Watermark Issue 27.22: Sam I Am

Your LGBTQ Life.

Oct. 29 - Nov. 11, 2020 | Issue 27.22

Sam I Am Friends, fans remember the legendary Sam Singhaus

Special Inside: Watermark’s Wedding Guide D A Y T O N A B E A C H • O R L A N D O • T A M P A • S T . P E T E R S B U R G • clear w ater • S A R A S O T A

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

departments 7 // Publisher’s Desk

page

25

8 // Central Florida News 10// Tampa Bay News

I never thought I would see the day that a city-sponsored event would feature a female impersonator. But Miss Sammy made everything fun, entertaining and thought provoking …

No one can fill these high heels.

—Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan

13// State, Nation & World News 19// Talking Points 32// Tampa Bay Out + About 33// Central Flo Out + About 34// Tampa Bay Marketplace 36// Central Fl Marketplace On the cover

page

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page SAM I AM: Friends

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and fans remember the legendary Sam Singhaus.

Photograph of objects belonging to Sam Singhaus by Dylan Todd.

scan qr code for

WatermarkOnline.com

American Tale: A new picture book about Pete Buttigieg illustrates his historical presidential bid.

Watermark Issue 27.22 // Oct. 29 - Nov. 11, 2020

Anna’s Voice

October Surprise

High Fidelity

Sweet Divinity

page Anna Eskamani honored by LGBTQ group.

page Trump Pride criticized in Tampa.

page

page

Read It Online!

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

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10

15

Newly-engaged Miguel Fuller rediscovers his voice.

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Divine Grace reflects on staying sane during quarantine.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WatermarkOnline and Like us on Facebook. watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Publisher’s

Rick Claggett PUblisher

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

F

Desk

rom the moment I first saw

her perform I was in awe of Miss Sammy.

I had just returned to Orlando from a three year residence in New York and I had just started working as Watermark’s new admin assistant. My roommate and I spent many nights at the Parliament House where, at the time, Miss Sammy hosted a slew of shows. I didn’t know her personally but I loved her.

Miss Sammy was my kind of drag queen. There was an old-school performer inside of her, a true entertainer. The moment she walked on stage, whether it was the small Bingo stage in the Parliament House video room or the big stage of the Footlight Theater, I instantly felt joy. Miss Sammy had a contagious smile that she shared as she walked to center stage, offering up her famous twirl before accepting compliments

on the amazing frock created by the incomparable Marcy Singhaus. That’s usually when my roommate and I would look at each other and simply say, “She makes me smile.” Man, was I in awe of her.

I certainly was a bashful young-ish man at the time. Miss Sammy was a celebrity and I was not much for being the center of attention, so although I was enamored I never talked to her.

It was Miss Sammy who first

engaged our friendship. I was walking across the disco room dance floor and we crossed paths. I, as usual, didn’t make eye contact and was walking past Miss Sammy when she stopped, watched me walk by and exclaimed, “Damn, look at that ass. It’s like a shelf. I could set my drink on that!” Miss Sammy then placed her drink on my ass.

I said thank you and sheepishly walked away. My roommate ran up to me and asked what the illustrious Miss Sammy said to me. “I think she said I have a nice ass?” I replied. We laughed, and a friendship was born.

Not too long after that I got to know Sam Singhaus, the man behind Miss Sammy. Sam was part of the “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” band that played at the Parliament House before touring Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale. My boyfriend at the time was also in the band and I was their number one groupie. I grew to be every bit in awe of Sam that I was with Miss Sammy. He was so kind, so caring and so unbelievably funny. While in Ft. Lauderdale we went to Copa on Halloween night. Sam was dressed as Carrie — in full prom drag, covered in blood. Before it was his turn on the costume contest stage, Sam handed all of us tampons and asked us to throw them at him and scream, “Plug it up, Carrie!” We were in tears laughing, until security yelled at us and wanted to throw us out.

They didn’t realize it was all part of the show.

Sam went all out, rarely disappointing his audience. In my crazier days I would host an annual themed party. It’s probably not politically appropriate to talk about anymore, so let’s just say it’s the kind of party where the mullets were appropriate and the décor looked like an episode of “Hoarders.” It was all very fitting for the neighborhood I was in.

About an hour into the party

Business Manager: Kathleen Sadler • Ext. 101 Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com

Although our hearts break for his passing, our souls are grateful to have known him.

of our WAVE parties, hosting Stratosphere at Universal and he was a resident comedian for my favorite thing he has ever done — Movies Out Loud. Sam loved what we do, what we stand for because he loved this community.

I knew Sam personally, and I loved him. I am sad for those who didn’t get the chance to know him, to feel the love that was his presence. We at Watermark dedicate this issue to our friend Sam Singhaus, to give back a small portion of the love he showed us. Although our hearts break for his passing, our souls are grateful to have known him.

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

contributors Miguel Fuller is the out and proud co-host of the Miguel & Holly show on HOT 101.5 FM in Tampa Bay. He also hosts everything! Page 15

divine Grace

is an Orlandobased trouble maker with a forked tongue and all the charm you can imagine. Page 17

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 staff Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

a man walks in with a blonde mullet, a trucker hat and a black T-shirt that read, “My Dixie Wrecked.” He had a few teeth missing and a black eye. I turned to my roommate and said, “We need to start using bouncers so random neighbors don’t just walk in.” It took us at least half an hour to realize that it wasn’t a neighbor. It was Sam. He knew we didn’t recognize him and he played that up really well.

Being close with Watermark founder, Tom Dyer, meant that Sam was close to all of us at Watermark. He would lend himself, or Miss Sammy, for any event we asked him to do and he would do it voluntarily. He could be seen hosting the majority

Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com Art Director: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Account Manager: Michael Wier • Ext. 105 Michael@WatermarkOnline.com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Tampa Bay Account Manager: Ricky Celaya-Renaud • Ext. 102 Ricky@WatermarkOnline.com Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer Tom@WatermarkOnline.com National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

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central florida news

Space Coast Pride going virtual Jeremy Williams

M

ELBOURNE, Fla. | After announcing June 4 it would be cancelling its festival, parade, gala and Ambassador pageant, Space Coast Pride will be celebrating Pride with a virtual event Nov. 7.

“Pride Where You Are 2020” will be a two-hour streaming event featuring local and international performances just for Space Coast Pride viewers.

Headlining the event will be singer-songwriter and activist Michael Franti, country duo Mama’s Black Sheep and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Chad Michaels and Nina West.

Also scheduled during the special event are performances by Electrika Bleu and LaceyOnStage; comedy performances by Daphne Ferraro and Anita Waistline; as well as musical performances by Melissa Crispo, Billy Mick, Kirk DaVinci, Regina Sayles and more.

The event will also highlight nearly a dozen drag entertainers, feature appearances by Space Coast Pride’s board of directors and include a special tribute to Kelli Randell.

Space Coast Pride’s Pride Where You Are 2020 runs Nov. 7 from 2-4 p.m. you can watch from Space Coast Pride’s Facebook page.

onePULSE releases scholarship application information Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | onePULSE Foundation announced it will be opening its second application window for the 49 Legacy Scholarships program on Dec. 1.

The 49 Legacy Scholarships program awards 49 individual scholarships— each up to $10,000 — for use at an accredited institution of higher learning, including career and technical schools.

A total of $330,000 in scholarships were awarded in April for the program’s inaugural launch to be used for the current 2020-21 academic year. onePULSE worked with the families of each of those who were killed in the Pulse tragedy to establish the scholarships based on the respective victims’ interests, careers or aspirations. The 49 scholarships cover a wide range of careers including healthcare, business, cosmetology, social science, communications and the arts. Several of the scholarships are open to any field of study.

Preference will be given to applicants who are immediate family members of the 49 victims, as well as all of the survivors of the tragedy and first responders.

Family members, survivors and first responders are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information about the onePULSE Legacy Scholarship Campaign, contact onePULSE Foundation at 407-775-4611, ext. 413 or gk@ onepulsefoundation.org.

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Male Mailer: Jeremy

Sisson’s campaign mailer, addressed to MEN, laying out his anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Photo courtesy Anna V.

Eskamani’s Facebook

Anna’s Voice Eskamani honored by LGBTQ group; calls out opponent for transphobic, homophobic mailer Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | Democratic state Rep. Anna V. Eskamani is calling out Jeremy Sisson, her Republican opponent for state House District 47 (HD 47), over an anti-LGBTQ mailer sent out by his campaign addressed only to male voters stating his position on several issues, including same-sex marriage and transgender rights.

The mailer, which reads “MEN” at the top, lists Sisson’s stance as “supports traditional worldview on marriage and family” and “supports men not competing in women’s athletics” along with stating he supports 2nd amendment rights and shared parental responsibilities.

Beneath Sisson’s list, the mailer lists Eskamani as supporting marriage equality and gender fluidity as well as opposing 2nd amendment rights and parental responsibility.

“This mailer is just blatantly transphobic and homophobic,”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Eskamani says, “and it is so out there it’s almost laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous.”

Eskamani, who calls herself more than an ally to the community — “I am an accomplice to the LGBTQ community” — says this kind of thinking isn’t something that is needed in Tallahassee.

“It’s also crazy that he sent this out only to men,” Eskamani says. “It perpetuates that old way of thinking that men tell women how to vote.”

Sisson, who is CEO of the commercial real estate brokerage firm Evan James and Associates, calls Eskamani a “career politician” in the mailer. Eskamani has only served in the Florida House since 2018 and has not held any public office prior.

