Watermark Issue 22.16: Gina Versace vs Starwood Hotels by Watermark Publishing Group

daytOna beach • OrlandO • tampa • st. petersburg • sarasOta • issue 22.16 • July 30 - august 12, 2015 • watermarKOnline.cOm

Your lgbt life.

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ALWAYS A WOMAN gina versace takes on starwood hotels and resorts over trans discrimination

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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departments 6 // mail 7 // editor’s desk 8 // orlando news 12 // tampa bay news 16 // state 17 // nation & world news 23 // in-depth 31 // arts & entertainment 35 // community calendar 37 // tampa bay out+about 39 // orlando out+about 40 // tampa bay marketplace 41 // transitions/wedding bells 42 // orlando marketplace 46 // uprisings

PAGE

I’m telling you that his biological birth status was a male. I’m not insensitive one way or the other to transgender, transsexual, transvestite, trans whatever.

—hillsborough counTy sheriFF’s oFFice spoKesman larry mcKinnon

on the cover

PAGE

PAGE ALWAYS A

WOMAN: Orlando

transgender woman Gina Versace has been fighting alleged discrimination from her former employer for years. Recently, we sat down with Versace following a high profile press conference with her new attorneys at Morgan & Morgan.

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chainsaws and drano: Heathers the Musical comes to Orlando with a bottle of irony and a message about bullying.

watermark i ssue 22.16 //J uly 3 0 - august 12, 2015

central Florida news tampa bay news

a case oF you

uprisings

PAGE A new Daytona

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

Hamburger Mary’s promises all of the entertainment and debauchery with a side of tater tots.

PAGE St. Petersburg’s outspoken

gay commissioner opens up about his efforts to make the city better.

A breakdown of several other cases involving transgender injustice in recent years.

Our political column cries at the history made by the July Equality Act announcement, then catches you up on some wonky updates.

get mOre infOrmatiOn On hOw the transgender trials Of yOre panned Out at watermarKOnline.cOm.

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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top web comments WatermarkOnline.com On Kentucky clerk who stopped issuing marriage licenses testifying:

“These Clerks who can’t do the job they were hired to do – as employees of the people they serve – should be fired. If you can’t (or refuse to) do the job you were hired for, I’d say it’s time to find a new line of work. They need to hire people who can do the job they’re being PAID TO DO.” —QuelleKelKelly

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Watermark’s Facebook page: On a poll showing Americans being sharply divided on same—sex marriage:

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“Really painful to read and disrespectful to the life lost. Rest in power India Clarke.” —Ida Vishkaee Eskamani On Kentucky clerk who stopped issuing marriage licenses testifying:

“We all know how this is gonna end. She will be found guilty of failure to perform her duties and in violation of the court order. There will be a massive check written to the plaintiffs. Couldn’t she simply have the blond lady in the left of the picture do the marriage and prevent a massive amount of tax payer revenue being wasted on a stupid court case. Religion has no place in government.” —Ron Holmes

“If the duties of a job interfere with my religious beliefs, then perhaps I need to seek a different employment opportunity. Just sayin’.” —Melanie Caputo

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

from their hated Colonial British oppressors.”

—Nigel B. Patterson

On a transgender woman’s body being found near a Tampa community center:

“I disagree with HRC’s comment that the GLBT community has a responsibility to confront this. The police need to confront it!” —Charlene Bell

On conservative groups trying to stop same—sex weddings in Alabama:

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“Alabama Policy Institute —I believe this is a Koch backed group.” —Garrett L. Grainger

contributors

Photo by Robert Bartlett

editor’s

Billy Manes EDITOR

BIlly@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

hings aren’t always as they

seem; in fact, usually they’re nowhere near. Appearances and realities aside, however— placed somewhere in a curio with frayed prejudices and a few regrets—we’ve found ourselves, as a community, in the middle of an identity crisis.

No, I’m not referring to the identities that are currently being thrust upon us in the wailing winds of identity politics currently waxing up your ears with fist-clenched disdain. Nor am I referring to the glory that is marriage equality, a right that assumes that every LGBT civil right hinges on your private romantic allegiances. What I’m speaking of is the new “other,” and therefore, the new frontier. Much has been made of Caitlyn Jenner in the past few weeks.

watermark staff

Some of it stabs in that typically tasteless fashion symptomatic of personal anger issues being vetted from internet connections in bigot basements; some of it in lofty thinkpieces sprinkled with gender norms, assimilation and the general pamphleteering of the LGBT brain trust. But not a whole lot of it is about normal people, regular people, even extraordinary people lacking the makeup and lighting of a politician or a (sort-of) Kardashian.

This week we focus on several issues plaguing the transgender community, issues that should concern all of us. The “T” is generally silent in the LGBT battle—there are a million essays on why this is and shouldn’t be, but let’s just, for the moment, accept that it indeed is. That tide is turning, a fact made obvious in late July at the rather crowded podium announcing a sweeping Democratic civil rights reform bill dubbed the Equality Act. At that press conference (which is a real weepy that can be found on our website watermarkonline.com), two transgender citizens—a woman and a man—had a seat at the proverbial political table. And what a table it was. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer formed an equality chorus that inspired and angered the lunchtime news-watching public, depending on kindness barometers. And, likely for the first time, two transgender individuals spoke on the issues that matter to them; key among those issues is workplace fairness. Our cover story this week tells the story of Gina Versace, an Orlando transgender woman who has—under the bright lights of the Morgan & Morgan legal-meets-media stage— been battling for her rights for years. She alleges that she was humiliated by her employer, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, regardless of the inclusive policies that the service industry magnate purports to encourage. There are

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bathroom issues, lunch break issues, misgendering issues and insubordination issues at play, and though the case isn’t to be heard in court until February, and we can’t leap to any judgment, those issues are real to many living their authentic lives. Sometimes they are tragically hyper-real, as in the case of India Clarke, a Tampa Bay transgender woman who was beaten to death outside of a community center, a story we cover elsewhere in this issue. The authorities are seemingly

What I’m speaking of is the new “other,” and therefore, the new frontier.

(or at least allegedly) rushing to point fingers at the victim, and those fingers, according to records and interviews, don’t want to identify Clarke, even in her death, as her authentic female self. It’s strange and difficult to witness how the scale of justice shifts when perceptions and prejudices prevail. Elsewhere, we sing a happier tune in honor of a huge landmark for Orlando gay resort and bar Parliament House, which just turned 40 (I can’t WAIT until I’m 40, cough). We catch up with the cast of Heathers the Musical and talk about bullying. We do what we normally do: inform, entertain, laugh and cry. But then again, nothing is really normal, is it? Times are changing. Let’s try to keep up.

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

Correction

In our last cover story [Issue 22.15, “Claiming Our Legacy”], one of the quiz questions suggested that performer Kevin Aviance was dead. He is not dead. He was wounded.

Krista DiTucci

is a freelance writer and family advocate for Manatee Children’s Services. She lives in Sarasota with her husband and children. Page 43

Aaron Alper is a

photographer and writer in St. Petersburg. He holds a Masters in English Education from the University of South Florida. Page 14 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 Nick Cardello, Angie Folks, Tom Eckert, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift, Tinkerfluff, Lonnie Thompson

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central florida news

hamburger mary’s to open in daytona Gina Aviles

iT’s gooD To be The DON: Owner

ayTona | The spark is coming back to downtown Daytona, but it isn’t fireworks lighting up this quaint beachfront town. It’s the brand new location of Hamburger mary’s, the popular franchised burger joint known for hosting killer drag shows. Co-owner of the new location Gary motes says there will be feathers—lots of feathers—and a Vegas-style cabaret. With 38 years of restaurant experience under his belt and a love for drag, motes—partnered with his brother and sister—opened Hamburger mary’s Jacksonville three years ago. With the success of the Jax location, the family decided it was time to expand. “We saw the space in Daytona and fell in love with it for our second Hamburger mary’s,” says motes. “It’s 10,000 square feet, more than three times the size of our Jacksonville location. In Jacksonville I wanted to do a show where I came riding in on a white horse, but the space was too small. We can do that now.” motes says he’s done his homework and concluded the beach town needs something edgy to bring it back to what is once was. “Right now downtown Daytona is a redevelopment area,” motes says. “A lot of gay attractions have closed down recently, and we want to make this place a destination again.” motes and his team aren’t the only ones excited for the grand opening on Aug. 14. The Daytona Chamber of Commerce is ready for the business Hamburger mary’s will bring to town. “Daytona always loves new business, and obviously this is the kind of business that can blossom right now,” says Daytona Chamber of Commerce President nancy keefer. “They’ve clearly done their market research, and we’re excited to have them here.” motes says some Jacksonville residents were hesitant to embrace Hamburger mary’s, and that might be the same in Daytona, but he says they’ll be hooked once they see their first drag show. “We’re bringing the best of the best to this location,” said motes. “When we came to Jacksonville, people didn’t know what to think. We turned that all around. ninety-seven percent of our customers there are straight; they come because our shows are top notch. We set high standards for ourselves.” motes expects more of a gay crowd in Daytona, but says he will never fail to surprise any of his new customers. He’s planning on hosting “Gary Productions,” shows he directs that are currently a big hit with the Jacksonville crowd. “every Hamburger mary’s is different, so you’ll never know what you’ll get,” motes says. “This is my dream, to run multiple Hamburger mary’s and share my love for this entertainment with the community. maybe next time you see me, I’ll be up on a white horse.” Hamburger mary’s Daytona will take over the former location of Level One Cafe at 180 n Beach Street in downtown Daytona.

