Watermark Issue 28.08: TERFs Explained by Watermark Publishing Group

Your LGBTQ Life.

April 15 - 28, 2021 • Issue 28.08

TERFs explained Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists:

who are they and what do they believe?

St Pete Pride details June 2021 celebration National Trans Visibility March coming to Orlando

INSIDE: Spring Arts Guide Watermark’s 2021

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

departments 7 // Editor’s/TB Bureau Chief’s Desk

page

9 // Central Florida News

There’s a good chance that someone in your life might be trans. Be cautious of the hate that you are sharing because that hate can do them irreparable harm. — Mental Health Counselor Abbie Rolf

12// Tampa Bay News 14// State News 15// Nation & World News 25// Talking Points 39// Tampa Bay Out + About 41// Central Fl Out + About 42// Tampa Bay Marketplace 44// Central Fl Marketplace On the cover

page

page Chasing Kevin:

Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists: Who are they and what do they believe? Stock Photo, image

manipulation and layout by Dylan Todd.

scan qr code for

WatermarkOnline.com

Celebrated writer-director Kevin Smith discusses his gay brother, pop culture and more.

Watermark Issue 28.08 // April 15 - 28, 2021

Postponed Parties

New Direction

Poet’s Diary

Community Convo

page Orlando’s first weekend of June events won’t return until 2022.

page St Pete Pride has reimagined its 2021 festivities.

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

Bryana Saldana reflects on evolution in her latest column.

Intimate exhibit connects the LGBTQ community in Sarasota.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

Editor’s

Jeremy Williams Editor-In-chief

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

Desk

his pandemic has pushed on

for more than a year now and it has taken a lot from people. However, as the vaccine rollout is moving more efficiently now and we see that light at the end of the tunnel giving us hope that soon life may start getting back to normal, I have started to worry about something. I think I have forgotten how to talk with people.

As editor of a news publication and an active member of the LGBTQ community, I interact with a lot of people all the time. At least I used to, like we all did, back in the before time. There was always a fundraiser or mixer or a Pride event going on. I would go to cover it or attend as a community member to show support, raise awareness or in some cases take advantage of the open bar. The socializing aspect of being a journalist has always been one of my favorite parts of the job, but as COVID-19 seeped into every corner of our existence, the events

were cancelled and the socials went virtual. What used to be a face-to-face interview became frozen faces on Zoom. That brings me back to that light at the end of that tunnel. As more and more of us are getting vaccinated, more and more in-person events will start to pop back up. One such event happened a few weeks ago as local members of the Gender Advancement Project, Divas in Dialogue, One Orlando Alliance and Come Out With Pride joined representatives from the National Trans Visibility March at HÄOS on

Church in Orlando. They shared their huge announcement that the visibility march, which drew thousands of transgender and gender nonconforming activists to Washington, D.C. in September 2019, would be happening once again, this time in Orlando during Come Out With Pride in October. On the day of the announcement, I got to HÄOS early so I would have the chance to chat with some of the event organizers before everyone started to show up. As I chatted with them about the news they would be announcing, I found my hands getting clammy and my heart rate started to increase. I have a history of panic attacks and anxiety but it usually wasn’t tied to socializing with people. As a hypochondriac, my anxiety was always rooted in my fear of getting sick, having a heart attack and/or dying. I started to notice as more people showed up and the familiar faces of those in the community I hadn’t seen in a while approached me to ask how things are going, I had forgotten the art of small talk. Small talk is “polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in on social occasions,” at least that is how Google defines it, and it is a necessity in this profession and something I was always pretty good at. But as I engaged in conversation and started to rack my brain for topics to discuss, I drew a blank. I had nothing, just awkward laughs and no words. I felt like I was back in high school trying to talk to the popular kids. As the event went on and people started chatting in small groups, I thought that my awkwardness would start to subside since I wouldn’t have to engage in one-on-one conversation but as people talked I couldn’t make out what they were saying — thanks to the masks — and everything that

watermark staff Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Business Manager: Kathleen Sadler • Ext. 101 Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com

Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com

Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com

Creative Designer: Ezri Ruiz • Ext. 301 Ezri@WatermarkOnline.com

Tampa Bay Account Manager: Michael Wier • Ext. 105 Michael@WatermarkOnline.com

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came out of my mouth sounded weird, loud and muffled, at least to me. Could they hear it? Were they aware of how awkward I felt? Did they too feel awkward and weird in this now foreign social interaction? Just when I thought all hope was lost and my head was going to explode, the event’s speakers took to the podium and we all took our seats. My anxiety started to subside but, as anyone who suffers with anxiety can tell you, I have continued reliving those interactions in my head as if a weird laugh or an awkward comment was the worst thing to happen to anyone ever, all the while those who I interacted with probably haven’t thought about

I think I have forgotten how to talk with people.

that moment since it happened. I have realized that being able to socialize and make small talk is like any other muscle in the body, and like all the other muscles in my body, I haven’t worked on my socializing muscle since the pandemic started. So as we make our way into the summer please bear with me while I get back into training. In this issue, we look at Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists, or TERFs as they are known. Who are they and what do they believe? In Arts and Entertainment, we chat with legendary indie filmmaker Kevin Smith as he makes his way to Orlando and look at “The Edge Becomes the Center” exhibit at The Ringling in Sarasota. In news, events tied to June’s first weekend in Central Florida are officially cancelled, AIDS Walk Orlando goes virtual and St Pete Pride reimagines its June celebration.

Orlando Office Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

1300 N. Semoran Blvd. Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

Tampa Bay Office 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

contributors Bryana Saldana

(She/Her/They) is a 25-year-old Afro-Latina poet born and raised in Orlando. She had her first published poem through “For Women Who Roar” and seeks to relate to issues surrounding the Black, woman and queer experience. Page 19

Edward Segarra

currently attends the University of Central Florida as a journalism major. Page 27

CORRECTION: In issue

28.07’s coverage of the Florida Film Festival on page 29, we incorrectly stated that after initially being postponed the 2020 festival was completely virtual. In fact, the festival was a combination in-person and virtual festival.

Sabrina Ambra, Nathan Bruemmer, Scottie Campbell, Miguel Fuller, Divine Grace, Holly Kapherr Alejos, Jason Leclerc, Melody Maia Monet, Jerick Mediavilla, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, Michael wanzie

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

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Ken Carraway, Vanessa Maresca-Cruz

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

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tampa bay

bureau chief’s

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

Desk

t may come as no surprise given

my profession, but when I’m not reading and writing about it, I love watching the news. Or at least listening to it.

I’ve been known to tune into the latest political hearing on CSPAN or to blast a special report on MSNBC while driving around town – and each network’s broadcasts have long served as the backdrop for every meal my husband and I eat at home. We’re pretty wild. While I prefer those two outlets as an adult, my hunger for information impacting the world long precedes my introduction to either. It actually began as a high school student with Channel One News. If you’re not familiar with it, you probably didn’t grow up in the Midwest. The program reached more than six million students in classrooms throughout the country for 28 years – like mine in Ohio, though Florida seems to have been an exception – encouraging

“young people to become informed, global citizens.” It certainly helped cultivate that aspiration in me, building upon my love for the free press I’d discovered as a student journalist producing our school’s newspaper. Channel One’s talented anchors, including now-famous faces like CNN’s Anderson Cooper, detailed how students were impacted by the world around them until 2018. The broadcasts also featured appropriate advertising, something critics claimed was problematic for the time students spent in the classroom watching commercials and supporters noted was necessary to cover costs. I personally loved that content nearly as much as each show’s reporting.

That’s because I can credit it in part for the love of reading I have today, tracing it back to one early morning during my sophomore year in 2001. That’s when I saw a commercial that would change my trajectory as a reader forever: a TV spot for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” “This is Hogwarts,” it began, the film’s now-iconic score playing in the background. “A school just like yours – where brooms fly, homework explodes and teachers transform their students into wizards.” It had everything. Owls, floating candles, a dog with three heads. Maggie Smith even turned into a cat! It was two decades ago, so that was a big deal since we didn’t know she could do that at the time. I was sold – and while I tend to agree that the book is always better than the film, I had no idea four of them already existed. I saw the movie in theaters multiple times and immediately wanted more. I found it when for the first time in my life, I spent my own money on a book a teacher hadn’t assigned me to read. I bought its source material and devoured it in no time. Whoever JK Rowling was, she had a real gift. I quickly read her sequels years before any would see the silver screen, enjoying them whenever and wherever I could. It truly was the start of something magical: my love of reading for fun. I spent the next few years alternating between the latest “Potter” content, confirming the books were better but falling in love with the movies just the same. As Rowling’s profile rose and social media made her more accessible to fans, I also grew to respect her views on diversity and inclusion, which she seemed to defend online and I saw as staples in each of her stories. But the problem with meeting your heroes is that they aren’t

Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com

Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com

Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com

Creative Designer: Ezri Ruiz • Ext. 301 Ezri@WatermarkOnline.com

Tampa Bay Account Manager: Michael Wier • Ext. 105 Michael@WatermarkOnline.com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

always magical. Not unlike He Who Should Not Be Named, hatred can be deeply rooted and take shape in many forms, something Rowling proved by repeatedly attacking the LGBTQ community last year. With her international megaphone, the author has unapologetically targeted our transgender siblings – the most vulnerable among us – and continues to do so when given the chance. LGBTQ organizations have tried to speak and reason with her but she’s publicly declined, enforcing my decision to move on from her wizarding world. I won’t consume new books, films, games or theme park attractions going forward, not because I don’t love “Harry Potter”

But the problem with meeting your heroes is that they aren’t always magical.

but because I love the transgender community more. I would implore any fan or member of the LGBTQ community to do the same. I think anyone from Hogwarts would. In this issue we focus on the harmful ideology Rowling has begun to parrot in recent years. We explain who Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) are and what they believe. LGBTQ organizations show the world what they believe in our news coverage. Dining Out for Life returns in Tampa Bay while the National Trans Visibility March heads to Orlando. St Pete Pride also shares its vision for safely celebrating this June. Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.

Orlando Office Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

1300 N. Semoran Blvd. Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

Tampa Bay Office 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

contributors Bryana Saldana

Edward Segarra

currently attends the University of Central Florida as a journalism major. Page 27

CORRECTION: In issue

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

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Ken Carraway, Vanessa Maresca-Cruz

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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central florida news

National Trans March coming to Orlando Jeremy Williams

RLANDO | The National Trans Visibility March (NTVM), which first filled the streets of Washington, D.C. with thousands of transgender and gender nonconforming activists in 2019, returns to an on-the-ground march, this time in Orlando. “This year’s theme, ‘No Lives Left Behind,’ will focus on regional safety plans to address the number of tumultuous murders that are continually taking place with trans identified people. We are taking the National Trans Visibility March back to the streets and on this day, where we celebrate National Trans Visibility Day, we are so pleased to announce that we have selected Orlando, Florida as the host city,” said Marissa Miller, CEO and founder of the NTVM, in a press release. The NTVM will collaborate with the One Orlando Alliance, which serves as the march’s local host organization, and will take place in conjunction with Orlando’s Come Out With Pride festival and parade Oct. 9. The Gender Advancement Project, a trans-led group in Central Florida, will serve as local leaders for the march.

