Watermark Issue: 26.14 Reading Rainbows by Watermark Publishing Group

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

departments 7 // Bureau Chief’s Desk 8 // Central FL News 10 // Tampa Bay News 12 // State News 13 // Nation & World News 21 // Talking Points 41 // Community Calendar 43// Tampa Bay Out + About 45 // Central FL Out + About 46 // Tampa Bay Marketplace 48 // Central FL Marketplace 53 // Wedding Bells/ Announcements 54 // Year in Review: 2015

page

I let the children know that if I can stand in front of them as a 53-year-old, transgender drag queen and read them a story, there’s nothing in the world they can’t do that they put their mind to. –ms. Pasco Pride and drag queen Storyteller Stephanie Stuart

On the cover

page READING RAINBOWS: Drag Queen Story Hours enchant readers throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay. Photos by Dylan Todd. Cover designs by DiBenedetto/Wiedemann.

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page Extra! Extra!:

Read all about it! Disney’s hit musical “Newsies” heads to Osceola Arts in Kissimmee.

Watermark Issue 26.14 // July 11 - July 24, 2019

Modern Families

Epic Fundraiser

Save Stunner

Lightning Lad

page Adoption agency

page Balance Tampa

page

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

Embrace Families reaches out to same-sex couples.

Bay, EPIC hold fifth annual masquerade fundraiser.

South Florida LGBTQ group SAVE terminates executive director.

Chris McCarrell leads “The Lightning Thief” from Off Broadway to Tampa.

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

central florida

bureau chief’s

Jeremy Williams cfl bureau chief

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

nyone who is involved in the

LGBTQ community can tell you June is a busy month, especially this past June. Not only was it LGBTQ Pride month, which ushered in a month full of Pride festivals, parades and parties; but it also began with the inaugural Red Shirt Pride Days which gave way to the three-year mark of the Pulse tragedy and concluded with the 50th anniversary of The Stonewall Inn riots and WorldPride in New York. I didn’t make it to WorldPride, but many LGBTQ Central Floridians did and, from what I saw on social media, they represented us all proudly. While watching parts of the all-day parade online I couldn’t help but wonder what life was like 50 years ago. With the cheers of millions of people in the streets of New York in the background, I pulled out my phone and Googled “1969.” 1969 was quite a year. There were several huge events that I think most people know about:

The Apollo 11 landing on the moon, Woodstock hosting what would become the most iconic music festival ever and the Manson Family walking into the house of actress Sharon Tate and killing her and four of her friends. I also noticed some things 50 years ago that look pretty similar to what we are dealing with today. America had a morally corrupt president (Richard Nixon), Russia was all up in our business and old, white men were doing everything they could to suppress people of

color, women and members of the LGBTQ community. The more things change, the more they stay the same. However, in my journey down the rabbit hole that is the internet I learned a few things I didn’t know about the historical, and comically inappropriate, year known as ’69. For example, the very internet I searched was invented in 1969. Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, or ARPANET, was the early groundwork for what would become the every-day-use internet we have today. ARPANET is the first network to use internet protocol (IP) and was founded by the Department of Defense, not Al Gore. Something else that just passed the 50-year mark involves a 16-year-old teenager by the name of Robert Rayford of St. Louis, Missouri. Robert is alleged to be the first known AIDS death in the U.S. While many believed the virus to have infected travelers from Central Africa in the 1970s, doctors in 1969 were treating Robert who had come to them at the age of 15 with an inert immune system, many infections and rare cancerous lesions called Kaposi’s sarcoma. Robert died on May 15, 1969, three months after turning 16, of pneumonia. Two doctors at the time had tissue samples from Robert gathered and preserved in hopes that one day they could discover what this strange disease that killed a 16-year-old kid was. In the 1980s, as AIDS started to become a pandemic, Robert’s doctors saw similarities in the symptoms. In 1985, once a test was developed that could detect HIV in the body, they sent samples of Robert’s tissue to be tested. The samples were tested for nine distinct HIV proteins, and the samples tested positive for all nine. While there is still much work to be done it amazes me all that has happened and how far we’ve come

in this world over the last 50 years. So as we celebrate the heroes of Stonewall, the icons who played at Woodstock and the legends who went to the moon five decades ago; take a moment to remember Robert, who 50 years ago was the first of far too many beautiful people taken way too soon. In this issue, we look at the growing popularity of Drag Queen Story Hour, highlighting popular queens reading tales of acceptance and diversity to children across Central Florida and Tampa Bay. In Arts & Entertainment, we chat with the Chris McCarrell, star of the national tour of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” as the show makes its way

While there is still much work to be done it amazes me all that has happened and how far we’ve come in this world over the last 50 years.

to the Straz Center in Tampa. We also talk with Orlando performer Anthony Callender, who is making his Central Florida stage debut as the star of “Newsies” at Osceola Arts in Kissimmee. In news, we check in with an Orlando couple and their openly gay adopted son and see how same-sex couples looking to adopt or foster kids can get started. In Tampa Bay, it’s that time of year again for the EPIC (Empath Partners In Care) masquerade party. In south Florida, the executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group SAVE is terminated.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

contributors Jerick Mediavilla

is a former journalist from Mexico City, an educator in Central Florida and an human rights activist for the LGBTQ community. Jerick is one half of an Orlando power couple with State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith. Page 17

Nathan Bruemmer

was named one of Tampa Bay’s Most Remarkable People for his advocacy on youth issues as the Executive Director of ALSO Youth in Sarasota.. Page 19

Marianella Falbo

is a former journalist and layout editor turned event coordinator. She loves to cook, read and travel. She also volunteers at several Central Florida Charities. 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

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Ken Carraway, Vanessa Maresca-Cruz CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such organizations. WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail). The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication. WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

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contributors

tampa bay

bureau chief’s

Ryan Williams-Jent TB bureau chief Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

n 1905, Sigmund Freud coined the

term “childhood amnesia.” It describes the inability of adults to recall our earliest memories, a phenomenon researched even today. One study found that few adults can remember anything that happened in our lives before the age of three—go on, try it—and determined that memories begin fading at age seven. Research has also shown that emotions play a role in storing our memories and that at a certain age our experiences become more meaningful to us, leading to stronger recall. Psychologists coined the term “flashbulb memory” in 1977 to describe early recollections that present themselves like snapshots or photographs in our minds. Some researchers determined adults are able to recall them because they were rooted in personal importance. If you’re wondering where this is going, it’s under the sea. One of my strongest snapshots is seeing Ursula for the first time in “The Little Mermaid,” in what I believe to

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Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Business Manager: Kathleen Sadler • Ext. 101 Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com

be my very first trip to the movies. Disney released its 28th animated feature in 1989, just before my fifth birthday, and I vividly remember the sea witch overtaking an entire screen. It was divine. Intent on hooking me for life—to both the movie and McDonald’s— 1989’s Happy Meals featured “The Little Mermaid.” Those now-vintage toys still decorate my grotto 30 years later. It’s, uh… it’s just my collection. Of course, no collection would be complete without gadgets and gizmos, of which I have aplenty, or tattoos. I have King Triton’s trident on my forearm and a purple shell for Ariel on my leg. If you can’t tell, I love “The Little Mermaid.” I grew up very poor—free government cheese and trips to the food pantry in-between (actual paper) foodstamps poor—and was

raised as an only child primarily by my mother. Despite having next to nothing, she somehow made sure I had everything I needed. That often included things I wanted, but not always. I don’t know how she worked her motherly magic to afford tickets to see the movie in theaters, but we couldn’t snag “The Little Mermaid” on VHS before production stopped. I didn’t own it for years, watching it only when it aired on The Disney Channel during the pay service’s free previews. My mom and stepdad eventually bought a copy for me at a flea market years later for a small fortune, especially to us, forking over $100 for a VHS tape they weren’t sure played. It cemented that I was spoiled and that they knew how much it meant to me. They didn’t know why it did— and I’m not sure even I did at the time—but as a poor, chubby, gay kid growing up in Ohio, I connected with Ariel. The film captured a longing from deep within the shared experience of the LGBTQ community, first crafted by the fairy tale’s original writer Hans Christian Anderson—believed to be bisexual—and later cultivated by the film’s openly gay lyricist, the genius Howard Ashman. Like them, I understood what it was like to feel different from everyone around me. I knew what it was like to want more than the life I’d found myself in. “The Little Mermaid” showed me it was possible to be a part of another type of world. Every child deserves that feeling. That’s why when Disney recently announced that Halle Bailey—a beautiful actress and singer who happens to be black—would bring Ariel to life in their forthcoming live action adaptation, the only shocking

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

thing to me was that I wasn’t the only one obsessing about “The Little Mermaid.” Of all the reasons I’ve loved that movie, Ariel being white has never been one of them, though sadly that wasn’t the case for a number of so-called fans. But if Sebastian the crab taught me anything, it’s that the human world is a mess. Fairytales can have a strong impact on children, which is why we focus on Drag Queen Story Hour in this issue. The worldwide phenomenon is enchanting readers young and old throughout our state, so we chat with Tampa Bay and

As a poor, chubby, gay kid growing up in Ohio, I connected with Ariel.

Central Florida’s reading royalty to talk the pride and prejudice surrounding their events. In Arts and Entertainment, we head to the stage as Chris McCarrell proves lightning can strike twice during “The Lighting Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” in Tampa. We also get “extra! extra!” with “Newsies” in Central Florida. In Tampa Bay news, we unmask Balance Tampa Bay and Empath Partners in Care’s fifth annual masquerade. We also caucus with Florida LGBTA Democrats to learn about their statewide gathering in Tampa. In Central Florida, we check in with an agency seeking same-sex couples to adopt and foster children. Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I’m glad you’ve made us a “Part of Your World.”

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

Jerick Mediavilla

Nathan Bruemmer

was named one of Tampa Bay’s Most Remarkable People for his advocacy on youth issues as the Executive Director of ALSO Youth in Sarasota.. Page 19

Marianella Falbo

photography Brian Becnel, Nick Cardello, Bruce Hardin, Jamarqus Mosley, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

central florida news

Orlando Fringe announces new producer, show director for 2020 festival Jeremy Williams

RLANDO | The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival has announced that, after nearly a decade, Michael Marinaccio will step down as the festival producer starting with Fringe’s 29th festival in 2020. “For the last eight years I have been so incredibly proud to serve as the festival producer of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival,” Marinaccio wrote on Facebook. “Serving over 1,000 artists annually has been one of the greatest honors of my life. After over a year of discussion and contemplation, last month I stepped down from that position and accepted a new role with Orlando Fringe.” That role will be the newly-created position of show director. The new position will allow Marinaccio to focus on curating Orlando Fringe’s Winter Fest, as well as allow him time to create, book and direct productions at the festivals and year round. “I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to create new art in my favorite place,” Marinaccio said. Lindsay Taylor has been named as the new festival producer. Taylor, an artist who has produced, directed and starred in festival productions, has served as Orlando Fringe’s associate producer for the last two seasons. “I knew from the first day of being an artist here that I needed to be a part of it in a big way for a long time. PINCH ME,” wrote Taylor on her Facebook page. “I learned a lot from Michael and I’m grateful for everything he taught me. I started as an artist the first year he was a producer back in 2012. We’ve grown and supported each other since ... We are super lucky we have a great group of people working alongside of us who have our back as we make this transition.” “I owe a huge thank you to Alauna McMillen Friskics and Kenny Howard for being open and understanding, and working with me to figure out how I could best continue to serve the organization I love,” Marinaccio said. Friskics is the Orlando Fringe’s executive director and Howard serves as president of the Orlando Fringe board of directors. “[Mike] has toured the world inviting artists to apply for the Orlando Fringe lottery, which has had a direct result in elevating the quality and bringing never-before-seen productions to Orlando,” said Friskics in an interview on BroadwayWorld.com. “Mike’s relationships with Fringe artists around the globe will be harnessed to take Fringe to the next level with curated content like Winter Mini-Fest and our year-round events.” Marinaccio and Taylor both began their new positions officially with Orlando Fringe July 1.

