Watermark Issue 25.06: The Kids Are All Right by Watermark Publishing Group

watermark Your LGBTQ Life.

issue 25.06 • march 22 - april 4, 2018

WatermarkOnline.com

PRIDE FUND FOUNDER

CALLS FOR

ACTION

IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

THE

KIDS ARE

ALL RIGHT STUDENTS MARCH FOR THEIR LIVES AT T H E F O U R T H A N N U A L TA M PA P R I D E

daytona Beach • orlando • tampa • st. petersBurg • clearWater • sarasota

What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?

TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. ® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA. ® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

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I’m active, not unaware. I know who I am. And I make choices that fit my life. TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. Learn more at truvada.com

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IMPORTANT FACTS

This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. • You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. • See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. • To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0166 08/17

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dePartments 7 // Publisher’s desk 8 // central flOrida news 10 // tamPa bay news 14 // state news 17// natiOn & wOrld news 25 // talkinG POints 43 // cOmmunity calendar 45 // tamPa bay Out + abOut 47 // central flOrida Out + abOut 48 // tamPa bay marketPlace 49 // weddinG bells/ annOuncements 50 // OrlandO marketPlace 54 // last PaGe

PAGE

it should not be hard to see the relationship between the parkland shooting and another mass shooting that greatly impacted our community. let’s not forget that the weapon in the pulse massacre was the same type used at stoneman —reV. JAKOB HerO-SHAW Douglas high school.

On the cOVer

PAGE

PAGE THE KIDS ARE

ALL RIGHT:

Tampa Bay students join forces at the fourth annual Tampa Pride to demand an end to gun violence in our schools. Photo by Jake Stevens

scan qr cOde fOr

watermarkOnline.cOm

mama’s family:

Blue Star spotlights gender fluidity with The Lady Boys of the Peek-a-Boo Lounge.

watermark i ssue 25.06 // march 22 - aPri l 4 , 2018

electinG Gun cOntrOl stOrm watch

hOPe (and thOuGhts and Prayers) hir and nOw

PAGE DC’s Pride Fund to End Gun Violence looks ahead to November 2018.

PAGE

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

PAGE Anti-LGBTQ Ronda Storms announces her bid for Florida House District 59.

Central Florida’s Dr. Steve Yacovelli weighs in on the nation’s “gun-totin’ future” after the tragedy in Parkland.

PAGE

Transmasculine actor Salem Brophy discusses transgender pronouns and plays.

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IAN STANISLAUS GÓMEZ, Esq.

LINDSEY SHEPPY, Esq.

LGBT Attorneys

Representing the LGBT Community

of Counsel

gbyassociates.com

Auto Accidents

Wills/Probate | Criminal (727) 895-7932 • (813) 877-8181

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

ROBERT W. POPE

puBlisher’s

rick claggett puBlisher

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

desk

He firST perSOn i eVer CAMe OUT

to was a complete stranger. It was surprisingly easy. The journey to get to that moment was not easy, nor the mountains I would have to climb after; but coming out to a stranger wasn’t difficult. It was freeing and desperate. It was the early 1990s and he was a mentor with the Delta Youth Alliance, now the Orlando Youth Alliance. At the time, it was the only resource for gay youth to meet and support each other and it remains a vital component of the community today. My involvement with the group gave me the courage to come out to my high school best friend. That was difficult because it was someone close to me. It was a bigger gamble as there was more riding on her reaction than that of the stranger. Following the success of that revelation, I felt it was time to come

out to my mom. She and I were very close and I felt like my life was about to change in a major way. I wanted her to be part of that change so we wouldn’t grow apart. The thought of actually doing it though was terrifying, and I had no clue how I was going to break the news. At a Delta Youth Alliance meeting, one kid told a story about his friend coming out to his parents. The friend had plans to spend the weekend on a camping trip with other friends. Before he left, he put a note on the refrigerator that read, “I’m off camping. I’m gay. See you Sunday.”

Genius! I knew what I needed to do. I’d write my mom a note explaining that I am gay and I’d give it to her as she dropped me off for work at Sea World the next Saturday. In my mind, I was giving her eight hours to process it before she had to talk to me about it. Simple! Turns out it wasn’t so simple. The previous story of the guy going camping didn’t say anything about how awful those eight hours would be for everyone involved. We didn’t have cell phones in 1991, so we had to wait for a resolution. I was imagining the worst: that my stuff had been thrown away and I was homeless. My mom spent the time worrying about me. When we were finally reunited that day, she gave me the strongest hug I’ve ever had. Although there was definitely a learning curve after that, we knew we would be ok. I was pretty lucky to have had a supportive family. I was reminded of this story recently, after seeing “Love, Simon.” It’s an incredible movie on many levels. It’s the 1980s John Hughes’ movie for gay kids that we never had growing up. More than that, it’s a testament to how different life is now. The night before I passed the “I’m gay” note to my mom, I made my parents rent “Torch Song Trilogy.” I thought watching a movie about gay people might lighten the blow for them when they heard their youngest son was gay. I was wrong. Turns out a movie where a lead character is beaten to death is not a good precursor to coming out to your parents. In retrospect though, there weren’t many options that I was aware of. Most of the LGBTQ-related entertainment I saw as a child threw around the words “fag” and “faggot,” and usually ended in suicide attempts, a gay bashing or death due to complications from AIDS. The cultural significance of movies like “Call Me By Your Name” and “Love, Simon” isn’t lost on me. I’ll

include in this list the not-so-recent “Broken Hearts Club.” I can’t imagine how monumental it would have been for me as a teenager to see a film that positively reflected the confusion, heartache and anxiety I was going through. I don’t look back on it in envy, but in profound admiration for the distance society has traveled and how much further we will travel with well-rounded youth

Most of the lGBTQrelated entertainment i saw as a child threw around the words “fag” and “faggot,” and usually ended in suicide attempts, a gay bashing or death due to complications from aiDs. leading the charge. In this issue we highlight some of those amazing young people who are leading the march against gun violence and the organizations giving them the space to do so. March For Our Lives joins Tampa Pride on March 24 to show our community what intersectionality really is and why it is important. Also in this issue we preview Orlando Youth Alliance’s Babes in Bonnets fundraiser and celebrate as St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman honors Transgender Day of Visibility. For entertainment we introduce you to The Lady Boys of The Venue in Orlando and profile transmasculine actor Salem Brophy who stars in Jobsite Theater’s “HIR.” We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

watermark staff Founder and Guiding Light: Tom dyer • Tom@Watermarkonline.com Owner & Publisher: rick Claggett • ext. 110 • rick@Watermarkonline.com Business Manager: kathleen harper • ext. 101 • kathleen@Watermarkonline.com CFL Bureau Chief: Jeremy Williams • ext. 106 • jeremy@Watermarkonline.com Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • ext. 302 • ryan@Watermarkonline.com Multimedia Assistant: Melody Maia Monet • ext. 100 • Maia@Watermarkonline.com Art Director: jake stevens • ext. 109 • jake@Watermarkonline.com Creative Assistant: jason donnelly • ext. 102 • AdProduction@Watermarkonline.com Proofreading: ed Blaisdell

Sales Director: danny garcia ext. 108 • danny@Watermarkonline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: sam Callahan ext. 103 • sam@Watermarkonline.com Orlando Account Manager: dillan ramirez ext. 105 • dillan@Watermarkonline.com Tampa Bay Account Manager: debbie reeves ext. 301 • debbie@Watermarkonline.com Nat’l Ad Representative: rivendell Media inc. • 212-242-6863

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

OrlandO Office 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

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cOntributOrs dr. STeVe yACOVelli

is owner of TopDog Learning Group, LLC, a learning and development, change management, and diversity consulting practice based in Orlando. He’s also the Chief Inclusion Officer of LGBTInclusivity.com, a consulting group focused on LGBTQ equality in the workplace. Page 21

reV. JAKOB HerO-SHAW

is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. He and his husband are the proud parents of two teenagers. Page 23

HOlly V. KAPHERR

is a food, travel and lifestyle writer and editor born and bred in Orlando, Florida. Her work has appeared in local, regional and national publications. Page 41

sabrina ambra, scOttie camPbell, miGuel fuller, diVine Grace, kirk hartlaGe, samuel JOhnsOn, JasOn leclerc, stePhen miller, maia mOnet, daVid mOran, 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.

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central ﬂorida news

central flOrida’s easter traditiOn babes in bOnnets celebrates 20 years TAKinG A STAnd: Pride Fund

randa Griffin

rlAndO | Babes in Bonnets, an annual fundraiser event benefiting the Orlando Youth Alliance (OYA), is back for its 20th anniversary at the Parliament House Footlight Theatre March 26. The event, hosted this year again by Ms. Darcel Stevens and Blue Star, was originally created 20 years ago by the legendary drag performer Carmella Marcella Garcia. “Carmella will be traveling to Orlando to perform at this year’s event,” says Michael Slaymaker, chief executive officer of the OYA. “Carmella is a legend in the Orlando drag community and her performance will definitely be a must see.” Slaymaker says that numerous volunteers and members of the community have donated their time, money and love to this year’s Babes in Bonnets and ensures that this is going to be the best year yet. “Over the top bonnets and excellent auction prizes will once again be the talk of the evening at this year’s Babes in Bonnets,” Slaymaker says. Slaymaker credits Stevens with organizing this year’s event. Stevens fundraises each year within the community by contacting local businesses about participating in the event and supporting the OYA, even launching a GoFundMe again this year to get an early start on the fundraising. Last year Stevens had a online goal of $5,000, this year she has bumped it up to $6,000. “Being this is the 20th year of Carmella Marcella Garcia’s Babes In Bonnets, I’m asking all to give generously in celebration of Carmella’s long outstanding body of work as a female impersonator and community activist. With your generous donations let’s make the Grand Ole Gal Of The South BABES IN BONNETS 20th year spectacular,” Stevens wrote on the GoFundMe page. Last year’s event set a record fundraising amount raising a total of $28,000. According to Slaymaker, this year should be even more successful than the last with the financial group Modern Woodmen agreeing to match the first $2,500 raised. The Parliament House covers all expenses for the Babes in Bonnets event, so all the proceeds go directly toward supporting the OYA. “The funds generated help support groups and services for young people age 13-24 in Central Florida who are trying to navigate through the coming out or transitioning process,” says Slaymaker. Funds raised are also used toward college scholarships, help for homeless youth and assisting Gay/Straight Alliances in local middle and high schools. The OYA is a non-profit organization which provides a safe space for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ) youth to gather, talk about issues and concerns that are important in their lives, as well as meet other gay youth. The 20th Anniversary of Carmella Marcella Garcia’s Babes in Bonnets is Monday, March 26 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at the Parliament House Footlight Theatre. Tickets are $10 each. Visit ParliamentHouse.com for more information.

