Watermark Issue 28.18: They Are Not Alone

Your LGBTQ Life.

Sept. 2 - 15, 2021 Issue 28.18

They are NOT alone Central Florida, Tampa Bay GSAs receive support as students head back to school

INSIDE:

SPECIAL LGBTQ SAFE TRAVEL SECTION, PRESENTED BY VISIT PHILLY

WELCH, BLACKMON ADVANCE IN ST. PETERSBURG PRIMARY

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA

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Your LGBTQ Life.

Sept. 2 - 15, 2021 Issue 28.18

They are NOT alone Tampa Bay, Central Florida GSAs receive support as students head back to school

INSIDE:

SPECIAL LGBTQ SAFE TRAVEL SECTION, PRESENTED BY VISIT PHILLY

WELCH, BLACKMON ADVANCE IN ST. PETERSBURG PRIMARY

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

SEPTEMBER 2 - 15 , 2021 // ISSUE 28 .18 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

Pride is something we can relate to.

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DEPARTMENTS 7 // EDITOR’S DESK

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8 // CENTRAL FLORIDA NEWS 11 // TAMPA BAY NEWS

We want our students to know they are not alone. There are caring adults who surround them every day in the school setting.

–LISA M. DEPAOLO, PINELLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS’ MANAGING OFFICER OF PREVENTION

14 // STATE NEWS 15 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 21 // TALKING POINTS 43 // EVENT PLANNER 45 // TAMPA BAY OUT + ABOUT 47 // CENTRAL FL OUT + ABOUT 50 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 51 // CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE 54 // WEDDING BELLS ON THE COVER

page THE WAY OF THE FORCE:

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page THEY ARE NOT

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ALONE: Central Florida, Tampa Bay GSAs receive support as students head back to school. BOTH COVER IMAGES

Co-creator Gabe Liedman talks about his new Netflix animated series “Q-Force.”

WATERMARK ISSUE 28.18 // SEPTEMBER 2 - 15, 2021

BY DYLAN TODD

SCAN QR CODE FOR

WATERMARKONLINE.COM

MARCHING ON

MOVING FORWARD

GET OUT

TOGETHER AGAIN

page National Trans Visibility March moving forward in Orlando this October.

page Welch and Blackmon advance in St. Petersburg’s mayoral race.

page

page

Read It Online!

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

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LGBTQ travelers show how to travel safely around the country this fall.

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TampaRep makes magic with LGBTQ-focused show “Open.”

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM AT @WATERMARKONLINE AND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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EDITOR’S

Jeremy Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

I

DESK

CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IT HAS BEEN 20 years since the 9/11 tragedy.

While it was two decades ago, I can still remember the day in my head with such vivid detail that it could easily have been last week.

I was a brand new airman in the Air Force, just enlisting seven months prior, and I was stationed at my first base in Aviano, Italy.

It was almost 3 o’clock in the afternoon there when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I was an AMMO troop and I was with my team in the inspection office with count sheets from our recent munitions inventory spread out in front of us when one of the young inspectors came out of the breakroom saying a plane crashed into the World Trade Center.

We all moved into the break room and I took a seat on an old brown and beige couch, the kind with a wood frame that looked

like it would be more at home in a 1970s family room. There were 10 or 12 of us in the room and everyone had a theory of what happened.

“The pilot lost control of the plane.”

“It was faulty equipment.”

“I bet the flight crew was drunk.”

Everyone’s guess centered on this being an accident. Nobody in that room thought this was a purposeful act on anyone’s part until about 15 minutes later as we watched a second plane slam into the South Tower. We sat in complete silence as we tried to process what we just saw. After a few moments, the officers in the room told us airmen to head back to our rooms but to stay close to the phone.

I got back to my room and turned the TV on just in time to hear that another plane crashed

into the Pentagon. I remember my buddy John with his hands on his head saying “Jesus Christ, we’re under attack.”

The next few weeks, compared to those first couple of hours, were a complete blur. We increased the number of troops on base and Aviano became a final stop for planes heading into Afghanistan, where we had invaded to overthrow the Taliban who had been allowing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to operate out of their country. When we took control from the Taliban, most Afghan citizens celebrated as they were happy to be out from under their rule.