My Two Dads: Steven

Wagner-Young, DJ and Gerald Wagner-Young at Lake Eola in Orlando. Photo courtesy Jeremy Williams

Modern Families Central Florida agency looks to get the word out on same-sex couples becoming foster parents Jeremy Williams

rlando | David, or DJ as his family and friends call him, is a quiet and well-behaved teenager. DJ, who is openly gay, loves his pet Chihuahuas, enjoys seeing the drag shows at Hamburger Mary’s and spends his time learning about life from his two dads, Steven and Gerald Wagner-Young. Just your typical modern family. “DJ’s a good kid with a good spirit,” says Gerald Wagner-Young. “Whether he is having a good day or bad day he finds a way to put a smile on his face. Every time. That says something about a 15 year old who has been through some stuff.” Steven and Gerald Wagner-Young adopted DJ, who had been in the foster care system since he was six, in 2018. The Wagner-Young’s began dating in 2013 and married in 2014. At the time they were married Steven Wagner-Young says he hadn’t given much thought to becoming a father. “We never really talked about it while we were dating because

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

I was still under the impression that we could not adopt,” Steven Wagner-Young says. “I read something after we were married about how same-sex couples can now adopt, so I looked into it.” Same-sex couples not being able to foster or adopt children is a common misconception, says Danielle Levien. Levien is the communications manager for Embrace Families, an organization that manages the foster care and adoption system for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties. “There’s a lot of misinformation about who can and can not foster and adopt a child, especially in the LGBTQ community,” Levien says. That misinformation not only keeps a loving same-sex couple from fostering or adopting, but it also takes away a home from an LGBTQ foster child who would benefit from an accepting environment and a family that understands what that child is going through. “One of the things that is very evident is how difficult it’s been finding a substantial number of homes to place our LGBTQ youth into when it comes to foster families,” Levien says. “There’s

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

still a lot of ‘Well, I don’t have any experience with this. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to help a child who is experiencing this.’ And sometimes unfortunately there’s stigma and bias. “At the end of the day we need families for our kids,” Levien continues. “Our kids deserve to have loving families who are there to take care of them. So being able to recruit enough households that will accept LGBTQ children is vital. That’s really the hardest part, that constant recruitment.” Embrace Families began stepping up efforts to reach out to the LGBTQ community. They have been partnering with the Zebra Collation and The LGBT+ Center of Orlando, holding Q&A sessions for same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals who want to foster. “We’re looking for champions,” Levien says. “How can we break down the barriers? How can we meet you where you are? So that you know that there is an opportunity.” The decision to adopt DJ was an easy one for the Wagner-Young’s. “I always knew that whether I was with someone or single, I wanted to adopt,” Gerald Wagner-Young, who was himself adopted as a child, says. “It has nothing to do with being gay or straight. The goal is to help a young person have a happy home.” For more information, visit EmbraceFamilies.org.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

tampa bay news

Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus holds summer conference in Tampa Ryan Williams-Jent

AMPA | LGBTQ community activists, allies, officials and more will gather in Tampa July 19-21 for “Defining and Defending our LGBTQ Future,” the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus’ summer conference. The caucus represents the LGBTQ community to Florida’s Democratic Party. The organization has nearly 20 statewide chapters—including Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Polk, Pinellas and Sarasota counties—all of which will be represented at the conference. Leaders advise the organization’s strength lies in its size and their local chapters, whose members stand up for equality statewide. “We have two conferences a year,” LGBTA Democratic Caucus President Stephen Gaskill says. “We’re in Tampa because we really wanted to highlight what’s happening in Tampa Bay—it’s such a lively, vibrant area. Our theme is ‘Defining and Defending our LGBTQ Future’ because we’re looking at where we are as a party and a community coming out of 2018 and looking ahead to 2020.” The conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay and begin with July 19’s welcome reception from 6:30-8:30 p.m., hosted by the caucus’ Hillsborough County chapter. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a conference sponsor, will speak. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, the city’s first openly LGBTQ mayor, will lead July 20’s morning session beginning at 8:30 a.m., welcoming officials including Gaskill, Hillsborough chapter president Dave Cutler and chair Les Miller, Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera and more. State Rep. Jennifer Webb, the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the Florida legislature, will also lead “Why and How LGBTQ Candidates Should Run,” featuring Ruth’s List President Pamela Goodman and the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s Political Director Sean Meloy. Nik Harris, the caucus’ vice president and the state’s first LGBTQ Consumer Advocate appointed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried, will lead “What’s Your Privilege” ahead of the afternoon session. Subsequent panels include “Hate Crimes in the LGBTQ Community” with former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner and “Protecting Our Vote” with the Voter Protection Project and ACLU, who will discuss the implementation of Florida Amendment 4. The second evening will conclude with a leadership dinner and feature Commissioner Fried’s keynote address and a congressional keynote from U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist. A farewell brunch will close out the weekend July 21. “We know that more and more communities are recognizing the LGBTQ community, not only from the number of Pride festivals we see or the number of Pride proclamations taking place, but from the number of ordinances protecting our community happening statewide,” Gaskill says. “We’re positive about the work that we’re doing—the Democratic agenda can move Florida forward.” The caucus’ summer conference will be held July 19-21 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, located at 2900 Bayport Dr. To register, purchase tickets or for more information, visit FloridaLGBTADemocrats.org.

UNMASKED:

(L-R) Balance Tampa Bay’s Chad Daughtrey, Ryan Young and EPIC’s Joy Winheim celebrate the fourth annual masquerade at Armature Works Aug. 4, 2018. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

Fearless Fundraising Balance Tampa Bay, EPIC hold fifth annual masquerade Ryan Williams-Jent

AMPA | Balance Tampa Bay (BTB) and Empath Partners in Care (EPIC) have joined forces to present “Fearless: An Unmasquerade” on July 27, the fifth annual fundraiser benefiting the latter organization’s fight against HIV/AIDS. BTB is a volunteer organization that focuses on promoting fellowship, fun and philanthropy throughout Tampa Bay. The masquerade ball has benefited EPIC since the event’s inception, raising more than $80,000 for the nonprofit’s essential services and programs. 2018’s gathering raised $16,000 for the nonprofit. While BTB retained creative control over this year’s fundraiser, EPIC played a more direct role than in previous years when planning. “We haven’t always had money ahead of the masquerades when we’ve needed it,” Executive Director Joy Winheim explains. “We’ve had to discount tickets or seek donations to make payments in order to put them on. EPIC didn’t take it over but we have backed the masquerade to take it to the next level.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Event Chair Ryan Young welcomed the collaboration. “Balance is volunteer-based, and in the years leading up to this, planning was almost like a full-time job,” he says. “We’ve loved it because the payoff has been so big, but this partnership has allowed us to focus more on the community.” Young adds that the organizations wanted to do something different for this year’s theme. “We’ve always been a masquerade,” he says. “In our fifth year, we wanted people to come in and be true to who they are—whether that’s with a mask or without a mask. We’re caught in an unmasquerade.” EPIC Special Events Coordinator Molly Robison also joined Young and Winheim in the planning process, meeting monthly with BTB. “We’re growing the existing event, putting extra energy behind it,” she says. “It’s been great to see the creative process.” Robison adds that this year’s theme is true to EPIC’s mission. “We’re going to welcome people in to let them truly be fearless,” she says. “They can join us however they’re comfortable—if they want to wear a mask, they can wear a mask, or they don’t have to. We’re

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

going to celebrate friendship, fun and philanthropy and do it in a rich, beautiful way.” This year’s gathering will take place at the nearly 3,000 sq. ft. Tampa River Center, an event space with bountiful, nearby parking along the Hillsborough River’s west bank. It features floor-to-glass ceiling windows that open to a covered terrace to showcase downtown Tampa. Style House at Botanica is designing the decor and guests will enjoy an open top shelf bar along with heavy hors d’oeuvres from Catering by the Family. “With the kind of creative genius that Balance Tampa Bay has put into this, and with the opulent and inviting decorations, it’s going to be such a cool space to come into,” Robison says. “It’s going to be really visually stunning.” “When clients come into our agency, it’s okay for them to be who they are,” Winheim adds. “No matter what is happening, when they’re inside of our four walls, it’s a safe space. We’re taking that concept to this space.” “Fearless: An Unmasquerade” will be held Saturday, July 27 from 8-11:59 p.m. at the Tampa River Center at Julian B. Lane Park, located at 402 W. Laurel St. Individual tickets are $90 and VIP are $150. Doors open 7 p.m. for VIP. To purchase tickets or for more information, including about sponsorship opportunities, visit MyEpic.org/Masquerade.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

state news

South Florida LGBTQ advocacy group SAVE terminates executive director Ryan Williams-Jent

IAMI | South Florida LGBTQ advocacy organization SAVE has fired former executive director Tony Lima after four men charged with hate crimes in an anti-LGBTQ attack attended the group’s gala June 14. The decision follows the publication of “SAVE Gala Stunner: Accused Gay Bashers Celebrated,” an article by South Florida Gay News (SFGN). “On a night when SAVE celebrated their annual Champions of Equality, the organization’s executive director also recognized four individuals who aren’t known for LGBT rights or justice,” they wrote. The feature details the gala, noting that then-executive director Tony Lima announced that Juan Carlos Lopez, Luis M. Alonso Piovet, Adonis Diaz and Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa

were “wrongly accused” of attacking Rene Chalarca and Dmitry Logunov on April 8, 2018. The alleged attack occurred outside of the 6th Street public bathroom in Lummus Park in Miami Beach. SFGN noted that the Office of the State Attorney pushed back on Lima’s assertion, advising that they are aggressively pursuing prosecution. “We believe we have sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the charges against them: Aggravated Battery with Prejudice/Weapon or Bodily Harm, Aggravated Battery, Assault with Prejudice/or on Religious Institution Grounds, and Assault,” the office advised. “If that were not the case, the charges would have been dropped in the past.” “Our number one mission will always be to promote, protect

and defend equality for people in South Florida who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender,” SAVE released in a statement June 28. They subsequently noted that the SFGN article “raised a lot of concerns in the South Florida LGBTQ+ community,” announcing their Board of Directors were investigating the matter. According to SFGN, Chalarca and Logunov were devastated by the developments. “Last year they invited us into the SAVE family and now this,” Logunov shared. “It’s pretty much stabbing us in the back.” “After a year of not thinking about the attack all of the memories have come back to me,” SFGN said Chalarca added. “Hearing my mom cry again over this has gotten me very down.” After initially announcing that Lima had been put on a paid administrative leave for two weeks, SAVE announced in another statement July 1 that they

had opted to terminate him from his employment. “The SAVE Board of Directors has made the unanimous decision to terminate Tony Lima’s employment as executive director of the organization following the events that transpired around this year’s Champions of Equality Gala and thereafter,” the release reads. “We deeply regret the damage this has caused the LGBTQ+ community in South Florida, particularly during a time when the country was reflecting on the riots at Stonewall, as well as the many other hardships and abuses that our community continues to endure. “These actions have been incredibly upsetting to the community and most of all, hurtful to the victims of this terrible crime,” it continues. “We deeply apologize for the pain that has been reignited. The community can rest assured that this incident is not reflective of the mission of

