Watermark Issue 25.19: Local Love

watermark Your LGBTQ Life.

issue 25.19 • september 20 - oCtober 3, 2018

WatermarkOnline.com

LOVE

Local

Lakeland filmmaker brings

‘AT THE END OF THE DAY’ to

Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Fest 29 dAytonA beACh • orlAndo • tAmpA • st. petersburg • CleArwAter • sArAsotA

What is BIKTARVY®?

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults.

It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects:  Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

Who should not take BIKTARVY? Do not take BIKTARVY if you take:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY? Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include:  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY?  All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.  All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines.  If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/ medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

BVYC0048_BIKTARVY_B_9-25x10-1_Watermark_KeepEmpowering_r1v1jl.indd 1-2

2

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at MyDailyCharge.com

KEEP EMPOWERING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY is a 1-pill, once-a-day complete HIV-1 treatment for adults who are either new to treatment or whose healthcare provider determines they can replace their current HIV-1 medicines with BIKTARVY.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

BIKTARVY.COM

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

9/13/18 8:26 PM

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

3

IMPORTANT FACTS

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

• The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: • dofetilide • rifampin • any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider all your medical conditions, including if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

• Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.

• If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP EMPOWERING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: February 2018 © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0048 07/18

BVYC0048_BIKTARVY_B_9-25x10-1_Watermark_KeepEmpowering_r1v1jl.indd 3

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

9/13/18 8:26 PM

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

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// CEntRAl FloRidA out+ABout 48// tAmpA BAy mARkEtplACE 50// CEntRAl FloRidA mARkEtplACE 53// wEdding BElls/ AnnounCEmEnts 54// thE lAst pAgE

PAGE

27

I hope that people look at someone like [my character] Gordon and they have a moment of hope, and maybe ask ‘Is that me? Is what I think is such a reasonable argument really hate-filled?’

—ORLANDO ACTOR TOm NOwICkI, SpEAkINg AbOuT pLAyINg A HOmOpHObIC COLLEgE DEAN IN THE fILm “AT THE END Of THE DAy”

on thE CovER

PAGE pulsE poEtRy:

31

PAGE LOCAL LOVE:

23

A Lakeland filmmaker, with cast and crew from Central Florida and Tampa Bay, brings his film, “At the End of the Day,” to the 29th annual Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Co-editor Roy G. Guzman talks about the release of “Pulse/Pulso,” an anthology of poems honoring the Pulse victims.

wAtERmARk issuE 25.19 // sEptEmBER 20 - oCtoBER 3, 2018

lgBtQ inClusion

pAsCo pRoud

stRAngE BEdFEllows wildE tRAils

PAGE The Reformation Project hosts its sixth national LGBTQ Inclusion Conference in downtown Orlando.

PAGE Pasco Pride holds its inaugural festival at Sims Park in New Port Richey, a first for Pasco County.

Viewpoint columnist Jason Leclerc looks at “Americanness” in the wake of Sen. John McCain’s passing.

Photo by Dylan Todd

sCAn QR CodE FoR

wAtERmARkonlinE.Com

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

08

10

PAGE

19

Michael Wanzie and David Gerrard bring Moises Kaufman’s “Gross Indecency” to the Footlight Theatre stage.

PAGE

37

follow us on twitter And instAgrAm At @wAtermArkonline And like us on fACebook. watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

805 VIRGINIA DR. 32803 407-895-9245 WWW.AFLAGWORLD.COM

CentrAl floridA

bureAu Chief’s

Jeremy Williams CFL BUREAU CHIEF

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

V

dEsk

IDEO gAmES HAVE CHANgED

a lot since I was young. They have always been an expensive gift for most kids, so when we (“we” being me and my siblings) were gifted our Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo on the various Christmases throughout the late 80s and 90s, they were always a “family gift.”

This process made me feel bad for my sister, who among her three brothers, was the only girl in the house growing up and was not much of a gamer. But being the only girl in the house, she also got her own room and I had to share one with my two brothers.

So sorry sis — you win some, you lose some.

I think most who grew up in “The Oregon Trail Generation” have fond memories of opening that box and pulling out your new NES or Sega and realizing you don’t have to save up your quarters anymore for the local

wAtERmARk stAFF

arcade, because the arcade was now in the comfort of your own home.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed going to the arcade. But as a gay fat kid in the suburban 80s and 90s, anytime I was out among the people it was a chance of being outted, ridiculed and, on occasion, getting in a fight ... and by fight, I mean pushed to the ground and mocked. Kids can be assholes sometimes.

At home I was free from the hate and the hiding. I was able to be someone else on the screen, exploring different worlds and

Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer tom@Watermarkonline.com

CFL Bureau Chief: Jeremy Williams • ext. 106 Jeremy@Watermarkonline.com

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being able to fight back when a bullying Koopa Troopa or a homophobic Goomba came at me. For those who don’t know, Koopa Troopas and Goombas are enemies in the “Super Mario” games. Also, contrary to “Super Mario,” you cannot make your bully disappear just by jumping on their heads.

As I got older, joined the Air Force and came out of the closet, I found that I needed the safety of the virtual world less and less. Eventually I stopped playing games.

Well, I didn’t stop playing video games entirely. I enjoyed the occasional jump scare of playing “Resident Evil” or “Silent Hill” when they first came out.

Also, I did play a game called “TimeSplitters 2” when I was in the service. I sucked at it and I only played it because I thought the guys who were playing it in the dayroom were really hot. I just wanted to hang out with them.

For the most part I fell out of touch with my childhood.

Then I saw a trailer for the new “Spider-Man” game on PlayStation 4. Being a forever comic book nerd, I thought there is no better way to revisit my older gaming habit than through the eyes of Spider-Man. I gotta say, everything about video games is so much better than when I was a kid. Graphics, storylines, game play, and wow, grown-up Peter Parker is sexy as hell!

One other thing that made me want to pick this game up was something pointed out to me by my fellow Bureau Chief and gamer, Ryan Williams-Jent (no relation). In making “Spider-Man” the game developers wanted everyone who played to know that they are a part of this virtual world.

Art Director: Jake Stevens • ext. 109 Jake@Watermarkonline.com Creative Assistant/Photographer: Dylan Todd • ext. 102 dylan@Watermarkonline.com Sales Director: Danny Garcia • ext. 108 danny@Watermarkonline.co Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • ext. 103 Sam@Watermarkonline.com

As Spider-Man swings through New York, he comes across rainbow-colored walls and perches on flagpoles displaying the Pride flag. For that scared little gay kid who escaped to the world of video games back in the day, it’s nice to see that the virtual world is still accepting and that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is an ally.

Speaking of allies, in this issue we look at the ally filmmaker

I gotta say, everything about video games is so much better than when I was a kid.

Graphics, storylines, game play, and wow, grown-up peter parker is sexy as hell! from Lakeland, Kevin O’Brien, and his LGBTQ-themed film “At the End of the Day,” which has been selected to play at this year’s Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

In A&E, we talk with one of the co-editors of a new poetry anthology “Pulse/Pulso” and we look at the Oscar Wilde play “Gross Indecency,” which is coming to the Footlight Theater.

In news, LGBTQ Christians are preaching the gospel in Orlando at the sixth annual Inclusion Conference and Pasco County is throwing its inaugural Pride celebration in New Port Richey.

Oh, and now that I’m back in the game (so to speak) keep an eye out for me in your virtual world.

oRlAndo oFFiCE Orlando Account Manager: Brianna Rockmore • ext. 105 brianne@Watermarkonline.com Senior Tampa Bay Account Manager: Russ Martin • ext. 303 Russ@Watermarkonline.com National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. 212-242-6863

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

414 N. Ferncreek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803 TEL: 407-481-2243 FAX: 407-481-2246

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

ContRiButoRs JASON LECLERC

is a near lifelong resident of the I-4 corridor, currently in South Tampa. He publishes poetry online at PoetEconomist. blogspot.com. His first book, Momentitiousness, was published in 2014. His book, Black Kettle, was published in 2016. Page 19

gREgg SHApIRO

is a Chicago-based freelance journalist and entertainment reporter whose work appears frequently in Watermark. Page 31

AARON DRAkE

is a contributor to Creative Loafing, South Florida Gay News and ManAboutWorld. He loves getting lost in other countries and his German Shepherd. Page 53 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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*Annual Percentage Yield. Rates and APY are subject to change without notice. The APY is as of 07/02/2018. These accounts require a minimum opening deposit of $500. Substantial penalty for early withdrawal. Offer not valid on brokered or institutional deposits. You will be paid the disclosed rate until maturity. Your 13-, 17- and 29-month accounts will automatically renew into the 12-, 18- and 24-month fixed rate certificates, respectively. You will have a grace period of 10 calendar days after the maturity date to withdraw the funds in the account without being charged an early withdrawal penalty. The CD products are limited to $250,000 per product per household. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

Fees could reduce earnings. Contact an Axiom Bank Banker for further information about applicable fees and terms. **Annual Percentage Yield. Rates and APY are subject to change without notice. The APY is as of 01/01/18. In order to obtain the indicated APY, these accounts require a minimum opening deposit of $100,000. Federal regulations impose transaction limitations. Fees could reduce earnings. Contact an Axiom Bank Banker for further information about applicable fees and terms. Š 2018 Axiom Bank, N.A. All Rights Reserved.

6

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

805 VIRGINIA DR. 32803 407-895-9245 WWW.AFLAGWORLD.COM

tAmpA bAy

bureAu Chief’s

ryan Williams-Jent TB BUREAU CHIEF Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

T

dEsk

HANkS TO THE wONDERS Of

Facebook’s “On This Day,” a feature which allows users to grin or grimace at their social media posts from yesteryear, I recently discovered I’ve been living in Florida for 11 years.

For whatever reason, I still tell folks I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio when they ask. They tend to figure out that I’m from the North when I correctly describe Diet Coke as “pop,” but I suppose I should really start telling my Lyft drivers that I’m from St. Pete.

I put too much thought into small talk, which is probably why I’m so bad at it.

I didn’t leave Ohio with much.

I’d recently quit my terrible serving job, the lease was up on my apartment and I was finished with college. I had around a dollar

in cash, a ride down I-75 and a place to live when I got here—so logic dictated that I tell my mom I was going on vacation and hit the highway.

In case you’re wondering, I told her once I got to Florida that I was here to stay. I know it’s awful and so does she. She still reminds me that this is the world’s longest vacation, but even at 22 she wouldn’t have let me leave.

Reflecting on the last 11 years led me to consider the importance of risk.

wAtERmARk stAFF

Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer tom@Watermarkonline.com

CFL Bureau Chief: Jeremy Williams • ext. 106 Jeremy@Watermarkonline.com

Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • ext. 110 Rick@Watermarkonline.com

Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • ext. 302 Ryan@Watermarkonline.com

Business Manager: Kathleen Harper • ext. 101 Kathleen@Watermarkonline.com

Multimedia Assistant: Meghan Sweeney • ext. 100 Meghan@Watermarkonline.com

The move I made down the country isn’t one I think I’d make today. Not because I don’t love living here, because I do, but because I can be a pretty anxious guy. On top of that, I tend to (over and) overthink every decision I make; it’s a real gift.

I’d been to Florida a few times but had no idea what to expect as a resident. I knew it was the land of Disney, but I’d never shopped at 7-11, heard of Publix or purchased an umbrella. I just knew I’d be a lot closer to the beach. I was sure that’s where I’d spend most of my time, so that’s what mattered.

Spoiler alert: I rarely went and still barely go to the beach.

I love it once I’m there, but getting there is too much work. I did spend a lot of time surfing for job applications, though, and found a few terrible fits.

There were some hard years in those 11, frequently offset in the beginning by my mother’s gracious trips to Western Union for her “vacationing” son. But within them, I kickstarted a freelance writing career and found myself surrounded by a growing group of the best friends anyone could ask for.

The majority of those friends show up in my “On This Day” in most of my 11 years here, and those early freelancing assignments tend to pop up as well. While I often cringe at some of the photos and posts, within them are the man that became my husband and the writing portfolio that eventually led me to Watermark.

Those are two things I never expected to find here when I left Ohio, and two very big reasons why I love Florida. Risk is scary, but it can be rewarding.

That’s something that Lakeland filmmaker Kevin O’Brien understood when he made “At the End of the Day,” a film exploring

Art Director: Jake Stevens • ext. 109 Jake@Watermarkonline.com Creative Assistant/Photographer: Dylan Todd • ext. 102 dylan@Watermarkonline.com Sales Director: Danny Garcia • ext. 108 danny@Watermarkonline.co Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • ext. 103 Sam@Watermarkonline.com

the complex relationship between the LGBTQ community and the church. It’s his entry for the 29th Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) and the focus of our in-depth feature this issue.

