saying “I just want to own my truth.” (See story, p. 61.) As someone who resisted his truth well into adulthood, I marvel that Sam and my friend’s 12-year-old are already claiming theirs. Some never do, at great cost to themselves, their families and society in general. I recently stumbled across an obit for someone I recognized and hadn’t thought about in years. The

memorial described a family man with an impressive life and career. It made no mention of multiple arrests for drunken driving, or the secret that contributed to them. I suspect at least a couple of those DUIs occurred on the way home from the Parliament House. Back in the 80s and 90s I saw this man at the PH with regularity. He liked to sit at the back bar nursing a highball, glowering at the gays in the friendly, intimate room. When drunk, he was sometimes verbally abusive. The barstools next to him were invariably empty. Stumbling out of the bar at closing time, he was the scowling personi�ication of negativity and self-hatred. People talk, and I heard anecdotally that his marriage and career were in shambles. I would’ve felt sorry for him if he hadn’t been such an asshole. My uncle was from the same generation, and cut from the same cloth. Homosexuality and homophobia clash, especially in the same person. The result is always ugly. My uncle was also successful, but died with few friends and a deeply ambivalent family. I later learned that he mostly paid for sexual partners, including NFL football players who back in the 1950s and 60s sometimes took home less than $5,000 per year. It’s safe to say none of them was owning their truth. At 6’2” and 260 pounds, Michael Sam—an All American—will play in the NFL. He’ll make a lot more than $5,000, and he’ll also demonstrate what should be obvious by now: that an unashamedly gay man will �it right in with America’s macho national pastime. Those who claim he will be a “distraction” are blinded by their own prejudice. More gay football players will follow. Eventually they will barely be noticed. Walls are also tumbling this week at the Winter Olympics in Russia, where groups like the Orlando Youth Alliance would be criminal. That government’s ban on “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors” is so offensive that President Barack Obama �lipped his counterpart a bird by sending a U.S. Olympic

delegation �illed with LGBT groundbreakers. And during the �irst days of competition, the press jumped on President Vladimir Putin’s ironic embrace of openly gay medal winners. Perhaps most signi�icantly, ads airing during the Olympics take Russian homophobia to task with panache unique to Madison Avenue. The commercials, seen by hundreds of millions of viewers around the globe, make clear which side cool is on. Norwegian retailer XXL All Sports United has an ad showing male athletes representing different winter sports trying to impress a beautiful woman in an airport. She walks past them to greet her female partner while closing text is superimposed: “Whatever team you play for.” More hilarious is the Canadian Institute for Diversity and Inclusion’s ad showing two muscle-bound male lugers in skin tight unitards during their highly suggestive launch sequence. Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” plays in the background while text reads, “The games have always been a little gay. Let’s �ight to keep them that way.” But most effective are ads for

mainstream American business giant GM/Chevrolet. They feature real gay couples, and will run in heavy rotation throughout the Olympics. One shows two gay fathers standing proudly with their kids in a kitchen. Another shows two women happily loading a Christmas tree in their GM vehicle. The closing voice over says, “While what it means to be a family hasn’t changed, what a family looks like has.” This Olympics will be remembered, among other things, for marginalizing ignorant Russian homophobia. This week will be remembered because a future NFL player—and potential star—came out. And for a brave 12-year-old, this week will be remembered as the one in which he decided to claim his truth, fully and without delay. Let’s hope he’s rewarded. That’s what the modern day gay rights movement is all about. |  |

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FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

watermarkonline.com

VALENTINE’S DAY TO: Breeze Joanie FROM: Hazel Lyanne

TO: Melissa FROM: Jeanie

Happy Valentine’s Day to our sista wifeys!!!

I was blessed the day you walked into my life! Happy Valentine’s day beautiful. Can’t wait to spend many more with you. I love you! Xoxo

Share the love

TO: Frankie FROM: Debbie

Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life! If I could wish to be anything, I’d wish to be your tear, to be conceived by your heart, born in your eye, live on your cheek, and die on your lips. I love you with all my heart.

APPY VALENTINE’S DAY! BUT WHO BETTER TO

wish you a day full of romance than your own signi�icant other? Readers submitted their Valentines through WatermarkOnline. Did your honey remember you?

TO: Lusinda FROM: Patty

I am so fortunate to celebrate the �irst of many Valentines together. I love you more every day.

TO: Lyanne Santiago FROM: Hazel Jandik

Love will �ind a way through paths where wolves fear to prey.

Luis Fernando Velasquez FROM: Jean Paul Rodriguez Baby! Eres lo mejor que me ha pasado en mi vida, te amo más que ayer y un poquito menos que mañana. TO:

TO: Keith Baber FROM: Steven LaPha

Keith, after over 18 years together I still love you just as much as I did in year one. Thank you for being there when I need you. Thank you for being you. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Steven TO: Bella FROM: Uccellino

Jours de la Saint Valentin heureux mon amour! Je tombe(chute) plus amoureux de vous chaque jour. Vous me faites fondre. Fonte de baisse(d’omission) d’égouttement. J’aime la façon(le chemin) que vous me faites sentir. Passant le reste de notre vie est ensemble juste la chose la plus rêveuse il y est jamais eu. Je vous aime le ventre

TO: Duane Wright FROM: Dale Boggs

TO: Bella Pertsy FROM: Lino

TO: Robert FROM: Jessy

Vous me rendez si heureux que je pourrais éclater. Je ne peux pas imaginer ma vie sans vous. Je suis la �ille la plus chanceuse dans le large monde entier. Merci pour être mien. Je ne peux pas jamais attendre ensuite. Vous me faites des noix. Je vous aime des pantalons pertsy. Revenez au lit avec moi!

I love you, “like the moon!” Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s to many more.

Although I am gradually letting you go, I want you to know how grateful I am for teaching me what Real Love looks and feels like! You will be forever in my changed heart!!

Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life! You are my rock, my protector, my biggest supporter, my best friend and partner! I am so thankful for God giving me the blessing of you, such a wonderful man! I can’t imagine my life without you right beside me! Love you always and forever!

TO: William FROM: DB

TO: Frank Horan FROM: Bruce Fournier

Roses are red the ocean is blue, I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you. You have given me an amazing decade, looking forward to the next one. I love you man ;) TO: Melissa FROM: Jeanie

Happy Valentine’s Day to the most beautiful person I have ever met inside and out! I can’t wait to see where the journey of love is going to take us! I love you beautiful. xo

TO: Leah G James FROM: Judy L Hines

Our love is special, for we were destined to be; against all odds we found each other and I promise you that I will never let you go. TO: Samuel Asencio FROM: Chad Hobbs

TO: Cynthia FROM: Maureen

I love you Cynthia!! Looking forward to many more red hot days.

TO: Jaye Sheldon FROM: Rachel Harrison

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” —Laozi Truly. Madly. Deeply, my Love!

Duvan Romero-Churio FROM: John Romero-Churio To my most wonderful husband and best friend. Te quiero mucho. Tu eres mi luz. It has been a great 8 years together and many more to come.

TO: Michael Oehler FROM: Todd Kachinski

This is a special day, our �irst Valentine’s Day together. Hopefully today, and every day, I can make you realize how much I love you and how important you are to me. HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, BABE!!

TO: LuNay FROM: HazeLyanne

TO:

TO: Steve Blanchard FROM: Stephen Smith

TO: Ron Matthews FROM: Luis Caraballo

I’m so lucky to have you in my life and even though I tell you every day, I hope you know that I love you and am looking forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day with my handsomest. TO: Matt FROM: Jamie

Will you go steady with me? Yes or No, please circle one.

Kottmeier From across the country and around the world, my love for you forever grows. Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart, Happy Valentine’s day. Love, ...the only damn guy that should be sending you this kind of crazy love (and I know crazy). Your Infamous Todd Happy Valentine’s Day! May our love be as sweet and as true as the one you share! TO: Lonnie FROM: Susan

Happy Valentine’s Day! From one Ally to another. Let’s hope a SCOTUS decision will do for LGBTs what Loving v. Virginia did for us! XO TO: Diana FROM: Torie

Diana, Lei mi fa più felice che i mai seppe possibile. purchessia la domanda, la risposta è sempre sì. grazie per essere il mio. i L’amano più che le parole possono dire. i è il Suo oltre per sempre e mai. sogni dolci il mio amore. scooch in e mi sveglia! i non puo aspettare sentire il Suo corpo che si muove col mio. Lei mi crea noci. dibs!

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

To my Valentine, my partner in crime, fellow adventurer and follower of mischief. Lead the way and I will follow, maybe! Follow and I will lead you astray. With all my love! Dsquared

TO: Patricia Ann Duffy FROM: Lusinda Lee Recor

Dear Duffy, Thank you for taking such good care of my heart. Would you be my Valentine? TO: Durland FROM: Sammy

& Rocky Daddy / Hubby, Thank you for being such a WONDERFUL MAN !!! Hoping we have another 27 years together!!! WE LOVE YOU!!! Sammy & Rocky TO: Santi M FROM: Steven

H Ti amo per sempre!

TO: Carlos James Santos FROM: Corey Middleton

When I envisioned the perfect man, you are not what came to mind immediately...lol! I guess that is what happens when you stop looking for perfection with a closed mind, and start looking for love with an open heart...Feliz Dia de Los Enamorados!!!

