Watermark Issue 26.03: Eligible Singles

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Tampa Bay Edition

ceLeBraTing 25 years of

Your LGBTQ Life.

LOVE ACTUALLY THE SEASON OF LOVE IS BACK, AND SO ARE WE WITH 10 OF CENTRAL FLORIDA AND TAMPA BAY’S MOST ELIGIBLE SINGLES

coME oUT wiTh PRidE oRlando BidS foR woRldPRidE 2026

METRo TaMPa Bay UnvEilS nEw naME and BRand

dayTona Beach • orLando • TaMpa • sT. peTersBurg • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA

I S S U E 2 6 . 0 3 • F E B R UA RY 7 - F E B R UA RY 2 0 , 2 0 1 9 • WAT E R M A R KO N L I N E . CO M

This issue features two covers!

In this issue we feature ďŹ ve elligible singles on the Tampa Bay edition and another ďŹ ve on the Central Florida edition.

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Central Florida Edition

ceLeBraTing 25 years of

Your LGBTQ Life.

LOVE ACTUALLY THE SEASON OF LOVE IS BACK, AND SO ARE WE WITH 10 OF CENTRAL FLORIDA AND TAMPA BAY’S MOST ELIGIBLE SINGLES

coME oUT wiTh PRidE oRlando BidS foR woRldPRidE 2026

METRo TaMPa Bay UnvEilS nEw naME and BRand

dayTona Beach • orLando • TaMpa • sT. peTersBurg • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA

I S S U E 2 6 . 0 3 • F E B R UA RY 7 - F E B R UA RY 2 0 , 2 0 1 9 • WAT E R M A R KO N L I N E . CO M

CARNEVA

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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dEPaRTMEnTS 7 // PUBliShER’S dESK 8 // cEnTRal floRida nEwS 10 // TaMPa Bay nEwS 12 // STaTE nEwS 14// naTion & woRld nEwS 21// TalKinG PoinTS 43// coMMUniTy calEndaR 45// TaMPa Bay oUT + aBoUT 47// cEnTRal fl oUT + aBoUT 48// TaMPa Bay MaRKETPlacE 50// cEnTRal fl MaRKETPlacE 53// wEddinG BEllS/ annoUncEMEnTS 54// laST PaGE

PAGE

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What would it look like to relocate the concept of love?

Can’t we take it away from the cash register and put it into our communities instead? Whether you are inclined to being in a relationship or not, you are worthy of love. We queer folks have fought for our right to love in whatever way our hearts take us.

—REV. JAKOB HERO-SHAW IN HIS VIEWPOINT cOLUMN “QUEERLy BELOVED”

on ThE covER

PAGE

PAGE oScaR BoUnd

LOVE ACTUALLY: Watermark presents 10 of Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s most eligible singles during the season of love.

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Central Florida Edition Photography by Jake Stevens Tampa Bay Edition Photography by Dylan Todd

Scan QR codE foR

waTERMaRKonlinE.coM

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Marianne Farley’s LGBTQ film “Marguerite” seems poised to win an Academy Award.

waTERMaRK iSSUE 26.03 // fEBRUaRy 7 - fEBRUaRy 20, 2019

BiG Bid

naME GaME

Bill BaTTlE

Come Out With Pride PAGE announces its intent to host WorldPride at Pulse’s 10-year mark.

PAGE Tampa Bay’s Metro Wellness and Community Centers is now Metro Inclusive Health.

PAGE

Ella fElla

read it online!

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

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LGBTQ activists are divided after lawmakers introduce differing equality bills.

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Tampa Bay actor Jay Goldberg serves stepsister sass in “Cinderella.”

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puBLisher’s

rick Claggett PUBLISHER

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

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dESK

OVE IS IN THE AIR AND I’M A SAP. IN

fact, I’m an Air Supply listening, rom-com loving, “This Is Us” crying sap. You have to be pretty close to me to see it, but it’s there. When 90 percent of your social life is work related, it’s easy to have work-mode walls up. What may seem like an all-business exterior is really just all mush inside.

I can’t say where this love of love stems from. My earliest memories are of growing up with little means in Houston, Texas. There were five kids, my parents and an uncle in the house.

Making ends meet and raising a herd of kids didn’t leave a lot of room for romance. Although, my parents did go on a date to see Willie Nelson’s New Year’s Eve concert every year and I thought that was sweet.

Maybe my views of love were romanticized by my early choice in music. I was nine years old when I first saw Air Supply perform their greatest hits at

waTERMaRK STaff

AstroWorld. All they sing about is love: “Lost in Love,” “All Out of Love,” “The One That You Love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing At All.” I also inherited my parents’ fascination with the oldies, in this case the 50s and 60s, with songs like “Earth Angel,” “Love Me Tender,” “Unchained Melody” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”

As I started to come to terms with being gay, around middle school, I would find myself listening to love songs and fantasizing about being in a relationship with another boy. When I completely came to

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terms with being gay, music and fantasy was all I had. My date for Homecoming was Air Supply.

I would sit on my bed, listen to their greatest hits and dream of what life would be like if it was okay for me to be in love with a boy. I told you I was a sap.

I was in love with what could be. All I wanted was to meet someone in high school, fall in love and spend the rest of our lives together. This was the movie in my mind, the perfect gay rom-com, and I was going to make it happen. When it didn’t work for me in high school, I made it my mission to meet someone in college—at a Southern Baptist school in the mountains of North Carolina.

Surprisingly, I fell for someone in nearby Asheville. He was about to leave for NYC to attend college. This didn’t deter me.

Every great movie relationship has its obstacles and this was merely a challenge that was going to make us stronger. It didn’t and it was crushing, like the end of “Avengers: Infinity War” devastating.

What followed were a few decades of poor decisions. I had some wonderful, long-term relationships during this time, but my desire for the perfect relationship led me to many failed attempts. I was told by one ex that life was not a movie and no one could live up to my expectations. Another thought I was a robot because I never argued and wanted things to be happy and perfect. I spent a lot of time trying to force a perfect relationship instead of seeing the friendships that were in front of me. I often found myself at a literal crossroads between walking away from a bad situation or going all in. I always chose to walk into the fire, love conquers all. Except it doesn’t, or at least it can’t be forced.

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It wasn’t until I stopped drinking and began to examine my life that I realized some of my exes were right. Life isn’t perfect, it doesn’t wrap up in a two-hour movie or a three-minute song.

I began to value myself through my own eyes and realized happiness can’t be orchestrated.

I decided to stop relationship hunting and just let life happen.

Three years later I met my boyfriend and I couldn’t be happier. He is a beautiful person, talented and smart. There is no pressure of what should be, just the joy of what is. There is no schedule to follow, just

I would find myself listening to love songs and fantasizing about being in a relationship with another boy. what happens. For the first time in my life, I’m going to let this movie write itself. Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.

In this issue of Watermark we celebrate some of the area’s most eligible singles. All 10 of our singles are extraordinary individuals with much to offer. In Tampa Bay news, a local judge has deemed parts of the conversion therapy ban unenforceable. In Central Florida news, Come Out With Pride announces its intent to host WorldPride at Pulse’s 10-year mark. Our entertainment section features “Cinderella” at Show Palace Dinner Theatre in Hudson and the Academy Award-nominated short film “‘Marguerite.”

We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

oRlando officE 414 N. Ferncreek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803 TEL: 407-481-2243

TaMPa Bay officE 2529 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

conTRiBUToRS ScOTTIE cAMPBELL

is a longtime activist as a member the LGBT community. His work has resulted in a thriving community in the Lake Ivanhoe region and his wit has melted at least a few Orlando candles. Page 17

REV. JAKOB HERO-SHAW

is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. He and his husband are the proud parents of two teenagers.. Page 19

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, holly KaPhERR alEJoS, JaSon lEclERc, MElody Maia MonET, JERicK MEdiavilla, GREG STEMM, dR. STEvE yacovElli, MichaEl wanZiE

PhoToGRaPhy BRian BEcnEl, nicK caRdEllo, BRUcE haRdin, JaMaRQUS MoSlEy, chRiS STEPhEnSon, lEE vandERGRifT

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central florida news

SPEKTRUM offers new healthcare option for LGBTQ patients Jeremy Williams

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RLANDO | SPEKTRUM Health hopes to become the go-to LGBTQ healthcare provider in Central Florida now that its Orlando location is officially open.

The clinic’s mission is “to provide top quality comprehensive primary healthcare options for LGBTQA+ individuals,” reads the organization’s mission statement.

SPEKTRUM is a nonprofit provider that offers a wide selection of healthcare options including primary care, STD treatment and prevention, med-psych management, HRT for transgender patients, weight management and HIV treatment and prevention, including PrEP. SPEKTRUM Health is the brainchild of Joseph Knoll, APRN. Knoll is an openly-gay nurse practitioner who wanted to start SPEKTRUM because he saw a healthcare need in the community.

“There are other organizations in town that cater to the LGBTQ community,” Knoll says. “I’ve either been a patient or been employed by several of those other organizations, and I saw things that I liked and saw things that I didn’t like.

I took my experiences and merged that with what my goal and my mission was.”

SPEKTRUM Health opened its doors to its physical location on Feb. 1 at 8000 South Orange Ave., Suite 210.

“It’s not a huge facility we have here,” Knoll says, “but we have a small office because accessibility is key.”

Knoll’s focus with SPEKTRUM is to create a place where his patients can build the right healthcare to fit their lives. For Knoll, that includes offering a healthcare office for patients to visit, having an option available for in-home visits and, in today’s fast-paced digital age, offering virtual health.

“A lot of what I do is on the prevention side which is perfect for virtual healthcare,” says Knoll.

Patients can log on through a phone, laptop or tablet anywhere and consult with their provider. Knoll has been offering virtual healthcare to his patients for some time now and is carrying that service to SPEKTRUM. “My hope is that we will become the go-to for LGBTQ people for all things that virtual healthcare is appropriate for,” Knoll says, “particularly when it comes to HIV management, PrEP and HRT.” Virtual healthcare also means that patients receiving maintenance care from SPEKTRUM don’t have to change doctors if they relocate. Knoll currently sees patients in 10 different states.

The name SPEKTRUM comes from Knoll’s policy that he treats all patients with care and dignity regardless of where they fall on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum (SPEKTRUM Health uses a “K” instead of a “C” to avoid being confused with the communications company of the same name).

SPEKTRUM Health invites you to the clinic’s grand opening on Feb. 13 from 5:30-8 p.m. Come out and enjoy light bites, tour the facilities and learn about all the services and healthcare options they offer. For more information, visit Spektrum.Health.

