watermark Your LGBT Life.
ISSUE 23.15 • JULY 28 - AUGUST 10, 2016 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM
AFTER THE
EVENT
Reconciling gun politics with the LGBT community
daytOna beaCh • ORlandO • tampa • st. peteRsbuRg • CleaRWateR • saRasOta
NuSmile 07-28-16_11.5 7/21/16 7:28 AM Page 1 NuSmile 07-28-16_11.5 7/21/16 7:28 AM Page 1
Haveyou youwanted wantedIMPLANT IMPLANT DENTURES DENTURES Have but could could not not afford afford them? them? but NuSmile has Your Solution for a fraction of the cost! Have you wanted IMPLANT DENTURES NuSmile has Your Solution a fraction of the cost! but for could not afford them?
NuSmile 07-28-16_11.5 7/21/16 7:28 AM Page 1
NuSmile has Your Solution for a fraction of the cost! BEFORE
• Fast Recovery • EatRecovery anything you want • Fast • No more • Eat anythingglue you want • No more decay • No more glue • Non-Surgical • No more decay Facial Lift • Fast Recovery • No more Yellow orLift Broken Teeth • Non-Surgical • Eat anythingFacial you want • No more Yellow or Broken -Teeth • No more glue QUALITY DENTURES Summer SALE • No more decay QUALITY DENTURES • Non-Surgical Facial Lift - Summer SALE • No more Yellow or Broken Teeth QUALITY DENTURES - Summer SALE
2 for 1 Dentures 2 $for 1 1,177 Dentures $ 1,177 2 for 1 Dentures D5110, D5120, D5211, D5212
D5110, D5120, D5211, D5212 Cannot be combined with any other offers. Non insurance patients. Offer expires 8/30/16. Call today, NuSmile Dental
1,177
$
Cannot be combined with any other offers. Non insurance patients. Offer expires 8/30/16. Call today, NuSmile Dental
BEFORE
BEFORE
BEFORE
• Spa environment BEFORE • Laser therapy • •Spa environment Teeth whitening • Laser therapy • Teeth whitening • Spa environment • Laser therapy Customized • Teeth whiteningCleaning
Designed Customized especially Cleaning for you. Designed especially for you. Customized Cleaning Designed especially for you.
Cannot be combined with any other offers. Non insurance patients. Offer expires 8/30/16. Call today, NuSmile Dental
D5110, D5120, D5211, D5212
BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
TEETH CLEANING TEETH New Patient CLEANING AFTER
SPECIAL New Patient
TEETH410 Value $67 SPECIAL CLEANING $
67 $67 410 Value
$ Patient New 410 Value
Exam, X-rays, Oral Cancer Screening, $ in Absence of Healthy Prophy Cleaning Gum Disease. By Appointment Only. Non insurance patients. (D0110,Cancer D0150, D0330, D0274, D0431. Exam, X-rays, Oral Screening, With TBN coupon. Please Cleaning mention this coupon when schedulingof Healthy Prophy in Absence an appointment. Cannot be combined with any other Only. offers. Gum Disease. By Appointment
SPECIAL
Limited seating. Call today! NuSmile Dental Non insurance patients. (D0110, D0150, D0330, D0274, D0431. Offer expires 8/30/16. With TBN coupon. Please mention this coupon when scheduling an appointment. Cannot be Cancer combined with any other offers. Exam, X-rays, Oral Screening, seating.Cleaning Call today! NuSmile Dental of HealthyLimited Prophy in Absence
$
727-475-7866 727-475-7866 13611 Park Blvd., Suite H • Seminole • www.NuSmileDentalFL.com 727-475-7866 727-478-3999 8/30/16. Gum Disease.Offer By expires Appointment Only.
Sorry,NonMedicaid and(D0110, D0150, D0330,Financing insurance patients. D0274, D0431. Medicare not accepted With TBN coupon. Please mention this couponAvailable when scheduling
13611 Park Blvd., Suite H • Seminole • www.NuSmileDentalFL.com
13611 Park Blvd., Suite H • Seminole • www.NuSmileDentalFL.com
2
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
072816
Financing Available
072816
Sorry, Medicaid and Medicare not accepted
072816
an appointment. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Limited seating. Call today! NuSmile Dental
Financing Sorry, Medicaid and Offer expires 8/30/16. Available Medicare not accepted
grayson j u st i c e | e q ua l i t y | p e ac e
In the mIdst of our grIef, we must find patience, as the tectonic plates of society move ever-so-slowly toward equality. and look forward to victories to come, if we work together: complete equality in the raising of children. anti-bullying and anti-discrimination laws. Full health coverage for all lGBtq health needs. equality in social, government and employment benefits. and finally, freedom from fear that you will be hurt or punished because of whom you love. it won’t be easy, but together we can get it done.
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
3
IGNACIO HIDALGO, M.D. “Doctor Iggy” Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine
Greek, Mediterranean, and Vegeterian Cuisine
LEADING THE CHANGE
WE HAVE A LOT TO THANK THE GREEKS FOR...
Help Us Change the World by Banking with First GREEN Bank Clermont 352.483.9700
Mount Dora 352.483.9100
Orlando 407.434.8800
Ormond Beach 386.898.0303
Botox, Cosmetic Fillers, Kybella Microneedling, Chemical Peels Ultherapy, Medical Grade Skincare Products, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy
MEDITERRANEAN BLUE IS JUST ONE MORE.
Winter Park 321.203.2900
435 E. Michigan St.,Orlando, FL 32806 www.mediterraneanblue.net 407-422-2583
www.firstGREENbank.com
Like Us on our “Doctor Iggy” Facebook to see our current specials!
321-972-2575 • Winter Park, FL www.doctoriggy.com
Au
gu
4
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
Vo
st
te
30
th
departments 6 // mail 7 // editor’s desk 13 // orlando news 15 // tampa bay news 17 // state, nation & world news 29 // arts & entertainment 33 // community calendar 35 // tampa bay out+about 37 // orlando out+about 39 // announcements/ wedding bells 40 // tampa bay marketplace 42 // orlando marketplace
PAGE
23
sometimes, gay people can be angrier or more obnoxious when it comes to raising a hissy fit against systemic bullying and violence. —Tim murPhY, gaYs againsT guns
on tHe cover
PAGE
35
PAGE GAYS AND GUNS:
23
With the shooting at Pulse Orlando, the gun-control debate now intersects with LGBT rights. Photo by Deanndra Meno
scan qr code For
watermarkonline.com
Jason and tHe arguments: Watermark contributor Jason LeClerc sits down with Billy Manes to talk about his new book, Black Kettle.
watermark i ssue 23 .15 //J uly 28 - august 10, 2016
tHe doors are open
keeper oF tHe keys
equal time
uprisings
PAGE Businesses around Pulse try to get back to a new normal as they re-open their doors.
PAGE St. Petersburg businessman Dan Fiorini on why he is the man for House District 70.
PAGE
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
13
15
Equality Florida’s Nadine Smith looks at who the fight is against in the LGBT gun debate.
19
With conventions here and VPs selected, each party starts trying to piece itself back together.
46
CheCk Out the latest lgbt neWs at WateRmaRkOnline.COm and sign up Of OuR Weekly eneWsletteR. watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
5
Conway Cleaners
top web comments
Your FREE Pickup and Delivery Service TWiCe a Week PiCkuP aND DeLivery
Serving Orlando for more than 30 years Downtown Maitland Call Today to Sign Up! Orlando Lake Nona Winter Park Waterford College Park Lakes ConwayDryCleaner.com
I just hope you watched the RNC and heard the speeches. I’m gay and we support Trump.
407-275-0397
Conway Cleaners & Shirt Laundry • 4450 Curry Ford Rd., Orlando, FL, 32812
—Liam Pierce
WatermarkOnline.com: On the RNC having their first openly gay speaker:
“Seeing Peter Thiel made me realized what vomit looks like all over again.”
BUILT FORD TOUGH 2016 FORD F150
#ORLANDOUNBREAKABLE
—TN
On the 10 sit—in protesters speaking out after being arrested at Rubio’s office:
“Why bother with the [Republicans], they are self destroying.”
“Good people, all. It is when the good do nothing that evil persists. I hope I have and will continue to support those who have made this sacrifice. And it turns out, it is for all of us. #sitinforthe49” —Amandamore
On Log Cabin Republicans being furious about 2016 GOP platform:
“And these people are surprised? They’re just now figuring this out? Have never understood these Log Cabiners wanting to be part of a political party THAT HATES THEM. When I see their booth every year at St. Pete Pride, I can’t help but point and laugh. It’s like these gay repugs only care about money, and that’s all that matters to them as they turn their back on their fellow LGBTQ brethren.”
(407)644-7111 ext.242 email: carbearfb@aol.com
6
watermark Your LGBT life.
Watermark’s Facebook: On Hillary Clinton visiting Orlando:
“Please don’t believe the lies that fall from her mouth like foam from a dog’s mouth that sees a bone. I just hope you watched the RNC and heard the speeches. I’m gay and we support Trump.” —Liam Pierce
“Thank you Secretary Clinton. Thank for doing this. Some would not, so thank you for not being that person. We love you Hillary Clinton.” —Patrick Johnson
“Clinton is a corrupt liar. This is all fantastic marketing for gullible sheep. Baa, baa.” —Dustin Caromano
“I love that she quietly does this. No fanfare, no campaigning.” —Sandra Cawthern
On community leaders sitting down with Hillary Clinton:
“You will be missed. You are loved.”
“I would love to see our Mayor or Commissioner Sheehan offered a speaking slot at the Dem convention. They are incredible leaders and I think the country would like to hear from them that Orlando is strong.”
On Marc Retzlaff and Don Kiceina Jr.’s Wedding Bells announcement:
Call Fred Berliner to set your appointment today!
—Manderso
On Jamie Hyman’s depature form Watermark:
—Joan Vanessa
1875. S. Orlando Ave., Maitland
—Sonny Hotchkiss
On Democrats defending LGBT people against GOP attack in Congress:
—Quelle Kel Kelly
MODELS: Vinny at Parliament House Alex at Vyce Chris at Southern Nights
models for the community. Very happy for you Don and Marc.”
“Amazing Guys. True role
—August Calabrese
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
On Donald Trump vowing to protect the LGBTQ community:
“First of all, given the stilted way he read LGBTQ from the prompter, I doubt he even knows what the letters stand for. Second, he only promised to protect the LGBTQ community against a hostile FOREIGN ideology, not the domestic variety. So no, I’m not fooled.” —Bill Hirschi
“I’m more curious of the impact this will have on the evangelical voters, who now are questioning whether he will help them oppress the LGBTQ community or not. They are in quite a quandary, as I see it. Will they forego voting this election? Most evangelicals claim it’s against their moral compass to vote for anyone who openly supports our community. This will be quite interesting!” —Rob Domenico
On Hillsborough County not recognizing LGBT Pride and History Month:
“What an embarrassment to humanity.” —Francis Ferguson
“Vote them out!”
—Scott Knowlson
On Caitlyn Jenner saying it was easier to come out trans than Republican at RNC:
“I wonder what bathroom she was allowed to use at the GOP Convention?” —Hen Ry Mays
On Sen. Marco Rubio talking business, avoiding gays:
“Rubio, Bondi and Scott are a hate crime.” —Tom Zaizar
“Worst senator in Congress.” —T Wolfgang Streuddleburg
“He is shameless!” —Debbie Tucci
editor’s
Billy Manes EDITOR
BIlly@WatermarkOnline.com
T
Desk
here are certain things –
scientific remedies, poems, friends, family, rhythms, compassionate beings, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, lovers and losers – that I personally hold dear. If I err on any side of this balance beam we call life, I tend to self-correct and help somebody else up off the ground before I turn turtle and pretend I don’t exist as somebody meant to be of service. So when given the opportunity last week to cross the state on I-4 for Hillary Clinton’s event at the Florida State Fairgrounds on July 22 – oh, I know; we’re a little heavy on the Hillary this month, but it’s also the month of the convention and just weeks after a massacre, so please forgive our indulgences – I leapt at it. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. To meet somebody who has done so much good yet taken so much shit peripherally is
watermark staff
reaffirming in its own way. Yes, I’m with her. I’m allowed to be. And so it was that on that particular Friday night that I carried myself, alone, through the parking lot of an I-4 rush hour and into the manic energy pool of a political event. Why? I mean, I could have just listened online or picked up a feed a day later. I could have spent that time catching up on missed deadlines, examining spreadsheets, beginning the beguine in a mirror.
But I wanted to see something I had yet to see. I wanted to see the alchemy of the Clinton campaign and its supporters (and its detractors) from beneath my own bleached head. I wanted to be in the experience and not simply a distant witness to it. I know, vain. But this has not been an easy road I’ve traveled, just as I’m certain it’s not been easy for most others equating terms like mortal and coil while eyes roll in the heat of a Florida summer. I wanted proof of my affection, proof that my own efforts were somehow intertwined with those of the state, the nation, the greater good. “Do you want to be press or VIP?” I was asked at the check-in table. One answer would have been dismally professional and seen me pushed into a far off corner of a big arena; the other, a chance at catching lightning for a moment and holding it so close to me that I would be reinvigorated in these sad, terrible times. Hours before Hillary Clinton’s stunning speech in Tampa, she roundtabled with local LGBT leaders, she led a bus tour for the media to Pulse Orlando where she would ultimately pay her respects, hand over mouth in horror. A few hours later, she would announce Tim Kaine as her Vice Presidential running mate. This is history. You don’t generally want to be a spectator in history if you have the choice. The reason that this engagement was so personal to me shouldn’t be lost on anyone reading this. I was front and center in the media brigade following the June 12 massacre at Pulse. Along with other community members, we used our decorated pulpits in order to prove that we had to move forward, we had to be strong, no matter how dark and long the anxiety attacks. Also, as I have shared to the point of emotional caricature, I hate guns. I hate the fact that I had to watch my former husband
Proofreading: Ed Blaisdell
Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 • Rick@WatermarkOnline.com
Sales Director: Danny Garcia Ext. 107 • Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Account Manager: Sam Rennels Ext. 103 • Sam@WatermarkOnline.com
Editor-in-Chief: Billy Manes • Ext. 101 • Billy@WatermarkOnline.com Staff Writer: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 • Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Art Director: Jake Stevens • Ext. 109 • Jake@WatermarkOnline.com
Account Manager: Tammi Jones Ext. 105 • Tammi@WatermarkOnline.com
Creative Assistant: Deanndra Meno • Ext. 106 • AdProduction@WatermarkOnline.com
Nat’l Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863
watermark Your LGBT life.