To End Gun Violence founder and executive director jason Lindsay speaks during the organization’s Orlando reception at The Abbey in Orlando March 14. PhoTo By jereMy WiLLiAMs

electing gun control Pride Fund To End Gun Violence looks to the November mid-terms for answers Jeremy Williams

rlAndO | Pride Fund To End Gun Violence founder and executive director Jason Lindsay remembers in detail the moment he decided to start the organization. “It all began the day of Pulse,” Lindsay recalls. “I was watching the news like so many other people and saw the tragedy unfold and a pivotal moment was seeing a mom, Christine Leinonen, who was waiting to find out whether her son had survived or not, and she pleaded in a clip that’s been played over and over again asking for somebody to please do something about the assault weapons.” Lindsay is very familiar with guns, particularly the style of weapon most commonly used in mass shootings like Pulse. “I served in the army for 14 years. I served in Iraq in a combat zone, carrying an assault rifle that is very similar to what you can buy on the street today,” Lindsay says. “They’re different, but they’re similar. The lethality is exactly the same. They use the same bullets, just different firing mechanisms. That’s the only difference.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The gun control debate escalated again after the Valentine’s Day school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 students and teachers dead. Lindsay and his team at the Pride Fund visited Orlando a month after that horrific event to kick off efforts to elect legislators during the 2018 mid-terms who will support and act on common sense gun reform. “The thing that the [National Rifle Association] does extremely well, and why they’ve succeeded, is they know how to mobilize their supporters and the amount of money they put into politics,” Lindsay says. “In 2016 alone, they spent $53 million to influence federal elections. So we, as a brand new organization, said okay let’s organize first as a Political Action Committee, where we can work directly in politics.” The Pride Fund To End Gun Violence has now grown into an organization with more than 100,000 LGBTQ+ volunteers and supporters around the country who are demanding elected officials take action. “We’re only 19 months old, and we don’t have a billionaire who’s some super-funder in the back, pulling the strings or giving us a lot of money. This was a completely ground-up,

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grassroots movement, built on small dollar donations,” Lindsay says. Pride Fund has already endorsed several candidates in Central Florida, across the state and in key competitive races throughout the country. “[U.S. Rep.] Stephanie Murphy is going to be in the top five most competitive races again in 2018, so we’ve got to protect her,” Lindsay says. “Her race is going to be critical and everybody’s got to be ‘all Stephanie Murphy, all the time’ down here.” Pride Fund has also thrown their support behind openly gay State Rep. David Richardson who is running for Congress in South Florida, as well as local candidates for the Florida House Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is running for re-election in District 49, and Anna Eskamani, running in District 47. Outside of Florida, Lindsay says the community needs to be focused on helping keep the U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin in office and getting Virginia Congresswoman Barbara Comstock elected out. “Tammy Baldwin is a huge one, she’s the only gay U.S. senator. There is a huge amount of outside money from the Koch brothers going against her, so we have to protect her, and Barbara Comstock needs to be the number one target to get out of office,” Lindsay says. Comstock assumed office in 2015 and has since accepted $170,000 in campaign contributions from the NRA, according to Lindsay. “A lot of people are angry about gun violence in this country right now and want to know what to do,” Lindsay says. “Go to our website, PrideFund. org, and sign up to volunteer. You can find out about rallies in your area, but really get involved, that’s the number one thing.”

P E r P K L TA PrEP is an HIV prevention option. When taken daily it can greatly reduce your risk of getting HIV. You can protect yourself even more if you use condoms and other prevention tools.

There are more HIV prevention options than ever before. Learn more about PrEP to decide if it is right for you. www.cdc.gov/StartTalkingPrEP /ActAgainstAIDS /StartTalkingHIV @TalkHIV

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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tampa bay news

mayOr rick kriseman declares march 31 st. PetersburG’s transGender day Of Visibility ryan Williams-Jent

T. peTerSBUrG | Mayor Rick Kriseman has issued a proclamation declaring March 31, 2018, as the city’s Transgender Day of Visibility. Transgender Day of Visibility is “a holiday which celebrates transgender representation, activism, and equality,” St. Pete Pride’s statement on the proclamation reads. “The mayor honored this international holiday locally because he felt it was crucial to honor the bravery of the many transgender individuals who live, work, or play in their authentic gender in the Sunshine City.” According to Trans Student Education Resources, a youth-led organization which handles the holiday’s official promotion and outreach, it is designed to encourage discussion, create direct actions and spread transgender awareness. “Unlike Transgender Day of Remembrance,” the organization says, “this is not a day for mourning. This is a day of empowerment.” Kriseman issued his proclamation on March 8, addressing local community leaders and St. Petersburg City Council members, including Darden Rice and Gina Driscoll who gave statements of support. Also in attendance were St. Pete Pride board member Nathan Bruemmer and interim Executive Director Luke Blankenship. “We reaffirm our commitment to promote the full inclusion of transgender individuals in our community,” Kriseman said, echoing his sentiments on social media. “I am pleased to issue a proclamation recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility in St. Pete.” The mayor also addressed transgender residents directly, noting that “we see you, we love you, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the sun shines on ALL in St. Pete.” The proclamation was accepted on behalf of the city’s transgender community by Bruemmer. “There always comes a moment in history when a community can choose to stand in unity,” he said. “This is that moment, and I am so proud that my community chose to unite,” Bruemmer continued. “We still have work to do, but taking this stance says so much to so many. Thank you Mayor, thank you St. Petersburg.” “Mayor Kriseman has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community, even when it was not politically popular to do so,” LGBTQ liaison for the city of St. Petersburg Jim Nixon says. “He has driven the message that St. Pete is the Sunshine City where the sun shines on everyone. “The Transgender Day of Visibility is a day to show your support for the trans community,” Nixon notes, “and it is our hope that this proclamation will help in fighting cissexism and transphobia by spreading knowledge of the trans community.” For more information about the Transgender Day of Visibility holiday, visit TransStudent.org/tdov.

STOrMinG SOCiAl MediA:

ronda storms, who led the charge to ban LGBTQ Pride celebrations in Hillsborough County in 2005, announces her bid for Florida House District 59 on March 9. PhoTo CourTesy rondA sTorMs’ FACeBook PAge

storm watch Pride-banning Ronda Storms announces bid for Florida House ryan Williams-Jent

rAndOn | Republican Ronda Storms, who spearheaded Hillsborough County’s now-defunct ban on the recognition of LGBTQ Pride, has announced her candidacy for Florida’s House District 59. “I’m Ronda Storms,” the two-term state senator and Hillsborough County commissioner announced via social media on March 9. “I want to thank each of you that have stopped [to encourage] me to run for office. After much prayerful consideration, my family and I have decided to step forward and make the personal sacrifice necessary to run… this time, State House, District 59, Republican.” Storms left the public eye in 2012 after she lost a property appraiser’s race, but her anti-LGBTQ ban on pride celebrations in Hillsborough County remained until 2013. “I move that we adopt a policy that Hillsborough County government abstain from acknowledging, promoting or participating in gay pride recognition and events,

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little g, little p,” Storms infamously introduced the anti-LGBTQ measure in 2005. It passed. “Through many challenges and joys, I have had the honor to serve our community in a variety of front line ways,” Storms says. “I am a proven leader in standing up against sales tax expansion, property tax expansion, and increases in rates and fees. “In fact, when I have been paid for my services as a public servant, I have repeatedly, successfully, voted to reduce my own salary,” she continues. “As your state representative for District 59, I will be what I have always been… a CONSERVATIVE voice for Florida.” “Ronda Storms would be a disaster in the Florida House,” Joe Saunders, senior political director of Equality Florida, says. “She has made her career by attacking LGBTQ people in Hillsborough County and across the state. “Commissioner Storms’ perspectives on LGBTQ people are widely out of sync with those of the people of Tampa Bay and the majority of members serving in the Florida legislature,” he

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continues. “Not only have a clear majority of members of both the Florida House and Florida Senate promised to vote for LGBT non-discrimination protections if given the chance, but in 2018 over 43 percent of elected members of the legislature have publicly co-sponsored the Competitive Work Force Act, a bill that would finally ban LGBT discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.” Saunders further advises that “this bipartisan and unprecedented group of lawmakers are leaning their names, reputations and political capital into equality and inclusion,” noting that “if Ronda hopes to have any future in Florida politics it’s time for her to apologize for years of bigoted attacks and to do the hard work to gain a new perspective on and appreciation for our LGBTQ community.” Watermark asked Storms if she had a specific message for LGBTQ voters who may feel hesitant about her run given her history with LGBTQ Pride in Hillsborough County. The candidate simply noted that her message was the same that she had for every voter. “Look at my record,” Storms says. “Make your decision based on your conscience and my record.” In addition to Brandon, District 59 in Hillsborough County includes Bloomingdale, Gibsonton, Palm River-Clair Mel, Progress Village, Riverview and Valrico.