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BIG ANNOUncEMENT: Members of the COWP board gather at The Venue in Orlando to announce a bid to host WorldPride 2026.

Photo courtesy COWP

WorldPride is Coming?

Come Out With Pride announces intent to host WorldPride at Pulse 10-year mark Jeremy Williams

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RLANDO | Come Out With Pride (COWP) announced in a press conference at The Venue Jan. 23 that they plan to bid to host WorldPride in Central Florida in 2026.

InterPride, an international organization that ties Pride together globally, brings WorldPride to major cities across the globe every two to six years. This year WorldPride will take place in New York City to coincide with the 50-year mark of the Stonewall riots. Several members from the COWP board plan to be in attendance at the event this June, said COWP Board President Jeff Prystajko during the press conference.

“We think it is important for us to have a presence there,” Prystajko said. “New York City showed us an extraordinary amount of love after the tragedy at Pulse and we’re going to show them our support and gratitude as well ... and we want people to see how that love has strengthened and positively impacted Orlando. We want to bring them here.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Much like WorldPride in New York City this year coincides with a historical LGBTQ event, Orlando hosting WorldPride in 2026 would coincide with the 10-year mark of the Pulse tragedy.

“WorldPride in Orlando would give us an opportunity to continue the spirit of cooperation we’ve established here,” said Pulse owner Barbara Poma at the press conference. “For today’s youth and those too young to remember what happened 50 years ago, Pulse may very well be this generation’s Stonewall.”

If COWP’s bid to host WorldPride is accepted, Orlando’s Pride celebration will move that year from its typical October dates to the first two weeks of June.

“This would coincide with the traditional beginning of Pride month, but more importantly sync with that year’s Friday, June 12 date of remembrance,” Prystajko said.

InterPride requires certain events be organized by the host city during the two-week WorldPride celebration including a traditional Pride parade, as well as opening and closing ceremonies and an educational

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

conference focusing on LGBTQ rights.

All other events would be uniquely decided upon by COWP. “We can anticipate dozens of events, some educational, some purely parties or entertainment based, but all geared toward reaching as many diverse groups as possible,” Prystajko continued. “We will be geographically diverse as well. We foresee WorldPride including events spread throughout the entire Central Florida region from coast to coast.”

COWP seemed to be testing the WorldPride waters with last year’s celebration. The Pride organization expanded its typical weekend itinerary to a full week of events; adding a 5K drag run, an LGBTQ film screening, a throwback disco party and a Sunday recovery brunch. The expansion resulted in an estimated 175,000 individuals attending the events and creating a $19 million economic impact to the local economy, a record said Prystajko.

Orlando hosting WorldPride would not only put Central Florida’s LGBTQ community on the world stage but it would also give the local economy a huge boost. WorldPride in Orlando would bring an estimated one million people to Central Florida for the event. While the increase to the economy is a positive, Prystajko said that the financial benefit is not the main focus for COWP. “We are here to change hearts and minds, and now we may have the opportunity to do that on a global scale,” he said.

For more information on COWP events and programs, visit ComeOutWithPride.com.

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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tampa bay news Judge says Tampa should be barred from enforcing parts of conversion therapy ban Ryan Williams-Jent

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AMPA | A federal magistrate judge has recommended that the city of Tampa be barred from enforcing parts of its ban on the discredited practice of conversion therapy.

Tampa’s Ordinance 2017-47 is designed to protect the physical and psychological well-being of LGBTQ youth from “exposure to the serious harms and risk caused by conversion therapy.” It was signed into law in April 2017.

In Dec. 2017, the anti-LGBTQ Liberty Counsel filed suit against the city, citing a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. In Jan. 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the law firm Carlton Fields filed a motion on behalf of Equality Florida to defend the ban.

“The City of Tampa is one of 20 local governments in Florida that has banned so-called ‘conversion therapy’ on minors,” Equality Florida responded to the judge’s report Feb. 1. “Conversion therapy, a widely debunked practice, seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Nearly every mainstream​​medical and mental health association has spoken against this practice.”

In her 38-page report dated Jan. 30, U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Sansone argues that the ordinance violates the free-speech rights of conversion therapists.

It advises that Tampa “may not enforce the ordinance against mental health professionals who provide non-coercive, non-aversive [Sexual Orientation Change Effort] counseling—which consists entirely of speech, or ‘talk therapy’—to minors within the city limits.” It does allow the ban to be applied to techniques like electroshock therapy.

“The fact remains that LGBTQ minors are at risk of fraudulent and dangerous so-called ‘conversion therapy,’” Equality Florida Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer advised in the organization’s response.“ This lawsuit is being driven by Liberty Counsel, the same far-right extremists who recently attacked a bipartisan, anti-lynching bill that unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate just because it includes LGBTQ people.

“Equality Florida will not be deterred from protecting LGBTQ youth,” he continued, “and we applaud the city of Tampa’s leadership for taking a stand to do the same.”

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver celebrated the judge’s recommendation. “The city of Tampa has no authority to prohibit counselors from providing counsel which their clients seek,” he released in a statement. “This well-reasoned opinion underscores the serious First Amendment violations of laws that dictate what a counselor and client may discuss in the privacy of their counseling session. The government has no business eavesdropping inside the counseling session between a counselor and client.”

The federal Ninth and Third Circuit courts have previously upheld conversion therapy bans in California and New Jersey. The magistrate judge’s report will be sent to a federal district judge to issue a ruling.

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NEW ERA:

Metro Wellness and Community Centers has been renamed Metro Inclusive Health ahead of the grand opening of its renovated campus in St. Petersburg, pictured.

PHOTO COURTESY METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH

Inclusive Health Metro unveils new name, branding and renovation details Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | Metro Inclusive Health—formerly Metro Wellness and Community Centers—unveiled its new name and branding while providing additional details about the organization’s state-of-the-art health and community center Jan. 29.

“For 26 years, Metro has provided healthcare services that are inclusive of all segments of our community, starting with its roots in HIV case management in 1992,” the organization’s press release reads. “The new brand, Metro Inclusive Health, is a nod to the organization’s role in serving all aspects of our community as well as a highly-modernized approach in delivering health services.”

“In our founding days,” Metro CEO Lorraine Langlois shared, “we served many that were not included in traditional healthcare channels.

Since then, inclusivity has been a guiding theme for the organization in many ways.”

In 2018, Metro impacted over 27,000 individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or economic status. The organization continues to provide community

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

service programming at little to no cost, providing rare and life-altering resources for youth, seniors, the transgender community and more.

In addition, Metro and its partner CAN Community Health are the area’s only organizations offering primary care alongside HIV care, treatment and management— combining counseling, medical and social programming services under one roof.

To meet that surging demand and expand self-sustaining funding opportunities, the partner organizations have completed their 47,000-square-foot health and community center in St. Petersburg.

Metro’s release highlighted some of the campus’ features ahead of their grand opening celebration, which will allow the community to tour the renovated site and is scheduled for Feb. 9.

“The community center fills the area’s need for 10,000 square feet of high-tech event space with onsite parking and outdoor space with activities,” it reads. The organization added that it “includes multiple conference and meeting rooms for Metro’s LGBTQ+ programming as well as professional rentals with digital whiteboards and video conferencing abilities” and that an additional 5,000 square feet of

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

co-working space and offices will soon be completed.

During their expansion, the number of exam rooms more than doubled at the St. Petersburg campus.

It now features 16 private areas for patients to interact with Metro and CAN’s primary care physicians and specialists.

“Employing an innovative approach, the new health center helps meet increased demand while optimizing intake procedures and patient experience,” the release explains. “A centralized nurses’ station, checkout and on-site pharmacy are strategically placed at the center of exam and intake rooms.”

Metro also highlighted its updated logo. Its transition of jewel tone colors, they noted, “represent the organization’s commitment to inclusive health for all segments of our Tampa Bay community regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or economic status.”

As for its three main colors, yellow represents “enlightenment and positivity,” red represents “years of service to those with HIV/AIDS” and blue is the organization’s signature color. The scheme’s reverberation of a halo effect represents Metro’s “vast impact on the community.”

Metro Inclusive Health currently offers personalized health and wellness services in Clearwater, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. For more information about the grand opening of the St. Petersburg campus, the organization’s services and/or programming, call 727-321-3854 or visit MetroTampaBay.org.

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

11

state news floRida REP. caRloS GUillERMo SMiTh RE-inTRodUcES aSSaUlT wEaPonS Ban Bill Lauren Lee

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RLANDO | Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith re-introduced his legislation banning assault weapons and large capacity magazines on Jan. 22 with companion legislation filed by Florida Sen. Gary Farmer (D-Broward) in the state Senate.

“We owe it to the victims and families of [Marjory Stoneman Douglas], of Pulse and of everyday gun violence to keep assault weapons off our streets and to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them,” said Smith in a press release.

Smith’s bill, HB455, was originally introduced in 2017 following the 2016 Pulse shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people and injured dozens more. Support for the bill increased last year after 17 people were shot and killed with an AR-15 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Recent polling from Florida Atlantic University shows 51 percent of Florida voters support a ban on assault weapons, compared to 30 percent who oppose.

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lawMaKERS inTRodUcE diffERinG lGBTQ EQUaliTy BillS, dividinG acTiviSTS A.S. Reynolds

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ALLAHASSEE, fla. | Rep. Jennifer Webb, Sen. Darryl Rouson and Sen. Joe Gruters have introduced two differing LGBTQ equality bills ahead of the 2019 Florida legislative session, scheduled to begin March 5.

Since 2009, lawmakers have introduced legislation to add LGBTQ employment and accommodation protections to the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 but have met failure in the conservative Florida legislature.

The lawmakers believe passage in the state is possible but have differing ideas on how to achieve this goal.

The Florida Competitive Workforce Act (FCWA), introduced

by Webb and Rouson in late January, amends Florida’s civil rights law with workplace and public accommodation protections.

The FCWA would make it illegal to terminate a person from their

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

employment, force them to leave a business or evict them from their home simply for being LGBTQ. Both Webb and Rouson are encouraged that the FCWA will pass this year due to the large freshman class of lawmakers. They also look to a growing demand from corporations for LGBTQ inclusive employment protections, including from 11 fortune 500 companies, as well as Florida’s desire for a tech industry and perhaps a broad degree of bipartisan support.

Webb also believes that Gov. Ron DeSantis, who did not include LGBTQ protections within an executive order that reaffirmed other existing protections, will “do the right thing” and sign the FCWA. The Florida Inclusive Workforce Act (FIWA) was introduced by Florida Republican Party chairman Sen. Gruters one day after the FCWA. It does not include public accommodation protections and the

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

difference between the two bills has divided Florida’s LGBTQ activists.

