Watermark Issue 22.14: We Won by Watermark Publishing Group

daytOna beach • OrlandO • tamPa • st. Petersburg • sarasOta • issue 22.14 • July 2 - July 15, 2015 • watermarkOnline.cOm

we won. The decision has been made and The Supreme Court has spoken:

Your lgbt life.

also inside:

ST. PETE PRIDE BLOWS UP, THE CENTER IN ORLANDO GROWS UP, AND MATTHEW BOMER MAKES MAGIC

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departments 6 // mail 8 // orlando news 12 // tampa bay news 16 // state 18 // nation & world news 27 // in-depth 33 // arts & entertainment 43 // community calendar 45 // tampa bay overheard 47 // orlando overheard 49 // transitions 48 // tampa bay marketplace 50 // orlando marketplace 54 // gallery w

PAGE

Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new beniﬁts, but do not celebrate the Constitution. —u.S. SupReme couRt chief JuStice John RoBeRtS

on the cover

PAGE

In a not-so-shocking move, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality. We’re full of opinions and full of love. We’re also ecstatic. Welcome to the new normal.

Illustration by Jake Stevens

scan Qr code For

watermarkonline.com

we won:

The U.S. Supreme Court decides in favor of marriage equality just in time for the community to celebrate its pride.

watermark i ssue 22.14 //J uly 2 - J uly 15, 2015

orlando news

tampa bay news

‘all the other magic’ gallery w

PAGE Under new leadership, a

PAGE The marriage equality

PAGE

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

whole new Center is on the horizon. Renovations, reimaginations and restructuring await. Also, the Funky Monkey closes its Mills Ave. location.

ruling ignites St. Pete Pride just in time. Metro Wellness and Community Center announce the opening of the new primary LGBTQ primary care clinics.

Magic Mike XXL brings Matt Bomer back to the thrust and lust of shirtless celebrity. Gyrations will be served.

PAGE

Here comes the flood! Check into our galleries following the historic moments surrounding this year’s St. Pete Pride. You’re probably in them, because everyone was there.

wOndering what tO dO this weekend? view Our cOmmunity calendar at watermarkOnline.cOm

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

FORD CELEBRATES MARRIAGE EQUALITY

BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER FOR 112 YEARS!

YES,

domestic partners CAN buy together!

MODEL: Alex at Vyce Vinny at Parliament House

top web comments From WatermarkOnline: On Obama scolding a transgender heckler:

“Good for Obama. If Gutiérrez or anyone else wants to get a point across, do it like an adult not a child who’s never been taught correctly. Respect others if you want respect. Talking over them like an idiot doesn’t garner respect, but obviously Gutiérrez was too dim to understand that – even while being booed by the whole room and told to be quiet by the PRESIDENT. No clearly, Gutiérrez is more important than everyone else in the world.” —Rainbow Corgi “There’s always one in a crowd.” —Terri Binion

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On a man assaulting an LGBT bar owner because of the same-sex marriage ruling:

(407)644-7111 ext.242 email: carbearfb@aol.com

“He should be charged with a hate crime.” —Joaniebologna

On the closing arguments of the “gay conversion” trail in NJ:

2015

Tues day:

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“This co-founder must be using the 1940’s techniques from the movie The Snake Pit. —GayEGO

10PM Friday: 8:30pm

“You hire Billy Manes as editor and in less than a week you have marriage equality. Coincidence?” —Scott Randolph

From Facebook: On Puerto Rico amending its marriage laws after the Supreme Court’s ruling:

“Wow, we gays be taking over, taking names and taking rings.” —Thom Bland

On marriage equality:

“You hire Billy Manes as editor and in less than a week you have marriage equality. Coincidence?” —Scott Randolph

On Obama scolding a transgender heckler:

“The White House is not YOUR House, Mr. President. It belongs to the people of the United States!” —Shane Pagano

“The White House is his residence until he leaves in 2017. So his house. And the person Heckling is at an event they were invited to have respect for the President and appreciation for being in The White

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watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

House. What did yelling at him accomplish.” —Michael Silas

“OK, some of y’all are forgetting two things: The White House is OUR house. And it takes COURAGE to stand up and speak your mind and when a President is congratulating himself for his treatment of transgender people while the government he’s in charge of is abusing them, then I can see where she had ENOUGH. This is one place where Obama pulled his balls out at the wrong time. Get your heads out of your asses and STOP SUPPORTING BULLIES. They kill. They kill the human spirit, and they shut down dissent, and that’s what Obama was being. While I agree that the activist had to be taken out of there and it was inappropriate, Obama didn’t need to smack talk her. She was RIGHT. Support the people who need it, for christsake! Or whoever!” —Nancy Imperiale

contributors

Photo by Robert Bartlett

editor’s

Billy Manes EDITOR

BIlly@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

ood afternoon and welcome to my gracious drawing room.

I’m not certain who is or who isn’t aware of my past journalistic ridiculousness in Central Florida, because the wind blows and the rain falls and we all have our own lives to pin ourselves to. I am aware, however, that if you are reading this, we have a common purpose: love.

In this issue you will find references and photos that swirl around what was a fantastic St. Pete Pride celebration. You’ll also find voices echoing around the politics and the “next scene” that we’ll all be witnessing in the coming months and years. These are figurative flags we’ll likely drape ourselves in for eternity. But for now, we’re exhaling and grabbing a much-deserved drink (not really drinking, though,

because it’s daytime). We are smiling because we know that we are right. We are caring because we always have. There are rainbows, because part of the storm is over. My name is Billy Manes, and I am here to recruit you. No, I’m not trying to steal a phrase from Harvey Milk, but yes, I do stand in the shadow of an icon named Harvey Milk (we share a birthday, statistics

watermark staff Founder and Senior Contributor: Tom Dyer • Tom@WatermarkOnline.com Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 • Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Admin. Assistant: Kathleen Harper • Ext. 100 • Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Billy Manes • Ext. 101 • Billy@WatermarkOnline.com Online Media Director: Jamie Hyman • Ext. 106 • Jamie@WatermarkOnline.com Asst. Media Director: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 • Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Proofreading: Ed Blaisdell Art Director: Jake Stevens • Ext. 109 • Jake@WatermarkOnline.com Creative Assistant: Patrick O’Connor • Ext. 102 • AdProduction@WatermarkOnline.com Sales Manager: Mark Cady • Ext. 108 • Mark@WatermarkOnline.com

fans). We all do. Whether you are familiar with LGBT legacies or histories or fights or fires doesn’t necessarily matter right now, because the rainbows are blinding and our minds are alight. The Supreme Court ruling from June 26 changed the playing field, and now all states within our union are obliged to recognize our lives and our loves, bigots be damned. This is where I come in. This is the beginning of a new Watermark, a new era, a new life. Please pardon the dust. We are moving forward. In “Sympathy for the Devil” fashion (hoo-hoo), please allow me to introduce myself. I moved to Orlando in 1997 after editing an alternative weekly called Break in Tallahassee. For the last 18 years I have been employed by Orlando Weekly in one fashion or another. At first, I trolled the entertainment landscape for a Peggy Fleming or a Carrot Top, but that promotional vacuum grew old. Then I followed crackheads and swingers for a column. That, too, was exhausting. In 2005, I ran for mayor of Orlando in an interim race that was never really going to happen. What did happen, however, was that my head went fully into the sand of municipal governance, ostrichstyle. But that’s not why I’m here. The reasons that I’m at the helm of Watermark Media as editor, the reasons that I’m alive right now, are laughter and justice. Smarter minds than mine have told me through the years that my particular spoons full of sugar have helped the

medicine go down. And I’ve had my share of medicine. In 2012, I went through an incredible terror that involved the death of my partner and the thieving family moments that come thereafter (probate is fun!). In 2015, I married my best friend, Tony. I’ve seen both sides of these LGBT rights, and I intend to hold those rights as high as possible. If there is ever any egregious issue that is a concern to you, I encourage you to reach out to me, or to your community, or to the law. Advocacy is important to me. Advocacy is still important. “I have tasted freedom,” Milk

This is where I come in. This is the beginning of a new Watermark, a new era, a new life.

once said. “I will not give up that which I have tasted.” And I, the honored editorin-chief of one of Florida’s most respected LGBTQ media outlets, won’t give up, either. We saw balloons and tickertape, beads and kisses, a White House colored in rainbows, a history changed. That was just last week. Let’s see workplace and residential rules evolve. Let’s make equality happen all the way. Let’s make this moment matter more than any moment in our lives. Thank you for having me. Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for reading us. The fight continues along with the smiles and rainbows.

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watermark Your lgbt life.