Now almost 20 years to the month from when we first went in, we have turned and abandoned them to the same group that we celebrated liberating them from.

We asked them to stand with us and fight with us against the Taliban and now we owe safety and security to those who put their lives in danger to help us. I’ve seen social media light up since the Taliban took back Kabul arguing over who is at fault.

“It’s Biden’s fault for pulling out like he did.”

“It’s Trump’s fault for making a deal with the Taliban.”

“It’s Obama’s fault because he didn’t leave completely after we got Bin Laden.”

“It’s Bush’s fault for going in without a clear plan.”

All of it is accurate. The mishandling of the war on terror is the fault of every administration since 2000. Screwing over the people of Afghanistan is the only true bipartisan act our political leaders have been a part of in the last 20 years.

Thousands of U.S. military members have died, tens of thousands wounded, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have died and trillions of dollars have been spent all so at the end of 20 years Afghanistan can go back to how it

WATERMARK STAFF Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

Managing Editor: 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.

was in 2001, under control of the oppressive Taliban. As a veteran it shames me that this is how we would abandon the Afghan people who relied on our help – but it doesn’t surprise me as it isn’t the first time we have turned our backs on those who we promised a fighting chance to.

So as we remember the tragedy that occurred on U.S. soil in 2001 and we tell our fellow Americans to “Never Forget,” let’s also remember the tragedy that has just occurred and never forget what we let happen on the sands of Afghanistan.

In this issue, as students head back into the classrooms we check in with school boards and

Screwing over the people of Afghanistan is the only true bipartisan act our political leaders have been a part of in the last 20 years.

LGBTQ organizations about local Gay-Straight Alliance clubs. We also have a special travel section looking at places for LGBTQ folks to vacation safely.

We also chat with Gabe Liedman, co-creator and star of Netflix’s latest animated series “Q-Force” and look at the TampaRep’s new show, “Open.”

In news, the National Trans Visibility March moves forward with its October events in Orlando and candidates Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon advance to the general election for St. Petersburg’s mayoral race.

ORLANDO OFFICE Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

TAMPA BAY OFFICE 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

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CONTRIBUTORS DIVINE GRACE

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

SYLVIE TREVENA

is a proud, minivan-driving mother of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 19

TIFFANY RAZZANO

is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 54 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.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

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EDITOR’S

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

I

DESK

IT’S BEEN OVER FOUR YEARS SINCE

I’ve gone “home,” which is what I instinctively call Ohio even after more than a decade of living in Florida. If you ask my mother it’s been a few lifetimes, though, so it may have been longer.

It’s not that I don’t want to visit.

Ohio has a special place in my heart and always will. There’s a lot to love about the Buckeye State; it’s the birthplace of aviation and even an interesting Jent or two.

It also has my aforementioned mother, who I love very much and get all of my overdramatic tendencies from, and other family members and friends I’ve stayed connected with over the years. Not to mention some great local food, as proven by the 10 pounds I gain every time I head North.

Florida gets a bad rap, some of which is deserved – Ron DeSantis – but it’s just as much my home these days, especially since my husband and I just bought our first house. I love the Sunshine State,

particularly given that I’m someone who could live the rest of his life without ever shoveling snow again.

Aside from getting to wear shorts on my birthday, something I’m still not used to but appreciate every December, this state has played a key part in connecting me with what I treasure most.

It’s here that I met said husband and found our dogs, as well as my friends-turned-family and Watermark.

Writing full time has been my lifelong dream, and it’s something I’ve been fortunate enough to do for nearly four years here. I freelanced for the newspaper before that, and getting to serve our community as Tampa Bay Bureau Chief and, as of this issue, Managing Editor has

been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.

I’m thankful and try not to take it for granted, which can sometimes translate into not letting myself take any time off. I’ve earned it over the years and it’s encouraged, but you know what they say: “do what you love and you’ll work every day of your life.” Or something.