John Ryan John, over the past eleven years you have not only been my partner but also my best friend. I love you very much. More then I show at times. My heart belongs to you. Happy Valentine’s Day and many more to come. All my love, Ryan TO:

FROM:

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

watermarkonline.com

TALKING POINTS

That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on TV. Macklemore & Lewis, Lewis Queen Latifah, Mary Lambert & Madonna. #SameLove #GRAMMYs

GAY AND BISEXUAL TEEN BOYS USE ILLICIT STEROIDS AT A RATE ALMOST

6 HIGHER

—DWAYNE JOHNSON (THE ROCK)’S TWEET FOLLOWING THE GRAMMY AWARDS MASS WEDDING

TIMES

BRITISH GERIATRIC GAY SITCOM TO AIR ON PBS

AMED BRITISH ACTORS SIR DEREK JACOBI AND SIR IAN MCKELLEN star in Vicious, a sitcom about two bickering gay men in a 50-year relationship living in Soho. Sounds funny, right? Thanks to PBS, the show, written by Gary Janetti (Will & Grace) will

THAN DO STRAIGHT BOYS

—Pediatrics Journal, Feb. 2014

LGBT COMMUNITY LOSES ADVOCATE PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN

E LOST A FINE ACTOR IN THE PRIME OF HIS CAREER. Shockingly, the 46-year-old Phillip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment on Sunday, Feb. 2. While Hoffman wasn’t gay, he constantly took on gay roles. His portrayal of Truman Capote in 2005’s Capote was his �inest example. In an interview with Out magazine, Hoffman said of his approach to gay roles: “When I play somebody gay, I never think of it as ‘I’m playing a gay character.’ It’s interesting to play all the different aspects of the character.” |  |

HACKERS BRING DOWN RUSSIAN GAY HOOK-UP SITE

UST DAYS BEFORE THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS WERE SET TO BEGIN IN SOCHI, hackers wrecked a gay hookup site and warned members they were violating the law. When users tried to access “Hunters” on Feb. 2, they were greeted with a threat that read: “You will be arrested and jailed for gay propaganda in Sochi, according to Russian Federal Law #135 Section 6.” The site is now blocked in Sochi and Adler, according to Towleroad. An alert said their pro�iles were blocked for the next 55,000 minutes (38 days). In response, the owner of the site said he was moving his servers from Russia to Europe within the next week to avoid future disruptions. |  |

run for six episodes in the U.S. starting Sunday, July 6. It �irst aired in the U.K. in April, and is shot before a studio audience. Though McKellen and Jacobi attended Cambridge together, this is the �irst time they have appeared on-screen together. They performed on stage in a

TAMPA’S KRISTEN BECK INTERVIEW NOMINATED FOR GLAAD AWARD

UST DAYS BEFORE TRAVELING TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY to talk about U.S. Navy Seal Team 6 and becoming a trans woman, Tampa’s Kristin Beck received another bit of good news. Her interview with Anderson Cooper on his show Anderson Cooper 360 was nominated for a GLAAD Award in the category of Outstanding TV Journalism. CNN aired the episode, “Chris to Kristin: A Navy Seal’s Secret,” on June 14. Beck talked about serving her country for 20 years as Christopher Beck and �ighting an inner battle over her identity, while earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Iraq and Afghanistan. Beck’s courageous interview with Cooper was her �irst media interview. |  |

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, during which McKellen allegedly developed a crush on Jacobi, which he described as “a passion that was undeclared and unrequited.” Jacobi has been in his own real relationship with partner Richard Clifford, for more than 30 years. |  |

CLOSETS, COMBAT AND COMING OUT

IS BOOK STARTS THE FIRST DAY OF BASIC TRAINING, when then 17-year-old Rob Smith stepped off the bus from Akron, Ohio for his post in the U.S. Army. Immediately, he had a drill sergeant in his face trying to motivate him with gay slurs, a common event in the infantry at the time. Smith, whose book Closets, Combat & Coming Out: Coming of Age as a Gay Man in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Army,” was released in January, talks about being a gay soldier in one of the �irst units to go to war in Iraq 11 years ago. When he came out to his mother, she told him not to return home. Smith didn’t dare share with anyone that he was gay for fear he would violate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and be discharged. Smith’s book is available on Amazon.com. A sample is available for Kindle. |  |

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IN DEPTH LGBT RUSSIA

AN UNCOMFORTABLE *CAUTION: PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE CONVENIENT WHEN SPORTING EVENTS ARE IN PROGRESS.

OLYMPIAD RUSSIA’S OLYMPICS ARE PARTICULARLY PERILOUS FOR LGBTS

Steve Blanchard

OCHI, RUSSIA THE WORLD IS PAYING

close attention to the 2014 Winter Olympics, but not entirely because of its collective excitement over sport. No, the attention is mostly in response to the country’s horri�ic record on human rights, which was exacerbated last year with the passage of a new law banning gay “propaganda.” Despite concerns, the International Olympic Committee has let the games proceed, despite

recognizing diversity in its own charter. The Russian LGBT Network, a gay rights group, said four people were arrested on Feb. 7 shortly before the openning ceremonies, when activists stepped out of a vehicle holding banners protesting the country’s law.

“Discrimination is incompatible with Olympic movement,” the banner read, in part. The arrest came just one day after four other activists were arrested for unfurling pink-triangle-shaped banners comparing the Sochi Olympics to the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. Even the most optimistic among us was doubtful that Russia could pull off a world-wide event without showcasing its dreadful record on human rights. And even though more than 6,000 athletes from 84 countries have competed in the

Continued on page 40 |  |

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

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FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

watermarkonline.com

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

ANASTASIA BUCSIS

CANADIAN SPEED SKATER UCSIS IS A 24-YEAROLD SPEED SKATER FROM CANADA who made her �irst appearance on the Canadian national team at the 2010 Vancouver Games. She came out publicly in September 2013 at the Calgary’s Gay Pride Parade. Bucsis said she will not protest against the Russian antigay laws but rather, focusing on winning her event. She has been skating since the age of 4 and has a personal best of 37.91 in the Ladies’ 500m.

BARBARA JEZERŠEK

SLOVENIAN CROSS COUNTRY SKIER EZERŠEK IS A 27-YEAR-OLD CROSS-COUNTRY SKIER FROM SLOVENIA, who made her debut appearance in crosscountry skiing in 2006 at the World Cup for Slovenia. She also competed at the 2010 Vancouver Games in 4x5km Relay among other events. Jezeršek is coached by Marko Gracer.

IREEN WÜST BELLE DUTCH SPEED SKATER BROCKHOFF ÜST IS A 27-YEAR-

OLD BISEXUAL SPEED SKATER FROM THE NETHERLANDS, who won Gold in the 3,000m speed skate at the Sochi Olympics, becoming the �irst out athlete to medal. She made previous appearances at the 2006 Torino Games and 2010 Vancouver Games. Wüst came out in an interview in October 2009 and later mentioned her girlfriend was fellow speed skater Sanne van Kerkhof; the two later split. She was the �irst Dutch woman to be an Olympic, world and European champion in 2008, and she was also the youngest Dutch Olympic champion at the age of 19.

AUSTRALIAN SNOWBOARDER ROCKHOFF IS A 21-YEAROLD SNOWBOARDER FROM AUSTRALIA, who made her debut appearance at the 2014 Sochi Games. She was one of the �irst LGBT Olympians to condemn the Russian anti-gay laws in August 2013, during an interview with Australia ABC TV. Brockhoff says she plans to protest by doing a six-�inger salute every time a camera is on her, to represent the Olympic Charter’s Principle Six that calls for anti-discrimination. Brockhoff has been one of the most vocal Olympians about the issue of Russia’s anti-gay policies.

CHERYL MAAS

DUTCH SNOWBOARDER AAS IS A 29-YEAR-OLD SNOWBOARDER FROM THE NETHERLANDS, who made an appearance before at the 2006 Torino Games. She was the �irst woman to perform a backside 900. Maas is married to former Norwegian snowboarder Stine Brun Kjeldaas and they have a daughter. Maas has said in interviews that the IOC is not being progressive by allowing the laws to uphold in Sochi during the Olympics or in Russia’s overall attitude toward the LGBT community.

MEET SOCHI’S OUT ATHLETES 7 WOMEN COMPETE AS OUT AND PROUD OLYMPIANS

Samantha Rosenthal

N SPITE OF RUSSIA’S STRINGENT ANTI-GAY

“propaganda” laws in full force, there are a handful of openly gay athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympics.

There are only seven openly gay athletes—all of them are women, but none of them represent the United States. Statistics suggest that since

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

there are 6,000 total athletes from 85 countries, there are no doubt many more gay and lesbians participating. They just haven’t announced their

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

sexuality publicly. Of the out athletes, some are former Olympic medalists, some are �irst-timers, but all of them came to Sochi to win.

watermarkonline.com

DANIELA IRASCHKOSTOLZ

AUSTRIAN SKI JUMPER RASCHKO-STOLZ IS A 30-YEAR-OLD SKI JUMPER FROM AUSTRIA, who is making her debut at the 2014 Sochi Games and will also be included in the �irst group of women allowed to compete in the ski jump event. She married her partner last year and took her surname. She says protests against Russia’s law banning homosexual ``propaganda’’ aimed at minors aren’t worth it because ``no one cares.’’