“I’m 30 years old and have only been in public office for less than two years after winning my FIRST election in 2018 but cool story, bro,” Eskamani wrote on Facebook along with a photo of the mailer.

“Maybe if you weren’t too scared to debate me we could talk about it!”

The last line of her post, Eskamani says, is a direct response to Sisson’s refusal to debate her.

“Several media outlets have offered to host a debate and he has refused to respond,” Eskamani says.

While Sisson has been expressing transphobic and homophobic stances in the race, Eskamani is being honored for her work in the LGBTQ community as a Voice for Equality honoree — along with outgoing One Orlando Alliance executive director Jennifer Foster — at Equality Florida’s Virtual Orlando Gala Oct. 30.

“She has been unapologetic in her demand that LGBTQ Floridians be afforded the same dignity, respect and protections as everyone else,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s executive director, in a statement. “We are proud to work alongside her to make equality the law of the land.”

The event will be live streamed on Equality Florida’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Watermark has reached out to Sisson for comment multiple times on his LGBTQ stance and has not heard back.

Early voting in Orlando is open now through Nov. 1. Find early voting locations by going to OCFElections.com/Early-Voting-Locations.

Vote-by-mail ballots drop-off will be available at all early voting locations. Election day is Nov. 3.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

9

tampa bay news

St Pete Pride plans future events with new leadership Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride has elected new leadership as organizers navigate future events and partnerships amidst COVID-19.

Nathan Bruemmer will now serve as St Pete Pride’s board president, having completed a two-year term as vice president. Previous board members Stanley Solomons and Laura Legarreta will respectively serve as treasurer and secretary, with Susan McGrath continuing on as a board member. Vacancies remain and additions are forthcoming.

Bruemmer has served on St Pete Pride’s board for nearly five years, in which time he founded the annual celebration’s TransPride March. His tenure has given him the ability “to increase visibility for transgender, nonbinary and queer members of our community,” he says.

“There’s a really unique energy and vibe that this organization creates as a partner with this city,” he continues. “It’s tough coming into leadership during such a challenging time because there are a lot of unknowns, but I’m confident that we can get back to our roots.”

While St Pete Pride has traditionally promoted visibility for LGBTQ Floridians and their allies through community programming, COVID-19 has greatly limited their ability to do so in 2020. Bruemmer says that will change next month via their new collaboration with the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

The nonprofits will virtually present the inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Fest Nov. 20-22, a series of films depicting the transgender experience.

Bruemmer hopes it will provide an opportunity for both visibility and education.

“There is something so powerful about the genre of film,” he says. “It allows the audience to share and learn about others struggles and dreams.”

Discussions surrounding St Pete Pride’s more familiar events are ongoing. In particular, Bruemmer says the board is weighing how to proceed with its annual Miss St Pete Pride pageant and holiday-themed Red & Green Party, traditionally held in December.

“We’re looking at what we have done in the past and planning for what’s possible right now, which is difficult,” he says. “We’re looking at a Plan A, a Plan B and maybe a Plan C.” As for next year’s main event, Bruemmer says Pride season 2021 may look different. The organization is launching a new partnership with a Pride-themed 5K and remains committed to responsibly navigating COVID-19 concerns.

“It might look a little smaller and it might be focused on what we need locally,” he says, “but it will still be our Pride. It will be St Pete Pride.”

For more details about St Pete Pride, visit StPetePride.com. For more information about the Trans Film Fest, visit TransFilmFest.Eventive.org.

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trump in tampa: Tiffany

Trump headlines Trump Pride Oct. 17.

SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE

October Surprise Trump Pride targets LGBTQ voters Ryan Williams-Jent

T

AMPA | Donald Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany headlined Trump Pride Oct. 17 at the Westshore Grand Hotel, an event designed to court LGBTQ voters ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Trump Pride bills itself as a diverse coalition dedicated to Trump’s re-election. Organizers advise that the president “stands in solidarity with LGBT citizens by supporting and enacting policies and initiatives that protect the wellbeing and prosperity of all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.”

Tiffany Trump was joined by a number of conservatives, including openly gay Trump Pride Co-Chair Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence.

The events are a recent outreach effort that began in October, strategically held in swing states throughout the country.

The Tampa event was the first in Florida, which awards 29 of the 270 Electoral College votes required to win the presidency, and was condemned by the state’s largest LGBTQ civil rights

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

organization. Equality Florida advised Oct. 17 that the Trump campaign was attempting to “disguise their abhorrent record on LGBTQ issues by holding a spate of desperate last minute ‘Trump Pride’ events.”

“Donald Trump is the worst president the LGBTQ community has ever seen,” Executive Director Nadine Smith said. “This event is a pathetic attempt to hide his appalling record and it’s fooling no one. We are tired of Trump’s lies and our community understands a second term would be devastating.”

The organization subsequently outlined a number of Trump’s “relentless attacks on the LGBTQ community.” They noted that the Trump administration has repealed protections for LGBTQ youth, banned transgender military service members, opposed federal laws protecting LGBTQ Americans and more.

Despite this, Trump Pride asserts that the president “has proven himself to be a strong advocate for the LGBT community.”

Grenell discussed his support for Trump before those assembled in the hotel conference room,

asserting that LGBTQ advocates have “lost their way.”

Tiffany Trump echoed him, calling it an honor to “speak truthfully, honestly, from my heart.”

She noted that “I know what my father believes in. Prior to politics, he supported gays, lesbians, the LGBQIA+ community, OK?” Trump’s unscripted keynote touched on several topics. She noted that she has been confronted by friends with “fabricated lies” concerning her father’s track record on LGBTQ civil rights.

“It saddens me,” Trump said.

“I have friends of mine who reach out and they say… ‘how could you support your father ... your best friends are gay.’ I say it’s because my father has always supported all of you.”

She further noted that “He supports all of you and we are here to fight for equality, democracy, to keep America and make it better.”

Equality Florida has endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for their pro-LGBTQ record and agenda. The Democratic ticket has pledged “to pass federal protections for LGBTQ people, reinstate Obama-Biden era protections for youth and overturn Trump’s bigoted ban on transgender service members,” they have shared.

The general election is Nov. 3. For more information about Equality Florida and Biden’s commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit EQFL.org and JoeBiden.com/LGBTQ.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

state, nation, world news

Palm Beach County Human Rights Council works to expand anti-discrimination ordinances Christiana Lilly of South Florida Gay News

P

alm BeacH, Fla. | In Palm Beach County, businesses with less than 15 people are exempt from equal opportunity ordinances.

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) wants to change that.

The organization began its “Fifteen to Five” campaign this summer. It would decrease the number of employees a small business must have to be covered by the law.

“There are very few calls I get with five [employees] or less, but I have received calls over the years for businesses that have maybe 10 or 12 people that I would have to say ‘I really can’t do anything for you because your employer is not covered by the law,’” said Rand Hoch, the president and founder of the PBCHRC. But it goes beyond sexual orientation. The group said that

they have received “hundreds of complaints of employment discrimination from LGBTQ people, people of color, immigrants, other minorities and women who worked at small businesses. Unfortunately, there was little we could do to help.”

The law, which was enacted in the ‘60s, originally called for 15 people to protect family-run businesses that wanted to keep employees in the family, hiring their children, cousins, uncles and aunts to help run the business. However, calls have been made to make the number fewer as these sorts of businesses are less popular.

Currently, Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange and Pinellas Counties have lowered their ordinances to at least four or five people working in a business. With assistance from the PBCHRC, the city of West Palm Beach amended its own equal opportunity ordinance in August and now businesses with five or more employees cannot discriminate against its employees.

Now, PBCHRC is working to get this protection passed across the county. Since they were founded in 1980, the group has helped enact more than 140 laws and policies protecting employees and people from discrimination. They are the oldest independent and nonpartisan LGBT group in the state. Part of its work is to educate legislators on issues that they may not realize exist in their community.

“When you educate someone while they’re running for local office and let them know this is our group, this is what we do, this is why we do it, we would like your help in doing this, as they move up in office, they realize that LGBTQ people not only exist but we’re often not provided with the same benefits or the same protection,” Hoch said.

The PBCHRC brought their “Fifteen to Five” campaign to the Palm Beach County Commissioners this summer and are hoping it will make an item on the agenda this fall.

They anticipate that it will pass.

Pope Francis endorses same-sex unions Jeremy Williams

P

ope Francis, in a new documentary film, is endorsing same-sex unions for the first time as pope.

In the film “Francesco,” which premiered at the Rome Film Festival Oct. 21, Francis’ comments on same-sex unions come as he discusses the need for laws covering LGBTQ couples.

“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in the film. “What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions as an alternative option to same-sex marriage while an archbishop in Buenos Aries but he has never spoken publicly about it as pope until now, according to the Associated Press. “‘Francesco’ is the latest film from Oscar and Emmy-nominated

Director Evgeny Afineevsky, featuring exclusive interviews with His Holiness Pope Francis, His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Mark Kennedy Shriver, Sister Norma Pimentel, and Juan Carlos Cruz, among others,” the film’s website reads. “‘Francesco’ is not a biographical film about Pope Francis in the traditional sense. Rather it is a film that shows us the world as it is today and a path to understanding what a better future can be for tomorrow as seen through the remarkable work of the Pope in the areas of climate change, migration, refugees, peace and religious tolerance, gender and identity justice, health and economic equality, and, by example, the meaning of inspired leadership.”