I’m happy to report that thanks to my Watermark family, that accumulated time off and the COVID-19 vaccine, I’ll be heading to Ohio around Labor Day. When this issue publishes in print and online, I’ll actually be in the middle of my visit – undoubtedly five pounds heavier and trying to convince my mother that I can’t stay.

It will be the second time I’ve visited Ohio with my husband but the first we’ve driven it together. It’s a 14-hour trek up I-75 that I swore I’d never make in a car again, but I’m looking forward to doing it with him. As one of those rare Florida natives, he’s never seen a lot of the route and I’m excited to be there when he does. For all of its pluses, Florida is pretty flat and mountains are very pretty.

More than anything, after a year of doing very little, doing something big feels even more overdue. It should be quite the adventure, made all the more memorable with our bountiful supply of Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and masks.

That’s still important since the pandemic continues ravaging Florida, in part thanks to DeSantis and his inability to lead.

It’s federal leadership that’s help us secure vaccines, making this trip home possible, and until I’m blue in the face, I encourage everyone to get vaccinated if you haven’t.

Find a site near you at Vaccines. gov. There’s still inherent risk in this and any trip, but who doesn’t love to travel with a bit more peace of mind?

That’s one of the things we highlight in this issue, which

WATERMARK STAFF Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

Managing Editor: 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.

includes a special travel section.

It examines COVID-conscious locales that members of the LGBTQ community can visit.

As students head back to the classroom, we also check in with school boards in Tampa Bay and Central Florida about GSAs, or Gay-Straight/ Gender-and-Sexuality-Alliances.

They share how local LGBTQ youth are supported in these uncertain times and we also detail other resources at their disposal.

In Tampa Bay news, St. Petersburg mayoral candidates Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon advance to November’s general

After a year of doing very little, doing something big feels even more overdue.

election after the city’s primary.

Tampa Bay’s longest-running professional theatre company also welcomes nonbinary artist Paul Edward Wilt as its associate artistic producer, a newly created position at American Stage.

In Orlando, activists prepare for the National Trans Visibility March, which returns to the ground this October. In State news, Equality Florida announces that two of its staff will serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Florida Advisory Committee.

TampaRep’s upcoming LGBTQ-focused production of “Open” takes a magical spotlight in arts and entertainment. We also log into Netflix to discuss the new animated series “Q-Force” with its co-creator.

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

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

TAMPA BAY OFFICE 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

SEPTEMBER 2 - 15 , 2021 // ISSUE 28 .18 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

CONTRIBUTORS DIVINE GRACE

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

SYLVIE TREVENA

is a proud, minivan-driving mother of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 19

TIFFANY RAZZANO

is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 54 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.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

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central florida news

ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR URGES ‘GET VACCINATED’ Skyler Shepard

O

RLANDO | With the FDA giving full approval Aug. 23 to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings asked those who were hesitant in getting vaccinated to now reconsider.

“When the FDA makes approval for permanent use and it’s not an emergency use, they only get to that point when had looked at the science and the data,” Demings said in a press conference Aug. 23. “If you were one of the people who were sitting on the fence because of that — you should be getting off the fence at this point and getting vaccinated.”

Roughly 66% of Orange County residents ages 12 or older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Florida Department of Health.

FREE drive-thru COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites include Clarcona Elementary School – testing only, 3607 Damon Rd. in Apopka; Econ Soccer Complex – testing only, 8035 Yates Rd. in Orlando; Barnett Park – testing Only, 4801 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando; and Camping World Stadium-testing and vaccines, 1 Citrus Bowl Pl. in Orlando. All sites open everyday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RENAISSANCE THEATRE FINDS ITS HOME Skyler Shepard

O

RLANDO | The Renaissance Theatre Company has found a permanent home, previously occupied by the Orlando Ballet, on Orlando’s Princeton St. The 15,468-square-feet warehouse, located at 415 E. Princeton St., will hold a 200-seat performance venue, a large lobby/bar space for pre/post show events and cabarets, a rehearsal space that can house smaller performances or developmental staging for new works, shops for construction and other elements for performers.