In Tampa Bay news, community advocates take some rewarding risks of their own. We talked with New Port Richey’s Denise Johnson and her executive board ahead of the inaugural

those are two things I never expected to find here when I left Ohio, and two very big reasons why I love Florida. risk is scary, but it can be rewarding.

Pasco Pride, a first in Pasco County. We also check in with The Florida Orchestra as they prepare their first Pride Weekend.

In Central Florida, Bliss CARES announces a new eligibility card program to help patients experiencing financial hardships and The Center Orlando houses a permanent LGBTQ history exhibit.

In Arts and Entertainment, we speak with one of the editors of “Pulse/Pulso,” an anthology of poems honoring the victims of Pulse. We also highlight “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” ahead of its release in Orlando.

Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories each issue— your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

oRlAndo oFFiCE Orlando Account Manager: Brianna Rockmore • ext. 105 brianne@Watermarkonline.com Senior Tampa Bay Account Manager: Russ Martin • ext. 303 Russ@Watermarkonline.com National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. 212-242-6863

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

414 N. Ferncreek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803 TEL: 407-481-2243 FAX: 407-481-2246

tAmpA BAy oFFiCE 2529 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890 FAX: 813-849-2986

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

ContRiButoRs JASON LECLERC

is a near lifelong resident of the I-4 corridor, currently in South Tampa. He publishes poetry online at PoetEconomist. blogspot.com. His first book, Momentitiousness, was published in 2014. His book, Black Kettle, was published in 2016. Page 19

gREgg SHApIRO

is a Chicago-based freelance journalist and entertainment reporter whose work appears frequently in Watermark. Page 31

AARON DRAkE

is a contributor to Creative Loafing, South Florida Gay News and ManAboutWorld. He loves getting lost in other countries and his German Shepherd. Page 53 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.

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central florida news

Bliss CARES announces new program to assist hardship patients Jaime Donelson

O

RLANDO | Bliss CARES announced a new eligibility card program to help patients experiencing financial hardships or individuals without insurance.

The eligibility card will allow the holder access to free healthcare services related to HIV, Hepatitis and STDs for one year. Services will include clinic visits, lab tests, mental health care counseling, vaccines, co-pays, medicine and care management.

“It’s so important because this will provide access for individuals with no income, as well as those who are uninsured or under-insured,” says Bliss CARES Executive Director Juan Rodriguez. “We’re providing care in all aspects of the patient’s medical treatment.”

Rodriguez says that the organization looks to bring several programs to Bliss CARES along with the eligibility cards, including mental health counseling and a nutrition plan.

“We are working on things that are not readily available in our community and needed, rather than doing what other [organizations] are doing and overlapping services,” says Rodriguez. “We want to make sure we target and seal the gap of need.”

For more information on Bliss CARES services and programs visit BlissHS.com.

The Center to House permanent LGBTQ exhibit

Reformation Project founder Matthew Vines speaks at the national conference in Chicago in 2017.

Photo via YouTube

LGBTQ Inclusion The Reformation Project hosts sixth national LGBTQ Inclusion Conference in downtown Orlando Jaime Donelson

O

Jaime Donelson

O

RLANDO | The LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc. and LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida are partnering to install a permanent LGBTQ history exhibit in The Center Orlando.

The Center, which has undergone a new renovation, dedicated wall space for the exhibit. The LGBTQ History Museum will be managing the installation.

“It is difficult for young people to learn the history of our community and give them a sense of the rich stories and interesting people that came before them,” says LGBTQ History Museum board member Martha Brenckle.

There will be a rotating display each quarter. The first display, “The History of Orlando’s LGBT+ Center,” will be a retrospect of the 40-year history of The Center in Orlando.

“Having a permanent museum located within the walls of our LGBT Center certainly helps us fulfill our mission,” says George Wallace, executive director of The Center. The display is scheduled to open to the public Oct. 1, with a grand opening reception scheduled for Oct. 4 at 5 p.m.

More information on The Center Orlando’s history exhibit and new renovation is available at TheCenterOrlando.org.

8

CHRISTIAN VINES: The

RLANDO | LGBTQ Christians, theologians and allies will gather for worship and education on inclusion in the church at the Reformation Project’s sixth annual LGBTQ Inclusion Conference at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Orlando Oct. 18-20.

The Reformation Project is a Bible-based, nonprofit Christian organization that works to promote the inclusion of LGBTQ people and other marginalized groups in the church. They focus on reforming the church’s teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Reformation Project was founded by author Matthew Vines in 2013.

Shae Washington, the group’s programs and organizing director, believes the conference gives queer people the opportunity to be recognized in the church. “We’ve had too many lives lost and have had too many people pushed away [from the church that] feel completely unwelcomed,” Washington says.

“It’s causing detrimental harm to our community.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The Reformation Project works to break stereotypes and to push for inclusion of LGBTQ members, says Washington.

“There is a very vibrant queer, Christian community. It is possible to find; it can take some time, but there are spaces where that’s happening,” she says.

According to Washington, the conference will feature first-rate teachings and workshops from leading biblical scholars and theologians to help attendees learn how to talk about the Bible and LGBTQ inclusion.

Workshops include activism and organizing, family and community, LGBTQIA+ margins, racial justice and theology workshops.They will also feature four featured speakers before a closing worship ceremony.

Rev. Brit Barron, who is a pastor at New Abbey Church in Pasadena, Calif., and a spiritual director at The Christian Closet, an online counselling practice for LGBTQ Christians, will be the keynote speaker on Friday, Oct. 19.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, “Mama” Tammye and son Myles Hicks will be the event’s speakers. Tammye and Myles Hicks are best known for their

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

appearance in the second season of Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” During the episode, Tammye Hicks told the story of how she struggled to accept her son because of her faith. In the end, she proclaims her love for him, the LGBTQ community and her faith to the entire church.

Myles Hicks is a full-time funeral director’s apprentice with aspirations of opening a funeral home committed to serving members of the LGBTQ community and HIV/AIDS victims.

On “Queer Eye,” viewers watched his journey back to his mother’s church.

Washington says that the story of the Hicks’ family is something a lot of LGBTQ Christians can relate to.

Rev. Stanley Ramos, who is an associate pastor at Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando, will be the keynote speaker on Sunday, Oct. 21. His ministry focuses on the Latinx LGBTQ community of Central Florida.

The Reformation Project also announced via social media that one of their community partners, QLatinx, will erect a Pulse Ofrenda – a memorial alter meaning “offering” in Spanish – to honor the victims of the Pulse tragedy in their serenity room.

“It’s to honor their spirits and the lives lost. Our people will be able to interact with the Ofrenda to pray and reflect on the lives. It’s a time to bring laughter and love in the space as well as a celebration of the spirits,” says Washington.

The Reformation Project’s sixth annual LGBTQ Inclusion Conference runs Oct.18-20 at First United Methodist Church in downtown Orlando.

TOGETHER, SMALL STEPS BECOME GREAT STRIDES. When was the last time your budget gave you butterflies? Or a paycheck made your heart skip a beat? At the end of the day, it’s our relationships that matter most. That’s why Regions takes pride in supporting the LGBTQ community and all those committed to building a better future together.

For financial tips, tools and personalized banking solutions, drop by a branch or visit regions.com/LGBT.

© 2018 Regions Bank. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

9

tampa bay news

FloRidA oRChEstRA ConduCts FiRst pRidE wEEkEnd ryan Williams-Jent

pLANTINg pRIDE: Board

S

T. pETERSbuRg | The Florida Orchestra (TFO) will hold its inaugural Pride Weekend across two performing arts centers Oct. 5-6.

TFO, which launches its 51st season Sept. 28, is Florida’s largest professional symphony orchestra. The organization performs nearly 100 concerts annually in and outside of its three main concert halls—Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.

Pride Weekend will highlight “Bernstein’s Broadway,” honoring the centennial of American composer Leonard Bernstein’s birth. Its three performances, one at the Straz Center Oct. 5 and two at the Mahaffey Theater Oct. 6, will feature selections from “West Side Story,” “Candide,” “On the Town” and more.

“It’s going to be a really exciting concert, the music will appeal to a broad range of people,” TFO Community Engagement Director Erin Horan says. “It’s going to be a really fun weekend to see the orchestra.”

The upcoming weekend follows TFO’s outing at St. Pete Pride, which Community Engagement Manager Daryn Bauer says led the organization to expand its LGBTQ outreach. “We had a great experience going out into the community and sharing information about what we do,” he recalls. “I thought it would be great to do something at the concert hall as well.”

Bauer says he also saw it as an opportunity to partner with Come OUT St. Pete (COSP). The second annual celebration runs Oct. 4-7 and culminates on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day. “It’s a great fit,” he says. “With all of the work they do in the Grand Central District, we’ve been able to see how fast they’re growing and how much they’re doing.”

Pride Weekend will raise awareness for COSP while also highlighting the Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Pride Band. Prior to the main performances and during the intermissions of “Bernstein’s Broadway,” attendees will be able to meet with each group’s performers and learn about each organization.

“It’s a really nice way to connect with people,” Horan says. “It lets our patrons see all of the great parts of our community, right in the lobby.”

“The Florida Orchestra has been working to be more involved with the community and has been working to strengthen our relationships with community partners,” Bauer says. “We want people to know that everyone is welcome to come see the orchestra.”

TFO Pride Weekend’s “Bernstein’s Broadway” plays Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. at the Straz Center and Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m at the Mahaffey Theater. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit FloridaOrchestra.org.

10

members nina borders, heather St. amand, elizabeth Saltigerald and denise Johnson (L-R) plant flags for Pasco Pride’s beach event in June.

Photo courtesY Denise Johnson

pasco Proud Pasco Pride holds inaugural festival, first in Pasco County ryan Williams-Jent

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Ew pORT RICHEy, fla. | Pasco Pride will make history Oct. 6 by holding its inaugural LGBTQ Pride festival at Sims Park in New Port Richey, the first in Pasco County.

“The goal of Pasco Pride is to connect, build and strengthen the LGBTQ+ community,” the organization’s mission statement reads. “We will foster communication, tolerance, education and mutual support among LGBTQ+ persons and the allied communities of Pasco County.”

Planning for the celebration began in January, after its founder and president Denise Johnson saw a need for fellowship and support in the area.

“I moved here about a year and a half ago and I thought I’d died and gone to LGBT heaven with everything going on in Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater,” she muses. “There were so many things happening for the LGBT community.

“Then I quickly realized I couldn’t afford to drive there all the time,” Johnson recalls. “I knew there was a community in Pasco County. I’ve lived all over the world; there’s a community everywhere.”

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The retired law enforcement officer and veteran subsequently launched an LGBTQ support group in the area, laying the groundwork for Pride. “As this was growing, I’m talking to people and asking about starting a Pride festival,” she says, “and I was told that wouldn’t happen in Pasco. Well, when you tell a Texas girl no, that just means it’s time to get busy.”

She did. Johnson researched the process for establishing Pasco Pride and says that to her surprise, she met no resistance from local businesses or government officials. “They didn’t even raise an eyebrow,” she says. “They all said it was about time something like this happened.”

Pasco Pride’s executive board was quickly formed. In addition to Johnson, it includes Executive Vice President Nina Borders, Secretary Elizabeth Saltigerald, Treasurer Marc Coron and Heather St. Amand, member at large.

“How did we find these people?

We didn’t,” Johnson says. “They found us. In the course of meeting with all of these people that have become so supportive of Pasco Pride, several stepped up to be even more involved.”

“We’re not just bringing the LGBT community to the heart of New Port Richey, we’re bringing everybody from

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all walks of life,” Borders says. “Black, White, Asian, LGBT; people of all sorts.

To have this kind of festival and to be allowed to have it here, which has a deep-rooted history in conservatism, religion and not being too open to minorities … that’s huge.”

The festival will be held from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Sims Park, dubbed “the people’s park” by the city. For its inaugural theme of “PROUD,” the board was adamant that the festival maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.

“We’ve shown New Port Richey that we are about building bridges and incorporating diversity,” Johnson notes. “We feel like that’s what Pride is all about: everyone being a part of one great, big happy family.”

The festival will feature up to 70 vendors, with children’s activities and entertainment from the organization’s official DJ and two live bands — area favorites Julie Black and Bad Rabbit.