News of the pope’s comments in the film caused a stir on Twitter, leading “Pope Francis” to trend at No. 1.

“Pope Francis’s support for same-sex civil unions is a major step forward in the church’s

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

support of LGBTQ people. It is in keeping with his pastoral approach to LGBT people, including LGBT Catholics, and sends a strong signal to countries where the church has opposed such laws,” wrote Jesuit priest and author Father James Martin on Twitter.

Martin became involved in LGBTQ advocacy within the church after the 2016 shooting at Pulse in Orlando.

The following year, he released his book, “Building a Bridge,” which called on church leaders to better minister to LGBTQ Catholics.

“As a Catholic, I’m pleased Pope Francis is pushing the Church into the 21st Century,” wrote Congressman Ted Lieu of California in a tweet. “A reminder of what Jesus said about homosexuals: [Lieu wrote quotation marks with empty space between them, indicating Jesus says nothing about homosexuals in the Bible]. It was human irrationality & ignorance that led to discrimination against LGBTQ, not the Gospels, which talked about love.”

News Briefs Seattle LGBTQ Commission calls on mayor to resign The Seattle LGBTQ Commission called on openly gay Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign, joining the Seattle Human Rights Commission in taking that stance. The commission’s vote earlier this month was 6-5, with one abstention. In a letter, the LGBTQ Commission said Durkan should immediately step down “for failing to uphold and protect the human rights of the people of Seattle.” Durkan’s office objected to multiple assertions in the letter. Up for reelection in 2021, Durkan has drawn criticism from many Seattle residents for allowing the Police Department to crack down on Black Lives Matter protest crowds.

Alaska city chooses 1st woman, openly gay acting mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson is serving as acting mayor of Anchorage, Alaska after Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s resigned Oct. 22. Quinn-Davidson is an attorney who was first elected to the Assembly in 2018. She will be the first woman and openly gay person to serve as mayor or acting mayor of Anchorage. The Assembly voted Oct. 16 to appoint Quinn-Davidson as the new chair, replacing Felix Rivera. Berkowitz resigned after admitting to having an inappropriate relationship with a female reporter.

Grenell accuses reporter of homophobia Richard Grenell made a charge of homophobia Oct. 22 as he rebuked reporters for not asking about the alleged Hunter Biden emails in a campaign conference call where the Trump campaign sought to highlight the alleged emails. Grenell refused to respond to questions not related to the subject. When asked a question from an NPR reporter, Grenell asked whether she had reported on the Biden emails. Amid crosstalk between the two, Grenell said “I’m speaking, I’m speaking, don’t be homophobic,” echoing a line from Kamala Harris during the vice presidential debate with Mike Pence. Many media outlets have declined to cover the emerging story, citing insufficient corroboration for alleged emails found on a laptop at an Apple Store in Delaware.

Ex-California governor statue removed from San Diego park A statue of former California Gov. Pete Wilson was removed from a San Diego park after representatives of Latino and LGBTQ rights groups said the governor supported laws and policies that hurt both groups. The 13-year-old statue near Horton Plaza Park was removed

by Horton Walk, the nonprofit that owns it. In 1994, voters approved the Wilson-supported Proposition 187, which sought to “limit illegal immigration” by cutting off state services to undocumented immigrants in California. A federal judge later ruled it unconstitutional. Three years earlier, Wilson was met with LGBTQ protests after vetoing a bill that would have banned job discrimination based on sexual orientation.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

10981861

s

viewpoint

Miguel Fuller

high fidelity Rediscovering Your Voice

I

am engaged. I have a

fiance. Those words still feel as weird coming out of my mouth as they do typing them. Just the other day when I was on the phone with someone I said, “Oh, I need to remind my boyfr – I mean, fiance of our plans.” It felt so incredibly weird to say but natural at the same time.

This, as I have been reminded over the past few weeks since our engagement, has been a long time coming. The road to my now fiance proposing to me on my radio show with thousands of people listening and watching online has been a bumpy one – but that’s most of life, right?

On the morning of Friday, Oct. 9, I walked into the radio studio prepared to put on another fast-paced morning show. We had a lot scheduled for that morning and I was awake and ready to be the air traffic controller of the organized chaos that usually describes our morning show.

I started the segment like I usually do, “Hot 101.5 with Miguel and Holly,” when suddenly a sign floated down outside of our third-story window. It read: ‘Hey you, come here! Look down!”

Most professional broadcasters would have kept on going but I am not that person. I get distracted very

easily so of course I stopped what I was saying on the air and asked the other members of the show to look down and see what was outside. No one volunteered to look out the window so I left my chair and got up to see what was going on, all live on the air.

My then-boyfriend was standing in the parking lot looking up at me. That’s when I knew what was happening. After that it was a blur of a proposal, of friends calling and texting me to say congratulations.

It was a 24-hour whirlwind that everyone knew about except for me.

How did we get to this moment? What did I have to endure before this? A lot of hard lessons.

Right before my fiance and I got together in 2017, I had declared that I was okay with being single for the rest of my life. I had gotten to the point of complete and total frustration with the dating process.

Between the ghosting, the awkward dates, the casual hook ups, the bread crumbers (yes, that’s an actual dating term) and the total lack of guys just wanting to go on a nice romantic date like the movies, I was done.

I once went on a date with a guy who brought along his dog for the second date. No problem for me until he put queso on his lips and invited the dog to lick it off. There was also the time I went on a date with a guy that was so hammered he wanted me to put a part of my body into a glass of wine. Between those types of situations and my general lack of confidence, I was striking out. Then came the movie “Girls Trip.”

Queen Latfiah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish and Regina Hall made one of the few movies I can watch multiple times.

This was Haddish’s breakout role because she showed us how funny she can be on the screen. Little has been

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

written about one of its final scenes, but it changed the dating game for me when I watched the movie for the first time. I know it may seem excessive to say that a movie could do that, but hear me out.

I won’t give anything away but a character is talking about what she

MIND. BLOWN. I remember sitting in the theater and wishing I had a DVR remote so that I could go back and rewind that scene.

I realized that for so long I was trying to find someone just for the sake of finding someone.

I was so afraid of being alone that I felt like I could sacrifice everything to make

learned from her previous relationship and what lessons she was taking with her. She says, “I know that there are a lot of us who stay in bad relationships because we have convinced ourselves that being disrespected is better than being alone.

But we shouldn’t fear being alone, because there is power in rediscovering your own voice, and I had forgotten that.”

it happen. After that movie, I quickly changed the way I viewed dating. I was no longer looking for someone to make me feel better; I was looking for someone to compliment my life. That’s when my now-fiance Abe walked into my life.

What does this mean for you if you are single? Focus on yourself. Build the life you’ve always wanted to have and you’ll attract the right

type of person. If it happened for me, it can sure enough happen for you.

Let me be your DVR and rewind those words from “Girls Trip” for you again: “I know that there are a lot of us who stay in bad relationships because we have convinced ourselves that being disrespected is better

Build the life you’ve always wanted to have ... If it happened for me, it can sure enough happen for you.

Read It Online!

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

than being alone. But we shouldn’t fear being alone, because there is power in rediscovering your own voice, and I had forgotten that.”

Miguel Fuller is the host of “Miguel and Holly on HOT 101.5” in Tampa Bay and hosts daily segments on the nationally syndicated Dish Nation. See his life in pictures and videos on Instagram @MiguelFuller.

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

viewpoint

Divine Grace

Sweet

Divinity Staying sane in Quarantine

H

ello Dolls!

Long time no see! All I have seen since March 15 is an Instacart receipt and

the back of my boyfriend’s head.

Twenty pounds of COVID weight can be attributed to an inordinate amount of weed, cooking and zero exercise aside from working out anger-ridden cabin fever in the bedroom. If I weren’t such a bitch, I would have gained 50 easily. The highlight of this week was having CVS at Instacart recommend that I purchase women’s ultra-flexible Depends adult diapers in ultra-absorbent and extra large.

(WHO BLABBED?) So, what’s new with you all? Me? Oh, nothing.

Seriously. I have been to the corner store five times, one script read, a drag show and a hospital visitation since last winter. The rest of my time has been occupied by eating, sexing and screaming at YouTube videos featuring our orange goblin king and Meghan McCain’s entitlement.

I’ve noticed that “60 Minutes” is finally being discussed by people who don’t require affordable diabetes testing supplies and catheters that don’t scrape while awaiting a fresh episode of “Murder She Wrote” or “Matlock” that’ll never come. Leslie Stall had the commander-in-chief running with his tail between his legs, and Borat had Rudy Goonie-ani caught with his pants up but hands down them.

If this is a generational version of “When Worlds Collide,” can you only imagine what Thanksgiving dinner is going to look like? Drunk Uncle Charlie

ranting about socialism as granddaughter Caitlyn yells about how her parents asked if they should stop

by Popeye’s because she’s bringing her new boyfriend home from Atlanta.

And what about Christmas? Is the war on it over now that Starbucks is at half capacity and everybody’s just gotten used to a cup of Folgers? Is it still politically correct to send a homosexual a fruit cake? Now that every man, woman and child in America owns a military assault rifle, is it even safe for Santa Claus to be breaking into everybody’s houses, or will Trump ban him from entering the country?

Now that everybody has spent the end of winter, all of spring and summer, and part of fall either working from home or selling pencils at the park, my particular workspace has been altered drastically.