Orlando Office P. O. Box 533655 Orlando, FL 32853-3655 TEL: 407-481-2243 FAX: 407-481-2246

Tampa Bay Office TEL: 813-655-9890 FAX: 813-849-2986

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Aaron Alper is a

photographer and writer in St. Petersburg. He holds a Masters in English Education from the University of South Florida. Page 12

Michael Wanzie is an

Orlando-based playwright, actor and ordained minister. He is most recognized for his direction of productions at the Footlight Theatre at the Parliament House. Page 21 Greg Burton, Scottie Campbell, Zach Caruso, Susan Clary, Kirk Hartlage, Joseph Kissel, Ken Kundis, Mary Meeks, Stephen Miller, David Moran, Gregg Shipiro, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, Jim Walker, Michael wanzie

photography Bruce Hardin

is a Tampa Baybased freelance photographer who shoots portraits and events for the LGBT community. He is often seen ‘shooting’ leather events. Page 14, 54 Nick Cardello, Angie Folks, Tom Eckert, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift, Tinkerfluff, Lonnie Thompson

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

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ER orlando news

NS N • U IOTR T C UC U R TIO ST

BRaSS monkey: Patty Sheehan declares June 28

O C ER D UN

E ND

•U

“Funky Monkey Day.” PHOTO By JOAnnE CuMMInGS GRAnT

Funky monkey is coming to a close Gina Avile

Rlando | Every road must come to an end. After eight fabulous years Funky Monkey on Mills, the first restaurant in Orlando to feature dinner and drag shows, will be closing its doors June 28. “We’ve decided to focus all our energy at our Pointe Orlando location,” said Eddie Nickell, who owns Funky Monkey with his husband Nicholas Olivieri. “It’s more than bittersweet, it’s sad. We’ve made so many memories here.” With 15 years of hotel experience at the Marriott and a passion for great food and wine, Eddie and Nicholas started Funky Monkey with the goal to bring LGBT culture to Mills Avenue. “When we first opened everyone thought we were crazy,” said Nickell. “Nobody thought this place would work. Mills was a rundown area at the time, but it was still the cool side of town.” As the restaurant took off, Eddie kept his promise to build up his beloved neighborhood. He served on the board of directors that started the Mills 50 District, all while opening five other restaurants around town with Nicholas. “It was always exciting to be at this location,” Nickell said. “The top drag queens in Orlando have performed here. My favorite memories are when we would host two drag shows a night, with a special dinner theatre setting. We’d quickly clear out the first show while everyone outside anticipated the second.” Though the Mills location will feature a different restaurant soon, Eddie and Nicholas say you’ll still catch them hanging around Mills as landlords. “The good thing is we own the Funky Monkey building,” said Nickell. “Rest assured, I will make sure we get a good concept here to carry on fine food on Mills.” What’s in the future for this dynamic restaurant duo, you ask? “We’re always keeping an eye out for new venues and trends,” Nickell said. “We feel like I-Drive is the up and coming area now, but we’ll be back here someday. For now, it’s time to pack up and move on.” Funky Monkey on Mills held a final good-bye dinner June 28, with food made by Chef Ashley Nickell, Eddie’s daughter. A portion of the proceeds raised at the dinner were donated to Mills-50 Organization, a foundation Eddie and Nicholas helped create.

E D N

U • N O I T C U R T S N O C ER D UNch-ch-ch-changes Renovations underway for The Center Samantha Rosenthal

Rlando | After a long wait, The Center on Mills Avenue began renovations this week that were made possible by the City of Orlando’s Community Development Block Grant program, with the project expected to be finished by the end of August. “We are very, very excited,” Center’s Executive Director Terry DeCarlo said. “After a long drawnout process and a lot of permits and a lot of annoying back-andforth with the City, we are finally starting renovations on the brandnew Center for Central Florida.” The Center received the final approval needed back in December 2014 from the City of Orlando to receive almost $150,000 in funds to go toward renovations for The Center. DeCarlo said that since it was federal money that there was a lot more paperwork than he originally expected. He told Watermark back in December 2014 that the renovations would start

watermark Your lgbt life.

in February and be finished by the end of March. Soil & Water Conservation Supervisor 4 Eric Rollings, who was appointed by Commissioner Patty Sheehan for the third year to the Community Block Development Grant Program (CBDG) board, was the person who suggested to Commissioner Sheehan that The Center should be considered for the grant money. “Commissioner Sheehan appointed me to this board so I could find places in her district that would qualify to help lowto-middle income persons, and I identified The Center,” Rollings said. Rollings explained that the CBDG has two different programs in which it gives money to local organizations and businesses: one for services and one for capital improvement. Orlando roughly receives $2 million a year from this grant program. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program was started in 1974 and

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is one of the longest continuously run programs at Housing and Urban Development. DeCarlo said that they awarded Window World the contract to redo all the windows at The Center and will begin on that project by the week of June 29. They also awarded a contract to Tanenbaum Roofing, Inc., which will be tearing the old roof off and putting the new roof on after the windows are repaired. After both the windows and roofing have been replaced, DeCarlo said the outside will sandblasted, speckled and then painted. The interior is also having a makeover, which has already begun, and will be all brand-new. “Where we used to have one HIV testing room, because the The Center is one of the largest testing centers in the state of Florida, we’re doing over 500 tests a month, I had people waiting quite a while — sometime upwards to 45 minutes to an hour — to get their tests or tests results because there were so many people waiting and getting tested,” DeCarlo said. “What we’ve done is expanded that to include three testing rooms, so we will also have three testing rooms running at any time which will also handle our hep C testing.” The Center is the only place that cOntinued On Pg. 10 | uu |

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orlando news offices and moved them to the second floor so the first floor can | uu | The Center Renovations be complete space where we can from pg.8 serve the community.” Since December 2014, when provides rapid Hepatitis C testing the funds and renovation plans seven days a week, and DeCarlo were finalized, The Center said The Center plans to go fullmoved its staff out and into a panel STI testing within the next place they also own next door month. A doctor’s waiting room, in a strip mall. And even though equipped with comfortable The Center is empty, the staff seating and televisions, will be and all its services are still created toward the back of The provided seven days a week. Center so that people don’t have DeCarlo said he figured makes to wait in the lobby to get tested it easier for the construction or wait for their test results. crews to work without having He also added that a cyber anyone in their way. center with 10 stations is going “We were so cramped before. to be added to The Center, where I wanted to be able to offer more they will offer GED classes as services to seniors and the kids, well as computer classes. More and I didn’t have the space for meeting space is included in the that because we had so many renovations so that The Center groups in there — now I will itself can handle more groups. have the space for that,” DeCarlo “We are so overwhelmed said. “That to me is really, really with the amount of groups that exciting. Most exciting for me is come here to The Center, and to offer the GED [classes] and the amount of people that come stuff like that, not only to the here, that we were running out kids but to the seniors. A lot of of space,” DeCarlo explained. the seniors never got their high “We added more meeting rooms school diplomas, and stuff like and actually taken the executive

that is really exciting to me.” And all these new and exciting changes came at a time where the management of The Center was experiencing new and exciting changes with DeCarlo assuming the executive director position since October 2014. He announced he would be leaving the Broward House in

When I put my mind to it, I go after the prize. It might be hard getting there but we shoot for the highest we can and I’m up for the task. I love a challenge and this is definitely challenge, but I’ll only grow and learn more while it’s happening.” He said that he hopes the renovations will attract more

“It’s been rough. Like I’ve said to people, ‘I had some hair when I started—I don’t now. —Terry DeCarlo

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to join The Center as its executive director in September 2014, and he said it has been a whirlwind, with all the other changes taking place, since. “It’s been rough. Like I’ve said to people, ‘I had some hair when I started — I don’t now,’” DeCarlo joked. “It’s been rather crazy. Anybody who knows me, I’ve been in non-for profit for almost 30 years, knows that I’m totally committed to what I do.

watermark Your lgbt life.

people — people who need their services, direction, counseling and other help. He also plans to focus more, after the renovations on The Center’s HIV prevention campaign. “We are one of the highest rates of new infections of HIV right here in Orlando. I’m hoping by expanding our HIV [testing] to full STI we’ll be able to help lessen the number of HIV infections by getting more of a prevention campaign

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out to the public — that’s really, really important to me,” DeCarlo said. “We’re not doing a good job right now with our prevention campaign, and hopefully when we get The Center up and running I’ll be able to focus more and put our staff on our prevention campaign and get the word out their to our community.” The Center plans on having a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony once renovations are done and they receive the OK from the City to open the location back up. They have already let Mayor Buddy Dyer and the city council know, and they have said they’d be happy to come over and cut the ribbon when the new Center opens. The Orlando Gay Chorus has also expressed interest in being a part of any celebrations for the opening on the all-new Center. DeCarlo guarantees it’s “going to be a big blow-out celebration once we’re able to cut that ribbon.”

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

tampa bay news

metro announces new lgbtQ clinics during st. pete pride Jeremy Williams

t. peteRSBuRg | Metro Wellness and Community Centers announced the opening of the LGBTQ Primary Care Clinics during the St. Pete Pride parade and street festival June 25. “The LGBT Welcome Center in St. Petersburg is proudly flying a giant rainbow flag above Central Avenue [June 25], and will be at the heart of Metro’s outreach to the community throughout St. Pete Pride weekend,” Metro said in a press release. “As we look to the coming year, the highlight of this year’s Pride season is Metro’s next big step in providing full health and wellness for our community.” Since expanding its services over a year ago, Metro became the first in the area to provide a comprehensive care home model with all HIV services under one roof in collaboration with Community AIDS Network, or CAN. “Our Centers provide full wrap-around services including case management, counseling, prevention and education, HIV medical care, in-house pharmacy services, food and hygiene banks and more,” Metro said. Metro will be opening these primary care clinics right inside the LGBTQ community centers in both Tampa and St. Petersburg. The clinics will provide PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis), STD and hepatitis prevention and treatment, HRT and transgender health care, gay and lesbian primary care, in vitro fertilization and psychiatric care. Along with opening the clinics, Metro is bringing Dr. David W. Lyter, M.D., to the team as Metro’s first medical director and first full-time primary care physician. Dr. Lyter and the CAN medical team and staff were out at the St. Pete Pride street festival, in front of the LGBT Welcome Center between 22nd and 23rd Streets, meeting the community and attendees. “Metro continues to be the center for all of the community, offering programs and services for the LGBT communities, those affected and infected by HIV and allies,” they said. Metro Wellness and Community Centers is a 501(c)3 organization and, in its mission statement, says it is “committed to providing premier HIV services, social networking, LGBT activities and other health and wellness programs that enhance the quality of life. We strive to promote a healthy environment for all, and to foster diversity within the community as a whole, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or economic status.” Metro has three locations throughout the Tampa Bay area; a Pinellas County office in St. Petersburg, a Hillsborough County office in Tampa and a Pasco/ Hernando County office in New Port Richey. To learn more about Metro and the new LGBTQ Primary Care Clinics, visit www.MetroTampaBay.org or contact them at 727-321-3854.