Equality Florida, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Sen. Lori Burman, Sen. Jason Pizzo and others are backing Webb and Rouson’s efforts.

Gruters believes this legislation will not make it out of the lower House chamber. His bill is backed by Miami LGBTQ organization SAVE, the Palm Beach Human Rights Campaign, TransLatina and The Conservatives on The Right of Equality.

Critics of SB438 believe it reinforces the idea that transgender people are“bathroom predators,” not equal to their cisgender counterparts, particularly during a time when the U.S. president is targeting transgender Americans with discriminatory policy demands.

Gruters and his proponents disagree, believing the FIWA is a first step in championing LGBTQ protection measures in a deeply conservative legislature by breaking legislation down into smaller, more palatable bits.

Watermark will take an in-depth look at both the FCWA and FIWA in the next issue.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

13

nation+world news

West Virginia conversion therapy ban bill pulled Wire Report

C

HARLESTON, W. Va. | A bill that would ban conversion therapy in West Virginia has been pulled from the schedule of a state Senate committee for possible edits.

The Journal of Martinsburg reports Senate Health and Human Resources Committee Chair Michael Maroney changed the committee agenda Jan. 29 so staff attorneys can make improvements to the bill.

Maroney was the one who introduced the bill, known as the Youth Mental Health Protection Act. The bill would protect LGBTQ children younger than 18 from conversion therapy.

Maroney says conversion therapy is opposed by numerous health organizations including the American Psychological Association and can cause mental health issues and disorders such as depression and substance abuse.

He says the bill will be reintroduced once it addresses issues surrounding clergy and out-of-state doctors.

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Arkansas court rules city can’t enforce LGBTQ protections Wire Report

L

ITTLE ROCK, Ark. | Arkansas’ highest court said Jan. 31 a city can’t enforce its ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, saying it’s already ruled the measure violates a state law aimed at preventing local protections for LGBTQ people.

The state Supreme Court unanimously reversed a Washington County judge’s decision to allow Fayetteville to continue enforcing its anti-discrimination ordinance while the city challenged the constitutionality of a 2015 law preventing cities and counties from enacting protections not covered by state law. Arkansas’ civil rights law doesn’t cover sexual orientation or gender identity.

The court in 2017 ruled the ordinance violated the state law.

Citing that decision, justices reversed

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Judge Doug Martin’s ruling and dismissed the case. In the current ruling and the previous decision, the court did not rule on whether the state law was constitutional.

“Because the circuit court exceeded its jurisdiction on remand, its actions following remand are void,” Justice Robin Wynne wrote.

“The order denying the preliminary injunction is reversed, and, because the sole issue over which the circuit court properly had jurisdiction was conclusively decided by this court in our 2017 opinion, the matter is dismissed in its entirety.”

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have non-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation and gender identity covering employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and insurance, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Fayetteville, the home of the University of Arkansas’ flagship campus and a gay pride parade that organizers tout as the largest in the

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

state, is considered a liberal enclave in a conservative region of the state.

It’s one of several cities that approved local protections for LGBTQ people in response to the 2015 state law.

The court in 2017 rejected the city’s argument that it was allowed because LGBT protections are included in other parts of state law.

“Today’s unanimous decisions reaffirm the state’s authority to ensure uniformity of anti-discrimination laws statewide and to prevent businesses from facing a patchwork of nondiscrimination ordinances,” Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, a Republican who had argued against the ordinance, said in a statement.

Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams said he would likely ask the court to reconsider its decision and said the city’s argument that the law is unconstitutional remains undecided.

“The city has never had an attempt to defend a citizen-passed ordinance by showing that the state law was an unequal protection of the laws,” Williams said. “It seems very strange that they would deny us the right to at least present that argument to them for their decision.”

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

viewpoint

Photo by Jess regan

Scottie Campbell

The Tender

activist Your Gay Dollars

I

’m a fan of Killer Mike.

I can neither confirm nor deny if I have ever heard Run The Jewel, the Grammy-nominated hip hop duo of which he is one half, though considering the number of things I’ve watched by and about him, I probably have.

Perhaps one day they’ll team up with Elton or record a reimagining of something off “Tapestry” and I’ll be able to confidently answer in the affirmative. Considering the force of nature Killer Mike is, I’m sure their music is solid stuff. It’s just not necessarily the sound my limited palette gravitates toward.

I first became acquainted with Michael “Killer Mike” Render during Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential run.

Much about Sanders’ campaign appealed to me, some which has been documented in past issues, and Killer Mike was no exception. He was open about politics not being his thing and if he didn’t think the O.G. was worth his time, he’d spend his valuable time elsewhere. They even respectfully disagreed on the issue of gun control: Mike thinks you should be as fully armed as a police offer, while Sanders’ gun policies fall in the space between conservatives and liberals where the diametrically-o pposed-for-the-sake-of-being-diametrically-opposed Republican and Democratic parties fear to tread.

On a recent weekend, I got my first tattoo and I was feeling like a badass, so I celebrated by binge watching Killer Mike’s Netflix series, “Trigger Warning.” The six-episode series was not quite the same commitment as binging “Grace & Frankie” or “House of Cards,” so I went through considerably less beer in the effort.

In episode one, “Living Black,” Killer Mike attempts to spend three days only patronizing African-American

businesses. According to his research, the African-American community keeps a dollar in its ecosystem for six hours, as opposed to the Asian community’s 28 days, Jewish community’s 21 and white community’s 23 days. Prior to desegregation, African-Americans had no choice but to use the services provided by other African-Americans.

“From top to bottom the ecosystem, from a dollar perspective, stayed black,” states Killer Mike. “Hence we had a true black working class, a true black middle class, we could send kids off to college.”

Witnessing Killer Mike’s experience as he spends three days traveling from his home in Atlanta to a gig in Athens, Ga. is at times comical— Killer Mike sits down to barbecue only to realize he can’t eat it because the farm providing the meat was not African-American— and at times surprising—he learns there is an African-American smartphone option. It left me wondering if it’s possible for any race in the U.S. to live within their race. And I wondered if that was a bad thing. I certainly would get a kick out of watching a white supremacist spend three days trying to live all Caucasian, all day. Good luck, punk. I would see his dawning realization and failure as a positive journey.

In my days as a fledgling young gay there was emphasis on buying from gay- and lesbian-owned businesses, or businesses owned by allies.

The thought was spending with these businesses gave them more leverage in the community and that leverage would be used to create real change. I happily supported “family- (that’s how we coded it back then) owned” businesses, until it bit me in the ass.

I was managing a rock band—yes, I dabbled in badassery even before my ink —and I had to get some fliers printed for a show. I decided to use an LGBTQ-owned business both for the above reasons, but also because the band was

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

composed of sexy straight boys who enjoyed blurring gender and sexuality lines.

When I picked up the order, I was a little taken aback by the hefty price but assumed I was in good hands. Later, I needed to place a similar order and, for reasons I can’t now recall, I had to use a

It’s great to find a phone that fits the requirement, but what if it costs four times as much as regular service?

We have often seen the power of our dollar. Harvey Milk successfully leading a boycott against Coors in 1977 comes to mind. That boycott wasn’t because the beer tastes

the first to offer same-sex partner benefits.

Did we ever have the opportunity to keep our dollars completely within the LGBTQ community?

I don’t think so and I think there is a bit mythologizing in Killer Mike’s view of the African-American community

different printer. Same order, but the order cost a quarter of the money.

It seemed “family” was not synonymous with good service or quality work. From then on I researched more prior to patronizing LGBTQ businesses, as I would any other business. Killer Mike doesn’t touch on this factor during his experiment, but I wonder if it crossed his mind.

like slightly flavored water, it’s because the company was making anti-union moves in order to be able to fire LGBTQ people without cause. The grassroots origins of Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom showed a big company the power of our buck and I’ve no doubt that first Saturday in June was a factor in the company becoming one of

in the pre-desegregated U.S. There will always be another community in the mix somewhere. Your can of beans might come from an African-American farm, but where did the can opener come from? Heck, poor Mike had to spend three days without one of his favorite things: weed.

We have often seen the power of our dollar.

Harvey Milk successfully leading a boycott against Coors in 1977 comes to mind.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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rev. Jakob Hero-shaw

QUEERly BElovEd Reclaiming the Culture of Love

V

ALENTINE’S DAy? NOPE.

I am not a fan. I came to a stern critique of Valentine’s Day despite having my own ridiculously sweet Valentine’s Day story. My husband accidentally proposed to me on Valentine’s Day a few years ago.

How do you accidentally propose to someone on Valentine’s Day? He claims it was not a planned proposal and had nothing to do with the holiday.To this day, I remain skeptical about that, but I digress.

Speaking as someone who joyfully leapt “off the market,” so to speak,why do I hate this annual celebration of cards and chocolate? I dislike what it does to our hearts. Valentine’s Day sends the wrong messages about love and about the human value of those who give and receive love. If our humanity is intrinsically linked to our ability to find “the one,” what are we teaching one another about our own worth as individuals?

Valentine’s Day is alienating to folks who are single.

At the same time, it doesn’t do much to help those in relationships either. It conflates commercialism and commitment. It sends the message that relationship status is all that matters, saying very little about the quality of the connections between human beings.

This year, the first Valentine’s Day displays I saw in stores were up just before Christmas Eve! Baby

Jesus wasn’t even in the manger yet and baby cupid was already floating around, bow and arrow in hand.

What if we invested that much forethought and time into actual love for one another? Let’s eschew the commercialism and opt instead for real connection.

We who are in LGBTQ+ communities have the power to reclaim the culture of love. Instead of pink and red hearts and a sugar rush from too many sweets, we could embody love for one another in a different way.

When I speak of love, I am not talking simply about the person who makes you feel butterflies when you look their way. I am talking about love on a much bigger scale.

What would it look like to relocate the concept of love? Can’t we take it away from the cash register and put it into our communities instead? Whether you are inclined to being in a relationship or not, you are worthy of love. We queer folks have fought for our right to love in whatever way our hearts take us.

Our fight dragged us to courtrooms, boardrooms and newsrooms. We have long known that being able to love each other is dependent on our ability to demand our rights. We have fought through the decades for the right to have faith communities, bars and legally-recognized relationships. We have struggled through alienation and epidemics. We have been told that our families are not legitimate. We have been told that our identities are not worth legal protection. We have even been told that our bodies are expendable and that what we do in our bedrooms makes us unworthy of basic civil rights. Don’t you think that after all the fighting, we owe it to ourselves to love fiercely and passionately?

