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COMMUNITY Terminology JOurnalism students cOmpile a list OF cOmmOn—and sOme nOt sO well-knOwn—seXual OrientatiOn and gender identity terms
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departments 7 // bureau chieF’s desk 8 // central FlOrida news 10 // tampa bay news 12 // state news 15// natiOn & wOrld news 21// talking pOints 43// cOmmunity calendar 45// tampa bay Out + abOut 47// OrlandO Out + abOut 48// tampa bay marketplace 50// OrlandO marketplace 53// wedding bells/ annOuncements 54// last page
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Florida is an uncertain place right now. the united states is an uncertain place right now… but I believe that we can be a part of the solution in terms of being a place for people to come heal and experience joy. –PRODUcING ARTISTIc DIREcTOR DAVID M. jENKINS ON jOBSITE ThEATER’S 20Th ANNIVERSARY SEASON.
On the cOver
PAGE Funny bear:
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PAGE COMMUNITY
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TERMINOLOGY:
Journalism students compile a list of common—and some not so well-known—sexual orientation and gender identity terms.
scan Qr cOde FOr
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“Mean Girls” and “Looking” star Daniel Franzese details his iconic roles, activism and standup.
watermark issue 25.17 // august 23 - september 5, 2018
grOwing center
team eFFOrt
we’re here, we’re Queer? 2-0
PAGE The Center Kissimmee has held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony.
PAGE Community organizations form Zero Pinellas initiative to combat HIV in Pinellas County.
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
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Viewpoint columnist Greg Stemm weighs in on using the term “queer.”
Tampa’s Jobsite Theater celebrates its 20th season with “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and more. PAGE
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EOLA NORTH
cenTral florida
bureau chief’s
Jeremy Williams CFL BUREAU CHIEF
Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com
B
desk
EGINNING AUG. 16, PROMPTED BY
The Boston Globe, over 400 news outlets nationwide shared their support for the free press and their opposition to Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on it.
“A central pillar of President Trump’s politics is a sustained assault on the free press. Journalists are not classified as fellow Americans, but rather ‘The enemy of the people,’” the outlet wrote. “This relentless assault on the free press has dangerous consequences. We asked editorial boards from around the country – liberal and conservative, large and small – to join us today to address this fundamental threat in their own words.” Today, Watermark answers The Globe’s call. We stand with journalists and citizens across the nation to say, enough!
Founded in 1994, Watermark is a multi-faceted media company, using opportunity and innovation to communicate and advance LGBTQ interests. We have a corporate emphasis on professionalism while building strong relationships with our readers, customers and community. Trump — whether addressing supporters at his rallies or addressing the nation, and the world, through his Twitter account — has built his presidency on calling the press “fake news” and “the enemy of the people.” We are not the enemy
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of the people; we are the people, dedicated to sharing the truth. We are the people who celebrated with the community when marriage equality came to the whole United States. We are the people who mourned with the community when ignorance and gun violence made us feel unprotected in our safe havens. The triumphs and the tragedies found within the stories of our ever-growing LGBTQ community have merit and meaning. We will continue to listen to and share them. In part, it’s why Watermark’s first in-depth of the year was a look at how Trump’s first year in office impacted the LGBTQ community. Whatever your feelings on the man, it’s difficult to deny he’s impacted every community across the nation— ours very much included. From Trump’s selection of notoriously anti-LGBTQ Mike Pence as his running mate to tweeted transgender military bans, Watermark has covered the nation’s 45th president. We’ve done so because it is our responsibility. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly, nor has it been taken lightly by the journalists who have come before us who held those in institutions of power accountable for their actions. The press is the most powerful weapon a free society has to wield against corrupt institutions, and leaders, while they may not have to always like the press, must respect them for their role in a free democracy. Founding Father, and our third U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson — who at times expressed a great dislike of the press — understood its importance, writing “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a
government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with journalists from across the country and around the world, Watermark will continue to bring the stories that amplify your voices and speak truth to power. The first step to speaking truth is knowing the language, so in this issue we’ve assembled a glossary of proper gender identity and sexual orientation terms. We also chat with “Mean
standing shoulderto-shoulder with journalists from across the country and around the world, Watermark will continue to bring the stories that amplify your voices and speak truth to power.
Girls” star Daniel Franzese and we check in to see what Tampa’s Jobsite Theater has in store for its 20th season. We hope you enjoy the latest issue and we leave you with this, from the New York Times’ editorial, “If you haven’t already, please subscribe to your local papers. Praise them when you think they’ve done a good job and criticize them when you think they could do better. We’re all in this together.” This issue’s Bureau Chief Desk was penned jointly by CFL Chief Jeremy Williams and TB Chief Ryan Williams-Jent.
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cOntributOrs
cOrrectiOn:
Issue 25.16, “Primary Season,” incorrectly identified Orange County Commissioner candidate Eric Rollings as running in District 4 on both the contents page and in a photo caption on pg. 29. Rollings is running in District 3. We regret these errors.
MIchAEL WANzIE is
an Orlando-based playwright, actor and ordained minister. He is most recognized for his direction of productions in the Orlando area. Page 17
GREG STEMM
lives in Gulfport, Fla., and has worked as a freelance writer for several local publications. He is a founding member of St. Pete Pride and active politically in Tampa Bay. Page 19 sabrina ambra, nathan bruemmer, scOttie campbell, miguel Fuller, divine grace, samuel JOhnsOn, JasOn leclerc, melOdy maia mOnet, david mOran, greg stemm, rachel stevensOn, dr. steve yacOvelli, michael wanZie
phOtOgraphy brian becnel, nick cardellO, bruce hardin, Julie milFOrd, travis mOOre, JamarQus mOsley, chris stephensOn, lee vandergriFt
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 Orlando mayor announces Florida’s first multi-stall, all-user government building restroom Jeremy Williams NOW OPEN:
O
RLANDO | Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced Aug. 7 that City Hall will be the first government building to house a multi-stall, all-user restroom in the state of Florida. The announcement was made during Dyer’s 2018 State of the City where he laid out “60 reasons we love Orlando and are excited about our future.” The theme was meant to coincide with the mayor’s 60th birthday. “What else do we love about Orlando? How about the love we show one another,” Dyer said in his speech. “Our commitment to equality, to making Orlando a place where everyone is treated equally and everyone is welcome.” Dyer announced the brand new City Hall restrooms at number 34 on his list. “The first multi-stall, all-user restroom in a government building in Florida, soon to open at Orlando City Hall, that will increase accessibility for transgender people and those with disabilities,” Dyer said. The new public restroom will provide a safe, private facility for all City Hall workers and visitors, “including people with disabilities who may require an attendant of a different gender, parents with children of a different gender and transgender and gender-diverse individuals,” according to a City of Orlando press release. The new restroom will have two single stalls and a handicap-accessible stall. It will be located near the men and women restrooms on the second floor of City Hall, the most commonly used floor by the public, according to the city. While transgender individuals are welcome to use any restroom at City Hall that aligns with their gender identity, the all-user restroom will offer another option if they feel unsafe or fear discrimination. A 2015 survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Rights found that 59 percent of transgender adults in the U.S. avoided using public restrooms in fear of discrimination. The survey also found that 32 percent of transgender adults limited the amount they ate and drank to avoid using the restroom. “The issue relating to bathrooms has been an issue around the country in different states, North Carolina being one that immediately comes to mind, and this sets an example that we are a welcoming community and that we are going to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome,” Dyer said in a press conference after his speech. City Hall’s all-user restroom is planned to be complete and open by the end of August.
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Executive Director George Wallace cuts the ribbon as community leaders look on to officially open the new LGBT+ Center Kissimmee. Photo by Meghan Sweeney
Growing Center The Center Kissimmee has grand opening and ribbon cutting, announces expanded partnership with Zebra Coalition Jeremy Williams
K
ISSIMMEE, Fla. | Politicians, media, local leaders and community members gathered at the new LGBT+ Center in Kissimmee for its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 15. George Wallace, executive director of The Center, welcomed guests before introducing a string of political leaders — State Rep. John Cortes, Congressman Darren Soto and Osceola County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb — who all expressed gratitude for The Center coming to Kissimmee. “As an elected official we get invited to a lot of these ribbon cuttings, but I have to say that this is probably the one I’m the most proud of,” Grieb said with tears in her eyes. “Not just because I was the first openly gay elected official in Kissimmee and Osceola County, who helped pass domestic partner benefits for the city before we had marriage equality for all. Also, not as the one who fought for and passed the Human Rights Ordinance in Osceola County. I want to say I’m most proud as an individual gay woman. I grew up here, been here
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since 1974, and when I came out, I knew I was different and I didn’t have a place like this to come out to. This is so great, and it’s so great for our youth.” Grieb presented The Center with a proclamation from the county. The Center Kissimmee, located at 21 W. Monument Ave., officially opened its doors on Aug. 8. The opening was made possible by donations from the Contigo Fund, AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) and several hundred individual and small business donors, according to Wallace. “I want to acknowledge the story of how this became a reality,” Wallace said to the crowd that gathered for the ribbon cutting. “I started with the organization in December. I was so excited when I got here and they said, ‘We’ve applied for a grant with the Contigo Fund.’ Following the Pulse tragedy, the Contigo Fund gave us money and they said, ‘This is what the community needs, especially the QLatinx community. They need services.’ And what better place to do it than in Kissimmee.” The Center was given $26,148 by the Contigo Fund and another $25,000 by AHF. Within a month, The Center
Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
had raised almost $75,000 to open the Kissmmee location. The Center Kissimmee will bring several services to the area including: free HIV and Hepatitis C testing, local support groups, a cyber center and counseling. The Center also announced that it will be partnering with Zebra Coalition to expand the LGBTQ youth services available in Orlando to Kissimmee as well. The program expansion —made possible by grant support from both the Contigo Fund and Orlando Health — will include youth mental health counseling support, as well as youth and parent support groups facilitated by a Zebra Coalition mental health counselor. “Zebra Coalition is pleased to collaborate with The LGBT+ Center to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to the LGBTQ+ community in Kissimmee,” said Heather Wilkie, Zebra Coalition’s executive director, in a press release. “We believe that having a combined space that offers safe and supportive services is critical for all communities and want to thank our partners for welcoming us to the area.” The Center and Zebra Coalition have worked collaboratively for many years in Orlando. “The partnership is a natural progression as the two organizations continue to grow and offer services outside of the downtown Orlando area,” Wallace said. For more information on both LGBT+ Center locations, visit TheCenterOrlando.org, and for more information on Zebra Coalition’s programs and services, visit ZebraYouth.org.