The $4.8 million building purchase is thanks to Chris Kampmeier, a local philanthropist and founding board member of the organization, and is set to close Sept. 7.

It will be followed by “Welcome to the Renaissance,” an open house-style fundraising event scheduled for Sept.

10-11, with all proceeds to benefit future programming, theatre equipment and construction. The theatre’s first big event will be “Nosferatu,” an immersive horror experience for adults, running on select nights during the month of October.

For more information, visit RenTheatre.com.

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TO THE STREETS:

Attendees hold the trans flag as they march in D.C. at the first NTVM event in 2019. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO

BY MICHAEL KEY

Marching On National Trans Visibility March moving forward in October Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | The National Trans Visibility March (NTVM) announced their schedule of events in a press release Aug. 23, many of which will be adjusted due to the ongoing pandemic.

“Due to elevated COVID-19 numbers, the NTVM will scale back events and follow CDC guidelines. We are requesting that if you attend an indoor event you be vaccinated and wear a mask,” the organization stated in its press release.

NTVM kicked off events in August with virtual workshops starting a safety initiative — led

by Dee Dee Watters — called “No Lives Left Behind: Violence and Safety is More Than Just Physical Harm,” that focused on healthcare, policy, awareness, resources and actions moving forward.

The next workshop, which will be hosted by the NTVM’s presenting sponsor TD Bank, will focus on trans and nonbinary entrepreneurship. “Leveraging Your Authentic Self to Build Your

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Legacy” will feature trans and nonbinary business leaders from across the country and will be on Sept. 22 from 12-2 p.m. EST. The workshop will broadcast on the NTVM’s website at NationalTransMarch.com.

The NTVM will kick off a week of events starting Oct. 4, broadcasting all events virtually and having a scaled-back presence in person, leading up to Oct. 9, the day of the march.

On Oct. 4, the NTVM will hold its opening ceremony in Orlando from 7-8 p.m. EST. The opening ceremony will continue Oct. 5 in Chicago from 7-8 p.m. EST, Oct. 6 in New York from 7-8 p.m. EST and in Sacramento from 9-10 p.m.

EST, and Oct. 7 in Atlanta from 7-8 p.m. EST. Also on Oct. 7, the organization will hold the NTVM Empowerment Service at Joy MCC in Orlando from 12-1 p.m. EST. On Oct. 8, the NTVM will host its Torch Awards, which will honor community activists and leaders, in Orlando.

The main event will happen on Oct. 9, starting will a rally at 1 p.m. EST broadcasting live from Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, New

SEPTEMBER 2 - 15 , 2021 // ISSUE 28 .18 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

York and Sacramento leading up to the 2 p.m. march in Orlando.

This year’s NTVM is being held in collaboration with Orlando’s Come Out With Pride parade and festival, also on Oct. 9.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of our trans and non-binary siblings from across the nation as Orlando gathers once again at Lake Eola,” Jeff Prystajko, COWP’s board president, said in the press release.

“As the largest single-day parade and festival in Central Florida, we’re certain this will create an historic opportunity to both share in trans and non-binary culture as well as educate the community and allies about the struggles and safety trans and non-binary individuals continue to face every day.”

This is the third year of the NTVM. In September 2019, thousands filled the streets of Washington, D.C. Last year, due to the pandemic, the NTVM held its events virtually.

“This year, NTVM 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,” said Marissa Miller, CEO and founder of the National Trans Visibility March, in the press release.

For up-to-date information visit NationalTransMarch.com.

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tampa bay news

AMERICAN STAGE NAMES NONBINARY ARTIST AS 1ST ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC PRODUCER Ryan Williams-Jent

S ABOVE: Ken Welch (L) by Dylan Todd and Robert Blackmon via Blackmon’s Facebook page.

Moving Forward Welch, Blackmon advance in St. Petersburg mayoral primary Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | Mayoral candidates Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon will advance to the general election on Nov. 2, 29.32% of eligible voters determined in the city’s Aug. 24 primary.

Welch, a Democrat, is a former Pinellas County commissioner who served in the role for five terms.