SANNE VAN KERKHOF

DUTCH SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATER AN KERKHOF IS A 26-YEAR-OLD SPEED SKATER FROM THE NETHERLANDS, who has made a previous appearance at the 2010 Vancouver Games. She previously dated Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst in 2009 but the couple has since broken up. She has a younger sister, Yara van Kerkhof, who is also a short track speed skater.

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NO SHAME IN WATCHING THESE GAMES

THE ARGUMENT FOR NOT BOYCOTTING THE OLYMPICS ON TV

’M GAY, I DRINK STOLICHNAYA VODKA,

Kirk Hartlage

and this month I’m watching the Olympics. Oh, and I’m not ashamed of any of it. When I hear my LGBT brethren speak of boycotting the 2014 Winter Games I have to ask, “What does boycotting really mean to you?” If it means not watching any of NBC’s extensive coverage from Sochi, well then, you’re missing out.

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No matter the season, the Olympic Games consistently present compelling tales featuring the thrills of victory and the agonies of defeat. This year’s Games already are no exception; to deny our—or any nation’s—athletes the opportunity to compete against all of the world’s best would be a huge discredit to the true Olympic spirit. President Thomas Bach said as much in his welcoming speech at the Opening Ceremonies: “Olympic Sport unites people. This is the Olympic Message the athletes spread to the host country and to the whole world. Yes, it is possible to strive even for the greatest victory with respect for the dignity of your competitors. Yes, it is possible—even as competitors—to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason.” Although NBC edited this and other sections of Bach’s comments from its broadcast, the network has repeatedly addressed the anti-gay controversy in other sections of its coverage. No disrespect to EPCOT intended, but only with the Olympics comes the world showcase that is the Opening Ceremonies, which also provides the host nation an opportunity to put itself on center stage. Mother Russia gave the world a colorful—and in some cases, wildly creative—overview of its history…even if they seemingly forgot to mention the Cold War, perestroika, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Yes, only a week in and I’m already giving the Sochi Games high marks, and that’s just for the Opening Ceremonies’ breathtaking arena �loor-�illing animation sequence featuring the voyage of Peter the Great. Plus it was somewhat amusing to watch the Russian team march into the stadium to the sounds of fake-lesbian duo t.A.T.u.’s song “Not Gonna Get Us,” chosen by the ceremony’s director because it’s one of the few Russian pop songs that international viewers might recognize. I’ve heard some gays exuberantly proclaim they’d never watch these Games, which begs the question, “Were you ever going to watch any of the coverage anyway?” It’s easy to say you’re going on a strict noborscht diet if you never really ate borscht in the �irst place. Also, does it really matter what you do and don’t watch on TV if Big Brother isn’t monitoring your choices? If you’re truly not watching this year’s Olympics because of LGBT human rights issues, then write a letter to the NBC brass telling them as much. While you’re at it, forward that same letter to the International Olympic Committee urging them to make

better choices when selecting host cities, as well as to the numerous sponsors of the Games…again assuming you eat Big Macs, drink Diet Coke, or use your VISA card when purchasing those or any other of�icial Olympic items. While I’ve long enjoyed watching the Olympics—both Summer and Winter—the Sochi Games are a bit more personal. One of the US Men’s Bobsled Team members is my third cousin, and several years ago I learned I have a bit of Russian heritage in my family tree. Plus, back in 1989 I was fortunate enough to take part in a student exchange program to the USSR. Whenever I look at the Russian propaganda posters and other tchotchke souvenirs that decorate my home today, I’m reminded of the wonderful people I met there—people who my parent’s generation simply saw as “the enemy.” It’s dif�icult to foster hatred toward an entire group of people when you’ve actually spent time with them and, clichés be damned, are in many ways “just like us.” Thankfully I’m not the only gay in the (Olympic) village who wants to watch the Games. Nellie’s, a popular gay sports bar in Washington, D.C., is showing the Olympics; the bar even opened earlier than usual this past Sunday when customers requested it… so they could watch live �igure skating. Gallup polls show that a far higher proportion of people in our nation’s capital de�ine themselves LGBT than anywhere else in the country; D.C. businesses certainly must consider what’s “politically correct” with every decision they make. And remember last summer when the “in” thing to do was to ask your local gay barkeep to pour his bottle of Stolichnaya Vodka down the drain instead of using it to make you a delicious cocktail? Well, that fad is over. Sidetracks—one of Chicago’s most popular gay bars which was at the forefront of the nationwide Stoli ban—returned the distilled beverage to its shelves last week. The bar’s owners no doubt reconsidered the advice from well-meaning activists; do-gooders who singled out Stoli last July before learning that the Stolichnaya sold in the United States is actually produced by Luxembourg-based SPI Group in Riga, Latvia. At the start of the boycott, SPI even issued a statement saying, in part, “While we are proud of our Russian heritage, we are not a Russian State-owned brand nor do we support their laws and actions against the LGBT community there.” If Sidetracks, Nellie’s, and certainly many other LGBT businesses are all giving second thought to jumping on board yet another Russian-themed boycott, perhaps you should too. |  |

It’s easy to say you’re going on a strict no-borscht diet if you never really ate borscht in the first place.

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CRUELER RULER THE ARGUMENT FOR BOYCOTTING THE OLYMPICS ON TV

N 1976, I WAS TEN YEARS OLD

Ken Kundis

and Bruce Jenner was my hero. Of course this was before his connection with the dreadful Kardashians, the shaved adam’s apple, the “Rachel” haircut, and the Sophia Lauren sunglasses.

Back then, he was an uber-stud of the �irst order. If I close my eyes, I can still see the video of him waving the American �lag during his victory lap after winning the ‘76 Decathlon, of�icially anointing him as the Greatest Athlete in the World. Being pre-pubescent and all, it wasn’t sexual, although I do remember his thick, hairy thighs in his red Team USA short-shorts (okay, maybe it was a little sexual), but it was most de�initely worshipful. He represented to me not only everything manly and athletic and American. That moment also cemented my lifelong love of the Olympics. I was crushed four years later when Jimmy Carter pulled the US out of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Then 14, I was still not mature enough to understand the political necessity of the US abstaining from those games, which had become an imperative due to the ethnic cleansing and repression that was taking place all over the Soviet bloc. All I knew was I was being robbed of an opportunity to watch my favorite sporting event, one that only came around every four years. I was bitter with President Carter, and didn’t understand what politics had to do with the Olympics. Although my parents were (and are) staunch Republicans, they supported Carter’s action. Even though I grew up in a sports-crazy household, with a father

who put sports performance above nearly anything, he was also a �irst generation American from one of those countries behind the oppressive Iron Curtain. As a Ukrainian-American whose father had �led to the West at the time of the Russian Revolution and the advent of communism, my dad understood how repressive and dangerous the totalitarian government in the USSR was. [So much so that he always made sure that if people asked where we were from, we were never to say the Soviet Union and to always say Ukraine.] While he loved sports more than life itself, he grudgingly had to agree that the US sending a contingent to Moscow in 1980 was a bad idea and bad politics. But I was shattered. I sulked for weeks. Of course I was a 14-year-old, and a fairly moody one at that. Sulking was part of my vocabulary. Thirty some years later (I’ll let you do the math), another piece of video has been burned into my subconscious. Although it took me several attempts to actually get through it. I’m sure many of you have seen it. It has been placed on YouTube by a disingenuously named Russian group called Occupy Peadophilia. It features some of

the most barbaric, disgusting, frightening bullying, humiliation, abuse and assault I’ve ever seen. It simultaneously and deeply touches both the bullied gay child and the full grown man in me. (The latter would like to take a brick to the side of the head of the leader of this hate-group. I’d like to see how he’d do against someone his own size. Bigger, actually.) Defenseless gay men—obviously chosen because they can’t defend themselves—are terrorized for the enjoyment of these thugs. Of course, homophobia and gay bashing are not new concepts. The difference here is that this is state-sanctioned bashing. The draconian laws put in place by Vladimir Putin have created an environment where this sort of naked, egregious neoNazism has been allowed to be played out in full view. Imagine, if you will, a slightly different scenario: the president of a world power that is about to host the Olympics announces that people in his country are not allowed to say anything in support of integration or racial tolerance (not such an arcane idea for Russia, by the way). As a result, fringe groups arise in this atmosphere and racial minorities are terrorized, abused and murdered. The world community would piss in its pants. Try to tell me that the US

State Department, the Executive Branch (in my �ictitious example) and the USOC wouldn’t swiftly and immediately pull the US delegation from that country’s Olympic Games. But American gay men who “really like” the Olympic games are turning a blind eye to all of that, so they can coo over downhill races and double axels. I’m sorry. I just don’t get it. Yes, innocent athletes would be penalized for something they didn’t do, but not nearly as much as the dead, missing and wounded young gay men of Russia. Where is your outrage? Does your viewing enjoyment really take precedence over ignoring the crimes of an oppressive, abusive regime so you can live vicariously through a healthy, fortunate athlete from a free country? I love sports. I’ve played lots of different ones my whole life. But sports aren’t as important as liberty and freedom. Thirtyeight years later, going to the Russian Olympics is still a bad idea, and it’s still bad politics. This long-time lover of the Olympics will not be watching a single second of these Games. |  |

Gay men who ‘really like’ the Olympic games are turning a blind eye to all of that, so they can coo over downhill races and double axels.