fReedom 2015: Revelers

at St. Pete Pride. PHOTO By nICK CARDELLO

The heat is on St. Pete Pride is a scorcher in the wake of marriage decision Aaron Alper

was with my boyfriend Anthony at LA Fitness when the Supreme Court of the United States ruling on marriage equality came in. “Oh my god!” I screamed. “We can get married!” “In which states?” he asked. “All of them!” It was at that moment that I knew this Pride would be different from any other. Of course, St. Pete has a tradition of that. Since its inception, the event has gone from a rinky-dink street festival of a small group of devoted activists and beautiful freaks to a full-blown event that competes with the likes of Los Angeles or San Francisco. Still, in light of the SCOTUS ruling, this year’s Pride would, without a doubt, by its very nature, be different. The events began at 5 p.m. and, to be honest, it was still way too hot to do anything but drink or

watermark Your lgbt life.

sit in air conditioning. Since I was working, neither option was in the cards. I saw the sights. It was hotter than two hells and hard to find the bright side. Parking was a nightmare, as parking for events hosting 200,000 people typically are. There was a benefit to being out early though, and that was seeing the youth contingency of Pride. Of course there were the kids and their families, gay and straight and everyone, having a good time. Especially those who came prepared for the heat. A couple of cute-as-a-button teenagers, Aaron Williams, 14, and Ivy Gray, 13 (who both identify as bisexual), were seated together and gave me a breakdown of their opinions. “I feel like gay people understand each other better than straight people,” Williams said. “There is a connection there that isn’t there with straight people.” Gray agreed. “I felt the same connection with girls that I

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

have been with.” Both Williams and Gray were elated by the SCOTUS decision as well and felt like it was finally a way to, as Gray put it, quiet “rude Christian people”. The Christian protestor factor was another aspect of Pride that was different this year. In previous years, there was more apathy from attendees when walking by the tiny section of people preaching judgment as love, or hate-speech. The early protestors of the day were much tamer and, sadly, were getting a lot of vulgar reactions from (possibly drunk) teenagers, who hurled hate at relatively docile protestors while performing lewd acts of dancing that made me uncomfortable, even as a journalist. When I traversed to Georgie’s Alibi to see the parade kick-off, there was more normalcy. Shirtless men, scantily clad women, free birds and freaks and, per usual, a whole lot of ebullience. Joe Jost, who happens to frequent the same gym I do (he openly admitted he “loves watching me work out” which, not gonna lie, gave me a second wind after the oppressive heat of the earlier hours), has been attending St. Pete Pride since it began and feels it has changed for the better. cOntinued On Pg. 14 | uu |

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tampa bay news

Ella, ella, ella: Underwear parading! Photo by Bruce Hardin

Peace out!: Or just some peace. Photo by Bruce Hardin

Batman Returns: Grand Marshall Nick Janovsky (left) and friends. Photo by Bruce Hardin

All the Glee: Alex Newell stands proud at the 27/82 concert.

Queens of hearts: No gamble here. Photo by Nick Cardello

Tonight Show: Ross Mathews brings the love at Pride in Fashion. Photo by Bruce Hardin

Photo by Bruce Hardin

| uu | St. Pete Pride from pg.12

“There is much more acceptance. I personally am much more at ease with being myself,” he says. The parade itself was much better than the previous year’s set-up. “They did a great job, especially for volunteers,” said Scott Durfee of Spathose. “There are some kinks that needed to be worked out but it’s important to give people time to figure it out. But this is still a great economic driver for our community.” I ran past the grand marshals—Larry Biddle waved at me, which is always a pleasant thing—and made my way downtown where, as the night progressed, the bacchanalia ensued. Sexual propositions and pansexuality abounded;

abounds at the Sunday street festival.

Photo by Nick Cardello

I hope people don’t forget this required a battle. —Will Rowle

one attendee, Michael Riople, informed me he is attracted to anyone who “wears black as a summer color.” The atmosphere was both fun and what one expects from St. Pete Pride The parade was noticeably better this year. Power issues and electricity kinks were the major lessons learned from last year’s mistakes, and modified designs made the floats more suitable for nighttime viewing. Still, despite any small grievances, there was an air of political upheaval that made this Pride so much different

All the love: Happiness

and historic. “I hope people don’t forget how it happened,” said Will Rowle, 22. “I hope people don’t forget this required a battle.” In the end, I hope people don’t forget as well, but that is something that is out of my hands. Still, Jay Aresty, owner of the downtown bar Fubar— which he lovingly refers to as an “an accidental gay bar”, as it has a huge gay customer base despite not being advertised as such—said something that left me feeling optimistic: “My parents actually met

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at a hush-hush anti-LGBT discrimination meeting in the ‘70s in Dade County. So coming here, and being an ally, is a great thing for me. I like it here. It’s great timing for the Supreme Court. It’s just a great time.” After all was said and done, Eric Skains, executive director of St. Pete Pride, said that the weekend went well from both an entertainment and operational standpoint. “As far as the parade goes, I think it was fabulous,” Skains said. “I think over time it will get better and better, but I definitely feel like

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

it was a step up from last year, and hopefully next year it will be a step up from next.” “We had a fabulous team,” Skains continued. “The organization behind the scenes this year was flawless; it allowed myself and the others to have an easier Pride. Obviously, with 150 participants and 350 exhibitors, there are going to be a few hiccups, but for the most part everything ran smoothly. I think everyone enjoyed it, and we haven’t really had anyone say anything negative. Finally, Skains had faith that the numbers will back up his good feelings. “We should be getting the numbers in the next couple of days, but from the preliminaries it blew last year’s out of the water. We are excited and we think that we might have hit that quarter of a million mark,” he said.

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state news

Florida officer on suspension after sexually abusing lesbian couple Staff Report

Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velázquez

ialeah, Fla. | A South Florida police officer was suspended after a lesbian couple accused the officer of sexual abuse when one of them was detained over a routine traffic stop June 13. The couple, who have asked not to be identified, told Miami news station WSVN they made a U-turn by a police substation and were pulled over by Sgt. Jesus Menocal, Jr. Menocal placed one woman, 17, into his police car and instructed her girlfriend, 20, to follow behind in their car. When they arrived at the police station, Menocal took the 17-year-old victim into a private

room to question her and told her girlfriend to stay outside at the vehicle. “[He asked me] how do I have intercourse, and I told him, ‘Why do I need to answer that? Why is that necessary?’” the young girl told WSVN. “He insisted me to answer it, so I told him how me and my partner have intercourse, which is me and my girlfriend. After, he asked if I was a virgin. He asked me, if he was to test me right that moment, if I had any diseases on me.” The victim says Menocal began rubbing himself below his weapon belt and told her to take off her pants and let him see her from behind. “I thought I was going to get arrested for no reason. I feel like I was being detained for

no reason. He had put me in a room, he told me I was going to be with investigators, and out of nowhere, there’s no one in the office,” she said. The victim said she did what Menocal asked out of fear and then he continued with the harassment. “He wanted me to take off my shirt and my bra together, and I told him, ‘No. Why do I have to do that? There’s no reason to do that,” she said. “Honestly, I thought I was going to get raped, I thought he would make me sleep with him.” Menocal held her for about 15 minutes before releasing the teenager to her girlfriend, saying that he was letting them go because he is a “cool guy.” The couple filed a police

report immediately after the incident and have retained legal counsel. Menocal was suspended with pay June 14 pending an investigation by the Hialeah Police Department. In a statement, HPD said, “We are currently investigating allegations, made by two women, against a Hialeah Police officer. Additional information will be made available as the investigation develops.” Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velázquez met with MiamiDade state attorneys June 15 to coordinate delivery of evidence as the investigation moves forward. “This is a very delicate road and we seek to be impartial,” Velázquez said to the Miami Herald. “Our job is to get to the bottom of this. If it is proven that there was wrongdoing, the appropriate decision will be taken. Otherwise, he will return to work.”

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nation+world news

in other news Turkish police use water cannons to clear gay pride rally Turkish police used water cannons and tear gas against gay pride marchers trying to rally in Istanbul’s central square June 28, forcing the thousands of demonstrators to gather several blocks away. Two people were injured. Between 100 and 200 protesters were chased away by water jets from Taksim Square as they began gathering in the late afternoon. Organizers said in a statement that the local authority prevented the rally from gathering at Taksim, a traditional focal point for protests, because it coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Pope Francis schedules public meeting with gay activist Pope Francis arranged to have his first-ever public meeting with a married, gay activist next month in Paraguay. The pope is due to meet activist Simón Cazal, the executive director of SOMOSGAY, a group that lobbies for better protections and legal rights for those in the LGBT community in Paraguay. SOMOSGAY recently launched a campaign asking the Catholic Church to accept gay people. The meeting will take place July 11 at the Paraguayan Episcopal Conference in Asuncion, the country’s capital. It will be the pope’s last stop on his South American tour.

Thai ice cream company apologizes for Facebook gay slur The Thai ice cream company Wall’s Thailand apologized for using a derogatory term for gay men in a Facebook post regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on samesex marriage, a spokeswoman said June 29.The post showed black bean-flavored ice cream with the caption #LOVEWINS – the hashtag used by supporters of the court verdict. “Black beans” is a demeaning slang term for gay men that originated from a famous pedophilia case in Thailand. Wall’s Thailand replaced the post with a new picture of rainbow-colored ice cream and issued an apology on June 28, saying they “did not mean to cause discomfort to anyone.”

North Carolina man assaults LGBT bar owner, upset over same-sex marriage ruling A Wake County man has been charged with assault after police say he entered an LGBT bar, angrily criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage and then slapped the owner. The Charlotte Observer reports Mecklenburg County jail records show 21-yearold Lucas Dylan Wilhelmson, of Holly Springs, was charged with simple assault and with communicating threats in the incident which took place June 28 at The Bar at 316, which caters to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Wilhelmson was released on bail. It’s not clear if he has an attorney.