Don Granatstein (center) enjoys the 40th Anniversary celebration at Parliament House with the GLBT Center’s Terry DeCarlo (right) and his husband William Huelsman (left). PHOTO By DANNy GARCIA

the F Word Parliament House celebrates 40 years Jamie Hyman and Jeremy Williams

rlanDo | Parliament House, Orlando’s iconic gay resort and nightclub, is marking four decades of gay inclusiveness, balcony debauchery and first-class entertainment.

a weeK Of gaiety (pun intended)

There was a week-long celebration July 20-25 that kicked off with The Footlight Players Anniversary Reunion Show featuring more than thirty alumni. midweek there was an employee turnabout benefiting Joy mCC Food Drive. Then, on July 24, Parliament House a.k.a. P-house or PH, hosted a 40-themed nostalgia night with $40 rooms, 40 cent shots and 40 prizes for guests. no cover, but they did collect a 40 cent donation at the door benefiting Hope and Help of Central Florida, Inc. That night, P-House also screened an LGBT History Center documentary covering Parliament House’s 40 years. “This anniversary meant so much more to me than the celebrations we have every year,” Parliament House public relations manager

watermark Your lgbt life.

Drew Sizemore says. “It really made me think about what came before me. The stories that were shared were so cool to hear. I loved hearing about The Footlight Players, miss P, how the club used to look, and the crazy parties they used to throw. I appreciate what we’ve become on Orange Blossom Trail and realize now that we were a safe haven for the gay community back then, and it still remains true to this day.” The anniversary celebration culminated in a Deborah Cox concert Saturday night. On Facebook, PH encouraged patrons to share their favorite Parliament House memories with a story or photo, and then it selected five winners to get free admission and a $40 bar tab. Visitors shared photos of themselves with various performers and snapshots from the night they met their significant others. One person shared a photo of a night when he danced so hard he tore a hole in his pants. “Our 40th Anniversary week was unbelievable,” Parliament House owner Don Granatstein says. “If I had to use one word to describe the event, it would be ‘touching.’ I think many of the younger members of our community learned from those that have been coming to the Parliament House for decades.”

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

a lOOK bacK Parliament House emerged onto—and some would say, originated—Orlando’s gay party scene when it opened its doors as Orlando’s first gay resort in 1975. Originally the Parliament House motor Inn when it opened in 1962, it was the first of eight Parliament House hotels throughout the country. When Walt Disney opened Disney World, hotels and motels sprung up around the park and the Parliament House started to lose money. That’s when the owners sold it to michael Hodge and Bill miller. “michael [Hodge] called me and asked me if I knew anything about the Parliament House,” Ron Studdard, an original patron of Parliament House, says in the documentary. “I said in fact I do. I work down the street from it and the staff and some of my associates go there to meet the prostitutes that are there for happy hour, and michael said ‘Bill and I are considering purchasing it and making it a gay destination’.” Parliament House opened during a time when it was still dangerous to be out and open frequenting a gay establishment. “You couldn’t dance touching each other,” Vicki Bebout, an original Parliament House bartender, said in the film. “That’s how disco was born, because of gay people. They couldn’t touch in the bars, unlike straight bars where they played two fast songs, a slow song, two fast songs, a slow song. In gay bars it had to be fast songs all night long.” The resort has gone through many changes since its inception cOntinued On pg. 10 | uu |

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

central florida news

WDW hosts LGBT workplace equality conference

| uu | Parliament House from pg.8

Kirk Hartlage

alt Disney World last week hosted the Out & Equal Equality Institute, designed to foster an inclusive workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees. Approximately 600 business leaders from over 300 companies attended the day-long seminar held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is a nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving LGBT workplace equality. The group works with Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies to provide a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for LGBT employees; The Walt Disney Company is a presenting partner. Walt Disney World Resort President George Kalogridis, who also serves on Out & Equal’s board of directors, provided the event’s opening remarks. Kalogridis is Disney World’s first openly gay president. Last week’s session was a condensed version of Out & Equal’s annual Workplace Summit, a mutli-day conference. This year’s Summit will be held in Dallas this October; the 2016 event will be hosted by Walt Disney World at several resorts across property.

as the Parliament House documentary points out. “In the early days of the Parliament House the front entry was not closed off,” Studdard says. “You drove through, it was a one way drive. You drove in from Orange Blossom Trail down with the pool on your right, around back and out again. In those times, that was the best cruising spot in Orlando. Throughout the rest of the ’70s and into the ’80s, the Parliament House was home to many of the employees and some of the patrons as they lived in the rooms of the resort. “I lived in a room at the Parliament House for about six months,” Doug Ba’aser says, “There were lots of employees that lived there that literally never left the property for huge lengths of time.” As Parliament House made its way through the ‘80s, the AIDS crisis hit, and Hodge and Miller started a group to get those sick and dying the help they needed.

“Back during the AIDS scare, before there was a Hope & Help, there was just a group of Parliament House regulars who decided something had to be done,” local playwright Michael Wanzie says. “They started something called Aid Orlando, and they started raising money and paying people’s electric bills and paying people’s rent. Miller passed away in 1987 and Hodge was left the sole owner of Parliament House. After he passed away in 1992, the resort was left to his family who let it fall into disrepair. There were speculation and rumors that someone might buy the resort from the Hodge family. “When we came [to Orlando] we heard about the Parliament House,” said Granatstein. “We had no idea what it was.” Granatstein, along with wife Susan Unger, asked around about the Parliament House and began the process of purchasing the gay resort from the Hodge family. “The day we arrived to look at the property was the shock of our lives,” Unger says. “There was no courtyard, it was parking. There were no other cars there and this cute little boy

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comes running out of the Bear Den [asking], ‘Do you know where you are, do you know this is a gay place?’” Unger came up with the idea to put up the glass brick wall to make a private courtyard and began cleaning and repairing the resort. They also embraced bringing theater to Parliament House and have been responsible for the success of many shows that may not have otherwise been produced. “That’s one thing about the Parliament House,” Bebout says. “There is something there for everyone.”

A look ahead

The Parliament House, which expanded to include the timeshare resort The Gardens, looks to expand even more in the coming years. In 2015, they began hosting weddings and have started renovating the rooms and clubs of the resort. “We have so many good things on the horizon for the Parliament House. As for what the future holds for us? Well, let’s just say it’s going to be just as bright as the last 40 years and more,” Granatstein says.

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tampa bay news

also youth to launch new program in venice Krista DiTucci

enice and north Port LGBT youth will soon have their own ALSO Youth branch, making LGBT support and services more easily accessible. Courtesy of a $5,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the ALSO Youth Venice Satellite Pilot Project will kick off September 4, 2015. Since 1992, ALSO Youth in Sarasota has been providing peer support services, educational programs, advocacy and referrals to LGBT youth ages 13 to 21. Donna Hanley, ALSO Youth executive director, says the satellite project came to fruition because many youth in the area had difficulty getting to Sarasota. She says ALSO Youth staff members are not allowed to pick up youth clients due to liability, so they must find their own transportation. Additionally, some youths have not come out to family members at home and, thus, cannot ask for rides. “We feel very excited about the opportunity to offer LGBT services to rural areas,” Hanley says. Although the project is young, Hanley says she has identified the need for several years. members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice and the True Colors Gay Straight Alliances in north Port initially approached Henley to inquire about collaborating services. The church was able to provide a space to use, but because the space was not located on a bus line, younger clients would still encounter transportation difficulties. Hanley says about two months ago, Sue Stewart of the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast invited ALSO Youth to do a cultural sensitivity training for the staff. After the training, Stewart mentioned the Girl Scouts’ house in Venice as a potential option for servicing LGBT youth south of Sarasota. Hanley visited the space and thought it would be a good fit. The property sits on about an acre of land on east Venice Avenue directly on the bus line. “It’s been a community effort,” Hanley says. “We exist at the generosity of others. It validates the work that we have been doing and also our future.” The facility will be open every Friday from 2:00 to 5:45 p.m. Henley says the structure will be modeled after the existing program in Sarasota. However, she has not yet determined which activities and services to implement. Henley says the Venice program will be somewhat different from Sarasota since its youth only meet one day a week instead of four. She says she will most likely wait until clients start attending to determine what they need most. “It will grow into what it needs to be,” Henley says. “If you build it, they will come.” Henley says the biggest goal is to provide a support system for LGBT youth because ALSO Youth is often the only place they feel safe to release emotional issues. “We have seen young people transform from being shy and withdrawn to completely confident,” Henley says. “We had a youth who came out as transgender right in front of us, and the mother said her child would never have had the courage to do that without ALSO. I see the empowerment when they have a safe, nonjudgmental place to express themselves.”

haTe crime:

India Clarke and the disturbing trend of trans murders. PHOTO FROM INDIA CLARKE’S FACEBOOK PAGE

Insensitive to injustice Transgender woman’s body found near Tampa community center Jeremy Williams

olice are trying to find out what happened to a 25-year-old transgender woman whose body was found at a Tampa community center playground on July 21. Samuel Clarke, who identified as female and went by the name India, was discovered by an employee of the University Area Community Center as it was being opened just before 9 A.m. Clarke had suffered blunt-force trauma to her upper body, according to the police report. “We are working on some leads,” says Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Larry mckinnon, who identifies India with male pronouns. “We look at the fact that he might be a transgender as a possible factor in the homicide, but we look at all factors. We have to look if it is drug related, prostitution related, is it robbery related. The fact he was a transgender, there’s nothing to indicate he was murdered

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solely because he was or was not a transgender.” Investigators are waiting on an autopsy to be completed before they release an exact cause of death. Clarke’s death marks at least 10 transgender women murdered in the United States, and the second in Florida, so far in 2015. All but one of the victims were black or Latina. This according to an issue brief released by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC). “The level of violence targeting transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, is a national crisis that the LGBT movement has a responsibility to confront,” says HRC President Chad Griffin in the issue brief. “This issue reveals how far we still have to go in order to ensure that all members of the LGBT community have equal access to basic dignity and fair treatment.” The brief mentions how local media routinely misidentify the genders of victims and often police emphasize

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

victims’ arrest records to diminish and miscast the lives of the murdered. Griffin says local media outlets are accusing the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s of being insensitive by not addressing Clarke as female within police reports and in statements. “I’m telling you that his biological birth status was a male,” mckinnon said. “I’m not insensitive one way or the other to transgender, transsexual, transvestite, trans whatever. From a law enforcement perspective we just have to look and find out who brutally killed this guy or this person, this human being and find justice for his family and I think that’s what’s important.” Police are investigating Clarke’s death as a homicide, but are not treating it as a hate crime. “We’re not going to diminish our resolve to find the killer of a person who happened to be in the middle of a drug deal that went bad and got killed,” mckinnon said. “We’re not swayed either way by his sexual orientation, we just want to find the killer because he’s still a human being who deserves justice, just as his family does and that’s how we roll.” Detectives are asking for anyone with any information to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200. Anyone with any information regarding the identity and whereabouts of any suspect(s) and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) or report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com.