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state news

susPect arrested fOr murder Of sOuth flOrida Gay man Michael d’oliveira of south florida Gay News

eST pAlM BeACH, flA. | Robert Thompson has been arrested and charged with second degree murder in the death of Fort Worth resident Stanley Parrales. Parrales was reported missing by his partner John Bickley Feb. 16. The two lived together in Forth Worth. CBS 12 in West Palm Beach reported that Parrales’ body was found March 9. In addition to the murder charge, Thompson has also been charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, possession of a stolen credit card and grand theft auto. Thompson appeared in court on March 9. Police allege Thompson stole the card and car from Parrales. Thompson claims Parrales gave him permission to use his car and his card. Video footage shows the two of them together at a bar, which contradicts Thompson’s claim he left the bar alone. Deputies found blood in Parrales’ vehicle and clothing that matched the kind worn by Thompson. According to the police, the blood belonged to Parrales.

dean trantalis becOmes fOrt lauderdale’s first OPenly Gay mayOr Jeremy Williams

OrT lAUderdAle, flA. | Wilton Manors attorney Dean Trantalis defeated former police chief and current vice mayor Bruce Roberts with 64 percent of the vote March 13 to become Fort Lauderdale’s first openly gay mayor. Trantalis was also Fort Lauderdale’s first openly gay city commissioner. Trantalis was elected to the city’s District 2 seat in 2003 and served until 2006. Trantalis was re-elected to the seat in a 2013 special election and served up until his mayoral win. South Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz sent her congratulations to Trantalis in a tweet after Trantalis was declared Fort Lauderdale’s newest mayor. “Congratulations to Dean Trantalis on making history in Ft. Lauderale tonight! Mayor-Elect Trantalis has

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a true passion for public service and fighting for civil rights. This is a massive victory for Broward County and the LGBT community nationwide,” Wasserman Schultz tweeted. Trantalis’ victory comes from what many called Fort Lauderdale’s most heated election ever. In January, Trantalis’ campaign staffer Elijah Manley was arrested for allegedly tampering with campaign signs. Manley, who was immediately removed from the campaign, accused the Fort Lauderdale Police Department of bias saying his arrest was “politically motivated.” Roberts was also accused by Trantalis of being homophobic during the campaign after a series of ads portraying a puppet version of Trantalis were released by a pro-Roberts PAC. The puppet appeared to depict Trantalis wearing makeup and flamboyant outfits. Roberts said during debates that there was no anti-gay intent.

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Trantalis’ former city commissioner seat was filled March 13 by retired administrator for the Broward County Cultural Division Steve Glassman who won his election against former commissioner Tim Smith. Glassman, who is also openly gay, received 61 percent of the vote. Equality Florida had been hard at work during this election cycle, endorsing both Trantalis and Glassman, and pushing for Fort Lauderdale voters to put both in office. Equality Florida tweeted after Trantalis’ win writing “Congratulations to #FortLauderdale Mayor-elect Dean Trantalison for this historic victory! It’s time to celebrate!” Equality Florida Senior Political Director Joe Saunders said in a press release, “Equality Florida Action PAC members and supporters have showed up in force in this election. We’ve made tens of thousands of calls to pro-equality voters in the City of Ft. Lauderdale about the importance of voting in this election. We look forward to working with both Dean Trantalis and Steve Glassman as they continue the work to keep Ft. Lauderdale a beacon of inclusion in the South.”

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

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• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? • Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother? • It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

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Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

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Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

nation+world news

GOP candidate who called teen ‘skinhead lesbian’ quits race Wire report

ABATTUS, Maine | A Republican Maine House candidate who called a Florida high school shooting survivor a “skinhead lesbian” on Twitter and called another a “bald-faced liar” is quitting the race. Leslie Gibson was widely criticized for insulting the survivors of last month’s shooting, which killed 17 people. The Portland Press Herald reports Gibson said March 16 he’s walking away with his “head held high.” One of the teenage students Gibson attacked online was Emma Gonzalez, a leader in student efforts to combat gun violence. He said there was “nothing about this skinhead lesbian” that impressed him. Gibson made his Twitter account private after being criticized for the remarks. Gibson had been unopposed in the 57th District contest. Republican Thomas Martin Jr. and Democrat Eryn Gilchrist both entered the race after the comments were tweeted out. Gilchrist says she was “horrified” at the idea of Gibson representing her. Gonzalez has stirred people with shouts of “Shame on you!” directed at lawmakers.

Pence criticized for excluding media from breakfast with gay Irish PM Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

ASHINGTON | Vice President Mike Pence is taking heat for excluding the media from his breakfast meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who is gay. The breakfast at the Naval Observatory is a tradition for St. Patrick’s Day, which is a time when the Irish leader makes his annual visit to Washington to meet with U.S. leaders. This year, Varadkar was representing Ireland during his first year as prime minister. Prior to the breakfast, Varadkar was quoted in an Irish publication as saying he’d like to raise LGBT issues with the vice president during the breakfast. The nation’s largest LGBT group, the Human Rights Campaign,

pounced on the closed-press nature of the breakfast as evidence Pence didn’t want to be seen with a gay person or be held accountable for his anti-LGBT record. Pence has an extensive anti-LGBT history. As a U.S. House member, Pence backed a U.S. constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage; he also opposed hate crimes protections legislation, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal and a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Although the breakfast itself within the Naval Observatory was closed to media, reporters were granted access outside for Pence’s invite of Varadkar to the event. According to the U.K.based Independent, Pence ignored questions shouted at him by reporters and Varadkar didn’t respond to a question about whether he’d bring up same-sex marriage with Pence. According to the Irish media, the decision to close the event to press was made by the Pence camp. Alyssa

Farrah, a Pence spokesperson, denied the breakfast was made closed press at behest of the vice president, but didn’t respond to a follow-up email on who made the decision. Sources within the vice president’s office said there’s no precedent for open or closed press for this breakfast, even though last year’s breakfast was open press, because it’s only the second time the vice president has participated. In 2015 and 2016, the breakfasts between then-Vice President Joseph Biden and then-Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny were open press. The vice president’s office made public transcripts of remarks from Pence and Varadkar during the breakfast. Not once during those remarks, according to the transcripts, did either of the leaders articulate views on LGBT rights, despite Varadkar’s pledge to bring it up. Also made public via the vice president’s Twitter account were photos of Pence and Varadkar together during the breakfast, which were captioned with words from Pence praising the U.S.-Ireland relationship.

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viewpoint

Dr. steve Yacovelli

homo e r ec tus:

the eVOlutiOn Of us

Hope (and Thoughts and Prayers) for Our Gun-Totin’ Future

He pArKlAnd SHOOTinG

has yet again re-ignited the great American gun control debate. Both sides of the coin have brought out their best arguments for control/freedom. It’s sadly yet another repeat of the same ol’ “thoughts and prayers” responses we have heard time and time again: from Sandy Hook to Virgina Tech to Las Vegas to our own Pulse massacre. Yet this time something feels a bit different; it feels like a tipping point of sorts.

While there was ample focus after Pulse within our community and beyond to look at common sense gun control, sadly we were constantly met with that “thoughts and prayers” shenanigans from politicians on both sides of the aisle. Some – like Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Florida State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith – passionately reached out to lawmakers to change things. Groups like the Orlando chapter of Gays Against Guns and The Dru Project formed and shouted for gun reform. But nothing seemed to change. Some thought that, gee, if Washington wasn’t moved into action when kindergarteners were gunned down in their own classroom at Sandy Hook, maybe nothing could really turn the dial. But, as many of us know, February 14, 2018, was the day that a shooter entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and killed 17 people. Students and teachers lost their lives that day to yet another senseless gun incident. Politicians again sent their daggum “thoughts

and prayers” to the victim’s families and the greater South Florida community. But amid the mourning of their classmates and teachers, climbing through the daze of yet another senseless gun shooting, and the attendance of far too many funerals, many of the survivors of the massacre launched the #NeverAgain movement to push for gun-law reform. They dominated the media with their message of reform. They held their own against spokespeople for the NRA and lawmakers in the NRA’s pocket like Senator Marco Rubio. They took to Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., to hold leaders accountable for their continued inaction. Students like Emma Gonzalez, the amazingly eloquent Stoneman Douglas senior, shared how “this time” is different at a rally after the shooting (and the subsequent video shared widely on social media): “Every single person up here today, all these people should be home grieving. But instead we are up here standing together, because if all our government and president can do is send thoughts and prayers, then it’s time for victims to be the change that we need to see.” These students mean business. It’s not a “if there’s change” from their perspective but a “when.” They are tired of the so-called adults doing nothing but send those T&Ps through the Twitterverse after yet another senseless violent act occurs. They are leveraging their social media savviness, their self-confidence, and channeling their passion (and perhaps grief) to make lasting change. They are the voice of those who lost theirs on Valentine’s Day this year. Earlier this year I attended the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force’s “Creating Change” conference. I had the pleasure of running a booth for my newest venture, LGBTInclusivity.com, a consulting firm focused on LGBTQ equality in the workplace though both formal and informal learning. We were there with two goals: One, to let folks know we had just

“come out” as a new resource; and two, to start to build a bench of consultants we could leverage as work starts to grow. We met dozens and dozens of amazing LGBTQ advocates; from parents supporting PFLAG to trans advocates to professional diversity folks

articulated their passion for equality and fairness, to make the world better for LGBTQ people of all types, and to hold leaders and lawmakers accountable for their actions if they disenfranchised members of our community. In hindsight, these

and advancing the rights of LGBTQ people. I see these kids from Parkland and meet the LGBTQ youth at a conference and I am incredibly impressed with their passion and poise and energy and voice. They are our future, this is their future

like us. But the ones who continued to stand out for us were the younger people at this conference. We met so many confident and articulate high school students (both gay and straight) who were there to absorb what they could to be better advocates on behalf of the LGBTQ community. They stopped by our booth, took some free swag and shared who they were and what they do. We were continually impressed with how they

awesome LGBTQ young people reminded me so much of the eloquent and passionate Stoneman Douglas students leading the conversation for common sense gun reform. Both sets of students are self-confident, passionate for change, and want those in charge to be held accountable for their actions or inactions. They want to leave the world better than they found it, whether it’s common sense gun reform or preserving

and they won’t get handed a bag of doodie from the current leadership lying down. They will reform gun laws in the U.S. They will improve the rights and equality of LGBTQ people. I have to say that – for the first time since late 2016 – I have hope that things will change for the better. I hope that we all learn from the passion, focus, energy, and optimism for these young leaders.

They want to leave the world better than they found it, whether it’s common sense gun reform or preserving and advancing the rights of lGBTQ people.