11am-2am Monday - Friday 10am-2am Saturday & Sunday

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

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RUSSIAN LGBT ROULETTE

ATTACKS ON RISE IN RUSSIA AFTER ANTI-GAY LAW PASSED IN 2013

Samantha Rosenthal

GBTS HAVE OFTEN BEEN A TARGET OF violence in Russia, garnering the attention of human rights groups around the world.

But since the country passed its newest law banning gay “propaganda” last fall, those attacks have increased, according to the Russian LGBT Network. “The latest laws against socalled gay propaganda, �irst in the regions and then on the federal level, have essentially legalized

violence against LGBT people, because these groups of hooligans justify their actions with these laws,” Igor Kochetkov, the head of the network, told the United Kingdom’s The Guardian. “With this legislation, the government said that, yes, gays and lesbians are not valued as a social group.”

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A recent documentary displays the violent acts upon LGBTs by vigilante gangs and shows many members of the LGBT community in Russia speaking out against the terrors that have increased since the “propaganda” law was signed. One attack involved a man who was trapped, pinned, beaten and then forced to admit he was gay on camera. Another violent attack involved a transgender woman who was taken to a rural area of St. Petersburg, raped, beaten and had two toenails removed with pliers.

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It was reported that in the month before the federal antigay “propaganda” law was signed, there were at least three murders allegedly associated with homophobia. The documentary highlights and goes into detail on how people of the LGBT community are “hunted like animals,” causing only about 1% of gays to live completely open in Russia. One man, going only by “Robert,” told The Guardian that he avoided a torturous encounter after becoming suspicious during an online encounter. “They tried to trick me into a meeting, but I immediately saw the ruse,” he told the paper. He said he learned the person wanting to meet him was part of Occupy Gerontophilia, a notable anti-gay group. In 2013, the Russian LGBT Network, based out of St. Petersburg, conducted an anonymous survey, which produced alarming results about the discrimination toward the LGBT community present in Russia. It was said out of the 2,007 participants—more than 50%— have experienced psychological abuse, while 15% experienced physical violence. Despite these numbers, only 6% of those victims contacted the police or authorities. This is what many LGBT persons living in Russian have said, claiming even if reported that the authorities will just pay no mind. One group, which is made-up of more than 37 groups across Russia, calls itself “Occupy Paedophilia,” which began terrorizing LGBT Russians in 2012. The group says it is enacting a “social movement,” and that it protects children by �ighting against pedophiles. State-sponsored news outlets have used anti-LGBT language on-air, and refer to Russia’s LGBT community as “perverts” or “sodomites.” Others just say LGBTs are “abnormal.”

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These are facists who have chosen the easier prey, which are gay people. —IGOR KOCHETKOV OF THE RUSSIAN LGBT NETWORK

Human Rights Watch, a global equality group, has released several videos criticizing Russia’s laws. Kochetkov has participated in several of them. “These are fascists who have chosen the easier prey, which are gay people,” Kochetkov says in one video. The video discusses speci�ic acts of violence against gay people, including an account of one man being raped with a broken bottle, which was caught on �ilm. In November just a few months after the new law took effect, the popular gay club Central Station in Moscow was targeted in two separate attacks. On Nov. 23, unknown assailants released a toxic gas inside the club, which was packed with nearly 500 people. Employees were able to vent the gas. The club’s owner told QueerRussia. com that the attacks could be connected to the building’s owner. A week earlier, two gunmen opened �ire in the club, causing damage, but not injuring any patrons. So far, there have been no arrests in either incident. |  |

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PROTESTING PUTIN ANTI-GAY LAWS SPARK INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES

Samantha Rosenthal

HE OLYMPIC SYMBOL IS FIVE

intertwined rings—blue, gold, black, green and red—that represent the unity of each of the Earth’s �ive continents. Traditionally, the event has been a time for nations of the world to come together to compete in a friendly and welcoming environment. However, Winter Olympics 2014 host country Russia is under scrutiny for its decidedly anti-LGBT acts as the lens of the nation focuses on the games in Sochi, and president

Vladimir Putin is unmoved toward making change to the anti-gay “propaganda” laws he has passed within the last year, which would serve as a gag rule on the existence

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of LGBTs, punishable by hefty �ines and jail time. Unsurprisingly, issues surrounding the 2014 Sochi Games have incited protests from all around the world.

CORPORATIONS SHOW SOLIDARITY

The Olympic Games are sponsored by big household names such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Samsung. Of all the corporate sponsors for the 2014 Sochi Games, only three have announced that they condemn Russia’s anti-gay laws. AT&T was the �irst to release a statement on its

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consumer blog stating “We support LGBT equality globally and we condemn violence, discrimination and harassment targeted against LGBT individuals everywhere. Russia’s law is harmful to LGBT individuals and families, and it’s harmful to a diverse society.” Ken McNeely, president of AT&T in California, said the company’s long-time commitment as an Olympic partner for 30 years will continue, and the company will use the platform as a way to educate the world about diversity. Days later both DeVry University and Chobani, a Greek yogurt company, both released statements too stating they did not support the laws in place or the violence that was taking place toward Russia’s LGBT community. On Feb. 6, Google released its Google Doodle to feature people performing different winter sports, like curling, skating and skiing—against a rainbow-colored background. Underneath the search bar, there is a statement concerning the intolerance of discrimination toward any kind of persons, which is taken from the Olympic Charter. Google has declined to comment on the change, saying the logo should speak for itself. But not everyone has followed suit, including two of the Game’s biggest sponsors, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. Activists have thus targeted these companies worldwide encouraging them to openly speak out like the others.

WORLDWIDE PROTESTS

Activists worldwide have taken it upon themselves to convince the other corporate Olympic sponsors, where on Feb. 5 cities across the world protested against companies like McDonald’s, Visa and Coca-Cola for not speaking out against the antigay Russian laws in place. Melbourne, London, Paris and other cities were among the cities that All Out, an organization which promotes LGBT equality in every

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This has been the worst year for human rights in Russia in recent history. —HUGH WILLIAMSON, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

country, organized protests in. Images of crowds of protesters in London demanding that McDonalds speak out against the unlawfulness in Russia circulated the Internet; many of the locations were in front of McDonald’s trying to draw the corporation’s attention that something needed to be done. There were even protests in Rio de Janeiro, the home of the 2016 Summer Olympics Coca-Cola remains silent on Russian law, but earned praise— and condemnation—for its Super Bowl commercial featuring the song “America the Beautiful” sung in seven different languages and featuring different family units, including a gay couple. It also shut down a message generator on its website users could use to create their own virtual can. But the program prevented the use of the word “gay” but allowed “straight.” Also in protest, Queer Nation NY, a direct action group dedicated to ending LGBT discrimination and repression, remade the famous 1971 Coke commercial “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” where they

Continued on page 38 |  |

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New Year’s Resolutions: We Can Help!

|  | Russian LGBT Protests from pg.36

included video and images of Russian LGBT individuals being attacked for protesting in public. The organization also protested outside the New York Russian consulate during the Opening Ceremony.

SILENT PROTESTS

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Despite what Rule 50 of the Olympic charter states, there are some Olympians who will be doing a silent-type protest of their own. The rule states “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted” at any Olympic venue, but that does not prevent athletes from answering questions from the media if questioned. One Olympian Belle Brockhoff, is an Australian snowboarder who came out last summer. Brockhoff has been the most vocal Olympian about the laws and treatment of the LGBT in Russia. She is a part of Athlete Ally, a nonpro�it organization that raises awareness about homophobia in sports, and the “Principle 6” campaign. Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter talks about human rights and nondiscrimination. Brockhoff plans on �lashing a six-�inger salute every time a camera is on her. The Australian bobsleigh team will also display the Principle 6 campaign logo on their sled. President Barack Obama also sent a strong message to Russia by choosing to send three openly gay delegates for the United States. Famous tennis player Billy Jean King was chosen, but wasn’t able to attend because of her mother’s failing health, Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano and two-time Olympic hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow. Back in August, Obama told Jay Leno he had “no patience” for Russia’s anti-gay laws. As the 2014 Sochi Games are well underway, the political buzz surrounding Putin insisting on keeping the laws in place continues to draw the attention from world leaders, Olympic game watchers, activists and thousands worldwide. Human Rights Watch, a global organization that does just as its title exclaims, has been in the media spotlight since late last year, sharing the story of Russia’s dicey history with discrimination. “At a time when Russia is throwing open its doors to the world, it is opening the door to discrimination and closing space for activism,” said Jane Buchanan, associate director of the Asian branch of the organization. “This is a moment for the international community to urge the rollback of the raft of repressive laws brought into force over the last year.” The organization took the country, and the International Olympic Committee,

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to task before the games even began, showcasing human rights violations that have occurred along the torch’s route to Sochi. Human Rights Watch’s map highlights key human rights cases in 39 major cities across Russia. These include politically motivated cases against three members of the punk group Pussy Riot, the political opposition activist Alexei Navalny, and participants in the 2012 demonstration in Bolotnaya Square. “Russia’s Torch Relay aimed to display the country’s diversity and history, but human rights abuses are very much a part of Russia’s contemporary geography,” Buchanan said. “People should be aware of the discrimination, silencing of activists and other human rights abuses that Russia isn’t showcasing. The hope is these protests won’t take place just because of the Winter Olympics’ presence in Russia, but this attention from corporations, activists and the rest of the world will continue even after the television cameras and athletes leave. After Feb. 23, the torch will be dark and the attention of the world will no doubt move onto other events. But the world will look to Russia again when the World Cup arrives there in 2018. But groups like Human Rights Watch are taking advantage of the spotlight on Russia thanks to the Olympic torch. “Among the Olympic Charter’s central values are human dignity and nondiscrimination,” Buchanan said. “The Olympics are a crucial moment for the International Olympic Committee and Russia’s key international partners to insist on respect for international human rights.”