SAVE. As we move forward, we will work hard to regain the trust of our supporters, our allies, and the public at large.” In a statement to the Miami Herald following the news, Lima said he was “severely disappointed” and apologized to Chalarca and Logunov. “I made one mistake in my tenure of six years as the leader of SAVE and I’ve paid dearly for it,” he shared. “Again, I apologize to the victims and to those in the community that were hurt by this. Hurting anyone was never my intention.” In another statement to SFGN, Lima said that he was “shocked,” adding that he “worked so hard.” The outlet noted that a number of the area’s LGBTQ organizations and community activists were conflicted about Lima’s firing. For more information about SAVE, visit SAVE.lgbt.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

nation+world news

Supreme Court sets date to hear whether workers can be fired for being LGBTQ Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

he U.S. Supreme Court has designated Oct. 8 as the date when it will hear arguments on whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to cases of anti-LGBTQ discrimination, setting up a showdown for when LGBTQ rights in all areas of life will hang in the balance. During the proceedings, justices will consider whether anti-LGBTQ discrimination in a form of sex discrimination, and thus prohibited under Title VII, which bars discrimination on the sex in the workforce. The consolidated case of Zarda v. Altitude Express and Bostock v. Clayton County will determine whether sexual-orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination, while Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC will determine whether anti-transgender discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing the estate of Donald Zarda, which is suing Altitude Express on the basis of the late gay skydiver was terminated from his job for being gay, and Aimee Stephens, a funeral worker who was terminated from Harris Funeral Homes after coming out as transgender. The ACLU has submitted its respondent brief for the Zarda case to lay out its arguments for why anti-gay discrimination should be considered a form of sex discrimination. Among other things, the ACLU argues anti-gay bias amounts to sex stereotyping and associational sex discrimination. “Firing a man because he is attracted to other men is like refusing to hire a woman because she has school-age children, failing to promote a woman because she is too ‘macho,’ or countenancing the sexual harassment of a man who is

perceived by his coworkers to be vulnerable,” the brief states. The ACLU also filed its respondent brief in the case of EEOC v. Harris Funeral Homes to make the argument anti-transgender discrimination is a form of sex discrimination. “Had Ms. Stephens been assigned a female rather than a male sex at birth, Harris Homes would not have fired her for living openly as a woman,” the brief says. “Because Harris Homes would have treated Ms. Stephens differently had her assigned sex at birth been different, its decision to fire Ms. Stephens violated Title VII.” Representing Gerald Lynn Bostock, a municipal worker alleging anti-gay discrimination within Clayton County in Georgia, is the Atlanta-based law firm Buckley Beal, LLP. In the aftermath of President Trump remaking the court with a conservative majority, many legal observers have privately expressed skepticism justices will reach a conclusion in favor of LGBTQ rights.

UK sees 81% rise in transphobic hate crimes Alex Cooper of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

ate crimes against transgender people in England, Scotland and Wales have risen 81%, the BBC has reported. The news service obtained the data from 36 out of 44 police departments throughout Great Britain. The data showed an increase to 1,944 reported hate crimes based on gender identity compared to 1,073 in 2016-2017. Two police forces—Suffolk Constabulary and Merseyside Police—saw a decrease in hate crimes, while both the West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire Police saw a threefold increase, according to the service.

In response to the BBC’s report, the U.K. LGBTI rights group Stonewall said the data shows just how much discrimination trans people face daily. The organizations’ director of campaigns, policy and research, Laura Russell, pointed to the group’s Trans Report that found two out of five trans people were victims of a hate crime or incident within the previous year. Stonewall’s research also shows the significance of underreporting these crimes. “These statistics are the real-life consequences of a society where transphobia is everywhere—from the front pages of newspapers, to social media and on our streets,” Russell said. “We need people to

realize how severe the situation is for trans people, and to be active in standing up as a visible ally to trans people, in whatever way they can.” Since the U.K.’s referendum to leave the European passed in 2016, hate crimes across the board have increased, according to several studies and media reports. In May, the Guardian reported 71% of people from ethnic minority backgrounds said they faced discrimination based on their race. That number was up from 58% in January 2016, six months before the Brexit vote. Following Brexit, the LGBTI anti-violence group Galop released research showing a large spike of anti-LGBTQ violence. The group found an increase of almost 150% in the 3 months after the referendum.

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in other news WorldPride 2019 commemorates 50th anniversary of Stonewall Millions lined the streets of Manhattan June 30 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and celebrate WorldPride. Organizers said that 150,000 people marched during the parade, which kicked off at 26th St. and Fifth Ave. in Chelsea. The Gay Liberation Front, the cast of FX’s hit series “Pose,” UK Black Pride co-founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, The Trevor Project and Monica Helms, the transgender activist who created the trans Pride flag, served as grand marshals. Attendees included a wide array of Central Florida and Tampa Bay LGBTQ community organizations, a number of Watermark readers and Watermark’s freelance photographer. Check out a gallery of photos at WatermarkOnline.com.

Pride celebrations in Europe mark 50 years since Stonewall European cities celebrated LGBTQ pride July 6 with parades that also became platforms for political demands. This year’s events in London, Madrid and Budapest mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising. Despite the brief confrontation between politicians and activists in Madrid, their parade was attended by hundreds of thousands in a largely festive mood. The official march preceding the parade called for better care for elder LGBTQ people and a nationwide law that, among other long-running demands, would standardize rights for transgender people across the country.

Transgender woman arrested in North Carolina after restroom dispute Denny’s wants its customers to know that they can use the restroom matching their gender identity in its restaurants—nationwide—after a transgender woman was arrested in Shelby. A patron called the police after the transgender woman used the same restroom as the patron’s wife. Officers advised that the woman broke no law but a dispute escalated and she was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly spitting toward the man who had called the police. Denny’s advised the company “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Gay prisoners of Buchenwald remembered at Nazi camp site A ceremony was held at the former site of Germany’s Buchenwald concentration camp in late June to remember people imprisoned because they were thought to be gay. The commemoration was part of Christopher Street Day, Germany’s LGBTQ pride observance. Participants marched holding a rainbow flag and placed flowers at a marker for 650 camp prisoners who were assigned uniforms with pink triangles between 1937 and 1945. Nazi Germany forced people to wear pink triangles to identify them as gay. Organizers said they wanted to “commemorate the prisoners who had to suffer because as men they loved men.”

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

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

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

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: } dofetilide } rifampin } any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: } Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. } Have any other health problems. } Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: } Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. } BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

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POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. } Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to ﬁght infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. } Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. } Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. } The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY. HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food. GET MORE INFORMATION } This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. } Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5. } If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP PUSHING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: December 2018 © 2019 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0103 02/19

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

ch,

ut t

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Because HIV doesn’t change who you are. BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. To learn more, visit BIKTARVY.com.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

viewpoint

Jerick Mediavilla

#LoveHandlin

Family

verywhere I’ve been

in my life—every memory filled with laughter, companionship and solidarity—has been defined by family. From my own family in Puerto Rico, to the families that have cared for me in D.C., Mexico City and now Orlando, to the co-workers I spend so much time with; they have shown me the true magic that two or more people loving each other can create. It is an insuperable feeling when in hard times, sickness or peril someone from your family circle comes to the rescue, calls you or even texts you. It is our innate response to always be available to others, especially those we have grown up with, shared a life-changing moment with, those we have decided to marry or those who are brought to this earth as our children. I am sure that as your read these lines, many people come to mind, along with flashbacks of those milestones that have defined your relationships to them. In Orlando, there is no better social experiment to see and understand family than to spend a whole day walking around any of the world-renowned theme parks. It is an unmistakably family-oriented space where everyone enjoys the collective camaraderie of sharing the sweaty, humid, sensory overstimulation of traditionalist family values. Some folks go by themselves, but the vast majority of the people you see walking around do so with their pack, smearing their sunscreen-covered faces with the occasional, albeit barbaric—as my fiancé calls it—BBQ’d turkey leg. This is all good though because the conception of a family involves the sense of protection and support that’s inherent and expected and sets it apart from any other social institution known today. For the past 50 years, LGBTQ activists and allies have worked, to say the least, on redefining the concept of family to widen the many variations that make up the social definition of the word. It wasn’t until 2015

that our definition was finally acknowledged and our families became visible in the eyes of the law, enshrined at the same altar as any other family institution in existence. We were granted the same protections, turning our family into a gigantic community bound by the same values of respect, inclusion and unity. This visibility also uncovered the clash that occurs when traditionalist defenders of the original family definition are faced with the updated conception of a family. Just imagine what it must be like for a member of the LGBTQ community to belong to one of these units. The eerie reality of a family rejecting their own members just because of who they love is a story we know so well and can relate to far too often. It is a notion that goes against the ideal foundation of the family as an institution and the rights of any individual’s life. Fortunately, the true nature of family is always unconditional and infinite. I have witnessed how family rejection creates an opportunity to recommit to a new, accepting group that ultimately reshapes our way of looking at the individual value each member brings to your life; the same way now marriage portrays the diversity we all represent, regardless of our sexual orientation or gender identity. However, it is easier said than done for some people undergoing painful family dramas, especially because they are LGBTQ. The need for validation—or lack thereof—from the members of the immediate family results in an unnerving struggle that undermines the confidence of the individual in a rippling effect. For those of us who do not deal with these stressors and, while being LGBTQ, still enjoy the love and acceptance of our closest family, we have a call of duty to respond. We must come together and be open about issues like

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family rejection, because many of our strengths and weaknesses as a person, the traits that define us, stem from the values, support and nurturing during our upbringing. The legal climate that stigmatizes and overtly discriminates against the

or schools, just pick up the phone and call them, text them and offer your support. Our main goal should always be to call out those issues that can hinder a human’s right to properly function in our community. At some point, we all grew up feeling rejected, bullied

their wing and showed us that everything was going to be okay. For those of us who have had it easier, we need to pay it forward and become the support system for those who cannot circumvent their own incomprehensible families. My beloved Dalai Lama

LGBTQ community affects those in the most vulnerable of circumstances, and without proper care and attention will only cause them to isolate themselves. If you know someone today that deals with a situation concerning family rejection, anyone who is being ostracized by religious institutions, who is being bullied out of their houses

or told our “choice” was fateful. We found ourselves wondering where to go for answers whenever we felt alone and there was nobody to listen to us, stand up for us or cry with us. Along the way, most of us found that tribe we chose to lean on, that brotherly face we could ride to college with or that motherly or fatherly figure that took us under

once stated: “Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.” To those in our lives— family or chosen—who have pushed us forward, embraced and loved our uniqueness, and always gave us reasons to return, I thank you for being the true definition of the family we must all strive to be.

For those of us who have had it easier, we need to pay it forward and become the support system for those who cannot circumvent their own incomprehensible families.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

Just a Little Prick

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IfyouSex.org IfyouSex.org July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

viewpoint

Nathan Bruemmer, JD

keeping it real Grit, Grace, and Gaps Across Our LGBTQ+ Generations

ride Month is a wrap.