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viewpoint

Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw

QUEERLY BELOVED Let’s Not Forget, This Started with a Riot

s the Tampa Pride

celebration approaches, I am readying my family and my congregation for the festivities. Like many other LGBTQ-affirming organizations in the Tampa Bay area, my church is currently collecting our materials for the booth, gathering up beads to throw and buying new matching t-shirts for our contingent to wear in the parade.

I am honored to be one of the grand marshals for Tampa Pride this year. As a clergy person, the significance of holding a public role in Pride is not lost on me. I know that for some, seeing a religious leader at Pride is validating and empowering, but I know that for others it can be triggering and upsetting. As a faith leader, all I can do is offer love and compassion to everyone I encounter, especially at Pride. Anyone who has been to Pride events, in almost any city, knows that not all in attendance will be there to support us. In fact, there will be those who show up aiming to do us harm. They will be armed with poorly designed signs and Scripture verses that are taken out of context. Even though we might laugh at them as we go by, the truth is that their presence can be harmful. At Pride we can bring profound healing to our community in the face of such spiritual injustice. Pride isn’t just a big party; it is a celebration of our wholeness. We fought for our right to be here, and no one can take it away from us.

In addition to the season of Pride, this is also the liturgical season of Lent. For many Christian churches, Lent is the time set aside to reorient ourselves in our relationship to God and to our neighbor. It is a time to evaluate where we may have fallen short and ask for forgiveness. Many people may be familiar with Lent as a season when people give something up, such as eating meat or drinking alcohol, because Christian tradition holds that this is a time of repentance. But few people today know that in Scripture, the word that is commonly translated as “repentance” is actually “metanoia,” which more accurately means “transformation.” It may seem like a vast theological leap to go from the season of repentance to a celebration and parade in the streets, but let’s not forget that Pride is more than simply a celebration. We take to the streets now to honor the transformation that began with riots. To truly celebrate Pride we must embody a transformative ethos of Pride. We must rise up and proclaim that we are surviving. When we embody Pride we speak the truth of our sacred existence. We speak this truth in a culture that wants to strip us of our rights, deny us our families and ban us from faith communities. Even though Lent is nearly over, it is not too late to give something up. I recommend that we collectively give up our fear and shame. I recommend that we put aside the ridiculous notion that there aren’t enough rights to go around. I recommend that we let go of the harmful assumptions that prevent us from standing in solidarity with each other and with all people who are oppressed. I recommend that we honor the courage of those who fought for this moment by living an embodied and transformative message of Pride for all who need our support. I believe we must stand up and we must also make way for others. When we celebrate Pride we must

not neglect those who don’t fit the media’s image of “Gay Pride.” Pride means supporting communities of color who are all too often silenced. It means supporting those Dreamers for who this country is home—regardless of paperwork. It means lifting up and validating

in places of privilege must also stand up for others. I could not be the man I am today, a pastor, a husband, a father, if those who came before me hadn’t rioted. Now is the time to admit that our community is big enough to hold different views. We must embody

and beauty in loving who we love. There is courage and bravery in claiming our own gendered embodiment. This is the cause for which our predecessors rioted. This is the cause that will bring hope to our queer descendants. We all know there are some other religious leaders

those youth activists who are literally marching for their lives on March 24. We fought hard to get to where we are, let’s not build a wall to stop others from living into empowerment. No matter what one’s spiritual tradition, I know we can agree that in a time such as this, we can live into the spirit of Pride by shaking free of that which holds us down. As we discover our continued liberation, those of us who are

the message of solidarity as we march. We do not have to all look the same, speak the same language, honor the same traditions or love in exactly the same way, for this movement to belong to all of us. We must take to the streets to show each other, and—more importantly— the generations that come after us, that there is no shame in being who we are. There is no need to fear. There is honor

in town who are readying their families and church communities with protest signs and messages of hate. We in the LGBTQ community of Tampa Bay will come armed with something far more powerful: generations of rioters, activists and the legacy of those who Acted Up, those who would not back down. We come armed with the truth that we are worthy, that we are worth it, and we refuse to be silent.

Now is the time to admit that our community is big enough to hold different views.

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% 23

talking points as far as trans issues, [the Trump] administration has been the worst ever. They’ve set our community back 20 years. —CAiTlyn Jenner in An inTerVieW WiTH neWSWeeK MArCH 8. Jenner infAMOUSly SUppOrTed dOnAld TrUMp in THe 2016 preSidenTiAl eleCTiOn.

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fans call on mattel to turn laverne cox into a BarBie doll

Oy COMpAny MATTel Will Be releASinG 17 neW BArBie dOllS based on inspiring women throughout the year. The company will highlight women such as bisexual Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, female aviator Amelia Earhart and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. Laverne Cox’s fans believe the Orange is the New Black star also deserves her own miniature version. Jason Preston started a Change.org petition calling on Mattel to add the trans actress and LGBTQ advocate to the line. “Laverne Cox is a symbol of what you can achieve if you are true to who you are. She epitomizes not only the messages of the Inspiring Women and Sheroes Barbie doll lines but that of Barbie herself,” the petition reads. Cox seemed excited by the idea tweeting, “Ah that’s sweet. I would love to be a Barbie doll.”

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RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE reveals guest Judges for season 10

UPAUL’S DRAG RACE releASed A liST Of THe CeleBriTy GUeST JUdGes for the hit show’s 10th season. Superstar Christina Aguilera was “ruvealed” to be guest judge for the premiere episode with Shania Twain, Lena Dunham, Kumail Nanjiani, Billy Eichner, Nico Tortorella and Andrew Rannells among the list of other celebrities joining judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley at the table throughout the season. RuPaul’s Drag Race has been a cultural phenomenon since its premiere on Logo TV in 2009. With its ninth season, the show moved to VH1 and enjoyed its highest ratings ever. Season 10 will continue on VH1 with episodes airing every Thursday.

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andy cohen reveals he’s single again

ndy COHen iS SinGle AGAin. The 49-year-old host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live had been linked to Harvard University grad student Clifton Dassuncao since April 2016. Cohen didn’t share details of their breakup but says he is now seeking a new love interest. “Someone who’s very independent, someone who has their own thing going on. Maybe someone who’s never seen The Real Housewives,” Cohen said to Entertainment Tonight while filming promos for his new season of Love Connection. He added that he also wants someone “handsome” who looks like a Jewish version of John F. Kennedy Jr. or a “Jew-FK, Jr.” Love Connection season two premieres this summer.

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Jeffrey tamBor’s firing Will likely delay neW season of TRANSPARENT

rOdUCTiOn On TRANSPARENT SeASOn 5 is scheduled to start in December meaning a 2018 air date won’t be happening for the Amazon series. Jeffrey Tambor’s firing from the show due to sexual harassment claims from a Transparent co-star and a former assistant has left the show’s next move unclear. Series creator Jill Soloway and the writing team are now tasked to rewrite the show to accommodate Tambor’s exit. It’s unknown whether Tambor’s character Maura Pfefferman will be recast or written out of the show. Series 5 will also welcome Jill Gordon as the new showrunner taking the place of Soloway who will remain on board as executive producer, director and writer.

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THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

STUDENTS MARCH FOR THEIR LIVES AT T H E F O U R T H A N N U A L TA M PA P R I D E

ryan Williams-Jent

He fiGHT fOr lGBTQ eQUAliTy

was born when men and women spoke out, stood up and demanded change for a better tomorrow. It’s why we celebrate Pride: to remember our plight and assert that we’ll never be silent again. Powerful movements often begin with conflict or tragedy, as witnessed more recently at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In February, the school became the site of the country’s latest mass shooting,

prompting student survivors to speak out, stand up and demand a change of their own. Within weeks, “March for Our Lives” demonstrations were

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continued on pg. 31 | uu |

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Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

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Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

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TAMPA PRIDE MARSHALS

| uu | The Kids Are All Right from pg.27

announced for March 24 in Washington D.C. and across the country, including in Tampa. Although Tampa Pride had been scheduled for the same date long before, community leaders saw an opportunity to honor the 17 lives lost and to bring the two movements together. One of those leaders was Kayden Rodriguez, LGBTQ+ Youth and Trans Program Specialist at Metro Wellness & Community Centers, who reached out to both groups in an unofficial capacity. “The older generations with Stonewall and the first Prides, they really paved the way,” Rodriguez says. “We have so much to be thankful for with the work that has already been done.” Rodriguez asserts that there’s still much more to do, but sees the potential for today’s youth to finish much of the job. “They’re taking what has been built and are now an unstoppable force. They are bringing new identities, freedom to self-identify, pronouns, language evolution… and most importantly, with things such as Tampa Pride and March for Our Lives, they are bringing intersectionality.” Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender, as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. “I could not be more proud of our youth today working together no matter what differences they have,” Rodriguez notes, “to see change in the betterment for each other’s lives.” To spread awareness, Rodriguez worked with Reverend Jakob Hero-Shaw, senior pastor of Tampa’s Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and one of Tampa Pride’s 2018 grand marshals. Hero-Shaw organized an Interfaith Service featuring youth on March 19, and also invited students to join his church for this year’s parade. “It should not be hard to see the relationship between the Parkland shooting and another mass shooting that greatly impacted our community,” Hero-Shaw says. “Let’s not forget that the weapon in the Pulse massacre was the same type used at Stoneman Douglas High School.