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Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
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tampa bay news
Tampa welcomes thousands for 2018 Gay Softball World Series Ryan Williams-Jent
T
AMPA | Tampa Bay will host the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance’s (NAGAAA) Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) for the first time in the organization’s history Sept. 3-8. Formed in 1977, NAGAAA is an international sports organization comprised of male and female softball players. The 501(c)(3) is dedicated to providing the LGBTQ community the opportunity to participate in organized competitions throughout North America. Over 17,000 players from 46 cities in Canada and the United States currently participate in member leagues, competing in divisions known as A, B, C, D, Masters Classics and Masters Legends. Each year, players from the two countries converge for the organization’s GSWS in a host city, which NAGAAA bills as “the largest annual, LGBT single-sport, week-long athletic competition in the world.” Tampa GSWS, Inc., its own 501(c)(3) organization, formed in 2016 for the sole purpose of hosting 2018’s GSWS. The organization’s officers have worked to execute this year’s competition and surrounding events since its inception, which NAGAAA advises has broken records. The Tampa GSWS will feature 194 teams, 2,842 registered athletes and 26 Masters teams, NAGAAA notes via social media. There will be 12 teams from division A, 27 from B, 64 from C, 65 from D, 11 from Masters Classics and 15 from Masters Legends. NAGAAA’s website also notes that while the organization’s primary focus is the athletic competition itself, they are also committed to helping the host city’s local community.“ NAGAAA raises thousands of dollars through its annual fundraising event held each year,” it reads. “The money supports various local HIV/AIDS organizations, as well as other local non-profits.” The GSWS’ opening ceremony will be held Sept. 3 from 5-10 p.m. at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in Tampa, including a parade of flags along the Riverwalk. A Hall of Fame dinner will be held Sept. 4 from 6-10 p.m. at the Florida Aquarium. NAGAAA Hall of Fame, the organization notes, is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual player. Tampa GSWS, Inc. Executive Director Ron Frank will be awarded the honor during this year’s ceremony. This year’s charity fundraiser will be held Sept. 5 from 5-10 p.m. at the Marriott Waterside pool deck and ballroom and will benefit Empath Partners in Care (EPIC). All proceeds raised from the evening of raffles will benefit the nonprofit. Players and fans will commemorate this year’s GSWS Sept. 8 with a closing party at Ybor’s Cuban Club from 6-11:30 p.m. The event will feature live entertainment and team trophy presentations.
For more information about 2018’s GSWS, this year’s surrounding events or to volunteer your time, visit TampaGSWS.com or email volunteers@tampagsws. com. For more information about NAGAAA, visit NAGAAASoftball.org.
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PINELLAS PROUD:
Joy Winheim, Gayle Guidash, Priya Rajkumar, Jimmy Baumgartner, Stacy F. Orloff, Michael Ruppal, Dr. Ulyee Choe (L-R) and Lorraine Langlois (front) convene for Zero Pinellas in April. PHOTO COURTESY ORLOFF
Team Effort Community organizations form Zero Pinellas initiative to combat HIV Ryan Williams-Jent
S
T. PETERSBURG | Seven community organizations have partnered to form Zero Pinellas, an initiative granted $2,207,694 over three years to reduce new HIV infections in Pinellas County by at least 50 percent. The participating organizations— the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, The AIDS Institute, BayCare, Empath Health and EPIC, the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County and Metro Wellness and Community Centers—were granted the funds by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. The private foundation uses its funds to support health equity countywide. “These organizations applied to the Foundation seeking ways to partner to stop Tampa Bay from HIV infection rates higher than many places in the nation; and disproportionately higher in young people, poorer people and people of color,” the foundation’s president and CEO Randall H. Russell released in a statement. “We are so fortunate to have these courageous and
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wise leaders who came together to improve and change systems in Pinellas so that new HIV infections continue to diminish over time.” The Florida Health Department’s 2016 HIV Care Continuum estimates that 4,594 people are living with HIV in Pinellas County. The report found that 3,366 of those are taking antiretroviral medication, 3,025 people had the virus suppressed and 174 people were newly infected. “Zero Pinellas is a partnership with seven different organizations who are all coming together to serve the existing HIV community as well as those who are considered to be at high risk for contracting HIV,” Zero Pinellas Project Facilitator and Empath Health’s vice president of innovation and community health Stacy F. Orloff says. “The ultimate goal is to reduce the rate of new HIV infections in Pinellas County by 50 percent,” she notes. “We feel confident that the strategies that we’ve put together should allow us to be successful.” Orloff says funding began in mid-June, noting that the initiative is now moving forward. Zero Pinellas will utilize a 90-90-90-50 cascade model to
Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
achieve its goal. It aims for 90 percent of those living with HIV to know their status, 90 percent to seek treatment and 90 percent to have suppressed viral loads, resulting in the 50 percent reduction of new HIV infections. “This has not been done in our area before now,” Metro Wellness and Community Centers Director of Health Initiatives Rebecca Nessen says of the collaboration. “It’s very exciting to have all of the partnering agencies come together to elevate the community’s response to HIV. “Each partner brings their own expertise and experience to the project itself,” Nessen continues. “Each agency is taking a piece of the project that they will focus on and bring to the table.” “I think it’s important for the community to understand that although we may have and may again in the future compete against each other for federal funding, this has been a very collaborative process,” Orloff says. “The more we work together on a collaborative basis, and really create a greater opportunity to serve, the better.” “Every community is different, every geographical location has its own culture and problems or barriers,” Nessen adds. “We’re excited to have the flexibility to create a project that will meet the unique needs of Pinellas County.” For more information about Zero Pinellas, visit ZeroPinellas.org or email Project Coordinator Shaquira Robinson at shaquirarobinson@empathhealth.org.
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
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state news JacksOnville gay teen kicked Out OF hOme will pay $0 tO attend geOrgetOwn Wire Report
j
AcKSONVILLE, Fla. | After raising nearly $130,000 to cover tuition, the gay Florida valedictorian who says his parents kicked him out will pay nothing to go to college this fall. News outlets report Georgetown University adjusted 18-year-old Seth Owen’s financial aid package, reducing his expected out-of-pocket contribution from $20,000 to $0. His aid package had been calculated based on his parents’ ability to pay. He says they kicked him out in February, following disagreements over his sexuality and an ultimatum: attend their Southern Baptist church or leave. Having initially refused to adjust aid, Georgetown has now enrolled Owen in its scholarship program. Georgetown released a statement Aug. 3 in which Owen says he hopes to use the GoFundMe set up by his biology teacher to create scholarships for LGBTQ students facing similar circumstances.
state sen. campbell: ‘the gay peOple have their rights, i have my rights’ Jeremy Williams
M
IAMI | Incumbent state Sen. Daphne Campbell (D-38) answered with “I have my rights” when pressed about her anti-LGBTQ record during an unofficial senate debate Aug. 19. Campbell faced off with challenger Jason Pizzo on CBS Miami’s “Facing South Florida,” a local Sunday morning political show. Host Jim DeFede, who moderated the discussion, asked Campbell about her 2015 vote, when she was a member of the Florida House of Representatives, to maintain the adoption ban for same-sex couples. “The gay people have their rights, I have my rights,” Campbell replied. “I took an oath to serve everyone. I don’t discriminate. I have gay people working in my office. I have gay friends. But they have their rights, I have my rights.”
DeFede pushed back on Campbell’s answer, saying by voting to keep the adoption ban for same-sex couples in place that was her putting her beliefs ahead of the rights of LGBTQ people. “No, that’s not true,” Campbell said. “This is Constitutional rights and this is freedom of speech, freedom of religion.” DeFede subsequently mentioned Campbell’s opposition to same-sex marriage. “The Christians have rights. The gay people have their rights,”Campbell replied. Campbell was also called out for her co-sponsorship of the state House’s 2015 “bathroom bill,” which targeted transgender individuals and which public restroom they would be allowed to use. “Everywhere you go, they say, ‘woman’s bathroom, men’s bathroom,’” Campbell said. “If you’re a woman in the bathroom,
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do you want somebody else to be in the bathroom?” Campbell’s record of opposing LGBTQ rights led Equality Florida to endorse Pizzo in the District 38 primary. “The Equality Florida Action PAC endorsement is a recognition of the competitive campaign that Jason Pizzo is running, his record of service, and his belief that his election will have a positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ Floridians,” said Equality Florida Senior Political Director Joe Saunders in June. Along with its endorsement, Equality Florida’s Action PAC has pledged $25,000 to Pizzo’s election. They have mailed a flyer with the headline “One Candidate Stands For Equality. One Candidate Does Not,” and a side-by-side of the candidate’s position on LGBTQ rights. “I do represent gay [people] for eight years, and I have gay staff in my office. So I have no problem with gay,” Campbell said. District 38 voters will decide between Campbell and Pizzo as to who will hold the District 38 seat come Aug. 28. The district has no Republican challenger this year.
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watermark Your LGBTQ life.
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
8/15/18 1:48 PM
nation+world news
Colorado baker in court again after refusing to make cake for transgender customer Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association
T
he owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, who became notorious after a lawsuit against him for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple went to the U.S. Supreme Court, finds himself back in litigation — this time because his bakery wouldn’t make a cake celebrating the transition of a transgender person. Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-LGBT legal firm that represented Phillips in the wedding cake lawsuit, announced on Aug. 15 it has sued the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for finding probable case he violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act for refusing to make the cake. Kristen Waggoner, senior vice president of the U.S. legal division at Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement Colorado is “ignoring the message of the U.S. Supreme Court by continuing to single out Jack for punishment and to exhibit hostility toward his religious beliefs.” “Even though Jack serves all customers and simply declines to create custom cakes that express
messages or celebrate events in violation of his deeply held beliefs, the government is intent on destroying him — something the Supreme Court has already told it not to do,” Waggoner said. “Neither Jack nor any other creative professionals should be targeted by the government for living consistently with their religious beliefs.” Phillips finds himself back in court after the Supreme Court in June issued a narrow ruling in his favor after he was sued for refusing to make a wedding cake in 2012 for the same-sex marriage of Charlie Craig and David Mullins. The Supreme Court found the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had an anti-religion bias when adjudicating the case, therefore the ruling against him was vacated, although the Colorado non-discrimination law and its LGBT protections remained in place. According to ADF, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission has found probable cause had yet again engaged in anti-LGBT discrimination by refusing to make a birthday cake celebrating a gender transition. In a complaint dated July 20 and made public by ADF, the complainant, Autumn Scardina, declared she was transsexual, requested a birthday cake with a blue exterior and pink interior to celebrate her transition, but was
denied by a female employee on the basis of religious objections. According to the complaint, Scardina was “stunned” by the response, asserted the phone was disconnected and when she called back, was hung up on. When she called back again and asked for the employee’s name, she asserts she again was hung up on. “I believe that other people who request birthday cakes get to select the color and theme of the cake,” Scardina writes. “I believe that I was not allowed to order a birthday cake because I requested that its color and theme celebrate my transition from male to female. The woman on the phone told me they do not make cakes celebrating gender changes.” ADF announced it has filed a federal lawsuit against the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for continued hostility to Phillips and his religious belief for finding probable cause against him, arguing the finding defies the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. The filing points out the State of Colorado admitted in a filing before the Supreme Court in the same-sex wedding cake case a baker “may refuse service for many reasons, including the specific design of a requested product” and not be in violation of state law.
consistent with a version passed by the House in June before the legislative session ended for the year. According to the New Boston Post, supporters of the bill in the Senate initially balked at adding an amendment that the House passed removing controversial language from the original version of the bill that called for declaring conversion therapy for minors a form of child abuse. If left in the bill, the provision could have authorized the state’s child protection agency to remove children from the home of parents who forced them to undergo the therapy, a prospect that outraged conservative activists. Deborah Shields, an attorney and executive director of Mass Equality, a statewide LGBT rights organization, said an effort by the bill’s supporters to extend the deadline for the Senate
to complete work on the bill was blocked by one of its opponents in the House, Rep. James Lyons (R-Andover). Shields said supporters of the bill plan to immediately reintroduce it in January, when the legislature begins its 2019 session. But she said the process of moving the bill through both houses of the legislature must start from scratch under legislative rules. Similar to conversion therapy bans passed in more than a dozen states and D.C., the Massachusetts bill called for banning licensed mental health professionals from performing conversion therapy to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity that is under the age of 18.