This year was monumental—50 years since Stonewall. What began as a single confrontational event that turned into a one-day march, grew into a weekend and then blossomed into a weeklong festival, has matured into a month of non-stop activities for all ages. However, we can’t seem to agree on how we define Stonewall. An uprising? Protests? Riots? What happened and who was there continues to be debated. But 50 years ago, the world changed.

Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary was a significant component of most Pride celebrations this year. How could it not be? 50 years—it is a timeline that feels both recent and ancient, depending on whom you ask. And perhaps that is why, more than ever, I noticed an interesting intergenerational conversation developing. I could honestly use some rest after the whirlwind of Pride. Instead, I find myself reflecting on the intergenerational dialogue and wondering if it will continue once all the flags, banners and rainbows are put away. As an LGBTQ+ advocate focused on youth and trans issues, I hope they continue. I’m a Gen X-er and a student of generations. I credit reading the book “When Generations Collide” while a 7th grade teacher as the impetus for my fascination. As a new teacher, I struggled to connect with the younger generation. Perhaps some would argue I didn’t need to “connect” with my students; that my job was simply to teach them science. However, I would disagree because I started to notice an erosion of trust occurring in my classroom. I noticed wariness creeping into the clubs I moderated, sneaking into the sports I coached and

influencing the relationships I fostered with my students. I wondered why. Was it me? Why was I “out of touch?” Was I simply getting old? Now, 20 years later, I work for an LGBTQ+ youth organization and I center my advocacy on the needs of our youth. Working in this capacity provides a somewhat unique opportunity to connect to different generations through programming, fundraising or simply meeting the parents of LGBTQ+ kids. I have the privilege of speaking with both the old and young—and I gotta tell ya, “the generation gap” has grown. How can this be? Many organizations and partners reach out to encourage intergenerational programming. There are mentorship programs that encourage intergenerational connections. Many people understand that bridges must be built across generational gaps in order to nurture a cohesive society. We know the need is there, so why are we coming up short? Why does such a significant disconnect exist? The mystery of intergenerational disconnect cannot be answered succinctly, but it is a mystery that we should all strive to solve. The solution may lie in conversation. So much of our history continues to be passed down to younger generations through storytelling. Many of us have vivid memories of stories told over meat and mashed potatoes, but how do we encourage dialogue between generations that no longer sit down at the dinner table together every night? How do we preserve our history and share it with future generations? What are the repercussions if we don’t? As I recover from and reflect on the celebration and beauty of Pride Month, I can’t stop thinking about how we share our history. I can’t stop thinking of definitions and the repercussions of

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storytelling. I reflect back and I recall the interviews with people who were present at Stonewall. I recall overheard stories at concerts and parties; some quite sincere and some full of hyperbole. Which stories will inspire the next generation? And, which generation gets to decide the

must know your history or you are doomed to repeat it. An avid history buff, John believed this too, but he philosophized—what if you told the stories but left out the grudges? What if you told each story as a lesson colored by forgiveness? You see, John believed that

My generational perspective is this. History teaches us how far we have come and recognizes the brave souls that have brought us here. It defines and separates generations yet connects us all. We must find a way to honor the struggle without passing

lessons from Stonewall? It is an interesting question and one that I discussed with a dear friend named John who has since passed. John was from “the old country” and he would often tell me how the old generation needed to pass down the “right” message. They were thorough in their storytelling; they needed their stories to be told and their lessons to be learned. Yes, of course I thought, you

we pass down our prejudice along with our precious lessons. He wondered what would happen if we were all more intentional about how we told our history. Would the pain and hate and anger drift into the past? Or would we truly be doomed to relive it? When we honor our history we honor the older generation, and I firmly believe this is beneficial to society. But I have begun to question how we do so.

along all that other stuff John and his generation warned me about. We must nurture intergenerational connections that build our understanding of how the world has changed. Because we have work to do in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality— and after all, depending on your perspective, 50 years is simultaneously a blink of an eye and an eternity.

I have the privilege of speaking with both the old and young—and I gotta tell ya, ‘the generation gap’ has grown.

OPEN DAILY Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 8pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm Contemporary Studio Glass from 1960s to present

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

talking points

32%

“To make a movie that even just works is a miracle. When it resonates even beyond that, it’s impossible. Just being in ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ that’s the feeling I have. I was honored to be a part of it and it is now everyone else’s in a way that I can’t even fathom.”

–Jake Gyllenhaal discussing the 2005 film “Brokeback Mountain” with GQ

registered

voters

Pulse survivors question Madonna’s graphic music video for ‘God Control’

said they would be

less excited about

supporting a

presidential

candidate who was gay, lesbian or bisexual;

42%

said that about a

transgender

candidate. —AP-NORC poll

ulse survivors have taken issue with Madonna’s graphic music video for “God Control.” It depicts a mass shooting at a nightclub which appears to be a nod to Pulse, where 49 people were killed in 2016. Madonna arrives at the club and while everyone is dancing a gunman starts shooting, causing bodies to fall to the ground. “The story you are about to see is very disturbing,” its introduction reads. “It shows graphic scenes of gun violence. But it’s happening every day. And it has to stop.” Patience Carter told TMZ that the disclaimer should have been more urgent and Brandon Wolf shared that the singer never reached out to the victims’ families or survivors. “I appreciate the message Madonna is trying to convey,” he said. “I would encourage her … that if she’s going to use Pulse as a prop that she actually call people impacted directly.”

Jill Soloway replaces Bryan Singer on ‘Red Sonja’

“T

ransparent” creator Jill Soloway is replacing Bryan Singer as the director and writer of the film “Red Sonja,” based on the 1973 Marvel comic. The replacement announcement follows numerous rape and sexual assault allegations from underage boys against Singer. After the allegations, studio executives at Millennium Films said they still planned to move forward with Singer as director. The project was eventually shelved until Soloway was tapped as replacement director and writer. “I can’t wait to bring Red Sonja’s epic world to life,” Soloway told Deadline. “Exploring this powerful mythology and evolving what it means to be a heroine is an artistic dream come true.”

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Janet Mock lands historic multi-year Netflix deal

uthor and activist Janet Mock has scored a three-year deal with Netflix making her the first transgender woman to have creative control at a major content company. Netflix will have exclusive rights to Mock’s upcoming TV series and any feature film projects. Mock, who serves as director and writer on Ryan Murphy’s “Pose,” will also join Murphy’s “Hollywood” series as executive producer and writer. “Hollywood” is Murphy’s first project under his own major deal with Netflix. Variety reports that Mock’s current projects underway at Netflix include a reboot of a classic sitcom, a college drama about a young transgender woman and another drama set during post-abolishment in New Orleans.

Jake Shears says ‘Let’s Have a Kiki’ broke up the Scissor Sisters

ormer Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears says that the group’s demise was because of their hit single “Let’s Have a Kiki.” “I didn’t know what the fuck to say after that song, quite honestly,” Shears told GayCities. “When that song came out and did what it did. I was just like, ‘Well, there it is, I guess we did it.’” Shears also denied the group broke up because of a rift between him and fellow lead singer Ana Matronic, but admits that “we got into some fights.” However, a Scissor Sisters reunion could be in the works sometime in the future. “That’s not to say we’re never going to do anything again,” Shears says. “The Scissor Sisters will be back.”

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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| uu | Reading Rainbows from pg.23

by controversy. During Pride Month 2019 alone, extremists in opposition of the readings forced events to be cancelled in Pennsylvania and Texas, while a man was charged with assault after protesting a reading in Maryland. Yet from Stonewall to racing on VH1, the drag community has proven that rewards are greater than risks when it comes to fighting for the LGBTQ community’s equality and visibility. That’s why story hours have continued to thrive, including throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay, and why Watermark spoke with some of the Sunshine State’s most enchanting storytellers.

Drag Queen Story Hour Orlando Storyteller: Gidget Galore Next Reading: July 18 Location: The LGBT+ Center More Information: TheCenterOrlando.com

The LGBT+ Center in Orlando has operated since 1978, making it one of the oldest LGBTQ safe spaces in the nation. Throughout its history, the organization has fought discrimination and strengthened Central Florida by providing services that educate and entertain the LGBTQ community and its allies. That’s why Executive Director George Wallace knew DQSH was a perfect addition to their programming. “Our mission is to promote and empower our community through information, education, advocacy and support,” Wallace says. “We’re a community center and our doors are open to everyone. All of the books we read focus on diversity and inclusion. They’re messages of love.” The Center’s DQSH began in partnership with the Orlando Fringe Festival’s family-friendly Kids Fringe in 2018. The gathering was led by Central Florida drag performer and 12-year Parliament House entertainer Gidget Galore to community and critical acclaim. In researching ways to bring readings to The Center, Wallace discovered a $3,000 grant from the City of Orlando that was focused on children.

GUIDING GAL: Central Florida entertainer Gidget Galore says she loves interacting with young readers. Photo by dylan todd “We knew we wanted to do Story Hour with or without the grant,” he

such a hit at Fringe. I called her and she was ecstatic.”

to ours receives both books that I read and it’s amazing. They can

We’re here for a very short time on this earth. I choose to use my time in a positive and productive way to spread love and acceptance, finding joy and — Gidget Galore happiness. says, “but we applied for it and got it. We use the money to buy books for every child that attends. When I was thinking of who would be perfect to read, the first person I thought of was Gidget who was

The Center hosted its first reading March 21. “The Center is a safe space, it’s a home,” Galore says, adding that the location for the readings was critical in her decision. “George wrote the grant so that every child that comes

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

share them with their friends and families—just to see a city that will do that for us is absolutely incredible.” Galore believes the gatherings will only grow, especially with Orlando’s inclusive nature and

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commitment to the arts. “I’m so grateful to live in a city and to have a mayor that is so accepting of an idea like this,” she says. “There aren’t a lot of people here who have a problem with this, but there are some that do. We’ve had protesters.” The picketers outside did little to affect the mood inside. “We’re here for a very short time on this earth,” Galore says. “I choose to use my time in a positive and productive way to spread love and acceptance, finding joy and happiness. I’ve always found the silver lining in everything. “The reception from the kids is always overwhelming joy,” she continues. “I feel like a birthday clown sometimes, because I am so over the top. I wear a lot of costumes that have big, bold prints. I think they see that and it just makes them happy. There’s not a frown in the room.” “I don’t understand where their hate comes from,” Wallace says of DQSH’s detractors. “What are they protesting? We’re reading stories about acceptance to children, and isn’t acceptance one of the first things you learn in church? We’re relaying messages of diversity and inclusion.” They’re messages that attendees return in kind. “At the end of our first reading, for the first time I asked the children if they had any questions for me,” Galore recalls. “The hands went up around the room and I thought, ‘okay, buckle up, here we go.’” The children had no questions about her appearance or why a drag queen was reading to them, she explains. They just wanted to know if she had ever owned a pet fish, if she had cats and if so, what their names were. “They wanted to know about my personal pet life because I had puppies on my dress,” she laughs. “It was so great, we had so much fun. “I just had everyone give themselves a big round of applause and then asked them to do it again for their guardians or parents,” she continues. “It made my heart so full to see that room full of happy smiles.” The performer is excited for the future, with story hours strategically scheduled throughout the school year during breaks. “I can’t wait for the next one,” Galore adds. “And the next one. And the next one.” Continued on pg. 27 | uu |

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| uu | Reading Rainbows from pg.25

Drag Queen Story Hour Tampa Bay Storyteller: Samaya Sinsation, Rotating Royalty Next Reading: Aug. 10 Location: Community Cafe More Information: Facebook.com/ DragQueenStroyHourTampaBay DQSH Tampa Bay began with pride and prejudice—literally, not the book. The gathering was proudly held Sept. 29, 2018 at Community Cafe in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District, affectionately referred to as “The Gayborhood,” but dwarfed by protesters from the religious right. “We’re in the gay district in a gay-friendly city, so it caught us by surprise,” cafe owner Mandy Keyes recalls. “It just completely blindsided us; we had no idea anything like that was even possible. We just thought Story Hour was a cute idea.” The area’s longstanding LGBTQ support was what led event founders Adira Elham and Sonny Stewart to approach Keyes to host. They’ve since left the reins to performer Samaya Sinsation, who attended the inaugural reading beside storyteller Dixie Lynn Michaels. Their second event was held in a nearby library, a public space that allowed the protesters who followed to enter. It prompted Sinsation to return to the cafe, which she sees as a better fit. “It’s more like a home,” she says. “The kids can spread out and have fun.” “We don’t have a lot of room but we don’t need much,” Keyes says. “We’re helping kids see other types of people and it’s heartwarming that they’re so engaged. It’s so important that the next generation of kids is able to love and accept themselves and others who are different than they are.” As an Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB) queen who identifies as nonbinary, Sinsation has a firm grasp of the diverse drag scene found in Tampa Bay. That’s why she rotates storytellers monthly. “There are so many different styles and queens,” she explains. “I like to switch it up. But even when I’m not reading I’m still there, crafting and talking with the kids. I’m passionate about literature and drag so it’s basically my dream come true.”