Attendees will also meet the first Miss and Mister Pasco Pride, as well as Miss Pasco Pride Diva.

“I want people to understand the magnitude of this,” Borders says.

“This is big. We’re bringing something to Pasco County that’s never been here; something that people have never wanted until now but was definitely needed.

“There’s such a negative connotation with Pasco,” she adds.

“We’re working to change that and let people see how beautiful this place is.”

For more information about the inaugural Pasco Pride, visit PascoPrideProud.org or Facebook. com/PascoPride2018.

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

11

state news

FiFth BlACk tRAnsgEndER womAn muRdEREd in FloRidA this yEAR

FloRidA AuthoRitiEs invEstigAtE thREAt pAintEd on gARAgE

ryan Williams-Jent

Wire report

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EwbERRy, fla. | Authorities in a North Florida county are investigating a threat and slur used against transgender people that was spray painted on a home garage.

The Gainesville Sun reports Alachua County deputies discovered the vandalized garage while patrolling a neighborhood in the town of Newberry in the early morning Sept. 7. Newberry is located west of Gainesville. The slur was spray-painted in large, black letters and threatened the residents to “move or die.�

Liz Abel told the newspaper that she was startled when she and her partner, Alecia Abel, who started identifying as female three months ago, were awoken by deputies. Liz Abel also said that someone had left a sticky note on the garage door the previous day that also said “move or die.�

Newberry’s mayor called the couple and personally apologized for the actions of whoever vandalized the door.

N

ORTH pORT, fLA. | North Port police are investigating the murder of Londonn Moore, 20, the fifth known black transgender homicide victim found in Florida this year.

Moore’s body was discovered Sept. 8, miles from her hometown of Port Charlotte in a remote area of Sarasota County’s North Port.

Local outlets and law enforcement have repeatedly misgendered Moore and utilized her dead name, prompting criticism from community advocates.

Equality Florida and other national organizations released a call for urgent action Sept. 14, citing the 2018 Florida murders of Sasha Garden, Cathalina Christina James, Antash’a English and Celine Walker. Along with Moore, their deaths account for a quarter of

all reported anti-transgender murders nationwide. “This terrifying rash of anti-transgender murders in Florida over a short period of time has spread fear throughout the transgender community,�

Equality Florida’s press release reads. “Compounding the problem, media and law enforcement has repeatedly misgendered the victims and failed to use the names in which they identify in their daily lives, which significantly hampers investigations.� “Regardless of whether this is the act of a single person, multiple people working in concert, or a heinous act that’s a direct result of the dehumanization of transgender people seen across the nation, the spike in anti-transgender violence is a terrifying pattern that must be addressed,� Equality Florida Director of Transgender Equality Gina Duncan advised.

“It is critical that our state’s highest office address the growing concerns of the community and clearly condemn the rise of violence towards black transgender women in Florida,�

Duncan further noted.

ALSO Youth Executive Director Nathan Bruemmer joined the call for action, calling Moore’s death devastating. “Our youth know the statistics, they know violence happens. But now they are confronted with it right here at home,� he advised. “How we respond as a community at this moment is critical,� Bruemmer continued. “We need to advocate for the appropriate responses from law enforcement and media. And we also need to be aware of the emotional impact of this murder on us all, especially on our local LGBTQ+ youth.�

Local authorities ask that anyone with information about Moore’s death contact Detective Chris Maki at 941-429-7323 or CMaki@northportpd.com.

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nation+world news

GOP lawmaker caught on tape: Orphanages better than gay adoption Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

I

n an exchange with high school students that was caught on tape, a Republican congressman from New Jersey was tongue-tied over the prospect of same-sex couples adopting children and suggested kids would be better off in orphanages than with LGBT families.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) made the remarks May 29 when addressing student constituents in the auditorium of Colts Neck High School. They asked the congressman about his opposition to adoption by same-sex couples, according to a source familiar with the recording. A source familiar with the tape, who delivered the recording on Sept. 10 exclusively to the Washington Blade, said it was obtained in recent days.

The recording begins with Hannah Valdes, a senior at Colts Neck High School, telling Smith she has a gay sister who has said in the future she wants to adopt a child with her partner. The

student asks the New Jersey Republican whether “based on household studies” her sister would be “less of a legitimate parent” than someone in a different-sex relationship and why she shouldn’t adopt a child.

In an apparent reference to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling for marriage equality, Smith says “the issue, legally, is moot at this point especially with the Supreme Court decision” and tells the student her sister is “free to adopt.”

Although the Supreme Court settled the issue of marriage, attempts are still underway to deprive LGBT families of the right to adopt. An increasing number of states have passed laws allowing religious-affiliated, taxpayer-funded agencies to refuse placement to LGBT homes for religious reasons. In the U.S. House, Republicans incorporated as a component of appropriations an amendment from Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) that would penalize states and localities for having policies prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination in adoption.

But that wasn’t enough for Valdes, who pressed Smith on why he thinks her sister shouldn’t be able to adopt.

Smith, apparently having difficulty

finding words for his response, said he believes “there are many others who would like to adopt who can acquire a child” and “the waiting periods are extremely long.”

When another student asks what makes these “others” more suited to become parents than her fellow student’s sister, Smith starts to reply, “in my opinion a child needs every possibility of,” without finishing his sentence. That might have been a prelude to saying a child needs every chance of being raised by a mother and a father.

That’s when Smith praised orphanages. In that context, Smith suggested even being raised in an orphanage without parents would be better for a child than having LGBT parents.

“Somebody mentioned orphanages before,” Smith said. “I mean, orphanages are still a possibility for some kids.”

One student is heard uttering an indignant response over the idea the congressman would rather have kids in orphanages than being raised by LGBT parents: “You’d rather have kids in an orphanage than with — ?”

Speaking to the Blade, Valdes said there’s more to the exchange with Smith on gay adoption than what’s heard on the tape. Earlier in the assembly, another student asked about one of Smith’s votes in 1999 in favor of an amendment that would have banned adoption by gay parents in D.C.

Activists in Commonwealth countries respond to India sodomy law ruling Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade

courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

A

ctivists in Commonwealth nations say it remains unclear whether the landmark India Supreme Court ruling that struck down the country’s colonial-era sodomy law will bolster efforts to decriminalize homosexuality in their own countries.

Maurice Tomlinson is a senior policy analyst with the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network who is challenging Jamaica’s anti-sodomy law. He also represents three LGBTI Barbadians who are challenging a similar statute in their country. Tomlinson told the

Washington Blade that even though the India Supreme Court ruling is not binding in other Commonwealth countries, it “will still be very persuasive.” Tomlinson also noted the India Supreme Court ruling said the country’s colonial-era sodomy law, known as Section 377, “was exported across the Commonwealth as part of the British colonizing project.”

Jamaica and Barbados, along with Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Swaziland, Mauritius, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Samoa, still

have colonial-era sodomy laws that are similar to India’s Section 377.

A judge on Trinidad and Tobago’s High Court in April struck down the country’s colonial-era sodomy law. The chief justice of the Belize Supreme Court in 2016 ruled a statute that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations in the country is unconstitutional.

The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in Kenya is challenging the country’s sodomy law.

British Prime Minister Theresa May in April said she “deeply” regrets colonial-era sodomy laws the U.K. introduced in India and in other Commonwealth nations. The Delhi High Court in 2009 struck down Section 377, but the India Supreme Court in 2013 overruled the ruling.

Indian lawmakers in 2015 rejected a bill that would have repealed 377.

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in other news California law affirms genderrelated care for foster youth A new California law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown ensures access to counseling, hormone treatment and surgery for transgender foster youth. The bill “will empower transgender foster youth to live authentically and simply be themselves,” said Democratic Assemblyman Todd Gloria of San Diego, the law’s sponsor. Such treatment would be covered by Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income Californians and those in foster care.

California is the first state to explicitly affirm the right to such treatment for foster youth, said Gloria’s spokesman, Nick Serrano. The state Department of Health Care Services must develop guidelines and best practices by Jan. 1, 2020.

Suit over Michigan gay couples denied adoptions can proceed A federal judge has declined to dismiss a lawsuit which says Michigan is illegally allowing faith-based groups to reject same-sex couples who want to adopt children or become foster parents. U.S. District Judge Paul Borman said in an order that the couples had successfully argued that the faith-based groups’ religious screening practices harmed them. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit in September 2017, alleging that Michigan is violating the U.S. Constitution by allowing groups to use a religious test to carry out public services.

Chile’s congress passes ‘historic’ gender identity law After a five-year battle, Chile’s congress passed a gender identity law Sept. 12 that allows transgender people over 14 years of age to change their name and gender in official records. The law makes it possible to modify information registered in birth certificates through a simple process done at the civil registry. Those between the ages of 14 and 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian, along with consent granted by a family court. The bill had been approved by the senate. President Sebastian Pinera has 30 days to sign the project into law. After the vote, conservative lawmakers Sergio Bobadilla and Juan Antonio Coloma said they intend to go to the Constitutional Court to argue the project “undermines the right of the biological identity of minors.”

Cuban president backs same-sex marriage Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said he supports an amendment to his country’s new constitution that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. Diaz-Canel took office in April after Cuba’s National Assembly chose him to succeed Raul Castro. Lawmakers in July approved the new constitution with the marriage amendment.

Diaz-Canel, who was born after the revolution, supported an LGBTI cultural center in the city of Santa Clara when he was secretary of the Cuban Communist Party in Villa Clara Province. Diaz-Canel also defended Mariela Castro’s doctoral thesis that focused on the integration of transgender people in Cuban society.

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viewpoint

Jason Leclerc

thE othER sidE

of life

T

Strange Bedfellows HE ExCESSIVE SpECTACLE

surrounding our recently-passed Senator John McCain came as little surprise. To the disinterested observer, that the vast and broad antiMcCain rhetoric questioned his status as a hero and his credentials as a statesman was nothing if not predictable. To an observer who’d lived on a planet outside of our galaxy since 2016, the epithets and animus coming from McCain’s own party might have been shocking.

For the rest of us who’ve observed the takeover of that party by an unprincipled impostor — a POW belittler and recent Democrat himself — nothing remains that can shock us. The most visceral post-mortem disdain was shoveled out from a hole deeper than the Everglades-are-wide by folks who’ve overtaken a Grand Old Party that once nominated McCain for the presidency.

Liberals came to his defense alongside conservatives.

Strange bedfellows, indeed.

We need moments of somber reflection to remind us that we share a humanity — an Americanness. We need to see our political institutions coalesce around an idea that may be wrapped in the body of a dearly deceased friend. We need to witness gestures like the passing of a butterscotch down a pew between retired First Ladies.

We need to remember, and hold tight to the re-insurgent perpetuity of McCain’s brand of compassionate, common-ground, country-first conservatism and that it can intersect with compassionate, common-ground, country-first Democrats.

In a time in which factionalism was at its zenith — and which ultimately led to Civil War — Walt Whitman, America’s greatest poetic voice, imparted: I am satis�ied — I see, dance, laugh, sing; As the hugging and loving bed-fellow sleeps at my side through the night, and withdraws at the peep of the day with stealthy tread.

For the LGBTQ community, our relationship with Whitman sings cantatas for how we approach our bedfellows. We, Leaves-of-Grassers, are inclined to lead with love and with a celebration of our similar tendencies (literally and romantically). Fear may seek to separate us, but if we can’t find common verse then the song of Whitman has fallen upon deaf ears.

Whitman’s song of America remains truer than ever. What was, in his day, a surreptitious type of relationship founded in the beauty of human form and hidden behind multi-entendre, survives today with pride: dance, laugh, sing. We are the progeny of strange bedfellows.

Just as World War II drew American democratic idealists into brave perseverance alongside communist puppets against Nazism; just as 9/11 pulled Americans of various political persuasions together into a common cause against radical, religious terrorism; just as McCain’s passing reminded us that many constitutionalists for whom the fundamental institutions of American culture cut across parties to resist insular, authoritarian populism: We find opportunity to celebrate — to assert — that we are invigorated by hugging and loving bedfellows, because of — if not in spite of — their surface strangeness.

Rational Republicans and bleeding heart Democrats —I’ve taken to calling us “Radical Centrists” — have more in common than populist upstarts within our own parties. McCain reminded us that, from this historically justified, institutional vein of American polity, we may

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

disagree on policy solutions even as we largely agree on the core values and issues that we must address. We join in a communion that the rule of law is at the core of justice; we are in agreement that we are equal and that systemic impediments to the equitable distribution of opportunity should be rooted out; we,

dreamers, to dignify otherness, to serenade America.