Many Alabama counties will not issue same-sex marriage licenses Wire Report

ONTGOMERY, Ala. | Nearly one-third of Alabama counties June 29 were not issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, or had shut down marriage license operations altogether, despite the landmark U.S Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry. An Associated Press telephone survey of counties June 29 found that at least 32 of the state’s 67 counties were issuing the licenses to gay couples. However, at least 22 counties were not issuing the licenses, with many of those shutting down marriage license operations altogether as probate judges said they needed time to sort out the ruling. Rep. Patricia Todd, the state’s only openly gay lawmaker and the head of the Human Rights CampaignAlabama, said the probate judges needed to accept that the issue was settled with the U.S Supreme Court ruling that made gay marriage the law of the land. At least two probate judges pointed to the order from the

state’s highest court to explain why they were not issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Randolph County Probate Judge George Diamond said he is waiting for the end of a 25-day appeal period following the U.S. Supreme Court decision before he begins issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Diamond said the county could begin sooner if it receives a directive from the state’s high court. “Right now my attorneys are telling us to hold off and see what this appeal is,” he said. Susan Watson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, said probate judges could face court sanctions if they issue marriage licenses to heterosexual couples but refuse to give them to gay couples. “There is no justification for delaying or obstructing the clear message of the Supreme Court of the United States — marriage equality must begin in Alabama, and probate judges who stand in the way of that legal imperative risk exposing themselves to legal consequences,” Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement.

Some counties began granting the licenses to gay couples on Friday. More counties followed suit Monday after the Association of County Commissions of Alabama sent a memo advising probate judges to follow the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. “We are going to issue a license to every couple that qualifies under the law,” Monroe County Probate Judge Greg Norris said. “We’re going to follow the law.” Shelby County began issuing same-sex marriage licenses on Monday, after delaying on Friday so that Probate Judge James Fuhrmeister could review the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. The delays won praise from some same-sex-marriage opponents. “Thank God that we have probate judges who stand for that which is right to keep their counties out of the principle of marrying that which God says cannot be married,” John Killian, pastor at Maytown Baptist Church, told a news conference in front of the Alabama Supreme Court building. State law says that probate judges “may” issue marriage licenses, meaning they aren’t required to issue them. Several judges have cited that provision as they ponder what to do. “I expect, in those counties, voters will get tired of having to drive to other counties to get marriage licenses,” Watson said. “That’s just ridiculous. It’s a hassle for everyone.”

German museum launches show on 150 years of gay history Wire Report BERLIN | Germany’s main national history museum on June 24 launched an exhibition tracing 150 years of gay history in the country, including the first uses of the term “homosexual,” the brutal Nazi-era repression of gays and gradual moves toward legal equality starting in the 1960s. The exhibition at the German Historical Museum in Berlin, which is staging it together with the capital’s privately run Gay Museum, has been four years in the planning but is opening amid a new debate in Germany over whether to allow full-fledged marriage for same-sex couples. They have been able to enter civil partnerships since 2001 but much of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party is reluctant

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to go further. Culture Minister Monika Gruetters said at the show’s presentation that it “puts the current debate about legal equality into a historical context.” She said it shows “how hard-fought the progress we can speak of today was, not just legally but also in society’s perceptions.” The show, “Homosexuality_ies,” opens to the public June 26 and runs through Dec. 1, featuring photo and film material, artifacts including an electric shock device used for “aversion therapy” in the 1950s and an “A to Z” section exploring issues ranging from gay marriage to censorship. One of the earliest exhibits is a handwritten 1868 letter from Vienna-born writer Karl Maria Kertbeny to a German advocate of legal reform, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, which is believed to be the

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

oldest written record anywhere of the words “homosexual” and “heterosexual.” It also features the work of scientists such as sex researcher Magnus Hirschfeld, whose pioneering Institute for Sexual Research was shut down and looted shortly after the Nazis took power in 1933. The Nazi regime toughened the 1872 law criminalizing sex between men; West Germany changed the so-called “paragraph 175″ to decriminalize it only in 1969. Nazi Germany convicted some 50,000 homosexuals as criminals. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 gay men were deported to concentration camps. A room in the exhibition titled “In the Pink Triangle” explores the stories of men and women caught up in Nazi persecution.

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viewpoint

Michael Wanzie

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WANZIE

Two parties, one choice

write this column on

the very day of the landmark Supreme Court decision that ushered in marriage equality in all 50 of our United States.

So I suppose Watermark readers might anticipate this viewpoint space would be dedicated to that topic, but I simply don’t think I have anything of merit to add to the discourse that hasn’t already been better stated by someone else, not the least of which was President Obama. On Friday, June 26, 2015, President Barack 0bama said, “This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts: When all Americans are treated as equal we are all more free.” Most importantly, our President issued this admonishment: “Those who have come so far on their journey to equality have a responsibility to reach back and help others join them.” That statement resonated with me. It is my fervent hope that once the celebrations end, we as a community do not become complacent; that we will work together to lift up our transgendered brothers and sisters, the homeless, the mentally ill, the entire working class, and women until all are treated equally under the law and enjoy equal access to everything our country has to offer. There are many things we as individuals can do to help bring about these changes, but the easiest and most effective is simply to vote for those who embrace the concepts of equality and social justice for all. I am absolutely bewildered as to how any LGBTQ persons can possibly align themselves with the Republican party. I am not a fan of our two-party system. It is broken and the division between the two parties so pronounced, so entrenched in blacks and whites, that true governance, which best occurs when we dabble in shades of gray, no

longer seems an option. That desirable meeting-of-theminds arena where consensus is explored—and indeed adopted—no longer exists. At least not in Washington, D.C., and certainly not in the minds of Republicans. Upon the first-term election of President Barack Obama, the top Republican operatives met and agreed they would put the best interests of the nation on hold for four years. The GOP vowed that rather than actually govern, they would instead dedicate themselves to one objective and one objective only: to oppose everything President Obama might seek to accomplish. I see this mindset, and indeed the subsequent actions of those Republicans in Congress who so steadfastly embraced this totally fucked-up objective, to be treasonous. And I don’t use the word “treasonous” casually. When an elected official decidedly puts the best interests of the citizenry behind other, more personal objectives—thereby defaulting on their solemn oath to “faithfully discharge the duties of the office”—said individuals are quite simply not doing their jobs. They took an oath “to defend the Constitution” but instead devoted all their time, energy, and personal power to crippling the abilities of the President. Republicans brazenly insinuated themselves onto the world stage of foreign policy in areas never before traversed by their predecessors for the expressed purpose of undermining the sitting President’s effectiveness in dealing with foreign leaders. That is the exact opposite of defending the Constitution, and once that unsavory set of circumstances was set into motion, those who played a role in those efforts did indeed commit an act of treason. Period. End of story. What I have just reiterated should be reason enough for any thinking person to distance themselves from those who actively sought to undermine the leader of our country by proactively

creating doubt in the minds of our adversaries regarding the very authority of our sitting President. It was shameful. It was despicable. It was treason. When you add this dim scenario to the reprehensible pandering by these same people to the extreme religious right and homophobes among their constituency, thus steadfastly opposing any measure that would ensure equal rights for LGBTQ persons—well I’m sorry, I cannot wrap my brain around how any gay person could possibly be a Republican. And I am sick to death of hearing how gay Republicans are such merely because their party is more in line with their thoughts regarding economic stewardship and fiscal responsibility. It’s a hollow and laughable argument. Only

know, when Clinton left office this country did not have a deficit, but rather a sizable surplus. Call me silly, but that sounds like great economic stewardship to me. It is indisputable that President Obama took office during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Forbes magazine recently proclaimed that President Obama created “the best private sector jobs creation performance in American history!” Under the leadership of Barack Obama, this county narrowly dodged another depression owing almost entirely to his administration’s bailout of the auto industry, which Republicans decried a disastrous doomsday initiative that would cost the country billions of dollars and tank the economy. Instead millions

of collective bargaining. 8: Allowing women the right to make their own decisions concerning their own bodies. 9: Allowing gays to serve openly in the military without fear of reprisal. 10: Allowing two persons of the same sex to legally marry. Every one of the those cherished rights in my top ten list were championed by the Democratic Party while being vehemently opposed by the Republican Party. THINK ABOUT THAT! Jeb Bush has promised that the issue of marriage equality is not dead. He declared the Supreme Court decision to be a horrible mistake and vows that if elected President he will dedicate himself to challenging that decision. Rick Santorum, Ted Cruz, and Mike Huckabee all share his view. With all there is to be concerned with

two Presidents in the past 50 years have lowered the deficit. They were Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Under Clinton unemployment fell dramatically to 3.9%, and by all respected independent measures the top 1% of the richest among us prospered more than during the previous Republican administration. This despite Clinton’s tax hikes on the wealthy which spurred the economy to new heights while at the same time raising the median household income from $661.00 a week to $700 as week. Poverty declined dramatically under Clinton resulting in a decrease in those seeking assistance form social service programs such as food stamps, and Clinton virtually eliminated annual budget deficits. In the end, as we all

of industry-related jobs were saved, the industry and the economy rebounded, and to date, every single penny of the loaned money has been repaid sooner than required, with interest. And although figures vary, it is a fact that under President Obama the deficit has dramatically decreased and we are now entering our 64th month of continuing job growth. So shut up about economic responsibility! Here’s my top ten list: 1: Social Security. 2. Minimum wage and a 40-hour work week. 3: A woman’s right to vote. 4: Voting rights for African Americans. 5. Desegregation of schools and public facilities. 6: Legalization of interracial marriage. 7: The rights of workers to organize for the purpose

in this dangerous world of ours, taking away our hardwon constitutional rights is what Republicans promise to “dedicate” themselves to if elected. Wake up people! While I am not happy with our two-party system, so long as we remain saddled with it, I entreat you to get on the right side! Be on the right side of history. Exercise your right to vote, and vote for the party that throughout modern history has sought to make life better for all people, rather than only for the wealthy, white, straight males among us.

Wake up people! While I am not happy with our two-party system, so long as we remain saddled with it, I entreat you to get on the right side!