COMMUNITY CARE: Counter protesters and DQSH supporters stand in

front of Community Cafe during the July 7 reading. Photo courtesy community cafe

brush with greatness: Samaya Sinsation attends DQSH even when she isn’t reading to paint and craft with participants. Photo by dylan todd

Another unexpected hurdle of hosting DQSH came from the district itself, Keyes adds. The Grand Central District Association (GCDA), the nonprofit which promotes the area’s economic revitalization, noted in a letter ahead of DQSH

minimize the impact, “as early as 8:30 in the morning,” or moving readings from Saturdays to Sundays. Keyes says to accommodate the district the readings were moved from 1 p.m. to 11 a.m., which she notes is the earliest

for the children: Storyteller Georgia Moore reads to eager participants during a full Jan. 26 session at Community Cafe. Photo by ryan williams-jent “We want Drag Queen Story Hour to flourish in our community and suggested options that would help provide a safe haven for all,” they explain. “Our board members represent all district members and are always working toward

Allowing kids to participate is

making such a big difference—for them and for the queens, many of whom weren’t accepted as children themselves. — Samaya Sinsation Story Hour is just beautiful. Tampa Bay’s March 23 reading that while they support the gathering, more “efforts should be taken to minimize the impact ... on the surrounding businesses.” The district advised that the cafe’s neighbors to the east, west and north had “expressed a profound level of concern” about the safety of visitors and the potential loss of revenue during readings. They suggested DQSH be moved to an earlier time to

area performers can partake. They remain on Saturdays as she believes protesters will attend in larger groups following Sunday services, noting also that participants may attend LGBTQ-inclusive Sunday services of their own. The GCDA says it has worked diligently with Keyes and officials to ensure visitors, children and surrounding businesses are safe, adding that their foundation is based on inclusion and acceptance.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

supporting a positive experience for visitors and revenues for our businesses to assure their ongoing success.” While the protesters have impacted business owners, they’ve done little to impact DQSH participants. “The love, warmth and connection found inside during the events is so meaningful,” Keyes says. “So many people come out to support and block out the hatred. It means so much.”

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Sinsation agrees, thanking the parents who share diversity, love and acceptance with their children. “That’s really what Story Hour is about,” she says. “Allowing kids to participate is making such a big difference—for them and for the queens, many of whom weren’t accepted as children themselves. It’s healing in a way. Story Hour is just beautiful.”

Pasco Pride Presents Drag Queen Story Hour Storytellers: Miss Pasco Pride Stephanie Stuart, Mister Pasco Pride Vyn Suazion Next Reading: Aug. 4 Location: The Paperback Exchange Bookstore More Information: PascoPrideFestival.org

Miss Pasco Pride Stephanie Stuart begins her monthly story hours in Pasco County with words of encouragement. Continued on pg. 29 | uu |

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| uu | Reading Rainbows from pg.27

“I let the children know that if I can stand in front of them as a 53-year-old, transgender drag queen and read them a story, there’s nothing in the world they can’t do that they put their mind to,” she laughs. “Dream big.” The readings are presented by Pasco Pride, which exists to strengthen the LGBTQ community in and around Pasco County. The organization launched DQSH last December at The Paperback Exchange Bookstore to do exactly that. Stuart reads in her capacity as Pride’s reigning pageant queen and is joined by Mister Pasco Pride Vyn Suazion. “We’re here for the community,” Pasco Pride President Nina Borders says. “People didn’t think we could pull it off in the heart of Pasco but we are; we have such a great community support system.” Organizers have turned to the area’s businesses for sponsorships, allowing them to provide attendees with activities, refreshments and leave with books. “We give away whichever book is being read, pump the kids full of sugar and send them home,” Borders muses. Early support came from Joan Hepsworth, owner of the bookstore that hosts each gathering. “Everything that Pride and Stephanie Stuart are doing here in Pasco County, I just can’t even tell you how thankful and proud I am to be a part of it,” Hepsworth shares. “They’re helping get us to a place in Pasco where people feel safe, accepted and a part of a community.” “It’s turned into this huge, cultural event,” Stuart adds. “We sing, we paint, it’s not just about reading the stories. And the protesters are outside, God love them, but we have counter protesters too. The leather community comes out to keep us safe and make sure we’re able to do what we do. It brings so many people together.” That’s to the detriment of the protesters, Hepsworth says, noting that DQSH supporters stand in front of the bookstore to limit their interaction with children. “I’ve stood out there for a few hours and even though the protesters are wrong, it can still hurt,” she says. “It’s hard to do. When you see them out front with their bullhorns, screaming awful things, it can be overwhelming. There’s such a contrast between how much love is on the inside of the bookstore and how much hate

reading is fun-damental: Stephanie Stuart says she’ll read to youth for Pasco Pride’s DQSH as long as she’s asked to. Photo by dylan todd

is on the outside—you have to shake it off afterwards, it’s a lot of negative energy.” One protester recently entered the bookstore, offering to hold a “Christian Story Hour” in lieu of DQSH. “I told him he would have to go through a background check, which is what we do with all of our readers whether they’re a drag queen or not,” Hepsworth recalls. “If a person is going to be around kids, I need to make sure they’re safe. He didn’t like that at all.” Stuart says that participants pay little attention to protesters. “Whatever’s going on outside, I know that when I’m sitting there with a book and I turn to see a child sitting next to me, wide-eyed and hanging on every single word I’m saying, that lets me know that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.” The entertainer hopes that the love DQSH offers goes home with each participant. That’s why every free book includes a Story Hour sticker, her signature and an inscription asking them to keep reading. “I didn’t get that encouragement as a child and I think that’s why it’s so important to me now,” Stuart says.

“We have to keep encouraging our children because they are the future,” she continues. “They’re creative and they can do anything; there’s nothing that can stop them from doing whatever they want to do.”

Drag Queen Story Time with Momma Storyteller: Momma Ashley Rose First Reading: July 14 Location: Venue Salon More Information: RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org

The Lakeland-based Rose Dynasty Foundation has worked for years to bring DQSH to Polk County. The nonprofit—which utilizes drag to fundraise and cultivate family-friendly LGBTQ safe spaces to show youth they are loved—says it will finally do so July 14. “Everything we do is family friendly,” President and performer Momma Ashley Rose explains. “All of my brothers and sisters in the drag community, we’re artists, and entertainers have no problem working with youth. But overall they go back to traditional drag venues. There’s nothing wrong with that but there’s no safe space for children.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

PUPPET PRIDE: Momma Ashley Rose will be joined by the gender fluid

puppet Bubblegum for Lakeland’s first DQSH. Photo courtesy momma ashley rose

Rose created the foundation to change that, noting that youth are more interested in drag culture than ever. “I knew what we needed to do was to give them a safe space so that they can experience this type of art,” she says. The foundation’s activities include a mentorship program, dances, Pride gatherings, a drag pageant and more, so Rose knew DQSH aligned perfectly. “More than anything we want to spread a message of hope, love and acceptance to everyone,” she says. “I know as a child I didn’t always feel that. Now that we have resources and the atmosphere to be able to provide kids with these services, we want to do that.” To bring DQSH to young readers she partnered with Venue Salon, where she’s also a stylist, and joined forces with performer and puppeteer Dave Ryan for some added flair. “I spent a lot of time researching other Story Hours and wanted to bring something different,” Rose says. “He’s created a puppet just for us named Bubblegum who is gender fluid and we’re going to share Story Time together. Dave and I started talking and we knew this is what we needed to do—we needed to have this special guest.”

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Rose also drew inspiration from her icon Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the musician’s program that gifts over one million books to children across the world on a monthly basis. Her goal is to read all of the performer’s books to children, beginning with “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Am a Rainbow.” She also hopes to continue DQSH in Polk County beyond the initial reading, especially if it gains momentum and a larger venue presents itself to accommodate growth. “If we can do these monthly, I would be all for it,” Rose says, “whether it’s me reading or we rotate our entertainers that we work with.” That’s because she believes Polk County needs DQSH. “Our Pride and our LGBTQ community here have really grown and come out more predominantly,” Rose says. “We just want people to know that they are loved, accepted and wanted no matter what—because whether we’re gay, straight or wherever we fall on the spectrum, we all know what it feels like when we’re not. We’re going to ride this wave out and see where we go.”

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| uu | Lightning Strikes

Twice

from pg.31

mythology. It follows McCarrell’s Jackson, a normal teenager who discovers he’s a demigod destined for an epic quest to locate Zeus’ missing lightning bolt and prevent a war between the Greek gods. “I feel completely married to this show,” McCarrell says. “This is truly one of those golden gems of a role that was untouched when I walked into it, which is where I thrive. I knew that this tour was the next step.” Watermark spoke with McCarrell, who’s proven lightning can strike twice, ahead of tour’s stop at the Straz Center in Tampa July 9-14. WATERMARK: What led you to a life in theater?

CHRIS McCARRELL: I thought my older brother was the coolest guy ever and he was into musical theater, so I always thought it was one of the coolest things you could do. My first show was actually his high school show. I was in the third great and I Just fell in love with rehearsal and how theater brought so many people together. The culture of it fit me artistically and socially. I didn’t fit into a lot of other areas in school, like sports or things like that, so I fell in love with it. In high school my freshman year, that’s when I really decided that I wanted to make a career out of it. I started training intensely. You played Marius in Broadway’s revival of “Les Miserables” and a lost boy in NBC’s live television production of “Peter Pan.” How did the roles prepare you for Percy?

My shows before “Lightning Thief ” gave me the confidence to approach the show and really come in as a creative person. Rather than waiting for people to tell me what to do, I came in and was ready to problem solve. I think that this show needed as many minds working on it as possible. I can’t imagine walking into rehearsal as confidently as I did if this was one of my first jobs out of school and now I feel like the character is really

lightning lad: Openly LGBTQ lead Chris McCarrell originated the titular role in “The Lighting Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” before leading the musical on its first nationwide tour. photos courtesy the straz center, new york city production photos by jeremy daniels

something that I helped create. I was open about my ideas and feelings in the room—I talked with the writer, the director and the choreographer—and we really worked together to create a character that feels right and fits the story. How do you connect with him?