During the Civil War, Whitman spent time tending military hospitals: honoring the broken bodies and validating the sacrifices young men made in the name of union and freedom and love.

For the balance of his life, he honed his celebration of

2018, in the wake of violent storm-ravaging yesterday–to remind us that, like America, I am large, I contain multitudes and also individually, I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to

together, value civil rights and social responsibilities.

Yet, we spend too much time resisting and mourning — as if these are our only callings-together — instead of building and celebrating. If Republicans and Democrats can come together for a day to send off a bedfellow, there is precedent to empower the overlooked, to welcome

America. We are at a point in our history when our living bedfellows are more consequential than those we’ve buried. Let’s re-cast the loss of a single individual — at an Army hospital in 1862, at a theater in 1865, at a razor-wired beachhead in 1944, in the collapsed ruins of an American metropolis in 2001, to brain cancer in

me as good belongs to you.

We are America: bedfellows remembering heroes, reaching out to brothers and sisters beside us and dreaming forward with much yet to see, dance, laugh, sing. If we can’t be the Whitmans, let’s at least be the McCains. If we can’t be the poets, let’s at least be the poem.

Yet, we spend too much time resisting and mourning — as if these are our only callings-together — instead of building and celebrating.

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There’s a big problem with masculinity and homosexuality—that they can’t somehow go hand in hand. That we can’t have someone in a Marvel movie who’s gay in real life and plays some superhero.

I mean, when is that going to happen?

—“gAmE Of THRONES” ACTOR kIT HARINgTON ON THE LACk Of LgbTQ REpRESENTATION IN mARVEL fILmS.

rAinbow flAg mAkes CAmeo in ps4’s new ‘mArvel’s spider-mAn’ video gAme

p

LAySTATION 4’S “mARVEL’S SpIDER-mAN” VIDEO gAmE was released worldwide Sept. 7 and gaymers’ “spidey sense” started to tingle when they saw a shout out to the LGBTQ community from the webslinger. The game’s detailed layout of New York City lets our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man swing up and down the streets of The Big Apple, passing many of the city’s most well-known landmarks. The city is also filled with dozens of Easter eggs hidden throughout the game, including a nod to one of the LGBTQ community’s most notable symbols. Spidey can show his Pride by chilling out on the end of numerous flagpoles throughout the city displaying the LGBTQ rainbow flag. Several buildings can also be spotted painted in the rainbow colors. “Spider-Man” has received mostly positive reviews from gamers, critics and Spider-Man fans alike and is available now, exclusively on PlayStation 4.

lAdy gAgA tAught brAdley Cooper About drAg during ‘A stAr is born’

L

ADy gAgA gAVE HER CO-STAR bRADLEy COOpER A CRASH COuRSE in drag makeup during the filming of “A Star is Born.” In the film, Cooper stars as Jackson Main, an alcoholic veteran singer who discovers Gaga’s character Ally at a drag bar where “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni Shangela and Willam work. “It was so wonderful, Bradley’s curiosity about drag makeup,” Gaga told Vulture. “I remember having a whole conversation with him about soaping the brow, how you get the eyebrow to stay down. You pat it with powder and then you can’t see it. All of these little details.” “A Star is Born” opens in theaters Oct. 5.

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heidi klum And tim gunn sAy goodbye to ‘proJeCt runwAy’

H

EIDI kLum AND TIm guNN ARE DEpARTINg “pROJECT RuNwAy” after 16 seasons to work on a new project for Amazon. Klum has served as a judge and executive producer of the show while Gunn worked as a mentor for competing designers on the show. Gunn bid farewell to the hit reality series saying, in a statement, “I am grateful to ‘Project Runway’ for putting me on a path I never, in my wildest dreams, thought my career would take me!”

Klum said via Twitter, “I am so appreciative of the dedicated fans, and most of all, I am grateful that we could shine a light on creativity and help launch so many talented designers’ careers.”

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mArCo mArCo CAsts All trAnsgender models for historiC fAshion show

u

NDERwEAR DESIgNER mARCO mARCO made history during its Collection Seven show at New York Fashion Week which featured only transgender models.

Mic.com reports that 34 models took the runway including some familiar faces. YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous, “Pose” stars Dominique Jackson and Angelica Ross, activist Carmen Carrera, model Laith Ashley and “Transparent” actress Trace Lysette all worked the runway. Designer Marco Morante told Mic.com that he wanted his show to make a statement focused solely on transgender beauty. “I wanted to create a space to celebrate trans bodies. This was an opportunity for their presence to be undeniable and reinforce that trans is beautiful,” he said.

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fILm fAm: (L-R) Writer/director Kevin O’Brien and cast Danielle Sagona, E. Mani Cadet and Tom Nowicki share the

LOVE

meaning of “At the End of the Day” at the First Congregational Church of Winter Park Sept. 7. Photo by dylan todd

Local

LAKELAND FILMMAKER BRINGS ‘AT THE END OF THE DAY’ TO TIGLFF 29

T

ryan Williams-Jent

HE TAmpA bAy INTERNATIONAL

Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) is one of the largest and longest-running festivals of its kind. Founded in 1990, the 9-day celebration exists to showcase compelling film and video by, for or about the LGBTQ community that entertains, empowers and enlightens audiences. Its 29th year will do exactly that Oct. 5-13.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“It all goes back to community and being together in person,” Director of Programming KJ Mohr says of the festival, “sitting in a theater and experiencing film.

You feel the laughter around you, you feel the tension. You’re with people who are like you and have experienced a lot of things you’ve experienced.”

TIGLFF’s screening committee began finalizing this year’s slate

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Continued on pg. 25 | uu |

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| uu | At the End of the Day from pg.23

of LGBTQ programming in May. Of the hundreds of submissions received, its 20 members pared the festival’s offerings down to just over 30 selections—including Lakeland filmmaker Kevin O’Brien’s comedic drama “At the End of the Day.” “Having a film that was shot right in the area with a local director is really crucial,” Mohr says of the entry, playing Oct. 6 at the Tampa Theatre, filmed in Lakeland and Orlando with area cast and crew. “A film like Kevin’s, which focuses on our lives within a local community, is spectacular.

It deals with religious persecution of the LGBTQ community, and that’s something that a lot of people can relate to, particularly in our audience.”

The film, which O’Brien wrote, directed and produced, follows the story of Dave Hopper, played by Stephen Shane Martin.

After his wife leaves him and he loses his counseling practice, Dave focuses on a part-time professorship at his alma mater, a conservative Christian college in Lakeland.

It’s there that Dave reconnects with his former professor Gordon Woodman, played by Orlando’s Tom Nowicki, now the college’s scheming dean. Woodman’s plans to expand the campus “hit a snag when the property he wants to develop has been promised to a gay support group,” the film’s official synopsis reads, “which has plans to open an LGBTQ homeless teen shelter if they can raise the money in time.”

Woodman offers Dave his dream job, a position contingent upon Dave going undercover in the support group to stop them from raising the funds needed to buy the property. “For the first time,” the synopsis concludes, Dave “is met face-to-face with the community he has been counseling against his entire career. The awkward and emotional experiences that follow lead Dave on a journey of truth, revealing that life and love are not as black and white as he first thought.”

“Particularly in our political climate right now, it’s refreshing and hopeful to see change like this,” Mohr says. “Attitudes of the church can change, attitudes of Christians can change and things can go in the direction of

This movie is for the LGBTQ community, LGBTQ people who have faced religious rejection in any form, and for their allies ... It’s for parents who have had kids come out and they’re working through what that means ...

It’s for transgender kids who are afraid to come out because they think it’s not worth it.

—“At the End of the Day” Writer/Director Kevin O’Brien

being more accepting of LGBTQ individuals.”

“At the End of the Day” is O’Brien’s feature directorial debut. The self-taught writer and director, an ally to the LGBTQ community, says he grew up in an evangelical home and has always been drawn to stories that can make a difference.

“I was told, and understood through my 20s, that our faith had the exclusive truth to the universe,” O’Brien says. “All others fell short of the mark, and because of that could not enjoy a

fulfilling life on earth, and would spend eternity in torment.”

As he experienced the world, however, O’Brien says he met others who didn’t fit into his worldview. “I slowly sensed some things didn’t line up,” he says.

“When my wife and I decided to grow our family through adoption, we were introduced to a whole world that we didn’t know existed, and were faced with a bunch of misconceptions and fallacies. We leaned into the curiosity, and asked, ‘What else might we be wrong about?’”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

It led him to examine nearly every aspect of his life, particularly his views on race, faith and the LGBTQ community. “The implications of the evangelical church’s view and treatment of the LGBTQ community, specifically their youth, was deeply troubling,” he asserts. “It was a conflict that would not leave my heart.

“One of the first things I did was join our local PFLAG group,” O’Brien recalls, noting with a laugh that he didn’t do so undercover. PFLAG — or Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians

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and Gays — is the nation’s first and largest organization dedicated to uniting families and allies with those in the LGBTQ community.

“At our first meeting they rightfully grilled me on who I was and what I was doing,” he says, “and that community has become our church. That’s our family community within Lakeland: the Polk County PFLAG.” O’Brien’s time with the organization and ongoing research into the LGBTQ community led him to conclude that “historically, the majority of people in power have been white, straight, cisgender men.” While he counts himself among the demographic, he says that “we as a group have done a terrible job and have not realized that there are others with different backgrounds, orientations and genders.”

He says he realized it was “time to start asking questions and stop answering them,” growing certain that a story existed to help shift hearts in the church and help bring healing and acceptance to those hurt by religious rejection in the LGBTQ community. “At the End of the Day” was that story.

To tell it, O’Brien purposely framed it from the perspective of Dave, another aforementioned white, straight, cisgender male.

He did so to show what kind of change was possible.

“For Dave, he lived his life according to what he had been taught. He followed the rules, repeated the answers he’d been given, and stayed on the straight and narrow path, but his life still fell apart,” O’Brien says. “It was in that crumbling life that he started to ask the tough questions. I hope when people see his story, they can relax a bit and understand that there’s no need to hit rock bottom before they ask those questions.”

He says he wanted audiences, though Dave’s experiences, “to meet characters who understand faith differently, who understand love differently, and who are able to value the stories of others without feeling threatened about their own existence.”

While a work of fiction, he says the film is based in truth.

“Their experiences, rejections and triumphs are all inspired by my friends, their lives and stories I’ve heard over the years,” O’Brien says.

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

LOVE WINS: “The implications of the evangelical church’s view and treatment of the LGBTQ community, specifically their youth, was deeply troubling,” says “At the End of the Day” writer/director Kevin O’Brien. “It was a conflict that would not leave my heart.” Photo by dylan todd

| uu | At the End of the Day from pg.25

To bring “At the End of the Day” to the screen, he focused on authenticity in his casting of LGBTQ roles. “That meant finding a transgender actor to play Erika, our transgender female character,” O’Brien says. A

mixture of gay and straight actors rounded out the cast. “I wanted to be sensitive to people’s identities and orientations,” he adds, “and I felt like asking people their orientations during that process was intrusive and offensive. I saw them as actors, and it turned out that more often than not those roles went to gay actors.”

One of those actors was Winter Park’s E. Mani Cadet. He plays

Richard, a member of the LGBTQ support group who he describes as “a lip-popping, phrase-saying, head-twisting, come-on-back-toJesus-moment-having kind of person.” More so, “he’s the energy and the life that keeps everyone together in this support group.”

Cadet sees the film’s setting in Lakeland, and particularly its message of love, as critical.

“Even in the 21st century we still

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

have to create safe places for the LGBTQ community,” he says. He notes that the film is one way to give back.

“Being in a Lakeland community where that struggle is still real, it’s very important that people see these issues and open up their eyes,” he says. “If I can’t personally sit with someone who’s struggling with these

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

issues, we can let others know they still exist.”

“It really felt like the perfect place to play this guy,” Nowicki adds of bringing the film’s antagonist to life. “Hatred now in 2018, with Trump in the White House, is articulate; it wears a tie and is nicely cleaned up. You can’t tell when it’s walking toward you on the street.

“I hope that people look at someone like Gordon and they have a moment of hope,” he says, “and maybe ask ‘is that me? Is what I think is such a reasonable argument really hate-filled?’”

Orlando’s Danielle Sagona, who plays the film’s LGBTQ support group leader Alyssa, says she hopes “At the End of the Day” raises awareness for all viewers.