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tampa bay news

A Kornell of truth: Catching up with St. Petersburg’s first gay councilman Aaron Alper

teve Kornell became the first openly gay elected official for St. Petersburg City Council in 2009. Since that time, Steve has become a champion for not only the LGBT community, but for human rights, artists, musicians, writers and youth culture. In a sense, he is the antithesis to the cynical politician stereotype. When confronted with the idea that coming out at 32 and being the first elected gay official in St. Pete at 42 is remarkable (skipping the “gay adolescence” many late-bloomers have via the disco or, these days, Grindr), Kornell simply laughs. “The great thing is now there are kids who are not going to grow up and miss things because they’re in the closet,” he says. “We still have work to

do, but that path is now finally becoming available.” Kornell will be running for city council again this year and is reflective about how much has changed in the five years he’s been in office. Back when he first ran, Kornell admits that his being openly gay was a gamble. In the beginning, he got the obligatory hate mail. “I didn’t even get as much as I thought I would,” he says. “I knew the city was ready. One of the great experiences I had was I when I came out and I was the supervisor at Childs Park and everyone supported. I just knew I had to be ready. I also received huge support from Equality Florida and the Victory Fund.” The real gamble for Kornell came with how the media would treat him. “You only have a small amount of name recognition when you run for city council,” he says. “So if the media wants to

make it an extraordinary thing that you’re gay and not focus on any other aspect of the person, they have a chance to do that.” Luckily, the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) was “extremely fair,” he says. “I was presented as a wellrounded person who happened to be gay. And that’s how we are. We don’t walk around saying, ‘I’m going to my gay car to drive to my gay job.’” (The Times has since lashed out at Kornell for his position on retaining the Tampa Bay Rays at a cost to taxpayers. “The only people who really vehemently opposed me were people who had a stake in the Rays,” he says). Being gay did help streamline Kornell’s fundamental beliefs. “I am a champion for human rights, period. I don’t see it as political. It isn’t liberal or conservative,” he says. “How is not extending rights to a certain

person a political position? If you think that, you need to think about what you’re doing because you can have all the greatest economic policies, a budget, potholes fixed, but if you’re discriminating against any part of your citizens, you’re not going to have a good city.” Kornell’s outspoken activism has served him well, for the most part. He stopped a virulently anti-gay citizen from being appointed to a committee by speaking out at a non-televised agenda committee review. “The city did a great job on the Human Rights Campaign index except for one [measurement]: health benefits for transgender people,” he says. “I am determined to see that happen as soon as possible. I tried and got shot down last year, but the budget is up for review. Whether it’s politically popular or not, I don’t care.”

Still, Kornell’s risks taken in fighting for what he believes over what’s necessarily popular have given him numerous municipal victories outside of the LGBT community, including passing a “conflict minerals” issue regulating cell phone manufacturers, and controversial public advocacy for musicians and bar owners in St. Petersburg via his fight against a proposed $500 fine for those abusing noise ordinances downtown. “You need to understand you have a voice,” he says. “I tell young people that all the time. I am always listening. A young person walking in with a radical idea could be the next Bill Gates. I am not going to turn that away.” Former State Rep. Phillip Garrett, who has no party affiliation, filed last month to run against Kornell.

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state news

advocates aim to protect lgbt Foster kids

blood bank suspended For not notiFying donors about hiv Wire report

Jamie Hyman

oral | Federal authorities have suspended the license of a miami-area blood bank for violations that include improperly notifying donors who may have been HIV-positive. It’s the first time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has suspended a blood bank’s license in more than a decade. According to a July 9 letter from the FDA, Doral, Florida-based U.S. Blood Bank did not make “reasonable attempts” to notify at least 120 donors between August 2013 and may 2015 who tested reactive for HIV and would need another test to verify the results. In a statement to The Miami Herald, U.S. Blood Bank said “not one of our units for transfusion was deemed to be anything but pure and safe.” President esther Hernandez said letters sent to the affected donors about the test results “weren’t aggressive.” “It was maybe our fault, but we didn’t want the donors to be scared,” she said.

allahassee | Florida’s Department of Children and Families is considering new regulations for group homes where foster kids live, and a Florida Bar workgroup is pushing for better protections for LGBT foster children. The LGBTQ Child Welfare Workgroup, which receives support from the Florida Bar, sent a 16-page letter to the DCF outlining their recommendations. Robert Latham is the workgroup chair and is also the supervising attorney for the Children & Youth Law Clinic at the University of miami School of Law. “DCF has been wonderfully receptive and we’re looking forward to working with them to make sure that any changes that are made are followed up with

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training and support to make sure that every youth in group homes is safe,” Latham said in an email to Watermark. The recommendations include privacy and flexibility when it comes to bedroom and bathroom assignments; how to create policies that better protect against

discrimination and harassment; what clothing, grooming and hygiene items LGBT children need to be consistent with their gender identity; and how to document children’s status while retaining their privacy. There are also some administrative recommendations, such as updating DCF’s working definitions and terms when it comes to LGBT youth and a discussion on the need for comprehensive staff training on gender identity and sexual orientation. “Our comments are motivated by our work with LGBTQ children who have taught us that the current group care rules, originally adopted in 1987 and little changed since then, have resulted in extremely negative outcomes for LGBTQ youth in out-of-home care,” the letter reads. “Fortunately, we know much more now about the unique needs and experiences of LGBTQ youth than we did in 1987.” Once the DCF finalizes their new rules, those standards will be put in place for Florida’s 287 group homes, which house about 11 percent of the state’s foster children.

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nation+world news

Obama pushes African nations to treat gays equally under law Wire Report

AIROBI, Kenya | President Barack Obama nudged African nations July 25 to treat gays and lesbians equally under the law, a position that remains unpopular through much of the continent. Obama’s Kenyan counterpart responded by calling the matter a “non-issue’’ for his country. Obama tackled the sensitive matter on his first full day in Kenya, the country of his father’s birth. He drew on his own background as an African-American, noting the slavery and segregation of the U.S. past and

saying he is “painfully aware of the history when people are treated differently under the law.’’ “That’s the path whereby freedoms begin to erode and bad things happen,’’ Obama added during a joint news conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. “When a government gets in the habit of treating people differently, those habits can spread.’’ Kenyatta was unmoved, saying gay rights “is not really an issue on the foremost mind of Kenyans. And that is a fact.’’ A number of Kenyan politicians and religious leaders had warned Obama in outspoken terms that any

overtures on gay rights would not be welcomed in Kenya, where gay sex is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Kenyan gay community also complains of sometimes violent harassment. Obama’s visit to Kenya—the first by a sitting U.S. president— has been long sought by this East African country where he is widely considered a son of the nation. Acknowledging that some Kenyans have been frustrated that it took him until the seventh year of his presidency to visit, Obama joked that he didn’t want the rest of Africa to think he was “playing favorites.’’ He will also visit Ethiopia on this trip.

change came at the end of a 25-day window in which the U.S. Supreme Court could have reconsidered its decision. The fight about the licenses is expected to spill over into legislative session with proposals to either force judges to issue the marriage licenses or to protect the ones who won’t. Bibb County Probate Judge Jerry Pow said his intent is to keep marriage license operations closed permanently in his county. “It’s wrong. It’s not what this country was founded on,’’ Pow said of legalized same-sex marriage. Pow said he realizes it is inconvenient for couples to travel to another county, but said most

constituents have been supportive of his decision. It is about a 30-minute drive from the county seat of Centreville to courthouses in neighboring counties, he said. Alabama law says probate judges “may’’ issue licenses instead of “shall.’’ Judges have cited that language as they closed marriage license operations. Most of Alabama’s 67 counties already are issuing marriage licenses to anyone, gay or heterosexual. The counties that have closed marriage license operations include Bibb, Autauga, Cleburne, Marengo, Choctaw, Clarke, Washington, Pike and Geneva counties.

discrimination in employment and public places. The all-Republican court instead decided that conservative activists should have succeeded in a petition drive to put the issue on a ballot. “The legislative power reserved to the people of Houston is not being honored,’’ the court wrote. The court ordered the city to repeal the ordinance by Aug. 24 or let voters decide the issue in November. Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who is a lesbian and pushed for the ordinance passed by the City Council last year, said in a statement she was disappointed and was still consulting

with lawyers. But, Parker added, “I have never been afraid to take it to the voters. We will win!’’ Last year, opponents who have fought the ordinance from the start say they obtained the roughly 18,000 signatures required to force a voter referendum. But council members said too many signatures were invalid, even though the city secretary certified the petition. A lawsuit was filed by the former chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, and justices on Texas’ highest civil court ruled that the petition should have held up.