Percy is kind of the anti-hero. He’s this skinny kid with ADHD and dyslexia who’s kind of an outcast in school. He has one friend who is just as weird as him and he realizes that he has these powers that link to his long-lost father being a Greek god. I always felt growing up I was just odd enough to not be in the “in crowd.” I had one foot in and one foot out—upon first meeting me it was like, “okay,

maybe you’re normal,” and then the more people got to know me the more they realize that I’m kind of an odd duck. is the character as well?

On the surface, he seems like he would fit in fine, but the more you learn about him, the more you realize that he’s a misfit. So I connected with him on that because getting into musical theater and trying to get on Broadway, there was this huge force in my life to bulk up. To be this charming, leading man that makes all the girls swoon, which seemed kind of boring to me. So I tried to forge my own path creatively, and really celebrate that side of me that wasn’t the cool, sexy leading man. Percy was just kind of this role that fell into my lap that

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

I feel uses my entire spectrum of personality. Do you think that’s why LGBTQ audiences can connect with percy and the show?

Oh, totally. What’s so important too is that there’s no forced romantic plot in the show, which is an exciting thing for audiences, I think, and also actors. There’s nothing more boring than being the guy that’s running after the girl in the show—and in this show, there’s no time for these characters to have some forced love story. There are relationships, and there are underlying feelings behind them, but we’re all too busy trying to save the world to have a love duet in the middle of the show, which I love. Not just because it kind of

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makes the sexuality of the characters vague but because it mirrors life. How so?

When we enter a quest in life, and when things get hard, those romantic scenes in our lives kind of take a backseat. In this show, we do the same thing; we’re trying to save the world and figure ourselves out. We do it through friendship, but we never fall into that kind of Broadway, candy-coated love story. I think people really appreciate that. had you read “the lightning thief” books or seen the movies before auditioning?

Continued on pg. 35 | uu |

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| uu | Lightning Strikes Twice from pg.33

No, I was completely fresh to the story walking in which is probably why I got it. (Laughs.) It’s a huge young adult series with a ton of pressure surrounding it. how do you think that helped you?

I think if I had entered that culture, before I had known that I had gotten a part, I would have been overwhelmed by how many opinions there were on the character. Being fresh to it I approached it like I approach any character—I wanted him to make sense and I wanted him to come instinctually from what I possessed. I knew if I did that that I would get it right. I think any prior relationship with the character would have distorted and confused that process for me.

The show has been compared to “Harry Potter” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” How do you describe it?

I actually love that description. The whole point of this world that we’re entering, and the problems that it presents, is that we have the same struggles that happen in normal, average life. The scenes are so grounded in the teenage condition of not fully understanding yourself. Of wanting to be accepted by your friends and your parents as you become your fully realized self. It’s really grounded in real life problems, but in situations that are so beyond what any normal person experiences. That’s a perfect description of to the main energies in our show. What are some of your takeaways from touring?

The show is for families that are not the types of families that can plan week-long vacations to New York City to see Broadway shows. On a more personal and artistic note, I wanted to bring the show to the people that need and want it. That has been a huge motivator to keep us going. I’m just so amazed that we can trek across the entire country and no matter where we go, we can always find people that feel united by this show. That’s such an amazing concept to me that in such a vast geographic landscape, there are people that connect with this story over and over again. It shows even more why this tour needed to happen and why it’s important that we’re bringing it across the country.

Why do you think live theater is so important today?

There’s something about the intimacy of sitting in the theater, knowing that it’s happening unedited and unfiltered in front of you. There’s this raw connection on stage that the audience can sense. I think theater is more important now than it’s ever been and our show connects with audiences. It makes them think about how to be a better parent, how to be a better citizen of the world, how to be a son that stands up for himself when he needs to. I think that’s very important now at this stage of our culture. For people familiar with “the lightning thief” books or films, why is the show a must-see?

The Easter eggs that we put into it from the actual book are scattered everywhere. You can tell when an audience is a book-loving audience, because they’ll literally applaud during some lines. There’s such a true understanding of the book that is built into our show, because we knew that’s what the secret sauce of it would be; what made the book so special is what was going to make our show so special. There’s such a deep, complex understanding of the source material from our writers and it translates into everything from the props to the songs to the costumes.

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What about for those who aren’t familiar?

This world we present is even more exciting when you don’t expect it. At the beginning of the show, everything feels totally normal and it’s turned on its head when a substitute teacher sprouts wings. I think the excitement and the surprise of people walking into this blind is actually a benefit. We make this otherworldly quest possible on stage and people of all generations and all knowledge levels of the series can just as easily step into this world as the next person. I think we’ve done a great job of making it exciting for both old and new audiences. “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” plays at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa July 9-14. The Straz will conduct a pre-show lottery beginning two and a half hours prior to each performance for the chance to win $20 tickets. For more information about the lottery or to purchase tickets to the show, visit StrazCenter.org.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

Theater

Extra! Extra!

Local performer Anthony Callender makes his Central Florida stage debut leading ‘Newsies’ at Osceola Arts

(above)

Seize the day: Anthony Callender (R) and Amanda Breivogel, who play Jack Kelly and Katherine Plumber, respectively, in “Newsies.”

Photo courtesy Osceola Arts

Jeremy Williams

sceola Arts in Kissimmee, Florida

is closing out its 2018-19 theater season with a bang as it brings Disney’s hit musical “Newsies” to its stage July 12-Aug. 4. “Newsies” is based on the true-life story of New York City’s Newsboys Strike of 1899. Disney first brought the story to the big screen in 1992 with the musical film of the same name, directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Ann-Margret and Robert Duvall. The film was panned by critics and bombed at the box office upon its initial release but developed a cult following on home video. It eventually developed a large enough fan base that Disney decided to revisit the Newsboys Strike story by adapting it to Broadway 20 years later. “Newsies” was brought to the stage by a powerhouse team of legends, from both stage and screen.

The music is by Alan Menken, best known for writing the scores to some of Disney’s most beloved animated classics including “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “Pocahontas.” Those four films alone fetched Menken a total of eight Academy Awards. The lyrics are by Jack Feldman, who not only wrote lyrics for many hit films and television shows, but is also the lyricist behind Barry Manilow’s classic “Copacabana.” The book is by Harvey Fierstein, the Tony Award-winning actor is responsible for writing hit Broadway shows “Torch Song Trilogy,” “La Cage aux Folles” and “Kinky Boots.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“Newsies” the musical made its Broadway debut in 2012 and was a hit from opening night. The show has played more than 1,000 performances and was nominated for eight Tony Awards, winning two of them—Best Original Score and Best Choreography. Osceola Arts looks to bring that same magic Disney brought on Broadway to a Central Florida audience. Director Del Brocco leads a cast of nearly 30 performers, headlined by Osceola Arts newscomers Anthony Callender, who plays Jack Kelly, and Amanda Breivogel, who plays Katherine Plumber. Callender, an openly-gay performer in Central Florida and one half of the musical team The Stonewall Duo, will be making his musical stage debut with “Newsies.” “This is all a new and exciting experience for me,” he says. “I was involved in musical theatre when I was in high school up in Michigan, and it was always a dream of mine

to continue professionally in music theatre, so I moved to Orlando and worked for Disney.” When Callender got to Central Florida his career path veered off from entertainment to healthcare. “I ended up getting my massage therapist license and started to focus on a path of healthy lifestyle habits,” Callender says. “But there was always this unspoken truth, dream and drive in my heart. So over the last few years, I’ve started to dedicate more of my time and my passion toward entertaining.” In 2014, Callender started performing with various acapella groups in some of Orlando’s theme parks and then he met Sandra Hess. Callender and Hess hit it off and they began to perform locally under the name of The Stonewall Duo. “I love her,” Callender says of Hess. “She is so talented and it is so amazing to get to work with her.” Callender almost didn’t end up auditioning for “Newsies” because of a gig for The Stonewall Duo. “I knew the director and he asked me if I would be interested in coming in to audition for a role in ‘Newsies,’ but at the time we were waiting to hear back about the final contract of our cruise line show,” Callender recalls. The Stonewall Duo was going to be hitting the open seas as performers for a cruise line and didn’t know when they would be leaving. “Our dates were up in the air and we could have been leaving sometime in May or June, which would not have worked out for me and ‘Newsies’ or we could be leaving in November,” Callender says. “I didn’t think it would be fair to dedicate my time to a production because if I got the crew contract, I would not be able to fill my role. I was not willing to burn any bridges doing that, so I respectfully told the director that I would not be able to make the audition.” Luckily for Callender, the stars lined up and The Stonewall Duo was told they would be onboard the Celebrity Constellation leaving Venice, Italy in November. After getting to audition for Brocco, Callender was told he not only got in the show, but would be the lead character. “It was a bit surreal. I feel like the universe just opened itself up to me for some miraculous reason I don’t know how to describe it,” Callender says with a laugh. “At first when I got the news I felt excitement over nerves, but then reality set in that I was going to be in a major role and that I was

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

Continued on pg. 39 | uu |

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the world will know: Anthony Callender (center, as Jack) with the other newsboys prepare to go on strike for a better life, in Osceola Arts’ “Newsies.” Photo Courtesy Osceola Arts

| uu | Extra Extra from pg. 37

going to have to dance and some of those nerves started to creep up, but I really am just so overwhelmed with excitement to get to do this.” Callender admits that prior to taking on the role of Jack Kelly he knew very little about the musical “Newsies” or what it was like at the turn of the 20th century for newsboys. “Most of the real-life Newsies were orphans living on the streets, scraping by to make ends meet just so they could feed themselves,” Callender says. Newsboys—children who were essential to the newspaper industry

at the time—worked under harsh conditions and had to purchase the newspapers from big publishers like Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst to sell them to the public. Any papers not sold were not purchased back and the loss was left to the newsboys. Callender recalls reading about some newsboys who turned to drastic means when they didn’t have money to eat. “The papers they didn’t sell, some of the newsboys would turn to literally eating them because they couldn’t afford food after having to buy the papers they couldn’t sell,” he says. “The poor conditions and the mistreatment led them to stand up for themselves. They

started to strike and it became a revolution for them.” Even though the true-life events that inspired “Newsies” were more than 100 years ago, Callender says the story of underdogs standing up for themselves against oppression is still very relevant today, especially as we just passed the 50-year anniversary of Stonewall. “When a community is being attacked and mistreated, they are going to reach a point where they will not be pushed around anymore,” Callender says. “That’s what happened at Stonewall, and that’s what happened with these newsboys. There’s a musical number in ‘Newsies’ called ‘The World Will Know’ and that’s exactly what they’re singing about. They

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

will no longer be pushed around and left with nothing. They are taking a stand and the world will know. It’s such a powerful message for any community that as long as you have each other’s back, you watch out for one another and you do it with a sense of love, that you will come out on top.” That message of love and community will also be on display in Osceola Arts’ main and lobby galleries with an art exhibit that will coincide with its “Newsies” performances titled “Extra! Extra! ‘Newsies’ Fan Art.” It will remain on display through the end of August. The exhibit will feature a collection of “Newsies”-inspired pieces from Students Pursuing Leadership in Arts and Technology,