Don’t we owe it to our queer ancestors to draw from the deep well of community that they created?

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

This year, in the commercialized season of love, we can do better.

Whether you are happily single or living in domestic bliss with the person (or people) of your dreams, whether you are hoping to get into a relationship or

the position of my dear romantic husband, charmed by a person who hates this holiday, and you get inspired to propose, go for it (even if you have to spend the rest of your life pretending it was unplanned), but don’t stop there. When we queer the

other’s identities. Let’s love each other’s bodies. Let’s love each other through our struggles, through our fights for equality, through our battles with depression or addiction. Let’s love each other so fiercely that we change the world for

even hoping to get out of one, consider queering this whole idea of Valentine’s Day. Set aside the idea that if you are single on Feb. 14, you are inherently flawed— and set aside the idea that being in a relationship makes you whole.

If you are reading this and find yourself in

idea of Valentine’s Day, we don’t remove the love from it, we simply add a more authentic love to the mix.

We need more love in our communities, not less.

We can love each other for exactly who we are and exactly where we are—not some commercial ideal of perfection. Let’s love each

the better. Let’s teach the hetero-centric, cisgender, patriarchal majority that queer love is expansive and life giving; it is inclusive and is the greatest gift our people can offer this broken planet.

Whether you are happily single or living in domestic bliss with the person (or people) of your dreams, whether you are hoping to get into a relationship or even hoping to get out of one, consider queering this whole idea of Valentine’s Day.

READ IT ONLINE! Head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

Find us on Facebook!

talking points

ANGOLA BECAME The

21ST

AFRICAN

COUNTRY DECRIMINALIZE

To Mike Pence, who thinks it’s acceptable that his wife work at a school that bans LGbTQ ... you say we should not discriminate against Christianity? you are the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian.

—LADy GAGA, DURING HER LAS VEGAS SHOW “ENIGMA” JAN. 19

‘eMpire’ sTar Jussie sMoLLeTT aTTacked

in chicago By Maga supporTers

O

UT AcTOR JUSSIE SMOLLETT, BEST KNOWN fOR PLAyING JAMAL LyON in the hit FOX television series “Empire,” was attacked outside of a Chicago Subway in the early morning hours Jan. 29 in an apparent hate crime attack. Smollett, who arrived in Chicago from New York late Jan. 28, went to the Subway to get food around 2 a.m. and was attacked by two men as he left. “The 2 men—both white and wearing ski masks—viciously attacked Jussie as he fought back, but they beat him badly and fractured a rib. They put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him and as they left they yelled, ‘This is MAGA [Make America Great Again] country,’” TMZ reports. Smollett was treated at a local hospital and discharged Jan. 29. According to the website ThatGrapeJuice.net, Smollett received a threatening letter prior to the attack.

Chicago PD is investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.

To

SAME-SEX

RELATIONS. HOMOSEXUALITY STILL REMAINS ILLEGAL IN 33 AFRICAN COUNTRIES, 4 OF WHICH MAKE IT A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY

DEATH. —Amnesty International

‘BoheMian rhapsody’ Loses gLaad aWard noMinaTion

“B

OHEMIAN RHAPSODy” WON’T BE IN THE RUNNING fOR AN OUTSTANDING fILM GLAAD Media Award following new sexual assault allegations against the film’s director Bryan Singer. The Atlantic’s investigative piece brought to light four new victims who allege sexual assault and misconduct against Singer when they were teenagers.

Following the controversy, GLAAD withdrew “Bohemian Rhapsody” from consideration. “In light of the latest allegations against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the difficult decision to remove ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from contention,” GLAAD said in a statement. Singer was fired from the film after repeatedly not showing up to set but is still credited with directing the movie.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

LgBTQ duo Makes hisToric deBuT in u.s. figure skaTing chaMpionship

I

cE DANcERS KARINA MANTA AND JOSEPH JOHNSON MADE HISTORy as the first LGBT duo to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship which took place in Detroit over the weekend. The duo skated to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” earning 104.81 points and finishing in seventh place overall. NBC Sports commentator Terry Gannon noted that Manta and Johnson are part of the LGBTQ community right before they launched their routine.

Manta, 22, came out as bisexual in October in a YouTube video featuring her girlfriend. In October, Johnson also confirmed he is gay in an interview with Outsports. In an Instagram post with rainbow flag and American flag emojis, Manta celebrated the monumental moment.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

BriTish youTuBer raises over 200k in gaMing sTreaM for Trans chariTy

H

.BOMBERGUy, A UK-BASED yOUTUBER, PLAyED “DONKEy KONG 64” for a transgender youth charity on the popular streaming platform Twitch.

H.Bomberguy—whose real name is Harry Brewis—chose the charity Mermaids, an organization providing support services for transgender children and teenagers. The stream ran for 51 hours, from Jan. 18-20, with Brewis only stopping intermittently to sleep. The initial goal of $5,000 was more than tripled by the stream’s 40th hour; however, Brewis continued to stream until the very end. Viewers also heard from Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez who called into Brewis’ stream and spoke on discrimination and the importance of equality.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

LOVE ACTUALLY

The season of Love is Back, and so are We WiTh 10 of cenTraL fLorida and TaMpa Bay’s MosT eLigiBLe singLes

“I

Watermark Staff

’M IN THE MOOD fOR LOVE

simply because you’re near me.

Funny, but when you’re near me, I’m in the mood for love.” Those opening lyrics to “I’m in the Mood for Love” were written by lyricist Dorothy Fields more than 80 years ago, but they are arguably the best description of love’s holiday, Valentine’s Day.

Like joy with Christmas and food with Thanksgiving, love is elevated during Valentine’s Day. That is why we here at Watermark started last year what has now become an annual tradition: presenting Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s 10 most eligible singles for the year.

We checked out our Tinder and Grindr profiles, consulting with our moms and aunties who work with “someone who would be just perfect for you” in the process.

As a result, we found five Central

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Florida and five Tampa Bay area singles who have got it going on.

Our work is done, now the rest is up to you. Take a little more time putting your outfit together, get your hair cut and your nails done, and don’t forget the dozen roses and box of chocolates, because rose ceremonies these days can seem like The Hunger Games.

Just put your best foot forward and be yourself, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

conTinued on pg. 25 | uu |

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Wrap. Test. Repeat.

IfYouSex.org

a member of

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

Te Monet age: hoMeToWn: idenTifies as: 39 Niagara Falls, N.y. Transgender Female

T

Jeff Jones

pronouns: sign: “she/Ma’am/Fish/Queen” Gemini

age: 43

hoMeToWn: Panama City, Fla.

idenTifies as: “really gay”

I

E MONET

pronouns: He/ Him/ His

sign: sagittarius

f A SENSE Of

humor is on your list of traits required in a mate, then look no further than Jeff Jones. Jeff is an openly gay stand-up comedian in Orlando. Like, really gay.

loves to play. As co-show director for City Side Lounge, she oversees multiple nights of entertainment, leading by example and slaying crowds beside some of Tampa Bay’s fiercest talent. “I spend a lot of time on my work,” she says. “It’s my craft, drag.”

“On the Kinsey Scale, I’m probably like an 11.8,” he says.

Jeff spends his time travelling, “telling dirty jokes to rednecks” wherever they pay him to and making people laugh. He’s also an open and honest guy.

“I usually say what’s on my mind, whether it’s good or bad,” he says. “I don’t really beat around the bush about anything.

I’m straight forward, I’m honest. I’m just a normal, for the most part, person.”

Jeff is also a talented performer outside of the world of stand-up comedy.

He has written, produced, directed and even acted in some of the most well-received Orlando Fringe shows in Central Florida; including “The Animatronicans” and “Vincent.” Jeff is also responsible for the wildly popular “Pink Collar Comedy Show,” which brings together the worlds of comedy and drag.

Jeff’s ideal mate is someone who loves theme parks and Christmas as much as he does, and someone who can “put up with my sarcastic, smart-ass mouth.”

When she isn’t perfecting her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, she’s studying.

“I’m about to take my state boards for my certified nursing assistant license,” Te says. “I tell myself I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

Family is important to Te, whose ambition and work ethic come from her grandmother.

“She was a worker bee. She compartmentalized and took care of what she could; she said ‘at the end of the day, as long as my lights are on and we have food, sweetie, we’re never broke.’

I’ve followed that motto all my life.”

Te is a New Yorker turned Floridian, “a little loud; a little pointed,” and says her heart “is huge and full of love.” She’s looking for someone who’s rooted in family. As for the rest, she adds that “men come in all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities— and I love all of them!”

Photo by dyLAN todd

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Photo by JAKe steVeNs

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

Daniel Stevens

Kathy Ruiz age: 21

hoMeToWn: Miami, Fla.

K

idenTifies as: bisexual

pronouns: she/Her

sign: aquarius

age: 30

hoMeToWn: Tampa, Fla.

idenTifies as: “Gay, like very”

pronouns: He/Him/His

W

ATHy RUIZ

sign: Libra

HEN HE ISN’T

overseeing critical financing operations for a local credit union, Daniel Stevens is celebrating diversity through music as the Tampa Bay Pride Band’s board president.

can be described in two words: creative and ambitious.

Kathy, a student at the University of Central Florida, will “never half-ass anything.” She is the president of UCF’s Pride Student Association, the editor-in-chief and art director of QCF magazine and is currently a graphic design intern for the organization, QLatinx.

In her spare time, Kathy enjoys going to ladies night on most Saturdays at Southern Nights in Orlando.

“That’s probably my favorite community event,” she says with a laugh.

Kathy’s ideal date is “definitely someone who is very determined, has a goal that they’re working toward and is very ambitious and driven.” She adds that being ambitious and determined are “the sexiest qualities anyone can have.”

She says that a person who is creative would also be a huge plus. Kathy says that when she is looking for a potential date, she tends to be more attracted to feminine men and masculine women.

“That whole androgyny circle is where I like to reside,” she says.

Kathy says that even if she doesn’t get any dates from being a part of this, she thinks it will still be good for her. “I thought at least it gets my portfolio out there,” she adds, “and if it leads to me meeting a couple of cute and interesting people, all the better.”

“The band has been around for five years and I’ve been there since day one,” Daniel says.

He’s been a musician for nearly 20 years, currently serving as the organization’s principal flutist and piccolo player.

“We started one month before Tampa Pride; there was a call to action because we thought there should be an LGBTQ band at the event.”

When he isn’t helping run day-to-day operations, fundraising or organizing concerts, he can be found volunteering with organizations across Tampa Bay. “I’m constantly on the go,” he says.

“Volunteering for this or signing up for that. If someone needs help I’m usually on my way.”