2 more Alabama counties to issue wedding licenses Wire Report MONTGOMERY, Ala. | At least nine Alabama counties are refusing to issue marriage licenses to any couples, gay or heterosexual, nearly a month after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, according to a July 22 survey by The Associated Press. Two Alabama counties said they will issue wedding licenses after the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The probate judges of Houston and Henry counties have reopened marriage license operations and will issue licenses to anyone. The

Texas court sidelines Houston’s nondiscrimination ordinance Wire Report HOUSTON | The City of Houston must repeal a newly adopted equal rights ordinance or let voters decide if they want to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the Texas Supreme Court ordered July 24. The ruling was not about the merits of the ordinance, which is similar to what other big Texas cities have adopted, and aims to protect gay, lesbian and transgender people against

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in other news French Quarter gay club sold at bankruptcy auction Oz, which calls itself “New Orleans’ #1 gay dance club,’’ has been sold for $8.17 million at a bankruptcy auction. NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports New Orleans developer Kishore “Mike’’ Motwani won the auction July 22 in federal bankruptcy court. The sale of the business and property on Bourbon Street came after the owners—Johnny Chisholm, Doyle Yeager and Bobby Warner—declared bankruptcy in October, unable to pay off millions of dollars in loans that came due that summer.

Arizona man accused of using dating apps to commit robbery Chandler, Ariz., police have arrested 19-year-old Jose Salvador Rodriguez for allegedly robbing people he met through mobile dating apps. Rodriguez was apprehended July 21 after allegedly robbing a convenience store, but authorities had been trying to locate him in relation to six other armed robberies dating back to May. Rodriguez is accused of using Jack’d and Grindr, dating apps popular with gay men, to find victims.

Vandals spray-paint doors of pro-LGBT church in Georgia Vandals spray-painted a Bible passage that condemns homosexuality on an Augusta church whose pastor and his husband were among the first gay couples to receive a marriage license in Richmond County. Pastor Rick Sosbe said “Burn Leviticus 18:22 Lies’’ was painted across the front doors of the Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer on July 21. On the front steps was another passage with the words “You’ll Burn.’’ Sosbe married his partner, Michael Rehn, on June 30.

Marriage fight could cost Michigan taxpayers nearly $2 million Lawyers who won a historic legal battle to strike down Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage are seeking nearly $2 million from the state. Under federal law, lawyers for plaintiffs April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse are entitled to payment from taxpayers. In a July 25 court filing, attorneys for the Detroit-area nurses say the three-year case was “novel, complex and difficult.’’ It lasted three years and was vigorously opposed by Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Anti-gay Indiana clerk sues county for religious discrimination A former deputy clerk from southern Indiana says in a federal lawsuit she was fired for refusing to process a same-sex couple’s marriage application. Linda G. Summers said in the suit filed July 23 that her firing by Harrison County Clerk Sally Whitis in December violated her civil and religious rights, and cited Leviticus, a book of the Bible that condemns homosexuality. Summers was fired last year after a federal court overturned Indiana’s gay marriage ban.

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viewpoint Religious freedom

online mediA director

Jamie Hyman

ally agenda A post-marriage primer for ally activism

ongratulations, allies!

Marriage equality is the law of the land, 26 million of us turned our profile pics into a pretty rainbow, we wished a hearty “Mazel Tov!” to our flurry of newly engaged gay pals, and our work here is done, right?

Nope. LGBTs still face a number of battles in their quest for comprehensive equality. Here is a quick primer outlining the next hot issues that you may find useful when determining where next to throw your support as an ally.

Marriage backlash

This is already in full swing. Clerks of court are illegally refusing to issue marriage licenses. Elected leaders are encouraging their constituents to disobey the Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality. Even here in Florida, where same-sex marriage has been legal since January, the state is dragging its feet on simply updating marriage license applications to “spouse” and “spouse” rather than “husband” and “wife.” LGBTs will need allies help to make enough noise to ensure the law is obeyed.

Birth certificates

There is a whole host of issues that same-sex parents face, from fair hospital procedures to complications from adoptions when not all channels recognize that gay parents are good parents. The most immediate of these issues will be birth certificate language—LGBTs are fighting to ensure both parents can be listed on their child’s birth certificate, even when those parents don’t fall into the hetero categories of “mother” and “father.”

Ah, this is a sneaky one. Technically a form of marriage backlash, these bills are popping up all over the country and there’s one in the works for Florida. The legislation purportedly protects religious leaders whose beliefs do not fall in line with marriage equality from being forced to perform same-sex marriage. It’s just another form of bigotry disguised as a viable bill, however —religious leaders are already protected from having to perform any type of marriage ceremony they disagree with, and they frequently decline to marry couples who aren’t the right religion or who haven’t jumped through the right hoops and yes, gay couples, too. No one is trying to force them to do otherwise, and allies should take a strong stand against these bills as a waste of time, money and resources.

Workplace equality

risk of becoming homeless at any time. This is a population that is in critical need of allied support.

Transgender issues

Like homelessness, LGBT youth face a disproportionate risk of

This is also shorthand for a whole host of discriminatory problems faced by transgender people. They range from the deadly— as of press time, at least nine transgender women have been murdered in the U.S. as of 2015, according to the

being bullied or committing suicide. LGBT youth are four times more likely, and questioning youth are three times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers, according to the Trevor Project. Allies can fight this by participating as leaders in groups designed to fight bullying and support LGBT victims, such as Gay-Straight Alliances or a suicide hotline.

Human Rights Campaign—to the daily—communicating with friends, family and coworkers who might be simply confused about what pronouns are appropriate to use. While transitioning and beyond, transgender people have challenges when it comes to healthcare, insurance, employment and housing. Allies can educate themselves and help. This list is by no means

LGBT youth bullying and suicide

comprehensive; it’s simply an overview of options where allies might like to next direct their energies when fighting for LGBT equality. Another great way to find out what is needed in your community is to simply talk to your LGBT friends—what are they concerned about? Where are they facing discrimination?

LGBTs will need allies help to make enough noise to ensure the [marriage] law is obeyed.

A comprehensive workforce protections bill has been proposed and failed in the Florida Legislature at least a half dozen times. Right now, LGBTs can be fired from any job, at any time, simply because of who they love. Employments protection is an area ripe for ally activism, and it’s likely a workforce bill will pop up again during the next legislative session. Support it!

LGBT youth homelessness

Despite growing acceptance among the larger population, many LGBT youth find heartbreaking isolation within their own families once they come out. Whether they’re kicked out of their home or find themselves in a family situation that is so unsupportive that it’s unbearable, 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT, according to a Williams Institute Survey. That doesn’t even account for the large numbers of LGBT youth at

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What battles are they fighting now? Pick your cause and get started! We’ve celebrated marriage equality. Now it’s time to go beyond the rainbow profile pic and lend our allied voices and action to all the other discriminatory issues faced by our LGBT friends.

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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ay Vlogger eThan zachery scoTT is colorblinD, but thanks to a company called enChroma, he has been given the gift to see colors. enChroma developed a pair of glassses that can help those who are colorblind see color. As part of their #ColorForAll campaign, Scott was able to obtain a pair. “It doesn’t mean I see the world in black and white,” Scott says in a YouTube video. “It just means I see things that are a bit more dull than usual.” The video shows Scott seeing green grass and a purple container in their actual color for the first time.

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rupaul annOunces the cast fOr all stars 2

T’s been Two years anD Three seasons since chaD michaels became The FirsT rupaul all sTar, but now another group from past seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race will get a chance. Logo made the announcement July 22 with a video featuring the one and only Rupaul. In the video she states, “every season they arrive as drag artists and they leave as international stars, the chance to bring back my best girls for a new season of All Stars is a dream come true for me and all the fans around the world.” The All Star season two will not begin filming until after the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is completed.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

caitlyn Jenner gives emOtiOnal espy awards speech

aiTlyn Jenner accepTeD espn’s espy arThur ashe courage awarD July 15. “The last few months have been a whirlwind of experiences and emotions,” she said, following a 15 minute tribute video that highlighted Jenner’s former career as an Olympic champion. Jenner’s heartfelt speech detailed suicide rates and suicide stories from the trans community. She spoke of the responsibility of the spotlight and the responsibility of the media in adopting “a very simple idea: accepting people for who they are.”

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

in-depth: trans issues

PHOTO By JAKE STEVENS

ALWAYS A WOMAN i

Billy Manes

T’s an auspicious scene.

Gina Versace is a few minutes late to a practice courtroom, a fake space replete with mahogany on the 16th floor of the downtown morgan & morgan offices. Her designated attorney, Carlos Leach—the press releases have been handled by superattorney John morgan’s son matt morgan, so heavy is the public relations lift here—is offering bottled water and apologizing.

“She lives just a few minutes away,” Leach says. “It shouldn’t be long.” But Versace’s road to this point has been nothing if not long. She can borrow a few minutes.