Bill to ban conversion therapy dies in Mass. Lou Chibbaro Jr. of The Washington Blade
courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association
A
bill calling for banning licensed mental health professionals from performing conversion therapy for minors died in the Massachusetts Legislature on Aug. 1, even though it had been approved by both the state House and Senate. In a development that disappointed LGBT activists, the state Senate passed the bill by voice vote without opposition minutes after midnight on the final day of the legislature’s 2018 session. But the Senate was unable to make technical changes needed to make the bill
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in other news NYU professor says emails were ‘gay-coded,’ not harassment Prominent New York University professor Avita Ronell released a statement Aug. 17 in response to a lawsuit filed against her in New York by former student and advisee, Nimrod Reitman. In the suit, Reitman said he was subjected to unwanted kissing and groping and said he received many messages that made him uncomfortable. Ronell denied having any sexual contact with her former student and said their emails contained “exaggerated expressions of tenderness” because they are both gay, not because she was sexually harassing him. Ronell called the exchange “gay-coded” correspondence. NYU has suspended Ronell for a year.
Missouri school district embraces genderneutral bathrooms A Kansas City-area school district that garnered national attention when a transgender student was crowned homecoming queen in 2015 has installed gender-neutral restrooms at two new elementary schools. The individual bathroom stalls at Rising Hill and Northview Elementary are enclosed with floor-to-ceiling walls and lockable doors. The restrooms still have an open alcove area with a common trough sink. Both male and female symbols adorn the same sign on the wall outside the bathrooms. The elementary schools opened Aug. 15. The district also used a gender-neutral design in renovated bathrooms at two sixth-grade centers and at a high school.
Transgender Pakistanis demand protection after killing Dozens of transgender people in Pakistan held a protest demanding more protection after a trans woman was shot dead and dismembered last week. The protesters gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club in the northwestern city on Aug. 20, chanting “We want protection, we want respect and rights.” Farzana Jan, president of Transgender Association, said the transgender woman, who went by the name Nazo, was killed in the suburbs of Peshawar on Aug. 17. Police say they arrested two men who were taking the body parts to dispose of them.
Armenian police says officers injured in scuffle at station
Police in Armenia say that they have detained a man on charges of assaulting and injuring police officers in an incident that followed an attack on a group of gay people. Police said the incident happened Aug. 14 after they detained a suspect in an attack on a group of gay people in central Yerevan. Following the arrest, a group of people went to a police station where the suspect was being held in an apparent bid to avenge the attack. Police said in a statement on Aug. 15 that two police officers were injured in the resulting scuffle, and one of them was hospitalized. Homosexuality is legal in Armenia, but many LGBT Armenians complain about intolerance of their identity.
Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
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FOOD TRUCK
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Hosted By: The Human Rights Campaign and The Closing Agent
A COMMUNITY EVENT AND FUND RAISER FOR THE 49 FUND Saturday, September 22 12:00p.m. – 7:00p.m.
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
SPONSORED BY
viewpoint
Michael Wanzie
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WANZIE Florida heat and summer schools
W
hy is it when a
svelte, smooth-chested, swimmer-type guy goes jogging shirtless on a scorching Orlando summer day, it is said of him that his luscious perspiration, glistening in the sunlight, gleefully beckons adoring tongues to lap up his liquid masculinity from a bronzed canvas of sensual, sun-drenched flesh, but when a big boned (read: fat) guy like me does the same thing the only thought it brings to anyone’s mind is, “Christ that tub of lard sweats like a fucking pig!?”
Never mind your snarky answers. It was a rhetorical question to which I already know the answer all too well— and thus Summer is in full stride in Central Florida. Thus continues my annual stint of carefully navigating my way into various pools at various parties with my shirt still on because I have body issues regarding my man boobs. Too much information? OK then, we’ll move on. Let it be known that among my summer exploits I have tasted the much hyped Impossible Burger—a plant-based, simulated beef patty that purports to taste, look and feel to the mouth exactly like ground beef—and I am here to tell you that the scientists at Impossible Meats, Inc. have indeed achieved a minor miracle. Not only does it taste exactly like ground beef but, if ordered medium or medium rare, it even bleeds like beef. It’s really amazing albeit a bit expensive during its rollout. It’s only available in four or five Central
Florida locations, topping out at $24.95 if ordered at The Edison in Disney Springs. However, it can be obtained for as little as $12.95 at Grillers Lakeside on Lake Fairview located on OBT. Give it a try. I promise you’ll like it... a lot. Now, WTF is up with our local school boards making kids head back to class during the single hottest month of the year, and in many counties designating a Friday of all days as the first day of class? Both are absurd premises. My pals in the system tell me that last year, after the first month of classes, many schools were officially scolded by county administrators for racking up utility bills which far exceeded the anticipated monthly average. Duh! It’s fucking 100 degrees outside and it costs money to cool a school during the hottest month of the year here in the Sunshine State! Another disadvantage of dragging kids back to school mid-summer is that theme park and hotel employers, depending on seasonal help, still need a lot of those middle and high school students to work. Nothing about starting the Central Florida school year in early August makes any sense whatsoever. At precisely the time most kids are, understandably, craving days at the beach or in the pool or working that all-important summer job to save up for their first car—and those work hours are actually available to them because it’s the height of the tourist season—the school board interrupts with, “Stop everything you are doing! We know summer is still in full swing and this is time off for students in 49 other states, but we want you to go back to school right now. In the hottest month of the year, with tourist season still in full swing and your minds focused on the things youth should be allowed to focus on during the summer. Yes, we have concluded THIS to be the ideal time to extract your best efforts as we endeavor to educate you in direct opposition to all that most would consider to be common sense.” I think we need more LGBTQ persons involved in our local politics, including on our school
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boards (I know this is a sucky segue, but just deal with it, please. After all this column started with desirably sweaty fit twinks vs. smelly chubs). We need more representation in every arena where governance occurs. The time of Patty Sheehan being a stand-out civil servant based partially on her sexual orientation has
it primaries for the midterm elections—Tuesday, Aug. 28, to be exact. Be a good gay, and an even better citizen, by becoming familiar with the candidates and issues and then exercising your right to vote. If you desire a bit of well-researched and well-informed voter guidance from a longtime community activist who is on the right
adults making decisions that affect your life. All I can tell you is that I for one am an adult who is putting great hope in your ability to do well in school, despite its ridiculous early August start time, and to do all you can to master the art of critical thinking; to keep an open mind; to be receptive to a dialogue, and perhaps even
long outrun its course. Not disparaging Ms. Sheehan in any way here, just saying that in a geographical center where the percentage of the population who identifies as LGBTQ far outpaces the national average, the makeup of the body politic needs to more accurately reflect the makeup of the community at large. Speaking of politics, August in Florida brings with
side of all the issues from a liberal, homeless-advocacy, pro-diversity, human rights-protective and feminism standpoint you may access my dear friend Jeff Horn’s Voter Guide by visiting his Facebook page or logging onto my website at Wanzie.com. In the meantime, if you are a Central Florida student, I apologize for the lack of wisdom on the part of the
a measure of consensus in all situations and debates; to cultivate empathy for those less fortunate then yourselves; to learn the true value of diversity, then insinuate yourself into the process of making our community—and ultimately the entire country—a better place to live for ALL people, aromatic glistening bronzed beauties and smelly lard asses alike.
Be a good gay, and an even better citizen, by becoming familiar with the candidates and issues and then exercising your right to vote
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
viewpoint
greg stemm
pOsitive living We’re Here...We’re Queer?
T
hERE IS A MOVE AFOOT
among millennials and younger generations to dump the evergrowing “alphabet soup” of letters (LBGTQIA) describing our community and simply call all of us “queer.” I admit I am conflicted about this argument. In many discussions I’ve had with a variety of people who might all fall under the “queer” label across a wide range of ages, the conversation brings up deeper topics about who and what we are as a community, where we want to go and where we fall in mainstream society. It may seem like a simple and silly thing, but in actuality we should all probably give it some consideration. Let’s take a look at what we mean when we say “queer.” Here is how Wikipedia describes the word: “Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning ‘strange’ or ‘peculiar,’ queer came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the late 1980s, queer scholars and activists began to reclaim the word to establish community and assert an identity distinct from the gay identity. People who reject traditional gender identities and seek a broader and deliberately ambiguous alternative to the label LGBT may describe themselves as queer.”
But even Wikipedia fudges its bets on whether this trend is broadly accepted among our community. They go on to say that “critics of the use of the term include members of the LGBT community and others who associate the term more with its colloquial usage as a derogatory insult or who wish to dissociate themselves from queer radicalism.” ABC News recently ran a story about this and quoted Reina Gossett, a 30-year-old transgender woman who identifies as “queer,” says the term is “political” and has a “legacy of resistance.” “There is a long history of people who identified on the margins of culture,” she said. “It’s about naming a lineage of people who are gender outlaws and didn’t fit into normative ideas about what it means to be gay or lesbian. It’s a way to subvert the idea that we should all be normal. That being like everyone else is a good thing.” So much for inclusion in mainstream society. The problem for many older members of the community is that “queer” has negative connotations that are almost as bad as using the “f” word. As a 57-year-old gay man who has been on the front lines of the culture wars for decades I tend to feel that way too. I remember all too well children on the playground calling me a “queer” and inclusion is not what they had in mind. On the other hand I find it interesting that the same people (including me) who were chanting “We’re Here, We’re Queer” in Pride parades in the 70s and 80s have such an aversion to the word. Many of the Gen X and baby boomers to whom I’ve spoken were open minded if others wanted to identify as “queer,” but most said they were perfectly comfortable with their designation as a gay man, lesbian or transgender person. One said she would support anyone who wanted
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to use that designation for themselves but it wouldn’t work for her, so she couldn’t see how using it to describe the entire community could be accepted. One millennial to whom I spoke said he was actually offended by both. He noted to me that if he had to have
concept to grasp. One of the reasons some millennials seem to prefer “queer” to a range of letters is that they see it as broader definition of what is actually happening with them and their sexuality. They seem to identify not a given mark, but as a continuum;
word “queer” stills means “strange,” a label she would be uncomfortable using when describing her many gay friends. I have to say the most uplifting thing about the entire conversation for me is that the motivation from both sides seems to
a letter associated with how he identified it would be “F,” for “fluid.” I ran into that type of thinking with many younger folks. They simply don’t see the need for labeling something that for them can change day by day. One person told me that he might be gayer or straighter on any given day. For many who are older that may be a difficult
some said to me that the letters confine them to one label when in fact they may wear many. Interestingly, most of my straight friends I discussed this with were strongly opposed to the idea of using the term. One said to me she had lived her whole life working on accepting gay people as normal parts of society. For her the
be about inclusion, which is refreshing in these very divisive times. No matter how we identify or what labels or terms we use to describe ourselves, let’s not forget that we are all part of one human family. Let’s come together and celebrate that!
the problem for many older members of the community is that ‘queer’ has negative connotations that are almost as bad as using the ‘f’ word.