The film’s female lead cautions that while many communities throughout Tampa Bay and Orlando may be accepting, it’s important not to be complacent.

“We take for granted that we have loving communities,” Sagona says. “We have to open eyes and hearts … there’s still a lot of growth, love and acceptance that needs to happen in this life.”

It’s why featuring Orlando’s Zebra Coalition in the film was critical for O’Brien. The coalition — which provides services to LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 — assists those facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families and physical, sexual and drug abuse.

“LGBTQ homelessness was a thread that helped Dave realize that he’s hurting a lot more than he’s helping,” O’Brien says.

“That definitely came out of a connection with Zebra and the work they were doing.”

“At the End of the Day” showcases actual testimonials from Zebra Coalition youth as the characters learn about the organization and its work. “That was the plan from the beginning,” he says. “I wrote a few pages to keep the space of that scene in the screenplay, and it was always my hope that we could get a few youth to share their real stories.

“I feel like it’s one of the strongest moments in the film,” he adds. “That was a very emotional day of filming.”

“The best part honestly was actually meeting the residents there,” Sagona adds. “They were so sweet and so welcoming; the work that they do, how many people that they house in the community, is unbelievable.

Continued on pg. 29 | uu |

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

support circle: In the film, an LGBTQ support group meets in Lakeland to discuss opening a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth similar to Orlando’s Zebra Coalition. Photo courtesy kevin o’brien

| uu | At the End of the Day from pg.27

I’m thrilled the film highlights the Zebra Coalition; it’s the underlying premise of the film.”

She hopes other cities and communities will be inspired and build something similar for LGBTQ youth.

While the film’s message is critical, TIGLFF’s Mohr also notes that the film is entertaining. “It looks good, it’s well done and it’s fun to watch,” she says. “That’s the number one thing our audience wants: to be entertained and to learn together.”

Reception to the film has been positive thus far, O’Brien says. It’s been featured in Los Angeles and Pennsylvania film festivals, with a sneak peek held at Lakeland’s historic Polk Theatre in May. “It was probably the most magical night of my life,” he recalls. “There were over 700 people. There was so much energy and love for the movie.

Having a film that was shot right in the area with a local director is really crucial. A film like Kevin’s, which focuses on our lives within a local community, is spectacular.

—TIGLFF Director of Programming KJ Mohr There’s so much support for the film in Lakeland, and so many people helped make it happen.

For that many people to come out for one night only, it was amazing and better than I ever could have imagined.”

Aside from TIGLFF 29, “At the End of the Day” will be featured as an official selection of the Golden Door International Film Festival in New Jersey and the Out on Film Atlanta LGBT Film Festival in Georgia. Following its Tampa Bay screening, it moves to the Orlando Film Festival as an official selection Oct. 22.

“If you’ve ever been told who you are isn’t good enough just as you are, or felt like an outsider; if you feel like the powers that be don’t listen to your stories, and you feel misunderstood, written off without a chance; if you’ve felt excluded from any particular group or religion or community, this movie is for you,” O’Brien says.

“This movie is for the LGBTQ community, LGBTQ people who have faced religious rejection in any form, and for their allies, or people who think they might be stereotyping those people,”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

he continues. “It’s for parents who have had kids come out and they’re working through what that means for them and their future. It’s for transgender kids who are afraid to come out because they think it’s not worth it.”

As for his message to conservative Christians, O’Brien says that he hopes viewers can be curious and aren’t afraid of others’ life experiences. “It’s one of the major themes of the film,” he notes, “to listen to others. To value their life experiences as much as we value our own. I hope

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

it gives people the courage to ask tough questions … to come away from it asking if they have prejudices they didn’t realize.”

Likewise, it’s his hope that LGBTQ youth — particularly those growing up in conservative, Christian homes — see the film and understand there are other voices in the world. “I want them to see that they are loved,” O’Brien says. “They are not broken because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Discovering who they are is a part of them becoming their best selves … and who God, if they believe in God, created them to be.”

“The film has a local connection and we love to see what’s familiar to us,” Mohr says.

“Showing it at the Tampa Theater just feels perfect. Kevin’s film is ideal.”

Additional reporting by Jeremy Williams.

For a detailed list of all the films playing at TIGLFF 29, visit WatermarkOnline.com.

For more information about films, venues, TIGLFF 29 or to purchase tickets, visit TIGLFF.com.

29

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TWO BRUNCHES

Arts And entertAinment

THE

NOTORIOUS

RGG

Co-editor Roy G. Guzman talks about the release of ‘Pulse/Pulso,’ an anthology of poems honoring the Pulse victims

C

Gregg shapiro

O-EDITED by QuEER wRITERS

Roy G. Guzman and Miguel M. Morales, the breathtaking poetry anthology “Pulse/Pulso: In Remembrance of Orlando” (2018, Damaged Goods Press), is a literary tribute to the 49 lives taken and 53 wounded at Pulse nightclub in June 2016.

Containing the work of 18 poets; including Caridad Moro-Gronlier, Chen Chen, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Monica Palacios, James A.H. White and Tessara Dudley; “Pulse/Pulso” is a powerful, poetic memorial to lives lost and forever changed on that fateful night.

Watermark had the honor of speaking with Guzman

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

about the anthology, as well as his own poetry.

WATERMARK: when did you stArt writing poetry?

roy guzman: I started dabbling in poetry back in high school. During my freshman and sophomore years, I attended William H. Turner Tech [in Miami], and there I met some fellow rockers. We’d write fan poetry inspired by The

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Smashing Pumpkins, you know, the kind of poetry one writes before inevitably reading Nietzsche [laughs]. The title of one of my poems was something like, “We Are the Machines of God.” I’d carry a wallet with a metal chain strapped to my belt loops. That’s when I first read Amy Tan and James McBride, and connected so much with

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www.NationsLandscaping.com

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| uu | Notorious RGG from pg.31

their work. That’s also when I started writing poems inspired by Emily Dickinson. I guess you can say Emily became my first patron saint in English. Ruben Dario was the first poet whose work found my heart.

Are you strictly a poet or do you also write prose?

I am probably 85 percent poet.

I like how coming up with that random percentage is suddenly making me feel like an impostor.

I write a lot of academic essays, and have published book reviews and long Facebook posts [laughs].

I took a fiction workshop and a few nonfiction classes [for my Master in Fine Arts (MFA)]. I am in awe of prose writers’ relationship to productivity. I love writing short stories, and I’ve written a few, but, afterwards, I feel like going on a long vacation. I also have a complicated relationship to genre because I’ve seen how it stifles one’s creativity and understanding what the subject matter actually wants for itself. I’m always suspicious of genre.

Who are some of your favorite living poets?

Patricia Smith, Natalie Diaz, Diane Seuss and Terrance Hayes have been some of my biggest inspirations. I’m also a huge fan of the work my fellow poets are publishing. Emerging poets. Spoken word poets. Ultimately, my current, former and hopefully future students might be my favorite living poets because I can witness, in real time, what poetry does to them and, in turn, how they grow into poetry. Teach a child a poem and that might just turn into your carpe diem incarnate.

You are currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota, pursuing a PhD in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature. Have you thought about your plans for after graduation?

I can’t seem to want to leave Minnesota! I came here for an MFA in creative writing and loved it so much I decided to stay for a PhD. I’d like to one day be a tenured professor in a place where I can help make a positive change. I’m thinking poetry, ethnic studies or interdisciplinary programs. I’m pretty open in terms of region, but I am partial towards colder places. Not a huge fan of sweating

From the beginning, we decided we had to publish work exclusively by queer and trans people of color, since we were seeing more straight white writers take lots of space.

—Roy G. Guzman

outdoors, as I do enjoy taking public transit.

Before moving to Minnesota, you lived in South Florida.

Miami is still my other home. My parents still live there and I try to visit them as often as I can. Growing up in Miami was tough, especially growing up in Allapattah. We barely had any money for rent. For a long time, we lived in one-bedroom apartments and I slept in the living room. I grew up having very little privacy and I resented that a lot.

I’m an only child and I had a lot of trouble making friends in school and in the neighborhood. I wasn’t much into sports. All I wanted to do was draw and read books, but even those resources were limited.

When I left to do my undergrad at Chicago, it was my first time living by myself, for better or worse.

After getting my MA, I went back to

adjunct in Miami. Having a car this time around helped a lot. I was able to make friends and drive places I’d only bused to as a child. I revisit a lot of those experiences in my work.

You and Miguel M. Morales co-edited the new anthology “Pulse/Pulso: In Remembrance of Orlando.” Do you remember where you were when you first heard about the shooting at Pulse?

Yes, I definitely do. I was having a hard time sleeping and woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I checked my phone and, at first, couldn’t believe what I was reading on Twitter. The shooter was still inside and authorities couldn’t say how many people had been killed. Pictures of cops and people who’d been at the club were being shared. I’ll never forget those images. I remember going back to

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

bed and, in the dark, trying to catch a glimpse of my boyfriend at the time. I started to cry. Many of us will never forget that night.

Had you ever been to Pulse in Orlando prior to the shooting?

I have been to lots of clubs in Orlando, but never to Pulse.

Did you write any poems in response to the tragedy?

My poem, “Restored Mural for Orlando,” was born out of those chaotic days. There was so much I was trying to contend with. I was afraid. Like many others, I too was grieving. At first, I felt this ineffable sense of misery. I had already finished my second year in the MFA program. I’d speak to my friends in Miami and we’d exchange our disbelief. About a day after “Restored Mural for Orlando”

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Pulse poems: The poetry

anthology, “Pulse/Pulso,” features the work of 18 poets. Photo courtesy Gusman

appeared on NPR’s Latino USA, my friend, D. Allen contacted me about the possibility of turning the poem into a chapbook that would also have a Spanish translation, which Marco Antonio Huerta completed. For the next year or so, we were able to raise over $2,000 for the victims and Pridelines, an organization in Miami that was incredibly supportive of me when I was struggling with my queerness.

The chapbook has also been taught in several colleges around the country.

What can you tell me about the process of soliciting work from poets for the anthology?

The anthology was originally supposed to come out through a press that has since gone defunct.

After reading “Restored Mural for Orlando,” they solicited me to become an editor, but I told them I couldn’t take on such a project without a co-editor. I am so grateful that, after a few heart-to-heart exchanges, Miguel came on board.

From the beginning, we decided we had to publish work exclusively by queer and trans people of color, since we were seeing more straight white writers take lots of space. We made an extensive list of authors we wanted to solicit, with the intention of accepting poetry and short nonfiction pieces. We also made sure the call for submissions wasn’t just soliciting work from our acquaintances, and that connected us to many people we didn’t know.

We read submissions in Spanish, although none of those made it to the final round of decisions.

Continued on pg. 35 | uu |

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| uu | Notorious RGG from pg.33

you desCribe the Arduous proCess of finding A publisher for the Anthology As being mArked by “elitism, ClAssism, And A blAtAnt disregArd for Queer And trAns people of Color And indigenous peoples.” did this Come As A surprise to you?

I can sometimes be a gullible Gemini. Or too idealistic.

It’s not that I didn’t imagine we’d face these challenges; it’s more that we were struck by the severity of so many microaggressions.

Editors questioning the validity of the anthology, questioning why we’d chosen certain pieces, wanting to reroute the entire project, questioning Miguel’s Puerto Rican background because most of the victims were Puerto Rican. Editors telling us the anthology wasn’t long enough, that it wasn’t academic enough, that it needed more content from established voices, that everything that had to be

said about Pulse had already been said and that that chapter was over. Editors telling us that a writer responding to a tragedy doesn’t automatically make it publishable, as if Miguel and I had never edited anything before. It was cruel and disheartening. Above all, we believed in the work and had to apologize to our contributors for the time it took us to find a home for the anthology. Miguel and I learned so much about community through this process.

poets hAve A long history of being vitAl voiCes in times of Crisis And there Are numerous Anthologies Addressing the Aids Crisis, rACe And wAr, As proof. whAt type of heAling CAn oCCur from reAding, As well As writing, poetry?

Someone said that poets are the new journalists. While I can agree with the spirit of that statement, I’ve been lucky to see all the places I hadn’t thought poetry could walk into. I know reading and writing poetry

became highly restorative for me. It can still move me in ways other things rarely do. I also think poetry anthologies, in particular, serve an important place in literature, by showing us and exemplifying new forms of community, visibility, accountability, responsibility, history and the future. I’ve seen people cry after reading a poem. I’ve seen how poetry can change a person’s life. It’s like a second birth. whAt CAn you tell me About your forthComing debut poetry ColleCtion?