For one, she’s lodging a discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., which is no small task. She was employed as a banquet server by the company in 1998,

gina versace takes on starwood hotels and resorts over trans discrimination

cOntinued On pg. 28 | uu |

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011

A CASE OF YOU

A collection of recent transgender battles fought in the courts Valentina Fellay glenn v. brumby et al. (Georgia, 2008-2011): Vandy Beth Glenn was fired from her job in the General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Counsel when she informed her supervisor that she was diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and was planning to transition from male to female. Her supervisor informed Sewell Brumby, the head of the office where Glenn worked, who fired her.

fields v. smith (Wisconsin, 2006-2012): Lambda Legal and ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three transgender women incarcerated in Wisconsin, challenging a Wisconsin law that bars access to hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery for prison inmates and others in state custody.

student v. arcadia unified schOOl district (California, 2011-2013): Transgender student transitioned from female to male and returned to middle school. Although he presented as male and had completed a court-ordered name change, the school district still required that he use the nurse’s office for restroom access and to change in and out of his gym clothes,

causing him to miss a lot of class. In seventh grade, his class took an overnight field trip and his parents requested far in advance that he be placed in a cabin with his male friends. The school district refused and placed him by himself with his father as a chaperone.

l.p. v. philadelphia, et al. (Pennsylvania, 20092011): Lambda Legal filed a discrimination complaint against the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services/Juvenile Justice Services to the City of Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations on behalf of L.P., a male-tofemale transgender girl who was discriminated against while she was in the custody of a secure youth detention facility in Philadelphia.

lOgan v. gary cOmmunity schOOl cOrpOratiOn (Indiana, 2007-2011): K.K. Logan, a male-tofemale transgender student who attended West Side High School her junior and senior years, was denied entry to her prom for wearing a dress. She was literally blocked by Principal Diane Rouse, who stood in front of the door with her arms stretched out, refusing to let K.K. in. Her classmates and members of the community

who were outside taking pictures of their children rallied for her, but she wasn’t allowed to attend her prom.

taylOr v. lystila (Illinois, 2013-2014): Naya Taylor, a transgender woman, was refused hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by her primary care physician, Dr. Aja Lystila. Taylor was told by the clinic that it “does not have to treat people like you.”

dOe v. clenchy (Maine, 2011-2014): Transgender teen girl from Orono was forced to use a staff-only, noncommunal restroom in isolation from her peers. Her parents were forced to withdraw her and her brother from the Orono school system and move to another part of the state where they could attend school quietly and safely.

lOpez berera v. hOlder (2011-2012): Lambda Legal files a friend-of-thecourt brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, asking the Court to grant Asylum to Karolina Lopez Berera, a transgender Mexican woman living with HIV/ AIDS. Since transgender people are purposefully excluded from access to HIV medications, Ms. Lopez Berera will not have access to lifesaving medications.

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and typically served up the bread and circuses with the other hundreds of service employees working in choreographed formation in the various convention halls of the Swan and Dolphin Hotels in Lake Buena Vista, or, more concisely, on Disney property. Both corporations have boasted their LGBT inclusiveness via documented policies that they use to boost their respective images. Versace is a transgender woman, something she revealed to her employer in 2005 with all due human resources confidentiality. When she does enter the legal training grounds of a mock courtroom, it’s apparent that she is also a caring woman outright. She hugs this writer and that photographer before nervously sitting down to tell her story, a story that is becoming more familiar in the public arena and the private sector. The world isn’t leaning quickly enough toward the rights of transgender citizens, and, because of that, she says (and the lawsuit alleges), she lost her job. The morgan & morgan offices are holding no secrets about the timing of the lawsuit, currently scheduled for court in February, and its alignment with the recent newsfeed of Caitlyn Jenner backlash and support (she “cleared the way,” matt morgan said at a July press conference). Jenner, formerly known as Olympic champion Bruce Jenner (before becoming background footage for the fishbowl known as Keeping Up With the Kardashians), has sparked a conversation in the country about transgender issues. The night before our interview, Jenner was the recipient of the eSPn espy’s Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. “I thought she was very brave, very encouraging, and it is wonderful that she was finally able to be herself at this stage in her life,” Versace says of Jenner. “She is a role model to us all; not just transgender people, but people in general. People question whether she deserves a ‘courage’ award, but she is very courageous. Unless somebody is transgender themselves or has some kind of challenging feature in their life, you don’t realize how courageous it is to step forward.” Versace claims, according to our interview and her legal filings, that Starwood staffers would continually “misgender” her. She claims that, despite its openly inclusive policies, Starwood staffers would ridicule July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

her, discipline her for using the bathroom appropriate to her gender and generally try to make her life miserable. Starwood is of course denying the claims, but Versace— whose tears during our interview were certainly real—has a point. Policy posted or not, adherence to inclusive policies on equality issues doesn’t always make its way to middle management. The transgender disconnect is real.

—

n a strongly worded press release issued from morgan’s office on July 8, the law firm alleges that Starwood broke confidentiality by revealing Versace’s gender to staffers, called her a “he” repeatedly, told her she “couldn’t work here” and effectively retaliated with employment termination because she is a transgender woman. The details get a little more intense through the 26 pages of the lawsuit, but in short, Versace is alleging that Starwood violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, something that was just clarified to include LGBT individuals this month. “Since 1964, federal law has protected all covered employees from discrimination on the basis of gender,” morgan & morgan said in press release. “As a society, we have to decide how we define “gender.” Is it just a collection of body parts? Or is it who we are, a part of our human essence? The Supreme Court just made the answer very clear in its ruling on same sex marriage. In fact, the Supreme Court addressed this issue in the employment context twenty-five years ago when it said that gender-stereotyping is illegal.” “The problem is, the majority of the lower courts have yet to grasp the concept of gender as something that transcends the physical body— especially when dealing with bigotry in the workplace,” it continues. “That’s why Gina Versace’s case is so important. She was harassed at work, called a ‘man,’ and ultimately terminated, because she didn’t fit into her employer’s stereotype. That’s illegal.” ever since—or at least on the day after the announcement of the new representation by morgan—Versace has been battling the two-minute news blip treatment for her case, along with the same rolling eyes of the internet commenting world that Jenner has been faced with. “I explained, and they didn’t put that on the newscast… I said, ever since birth, I’ve been 100 percent female mentally, 100 percent female emotionally and at least 95 percent female, physically, in my

swan anD Dolphin: Starwood Resort at Disney claims it’s done no wrong. PHOTO COURTESy SWANANDDOLPHIN.COM

case,” she says. “I was fortunate in one way and not so fortunate in another way. Right now you can see some wrinkles.” Versace isn’t terribly forthcoming about her past, other than to say that she was raised as a Christian, she is a former police officer, she is in her early 60s, and she was always a woman on the inside and, to some degree, the outside. “Females all the time used to come to me and say, ‘I wish I had a butt like yours, I wish I had legs like yours, I wish I had skin like yours, I wish I had eyes like yours,’” she recalls. “At that time, before I was more than 51, I didn’t understand the context of what they were talking about, or realize how effeminate I was. At that time there wasn’t such a thing as gender identity or gender dysphoria, so all my life I couldn’t relate to men.” Before being hired by Starwood, she says, she was terrified of revealing her identity lest she be killed, beaten or ridiculed. even after starting her banquet serving job, though, Versace kept her identity as secret as she could. Queries about exact dates of her transition were understandably refused. “I’d try to get my fingernails and hair long, but I’d have to cut them short all the time,” she says. “People swore and cursed at me, the management was cruel the more time they spent with me.” The allegations in the suit paint a damning picture. After being hired in march 1998, she worked for seven years before completing the proper protocol to produce documentation to Starwood in 2005. She went to human resources

When you have that ‘M’ on your license while you’re going through your transition, and you try to get work but you look female, it’s hard to get hired, or even go to a nightclub without feeling threatened,

that’s why people get depressed, or commit suicide because they can’t live up to these standards they try to put on people. —gina Versace

and filed the documentation — Social Security Card, Florida Drivers License and court-ordered name change—thereby correcting her employment records. She got a new employee ID card and was promised confidentiality. Because there were so many banquet servers, she could hide in the serving-tray dance and maintain some level of privacy. Allegedly, the human resources department did not comply, something that resulted in a “hostile work environment” on numerous occasions and more misgendering, even from human resources. The department allegedly did not change her gender in its records. “When you have that ‘m’ on your license while you’re going through your transition, and you try to get work but you look female,

it’s hard to get hired, or even go to a nightclub without feeling threatened,” she says. “That’s why people get depressed, or commit suicide because they can’t live up to these standards they try to put on people.” Then, on June 14, 2012, nearly a year after filing a complaint with the equal employment Opportunities Commission, she got in trouble for using the women’s restroom at work, which led to her supervisors alleging—for no apparent reason— that she defecated in her clothes that day. She continued to work, the suit says, meaning the allegations of defecation were unlikely to be true. She didn’t change clothes. The list goes on: from eating a bagel on the clock while everyone else ate bagels on the clock (a supervisor

watermark Your lgbt life.

was providing them) to wearing the wrong uniform for an event. And then, again, the restroom. “Then they started asking very personal embarrassing questions about what I was doing in the female restroom,” she says. “A bunch of males were interrogating me about the restroom. That was bad enough, every time I saw someone use the restroom, it broke my heart. I was shaking all the time. I was being discriminated against.” After a series of scheduling foibles in January 2013 left Versace on the scheduling short shrift, she was officially fired on march 21, 2013, for insubordination. Her attorneys believe the termination was in direct retaliation to internal and external (eeOC and Occupational and Safety Health Administration) complaints filed by Versace. Both complaints were reviewed and dismissed by the agencies, though the door was left open for a federal lawsuit. “This reason for termination was not the true reason,” the case reads, “but was a pretext for discrimination because of ms. Versace’s gender and gender identity and in retaliation for her complaints, and breached the contracts between the parties.”