I’ve performed in bathhouses that felt safer than gay bars in July this year. And a virtual drag show is a hell of a lot easier than having to waddle around in hip pads and heels that shrink with each year with my increasing age, but I sure do miss the joy that comes with the sound of laughter from a room. (I’m talking about actual people, and not just the ghosts of people who have been murdered at the Parliament House.)

Still, there’s so much to be excited about. Kirstie Alley is more bat shit than ever, so there’s THAT to look forward to. The upcoming election is going to be so exciting no matter who wins thanks to the second Civil War. (Because you don’t get to insist that everybody has a gun and then bitch when people of color can shoot back during a revolution.)

But let’s be serious here for a second: Things are about to get real weird. Stock your larders,

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

pantries and cabinets. Find someone you love, hold tight and wait for daylight.

All we really have at this insane period of chaotic American history is each other. Call your friends.

Send silly notes. Do that whole virtual wedding or birthday, but pay

reach out and say hello at the least.

Log into YouTube and find a yoga or exercise video for a workout that requires more than your wrist before you go blind from it. If you are sharing a home with someone you’ve been trapped in with for

It’s clear we are in this mess for a few more months at LEAST, so please be careful. Take care of yourself and those around you. Eat smart, cut the booze back and now is precisely when you should be trying out funky new stuff with your hair. Invest

attention... ...To my name-dropping!

Lady Bunny is a personal friend, and anybody that knows her knows that she’s never forgotten how much more personal a phone call is over a text.

It matters more than you might think in this techno age. If you still have parents and siblings,

months like some sort of hostage film, roll over and say, “I love you” after you find out what his name is.

Drink more water, and for God’s sakes, read a book! (I’m sorry, I’ve gotten ahead of myself.

A book is that thing with pages with all of the pictures that you set your drink down on over at the coffee table.)

in some great pajamas.

Try baking. Meditate. Try new positions. Explore lubricants. Have fun. Do whatever you have to do to find some mental wellness.

This crap ain’t forever.

We WILL get through it and on the other side it will be better than before.

Amen, The Divine Grace

Find someone you love, hold tight and wait for daylight. All we really have at this insane period of chaotic American history is each other.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

talking points

I will flat out just change the law … There should be zero discrimination.

The number of same-sex households has

increased

by almost

70% since 2014.

Of the 980,000 same-sex couple households reported in 2019,

58% were married couples and

42% were

unmarried partners.

—The Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey, Sept. 2020

—Joe Biden during an ABC town hall Oct. 15 when asked how he would ensure LGBTQ Americans are protected under U.S. law as president

Javicia Leslie dons redesigned ‘Batwoman’ cape and cowl

T

he CW released its first look at Javicia Leslie’s “Batwoman” Oct. 26, featuring the openly LGBTQ actor in a redesigned uniform for its second season. The network announced earlier this year that Leslie would replace Ruby Rose as the lead of the GLAAD Award-nominated superhero series and she will play the character of Ryan Wilder. “I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community,” Leslie said at the time. Speaking at DC Fandome in September, she also said of the new suit that she “felt it was important that viewers could tell by the silhouette that Batwoman was a Black girl. With the form-fitting suit and beautiful Afro, we definitely nailed it!”

Tony Awards honor shortened season

T

he 2020 Tony Awards nominations were released Oct. 15, highlighting a shortened Broadway season due to COVID-19. The eligibility cutoff date was Feb. 19 for all productions opening this season and theaters abruptly closed on March 12, knocking out a number of contenders. The musical “Jagged Little Pill,” based on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album, earned 15 nominations including Best Musical. It shares the category with “Moulin Rouge” and “The Tina Turner Musical.” There are five best play nominees: “Grand Horizons,” “The Inheritance,” “Sea Wall/A Life,” “Slave Play” and “The Sound Inside.”

The ceremony will be broadcast digitally this year, on a date still to be announced. Broadway will remain closed until at least May 30, 2021.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Carole Baskin comes out as bisexual

A

nimal rights activist Carole Baskin, one of the divisive subjects of Netflix’s “Tiger King,” has come out as bisexual. Baskin is the CEO of the Tampa-based animal sanctuary Big Cat Rescue and competed on ABC’s 29th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” both of which she discussed with the outlet PinkNews. In an interview published Oct. 19, Baskin asserted “I have always considered myself to be bisexual. Even though I’ve never had a wife, I could just as easily have a wife as a husband.”

When asked about fellow “Tiger King” subject and member of the LGBTQ community Joe Exotic, who is serving a 22-year sentence in prison, Baskin noted “he’s an embarrassment to the human community.”

HBO greenlights LGBTQ-inclusive ‘Green Lantern’ HBO Max has ordered a series based on DC Comics’ superhero comic book “Green Lantern,” which according to Variety will feature an openly gay iteration of the titular character. The series was announced to be in development in Oct. 2019 and will feature adventures from several members of the Green Lantern Corps including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz and Alan Scott, who is the first openly gay Lantern and was the very first Lantern in DC continuity. Scott first appeared in “All-American Comics” #16 in 1940 and was reimagined as openly gay in 2012. The series order is for 10 one-hour episodes and will be co-written and executive produced

by Seth Grahame-Smith and Marc Guggenheim.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

19

m A I m a S Friends, fans remember the r Sam Singhaus legenday

I

Tom Dyer

met Sam Singhaus 30 years ago, in the back room at Out & About

Books on Mills Ave. Nothing salacious. 1990 was a different time, and Bruce Ground’s wonderful bookstore was the safe space for Orlando’s blossoming LGBTQ community.

It was my first meeting as a member of the Metropolitan Business Association’s board of directors. Back then, the membership directory was printed on dark colored paper so that it couldn’t be photocopied.

My experience was equally timid. MBA was one of my first forays into gay life outside the bars.

20

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Sam was there as the owner of Big Bang, a groundbreaking downtown nightclub with a devoted following. He was sitting at a folding table, and as the meeting unfolded I saw something special in his handsome face, exuberant spirit and twinkling blue eyes. It was

Continued on pg. 23 | uu |

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Photo By Dylan Todd

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Making Memories: (L-R) Watermark founder Tom Dyer, Miss Sammy and Sue Dyer get a photo together during the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 Disco Bowling event in Orlando. Photo By Danny Garcia

| uu | Sam I Am from pg.20

the glimpse of a future for me in Orlando filled with meaningful activism and unforeseeable characters and experiences.

If you knew Sam, you know what I’m talking about. He was excited about life, seeing opportunity for connection and adventure around every corner. “Yes” was his default. He quickly became my Sherpa and treasured friend.

When I started Watermark, he roped fellow performer Bill Haire into co-writing a popular nightlife column they dubbed “From the Bungalow of Lola O’Lay.” When we snagged an interview with Phyllis Diller, Sam joined me and famously asked if she saw a resemblance with Cruella de Vil. “Resemblance?” cackled the comic legend. “She is I!” And when Watermark produced the first Beach Ball at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Sam and Julian Bain turned the beach at the massive water park into a gay fantasia. The still-memorable costumes were created by Sam’s beloved sister-in-law, Marcy Singhaus, who died from ALS just three months ago.

Sam had an amazing life, and I encouraged the retelling time and again. Sam grew up in Orlando and was introduced to theater at Boone High School. He took dance classes with local legend Kip Watson, who advised him to try

New York. A scholarship with the Richard Thomas Ballet Company turned into a 10-year stint in the city, four on Broadway as one of the original “Cagelles” in “La Cage aux Folles.”

That energy was on display when Sam returned to Orlando in the late ‘80s and opened Big Bang. Since I’ve known him, his drag character “Miss Sammy” has been a dazzling presence at Club@ Firestone, Parliament House, Hamburger Mary’s and just about every Pride and charity event he’s been asked to attend. For Sam, the answer was always “yes.”

Miss Sammy was beloved, and I think that’s because she was essentially Sam in the glorious costumes Marcy made for him.

If you closed your eyes, it was impossible to tell the difference.

Sam would come over to my house after an event, doff the wig and high heels and hang out in full makeup. It wasn’t the least distracting.

I was blessed to know Sam as a close friend. We shared joy, disappointment and heartbreak.

He never failed to let me know that he loved me.

During one memorable trip to New York, Sam took me backstage at “Saturday Night Live” (he knew the costumer) and “Wicked” (to meet George Hearn, who was playing the Wizard at that time).

But my favorite memories are of hanging out on Saturday afternoons watching Florida Gator football games. Sam’s dad coached

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

football at Edgewater High School, and Sam knew the game well.

On the day Sam slipped from consciousness, we had planned to watch Florida play Texas A&M with his devoted partner, Jess.

The moving tributes in local media, and all those glorious photos on Facebook, just make his death more surreal. Two weeks after his death, Sam is still with us; still present in our hearts.

I had planned to grow old with Sam, telling and retelling our stories. I hope his passing never completely sinks in.

Karen Brown

“P

eople / People who need people / Are the luckiest people in the world…” – Barbara Streisand

We didn’t know it but Orlando needed Sam Singhaus and he needed us and we were the luckiest of all people for having had a seat at that show.

Sam was pure energy and radiated the often venerated but rarely witnessed, deep and important talent. Sam possessed a bright heart, candy coated in camp and satin gloves. Sam was kind and gentle and always a friend to me. Without fail, we always smiled when we spotted each other.

He never said no to any charity event I was organizing. Miss Sammy was always there making a joke or singing a Streisand song.