At the moment, the collection is titled “Catrachos” and Graywolf Press will be publishing it in the spring of 2020. Immigration, violence, queerness, poverty, racism, language, despair and hope are some of the themes I look at. Florida is the setting for many of these poems, as is Honduras, my birthplace.

I want these poems to grieve with you, to dance with you, to confide in you, to listen to you. I feel incredibly grateful to get to write and share this work.

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theAter

Wilde Trials

Michael Wanzie and David Gerrard bring Moises Kaufman’s ‘Gross Indecency’ to the Footlight Theatre stage

(Above)

wILDE wRITES:

Famed author Oscar Wilde is known as much for his death as he is for his stories.

Photo courtesY WikimeDia CoMMonS

D

Colton adkins

IRECTLy CONNECTED TO COmE OuT

with Pride month, Parliament House will feature “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” a play about the famous gay author and the beginnings of modern LGBTQ terminology.

Wilde, who the trials center on, was a prominent Irish novelist, poet and playwright; most known for his works “The Importance of Being

Earnest” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Wilde’s success grew as more people gained access to art and literature due to industrialization.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

That success came to a halt in what came to be three trials about his sexuality.

Michael Wanzie and David Gerrard, both well known for their Central Florida theater work, have teamed up to tell Wilde’s story this October at the Parliament House’s Footlight Theater for National Coming Out Day. Wanzie and Gerrard have a long history working together, starting more than 40 years ago.

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“I did my first show at the Civic Theatres of Orlando in 1978, that’s what is now the Orlando Repertory Theater, but at the time it was one of the best community theatres in the nation,” Wanzie says. “David was someone who was kicking around there as well, and that’s where we met and first worked together.”

After many years and many shows apart—Gerrard directed 56 shows alone at the Osceola Center

Continued on pg. 39 | uu |

37

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

| uu | Wilde Trials from pg.37

for the Arts since 1983—the two longtime friends decided to work together again to bring Wilde’s story to life.

Coming to find this story, though, took Wanzie reaching out to the arts community. He put a call out on social media asking for suggestions on his next project.

“Out of all the suggestions I got on Facebook, I chose eight,” says Wanzie. “Out of those eight titles, the library only had this one.”

He took this as a sign and contacted Gerrard, who agreed to direct the show.

“Most of the people I worked with over the last 10 or 15 years have been at least 15 years younger than myself on a professional basis,” says Wanzie.

“I just really felt that this needed someone directing it who had lived during a time when it truly wasn’t safe to be out and gay in this country.”

Wanzie and Gerrard’s years of industry experience and long relationship made working together and being able to take direction from each other easy.

Wanzie, who is both producing and portraying Wilde in “Gross Indecency,” cites this relationship as the thing that helps him not feel the need to interject during rehearsals.

“I’m so impressed by his insight into the text, and everything that comes out of his mouth that he suggests to anyone, so far, has been like a light bulb going off,” says Wanzie. “It’s cool that I so trust his understanding of the text and the subtext.”

For the actual trials in the show, Wanzie points out, “the bulk of what’s said in the trials is directly word-for-word from the transcripts.” This sets the stage for the rest of the play.

In 1891, Wilde met and became lovers with Lord Alfred Douglas, also known as Bosie, the third son of the Marquis of Queensberry.

Wanzie says this sets the initial trial of Wilde.

“The first trial isn’t because [Wilde] is being charged with being gay. It’s because someone left a card at his club and wrote that Oscar Wilde was posing as a sodomite,” says Wanzie. “And, in that time, even so much as doing that was libel.”

Wilde sued the Marquis for libel because of this card. During

Forbidden romance: Allan Pagan (L) plays Lord Alfred Douglas, the youthful lover of Oscar Wilde, played by Micheal Wanzie in “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials od Oscar Wilde.” Photo Courtesy Michael Wanzie

this trial, according to Wanzie, the Marquis found a group of young boys that would testify against Wilde, and this caused Wilde to withdraw his charges against the Marquis.

This did not stop the Marquis from submitting his evidence to the Crown, who would then press charges against Wilde for gross indecency.

The results of the second trial ended with Wilde’s acquittal, but this event sparked a massive shift in politics in England. According to Wanzie, men in England started getting nervous about their possible arrest. In result, 600 English men — as opposed to the normal 60 — who also

participated in these forms of “gross indecency” flooded the trains to escape to France.

Determined to cover themselves, according to Wanzie, the government of England began to pay people to lie in court about Wilde, and they eventually convicted him of gross indecency.

Wilde would serve a two-year sentence in hard labor.

“After this trial, the people who practiced it became known as ‘Wilders’ after Oscar Wilde,” says Wanzie. “So, for a long time, he was more associated with his homosexuality than he was with his brilliant works of poems and plays.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Freedom from his punishment would not ignite a new spark of passion for Wilde, however.

He published one more piece — called “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” — in response to his imprisonment before aimlessly traveling around Europe until he died in 1900 due to meningitis caused by a severe ear infection.

More than one hundred years after his death, Wilde’s literary pieces have remained prominent and influential in the literary world.

“In the end — and this fact is raised in the play — when it’s all said and done and he’s long dead and buried, he becomes the most read author in Europe,

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second only to Shakespeare,” says Wanzie.

“One of the cool things that comes out in the play is that  until the trial of Oscar Wilde  people didn’t even have the word ‘homosexual,’ it wasn’t part of the lexicon,” says Wanzie. “And nobody self-identified as being ‘gay.’ Men had sex with other men  men had sex with boys, actually, more than they did with other men ¾ but there wasn’t a word for it, it was just an accepted part of society.”

“So, when they had to name it, when they decided it was a crime, they named it ‘gross indecency,’” says Gerrard.

These gross indecency laws, according to Gerrard, remained in English law for a while after Wilde’s death.

The Sexual Offences Act decriminalized homosexual acts in England in 1967.

Moises Kaufman brought these trials to life in “Gross Indecency.”

According to a press release from Wanzie, the play “expertly [interweaves] courtroom testimony with excerpts from Wilde’s writings and the words of his contemporaries.”

Kaufman is also known for “The Laramie Project,” a play detailing the 1998 murder of gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo. A step back from the Footlight Theater’s usual comedy-centered performances, Wanzie and Gerrard decided to put on “Gross Indecency” — in large part — because of the play’s relatability and messages.

“Each time we get together to read it, without a doubt, two or three people say, ‘Oh my God, I just realized another thing that is so prescient about today.’ What is happening in this country right now with this situation or that situation,” says Wanzie.

“So many things turn out to be Trump related almost. It’s like so much has changed and so little has changed.”

“Every night we find something else that is so today,” says Gerrard.

“Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” plays at the Parliament House’s Footlight Theatre Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 17 and 27 starting at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $20 for general admission and go up to $25 for VIP seating. More information can be found by visiting EventBrite.com or by calling 407-425-7571.

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Event schedule Oct 4 - 11, 2O18 Come OUT St. Pete’s mission is to inspire the LGBTQ+ community to live genuinely, raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and encourage public support from LGBTQ+ allies. Equality is at the forefront of all COSP initiatives and events, specifically with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Thursday • TASTE OF GRAND CENTRAL | 6 - 10 PM

OCT 4

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS

Saturday • METRO LGBTQ+ WELCOME CENTER

OCT 6

Punky’s Bar and Grill 6 PM - 6:45 PM Corkscrew shrimp with Thai sauce & Punky’s Pucker cocktail

The Queens Head 8:35 PM - 9:20 PM Seared sea scallop with cauliflower mash and roasted brussels sprouts & Queen’s Cucumber Rickey Community Cafe 9:25 PM - 10:10 PM Assorted pastries, brownies and cupcakes & Jenkins Juice Tickets are limited.

Get your tickets before they are sold out!

$50 PER PERSON

To purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/taste-gcda RSVP on Facebook @ bit.ly/cosp-taste

Includes a small plate & cocktail at each stop. Additional drinks available for purchase.

Bring your email confirmation to Punky’s as proof of purchase. Proceeds benefit Come OUT St. Pete.

Friday • COME OUT, STAY OUT LGBT SENIOR

OCT 5 Saturday

OCT 6

RESOURCE FAIR | 9 AM - 12:30 PM

• CROISEURS DELLA NOCHE (CRUISERS OF THE NIGHT) FASHION SHOW | 7 - 9 PM • COME OUT ST PETE PARADE | 10 AM - NOON

Walk or ride in the parade!

Visit: comeoutstpete.org to register by 10/2/18 deadline

Help unfurl a block-long rainbow flag and carry it along the parade route in the Grand Central District.

Many businesses in the district will be providing live entertainment and special performances during and after the parade and market.

• GRAND CENTRAL PROUD FESTIVAL | 12 - 6 PM Shop from dozens of vendors and locally owned businesses and artists will line the sidewalks.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

• MAYOR RICK KRISEMAN PRESENTATION | 1 - 2 PM • THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA - BERSTEIN’S BROADWAY | 2 - 4 PM and 8 - 10 PM

Pom Pom’s Teahouse 6:50 PM - 7:35 PM Yellow chicken curry wrap with fresh vegetables, toasted almonds and cilantro vinaigrette & Teamosa URBAN Comfort 7:45 PM - 8:30 PM Fried mac and cheese balls & Lazy Leash

OPEN HOUSE | 10 AM - 9 PM

• OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY AT ENIGMA | 9 PM - 2 AM

LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER | DJ McDrama • 1 – 4 PM 2244 Central Ave THE DOG BAR | DJ Shannon C • 10 AM - 1 PM | Mixed Signal • 1 – 4 PM 2300 Central Ave OLD KEY WEST BAR & GRILL | All you can eat breakfast bar $9.99 • 9 – 1 PM 2451 Central Ave | Foam Party THE QUEENS HEAD | DJ and live music • 11 AM – 5 PM 2501 Central Ave featuring Brittany Brown and Jennifer Real URBAN COMFORT | Live music 2601 Central Ave NUMEX | Tommy Sims 2710 Central Ave THE GARAGE | DJ Bill Kody 2729 Central Ave STEEP STATION | DJ DrSKoot and water party 2901 Central Ave POM POM’S | Lady Darjuxena & her Witch Choreo Coven • NOON 2950 Central Ave PUNKY’S BAR & GRILL | Open at 9 AM • Boys Entrance Live • 3 – 7 PM 3063 Central Ave

Sunday

OCT 7

• OVER THE RAINBOW GRAND CENTRAL CHALLENGE | 11 AM - 3 PM • PASS-A-GRILLE BEACH PARTY | 11 AM - 5 PM • SUNSET ROOFTOP TEA BY THE SEA PARTY | 5 PM - 9 PM

Thursday • NATIONAL COME OUT DAY PROCLAMATION

3 PM OCT 11 • |DEB HUNSEDER PERFORMING LIVE | 6 - 9 PM For more information, visit comeoutstpete.org

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THREE ABSOLUTE MUST SEE FILMS FROM TIGLFF 2018 Friday, Oct. 5 • 7:15pm • Tampa Theatre

Wed., Oct. 10 • 7:45pm • Tampa Theatre

Saturday, Oct. 13 • 8:00pm • AMC Sundial

Finally, Emily Dickinson as we always knew she must be a passionate, funny, endearing woman in love with Susan Gilbert. Molly Shannon’s Emily throws her bloomers over her head and dives into the pleasures of stolen kisses and red-hot passion, despite the trappings of petticoats and the oppressive roles for women. Bringing a refreshingly comedic take to the biopic genre, director Madeline Olnek has outdone herself with a quirky yet loving look at the comings (ahem) and goings of a feminist hero ahead of her time. Olnek playfully mocks the Victorian life and still manages to highlight the genius and playfulness of a brilliant mind. Molly Shannon characterizes the “reclusive spinster” with an energy that pulsates just below the surface, filling up the screen with electricity. Frisky Friday Flashback - Women’s After Party: 9pm-1am Hilton Tampa Downtown.

Celebrated documentarian Ondi Timoner’s first scripted narrative film peeks into Patti Smith’s version of one of the most controversial artists of our time. Matt Smith (The Crown, Dr. Who) is stunning in his portrayal of a conflicted artist who mourns the lack of approval from his parents, yet wants to push the boundaries of, well, everything. Mapplethorpe could be just another story of struggling artists in the 70’s, scraping out an existence in the gritty streets of New York. Yet, it is Smith’s intensity that personifies the mind of an artist drudging through his creativity and coming to terms with who he is, or rather, who he wants to be. Mapplethorpe’s two loves were Patti Smith and Sam Wagstaff, beautifully played

by Tony Award winner, John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart). Panel discussion after the film including Margaret Miller of the USF Graphics Studio.