You don’t generally want to be a spectator in history if you have the choice.
what I remembered that feeling of political engagement being one half of a lifetime ago. It was transcendent. And yes, I do like “Fight Song.” Sue me. As the festivities came to an end, I was ushered into a backstage area and given a few seconds with the future President of the United States. I didn’t mince words. “Two things: I am here because I believe in you and good people, and I am forever grateful that your campaign saw fit to publish an op-ed in Watermark,” I said. “Also, my cousin worked under you for the state department and I tend to trust her judgment. She says hi.” At that point, Clinton’s face lit up. “Just help get me elected, Billy,” she laughed. Then she hugged me.
Orlando Office
Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer • Tom@WatermarkOnline.com
Office Manager: Kathleen Harper • Ext. 100 • Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com
kill himself in front of me with a gun, had to hear those gurgling noises you never want to hear, had to scream so loud at such a broken world that no change could seemingly ever be affected. Then, I had to stop. I had to breathe. I had to move on. This presidential election is a frightening one, a bloodsport made more evident by the rickety cartwheels of Donald Trump as he dances across – indeed, beneath – reason. So, for just one moment, I wanted to feel unfettered inspiration. Sitting in the arena with thousands of others, I felt exactly that. Watching Clinton listen rather than run toward spotlights while she was in Orlando was exactly
414 N. Ferncreek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803 TEL: 407-481-2243 FAX: 407-481-2246
Tampa Bay Office TEL: 813-655-9890 FAX: 813-849-2986
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
contributors Nadine Smith
is the co-founder and CEO of Equality Florida, the state’s largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Page 19
Nicole Dudenhoefer
Is a Watermark intern pursing a bachelor’s degree in journalism at UCF. Page 14
Samantha Rosenthal
attended University of Central Florida and is a former Watermark editorial assistant. She is currently a freelance writer and regularly covers Wedding Bells. Page 39
Aaron Alper, Scottie Campbell, Susan Clary, Krista DiTucci, Kirk Hartlage, Joseph Kissel, Jason Leclerc, Mary Meeks, Stephen Miller, David Moran, Gregg Shipiro, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, , Michael wanzie
photography Brian Becnel, Nick Cardello, Angie Folks, Bruce Hardin, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift, Tinkerfluff
distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Lisa Jordan, Jill Bates, Ken Carraway
CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such organizations. WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail). The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.
Watermark Publishing Group Inc.
7
12
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
central florida news
Brevard County School Board passes LGBT non-discrimination policy Jeremy Williams YES, WE’RE OPEN: Businesses surrounding Pulse Nightclub were closed down for nine days after the massacre.
Back to work Downtown South businesses must make dollars out of senseless Pulse shooting Nicole Dudenhoefer
O
rlando | About a month and a half after the Pulse nightclub shooting, Orlando is still tending to the emotional scars left behind by the tragedy. As the community tries to pick up the pieces, the financial struggles resulting from the June 12 massacre must also be battled. While millions of dollars have been donated to numerous funds to help support the victims and their families, along with Pulse staff members who have been affected by the shooting, there is another group of people who may be in need of some financial relief as well: the businesses impacted by the Downtown South closure. Although he had no specific plan of action, Senator Marco Rubio spoke July 19 during a press conference at Foreign Accents, a refurbished furniture store on South Orange Avenue, about the affected businesses surrounding Pulse potentially receiving aid from the OneOrlando fund, which will not begin disbursement until October 1. “One of the issues my office has been working with is to where the assistance has been doled out and the role that small businesses will play in how that assistance is doled
out, and my hope is that once we ensure that all of those directly affected are fully compensated, if there are funds available, that there be a method by which businesses, who faced closures and economic losses, may ultimately be part of it,” says Senator Marco Rubio. No. 1 Celebrity Barbershop is one of the businesses still recovering from the nine-day forced closure of the Downtown South area resulting from the Pulse massacre. “All the barbers lost salaries for the week and it probably set us back about a month,” says Carlos Sifuentes, manager of the store. The shutdown not only cost the barbershop money, but staff members as well. “In the process, we did lose two employees; they moved on because they didn’t know when we were going to reopen,” says Sifuentes. Maliha Mukati, owner of Connect PCS Cellphone Repair, estimates her store lost $8,000-$9,000 during the closure. Although Mukati’s business has certainly taken a hit, her second store location in Kissimmee helped alleviate some of the financial pain she is facing. “Nine days of not working here, it was definitely very tough. But I can also imagine all these other stores, if they didn’t have another, they probably don’t have other locations.
They probably have just that one store, so it would have affected them in a very bad way,” Mukati says. Even with the secondary income from Mukati’s other store, she is being careful about recovering her losses from her Orlando store location by only selling the current inventory she has. “The beginning, when we first started opening after the shooting, a lot of people didn’t know that the streets were actually open, so we were pretty slow the first couple of days,and then it got busy afterwards. It’s picking up, but we still are trying to catch up,” says Mukati. Fernando Patino, practice manager and veterinary technician at Kirkpatrick Veterinary Hospital, acknowledges that income around the time of the shutdown was significantly less than average, but he says sales have remained strong due to the solid clientele that the hospital has built over the years. Patino also says that he believes the businesses surrounding the Pulse nightclub area should receive some sort of financial aid. “Unfortunately, as much as we try to plan for any unforeseen activities, I know that it is impossible to plan for something like this. However, it would be nice if, not only the community, but government outlets would help, because a week, or a month of non-production could really kill a business, especially a small business,” says Patino. However, Patino’s not interested in seeking out or accepting any sort of relief funds. Instead he is focused on his neighbors in need and says he would donate the money if he were given any.
watermark Your LGBT life.
B
revard | The Brevard County School Board voted 3-2 to adopt a new non-discrimination policy for students and employees at all Brevard County public schools that would include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity on July 19. School board members Andy Ziegler, Amy Kneessy and Misty Belford voted to pass the non-discrimination measure, while members John Craig and Karen Henderson opposed adding in the protections. More than 100 people from both sides of the argument packed into the audience hoping to have their say to the five person board. The school board heard public opinion from nearly 60 people during the six-hour meeting; those in support of the measure dressed in red and displayed handmade signs with phrases like “Straight Against Hate” and “Queer Without Fear.” The opposition, which had been spearheaded by the Liberty Counsel, along with the two dissenting board members has said that those who support this change in policy are trying to reinterpret the law. After the attendees who signed up had their say, Ziegler invited anyone else who wished to speak up to the podium to ensure everyone who attended the meeting were able to voice their opinion. After the final speaker each board member was also given a chance to add any additional comments they may have had. As the board voted on the policy changes, proponents of the change erupted into applause and cheers. Many who opposed the measure had already left the meeting prior to the vote. “I think they had seen the writing on the wall leading up to this meeting, and I think they wanted one last opportunity to try and change someone’s mind but they realized that was not going to happen,” Lexi Wright, Space Coast Pride executive director, says. The changes to the Brevard County School Board’s discrimination policy has been in the works since late 2015. A meeting held by the school board in March of this year seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for the policy change when the Liberty Counsel flooded the meeting with speakers and the board voted to move the issue to a workshop. “I have a lot of pride that we were able to pull together all of these people and organizations across our county to support the measure, and so happy to know that when students and employees return to school in August, that those folks who have not felt included or somehow left in the back can look in the student and employee handbooks and see that they are truly supported, included and can feel like they are protected and safe in their education and careers,” Wright says.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
13
tampa bay news
Hillsborough County will not recognize LGBT Pride and History Month Jeremy Williams
C
ommissioner Kevin Beckner appears to be the only member of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners who believes that LGBT history deserves recognition, as no other commissioner seconded his request to begin a discussion to declare June as LGBT Pride and History Month at the board meeting July 20. “What I talked about yesterday was not only the importance of passing public policy that supports equality but also the importance that we, as a community, celebrate the diversity within our county,” Beckner says. The proposal also included June 12 as a day of remembrance of the 49 people who died at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and an occasion to honor them with a candlelight vigil each year. The refusal from the other commissioners to even have a discussion sends a very different message than the one they sent when the board voted 5-1 to raise the rainbow Pride flag at the Hillsborough County center last month, just days after the Pulse shooting. Commissioner Ken Hagan was the sole vote against it. Commissioner Stacy White was not present for the vote. “The importance of affirming other groups and people in our community is just as important as passing public policy. Our job and responsibility as a part of the government includes celebrating the diversity within our community,” Beckner says. The silence of Hagan and White, as well as Commissioners Victor Crist, Les Miller, Sandra Murman and Al Higginbotham at the board meeting is a perfect indication as to why an LGBT history lesson is in order. Leading up to the board meeting, the commissioners received many vulgar and threatening emails and phone calls, according to a source close to the office. Watermark contacted the Hillsborough County Communications office to request those public records and is awaiting their arrival. During the meeting, Miller allowed public comment from the dozens of Hillsborough County residents who attended. Tampa Bay Times reporter Steve Contorno live tweeted the entire meeting. Many speakers who opposed Beckner’s proposal said they did so because of their religious beliefs, saying, “the LGBT agenda is not God’s plan for humanity” and that recognizing LGBT Pride and History Month was “an endorsement of a group of people for their sexual preference,” according to Contorno’s tweets. One even echoed the rhetoric of Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio saying, “The murderous actions [in Orlando] were not against the homosexual community, but were rather an act of terrorism.” Nancy Desmond, founder of the Tampa chapter of PFLAG, criticized the hateful speech saying, “Right-wing churches are not the only voices in Hillsborough County.” Several of the speakers who opposed recognizing LGBT Pride and History Month recommended alternative celebrations including “Save Sex For Marriage Month” and “Law Enforcement Awareness Month.”
14
TALLAHASSEE OR BUST: Fiorini spent time at the Florida capitol as a legislative aide to former State Representative Helen L. Spivey. Photo courtesy of Dan Fiorini
In the House St. Petersburg businessman Dan Fiorini is one of five LGBT House candidates in the running this election year Jeremy Wi lliams
S
T. PETERSBURG | The state of Florida has the opportunity to elect five openly LGBT people to the State Legislature this election year. One of those seats is House Seat 70 where gay business owner Dan Fiorini is running against former St. Petersburg City Councilman Wengay Newton and Palmetto personal injury attorney C.J. Czaia. “There are three of us in this race, and this is going to be won in the primary. No Republican has ever gotten more than 20 percent of the vote in this seat, so whoever wins on August 30 is going to win the general,” Fiorini says, sitting in Tyrone Frames and Mirrors, the framing shop he has owned and operated in St. Petersburg since 2010. Fiorini is running on a message of experience, not only as a business owner, but also in the political arena. Fiorini, who is a first time candidate, has helped to run more than 25 political races in Florida, half of them primary races. Fiorini ran the campaign for former State Representative Helen L. Spivey who won her seat in 1994, taking the seat from a sitting
watermark Your LGBT life.
Republican. Spivey was the only Democrat to do so that year, partly thanks to Fiorini. “I know how to do this job. I have a nonprofit background, a union background. I was a union organizer many years ago. I have a business background and a government background; I have these various backgrounds that I bring to the table. None of my opponents come close to that,” Fiorini says. Since getting into the race for House Seat 70 earlier this year, Fiorini has gained several high-profile endorsements, including St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman, Councilmembers Lisa Wheeler-Brown and Karl Nurse, and from Spivey of course. District 70 is one of the most diverse districts in the state, bending and stretching across four counties: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota. “It’s a very diverse district, and because of its diversity, we have some of the poorest and we have some of the wealthiest in the state in this district. So you have to be able to talk to people in the entire socioeconomic demographic,” Fiorini says. “What is important to people in South St.Pete is not necessarily important to people
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
across the bay or down in Manatee, or North Sarasota.” Being able to speak and work with all the social and political voices isn’t just something Fiorini says he is most qualified to do, it is something his opponents simply aren’t capable of doing. “One of the reasons I decided to run was because when Wengay Newton decided to run. He is a former city councilmen of St. Petersburg; he didn’t get a lot done,” Fiorini says. “And [C.J. Czaia] is a carpetbagger who just moved into the district. When people look at a candidate for their experience and what they can do, I am the guy, hands down, especially in our community.” Fiorini says he has been making his presence known in the LGBT community since moving to the Bay Area in 2000. Fiorini was a founding sponsor of St. Pete Pride, a founding charter member of the Stonewall Democrats and a board member of AIDS Service Association of Pinellas (ASAP). “I’ve been involved in many of our issues over time as we’ve gone forward,” Fiorini says. “I mean really, Wengay Newton has never stepped into a gay venue that I’m aware of.” Fiorini, who calls himself a “Bernie Progressive,” says he intends to be one of the loudest voices in Tallahassee. “When I see what they’re doing to us in this state, Governor Skeletor[Rick Scott] and his sidekick [Florida Attorney General] Pam Bondi, I look at that and think there’s a real threat to our very existence. These people are an actual threat to our very existence as far as I’m concerned.” Fiorini says.