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

viewpoint

Pride, though, is a yearlong event here at Watermark. It begins in March with the newly resurrected Tampa Pride and ends late October with Volusia County Pride. Along the way we make stops in St. Pete, Orlando, Sarasota, Space Coast and Polk County. Although some of these events are much larger

parade, but the crowd was unusally radiant. Things seemed different this year. In the past I was more interested in throwing beads to the crowd than sitting back and enjoying the moment. This year I took a step back from the hurried excitement and concentrated on the people who lined up to watch the parade. They were a happy bunch. Everyone had a smile on their face and pride in their hearts. Luckily, I get to see this at all the Prides now. Those without a parade are just as fabulous in their own ways. It’s a whole other experience when you have a few thousand people who come to the park and spend the whole day listening to the entertainment and hanging out with the vendors. These Prides are equally as fun and I highly encourage everyone to attend who can. Pride doesn’t just exist in events for me. It’s the overwhelming feeling I get throughout the year as a Watermark Media employee. Putting together a newspaper while maintaining and up-to-the-minute website takes a ton of work. Some people are surprised to find that Watermark Media functions with a small team of staff and freelancers. Some of us here take on the jobs of two or three people, and everyone works beyond expectations. The dedication of this staff couldn’t have been truer over the past few

than the others, they all share a common theme: Pride. A fitting name for the event and mood of the crowds. The most recent of the celebrations, St. Pete Pride, saw record numbers. Some reports estimate 200,000 to 250,000 LGBTs and allies enjoyed the weekend’s events. Maybe it was due to the Supreme Court decision or the excitement of the nighttime

issues as we worked without an editor. Friday, June 26, was a big day in gay news. We at Watermark gathered around our computers waiting for news from the Supreme Court. Once the

Rick Claggett, Publisher

w o r d s

to live by Pride

he word “pride” has

been everywhere lately. It started this month with Gay Days Weekend/One Magical Weekend, then came the Supreme Court decision declaring same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional, and finally St. Pete Pride rounded out the month.

Maybe it was due to the Supreme Court decision or maybe it was due to the excitement of the nighttime parade; but the crowd was radiant.

news arrived, we all sat around the TV to watch President Obama deliver a beautiful speech on the victory we achieved with marriage equality. Afterward, we toasted to the moment we all knew would be ingrained in our minds. These dedicated people

fill me with pride, and I’m so happy I got to share that moment with them. Unfortunately, as we celebrate our victories and Prides, we are reminded of those who are not able to enjoy what we can. In the South, opponents of marriage equality have promised to stand in the

way. I also recently saw a video of a Turkish man being hosed down by police at a Pride rally. The violence was unnerving, and it is clear these areas have a long battle ahead of them. Take pride in who you are. Take pride in what you do. Change will follow.

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

| Florid| Florida

talking points

JUST

There’s so much more work to be done to extend the full promise of America to every American.

But today, we can say in no uncertain terms that we’ve made our union a little more perfect.

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TRANSGENDER individuals. —Mic/ACLU

— pReSident BaRack oBama, momentS afteR the SupReme couRt ReleaSed itS opinion legalizing Same-Sex maRRiage.

facebOOk Puts 26 milliOn PrOfiles sOmewhere under the rainbOw

aceBook waS taken oveR By a caRe BeaR StaRe thiS weekend as millions of profile pictures were veiled in the colors of the rainbow. The program, which was created by two interns at Facebook in honor of LGBT Pride month, spread like wildfire after the Supreme Court released its opinion that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The rainbow filter went viral with more than 26 million people across the world visibly showing their support, and those pictures received over half a billion likes and comments. Many celebrities got in on the support including Leonardo DiCaprio, Elizabeth Banks, Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Warren and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Out EMPIRE actOr makes sPeech at bet awards

MPIRE BReakout StaR and openly gay actoR JuSSie Smollett stopped during his performance of “You’re So Beautiful” at the BET Awards June 28 to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. “We live in a nation where freedom is what we represent, yet we are still fighting every day for the basic freedoms of all of our people. Let the Supreme Court ruling be proof of how far we have come. Let the deaths of our sisters and brothers be proof of how far we have to go. No one is free until we are all free,” Smollett said.

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seattle gOt rainbOw crOsswalks Just in time fOr Pride week

eattle had new RainBowcoloRed cRoSSwalkS foR pRide week and they plan to keep them for years. Mayor Ed Murray unveiled one of the 11 new crosswalks in the historically gayfriendly Capitol Hill neighborhood on June 23. They cost about $6,000 each, and were paid for by fees for new private developers on Capitol Hill. The crosswalks are east of Broadway on 10th and 11th Avenues. They’re expected to last three to five years, but the city said it plans to maintain them for years to come.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

andy warhOl cOllectiOn uP fOr Pride mOnth auctiOn

hRiStie’S auction houSe celeBRated pRide month by offering a collection of Andy Warhol’s more gay-oriented items for sale. The collection, entitled “Andy’s Randy Summer,” included more than 100 photos, prints and drawings obtained directly from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Some of the pieces had never been shown to the public. Throughout his career, Warhol depicted male nudes through photography or drawing, often using gay underground culture as his backdrop.

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

in-dePth: marriage decisiOn “Our nation was founded on a bedrock principle that we are all created equal. The project of each generation is to bridge the meaning of those founding words with the realities of changing times—a never-ending quest to ensure those words ring true for every single American. Progress on this journey often comes in small increments. Sometimes two steps forward, one step back, compelled by the persistent effort of dedicated citizens. And then sometimes there are days like this, when that slow, steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.

This morning, the Supreme Court recognized that the Constitution guarantees marriage equality. In doing so, they have reaffirmed that all Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law; that all people should be treated equally, regardless of who they are or who they love.” —PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, JUNE 26, 2015

we B won.

Billy Manes

y now eveRyone iS awaRe that

Marriage equality is here, there and everywhere

marriage equality flew over the top of that odd equator of middling mob rule and into reality. On Friday, June 26, nine people—the nine people that make up the third arm of national governance—ruled 5-4 that gay and lesbian couples in this country are allowed to marry. The split was a little closer than expected. Some thought Chief Justice John Roberts might sway on the issue (he didn’t); most believed Justice Anthony Kennedy would (he did). Still, it was a tight decision and a reason to finally exhale.

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

Same-sex marriage became legal in Florida on Jan. 6 of this year. But it was cold comfort to the other 30 percent of United States residents whose states were not supporting equality for all. There was the potential for it to be terrible. “We’re facing unprecedented territory here,” local civil rights attorney Mary Meeks said, days before the ruling. “There’s no actual answer. I think the conventional wisdom among the gay expert legal community is that marriages that currently exist will not be undone.

cOntinued On Pg. 31 | uu |

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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time to celeBRate: Former Florida State Rep. Joe Saunders celebrates Pride outside the U.S. Supreme Court.

| uu | Marriage Decision frOm Pg.27

The real chaos would be if they rule against us.” And there has been an element of chaos, even after the decision. “Already Christian businesses are facing discrimination if they don’t want to participate in wedding ceremonies that violate their sincerely held beliefs,” Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said to Fox News last weekend. “We need to stand up for our First Amendment rights. The court trumped our 10th Amendment rights by overturning states’ decisions.” That changed in a heartbeat, however, as that state fell in line with the law of the land. Louisiana is now issuing marriage licenses. But the weak logic hiding beneath Jindal’s initial grandstanding is troubling, Equality Florida co-founder and chief executive officer Nadine Smith says. “We are hearing this absurd [argument]. Having lost on the

We know that it’s not going to be over. It will be a huge, resounding celebratory moment and we should take a few days. —maRy meekS

case, they turned to these absurd assertions. No pastor will ever be compelled to conduct a gay marriage,” she says, adding that pastors have been allowed the right to refuse interracial marriages for decades. It’s a red herring. Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that won the war, drew hyperbolic cries of “treason” from conservative justices. “If you are among the many Americans—of whatever sexual orientation—who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision. Celebrate

the achievement of a desired goal,” conservative Justice C.J. Roberts wrote. “Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.” But that’s not how U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, sees it. “Let me try to put it in an interesting perspective,” he says. “We have two ways to make progress. One way is to try to prevail upon people in the judiciary, or the judges, to benefit

watermark Your lgbt life.

upon what was once referred to in a Supreme Court decision as a ‘discrete, insular minority.’ That’s the term that was used.” The other, he says, is through the democratic process. “What’s interesting is that both of those are happening right now,” he says. “Much more important than what five people think is what 330 million people think, and that argument is in the process of being won.” And when the decision came down—replete with rainbow lighting on the White House—the answer was clear: We won. “No union is more profound

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were.” “Their hope,” Kennedy continued, “is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.” But rights come with strings attached these days, says Meeks, who has been a strong voice for the LGBT community via her law firm and advocacy. “We know that it’s not going to be over. It will be a huge, resounding celebratory moment and we should take a few days,” she said last week before the ruling. “But then we should be vigilant against all of the backlash that we know we’re going to get and not forget, just like with abortion rights, they start chopping off little bits and going backwards.” For now, though, she says we should celebrate. “Overall, my takeaway is that it is a strong opinion that arrives at a time that the nation has embraced equality,” she says. “And I’m proud that Florida was part of the momentum.” At St. Petersburg’s Pride celebration and parade the day after the decision was handed down, approximately 200,000 people of all stripes agreed vehemently. Even beneath the pounding beats of dance effusion, even under the heat of the summer sun, there was something different: Smiles were wider, hair was higher, life was better. “The world has changed because LGBT activists have won the argument,” Grayson says. But even with all of that glory, pomp and circumstance, there remains the reality that the civil rights battle isn’t over. “We have been battling on all fronts all the time. Marriage happened to capture the national imagination. But penny for penny we’ve been investing in job discrimination. Penny for penny, we’ve been investing in bullying,” EQFL’s Smith says. “We can’t afford to wait … we have to seize moments wherever they present themselves. And more people need a job than they need marriage.”