For more information on the National Trans Visibility March, visit NationalTransMarch.com.

2021 AIDS Walk Orlando goes virtual Isaiah Peters

RLANDO | Hope and Help Center’s AIDS Walk Orlando, an annual event to raise funds in order to help combat HIV/AIDS in Central Florida, will be held virtually April 30 from 10-11 a.m. due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Out of an abundance of caution for our supporters, patients, donors, community partners and sponsors, and everyone who participates, we just want to keep everyone safe,” says Joshua Myers, Hope and Help’s Development and Communications Director. The virtual event, which will be held on Zoom and will not feature a walk this year, will be “a live presentation with remarks from elected officials and media partners, reflections from HIV experts who will share about the HIV epidemic through the lens of the coronavirus pandemic, poetry and testimonials from Hope and Help patients.” Myers says the event will also highlight Hope and Help’s mental health services launched last year.

For more information on the 2021 AIDS Walk Orlando, get signed up or to find the Zoom link for the event, go to AIDSWalkOrlando.org.

Postponed Party:

Organizers of events during the first weekend of June in honor of Gay Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (pictured, from 2018) have all postponed their June 2021 events. Photo

Pool parties postponed Orlando’s 1st weekend of June events cancelled until 2022 Jeremy Williams

RLANDO | GayDayS and One Magical Weekend will again be postponing their annual June events until the first weekend of June in 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. GayDayS event organizers made their announcement to its partners in an email April 2. “Our concern for the health and safety of our partners, guests, vendors, sponsors and staff is of utmost importance,” wrote Chris Manley, president of Gay Days Inc. The decision to postpone GayDayS until next year was made in partnership with the event’s host hotel, Margaritaville Resort, in an effort to continue adhering to federal, state, local and CDC guidelines, according to the email. GayDayS will now take place May 31-June 6, 2022 and will be held at the same host hotel, Margaritaville Resort, and will

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

continue with the same theme, Gay Days Disco Inferno. One Magical Weekend announced in a Facebook post April 6 that it would being postponing its upcoming events until June 2-6, 2022. “Even with the positive news of late, the safety of our guests, sponsors and staff is priority for all of us at Disney, the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista, House of Blues and One Magical Weekend,” the event organizers wrote. “Given the current and expected Covid-19 protocols for June, the OMW events planned for 2021 will be postponed until 2022. So let’s try this again! 30 Years of Orlando!” A graphic in the Facebook post reads “Red Shirt Pride Day 30th Anniversary V2.022.” According to the post, One Magical Weekend will host RipTide at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon June 3, RED Vol. V: Varsity at the House of Blues in Disney Springs June 4 and the party WIG at the Sheraton Hotel June 5. The post

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

by Jeremy Williams

also included that the weekend would feature three Therapy pool parties and three Cadabra after hours parties. Tidal Wave was the first to announce on its social media Feb. 3 that it would be postponing its events until June 2022. “Weighing all information and keeping your safety and health in the forefront, we have decided to postpone Tidal Wave 14 until June 2022,” Danny Gallegos and David Walters, Tidal Wave Party owners, posted to the Tidal Wave Facebook page Feb. 3. “Due to logistical, accounting and tax issues we cannot rollover your tickets and will have to issue refunds. The B Resort and Spa will be handling the refund of your room deposit.” Girls in Wonderland, the largest women’s events group for the weekend, announced April 6 that they will postpone their June events; however, unlike the other event organizers, Girls in Wonderland will hold their events later this year on Oct. 14-17. “Third time’s a charm! After careful consideration and consultation with our host property, the city, our team and many of our long-time loyal patrons we have decided to move Girls In Wonderland to [Oct. 14-17],” event organizers wrote. Girls In Wonderland’s new 2021 dates will place its events within a week of Orlando’s Come Out With Pride parade and festival Oct. 9 and National Coming Out Day Oct. 11.

Important Facts About DOVATO

This is only a brief summary of important information about DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and treatment. What is the most important information I should know about DOVATO? If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Resistant HBV infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV infection before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection. • Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HIV-1 and HBV infection, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver disease can be serious and may lead to death. ° Do not run out of DOVATO. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your DOVATO is all gone. ° Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare provider. If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your liver. What is DOVATO? DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 medicines to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in adults: who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past, or to replace their current HIV-1 medicines when their healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements. HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in children. Who should not take DOVATO? Do not take DOVATO if you: • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir or lamivudine. • take dofetilide. What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. • have kidney problems. • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. ° Your healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine than DOVATO if you are planning to become pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. ° If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider will perform a pregnancy test before you start treatment with DOVATO. ° If you can become pregnant, you should consistently use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with DOVATO. ° Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become pregnant, you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during treatment with DOVATO. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take DOVATO. ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. ° One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk. ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with DOVATO. • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take DOVATO with other medicines. What are possible side effects of DOVATO? DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “What is the most important information I should know about DOVATO?” section. • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing. • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with DOVATO. Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms that could be signs of lactic acidosis: feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) muscle pain; trouble breathing; stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. • Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the signs or symptoms of liver problems which are listed above under “Liver problems.” You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female or very overweight (obese). • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking DOVATO.

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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tampa bay news

Dining Out for Life tampa bay celebrates epic 16th year Ryan Williams-Jent

AMPA BAY | Dining Out for Life (DOFL) Tampa Bay will hold its 16th annual fundraiser April 29, returning closer to form in a benefit for Empath Partners in Care’s fight against HIV/AIDS. DOFL has enlisted restaurants to donate a percentage of their sales on specific dates since 1991. More than $47,000 was raised locally for EPIC in 2019, while 2020’s efforts brought in $28,000. Last year’s COVID-conscious outing encouraged diners to order delivery or to visit their favorite restaurants for takeout or to purchase gift cards. Nearly 40 locations participated but were not required to donate funds to EPIC. EPIC Special Events Coordinator Molly Robison says while last year’s outing didn’t raise as much as traditional ventures had, the organization still considered it a success. They paired it with an online game night to bolster support. “Given that it was a COVID year and where restaurants were at the time, we were very pleased,” she says. “They donated $4,218, which was great.” Among the donors were The Frog Pond, which has supported DOFL since its inception by donating 100% of sales from its Redington Beach location and 50% from its St. Pete Beach eatery. They did the same last year. More than 40 locations throughout Tampa Bay are expected to join them in 2021. They’ll offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, ice cream, cocktails and more via indoor and outdoor dining, takeout and delivery, with at least 15% of each check donated to EPIC. “Sixteen years for any event is a long time,” EPIC Executive Director Joy Winheim says. “I think people are excited when Dining Out for Life comes around because it’s an excuse to go out to eat. It’s also an excuse to socialize with your friends, all in the name of doing something good for us.” Fundraising will begin a day early with two DOFL Kickoff celebrations. On April 28, St. Petersburg’s CD Romas will offer Italian dishes from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., with 25% of sales benefiting EPIC. Tampa’s Brew Bus Brewing will hold its Patio Kickoff Party from 4-10 p.m., donating 20% of their “ultimate craft beer experience.” Restaurants and bars which may be interested in participating this year still have time to do so. Locations can contact Robison by April 22 for details. “We’re very COVID conscious this year,” Winheim says. “If you’re not comfortable going out to eat, we understand. You can do takeout, you can do curbside, you can dine in if you’re comfortable. I’m excited that this year we’re going to be able to do it – and we’re going to do it well.” Read more about April 29’s DOFL 2021 at WatermarkOnline.com. For more information about the kickoff events and for a list of participating locations, visit DineTB.org. Contact Molly Robison at 727-523-3341 or MollyRobison@EmpathHealth.org to join as an ambassador or vendor. You can also learn more about EPIC’s mission at MyEPIC.org.

NEW DIRECTION: St

Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer (R) and Mayor Rick Kriseman announce PrideFest at Vinoy Park April 12. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

Pride Month St Pete Pride reimagines June 2021 Ryan Williams-Jent

T. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride detailed its 2021 return April 12, a month’s worth of reimagined events in lieu of its traditional festivities. St Pete Pride 2020 was projected to welcome at least 275,000 people to St. Petersburg. The 18th annual celebration was cancelled due to COVID-19 and will now return as June’s PrideFest. “This year in hosting St Pete PrideFest we were challenged by hosting in 2019, over 265,000 people in our waterfront and in the Grand Central district over just a number of days,” St Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer shared during a press conference. “We met with the city over many, many months about how we could ensure the health and safety and wellbeing of our community but also honor our mission. “We are doing that by celebrating all month long through St Pete PrideFest,” he continued, “where we will enjoy each week, a different theme and anchor with a flagship event each Saturday at a different location showcasing the beautiful parts of our city.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Bruemmer was joined by Mayor Rick Kriseman in detailing the celebration’s reimagined 19th season. Described as “Pride with a twist,” organizers shared that they have worked diligently to design a creative, safe way to celebrate. They also noted the majority of events will be ticketed to enforce capacity regulations. The season will unofficially begin May 23 with the 12th annual Miss St Pete Pride Pageant, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Postcard Inn on the Beach before the official 10 a.m. raising of the Pride flag at City Hall June 1. PrideFest’s Kickoff Reception will follow June 3 at Sirata Beach Resort from 6-9 p.m. The four themed weeks will begin with Outdoor Adventure Week June 5. Its signature event will be Pride OUTside at Vinoy Park from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and highlight the great outdoors for $5 per ticket. Pride Run St. Pete will also begin and end along the waterfront from 7-10 a.m. Races include a timed 5K with a youth category, a virtual 5K and untimed, 100-yard dash for divas wearing heels. Family Week will highlight St. Pete Pier and nearby parks on June 12 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. for $5

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

per ticket. “LGBTQ families and allies will gather at the Pier for a celebration of diverse family life in St. Pete,” it’s officially described. Arts & Music Week kicks off June 19 at The Factory for $5 per ticket. The Warehouse Arts District space will feature main stage performances and more. Taste of PrideFest Week will close out the month with a Pride Picnic on June 26 from 2-9 p.m. Fireworks will be presented by Trulieve at dusk. Kriseman applauded St Pete Pride’s dedication to safely serving the community. The mayor noted that the St. Petersburg staple “is more than just a parade and more than just the events, it’s what it represents and how it defines us as a community.” In addition to June’s signature events, St Pete Pride’s community partners are encouraged to present scaled down gatherings throughout the month. The experiences will be designed to give the community the opportunity to gather, educate and celebrate Pride while ensuring the safety of all involved. “This is an open invitation for our entire community across the region to enjoy and celebrate the beautiful diversity of St. Petersburg,” Bruemmer concluded. Tickets for St Pete Pride’s 2021 PrideFest go on sale May 1. For more details about each event, visit StPetePride.org.