Hablo español
Attorney/Abogada Immigration Cases/ Casos de Inmigración
(813) 900-9982
GET
www.ardilalaw.com 716 S. Oakwood Ave., Brandon, FL 33511
The Mattress Store
You don’t buy a mattress from a Firm, a Giant or a King. You buy it from a store... The Mattress Store.
Bay Area Infectious Disease Associates
OUTPATIENT INFUSION CENTER SERVICES, TRAVEL MEDICINE, CLINIC
STD Panels and HIV Testing available
Home of the Chemical Free Mattress • 90 Day Comfort Guarantee • Locally Owned • All Mattresses Made in the USA • 30 Years of Experience
It’s not how long you sleep but, how well!
Jose R. Prieto, M.D. Ileana M. Acevedo, M.D. Jose E. Vasquez, M.D. Derrick D. Thiel, D.O. Enid V. Klauber, M.D.
www.BAYIDA.com | 813-681-6474 214 Morrison Road, Suite 104 Brandon, Florida 33511 watermark Your LGBT life.
941-929-7378 | SarasotaMattressStore.com
6979 S Tamiami Trail - Sarasota (1/4 Mile South of Stickney Point Rd) July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
15
OES ORLANDO EMERGENCY SIGNAL BURGLAR ALARMS Helping Secure Central Florida’s LGBT Community with PRIDE
407-897-1300 FL EC13003716 16
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
state, nation+world news
Florida’s conservative politics were well represented at the Republican National Convention Chris Johnson, Washington Blade
C
LEVELAND | Florida Gov. Rick Scott made an emotional appeal for support for Donald Trump based on the shooting in his state at Pulse, a gay nightclub that left 49 people dead and 53 wounded. “I cried with the grieving moms and dads and brothers and sisters of the 49 people slaughtered by an ISIS-inspired terrorist,” Scott said. “This war is real. It is here in America. And the next president must destroy this evil.” Last month, Scott acknowledged exclusively to the Washington Blade that gays and Latinos were the victims of the Orlando shooting, but his words
forget his lack of support for marriage equality or non-discrimination for LGBT people. Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said on Twitter the LGBT-inclusion on stage at the convention was heinous considering the anti-LGBT positions of the party and the speakers. While some speakers made an effort for LGBT inclusion, others pledged Trump would pursue policies that might undermine LGBT rights. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, making the case the president should obey the law, said she knows Trump and feels assured he’d “roll back Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders.” That could apply to executive actions Obama has undertaken on behalf of LGBT rights, including a 2014 executive order
prohibiting federal contractors from engaging in anti-LGBT workplace discrimination. Bondi also said Trump would “appoint conservative justices who will defend, rather than rewrite, our Constitution.” Although she didn’t explicitly identify the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision, the ruling was implied. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) didn’t make a live appearance at the convention, but he also hinted at the possibility of Trump reversing the marriage ruling based on judicial appointments. “Unlike Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, he is committed to appointing constitutionalist judges who will respect the proper role of the judiciary,” Rubio said.
denied him the ability to run for junior prom king, telling him he could run only for prom queen, according to the lawsuit. School administrators relented only after his classmates protested, the lawsuit noted. The district’s actions violate Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as the Constitution’s equal protection guarantees, the lawsuit argues. Whitaker said in a news release that the district’s actions have made his life miserable. An attorney for the Kenosha district said July 20 he is certain the district will win the lawsuit. “The district is confident that when the litigation process establishes accurate facts and applies them to the proper legal standards, its policies and practices will be found to be in total compliance with all laws,” Ron Stadler said in an email sent by the district’s communication director to Kenosha News. Wisconsin is one of several conservative-led states suing President Barack Obama’s administration over its directive to public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms that match their gender identity. Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin tried to pass
a bill during the 2015-16 legislative session that would have made it the first state in the nation to force public school students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their birth gender. The measure went nowhere. At least 13 states and the District of Columbia prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in schools. Hundreds of school districts, from Anchorage, Alaska, to Tucson, Ariz., have adopted similar protections. At least two other transgender students have filed lawsuits similar to Whitaker’s seeking the right to use boys’ bathrooms and locker rooms. Gavin Grimm filed a lawsuit in Virginia seeking to use boys’ bathroom at his high school. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Grimm in April. The school board has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case. A 14-year-old Maryland middle school student filed a federal lawsuit on July19 alleging school officials have barred him from using the boys’ restrooms and locker rooms. On the other side of the issue, dozens of families sued in May seeking to stop Township High School District 211 in suburban Chicago from allowing a transgender girl from using the girls’ locker room.
Wisconsin teen sues school district for making trans student wear green wristbands Wire Report
M
adison, Wis. | A transgender student has filed a lawsuit alleging a Wisconsin school district won’t let him use the boys’ restrooms and repeatedly uses his female birth name, violating federal anti-discrimination laws and the U.S. Constitution. The Transgender Law Center and the civil rights law firm Relman, Dane and Colfax PLLC filed the federal lawsuit July 19 in Milwaukee against the Kenosha school district. The filing states Ashton Whitaker, a 16-year-old student at Tremper High School, was designated a girl on his birth certificate but began identifying as a boy in middle school. The lawsuit alleges the district has denied him access to boys’ restrooms and directed staff to monitor his restroom usage, forcing him and other transgender students to wear green wristbands to help staff recognize them. As a result, Whitaker drastically reduced his liquid intake, aggravating a medical condition that causes him to faint, and suffered stress migraines. Teachers also continue to call him by his female birth name, he had to room with girls on an orchestra trip to Europe and the principal initially
watermark Your LGBT life.
in other news Maine Republican says gay lawmaker is hated A county Republican Party leader in Maine has come under fire for an email they say belittles an openly gay state lawmaker. An email from the account of York County Republican Committee Chairman Jim Booth sent to party activists refers to Rep. Justin Chenette, a Democrat, as “Little Justine” on several occasions. The email goes on to say “there is a lot of HATE” for Chenette, who became the nation’s youngest openly gay legislator when he was elected in 2012. Chenette says he was upset by the email and the message it conveys to the LGBT community. Booth didn’t return calls seeking comment.
Elton John says LGBT people must be protected in South African AIDS fight British musician Elton John committed money for protecting LGBT people in Africa, saying that leaving them behind in the fight against AIDS will only increase the spread of the disease. The rock star spoke at a global AIDS conference in South Africa that has also attracted philanthropist Bill Gates, actress Charlize Theron and Britain‘s Prince Harry. Africa is the continent hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, but the subject of homosexuality is taboo in many countries. Some African nations criminalize same-sex conduct. John said he wants to ensure that LGBT people are protected if they are denied medical treatment or arrested.
NBA moving All-Star Game out of Charlotte, cites LGBT law The NBA is moving the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte because of its objections to a North Carolina law that limits anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people. The league had expressed its opposition to the law since it was enacted in March, and its decision came shortly after state legislators revisited the law and chose to leave it largely unchanged. “While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every [place] in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2,” the league said in a statement.
Year after attack, thousands march in Jerusalem gay parade Thousands of people waving rainbow flags marched through downtown Jerusalem July 21 in the city’s annual gay pride parade in a defiant show of force one year after an extremist ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed a 16-year-old girl to death at the march. The heavily guarded event comes against a backdrop of deep divisions in Israel between its secular majority and increasingly powerful nationalist and ultra-Orthodox camps that have spoken out forcefully of late against the LGBT community. Unlike the raucous parade in the liberal Israeli city of Tel Aviv, which this year drew some 200,000 people, the Jerusalem affair is relatively modest. The conflict reached its apex a year ago when ultra-Orthodox extremist Yishai Schlissel began stabbing participants, killing the 16-year-old girl and wounding seven others.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
17
Au
“It’s not about power. It’s about service.”
V gu ote st 30 t
h
- Evellen Jewett
The Experience To Lead • Law Degree from University of Florida Levin School of Law • Bachelors Degree from University of Florida • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 2015 • Former Ninth Circuit Assistant Public Defender • Conducted over 100 trials, from misdemeanors to life felonies • Resolved more than 1,500 cases to conclusion • Member of the Florida Bar since 1989 www.JustJewett.com Committee to Elect Evellen Jewett Political advertisement paid for and approved by the Commmittee to Elect Evellen Jewett for Orange County Judge, Group 5, non-partisan
EAT, DRINK, AND EA
1972
2016
BE MAR MARY
Amway,game day specials Enjoy $3.50 Pint Drafts 2 hours before event.
Dr. Phillips PERFORMANCES Save 15% off your bill by showing your ticket!
Leigh Shannon
Doug Ba’aser.
Tuesday, BINGO 6:30PM With Miss Sammy & Carol Lee. Wednesday,trivia 7PM Best trivia with Doug Ba’aser. 2-4-1 All Drinks 7-10 p.m.
The Minx
Ginger Minj
Carol Lee
Miss Sammy
Friday, FACEBOOK FRIDAY’S 8:30PM Florida’s Only Interactive Drag Show. The Minx, Asia Black & special guest. Saturday, CABAREt 8:30PM Leigh Shannon & Guest. Longest running Drag Show. Sunday, Broadway brunch 12pm w/The Minx, Ginger Minj & Guest .
CALL FOR YOUR RESERVATIONS
TODAY!
Great Food. Great Drinks. Great Entertainment. ORLANDO 110 W. Church St. Orlando, FL | HamburgerMarys-Orlando.com | 321-319-0600
18
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
viewpoint
Nadine Smith
equal time Looking back, staring forward
W
as the young man
who fired a semi-automatic rifle into a crowd of more than 300 people at an Orlando gay bar an ISIS terrorist? Was he a closeted gay man lashing out explosively in the ultimate act of self-hatred? Was it both?
These were the questions I fielded from reporters in the days and weeks following the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. As head of Equality Florida, the state’s LGBT civil rights organization, I know that sifting through rumor, fact and speculation is important if we want clarity on what must change in our culture and in our laws to stem the tide of mass murders. So let’s start with this: No one I’ve spoken with - local, state and federal law enforcement and government officials - about the motive believes that the killer was operating under the direction of ISIS. The consensus is that his ISIS claim was theater. He checked social media in the midst of the carnage to see if his strategy was getting him all the attention he craved. Next came the conjecture that the shooter was a conflicted closet case taught to despise what he could not reconcile within himself. A man who claimed that he’d had a clandestine affair with the murderer was deemed not credible by law enforcement. And investigators say that they have found nothing backing up reports that he sought men via online apps: no email trail, no secret texts, no memberships on gay
dating sites. Right now, the best evidence points to a far more common tale: Another delusional, young, American man, with a cultivated hatred toward a specific group and easy access to military-grade weapons, who believed mass murder would show the world he mattered. To me, that story is the most chilling of all, for its very predictability. Does anyone doubt another mass shooting will occur in America with the same features as these past ones? Can we not say, with near certainty, it will once again be a young man, his fragile masculinity nursing a deep hatred he believes must be validated by violence? In the aftermath, we have seen the predictable ugliness of those who would fan the flames of division. But overwhelmingly, the people of Orlando have shown a better way. The LGBT and Latino communities have been embraced, as each community grieves the dead and injured: of the 49 killed, 90 percent were Hispanic, and nearly half were Puerto Rican. Drive around town and you encounter a sea of rainbow flags. Listen at the vigils and you would hear diverse voices, in English and Spanish, calling on the community and the nation not to meet hate with hate. Within the LGBT community, there is a palpable shift. Anger is rising from our overwhelming grief. We refuse to accept “thoughts and prayers” from leaders who have been feeding anti-LGBT bigotry, who would deny us the very rights they demand for themselves. It is crystal clear who needs protecting in our state from real, not fabricated dangers. Yet there are glimpses of hope that some of our elected and religious leaders have a new clarity that they must answer the question:
Which side are you on? The Republican mayor of Orange County, Teresa Jacobs, apologized publicly for failing to lead on LGBT equality and called on the GOP to embrace ending discrimination. An Orlando megachurch pastor and a Florida-based
violence it breeds. It is immoral to simply hope the next mass shooting passes our house and hits our neighbors instead. There is evidence that an emerging majority in America is ready to take on this challenge. A new CBS poll shows 57 percent support for a ban
shooting that preceded? Let our anger and grief harden into resolve. The choice is clear: support the full humanity of LGBT people, or endorse bigotry. Support limiting access to weapons of mass destruction, or enable slaughter.
Catholic bishop have spoken out against religious voices that dehumanizes LGBT Americans including their own. So yes, we must uproot the hatred that runs so deep in our culture that a father of an Orlando victim refused to claim his gay son’s body. And we must also disarm it. We must take on the gun culture and the fear, paranoia and
on assault weapons in the aftermath of the Orlando massacre, up 13 points since December. Non-partisan coalitions are forming among groups that have not traditionally included gun violence as a priority issue. After the last candle of the last vigil flickers out, what will be our lasting memorial to the slain in Orlando and every mass
The time has come for action and accounting. We must ask ourselves and demand an answer from our leaders: Which side are you on?
The choice is clear: support the full humanity of LGBT people, or endorse bigotry. Support limiting access to weapons of mass destruction, or enable slaughter.
watermark Your LGBT life.
Nadine Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Equality Florida, the state’s largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This column originally ran on NBC OUT.