Proud Sam: Miss Sammy at Come Out WIth Pride 2005 in Orlando. Photo by Tom Dyer

As a matter of fact, I was adopted by the entire Singhaus clan and am a peacock proud Sunday Singhaus regular.

Once, I chanced upon Sam at some event. It wasn’t my usual circle or his but that day he introduced me as family. That was a very fulfilling day for me, I will always be grateful and it will always be one of my most precious “Sam Moments.” It felt as if I had earned my “flamingo feathers.” I was finally a fabulous enough bird of a feather to flock together with that rarest of species … Singhaus.

I was not only friends with Sam but I had the profound and marvelous honor of being very close friends with his sister-in-law, Marcy Singhaus. It’s impossible for me to remember Sam without remembering Marcy. Like all the fabulous costumes and Headdress Ball gowns she designed for both Miss Sammy and me, those memories are delightfully stitched together with love, laughter and a little tequila.

Just before she passed in July, I promised Marcy we’d meet again and shop the best thrift store in the universe. We’d pick through all of Liz Taylor’s old clothes and have lunch and cocktails at some cosmic Brown Derby.

It is a date I intend to keep. I’m sure Sammy will join us. He didn’t like to miss a good time. I am the “luckiest people” in the world.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Beth Marshall

M

y special name for Sammy is Sis-Bro. This came to be when I begin playing the role of Pearl Locksdale in Wanzie’s “Ladies of Eola Heights” saga.

The cast always addresses one another as sis, whether we are doing the play or not. It is just our greeting and Sammy’s was extra special because he was both our sister and brother.

I first met Miss Sammy at Southern Nights when I was a contestant on a game show hosted

by Miss Sammy and Julian Bain.

For years, I had a relationship with Miss Sammy through fundraising events for numerous charities and socializing at bingos, trivias and drag brunches. Miss Sammy had a magical presence wherever she graced.

Later, I got to know Sam the man and was equally in love. We shared very similar political ideology and often were the most progressive in thought of those around us. We had several inside jokes about this and I am so glad that my Sis-Bro got to get his vote in before he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

I want to share something deeply personal about an impact on my family that Sammy has made since he passed.

My husband suffers from Severe Depressive Disorder

Continued on pg. 24 | uu |

23

Photo By

Photo Courtesy Tom

Dyer

| uu | Sam I Am from pg.23

that has largely been resistant to a variety of both eastern and western treatments and has worsened since the COVID pandemic began and a series of friends passed.

I was fortunate to speak to Sammy while his partner, Jessica, held the phone and while this did bring me some relief (as I am sure it did for a good majority of our tribe), I found myself beginning to sink into my own situational funk.

In true Miss Sammy fashion, my husband rose up from his own depression and got the Life cereal out of the pantry and begin doing a dance number with full choreography and singing “That’s Life” while throwing the cereal around on me in the same style Sammy did in his show number with us in “Ladies of Eola Heights.”

It was the first time my husband has done anything that playful since March.

Thank you Sis-Bro! I love you and miss you.

Mimi P. Saunders

F

or 43 years I had the amazing gift of being able to call Sam Singhaus my friend; until his untimely passing on October 12, 2020. Sam and I met at the old Civic Theatre of Central Florida in 1977. I was a “townsperson” in

24

y y Dann

B Photo

“Bye, Bye Byrdie.” He was assisting in costumes. We met and bonded instantly. We both shared how we aspired to lead a healthier lifestyle and together decided to eschew red meat and pork from our diet. We were going to begin our journey easing our way into a quasi vegetarian life.

It was summer and that meant fun in the sun as well as cooling off in the pool at my folks home.

I invited Sammy over to swim for the afternoon and enjoy my special vegetarian chili. He came bounding into the house, as he rarely, ever just casually walked anywhere.

Such is the gait of a dancer. I said “let’s hit the pool.” I immediately dove in and began floating in the water. I watched Sam slowly come down the steps of the pool. I asked him to swim over next to me so we could chat and enjoy each other’s company.

He said “you know, I can’t float.”

I responded, “you mean you can’t swim”? He repeated again “I can’t float. I need a raft.” I was perplexed.

He swam into the water, got close to me in the pool and tried to assume the same position as I. My eyes couldn’t believe it. Flat on his back, with his hands resting on his ribcage he began to sink to the bottom of the damn pool. He stayed there, with no effort for 30-40 seconds. He finally swam up next to me and grabbed on to the edge of the diving board. He explained that he truly wished to be able to float around like everyone else but he simply could not do it. The physiological reason was that he was so fit (damn him)

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Garcia

and had such a low fat index he was truly unable to be buoyant without the aid of a raft or an inner tube.

I will never forget that first visit to my home — outside of our theatre lives. There would be many more memorable visits, trips, vacations, performances, shopping excursions, lunches, dinners, pop-in’s, parties, laughter, tears and unconditional love in our 43 years of friendship.

I can’t recall the last time I have felt this bereft or felt this much heartache. It is beyond my comprehension.

David Lee

I

consider it an immense blessing to have known Sam Singhaus for over 30 years. I first met him in the fall of 1989 at his fabulous dance club for Orlando misfits, The Big Bang. The second I stepped into Sam’s Perfectly Edgy Playhouse, I knew I had found a utopian social scene unlike anything I had ever experienced. I had just graduated from college and had moved back to Orlando with the hopes of starting my own theatre company.

Everyone told me that would be impossible to pull off without money and support and a few years, if not decades, of struggle.

I went to visit Sam in 1990 on a Saturday afternoon while he was cleaning the bar from the previous night’s Dee-Lite and Bud Light fueled Little Rascal’s type rave. He was alone and

Dylan To

dd

I helped him collect empty bottles and stock the coolers from the Frigidaire in the back room. I told him about my idea for doing theatre performances on his dance floor on the weekends before regular bar hours. He was slightly trepidatious at first but when I told him my plan for pre-show, intermission and post-show beer and wine sales, he asked: “So, when do you want to start?” Six weeks later, The Per4mAnts Theatre Co. debuted with “Women Behind Bars” starring Michael Wanzie, Judy Diamond, Christine Robison and a handful of other local thespians and, by the summer of that year, we were selling out our second show, “Psycho Beach Party.” From 1990-93, Sam let our little theatre company redecorate and re-envision his Big Bang dance floor with our costumes, sets and show shenanigans with over a half a dozen plays. Sam was always our biggest cheerleader and he went on to host many other theatrical projects and companies in his sacred space before he moved on to rule the Firestone Club as the ubiquitous Miss Sammy.

Almost a decade later, I had graduated from grad school and was living in a post 9/11 NYC. I was depressed and wanted to come home and do a show. I called Sam and said: “Hey, I heard you have played a couple Hedwig tunes a few times around town. Would you want to do a full production of the play?” He replied: “David you know I don’t learn lines! Why don’t you come play the part and let me play the keyboards?” That

started a Hedwig blitzkrieg that rocked over three years and three cities. Sam did my makeup for almost every performance. He took care of me and the band.

His sheer joy playing the role of “Captain Morgan on the Organ” was palpable and infectious. Sam’s joy for life was the same. He could host a private party in his home or an event for a thousand people with effortless effervescence. He played a mean piano and an even meaner tambourine. He was always the life of the party on or off the stage and I just wish I could help him stock the bar at Big Bang one more time. The Groove was in the heart.

Jorge Estevez

S

tronger than the strongest activist.

Better than the best performer. Kinder than the kindest person in the room.

Miss Sammy was one of a kind for our city. As a business owner, Sam broke down boundaries by relentlessly fighting for equality.

As a performer, Miss Sammy rocked every stage with her talent, wit and charm. I had the privilege of working alongside Miss Sammy on stage for so many important causes. Blonde, brunette or ginger — her talents were boundless.

Miss Sammy always made everyone around her on stage feel comfortable. She made everyone else the star and was always there to help land a joke or a punch line.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Photo Courtesy Jorge Este

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tevez sy Jorge Es

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Photo

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Photo courtesy Mimi P. Saunders

The first time we worked together, we started talking about “Our Act.” We worked out a couple of kinks and then that Saturday night it was as if we were a vaudeville act from the ‘20s. It was that night that she said I was the Ricky to her Lucy. From then on we never rehearsed until minutes before we would go on stage and we would go over bits as the night progressed. As a performer, she always reacted to the crowd that loved everything she did; from her outfits, to her voice, to her genuine passion for her craft.

I will always be grateful for people like Sam. It is because of his tireless dedication that I and so many were able to live out loud!!!

We salute you Sam Singhaus because without you there would be no us!

Patty Sheehan

L

by Hezel

ike many people, I got to know Sam through his support of numerous fundraisers for many great causes ranging from HIV/AIDS — which his twin brother died from — to animal organizations to Trash to Trends for the City of Orlando.

I never thought I would see the day that a city-sponsored event would feature a female impersonator. But Miss Sammy made everything fun, entertaining and thought provoking.

I also knew another side of Sam. We would walk our dogs in Lake Highland Park by his house.

We would share stories, political thoughts and our love of our furry friends. I would see Sam after hurricanes cleaning the park of palm fronds and broken limbs and stacking them for pickup. No one knew he did it. It is important what someone does on and off the stage. We were just not ready for Sam’s curtain call.

There are Adirondack chairs in Lake Highland Park that were placed in his honor by Commissioner Stuart and me.

You can leave tributes, flowers or simply reflect on his extraordinary life. No one can fill these high heels.