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

state news

Miami Heat decries anti-trans bills Jeremy Williams

BA’s Miami Heat has joined the growing list of Florida sports teams to come out against a pair of bills in the state legislature that would ban transgender youth from playing sports in school. “The Miami HEAT champions diversity and inclusion both on and off the court,” a spokesperson shared in a press release April 5. “We believe sports are at their best when they bring people together to work, to play and to create a sense of belonging for all. Every young person deserves the opportunity to participate in athletics and experience the critical life lessons that sports offer such as wellness, dedication, problem-solving, and leadership. Sports should be welcoming for all.” The Heat joins the NHL hockey team Tampa Bay Lightning and the Orlando Pride soccer team in showing support for the transgender community. Last month, both the Lightning and Pride posted to Twitter their support.

fight for transgender youth continues Ryan Williams-Jent

quality Florida and supporters assembled at State Rep. Chris Latvala’s Clearwater office March 30 to continue their fight for transgender youth throughout the state. Organizers discussed their opposition to House Bill 1475 (HB 1475), which target the vulnerable population. The bill would bar transgender youth from participating in sports. “As Republican Governors, major corporations, sporting institutions, athletes and scientists across the country voice opposition to bills aimed at barring trans kids from playing on sports teams with their peers, the Florida legislature, led by State Representative Chris Latvala, is attempting to fast track its own such bill to Governor

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DeSantis’ desk,” Equality Florida shared March 30. Speakers at Latvala’s office included Equality Florida Communications Manager Michael Womack, St Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer, Circle of Faith Pastor Adam Gray, Martin McLellend and Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith. Each clearly outlined their opposition to HB 1475 and other anti-transgender legislation. “We chose to be here in front of Representative Latvala’s office because he has been the lead cheerleader, even moreso than the bill’s sponsor, in pushing this bill,” Smith began, “and it is with deep disappointment that I say that. Not only is this bill not a solution, it is the problem. “This bill doesn’t just do harm to trans youth who would seek to play sports, it sends an insidious message about all trans young people and all trans people, period,” she continued. “This is

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

a legislature that was not stirred to action by the murder of trans people – Florida led the country for multiple years, no action – but on an issue that even the sponsors admit is not an issue in the state of Florida.” Smith further outlined existing guidelines throughout the state, turning toward the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s opposition to similar anti-transgender legislation. The NCAA has called such measures damaging to transgender athletes and “warned that legislation that violates the sporting agency’s long-existing and inclusive sporting participation guidelines may jeopardize that state’s ability to host NCAA events,” Equality Florida has noted. Watch video at WatermarkOnline.com. For more information about Equality Florida and its fight for LGBTQ equality statewide or to contact state lawmakers, visit EQFL.org.

nation+world news

Pentagon’s new policy for trans enlistments Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

he Defense Department announced March 31 an updated policy to fully reverse former President Donald Trump’s transgender military ban, allowing for enlistment regardless of gender identity and access to transition-related care through the U.S. military’s health care system. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at the start of his

briefing the new policy in the form of two instructions would “restore the department’s original 2016 policies regarding transgender policies,” which harkens back to the implementation of open service during the Obama administration before Trump reversed it by tweet in 2017. Kirby said the new policies would take effect in 30 days, but in the meantime, the interim guidance issued by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the start of the Biden administration prohibiting the discharges of troops for being transgender would remain in effect. “The secretary of defense strongly believes that the all

volunteer force thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the high standards for military service in an inclusive force that strengthens our national security posture,” Kirby added. Although the Pentagon is characterizing the change as consistent with the policy set up by former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter during the Obama years, it should be noted that the policy didn’t immediately allow for enlistments and projected that policy change would take place in another year. Trump halted that change with his transgender military ban.

referring them to other providers for the treatment. Opponents of the measure have vowed to sue to block the ban before it takes effect this summer. Hutchinson vetoed the bill April 5 following pleas from pediatricians, social workers and the parents of transgender youth who said the measure would harm a community already at risk for depression and suicide. The ban was opposed by several medical and child welfare groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. Republican Rep. Robin Lundstrum, the bill’s sponsor, dismissed opposition from medical

groups, saying “They need to get to be 18 before they make those decisions.” Hutchinson said the measure went too far in interfering with parents and physicians, and noted that it will cut off care for transyouth already receiving treatment. He said he would have signed the bill if it had focused only on gender confirming surgery, which currently isn’t performed on minors in the state. The law will take effect in late July at the earliest. The American Civil Liberties Union said it planned to challenge the measure before then.

The Associated Press reported upwards of 78% of Russian voters backed the amendments in a referendum that took place last July. Russian lawmakers later approved the constitutional changes that also allow Putin to run for president two more times. Mikhail “Misha” Tumasov, a Russian LGBTQ activist and human rights defender, in an email to the Washington Blade noted the law that Putin signed “emphasizes recent changes in the constitution” that include an “adopted formula of a family exclusively as a union of a

man and a woman which wasn’t in the constitution and gave hope to introduce same sex marriages on that legal base.” “There is no need for any other legal actions as same-sex marriages are de jure illegal,” said Tumasov. Putin in 2013 sparked global outrage when he signed a law that bans the promotion of so-called gay propaganda to minors. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a close Putin ally, and the Kremlin continue to downplay the anti-LGBTQ crackdown in Chechnya.

Arkansas enact trans youth treatment ban Wire Report

ITTLE ROCK, Ark. | Arkansas lawmakers April 6 made the state the first to ban gender confirming treatments and surgery for transgender youth, enacting the prohibition over the governor’s objections. The Republican-controlled House and Senate voted to override GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the measure, which prohibits doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from

Putin bans same-sex marriage in Russia Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

ussian President Vladimir Putin signed into law April 5 a series of constitutional amendments that, among other things, formally defines marriage as between a man and a woman in the country.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

in other news Virginia lawmakers establish more LGBTQ protections The Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly worked in its second year to establish more protections for LGBTQ people. Lawmakers tackled LGBTQ inequity in criminal justice and health care, reforming laws that advocates said were rooted in discrimination and could block access to needed services. An advisory board will be established to continue Virginia’s work with the LGBTQ community. Though some key legislation failed, advocates said the state is moving forward.

South Dakota gov kills trans bill, orders ban South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem killed a bill that would have banned transgender women and girls from female sports March 29, then later issued weaker executive orders that struck two sections from the bill and limited it to high school and elementary sports. Noem’s partial veto of the bill riled GOP lawmakers and tarnished the Republican governor’s status among social conservatives. Shortly after the bill died, the governor issued the two executive orders for a ban, but Republican lawmakers said the orders amounted to little more than an effort to salvage her reputation with conservatives.

Switzerland expected to hold marriage equality referendum A referendum on the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples in Switzerland is likely to take place later this year. Lawmakers in the European country last December approved the “Marriage for All” bill. Mannschaft, a Swiss LGBTQ magazine, reported April 7 opponents of the law have collected more than the 50,000 signatures required to prompt a referendum on the measure. Mannschaft reports the vote is expected to take place in September or November once the Swiss Federal Chancellery certifies the signatures.

Senior Polish judge deletes tweet about transgender child Krystyna Pawlowicz, a justice on Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, deleted a tweet April 8 in which she had publicized personal information about a transgender child, triggering accusations that she had placed the youth in danger. Pawlowicz wrote critically on Twitter April 6 about the case of a school in the town of Podkowa Lesna, near Warsaw, which is respecting the child’s wish to use a girl’s name. In that original tweet, Pawlowicz argued that the school was disregarding the official sex designation on the child’s records. Pawlowicz referred to the child as a boy, gave the child’s chosen first name and the full name of the principal, as well as the name and address of the school. Amid the controversy triggered by the tweet, Pawlowicz said she had deleted it “for the sake of the child.”

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

viewpoint

Greg Stemm

positive livinG Hippity Hoppity Homo

hat isn’t there

to love about Easter? It’s a holiday that’s just hopped into our rearview but celebrates over-the-top, festive and gay bonnets with fringe upon them and chocolate – lots and lots of chocolate.

Well, as a decidedly non-Christian Quaker, the “real meaning” of Easter is problematic for me. You can pray all you want for my eternal soul but I won’t accept Jesus as anything other than a profoundly enlightened soul. There is no fateful battle going on for me that is reliant on me accepting this wonderful man as anything other than that. Since I don’t believe in Hell, it’s hard for someone to say that because I don’t accept Jesus as a “personal savior” that I’m going there. To me, the idea of someone rising from the dead sounds more like the plot of an overdone zombie movie than it does the miracle it’s touted as in the modern, inconsistent tales of the Bible. So a holiday that celebrates things that are theologically inconsistent with my beliefs becomes an issue. Especially in our decidedly Judeo-Christian culture where everyone sort of assumes I’ll be singing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” in a church pew. I won’t.

As with most Sunday (or First Day, as we Quakers call it) mornings I was in silent worship in the St. Pete Meeting House. Traditional Quakers don’t put any particular emphasis on any given holiday, preferring to believe that all days made by God are holy in their own right. Yet even among us heathens sometimes we are moved by the spirit of this holiday. A few years ago there was an elderly friend who liked to bring a boom box and play quiet, classical music before our silent worship. On a typically spectacular Florida Easter morning, his classical breath of fresh air ended with the “Hallelujah Chorus.” My mama told me that this song was the national anthem of the Christian faith and no matter what I believed you should stand for it. I did and others joined me. Somewhere along the line we began singing. Let me tell you that an entire Quaker congregation singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” is not traditional – but it was one of the most spiritual experiences I’ve ever had. But let me also add that the St. Pete Meeting has never been called “traditional” by anyone, including other Quakers. I’ve had to find new meanings in the message of Easter. Isn’t it the core message that life is eternal and death is just a phase we go through as eternal beings? That’s getting closer to my own beliefs. It seems ludicrous to me that God would create us and then shut us down completely in death. What is the point of life then? Life continues on and on, always rejuvenating itself as Easter seems to say. While they don’t do it as dramatically here in Florida as they do up north, when we look around we can see that the seasons change. Brilliant green oaks and

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stunningly beautiful azaleas pull me out of the short winter funk we experience here. The cycle of life may be a bit more subtle here but it certainly does exist. Likewise, when one looks around in the universe the message of rejuvenation is all around.