* Residential and Commercial * Maintenance and Renovations
Mention Watermark and receive $50 off any $100 service. #orlandostrong “Proudly serving the Metro Orlando area”
www.mainstreamsvcs.com. 407.468.1136 July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
19
CHAMBER OF LGBTCOMMERCE
METROPOLITAN
BUSINESS
FOR SALE FROM $350,000 TO $425,000
ASSOCIATION Open House
Sat. Aug.6 , 1pm - 4pm Sun. Aug.7, 1pm - 4pm
NEW CONSTRUCTION 1686 N SHORE ORLANDO, FL 32804
MBA ORLANDO PRESENTS
FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2016 6:30pm - 11:30pm
FOR SALE FROM $350,000 TO $425,000
ALL YOU CAN EAT! Maine lobster, crab legs, fish, shrimp, salmon, sushi, crawfish, oysters, mussels & clams (Fried, steamed, boiled, baked, smoked or raw) Homemade soups, salads and desserts too!
www.mbaorlando.org/gala 20
watermark Your LGBT life.
www.bostonlobsterfeast.com 8731 International Drive 407.248.8606 6071 W. Irlo Bronson Hwy. 407.396.2606
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
9.6
talking points
%
OF LGBT ADULTS
It’s better that everyone goes and gets tested. Why wouldn’t you? Whether you’re a man, woman, gay, straight, black, white, whatever, even ginger, why wouldn’t you come and have a test? —Prince harrY WhiLe geTTing an hiv TesT Done on faceBook Live JuLY 14
‘gRand theft autO 5’’ gets pRide paRade update meant tO hOnOR ORlandO viCtims
S
TockhoLm PriDe anD The sWeDish aDverTising agencY garBergs collaborated to develop a new modification for the wildly successful videogame Grand Theft Auto 5 that will allow players to interact with a Pride parade in the game’s fictitious city of Los Santos. The parade simulation, dubbed Los Santos Pride, is meant to be a tribute to the 49 victims of the Pulse shooting. This may seem odd since the premise behind GTA 5 is to create as much violence as you can, including attacking people with guns. In this GTA modification, only available on the PC version of the game, members of the parade cannot be attacked or killed. The Pride parade features rainbow flags, a pink monster truck and marchers holding signs, one with ORLANDO written across a rainbow-colored heart.
RepORt being maRRied
tO a same-seX spOuse AFteR
OBERGEFELL V. HODGES, up fROm
7.9%
BEFORE the landmaRk maRRiage deCisiOn. —Gallup Poll
thiRd eye blind tROlls RnC duRing ChaRity COnCeRt
T
hirD eYe BLinD haD severaL hiT songs when they debuted in 1997, but the band did not play any of them when they headlined a charity concert for the Republican National Convention July 19. The band used the opportunity to call the Republicans out on their anti-LGBT platform. The only hit song the band played, “Jumper,” is about a gay friend of the band who committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. “To love this song is to take into your heart the message and to actually, actually have a feeling to arrive and move forward and not live your life in fear and impose that fear onto other people,” front man Stephen Jenkins said to the crowd.
watermark Your LGBT life.
niCkelOdeOn CaRtOOn ‘the lOud hOuse’ tO featuRe inteRRaCial gay paRents
N
ickeLoDeon inTroDuceD The firsT same-seX ParenTs in one of its animated shows and the world did not explode. The Loud House is a cartoon that centers on an 11-year-old boy named Lincoln and his 10 sisters. In the episode titled “Two Boys and a Baby,” Lincoln prepares for a sleepover with his best friend Clyde. The door bell rings and as Lincoln approaches it he says, “This is it. Time to make history.” Lincoln is, of course, making reference to his epic sleepover, but on a larger scale introduces the audience to Clyde’s interracial, married gay dads. They are not gay stereotypes; they are just concerned (maybe a little overbearing) first-time parents.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
multiple emmy nOminatiOns fOR TRANSPARENT, RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE
T
he 68Th PrimeTime emmY aWarD nominaTions Were announceD the morning of July 14, with Amazon Prime’s show Transparent collecting 10, including “Outstanding Comedy Series” and “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.” The series won five Emmy Awards in 2015 out of the 11 for which it was nominated. RuPaul’s Drag Race received two nominations this year, the first year it has ever been featured on the Emmys. RuPaul is nominated for “Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program,” and the show is nominated for “Outstanding Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program.”
21
22
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
in-depth: gun COntROl
STOP IT
N W In the wake of the Pulse massacre, the LGBT community inadvertently intersects with the gun-rights battle
“T
Billy Manes
his LiTTLe LighT of mine, i’m gonna
let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine for the 49,” was just one of the transcendent protest hymns echoing through the lobby outside the Orlando office of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on July 11.
While organizers representing the full panoply of Central Florida staged their “#sitinforthe49” – a clear reference to the 49 people gunned down by a semi-automatic rifle in the early hours of June 12 – echoes of unrest from the fringes were everywhere. Members of Black Lives Matter, Planned Parenthood, Equality Florida and Organize Now, among others, assembled peacefully, even mournfully, for a morning of
conscientious objection. Meanwhile, as organizers conversed with building owners and members of Rubio’s staff, each keeping their rehearsed deference in check with smiles and handshakes, a small memorial for each of the 49 victims was formed with pieces of paper inked with each of the names of the dead. A single rose was placed atop each. The workaday crowd of downtown business life walked by with noncommittal
watermark Your LGBT life.
glances, the protesters remained peaceful, discussions behind the scenes involved trespass warrants and other such effluvia that accompanies public actions. In the end, 10 of the protesters chose to accept trespass arrest after nearly 10 hours of vigilance; some gay, some straight, some white, some black, some male, some female, all definitely engaged. Just a few days later, two innocent people were killed and at least 16 wounded outside of Club Blu in Fort Myers; a shooting happened after a fight outside Orlando nightclub 578 on July 24. Neither of the post-Pulse events were LGBT in nature, but it’s become increasingly clear that the gay community is connected to the gun-safety battle just as much as the Latin community, the black community and every community. COntinued On pg. 24 | |
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
23
| | Stop It Now fROm pg.23
“It’s pretty clear how most LGBT people feel about gun safety and about the need to take action,” former local Democratic Party chair, Equality Florida government affairs manager and current candidate for state house Carlos Smith says. “That’s what a lot of the conversations have been around, because Pulse brought up the question that the general public has been asking: ‘Is the LGBT community going to get into the fight for gun safety?’ The answer is “hell yeah, we are.’” Unfortunately, just like the rest of the American community, the Latino community and the LGBT community have been disproportionally impacted by gun violence, and we’re ready to do something about it. Now the one question is: ‘What can be done?’”
Most agree that the issue of gun violence is a difficult trigger on any account, even more so for communities coloring outside the lines. Just this past weekend on July 23, the group Gays Against Guns (GAG) – a grassroots group that formed in the wake of the June 12 Pulse massacre; a group that also made a strong appearance at New York City’s Pride parade – staged die-ins (not unlike those staged by Black Lives Matter groups nationwide in recent history) as a means of shutting down CrossFit locations in New York, hosting events sponsored by Reebok, events that were intended to award Glock handguns to competition victors. “After Orlando, it was time for queer people to join in the fight against gun violence,” Gays Against Guns representative Tim Murphy says. “Many of us have been marching and protesting individually or with friends, in New York, whether it was a protest against police violence against black lives, going back to Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, so many others. Or whether it was massacres with assault weapons by civilians like in San Bernardino, Charleston, Sandy Hook, of course. I think with Orlando, we felt we just reached a tipping point. So, with our community’s history of effectively mobilizing around issues like marriage equality and HIV/AIDS, we knew how to do this. We had some fire. We hate a bully. Sometimes, gay people can be angrier or more obnoxious when it comes to raising a hissy fit against systemic bullying and violence. … We really want
24
Pulse brought up the question that the general public has been asking: ‘Is the LGBT community going to get into the fight for gun safety?’ the answer is ‘hell yeah, we are!’ — eQuaLiTY fLoriDa governmenT affairs manager carLos guiLLermo smiTh
to target it, and expose, name, shame and blame.” The demands that GAG is proffering don’t seem terribly controversial, according to the group’s website (an Orlando chapter is in its formative phase on Facebook): “Thwart the life-threatening convergence of homophobia and flawed gun policy; ban access to high-capacity magazine guns and assault weapons; create stricter background checks for gun owners, close the loophole that allows sales of weapons at gun shows without background checks, ban gun sales via the internet, and block people on the FBI watch-list from purchasing guns.” Reebok later issued a statement attempting to distance the company from the gun giveaway. “[Politicians] are used by the NRA as puppets to avoid legislation against the most insanely lethal war-grade weapons,” Murphy says. “There is no civilian need, period. But most of them in the congress, frankly Republicans and very few Democrats, create anything they can to back the most insane, NRA-backed legislation around gun control. It’s just a whole chain of death. It is disgusting. It is out of step with what most of America wants. And LGBT people have a lot of righteous anger over this issue
and finding our place among the bigger gun-violence issue that has been underway for years.” It didn’t take long for the message to travel up the bureaucratic ladder. On July 1, Florida Congressman (and current candidate for the U.S. Senate) Alan Grayson introduced a new bill which aims to reinstate the assault weapons ban that lapsed in 2004 after its 1994 passage. “It was the weapon that made [the Pulse massacre] possible,” Grayson said in a statement. “You can’t always know what is in people’s heads, we can’t always know what’s in people’s hearts, but we can know, and we do know what’s in people’s hands.” But even with those absolutes, Grayson isn’t presently banking on an easy shift from perceived Second Amendment freedoms and common-sense gun laws. There’s a great divide between Constitutional interpretation and what’s right over wrong, not left. “I think over time as things are changing – there has been a lot of pull since the tragedy in Orlando – my feeling and my sense is that the opponents of gun safety are losing in people’s minds and in their hearts in much the same way that gay-haters lost that argument over the last decade or more,” he says.“So we’ll see. Certainly there hasn’t
watermark Your LGBT life.
been any dramatic response; it’s like my filibuster [in June] where I shut down the House. Besides that we haven’t seen effective measures to institute gun safety, but I do feel the tectonic plates moving, the tectonic plates of public opinion are moving; over time that does have consequences.”
Jason Lindsay, 34, was struck by the Orlando Pulse tragedy, so much so that he wanted to find a place within the growing threads of practical reaction in which he could bring change. Lindsay, an Iraq veteran deployed in 2003 (since, he has been engaged in various capacities with the Veteran’s Administration), is moving forward with a political action committee that will fund and support campaigns against gun violence, particularly violence directed at the LGBT community. The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence launched in the wake of the Pulse shootings, and is trying to fill the gap between the vulnerable people on the ground and the government that creates policies to protect them. It’s a “direct political action,” Lindsay says. It’s also a financial challenge. The Pride Fund hopes to raise $500,000 to support candidates and policies directly related to gun violence in the 2016 election cycle ending on Nov. 8. As of
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
mid-July, the fledgling group raised $23,000. The group is planning fundraisers in Philadelphia, Orlando and New York City, among other locations. His reasons are clear. “We are approaching it like you would in the medical community,” he says. “It is like other public-health hazards: lead in water, AIDS, cancer. The government spends money on countering terrorism,” so why not on something as deadly as gun violence? According to Everytown for Gun Safety, another group hard at work to curb gun violence in the U.S., there are presently nearly 300 million guns in the hands of gun owners in the U.S. An estimated 13,286 people were killed by gun violence in the U.S. in 2015. By comparison, the group says, 60 percent of murders in the U.S. were achieved by way of firearm abuse, while only 10 percent of murders in the U.K. were gun related. The Pride Fund is hoping to rush funds to candidates and also to counteract the ballyhooed National Rifle Association report cards for government officials with an equal and opposite document. An “F” on the NRA report card is ostensibly an “A” on the Pride report card. “Citizen action, fundraising and politics are what will make a difference in the fight against the incredible power of the National Rifle Association and the gun lobby that owns so many members of Congress,” the group’s website reads. Deeper in the political sphere, other groups and individuals are enacting similar policies – or at least paradigms – to combat what has become far too pernicious a problem. Florida’s League of Women Voters has launched its own Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, one that is reasonably non-partisan and includes a diverse roster, from faith-based organizations to Equality Florida. LWVOF vice president Patricia Brigham is leading that charge. “I can’t remember when a coalition like this has emerged, especially here in Florida,” Brigham says. “And [the coalition] already has 85 organizations that have joined on, and these are from all walks of life: faith-based groups, health, education, LGBTQ, Hispanic, African-American and civic organizations. It’s a wide swath, and that’s very encouraging, because I think people are at a turning point and have had enough of gun violence and are maybe seeing that
COntinued On pg. 27 | |
THE BARBER FUND
Got Mustard?
HELPING THOSE LIVING WITH CANCER
We’ve got more weiner than we can handle.
www.thebarberfund.org WE HONOR THEIR COURAGE. WE HONOR THEIR STRENGTH. WE HONOR THEIR FIGHT!
ONE LOVE!
In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011
www.DareToRescue.com
Because
LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES.
DestinyAdoption Services DestinyAdoption.com
Studio by Carmen Photography
2016 NGLCC INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
CALIFORNIA
AUGUST 23-26
www.nglcc.org/nglcc16 watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
25
Music By DJ Aj Reddy Hosted By Tiffany Fantasia
August 20, 2016 Register Now To Save Save $5 off with Individual code: INDV16 Save $25 off with Team code: TEAM 16
Your donations and support of the bowl-a-thon has allowed Poverello to keep feeding over 2,600 individuals in Broward County living with HIV/AIDS.