—

n July 23, Congressional Democrats doubled down on the recent court decision saying LGBT citizens are covered under the Civil Rights Act, largely because in many states, it’s still legal to be fired for being LGBT. At the hourand-a-half press conference, Democratic luminaries like Sen. Cory Booker, D-new Jersey, and House minority leader nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, spoke passionately in Washington, D.C., on the issue of filling in the gaps of discrimination in federal policy and introduced a piece of legislation called the equality Act. Perhaps more significantly, though, were the appearances of transgender leaders like Carter Brown, the transgender man from Dallas who is executive director of Black Transmen Inc. Carter fell victim to “mere office gossip” while at the top of his real estate game, and, “because Texas has no policies against discrimination,” he said, he was fired. mara keisling, who founded and is executive director of the national Center for Transgender equality mentioned that in her 15 years of trying to convince politicians of the importance of trans equality, she would never have expected to

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

see two transgender people at the podium. She also brought up some statistics: 90 percent of transgender people have felt discrimination in the workplace; 19 percent have been homeless. This bill, she said, is “really important for those of us who are still here,” directly referencing the death of Tampa woman India Clark (a story we cover elsewhere in this issue). In Versace’s case, however, the ball of equality is still unraveling, and the pain is apparent. “They have a tendency of destroying the truth,” she says. “I was told by the investigator, ‘We don’t like to use the word lie.’ Instead of taking responsibility, they choose to cover it up and lie.” We spoke with a Starwood representative who refused to go on record, though he was clearly on the defensive. Starwood issued a statement instead. “Starwood did not discriminate in any way against this former employee,” the statement reads. “In fact, the allegations of discrimination were investigated by the Florida Commission on Human Relations in 2013 and the agency found there was no reason to believe that any discrimination had occurred. The U.S. equal employment Opportunity Commission adopted this same finding. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in its own independent investigation, also found no discrimination. We are confident that when Starwood Hotels presents all of the facts at trial, the court also will find no discrimination occurred,” adding that Starwood is a strong LGBT ally and employer. But, as equality Florida’s Transgender Inclusion Director Gina Duncan says, whichever way this particular lawsuit goes, there’s still ample work to be done. “It hurts to think that this is the classic case of people are afraid and act irrationally towards something they don’t understand,” she says. “And without the proper education of what it means to be transgender, and all of the misconception that has been woven around that, as our community has been more and more visible due to Caitlyn Jenner’s very open international disclosure of her transition. It is the responsibility of employers to avoid lawsuits, create a non-hostile work environment, and if they do it right, to create a positive environment for not only transgender people but anyone in the workplace.”

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

arts and entertainment

PHOTO COURTESy TRUE EVENTS

heathers the musical brings the ’80s back to orlando at the dr. phillips center

Jeremy Williams

usT oFF your big shoulDer

pads, pull that teased hair back in a red scrunchie and get the Drano ready, because Heathers the Musical is coming to the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts August 13-23.

Gen Y Productions wants to take you back to the 1980s with a dark and humorous look at being popular and surviving high school. They have brought in an Orlando flavor with O-Town’s own kenny Howard directing, choreography by Blue Star and a cast and crew of Orlando’s theatrical finest—well, except for one Vine superstar that they have brought in to play J.D., the role made famous by Christian Slater. Thomas Sanders of “Storytime” and “Disney Pranks” has more than 6 million followers on Vine, and he is bringing that quick wit and timing from his videos to Heathers the Musical, which should just be so very. Watermark sat down with director extraordinaire Howard and the lead stars, Sanders and nicole Visco, to ask them how a 25-year-old movie becomes a musical, how you make teen suicide funny and to finally ask, what’s your damage? WATERMARK: fOr thOse whO dOn’t KnOw, what is HEATHERS? Kenny hOward: In its first incarnation, it was a 1989 film with Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. J.D. (Slater) convinces his girlfriend, Veronica (Ryder), to kill popular people and stage it as suicides, then decides to blow up the whole school.

cOntinued On pg. 33 | uu |

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genTly, chainsaw: Nichole Visco and Thomas Sanders reignite Veronica and J.D. PHOTO COURTESy TRUE EVENTS

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nicOle viscO: Spoilers! hOward: There are also three very popular girls, all named Heather, and these girls rule the school. They were the original Mean Girls. Jawbreaker, all of those films bore out of Heathers. It’s their clique that is the impetus for J.D.’s plan to start taking out the popular kids, but you find out that once you take one out, another rises to power. Ultimately I think it’s an antiviolence story told through bombs and blood and poisoning and bullets, and now it’s a musical. It’s a lot of fun but we are doing it a little darker I think than the original production. what are yOu adding tO it tO put yOur Own vOice tO it and tO maKe it darKer?

hOward: When I saw the new York production, I missed the settings. They address it in the script with hints in the dialogue of where you are, but the dialogue is fast, so we are running a lot more set elements. The original production was a flat stage with a riser and two sets of stairs, and we have three stories—there are lockers, there are things that turn around and become kitchens and a 7-11, and we have a graveyard. There’s a lot. Also, there is a beautiful foreword in the script talking about the honesty that comes from these characters, even from the asshole football players, how everything comes from wants and desires and it defines that for

each character, and I think it was a little broad in the original production. So I want to explore what happens if we dial it back and make it a little darker, so we aren’t playing into every joke the way it was done originally. thOmas and nicOle, mOst peOple whO cOme in and see the shOw will mOst liKely be fans Of the Original mOvie, hOw are yOu differing yOur taKe On the characters Of J.d. and verOnica as tO nOt Just be cOpies Of christian slater and winOna ryder?

viscO: In the musical production from new York, Barrett [Wilbert Weed] played Veronica very sarcastic and goofy where Winona played it very dry and serious, and I’m going to look to find a happy medium between those two. I’m looking for a real and honest side to Veronica, I don’t want her to be a caricature. I want her to be a person. thOmas sanders: I have been working on my Christian Slater voice [laughs]. I think for the character of J.D., it’s just such a complicated role. He is going through this journey of being completely numb and unfeeling since he moves around so much, to meeting Veronica, then to understanding this mentality of eat or be eaten in this unfeeling world. And he wants to cleanse it. This character isn’t only a demonstration of what school society can do to some kids, but it’s such a parallel to now. I mean,

this movie was made in 1989. We have come across young people who have done this in real life, and it makes it a very heavy character to portray. I think it’s extremely important for us to handle this topic with delicacy and understanding; that society that could lead to this behavior. I think this shows us that we need to pay attention to these kids and the triggers. I think where the movie sparked that, this musical brought out more realism in the character.

since the mOvie came Out in 1989, there has been an increase in schOOl viOlence and change in the types Of viOlence in schOOls, sO when yOu dO a shOw where that is One Of the elements, hOw dO yOu bring humOr tO it withOut being insensitive Or Offensive?

sanders: Life is hard. It is going to be filled with potential triggers and bullying. I know I have encountered it, and I think that, hopefully, it is balanced out with laughter to lighten it. viscO: That’s one thing I love about this show is that it’s not black and white; it’s gray and life is very much like that. Bad things will happen, but hopefully good things will come out of that. I want people to find that in the show these things happened, but here is the light at the end of the tunnel. hOward: musically, I think, they flesh it out more, and you get more of a sense of him understanding what he’s done, more than in the movie. I mean, in the movie it is a very martyr move, but in the musical there is an exchange in both dialogue and song between the two main characters that tempered it to a degree that would make it more palpable for a generation that has experienced these tragedies in high school.

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whaT: Heathers The Musical where: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts when: Aug. 13-23 TicKeTs: DrPhillipsCenter.org

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

event planner

community calendar OrlandO

Rainbow River Cruise sunDay, aug. 2, 4:00- 7:00 p.m. DownTown riVerFronT, sanForD Join Jeff Jones, The Divine Grace and DJ Cap’n Kirk for a fabulous early-evening cruise on the St. John’s River. You’ll board the beautiful ‘Barbara Lee’ (no relation to Carol) at the Sanford Riverfront and enjoy comedy, drag and dancing along with an a la carte menu, drink specials, and who knows, maybe even a wet t-shirt contest. Price is just $20. Get a group together and have some fun while soaking in the gorgeous St. John’s River vista. C’mon, you deserve it!

hurrah fOr the fun!

MBA Monthly Networking Mixer weDnesDay, aug. 5, 6:00- 8:00 p.m. sunTrusT banK, winTer parK On the first Wednesday of every month, the Metropolitan Business Association Orlando brings you its Monthly Networking Mixers, held at a different member businesses each month. For August, they are coming to the Winter Park branch of SunTrust Bank. There will be hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and speed networking. This is a great way to get to know your chamber, its members, make new connections and learn about what MBA Orlando is all about. Free for all of our members and just $20 for guests.

Eric Hoffmann, Marina Re, Caley Milliken, and Matthew DeCapua in Over the River and Through the Woods at the Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota. PHOTO By MATTHEW HOLLER

OrlandO Fifth Harmony, July 31, Walt Disney Theatre, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org Dames at Sea, July 24- August 22, Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park. 407-645-0145; WinterParkPlayhouse.com Grease/Grease 2 Sing-along, Aug. 1, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com Chayanne, Aug. 2, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com Whitesnake, Aug. 3, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com My Morning Jacket, Aug. 4, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com

The Comedy Get Down World Tour, Aug. 7, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com

Mame, July 11- Aug. 9, FreeFall Theatre Company, St. Petersburg. 727-498-5205; FreeFallTheatre.com

Colbie Calliat, Aug. 9, Capitol Theatre, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Colbie Calliat, Aug. 8, House of Blues, Orlando. 407- 934-2583; HouseofBlues.com

Lewis Black’s One Slight Hitch, July 10Aug. 2, American Stage Theatre Company, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanSatge.org

Jill Scott, Aug. 9, The Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-892-5767; TheMahaffey.com

Nazareth, Aug. 9, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com Walk to End Alzheimer’s Kick-Off Party, Aug. 11, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com “Weird Al” yankovic, Aug. 11, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com Watermark’s Movies Out Loud: Valley of the Dolls, Aug. 12, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com

tampa bay

Clybourne Park, Aug. 7- Sept. 6, The Harriet Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com

Fifth Harmony, July 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Chris Hardwick, Aug. 7, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, July 10- Aug. 1, Carrollwood Players Theatre, Tampa. 813-265-4000; CarrollWoodPlayers.org

Floetry, Aug. 5, Ferguson Hall, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Erotica Weekend, Aug. 7-9, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com Showstoppers, Aug. 7-9, Jaeb Theatre, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org Chris Hardwick, Aug. 8, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

saTurDay, aug. 8, 8:30 p.m. DisTricT 3, Tampa Balance Tampa Bay presents a masquerade ball, complete with entertainment, and unparalleled ambiance and a world class DJ. The best part? Proceeds benefit ASAP/Empath Health. Let your creativity fly with an elaborate costume. Masks are encouraged, but not required. The event will feature professional entertainers and a top-notch DJ, and will be held at the spectacular District 3. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. This event is 21 and up only.

sarasOta The Cotton Club Cabaret, July 8-Aug. 9, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota. 941-366-1505; WestCoastBlackTheatre.org SGT Annual Concert: A Night of Symphony and Worship, Aug. 8, Sarasota Opera House, Sarasota. 941-953-3434; SarasotaOpera.org Over the River and Through the Woods, July 22Aug. 9, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota. 941-366-9000; FloridaStudioTheatre.org

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

watermark Your lgbt life.