“worthy.” Aren’t we all close to perfect when God has made us? Apparently she made us in her imagination. Why do I need to sacrifice something to live up to the way God made me? By the way, God made me gay and it was far from

boring message at church then there had better be a chocolate bunny when I get home. Easter is tied together with Spring. Life is eternal and we are all a part of this amazing reality we share together. Whatever your beliefs I wish you much

Even stars that explode create new entities. Our own sun is at least a third generation star, so that means for billions of years others have come before us; If you study science you might become even more convinced that there is an entity behind it all. The “ultimate sacrifice” that Jesus made for us makes me question what sacrifice I have to make to God to make me

being a choice. I think it’s nonsense to believe that God wouldn’t have. Like modern Christmas, there is a commercial side of this holiday that I also enjoy. I have to admit I love Reese’s Peanut Butter eggs, though Peeps are gross. I was 12 or 13 when my parents stopped giving me an Easter basket and I still kind of still miss it. If I have to put on a suit and tie and go listen to a

hope and renewal in 2021. May each of you hop into this year, which is certain to be better than 2020, with that message.

Why do I need to sacrifice something to live up to the way God made me?

Greg Stemm is a 37-year resident of Pinellas County. He is a founder of St Pete Pride and currently sits on the board of the LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Public Library. Greg is an outspoken activist on many issues including HIV/ AIDS education.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

viewpoint

Bryana Saldana

Diary of a Poet A Poet’s Evolution

n my youth I was

subjected to an insurmountable amount of bullying. I constantly came home, looked in the mirror and loving myself was impossible. My mother did her best to make me feel beautiful and loved but when you are exposed to hateful rhetoric, for no apparent reason seven hours a day, nothing can really change it. I would be ostracized until I decided to take control of my identity in the 10th grade. I made a huge decision to shave my hair in a mohawk. I began to speak up whenever necessary and I was no longer being tortured by my peers. It was one of those moments in life that bookmarked a confidence I was not aware of.

I was only out as a lesbian for about a year before changing my appearance. I was only in one relationship, which was the definition of hot and cold, and my number of friends was about two. I was also very quiet; anyone could bulldoze me and I would just lay there. I had no voice and my identity was in shambles. I battled my own mind in ways no one can imagine. I never said the reasons why I felt so broken and lost but my mother knew there was something. I had a lot of shame in reference to my sexuality and gender identity. I am a masculine-presenting woman and for the most part have always been. Finally becoming confident in my body and sexuality birthed a version of myself I couldn’t let go of until my 20’s. I was no longer sweet and I thought the more people that “loved” me the more important I was.

This is something a lot of kids deal with but as a masculine-presenting, lesbian woman, I became a bulldozer. I spent many years attempting to control a narrative that spoke for itself. I had a bad home life and school was my playground to do as I please, truly not loving myself completely. Only loving the version of me I could create out of the fragments left behind. While exiting my teens I no longer had an audience to watch. I had myself to reflect upon. I still couldn’t fathom one relationship. I sought after bad attention that could distract me from myself. I decided to become celibate, which lasted almost two years and in that timeframe another rebirth occurred. I thought giving parts of myself to people was the only way to love and be loved, whether I wanted it or not. I wrote more in that time than I ever have before. I no longer wanted to be who I was in the past and felt I could rewrite my future. Within each evolution I found something else to love about me. This was not without reflecting on the shame I held on my back. I turned what I felt was a weakness to a strength. My next evolution would occur in the storm of a manic episode, leading to shaving my hair and finally shedding shame. My hair was something that defined me throughout each evolution, from the Mohawk to an eventual curly afro and finally a shaved dented, scared buzzcut. As I looked in the mirror I relived and let go of other people’s definition of my existence. My voice mattered more than anything, even in the middle of sadness beyond definition. I defined my future in that moment. Bullies no longer rang in my ears, making me feel unworthy. I could live, breathe and be anything my heart desired.

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After that day I became someone my past would not recognize. I spoke at a rally for George Floyd and every soul that was taken over the summer due to police brutality. Over 3,000 people were in attendance and I was terrified, but I spoke with power beyond

the bully and now forever the advocate. I had some of the darkest moments of my life destroy a future of happiness and joy that felt unreachable. If ever there be a moment you needed right now to live longer than your mind tells you, right now is that moment. It took years

longer than any sadness you lived. My voice became untouchable when I realized it is just as important as those that make a difference through your TV screens. I guess I managed a decent rewrite for the world to witness. At the end of the day, when everything is

my wildest dreams and had the crowd roaring with love. 12-year-old me would not have thought she could overcome such cruel experiences. I am everything I needed, those nights crying so hard I could not breathe. If there are four sides to the fence of life, I’m currently on my third and my fourth is in the making. I was the bullied,

to love myself and provide grace for the moments that I fall short of my own expectations. I am an Afro-Latina lesbian woman that loves what I represent and will do everything in my power to bring people to that same level of love. Whether you are figuring yourself out or trying to find your tribe, the days will come and be

quiet and you’re left to reflect on yourself and your decisions know that it all begins and ends with the same thing and will forever be love in its purest form.

I am an Afro-Latina lesbian woman that loves what I represent and will do everything in my power to bring people to that same level of love.

Bryana Saldana (She/Her/They) is a 25-year-old Afro-Latina poet born and raised in Orlando. She had her first published poem through “For Women Who Roar” and seeks to relate to issues surrounding the Black, woman and queer experience.

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Dave Mulryan

The New Voter Why it is more than just registered voters

he 2020 elections

saw a massive surge of voting, drawing the largest number of voters since the election of 1900. This huge increase in voting showed, with some unexpected results, that the care and feeding of the world’s oldest and most important democracy really does rest on just one thing: voting. What happens to voting when we look only at the young vote? Arizona, which birthed Barry Goldwater and has long been a conservative bastion, turns blue. Texas turns blue. That this can be attributed to the young vote is hardly a surprise. The 2018 mid-term elections saw an uptick in voting as many people, especially the young, voted at higher rates. Although this uptick was welcome, we still have a crisis of voting in that not enough of us do it. Why? The Founders, the white men who wrote the Constitution and who muscled the adoption of it through the warring factions that made up the original 13 colonies, made compromises to get the two-thirds of the colony’s votes needed to allow its adoption. They allowed the compromise that there would be NO federal oversight in voting, the states

would get to be in charge of all elections — even federal ones. The small colonies were concerned that they would be overwhelmed by the large states, so they insisted on an equal numbers of senators — two per state — and used the House of Representatives as a way for proportional representation. They also restricted voting to white men with property and for the state legislators to choose their senators. Direct election of senators would not take place until 1913. Voting was for elites and echoes of that resonate today. There has been progress — women got the vote in 1919. Minorities got the vote when President Lyndon Johnson pushed through the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. He failed to get the voting age lowered to 18, although he tried. Two states — Oregon and Texas — used the federal courts to delay the implementation of 18 year olds voting. The voting age changed only after President Richard Nixon brokered a deal and the Constitution was amended to allow for the voting age to be lowered to 18. So, there has been progress yet voting remains anemic. Most federal elections are decided with 50% of eligible voters voting. Some elections, like mayoral races and school board elections, are decided with as little as 6% of eligible voters turning out. The 2020 elections, with the help of a presidential race, saw voter turnout in the U.S. of a little over 66%. This is still awful. We are now facing a huge influx of new voters — the Millennials and Gen Z — and their numbers are astounding. This population could determine the outcome of every election if they choose to register

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to vote and get out to vote. The $64,000 question: Will they? In New Mexico, we have established organizations — Everybody Votes and The New Mexico Voter Group — to focus on registering voters. We focus on the nuts and bolts of registering voters: setting up tables, getting forms, getting the young voter to register, getting the forms to the county clerk. We have registered a huge chunk of voters with few resources so we know that it can be done. We need to have voter registration brought to

there was no designed research study, it was simply observational, there was enough data for us to draw some conclusions. The person who registers someone to vote is the very first contact that people have with the mechanics of democracy. The Voter Registration Agent needs to not only be prepared to register the voter, but also to give the person registering a reason WHY to register and why they need to vote. That is asking a lot, but it seems to be the requirement to have a successful encounter. Few states require any

the forefront all over the country. Clearly we could use more resources, but we also believe that we need a revolution in the person that registers the vote — the Voter Registration Agent. How do we do this? In short, we need to move voter registration from a passive endeavor to an active one. Oregon, with its automatic voter registration, is showing how this can work. Vote by mail elections seem to increase participation. Yet, the adoption of these nationwide seems to be a ways off and we need to register these voters now. We have listened closely to the voters that we do register and, equally as important, the ones that don’t want to register. Although we are reluctant to overgeneralize because

training for people that want to register other voters. New Mexico, which requires a training class, is one of the strongest. Their training, handled by the county clerks, requires an understanding of the registration form and requires a formal issuance of a voter registration number. The state issues a VRA certificate and assigns a number which allows for the tracking of the activities of the Voter Registration Agent. We have, in New Mexico, a huge number of people who have taken the class required to register their fellow citizens to vote. Yet, we have few who actually do it. It appears that many people are willing to register others to vote, but then after taking the class, they fail to do so. We

We are now facing a huge influx of new voters — the Millennials and Gen Z — and their numbers are astounding. This population could determine the outcome of every election if they choose to register to vote and get out to vote.

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hypothesize that many of them feel ill-equipped to register voters, even after the class, so they don’t. We have a huge task ahead of us. We have proven, as evidenced by the turnout in the 2020 elections, that voting is the key. The election saw the best turnout in 120 years. We need to make sure that the people doing voter registration are prepared. They need to know when the next election is. They need to be able to explain the role of the voter in the democratic process. They need to be able to rebut conventional wisdom, in that “My vote doesn’t count,” and explain how that vote DOES count. None of this will simply happen. We need a complete curriculum that teaches people to register voters. We need to teach the person registering voters the facts: how the process works and what is coming up in the next term that the new voter will vote on. Stacy Abrams, who led a group that registered 800,000 voters in Georgia, shows what can be done with leadership and political will. We need resources, we need direction, we need to scale. We can and have identified the problem and we need to quickly implement the solution. We can do it if we want to. Do we, as citizens of the world’s oldest and most important democracy, have the will to do this? I hope we do and I believe we can. Dave Mulryan is the Co-Founder of Everybody Vote, a group that registers high school seniors to vote. He is President of Mulryan/ Nash Advertising, Inc.