• Presenting
House
-
www.HungerFighter.org Platinum
Gold
�UNT!;:RS
BankUnlted
II
Media Sponsors
Printers
-------- � HQTsp� 11
TWIN lf(I
For More Information Contact Kevin I 954.5613663 I 2056 N Dixie H
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
_.
;.'RI.
1c..,;•r1-
watermark
Bronze
26
'J ,:
Ou1{CuQuc
'
5
r: ,-, r,
_!_J ___,)
COCO ALARCON
lton Manors, FL 33305
| | Stop It Now fROm pg.24 it really is going to take a collaborative effort to make change...It’s become a fetishizing of guns. It wasn’t always that way. The NRA and gun lobby are very effective at marketing fear. We have to be as effective, if not more effective, in challenging that fear.” To that end, the League is biting back. “We also urge voters to look at the records of candidates before casting their ballots this fall,” Democratic Progressive Caucus leader Susan Smith said in a statement. “Check campaign donations and NRA ratings to see which candidates care about you and your community, then please vote accordingly.”
The battle is just beginning, ironically (when you consider that battles often involve guns), and nobody is more aware of that than candidates attempting to woo progressive voters into voting booths and out of the firearm frenzy. On July 22, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton hosted an Orlando roundtable before heading to Pulse to feel the sadness that most of the community has been enduring for more than a month. “The LGBT community, by any measure, was the community most severely impacted by this terrible attack,” Clinton said, identifying that adding Latin heritage to the mix made it even worse. “What does that mean? Well, among other things, it means that it is still dangerous to be LGBT in America. “I think it’s an unfortunate fact, but one that needs to be said that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are more likely than any other group in our country to be the targets of hate crimes. They face a very complicated intersecting set of challenges in general, and even more so as people of color,” she added.
During a visit to the Tampa Fairgrounds the same day, Clinton was visibly stirred by the tragedy in Orlando, referencing it multiple times in her speech to a packed house. Saint Petersburg Democratic state representative candidate Jennifer Webb, who witnessed her sister kill herself with a firearm she should not legally have been allowed to obtain, is raising her voice, as well. “My cousin used to own the second largest gun manufacturer in the world,” she says. She spoke to him about the issue and was surprised. “It’s very interesting, because he had a nuanced approach. He thinks that doctors should be able to ask a suicidal or a homicidal patient whether he or she has access to guns. He thinks pawn shop owners should use discretion when selling firearms to people they think have substance abuse issues. … I think this: I think that we need common sense gun reform at that level; like if you think that somebody is suicidal or strung out and not in their right mind, why would you sell them a gun?” But it’s not an easy row to hoe, especially in the south, says Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant. “As much as I would like to drag these assholes – excuse me, ‘people’ – to town and do what’s right, I do not have that authority. We did work with our caucuses and our elected officials to ask for a special session, which of course they did and the Republicans turned it down,” Tant says. “I will tell you where I am personally on all of this stuff. I see this gun violence as, and the deaths that are resulting from it – much less the disability, the aftercare from trauma or injury – I see all of this as a public health epidemic.” “I do think that the gay community has a voice that will be reckoned with,” she adds. “I hope that you continue to fight this fight loud and proud. I think it’s reprehensible what they did. I am just – I’m still heartbroken over it. I won’t get over it for a long time.”
Preppy Pet Pet stays your way ® Overnight Stays low as $17.95
It’s become a fetishizing of guns. It wasn’t always that way. the NRA and gun lobby are very effective at marketing fear. We have to be as effective, if not more effective, in challenging that fear. —LWvof vice PresiDenT PaTricia Brigham
watermark Your LGBT life.
All Dog Breeds Welcome Open Late Everyday New Customers Free Overnight Boarding or Doggie Daycare 407-841-2226 | www.PreppyPet.com | 55 W. Michigan St, Orlando, FL 32806
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
27
Life & Status. Citi Lakes
amenities
Kitchen Eco-friendly Energy Efficient GE Appliances Granite Counter Tops Choice of Dark or Light Wood Style Flooring Stainless Steel Appliances Track Lighting Choice of Dark or Light Cabinets Upgraded Sink Faucets Above Range Microwave 2” Wood Plantation Blinds Designer Interior Color Scheme available* Walk-in Closets* Whirlpool Washer and Dryer included Soaking Garden Tubs. Jetted Garden Tubs available*
YOUR
YOUR
features
1,2 & 3 bedroom apartment homes Relax Zero-entry Resort Pool w/ Cabanas Restoration Retreat Deluxe Massage Chairs & Tanning Bed Stay Fit Fitness Center w/ Cardio & Spin Rooms Complimentary Health and Conditioning Classes Paved Jogging Trail Fun Entertainment Zone w/ Billards Café Style Coffee Bar Pet Park & Grooming Spa Work Resident Cyber Center Close to Outlet Malls, Theme Parks, and Fine Dining Private Gated Community w/ Garages available* Elevators
Citi Lakes Luxury Apartment Homes 12024 Meadowbend Loop | Orlando, FL 32821 407.778.4338 CitiLakes@PacApts.com CitiLakes-Apts.com PacApts.com
28
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
aRts and enteRtainment
T
Billy Manes
amPa BaY-BaseD WriTer,
columnist and self-proclaimed “poeteconomist” Jason Leclerc is no stranger to Watermark’s readership. He’s been brave enough – even lexicon-swirled-in-laughter enough – to make a strong argument for being a gay Republican, which is no easy task in these pages. In 2013, Leclerc released his first book, a collection of math and reflections in the mirrors of logic like few before it called, oddly, Momentitiousness. On Aug. 7, Leclerc’s follow-up tome Black Kettle hits the stores and the internet with a different tone. He’ll be doing some reading and mingling and signing among friends from his hometown and fans from all over.
BINARY
CODE watermark columnist releases second maJor book, turns perspective on its Head watermark Your LGBT life.
One reading, Leclerc says, will be a story called “Baptizer.” (“I’ve read it a couple times since Pulse, and I weep,” he says. “I don’t know how selfish that sounds. In light of Pulse, I think you’ll get chills, because I wrote it three years before.”) As is his strength as a writer, Leclerc constructs characters in a revolving structure – this time utilizing more emotional short stories and observational fiction – to make his point: mostly, that things aren’t always as they seem. We caught up with Leclerc by phone just as he noticed that his work socks matched his work underpants. To put it lightly, Leclerc is a stickler for detail. WATERMARK: having been shOe-WORn in the legWORk
fOR yOuR last bOOk MOMENTITIOUSNESS and COming baCk intO the fRay With BLACK KETTLE nOW, theRe’s a definite diffeRenCe in hOW yOu’Re COmmuniCating tO yOuR ReadeRs. Was it a COnsCiOus deCisiOn tO COme Out With a bOOk that WOuld push yOuR OWn bOundaRies intO fiCtiOn WRiting?
JASON LECLERC: The project was a little bit different. I agree that Black Kettle is much better from a reader’s perspective. Momentitiousness did what I was trying to do as far as experimenting and building out a new genre, but I was more conscious about story, character and drama than I was about form with Momentitiousness. Quite frankly, I will say that there was more of me in the characters of Momentitiousness than there is in Black Kettle. I was more free to be more imaginative.
i think theRe’s mORe ObseRvatiOn in BLACK KETTLE than theRe is in the inteRnalizatiOn Of MOMENTITIOUSNESS. the teRm that kept COming tO mind as i Was Reading thROugh Was “binaRy,” eXplORing the binaRy COde Of eXistenCe. fOR instanCe, When yOu speak abOut a pieCe Of matteR enteRing the bOdy and eXiting the bOdy, and all Of the dOpamine and endORphins
COntinued On pg. 30 | |
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
29
| | Black Kettle fROm pg.29
filling the bRain making yOu mORe happy than yOu’d eveR be in uninteRRupted life, that Was One Of the mORe bRilliant tuRns Of phRase i’ve eveR seen. i feel like a lOt Of the ChaRaCteRs yOu’Re intROduCing heRe aRe tO be seen as WheRe they fit in the binaRy Of life. WheRe dO these ChaRaCteRs COme fROm?
is an internationally renowned poet, blogger, filmmaker, and political columnist.
He stands out amongst a brash generation of cultural critics, as concerned with form as he is with quality storytelling. The
author of Momentitiousness, he weaves words with whimsical precision, warmth, and humor.
I like the way you describe that part of this. These are events going on in people’s lives. In a lot of ways, it’s just people living their lives. But there is so much going around it. The characters don’t necessarily see this, but I like to give the reader a view into everything else that’s going on as a central piece of narrative is going on. I appreciate that you appreciate the way I feel about the scenery. You said ornate; it could sometimes become baroque, which in some ways can turn people off stylistically. I kind of think back to “The Flag” from Momentitiousness; that’s the story that we’re making into a movie. I had the producer call me and say, “OK, let’s make this, it’s a great story.” And then when we really sat down to convert that short story into something conceptually logical – with a beginning, a middle and end – we realized that it was
30
80 percent description, and that told the story of the tiny little 20 percent of the story of where the kid ran downstairs to save the flag. We had to build out a whole story around just a mood that we didn’t even realize was the driving force behind that story. Kettle is the new black. When you, Kettle, tell me that you are not black—
beautiful or otherwise—and I see contrary, despite my extraordinary pot-ness, I will call you out. I will call you what you are.
And what of me? Or the skillet? Or the cauldron? We are all marvelously
tO the daRkeR CORneRs? U.S. $XX.XX GENERAL FICTION
I consider myself to be straight-laced, but as in my admission in last issue’s Watermark, I’ve done my share of Ketamine and Ecstasy, right? I also consider myself pretty open minded. I’m a gay Republican. I’m able to overlook a lot of what seems on the surface to be bigotry among people with whom I identify in many ways, and, at the same time, to be a proud gay man and out. One of the main stories is called “Trayvon,” and in it, I retell the story of Trayvon. I take the position of where – and it’s not a retelling of fact; it’s a retelling of fiction – I imagine George Zimmerman as an evil devil, where I see him as a normal guy who’s gone through a bunch of crappy things in his life. What seems like hatred and anger at another person is really hatred and anger at himself. It’s a terrible series of tragic missteps that lead to the encounter between George Zimmerman and the kid, and I think that’s really ballsy.
P
icking up where the fragmented narrative of Momentitiousness left off, Black Kettle explores the
many manifestations of hope and deceit in the human experience. This is a novella collection—sweet, sensual, sadistic, and
black. Used as we are, with fire along our black iron skin, we blackly conduct
sullen—where independently complete
vibrant heat through our inner skin to heat our contents. We, as vessels, resist
stories burst forth with playful vigor,
the urge to become part of the ingredients within us; we remain inert, tools only.
featuring heroes and antiheroes alike.
We retain our mettle with bold complicity and yet resist any natural tendency
Using the true story of Black Kettle—a
toward anything more. We are all black. We are all kettles.
peaceful Cheyenne Indian chief, who was
So, when I am challenged to renounce my blackness—the very core of what I
gruesomely slaughtered in the 1860s—as
am—not within my vessel, but in the densely packed space between my outer
a metaphorical backdrop, the text builds
shell and my inner dermis, I call out to be seen. And in this kitchen, in this WheRe aRe yOu in the pROCess laboratory of the dark or culinary arts, I see my blackness reflected all around me. Our shapes and sizes, our volumes and specific tasks, may vary. We may Of making the film and be stout or wide or deep, but we are black. tellYou, us aarelittle abOut What Kettle, black. And atop that—tight-lidded—you are a hypocrite. You lie. You are a vessel whose own subterfuge is as slimy as that of the oil-slathered thatskillet.has meant tO yOu. When it comes down to it, Kettle, you are just as able to fry as you are to stew. It may not be your best use, but you are not exempted when, in the
I’m frustrated, because, just like writing a book, the easy part is writing the book. The selling of the book, the publicizing of the book, having to talk to everybody that you don’t know, and you’re a shy person and you don’t want to talk to anybody, and you have to talk to people about your book. It’s kind of the same thing with the movie. We wrote this great screenplay; we’ve raised “x” number of dollars for the production of it; we want to retain its intentions. We are still in fundraising. We may be doing that for another four or five years, until the right person comes and says, “I hear this and I want to see it come to fruition.” With this book coming out, I’ve pushed it further to the backburner. absence of pan, the need arises.
You, Kettle, are magnificent and perfect. I, Pot, am magnificent and perfect.
aRe yOu WORking thROugh an infRastRuCtuRe CReated by the suCCess Of yOuR last bOOk, OR is it a WhOle neW WORld?
I’ve got people in New York who have their connections, so I’m working through them and through their connections. But really what
on the ambivalence inherent in hypocrisy.
More than blood and guts, sex and postapocalyptical musing, Black Kettle
derives its power from an understanding of
both the human mind and the human soul.
JA SON LECLERC
if the situatiOn is as ORnate as a lOt Of the situatiOns J A S O N L yOu ECLERC ChOOse tO pORtRay, then yOu dOn’t see the Right angles neCessaRily. it’s a funhOuse miRROR full Of CuRves. yOu see the bluR Of eXistenCe. i see this gReat sense Of empathy fOR bOth sides Of a deCisiOn that eveRybOdy has tO make.