GRAND MARSHAL:

Pulse is not our only connection to this movement. We must stand in solidarity with the March for Our lives. When we live in solidarity we honor the validity of the ﬁght, we honor people of different paths and experiences. — reVerend JAKOB HerO-SHAW However, the call for solidarity with the March for Our Lives should go even deeper than that. “Pulse is not our only connection to this movement,” he continues. “We must stand in solidarity with the March for Our Lives. When we live in solidarity we honor the validity of the fight, we honor people of different paths and life experiences.” The reverend’s empathy led him to address a letter to youth participating in Tampa’s March for Our Lives. “The March for Our Lives will happen on the same day as the LGBT Pride Parade and Festival,” Hero-Shaw wrote. “Any participants who would like to take part in the Pride Parade are invited to walk with MCC Tampa.” Hero-Shaw noted that he and his husband are the proud parents of two high school students of their own, offering an ear to parents who may have

Reverend Jakob Hero-Shaw

PhoTo By jAke sTevens

GRAND MARSHAL:

Jane Castor

PhoTo CourTesy TAMPA Pd

CELEBRITY GRAND MARSHAL:

Ryan Carnes

PhoTo CourTesy suPersoniX MediA, inC

CELEBRITY GRAND MARSHAL:

Christopher Sean

PhoTo CourTesy TAMPA Pride

GRAND COUPLE:

John and Nancy Desmond

PhoTo By jAke sTevens

COMMUNITY LGBTA AWARD RECIPIENT:

Ernie Webb

PhoTo CourTesy ernie WeBB

COMMUNITY LGBTQ AWARD RECIPIENT:

Dr. Shawn H. Robinson

PhoTo By LiZZi vAn dess

RECOGNIZED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION:

Suncoast Softball League

iMAge CourTesy sunCoAsT soFTBALL LeAgue

continued on pg. 33 | uu |

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pride’S neXT GenerATiOn: Students from multiple Tampa Bay high schools join forces to celebrate Tampa Pride and demand an end to gun violence plaguing our nation’s schools. PhoTo By jAke sTevens

| uu | The Kids Are All Right from pg.31

questions or concerns. “We welcome and encourage any signs and t-shirts with the March for Our Lives logo, or slogans such as #ENOUGH,” Hero-Shaw wrote, “and other messaging that honors the victims of gun violence.” During this year’s Diversity Parade, Tampa Pride’s official community tribute will feature an in memoriam for the lives lost at Stoneman Douglas, something

Tampa Pride president Carrie West says stemmed from an emergency meeting between the two organizations. “It will have 17 picture posters representing the people killed,” he says, “held by 17 people in Tampa Pride’s tribute to the community event at noon.” It’s at that time that Ren Joseph, an 18-year-old student at Blake High School will discuss bringing the two movements together and introduce the vigil. “I think it’s important, even though it is Pride and it is about

our community that we connect with the people who were affected by the shootings,” Joseph says. “Obviously, Pulse happened [nearly two] years ago and it’s the exact same issue that needs to be dealt with today. Even though this recent event wasn’t about us, we still consider them as part of the community.” “I think our generation in general is just far more accepting and we’re open to change, we’re open to being different,” Plant High School student Brooke Shapiro, 18, agrees. “We

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

embrace our uniqueness and our differences.” Shapiro, along with fellow Plant student Macie Lavender, 17, organized Tampa’s March for Our Lives. “We immediately jumped into how we could organize a sister march,” Lavender says. “We want to not only show recognition to the victims of the Stoneman Douglas attack, but also we want to honor their legacies and try to promote change in the most active way that we possibly can. “Living in Tampa, we are not that far from Parkland,” Shapiro

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notes. “I actually know some of the survivors, so this issue itself is just very close to me personally. I think it just affected a lot of the students in Florida and nationwide. They felt compelled to do something, and the two of us are very active in politics and in our school in general, so we felt like we would be the right people to do this.” The duo saw the connection between the LGBTQ community and their cause right away. “We have a very close relationship to

continued on pg. 35 | uu |

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TAMPA PRIDE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

MarCH 23, 2018 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

tampa pride night at the Florida aquarium with drinks, entertainment and appetizers

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Full aquarium access including the penguin encounter

MarCH 24, 2018 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Tampa Pride breakfast buﬀet at Hamburger mary’s tampa

MCC pride: Reverend Jakob Hero-Shaw’s Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Tampa has a long history with Tampa Pride, seen here marching at the inaugural event in 2015. PhoTo By BruCe hArdin

| uu | The Kids Are All Right from pg.33

the Pulse attack,” Lavender says. “Our communities are linked. There are obviously students who are in the LGBTQ community and Orlando’s even closer to Tampa than Parkland. “We want to work together with Pride,” she continues. “That’s why we’re doing the joint vigil to recognize the victims. We’re hoping to encourage a lot of our marchers to go to Pride, and let them know that they can march with Jakob’s church and participate in both. We want to show that the communities are aligned.” It’s something that echoes the very mission statement of Tampa Pride. “Equality, diversity, inclusiveness and celebration are values that we all share and enjoy,” West says. “Diversity creates community, our 2018 theme, stems from what Tampa is all about.” Local Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) will also be marching during Tampa Pride with GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. “I’ve got five clubs officially signed up through me,” co-chair of the organization’s Tampa chapter Lora Jane Riedas says. “We’ve put it out there as a general thing. We may have students who do both the March for Our Lives and Tampa Pride.

Ideally I would love to see kids do both, that would make my heart happy.” Riedas, a teacher at Riverview High School, has been with the Tampa chapter of GLSEN for nearly four years. “The local chapter tries to be a support system as much as it can to the GSA clubs in the area, whatever they call themselves—whether it’s an alliance club, a pride club, common ground… but whatever club is trying to bring that diversity peace to their school culture, we want to be a resource for them.” She says the organization works as a placeholder for local GSAs who wish to participate in Tampa Pride. “With teenagers a lot of it’s sort of this ebb and flow where we’ll get a big wave of kids doing a lot of stuff and then it’ll die back and then come forward again,” she says, referring to 2018 as an “up year.” “We’ve had a lot of kids contact us about different things,” Reidas notes. “There were a couple of different clubs started this year. We’ve seen groups and clubs individually try to do more stuff within their school, with some that want to step outside of their school and make change within the community itself.” “I think it’s important for students or kids in general to participate in things like Pride or the March for Our Lives because it’s something we care about,”

Gulf High School student Audrey Vilaihong, 17, asserts. “Any form of political activism or saying that you care about something and not being afraid to say you care about it, I think it’s freeing for people.” Vilaihong says that “the younger you are when you get involved, the more likely you are to vote and to get out there and make sure that the laws that are put in place are what you want. The younger you start out, the more change you can make when you participate.” Plant High School student Savannah Lowry, 18, agrees. “It’s very important that youth are involved,” she says. “We are the future and we have a fresh perspective on everything that’s going on in the world. You see a bit of everything that goes on as you grow up, as you get older, and in a way we’re more inspired than a lot of people who’ve been voting for years and years. “People need to realize that we can make a change,” Lowry asserts. “We will make a change, and that’s what we’re here to do.” “This whole youth movement is really exciting, especially for a high school teacher,” Reidas says of the participating students. “The kids stepping up, everything they’re doing after Parkland, it’s really an exciting time to watch teenagers come into their own again.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

9:50 am – 11:00 am

tampa bay pride band plays with guest speakers, featured entertainment

10:00 am

tampa pride street festival opens

10:00 am

arts and crafts area opens

10:00 am

artisans Fair opens

10:00 am

mayor bob buckhorn and local organizers speak at the festival main stage

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

live entertainment, acts and bands

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

93.3 FLZ DJs ﬁll in for live entertainment, acts and bands

12:00 pm

Special community tribute featuring local GSa organizations, key West rainbow Flag, tampa bay pride band, Suncoast Softball league and in memoriam for Stoneman douglas High School victims

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm diversity parade

2:30 pm

Power Inﬁniti, featured entertainment perform on the main stage

2:30 pm

Hamburger mary’s stage in central ybor opens

5:15 pm

all tampa pride events closed

7:00 pm – 3:00 am

tampa pride at night begins in sponsor bars and restaurants

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A fAMily AffAir: (L-R) Blue star, natalie nayles, sorcha Mercy, gadiel vazquez, Milan deMarco, jose navarro and rob Ward at The Venue for The Lady Boys’ after party show. PhoTo By jAke sTevens

Mama’s Family BLUE STAR PUTS GENDER FLUIDITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH

T H E LA DY BOYS OF T HE PE E K- A- B O O L O U N G E

Jeremy Williams

rlAndO perfOrMer BlUe

Star is one person who embodies empowerment and being comfortable in your own skin. Blue came to Orlando in 2000 to attend Full Sail University after a successful dancing career in Atlanta and New York. She planned to stay for just 13 months; she never left. In 2012, Blue opened the theater The Venue.

“I just wanted a place to put on my shows,” Blue says. “But as I say now it’s not my Venue anymore, it’s Orlando’s Venue. It’s a safe place for performers to try out new things and new shows and take risks and really grow themselves.” Taking risks and trying new shows brings us to Blue’s latest venture, The Lady Boys of the Peek-A-Boo Lounge—a takeoff from Blue’s burlesque show The Ladies of the Peek-A-Boo Lounge—which features an all-male cast of burlesque performers. “I know what it’s like to be these boys who love to do burlesque,” Blue says.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“I have always been the ‘real girl’ who does drag. I’m the only female to have performed at the Parliament House in a drag show. I was the first female to host a drag show. I have worked my ass off to be accepted by the drag community here.” Blue saw a part of herself in these boys and knew if she gave them the stage that they could knock it out of the park. “I had a couple of the boys come do the amateur night, and I watched them and thought there just is not a place for these

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continued on pg. 39 | uu |

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| uu | Mama’s Family from pg.37

guys,” Blue says. “They like to do burlesque, they like to wear pasties, but they don’t want to pad. I have these extremely talented boys so why not showcase that. Why not give them a home.” The Lady Boys were born and, as Blue likes to describe it, another family was added to The Venue. “They all call me Mama now. I have all these other families in my life and it’s nice to add on another one. I’m the person who never had children who now has 30 children,” Blue says, laughing. Now that the Lady Boys had a home, they needed a show. “I have a writing partner in Rob Ward,” Blue says. “Literally he was there at The Venue one night and I told him I want to work on this thing with the boys and I want you to do it with me. We have always wanted to collaborate on something that is different than what we normally see out there.” Ward is no stranger to Central Florida’s theater scene. He has directed, written and acted in shows from Disney to Fringe, and is also known as the outrageous entertainer Pepe. “Blue came to me and was talking about a show for lady boys, boys who don’t fit into one style and wanted me to help write it,” Ward says. “It became this show that is about performers who can’t be defined by gender; a boy who’s a little feminine, a girl who is on the masculine side. Somebody who has something to offer everyone.” The show was built around the talents of the Lady Boy performers and is a blend of Blue’s two biggest troupes—The Ladies of the Peek-ABoo Lounge and VarieTEASE. “It’s the perfect marriage of The Ladies, who are all about the tease, and the story-driven shows of VarieTEASE,” she says. The boys all bring their costume concepts to the table. When you see their costumes, that is all them. They bring that look and Rob will write the story and then we share music ideas and then I pull it all together.” The Lady Boys premiered at The Venue with their first show in the fall of 2017 called Fairy Tales and it was a huge success. “It was beautiful and it was awe-inspiring,” Blue says. “To see the boys, who all got a standing ovation, together on stage really put a stamp on it. These boys are something and it is powerful.” So just who are these Lady Boys?