Greg Triggs

S

am Singhaus died Too soon. Too painfully. Unfairly.

Sammy wasn’t one to dwell on the pain of life. Joy was his domain.

When Sam gave into anger, it was of the righteous variety. He rejected cruelty. He loved crinoline, which creates its own cloud. He didn’t get bogged down in the trivial. He chose trivia, which he hosted with incredible style.

Sam was an exceptional drag artist. Always smiling, leaving laughter and good times in his wake. He should’ve died suddenly, in an ironic way. Without suffering.

Better to get run off the road by a semi-trailer full of pride flags.

Were he here, I’d tell him cancer is obviously caused by the wearing of poodle cut, acrylic wigs. He would have howled, repeating the story,

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

improving the joke each time.

Making it his own.

Sam assumed everyone he loved knew each other which was mathematically impossible. Too many people loved him for the equation to work.

“Greg, I had lunch with Gretchen.

You know how she can be.”

“I don’t know Gretchen.”

“Yes you do,” he’d say with an eye roll that could be heard over the phone. “The one-armed tattoo artist from Oviedo? She was at my show last week. You were two tables away from her!” leaving me to kick myself for missing my only chance to meet a one-armed tattoo artist from Oviedo.

Going to the home Sam shared for many years with his brother Steve and sister-in-law Marcy was like entering the world of Auntie Mame. Fabulous chaos, served up on a midcentury platter of fun. A place where anything could happen.

They had two huge poodles, a brother and sister they neglected to get fixed. The siblings mated and had inbred puppies. They kept one. “He’s not the brightest boy, but he’s so sweet.”

Lesson learned. Ignore judgment. Embrace joy. That big, stupid poodle was always happy.

Sure, he’d walk into walls, but everyone did at Casa Singhaus. The drinks were just that good.

As Orlando held its breath, my friend Judy Marie posted a video of the 1983 Tony Awards, featuring Sam as Clo-Clo, an original Cagelle in the first Broadway production of “La Cage aux Folles.” Watching

it for the first time since 1983, I remembered myself buried in the closet as those beautiful men performed “We Are What We Are.” They were braver and stronger than I could ever imagine myself being. Breathtaking. To know one of them. To have such a friend.

What would that be like?

Then it happened.

Sam owned a bar called the Big Bang. The backroom was a black box theater. I’d come to see my friends in a play, intending to leave afterward. Instead we stayed when the theater surprised us by morphing into a dance floor.

We closed the place drenched with sweat.

While walking to our cars a handsome man in Daisy Duke shorts rollerbladed up to us. It was Sam. We escorted him to the night deposit box as though we were Brink’s bodyguards protecting the night’s receipts.

Instead we were on the brink of a 30-year friendship.

If heaven is a talk show, and who’s to say it isn’t, the band was playing “I Am What I Am” when Miss Sammy entered. He lived that anthem. He saw life from a different angle. He loved each feather and each spangle. He understood there’s just one life and that it should be lived proudly, in the open. There was no room for Sam Singhaus in his closet. It was full of fabulous dresses. He was the Orlando Met Gala. A life lived exceptionally well.

Right now what I am is sad.

I’m trying to lead by my friend’s example and let joy of knowing

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Sam outweigh my grief. I plan on facing this loss with a little guts, and lots of glitter, just as he taught me to do, long before I ever knew him.

Jamie Hyman

W

hen I first met Sam Singhaus, it didn’t even occur to me that he could be nice.

In 2009, a group of Orlando theatre aficionados were gathering on Wednesday night for an analog viewing party of the TV show “Glee,” dubbed “Glee-hab.” I’d been working at Watermark for a few months, and freelance writer John Sullivan invited me to the Singhaus’ home for the weekly viewing.

Everyone was beyond friendly — Steve and Marcy Singhaus welcomed me like family into the home they shared with their brother — but the evenings could become intense, with occasional heated debates over favorite characters and frequent demands for rapturous silence as Lea Michele slayed the room with her gorgeous voice, so passionate it demanded our collective attention.

Sam slipped in during a spellbound moment, late to the party after hosting bingo at Hamburger Mary’s. He was still in full makeup, without Miss Sammy’s wig, hair raked back, wearing a loose top and cozy pants. A gorgeous tapestry, half unraveled, and I remember Continued on pg. 27 | uu |

25

www.fusionfest.org/Join-us

entry Deadline: August 1

Event: thanksgiving weekend, 2019

is a project of the Downtown District Government FusionFest is a project of the Downtown Arts District FusionFest with support from OrangeArts County with support from Orange County Government and the Orlando Downtown Development and the Orlando Downtown Development Board, at the Dr. Phillips Center. Board, at the Dr. Phillips Center.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

| uu | Sam I Am from pg.25

thinking that it felt almost too intimate, like a glimpse of a sacred, secret transformation not meant to be seen by mortals. As a mortal, I was in awe.

And I was also an idiot to be intimidated, because as anyone who has met him will tell you, Sam is endlessly, unfailingly warm and kind. We shared space at dozens of events, and I always looked forward to the moments we carved out to talk about anything and nothing. As an introvert, I have to draw upon my energy reserves to be “on,” and although chatting with Sam was technically a social activity, it didn’t feel like one. It felt like space to breathe, a time to relax and refresh before heading back out to network and mingle.

Of course, Sam connected with countless others in the same way.

Not only was he a charismatic performer, but he channeled that gift into his one-on-one interactions, ensuring the person he was spending time with felt important and valued, the spotlight rotated outward.

Remembering Sam has led me to reflect on the concept of influence. Bolstered by the advancement and proliferation of social media, modern influencers hold considerable power to drive consumption, advocate for meaningful action or spread ignorance and misinformation.

The rise of this power has accelerated the conversation around authenticity — who are society’s influential figures, and what galvanizes them? Are they trustworthy? Are they good for humanity? While this discussion is important to have, the very act of scrutinizing these motivations serves to cast suspicion on our fellow humans. I’m not a curmudgeon — progress and the evolution of how we communicate are inevitable — but it’s hard not to feel a little hollow, faced with an environment where we’re constantly forced to question and fact check each other and our true intentions.

My thinking about influencers always circles back to Sam, and I suspect his form of influence may be a necessary antidote to the innate mistrust that is now a party of our daily lives. As a gifted performer, Sam had undeniable power he could have easily monetized for his own personal gain. Instead, he used his power

Shining Hostess: Miss Sammy mingles with guests (above) and entertains with her co-host Doug Ba’aser (below) during Watermark’s 2018 WAVE Award celebration in Orlando. Photos by Maia Monet

to connect with others, a form of lasting influence that is evident in our collective and copious memories of Sam.

Michael Wanzie

I

’m sure there’s no shortage of touching and heartfelt tributes to Sam included herein, and if I go down that route I fear that while writing this I will fall back into a crying jag that has already incapacitated me for far too many days. So I’m going to keep my Sam Singhaus memory one that is lighthearted in nature, a little bit dicey and completely true.

Way back in stone-age Orlando when I served as executive director of The Center, our big

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

annual fundraiser was a complete buy-out of a SeaEscape (a six-hour gambling cruise into international waters and back to port) ship which we would re-brand as GayEscape. We would charter the ship, market the evening sailing as an all-gay cruise and bring on all our own custom entertainment. Years after leaving that post I privately produced my own all-gay, three night cruise to Mexico which proved a huge success, but shortly afterwards SeaEscape went out of business.

A newer entry into the gambling cruise market at the time was a company out of Ft. Lauderdale called Discovery Cruises and they invited myself and a guest to come experience their product, which was an overnight gambling cruise to the

Bahamas. I invited Sam as my plus one. We were friendly colleagues and some-time co-performers at that time but had not yet become truly close. The reason I am sharing this somewhat sordid tale is because it was this experience over which Sam and I truly bonded.

As fate would have it we boarded the ship just as a tropical storm was brewing out at sea and even embarking there was speculation among the cruise staff that the sailing would likely be canceled due to dangerous weather conditions. Eventually the captain announced that we would indeed be sailing but he would have to go off course to avoid the storm and would likely not actually get to the Bahamas.

He gave people the option of disembarking or staying aboard

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

for a gambling cruise minus the Bahamian destination and the landslide casino experience. Many folks got off. Sam and I stayed on with the captain’s assurance he could avoid the storm.

At dinner Sam and I were seated by ourselves at a table for four in an unpopulated area of the room. The remaining two thirds of the dining room was populated with people all cozily seated together four and six to a table.

Every person in the room — other than Sam and I — had grey, white or blue hair with average age being older than Christ’s underwear.

The sky prematurely darkened and the seas became uncommonly rough. It took some doing (No really it did) but I convinced Sam that the only way we could have a good time was to each take one of the two hits of ecstasy I had brought along. Sam insisted that he had no experience with doing ecstasy and I believe that was true at the time.

We stopped eating, each ingested a pill and sat there enjoying an after-dinner drink waiting for the show lounge and casino to open where there would be the requisite visual and audible stimulation to compliment the drugs.

Suddenly, without warning, a fucking Poseidon Adventure-type wave slammed into the side of the ship causing it to so jarringly lift to one side that the ceramic dinner plates stacked at the start of the buffet line leaped up out of their spring-loaded warming towers and crashed onto the tile floor surrounding the buffet, breaking into shards. Sam and I, being the youngsters that we were at the time, each quickly picked up and saved our cocktails with one hand and grabbed on the table for stability with the other hand. Glassware and dishes went flying off tables all over the room and literally everyone other than Sam and I simply fell off of their chairs onto the floor or fell over while still seated in their chairs.