— Jason LecLerc
Black Kettle
If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about the binary thing a little bit. Even though there is an in and an out, one of the things that I was pushing at is the fact that everything is an on and an off, that there is a truth and a lie. I really tend to do well in that area of nuance. Interestingly, it’s one of those things that my people – the Republicans – hate; they want everything is black and white. I really tried to push against that and say, “Hey, there’s this way of looking at this, and there’s also this way of looking at this. The idea of hypocrisy, which I think is a permeating theme, is that we’re all hypocrites in some way or another, especially if we put things in binary terms. I kind of place that binary term of fact and fiction and how they come up [in order] to exploit it.
these are events going on in people’s lives. In a lot of ways, it’s just people living their lives. But there is so much going around it.
In the novella Black Kettle, witness the
moments immediately preceding, during, and after two galactic earth-shattering
events. In Trayvon, observe young men as they discover the shifting tangents connected by sexuality, love, and family.
Finally, in The Nola Trilogy, watch carnal pleasure morph into sentimentality, heartbreak, and eventual rebirth.
it takes is much more glad-handing on my side, and I don’t have as much time as I need to get up to New York that often and pat the backs and kiss the babies to really make it. It’s as much politics as politics, and I didn’t expect that.
sO yOu pat the babies and yOu kiss the baCks!
Maybe that would get me further!
yOuR level Of language and the depth Of desCRiptiOn – emOtiOnal CinematOgRaphy – is intense in What yOu’Re dOing heRe. yOu’Re Willing tO gO Outside Of the naRRatOR’s pOsitiOn and allOW eaCh eXpeRienCe, WhetheR Right OR WROng, tO be eXplORed. as sOmebOdy i knOW tO be stRaight-laCed, is it diffiCult fOR yOu tO gO
watermark Your LGBT life.
i see that a lOt Of that in BLACK KETTLE. it’s as if yOu shift the peRspeCtive by 45 degRees. and thOugh yOu and i dO nOt agRee On many issues, yOu’Re nOt asking anyOne tO agRee heRe. this is the COmfORt Of fiCtiOn.
Let me talk about the essay. If you started at the beginning with the essay “Black Kettle” and go straight through to the end, the footnotes create the framing essay. This is the big reveal. Basically this is the story of Black Kettle; I want to
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
highlight what we just talked about: perspective. Black Kettle was a Cheyenne Indian chief born in the early 1800s – nobody knows exactly when, because they didn’t have calendars; they were Native Americans. He rises up through the ranks and becomes this peaceful chief of this group of Native Americans who keep on getting pushed and pushed and pushed. Basically, manifest destiny and the gold rush push the Americans further and further into their lands. Black Kettle keeps making a series of treaties with the white man, and they say, “If you move here, then we won’t bother you.” Each time, the Americans keep breaking their trust. And finally, Black Kettle and Chief Lean Bear pack up their stuff and take their happy selves up to Washington, D.C., and meet with Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln gives them a flag and says, “If you ever have any more trouble with these Americans, just raise the flag over your teepee and the American Army will know that you’re peaceful and that you have a special place in my heart. So, they go back and the American Army attacks anyway. This became known as the Sand Creek Massacre. If you know that story, then it kind of puts everything else into perspective.
aRe yOu gOing tO COntinue tO WRite things like this that Relate tO eaCh OtheR in fORmat?
I’ve already started a third book that will be similar in style to Black Kettle. It’s called Jericho. I think Jericho is going to be super timely, especially if Trump wins. God, please don’t let this happen, but there’s a lot about walls. People will still be talking about walls; people will still be talking about Trump in two years. It’s not the party of Jack Kemp or the party of Ronald Reagan anymore. It’s just gone off the rails. I can’t be associated with it anymore. I wasn’t able to say I was gay until I was 22, or that I was in love with a guy until I was 30. But I’ve always been a Republican. It’s the one thing that I’ve always been to put a label on myself about. I’m kind of sad about it.
more inFormation
WhaT: Black Kettle Book Launch Party Where: Daytona Playhouse 100 Jessamine Blvd Daytona Beach When: August 7, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
I-DRIVE OPEN DAILY 11AM-2AM
7653 INTERNATIONAL DR, ORLANDO, FL 32819 (407) 226-6886 GM135 @ TILTEDKILT.COM
Held
Mad Cow Theatre Presents
sponsored by Watermark Publishing Group and Harriett Lake
Over
by PO Pular dema nd!
Through JULY 31, 2016
“HOP a buS
or train down to Mad Cow’s Avenue Q!” — Orlando Sentinel
“HuMOr, aCCePTanCe, COMMuniTy in Orlando’s Difficult Days ...” — Broadway World The Tony award-winning phenomenon Book by Jeff Whitty | Music & Lyrics by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx
“enOrMOuSly enTerTaining ...” — Freelance Media
Call the box office @ 407.297.8788 or online at madcowtheatre.com Mad Cow Theatre | 54 West Church Street | Downtown Orlando 32801 watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
31
32
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
community calendar
event planneR
arts+entertainment
ORlandO
ORlandO
lgBt Family Planning event
I Love My Wife, July 29 – August 21, Winter Park Playhouse, Orlando. 407- 6450145; WinterParkPlayHouse.org
saTurDaY, JuLY 30, 1:00- 5:00 P.m. The venue, orLanDo Are you a member of the LGBT community and looking to start or expand your family? Hear from experts from a wide range of specialties including adoption, fostering, surrogacy and fertility at this free community event. Dr. Mark Trolice with the IVF Center will be speaking. Sponsored by Success Meds, Two Spirit Health Services, and Fertility Care The IVF Center. For more information call 407-487-9868 or visit TwoSpiritHealth.org.
#GirlTheParty Christmas In July!, July 30, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; SouthernNightsORL.com PJs & A Movie: John Waters night, August 6, The Abbey, Orlando. 866- 468- 7630; AbbeyOrlando.com Orlando Rocks!, July 30, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseofBlues.com Assisted Living: The Musical, July 31, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org Orlando Gay Chorus Social Mixer, August 3, Revere Nightclub, Orlando. 407-770-6006; OrlandoGayChorus.org MAXWELL w/special guests, August 3, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses - Master Quest, August 6, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org Hopped up Tap Takeover with Red Cypress Brewery, August 7, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseofBlues.com Black Kettle book launch party, August 7, Daytona Playhouse, Daytona Beach. 386-255-2431; DaytonaPlayhouse.org us The Duo - Just Love Tour, August 9, The Plaza Live!, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com Pride Skate, August 10, Semoran Skateway, Casselberry. 407-834-9106; SemoranSkateway.com
Oh, Oh, Oh it’s magiC!
MBA Orlando Networking Mixer WeDnesDaY, augusT 3, 6:00- 8:00 P.m. casTLe hoTeL, orLanDo Join the Metropolitan Business Association at its monthly networking mixer being held for the month of August at the Castle Hotel on I-Drive. Come out and get to know your local Chamber with free hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and the always popular Speed Networking. Be sure to register at Business.MBAOrlando.org under monthly networking mixer.
Christopher Wayne (L) and Mike Tyler are back with their “Sleeves Up” and “Pants Down” for The Naked Magic Show at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts July 30 in Tampa. PHOTO COuRTESy Of THEnAKEDMAGICSHOW.COM
The Molly Ringwalds, August 12, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseofBlues.com Bayside, August 12, Hard Rock, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com
tampa bay
Absolut One Love - A Benefit Event for Trans Equality Coalition, July 29, Hofbrauhaus, St. Petersburg. 813-438-3537; ProjectNoLabels.org
14th Annual Half Way to Gasparilla Pub Crawl, July 30, The Honey Pot, Tampa. 813-247-4663; SantaPubCrawl.com
Open Arms Homeless Ministry, August 7, Hyde Park Methodist Church, Tampa. 813-253-5388; HydeParkUMC.org
10 year Anniversary Party, July 30, Fly Bar, Tampa. 813-275-5000; FlyBarRestaurant.com
saRasOta
Joe Posa as Joan Rivers at Liquid Tampa, July 30, Liquid Nightclub, Tampa. 813- 248-5043; LiquidTampa.com
Gay Guys’ Happy Hour, July 29, Pom Pom’s Teahouse, St. Petersburg. 727-873-6992; TheNewG2H2StPete.com
Depeche Mode Tribute final friday fetish Party, July 29, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625; SouthernNightsTPA.com
Sleeves Up, Pants Down: The naked Magic Show, July 30, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa. 813- 229- 7827; StrazCenter.org
Brotherhood Of Bears (BOB) Weekend, August 5-7, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com Tampa Bay Comic Con, August 5-7, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa. 813-274-8511; TampaConventionCenter.com Martinis for Moffitt 2016, August 6, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa. 888-663-3488; MOFFITT.org End-of-Summer Music Blowout, August 6, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa. 813229- 7827; StrazCenter.org
Opening Reception-SARTQ, July 29, Blank Slate Gallery, Sarasota. 941-312-5700; BlankSlateGallery.com Meet Sarasota’s Candidates, July 30, Robarts Arena, Sarasota. 941-955-1515; SarasotaFair.com
tampa bay
2nd Annual Masquerade Ball saTurDaY, augusT 6, 8:30 P.m.- 12:30 a.m. DisTricT 3, TamPa Get the costumes ready for Balance Tampa Bay’s 2nd Annual Masquerade Ball, benefiting The Francis House. This year’s theme borrows a page from the 2016 Olympics as we celebrate Rio Masquerade. Live entertainment will be provided by Event Show Productions and music from DJ CK. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. VIP options are available. To purchase tickets, visit BTBMasqueradeBall.TicketLeap.com.
saRasOta
Summer Book Club: none of the Above (Part 1), August 9, ALSO Youth, Sarasota. 941951-2576; ALSOYouth.org The forgotten Coast, August 11, New College, Sarasota. 941-487-5000; NCF.edu ALSO night at Tsunami Sushi + Hibachi Grill, August 11, ALSO Youth, Sarasota. 941- 951-2576; ALSOYouth.org
speak Out: trans Rights in sarasota schools TuesDaY, augusT 2, 6:30-8:30 P.m. sarasoTa counTY schooL BoarD, sarasoTa Since January, hundreds of Sarasota students, family members and members of the community have demanded that the Sarasota County School Board adopt a trans-inclusive bathroom policy at all of its public institutions. The board has refused, so ANSWERS Suncoast will be attending the August 2 school board meeting and its leadership wants every able body in attendance. For more information on the event and to find out how you can get involved, visit AnswerCoalition.org.
To submit your upcoming event, concert, performance, or fundraiser visit watermarkonline.com.
event planner and community calendar is brougHt to you by curtis protective services • 1-800-551-8368 • curtissecurity.com watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
33
HOME | | AUTO AUTO | | BUSINESS BUSINESS | | LIFE LIFE HOME Askfor foraano noobligation obligationquote quoteororreview reviewtoday! today! Ask
HOME | AUTO | BUSINESS | LIFE Ask for a no obligation quote or review today!
Mark Sheddan has joined the Italiano Team! Call Mark for your Home, Auto & Business Insurance Mark@italianoinsurance.com | 813-877-7799
Thank you for voting us your, ‘Favorite Local Veterinarian’
727-384-4413 | 5621 Gulfport Blvd. Gulfport, FL 33707 | www.gulfportveterinarian.com
34
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
overheard
tampa bay Out+abOut
a ReasOn fOR paWs in st. pete
W
e Love our PeTs (TheY are PracTicaLLY chiLDren To us), so it should come as no surprise that super-LGBT-friendly St. Pete is also super pet-friendly, according to Zumper.com. It named St. Petersburg the Most Pet Friendly City in the U.S. The rankings were determined based on the cities’ number of apartment listings that allowed pets, the number of pet stores in an area, how often the weather is “pleasant” enough to walk in and how many dog parks a place has. Zumper attributes St. Pete’s rating to the large number of cat-friendly apartments and the abundance of pet stores, pet restaurants and veterinarians. St. Pete once again leads the pack in terms of anti-discrimination – the city welcomes any (legal) animal you want to make feel at home with you, regardless of species. Now go take your cat out on a leash to its favorite coffee shop in its favorite city in order to celebrate.
tampa and san fRan - bffs
N
earLY 200 PeoPLe a DaY Pass Through TamPa inTernaTionaL airPorT on their way to San Francisco according to airport officials. The commute takes around 10 hours with connecting flights and layovers and can cost between $500 and $800 per ticket. What is a Bay area traveler with a hankering for the Golden Gate City to do? United Airlines will be answering our prayers with non-stop flights starting on Feb. 16. The new ease of travel will encourage more Silicon Valley investors to give to Tampa-area tech companies. The Tampa airport marketing team has been pushing for this connection for years, even reaching out through social media asking residents to use the hashtag #TPA2SF. A promotional logo for the service shows the skylines of both cities under the headline “Bay to Bay.” More like Gay to Bae, am I right?
On this episOde Of the hillz
o
ur girL hiLLarY cLinTon sPoke To a PackeD croWD at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on July 22. She stressed the importance of listening to the people and how a community unites by caring about what its members have to say. She also spoke about the impact that visiting Pulse earlier in the day had on her and how she plans to change gun laws. All the who’s-who’s of the establishment glitterati were there – Florida Representative Alan Grayson, Senator Bill Nelson and former Governor Charlie Crist, to name a few. While Clinton didn’t announce her pick for VP at the rally, we’re sure she was grabbing for that cellphone backstage, because not long after she spoke to the crowd, she sent out texts and tweets naming Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her runningmate. Kaine is an accomplished politician but has big shoes to fill for the title of Sassiest Vice President. Can he do it? It’s time to watch and find out. – Xoxo Joe Biden!