Blackmon is a Republican and first-term city councilmember.

According to official results from the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, 55,400 ballots were cast for mayor in the nonpartisan race. Welch received 21,827 votes, or 39.40% to best Blackmon’s 15,659 or 28.27%.

Each candidate edged out City Councilmember Darden Rice, who would have become St. Petersburg’s first openly LGBTQ mayor if elected. She received 9,189 votes, or 16.59%.

None of the remaining candidates – Pete Boland, Michael Ingram, Torry Nelson, Wengay Newton or Marcile Powers –

received more than 7.5% of the vote. Had any candidate received more than 50%, they would have won the race outright.

Welch is a longtime LGBTQ ally who has been endorsed by the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County, its local chapter. As a commissioner, he supported several high-profile LGBTQ initiatives.

Blackmon has also expressed support for the community as a city councilmember, though an anti-LGBTQ social media post apparently made by the mayoral candidate in 2007 resurfaced Aug. 11.

Addressing similar posts disparaging other minorities to the Tampa Bay Times, he advised they “do not reflect who I am, what I stand for or who I will conduct myself as St. Petersburg’s next mayor.” During his election night speech, he also specifically vowed to continue fighting for all who live in St. Petersburg, “regardless of who you are, the color of your skin [or your] sexual orientation.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Following the results of the race and prior to remarks from either candidate, Rice thanked supporters in a statement.

“You can count on me to keep fighting for a more equitable St. Pete where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” she said. “I will continue to work for access to affordable housing, a world class education for our children, clean water, and a strong, vibrant economy.”

Blackmon addressed supporters next. “I’ve never been one to go for the status quo,” he said. “We can have change in this city, because sometimes we’re not doing things the right way.”

Welch also addressed supporters that evening. “For more than a year we have asked this community a fundamental question,” he began. “‘What does progress look like?’ And tonight the voters have given us a clear answer.

“Our community wants inclusive progress founded in equity, informed by history, facts and science and committed to the principles of accountability and opportunity for all,” he continued.

“That’s what our campaign is about, and the voters agree with our vision for progress for our city.”

For more information about Welch’s campaign, visit KenWelch.com. For more information about Blackmon’s, visit Blackmon4StPete.com.

T. PETERSBURG | American Stage announced Aug. 26 that nonbinary artist Paul Edward Wilt will serve as the organization’s newly created associate artistic producer.

Wilt will work closely with Producing Artistic Director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, who joined American Stage last month. The two will “ensure the highest quality productions, creation of bold new works and support the professional reputation” of the theatre company, which is Tampa Bay’s longest running.

“Paul Edward Wilt brings with them a passion for music, art, storytelling and activism,” Maharaj said in a statement. “They also have years of experience working in the New York and Regional Theater community.

They deeply believe in using art as a catalyst for change and their core values are aligned with the mission of American Stage and what we stand for.”

Prior to American Stage, Wilt partnered with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, NASA, The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Yale University and other organizations. Their work in the industry has been celebrated by the British Broadcasting Company and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

“What attracted me to American Stage is that, true to its name, this is a theater that represents America,” Wilt explained. “Through the stories told, the outreach, education programs, and team members, I knew that as a nonbinary, LGBTQIA+ artist, administrator, and activist I would have an artistic home and safe space here to share art and provide safe spaces for all the communities American Stage serves now and into the future.”

The venture won’t be the first time the pair have worked together. Wilt previously served under Maharaj as the vice chair of the Equity in the Arts and Culture Committee for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)’s Brooklyn branch. They were also a member of the organization’s Next-Gen national leadership program, which provides advocacy training for young adults seeking to become the next generation of civil rights leaders.

“In addition to Paul’s many talents on and off the stage, they are a visionary arts administrator, extremely hard worker, and they are committed to celebrating and protecting the rights, cultures, and diverse stories of our global community,” Maharaj added. “Paul is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and the NAACP. They are not afraid to stand up for what is right.”

American Stage announced their 2021-2022 season last month, “For the Love of Theatre.” It includes “Around the World in 80 Days,” “School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play,” “The Tempest,” “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” and more.