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

Photo coutesy of Q-Synicate

MAGIC MATT BOMER

matt bomer talks channing Flattery (‘i blushed’), getting to sing d’angelo & indecent gyrations.

Chris Azzopardi

att BomeR iS not Buying

all the buzz about Matt Bomer. Channeling his trademark charm, the actor calls it “sheer fallacy” that anyone—let alone heterosexual men—could possibly find his piercing baby-blue eyes swoon-worthy.

And then there’s his body. On display in all its near-nakedness in Magic Mike XXL, Bomer is modest about his sculpted physique. You expect it, of course. The 37-year-old dreamboat— just ask Channing Tatum—was born in Missouri and raised in Texas, and he hasn’t strayed from his humble Southern roots despite scorching screen

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after screen. Not just with a striptease, either. His Golden Globe-winning performance as Felix Turner in HBO’s powerful adaptation of Larry Kramer’s 1985 play The Normal Heart was a tear-jerking tour de force. And soon, Bomer will bring the spooks, starring alongside Lady Gaga during the

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

upcoming American Horror Story: Hotel, another collaboration with Ryan Murphy (both worked together previously on Glee and The New Normal). We talked to Bomer about geeking out to Gaga, explaining Magic Mike to his sons and how Channing Tatum made him blush. cOntinued On Pg. 39 | uu |

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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film

They’re back!

Watermark is bringing Movies Out Loud to The Abbey and this time it’s Fringey!

(abOve)

loudeR than BomBS:

Miss Sammy and Jeff Jones talk a lot. PHOTO JAKE STEVEnS

Jeremy Williams

ateRmaRk media and the

Orlando International Fringe Festival are teaming up to resurrect Movies Out Loud for a new audience (and the old one too). The first one will be July 8 and continue on the second Wednesday of each month, but instead of a roaming venue, they have found a permanent home at The Abbey. “The Abbey has stepped up as sponsor and it really is the perfect location,” said George Wallace, executive director to Fringe, via email. For those unfamiliar with Movies Out Loud, they pick an over the top, campy, so-bad-it’s-good film to show

to a slightly inebriated audience while some of Fringe’s best and brightest verbally destroy the film, like Mystery Science Theater 3000 ... only LIVE! Wallace says Fringe has been looking at incorporating a movie component for a while.

watermark Your lgbt life.

“We’ve discussed different ideas but because of logistics at the actual festival, this was the perfect way to bring movies to Fringe in some way,” he said. The time and place is set, so now who do they get to host? “We’d love to have a rotating cast of regulars,” said Wallace. “Rick Claggett [Watermark’s publisher] and myself met and threw some names out and they all have a Fringe connection.” Fringe has a plethora of stars to choose from who could bring their own special voice to Movies Out Loud. “I think Logan Donahoo with any horror film would be great,” Wallace said. “I think Pepe with a romantic classic and maybe Michael Wanzie with an old blackand-white. Then there’s Blue with a lesbian prison movie of some sort.” Can we expect to see George Wallace step up and host? “I’m up for anything,” Wallace said. “I never met a cheesy Christmas movie I didn’t like, so maybe look for me around December.” For opening night they have selected a classic (that means cheap and old) for Movies Out Loud and it just so happens to coincide with the film’s 20th anniversary. That film is Showgirls! Who better to host a movie with skimpy costumes, frisky dancing and licking poles than our own classics, Jeff Jones and Miss Sammy. We asked them about Movies Out Loud via email and what we can hope to see.

WATERMARK: hOw excited are yOu that mOvies Out lOud is back?

JOnes: You’re forcing me to sit with a drag queen and watch a horrible movie that I had to watch against my will before. How do you think I feel? I couldn’t be happier. miss sammy: Miss Sammy is just PICKLED TINK! Getting together with friends and dissing bad movies is something we all do at home. Now we get to do it in public again and The Abbey serves cocktails, too!

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

what shOuld PeOPle whO have never been tO One Of these exPect tO see frOm yOu?

JOnes: I say out loud all of the horrible things you wish you could yell at the screen during a movie. There are so many other story lines in this movie you never knew existed. It’s really more of an education experience.

YOU ARE OPENING MOVIES OUT LOUD WITH THE FILM SHOWGIRLS. WHY IS THIS MOVIES SO NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART?

JOnes: This movie really does mirror my own life. I’ve traveled to Vegas, danced in a show and fucked Kyle MacLachlan in a pool. miss sammy: Well, Miss Sammy is one of the ‘most seasoned’ showgirls

As long as the syFy Channel makes movies where oversized marine animals mutate and prey on stupid tourists, Movies Out loud should exist. —Jeff JoneS in town. I’ve made a lot of money over the years sashaying these gams across the stage, and done a lot of things to ‘get the part.’ Though I’ve NEVER pushed anyone down a flight of stairs ... that I can remember. why didn’t elizabeth berkley becOme a bigger star?

miss sammy: Because she showed her nipples. Girls that show their nipples get put in a “different” category. You won’t see THAT one at the Oscars! what Other mOvies wOuld yOu like tO see dOne, and why dO yOu think they are mOvies Out lOud qualified?

miss sammy: We’ve done so many horribly funny ones, it’s hard to say. Maybe it’s time for Sharknado, or Tomorrowland, or ANYTHING with Adam Sandler. JOnes: As long as the SyFy Channel makes movies where oversized marine animals mutate and prey on stupid tourists, Movies Out Loud should exist.

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hear a song that’s in 6/8 time, and I know that’s musician lingo, but it was so inherently sexy in such an effortless way. Seeing the video was icing on the cake. I think I was like, “How do you get that jacked? How do you get in that kind of shape?” And then I was also like, “Was he really naked?!”

and nOw yOu are that Jacked IN MAGIC MIKE.

Oh please! Not even.

as an actOr, what’s it like tO gO frOm a rOle in a mOvie that’s as intense as THE NORMAL HEART TO MAGIC MIKE XXL? is that balance critical fOr yOu as a PersOn?

channing who?: All the Magic, all the time. PHOTO COuRTESy Q-SynDICATE

| uu | Matt Bomer frOm Pg.33

WATERMARK: yOu and yOur MAGIC MIKE cO-star channing tatum recently made a surPrise aPPearance at l.a. Pride. as a gay man yOurself, what was it like having channing shOw his suPPOrt fOr yOu and the rest Of the lgbt cOmmunity? matt bOmer: It’s one of the many things that makes him the magnanimous, amazing, cherished soul that he is. It was his idea, to be honest with you. And he didn’t have to do it. The reality of the situation is, it wasn’t some PR move on his part—he wanted to be inclusive, and that’s a big part of who he is as a human being. So, given the opportunity to work with him, and really everybody in this cast—they’re just a great example of what we all can be, which are people who are secure in themselves, and loving and accepting of people no matter who they are and where they come from.

channing was very cOmPlimentary tOward yOu in his recent reddit ama interview. he said he “absOfuckinglutely” gets lOst in yOur eyes, and that “i dOn’t knOw what they are made Of Outside Of dreams and rainbOws and amazingness.” hOw did yOu react when yOu learned Of his enthusiasm fOr yOu?

(Laughs) I mean, obviously, I blushed. Knowing Channing, and what a kind soul he is, I guess when

you’re the most handsome man on the planet—and probably the most desired man on the planet—you have the security to give those kinds of compliments. And so, it was great. It made my day, of course! I and the rest of the world feel the same way about him.

yOur eyes get a lOt Of attentiOn frOm a lOt Of PeOPle. have they always stOPPed traffic?

I don’t think they do! I think that’s sheer fallacy and kindness on the

I wasn’t like, “Guys, is this a legit gay bar?!” The set-dec team on this movie is so gifted, so everywhere you go you just think, “Oh, this is what it is!”

it’s gOOd tO see yOu have mOre lines in XXL.

Well, that wouldn’t be hard. I would only have had to say, like, two or three words to have more lines than I had in the first one. (Laughs) and the singing! yOu get tO cOver d’angelO’s “untitled

so (Joe) was like, “You should sing something!” And I was like, “What do I sing?” Channing was like, “I don’t know—sing some Jodeci.” And so I did! He remembered that for the second movie. He was like, “Why don’t you sing something? What song would you sing?” I was like, “Obviously the sexiest song of all time is ‘How Does It Feel’ by D’Angelo, but I’m not gonna touch that song.” He was like, “Why don’t you give it a try?” So I basically recorded a

you know, it’s not my business to get up on a soapbox and tell people what they should and shouldn’t do. —matt BomeR part of others. (Laughs) No—I’m still just trying to wake up in the morning with the kids, so I don’t really have time to think about that. More like, “Do I look like I got five hours of sleep last night?!” sO there’s a gay bar scene in MAGIC MIKE XXL.

How great is that, to have a gay bar scene with a full-on drag show and some of the best voguers in the world? I mean, it was like a little vogue ball going on.

did yOu shOOt at a real gay bar?

I’m not sure, to be honest with you. They sure made the location feel like it! I didn’t ask; you roll up on set and that’s where you are that day.

Oh my god. I mean, that was the best white man’s attempt I could make at that song. I just tried to stay in the game, man. I mean, that vocal and that song—I couldn’t believe we were even trying to touch it.

vocal over a karaoke track, more or less—I ended up singing it live in the movie—but that recording is basically what we used to choreograph the piece and what we based the eventual performance on.

Of course! The whole thing was Channing’s idea. We did the first movie on a tiny budget, and we entertained the extras between takes. One time he just threw them right in front of my face and was like, “Do something entertaining.” That’s the creative, spontaneous soul that Channing is, and Joe (Manganiello) has known me since we were 18 and

Honestly, I got “Voodoo” as soon as it came out (in 2000), and I remember hearing that song and just playing it over and over again. And there’s an extended cut of that song that’s seven minutes long! I was just so fascinated to

(hOw dOes it feel).”

were yOu intimidated?

watermark Your lgbt life.

what dO yOu remember thinking the first time yOu saw d’angelO bare almOst all during the “untitled” videO?