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BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, KEEP CREATING, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2021 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0369 04/21

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talking points

111

The secretary of defense strongly believes that the all-volunteer force thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the high standards for military service in an inclusive force that strengthens our national security posture. —Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, on the Defense Department updating policy to fully reverse the Trump administration’s transgender military ban

Lil Nas X’s latest single goes to No. 1

GBTQ rapper Lil Nas X’s latest single, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100, according to chart data released April 5. “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” is Nas X’s second No. 1 single. His 2019 hit “Old Town Road” became the longest running No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history at 19 consecutive weeks. The 21-year-old rapper reacted to the news on Twitter, writing “[Y]’all told a 19 year old who had just escaped the lowest point of his life that he would never have a hit again. [Y]ou told him to stop while he’s ahead. [H]e could’ve gave up. But 4 multi platinum songs and 2 #1’s later, he’s still here.” Nas X is expected to release a full album this summer. He posted on twitter earlier this year “album drop middle of the year.”

anti-transgender

bills have been introduced by

state

lawmakers Lance Bass to open biggest LGBTQ nightclub in US

ormer *NSYNC boy band member Lance Bass has announced his latest venture — opening the biggest gay club in the United States. Bass signed the lease to rent 8911 Santa Monica Blvd., moving in to the space formerly occupied by the 37-year-old Rage bar. Bass’ company has yet to release the name and no official opening date has been announced; however, a minimalist website titled WeHoMegaClub. com promises that the new club will be “the biggest gay nightclub in the USA.” Bass’ new bar is the most recently announced in a new string of West Hollywood bars including Stache and the rebirth of COVID-casualty, Gym Bar, which will be neighbors with Bass’ new Mega Club.

TikTok star killed as tree limb falls on car

ochelle Hager, a 31-year-old executive chef from Maine, was talking on her cellphone to her future wife, Brittanie Lynn Ritchie, when powerful winds blew a tree limb onto her car and killed Hager March 29. Hager and Ritchie were both popular on TikTok. Together, they had more than 400,000 followers. Hager was driving when a storm that produced gusts topping 50 mph toppled the tree limb and killed her instantly. “It happened really quick,” Ritchie told the Morning Sentinel. “She has a phone mounted in her vent. I just heard a crash and then there was nothing.” The couple were engaged to be married this fall. Hager was the sole occupant, and no other vehicles were involved.

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Author turns queer story into animated film

riter Keith Miller and director Terrance Daye are turning their planned live-action short film “Pritty” into an animated film due to the pandemic. The film, written by Miller, tells the coming-of-age story of Jay, a Black queer boy growing up in Savannah in the early 2000s. The film centers on Jay as he “learns to step out of his comfort zone and, with the help of a charming neighborhood boy, overcome his fear of the deep end.” Miller and Daye launched a Kickstarter that raised more than $114,000, with a current fundraising goal of $125,000. The final goal is a $1.6 million budget for the project with animation hoping to begin this fall with the full film being completed by October 2022.

32 states

during the 2021

state legislative

sessions.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

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TERFs explained

Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists: who are they and what do they believe?

Edward Segarra

n late January, President

Joe Biden signed an executive order that would prove to be a societal milestone for the LGBTQ community and in particular, transgender people.

Contrasting with the Trump administration’s previous effort to define gender “as either male or female, unchangeable and determined by the genitals that a person is born with,” the Biden executive order promised legislative protection to members of the LGBTQ community. “All persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation,” the executive order read. Under such an order, trans students would be given the ability “to learn without

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room or school sports.” LGBTQ individuals would also be shielded from the oppression of workplace discrimination: being “fired, demoted or mistreated because of whom they go home to or because how they dress does not conform to sex-based stereotypes.” Biden’s signing of this executive order set off an avalanche of anti-trans rhetoric online. Claims of

Continued on pg. 28 | uu |

online bully: Twitter user PatrioticRN joined many TERFs in attacking trans women online using the hashtag #BidenErasedWomen. Screenshot from Twitter Gender-critical feminism is an alternative name for the online subculture of TERFs – a collective of individuals who espouse anti-trans rhetoric in the name of feminism.

Who They Are

Un-Funny: Twitter user @JameyFunny attacks a trans basketball player for

playing on the girls’ team at Mission College. Screenshot from Twitter

| uu | TERFs Explained from pg.27

disempowering cisgender women – i.e. women who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth – culminated in the Twitter hashtag #BidenErasedWomen, which is still being used months later. In late March, Twitter user @PatrioticRn responded to the issue of trans girls being allowed to participate in girls’ sports in school by seemingly dismissing the gender identities of trans girls altogether. “If you were born a male, compete in male sports,” the user wrote at the time. Another user, @ memeste22547300, recently tweeted a meme of professional wrestler and actor John Cena dressed up as a woman, accompanied by the caption “Biden: This is my secretary of health”; such an image alludes to the transphobic notion that transgender women are simply cis men impersonating women. Twitter user Jamey Funny (@JameyFunny) tweeted a photo of Gabrielle Ludwig, an openly transgender basketball coach at Mission College, a community college in Santa Clara, California. Funny accused Ludwig of using Mission College female athletes as “a prop for…a 50-year-old trans-identified

male to live out his dream while robbing the girls of fair play in sports.” A look at Funny’s Twitter bio reveals that Funny identifies as a gender-critical feminist, or “GC” for short.

The earliest recorded usage of the term TERF, which stands for “trans exclusionary radical feminist,” goes back to the late 2000s, when freelance writer Viv Smythe was running a Feminism 101 FAQ blog. Smythe used the acronym to mark a point of differentiation in feminist discourse: “a

signifier: a slur-like word hurled by trans rights advocates and a digital name tag for those with a more exclusive stance on trans inclusivity in society. Smythe said the term has taken on a life of its own, being “weaponized at times by both those who advocate trans-inclusion in feminist/ female spaces and those who push for trans-exclusion from female-only spaces.” Ciné Julien, a junior at the University of Central Florida and a member of the LGBTQ-centered student advisory board Lavender Council, says feminism goes

There’s really no meaningful distinction between trans people or nontrans people that can be found in biology. In terms of gender, those are just social and cultural differences. So, there might be differences in how we treat people and how we imagine people, but they’re not locatable in the body. — Jules Gill-Peterson Funny’s cover photo for their profile is an anatomical illustration of a male and female pelvis, while their current pinned tweet is a definition of the word “menstruation” that leads with the phrase “the process in a woman.”

shorthand to describe one cohort of feminists who self-identify as radical and are unwilling to recognize trans women as sisters, unlike those of us who do.” Since then, however, TERF has evolved into both a pejorative and an ideological

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beyond the dichotomy of “cis women vs. cis men” and instead acknowledges the spectrum-like quality of gender. Julien, who identifies as nonbinary transmasculine, said including transgender people in feminist dialogue ensures

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

that everyone is included in the conversation. “The entire point of feminism is not for just women’s liberation and to be equal to the cisgender man,” Julien says. “The point is to reach some type of gender justice, some type of gender equity, because equality can only go so far. You want to make sure that everybody has the resources, the tools, the ability to fight for equality and equity in their space — and that’s for every gender.” Jules Gill-Peterson, a trans historian and associate professor of gender, sexuality and women’s studies, said meaningful feminism recognizes the complexity of gender, as well as strives to reevaluate gender norms in a way that helps create a more “just, inclusive and less unequal society.” Gill-Peterson says TERFs’ interpretation of feminism fails to meet this standard because in the context of TERF-branded feminism, the societal privilege of cis women relies on the marginalization and disparagement of trans women.

What They Believe

Many TERFs today hold to the notion of sex as a biologically-based, unchangeable quality, irrespective of a person’s self-defined gender identity. “Sex is grounded in materiality, whereas ‘gender identity’ is simply an ideology that has no grounding in science,” Women’s Liberation Front, a radical feminist nonprofit, told Vox in 2019. However, Gill-Peterson says gender emerged primarily as a psychological category in the 1950s to describe a person’s sense of “being a man or a woman or whatever gender” and that sex itself is not the strict binary TERFs make it out to be. “There’s really no meaningful distinction between trans people or non-trans people that can be found in biology,” Gill-Peterson says. “In terms of gender, those are just social and cultural differences. So, there might be differences in how we treat people and how we imagine people, but they’re not locatable in the body: they’re not hiding somewhere in

Including Everyone: Ciné Julien (L) is a junior at the University of Central Florida and a member of the LGBTQ-centered student advisory board Lavender Council. Photo Courtesy Ciné Julien someone’s cells or genotype or in their brain.” Em Murphy, a UCF sophomore who identifies as nonbinary and also serves on Lavender Council, says gender identity is tied to how a person sees themself and shouldn’t be defined by a person’s sex characteristics. “Just because you were born a certain way doesn’t mean you have to be perceived that way,” Murphy says. Because of TERFs’ insistent emphasis of sex and dismissal of gender identity, this leads to the assumption that trans people are not the gender they claim to be. The assertion that transgender women are actually “biological males,” for example, stems from such an assumption. “The reason many gender-critical feminists exclude transgender women from their feminism is the same reason many also make room for transgender men in women’s spaces — many gender-critical feminists do not view transgender men as real men or transgender women as real women,” Insider reporter Canela López wrote on the topic. Abbie Rolf, a trans-inclusive mental health counselor based in Tampa Bay, said gender identity is an innate quality within every person, and the notion that trans people choose their gender is the strongest misconception embedded within TERF ideology. Moreover, Rolf says affirming the gender

of trans people — using the correct personal pronouns and referring to them as their true gender — can help reduce the incidence of suicide within the trans population. “People may choose how they express their gender,” Rolf says. “They may choose what undertakings they take to affirm it, whether that’s medical or social or legal

the supposed depravity of trans women, citing rare cases to paint trans women as threats to women and children,” Katelyn Burns wrote for Vox. Such perceptions have even found legislative outlets to justify the exclusion of trans individuals from certain sectors of public life. The passage of the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act in 2016, which

Universal talk: Marquis Bey says most forms of societal progress are the result of disturbing the status quo. Photo courtesy Marquis Bey

year, in which she framed the broader recognition of trans identity as an affront to people’s ability to freely express their personal views. “The ‘gender identity’ movement is canceling people’s free speech and academic freedom for anyone who doesn’t fall in line, speaks out in opposition or even calls for the right to debate,” Hughes wrote at the time. Such a view seems to speak to an emerging perspective among TERFs in the era of cancel culture: TERFs are being marginalized from public forums for expressing contrary viewpoints on gender. In 2019, researcher Maya Forstater, who was fired for tweeting “‘offensive and exclusionary’” language about trans-inclusive legislation and was at the center of the J.K. Rowling-endorsed hashtag #IStandWithMaya, said the dismissal of her legal case represented an erosion of disruptiveness associated with “the right to freedom of belief trans people is largely the and speech.” product of people’s resistance “It gives judicial license for to trans people’s presence women and men who speak and participation in public life. up for objective truth and Additionally, Bey says most clear debate to be subject forms of societal progress, to aggression, bullying, such as the abolition of slavery no-platforming and economic or the women’s liberation punishment,” Forstater told movement, are the result of the Guardian. disturbing the status quo. Gill-Peterson says this “When something is wrong or notion creates a narrative of in need of being transformed, it is necessary that it is disrupted,” victimization that serves to distract from the reality that Bey said via email. trans people are often the ones University of Rhode Island professor Donna Hughes penned an essay earlier this Continued on pg. 31 | uu | “There is no disturbance to public life or to civic life because trans people have been going to the bathroom, they have been playing sports [and] they have been in the world for many decades, if not centuries, in this country,” Gill-Peterson says. Marquis Bey, an assistant professor from Northwestern University, says any perceived