Honest to Christ, Sam and I were the only two people remaining upright in the entire dining room.

People started moaning and crying as cruise staff came rushing to the rescue. People were hurt.

Some were bleeding from their heads. Sam casually soaked in this scene and I started laughing uncontrollably. It was like a scene straight out of a disaster film and we could not stop laughing. Our roll had kicked in.

Continued on pg. 29 | uu |

27

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The Show Must Go On!

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Ron Sheridan, Jr.

M

| uu | Sam I Am

iss Sammy and I worked together for 20+ years. I hired her for several events with me DJing and her performing or hosting. I remember several years ago I hired her for Karaoke at the Convergence Convention (Chubs and Chasers). She set up her equipment and the room filled up with excited singers.

Apparently the big boys love to karaoke. However her monitor wouldn’t work. Without that, the song lyrics couldn’t be displayed.

I tried, in vain, to swap out cables but it could not read a signal.

Miss Sammy being the epitome of professionalism decided the show must go on and had potential singers Google their song lyrics.

Eventually the monitor worked again but Miss Sammy wasn’t going to allow any disappointment.

I will miss her dearly.

from pg.27

Then came the announcement that the casino and show room would not be opening. All activities were canceled and everyone was to be sequestered in their cabins.

An interior cabin the size of a postage stamp with no ocean view and bunk beds is where we found ourselves banished to, with no music, no TV, no flashing lights — nothing to make our high tolerable.

The walls were paper thin and all we could hear was the senior citizens lodging on either side of us puking their guts out.

I told Sam we had to get out of the cabin or I was going to jump out of my skin and die. Oddly enough it was not raining so we each took a blanket and pillow and went off to sleep outside on deck chairs.

We snuck to the uppermost sun deck. All the deck chairs had been stacked and chained down because of the storm. But the sky was strangely clear and pitch black, and the stars were all the disco lighting we needed. Sam and I discovered that the wind into which the ship was heading was so strong that we could stand up facing the ship’s forward motion, spread our arms out like wings, scream at the top of our lungs as we thrust ourselves forward attempting a nose dive onto the deck, but that wind would catch us and knock us back upright before we would make contact with the AstroTurf upon which we stood.

This would have seemed really cool had we not been tripping, but high on ecstasy it was utterly amaze-balls! We did this together for at least two hours.

We eventually sat on down on the AstroTurf. Sam rubbed my shoulders for awhile and then I massaged his feet. We shot some salad for a bit — which for those of you who may not know, “shooting salad” is the term my circle of friends use to describe that phase of a roll wherein people feel the need to talk a great deal, and in fact do, even though nothing they are saying is in anyway remotely intelligible.

When our salad shooting phase had passed, we spread out our bedding and laid down side-by-side, on our backs, holding hands, gazing at the amazing light show in the sky until we eventually fell asleep and there we spent the night and with that were officially close friends.

Steve Oehler

I

Sam I Am

Play it again, sam: Sam Singhaus’ photos and award atop his home piano. Photo by Dylan Todd I miss you Sam. And I shall miss our tag-team retellings of our dramatic and wonderful shared maritime adventure.

Margaret Nolan

I

first met Sam at the end of 1985 when he was in Orlando visiting his family.

He was still living in NYC and in the cast of “La Cage.” We romped around O-town a bit with mutual friends and had a great time. A few weeks later I saw him in NYC and he gave me a ticket to see him in “La Cage.” It was my first big Broadway musical.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

There I was, sitting in house seats in the fourth row, watching this amazing, groundbreaking fantastical musical and he and some of his cast mates were smiling at me from the stage. He in his gorgeous plumage, beaming his megawatt smile and can-canning and tapping with those signature gams! I was levitating in my seat!

After the show, he took me backstage where I held some of those costumes and met some of the cast. Then we headed out into the New York City night where he took me dancing at the Limelight and we ate pizza slices on the street. He delivered me back to my hotel as the sun was coming up.

From that point on we were friends for life as chosen family! I visited him a few more times in NYC. When he moved back to Orlando, I introduced him to the woman I was dating at the time, Betsy Benson. And we began dreaming and scheming about opening a small club. We looked at some spaces. They became business partners and opened the iconic Big Bang!

Sam was the most open-hearted, fun-loving and loyal spirit I’ve ever met and was like that with everyone he met.

Orlando is a better place because of him.

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had seen Miss Sammy perform countless times before actually meeting Sam Singhaus in person at a fundraiser held by Michael Wanzie. The fundraiser featured two short films. The first film featured Miss P and the second Miss Sammy.

Unknown to me, Sam Singhaus was sitting next to me. After the film, Sam said, “You seem to love Miss Sammy.” I simply said, “What’s not to love?” Sam simply said, “Well she’s happy to meet you!” This is the Sam that everyone knew and loved. A kind, compassionate person and entertainer. The arts community has lost a legend, but his works and life will live on.

Janine Klein

T

here’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about him. I just feel a light has gone out, and my heart is broken that this loving man is gone from my life. It’s extremely painful to think about the fact that he won’t be sashaying into a room and lighting it up with his wit and loving smile. I still feel pretty broken. Losing him and Marcy in such a short span of time has really launched most of us into a pit of sadness, it’s hard to put words to.

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October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

Literature

American Tale

‘Mayor Pete’ picture book illustrates Buttigieg’s historical run

(above)

ONLY TIME WILL TELL:

“Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg” by Tampa Bay’s Rob Sanders shares the victories and defeats of an American hero.

PHOTO COURTESY HENRY HOLT AND CO

F

Ryan Williams-Jent

ull-time educator Rob Sanders

specializes in language arts, but the fourth grade teacher also loves history. The growing number of children’s picture books he’s penned makes that clear.

The author strongly believes that representation matters, both off and on the page, something he’s stressed throughout his body of work. His resume includes the groundbreaking “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” and “Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution.”

Each book has made history in its own right, introducing readers of all ages to major milestones impacting the LGBTQ community in unprecedented ways. Their critical acclaim is likely what led publisher Henry Holt and Co. to contact Sanders in early 2019 about Pete Buttigieg, then the openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana and soon a rising candidate for U.S. president.

As an openly gay Midwesterner himself, Sanders had already taken an interest in Buttigieg. He was halfway through reading his autobiography when he received an unexpected call.

“It was a totally different experience than with any of my other books,” Sanders recalls. “An editor had contacted my agent and asked if I would be interested in writing a proposal for a picture book about Mayor Pete.”

Sanders began the process right away, and within the next week a second publisher reached out with the same request. “It was obviously that Pete’s story needed to be told,” he says.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The author stuck with Henry Holt, working directly with Christian Trimmer, the openly gay editorial director of Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. He finished his initial draft within three weeks.

“It was the fastest project I’ve ever worked on,” he says. “Thankfully there was a lot going on with Pete during that time – I had all kinds of insights into his life.”

“Mayor Pete” was initially slated for an April 2020 release, exactly one year from when Sanders wrote it. It was delayed until July in response to COVID-19, allowing revisions as new developments in Buttigieg’s campaign unfolded.

“We knew that Pete had ended his presidential campaign before we went to the printer,” Sanders says, “so we changed subject matter a little bit to reflect that.” The former candidate’s decision didn’t alter the book’s message, however, since Buttigieg had already earned his place in American history.

While Buttigieg ended his campaign March 1, the 38-year-old did so as the first openly gay man to earn presidential delegates. He won the 2020 Iowa caucuses with more than 25% of the vote, with his husband at his side. Mayor Pete had become a household name, even if some struggled to pronounce his last one.

That isn’t where Sanders’ book begins, however. Instead, it examines key moments in his life that led to his historical campaign.

“Before the nation knew him as ‘Mayor Pete,’ he was a boy growing up in a Rust Belt town, a kid who dreamed of being an astronaut and a high schooler who wondered about a life of public service,” the book’s synopsis reads. “Without a doubt, no one could have imagined who Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg, the boy who lived in a two-story house on College Street, would become.

“Through victories and defeats, and the changes that the seasons bring, the young boy from South Bend grew into a man devoted to helping others,” it continues. “‘Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg’ celebrates the life of an American who dared to be the

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

first and who imagined a better world for everyone.”

To help Sanders tell the tale, his publisher enlisted another openly LGBTQ creator: Levi Hastings. He specializes in stories about the natural world and LGBTQ history.

“At its heart, this book is about a boy growing up with a desire to serve his community, who learns from his defeats and turns those lessons into future victories,” Hastings described “Mayor Pete” in August. “On the way, he learns to accept his identity and in turn is embraced by the community he serves. It’s a story whose themes go beyond any specific candidate or campaign, and one that I hope will resonate with many young readers.”

The collaboration marked the second time Sanders had worked with an openly LGBTQ editor and illustrator on one of his books, something he says caused the project to take on new meaning.

“We know it’s a part of the canon of LGBTQ books for kids,” he says, “and there are so few of these books out there that are chronicling our history and our heroes. It’s really special when we’re able to work on stories like these together.”

While the author isn’t certain if Buttigieg has seen the book, he’s hopeful that its message resonates with readers across the nation he continues to serve.

“There’s a recurring line that says ‘only time will tell’ what Pete will become,” Sanders says. “We see it about the young Pete; the high school student Pete; the mayoral candidate Pete; the presidential candidate. Only time will tell who he will become – and that’s one of the biggest takeaways for young readers. Only time will tell who they become.