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

I’ll be honest with you, it was for me, man. I went from Normal Heart into the last season of a show I’d done for six years (USA’s White Collar, 2009-2014), and then into a couple of more serious roles in other films, and this was the perfect break. The thing about being an actor is you approach your work the same regardless of what the role is or what the genre is or what the themes are—you try to put the same amount of work into it—but it was certainly nice and a breath of fresh air to get to chill out and have fun with these guys.

yOu came Out Publicly in 2012, and yOu handled it with sO much grace and subtlety. these days, there’s a lOt Of Pressure On hOllywOOd actOrs tO take that steP. where dO yOu stand On the rOle Of Public hOllywOOd figures in terms Of advancing the gay mOvement?

You know, it’s not my business to get up on a soapbox and tell people what they should and shouldn’t do. I think one thing that people don’t always take into consideration is a holistic aspect of what may or may not be going on in that individual’s life—you know, what kind of relationship they have with their family, how the people around them feel about it. But for me, having kids and being married, it was important to maintain the integrity of those relationships and not teach my kids that this is a shameful secret and that my husband (Simon Halls) has to be waiting in the wings all the time. So that’s why it was important to me personally. By the same token, I don’t hold anyone else accountable. It’s their choice.

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

Fax: 407-514-1301

event Planner

arts+entertainment

community calendar

OrlandO Dinner with Friends, June 19-July 19, ZehngebotStonerock Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com The Frog & the Princess, June 18- July 26, Goldman Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Orlando. 407.447.1700; OrlandoShakes.org The Toddlerz Ball, July 3, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com Fireworks at the Fountain, July 4, Lake Eola Park, Orlando. 407-246-2121; CityOfOrlando.net City of Winter Park Olde Fashion 4th of July Celebration, July 4, Park Avenue, Winter Park. 407-599-3463; CityOfWinterPark.org Orlando Phiharmonic Orchestra: The Girl’s Club, July 6, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com Miss Southern Comedy Queen, July 7, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; SouthernNightsOrl.com Movies out Loud: SHOWGIRLS, July 8, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com PJ’s & a Movie: The Goonies, July 10, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com American Idol Live! July 11, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com 40th Annual Miss Parliament House, July 13, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Aida, July 15-16, Walt Disney Theatre, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org

OrlandO

Campaign Kick-oﬀ thuRSday, July 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m. the aBBey, oRlando

40TH ANNUAL

The election isn’t until 2016, but the kickoff starts now! Join the chair of the Orange County Democrats, Equality Florida’s Carlos Guillermo Smith, as he launches his run for Florida House District 49. Guillermo Smith will speak about his platform of job creation, fully funded public education, and social and economic justice for every Floridian. RSVP by going to Facebook and searching Campaign Kick-Off for Democrat Carlos Guillermo Smith.

MISS PARLIAMENT HOUSE

sunset suP social fRiday, July 10, 6:30 p.m. lake faiRview maRina, oRlando Join Cynthia Johnson and Central Florida Paddleboarding for a fun sunset paddle at Lake Fairview Marina. Glide on the lake on your SUP (Stand Up Paddle) and watch the sun go down, then hang out for drinks, snacks, music and a little socializing. $10 for BYOB (Bring Your Own Board) and $35 if you need a rental. Please call 321-578-0457 for more information or to reserve your SUP.

tamPa bay

The 40th annual Miss Parliament House on Monday, July 13, will award a $2000 cash prize to the winner as well as honor last year’s winner, Chevelle Brooks.

Wanzie’s Court Ordered Therapy: Ladies of Eola Heights, July 15-17, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com

tamPa bay Prelude to a Kiss, July 3-19, Moonlight Players, Clermont. 352-243-5875; MoonlightPlayers.com 4th of July Pool Party, July 4, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com

8th Annual Fireworks Buffet, July 4, The MFA Café, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. 727-896-2667; Fine-Arts.org One Slight Hitch, July 10- Aug. 2, American Stage Theatre Company, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanStage.org Alan Darcy Poolside, June 11, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com Mame, July 11- Aug. 9, FreeFall Theatre Company, St. Petersburg. 727-498-5205; FreeFallTheatre.com

sarasOta Gloria Musicae: An American Tapestry, July 4, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-953-3368; VanWezel.org The Cotton Club Cabaret, July 8-Aug. 9, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota. 941-366-1505; WestCoastBlackTheatre.org American Idol Live! July 8, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-953-3368; VanWezel.org Kim Betts & the Gamble Creek Band, July 10, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-953-3368; VanWezel.org

Balance Tampa Bay’s July social thuRSday, July 16, 6:00-8:00 p.m. fleming’S pRime SteakhouSe, tampa Come mix and mingle with Balance Tampa Bay at the newly redesigned Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. A complimentary sampling of Fleming’s signature appetizers will be provided and a cash bar available so you can enjoy your favorite cocktail as well. The event is open to the public so be sure to bring a friend... or friends.

TBGlCC July Dinner Meeting tueSday, July 14, 6:30-9:00 p.m. the BaRRymoRe hotel, tampa Join the Tampa Bay Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as they welcome openly gay radio morning show host Miguel Fuller of Hot 101.5 Tampa Bay to the July dinner meeting. The dinner program will feature Miguel as well as a few other surprises. The price is $25 for members and $35 for non-members. Please make your required reservation www.tbglcc.org early, you won’t want to miss this special event!

To submit your upcoming event, concert, performance, or fundraiser visit watermarkonline.com.

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

Laurie Ross Photography Tampa Bay area Equality Florida Official Photographer Contributing Photographer to Watermark News Magazine PHOTOGRAPHING Events Small Weddings Portraits of People and Animals Real Estate Photography Commercial Product Photography

727-455-0050 laurierossphotography.com

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watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

overheard

tamPa bay Out+abOut

st. Pete PhOtOgraPher sets a hater straight

linton BRentwood lee, a photogRapheR fRom St. peteRSBuRg, shoots weddings and other events for his company Brentwood Photography. Like many people on Facebook, Lee changed his profile picture for his business page to show support for marriage equality in the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on June 26. A client wrote on his Facebook wall that they would not be doing business with him because of his support for the LGBT community and wanted their $1,500 retainer back. Lee in turn thanked the client for showing her true colors because he now did not want to do business with her. Oh, and the $1,500 retainer? Lee advised the bitter bride to review her contract as the retainer was nonrefundable, but he didn’t keep the money. Lee took the full retainer and donated it to GLADD.

we dOn’t like yOur kind in Our stOre

S ouR newly minted editoRin-chief, Billy maneS, took his maiden voyage to the Tampa Bay area as a Watermark employee for St. Pete Pride, he and his husband decided to take in some of the local businesses. One did not sit so well with them at all. As they came to the Going Strait Christian Thrift Shop near 34th Street, they thought “well, we are neither straight nor Christian but we are intrigued and must pay them a visit. (Actually, Manes’ partner Tony went to seminary, so there’s that). Alas, a visit was not what the Christian thrift store wanted for as they approached the store a sign read “No Gay Men Here.” In today’s day and age and with the recent Supreme Court ruling one would think this kind of segregation was left back in 1960. The sign for the Going Strait Christian Thrift Stop has a quote below it (I’m assuming they are quoting someone since they have it in quotation marks) that says “Jesus is Always Better.” I always thought the same rang true for southern hospitality.

2 3

i’m a faShioniSta: Rupaul’s Drag Race’s judge and E! Network personality Ross Matthews signs copies of his book with Bruce Hardin at the Pride in Fashion show at the Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg June 26. PHOTO PROVIDED By BRuCE HARDIn

thankS foR eveRything Julie neumaR: Confetti Cashmere (L) and Sara Lee Cupcake arrive at the Flamingo Resort St. Pete ready to celebrate St. Pete Pride June 27 in St. Petersburg. PHOTO COuRTESy

OF THE FLAMInGO RESORT

full of glee: Alex newell prepares to take the stage to entertain the crowd at the 27/82 concert on the corner of Central Avenue and 26th Street for St. Pete Pride on June 26. Photo by Bruce Hardin

celeBRate good timeS, come on: (L-R) Equality Florida’s nadine Smith, Metro Wellness’ Chris Rudisill and St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman celebrate marriage equality at the LGBT Welcome Center June 26. PHOTO COuRTESy OF nADInE SMITH

all hail the Queen: St. Pete Pride Grand Mistress Ashley Brundage (centered) takes in the Pride street festival in St. Petersburg with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence June 28. PHOTO

PROVIDED By ASHLEy BRunDAGE

who haS two thumBS and iS a maRShal? thiS guy: St. Pete Pride Grand Marshal nick Janovsky takes to the shoulders of Batman before taking to the streets for the St. Pete Pride parade June 27. PHOTO

PROVIDED By nICK JAnOVSKy

you got a fRiend in me: John Partain (L) and Scott Guria find a new BFF in comedic legend Leslie Jordan at the Polk County Pride celebration in Lakeland June 21.