FAILING RECORDS

According to a new study released by Human Rights Watch, Russia’s record on human rights is the worst it’s been since the Soviet era. It sights, speci�ically, a slew of harsh laws signed by Putin. Since Putin started a six-year term in May, he has signed laws restricting protests, demanding foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations register as “foreign agents,” and setting new rules on treason that critics say could place almost anyone who associates with foreigners at risk of prosecution. “Measures to intimidate critics and restrict Russia’s vibrant civil society have reached unprecedented levels,” Hugh Williamson, director of HRW’s Europe and Central Asia Division, said in a statement. “This has been the worst year for human rights in Russia in recent history,” he said of 2012. The statement said the Kremlin “unleashed the worst political crackdown” since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.|  |

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snow-laden landscape of Sochi for a week now, Russia has done very little to hide its disdain for equality, especially concerning LGBTs. The 2013 law, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, bans the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relations to anyone under 18-years-old. That means, no groups of LGBTs can assemble. No signs of gay pride— rainbow �lags, pink triangles—are to be displayed, and the Russian government readily denied requests to create a Pride House—an LGBT and allied village at Olympic Games that gives LGBT athletes and their supporters a place to feel safe. Despite the hard line against LGBTs, the opening ceremonies—complete with one malfunctioning Olympic ring—were welcoming, at least inside the massive Fisht Olympic Stadium. “Our games will be yours,” said Sochi Olympic Organizing Committee President Dmitry Chernyshenko. “Because when we come together in all our diversity, it is the Olympic Games that unite us.” International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach echoed the welcoming comments. “The Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity,” he said. “Therefore I say to the political leaders of the world. … Please respect their Olympic message of goodwill, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace. Neither addressed the arrests just a few hours earlier. But prior to the opening ceremonies, United Nations of�icials condemned Russia for its laws. “Many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice,” said United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “We must all raise our voices against attacks on LGBT or intersex people. We must oppose the arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions they face.” Before the Games, Putin guaranteed that no one would be arrested based on his or her sexuality. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak backed that claim, but added that the new laws were in place to “protect children.” “We are all grown up and every adult has his or her right to understand their sexual activity,” he said. “Please, do not touch kids. That’s the only thing. That’s prohibited by law in all countries, whether you are gay or straight.” He, of course, did not explain how homosexuality or heterosexuality is linked to pedophilia, but the world continues to watch as the Games

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We must all raise our voices against attacks on LGBT or intersex people. —BAN KI-MOON, UN SECRETARY

continue until closing ceremonies on Feb. 23, and we wonder who else will wind up in Russian prison. Halfway through these Olympics, one out athlete has already won a gold medal. Others are performing well, but the country’s history of discrimination looms in every report. Everyone from individuals to corporations are forced to take a stance on these games—either by continuing to support them, boycotting them or sharing a public statement on them. AT&T, for example, condemned the country’s laws. Budweiser pulled away its support. Other corporations, like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, are still proud partners with the Games. Google created a “doodle” in recognition of the games, that uses the Gay Pride rainbow. Soon, the Sochi Olympics will be over. After Feb. 23, will Russia go back to how it was, or will these games serve as a step toward a more inclusive future in the country? All we can do is watch. And hope. |  |

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Photos (Broadway cast): Joan Marcus

The sTory of f r a n k i e Va l l i & The foUr seasons

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April 15-27 • Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre 1-800-982-2787 • OrlandoBroadway.com • Group tickets 407-704-6116

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LOOKING GOOD:

ARTS &

(L-R) Frankie J. Alvarez, Jonathan Groff and Murray Bartlett star in HBO’s Looking.

ENTERTAINMENT

PHOTO COURTESY HBO

The Kid Is

More Than All Right

JONATHAN GROFF ON ALL HIS GAY PROJECTS, IDOLIZING MARK RUFFALO AND HOW ‘LOOKING’ FREAKED OUT HIS FAMILY

Chris Azzopardi

ONATHAN GROFF IS REMEMBERING A

scene he shot for the upcoming HBO adaptation of The Normal Heart. It’s his only part with Julia Roberts, and he doesn’t have a single line with her.

“She plays a doctor and I collapse on the street, and then they take me into her of�ice and she’s like, ‘He’s dying,’” the actor recalls. “So I didn’t get to act with her because I’m, like, hyperventilating on a stretcher. I was foaming at the mouth. She

was probably all, ‘This kid is really going for it.’ But she was really nice, very chill, very undramatic and easy.” The same could be said for Groff. The affable Pennsylvania native got his start on stage, nabbing a Tony nomination for

his role in the 2006 Broadway musical Spring Awakening before battling it out with New Directions on Glee, portraying a young David Sedaris in C.O.G. and voicing Kristoff in Disney’s hot winter hit Frozen. Now the actor plays Patrick, the charmingly clueless lead in the new gayfriends-living-in-San-Fran series Looking, also on HBO. Will there be foam? Probably, but only if it’s at a party. WATERMARK: WITH LOOKING AND THE NORMAL HEART, IT MUST BE NICE KNOWING THAT HBO IS GOING TO PAY YOUR BILLS FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT YEAR.

JONATHAN GROFF: (Laughs)

Right? It’s great. But I’ve already been paid for those jobs in 2013! HAS YOUR OWN MOTHER SEEN THE SHOW?

My mom has always been really supportive of my work. When I was doing Spring Awakening she took bus trips of people to come and see the show—like, seriously, 40 people on a touring bus up from Pennsylvania. That was before she had even seen it, so she was shocked when she saw the sex and the nudity and me hitting Lea Michele with a stick, but she obviously enjoyed it ... because there were three more bus trips after that! So she overcame the awkwardness of

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seeing my butt on stage, but ever since they cast me in Looking, the big question in my family has been: “Are they going to watch it or not when it comes on TV?” When I came home for the summer to Pennsylvania, I brought the pilot home on DVD and I just said, “I don’t know if you want to watch this or not, but I feel like if you do watch it, you probably won’t want to watch it with me in the room.” I think that really freaked them out. (Laughs)

DIRECTOR ANDREW HAIGH, WHO ALSO DID THE 2011 GAY INDIE DRAMA WEEKEND, HAS A KNACK

Continued on page 46 |  |

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Parts I & II in Rotating Repertory

RESERVE SEATS TODAY

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artwork by David Matteson ’15

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EXPERIENCE OF VOICING KRISTOFF IN FROZEN SURREAL FOR YOU?

|  | Jonathan Groff

Yeah, I was Mary Poppins for Halloween, I was Peter Pan, and I grew up watching Disney movies.

from pg.43

FOR CAPTURING REAL MOMENTS ON CAMERA. HOW DO YOU THINK HE’S ACCOMPLISHED THAT IN LOOKING?

I could spend hours talking about Andrew Haigh. I saw Weekend and was like, “Wow, somehow he’s made a gay movie that feels universal.” I feel like whether (the characters) were gay or old or whatever, he could take any story and humanize it. He’s somehow able to catch really human moments. I would be done with work some days and Frankie (J. Alvarez), Murray (Bartett) and I would look at each other and say, “Did we even act today?” It felt so much like us hanging out that it didn’t feel like we were “acting.” It speaks to the energy of his movie Weekend, and also to the energy of our show. It was really unlike anything I’ve ever worked on before. FOR LOOKING, WHAT’S EXPECTED OF YOU SEXUALLY?

Seeing Weekend and knowing Andrew Haigh was attached to direct the show, I was like, “OK, I feel 100% comfortable to sign that nudity waiver and do absolutely anything.” I signed on before I really even knew him. I was like, “Yes, whatever, I’ll do anything.” Also, from years of being in Spring Awakening, I’ve built up a tolerance for acted intimacy. (Laughs) It doesn’t freak me out. And I don’t want to give the story away, so I’m not going to tell you the guy who I get naked with. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE SHOW BEING CALLED A “GAY VERSION OF GIRLS?”

(Laughs) I love that. It’s about a group of friends in the way that Girls is about a group of friends, but the tone, writing and acting are totally different. I do think if you enjoy Girls you will enjoy Looking, because it’s about relationships and trying to �ind love and your place in the world. WHAT SHOWS AND FILMS DID YOU CONNECT WITH AS A GAY MAN WHO WAS FIGURING IT ALL OUT?