It’s why Daniel is looking to get to know someone that he can slow down with. “I want someone to bring me back down to earth,” he says, “to remember that there are other things about life—a partnership, someone to make me more grounded.”

Photo by JAKe steVeNs

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Photo by dyLAN todd

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

DeLaran Withers age: 49

hoMeToWn: Fort Myers, Fla.

“P

idenTifies as: “DeLaran. I love who I love.”

pronouns: she/Her/Hers

sign: aries

Nate West age: 38

hoMeToWn: sioux Falls, s.D.

idenTifies as: Gay

N

EOPLE HAVE

pronouns: He/ Him/ His

sign: aries

ATE WEST

enjoys getting down to business, which makes sense since he is a business owner in Central Florida.

always been my passion,” DeLaran Withers says.

“My favorite thing is seeing people shine and being able to somehow, in some way, facilitate that.”

As the owner of BizzyNate Creative—a graphic design and web development firm based in Orlando, he specializes in building a presence for small- to medium-sized businesses, nonprofits, political campaigns and social causes online.

Nate describes himself as a person with integrity. Someone who is loyal, meticulous and driven; which explains why along with running a business he is also heavily involved in the community.

“I’m on the board of directors for Come Out With Pride,” he says. “I’m also actively involved with the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA) as a chairperson for RED (Referral Exchange Development) Group Downtown and as a new member to the MBA board.”

When it comes to finding the ideal partner, Nate says “opposites attract” is the idea.

“I don’t want to date my mirror,” he says. “I want someone who knows who they are, who has their goals figured out and a plan in mind from what they want in life.”

For Nate, that includes someone who wants a family.

“I want to have kids,” he says. “That is something that is important for me and I want it to be important to the person I spend my life with.”

That’s why so much of her time is spent helping others. As a teacher, she works with individuals living with developmental disabilities resulting from brain injuries or genetics. As a volunteer, she supports those impacted by HIV/ AIDS with EPIC, and as an advocate, she’s marched on Washington D.C. for LGBTQ rights and helped produce Gulfport’s inaugural Peace, Love & Pride festival.

“I tend to root for the underdog and to work hard for those who have been marginalized,” she says, a passion she carries into her musical career.

She can frequently be found playing guitar, drums, bass and singing her original tunes throughout Tampa Bay. “The music I write is inspired by life and life is not a static event. It’s empowering, uplifting and fun,” DeLaran says. Those are traits she also looks for in a significant other, whatever their gender or orientation.

“I’ve never labeled myself,” she says. “They would just need to be really passionate about life and all things in it.”

Photo by dyLAN todd

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Photo by JAKe steVeNs

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

Blue Star age: 44

hoMeToWn: Marietta, Ga.

B

idenTifies as: “Me, just me.”

pronouns: “Me.”

Cole Foust sign: aquarius

age: 24

hoMeToWn: brandon, Fla.

idenTifies as: Gay, Transgender Male

C

LUE STAR IS

pronouns: He/Him/His

sign: Leo

OLE fOUST

proudly occupies two identities within the LGBTQ community as a gay and transgender man. “Our LGBTQ identities are all unique to us,” he says. “I’m open and visible for those who can’t be.”

arguably one of the most recognized people in Central Florida, and one of the most admired.

Blue owns the beloved Orlando theater, The Venue. She is an entertainer who choreographs, directs, produces and stars in many of Central Florida’s most popular shows. She has also taken many performers under her wing and given them a home to build their craft and a family to support them.

We could go on and on about her involvement with Pride Radio, Come Out With Pride and every other organization she is a part of (she’s involved with ALL of them), but the thing that might surprise you the most is Blue is a shy person, particularly when it comes to her personal life.

“I don’t usually put this part of my life out there into the world. I’m a very private person,” she says. “I just think it is an interesting part of me that I have never really put at the forefront and this year is all about taking risks and embracing change.”

Blue’s heavy involvement in the community and her legitimate status as a superstar in Central Florida means that anyone interested needs to be “strong, confident and understanding.”

“I would like someone who is extremely smart,” she says. “They must love music, must feel music.

They have to be in touch with their spirituality and well travelled, I love well-travelled people.”

It’s an authenticity that he carries with him throughout his personal and professional life. As an artist and musician, he paints, writes, sings and plays guitar to spark dialogue about gender and masculinity. “I’m a really creative person,” Cole says.

“That’s a big part of who I am.”

As the LGBTQ+ program manager for Metro Inclusive Health, he oversees support programming throughout Tampa Bay, working to ensure the LGBTQ community feels valued. “I have a big heart for LGBTQ youth, for making sure that they have the resources and support from within the community,” he adds.

Since he spends so much time spreading love, it’s no surprise that Valentine’s Day is Cole’s favorite holiday. “I use it as a way to express myself creatively,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to just show love to everyone around me.”

As for who he’s looking to spend it with, it’s someone who understands the importance of compassion, community and creativity—just like he does.

Photo by JAKe steVeNs

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Photo by dyLAN todd

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

Brian Gallaher age: 31

B

hoMeToWn: Grafton, W.Va.

idenTifies as: Gay

pronouns: He/Him/His

Gadiel Vasquez sign: aries

age: hoMeToWn: idenTifies as: pronouns: 24 Catalina, Puerto rico Non-binary responds to everything

G

RIAN GALLAHER

sign: Capricorn

ADIEL VASQUEZ

has got the moves.

The 24-year-old entertainer dances all over Central Florida and is a part of several Orlando dance troupes including Foxy’s Den, The Lady Boys of The PeekA-Boo Lounge and The Ladies of The PeekA-Boo Lounge.

moved to Florida for the ocean— and more specifically, the Florida Aquarium.

The self-described extroverted introvert, an eclectic environmentalist who plays everything from videogames to the piano, ventured to Tampa Bay to work for the area attraction in 2015. It’s in his public relations and marketing role that he raises awareness about their activities and efforts.

“To me there’s nothing more important than the natural environment,” Brian says. “My real passion for doing the work is the conservation and education efforts of the aquarium; working towards saving coral reefs and rescuing sea turtles. The things that I help market and talk about directly go toward helping to save the environment.”

While Brian loves educating others, he also loves learning.

“I’m the person who usually sits back in a room and takes everything in,” he says.

“I enjoy it. There’s not really anything that doesn’t catch my interest as far as wanting to learn more about everything goes.”

As for the person he’d like to learn more about, he’s looking for that special somebody with a passion.

“Whether it’s professional or personal, you have to have something you’re passionate about,” he says. “It’s really important.”

Photo by dyLAN todd

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Photo by JAKe steVeNs

“I love dancing and I love entertaining,” he says. “I become a different person when I’m on stage.”

Anyone who has seen Gadiel dance knows he owns any stage he is on. Each and every performance is rooted in the same trait Gadiel expects from his relationships.

“Honesty,” he says.”

I hate lies. I want to know the person I’m with can trust me and that I can trust them.”

Authenticity is also very important to Gadiel.

“I want someone who isn’t afraid to be themselves,” he says, “and isn’t afraid to let me be myself. I want to find that special someone who genuinely cares and respects me.”

Whether he is entertaining on stage or at his day job in the hospitality industry, Gadiel says he is the type of person “who pretty much goes with the flow.” He is also the type of person who gives back to his community.

“Basically anything that Blue [Star, owner of The Venue] is a part of or does, I’ll be there,” he says with a smile.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

LONGING fOR LOVE: Beatrice Picard

(pictured) plays the title character, Marguerite.

arTs and enTerTainMenT

Photo courtesy LoNdoN FLAIr Pr

r a d c n s u O o B Marianne Farley’s lGBtQ film ‘Marguerite’ seems poised to win an academy award

M

Jeremy Williams

ARIANNE fARLEy IS SO EXcITED

that her voice is shaking on the other end of the phone. Then again, that might just be a result of her standing outside in the frigid Canadian winter. The Quebecois actress wrote and directed her first film, a live-action short called “Marguerite,” and just received the news that her film was nominated for an Oscar, and was off to do a day of interviews.

“I still don’t totally, completely believe it yet,” Farley says.

“I screamed, of course. You say to yourself when you’re watching that you won’t scream out but in that moment I screamed. I was just so excited. It feels very overwhelming to me right now.”

The Oscar nomination for “Marguerite” comes as no surprise to critics and audiences who have seen the film. “Marguerite” cleaned up at film festivals across the globe in 2018, including locally at the 29th Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) where

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

it won the Jury Award in the Short Film category.

“Marguerite” stars Beatrice Picard as the titular character. She is a woman late in her years and requires assistance from Rachel, an at-home nurse played by Sandrine Bisson. When Marguerite discovers that Rachel is a lesbian it unearths memories for her that forces her to confront her past and attempt to make peace with it.

“Marguerite” stands out among all this year’s Oscar-nominated films not only on its own merit. In an award season dominated by male-directed

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

films, Farley is one of only a few female directors nominated this year, all in the short film categories.

Watermark first had the chance to speak one-on-one with Farley by phone ahead of the news that she became an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.

WhaT do you Think iT is aBouT “MargueriTe” ThaT is resonaTing WiTh audiences?

The LGBTQ aspect to the film is definitely present and very

conTinued on pg. 37 | uu |

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

“Marguerite” writer-director Marianne Farley is a first-time Oscar nominee.

| uu | Oscar Bound from pg.35

important, but it’s also a film about regret and about making peace with the life that you were never able to live. I think a lot of us think about those things as we get older. It’s also a film about human connection. It’s about friendship and learning from another human being.

Where did the story of “Marguerite” come from?

My grandmother. Her reality was so different from mine. She was born in the 1920s and she was married to her husband and had kids because she had to. Religion at that time was very important. I always thought about what if my grandmother was gay? For me it was never an issue. I was raised in a family where we’re accepted just the way we are.

If I fell in love with a woman, my mom would be fine with that; my dad would be fine with that. But for my grandmother to be gay at that time, for her it would have been a huge issue.

I think for women, it was even worse back then. In Montreal at the time they had underground gay bars in the 40s and 50s, but they were for men. The women stayed home, they married and had children. For me, it makes no sense that we would tell another human, that anyone has the right to tell another human being, who he or she is allowed to love.

LGBTQ love stories in film are rarely told with the kind of honesty and beauty that you show these characters. What has been your feedback from LGBTQ audience members?

I remember the film won at a festival in India last summer. It was an LGBTQ film festival and I wasn’t able to attend, but I got a note from an Indian author who was in attendance

Unlikely friends: Sandrine Bisson (L) plays Rachel, Marguerite’s (Beatrice Picard) openly-gay nurse. Photo courtesy london Flair PR that read, “I wish you had been there because the room was filled with mostly men, and everyone was crying.” I just started crying. That’s when I realized they are seeing themselves in this film. I see myself in this film, even though this is not my story. It’s a human story and it’s about human connection, it’s about making a difference in someone else’s life just by being present. I just really believe in the power of love.