Paul (Paul Rudd) and Erasmus (Steve Coogan) are a quintessentially bitchy couple with a rhythm of contempt for each other so rutted in disdain there is an inevitable breaking point. And that’s when the kid shows up. Erasmus’ 10-year-old grandson is streetwise, cynical and predictably, changes everything.

The couple deftly handles everything from the kid’s obsession with Taco Bell and the not so gentle admonishments from caseworkers and teachers. After all, you cannot leave porn strewn about for a child to find. Coogan and Rudd bring all their comedic genius to characters layered in sarcasm and sprinkled with charm in Andrew Fleming’s unconventional shout out to LGBT families. (SH) Closing Night Party at Thirsty First! (2 blocks from AMC Sundial). First drink compliments of Thirsty First!

WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY

MAPPLETHORPE

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IDEAL HOME

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Got Mustard?

We’ve got more weiner than we can handle.

www.DareToRescue.com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tob er 3, 2018 // Issue 25.19

community calendar

event plAnner ARts+EntERtAinmEnt

CentrAl floridA

CentrAl floridA Global Peace Film Festival, Sept.17-23, City Arts Factory, Orlando. 407-648-7060; CityArtsFactory.com

FULL

orlando Rocks!, Sept.

21, House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando

BLOOM

cult Fridays with black haus, Sept. 21, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com “legally blonde,” Sept. 21-30, Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford. 407-321-811; WDPAC.com “I love a Piano,” Sept. 21- Oct. 14, Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park. 407-645-0145; WinterParkPlayhouse.org halloween horror nights, Sept 21- Nov. 4, Universal Studios, Orlando. 407-363-8000; HalloweenHorrorNights.com the haUnt, Sept. 21- Nov. 3, Old Town, Kissimmee. 407-396-4888; MyOldTownUSA.com “the royal Family,” Sept. 21- Oct. 14, Mad Cow Theatre Company, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com orlando Jazz Festival, Sept.

21-22, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org “noises off,” Sept. 21-Oct. 7, Central Florida Community Arts, Orlando, 407-937-1800, CFCArts.com Smithsonian day, Sept. 22, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, 407-896-4231, OMArt.org Kennedy davenport, Sept. 22, Stonewall Bar, Orlando, 407-373-0888, StoneWallOrlando.com sheila e, Sept. 22-23, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Orlando, 407-824-4321, DisneyWorld.Disney.Go.com

Troye Sivan’s The Bloom Tour comes to the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg Sept. 28.

Photo courtesY troYe sivan’s Facebook

“Gross indecency: the three trials of oscar Wilde,” Sept.

29- Oct. 27, The Footlight Theater at Parliament House, Orlando, 407-425-7571, ParliamentHouse.com “Pines of Rome,” Sept. 29, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando, 407-896-6700, OrlandoPhil.org upscale latin night: Kandy ho birthday bash, Sept. 29, Stonewall Bar, Orlando, 407-373-0888, StoneWallOrlando.com international Food and Drink Festival, Sept. 30, Lake Eola, Orlando,407-936-4332, CityOfOrlando.net/Parks/LakeEola-Park Pride Chats, Oct. 4, Multicultural Student Center, University of Central Florida. 407-823-0401; SJA.SDES.UCF.edu/MSC

tAmpA bAy “Chicago,” Sept. 18-23, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

blue Wave Fundraiser for Pinellas County young democrats, Sept. 21, Enigma, St. Petersburg. 727-235-0867; PinellasYoungDems.org tampa bay Sisters of Perpetual indulgence’s Wigdrive extravaganza, Sept. 22, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; TampaBaySisters.org

Come and cheer on your favorite bearded queen at the 2018 Miss Florida Bearded Queen Pageant. There will be different segments that the contestants will take part in that may involve lip synching, fashion, modeling and unique skills. The judges are local celebrities with special guest entertainer Niomi Necoll Onassis. Entrance fee is $150. For more information visit StoneWallOrlando.com.

Food truck extravaganza SATuRDAy, SEpT. 22, NOON-7 p.m.

THE CLOSINg AgENT IN THORNTON pARk, ORLANDO Get The Human Rights Campaign and The Closing Agent host a communtiy event and fundraiser for The 49 Fund. Featuring food trucks, face painting, bounce house, dinking booth, carnival games and more. This event is open to the public and family-friendly. For more information, visit Facebook.com/The49Fund.

tAmpA bAy

troye Sivan, Sept. 28, The Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg.

727-898-2100; TheMahaffey.com

come Out St. pete taste of Grand central

drag Queen Story hour, Sept. 29, Community Cafe, St. Petersburg. 727-222-6979; CommunityCafeStPete.com “between riverside & crazy,” Oct. 3-Nov. 4, American Stage Theatre Company, St. Petersburg.

727-823-7329; AmericanStage.org

kandy ho & roxxxy andrews, Sept. 22, Southern Nights, Tampa.

813-559-8625; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsTPA

tampa drag Race live Premiere night, Oct. 4, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625; Facebook.com/SouthernNightsTPA

Closet ball, Sept. 23, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg.

727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com

sArAsotA

metro Wellness Gayborhood Grill-out, Sept. 27, LGBT Welcome Center, St. Petersburg. 727-201-4925; LGBTWelcomeCenter.com

SuNDAy, SEpT. 23, 7 p.m.-2 A.m.

STONEwALL bAR, ORLANDO

louie anderson, Sept. 28, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

“the Fantasticks,” Sept. 22-Oct. 21, Freefall Theatre, St. Petersburg.

727-498-5205; FreefallTheatre.com

hiv/aiDs awareness Forum and resource event, Sept. 27, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Clearwater. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

miss Florida bearded Queen pageant

THuRSDAy, OCT. 4, 6 p.m. gRAND CENTRAL DISTRICT, ST. pETERSbuRg Kick off Come OUT St. Pete’s week-long celebration of National Coming Out day with a food and drink crawl in Grand Central District. Crawlers start at Punky’s and continue to PomPom’s, URBAN Comfort, The Queen’s Head and Community Cafe. Tickets are $50 and include food and beverage samples at each stop.

All proceeds benefit COSP. For more information visit ComeOutStPete.org

sArAsotA

G2H2 Sarasota 7th Anniversary

colorful combinations, Sept. 23, Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota. 941-953-3434; SarasotaOrchestra.org Passion & travel, Sept. 29, Sarasota Opera, Sarasota.

941-328-1300; SarasotaOpera.org “dine to the nines” Restaurant Week, Oct. 1-14, Sarasota Manatee Originals, Sarasota. 941-365-2800; DineOriginal.com

THuRSDAy, OCT. 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

OASIS, SARASOTA Join SarasotaOUT and Watermark and celebrate G2H2’s seventh anniversary. G2H2 takes place the first Thursday of the month at different locations and aims to showcase gay-friendly businesses by bringing LGBTQ people together. G2H2 funded SarasotaOUT.com, bringing news and information to the Sarasota LGBTQ community. For more information visit G2H2Sarasota.com.

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

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present

Pride Fest 2018 Oct 20th RAINBOW RESISTANCE www.sarasotapride.org

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J.D.Hamel Park Gulfstream & Main 12-6 p.m.

Lindsay Carlton-Cline The Cheaters AF Divine

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Kelly Neff Live Music - Drag -Food Trucks-Vendor Expo Sponsorship Opportunities & Vendor Space Available 44

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Sep t emb er 20 - Oc tOb er 3, 2018 // ISSue 25.19

overheard

tAmpA bAy out+About

for the Children

E

DuCATION NETwORk gLSEN TAmpA bAy HAS ANNOuNCED that “Breaking the Silence,” its third annual fundraiser for Tampa Bay youth, will be held at Jackson’s Bistro in Downtown Tampa Sept. 29.

“GLSEN Tampa Bay’s mission is to create safe and affirming schools in Hillsborough County as every student, in every school, should be valued and treated with respect,” the organization’s announcement reads. “GLSEN believes that all students deserve a safe and affirming school environment where they can learn and grow.”

“Breaking the Silence” will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 from 6-9 p.m. According to the organization, the fundraiser will offer food, a luxury silent auction and music for the ticket price of $25. One hundred percent of donations will benefit area youth.

“We wanted to create a fundraising event that would help to raise awareness,”GLSEN Tampa Bay Co-President Gregg Coldiron released in a statement. “People assume that every school is a safe place for children and that just isn’t the case.

Our Board of Directors work tirelessly to be allies to all LGBT students in our community.”

The statement also cites the support of former Tampa Chief of Police and current Tampa mayoral candidate Jane Castor. “We are members of this community and we want to lend our assistance where we can,” Castor shared. She further noted that she believes in the mission of GLSEN Tampa Bay, advising it “is positive and needs to be supported.”

GLSEN’s Tampa Bay chapter is community led. It offers teacher trainings, student support, community outreach and more. For more information about the organization or its offerings, call 813-486-9283 or visit GLSEN.org.

Tickets for “Breaking the Silence” can be purchased in advance at Donate-Tampa.GLSEN. org/bts18tickets or on the day of at Jackson’s Bistro Sept. 29.

plAy bAll

T

HE SuNCOAST SOfTbALL LEAguE, ORgANIzED IN 1993 to promote a safe environment for gay men and women in the Tampa Bay area to play softball, kicked off its 26th year Sept. 16.

“It’s hard to believe! A small handful of us were here on opening day 26 years ago,” the organization shared via social media. “We never imagined how successful the league would become; what an impact in the community it would have; the people and critters we would help year after year.”

The organization further noted that it is proud of what they have become. “We look forward to working with Tampa Pride, St Pete Pride and other community partners and our charities,” they concluded, “as we hit the field for our next 25 years!”

For more information about the league, visit SuncoastSoftball.org.

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1

b-DAy LOVE: Jason Grawey L) hosts husband nicholas Grawey‘s birthday celebration at Room 901 Sept. 8. Photo bY rYan Williams-Jent

2

DRAg DELIgHT: Owners Greg and Romina Mikurak celebrate the inaugural Drag Thirsty event at Thirsty First Sept. 11.

Photo by RUSS MaRtIn

3

uT pROuD: The University of Tampa Pride chapter’s mackenzie brown(L) and Joseph Ferraro raise program awareness at the Tampa Youth Leadership Council’s LGBTQ forum Sept. 12. Photo by

4

5

rYan Williams-Jent

4

RAINbOw CONNECTION: blaine lawson (L) and tom Penman pop into G St. Pete Sept. 8. Photo

bY rYan Williams-Jent

5

g2H2 gALS: Mikki, Claire and Kim (L-R) enjoy G2H2 Sarasota’s social at A’Zul Cantina Lounge at Catrinas Tacos and Tequila Sept. 6.

Photo by RUSS MaRtIn

6

bIg wIN: deidre Favero (L) and lindsey burkholder celebrate their Bocce and Brews tournament win at 3 Daughters Brewing Sept. 16.

6

Photo bY rYan Williams-Jent

7

TICkETS fOR TwO: david Johnson (L) and tommy Voravong take in the silent auction at TIGLFF’s launch party at The Vault Sept. 13. Photo bY rYan Williams-Jent

8

fRESH START: Host Daphne Ferraro (L) congratulates Samaya Sinsation on her Fresh Fridays week two win at Enigma Sept. 14. Photo

8

bY rYan Williams-Jent

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Reach local LGBT communities across the nation.

Start connecting with over a million loyal readers in print and online across the country.

212-242-6863 info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com

Atlanta | Boston | Chicago | Dallas/ Ft Worth | Detroit | Los Angeles | Miami/ Ft Lauderdale | New York | Orlando/Tampa Bay | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Washington DC

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overheard

CentrAl floridA out+About

here Cher goes AgAin

O

H, mAmmA mIA! CHER IS COmINg TO ORLANDO! The one-and-only Cher announced that she is taking her love of ABBA on the road for a 30-city North American tour, and Orlando is on her list of stops.

The “Here We Go Again Tour” comes to the Amway Center on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019 and will be the Grammy Award-winning singer’s first time touring the U.S. after five years. Cher announced the tour when she appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Aug. 23 while promoting her new ABBA tribute album, “Dancing Queen.”