PHOTO COuRTESy OF SCOTT GuRIA

he waS Runnin’: The Flamingo Resort’s own Terry Garbis wins the St. Pete 5K in 18 minutes and 30 seconds in St. Petersburg June 27. PHOTO COuRTESy OF THE

8 7

FLAMInGO RESORT ST. PETE

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

overheard

OrlandO Out+abOut

rainbOw cOnnectiOn:

S the woRld went a little moRe coloRful on fRiday after the Supreme Courts announcement, many iconic sites across the nation and even parts of the world celebrated the big news by showing their pride and changed colors to represent the LGBTQ rainbow. Gay friendly attractions included Orlando’s newest attraction, the Orlando Eye, part of I-Drive 360 which also houses Madame Tussaud’s (also loaded with wax figures of many LGBT iconic performers and allies!) and the SeaLife Aquarium. The Orlando Eye officially opened May 4th to the general public. Social media posts included photos of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom. A Disney rep told Watermark the colorization is part of their evening firework show and was not intentionally changed to celebrate the occasion, just a fabulous coincidence!

gOOd bye OrlandO, and hellO denver!:

n a Recent poSt via faceBook, dexteR foxwoRth notified hiS fRiendS he was leaving the city beautiful and moving to Denver. Foxworth has been the director of the Zebra Coalition for the last three- and-a- half years, and has diligently worked hard to both educate and help the public understand the public the necessity of the Zebra Coalition to assist LGBT+ youth. Dexter’s goodbye and thank you letter was posted on Zebra’s website. He mentioned that since opening in 2012, the Zebra Coalition has assisted more than 550 individual youth by providing access to mental health counseling, support groups, social activities and many more services. All great work done by Foxworth, the staff and member organizations that have grown over the last three years. We’re sad to see Dexter leave Orlando, but we wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

the lack Of PrOmised green has eric rOllings seeing red

Ric RollingS, a RepReSentative of the oRange county Soil and wateR conSeRvation diStRict, is fuming after a ballot referendum in November, supported by Rollings, has been effectively disregarded. Amendment One, which is now part of the Florida Constitution, was designed to dedicate“33 percent of net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents for 20 years.” According to the wording of the amendment, the money was supposed to be used to “finance or refinance: the acquisition and improvement of land” and “pay the debt service on bonds issued.” But, those who backed the Amendment in 2014 say that is not what is happening. In a recent Channel 9 interview, Rollings said, “I’m disappointed and there are a lot of Floridians that are very disappointed.” He went on to say, “I don’t see anywhere in Amendment One language where you can pay the salaries of state employees. That’s not the intention.”

StRike a poSe: Ginger Minj (L) and The Minx reunite at Hamburger Mary’s June 22 after Ginger had been globetrotting since making it to the finals of Rupaul’s Drag Race. PHOTO By DAnny GARCIA

can i have youR attention pleaSe: Eric Rollings speaks to the crowd gathered at the Hammered Lamb for the marriage equality celebration on June 26. PHOTO By JEn KunSCH

mR. Smith (and fRiendS) went to waShington: (L-R) Carlos Smith, Joe Saunders and Robb Hudson celebrate marriage equality at the Supreme Court building in the nation’s capitol June 26. PHOTO COuRTESy OF ROBB HuDSOn

hey BaRtendeR: Savoy Orlando bartender Kenny keeps the party going serving up drinks and good looks on June 19. PHOTO By JEREMy WILLIAMS

we aRe the championS: Gina Duncan (L) and Robert Carnes take in the scene as the Hammered Lamb hosts the marriage equality celebration on June 26. PHOTO COuRTESy OF ROBERT CARnES

She ain’t no light weight: (L-R) Jack Dixon, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Margo Miller Dixon have Hillary Clinton’s back as she takes on all Republican challengers at the Hillary Reception at The Abbey on June 29. PHOTO

COuRTESy OF VIVIAn RODRIGuEZ

a thRee houR touR: Kirk Hartlage (L) and Jeff Jones want you to just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale during the Rainbow River Cruise on June 21. PHOTO By DAnny GARCIA

iSn’t She lovely, iSn”t She wondeRful: Rupaul’s Drag Race’s Jaidynn Fierce (L) takes a selfie with Ms. Darcel Stevens at the Parliament House before performing June 27. PHOTO

COuRTESy OF DARCEL STEVEnS

8 watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

tampa

b ay

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accountant

counselor

DESIGN YOUR OWN LIFE Anthony Quaglieri, Ph.D

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Call 813-655-9890 for more information

Join us and volunteer with our future mentorship program and committees admin@tbglcc.org watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

web site

PROMO CODE: WEDDING.

announcements

wedding bells

Melissa “Missy” Guad, 31, and sondra Rae Valentino, 25 from Orlando

years together: Four years

wedding date:

Fall 2016

engagement date:

June 13, 2015

how did your engagement happen:

City Commisioner Patty Sheehan celebrates freedom this month! And a Birthday too! PHOTO By JAKE STEVEnS

Missy asked Rae at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World

anniversaries Orlando couple Trina-Gregory Propst, owner of Se7en Bites, and Va Propst celebrate their one year wedding anniversary on July 17.

wedding venue:

not sure yet, but most likely outdoors

wedding caterer:

unsure of the food but will definetely be open bar

interesting Fact:

They are very athletic and active, Missy has always played basketball and Rae loves to go running. When they are not being active they both have perfectly normal, healthy obsessions with Disney and the Lifetime Movie Network.

o you Believe in love at fiRSt

sight? Missy and Rae do, and if you spend any time with them together they have an energy that can make the coldest heart feel the same way.

“I know some people don’t believe in love at first sight, but ever since I first met her I knew I needed her in my life. I crave her,” Rae said. “I don’t know what it was and then as I got to know her I was like we can be best friends, a.k.a. lovers.” They met four years ago at Pulse Nightclub through mutual friends. Missy felt the same way Rae did when she first set eyes on her. “When I first saw her I was just like wow. Our friends even knew it when they saw us together,” Missy said. After that night, Rae went home and, like we all do when we have that moment of meeting someone we want to know more about, she turned to Facebook. “When I got home I started

crying cause I could find her,” Rae said. “I was asking my friend what her name was on Facebook. I may have had a few drinks in me at the time.” She eventually did find her, messaged her and began a courtship that led them to the train station at the Magic Kingdom June 13. “It took 3 months of planning. I went to the Magic Kingdom three or four times to make sure everything was perfect,” Missy said. Rae did not suspect a thing. She expected a day at the Magic Kingdom with her family and the woman she loves. “The plan was to have her take a picture with us in front of the train station and have her friends behind us with signs

that said SONDRA WILL YOU MARRY ME? and then her look at the picture on her phone and say ‘what is that?’” Missy said. “But she was rushing us to go and walked ahead to talk to her dad and I was like what do I do from here?” Missy text Rae’s dad to solicit help and he got her to look up. “I saw her mouth drop and I dropped to one knee,” Missy said. The signs were up in the air, but only partially visible to Rae. “All I saw was ‘...DRA WILL YOU MARRY ME?’ and I thought is that for me? I didn’t see the full name and then I turn around and see her down on one knee and I lost it, my knees were shaking,” Rae said. Rae said yes, of course. “I don’t remember ever being this happy. We just balance each other out so well. I’m an anxious person and she just knows how to calm me down.” Rae said. —Jeremy Williams

Tampa couple Kathie Michaels and Renee Cossette celebrated their 14th anniversary on June 24. Michaels works for Metro Wellness and Community Centers and organizes that group’s Red Ribbon Run. Cossette is the administrator for the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

local birthdays Fringe festival star Rob Ward (July 4); Orlando printress extraordinaire and MBA mainstay Debbie Simmons, St. Petersburg entertainer Kori Stevens (July 5); MBA man and co-owner of John Michael Weddings & Events Michael Thomas, Sarasota and Provincetown diva David “Scarbie” Mitchell, Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, St. Petersburg leather man Randall Isgrigg (July 6); former Watermark editor, stand-up comedian and singing fool Ronni Radner, former Watermark staff writer and Montessori teacher natasha Kay, Orlando resident and USF IT guru Angel Arcelay, former Tampa Bay Business Guild officer Chris Hennessey, New Port Richey model and singer Chris Stein, Tampa Bay writer John Chambrone (July 7); Tampa chiropractor Scott Barry, Shelbie Press co-owner Michelle Murray (July 9); former St. Petersburg Westcare professional Ricki Liff, arthritis advocate and meditation master Tony Ward (July 10); Ybor City life coach Carla Vaughan, Tampa airline pilot Brian Russell, sexy Tampa tri-athlete Jon Pello (July 11); Hope and Help’s Patrick Brown, bartender Bruce Duckworth, former Full Moon bartender Jeff Patrick, Tampa attorney Kim Byrd, Karmic Tattoo percussionist Amy Black (July 14); Three Boys Café owner Matthew Downs (July 15).

Do you have an interesting wedding or engagement story you’d like to share with Watermark readers? If so, email the details to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com for consideration as a future feature on this page.

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

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watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

Starring Join us for the return of MOVIES OUT LOUD in this special reunion edition with original hosts Jeff Jones & Miss Sammy.

This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Movie

WHERE CULT CLASSICS ARE LAMPOONED WITH HILARIOUS COMMENTARY! Sponsored by Wednesday, July 8th at the Abbey

TICKETS ARE $10

100 S Eola Dr #100, Orlando, FL 32801

Advance tickets are available at

orlandofringe.ticketleap.com/movies-out-loud-showgirls

Show starts at 8 pm Doors open at 7pm

Movies Out Loud will continue on the second Wednesday of every month. All shows benefit Orlando Fringe! watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

photography

Bruce Hardin

Nick Cardello

Bruce Hardin

Nick Cardello

Bruce Hardin

Nick Cardello

galleryw Go see more photos at

watermarkonline.com

Nick Cardello

deepeR love: St. Pete Pride blew up in the wake of the Supreme Court decision favoring marriage equality. Here are some shots we caught on the street. Also, this is what rainbows are for.

watermark Your lgbt life.

Bruce Hardin

St. Pete Pride Night Parade 2015 saturday, June 27, 2015

Photography by Bruce Hardin and Nick Cardello

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14

watermarkmedia is

& Fun Run

HIRING! Start a new career as an

Advertising Account Manager with Watermark Media in Tampa Bay. Watermark Media is celebrating 20 years and we are expanding our team in Tampa Bay. Now you can be a part of the team

that brings the news to the LGBT Community. If you are motivated, outgoing, a self starter, good time manager, work well by yourself and with others, and are well organized, this may be the right career for you.

Email your resume, cover letter, and income requirements to Mark@WatermarkOnline.com

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6/15/15 2:30 PM watermark Your lgbt life.

July 2 - July 15 , 2015 // Issue 22.14