There’s a good chance that someone in your life might be trans. Be cautious of the hate that you are sharing because that hate can do them irreparable harm. — abbie Rolf transition, whatever their path may look like – but that’s where the choice ends. Because our gender is our perception of self, which is an intrinsic piece of our identity we don’t choose.” Part of the framework of TERF ideology involves framing trans people as a threat or disruption to the fabric of civic life. Allowing trans people to exist in spaces that correspond with their gender, the logic goes, has the opportunity to create danger or injustice for cisgender people. “Gender-critical propaganda is almost entirely focused on

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limited trans people’s access to public restrooms and changing facilities in North Carolina, and Arkansas’ Senate Bill 354 in March, which prevents trans women and girls in Arkansas from competing in school sports on the basis of sex-based classifications, illustrates how these perceptions of the trans community are further solidified. Gill-Peterson says this characterization of trans people as being disruptive has no basis in reality, given the trans community’s long-standing presence in society.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

Now Accepting

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Health care that makes you smile. • • • • • • •

Primary Care HIV/STI Education, Testing, and Treatment PrEP and PEP Mental Health Counseling Transgender Health Care and HRT Case Management Medication Assistance

We provide HIV/STI testing, treatment, and preventative health services. PrEP We help you reduce your chances of getting HIV with a once-a-day pill called Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

Appointments

407.645.2577 30

PrE P We help

HIV/STI Testing

Medical Treatment

We offer a full panel of HIV/STI testing in our clinic or you can use our At-Home HIV/STI Test Kits.

We treat all STIs, including HIV, Hepatitis C, HPV, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Herpes.

4122 Metric Drive, #800 Winter Park, Florida 32792

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Visit our website for more info

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April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

| uu | TERFs Explained from pg.29

who don’t have access to major platforms that would allow for their voices to be heard. “TERFs know that trans people are the ones being censored,” Gill-Peterson says. “We don’t have access to a voice in the mainstream media. There are not very many trans journalists employed in mainstream news outlets.” Gill-Peterson adds “They often don’t interview trans people, and trans people are not really welcomed in publishing, other than in fiction and poetry.” Bey said that when it comes to matters of free speech, allowing certain attributes to be open to debate, such as a person’s gender identity, can have adverse consequences because it creates the opportunity for people’s identities and lived experiences to be invalidated. “For something to be up for debate means that it is under scrutiny or facing skepticism as to whether it should be permitted to hold truth, which has an indelibly negative effect when it concerns people’s lives and livability,” Bey said.

Their Impact on the Trans Community

Gill-Peterson says concerted efforts to marginalize trans people from public life not only endanger and destabilize trans lives, but these efforts also have the potential to backfire on cis people. She says policies based on selective access to public spaces — restrooms, schools, doctor’s offices — can be inadvertently misapplied to cis people, resulting in their own exclusion. “There’s no reliable way to make policy based on visually looking at someone and trying to decide if they are cisgender or transgender,” Gill-Peterson says. “It’s simply impossible to do that reliably.” With regard to the state of online culture, Gill-Peterson says the trans community is living in a “double-edged era” when it comes to their engagement with the internet. On the one hand, Gill-Peterson

Subject Expert: Jules Gill-Peterson is a trans historian and associate professor of gender, sexuality and women’s studies, and author of “Histories of the Transgender Child.” Photos from jgillpeterson.com

says the internet can serve as a place of community for trans people, where they can meet other trans individuals and gain access to resources. At the same time, she adds the internet can also act as a “ground zero” for contemporary TERF discourse, which often aims to discourage trans people from transitioning,

hostility toward trans people online can create a sense of instability that extends into their personal lives. “Trans people are then seeing their family members, people who they thought were their friends [and] people who they thought were their co-workers jumping on these trains, and

of informing themselves about the harm this inflicts on the trans community. “If you’re going to take the space to be transphobic, you also need to take the space and time to educate yourself on why that’s wrong,” Julien says.

The entire point of feminism is not for just women’s liberation and to be equal to the cisgender man. The point is to reach some type of gender justice, some type of gender equity, because equality can only go so far. — Ciné Julien as well as “make their lives more difficult, more miserable.” Rolf says social media platforms provide TERFs with a soapbox to broadcast their views. This can create a “dogpiling” effect, Rolf says, in which other people with similar views feel encouraged to chime in with their own anti-trans perspectives. From a mental-health standpoint, Rolf says this proliferation of

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now [they’re] feeling unsafe in many aspects and facets of their lives because they’re recognizing the hatred that exists around them when people are given permission, if you will, to hold that hatred out in public,” Rolf says. Julien says TERFs’ usage of online platforms to promote animosity toward trans people means it’s also TERFs’ responsibility to do the work

What People Can Do Murphy says one way people can help combat the prejudice and misinformation TERFs spread about the trans community is by making sure that trans people are given opportunities to voice their own experiences and perspectives.

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“It’s important to make sure that people who don’t have a voice are getting their chance to have a voice,” Murphy says. Gill-Peterson says anyone who is invested in the pursuit of social justice more broadly should be equally invested in the preservation of trans rights. “You shouldn’t have to know someone to believe that they deserve respect and civil rights anyways,” Gill-Peterson says. Rolf says it’s important for people to be mindful of the messages about trans life they publicly endorse because the impact can be life-altering for trans people. “There’s a good chance that someone in your life might be trans,” Rolf says. “Be cautious of the hate that you are sharing because that hate can do them irreparable harm.” Watermark reached out to Hands Across the Aisle, a coalition of “radical feminists, lesbians, Christians and conservatives” who oppose gender identity-based legislation, which it views as “the erasure of our own hard-won civil rights,” for comment; the coalition did not respond to our request. Watermark also reached out to a number of Twitter users who either identify as TERFs and gender-critical feminists or whose content closely aligns with TERF ideology, to get their perspectives: @usa_goddess, @ KeelahSalai, @BornWithOvaries, @theismisntmeism and @ betsvigi9. These individuals did not respond to our request either.

Jules Gill-Peterson is the author of “Histories of the Transgender Child” (University of Minnesota Press, 2018), the first book to shatter the widespread myth that transgender children are a brand new generation in the 21st century. Uncovering a surprising archive dating from the 1920s through 1970s, “Histories of the Transgender Child” shows how the concept of gender relies on the medicalization of children’s presumed racial plasticity, challenging the very terms of how we talk about today’s medical model. “Histories of the Transgender Child” is currently available on Amazon and other online book retailers. Gill-Peterson is currently at work on a book project entitled “Gender Underground: A History of Trans DIY,” which reframes the trans 20th century not through institutional medicine, but the myriad do-it-yourself practices of trans people that forged parallel medical and social worlds of transition. Read more about her ongoing research at JGillPeterson.com.

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G R AC E P OT T E R April 22

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B AC H ATA H E I G H T Z May 25

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F R O N T YA R D F E S T I VA L .O R G Mainstage at Senee Arts Plaza

T H E B E AC H B OYS May 13

ILIZA SHLESINGER Ma y 1 4

FOREIGNER Ma y 1 9 & 2 0

F I T Z & T H E TA N T R U M S Ma y 2 7

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

arts and Entertainment

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Director Kevin Smith talks about his relationship with his gay brother, pop culture and being 50

Kirk Hartlage

ith its boisterous

energetic theme parks, unending strip malls of souvenir shops and constant road construction, it’s tough to imagine someone anticipating a trip to Orlando to be therapeutic. For filmmakeractor-comedian Kevin Smith, that’s exactly the case.

The 50-year-old first came to fame in 1994 by writing, directing, co-producing and acting in the low-budget comedy “Clerks.” Smith portrayed the quieter half of the stoner duo Jay and Silent Bob with friend Jason Mewes, appearing together in a multitude of films, comics, video games and TV shows. Smith continues to add careers to his resume, including author and podcaster. Most recently he’s added restaurateur to the list, overseeing Mooby’s pop-ups across the country. (For the non-devout, that’s the fast food eatery from the View Askewniverse, the quasi-fictional world where the majority of Smith’s films take place.) Last month saw the fictional foodery take over I-Drive’s Tin Roof for a sold-out two week run.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

In a nearly hour long chat with Smith we covered a wide variety of topics, including his upcoming appearance at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts’ Frontyard Festival in Orlando May 8. A more extensive version of our chat appears online at WatermarkOnline.com, but here are several highlights including what makes coming to The City Beautiful so curative. WATERMARK: So, Kevin! You’re coming to Orlando, helping keep theaters alive. What should people expect? What’s bringing you here?

KEVIN SMITH: Well, I’m coming out to do a show, which I haven’t been able to do in about a year, at least live. Me, on a stage answering questions, is kind of what I do for a living. A lot of people think it’s film, but I just make the films so I have something to Continued on pg. 35| uu |

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

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

which then of course, extends to the gay community and whatnot. And I think because of that, I’ve had a pretty decent following in the community. There was one time in 2001 when GLAAD – or Scott Seomin, who was in charge of GLAAD – kind of came after me for “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” He said he watched the movie and thought it was incredibly homophobic; I completely disagreed. I was like, Look, there’s a moment in that movie, where one main character admits that he was about to suck the other main character’s dick. Like, if that’s not pro-gay, I don’t know what is.

| uu | We Need to Talk

About Kevin from pg.33

talk about. Coming to Orlando is always focused around Mom; she lives there, my brother Don and his husband Jerry as well. So, I make the trip as often as I can. Hopefully people enjoy it but I’m gonna enjoy it more, because standing on a stage and talking about yourself is like the cheapest therapy in the world. It’s been a year since I’ve been able to go to therapy, so to speak. So this is gonna be welcomed. there’s something about the power of a microphone and a stage.

In life, I think we only need three things: food, fucking and to be heard. You know you’re being heard when you look out at a crowd of people who are hanging on your every word. That always feels incredibly fulfilling, so I look forward to getting back to it down there. I trust I’ll be doing a year’s worth of COVID material that I’ve been just sitting on as well as some stuff about going to the periodontist and whatnot, which I guess is old man humor at this point. I guess I’ll be doing dad jokes, is what I’m getting at. Gotta love being in your 50’s, right?

Oh good lord, man. I never think about it until I read an article where, in the first few paragraphs, they have to explain what “Clerks” is to an audience of people who weren’t alive when we did it. It reminds me of that moment from “This Is Spinal Tap,” where their music’s on the radio and the DJ is like “From our ‘Where Are They Now’ file.”

you made a joke about how you’ve resurrected your career so many times. It’s like you’re Madonna and that’s why we gays like you so much.