Monthly appointment: The Lady Boys of The Peek-A-Boo Lounge perform the first Monday of every month at The Venue in Orlando. Photo Credit jake stevens “You will see an ever growing and rotating cast of Lady Boys,” Blue says. “I want to make sure that we don’t become too stagnant. But everyone of them are amazing and will make you question yourself no matter how you identify.” Jose Navarro is the first of The Lady Boys that Blue met. Navarro is a violinist and cello player who has had his own Fringe shows, and his first solo show, at The Venue. “He brings that sultriness to the table,” Blue says. “He will make you uncomfortable in the blink of an eye, and he has many ways of doing that whether it’s through his music, his storytelling or his dancing.” Gadiel Vazquez, a Lady Boy who Blue knew from Pulse, has been a go-go dancer in Central Florida for several years. “He is what I like to call gender-twisted,” she says. “He brings a dance element to the show that is so natural. For lack of a better term, he is kind of my dance captain. He will lead some of the rehearsals and

You will see an ever growing and routing cast of Lady Boys. I want to make sure that we don’t become too stagnant. But everyone of them are amazing and will make you —Blue Star question yourself no matter how you identify. has taken on the responsibility of learning the choreography from me and teaching it.” Sorcha Mercy is the “couture drag” Lady Boy who is always looking at ways to re-invent herself according to Blue. “Sorcha is very smart and really brings the twists and turns to the show,” Blue says. “You never really know what you’re going to get with Sorcha. I really applaud that.” Weego is the Lady Boy from the ‘90s club kid culture. “He brings that element of WTF. His costuming is outrageous and fantastic. His knowledge of when to be funny and when to be serious

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

and when to direct attention and when not to direct attention is impeccable,” Blue says. Then there is Milan D’Marco. “When I think of Milan I think of those beautiful eyes and that little booty,” Blue says with a laugh. “As far as all the boys go, Milan embodies the aspect of burlesque the most. He really gets the tease aspect of it all.” D’Marco is a Pulse survivor who wasn’t performing as much after the shooting. Then Blue brought him to the Lady Boys. “I’ve always fit the criteria of a Lady Boy,” D’Marco says. “I’m unconventionally apart of many conventional crafts, I think all of us

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are, and that’s why we find ourselves here. I love the people that I get to work with. I love that we play off of each other’s strengths to bring the audience something that they have not seen before.” Blue recalls getting a text message from D’Marco shortly after bringing him into the Lady Boys troupe. It read, “Thanks Mama for guiding me to my family.” The Lady Boys of the Peek-A-Boo Lounge’s next show Heavens Got Talent, a celebrity impersonation show hosted by Lucille Ball, will be April 2 beginning at 9:00 p.m. at The Venue. For tickets visit TheVenueOrlando.com.

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Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

theater

HIR and Now

Transmasculine actor Salem Brophy on transgender pronouns and plays It’s also a somewhat weird word, If I’m a trans guy, and I call myself transmasculine because technically that’s correct… what if I’m not masculine at all?

What drew you to HIR?

My friend saw the casting call for transgender actors in Tampa Bay and immediately sent it to me. I had told myself I was going to take a break from acting, but I thought it looked really cool. I was really worried when I first started reading it because at first Max looks almost stereotypical. But as I kept reading, I realized that none of the characters were stereotypes at all. How so?

They had some stereotypical things to them, but they were a lot more human than that. They were people, they weren’t just caricatures. It was clearly written from a place of wanting to challenge everyone: not just right-wing people but also people who think of themselves as progressive. How do you think it challenges the right?

HIR ZE IS:

Salem Brophy plays transgender teenager Max in HIR, pronounced “here,” and prefers the pronoun ze.

Photo courtesy Pritchard Photography

“T

Ryan Williams-Jent

here aren’t a lot of plays

like HIR out there,” Salem Brophy says. “I can’t audition as myself and just end up in a rom com... It’s important that Jobsite cast a transgender actor in this role.”

Brophy plays Max, a lead in the Jobsite Theater’s production of the pitch-black comedy HIR, pronounced “here.” It follows a suburban family comprised of a battered housewife, an Afghanistan veteran, a disabled stroke victim and Max, the transgender “leftist teenager,” as they deal with a new and absurd reality. Watermark caught up with Brophy to discuss the importance of transgender representation on the stage and pronouns both on and off of it.

WATERMARK: What led you to pursue theater?

SALEM BROPHY: I was a kid that would join different activities and then immediately quit. Theater was always

something that even if I quit, I always came back. I realized that all I really wanted to do was be on stage and be involved with telling stories, whether that’s writing, doing set design or [performing.]

You describe yourself as transmasculine. How would you define that to readers who may not be familiar with the term?

People who identify as transmasculine tend to be people who are assigned female at birth and don’t necessarily agree totally with it, or just outright disagree with it. Transmasculine is an umbrella that includes trans guys, but it also includes non-binary people who may be more masculine in presentation.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The playwright isn’t interested in converting the Mike Pences of the world, because they’re beyond reproach. But there could be some moderately conservative parents of trans teens in the audience who don’t know what is going on with their kid. Maybe seeing Max scares them at first, but later they understand that this is a human being. This isn’t just a little punk, although Max is definitely a little punk. The different subversions of the archetypes that we’re used to: the vet, the trans teenager, the battered housewife…. I think that challenges a lot of conceptions about family values that I think are typical of right-wing conservatives. How are progressives challenged?

I think it does an even better job of lampooning people who tend to see themselves as very liberal, progressive or open-minded. [People] think they’re hip, open or accepting, but then something comes in and they’re like, well that’s ludicrous. That’s a step over the line. But is it? How would you explain Max’s preferred pronouns hir and ze?

Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

They’re a third option for gender pronouns that don’t have anything to do with he/him, or she/her. I think for Max, they’re significant because ze has an attachment to LGBT history. They’re pronouns that were used by Leslie Feinberg who wrote Stone Butch Blues and was a pioneer of trans masculinity and of blurring the lines of gender and sexuality. Hir is a pun because it’s pronounced like “here.” Which pronouns do you prefer?

For simplicity I tell people I prefer he or him, but I don’t really know what pronouns I prefer. The idea that assigning gender to pronouns seems a little nebulous to me because there’s this history of lesbians using “he/him” and gay men using “she/her.” I don’t care, as long as if someone’s going to call me “she/her” it’s not with the intent that I’m a cisgender woman because I’m not. I’m like, super not. WHY IS TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION SO IMPORTANT?

If you have a trans woman in a play and you cast a cisgender man, to a certain extent you’re just backing the idea that trans women are just men in dresses. If you’re looking to cast a trans guy and you cast a cisgender girl instead, you’re backing up the idea that these are just young women that want to be men. It takes opportunities for employment away from transgender actors. There are lots of us out there; I’m proof of that. As a transgender actor, I occupy this gray, third space in-between being female or male. If I audition for a role that’s a man, I usually won’t get it. I can’t pass as a guy as well as a cisgender guy can, if at all. There aren’t a lot of plays like HIR out there. You can’t just have a play where there happens to be a trans character and it’s not a big deal at all. I can’t audition as myself and just end up in a rom com. It really helps to marginalize people like me out of work, so I think that it’s really important that Jobsite cast a transgender actor in this role. Why should readers see HIR?

It’s fucking hilarious. It crosses a whole bunch of lines and that’s almost what makes it funnier because of that audacity. It’s not comedy for comedy’s sake and it’s not just social commentary for the sake of getting up on a soap box. It’s all intentional, the absurdism and realism, you need both of them. It’s really funny but it also makes you think. HIR runs until Apr. 1, 2018 at the Jobsite Theater in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center. For more information or to buy tickets, visit JobsiteTheater.org.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

Miro

community calendar

event planner

arts+entertainment

central florida

Zebra coalition’s Foster parent info session

Nunsense A-men, March 16-April 25, Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park. 407-645-0145; WinterParkPlayhouse.org

SUndAy, MArCH 25, 12:30 p.M. firST UniTAriAn CHUrCH, OrlAndO

Waitress, March 2025, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org Tashae royale sherrington’s Birthday royale, March 23, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando Othello, March 23-31, Osceola Center for the Arts, Kissimmee. 407-846-4643; OsceolaArts.org A View From the Bridge, March 23-April 22, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com March For our Lives, March 24, Lake Eola Park, Orlando. MarchForOurLives.com erotica, March 24, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Alice Cooper, March 24, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com herstory: The Fashion show, March 26, Aloft Downtown, Orlando. 407-380-3500; AloftOrlandoDowntown.com

Who’s that girl Australian songstress Betty Who brings her infectious pop sound to The Social in Orlando March 29 and to the State Theatre in St. Petersburg March 31. PhoTo By ZAk CAssAr, CourTesy BeTTyWhoMusiC.CoM

Jersey Boys, April 1, Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach. 386-671-3461; PeabodyAuditorium.org

tampa Bay

Babes in Bonnets 2018, March 26, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com

Daddy Long Legs, March 16-April 8, freeFall Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-498-5205; freeFallTheatre.com

Betty Who, March 29, The Social, Orlando. 407-246-1419; TheSocial.org

Alice Cooper, March 23, Ruth Exckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Bare Beef, March 30, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com Disaster!, March 30-April 15, Daytona Playhouse, Daytona Beach. 386-255-2431; DaytonaPlayhouse.org sashay! featuring rdr alum, March 31, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com

Tampa Pride Parade and Festival, March 24, Ybor City Historic District, Tampa. 813-777-4832; TampaPride.org Tampa Bay diversity Chamber Pride Watch Party, March 24, The Italian Club, Tampa. 727-755-8390; DiversityTampaBay.org