The first leg of Cher’s “Here We Go Again Tour” takes her to Australia and New Zealand this fall, with the North American tour starting Jan. 17 in Fort Myers, Fla. The new “ABBA-fied” Cher started this past summer when she appeared in the movie musical “Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again,” the sequel to the 2008 hit “Mamma Mia! The Movie” starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard.

“Dancing Queen” will be Cher’s 26th studio album and is scheduled for release Sept. 28.

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be still my mosAiC heArt

A

muRAL Of mORE THAN 800 mOSAIC HEARTS, made by artists from around the world, has been created in Orlando in support of the LGBTQ community. The mural, which is located on the exterior wall of The Lamp & Shade Fair at 1336 N. Mills Ave., was installed throughout August and early September.

The mural’s hearts form a large, colorful rainbow floating away from a silhouetted figure blowing kisses. Washington State artist Jennifer Kuhns and Orlando artist Cherie Bosela, owner of Luna Mosaic Arts, collaborated on this project. The mural is not commissioned. An online fundraiser was created to help pay for the installation and travel expenses.

A smaller version of the mural was recently installed by Kuhns on the wall of a high school for at-risk teens in Shelton, Wash. Kuhns began working with Bosela to create something larger and more ambitious for the Orlando version.

The two hope that the mural will help give a voice to allies of the community targeted by the Pulse shooting.

“It is just something Cherie and I wanted to do: to create a mural that stands as a message of hope and support for the LGBTQIA community, and anyone who feels marginalized or lives in fear of hate and violence simply because of who they are,” Kuhns said in a press release. “We wanted to create an opportunity for others who agree to join in the message, to add their voice through mosaic hearts, financial support and by taking selfies in front of the silhouetted figure and sharing them in perpetuity.”

The mural’s remaining funds will be donated to The LGBT+ Center Orlando.

4

1

DRAg wAR: Chris Pineda and his mother Mary (front center) meet the queens of War On The Catwalk at The Plaza Live in Orlando Sept. 9. Photo courtesY chris PineDa

2

gALA guyS: harold Jesurun (L) and timmy Smith attend the 2018 Hope & Help Gala at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando Sept. 8.

Photo bY kathleen harPer

3

LOCAL CELEbS: Zebra Coalition’s heather Wilkie (L) and Watermark’s Danny Garcia were among the celebrity bartenders at the LGBT+ Center’s sixth annual Celebrity Bartending Night at Savoy Orlando Sept. 11. Photo

courtesY DannY Garcia

4

puRpLE mADNESS: (L-R) holly adams, robin haase-brinkmeier and rebecca kaercher party like it’s 1999 at the concert of the Prince cover band, Purple Madness, at the House of Blues in Disney Springs Sept. 15. Photo courtesY

5

wINNINg fANS: Jen West (L) and tatiana Quiroga enjoy k.d. lang at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Sept. 8. West and Quiroga were the winners of a pair of tickets from Watermark’s online contest. Photo bY DannY Garcia

6

EQuALITy VOTINg: Human Rights Campaign’s criss ruiz (R) stops by the Watermark office in Orlando Sept. 11 to share some Equality Voter swag with us. Photo by

7

JeremY Williams

7

ISLAND pRIDE: (L-R) holly Strout, Vivian rodriguez and Jeff Prystajko get dressed up for their trip to Mystic Island at the Hope & Help Gala Sept. 8.

Photo courtesY hollY strout

8

pLAy bALL: luis Gabriel Fernandez (L) and bobby agagnina at the opening day of softball season at the Seminole County Softball Complex in Altamonte Springs Sept. 16. Photo courtesY bobbY aGaGnina

brianna rockmore

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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announcements

wedding bells

Sarah Wilson and Stacey Schulz from St. Petersburg, Florida

EngAgEmEnt dAtE:

July 8, 2017

wEdding dAtE:

Aug. 26, 2018

vEnuE:

Stacey’s parents’ home in Brandon

ColoRs:

Grey, earthy green and blush

dJ sERviCE:

DJ Shannon Chaney

CAtERER:

Rays Vegan Soul Food and Holy Hog BBQ

oFFiCiAnt:

Lucas overby

CAkE BAkERy:

Daileen events

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Vegan walnut carrot cake with maple cashew frosting

thEmE:

Boho Garden Party

photogRAphER:

Cheri Davis Photography

Photo bY cheri Davis PhotoGraPhY

“T

HERE wERE muLTIpLE

instances I knew Stacey was the one, but it started to become obvious when I had a pretty significant shoulder injury early on in our relationship,” Sarah Wilson shares about the beginnings of her romance with her now-wife Stacey Schulz.

“I was a mess. I was angry, sad, in excruciating pain constantly, irritable, spending all of my money on any treatment that would help and she just kept on taking care of me.”

Wilson recently moved back to St. Pete from Noblesville, Indiana and works as General Manager at the Mad Hatters Ethnobotanical Tea Bar. She shares where they were when she first met Schulz, who is a St. Pete native currently employed as a Software Product Specialist at SCC. “We first met in Gulfport years ago when a mutual friend

introduced us,” she says. “We didn’t end up dating though until years later when Stacey and a friend of hers happened to show up at a Christmas party where I was bartending.”

“I knew early on I was never going to find anyone else who would ever love me the way Stacey does and knew quickly I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her,” Wilson continues.

“I can’t imagine my life without her and I especially can’t imagine going through the rest of this journey with anyone else.”

“There wasn’t a specific moment, but rather an accumulation of small but special moments that made it clear that

Sarah was the person I was meant to marry,” Schulz chimes in. “She brings out the absolute best in me. She makes me strive to work harder and dream bigger, and with her by my side I feel like I can achieve all of my goals no matter how grand they may be.”

Wilson was the one who popped the question to Schulz while the couple was on a cruise together on the Baltic Sea. “I was going to propose on our cruise when we were at the Mayan Ruins, but I ended up getting so sick on the cruise; I had to compromise,” Wilson admits. “I was determined to propose to Stacey on this cruise and I was running out of time, so I decided that going to the top of the deck and lying on a hammock together while floating on the Baltic Sea was the most romantic thing I could think of under the circumstances. It was just us and it was absolutely perfect.”

The pair tied the knot at Schulz’s parents’ house in Brandon, surrounded by loved ones. “We both loved that we had a small wedding with family and a small handful of our closest friends,” Wilson says. “The entire day was amazing, short of the weather, and was everything we both could imagine.

“There was a moment at the end of the ceremony that Stacey and I hugged each other,” she recalls, “and we both think it was then that things really felt official and the insanity of the last month was worth it.”

“What started out as a very simple courthouse ceremony turned into a wonderful day with family and friends that was thrown together in a very short 28 days,” Schulz says. “It was the most incredible, insane and stressful 28 days of both of our lives, but it was worth every second.”

CongRAtulAtions

ron Frank was inducted into the NAGAAA Hall of Fame at the Tampa Gay Softball World Series Sept. 4.

The GaYbor District coalition celebrates 11 years of uniting LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly businesses in Tampa’s historic Ybor City Sept. 29.

St. Pete filmmaker eric casaccio’s Rob Ian Coburn mini-documentary was selected for the Silver Screen for Short Films festival in Tampa Oct. 10.

Cruisers lounge (Cape Coral) celebrates their first anniversary in Sept. 2018.

CondolEnCEs

Shane Walker of Orlando passed away Sept. 11.

loCAl BiRthdAys

Disney manager Jason Dobbins, Cosplay master leif thomas, JLL Vice President thearon Scurlock, Dr. david Rice at Eola Eyes, “DJ Trypsin” Gabe medina (Sept.

20); Walt Disney Port Orleans Resort’s Gerry D. evans, Hyatt-Sarasota’s John George, Animal advocate ziggy Shockley, Orlando Gay Chorus creative director James Rode, Orlando comedian angela Ramos (Sept.

21); St. Pete’s Tennessee transplant zach stamper, Orlando sister “Isadora Knocking” Morris beverly, The Edge Community Church Pastor Ricc Rollins (Sept. 22); Balance Orlando owner lu mueller-kaul, Hamburger Mary’s Executive Chef darlene herrick (Sept. 23);Tampa Bay fashion designer Ivanka Ska, Quench twin nick Caraccia, Orlando photographer angie Folks (Sept. 24); Southern Nights’ Christopher bishop, Orlando chef nathan Shifflett, The Dashing Man brian Smith, former Watermark sales rep Kevin thornton (Sept. 25); EO Inn general manager eddie cooper, Orlando performer Janine Klein, Keep Orlando Beautiful coordinator Jody Goostree, graphic artist Jarrod Pope, former Watermark Media Director Jamie hyman (Sept.

26); Tampa realtor cody limberger, Dapper Ducks owner chuck zell (Sept. 28); Tampa decorator extraordinaire Matthieu Stanoch, City of Orlando’s CFO Chris McCullion, Ybor City event planner tony laColla (Sept.

29); Mickey man Josh Smith, HIV/AIDS activist rob domenico (Sept. 30); Youth Executive Director nathan bruemmer, Tampa Bay entertainer Crystal Reigns, Tampa Bay entertainer darnell bradley, Parliament House’s niki ames (Oct. 2); Hamburger Mary’s/Drag Race alum Vanessa “Miss Vanjie” Mateo, Orlando bartender taylor bulloch, “The Money Coach” tammy lally (Oct. 3); Bay News 9 traffic expert Chuck henson, St. Petersburg city council member amy Foster (Oct. 4).

do you hAvE An AnnounCEmEnt? See your news in Watermark! Send your announcement to editor@Watermarkonline.com

—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 Jake stevens

Dr. Steve Yacovelli VIe WPoINT CoLUMNIS T

AgE:

40-something

homEtown: o-town

idEntiFiEs As:

Totes Gay

out yEAR:

1994

pRoFEssionAl RolE modEl:

Benjamin Franklin.

His entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, problem-solving ability and cheeky sense of humor made him such a successful business man, diplomat and leader.

AutoBiogRAphy titlE:

whAt kind of writing do you do for wAtermArk?

hoBBiEs:

Viewpoint author; basically random thoughts on how I’m seeing the world as it relates to our community.

“He Should Have Stopped at 3: The Doc yock Story”

whAt mAde you wAnt to write for wAtermArk?

Being a canine parent, growing my business, being gatorbait on my paddle board, doing bootycamp, yoga, traveling, hanging with the hubs ... oh, and wine!

THE MONEY! THE FAME! (hehe) Seriously, I wanted to find a way to not only give back to my LGBTQ+ community but also challenge myself to do some different kind of writing beyond my business and academic pursuits.

whAt is your fAvorite thing About writing for wAtermArk?

I feel like I have a platform to try and make our LGBTQ+ experience a little bit better. whAt is the nAme of your Column with wAtermArk?

“Homo Erectus: The Evolution of Us” how did you Come up with the nAme for your viewpoint Column?

“Homoerectus” was a silly word I thought up somewhere on I-95 that’s derived from “homosexual” and “erect” (interpret that how you will) with a Latin slant. The tagline “the evolution of us” speaks to the development professional in me, where I hope my little column helps us as a community to continue to evolve and grow. whAt is your fAvorite lgbtQ event?

Come Out With Pride, of course! whAt is your fAvorite thing About the loCAl lgbtQ Community?

I think it’s more how the greater Orlando community seems to have our collective backs and overall really embraces inclusiveness in general. And yes, as an LGBTQ+ community we sometimes disagree internally, but we are still strongly unified and fiercely protective of one another. #OrlandoStrong

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whAt would you like to see improved in the lgbtQ Community?

Two things: First, while I love that we are so spread out throughout Central Florida, I wish we had a little more of a “gayborhood” similar to cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Columbus that served as the epicenter of our community.

Second, a broader range of social activities for LGBTQ+ people to get together beyond softball, bowling and bars. whAt do you wAnt the wAtermArk reAders to know About you?

That I’m stupidly passionate about diversity and inclusion and how it interacts with our world. Whether that’s educating clients on how their unconscious biases are impacting their business, how we mitigate bias within corporate learning or how best to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community within the workplace. I love helping folks grow through embracing inclusion.

Also, my friends sometimes call me the “HR Police” because of this.

Frankly, they like coming to me and asking those “hard” questions about diversity topics because they know I’m a safe ear and will only mildly poke fun of their silly questions. whAt AdviCe would you give your younger self?

“Oh, little Stevie: Use more sunscreen and wear knee braces when you do sports to preserve your joints.

Oh, and be nice to that guy who approaches you at Club Firestone in June 1996, because you’ll eventually marry him 18 years later.”

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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