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

or SPLAT. SPLAT is a group of local creative youth living and making art and exhibits in public spaces throughout Central Florida. “Newsies” runs July 12-Aug. 4 on the main stage at Osceola Arts, located at 2411 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee. Tickets start at $22 with senior, student and group rates available. “Extra! Extra! ‘Newsies’ Fan Art” exhibit will be on display July 12-Aug. 30 with an artist reception to be held at Osceola Arts on July 27 from noon-1:30 p.m. The exhibit, as well as the reception, is free and open to the public. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit OsceolaArts. org or contact the box office at 407-846-6257.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011

community calendar

event planner arts+entertainment

Central Florida

Parliament House 44th Anniversary

LGBT+ Orlando Summer Beach Volleyball, July 12, Festival Park Volleyball Court, Orlando. 407-246-2283; VarsityGayLeague.com/Orlando

Friday, July 19, 9 p.m.-Saturday, July 20, 3 a.m. Parliament House, Orlando

Fastest Pass to Diznee, July 12, The Venue, Orlando. 407-412-6895; TheVenueOrlando.com 2nd Annual Unusual Frida Art Exhibit, July 13, Orange County Library, Orlando. 407-835-7323; OCLS.info Sweet Dreams: Dancing for TRANSitional Housing, July 13, DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown, Orlando. 407-203-5984; BlissCares.org New Kids On The Block: Mixtape Tour, July 13, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com

Party Girl International superstar Jennifer Lopez brings her “It’s My Party” tour to the Amway Center in Orlando July 23. Photo courtesy JenniferLopez.com

Beth Marshall presents “Save Me Dolly Parton,” July 13-14, Theater West End, Sanford. 407-548-6285; TheaterWestEnd.com

Sharon Needles, July 19, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando

Dave Koz Summer Horns, July 13, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Community Sweat, July 14, Rock Hard Fitness, Orlando. 407-802-4631; RockHardFitnessOrlando.com

Community Ribbon Making Day, July 20, The LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org

Balance Tampa Bay’s July Social, July 14, District Tavern, Tampa. 813-252-3444; BalanceTampaBay.org

GAYME Day, July 14, The LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org

Orlando Comic Con 2019, July 20, Holiday Inn & Suites Universal, Orlando. 407-351-3333; HeroHype.com

Drag Queen Story Time with Momma, July 14, Venue Salon, Lakeland. 863-644-0102; RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org

Kriss Du Cecile, July 20, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com

St. Pete Storytelling & Prose Open Mic w/ Paul Wilborn, July 16, The Studio@620, St. Petersburg. 727-895-6620; Studio620.org

43rd Annual Miss Parliament House Pageant, July 15, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com GOALcfl Membership Meeting, July 17, OPD Community Room, Orlando. 321-235-5300; GOALcfl.org Drag Queen Story Hour w/ ASL Interpretation, July 18, The LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org Watermark’s Third Thursday, July 18, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-481-2243; Facebook.com/ WatermarkFL

Jennifer Lopez, July 23, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com

Tampa Bay “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” July 9-14, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org Roxxxy Andrews, July 12, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HambergerMarys.com/Clearwater

Word OUT Tampa Bay, July 17, Seminole Recreation Complex, Seminole. 516-906-2140; WordierThanThou.com

Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus Summer Conference, July 19-21, Grand Hyatt, Tampa. 813-874-1234; FloridaLGBTADemocrats.org Tampa Bay Bears Pool Party, July 20, GayStPeteHouse, St. Petersburg. 727-365-0544; TampaBayBears.org TIGLFF presents “Evening Shadows,” July 20, The Portico, Tampa. 813-879-4220; TIGLFF.com

Parliament House celebrates its 44th Anniversary with two packed events. On Friday, see current and past PH performers in the Legends show. On Saturday, see the mega Reunion Show and celebrate with a $2 anniversary bar. Shows start at 10 p.m. and midnight on both nights. No cover before 11 p.m. For more information, visit ParliamentHouse.com.

One Orlando Alliance Community Discussion Saturday, July 25, 5-7:30 p.m. OPD Community Room, Orlando Please join One Orlando Alliance at the Orlando Police Department as they openly discuss public safety with a focus on LGBTQ+ hate crimes and inequality. Community Discussions are facilitated by a local expert and the panelists are Alliance members who work to address the issues. Doors open at 5 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Visit OneOrlandoAlliance.org for more information.

Tampa Bay Watermark Wednesday Wednesday, July 17, 6-8 p.m. City Side Lounge, Tampa

Sharon Needles, July 20, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsTampa

Join us at City Side Lounge for our monthly social as we network and present the 2019 National LGBT Media Association AD POP AWARDS! Bring cash for raffles, as this free event benefits The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Light bites will be provided and your first drink is on the house. For more information, visit Facebook.com/WatermarkFL.

Sarasota

Arts Alive! Party

Drag Queen Trivia, July 17, The HONU, Dunedin. 727-333-7777; TheHONUrestaurant.com

Beneva Fruitville’s Drag Queen Bingo Bonanza, July 21, McCurdys Comedy Theatre, Sarasota. 941-925-3869; McCurdysComedy.com

“A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum,” July 18-20, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Regional Summer Social, July 25, Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton. 941-567-6218; Facebook.com/ ManasotaYoungDems

SATURDAY, July 20, 7-10 P.M. METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH, ST. PETERSBURG Bring art to life at Metro Inclusive Health, dressing in the attire that reflects your favorite artist or painting! Prizes will be awarded for the most creative costumes. Attendees will also have the opportunity to paint with two queens, PheYonce Montrese and Dixie Lynn Michaels, in an interactive experience they won’t soon forget. A suggested $10 donation at the door benefits the SMART Ride’s Hope in Motion cyclist team. For more information, visit MetroTampaBay.org.

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

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

overheard

tampa bay out+about

SUPPORTIVE SOCCER

he Tampa Bay Rowdies defeated the Ottawa Fury FC at Al Lang Stadium with a 2-1 added-time win during the team’s Pride Night June 29. The celebratory evening began with a pregame tailgate party featuring food trucks near midfield. Multiple Tampa Bay LGBTQ organizations benefited from ticket sales, which if purchased by June 19 included a Rowdies Pride scarf. “Thank you to all of the fans that came out to celebrate Pride Night and to cheer the Rowdies on to another victory at home,” the organization shared via social media July 1. The Rowdies subsequently showed their community support July 2, announcing they had proudly joined The Tampa Bay Rays in signing the Human Rights Campaign’s landmark amicus brief in a trio of cases before the Supreme Court. The Oct. 8 decision will determine whether LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination. “We know being inclusive is not only the right thing to do,” they shared via social media, “it makes good business sense.”

SOCIAL SLUMP

rea lawyer Scott Orsini dropped out of the race for St. Petersburg City Council July 3 after apologizing for tweets he removed referencing women and the LGBTQ community. He described the tweets as “crass, insensitive and immature.” He first addressed the controversy June 29. “In the process of gearing up for my run for St Pete District 1 city council, I reviewed my past social media posts,” he shared. “I found that I posted a number tweets that were immature, insensitive and childish.” Orsini then referenced a Tampa Bay Times story detailing the tweets that they described as “vulgar and disparaging” about LGBTQ people and women. According to the outlet, the tweet referencing the LGBTQ community was sent in 2013. “I thought about getting a bicep tattoo and then I remembered it wasn’t 1992 and that I’m not a lesbian,” it read. According to Orsini’s statement, he reviewed a decade of social media posts, “approximately 29,000 tweets, retweets, and replies to tweets.” He notes that he “found in an effort to be humorous I tweeted a small number of tweets to and about women and the LGBTQ community that are crass, insensitive, and immature.” After consulting with his family and friends, Orsini subsequently shared, he opted to leave the race. “I would much rather throw in the hat now than to have these relentless, politically motivated attacks take any further toll on my family,” he shared. “I want to thank every individual that supported my candidacy and continues to stay by my side. As always, I will remain involved in my community as an advocate for the issues that matter most to all of us.”

2 3

ROWDY NIGHT: Ricky (L) and Mark Celaya-Renaud celebrate Rowdies Pride Night July 29. PHOTO BY RUSS MARTIn

DYNAMIC DUO: Tina Henning (L) and Terie Luv settle into Iberian Rooster’s Drag Showcase July 3.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

MISS VANJIE: “Drag Race” alum Vanessa Mateo (L) and Mike Sklarz catch up at Southern Nights Tampa July 6. PHOTO

COURTESY SOUTHERN NIGHTS TAMPA

THE BIG BOOM: (L-R) Sergei Bevan, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Ana Cruz prepare for the inaugural Boom by the Bay July 4. PHOTO COURTESY JANE CASTOR

BONE BOYS: Tom Penman (L) and Marcus Porter kick back at Dog Bar July 6. PHOTO BY WADE

WILLIAMS-JENT

6 7

N-Y-C: Tampa Pride represents at WorldPride in New York City June

30. PHOTO BY NICK CARDELLO COMMUNITY CONNECTION: (L-R) The Dru Project’s Shawn Chaudhry joins Equality Florida’s Michael Womack and Brandon Wolf at Metro for “From Stonewall to Pulse” June 26.

PHOTO COURTESY EQUALITY FLORIDA

BRADENTON PROUD: The Bradenton Marauder himself poses on the mound during the team’s Pride Night at LECOM Park July 6. PHOTO BY RUSS MARTIN

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

overheard

central florida out+about

Bi Representation

entral Florida is an open and welcoming place for the LGBTQ community. There are organizations that cater to the gay, lesbian and transgender communities; but one letter that hasn’t had a specific group for it in Orlando is the bisexual community, until now. “I’ve never quite found a place for myself within the fabric of Orlando’s LGBT community and there’s a reason for that,” wrote openly bisexual Central Floridian Sarah Wissig on her Facebook page. “Because that space doesn’t quite exist. There’s no space for bisexuals. I’ve waited and waited for someone else to create it and no one has, so I’ve decided to take on the beginning steps of creating it myself.” Wissig officially launched The Orlando Bisexual Alliance, which exists to build the visibility and representation of bisexual people and bisexual issues in the greater Orlando area, on July 2. “My first objective for the organization will be to have a booth and to march at Orlando Come Out With Pride,” wrote Wissig. “But I need your help, bisexuals and allies, to build this. Will you help me?” You can like and follow along with The Orlando Bisexual Alliance on Facebook.

Summer Song

rlando singer-songwriter Billy Mick released the first single from his upcoming debut album on YouTube July 1. The song, titled “Flesh and Bone,” is an upbeat track preaching tolerance, acceptance and understanding. “I am very passionate about the LGBTQ+ community,” wrote Mick on his website, BillyMick. com. “I love sharing my music with the world! Thank you for sharing this adventure with me!” According to his website, Mick is currently at work on his first album. While a title has not been announced he writes that the music will celebrate “life, love, individuality and equality for all.” “Flesh and Bone” is currently available on all streaming platforms including iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music. To get updates of Mick and his new album, find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @BillyMickMusic.

A Proud Campus

he University of Central Florida was named the top college for LGBTQ students in Florida by BestColleges.cm. The website’s Campus Pride Index ranks institutions of higher learning based on their academics, affordability and LGBTQ services. Among the reasons UCF says it was placed on top by Campus Pride is its LGBTQ Services, which connects students with community members and resources; 20 gender-neutral restrooms on campus; its Lavender Council, a student advisory committee that promotes services for the community; offering a gender and orientation-language diversity workshop; a coming out workshop and more.