And love doesn’t necessarily mean sex; love is just an open heart.

I hadn’t realized at the time when the film won, but homosexuality was still against the law when they screened the movie. It was only decriminalized a couple of months ago. Although things have come a long way, I feel like we still live in a dangerous time, where we can easily slip back. So, for me, making a film about tolerance and having an open heart was important. You never know when you are making a film how people are going to respond to it. I have friends who had a hard time with their own sexuality, and when they saw the film they were moved by it. That’s the best feedback I can get.

You’ve been acting in movies and on television for more than 20 years now, but “Marguerite” is only your second short film which you directed and the first film that you wrote. What made you decide to enter the world of writer-director now?

I had been thinking about it for a long time. I produced a couple of short films, and I just co-produced a feature film, so it’s been on my mind for a while. I think it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that it was something I could do. I have been on sets for over 20 years and I’m just so fascinated with storytelling. It’s what I’m passionate about and that’s what draws me to this industry. It’s not the red carpets and all that stuff, it’s about touching people and about telling beautiful stories.

Did you find being an actor made it easier to pull the performances out of your actors?

I think it helped definitely, because I know what it’s like to be in front of the camera. It wasn’t an easy part for Beatrice. She’s someone who does a lot of comedic work, she doesn’t do a lot of drama. She was very open with me, so I also really wanted to protect her, both of my actors. I wanted to create a bubble around them. That was really important to me. We used to take the time to work with actors and now for some reason we’re going faster. Technology lets us do things 10 times faster so I feel like we’re rushed on set these days. I really wanted to take that extra time with them. Just explore things and let the characters come out naturally and organically. Beatrice has over 50 years of experience, that’s insane, and she was excited to play this part. She understood the nuances.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

I feel really blessed to have gotten the chance to work with them. It was amazing.

It has been more than a year since the Me Too and Time’s Up movements made their way into the news, making the topics of sexual harassment and sexual assault a more open conversation in Hollywood. What, if any, notable changes have you seen in the film industry?

I haven’t seen any actual change.

I do feel like we’re talking about it, which is already huge. We’re having conversations about how we treat women, and men also.

I know that with Harvey Weinstein the conversation has been mainly men toward women, but there are men who are being harassed as well.

Here in Quebec, there’s a man who is accused with doing the same thing to men. I think there’s that professional line that is still not completely defined yet.

I hear a lot of men saying they are having a hard time with it because they feel trapped. Like they can’t just be men anymore, which is so weird to me. Because I feel like you should be able to be intuitive enough to feel if the woman or the man is responsive or not. It’s not just playing hard to get. I think it’s more about power too. Unfortunately, women still have less power in society. But unions are trying to force producers to make sure they have a program to prevent that from happening on set.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

So things are moving. They’re moving slowly, but they’re moving.

“Marguerite” has been shortlisted by a lot of critics for an Academy Award nomination for Best Live-Action Short. How are you feeling about it heading into the nominations?

It’s amazing, just being a part of the shortlist itself is incredible. I try not to think about it too much because although some people are saying “Marguerite” is a front runner, it could easily not get nominated, you never know. Hopefully that’ll happen, but if it doesn’t, I’ll just say “thank you universe.” I mean seriously, it’s insane. Just to be a part of that list is incredible.

Although, I would be so happy if it does. My ego would be happy because it would be my film [laughs].

But also, it’s the only one that talks about LGBTQ issues. It’s the only one that talks about elderly issues.

It’s the only one that’s directed by a woman. So for me, that would be incredible because a nomination would help to get people talking about those important issues.

“Marguerite”— along with the other four Oscar nominated live-action short films—will play back-to-back at the Enzian Theater in Maitland, Fla., on Feb. 15. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors and military. Showtimes and ticket prices are subject to change. You can get up-to-date information at Enzian.org.

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

theater

Ella Fella

Jay Goldberg serves stepsister realness in ‘Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella’

(above)

1, 2 STEP:

Tampa Bay fan favorite actor Jay Goldberg takes center stage as Cinderella’s wicked stepsister Charlotte now through Feb. 24.

Photos courtesy jay goldberg

O

Ryan Williams-Jent

ver 100 million viewers

welcomed Julie Andrews into their homes for the live CBS premiere of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” in 1957. It was a recordbreaking feat for the musical theater writing team’s only piece produced exclusively for television.

The production would go on to spark multiple onscreen revivals, like 1997’s Brandy and Whitney Houston-led cult classic, and it would ultimately venture to the stage. It wasn’t until 2013 that the show would find its way to Broadway, however, where its stage revival garnered nine Tony Award nominations—winning one of those for best costume design and launching multiple national tours in the process.

The celebrated adaptation features Rodgers’ music, Hammerstein’s lyrics and a book

by Douglas Carter Beane. The playwright and screenwriter’s notable works include “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” for the screen and the musical version of “Xanadu” for the stage.

Now, presented through a special arrangement with R & H Theatricals, Tampa Bay can venture to the Show Palace Dinner Theatre in Hudson for

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

a little magic before midnight. The “Broadway on the Gulf” production is currently playing until Feb. 24.

It’s “the Tony Award-winning musical that’s delighting audiences with its surprisingly contemporary take on the classic tale,” Show Palace officially describes the piece.

“This lush production features jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists!”

Those twists include Tampa Bay fan favorite actor Jay Goldberg, who dons full drag to transform into Cinderella’s stepsister Charlotte. The Watermark WAVE Award-winning actor, who has been performing for 23 years, is currently in his fifth season with Show Palace.

“It’s not going to be the same production that people have already seen,” he says. “We’re telling a different story. A lot of people think

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

with a production of ‘Cinderella’ that if you’ve seen one version, you’ve seen them all—but like a human, a show matures. A show grows up with the times.”

While its titular character is still a young woman forced into servitude by her stepmother, one who gets an impossible helping hand from her fairy godmother, the show’s growth is evident in its political undertones.

“It’s definitely not your Disney fairytale,” Goldberg explains. “It has a modern script.”

He says that the revival’s prince is misguided and advised by a new character, Lord Chancellor Sebastian.

“He’s persuading him to lead a corrupt government,” he says, “and not to help the needy and poor. It’s Cinderella who comes in and teaches him that his people do need his help.

“She completely changes his mind in the way he rules the kingdom,” Goldberg adds. “To me, Cinderella is the hero in this version. She’s the one who changes the prince’s outlook on life.”

While Cinderella is the hero, he says there are multiple villains.

“Sebastian uses propaganda and dishonesty to try and keep the prince isolated,” Goldberg says, “and of course we have Madame, the stepmother, and she’s selfish and the epitome of vanity and fashion.”

Then there’s his character, a real drag. “She likes to be the center of attention and she’ll do anything that she needs to do to become that center of attention,” Goldberg says. “She thinks she’s a gorgeous bombshell when in fact she’s the complete opposite. She’s the only one who thinks she’s the hottest thing since sliced bread. Not even her mother—who she wants to be just like, in her evil kind of way—thinks that of her.”

While the actor has portrayed female roles in productions of “Hairspray” and “Chicago,” he says those characters were more developed. “She’s a completely different character than I’ve ever played before.There was a lot that I had to create with Charlotte,”

Continued on pg. 41 | uu |

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A REAL cHARAcTER: Jay Goldberg says he is a character actor, something that shows in his performance in “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” Photo courtesy JAy goLdberg

| uu | Ella Fella froM pg.39

Goldberg explains. “I had to make her who she is, and ultimately it didn’t come together until I put the makeup and the wig on to get a final look at who she was going to be.”

“It’s hard being a woman four days a week,” he adds.

wearing this tacky dress and these heels.”

He also watched a lot of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he laughs, and did a little soul searching.

“I think for me what I was trying to do was create the bitchiness when really all I had to do was just look deep down inside of me,” Goldberg muses.

“I know there are times

She wants everything to be about her.”

More than comedy, he notes, the production has heart. “Cinderella is a story about love, acceptance and conquering evil,” he explains. “In the end, love always wins—and as an LGBTQ+ community, we know how it feels to want to be accepted, find true love and defeat all

where I can be that person, so life imitates art. I just really had to dig down deep within myself to find my bitchy side. I give some bitchy looks that every drag queen knows.”

Goldberg sees Charlotte as a comedic character, something he plays best.

“I’m a character actor,” he explains. “She definitely has an evilness to her, but even that comes off as funny. Just like her mother, she doesn’t want Cinderella to succeed in anything that she does.

of the hate out there. It’s relatable.”

Besides, he chuckles, “who doesn’t love a drag queen?”

“Cinderella is a story about love, acceptance and conquering evil. In the end, love always wins— and as an LGbTQ+ community, we know how it feels to want to be accepted, find true love and defeat all of the hate out there.” —JAy GOLDBERG

“There’s a lot that goes into being this woman.”

The actor says he and the show’s director Jonathan Van Dyke spent a great deal of time developing Charlotte’s mannerisms and motivations. “It was a lot of trying to figure out how to build her from the ground up,” he says. “A lot of long nights at home staring in the mirror, making facial expressions, trying to figure out her posture while

MAR 29-31

“Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” plays now through Feb. 24 at Show Palace Dinner Theatre, located at 16128 U.S. Highway 19 in Hudson, Fla. Individual dinner and show tickets are $55.50. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 727-863-7949 or visit ShowPalace.net.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

community calendar

evenT pLanner aRTS+EnTERTainMEnT

cenTrL fLorida

cenTrL fLorida

reel representation: Diversity in Film

Lgbt+ Monthly business Mixer, Feb. 8, The LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org “West Side Story,” Feb. 8-24, Theater West End, Sanford. 407-548-6285; TheaterWestEnd.com orlando gay chorus’ Love is... Duets, Feb. 9, Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, Winter Park. 407-377-6638; OrlandoGayChorus.org Pepe’s truth of dare dating gayme, Feb. 9, The Venue, Orlando. 407-412-6895; TheVenueOrlando.com The Molly Ringwalds, Feb. 9, House of Blues, Disney Springs. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Farewell Play,” Feb. 10, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7900; AmwayCenter.com Boston Pops on Tour, Feb. 11, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org Andrea Bocelli, Feb. 13, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com Well-strung: A Night at the Movies, Feb. 13, The Mezz, Orlando. 407-704-6268; MezzOrlando.com Date Night at Maitland Art Center, Feb. 15, Art & History Museum, Maitland.