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Invoke . Provoke . Evolve . Join the tribe and fight the spread of HIV. Embark on a journey filled with HOPE and HELP. The island is calling. EVO...EVO...EVO... Are you listening?
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
6.6
%
OF LBGQ TEENS HAVE used
HEROIN
talking points being misgendered and deadnamed in my death felt like it would be the ultimate insult to the psychological and emotional injuries I was experiencing daily as a black trans woman in New York City, the injuries that made me want to take my own life. —LAVERNE cOX, SPEAKING ON ThE VIOLENcE OF MISGENDERING TRANS MURDER VIcTIMS IN A LETTER ShE POSTED TO TWITTER.
ruby rose casT as lesbian superhero baTwoman
“O
RANGE IS ThE NEW BLAcK” STAR RUBY ROSE WILL PLAY ThE LESBIAN SUPERhERO Batwoman in the upcoming Arrowverse crossover event on the CW network this fall. Rose — who identifies as lesbian and gender fluid — will make her debut as the DC Comics heroine guest starring on the series “Arrow,” “The Flash” and “Supergirl” in December. The CW is also working on developing a standalone series for the character, written by Caroline Dries of “The Vampire Diaries” and executive produced by Dries, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Geoff Johns. If “Batwoman” is picked up by the network it will be the first TV series to focus on an LGBTQ superhero with an LGBTQ star in the lead. Several fans of the DC character took to social media attacking Rose saying that she is not the right choice for Batwoman. The attacks led Rose to delete her Twitter account.
in Their lifeTimes,
COMPARED WITH
1.3% OF HETEROSEXUAL YOUTH.
8.6% OF LGBQ ADOLESCENTS HAVE used
METHAMPHETAMINES compared wiTh
2.1% OF OTHER TEENS. —STUDY FROM RESEARchERS AT SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
rupaul shocks leslie Jones wiTh ‘drag race’ inviTaTion
“S
ATURDAY NIGhT LIVE” cAST MEMBER LESLIE jONES REcENTLY BEcAME A FAN of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” but she’s already gotten the attention of Ru himself. Jones began binge-watching the reality competition and live tweeting it in May. Jones’ tweets seemed to have made their way to RuPaul. While appearing on “Access Live,” Jones was given a surprise message from Ru inviting her to be a guest judge on the show. “Leslie girl, you got to get up on this show,” Ru said in a taped message to Jones. “I love what you’re doing on social baby. I know you’re watching all the shows. Come on, see us right now girl. Leslie Jooooones on the ‘Drag Race.’” After screaming in excitement, Jones accepted the invitation to appear on a future episode of “Drag Race.”
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‘volTron’ fans ouTraged over show’s handling of gay characTer
N
ETFLIX RELEASED “VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER” SEASON SEVEN ON AUG. 10, and since then fans have taken to Twitter to express their anger over the show’s handling of one of its LGBTQ characters. Showrunner Lauren Montgomery announced at Comic Con that the character Shiro is not only gay but has a love interest as well. Montgomery said the reaction of Shiro being gay was “overwhelmingly positive.” However the “positive reception” changed after fans watched the season, then took to Twitter to express anger at the show killing off Adam, the love-interest of Shiro. The social media backlash led to a Twitter campaign called #UnburyYourGays. The campaign begins Aug. 25.
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
Transgender acTivism group adopTs lobsTer emoJi
A
TRANSGENDER AcTIVISM GROUP IS PROMOTING USE OF MAINE’S LOBSTER EMOjI while it rallies for an emoji to represent the transgender community. The Portland Press Herald reports the group is urging supporters to use the lobster for now, which can display both male and female anatomy. The group Lobsters Against Transphobia launched an online petition last month to push the nonprofit Unicode Consortium, which controls the release of emojis, to create an emoji of the pink and blue flag commonly used to represent transgender communities. British author and activist Charlie Craggs popularized the new lobster campaign. However, a number of groups and individuals have been actively pushing for a transgender flag emoji in recent years.
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
COMMUNITY Terminology JOurnalism students cOmpile a list OF cOmmOn—and sOme nOt sO well-knOwn—seXual OrientatiOn and gender identity terms Colton adkins, Jeremy Brener, layla ferris and Kathy Ruiz
T
hE FOLLOWING PAGES WILL PRESENT
you with a comprehensive glossary of LGBTQ gender identities and sexual orientations. It was compiled by Watermark’s summer interns, who each fall along different spots on the gender identity and sexual orientation spectrums. We explore commonly used terms and some words that might sound less familiar but are just as valid. This glossary is meant for anyone— inside or outside of the LGBTQ community—who wants to educate themselves on the correct terminology.
conTinued on pg. 25 | uu |
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
| uu | Community Terminology from pg.23
The cultivation of proper terminology helps educate both the LGBTQ community and the cishet (an abbreviation of the term cisgender heterosexual) community about the identities that not everyone may have heard or may not understand. In the past, coming out as gay took so much courage and demanded even more understanding. Now that same-sex couples can get married and transgender individuals feel more comfortable being themselves, the newer gender and sexual identities fall into even more categories—everything from the ace spectrum to being a completely sexual person have so many nuances. The terms in this glossary are important because education is essential for progress. Members of these smaller groups still feel marginalized from within the LGBTQ community. As murders and other crimes increase in the United States against the transgender community, it is important that more people seek understanding in their identities. Have you ever heard a term and been confused by it? This glossary will hopefully help you define and understand the term. This glossary was assembled with the help of organizations such as St. Pete Pride, the Human Rights Campaign and the Pride Student Association at the University of Central Florida. Terms were also pulled from The Trevor Project, which is the leading national organization that provides services to LGBTQ youth who may be suicidal or going through a crisis. The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) was also a resource used when assembling these terms. AVEN provides an expansive archive of resources on asexuality and also hosts the world’s largest online asexual community. In the past, the LGBTQ community asked for understanding and equality, and the community has made such large strides toward that goal. Although still faced with countless acts of homophobia, transphobia and other forms of hate crimes, coming together in unity will allow the community to move further toward a future where everyone is equal.
Ace Umbrella [eys uhm-brel-uh] Covers a range of identities under the asexual spectrum, including demisexuality. Also commonly known as the grayscale or gray-a. Gray asexuality is considered the gray area between asexuality and sexuality, in which a person may only experience sexual attraction on occasion.
Agender
Bigender
A person with no (or very little) connection to the traditional system of gender, who has no personal alignment with the concepts of either man or woman and/or someone who sees themselves as existing without gender. Sometimes called gender neutrois, gender neutral or genderless.
A person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes a third gender).
Androgynous
A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender or gender identity though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.
[ey-jen-der]
[an-droj-uh-nuh s]
Identifying and/or presenting as neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine.
Aromantic [ey-roh-man-tik]
Experiencing little or no romantic attraction to others and/or with a lack of interest in romantic relationships/ behaviors. Aromanticism exists on a continuum for people who experience no romantic attraction or have any desire for romantic activities, to those who experience low levels of romantic attraction only under specific conditions. Many of these different places on the continuum have their own identity labels (see demiromantic). Sometimes abbreviated to “aro” (pronounced like “arrow”).
[bahy-jen-der]
Bisexual
[bahy-sek-shoo-uh l]
Many people who recognize the limitations of a binary understanding of gender may still use the word bisexual as their sexual orientation label, which is often because many people are familiar with the term bisexual (while less are familiar to the term pansexual).
Cisgender [sis-jen-der]
A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. The abbreviation “cishet” is commonly used to refer to a individual who identifies as both cisgender and heterosexual.
Asexual
[ey-sek-shoo-uh l]
Demigender
Demisexual
An umbrella term for nonbinary gender identities that have a partial connection to a certain gender, including the partly female identity demigirl, and the partly male identity demiboy. For some, they may identify with two or more genders while others may not.
Little or no capacity to experience sexual attraction until a strong romantic or emotional connection is formed with another individual, often within a romantic relationship.
[dem-ee-jen-der]
[dem-ee-sek-shoo-uh l]
Enby [en-bee]
Short form of a person who is nonbinary; that is, a person whose gender identity is neither strictly male nor female. Comes from the pronunciation of NB, the abbreviation of Non Binary.
Enbyfriend [en-bee frend]
Equivalent to boyfriend or girlfriend relating to someone who is nonbinary.
Gay [gey]
A person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to members of the same gender.
Homosexual
[hoh-muh-sek-shoo-uh l] Clinical term considered derogatory and offensive by many gay and lesbian people. The Associated Press, New York Times and Washington Post restrict usage of the term. Gay and/or lesbian accurately describe those who are attracted to people of the same sex.
Gender Binary [jen-der bahy-nuh-ree]
The idea that there are only two genders and that every person is one of those two.
Genderexpansive [jen-der ik-span-siv]
Conveys a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system.
Gender Expression
[jen-der ik-spresh-uh n] External appearance of one’s gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, haircut or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially-defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.
Experiencing little or no sexual attraction to others and/or a lack of interest in sexual relationships/behavior. Asexuality exists on a continuum for people who experience no sexual attraction or have any desire for sex, to those who experience low levels, or sexual attraction only under specific conditions. Many of these different places on the continuum have their own identity labels (see demisexual). Sometimes abbreviated to “ace.” Asexuality is different from celibacy in that it is a sexual orientation whereas celibacy is abstaining from a certain action. Not all asexual people are aromantic.
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PARADE + FESTIVAL + ENTERTAINMENT + FIREWORKS
OCTOBER 13 DRAG RACE 5K
WEEKEND LAUNCH
REEL PRIDE: “MAR”
HOUSE OF PRIDE
BLOCK PARTY
CELEBRATE THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER PRIDE WITH A FULL WEEK OF EVENTS
comeoutwithpride.org/events 26
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
TWO BRUNCHES
Gender-fluid Gender Neutral
[jen-der floo-id]
This term is used to describe facilities that any individual can use regardless of their gender (e.g. gender neutral bathrooms). This term can also be used to describe an individual who does not subscribe to any socially-constructed gender (sometimes referred to as “Gender Queer”).
[jen-der ahy-den-ti-tee]
[jen-der noo-truh l]
Gender Identity One’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Intersex
Gender non-conforming [jen-der non-kuh n-fawrm-ing]
A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category.
A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender; of or relating to a person having or expressing a fluid or unfixed gender identity.
Genderqueer
Heterosexual
People who typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as “genderqueer” may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.
Used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is to people of the opposite sex. Also known as “straight.”
[jen-der-kweer]
[het-er-uh-sek-shoo-uh l]
Mx. [in-ter-seks]
People who without any medical interventions develop primary and/or secondary sex characteristics that do not fit neatly into society’s definitions of male or female. Many visibly intersex babies/children are surgically altered by doctors to make their sex characteristics conform to societal binary norm expectations.
Intersex people are relatively common, although society’s denial of their existence has allowed very little room for intersex issues to be discussed publicly. Has replaced “hermaphrodite,” which is inaccurate, outdated and generally offensive since it means “having both sexes” and this is not necessarily true as there are at least 16 different ways to be intersex.