Balance tampa Bay Masquerade Ball

Steely Dan with special guest Elvis Costello, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa. 813-740-2446; MidFloridaCreditUnion Amphitheatre.org

Counting Crows, July 31, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Whitesnake, Aug. 6, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

tampa

tampa Bay Comic Con 2015 FriDay, July 31- sunDay, aug. 2 Tampa conVenTion cenTer, Tampa The annual convention for lovers of nerd culture, comics and costumes is back. So dust off your best cosplay and head down to the Tampa Convention Center to meet big stars such as Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher, Lea Thompson of Back to The Future, Linda Hamilton from The Terminator, plus many more. Tickets are $60 for the entire weekend and kids 12 and under are free.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

overheard

tampa bay Out+abOut

at the cuba, cubacabana

he u.s. anD cuba haVe resToreD DiplomaTic relaTions anD reopeneD Their embassies - thanks Obama! no really, thank Obama, because now travel to the Caribbean destination is open to Americans and you can cruise on down on a big cruise ship thanks to Al and Chuck Travel. Starting in January, Al and Chuck will take you on an eight-day cruise through the Caribbean which will include stops Jamaica and Cuba. Get the most out of your gay cruise to Cuba and upgrade to the ALL YOU CAn DRInk adult beverage package so you can enjoy this party ship with all the cocktails you want. While in Havana, Al and Chuck Travel will also take you on a unique tour through the gay culture of Cuba called Havana nights, Ay Dios mio! Check out www.alandchuck. travel for more information.

there is nO ME in l-g-b-t

hile we in The communiTy are oFTen lumpeD TogeTher in an alphabeT group so the mainstream will know what to call us, within our community many do not know or understand what it is like to be like each other. That’s why metro Health and their lead trans counselor, Tristan Byrnes, are organizing “Trans Panel: Community Discussions from a Trans Perspective.” “There is often a feeling of disconnect between the LGB and Transgender Community. This panel is a place for the LGB and non-transgender community to hear personal stories of transgender and gender-queer experiences and a place to ask questions to assist in bridging this disconnect,” Byrnes says. The event will be monday, August 24 at 6:00 P.m. at the St. Pete LGBT Center and is open to all. For more information visit metrotambabay.org.

shOw me hOw yOu nerdlesque

nce you Finish up geTTing your nerD anD geeK on at the Tampa Bay Convention Center for Tampa Bay Comic Con, you’re going to pack up the cosplay gear and head home for a long night’s rest, right? WROnG! Who wants to go home when Sunday night, after the convention, you have Femmes & Follies. Femmes & Follies is a comic book burlesque show at the Honey Pot in Ybor City. make sure to put your seatbelt on for the second annual cosplay evening. An amazing ride through lustful, sinful, sexy and seductive worlds while you’re being entertained by performances from Ivy Les Vixens, Anye’ Cole and Vita DeVoid, as well as special appearances by Sarasota’s sweet morsel, Candy muldane, and the queen of vintage, Jenna Beth. Tickets are $10 for general admission, with special prices set for the Femmes Champagne Table and the Ultra VIP table service. Check out www.femmesandfollies.com for more information and to buy tickets.

2 3

primeTime social: (LR) Cody Limberger, Stephen Perez and Jon Maher network and socialze at the Balance Tampa Bay July Social at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse July 16. PHOTO

COURTESy OF BALANCE TAMPA BAy

welcome To The barrymore: Whitney Brundage(L) and yauna Williams greet guests as the enter the July Dinner Meeting presented by the Tampa Bay Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce July 14. PHOTO COURTESy OF

WWW.LIZZIVANDESS.COM

#TransliVesmaTTer: Jeremy Wade Neiman (L) and Ashley Brundage attend the candlelight vigil for India Clarke, a transgender woman whose body was found near a Tampa community center, July 24. PHOTO By MARK PUSKARICH

hoT nighTs: Ramon Hernandez (L) and Naomi Hayton get ready to party the night away at Southern Nights Tampa in Ybor City July 25. PHOTO By RAMON HERNANDEZ

burieD Treasures: (L-R) Marty Walsh, Eric Shivers, Gerre Reynolds and Barry Siebold delight over a plentiful bounty of sugar and liquor at Hamburger Mary’s July 22. PHOTO By MARK & CARRIE

leT our powers combine: Miguel Fuller (R) and the HOT 101.5 team lend a helping hand to the Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County for the Miguel Show volunteer squad project July 25.

PHOTO PROVIDED By MIGUEL FULLER

preTTy Faces on paraDe: (L-R) Dustin Chase, Nick LeCrone, Scott Kligmann and James Garas promote Balance Tampa Bay’s Masquerade Ball benefiting ASAP/EMPATH at the World of Beer July 26. PHOTO

PROVIDED By SCOTT KLIGMANN

iT’s JusT liKe honey: (L-R) Manny Alvarez, Al Ferguson and Carrie West get together to dish on all the hot happenings at the Honey Pot in Ybor City July 22. PHOTO By MARK & CARRIE

watermark Your lgbt life.

8 7 July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

overheard

OrlandO Out+abOut

inside Outsider

e Know we TenD To geT poliTical over on our Uprisings political page in the back of the book, but this juicy nugget of political climbing has all the makings of canceled soap opera, or so we hear. A few weeks back, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, announced his bid for U.S. Sen marco Rubio’s seat as Rubio ascends into the toxic ether of a failed presidential bid. Grayson’s aide, Susannah Randolph, obviously a Democrat, jumped in the race for Grayson’s seat, joining a smattering of reputable politicos in what looked to be a fair race. Then, out of nowhere (not really, because she’s been dropping hints all along), Grayson’s out-of-nowhere girlfriend Dr. Dena minning hopped into the fray in late July, signaling an absurdist rendering of a catfight. not to worry, though. minning’s political ties don’t stretch far from Grayson (if you don’t count being a lobbyist for Big Pharma), so the race will likely go on as it was. Or will it? Inquiring minds want to know (minning doesn’t talk to the press, hilariously).

1 3

OrlandO’s 50 mOst pOwerful

RLANDO MAGAZINE releaseD iTs lisT oF orlanDo’s 50 mosT powerFul; these individuals have some major clout in the city beautiful. The list included several LGBT allies, including Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, who won the top spot! Another ally, who recently announced he was running for U.S. Sen. marco Rubio’s seat, is U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, at number 24. Carol Wick with Harbor House is at number 28. number 39 is Scott maxwell with the Orlando Sentinel, long time LGBT rights supporter and “malarkey” columnist. number 49 brings ken LaRoe, the CeO of First Green Bank , and, at number 50 is City Commissioner Regina Hill. The influential out and proud members on the list included openly gay George Kalogridis, President of Walt Disney World Resorts at number 10. noted as the power couple Ted maines and Jeffrey miller get the number 30 and number 31 spots. Coming in at number 44 was high-haired Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan! The list also included some not so friendly names, but they didn’t make our list.

sO much ‘mella:

armella marcella garcia, The granD ole gal oF The souTh, was making the Central Florida rounds recently. She paired up with former miss America ericka Dunlap for a special two-woman show at Pulse on July 18. Carmella then made her way over to Parliament House where she murdered it on stage during their 40th Anniversary Celebration week. Carmella will be rounding out her Orlando tour at her home away from home, Southern nights on July 31.

serVice wiTh a smile: Central Florida Community Arts volunteers, led by Hope and Help Development Director Duane Hoyle (L), clean up the Winter Park office of Hope and Help of Central Florida, Inc. July 21. PHOTO By RICHARD SCHOOPING

ouTrageously chariTable: Hope and Help’s Russell Walker rubs shoulders with Soil and Water Supervisor Eric Rollings at The Julian Bain Very Outrageous Cancer Telethon at Pulse July 22. PHOTO By BILLy MANES

wicKeD show: Brian Cahill (left) and his partner Mike Shaver eagerly await the start of the Idina Menzel concert, July 25 at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. PHOTO

COURTESy BRIAN CAHILL

me anD mr. Jones: Jeff Jones returned to the Footlight Theater for another installment of the world famous Little Miss Parliamant House July 25. PHOTO By DANNy

GARCIA

carDboarD Vinyl: DJ Nigel keeps the soundtrack spinning at the media preview night of the 3rd Annual Cardboard Art Festival, July 23 at the Sodo Shopping Center. PHOTO By PATRICK

O’CONNOR

she’s goT The news: That ain’t gonna bore’ya! It’s Moira from the Philips Phile on Real Radio 104.1 and Michael Wanzie during Phace the Phile 5 July 25 at the Cheyenne Saloon, Church Street Station. PHOTO By DANNy GARCIA

mba has gooD TasTe: On July 24, members of the Pride Gala committee meet up at the chef’s kitchen at the JW Marriott for a tasting of the menu items to be served at the Gala Aug. 22. (L-R) Necor Collazo, event manager at Marriott; Anne Herzog, Pride Gala committee member; Nayte Carrick, MBA president; Jesse Demeers, head chef at Marriott and Kathy Stolz, Chefs’ Table manager at Marriott. PHOTO PROVIDED By NAyTE

CARRICK

shoTs, shoTs, shoTs, er’boDy: Parliament House bartender’s Vinnie (L) and Joel mixing drink and pouring shots at the 40th Anniversary party July 25. PHOTO By DANNy GARCIA

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

web site

announcements

wedding bells

Michael Erwin, 28, and David O’Brien, 28 from Orlando

years together:

10 years

glorious Day: Rich Kuntz, aka Gidget Galore,

engagement date:

proposed to his long time partner, Charlie Becker, July 23 in Venice, Italy. PHOTO By MICKEy STONE

January 6, 2015

congratulations

wedding date:

College Park couple Joe Royals and Kent Ouellette celebrate two years of legal marriage on July 27. The couple was married in Lakebay, Wash., just south of Seattle on the Key Peninsula in 2013. The couple has been together nearly seven years.