1
2 3
1
The BaLconY is oPen: (L-R) Carol Steen, Peter Mardon and Brian Tully enjoy Cocktail with Tea Cup at Ybor’s Hamburger Mary’s in Tampa July 24. PHOTO COuRTESy
Of PETER MARDOn
2
camPaign & chiLL: Cynthia Wurner (L) and State Rep. hopeful Jennifer Webb at a fundraising event at Chill Restaurant & Bar in St. Petersburg July 13. PHOTO COuRTESy Of JOnATHAn SEXAuER
3
hearT anD souL: Civic icon Winnie foster (L) and Aristeo Canales III at the “Soul of the Deuces” after party at the Historic Manhattan Casino in St. Petersburg July 22. PHOTO
4
5
COuRTESy Of DAn fIORInI
4
inDiviDuaLLY TogeTher: (L-R) Mark Puskarich, De Palazzo and Lucas Aiden Wehle kick back at Metro Wellness & Community Center in St. Petersburg July 19. PHOTO COuRTESy Of MARK PuSKARICH
5
This Was her nighT: International recording artist Amber gets the crowd dancing at the Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg July 16. PHOTO By
JEREMy WILLIAMS
6
Taco TaLk: (L-R) Lisa Platt, Kimberly Platt, Eric Hutton and Largo commissioner Michael Smith enjoy the amazing beef and mango salsa tacos at the Platt’s Charlie Tulum Dos Tacos Food Truck in Dunedin Jul;y 23. PHOTO
6
COuRTESy Of MICHAEL SMITH
7
muY caLienTe: Chhoy Sutimek (L) and Chris Hannay feel the heat from Southern Nights Latin Night, Fuego Friday, July 22 in Tampa.
PHOTO By JEREMy WILLIAMS
8
The arTisT of venice: (L-R) Jennifer Kunch and Watermark publisher Rick Claggett with performer Kristofer Geddie at his cabaret show “Back to Before” at the Venice Theatre July 15. PHOTO
8
By JEREMy WILLIAMS
7 watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
35
DYER&BLAISDELL, P .L. DYER&BLAISDELL, P .L. Attorneys at Law Attorneys at Law
Experienced, Experienced, understanding understanding counsel on counsel on matters related matters related to family, estate, to family, estate, and beneficiary and beneficiary planning, including: planning, including: • • • • • • • • • •
Wills Wills Trusts Trusts Probate Probate Healthcare Healthcare Partnership Partnership and Parenting and Parenting Agreements Agreements • Real Estate • Real Estate
W. Thomas Dyer W. Thomas Dyer TDyer@DyerBlaisdell.com TDyer@DyerBlaisdell.com
Edward P. Blaisdell Edward P. Blaisdell EBlaisdell@DyerBlaisdell.com EBlaisdell@DyerBlaisdell.com
414 N. Ferncreek Ave., Orlando, FL 32803 414 N. Ferncreek Ave., Orlando, FL 32803 407-648-1153 • DyerBlaisdell.com 407-648-1153 • DyerBlaisdell.com
THE HIRING OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION THAT SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. BEFORE DECIDE,ISASK TO SEND DECISION YOU INFORMATION ABOUT OUR AND EXPERIENCE. THE HIRING OFYOU A LAWYER AN US IMPORTANT THAT SHOULD NOT BEQUALIFICATIONS BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. BEFORE YOU DECIDE, ASK US TO SEND YOU INFORMATION ABOUT OUR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE.
Private Personal Training • Yoga • Small Group Fitness
Private Personal Training • Yoga • Small Group Fitness www.jacobdickson.com
36
www.jacobdickson.com
603 Virginia Drive
watermark Your LGBT life.
603 Virginia Drive
407.403.0880
jake@jacobdickson.com
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
407.403.0880
jake@jacobdickson.com
overheard
ORlandO Out+abOut
sOmething CRafty
S
avoY recenTLY hosTeD one LasT nighT for the Locker Room, its sister bar geared more to a sports oriented crowd. The Locker Room initially opened up as Savoy’s smoke-free option called the Tattoo Lounge. With the closing of the Locker Room and soon Savoy’s Ivanhoe Wine and Spirits, patrons are left asking what’s going to happen to the space? According to one of the owners Brandon Llewellyn, a new concept bar will be opening soon, one that will feature craft cocktails. The new (currently unnamed) bar will not connect to or be a direct part of Savoy like the Locker Room was. It also seems that craft cocktails are becoming a trend within the LGBT community as a new rumored bar has set its eyes on the Milk District. As of now there’s no opening date for this second bar, but according to its manager, it will be muddling soon enough.
2
1
3
5
6
bROadWay belts it in a big Way
o
rLanDo recenTLY hosTeD TWo sTar sTuDDeD funDraising nighTs of incredible talent from the big white way. Starting with July 24 a special concert performance by the cast of Fun Home, the cast also allowed for a Q&A after the show. On Monday, July 25, a veritable slew of Broadway heavy hitters performed for “From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando.” Monday night’s show included performances by idols like legend Chita Rivera to former Glee alum and former Hedwig, Darren Criss. The benefit raised money for the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida, the Hope and Help Center and the Zebra Coalition. After the show, many of the performers rubbed elbows with locals at the after party hosted at the Abbey. According to The Center’s Terry DeCarlo a check of $80,000 went directly to the One Orlando Fund.
tRue life tO featuRe stORies fROm the pulse viCtims:
m
Tv’s “True Life” series WiLL reLease severaL shorTs via social media posts highlighting stories of four of the the Pulse Orlando shooting survivors: Joshua McGill, Patience Carter, Tiara Parker and Tony Marrero. The four survivors will tell their stories of survival and the aftermath of the events on the morning of June 12. The full docu-series will debut on August 15 at 8pm. During the special MTV will also air a special memoriam dedicated to the 49 victims.
4
1
5
Of EQuALITy fLORIDA
Of TERRy DECARLO
schooL PriDe: Supporters were all smiles in red when the Brevard County School Board passed a non-discrimination measure that included sexual orientation and gender identity in Melbourne July 19. PHOTO COuRTESy
aLL ThaT JaZZ: (L-R) William Huelsman, Broadway legend Chita Rivera and Terry DeCarlo at the Dr. Phillips Center’s “From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando” July 25. PHOTO COuRTESy
2
6
RICK CLAGGETT
By DEAnnDRA MEnO
funnY house: Eddie Cooper, John Ryan, Robert Currie and Karen Brown attend Fun Home: a Benefit Concert for Orlando at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando July 24. PHOTO By
Do noThing senaTor: David Moran calls out Florida senator Marco Rubio for having “blood on his hands” during a press conference at Foreign Accents in Orlando July 19. PHOTO
3
7
4
ROBERT CARnES
LaTin LeaDers: (L-R) Melissa Zayas Moreno, Dave Herrell, Sami Haiman-Marrero, Julio Rocha, Zoe Colon and Carlos Guillermo Smith were the cool table at the National Council of La Raza annual conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando July 25. PHOTO COuRTESy Of JuLIO ROCHA
PaYing resPecTs: Hillary Clinton met with first responders and business owners, including Pulse owner Barbara Poma, at Pulse Orlando July 22. PHOTO By DEAnnDRA MEnO
7
BirTh sTone(WaLL): (L-R) Sherrie Howell, nicole McLaren, Dr. David Baker-Hargrove, Robert Baker-Hargrove, Robert Carnes, Eric Rollings and Anita Coultas-McDonald celebrate Robert’s birthday at the newly renovated Stonewall Bar in Orlando July 16. PHOTO COuRTESy Of
8
WaiTing on her: Orlando political and community leaders waiting for Hillary Clinton at Holden Heights Community Center in Orlando July 22. PHOTO By DEAnnDRA MEnO
8 watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
37
Pride Fest 2016 Oct 15th SAVE THE DATE J.D.Hamel Park Gulfstream & Main
12-5 p.m. Experience. Compassion. Community
Attorney Alison M. Foley-Rothrock se habla Español! Offering All Types Of Immigration Services, Including: Green Cards
www.sarasotapride.org
Citizenship Visas for Family & Business Deportation Defense Asylum Special Petitions for Victims of Crime
Call today for your FREE CONSULTATION Offices in: Lakeland 863-401-4276 and Ybor City, Tampa 813-424-0652 www.foleyimmigrationlaw.com
38
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
announcements
Wedding bells
passings
lisa Sanchez, 40, and lia Rew, 39 from Orlando, Florida
years togetHer:
5 years Anthony Barros passed on July 18 in Clearwater, Florida. Anthony was born in the Year of the Rabbit, 1963, in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Denver’s West High School and then received a B.A. in Behavioral Science from Metropolitan State College of Denver. Anthony began his volunteering in the AIDS Community before working for the Colorado AIDS Project as a Case Manager. Anthony moved to Tampa Bay in 1999, where he worked in the not-for-profit arena. His passion and focus was working with people living with AIDS. Anthony is responsible for bringing three major events to the Tampa Bay area: AIDS Walk St. Petersburg, Dining Out for Life and the Santa Speedo Run. These events brought revenue to the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas. He lived an amazing 52 years. He is survived by his beautiful husband, Edward Richard Leonhard, who was by his side while he fought his battle with brain cancer.
engagement date:
July 4, 2015
wedding date:
October 15, 2016
wedding venue:
The Grand Bohemian with a ceremony on the rooftop and the reception in the ballroom.
wedding planner:
Lisa Stoner
wedding caterer:
Grand Bohemian
wedding colors:
Slate gray and plum
Favorite song:
“Fall for You” by Leela James
interesting Fact:
Lisa and Lia have known each other for more than 26 years. They were friends in middle and high school.
“i
Love Lisa. she’s a sTrong,
strong woman, and she’s really loyal,” Lia says about Lisa. “She has made me a better version of myself through being together. She’s an inspiration to me, watching everything she’s overcome in life. I just can’t pick one thing. I mean she’s the complete package in every way.”
Lisa Sanchez, who owns K & L Marketing Solutions, LLC, and Lia Rew, a recovery specialist for Wyndham Vacation Ownership, have known each other since middle school, but it was only until recently that the two connected on a deeper level. “We were in seventh grade together, so we had P.E. at that time,” Lisa recalls. “We would actually walk around the track with a couple of other friends, one of which is actually a bridesmaid in our wedding. We were very, very good friends then.” The two ran into each other in their mid-20s at a bar. That rekindled their friendship and they would meet once a week for happy hour to catch up and talk. “About five years ago, we ran back into each other at Pulse nightclub,” Lisa says. “At that point, Lia came up and asked if
she could buy me a drink, she did so and at that point everything kind of started up.” Lisa says the fact they’ve known each other and been friends for so long, it has really helped their relationship grow over the years and it was something they could fall back on. “After spending time with Lia in a romantic aspect, everything just started to happen,” Lisa say. “It just happened very slow and very steady. We have a fantastic foundation. A lot of relationships will start very quickly and in turn hit a brick wall, whereas we laid a pretty solid foundation based on our friendship.” Lisa asked Lia to marry her during an annual Fourth of July party at a friend’s house, and it came as a complete surprise. She asked her in front of friends and family, and they ended the evening
with a beautiful firework display. “There were moments in our relationship where I would look at her and know she’s the one I’m going to spend the rest of my life with,” Lia says. I was completely surprised when she proposed to me, but pleasantly surprised.” Several people were in on helping Lisa propose during Fourth of July weekend. She calls it a team effort. Father’s Day of last year is when she decided how she was going to propose to Lia, and that’s when she also went and bought the ring. “It was very nerve wracking, I’ll be completely honest,” Lisa says. “I’m the person that pretty much has it together, pretty controlled, but that was one moment that it was very nerve wracking.” The two have both been planning their wedding over the last year, and they are both excited for the big day to arrive. Lia said she’s most excited for that moment when she first sees Lisa walking down the aisle toward her as they are about to embark on their next chapter of their life together. “She is the most unselfish person I have ever met in my whole life,” Lisa says of Lia.
local birtHdays Watermark office manager Kathleen Harper,Regional manager for Grey Goose vodka David Chase Harding III (July 28); House of Adonis’ Josh Walker, dance instructor William Merchante, St. Pete Bears’ Buddy Chapman, MBA president nayte Carrick (July 29); Watermark founder and guiding light Tom Dyer (July 30); actress Elizabeth Murff, Orlando realtor Danny Veal, violinist Michelle Jones, former Tampa homeless advocate Rayme nuckles, Savoy owner Brandon Bracale-Llewellyn, Ireland native and Tampa vocalist Donal noonan (July 31); Tampa Bay superstar Scott Daniel (Aug. 1); LGBT-affirming St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman, Sarasota visual artists and AIDS activist George Box, Naked Singing Boy Josh Roth (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 Supervisor Eric Rollings, P- 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); 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)
—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 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
39
T A M P A
aCCOuntant
B A Y
M A R k E T P L A C E
fRaming
COmmunity
&
Residential • Commercial
Join us and grow your business as a member of the Chamber
Dan Fiorini 2060 Tyrone Blvd N • St. Pete (727)344-1000
admin@tbglcc.org adOptiOn agenCy WHERE LOVE KNOWS
NO
BOUNDARIES. DestinyAdoption.com
Crossroads Center next to Ross
hOtels+ResORts
COmmunity
Join us and volunteer with our future mentorship program and committees admin@tbglcc.org COunselOR
attORney Attorney Alison M. Foley-Rothrock se habla Español!