Kinsey Scale Lesbian
[kin-zee skeyl]
A classification system for gauging sexual orientation, designed by Alfred Kinsey, and ranging from 0 (exclusively heterosexual) to 6 (exclusively homosexual).
LGBTQ
Latinx
[lez-bee-uh n]
[el-gee-bee-tee- kyoo]
[lat-n -ex]
A woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women.
An initialism standing for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.”
A gender-neutral alternative to Latino, Latina or Latin@ that aims to be inclusive of people that do not fall within the gender binary from Latin America.
[mixter, mix]
An honorific (e.g. Mr., Ms., Mrs., etc.) that is gender neutral. It is often the option of choice for folks who do not identify within the gender binary. For example, “Mx. Smith is a great teacher.”
Nonbinary [non-bahy-nuh-ree] watermark Your LGBTQ life.
Category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities which are outside the gender binary and cisnormativity.
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Novigender
[noh-vahy-jen-der]
When a person’s gender experience—or lack thereof—is so complex that it is difficult to describe under one word or term.
Pansexual
[pan- sek-shoo-uh l] Not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender or gender identity.
Pangender
Polyamory/ Polyamorous [pol-ee-am-er-ee] / [pol-ee-am-er-uh s]
Refers to the practice of, desire to or orientation towards having ethically, honest and consensual non-monogamous relationships (i.e. relationships that may include multiple partners). This may include open relationships, polyfidelity (which involves more than two people being in romantic and/or sexual relationships which is not open to additional partners), amongst many other set-ups.
Polygender
Queer [ pan-jen-der ]
A nonbinary gender that encompasses more than one gender. A pangender person may consider themselves a member of all genders. Pangender individuals may identify with gender neutral pronouns.
[pol-ee-jen-der]
A person who experiences multiple gender identities, which can occur at the same time or separately.
Used as an umbrella term to describe individuals who don’t identify as straight. Also used to describe people who have a non-normative gender identity, or as a political affiliation. Due to its historical use as a derogatory term, it is not embraced or used by all members of the LGBTQ community. The term “queer” can often be used interchangeably with LGBTQ (e.g., “queer folks” instead of “LGBTQ folks”).
[kweer]
If a person tells you they are not comfortable with you referring to them as queer, don’t. Always respect individual’s preferences when it comes to identity labels, particularly contentious ones (or ones with troubled histories) like this.
Use the word queer only if you are comfortable explaining to others what it means. As some people feel uncomfortable with the word, it is best to know/feel comfortable explaining why you choose to use it if someone inquires.
Questioning
Spectrum
Trans*
Transgender
Ze/Zir or Hir
A term used to describe people who are in the process of exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The range of sexual orientations and gender identities that go from heterosexual and cisgendered to homosexual and transgender. All sexual orientations and gender identities fall somewhere on their respective spectrums.
An umbrella term covering a range of identities that transgress socially-defined gender norms. Trans with an asterisk is often used in written forms (not spoken) to indicate that you are referring to the larger group nature of the term, and specifically including nonbinary identities, as well as transgender men (trans men) and transgender women (trans women).
An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. The term “Trans” is shorthand meaning transgender.
Alternate pronouns that are gender neutral and preferred by some trans* people. They replace “he” and “she” and “his” and “hers” respectively. Alternatively some people who are not comfortable/do not embrace he/she use the plural pronoun “they/their” as a gender neutral singular pronoun.
[kwes-chuh n-ing]
Sexual Orientation [sek-shoo-uh l awr-ee-uh n-tey-shuh n]
An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people.
[spek-truh m]
[tranz]
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
[tranz-jen-der]
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[zee/ zeer or heer]
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arTs and enTerTainmenT
D
Funny
Bear
From “Mean Girls” and “Looking” to HIV activism and standup comedy, Daniel Franzese talks his iconic roles watermark Your LGBTQ life.
Jeremy Williams
ANIEL FRANzESE cAME INTO
pop culture view for most people after he appeared in the hit movie “Mean Girls.” The 2004 film was written by comedy queen Tina Fey, produced by “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels and starred a bevy of up-and-coming stars including Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Poehler and more.
Franzese starred as Damian, the flamboyant kid at school who was openly and unapologetically gay. His character had most of the film’s quotable lines, taking “Mean Girls” from a hit teen comedy to a cult status movie that is still played to its rabid fanbase nearly 15 years later. Franzese went on to cement his status as a gay icon by appearing in HBO’s 2014 series “Looking,” where he played Eddie. The character was a big, lovable bear, the love interest to Frankie Alvarez’s character Agustin and HIV-positive. Franzese came out of the closet between making “Mean Girls” and “Looking,” and has since built a successful career in standup, on YouTube and as an LGBTQ and HIV activist. Watermark spoke with Franzese ahead of “Mean
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Girls: On Wednesdays We Wear Pink,” a one-night event he will be attending with his openly gay “Mean Girls” co-star Jonathan Bennett at the Majestic in Orlando Sept. 26.
you were born in brooklyn and Then moved To souTh florida when you were a kid. whaT was your childhood like?
It was good. I have a very big family in Brooklyn, my grandfather had twelve brothers and they all lived on the same block, so I grew up knowing all my first, second and third cousins. We moved to Florida when I was seven and it was a little different. It was a little harder to make friends but I definitely got more into theatrics.
conTinued on pg. 33 | uu |
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only person who we were totally honest with.
| uu | Daniel Franzese
You’re also well known for appearing in the HBO series “Looking.” What was it about that series that made you want to be a part of it?
from pg.31
That’s when you first developed your passion for performing?
Well, living on that block in Brooklyn, whenever I learned something like the ABCs or a new song I would do what I affectionately call the “coffee table circuit” and I would go from family member to family member’s coffee tables and perform. Early on I learned that I could get a lot of positive attention and make people feel really good by performing, so as long as I can remember I’ve been an entertainer.
Your most well-known role is Damian from 2004’s “Mean Girls.” When that film came out Lindsay Lohan was a big name and Tina Fey, who was working on “Saturday Night Live,” penned the script. What went through your mind when you found out that you were going to be starring in a movie with Lindsay Lohan, written by Tina Fey?
To be honest, I actually didn’t know who Lindsay was [at the time]. She had just done “Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday” but those weren’t the kind of movies I was watching, I was 26 when I did “Mean Girls,” so her films weren’t on my radar. Tina wasn’t on “SNL” yet as a performer, she was a writer, so as much as I really loved her as a writer I didn’t really find her that intimidating either when I first met her. But I was very excited to work with all these up-and-coming people that were about to blow up. You could feel the energy of that about to happen. Also to work with everyone from “SNL,” I was so honored… Lorne Michaels and “SNL” was always a major influence on me.
Comedy queen: Daniel Franzese is currently on tour with his standup comedy act which brings him to the Improv in both Orlando and Tampa this November. Photo courtesy Rinato Arts
I’ve had such an incredible outpouring of love from new fans and old fans and it’s awesome. My audience is filled with comedy fans, it’s filled with queer people, it’s filled with old Italian moms that come and check it out. It’s a really great mix of people. —Daniel Franzese on his standup comedy shows like for the most part it was all joy. We had so much fun; we laughed so hard and had such a great time.
You were surrounded by a lot of strong, veteran comedic talent: Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey, also Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer. What did you take away from being able to perform with these comedic giants?
You have some of the most quotable lines in the movie. Was there much improvising on the set or are those all Tina’s words?
It was incredible! It was very uplifting, it was exciting, there was a nervous energy on it, especially because I was talkative and a closeted gay guy but I felt
We got to improvise a bit. When Damian said, “I want my pink shirt back,” that was my line. Also, at the end when they throw the crown she goes “look, I’m a
queen.” I improvised “as am I,” which I thought was Damian’s way of sort of coming out.
“Mean Girls” was a hit when it came out, but it’s attained this cult status that films rarely do. When you all were shooting the film did you foresee that it was going to be that big?
No, I mean you never know. We were hoping, and it’s so awesome that it happened, but you can’t foresee that.
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
You mentioned earlier that you were closeted while you were doing the movie. Both you and Jonathan Bennett were in the closet publicly while filming and for several years after. Privately did you both know you were gay?
Yeah, it took awhile but then Jonathan and I and Lizzie Kaplan would hide out every night and hang out together. Lizzie was the
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They offered me the role, so that was the first step [laughs]. But when [“Looking” co-creator] Michael Lannan took me to breakfast and offered me the role he explained to me that Eddie was going to be pursued by Agustin, and he was going to be a sexy bigger guy, a cuddly bigger guy, who spoke his mind, and that he would be HIV-positive, but he’ll never ever get sick in the history of the show. We’re going to show what it’s like in today’s age of prevention and treatment. I found that so exciting. I found it exciting not only to tell an HIV-positive storyline, but to see a sexualized, larger size guy who in the gay lexicon would usually be the gay comic relief and it was really exciting to know, despite these things that normally in gay storytelling end up being “unlovable,” he was going to not only be pursued in spite of this but perhaps because of it. He just lives his life so proud. I mean who would say no to that, it’s so exciting. I was so proud to play it and I tried to play it honestly and fearlessly but a lot of credit has to go to Andrew [Haigh] and Michael [Lannan] for creating a character like that. You have a popular YouTube series called “Shit Italian Moms Say,” and they are hilarious. Any chance we will be getting anymore of those videos?
I’m actually looking into ways right now to do it animated. That’s what we’d really love to do for the future of that. We are going to be releasing an Italian mom doll sometime in the spring where it will say a lot of phrases from the videos and along with that I’d love to complete some sort of animated project that I could release. Are you looking at expanding the YouTube series or is it going to be an animated series on television?
I’m certainly going to shoot high and try to see if I can get it on television but if not I’ll do it Continued on pg. 35 | uu |
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PARADE + FESTIVAL + ENTERTAINMENT + FIREWORKS
OCTOBER 13 DRAG RACE 5K
WEEKEND LAUNCH
REEL PRIDE: “MAR”
HOUSE OF PRIDE
BLOCK PARTY
CELEBRATE THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER PRIDE WITH A FULL WEEK OF EVENTS
comeoutwithpride.org/events 34
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
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TWO BRUNCHES
Rob Panepinto is an innovative business leader with a vision and blueprint to build an even better Orange County.
BRINGING ORANGE COUNTY TOGETHER • Promoting A Diverse And Inclusive Community (NOT SO) MEAN GAYS: “Mean Girls” stars Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett are wearing pink
on Wednesday, Sept. 26 for their event at Orlando’s Majestic. PhOTO COURTeSy RinaTO aRTS
| uu | Daniel Franzese from pg.33
myself. I’ve got to do it for the fans either way.
you and JonaThan are coming To orlando for an evenT called “mean girls: on wednesdays we wear pink parTy” aT The maJesTic. whaT can you Tell us abouT iT?
It’s going to be really fun. We’re going to be doing a meet-and-greet, and I’m sure there will be a lot of fun surprises. I don’t think fans of “Mean Girls” will be disappointed. you are also doing a loT of Travel wiTh your sTandup. how is ThaT going?