July 9, 2015

wedding venue:

Longwood Community Building

wedding planner:

Self-planned

wedding caterer: OfirEyal

wedding theme/colors:

Royal blue, white and gold with an early 1960s theme

First dance song:

“Body and Soul” by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse

interesting Fact:

They were born a day apart, and their families lived in the same cities at the time of their births.

Tami Bartels and Laine Clements, owners of Daytona Beach’s All Things Pride, celebrate the business’s ninth anniversary on July 31. Photo by Ashley Messer Photography

“w

Fred Berliner celebrates 30 years with Don Reid Ford on August 1.

e acTually meT For The

very first time on mySpace, way back when everyone actually used myspace,”David jokes. “We met online, and we decided to get together and meet up and the very first place we went to was Taco Bell, which has been a tradition on a weekly basis. We then just came back to my house and watched a movie, and that was our first date.” David O’Brien, a Full Sail student studying video game art, met his now-husband michael erwin, who is a a drag performer and entertainer, back when they were both living in Deltona. They were attracted to each other right away and spent all their extra time together. “We spent a lot of time together because we grew up living in Deltona at the time, so the social scene, especially for gay youth, isn’t that broad,”michael says. The couple eventually made the move from Deltona to Orlando, and being in the Rocky Horror Picture Show cast made that transition easier because they already knew a bunch of people in the community before officially moving. michael currently works as a performer,

mostly at Southern nights and also occasionally at Pulse and Backbooth. After more than 10 years of being together and more than eight years of living together, when same-sex marriage became legal in Florida, the two figured why not finally tie the knot. “I didn’t do the whole ‘down on one knee’ thing because it’s kind of a ‘who would do it?’ situation. After being together for almost 10 years, it just seemed like an unnecessary step at that point,”David says. “Since we’ve already been living together for over eight years, [getting married] was just the next logical step.” Since they had to plan and pay for their own wedding, they got to be very hands-on with the entire

experience, making the wedding a very do-it-yourself and personal event for both men. michael says it made him more appreciative of it all in the end. “The wedding was perfect,” michael says. “everything went pretty smooth, as weddings can go, I guess. We wanted blue in our color scheme since it happens to be both our favorite colors. I choose a ‘50s/‘60s theme because I find that era very romantic…and just very classy.” With all their closest friends and family there, the couple was excited when the day finally came. “Up until the night before the wedding, I actually stayed pretty composed and calm and collected about everything,”David says. “The part where I started getting emotional was when my mom walked us both down the aisle —she was in the middle and had one of us on each arm, she walked us down the aisle. And the vows kind of got to me,” michael says. “They were my dream wedding vows that I’ve had since I was a kid that I thought I’d never get to have; they were based off of The Muppets Take Manhattan at the end: the song ‘He’ll make me Happy.’”

Marlyn and Melissa Moir of Joy MCC in Orlando celebrate 33 years together on July 31.

local birthdays

God-like actress Elizabeth Murff, Orlando realtor Danny Veal, former Tampa homeless advocate Rayme Nuckles, Ireland native and Tampa vocalist and performer Donal Noonan (July 31); LGBT-affirming St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman, Sarasota visual artists and AIDS activist George Box (Aug. 2); dynamite derby girl Kiersten Taylor, former Tampa Eagle wrestler and Iowa’s Access Online editor Arthur Bruer (Aug. 3); sky 60-Niners slugger Donnie McCammon (Aug. 4); Orlando Penthouse Acupuncture owner Mike Eghbal, St. Petersburg java flinger and Starbucks supervisor Mark Mercado, Tampa scuba diver and beach fan Nick Walters, Orange Soil & Water District Superviosr Eric Rollings, Parliament House bartender Drew Bracker, straight ally bartender Colleen Lindsay (Aug.5); Hillsborough County ally Russell Patterson, Orlando designer and Project Runway alum Jesse LeNoir, GaYbor District Coalition board member emeritus Rich Kerin (Aug.6); Tampa showgirl and laser professional Jamie Cole, Parliament House jack-of-all-trades Drew Sizemore (Aug. 7); Kirkpatrick Veterinary Hospital manager Victor Daza, St. Petersburg doc Kush Patel, Orlando softball champion and bowling superstar Scott Dunkle (Aug. 8); Sarasota actor/writer Steve Warren, numbers-cruncher Rose Gamba (Aug. 9); Hospice of Florida chaplain Randall Forshee, St. Petersburg activist Karen Murray, Largo beautician Jay Berwanger (Aug. 10);St. Petersburg’s Equality Florida spokesman Brian Winfield, St. Petersburg spiritual leader Fred Baldwin (Aug. 11); Rotten S’more Shiala Morales (Aug. 12); Tampa Bay leather bear daddy Eric Siglin, Stand Up Florida’s Bryan Arnette(Aug. 13); Regalia owner and beauty pageant emcee David Lang (Aug. 14).

—Samantha Rosenthal

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 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

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

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

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

if this were your ad, thousands of readers

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July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

uprisings

More history, please!

#equalityforward:

On July 23, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., along with other Democratic heavyweights, civil rights activists and LGBT leaders, presented an expansion of the 1964 U.S. Civil Rights Act which would federally protect LGBT Americans in the same manner that it currently protects women and racial minorities.

Food fight!

e’re not sure if you’ve been following the Fight for 15 campaign, wherein organizers and fast-food workers have been lining streets and public buildings as a means of raising the minimum wage to something fairly livable (it just happened in New York!). Well, you probably should be, as income disparity is something that plagues minority communities (naturally) in greater numbers than it does the rest of us—and that includes the LGBT community. Retiring Orange County Democratic Executive Committee Chair and aspiring Florida House of Representatives candidate Carlos Equality Smith appeared at an event on the steps of Orlando’s City Hall on July 23 and pledged to live on the minimum wage of $8.05 in solidarity starting on Labor Day for a full week in September.

Reedy, set, go

hough this column is not the type to throw around endorsements (yet), we’ve been monitoring the campaign of Equality Florida organizer (Democrat, obvs.) Mike Reedy since his announcement for a north Tampa legislative House seat in January. Reedy was a critic of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli’s premature dropping of his hanky over budget disputes this spring— you would think he was running a campaign or something!—and was quick to point out that Crisafulli somehow found time to advocate for discrimination, because, well, that’s what really important. On July 30, Crisafulli is holding a fundraiser at Enigma St. Pete. From 5:30-7:30 with a pretty impressive host committee.

Bush whacked

h, the things we can do with old Jeb and his dynasty in playful parlance, but mostly we just want to point out the things he is doing to himself. On July 22, Bush, in between bites of his own foot, uttered the least popular sentiment he could in a state full of aging Baby Boomers: He thinks we should phase out Medicare. At a (cough, Koch Brothers) event, he went as far as to praise Eddie Munster impressionist Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his plan to privatize the nation’s most necessary medical system. “Many people are afraid to act because they’re fearful of just getting beat up politically,” he said, according to Huffington Post. Really, though. Really.

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ecause it only makes sense, and sense needs to be made in Washington, D.C., on the odd occasion, last week a veritable gaggle of elected Democrats from the bifurcated House and Senate designer blue jeans of governance gathered to make it clear that, erm, we’re not finished with this equality bit yet. They were flanked by representatives from various organizations that seek to make the common good seem good again, including groups that represent transgender individuals, gay people who got fired and, well, Nancy Pelosi’s hand. None of this is to make light of the history we witnessed (via livestream) on July 23. Just when we thought we could all just nest in the comfortable little pink house of acceptance by way of marriage equality, a full coalition showed its collective face as a means of pushing new legislation—deemed “The Equality Act”—with no less than 40 co-sponsors from the U.S. Senate. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Tall Drink of Justice in Oregon, and Rep. Dave Cicilline, D-All the Sizzlean in Rhode Island (move over, bacon!), were the key sponsors of the effort to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964, designed to include a cornucopia of general freedoms to taxpaying folks populating every single congressional district. Sure, there was a ruling by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission a few weeks ago that LGBT individuals are already protected from the sweeping corporate hands of discrimination—“Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination ‘based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin,’” Time Magazine reported on July 17— but many experts believe that the burden is on the government to rewrite its laws in order to influence a culture and society that still dances around with Confederate flags. And if you stared into the faces of those who have been affected by this, faces that have long existed under the retractable umbrella of the Civil Rights Act (especially in right-to-work states), the very faces that were brave enough to stand next to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi or Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and speak to the pain that they felt from employers for being anti-LGBT, the lines there would tell that story. We’re nowhere near done yet. However, as website thenewcivilrightsmovement.com points out, this bill could go a long way in advancing protections for every minority, including our LGBT brothers and sisters: credit, education, employment, housing, jury service, federal funding and business service among them, cake lovers. And any politician who denies the rights of taxpaying individuals is at the mercy of a majority public that has evolved beyond hate. “The Equality Act will mean full federal equality for LGBT Americans & stronger antidiscrimination protections for everyone,” Dame Hillary Clinton tweeted about the Equality Act. “Past time.”

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16

watermark Your lgbt life.

July 3 0 - Augus t 12, 2015 // Issue 2 2.16