407-539-2181; ArtAndHistory.org ABBA Mania, Feb. 15, King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne. 321-242-2219; KingCenter.com “John Proctor is the Villain,” Feb. 15-23, Annie Russell Theatre, Winter Park.

407-646-2145; Rollins.edu/ Annie-Russell-Theatre rPdr’s Farrah Moan, Feb. 16, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com

SATURDAy, fEB. 16, 11 A.M.SUNDAy, fEB. 17, 4:15 P.M. ENZIAN THEATER, MAITLAND Enzian Theater celebrates diversity in film with its Reel Representation weekend. The event features four separate films highlighting different community’s experiences. Enzian showcases the LGBTQ experience with the film “Rafiki.” Other films playing during the weekend include “The Third Wife,” “Life and Nothing More” and “Museo.” Tickets are $12 each or $40 for all four films, and can be purchased at Enzian.org or at the Enzian box office.

QUEEN

CAROL

“Considering Matthew shepard” Documentary screening THURSDAy, fEB. 21, 3-4:30 P.M. THE LGBT+ cENTER, ORLANDO

Comedy legend Carol Burnett brings “An Evening of Laughter and Reflection” to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Feb. 12, the Van Wezel in Sarasota Feb. 14 and the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Feb. 18. Photo courtesy tIcKetMAster.coM

Michael buble, Feb. 16, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7900; AmwayCenter.com Carol Burnett, Feb. 18, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org Sarah Brightman, Feb. 21, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

TaMpa Bay “Perfect Arrangement,” Jan. 26-March 3, freeFall Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-498-5205; freeFallTheatre.com Metro grand opening, Feb. 9, Metro Wellness & Community Centers, St. Petersburg. 727-321-3854; MetroTampaBay.org the second Annual PreValentine’s day grand central Challenge, Feb. 9, Punky’s Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg.

727-201-4712; PunkysBar.com

An Intimate evening with seal, Feb. 9, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-892-5798; TheMahaffey.com Pride Skate, Feb. 11, United Skates of America, Tampa.

813-876-5826; UnitedSkates.com tb diversity chamber b2b Networking Social, Feb. 12, The Florida Aquarium, Tampa. 727-755-8390; DiversityTampaBay.org Carol Burnett, Feb. 12, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com Michael buble, Feb. 13, Amalie Arena, Tampa. 813-301-6500; AmalieArena.com “Hamilton,” Feb. 14-23, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org the gay Men’s chorus of tampa bay’s Valentine’s cabaret Fundraiser, Feb. 16, Lions Eye Institute, Tampa. 813-389-6313; GMCTB.org

divine AF, Feb. 16, The Blueberry Patch, Gulfport. 727-914-0226; BlueberryPatch.org

TaMpa Bay

balance tampa bay February Social, Feb. 17, Dog Bar St. Pete, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; BalanceTampaBay.org Fleetwood Mac, Feb. 18, Amalie Arena, Tampa. 813-301-6500; AmalieArena.com Sarah Brightman, Feb. 19, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg.

727-892-5798; TheMahaffey.com

sarasoTa Carol Burnett, Feb. 14, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota.

941-953-3368; VanWezel.org “Mary Poppins,” Feb. 14-March 3, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton. 941-748-5875; ManateePerforming ArtsCenter.com

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The LGBT+ Center of Central Florida invites you to watch the documentary “Considering Matthew Shepard” on the evening of Feb. 21. This powerful film invites communities to participate in a national conversation about acceptance, compassion and bullying through the legacy of Matthew Shepard’s life. The event is free but space is limited. Register to secure a seat at TheCenterOrlando.org.

Gulfport Peace, Love & Pride Festival 2019 SUNDAy, fEB. 10, NOON-5 P.M. HISTORIc GULfPORT cASINO, GULfPORT The city of Gulfport celebrates diversity with its Peace, Love and Pride Festival in and around the Historic Gulfport Casino Feb. 21. The event will feature local vendors, as well as live music from Group Therapy, Kelly Neff, Lisa Noe and more. The event kicks off with guest speaker Florida Rep. Jennifer Webb.

For more information, visit GulfportPride.com.

Drag Queen story Hour SATURDAy, fEB. 16, 1 P.M. cOMMUNITy cAfE, ST. PETERSBURG Head to St. Pete’s Community Cafe for a love-filled edition of Drag Queen Story Hour Feb. 16. The event will feature crafts, coloring, snacks and—of course—storytime for the kids with local drag queen Esme Russell. For more information and to keep up on all the storytime events, search Drag Queen Story Hour Tampa Bay on Facebook.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

overheard

TaMpa Bay ouT+aBouT

haM iT up

P

RODUcER JEffREy SELLER AND THE STRAZ cENTER for the Performing Arts announced Jan. 31 that a digital lottery for “Hamilton” tickets will begin in conjunction with the popular production’s opening night in Tampa Feb. 12.

Forty tickets will be sold for every performance of the musical’s Feb. 12-March 10 run for $10 each.

To enter the lottery, theatergoers need to visit HamiltonMusical.com/Lottery to register or use the official “Hamilton” app, available in the Apple App or Google Play stores.

The lottery will open at 11 a.m. on Feb. 10 for tickets to the Feb. 12 performance. Subsequent lotteries will begin two days prior to each performance date and will close at 9 a.m. the day prior to the performance. Winners and non-winners will be notified of the results at 11 a.m. the day prior to the performance and each winning entrant may purchase up to two tickets.

For more information, visit StrazCenter. org/Hamilton.

read aLL aBouT iT

T

HE SEcOND ANNUAL GULfPORT READOUT, THREE DAyS Of EVENTS held primarily at the Gulfport Public Library for LGBTQ readers, writers and allies, will take place Feb. 15-17.

Festivities begin Feb. 15 with “An Afternoon of Romance,” bringing together lesbian romance authors for afternoon tea ahead of a reception.

They continue Feb. 16 with a full day of events beginning at 10 a.m., where keynote speaker and workshop leader Leslea Newman—author of 70 books including “A Letter to Harvey Milk,” “A Song for Matthew Shepard” and “Heather Has Two Mommies”—will present “It Takes a Village to Raise a Writer and Activist.”

“It’s really thrilling that we could attract such a world-renowned author,” ReadOut Committee Chair Alison R. Solomon says. “She’s an amazing speaker and her writing is among the most moving ever written in the LGBTQ canon.”

Author readings highlighting a wide array of genres, book sales and signings will follow. At 8 p.m., comic Poppy Champlin will help audiences “pop a happy pill” with her “Happy Medicine Show!” at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater.

Newman will also lead “Write from the Heart,” a writing workshop designed to help budding writers hone their skills, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Feb. 17.

An author panel surrounding lesbian literature will close out the celebration. “There really is something for everyone at this year’s ReadOut,” Solomon notes.

“Whether you like romance, mystery, memoir, humor sci-fi or poetry, it’s all here.”

In partnership with the LGBTQ Resource Center of Gulfport, Newman will also highlight her work in a presentation exploring the collision of her Jewish and lesbian identities at Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg Feb. 14.

All literary events with the exception of Newman’s workshop and Champlin’s show are free and open to all. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit GulfportReadOut.BrownPaperTickets.com.

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fOR THE cHILDREN: georgia Moore (L) and Samaya Sinsation lead a packed Drag Queen Story Hour Tampa Bay at Community Cafe Jan. 26.

Photo by ryAN WILLIAMs-JeNt

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EQUALITy cONNEcTION: Equality Florida’s newest development director Jarred Wilson welcomes attendees to the Suncoast Equality Connection at Sabal Palm Bank in Sarasota Jan. 31. Photo by russ MArtIN

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ON THE MOVE: B. Koslak (L) and Hello Darlin’ Records owner Arielle Stevenson drop by Black Crow Coffee Feb. 2.

Photo by dyLAN todd

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DyNAMIc DUOS: (L-R) John Desmond, Carrie West, Nancy Desmond and Mark West Bias attend the Hillsborough County Commission meeting Jan. 24. Photo by ryAN

WILLIAMs-JeNt

5

ARRR-ByS: First mate tiffany (L) and Cap’n Amy snack after sailing at the Gasparilla Pirate Festival at Quench Lounge Jan. 26. Photo by ryAN

WILLIAMs-JeNt

6

BE THE cHANGE: The board of the Pinellas County young democrats holds a strategy session in St. Petersburg Feb. 2. PHOTO

6

courtesy PINeLLAs couNty youNg deMocrAts

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fANTASTIc 4-0: Owner ed gonzalez (L) and Show Director daphne Ferraro celebrate “40 Years of Ferraro” at Enigma Feb. 1. Photo by ryAN

WILLIAMs-JeNt

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BRONX BOy: Drew eberhard enjoys “A Bronx Tale” at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Jan. 29. Photo by ryAN

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WILLIAMs-JeNt

7 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

overheard

cenTraL fLorida ouT+aBouT

MiracLe of Love Brings Wigs in space To p house

M

IRAcLE Of LOVE— AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION is to reduce the number of HIV cases and end the AIDS epidemic by providing comprehensive, multicultural care, education and prevention services in Central Florida—is as known for its fabulous events as it is for its amazing work, and its Project Red fundraisers are always the talk of the town. This year, Miracle of Love presents Project Red: Wigs in Space, an infusion of art and drag, on Feb. 22 from 7-10 p.m. at the Parliament House. “I’m so excited for this event,” says Lester Burgos, a health educator with Miracle of Love and the Orlando Mpowerment Group coordinator.

“We try to do as much as possible in the limited time we have.” The event, hosted by performer extraordinaire Gidget Galore, will feature drag queens, live entertainment and artwork created by local artists based on the color red and the event’s theme of Wigs in Space. “I’m excited to see how the artists interpret the theme this year,” Burgos says. All artwork created for the event will be available for purchase with proceeds going back to Miracle of Love. General admission is $15 and VIP is $25. For more information, visit MiracleOfLoveInc.org/ProjectRed.

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coMMuniTy cops are ready To TaLk goaLs

T

HE GAy OffIcER AcTION LEAGUE (GOAL), a fraternal civil rights organization providing a safe place for active and retired LGBTQ law enforcement officers, got its start in New York in 1982.