I remember being in eighth grade and seeing the billboards for Will & Grace—and then, there was so little gay anything. Not as much gay press, not as many out gay actors or gay material to watch, certainly not on network television. Any sort of shred of people being gay was like, “Oh my god, look at that. Is that me? Is that who I am?” Even though I was not out in high

DO YOU SEE “LET IT GO,” THE FILM’S MUSICAL CLIMAX, BEING DONE BY DRAG QUEENS?

Oh my god, completely. It’s like a gay anthem. I asked (composers) Bobby (Lopez) and Kristen (AndersonLopez), “Did you intend to write a gay anthem? Because I’m pretty sure you did.” They’re like, “No; honestly, when we wrote that song we were like, ‘We’re gonna go to a room right now and get really in an emotional place and write this ballad that is just true and honest and real.’” So they did not intend to write a gay ballad—but I think they did anyway!

NEW GAY SOAP: Jonathan Groff, left, and Raul Catillo play two gay friends in San Francisco in HBO’s new series, Looking. PHOTO COURTESY HBO

school I knew that I was gay, and seeing that billboard and watching the show, even though I didn’t really feel like I was a Will or a Jack, I didn’t necessarily connect these characters to me. But just to see some gay characters on TV was great. It made me feel less alone. As far as Looking is concerned, the story is very speci�ic to Michael Lannan, our creator, and his group of friends. When they were auditioning

whatever you’re working on, and I feel really lucky to be a part of this speci�ic show because I believe in it so much as a television show. I’m so proud to be a part of this show.

that! I showed her the �irst episodes when we took a little trip to Mexico recently and she watched them all again a couple nights ago with her mom. She’s so excited. It would be so amazing to have her on.

YOU’VE PLAYED GAY CHARACTERS A LOT LATELY—IN LOOKING, C.O.G., THE NORMAL HEART. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT BEING TYPECAST?

EVERYONE’S ALWAYS SAYING HOW YOU’RE THE MOST CHARMING MAN EVER. BUT WHAT SETS YOU OFF?

I don’t know. Only time will tell. For any actor, gay or straight, being

Oh, good question. When we were doing Spring Awakening, I had to do

I feel so excited to be a part of a show that could potentially be a great moment for the gay community. —JONATHAN GROFF

for the show, they had pictures of his friends on the casting board to say, “This is what we’re looking for.” It’s very speci�ic to his experience in San Francisco, but the gay community will hopefully still embrace the fact that there are gay people on TV in the way that I watched Will & Grace growing up. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT POSSIBLY BEING THE NEW POSTER BOY FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY?

I feel so excited to be a part of a show that could potentially be a great moment for the gay community, because it’s crazy how few shows there are where there are a lot of central gay characters. As an actor you sort of become the face of

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

typecast is the biggest thing you have to work against. For any actor, you have to put in a lot of work to continually show people and the industry that you can do more. So if the show gets picked up season after season—which, god willing, I would love; that would be amazing and I would want nothing more than that—I’m also ready to take on the challenge of trying to bust out of a role if I get attached to something speci�ic. Call me in 10 years, but I feel so excited to just continue to challenge myself. CAN WE GET LEA MICHELE ON LOOKING? I MEAN, YOU DID GLEE, SO I THINK IT’S ONLY FAIR.

(Laughs) Oh my god, I would love

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this beating scene with Lea where I got really angry. In early days of rehearsals, Michael Mayer, our director, screamed at me, “Seriously, you’re like the most everythinghappens-for-a-reason person I’ve ever met. What makes you angry?” And I said, “You, when you belittle people!” Which is what he was doing to me in that moment. He was thrilled to get a rise out of me and help me �inally get there. But here’s what I hate: I hate when you’re at dinner with a couple who are dating or married and they belittle the other person in front of a group. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. I fucking hate that. AS A DISNEY FAN, WAS THE

watermarkonline.com

YOU WORKED WITH JULIA ROBERTS AND MARK RUFFALO ON RYAN MURPHY’S ADAPTATION OF LARRY KRAMER’S 1985 PLAY THE NORMAL HEART, WHICH AIRS IN MAY.

I know, it’s crazy. When The Kids Are All Right came out, I saw that movie three times in the movie theater and I’m so obsessed with it and I’m so obsessed with him (Ruffalo) in it. Like a crazy person, I cut out a picture of him in a magazine—I’m not even kidding, I never do this— and put it on my dressing room mirror because I was like, “That’s who I want to be.” I just admire him so much. And so in the movie I play his ex-boyfriend ... WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE TAKEAWAY WILL BE FOR THIS GENERATION OF LGBT PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T EXPERIENCE THE AIDS EPIDEMIC?

We did this scene on the beach on Fire Island where they had a white party and there were extras in their early 20s—and I’m 28—and we’re all having a blast, and then it hit a bunch of us as we were standing there that, in the story of this movie, most of these people are dead. It was really powerful and really affecting. For my generation of people watching the movie, hopefully they will be like, “Oh, this was us 30 years ago.” It’s so amazing that they’re turning that play into a movie, and that young people will watch. Maybe people who aren’t as connected to the AIDS crisis will be able to look back and see themselves in these characters and pass the story onto the next generation. |  | To read bonus content from this interview go to watermarkonline.com.

‘Hilarious!’

New York Post

‘gut Busting’

Orlando Weekly

‘Disney meets South Park’

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Divine night out Stageworks Theatre in Tampa’s Channel District presents Charles Busch’s The Divine Sister through Feb. 23. The play, starring Matthew McGee, Alana Opie, Georgia Mallory Guy, Jonelle Meyer, Nicole Smith and Spencer Meyers, is a comic homage to almost every film involving nuns. McGee plays Mother Superior, who is determined to build a new school for her convent. Tickets are $26 at StageworksTheatre.org.

& ARTS ORLANDO Red Ball

ENTERTAINMENT

Amy Schumer’s Back Door Tour, Feb. 19, Carol Morsani Hall, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org DISENCHANTED! Through April 13, Jaeb Theater, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, through Feb. 23, Shimberg Playhouse, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org The Normal Heart, through Feb. 16, Freefall Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-498-5205; FreeFallTheatre.com Masters of Illusion Live!, Feb. 17, The Lakeland Center, Lakeland. 863-834-8100; TheLakelandCenter.com

Event Planner

Cirque D’Or, Feb. 18, The Lakeland Center, Lakeland. 863-834-8100; TheLakelandCenter.com

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, through March 9, Orlando Shakespere Theatre, Orlando.407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org Table Manners,through Feb. 23, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com

The Mountaintop, Feb. 14-March 16, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheater.com Orlando Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet, Feb. 1416, Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Orlando. 321-418-7646 Cirque Rock, Feb. 11, Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford. wdpac.com

Man of La Mancha, Feb. 21-March 9, The Little Theatre, New Smyrna Beach. 386-423-1246; NSBPlayers.org SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody, through March 23, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com

TAMPA BAY UNCHartED: Native American Southwest Cuisine, Feb. 20, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. 727-896-2667 ext. 210; Fine-Arts.org The Florida Orchestra: An Evening of Rogers & Hammerstein, Feb. 14, Ferguson Hall, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Bizet’s Carmen, Feb. 23, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

SARASOTA Masters of Illusion Live!, Feb. 16, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-953-3368; VanWezel.org

The 5th Annual Red Ball returns to Parliament House on Saturday, Feb. 15, to benefit the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida. RAJA is the featured performer this year and special performances by the Footlight Players are at 10 p.m. and midnight. Purchase a Red Ribbon Drink for $5, and all of the proceeds go directly to Hope and Help, as does half of the 50/50 raffle.

Watermark’s Third Thursday Watermark will hold its first Third Thursday event of 2014 on Feb. 20, from 6-8 p.m., at the Church Street Exchange. This month’s event is hosted by the Orlando Ballet, which will bring several dancers to perform. The bar is provided by Stonewall Bar Orlando and light bites are available by John Michael Catering. Remember, your first drink is free!

TAMPA BAY Lady in Red Ball The Gulfport Casino will once again be home to the Lady in Red Ball, this time on Saturday, Feb. 15. The annual dance benefits the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund and ticket donations benefit women of all backgrounds in the area. For tickets, visit SoniaPlotnickHealthFund.org.

Watermark Wednesday at Quench Come out and network with Watermark and the Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce at Quench Lounge on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 6-8 p.m. Una Voce: The Florida Men’s Chorale and UV Rays will perform, and all funds raised benefit the men’s group. Enjoy light bites, raffles with great prizes and as always, the first drink is free. Quench is a non-smoking venue!

Equality Florida Tampa Gala Join Equality Florida for its annual Tampa Gala on Saturday, Feb. 22, at The Vault in downtown Tampa. Tickets are $100 and help the statewide organization fight for LGBT equality throughout the Sunshine State. Guest speakers include Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and representatives of PNC Bank. For tickets, visit EQFL.org.

New LGBT Support Group A new support group for gays and lesbians has formed as part of the South Shore Coalition and Direct Services Committee. It will be a short-term group (5 sessions) and will be held on Thursdays from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Sun City Center Chamber of Commerce. The first meeting is Feb. 20 and will be facilitated by Sandra McCaw, a certified professional life coach. For more information call 973-902-8401.