Offering All Types Of Immigration Services
Call today for your FREE CONSULTATION Offices in: Lakeland 863-401-4276 and Ybor City, Tampa 813-424-0652
DESIGN YOUR OWN LIFE
www.foleyimmigrationlaw.com
attORney
Anthony Quaglieri, Ph.D
mediCal
Licensed Psychotherapist MH 486
Bay Area Infectious Disease Associates
1006 West Platt Street ■ Tampa, FL 33606
813-258-4252
Attorney/Abogada Immigration Cases/Casos de Inmigración
aqphd@tampabay.rr.com 35 years experience
(813) 900-9982 | www.ardilalaw.com 716 S. Oakwood Ave., Brandon, FL 33511
OUTPATIENT INFUSION CENTER SERVICES, TRAVEL MEDICINE, CLINIC
STD Panels and HIV Testing available Jose R. Prieto, M.D. | Jose E. Vasquez, M.D. | Enid V. Klauber, M.D. | Ileana M. Acevedo, M.D. | Derrick D. Thiel, D.O.
www.BAYIDA.com | 813-681-6474 | 214 Morrison Road, Suite 104 Brandon, Florida 33511
COmmunity
dentist
mental health PETER DOWNES, LCSW PSYCHOTHERAPIST
727-478-3999 13611 Park Blvd., Suite H • Seminole www.NuSmileDentalFL.com 40
watermark Your LGBT life.
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, RELATIONSHIPS Short Term Therapy … Long Term Change DOWNESLCSW@OUTLOOK.COM 727 347 3284 St. Petersburg, FL
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
T ampa
bay
M ar k etplace
real estate
salon
-Est. 2006-
& $20 GUYZILIAN BRAZILIAN OFF WAXING (first appointment only)
-Est. 2006-
We specialize in male and female waxing.
We NEVER Double Dip!!
4303 W. El Prado, Blvd., Tampa Fl 33629 | Tel: 813-350-0402 Book Online 24/7 at www.thewaxcabana.com Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for savings!
veterinarian
727-384-4413 | 5621 Gulfport Blvd. Gulfport, FL 33707 www.gulfportveterinarian.com
If this were your ad, thousands of readers
would have just seen it. Call for rates
813-655-9890 watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
41
O R L A N D O
aCOuntant
M A R k E T P L A C E
attORney
attORney
aCOuntant
www.SeifertMiller.com
aCOuntant
MARRIAGE & DOMESTIC PARTNER PLANNING PERSONAL/BUSINESS TAX PREPARATION, e-file QUICKBOOKS ADVANCED PROADVISOR®
attORney
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS… PROTECT YOUR FUTURE… COMPASSIONATE PERSONAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Leah eah G. James, CPA, MSTax Judy L. Hines, CQA, CPB, CPS 407.478.4518 • ContactUs@geckoCPA.com
aiR COnditiOning
407-295-9231
www.4seasonsair.net The A/C Company you wish you called first.
We have the perfect deal on
PERFECT AIR for your home
FL License#: CAC056308
Up to $1700
in Rebates plus additional utility company incentives on qualified units.
aiR COnditiOning
CAC#1817927
42
WILLS - $149.00 • Family Law • Bankruptcy • Criminal
• Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements • Probate • Social Security/Disability
PROUDLY SERVING CENTRAL FLORIDA’S LEGAL NEEDS FOR OVER 25 YEARS CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION
“WE ARE HERE FOR YOU”
CARL L. GRIFFIN, P.A. KENNETH D. WYNNE, P.A.
2223 Curry Ford Road Orlando, FL 32806
(407) 897-2275 carlgriffin.com
(407) 897-5277 kenwynne.com
Read It Online! Head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
ChiROpRaCtOR DR. JARED SILBERSTEIN Chiropractic Physician
SOUTH PARK
CHIROPRACTIC South Park Chiropractic Welcomes Dr. Michelle Medina to our office! Please come meet her.
WWW.FCWONLINE.COM South Park Chiropractic
(Off of John Youn Pky near Sand Lake Road)
8865 Commodity Circle Suite 3 Orlando, FL 32819 407-354-0009 Fax: 407-354-4882
O R L A N D O
COunselOR
M A R k E T P L A C E
dRy CleaneRs
health CaRe
Compassionate
Care
3 Locations
Downtown - 1216 N. Mills Ave. Orlando, FL 32803
O
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!
for your peace of mind
Lake Mary • Maitland/Winter Park 407-896-7035 | www.orchidcleanersorlando.com
funeRal seRviCes
407-435-9995
407-877-2272
www.OcoeeHealthCare.com 1556 Maguire Rd • Ocoee, FL 34761
COunselOR
COunselOR
health+fitness
gaRden/nuRseRy
CIT Y OA SIS
.Vitamins .Herbs .Dietary .Sports 407-207-0067 M-F 10-7, Sat 10-6
Full Service Interior Plantscaping Design & Maintenance
www.naturesmarketorlando.com
Free Estimates. Prices star t as low as $9 9/mo
Between Conway Rd. & Bumby Ave.
Sales - Leasing - Maintenance
Exotic Orchids Bonsai Ornamentals
1214 N. Mills Ave. Orlando (407) 898 -8101
Crystal Lake Plaza 3074 Curry Ford Rd.
Come see Dave, Ed & Susan for a Free Consultation!
health CaRe
LGBT Primary Care Your Family Doctor’s Office
Piňero Preventive Medical Care Mon-Sat -New Patients Welcome 1720 S Orange Ave, Ste 200 Orlando
www.PineroMedical.com | 407.426.9693 Celebrating 10 years of LGBT Primary Care
watermark Your LGBT life.
We will match or beat local prices!
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
If this were your ad, thousands of readers
would have just seen it. Call for rates
407-481-2243 43
orlando
health+fitness
M ar k etplace
home improvement
photography
• Female Impersonators
$15 OFF NEXT SERVICE One time use only.
• Male Dancers
lawn care
• Grindr Pics By appointment only. Phone or Email for prices.
407 985-2457 cell: 407-288-6512 MikeIvan3@yahoo.com
health+Fitness
physician
Want PrEP?
Why Pay A Specialist’s CoPay
Piňero Preventive Medical Care Mon-Sat -New Patients Welcome 1720 S Orange Ave, Ste 200 Orlando
www.PineroMedical.com | 407.426.9693 Celebrating 10 years of LGBT Primary Care
non-profit organization
real estate JACOB BONYNGE REALTOR Olde Town Brokers 11 N Summerlin Ave. Orlando, FL 32801 407.800.8101 jebonynge@gmail.com
investments+finance
religious
non-profit organization
St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church Affirming, Committed, Diverse and Faithful. Traditional worship at 11 AM
Pastor David F. Judd 1021 Palm Springs Dr. Altamonte Spings FL, 32701 www.stmarks.org | 407.331.7520 PC (USA)
44
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
orlando
M ar k etplace
transgender services
We do HRT
Discounted self pay office & lab rates
Piňero Preventive Medical Care Mon-Sat -New Patients Welcome 1720 S Orange Ave, Ste 200 Orlando
www.PineroMedical.com | 407.426.9693 Celebrating 10 years of LGBT Primary Care
veterinarian
Proudly Caring for the Pets and People of the LGBT community since 1955
BOARDING DOGGIE DAYCARE 1601 Lee Rd. Winter Park (407) 644-2676 web site
youth services Changing the lives of LGBTQ teens and young adults for over 25 years Social support groups Make friends Scholarships for college Weekly groups in Orange, Seminole & Polk counties
• Join • Volunteer • Donate
info@orlandoyouthalliance.org www.orlandoyouthalliance.org
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
45
upRisings
the CRying sCene
When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is: ‘When they go low, we go high.’
N
—firsT LaDY micheLLe oBama aT The oPening nighT of The DemocraTic naTionaL convenTion
CanOva Rises
W
hiLe The resT of The naTion (or at least state) gazed wanly into the downward spiral of Democratic leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s terrible, no good, decline and fall, her opponent – a Sanders supporter – Tim Canova has been dancing on the $2.2 million in donations he’s received to out that damn spot. “We have to make sure that we move together in a unified way,” Wasserman Schultz said to angry crowd of detractors assembled at the DNC. “We know that the voices in this room that are standing up and being disruptive, we know that’s not the Florida we know. The Florida that we know is united.” Well, not anymore, apparently. Canova is troubling Wasserman Schultz’s door like no one else in the Democratic Party since 2004. Schultz has been effectively silenced at the convention and pushed into an obligatory emeritus corner of the Clinton campaign. She is the lamb to the slaughter for whatever perception of the DNC that is currently being proffered. She’s out.
46
L
high and dRy
ike a PhoeniX from a ParTicuLarLY conTroLLeD fLame, the medical marijuana movement is gaining traction in Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Though the amendment to Florida’s constitution has seen its ups and downs over the years, slipping just shy of its 60 percent voting threshold in 2014, it appears that current polling has the weed tipping over the 77 percent mark. “I’m obviously pleased at these levels of support, but I’m also not surprised,” United for Care campaign manager Ben Pollara told the Times. “The notion of allowing medical decisions to be made by doctors and patients, not politicians, is simply not controversial. Floridians are compassionate and they know that marijuana can help alleviate suffering.” It can also incite competing campaigns. Allegedly, $10 million will be spent against the ballot initiative when all is said and done. We can’t have good things.
dOn’t say “takei”
L
asT WeekenD, sTar Trek guru anD LgBT sPeaker to the stars George Takei took a few minute away from praising Florida’s space program (or trying to catalyze it) in order to address the invisible plague of bathroom trauma. “Now our battleground is the bathroom,” he says, according to Florida Today. “How ridiculous is that? North Carolina’s law requiring transgender people to go to the bathroom of their birth certificate as opposed to how they’re dressed, what their identity is, is ridiculous.” Takei then took things a little deeper into the abstract. “I said my name Takei, surname Takei rhymes with ‘OK’ as well as ‘gay.’ If they can’t use the word ‘gay,’ then just use the word ‘Takei’ in its place and march in the Takei pride parade.”
watermark Your LGBT life.
Billy Manes
oBoDY PreDicTeD iT WouLD Be easY. Following the malignant shadow of a terrible Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Democrats were facing down a new cold war. The details remain scarce in terms of objective justification – WikiLeaks superhero Julian Assange might or might not have been a tool for Russian shirtless nightmare Vladimir Putin in releasing emails that made the Democrats National Committee look bad; Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was turned into a witch who falls on swords; the great divide within the Democratic party between Bernie Sanders and Clinton wouldn’t survive even the most generous of sutures; hurt feelings are hurt feelings and that’s what they are, and they are real. So we planted ourselves in front of our computer screens and we watched as the DNC appeared to evaporate into a cloud of vitriol before our very eyes. Chants and gestures, jeers and curses, cheers with hisses behind them: This was how the DNC began on July 25. Those with a penchant for history will note that many a convention has not been the pep rally it set out to be; those with recent history behind their eyes will note that last week’s RNC included all the antipathy you could shake a burning cross at, right down to loser Ted Cruz refusing to endorse his party’s candidate, Trump. This is politics. When you are talking to the masses, the least common denominator rules the arena. Thankfully, our “revolution” has been televised to the point of requiring some common decency, at least in its appearance. “Hillary Clinton must become the next President of the United States,” Sanders said, in no uncertain terms, as he headlined the DNC’s opening night. He then went on to try to mend fences, to try to offer olive branches, to try to explain that the progressive values of his campaign – a campaign that was new to the Democratic Party, as he was not a Democrat until that infrastructure seemed advantageous for a presidential run. “You’re not helping,” people say on my social media platforms when I react to such nonsense as a frat party in row 15 screaming “We trusted you!” as proven progressive Elizabeth Warren delivered her speech about income inequality and racial inequality dancing the dance of societal decline. Warren is a champion and you know it. Back off. MSNBC quizzed a few Sanders supporters, many with tear stains and anger decorating their televised moments, about whether they would take the advice of Sanders and vote for Clinton. “No.” That’s right, they said, “no.” Even as Sanders runs back to another independent party affiliation, even as Sanders’ supporters have pushed Hillary even deeper into the progressive battle via a strong platform, even as open minds click light bulbs and we recall that, hey, maybe Clinton is our best candidate, and a great candidate at that. No. That’s fine. We’ll wait. We’ll go high.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE invite entire LGBT IS LOVEWe IS LOVE IS the LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE ISand LOVE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE community ourIS allies IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS to join together andISunite LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS our cityISlike never before. LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE by ORL ANDO CIT Y SOCCER CLUB IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE ISpresented LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS PARADE VOLUNTEER PRIDE LOVE REGISTRATION IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE OPPORTUNITIES IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE ISMARKETPLACE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS teamIS thatLOVE helps make your group part in aIS festival with IS 100+ LOVEGet IS LOVE IS involved LOVEinIS LOVEJoin IS the LOVE IS LOVETake IS LOVE LOVE LOVE Come Out With Pride Most Colorful vendorsIS andLOVE 150,000 ISOrlando’s LOVE IS LOVE ISParade! LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS happen LOVE IS LOVE IS attendees LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS W WIS W.C OM O U TIS WLOVE I T H PISRLOVE I D E .C M IS LOVE IS LOVE LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE LOVE ISELOVE ISO LOVE pride IS parade • entertainment fireworks • festivalIS&LOVE marketplace • family-friendly IS LOVE LOVE IS LOVE IS •LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVEactivities IS LOVE IS
OCTOBER 8 WE CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY WE HONOR LOST FRIENDS WE HEAL ORLANDO
watermark Your LGBT life.
July 28 - Augus t 10, 2016 // Issue 2 3.15
47
2016 Winner Best Florida Beer Pinellas Brewery & Taproom 12707 49th Street Clearwater, FL 33762 Open 11a - 11p Daily
Pasco Brewery & Taproom 2330 Success Drive Odessa, FL 33556 Open 11a - 11p Daily
W W W. B I G S T O R M B R E W E R Y. C O M