To purchase tickets and for more information about American Stage, visit AmericanStage.org.

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IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

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

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

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

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

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

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

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

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

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

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, 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

BVYC0369_BIKTARVY_B_9-25X10-1_Watermark_Hugo_r1v1jl.indd All Pages

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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e

es

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m

HUGO LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 1995 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP CONNECTING. Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Hugo’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

6/16/21 8:18 PM

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state news

EQUALITY FLORIDA STAFF MEMBERS TO HAVE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS ADVISORY ROLES Los Angeles Blade Staff, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

T

wo Equality Florida staff members will serve on the United States Commission on Civil Rights’ Florida Advisory Committee for the next four years. The Commission announced the reappointment of Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s executive director, to her role as Chair of the committee and the appointment of Brandon Wolf, Equality Florida’s media relations manager, to the committee for the first time.

The Florida Advisory Committee is one of 51 groups that advise the Commission on a range of issues impacting civil rights policy.

“The work of safeguarding civil rights protections is critical to the future of democracy,” said Smith. “It is an honor to be reappointed as Chair of this committee and to continue guiding these efforts over the next four years. The results of our in-depth investigation into voting rights exposed many areas that call out for leadership and action. We will continue sounding that alarm.”

Established as an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding federal agency, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ mission is to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws. They pursue this mission by studying alleged deprivations of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice.

They play a vital role in advancing civil rights through objective and comprehensive investigation, research, and analysis on issues of fundamental concern to the federal government and the public.

State Advisory Committees, such as Florida’s, serve as a critical link between the communities impacted by civil rights law and policymakers. They have examined issues such as water affordability, school discipline disparities, policing, mental health and the criminal justice system, fair housing, hate crimes, voting rights, and others. The reports and memoranda these committees supply helps to inform future policy changes on local, state, and national levels.

“It is an incredible honor to be called upon to serve the people of Florida in this capacity,” said Wolf.

“Advancing civil rights protections for all Americans is a responsibility that falls on each of us. I look forward to giving voice to our community as we press forward on fulfilling the promise of our nation.”

14

TRIAL DATE SET FOR ACCUSED MIAMI GAY BASHERS Jason Parsley via South Florida Gay News

I

n March and April an attorney representing the state sounded confident he’d be able to reach a plea deal with the four men accused of attacking a gay couple after Miami Beach Pride in 2018 before the next court hearing in August.

“We are in the midst of plea negotiations [...] there are some discussions going back and forth with some various options,” attorney Justin Funck told the judge in March.

At the Aug. 19 hearing the attorney sounded less confident about eventually reaching a plea deal.

“I know that at some point, there was, you know, hopes of resolving

the case short of a trial,” Judge Andrea Wolfson said.

“I am going to have more discussions with the defense attorneys,” Funck said.

For now a trial date has been set for November.

“I do think we’re very close to either this case resolving by way of plea, or I think all parties being able to certify ready for trial,” Funck also said in March.

The four defendants – Adonis Diaz, Juan Carlos Lopez, Luis Alonso-Piovet, and Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa – all in their early 20s, have pleaded not guilty.

The attack allegedly took place when Rene Chalarca and Dmitry Logunov were leaving a public restroom in Lummus Park in Miami Beach on April 8, 2018.

“We were walking and holding hands and needed to use the

bathroom,” Logunov told South Florida Gay News in 2018. The two of them stopped at a public restroom as they headed home for the evening.

As Logunov walked out of the restroom he was allegedly called a “faggot” in Spanish, punched and then beaten unconscious. His boyfriend at the time, Chalarca, quickly intervened, but three more men jumped in and began to attack them both.

The attack was caught on camera and the four defendants have been charged with three counts of aggravated battery. A hate crime enhancement was later added to the charges.