It’s like, “He’s like Madonna, if Madonna was not that successful!” Or, “He’s like Madonna if Madonna was a Madonna knock-off!” let’s talk about Mooby’s.

Orlando was so successful for us. Sold us out, treated us really well. For me, it was a wonderful experience, a profitable experience, but more importantly I got to bring my mom to the opening, to the ribbon cutting. That kind of shit is pornography to a mother. There’s nothing more pleasurable to a mother than watching people like

Pop up eatery: Smith brought

And had the term been around then, I imagine you might have been “cancelled.”

Mooby’s to fans in Orlando last month.

Photo courtesy Kevin SMith

her son. I passed the mic to her at one point and asked if she had any words of wisdom. She went off on this, you know, “appreciate every day” kind of thing. It was adorable.

With appearances on “Match Game” and “Celebrity Family Feud,” you’re also becoming the go-to guy for game shows.

Apparently I’m at the game show stage of my career, which I couldn’t be happier about. I grew up watching game shows. When I was a kid, I asked my dad “What does Charles Nelson Reilly do?” And my dad would say “Game shows.” I cherish the notion that there are kids out there watching game shows today with their parents asking “Who is that?” And the parents saying “Oh, I see him on game shows a lot. He’s a game show guy” without even knowing all the careers that I’ve had. For me, that’s just as cool as being on Degrassi. There was a whole audience out there, unfamiliar with my true body of work, who now are somewhat familiar with Jay and Silent Bob; it was Canadian teenage kids, which was adorable. Anytime you can expose yourself to a market that is not necessarily familiar with you is a good thing. do you think you’ve had similar experiences with the gay community?

The gay community has always been in the stuff I do because of my brother Donald. I remember first talking to Don about him being gay literally on my way to film school. My mother had already outed my brother to me; but I waited for him to bring it up. At one point he was escorting me out

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Hanging with Smith: Smith hits the stage at Dr. Phillips Center’s Frontyard Festival May 8. photo courtesy Dr. Phillips Center to Vancouver where I was going to go to film school. We’re driving, and I’m waiting; surely, he’s gonna bring it up! The whole trip we’re talking about everything but that. We come across the border, I see the skyline of Vancouver, and I just say, “So, I understand you have an alternative lifestyle.” My brother starts laughing, saying “Well, that’s one way to put it.” So we had this great discussion for the rest of the trip. If you’ve ever seen “Chasing Amy,” where Jason Lee’s character Banky is quizzing Alyssa Jones, Joey Lauren Adams’ character, on all the stuff that goes down in lesbian relationships, it’s basically taken from that weekend with my brother. I was going “What about glory holes; you ever done that? What about Singapore Sling? What about leather? Do you get involved with leather??” I was going full spectrum and asking all the questions because… what am I? 21? 22? This is the first gay person I know! My brother would always tell me, “You know a lot of gay people, they just haven’t told you yet.” But what about movies? Like, when you go to the movies, it’s always a boy and girl fall in love and shit. He said, “Well, I can identify with love. But it’s a little weird to go see a story of romance, over and over again, where you don’t see yourself reflected.” I felt bad about that because I’d spent so much of my time at the

movies and loved it. But my brother doesn’t have the same experience because at that point, culturally, he wasn’t being recognized. So when I started working on my stuff I was like, I’m always gonna whip in a little gay content for my brother just so he’s not sitting there going, “Oh, another fuckin’ breeders movie I gotta sit through.” Just so at least there’s something that he’s like “Holy shit! I feel seen, I feel spoken to” or whatever. “Chasing Amy” obviously has a bunch [of gay content]. But the normalizing of dudes who tell other dudes they would suck their dick? I’m very proud of that! I don’t think I’m the one who invented it but as far as movies and pop culture goes, it was just a very stealthy kind of “There’s nothing wrong with this!” You know, Jay and Silent Bob are about as fuckin’ gay as Ernie and Bert, I would imagine. Whenever the religious right or conservatives are like, “Hey, these liberals are trying to take everything down,” in some cases they’re right! Because, literally, I was throwing in propaganda from an early age. For me, that was a good idea: to normalize something that people in my age group at that time were like, “Eww!” We’re talking about the late ‘80’s, early ‘90’s, when the term “gay” was used by the non-gay community as a pejorative. I put in as much as I could, for my brother,

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To some degree, absolutely. Or it would have created some sort of culture battle, it would have been a polemic. Certainly more of a polemic than it ever was in 1997. I would learn what a polemic was with the next film. “Dogma” was death threats and hate mail and stuff so that’s a true polemic. I think “[Chasing] Amy” would have created like this culture war conversation. “It’s not right for a fucking cis white male to tell this story” of what would now be considered pansexuality, rather than just her being bi. So what are your thoughts on cancel culture?

Well, you’re talking to a guy who, at one point, was responsible for trying to quote-unquote “cancel” Southwest Airlines. To then being the guy who was quasi-canceled online because of it. As many people that were like “Yeah, go get ‘em! Fuck Southwest Airlines!” there were a lot of people who were like “Well maybe you should fucking buy two seats, you fat fuck.” All the fat hate came the fuck out! There was a minute I was cancelled for that; I’ve been cancelled by film critics. I’ve experienced large doses of it. It’s not pleasant. Especially when you’re in the entertainment business because your whole fucking M.O. in this business is “Please love me or else I don’t matter!” So, I’ve been through it but I’ve also tried to perpetrate it, so I understand the frustration. Sooner or later, I’m sure I will do something or I’m sure I’ve already done something that’s gonna come back to bite me in the ass.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

photography

Community Conversation Senior Friendship Centers, Ringling present intimate LGBTQ exhibit

(above)

the edge becomes the center:

Sarasota’s Eve Burchert is photographed during COVID-19 isolation. Photo by matthew dalton and adam misiti, courtesy ringling

Ryan Williams-Jent

enior Friendship Centers has

worked to meet the needs of Sarasota’s aging adults for nearly five decades, offering services to enhance the quality of life for those 50 and over.

Their efforts have long extended to the area’s thriving LGBTQ community, something strengthened in recent years by Director of Community Outreach Robert Rogers. He first joined the organization as a volunteer, driven by his longtime commitment to the LGBTQ community of which he’s a part. “I’ve always embraced, supported and advocated for the LGBTQ community as a whole, but I quickly deduced that elders were getting lost in the equation,” Rogers says. “There weren’t really specific resources for older members in our community.” Both he and the Senior Friendship Centers sought to change that, with the latter employing Rogers to grow their

outreach. “I set about doing that with the intention of expanding services and programming for the LGBTQ community,” he says, “and elders in Sarasota reached out to give me the inspiration to prioritize that.” Those elders had recently lost their partners, leading him to create the nonprofit’s LGBTQ-focused grief and loss support groups in 2016. Meetings continue today and provide a safe space for LGBTQ adults to share their experiences. “I set out to in earnest to build this substantive, consistent resource for older adults in the LGBTQ community and here we are,” Rogers says. “I’m five years into the work and it’s grown organically.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

That includes through community partnerships. Rogers partnered with Sarasota’s Ringling College of Art + Design – which touts diversity and inclusion among its core principals – to facilitate intergenerational exchanges between LGBTQ youth and elders. Those conversations evolved into a documentary, set to premiere this Fall. The onset of COVID-19 altered both its trajectory and that of the Senior Friendship Centers’ programming, however, forcing meetings to transition to virtual gatherings. While that allowed for widespread participation, which Rogers calls a silver lining, he notes that in-person meetings foster a different sort of trust between participants. “It’s a very different thing to be able to hug one another,” he says. “That really contributes to our well-being. That’s a void that was not filled.” That isolation is what inspired Rogers’ latest collaboration with Ringling, “The Edge Becomes the Center: A Contemplation on Community.” On view virtually and in-person at the free Community Gallery at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art until April 30, the exhibit features five photographs of LGBTQ adults, safely captured in their homes during the pandemic. “As we slipped into quarantine and away from one another, I decided to put something together that could hopefully bring us back together,” Rogers says. “It grew into this exhibit out of the shared experience of quarantine – of the loneliness that was felt by the elders that I work with.” The exhibit features the work of student photographers Matthew Dalton and Adam Misiti. Rogers facilitated intimate conversations between them and their LGBTQ subjects, which range in age from their 50s to 90s. In creating lasting relationships both in front of and behind their cameras, their art took shape. The images feature Eve Burchert and Riccardo Didlick, photographed individually – as well as couples Alice D’Souza and Susan Skovronek and Craig Badinger and Jay Poindexter,

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photographed together. For a fifth image, the students captured Rogers. “This experience is one I will cherish always,” Misiti reflects. “The connections made through this project are like no other, based solely on our honest and raw conversations together. Each of our participants holds a special place in my heart and I will carry their stories with the greatest care I am capable.” “Our experiences opened my eyes to a history so unmentioned, yet so relevant, and I’m so grateful for this amazing opportunity,” Dalton adds. “People rarely step outside of their generation,” Didlick notes. “[Participating] provided a wonderful experience for me during the skepticism of these times to compare people of different age groups through LGTBQ intergenerational dialogues, bringing their personal experiences and perspectives of growth and welfare to light.” For her part, D’Souza notes that many LGBTQ community members her age rarely get a chance to interact with youth on such a level. “Our LGBTQ residents make up a sizable population in Sarasota, especially among the retired,” she says. “Our city is one of the best places for us to live in Florida. What they are doing shows the need for us to make connections.” She has since seen the exhibit in person with Skovronek, who calls it top notch. “The opportunity to be seen, heard and deeply listened to is a connector that all humans desire,” Poindexter reflects on participating. “The youth involved with this project provided a space for human connection to flourish.” That’s the point of Ringling’s Community Gallery, the perfect home for “The Edge Becomes the Center.” The space “has become a real asset to both the museum and the community,” Head of Education Laura Steefel-Moore says. “We have been thrilled with the diversity and quality of works that we have been able to exhibit.” Reflecting on the project as a whole, Rogers says “The Edge Becomes the Center” is a deeply personal experience for the viewer. “In the end, every person represents the ordinary yet profound aspirations for community and connection,” he notes. “Something we all share.” “The Edge Becomes the Center” is on view at The Ringling until April 30, located at 5401 Bay Shore Rd. in Sarasota. Call 941-359-5700 for information about safely visiting or viewing the exhibition virtually. For more information and to learn more about the Senior Friendship Centers’ LGBTQ programming, contact Robert Rogers at RRogers@FriendshipCenters.org.