Balance Tampa Bay’s Pride Balcony Party, March 24, Honey Pot, Tampa. 813-247-4663; BalanceTampaBay.org deToX of RuPaul’s Drag Race, March 24, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625; SouthernNightsTPA.com spring kick off Party, March 25, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, March 27-April 1, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org Marvel vs. dC Cosplay night, March 29, The Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg. 727-258-8753; IberianRooster.com Jersey Boys, March 29, The Lakeland Center, Lakeland. 863-834-8100; RPFundingCenter.com

OWl Game Day THUrSdAy, MArCH 29, nOOn-3:00 p.M. lGBT+ CenTer, OrlAndO The LGBTQ+ Center’s Older Wiser Learning (OWL) program is having Game Day at The Center for senior members of the community to come out and socialize over an afternoon of fun and games. This is a recurring event held every Thursday. Lunch will be served during the program. For more information contact The Center at 407-228-8272 or visit TheCenterOrlando.org.

tampa Bay

demi Lovato & dj khaled, March 31, Amalie Arena, Tampa. 813-301-6500; AmalieArena.com

saGe seminar: exploring identities

Betty Who, March 31, State Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-895-3045; StateTheatreConcerts.com

THUrSdAy, MArCH 29, 11:00 A.M.-12:30 p.M. MCC TAMpA, TAMpA

down the rabbit hole, March 31, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625; SouthernNightsTPA.com

sarasota Roe, March 16-April 15, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota. 941-351-8000; AsoloRep.org Little Women, March 22-April 8, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton. 941-748-5875; ManateePerforming ArtsCenter.com Lewis Black, March 23, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-953-3368; VanWezel.org

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a foster parent? Have you always assumed you may not be eligible to become one? Zebra Coalition is working with Community Based Care of Central Florida to provide information to LGBTQ individuals and couples who want to open their homes to foster children and answer any questions you may have. The event is free and open to the public. More information is available by calling 407-228-1446, ext. 4967.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

Metro Wellness’ LGBTQ+ Youth & Transgender Coordinator Cole Foust will lead a seminar on exploring identities within the LGBTQ+ community. This workshop will be an open forum and discussion for you to ask questions about gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations that fall outside of lesbian and gay identities. The event is free and open to everyone. More information can found at MetroTampaBay.org.

Brews for Q’s: a Festive lGBTQ+ Fundraiser SATUrdAy, MArCH 31, 4:30-9:00 p.M. flyinG BOAT BreWinG CO., ST. peTerSBUrG Flying Boat Brewing Co. — joined by Metro Community Centers, Equality Florida, Come OUT St. Pete and TIGLFF—presents a family-friendly LGBTQ+ fundraising event featuring music, photo booths, games and drag performances. Food will be available from Punky’s and Vanchetta Food Truck as well as a selection of craft brews from Flying Boat. After party follows at Enigma St. Pete. For more information visit FlyingBoatBrewing.com.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

overheard sashay aWay

AMBUrGer MAry’S TAMpA HAS filed A MOTiOn TO diSMiSS THe leGAl COMplAinT filed by Colorado resident Neldin Molina seeking $1.5 million in compensatory damages from the popular eatery and drag performer “Amanda D’Hod.” According to paperwork filed in mid-February, Molina’s lawsuit alleges that she was injured by the performer’s breasts during a dinner in 2015, though it notes “Amanda D’Hod” may not be the performer’s name. It further asserts that she wasn’t warned by the entertainment eatery about the evening’s drag performances, and argues that as a result she now faces morbidity, mortality and chronic non-malignant pain from the alleged incident. “D’hod” was unable to be served, paperwork shows, and the three-page motion to dismiss filed in early March asserts that Molina’s account “is so vague” it doesn’t allow an accurate response. “This is improper pleading and creates confusion when framing a responsive pleading,” Hamburger Mary’s lawyers argue. “Said allegations are against distinct entities, which are all contained in one count.”

tampa Bay out+aBout

Welcome to the fam

neW lGBTQ eSTABliSHMenT, Self-deSCriBed AS “TAMpA’S HOTTeST neW GAy ClUB,” will soon open its doors at the former “Levi and leather” bar 2606. The two-story Cristoph’s Tampa says the new locale will open at the end of March 2018 with an “epic” grand opening, having conducted interviews for drag performers and dancers on March 20. Tampa Pride has also praised the upcoming bar, located at 2606 N. Armenia Ave., noting that while their doors aren’t yet open they had already supported this year’s event. Welcome to the family!

Bye Bye Bri

UlTiple WAVe AWArd-WinninG reAlTOr And COMMUniTy AdVOCATe BriAn lOnGSTreTH has announced a change in ownership for St. Petersburg’s Your Neighborhood Realty. “Change in the Neighborhood! After 19 years as the Broker-Owner of Your Neighborhood Realty, it’s time to pass the reigns to Julie Apted-Longstreth,” Longstreth shared via social media in early March. “Julie and husband Jim are taking over with the opening of Your Neighborhood Realty Associates, Inc. in the same location at 2440 Central Avenue.” Longstreth subsequently praised the duo’s work ethic and noted that “when we opened the Grand Central Office in 2000, many people thought we were crazy. While that is probably still true, it’s been exciting to see the growth of the Grand Central District and surrounding neighborhoods over the years.” The 26-year real estate vet shared that he’ll stay active as a Broker Associate, but borrowed Representative Maxine Waters’ line to note that he’s “reclaiming my time.” He also offered a special thank you to family and friends for their years of support. Congrats, Brian!

2 3

nOW pOSe: erick herrera (L) and Adriana sparkle channel their best prom moment at the State Theatre’s After Dark party on March 10. PhoTo By ryAn WiLLiAMs-jenT

O’niGMA: justin Palmer (L) and Chris hannay go green for St. Patrick’s Day at Enigma on March 17. PhoTo CourTesy jusTin PALMer

reAdinG iS fUndAMenTAl: Blaire grabs the latest Watermark, noting we were the first LGBTQ publication she’d ever read, during 2018’s Manatee Pride on March 17. PhoTo By

ryAn WiLLiAMs-jenT

COMMUniTy COOp: kyle hill, Ana Corsi-Travali, Lauren Lance and owner russell Andrade (L-R) take in Iberian Rooster’s Watermark WAVE Award win at Hamburger Mary’s Tampa on March 8. PhoTo By ryAn WiLLiAMs-jenT

Winner: Chris gudis, erick, jeremy Fetters and jose (L-R) keep the party going at Bradley’s on 7th after Fetters’ WAVE Award win on March 8. PhoTo By ryAn WiLLiAMs-jenT

pride plAnninG: Directors, volunteers and community leaders meet for 2018’s final Tampa Pride board meeting on March 6.

PhoTo By ryAn WiLLiAMs-jenT

Up And AT ‘eM: WFLA’s Leigh spann, gayle guyardo, Watermark publisher rick Claggett and TB Bureau Chief ryan Williams-jent (L-R) discuss Guyardo’s WAVE Award win on Great 38 WTTA on March 9.

PhoTo By FeLiX vegA

flOWer pOWer: Equality Florida’s gina Leigh duncan (L) and Lakey Love share the love at the Florida Transgender Leadership Summit in Clearwater on March 17. PhoTo By MeLody MAiA MoneT

7 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

overheard

central florida out+aBout

the center names diversity aWard recipients

n MArCH 9 THe lGBT+ CenTer OrlAndO, inC. AnnOUnCed the recipients of the 2018 Orlando Diversity Awards, which will be presented at the sixth annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast. State House Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith was named as the Champion of Equality recipient, Orlando Police Department Chief John Mina was named as the LGBT Ally of the Year and Orlando performer and activist Blue Star was named as this year’s LGBT Trailblazer. Sam Singhaus—a Central Florida performer, activist and the man behind the legendary drag entertainer Miss Sammy—will receive The Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award. “These award recipients really highlight the diversity of our community and we are proud to honor them. They have each made a positive impact on our community and make it a better place to live” said George Wallace, executive director of The LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc., in a press release. Past award recipients have included City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, OPD’s James Young, Pulse owner Barbara Poma and transgender activist Gina Duncan, just to name a few. The sixth annual Harvey Milk Breakfast will be on May 16 at Dubsdread Catering in Orlando. Tickets are $45 each and available at HarveyMilkBreakfast2018.eventbrite.com. More information on The Center, which is celebrating its 40th year, can be found at TheCenterOrlando.org.

rememBering Billy manes through activism

He pride fUnd TO end GUn ViOlenCe’S OrlAndO reCepTiOn, held at The Abbey on March 14, was not only an event to kick off the Political Action Committee’s 2018 election efforts, but also to officially launch the Billy Manes Advocacy Fellowship. “Billy was on our board and he had such a history of activism and advocacy when he passed away, in his honor we created Billy Manes Advocacy Fellowship,” says Pride Fund founder and executive director Jason Lindsay. “D.C. is where a lot of people love to go for their internships, which is great because they can gain valuable work experience there, but it’s expensive. Now most internships are unpaid, so we created a fellowship program with the specific goal of helping with that financial burden.” Recipients of the Billy Manes Advocacy Fellowship will receive paid travel and live-in expenses, a pay stipend and have a paid internship at Pride Fund for each semester in Billy’s name. “This will help to bring a disadvantaged youth the opportunity in D.C. to be a fellow with us and be exposed to an advocacy platform and learn how to do all the passionate things that Billy did,” Lindsay says. Students who are passionate about activism and interested in an internship can send a cover letter and resume to Jobs@PrideFund.org.

STAndinG AGAinST GUn ViOlenCe: Many members of the Central Florida community; including eric rollings, Rep. Carlos guillermo smith and Mayor Buddy Dyer came out to support the Pride Fund To End Gun Violence at The abbey in Orlando March 14. PhoTo By jereMy WiLLiAMs

HOSTeSTS WiTH THe MOSTeST: doug Ba’aser (L) and Miss sammy hosted the 2018 Central Florida WAVE Award party at Celebration Gardens in Winter Park March 9. PhoTo By

hAZeL jAndiCk

Allied TeAM: Orlando Mayor Buddy dyer (center) accepted his 2018 WAVE Awards at his office March 16 from Watermark’s Central Florida Bureau Chief jeremy Williams (L) and Business Manager kathleen harper.