Fantastic. I’ve had such an incredible outpouring of love from new fans and old fans and it’s awesome. My audience is filled with comedy fans, it’s filled with queer people, it’s filled with old Italian moms that come and check it out. It’s a really great mix of people. I leave for Scotland soon, then I come back to the States and head to Ohio and then a bunch of other states. I’m actually going to be in Orlando and Tampa at the Improv in November.
is This your firsT sTandup Tour?
Yeah, the past four years I’ve been on TV shows so I haven’t been able to leave and before that I was working on different projects, so now it’s really exciting because I’m going to be touring through 2019. how many ciTies are you doing?
A lot [laughs]. I really lost count, it’s not a set tour so if I find a way to add a city I do it.
i wanT To Talk To you abouT your chariTy work. you’re really big inTo lgbTq acTivism and hiv/aids awareness, in facT you’re an official ambassador for The eliZabeTh Taylor aids foundaTion. how did ThaT come abouT?
I am friends with Elizabeth Taylor’s grandson, Quinn Tivey. A friend of mine found out he was HIV-positive and I called Quinn for some advice and some help for him because he wasn’t taking his meds and he was hiding out in his house and he didn’t want to face his diagnosis. So Quinn immediately got me in touch with Joe Goldman, who’s the managing director of Elizabeth
Taylor’s AIDS Foundation, who found him some help, found him a new doctor, found him a way to get meds delivered to his house, got him to be happy, healthy and undetectable. I watched it happen before my eyes, it was wonderful. At that point I was able to announce that I was on “Looking,” so before we started filming we were able to get some of the current information to HBO and build a bridge between them and the charity so they could make sure that the information was current and up-to-date. I go every year to Washington with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation for AIDS Watch and we lobby Congress and talk to them about our needs for reducing stigmas and getting better information out there and prevention. It was combined with my love for Eddie and my research and my friend, but really it was Mrs. Taylor’s commitment and legacy, the stories I have heard about her, what she has left behind and her beautiful family that has inspired me. I will be an activist until we eradicate this disease.
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
• Prioritizing Public Safety For All Residents • Creating Opportunity For Higher-Wage Jobs • Solving Our Affordable Housing Crisis
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
ELECTION DAY: TUESDAY, AUG. 28th Paid for by Rob Panepinto for Orange County Mayor
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“AS GOVERNOR, I WILL PROTECT
OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY FROM TRUMP
Donald Trump threatens to reverse the progress we have made toward equality. Trump’s Supreme Court has already ruled in favor of bigotry, but Jeff Greene will fight to ensure Florida is protected from the dangerous Trump agenda.
and his Supreme Court.”
• Pass state level protections for LGBTQ rights, including marriage equality, adoption, and anti-discrimination laws. • Pass the Florida Competitive Workplace Act to protect LGBTQ workers from being discriminated against or fired. • Protect our children by establishing strict penalties for bullying based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
FIGHTING AGAINST HATE AND BIGOTRY
VOTE DEMOCRAT JEFF GREENE FOR GOVERNOR Paid by Jeff Greene, Democrat, for Governor.
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TheaTer
Jobsite and the Artistic Itch Tampa’s Jobsite Theater turns 20 with ‘Hedwig’ and more
BY JOSEPH MCDONOUGH DIRECTED BY DAVID M. JENKINS
OCT 12 – NOV 4, 2018
813.229.STAR (7827) JOBSITETHEATER.ORG SHIMBERG PLAYHOUSE STRAZ CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
SPONSORED BY
BY ADAM LONG, DANIEL SINGER & JESS WINFIELD
BY NICK PAYNE
DIRECTED BY KATRINA STEVENSON
JUL 12 – AUG 4, 2019
DIRECTED BY SUMMER BOHNENKAMP
MAR 15 – APR 7, 2019
813.229.STAR (7827)
813.229.STAR (7827)
JOBSITETHEATER.ORG
JOBSITETHEATER.ORG
SHIMBERG PLAYHOUSE STRAZ CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
SHIMBERG PLAYHOUSE STRAZ CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS SPONSORED BY
(above)
BIG 2-0:
Jobsite Theater’s 20th season posters. Read Producing Artistic Director David M. Jenkins’ “20th tidbids” on p. 39. PhOTOS COURTeSy JObSiTe TheaTeR
“I
Ryan Williams-Jent
N A LOT OF WAYS WE’VE BEEN ThE
little theater company that could,” Tampa’s Jobsite Theater co-founder and Producing Artistic Director David M. Jenkins says. “We started in 1998 with nothing, as five friends who weren’t seeing the kind of theater in town that we were interested in, as far as being artists. We decided to take it into our own hands.” watermark Your LGBTQ life.
They did exactly that, forming the professional nonprofit 501(c)(3) theater company Jobsite, a collective of like-minded artists dedicated to the creation of socially- and politically-relevant theater. Now in its 20th season, the company produces six shows each year—ranging from experimental new plays to contemporary and classic masterpieces. It does so as the official company in residence of the David A. Straz, Jr. Center
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for the Performing Arts, a partnership that was solidified in 2003 when Jobsite took over the Shimberg Playhouse. Jenkins recalls the year as monumental, noting that “even though we’d been around since 1998, in 2003 we knew we’d better put our big kid pants on.” “Our development has been really slow but at the same time I think that’s why we’ve made it 20 years,” Jenkins adds. “We haven’t always had the money to do things that other people can do but that’s forced us to be a lot smarter and find more creative solutions to things.” A nonprofit theater company, he jokes, runs “on WD-40 and duct tape.” For a company like Jobsite, Jenkins continues, “it all begins and ends with money … so we’ve managed to weather 20 years with very little in terms of financial resources.” That’s evident with Florida’s 2018-19 budgetary cuts, unveiled by Governor Rick Scott in March. Of the state’s $88.7 billion budget, arts and cultural grants dropped to just 0.003 percent. Jobsite, which had been recommended to receive $37,500, received only $2,400. “That is a significant loss,” Jenkins says. “They did this in a year where the state is spending more money than they’ve ever spent … it just doesn’t make sense. I really don’t understand why the state legislature did it.” With staggering cuts from the state, foundational grants and private donors are more essential than ever for the nonprofit to thrive. “People value the work that we’re doing and appreciate the fact that we’re tackling the subjects we do,” Jenkins says. “Only about 40 percent of our revenue and overall income last year came from ticket sales. The remaining 60 percent was about 50-50 private donors and grants that we had gone after.” Donations come from those who appreciate each season’s content, but also from those who back the company’s support of education. Jobsite regularly partners with community organizations to offer public forums and provides weekday matinees and in-class outreach to local middle and high schools. “We’re a place looking to give back and help a future generation,” Jenkins says. “If we want people in seats in another five, 10 or 15 years, they need to be exposed to theater. In developing a theater audience we’ve got to give young people a reason to want to go.” It’s a philosophy Jenkins applies to theater audiences of all ages, particularly amidst “Netflix and chill” mentalities. “It’s hard to make people go to a specific place on a specific day and time,” he says, “to have them show up, park and
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| uu | Jobsite Theater Turns 20 from pg.37
worry about what to wear, while putting their gadgets in their pockets for two and a half hours … especially if you don’t already have a cultural connection to that.” Still, he recognizes that people love going to live entertainment, be it a stand-up comic or a “band at a beer garden.” The key to successful theater, Jenkins notes, is “first and foremost providing them something interesting that they care about. That’s just as important to people in their thirties or forties as people in their teens. I like to believe our work is reflective of that.” With finances tense and that ideology in mind, Jobsite opened its 20th season Aug. 17 with “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” The company first produced the rock musical’s tale of queer glamor and the quest for identity in 2013, prior to New York’s revival—selling out their entire run in the process. “We wanted the overall 20th season to celebrate our past while looking to the future,” Jenkins says. “I think that ‘Hedwig’ challenges the ideas of theater. We wanted to do something that honored the spirit of this company and it’s been one of the more successful shows we’ve done in our 20 years.” The season opener reunites Jobsite’s original cast of Spencer Meyers as Hedwig, Amy Gray as Yitzhak and one original drummer, while introducing three additional musicians that are relatively new to Jobsite. “It’s a nice blending of the old and the new and we’ve done that all around,” Jenkins says. “This time the costumes are all new and handmade and the musical director, who’s also playing the keyboard, is different. Our video and tech capability are also much stronger than it was five years ago, so even for people who saw the show in 2013, there’s quite a bit that’s new.” “‘Hedwig’ was developed in nightclubs, not in a theater,” Jenkins says of the hit show, “and developed with a real rock band, not composers. It was gay men who put this together … all the things that at the time were pretty groundbreaking. For us, we look at the show and say ‘yes, we’re defying all the rules, we’re taking chances and we’re challenging what people’s idea of theater is.’ From that level, that’s really appealing.” Rounding out the company’s 20th season will be Jobsite’s take on “Edgar & Emily,” “Othello,” “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised],” “Hedda” and “Constellations.” “We’ve had a lot of financial challenges that we have to get past this year,” Jenkins says, “and we’re hoping that this season can be seen as reaching a hand out to the community. I don’t know that we’ve ever been in a more uncertain moment.” Jenkins says he means that in a myriad of ways. “Florida is an uncertain place right now,” he says. “The United States is an uncertain place right now … but I believe that we can be a part of the solution in terms of being a place for people to come heal and experience joy.” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is now playing until Sep. 9 at the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center in Tampa. Tickets start at $29.50 and a pass to Jobsite’s 20th Anniversary Season is $147.60. For more information about Jobsite,
20TH TIDBITS
JObsite theater prOducing artistic directOr david m. Jenkins tells us why yOu shOuld see these shOws
hedwig and the angry inch “We sold the entire run of this out five years ago,” Jenkins says. “We wanted the overall 20th season to celebrate our past while looking to the future. I think that ‘Hedwig’ challenges the ideas of theater.”
edgar & emily “We’re only the second production of this piece,” Jenkins says. “It’s a hoot. We grabbed onto it because it will be super accessible even if you don’t know Edgar Allan Poe or Emily Dickinson.”
OthellO “It’s still a timely story,” Jenkins says. “I think all the political intrigue and issues of race, marriage, marriage roles and bureaucracy drew us to this, a post-obama othello.”
the cOmplete wOrks OF william shakespeare (abridged) [revised] “This is another of the more successful shows we’ve done before,” Jenkins says. “If you’re into Shakespeare you’ll laugh more, but if you’re not then you’ll laugh at it because we make fun of it.”
hedda “We’re the North American premiere,” Jenkins says. “Hedda is an anti-heroine… depending on who you are, you walk out thinking she was totally right and ‘F the patriarchy’ or that she was out of her mind.”
cOnstellatiOns “This is really looking toward the future,” Jenkins says. “This will challenge what theater is, is capable of and what it’s supposed to be; it’s genius. If you’ve ever been in love, you’re going to follow it.”
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
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Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
41
www.NationsLandscaping.com • Will continue to be open and accessible to all of his constituents. • Please get out and Vote on or before August 28th. • First elected county official to publicly support Marriage Equality.
• Pete believes in People not Politics.
• Supports Environment & Sustainability Issues. • Quality of Life (Public Safety and Affordable Housing). • Has worked tirelessly and will continue to address such issues as Human Trafficking, Access to Mental Health, and Health Care.