St Pete Beach’s Newest Gay Bar,

NOW OPEN! Good Morning Dylan, I signed a new advertiser, and he'll be running an 1/8 page ad for 26 issues, and will need his ad to be created. We initially agreed to a horizontal orientation, but he seems very open to whatever options we recommend. Based on our conversation earlier, let's start with the horizontal orientation per the insertion order, and go from there. Artwork elements have been moved and organized into: C:\Data\Editorial\Master Ad Folder\Customer Files\R\Romeo's Sensation\Artwork Elements I took the liberty of organizing the text-blurbs he sent over as best I could. You have full creative-license on this to help his business shine, and you're free to pick and choose from the information and images provided. Thanks Dylan! Company Name: Romeo's Sensation LLC Owner Information/Title: Romel Santiago, LCSW

Specializing in trauma, identity, and sex, Romeo’s Sensation, LLC aims to provide culturally competent, diverse, and afﬁrming services to all.

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Additional descriptions from the owner: Specializing in trauma, identity, and sex, Romeo’s Sensation LLC aims to provide culturally competent, diverse, and affirming services to all. We focus on addressing the entire you – physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual. We offer English and Spanish services. We take insurance and offer sliding scales for folks who are unable to pay full cost out of pocket. We work with individuals, couples and consensually non-monogamous folks of all genders, races and backgrounds.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

announcements

tampa bay out+about

CONGRATULATIONS Cristoph’s marked three years in Tampa April 6. Project Pride completed the installation of its historic Pride Walk in Downtown Sarasota despite inclement weather on April 11. “With the rain comes the rainbows,” the organization shared. “Proud of Sarasota and the progress we will make together.” Read about the project’s origins at WatermarkOnline.com.

CONDOLENCES Tampa Bay icon Jim Fancil, who performed as one of the Twat Sisters, died April 2. He will be missed. Thomas Goodall, 36, died April 7 following the Feb. 25 death of his husband, Christopher Clark, 33. The couple owned Gulfport’s Funky Flamingo and will be missed. A GoFundMe has been set up to help their families with expenses at GoFund.me/d7da9077.

EVENTS The 16th annual Dining Out for Life Tampa Bay will benefit Empath Partners in Care (EPIC) on April 29, with kickoff events scheduled in both St. Petersburg and Tampa on April 28. Read more on p. 12 and view a full list of participating restaurants and bars at DineTB.org. St Pete Pride announced PrideFest 2021 April 12, a full month of events this June. Pride season unofficially begins with the 12th annual Miss St Pete Pride pageant on May 23, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Postcard Inn on the Beach. Read more on p. 12 and WatermarkOnline.com.

Local Birthdays Former Tampa Bay Bucs cheerleader Isaiah Sanchez Hilton, Tampa Bay DJ Bill Kody (April 15); St. Petersburg artist John Gascot, Tampa talent DeLaran Withers (April 16); Tampa insurance specialist Mitchell Ryan, Sarasota realtor Joey McDonald, St. Petersburg realtor Eric Wilson (April 17); St. Petersburg Stonewall Democrat Beth Fountain, St. Petersburg superwoman Tammy Benjamin, Tampa Bay environmentalist Joey Stalker, USAA Insurance claims adjustor Andy Perry (April 18); Tampa Bay entertainer Vivion Rachel Harris Clarke, Sarasota-area actor Peter Ruiz(April 20); Tampa burlesque producer Mayven Missbehavin, H&R Block team lead Tyler lHargrove (April 21); Tampa business owner Michael DiCamillo, Project No Labels founder Claire Elisan, ‘Femmes and Follies’ producer Katie James (April 22); former TIGLFF executive director Scott Skyberg, Tampa Leather Club’s Joseph Mastrapasqua, Metro Inclusive Health Operations Manager Allan Hero-Shaw, Hancock Whitney Bank VP John Balestrieri (April 23); St. Petersburg actor Tom Campbell, former Tampa actor Larry Buzzeo, former St Pete Pride president Scott Turner, Tampa bear Bill Vincent, Tampa Bay campaign manager Valerie McDonald; Florida Orchestra Principal Flutist Clay Ellerbroek-Pettiford, Red Ribbon Cyclist Drew Reed (April 24); Tampa Bay bartender Kyle Hill, Florida Democratic Progressive Caucus president Susan Smith(April 25); Tampa dancer Jackie Huston (April 26).

2 3

ROYAL T: Come OUT St. Pete’s Royal Court (L-R) Kristina White, Joanie Werner and Stephanie Stuart represent the organization for its first sponsored T Dance at The Garage April 5. PHOTO COURTESY COSP

DYNAMIC DUO: Tampa Pride President Carrie West (L) and Secretary Mark Bias discuss Tampa Pride 2021 with Watermark in Ybor April 9. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

THREE YEARS STRONG: Cristoph’s performers and staff celebrate the bar’s third anniversary April 4. PHOTO COURTESY CRISTOPH’S

SARASOTA PROUD: (L-R) Project Pride President Jordan Letschert, artist Joey Salamon and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist convene at the organization’s historic Pride Walk in Downtown Sarasota April 6. PHOTO

COURTESY PROJECT PRIDE

CENTER STAGE: (L-R) Felicity Lane, Hazel Genevieve, Jade Edwards and Amy DeMilo unite at Bradley’s on 7th April 8. PHOTO

COURTESY BRADLEY’S ON 7th

PRIDEFEST: (L-R) St. Pete LGBTQ Liaison Jim Nixon, Mayor Rick Kriseman, St Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer, St. Pete LGBTQ Liaison Markus Hughes and Visit St. Pete Clearwater CEO Steve Hayes convene April 12 at Vinoy Park to announce St Pete Pride’s 2021 plans. PHOTO

BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

RAISE THE ROOF: Metro Inclusive Health Director of Development James Keane (C) gives a tour of the organization’s Tampa facility as fundraising continues April 12. PHOTO COURTESY METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH

ROUND TWO: St. Pete City Councilmember Darden Rice receives the second shot of her COVID-19 vaccine April 12.

PHOTO COURTESY DARDEN RICE

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

5th Annual | 4.9 K

Comm RainbowRun In Partnership with UCF DeVos Sport Business Management Program

Join us Live or Virtually for the Fifth Annual 4.9K CommUNITY Rainbow Run benefiting the National Pulse Memorial & Museum.

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In-person Run limited capacity · Register to secure your spot AHF Pharmacy CommUNITY Festival and 26Health VIP Experience: 7:00 am-10:30 am Old Town Kissimmee Kids Fun Run: 9:15 am PNC Bank Virtual Run - From Anywhere

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

April 15 - 28 , 2021 // Issue 28 .0 8 wat e r m a r konline .com

announcements

central florida out+about

Events The LGBT+ Center Orlando hosts a virtual meet up on Zoom for those who identify on the asexual spectrum, aromantic spectrum or those who are questioning if they do. The CFL SCE ARO Peer Network meets monthly on the third Saturday. The next virtual meeting in April 17. Go to TinyURL.com/CFLACEGroup to RSVP. For more information, you can send an email to cfl.acearo@ gmail.com. Southern Night Orlando presents alums from the hit series “RuPaul’s Drag Race” during its April #FlexFridays as they welcome Detox (RPDR season 5) April 16 and Naomi Smalls (RPDR season 8 and All Stars 4) April 30. 18 and up welcome, face masks are required. For more information Southern Nights’ April events, visit Southern Nights Orlando’s Facebook page.

Spooky Empire, Florida’s premier horror convention, returns to the Wyndham Orlando Resort April 30-May 2 for a three-day, in-person event that will feature costume contests, vendors, photo ops and celebrity appearances including “The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s” Barry Bostwick, “Jaws” star Richard Dreyfus and more. For a full list of events and to purchase tickets, visit SpookyEmpire.com.

Research Study Three of the nation’s largest blood centers — Vitalant, OneBlood, and the American Red Cross — in partnership with The LGBT+ Center Orlando are seeking participants to join a new groundbreaking FDA-funded study in Orlando to consider new approaches for determining blood donation eligibility for men who have sex with men. If you are a gay or bisexual male between 18-30 years old and interested in becoming a blood donor, you may be eligible to participate and earn up to $85. To gather the necessary data the blood centers are partnering with LGBTQ Centers in eight cities across the nation. The study will enroll a total of 2,000 gay and bisexual men (250–300 from each area) who meet the study eligibility criteria. For more information and to register, visit ADVANCEstudy.org.

Local Birthdays Ocala-based horse trainer Randy Eeckhout, Southern Nights Orlando DJ Nela Aguirre (April 15); Orlando arts patron Jerry Baumeister(April 18); Orlando bartender Spencer Dalberth(April 19);YouTuber and transgender advocate Zinnia Jones (April 20); Central Florida realtor Scott Penyak, LGBTQ advocate Randy Stephens, On-air personality for Magic 107.7 Chad Pitt(April 21); “Miss Pee-Vira” AJ Pratt, Central Florida promoter NeemaBahrini, Former Rollins College director of dance Bob Sherry(April 22);former Watermark sales rep Tammi Jones, artist Amanda Vickers(April 23); Congressman Darren Soto’s aide Vivian Rodriguez, O-Town textbook editor Sara Lyna(April 24); Watermark contributor and “News Junkie” Sabrina Ambra(April 25); WAVE Awardwinning Orlando artist Chad Booth, Gender Identity in Florida Today president Jennifer Marvin (April 26); Parliament House owner Don Granatstein, app whiz Randy Shepard (April 28).

Photo by Jeremy Williams

courtesy Orlando Brewing

Big Announcement: (L-R) Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, Mulan Williams, Ashley Figueroa and Marissa Miller at HÄOS on Church in Orlando March 31 right before it was announced the National Trans Visibility March is coming to Orlando.

Easter Parade: MrMs Adrien celebrates Easter 2021 in a fabulous dress and Easter bonnet, created by Jimmi Rossi, outside of Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando APril 4. Photo by Philip Ancheta, courtesy MrMs Adrien

Mr. Wolf Goes to Washington: Equality Florida’s Brandon Wolf visits Washington, D.C. as an invited guest of President Joe Biden as he delivered remarks on gun violence prevention April 8. Photo courtesy Brandon Wolf

Paint Partners: Bobby Hermida (L) and Kim Murphy pick up paint from Star Scenic Paints & Coatings in Orlando April 7 for an upcoming project. Photo

Brew Crew: Tim Collins (L) and Tommi Prichett from The LGBT+ Center at Orlando Brewing’s 15th anniversary party April 10 showing off the “Miso Supportive” shirts created by Yugiri Ramen. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales went back to The Center. Photo

Congrats Grads: One Orlando Alliance Executive Director Jeff Bell (L) grabs a selfie with UCF’s Social Justice and Advocacy Director Edwanna Andrews at the university’s Lavender Graduation event April 8. Photo by Josh Bell

Bench Mark: Billy Mick grabs a seat on a bench with a message in Dickson Azalea Park in Orlando April 12.

Photo courtesy Billy Mick

Safe & Protected: Orlando’s state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith gets his first COVID-19 vaccine shot while in Tallahassee March 29. Photo courtesy

Carlos Guillermo Smith

courtesy Bobby Hermida

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