To submit your upcoming event, concert, performance, or fundraiser visit watermarkonline.com. FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

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1- CRUMB, CORK AND FRIENDS: The LGBT Pride Tampa group of Bank of America enjoy a new monthly tradition of socializing at The Crumb & Cork in downtown Tampa Jan. 31. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

2- EPIC BEARDS: These guys displayed their epic beards at Bradley’s on 7th Feb. 1. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST

3- GOOD CAUSE DINING: Andrew Cohen and Matt Williams take in dinner, a show and some drag queen bingo at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City Feb. 2. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 4- THE MISSING RING: (L-R) Natasha Richards, Joey Brooks and Monica Moore show the key to the Sochi Olympics during their performance at Bradley’s on 7th Feb. 1. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 5- LEATHER LORDS: Rick Krause and Wayne Harris, owners of The Eagle’s Boiler Room, St. Petersburg’s new Levi and Leather Bar, celebrate their grand opening on Feb. 1. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 6- MASH UP: (L-R) Nick Yakimovich, Thompson Kellett and Paula Jo smile in front of Yakimovich’s work at ARTMash in St. Petersburg Feb. 8. PHOTO BY VINNY DIPPOLITO 7- ARTSY: Artist Dan Kantu stands with one of his paintings at ARTMash in St. Petersburg Feb. 8. PHOTO BY VINNY DIPPOLITO 8- CAJUN QUEEN: Tampa’s own Amy Demilo, pictured with Miss Gulf States USofA Pageant owners Jeffrey Cuevas and Sidney Cuevas, was a featured entertainer at the pageant on Feb. 8. PHOTO COURTESY AMBER DOUGLAS

OVERHEARD EROTIC ST. PETERSBURG

EALLY, IT IS EROTIC. The return of the Erotica art show at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts expected to bring a huge crowd and some beautiful models for the 2014 edition on Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. Erotica: An Evening with Venus, explores erotic imagery in ancient Roman art and plans include bodybuilder models and beautiful women representing the time period and artwork. They will truly be walking works of art, complete with body paint. Spathose’s George Medieros, who helped create the event, said he expects the largest crowd yet and some very

happy vendors, who will display their own works of art in the museum’s lobby. After a mingle near the entrance, Dr. Robert Steven Bianchi will introduce selections of sensually themed graf�iti from Pompeii, proving that “horny” isn’t just a modernday emotion. Tickets range from $15-$25 and are available at Fine-Arts.org.

A LEATHER REVIVAL IN ST. PETE?

N FEB. 1, MEMBERS OF THE TAMPA BAY LEATHER COMMUNITY celebrated the grand opening of The Eagle’s Boiler Room on 5th Ave. North in St. Petersburg. The

new bar—and former home of Partner’s Bar and Grill—sported a leather theme, a slideshow of leather events and raf�le tickets sold by members of the Tampa Bay Leather Club. The crowded parking lot suggested there is a lot of interest in the new club, and the leather-clad bartender and owners seemed ready to ensure everyone had a fun experience.

KNIGHT PARADE SHOOTING WASN’T GAY-RELATED

E GET THAT THIS HEADLINE SEEMS MORE APPROPRIATE

FOR THE NEWS PAGES, but there is speculation that a shooting immediately following the Gasparilla Knight Parade in Ybor City involved two gay men. Police say that is incorrect. According to of�icial reports, the shooter was a straight teenager who was upset with his exgirlfriend but had awful aim and shot an innocent male bystander. Of course, the incident is under investigation but at press time, the of�icial account from Tampa Police does not involve a gay relationship. Rumors on Facebook swirled that it was gay-on-gay violence amidst the revelry of the Feb. 8 tradition. So far, there’s no evidence to support that.

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

MR. CODE SET TO RETURN

HE GRAND OPENING OF THE EAGLE WAS JUST A MONTH AND A HALF BEFORE the annual Mr. Code contest scheduled for the Flamingo Resort the weekend of March 21-23. Organizers of that event say the contestant list is already �illing up quickly. The contest is held over three days and begins with a contestant meet-and-greet Friday night and the outdoor contest on Saturday night. A celebratory brunch and T-Dance is slated for that Sunday. It’s free to watch the contest. If you want to enter and vie for Mr. Code, a preliminary contest to International Mr. Leather, visit FlamingoFla.com. |  |

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ORLANDO

1- ANTERIOR ARREST: Stephanie Hudgens lays a big booty block on Becky Mikola during the Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls Feb. 9 bout at Semoran Skateway. PHOTO COURTESY JAMES BENNETT 2- STRIKE A POSE: Pat O’Rourke gets up close and personal during a meet and greet with Nina Flowers from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 1 Feb. 8 at Parliament House. PHOTO COURTESY CHRISTOPHER T. GUY 3- CHILLY CHILI: (L-R) Michael Deeying, Eric Townsend, Torrey Hull and Ivelisse Cruz brave the gloomy weather to represent MBA Orlando in the Orlando Chili Cookoff, Feb. 8 at Festival Park. PHOTO COURTESY CARMEN HALL

4- PUPPIES AT PLAY: (L to R) Commissioner Patty Seehan poses with Bob Brings and Bill Stevens at Paws in the Park with their own four-legged friends. PHOTO COURTESY OREN HENRY 5- SITTIN’ PRETTY: Terry Olson, Director of Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, presents artist Brendan O’Connor (left) and the Ivanhoe Mainstreet the January Awesome Foundation award of a $1,000 grant to be used to create and place some cool fishshaped chairs near Lake Ivanhoe. PHOTO COURTESY ROBIN OLSON

6- BIKING AND (PHOTO)BOMBING: Cy Ann (left) and Denna Beena are photobombed by Scottie Campbell during a quick selfie while volunteering at the Ivanhoe Bike Valet at Orlando Folk Fest Feb. 8. 7- DANCING IN DRAG: Watermark office assistant Jon Brown channels his inner Carmen Miranda while performing with the Circle of Friends Chorus at Winter Park University Club Feb. 8. PHOTO BY MARK CADY 8- SIMLES AND SHINE: Elizabeth Jones (left) and Jaiwana Thomas soak up some sunbeams Feb. 10 at the Florida State Fair. PHOTO COURTESY ELIZABETH JONES

OVERHEARD ZEBRA COALITION FOUNDER JEFF VOSS NAMED “EVERYDAY HERO”

N HIS WORK LIFE, JEFF VOSS IS A BIGWIG WITH THE TAVISTOCK GROUP. Tavistock owns Lake Nona and Isleworth locally, but invests all over the world in real estate, hotels, restaurants and other ventures. In his community life, Voss is the visionary behind the Zebra Coalition, which he established to provide support to LGBT youth experiencing bullying, abuse or isolation from their families. Voss was named an “Everyday Hero” by CFN News 13 recently for his work with Zebra and support of

LGBT youth. In an interview with TV reporter Ed Heiland, Voss talked about his idea for the little house on Mills Avenue where Zebra has its headquarters. “In my mind, I always had this idea of coming up with a place that kids that were LGBT could go if they needed help, for anything,” Voss said.

MAINES AND MILLER RECOGNIZED—AGAIN AND AGAIN

OCIAL MEDIA WAS ABUZZ EARLIER THIS MONTH AFTER THE ORLANDO SENTINEL RELEASED ITS 2014 LISTING OF “ORLANDO POWER COUPLES.” Winter Park interior

designer Ted Maines and attorney Jeff Miller were listed amidst power pairs like attorney John Morgan and wife Ultima, and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings and former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings. Maines and Miller were the only LGBT pair named. But this isn’t the �irst time the duo has been named a power pair for their work to stop bullying, raise money for worthy causes and �ight for marriage equality. Miller points out that before the Sentinel, Orlando Magazine listed them as the number one power couple in town. By the way, Miller says, Watermark Publisher Tom Dyer was the very �irst to recognize them. “Always honored and humbled to be recognized!”

AWESOME FOUNDATION FUNDS COOL PROJECTS

AITING FOR FISH TO BITE ON LAKE IVANHOE CAN TAKE HOURS—SOMETIMES ALL DAY. So, Brendan O’Connor came up with the idea for some artsy �ishshaped rocking chairs made of steel to provide a place for the �isherman to rest. He applied to the Orlando chapter of the Awesome Foundation for a $1,000 grant and won for January 2014. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences was created in Boston in 2009. Board members contribute $100/month toward a project with an art, science or technology bent. The Orlando

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

chapter, founded by “Awesome Dean” Terry Olson in July 2013, has awarded money for a mural in the Mills District, new lights for the Maitland Symphony and a train whistle music project around Lake Eola. One woman won with the idea to place disposable cameras around town with a note asking �inders to take photos of their lives for a week and return the camera for an art show. “We want to support any project that brings awesomeness to the universe,” said Olson, who is also the Director of Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs. To apply for an Awesome Foundation grant, visit AwesomeFoundation.org/en/ Chapters/Orlando.com |  |

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Arie Groen’s

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installation of sod Ornamentals Trimming Elevating Palms Trees Mulch Irrigation pressure washing

counselor

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(727)505-0205 • agroen33@yahoo.com

Anthony Quaglieri, Ph.D Licensed Psychotherapist MH 486

1006 West Platt Street ■ Tampa, FL 33606

Read It Online!