“I hope that readers of all ages see Pete as another American hero, a person who’s used his life for public service and to make this country a better place,” he says. “Anyone who does that should be celebrated.”

As for what’s next, Sanders will continue celebrating historical heroes within the LGBTQ community. “Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding” will publish in early 2021.

“I just want to encourage people to read and understand our history,” Sanders says. “Rights won can be rights lost. We need to know our history and we need to preserve it.”

“Mayor Pete” is currently available wherever books are sold. Autographed copies of Sanders’ work can be found at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg and TomboloBooks.com. For more information about Sanders and his work, visit RobSandersWrites.com.

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announcements

tampa bay out+about

CONGRATULATIONS Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith was named one of the 100 most influential people in Florida politics Oct. 24 by Influence Magazine.

CONDOLENCES Sarasota’s LGBTQ community advocate Chris Jung died Oct. 23 as a result of COVID-19. He will be dearly missed.

CELEBRATIONS Venice Pride will “Ride with Pride” Nov. 7 from 1-3 p.m., a car parade through Venice. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com and VeniceFLPride.com.

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REOPENINGS The Honey Pot reopened in Ybor Oct. 23. Capacity is limited to 50% and masks are required. There is no smoking indoors.

The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete reopened its newly-renovated collection galleries to all visitors Oct. 27.

Read more at MFAStPete.org.

VOTING Early voting continues through Nov. 1 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Election Day voting will be held Nov. 3 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and any voter who is in line by 7 p.m. may cast their ballot.

Mail ballots must also be received by Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Visit WatermarkOnline.com for more details and to view our 2020 LGBTQ Voters’ Guide.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay’s Juan Fontanez Jr. (Oct. 29); Lakeland leather man Jerry Miller, Salon GW owner Gregory Brady (Oct. 30); Sarasota HIV/AIDS activist Michael Kehoe, Tampa Bay Sister of Perpetual Indulgence Shelita Cra-k, State Farm agent John Psomas, Tampa boating enthusiast Jamie Paul (Oct. 31); St. Pete bear Wendell Wilson, Tampa Bay entertainer Reggie Gatewood, Comic connoisseur Julian Jabbar Hills (Nov. 1); Tampa organizing coach Tracy Miller, St. Pete salesman Toby Browning (Nov. 2); Ceridian’s Kevin Gordon (Nov. 3); Gulfport everyman Daniel Hodge, St. Pete Pride volunteer Rich Runyan, St. Petersburg cowboy Winston Haws (Nov. 4); Tampa Bay DJ Duane Cook, LGBTQ Resource Center Chair Susan Gore, Life Plan Law attorney Catherine Blackburn (Nov. 5); Tampa signing interpreter Steve Hammond, St. Pete Bears founder Grahame Harte, Former TIGLFF programming director Kelly Fry, TIGLFF supporter Timothy Thomas, Metro Inclusive Health founder Bob Pope, Pinellas Park massage therapist John Waldorf, Nikki Fried’s finance director Jon Stewart (Nov. 6); Lakeland lad Kenneth Elliott, Boating enthusiast Misty McDevitt (Nov. 8); Modern Gents Premier Barbershop & Bar’s Nicholas Medina, Tampa Bay socialite Sterling Powell, CNA Dominic Costelli (Nov 9); Metro Inclusive Health’s Kiala Santi (Nov. 10); Former Tampa resident and book author/activist Steven Reigns, Tampa Bay writer Mike Halterman, Tampa leather bear Brooks Davis, Tampa Bay entertainer Daisy Rae Welch (Nov. 11).

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RIDIN’ WITH BIDEN: Michael Womack takes the Biden bus during a St. Pete drive-in rally with Dr. Jill Biden Oct. 16. PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL WOMACK

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DREAM TEAM: Come OUT St. Pete Board Member Brian Longstreth (L) and Co-Chair Chris Jones survey the Grand Central District businesses for the fourth annual outing Oct. 17. PHOTO COURTESY COME OUT ST. PETE

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EQUALITY ENDORSEMENT: Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith receives a mailer endorsing the Biden-Harris ticket Oct. 22.

PHOTO COURTESY NADINE SMITH

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ST. PETE SQUAD: (L-R) Cynthia Wurner, Rep. Jennifer Webb, Rep. Ben Diamond and owner Russell Andrade enjoy lunch at Iberian Rooster Oct. 20. PHOTO

COURTESY JENNIFER WEBB

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BIG 3-0: (L-R): Mark Celaya-Renaud, Joshua Scott-Maples, Kassandra Trame and Dave Hardy celebrate City Side’s 30th anniversary Oct. 24. PHOTO

BY RICKY CELAYA-RENAUD

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PASCO PROUD: Pasco Pride and Black Lives Matter Pasco County volunteers hold an adopt-aroad cleaning day Oct. 25.

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PHOTO COURTESY PASCO PRIDE

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LOVE IS LOVE: Northwestern Mutual greets Come OUT St. Pete celebrants during the vendor festival Oct. 17. PHOTO COURTESY COME OUT ST PETE

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SARASOTA STRONG: Project Pride unites for a food drive Oct. 24 to support those in need in Sarasota. PHOTO

COURTESY PROJECT PRIDE

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

7 October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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announcements

central florida out+about

Congratulations State Reps. Anna V. Eskamani and Carlos Guillermo Smith were named among the top “18 Leaders in a time of Crisis” by Orlando Magazine in October.

Jarod Leddy was named State of Gratitude’s second grant recipient Oct. 21.

The Dru Project received a $5,000 “Glamazon” donation from Amazon.com towards the nonprofit’s scholarship fund Oct. 22.

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State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani and outgoing One Orlando Alliance Executive Director Jennifer Foster will be awarded the Voice of Equality Award by Equality Florida Oct. 30.

Gods & Monsters celebrates its five-year anniversary and VAULT 5421’s third anniversary in November. Check out Gods & Monsters’ Facebook page for information on its Anniversary Celebration.

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Virtual CELEBRATIONS Equality Florida’s Virtual Orlando Gala will feature a State of the State address by founder and Executive Director Nadine Smith, entertainment, a silent auction, special guests and more. The event will be livestreamed Oct. 30 from 8-9:30 p.m. on Equality Florida’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Space Coast Pride’s “Pride Where You Are 2020” runs Nov. 7 from 2-4 p.m. you can watch from Space Coast Pride’s Facebook page. Read more on page 8.

Local Birthdays 4

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Photo courtesy Margo Dixon

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Drive-In Rally: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (L) and Margo Dixon bring the facts at a Kamala Harris drive-in rally in Orlando Oct. 19.

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Unicorn Work Out: Trainer Max Dunley gets his fitness on dressed in a pink, unicorn onsie costume at Rock Hard Fitness Oct. 22.

Photo courtesy Max Dunley

Clowning Around: Tish (L) grabs a photo with Ben Muriel as Pennywise at the Parliament House in Orlando Oct. 24. Photo courtesy Tish Safe Voting: Josh Bell (L) and Rep. Anna V. Eskamani are masked up and ready to get out the vote at the Pride March to the Polls in Orlando Oct. 25. Photo by Josh Bell

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Happy Halloween: MrMs Adrien (center) had a Halloween drive-by drag tour with Urban Quarters’ Nick Smith (L) and Kate Maini in Orlando Oct. 23. Photo by Nick Smith Drag Vote: Darcel Stevens makes her voice heard and votes in full drag in Orlando Oct. 24. Photo

courtesy Patty Sheehan

Frightful Fun: Danny Garcia (L) and Jay Daniels hang out at the pumpkin wall at Universal Studios Oct. 23. Photo by Danny Garcia

Rainbow Capes: MojoMan owner Lance Blackwell shows off the new gay super hero-themed mural on the windows of the store in Orlando Oct. 21. Photo

Hope & Help case manager Norm Gentry, Orlando attorney Michael Morris (Oct. 29); Bungalower’s Brendan O’Connor, Florida Academy of Physician Assistants executive director Lolita Jerido, Ashley Furniture store manager Brian Fenn, Former Watermark editorial assistant Samantha Rosenthal (Oct. 31); Orange County Soil and Water Supervisor candidate District 1 and school teacher Bobby Agagnina, Miracle of Love’s Angus Bradshaw Jr., Fitness guru Jennifer Mae, Orlando bartender Juan Miller, Orlando Gay Chorus’ Chip Reif (Nov. 2); LGBT+ Center’s Director of Operations Joel Morales (Nov. 3); Massage therapist and framer at Framing of Central Florida Kirk Johnston (Nov. 4); Orlando drag entertainer Robert Crane aka Erica Roberts, Orlando realtor Cindy Gregory, Orlando Verizon Wireless employee Ryan Lopez (Nov. 5); Equality Florida’s Michael Thomas Farmer, Women In Film & Television Florida President Robin Wright, Spooky Empire’s Denna Beena (Nov. 6); Orange County school teacher Kevin Hanna, Special F/X master Alan Ostrander (Nov 9); J Meyers Insurance’s Lori Williams, Park Avenue salon owner Gary Lambert (Nov. 10); Central Florida author and Watermark contributor Dr. Steve Yacovelli, Sarasota merman Andrew Cortner, Orlando emergency services expert Alan Harris (Nov. 11).

courtesy Lance Blackwell

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

October 29 - Nov emb er 11, 2020 // Issue 27. 22 wat e r m a r konline .com

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