House Equality: (L-R)

Gina Duncan, Asher and Sally Hogshead at an Equality Florida event held at the Hogshead home in Orlando June 27. Photo by Jeremy Williams

Non-Scrubs: (L-R)

Sam Graper, Mark Wilson and Andres Acosta attend the TLC concert at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando June 28. Photo by

Jeremy Williams

Proud Leaders:

Dr. Steve Yacovelli (L) shows off his new book, “Pride Leadership,” with Dixie Longate while visiting Provincetown July 5. Photo courtesy Dr. Steve Yacovelli

Community Voices:

(L-R) Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, Seeta Durjan Begui and Valeta Cameron in the studio for “Viewpoint with Seeta and Friends” in Brevard County July 1. Photo courtesy

All Star Winner:

Trinity The Tuck, a winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” season four, visits the Parliament House in Orlando July 6. Photo courtesy

Parliament House

Parade Marchers:

(L-R) Barbara Poma, Jennifer Foster and Jeff Prystajko lead a team of Central Florida community members at the WorldPride Parade in New York City June 30. Photo

courtesy Neema Bahrami

Four Years Ago: Watermark celebrates the four-year anniversary of marriage equality at the Central Florida office in Orlando June 26. Photo by Jeremy Williams

What’s Up, Doc?: Dr.

George Wallace (L) and Dr. Radda A. Abubakar celebrate their graduation in Orlando June 29. Photo courtesy

Dr. George Wallace

Seeta Durjan Begui

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

C ent r al

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Security Systems

FREE Classiiieds Online Log on to Watermarkonline.com to place your ad today

Veterinarian

Proudly Caring for the Pets and People of the LGBTQ Community since 1955 Open 7 Days a Week!

BOARDING

DOGGIE DAYCARE

NEW WELLNESS CENTER

1601 Lee Rd. Winter Park (407) 644-2676 youth services Changing the lives of LGBTQ teens and young adults for over 25 years Social support groups Make friends Scholarships for college Weekly groups in Orange, Seminole & Polk counties

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for 2 weeks

INCLUDES

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

• Bold Heading • Photo

Reach local LGBT communities across the nation. Start connecting with over a million loyal readers in print and online across the country. 212-242-6863 info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com

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July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

announcements

wedding bells

Twyla and Pamela Avellino

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

from Daytona Beach, Florida

Engagement date:

Nov. 29, 2018

Wedding date:

June 16, 2019

Officiant:

Chris Waterous

Wedding venue: Yaya’s Beachside Bar

Wedding theme/colors:

Royal Purple and Teal

Wedding Song/ Artist:

“Marry Me a Little” by Barry Manilow and “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol

Caterer:

Genovese’s Italian Cafe

Cake Flavors:

Devil’s Food with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photographer:

D’Andelet Photo

DJ:

Access DJs

Entertainment: George Sorli

Photo by D’Andelet Photo

wyla and Pamela Avellino’s

story started with friendship and trust. The couple met through the local BDSM community in Daytona Beach, which at the time was being run by Twyla, when Pamela moved to Florida in 2004.

“We became friends immediately and when a situation arose among the group, Pamela was the first person to point me to the proper legal advice to know how to handle it. Our friendship blossomed after that,” Twyla says. Helping each other through life and a previous marriage, they “remained friends through the years, never letting distance or circumstance stop it.” Pamela and Twyla reconnected on a more intimate level in the fall of 2017 when their friendship turned into a mommy-mentor relationship. “Neither of us was sure this type of relationship would even work, but we would still remain good friends,” says Pamela. Fast-forward one year exactly and Twyla found herself proposing to Pamela on their anniversary.

“When we first started, neither of us expected it to turn into what it has. Twyla was looking to find herself and knew the mommy-mentor relationship would be a fun way to do it,” Pamela says. “I wasn’t looking for a primary partner, let alone a wife.” Through their journey from friendship to love, they learned that, “you must be able to stand on your own two feet before you enter a co-creative partnership as opposed to a codependent partnership. And laugh and have fun!” It is their same “dark, twisty sense of humor” that keeps them laughing and having fun together. Twyla and Pamela were married in an intimate Sunday afternoon wedding on June 16 with friends and family all around them. Chris Waterous, an Alexandrian Wiccan priestess,

made sure the wedding focused on the love all around the couple. “[The] officiant had the guests form a circle and focus on positive energy and thoughts for us and our marriage by all of the people who loved us back,” says Pamela. From holding each other’s hands at the altar to the hand-fasting ceremony, the wedding was full of special moments that highlighted the brides’ special bond. To make their special day happen, the brides had help from those closest to them. Christine, a friend of the brides, donated time and resources to help plan the big day. Andrew Augustine and Dena Nolet assisted with the wedding preparations. Jennifer Hobby, a bridesmaid and friend, made the cake. Twyla and Pamela celebrated their first night as a married couple in a beachfront bungalow set up by property manager, Jules. In the future, Pamela sees their relationship growing as a peer relationship and moving away from a D/S relationship. Although, they both add that BDSM will always be a part of their relationship.

Sawmill Campground general manager Justin Pamplin (July 11); Metro Inclusive Health’s James Keane, Central Florida drag performer Kristina McLaughlin, Orlando event planner Jorge Cruz (July 12); Tampa Bay entertainer Robert Rigsby/Rockell Blu, Quench Lounge manager Gary Miller, U.S. para-cyclist Monica Sereda (July 13); Gasparilla Festival of the Arts president John Scheffel, LGBTQ activist Gil Sainz, Al Ferguson of Al & Chuck, Tampa Attorney Kim Byrd (July 14); St. Pete artist Chad Mize, Three Boys Café owner Matthew Downs, Watermark Central Florida account manager Brianna Rockmore (July 15); AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Russell Walker, OUTCoast’s Rachel Covello, Michael Saunders & Co. realtor Jason Coy Turner (July 16); St. Petersburg artist James Michael McCracken, St. Petersburg IT wiz Frank Meekins (July 17); Seminole business owner David Verdi, Former St. Pete LGBT liaison Robert Danielson, The Hammered Lamb’s Nikki Price (July 18); “Ms. Pinky Penmark” Robert Shaffer, die-hard theater lover Deborah Simpson, Tampa Bay bear Mike Tobias (July 19); Orlando entertainer Sam Singhaus, Orlando physician Dr. Jerry Horton, Rock Hard Fitness’ Max Dunley, Footlight Theater dancer Steven Johnson, Karmic Tattoo performer Pam Green (July 20); Tampa Bay singer Jennifer Real, Tampa Bay actor Matthew McGee, St. Pete’s director of cultural affairs Wayne David Atherholt, beloved activist Rachel Gardiner, Makeup extraordinaire Jeremy Bangkx, St. Pete dancer Erik Shepard (July 21); Helping hand Jarrod Ketzler, St. Pete sweetheart Natalie Buono, DuPont Registry editor in chief David Warner (July 22) St. Pete bear Bob Thayer, One Orlando Alliance’s Carlos Carbonell, Watermark columnist Jason Leclerc, ACLU communications manager Baylor Johnson (July 23); Tampa Bay “Drag Race” alum Alexis Mateo, former Watermark intern Andrew Ramos (July 24).

Do you have an announcement? Having a birthday or anniversary? Did you get a new job or promotion? See your news in Watermark! Send your announcement to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com

It’s that easy!

—Marianella Falbo

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.

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

1 Robby Pigott and James Harrison are married by Mayor Buddy Dyer on the steps of Orlando City Hall on June 6. 2 Barbie & Kimmy Denny married at the Joe Chillura Courthouse in Downtown Tampa on June 6. 3 Tampa Pride returns after a county wide ban on recognition of pride events was lifted. Kurt King (L) and Jane Castor were the inaugural grand marshals.

2015

4 Caitlyn Jenner came out on the cover of Vanity Fair’s July issue. 5 Stewart Milk (R) surprised City Commissioner Patty Sheehan (L) with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the third annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast present by the LGBT Center of Central Florida.

6 1

6 Torri Ramos shared her emotional story with Watermark about entering the world of sex trafficking after being rejected by her family for being transgender.

7 After 10 solid years at Watermark, Steve Blanchard leaves to follow his passion at the Moffitt Cancer Center. 8 Barrack Obama becomes the first sitting president to be featured on the cover of Out Magazine as the Ally of the Year for OUT100. 9 Watermark announced in late May with this faux-cover that the infamous Billy Manes would become its new editor-in-chief. 10 Ireland celebrated becoming the first nation in history to approve same-sex marriages by a referendum vote in May.

4 YEARS AGO Most popular song

“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

Best Selling Album

On The Cover Watermark turns 25 this coming Labor Day. In the issues between now and then, owner and publisher Rick Claggett carries on the tradition of Founder and Guiding Light, Tom Dyer, by reviewing the past remarkable years. On this page, he returns to 2015.

“25” by Adele

Highest Rated TV Show

“The Big Bang Theory”

Highest Grossing Film

“Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens”

Best Picture Oscar Released 2014

“Spotlight”

Out Celebrities

Aaron and Austin Rhodes (YouTubers), Kristen Stewart (actress), Patricia Velasquez (supermodel), Matt Cage (professional wrestler), Demi Lavato (singer)

States with Marriage Equality

On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court delivered their final verdict on the constitutionality of marriage equality. In a life changing 5-4 decision, the land’s highest court declared same-sex couples had the constitutional right to marry.

Looking Back

Rick Claggett, Publisher

2015

proved to be

another landmark year for the LGBTQ community as the Supreme Court struck down all laws banning marriage for the LGBTQ community. Florida had finally lifted its ban earlier that year, allowing marriage equality to begin Jan. 6. In defiance of a U.S. federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Rowan County, Kentucky county clerk Kimberly Jean Davis refused to issue licenses to LGBTQ couples. This act landed her in jail, but garnered support from Republican presidential hopefuls who visited her in jail. Later in 2015, Davis claimed to have the support of the Pope in a private meeting, but the Vatican later diminished the assertion by stating the meet and greet was in no way an act of support for the now former county clerk.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

In the wake of marriage equality nationwide, the next battleground issue began to take shape. Republican Florida State Representative Frank Artiles of Miami filed the “Single-sex Public Facilities” bill. The bill looked to bar people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity. Transgender issues continued to make headlines when India Clarke was discovered murdered at a Tampa Community Center. This upward trend in trans violence would continue to grow. Carver Middle school lost its long battle for a Gay-Straight Alliance when a lawsuit filed on behalf of 14-year-old Bayli Silberstein was dismissed. Jacksonville continued its heated debate about adding sexual orientation to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance. Several organizations hit milestones this year. The Orlando Gay Chorus celebrated 25 years and appointed James

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com

Rode as the new art director. Joining in the fun was Gay Day at Disney and Bear Bust, both in their 25th year. Orlando AIDS walk celebrated its 20th year in operation. St. Pete icon Georgie’s Alibi announced it was closing its doors in September. Cindy Barnes also announced 2015 would be her last year as the head of Sarasota Pride. Heather Wilkie was named Executive Director of The Zebra Coalition and Lu Mueller-Kaul was officially installed as the President of The Metropolitan Business Association. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orlando’s first openly gay commissioner, Patty Sheehan, both won their re-election campaigns in November. Against all odds and without the endorsement of the Tampa Bay Times, Steve Kornell motivated the voters in St. Pete’s District 5 and won his election with 56% of the vote. Orlando and St. Pete would go on to earn perfect scores in the Human Rights annual Municipal Equality Index.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

July 11 - July 24 , 2019 // Issue 26 .14 wat e r m a r konline .com