813-258-4252

aqphd@tampabay.rr.com 35 years experience

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

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

Call for Rates

813-655-9890

tampa bay marketplace

Transitions CHANGE-OF-LIFE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations Jobsite Theater, the independent, not for profit, professional theater in residence at the Straz Center, has added three new board members for the 2014 calendar year. Brad Casey, Elissa O. Getto, and Neil Gobioff.

Local Birthdays USF Vegetarian Society President and St. Pete Resident Mark Weber and Tampa Suncrest Home Health director Portia Weiss (Feb. 13); Ybor’s Honey Pot manager and straight ally Ernie Webb, St. Petersburg performer Jaeda Fuentes, UCF graduating senior Steven Hogue (Feb. 14); St. Petersburg’s The Queen’s Head co-owner Darren Conner ((Feb. 15); LGBTfriendly Pinellas County Commissioner John Morroni, gorgeous O-Town dancer, choreographer, DJ and nightclub impresario Blue, Tampa activist Chris Goldsmith and Tampa Bay Bears president Keenan Rose (Feb. 16); Beautiful St. Petersburg performer and live vocalist Iman and Disney entertainment guru, John Bearse (Feb. 17). Tampa’s Xtreme Total Health and Wellness consultant Ty Williams (Feb. 18); Stonewall Pinellas Democrat president Rick Boylan (Feb. 19); Tampa model and web site recruiter Michael Vought, funeral director and Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee cofounder Sam Odom, Tampa Bay resident and Orlando Sister Billy Seablom, Flamingo Resort regular Mikel Vought and Largo resident and Lighthouse Credit Foundation fronter David Crow (Feb. 20); House of Adonis hottie Jose Ortiz and Orlando’s Zebra Foundation youth board chair Scott Bowman (Feb. 21); Tampa consultant Bart Nagy, rollergirl Jessy “Spikey” Wayles, Tampa Bay Business Guild administrator and TIGLFF superstar Renee Cossette and Gulfport St. Pete Pride president Stanley Solomons (Feb. 22); Orlando’s sexy, singing cowboy cub CiJay Bailey, superstar realtor and selfless volunteer David Dorman(Feb. 23); songbird Megan Monesmith (Feb. 24); Orlando graphic designer Lisa Buck, Framing of Central Florida co-owner Mike VanDerLeest, Tampa artist and hairstylist Christopher Nejman and Tampa’s Outings and Adventures founder Robert Geller and Tampa Bay transgender activist Janice Carney (Feb. 25); Christ the Cornerstone of Pinellas Park pastor Joyce Stone, twins Bill Pease of Orlando’s MyOptics and Jim Pease, president of Tampa Bay’s Log Cabin Republicans (Feb. 26).

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Phil Kean named National Association of Home Builders’ Custom Home Builder of the Year. The award recognizes Kean’s achievement of building exceptional custom homes and demonstrating positive leadership in the industry and community.

ANOTHER MILESTONE: St. Petersburg couple

Robert Pope, right, and Lawrence Konrad celebrate their 51st anniversary on Feb. 23. The two men opened St. Petersburg’s first gay dance bar, Kitty’s, in the 1970s and operated the Wedgewood Inn on 4th Street, which was a precursor to the Suncoast Resort and Flamingo.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:

St. Petersburg couple and Gypsy Productions’ Talent Quest Florida team Trevor Keller, left, and Daryl Epperly, pictured on a recent trip to Puerto Rieco, celebrate another anniversary on Feb. 13.

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!

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

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accountant

attorney

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attorney

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attorney

“Part of the community for the community”

TOO BUSY FOR TAXES? WE HAVE OPTIONS! PERSONAL/BUSINESS TAX PREPARATION, e-ﬁle QUICKBOOKS ADVANCED PROADVISOR ® Gecko CPA

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airCALL conditioning YOUR A/C

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$100 off a Wi-Fi thermostat with a system FL tune-up! License#: CAC056308 www.4seasonsair.net Use coupon code Spring14 for your discount.

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no cost / fees unless we recover auto accidents • slip & fall • wrongful death

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FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

orlando marketplace

attorney

chiropractor

attorney

DR. JARED SILBERSTEIN

JOHN B. DORRIS

Chiropractic Physician

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111 NORTH M AGNOLIA AVENUE SUITE 1400, ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32801 DIRECT LINE: (407) 481-5868 FAX: (407) 481-5801 jdorris@lseblaw.com WWW.LSEBLAW.COM

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Law Office of Toni M. Vigliotti

WWW.FCWONLINE.COM Two Great Locations!

Your Fearless Legal Advocate

Criminal Serving Central Florida 954.632.3849 “With Liberty and Justice for ALL”

North Orlando Location

8865 Commodity Circle Suite 3 Orlando, FL 32819 407-354-0009 Fax: 407-354-4882

10882 West Colonial Drive Ocoee, FL 34761 407-654-2575 Fax: 407-654-6027

(Off of John Youn Pky near Sand Lake Road)

Family Foreclosure

South Park Chiropractic

catering

(Hwy 50 and Maguire Road)

cleaning service

Catering & Event Planning

We are proud to

attorney

BANKRUPTCY. IMMIGRATION. CRIMINAL.

Law Offices of Amy L. Perez Serving Central Florida Office: Orlando 407-398-9663 Se Habla Espanol

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627 Virginia Drive Orlando FL 32803

407.894.6671

JohnMichaelEvents.com

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counselor

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FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

counselor

home improvement

counselor

insurance

407-435-9995

MetroSurance inc counselor

garden/nursery

CIT Y OA SIS

“Your Downtown Garden Shop” Sales - Leasing - Maintenance

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1214 N. Mills Ave. (17-92) Orlando, FL 32803 (407) 898-8101

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for your peace of mind

For in-depth LGBT businesses listings

visit the Business Directory on

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Auto • Home • Life • Business Let Us Help Secure Your Future CRAIG GOODMAN, AGENT (407) 362-1600 or (888) 683-1159

jewelry

coee Health Care Center provides short-term, postacute medical care, rehabilitation, and long-term skilled nursing care. We offer: • Skilled nursing, RN/LPN care • Physical therapy • Occupational therapy • Speech and respiratory therapy • Orthopaedic programs • Stroke recovery programs • Wound and amputation care • IV and pain management • Hospice and respite care • Restorative nursing program • Cardiac programs • Strengthening and gait training • Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurance accepted!

G R Bridges Jewelry Personalized Sales & Services

Fine Jewelry and Watches Appraisals Gold 334 Park Avenue North Winter Park, FL 32789 Phone: 407-790-4983 Email: grb61@cﬂ.rr.com www.grbridgesjewelry.com

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FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

www.OcoeeHealthCare.com 1556 Maguire Rd • Ocoee, FL 34761

orlando marketplace

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lawn care

religious

physician

Piñero Preventive Medical Care

Arie Groen’s

A DIVERSE CONGREGATION GATHERING TO SHARE GOD’S ALL INCLUSIVE LOVE.

property maintenance Commercial and Residential Licensed

HOURS: MON-FRI 8A–5:30P | SAT 9A–1P

specializing in:

installation of sod Ornamentals Trimming Elevating Palms Trees Mulch Irrigation pressure washing s e r v i c i n g

o r l a n d o

Joy Metropolitan Community Church Reverend Terri Steed, Senior Pastor Wednesday Evening Spiritual Transformation Classes 7:00 P.M. Sunday Morning Worship 9:00 A.M. and 10:45 A.M. 2351 South Ferncreek Ave. | Orlando, FL 32806 Ofﬁce: 407.894.1081

Dr. Rafael E. Piñero, M.D.

religious

BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE

WE PROUDLY PROVIDE… Physical Exams Well Women Visits Urgent Care Visits Echocardiograms Ultrasounds Aesthetics

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Holy Angels Catholic Community INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE AMERICAS

Sunday Mass 12:30 pm

worship at: First United Church of Christ 4605 Curry Ford Rd., Orlando, FL 32812 407-677-0072

1720 S. Orange Ave., Suite 500, Orlando 407-426-9693

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www.HACC-FL.org

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(727)505-0205 • agroen33@yahoo.com

MAKING GOD’S LOVE KNOWN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

plastic surgeon

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407.857.6261 Trust your face and body to a board certified plastic surgeon

non-profit organization • Free Business Workshops • Business Discounts • Online Membership Directory…and much more!

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youth services

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Serving Central Florida's LGBTQ youth for over 20 years

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

New meeting location at Reeves United Methodist Church 1100 N. Ferncreek Ave. Peer-to-peer support group and social activities for LGBTQ youth ages 13 – 24.

info@OrlandoYouthAlliance.org

orlando marketplace

FEB. 13 - FEB. 26, 2014 // ISSUE 21.04

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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Church St. Exchange 6-8pm Feb. 20 Featuring The Orlando Ballet

Join Orlando Ballet's Artistic Dancers and the company for a short preview of their upcoming World Premiere production of Some Assembly Required. Guest choreographer Abdur-Rahim Jackson, choreographer to the stars and Alvin Ailey company Alum will be present for Q&A. Great raffles with proceeds to benefit the Orlando Ballet. As always enterance, food and first drink is free. Church St. Exchange Building Main Floor 101 S. Garland Ave., Orlando Use Pine St Entrance Orlando Ballet Rehearsal Hall - Main Floor Parking Under I-4 or at Pine & Garland (between Pine and Central Streets)