Since then GOAL has opened several other chapters in the U.S. with the most recent one kicking off in Orlando on Jan. 26. GOALcfl, as it is called, is now one of four chapters that branched from the original GOALnyc. “Our mission is basically the same as the one in New York, which is to support, educate and provide a positive relationship between LGBTQ law enforcement and the community,” says Orlando PD Sgt. Grace Peek-Harris, who is also the president of GOALcfl along with being the LGBTQ liaison for OPD. GOALcfl currently has 40 members enlisted, a number Peek-Harris plans to see climb into the hundreds over time. GOALcfl offers two types of memberships: a professional membership for active or retired LGBTQ law enforcement officers and an associate membership for members of the community who support local law enforcement and the mission of GOALcfl. Member meetings are held monthly with February’s meeting being held at Savoy Orlando Feb. 8. For more information, visit GOALcfl.com or stop by the February meeting to apply for membership.

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DIScO DIVAS: Blue Star (L), rob Ward (R) and the Lady Boys of the Peek-ABoo Lounge dance the night away at their Studio 54-inspired show at The Venue Orlando Feb. 5.

Photo by JereMy WILLIAMs

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BLUE BLOODS: OPD LGBTQ liaison grace Peek-harris (L) and former NYPD officer Vivian rodriguez at The LGBT+ Center in Orlando for the official kickoff to the Central Florida chapter of the Gay Officer Action League on Jan. 26. PHOTO courtesy VIVIAN rodrIgueZ

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THE WORLD IS WATcHING: COWP President Jeff Prystajko and onePULSE Foundation’s barbara Poma announce Orlando’s intent to bid for WorldPride 2026 at The Venue in Orlando Jan. 23. Photo courtesy

coMe out WIth PrIde

4

ABSOLUTELy fABULOUS: erica roberts performs at the inaugural Falsetto’s and Stiletto’s, a piano bar experience, at Stonewall Bar in Orlando Feb. 3. Photo courtesy

5

SWEET VIcTORy: Felipe sousa-rodriguez shows off his TLC winnings at the Watermark office in Orlando Jan. 22. Photo by

MeghAN sWeeNey

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ART NEWS: Spectrum News 13’s ybeth bruzual (L) interviews Orlando Ballet Artistic Director robert Hill at the Spectrum News studio in Orlando Feb. 4. PHOTO

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courtesy robert hILL

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fASHION SHOW: (L-R) carmelle bloxsom, Maxine earhart, Miss Sammy and Patty Sheehan spend an evening with recycled fashion for Trash 2 Trends at SeaWorld Orlando’s Port of Call Feb. 2. Photo courtesy PAtty sheehAN

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REPRESENTING: (L-R) Sen. Victor M. Torres Jr., Rep. carlos guillermo Smith and Rep. Amy Mercado hold the Venezuelan flag as they celebrate the Zora! Festival in Eatonville Feb. 1. Photo courtesy VIctor M. torres Jr.

stoNeWALL bAr orLANdo

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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announcements

Wedding BeLLs

Gavin and Patrick Cooper from Orlando, Florida

EnGaGEMEnT daTE:

March 11, 2015

wEddinG daTE:

nov. 17, 2018

vEnUE:

Hyatt regency orlando

coloRS:

Burgundy, navy Blue, Gold

wEddinG SonG/ aRTiST:

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Photo by dANNy goreMAN PhotogAPhy

G

AVIN AND PATRIcK cOOPER

agree they’ve been stuck on each other since the first time they met.

“A mutual friend thought that we would be good together and encouraged us to add each other on Facebook,” Gavin says. “So we did, but never took the time to really chat or schedule a time to meet in person. More than a year later, we had our first meeting and first date on Feb. 11, 2014. We were inseparable starting that very night.”

Patrick describes meeting Gavin as love at first sight.

“I knew I wanted to marry Gavin when I first saw him walk out of the restaurant to greet me on our very first date. He was so handsome, it almost took my breath away. I knew in that moment I wanted to marry this man.”

Gavin, an Altamonte Springs, Fla. native, currently works as a leasing professional. Patrick is a social media influencer, originally from Laguna Beach, Calif. They now live together in Orlando.

With such remarkable chemistry from the beginning, it comes as no surprise that the couple’s engagement was a big to-do. Patrick was the one to pop the question.

“Patrick proposed to me with a flash mob proposal at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, the location where we had our first date,” Gavin says.

“We had an amazing group of talented friends that were able to record the whole thing and edited it into a beautiful video

that we decided to post onto YouTube for our friends and family to see. Almost four years later, the video now has over 738,000 views!”

You can see the magical flash mob proposal by going to the couple’s YouTube channel, Gavin&Patrick. The video is called “Patrick and Gavin’s Disney World Proposal.”

The couple married in Nov. 2018. Their wedding day was packed with every bit of the same romance the couple had been feeling all along.

Gavin describes a beautiful moment the couple shared prior to the ceremony. “I’ll never forget the last few moments we spent together before we separated to walk down the aisle to the ceremony stage. We stood together behind a wall, out of sight from our guests, and just held each other’s hands while praying and thanking God for bringing us together and for allowing us to have all the people we love in one place, in that very moment, to watch us celebrate our love for each other.”

Gavin adds, “It was a feeling that I never had felt before.

I think it was due in part to so many emotions running through my body. It was truly a magical moment.”

For Patrick, the special moment came during the ceremony when the couple was sharing their own vows to each other. “While I was reciting mine, I stopped and told Gavin to look out at what we were able to do. I had been dreaming about that moment for so many years. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifices to get to that day and it had hit me right there on the stage that this dream was a reality, and if we were able to do that, we could do anything that we dream up together.”

condolEncES

Former St. Petersburg resident Herschel Bowen passed away Jan. 18. He will be dearly missed.

Artist and former Orlando resident Paul Horan passed away Jan. 28. He will be dearly missed.

local BiRThdayS

Orlando attorney barbara Leach, Orlando fitness guru tony edge, real estate agent eric Puzone (Feb. 7); St. Petersburg dance instructor Julia Meyerovich-Neighbors (Feb. 8); Co-owner of Hamburger Mary’s Orlando Mike Rogier (Feb. 9); Watermark columnist Melody Maia Monet, Creative Tile Design of St. Petersburg owner tom o’Keefe, St. Petersburg hair stylist Ric Castro (Feb. 10); Stonewall’s Julian Bain, LaToya Little aka Xia Adonis, St. Petersburg attorney bobby King, Tampa media specialist Bart Birdsall, Florida Council on Economic Education Executive Director Mike Bell, Watermark’s former creative assistant Patrick o’connor (Feb. 11); Tampa photographer Mark Danner; (Feb. 12); J. Meyer’s Insurance co-owner cathy Meyers-Keene, USF Vegetarian Society President Mark Weber, Tampa Suncrest Home Health director Portia Weiss (Feb. 13); Honey Pot and G St Pete co-owner ernie Webb, Tampa Bay performer Jaeda Fuentes, UCF graduating senior Steven Hogue, Orlando banking guru Diana cox, Tampa Bay realtor Ryan Thompson (Feb. 14); Gary Lambert Salon & Spa co-owner Shawn Hunt, St. Petersburg’s The Queen’s Head co-owner Darren Conner (Feb. 15); LGBTQ-friendly Pinellas County Commissioner John Morroni, The Venue Orlando owner Blue Star, Orlando man-about-town Nick Crush, Tampa activist chris goldsmith, Tampa Bay Bears president Keenan Rose (Feb. 16); Tampa Bay entertainer Iman, Downtown Arts District board member Ben Laube, Orlando playwright-actor John Ryan, Disney entertainment guru John Bearse, Punky’s cast member Monique Love (Feb. 17); Tampa’s Xtreme Total Health and Wellness consultant Ty Williams, Orange County arts hero Terry Olsen (Feb. 18); Owner of Crabtree Healthy Living toni crabtree, Stonewall Pinellas Democrat Rick Boylan (Feb. 19); Watermark husband Wade Williams-Jent aka Dixie Lynn Michaels, Tampa model and web site recruiter Michael Vought, Orlando realtor sam gallaher, Central Florida funeral director Sam Odom, Tampa Bay leather entrepreneur Billy seablom, Lighthouse Credit Foundation founder David Crow, Tampa Bay actor Jay goldberg, Sarasota realtor Michael grady (Feb. 20).

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.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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the last page

Photo by Dylan Todd

Age: 44

Hometown: Daytona Beach, Fla.

Identifies As: Gay

Jason Leclerc

Autobiography Title:

“In the Shadow of Myself: Making Myth from Memory”

vie wpoint columnis t

What kind of writing do you do for Watermark?

Hobbies:

Opinion and editorial.

Sleeping, sex

When did you develop a passion for writing?

Came Out:

1997

First grade. I won a creative writing contest for “Stinky, the Skunk that Didn’t Stink.” I understood what it meant to be different before there was a word in my vocabulary for it.

Professional Role Model:

As an essayist, William F. Buckley.

As an economist, Francis Fukuyama

What made you want to write for Watermark?

My dear friend, Billy (the single most earnestly and stalwartly Progressive partisan I’ve ever known), who was the editor at the time asked me to. He knew that he needed a foil. I could not decline such an opportunity to let the world witness our debates.

What is your favorite thing about writing for Watermark?

As a conservative, it’s easy to be straw-manned and cartooned by those with opposing political views. Watermark shows that ideas, even those in conflict with its own natural self-interested tendencies, matter. This gives Watermark a special integrity that similar publications don’t have. I appreciate the opportunity to be a voice that approaches issues differently.

What is the name of your column with Watermark?

“The Other Side of Life.”

How did you come up with the name for your column?

I didn’t. Billy did.

What do you like writing about the most?

That love conquers and that we have more that unites us than divides us.

What is your favorite LGBTQ Event?

Walking hand-in-hand with my Pally (the nickname for my spouse) through the supermarket. Living our truth and exhibiting our love

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

publicly and normally is our weekly pride parade.

What is your favorite thing about the local LGBTQ community?

The diversity within it. The local community is a microcosm of the nation. We have our extremists and rabble-rousers on both sides of the political spectrum, but for the most part we can engage on a human level.

What would you like to see improved in the LGBTQ community?

I think there is a cavalier attitude by the new generation of LGBTQs toward the history and sacrifices of our gay and lesbian forebears. The social, political and cultural realities that many take for granted were paid for with martyred human lives.

It’s hard to fully grasp the AIDS crisis, for example, and how an entire generation was nearly decimated— how there is a hole in our collective memory. I wish there was more interaction between the survivors and this current generation to make the de-stigmatization and near-cure for AIDS in America more relevant in our consciousness.

What do you want the Watermark readers to know about you?

I know that I am not perfect, not even close; I know that I am a hypocrite and that my words don’t always match my actions. But I try every day to be a better person.

What advice would you give your younger self?

1. Be nice. 2. Don’t let people take pictures of you naked.

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

We’d love to meet you.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 7 - F eb rua ry 20, 2019 // Issue 26 .03

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