Paid political ad approved by Pete Clarke non-partisan candidate for Orange County Mayor
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Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
community calendar
evenT planner arts+entertainment
cenTral florida
cenTral florida bare beef United Uniform Party, Aug. 24, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com bathhouse to broadway starring electra, Aug. 25, Footlight Theater at Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Girl the Party: Return to hogwarts, Aug. 25, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; Facebool.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 4’s wiLLiaM, Aug. 25, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Upscale Latin night featuring Dragayasa Monique, Aug. 25, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com
soaked: protect your “p” pineapple pool party SUNDAY, SEPT. 2, 11 A.M.-5 P.M. cLUB ORLANDO, ORLANDO
JONESING
Impulse Group Orlando invites you to the firstof-its-kind, swimwear optional pool party at Club Orlando. The event will feature music from DJ Scott Roberts, cocktails and fun Impulse games, as well as free and confidential one-minute result rapid HIV testing. Event is $15 and includes a lock box at check in. The event is a men’s only, 18 and up event. No cameras allowed. Men of any status, color, size, body type and sexual orientation are welcome. For more information, visit ImpulseOrlando.org.
JONES
FOR
pride Chats ThURSDAY, SEPT. 6, 2-3 P.M. UcF’S MULTIcULTURAL STUDENT cENTER, ORLANDO
“Saturday Night Live” star and Emmy-nominated comedian Leslie Jones takes Tampa by storm as she performs her standup at Tampa Improv Aug. 24-26. PhOTO by MaRy eLLen MaTThewS/COURTeSy OF nbC
tiffany, Sept. 1-3, EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, Lake Buena Vista. 407-824-4321; DisneyWorld.Disney.Go.com
Miss gay Florida america Pageant, Aug. 26, Hamburger Mary’s, Brandon. 813-643-2110; HamburgerMarys.com/Brandon
Gay Softball World Series opening Ceremony, Sept. 3, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa. TampaGSWS.com
Divine Intervention, Sept. 1-22, Footlight Theater at Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com
good ‘burger awards, Aug. 30, State Theatre St. Pete, St. Petersburg. 727-895-3045; StateTheatreConcerts.com
the Flamingo Laugh Factory, Sept. 5, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com
Queer Quills, Aug. 30, The Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org
“in The heights,” Sept. 5-Oct. 7, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando. 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org
Pay It Forward, Aug. 31, WTR Pool & Grill, Tampa. 813-438-3537; ProjectNoLabels.org
o Som Do Jazz + Francois de Lima, Sept. 6, The Palladium, St. Petersburg. 727-822-3590; MyPalladium.org
oWL Game Day, Aug. 30 & Sept. 6, The Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org
namaste for a beer: yoga at the Venue, Sept. 6, The Venue, Orlando. 407-412-6895; TheVenueOrlando.com
Kiki and Shade with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Queens, Aug. 31, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; AtTheCap.com
orlando Gay Dodgeball Pick Up Game, Aug. 27, Downtown Recreation Complex, Orlando. GayDodgeball.com yaaSSS, a Premiere Pop Party, Aug. 29, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com
Labor Day Weekend house Party with beth Sacks, Sept. 1, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Girl the Party: Labor Day White Party, Sept. 1, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; Facebool.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando Lost boy, Sept. 1-2, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org
Tampa bay Leslie Jones, Aug. 24-26, Tampa Improv, Tampa. 813-864-4000; ImprovTampa.com 8th annual great St. Pete Cupcake Contest, Aug. 25, Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg. 727-821-7162; MoreanArtsCenter.org Legends - a night of Illusion, Aug. 25, Frescos, Lakeland. 863-683-5267; FrescosLakeland.com
Gay Softball World Series Player Welcome Party, Sept. 2, City Side Lounge, Tampa. 813-350-0600; TampaGSWS.com Queen of the night Flashbacks: everything 80s, Sept. 2, Hamburger Mary’s, Tampa. 813-241-6279; HamburgerMarys.com/Tampa “Upstairs/Downstairs,” Sept. 2, Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa. 813-254-1891; PlantMuseum.com
sarasoTa Volumes, Aug. 12Sept. 9, Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. 941-359-5700; Ringling.org
The University of Central Florida’s Multicultural Student Center holds a Pride Chat every other Thursday on campus. The next chat will be on Thursday, Sept. 6. Join MSC as they facilitate discussions related to the LGBTQ+ community. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit SJA.SDES.UCF.edu/MSC.
Tampa bay
Clearwater Health Center Open House ThURSDAY, AUG. 30, 4-6 P.M. METRO WELLNESS, cLEARWATER Metro Wellness & Community Centers and CAN Community Health invites you to join them at the official open house of the newly renovated Clearwater location. The open house will provide opportunities for the community to discover new services now being offered. Light bites and refreshments will be provided. More information is available at MetroTampaBay.org.
“Gilbert & Sullivan Unplugged,” Aug. 21-Sept. 23, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota. 941-366-9000; FloridaStudioTheatre.org “becoming Dr. Ruth,” Aug. 23-Sept. 9, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton. 941-748-5875; ManateePerforming ArtsCenter.com
Come Out st. pete planning meeting ThURSDAY, SEPT. 6, 6:30-7:30 P.M. EMPATh PARTNERS IN cARE, ST. PETERSBURG Come OUT St. Pete is fast approaching and the board is looking to make its second year as successful as the first. Join them at Empath Partners in Care on Sept. 6 as they hold a meeting to plan out the COSP events. COSP will be held in the Grand Central District Oct. 4-11. For more information, visit ComeOUTStPete.org.
To submit your upcoming event, concert, performance, or fundraiser visit watermarkonline.com.
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
43
Join us for the 29th Annual
Launch Party
TAMPA BAY INTERNATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL
We’re kicking off our annual festival at The Vault, in downtown Tampa, with a dazzling evening of friends, cocktails, and more. Enjoy delicious bites by CW's Gin Joint under direction of Chef Gui, film previews, fabulous friends, a complimentary drink, cash bar, and more. Don't miss this special evening as we kick off the 29th year of Tampa's longest running film festival.
Thursday, September 13th, 2018 | 6:30pm to 9:30pm Tickets $45 in advance, $55 at the door * Purchase tickets by September, 1st for the chance to win 2 Crown Circle Passes.
PRESENTED BY
A Special Thank You to our Sponsors: Presenting Sponsor: The Vault
611 N Franklin Street Tampa, FL 33602
Executive Producers: Thom Isbon | Phil Dinkins & Ed Lally | Jason Fields & Channing Floyd Producers: Josh Baker & Terry Council | Amy Mandel | Dr. Elise Zahn & Dr. Dené Williamson Chuck Cave & Jeff Hartley | Donald Ebbert | David Ezell & David Fitzgerald | Ken Hardin & Armando Maiquez Mark Puskarich & John Tonnison | Rob Akins & Tony Tarosky | Ed Gunning & Patrick Kenny David Schintzius & Geoff Guidera Stars: Larry Biddle & David Warner | Karen Goforth & Karen Garcia Annie Hiotis & Connie Lancaster | Mikio Kato | Todd Richardson & Jeffrey Link | Bryan Farris & Andy Johnson Co-Stars: Kevin Beckner | Gil Sainz TIGLFF Launch Party Committee: Ed Lally, Chair | Rob Akins, Co-chair
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Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
overheard
T
social change
hE ST. PETERSBURG SOcIAL NETWORKING GROUP G2h2 (Gay Guy Happy Hour) has announced its new name. “During a long hiatus, we’ve decided to permanently change our name from G2H2,” the group shared Aug. 19. Moving forward they will be known as C2Q, short for “Cheers-2-Queers,” a name they feel is more inclusive toward St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ+ community. “We want future events to welcome all facets of our community, to promote a more unified social interaction between the guys and gals, as well as our allies,” the group shared. They noted that since 2015, they have been “proud to bring quality LGBTQ+ events to the greater St. Petersburg area.” For more information about C2Q and their future outings, visit Facebook.com/C2Qsocial.
N
final farewell
EW PORT RIchEY LGBTq hOTSPOT WENA’S NIGhTcLUB & ShOWBAR announced Aug. 12 that it would close its doors for the final time that evening. “It is with great sadness that we announce that tonight will be the last night Wena’s is open,” the bar shared via social media. “Our appreciation goes out to each and everyone of you who has visited us during the past few months and provided your support. Come out tonight and join us for a final night of fun, festivities and a great show.” The closure follows the death of owner Christina “Wena” Woodward, a pillar of the local LGBTQ community who passed nearly four months prior April 14. Woodward’s dream was to provide a place for people to get together, relax and have fun. Staff and supporters took to social media to share their support, thanking Woodward and Wena’s for the many memories.
T
Tampa bay ouT+abouT
frighT nighT
hE hAUNTING NOT-FOR-PROFIT ALL hALLOWS’ MASqUERADE BALL, billed as one of Tampa’s longest-standing traditions, has revealed the theme for its 42nd annual gathering. Guests will kick off Halloween Oct. 27 with “Scary Movie Night.” “Cinematic themes of terror and fright / Cast yourself as that bump in the night,” the freshly-mailed invitations read. “Roles to consider, an excess for audition / Classic or current, witch, ghost or mortician. / Go campy or grotesque, any scene in between / It’s SCARY MOVIE NIGHT, the prequel to Halloween!” This year’s by-invitation-only event will be held at the Bryan Glazier Family Jewish Community Center at 522 Howard Ave. in Tampa. The facility’s website boasts that it features “100,000 square feet of health and fitness, recreation, the arts, entertainment, international business, and so much more,” including event venue spaces. For more information on the 42nd annual All Hallows Ball, visit AllHallowsBall.org.