PhoTo CourTesy CiTy oF orLAndo

ST. pATTy’S SHAMrOCK SHOrTS: Orlando City Commissioner Patty sheehan gets into the Irish spirit for St. Patrick’s Day at Ritzy Rags Wigs & More in Orlando March 17. PhoTo

CourTesy jACkie jones MCALeer

THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW: ryan Tofte (L) and Tim Leddy enjoy the Broadway Brunch Bunch at Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando March 11. PhoTo By

jereMy WiLLiAMs

CeleBrATinG COnneCTiOnS: (L-R) nate Melton, Armen silverbach and yesenia sanchez network at the MBA Orlando Business Connect social at Celebration Gardens in Winter Park March 7.

PhoTo By jereMy WiLLiAMs

findinG CArinG pArenTS: Foster Parent Recruiter kyraneshia Coleman (L) with Community Based Care of Central Florida leads a discussion panel with j. nicole Cordova, yvonne rose, shelly rose and jeanette Montanez at The Center Orlando March 8. PhoTo By jereMy WiLLiAMs

#SELFIE: ed dobski (L) gets a selfie with The Tonight Show’s panda mascot hashtag while at Universal Studios March 18. PhoTo CourTesy ed doBski

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

announcements

Wedding Bells

austin & philip Gustin-Helms from St. Petersburg, FL

enGaGement date:

September 9, 2016

weddinG date:

February 24, 2018

Venue:

morean center for clay

flOwers:

Succulents & eucalyptus provided by the Flower centre of St. petersburg

cOlOrs:

Sage green, copper, ivory, and purple

weddinG sOnG and artist:

“la Vie en rose” by edith piaf

dJ Or band name:

the bay kings band

caterer:

Good Food catering

attire VendOrs:

men’s Wearhouse

Officiant:

philip’s uncle, mark o’brien

cake bakery:

cakes by carolyn

cake flaVOrs:

alternating butternut cake with lemon ﬁlling and orange cake with cream cheese ﬁlling, all covered with buttercream frosting

PhoTo By sue LyTeL

fTer THree MOnTHS, AUSTin

and Philip made their relationship official. Almost four years later, they heard the words “I now pronounce you married.”

Mississippi native Austin Helms had just moved back to St. Petersburg after living in New York City and wasn’t sure he was ready for a relationship. Then he met Philip Gustin. “The conversation was fun and easy,” he says about their lunch date at The Avenue. “The attraction was obviously there.” Philip remembers being captivated by Austin’s piercing blue eyes. “If I hadn’t been crushing on him already from our texts, I sure was then!” The couple decided to take it slow—mostly on Austin’s preference. “Honestly, if I’d had it my way, we would have been dating within a few weeks of meeting and engaged much sooner,” says Philip. “But Austin always told me that love is a ‘slow burn,’ steady and long. Damn, he was right.” After three months of seeing each other, Austin and Philip made their relationship exclusive. They moved in together, adopted a sweet puppy to expand their family and

started making long-term plans for the future. Philip loves Austin’s sense of humor and cherishes that there’s not a day that goes by “that he doesn’t bring a smile to my face and belly laughs with his wit and humor.” Philip is a freelance graphic and interior designer and has a natural penchant for aesthetics, which Austin loves about him. He also loved that Philip was always open to new experiences during their first few months of dating. That made it exciting. “New recipes, new cocktails, new places to discover. That’s still one of my favorite things about [Philip],” he says. Austin planned the proposal, which started with notes outlining moments in their relationship hung throughout their apartment. The notes led Philip to Austin, who was down on one knee. Austin proposed with a Claddagh ring. “Of course,” says Philip, “there was nothing I wanted to say more in my life than ‘YES!’”

The last note said, “Remember when all of our friends were there to celebrate our engagement?” At that moment, a loud cheer came from behind the fence, and all of their friends poured through the back gate with champagne and hugs. On February 24, 2018, Austin and Philip said “I do” at the Morean Center for Clay on the St. Petersburg Bayfront. Philip recalls, “What made our ceremony extra special was that my uncle, a gay man who recently married his longtime partner, was our officiant. Included in his thoughtful words were reminders that same-sex marriage is relatively new in our society. Having family and friends at our wedding, many of whom have fought so hard over the years for marriage equality, made it even more special.” Even though it’s only been a few weeks since Austin and Philip tied the knott, they have found themselves in a rhythm. “While our day-to-day lives may not have changed a whole lot, when we speak of the future, it makes me excited for the life we’ve created.”

lOcal birthdays

Metro Wellness helping hand Christian klimas, Orlando dancer Tia kadena (March 22); Channel 13 News IT Director ian Michael, T Network leader jennifer kurzawa (March 23); Southern Nights Orlando showgirl Chevelle Brooks, Carlton Fields Jorden Burt COO Annie hiotis, St. Petersburg-based Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps board member eric Peak, Watermark groupie Christopher Milliron (March 24); plant whisperer jennifer Parrish, Tampa’s Todd Brown, Aquarium aficionado Brian gallaher (March 25); Tampa photographer john kantor, former St. Pete Pride board member delores ringgold, former Gazette publisher Brian Feist, VarieTEASE dancer Megan Boetto, Tampa Bay author Chris gibson, Bowled Over Promotions star Lisa Brown (March 26); Orlando’s former LAVA Lounge bartender and current realtor at Olde Town Brokers jay Wood, St. Petersburg chef domenica Macchia, Orlando dancer Brittainy A. derden, career counselor Chad Brown, Naked Eye Studio’s john Caroll, Tampa Karaoke Jockey extraordinaire and straight ally normie dunn (March 27); Tampa softballer randal spiller, Sarasota equality advocate jen drake, New Church Family Inc. of Daytona Beach administrative assistant jerry Corlis (March 28); local actor jon jiminez, Moffitt Cancer Center media relations coordinator steve Blanchard (March 29); Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas president susan Mcgrath, Sarasota based guitarist and Watermark cover model jamie gee (March 30); XL 106.7 FM and Pride Radio diva rae, Orlando actor doug Ba’aser (March 31); dj Lindsey Leigh, dj Twisted dee, Big Bang BOOM! cabaret boss lady gams d’vyne, Central Florida musician Melissa Crispo, Equality Florida supporter elizabeth Albelo, Watermark Tampa Bay freelancer samuel johnson (April 1); former cover model Aaron sanford, Orlando-based flight attendant james sparkman, former Watermark graphics artist Catherine Thompson, Tampa Bay-based Concept Bait’s Frank Clemente, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council founder and president rand hoch (April 2); Orlando performer Bridgette galore AKA darren Charles, Bowled Over Promotions’ karyn Bell, Orlando’s didi Panache, AKA douglas Mcgeough (April 3); Orlando playwright david Lee, SOLE Orlando leader kate Murray, burlesque performer kissa von Addams, Bowled Over Promotions’ dawn kallio, Disco Donnie Presents production manager james dinnan (April 4).

dO yOu haVe an annOuncement? haVinG a birthday Or anniVersary? did yOu Get a new JOb Or PrOmOtiOn? see your news in Watermark! send your announcement to editor@Watermarkonline.com or go to Watermarkonline.com/submit-a-Transition.

it’s that easy!

—Holly V. Kapherr

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 LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

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Read It Online! head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - A pr il 4 , 2018 // Issue 25.0 6

the last page

PhoTo By jAke sTevens

aGe: 34

hOmetOwn: orlando, Florida

identifies as: Straight ally

Out year:

2004

hire date:

September 2016

holly V. Kapherr

PrOfessiOnal rOle mOdel:

Former editor-inchief at now-closed Gourmet magazine and former new york times food critic ruth reichl

Freel ance Writer

What Was your first story With WATERMARK? WATERMARK

My first column was for the 2016 Pride Guide, profiling the Taste of Pride event that, sadly, got rained out because of Hurricane Matthew.

autObiOGraPhy title: Hungry For More: A Life Lived With a Full Plate

What kind of Writing do you do WATERMARK? for WATERMARK

hObbies:

My recurring column is Wedding Bells. I love telling the love stories of couples who’ve taken the plunge and have found it rewarding and fun to be married. I also am a food, lifestyle and travel features writer for Watermark.

cooking, reading and traveling

What made you Want to Write for WATERMARK? WATERMARK

Billy Manes was a friend and former colleague at Orlando Weekly. When he became editor-in-chief of Watermark Watermark, he brought me on board and I was thrilled to work with him again, as well as to serve a community I feel passionate about. Since his death, I’ve been honored to continue working on the magazine and taking on projects I feel he’d be proud of. What is your favorite thing aBout Writing for WATERMARK?

The opportunity to dive deeper into subjects I’m passionate about and that benefit LGBTQ businesses and families in the community. The “We Are Family” feature I wrote last year about LGBTQ adoption and fostering was one of the proudest moments of my professional life. I am adopted and writing that story was deeply personal for me. I am infinitely grateful to my subjects for being open and honest about their experiences.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

What is your favorite thing aBout the local lgBtQ community?

How incredibly diverse it is. That diversity makes our community strong, resilient and endlessly interesting. When did you develop a passion for Writing?

I couldn’t get away from it, honestly. I tried to do other things, and just came back over and over again to writing. It’s a compulsion, as many great writers have said. I finally just had to give myself over to the words. What do you like Writing aBout the most?

People. As a food and travel writer, palates and places are my main focus, but telling the stories of the people behind those places and foods is really where I find the most reward in writing. What do you Want WATERMARK readers to knoW aBout you?

You are so loved and admired by your straight allies, including myself. We want nothing more than for you to live fabulous lives and never shed a tear for who you are. There are many days when I wish I could live as out loud as some of my gay friends. What advice Would you give your younger self?

You’re not going to be the best at everything, and that’s totally OK. Slow down and stop beating yourself up.

Watermark is the collective product of a team of incredibly hardworking individuals. Over the next series of issues, we’re using this space to introduce each member of our staff and contributors to you. When you see us out and about in the community, stop and say, “Hello.” We’d love to meet you.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Ma rch 22 - a pr il 4 , 2018 // issue 25.0 6

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