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jAcKSON 2: David Weiss (L) and Chris hannay enjoy Janet Jackson’s stop at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Aug. 7. Photo by Ryan wiLLiaMS-JenT
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hAPPY 20Th: David M. Jenkins (L) and Matthew Ray celebrate Jobsite Theater’s 20th season at the opening night of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Aug. 17. Photo by Ryan wiLLiaMS-JenT
3
A-qUEENS: Alibi entertainers anjila Cavalier, Stephanie Shippae and Kori Stevens (L-R) dazzle at the Zoo Studios’ annual Georgie’s Alibi St. Pete Reunion Aug. 13. PhOTO COURTeSy
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DaViD weTheRbie
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cAKE TIME: nick readies dessert for patrons celebrating bartender CJay’s birthday at Quench Lounge Aug. 18.PhOTO by Ryan
wiLLiaMS-JenT
5
‘BURGER BUDS: barb Kyes, Ronnie Lee and Joshua Deblock (L-R) mingle at the Imagine Museum for the Good ‘Burger Nominee & Sponsor Party Aug. 15. Photo by Ryan wiLLiaMS-JenT
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STRAz STARS: Creative Director Mei Crane (C) and her team accept the National LGBT Media Association’s Ad POP award chosen by Watermark at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Aug. 20. Photo
6
by DyLan TODD
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EPIc AWARD: Watermark Owner Rick Claggett (L) and Account Manager Russ Martin (R) present the LGBT Media Association’s Ad POP award chosen by Watermark to Empath Health’s Mark Spencer and Joy Winheim at the St. Pete EPIC campus Aug. 20. PhOTO by DyLan TODD
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LIFE IS DE BUBBLES: Sage, Daryl, Wendell and Dale (L-R) enjoy bubbles and brews at the Flamingo Resort Aug. 12. PhOTO by Ryan wiLLiaMS-JenT
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8 7 Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
45
Private Personal Training • Yoga • Small Group Fitness
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Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
overheard
S
bernie sanders endorsemenTs
EN. BERNIE SANDERS hAS AchIEVED ROcKSTAR STATUS ever since running in the 2016 presidential election. While he didn’t win, he has maintained that status, so when he rolled into town to speak at a rally for Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is running to be the Democratic nominee in the Florida gubernatorial race, it was no surprise that several hundred young, progressive voters turned up at UCF’s CFE Arena for a chance to hear him speak. Governor-hopeful Gillum, who earned an endorsement from Bernie, spoke about the same values that Bernie campaigned on: affordable healthcare, increasing the minimum wage and equality for all. Before Bernie and Andrew came to the stage, the crowd was greeted by our own proud progressive, feminist, queer, Latinx, Democrat, state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith. Smith talked about Gillum taking on the NRA in court, standing up to Gov. Rick Scott and President Trump on immigration and standing up to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on same-sex marriage. “I am proud to stand with Mayor Gillum because he’s not only running a progressive campaign, he is running an inspirational campaign,” Smith said. Smith’s impassioned introduction was made all the more impressive when you realize he was on stage speaking only a week after having his appendix removed. A little surgery never stopped our community progressive, feminist, queer, Latinx, Democrat. It was even enough to impress Bernie himself who also endorsed Carlos in his own reelection campaign.
T
cenTral florida ouT+abouT
#Theribbonmaker
hE ORLANDO RIBBON PROjEcT hAS cREATED NEARLY 500,000 RIBBONS since the Pulse tragedy in June 2016. Founder Ben Johansen felt he had to do something to help his community in their time of grief. The ribbons have spread all around the world appearing in multiple countries and pinned to politicians, celebrities and community leaders everywhere. Now, as the organization’s Facebook page says, the project is evolving. “We have applied for our 501(c)(3) nonprofit license. We are also creating a college scholarship program for GLBTQ students that have been kicked out of their homes. The scholarship will be called The Orlando Ribbon Project, Helping Hands Scholarship program,” the page reads. Local designer Adam McCabe will be designing a logo for the new nonprofit. “Thank you all and remember, where there is Love, there is Hope,” the page reads. The Orlando Ribbon Project has a goal of handing out 1 million ribbons. For more information on the project and how you can donate, visit OrlandoRibbonProject.com.
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SAY (PhILLY) chEESE: MBA Orlando represents at the NGLCC Conference in Philadelphia Aug. 15. Photo by DyLan TODD
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cENTER SERVIcE: The Center Kissimmee’s Director of Operations Sally berverena (L) and board member Pat Padilla celebrate the new LGBT Center’s grand opening in Kissimmee Aug. 15. PhOTO by Meghan Sweeney
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SOcIAL NETWORKS: Wayne Dictor (L) and Samantha Rosenthal attend Watermark’s Third Thursday at Fairvilla Megastore in Orlando Aug. 16. Photo by JeReMy wiLLiaMS
4
FLORIDA MIDTERMS: Wes hodge (L) meets bernie Sanders as the former presidential candidate visits Central Florida campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum at UCF Aug. 17. Photo
COURTeSy weS hODge
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FOUR MORE YEARS: (L-R) blue Star, Callie henson and Jackie Lewin attend the 4th Anniversary of The Barber Fund at The Hammered Lamb Aug. 17. PhOTO COURTeSy
The baRbeR FUnD
6
GLAMOUROUS ShOT: norma Fis-Vernaza enjoys the 4-year celebration at Southern Nights in Orlando Aug. 16. Photo
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by ChRiSTian SaLMOnSOn, COURTeSy SOUTheRn nighTS ORLanDO
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hITTING ThE STREETS: Orange County Commissioner District 3 candidate eric Rollings (Center) with his supporters hit the streets for a little Sunday canvassing Aug. 19. PhOTO COURTeSy
eRiC ROLLingS
8
DIScO FEVER: Gidget Galore (L) and Miss Sammy host HRC Orlando’s 7th annual Disco Bowl at Aloma Bowling Center in Orlando Aug. 12. Photo by
Meghan Sweeney
8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
47
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call 813-655-9890 for more informaTion
Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
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Augus t 2 3 - sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
announcements
wedding bells
Christopher Boldys and Kyle Rogers from Sarasota, Florida
May 28, 2016:
wedding date:
June 23, 2018:
venue:
Anna Maria Island:
cOlOrs:
Traditional dark suits with Tiffany blue as accent:
live musician:
The Lucky Penny:
caterer:
Kites in Bradenton:
OFFiciant:
cake bakery:
Cakes by Ron:
cake/cupcake FlavOrs: Chocolate and vanilla:
theme:
Relaxed Beach:
phOtOgrapher:
Katie Mick Photography
Community activists and leaders andrew and Sasha Citino celebrate 10 years of marriage Sept. 2.
lOcal birthdays
engagement date:
Mike Nygren:
cOngratulatiOns
Will’s Pub celebrates its 23rd Anniversary on Sept. 1.
PhOTO by KaTie MiCK PhOTgRaPhy
S
OMETIMES YOU’VE GOT TO PUT
the “classic” into classically gay; that’s exactly what Christopher Boldys did when he proposed to his now-husband Kyle Rogers in May 2016. He popped the question at Tiffany’s in Manhattan.
Boldys and Rogers first met in June 2013 at a Starbucks in Royal Oak, Michigan. Both are from Metro Detroit and now live in their new home in Sarasota. “As time went on from meeting we realized we got along very well with each other,” says Rogers, who is employed as a human resource manager. “It’s important to always be friends and have the same goals in life.” Christopher Boldys, who works as a senior mortgage underwriter, shares that he knew pretty early on that Rogers was the one. “Very
quickly I realized he was special and I couldn’t imagine him not being in my life.” The couple exchanged vows in the presence of family and friends on June 23, 2018, their five-year anniversary. The ceremony took place on the beach on Anna Maria Island, just off White Street. The wedding party subsequently commemorated the day with a reception at Motorworks Brewery in Bradenton. Boldys and Rogers found a special way to incorporate the important place their
engagement took place: through the Tiffany blue accents on their dark suits, and even more fittingly, in the two wedding cakes—one a manatee and the other a Tiffany box. The manatee was made of chocolate and the Tiffany box was made of a vanilla rainbow, of course. “The cakes were very cool, but most importantly, having our friends and family from Michigan all fly down to be with us,” Rogers remembers about the most special moment of the day for him. “The best part for me was on Sunday at our open house pool party,” Boldys says. “Our new house finally became our home, full of the laughter of family and friends.”
Tampa Bay retailer Charles Germaine, Orlando graphic artist Marcus Vale, The Hotchkiss Group’s Sonny hotchkiss (Aug. 23); Writer and ally Karen brown, Sunnyland Slammer Shana Moshen, American Stage Theatre Company’s Zachary hines, founder of Tampa’s The Taylor Company Scott taylor, Mary’s man Corey Peterson, Tampa Bay entertainer Kamden t. Rage, St. Petersburg actor/director Steven Flaa, Channel 125 owner Dick Woelfle (Aug. 24); Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Universal brad Partridge, Spring Hill psychologist David Chandler, St. Pete Twirling Project veteran Steven Caruso, Tampa softballer andrew Cohen, Optician Sharon Greene (Aug. 25); Orlando’s eddie Mora, Central Florida singer and actress Jill Wilson, Former Watermark film critic Stephen Miller, Come OUT St. Pete’s Joshua Wallace, Buffy sidekick Del Fugler (Aug. 26); Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse coordinator benjamin Cox, former St. Pete Pride board member Carl Lovgren, Keller Williams’ Dallas Coffield (Aug. 27); Orlando artist Keith theriot, Gypsy Productions’ Darryl epperly, St. Pete songstress Lorna bracewell, Clearwater bear Chris Miller, Tampa Verizon guy Jim Green (Aug. 28); Orlando Miller’s Ale House kitchen coach nicole Phillips, IT guru Jeff Kern, Leather stud Randy Sullivan, Seminole painting expert Karen Santos, Studio@620 founder and friend to the arts bob Devin Jones, Orlando artist and photographer Lee Vandergrift, Oasis Sarasota’s owner hunter Vance (Aug. 29); Tampa Bay’z stylemaster tyler Cochran (Aug. 30); Tampa Bay socialite Ricky Renaud, St. Pete diva ed adams (Aug. 31); Sarasota drag queen Trixie Liemont (Sept. 1); Lakeland bear bob Lloyd, The Center board president Jeffrey buak, (Sept. 2); Sarasota entertainer and comic beneva Fruitville, community ally Jennifer Kunsch (Sept. 3); Orlando server and arts lover Richard hicks, Watermark cover mom Joan Rodriguez, Lakeland lad Ryan Glazier (Sept. 4); Asolo Rep social media coordinator David Valdez, St. Petersburg-based TIGLFF husband erik Carroll, Tampa pharmacist brian Wehling, St. Pete software genius David Palio, Gulfport party host ed Dunn, Tampa Bay comic and queen Kenneth Lawson aka Juno Vibranz (Sept. 5).
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.
—Aaron Drake
it’s that easy!
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.
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the last page
Photo by Dylan Todd
Age: 32
Hometown:
Tipp City, OH
Identifies As:
Professional Gay
Out Year:
2000
Professional Role Model:
When it comes to writing, I admire the voice of David Sedaris. I just finished reading his latest book “Calypso” - he’s hilarious and very on point.
Aaron Drake
Autobiography Title:
“The Sugar Free Life”
Hobbies:
c o ntributing writer
Travelaholic, watching movies/ Netflix, drinking beer, enjoying the sun and beach, going for jogs and playing with my German Shepherd who is the sweetest dog you will ever meet.
What kind of writing do you do for Watermark?
Wedding announcements, local interest and travel stories.
What made you want to write for Watermark?
What would you like to see improved in the LGBTQ community?
As everywhere, I think there could definitely be a little more love and effort to work together.
I love hearing locals’ stories and getting to share them with the community at large.
As a reader recently reached out to say to me after reading one of my stories, “You’re more than just a pretty face!” Haha.
What is your favorite thing about writing for Watermark?
I wrote my first “book” (an adapted version of the Disney film “Aladdin”) when I was in first grade. I got to skip class to read it to the principal and it was published in the school library.
What do you like writing about the most?
Travel for sure. There are so many fascinating places in the world that I can’t wait to experience and share with readers. What is your favorite LGBTQ Event?
Anything with drag queens and beer!
watermark Your LGBTQ life.
It is very laidback here in Tampa Bay.
I’ve been writing for local LGBT publications since I was a teenager. When I moved to St. Pete it was one of the first places I reached out to.
When did you develop a passion for writing?
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What is your favorite thing about the local LGBTQ community?
Augus t 2 3 - Sep t emb er 5 , 2018 // Issue 25.17
What do you want the Watermark readers to know about you?
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to enjoy life more and not care so much about pleasing everyone else! Do your thing. You got this.
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.
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