A third person, Helmut Estrada, attempted to assist Chalarca and Logunov. He was also attacked during the altercation and injured.

public service includes championing meaningful bipartisan legislation, including two consecutive bills to secure dignity for incarcerated women, statewide expansion of a clean syringe exchange program and ensuring transparency via police body cameras.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins is next. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved the creation of an LGBTQ Advisory Board, which she sponsored. Artist and Illustrator Edel Rodriguez, a Cuban American artist who has exhibited internationally, rounds out the list.

Those in the COVID-19 relief efforts category are Captain Kevin Cho Tipton, a South Florida critical care nurse practitioner in the ICUs of two of the nation’s three largest public hospital systems. He has distinguished himself in combating the devastating effects of COVID-19 and the spread of misinformation associated with the pandemic.

Our Fund Foundation will also be honored. It exists to support a sustainably livable community for all South Floridians by promoting and increasing responsible philanthropy directed at agencies advancing LGBTQ issues in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm

Beach Counties. The foundation was envisioned as a means of capturing and preserving LGBTQ financial resources.

Rounding out the list is the Miami Foundation, which currently manages over $350 million in assets, mobilizes donors, nonprofits, leaders and locals to set a bold vision for the community’s future to invest in a stronger, more equitable, more resilient Greater Miami. They devote some of their efforts to LGBTQ residents by investing in the capacity of organizations seeking to make a difference in the lives of people in the LGBTQ community.

SAVE Executive Director, Orlando Gonzales expressed his appreciation to the honorees in a statement.

“These Champions of Equality have shown great influence and determination in South Florida and beyond.,” he said.

SAVE TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE ADVANCED EQUALITY Skyler Shepard

S

afeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE) announced they will move forward with their virtual fundraising gala Sept. 23. The Champions of Equality Awards Gala will be hosted by U.S. Rep. Brian Sims, Pennsylvania’s first openly gay elected legislator.

The gala will honor community luminaries and elected officials for their work in advancing equality and providing critical relief to South Florida residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The honorees will be recognized in two categories — safeguarding democracy and COVID-19 relief efforts. Those being honored in the safeguarding democracy category are U.S. Rep. David Ciciline (D-R.I.), one of only seven openly gay members of Congress. His achievements include authoring and introducing the “Equality Act,” which prohibits the discrimination of LGBTQ Americans in employment, housing, public accommodations, government funding and education.

Florida Sen. Shevrin Jones, who is the first openly LGBTQ Black person to serve in the Florida Legislature, will also be honored. His work in

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The Champions of Equality Awards Gala will be held virtually Sept. 23 starting at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to provide donations if possible. Learn more at SAVE.LGBT.

nation+world news

HARRIS MEETS WITH VIETNAMESE LGBTQ ACTIVISTS Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

V

ice President Kamala Harris met with two Vietnamese LGBTQ rights activists Aug. 26.

Harris’ office said Chu Thanh Hà Ngoc, a transgender activist, and Đoàn Thanh Tùng, an LGBTQ advocate, participated in a “roundtable discussion with the vice president and Vietnamese social advocacy organizations” that took place at the U.S. Chief of Mission’s home in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

“It is critical that if we are to take on the challenges we face that we do it in a way that is collaborative, that we must empower leaders in every sector, including of course government but community leaders, business leaders, civic society if we are to maximize the

resources we collectively have,” said Harris.

Harris specifically noted the Vietnamese Health Ministry “helped craft the draft — and draft — the (country’s) transgender rights law” that took effect in 2017.

“Transgender people deserve and need equal access to healthcare services,” she said. “This is an issue that we still face in the United States, and it is an issue here in Vietnam, I know. And we will work together and support you and the work you are doing in that regard.”

Ann Marie Yastishock, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s mission director in Vietnam, moderated the roundtable.

It took place on the last day of Harris’ trip to Southeast Asia that began on Sunday in Singapore, one of the dozens of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized. The trip also coincided with growing calls for the U.S. to evacuate LGBTQ Afghans from Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control of the country.

Ted Osius, who co-founded GLIFAA, an association of LGBTQ employees of Foreign Service agencies, was the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam from 2014-2017. The late-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2015 presided over the Hanoi ceremony during which Osius and his husband, Clayton Bond, renewed their wedding vows.

President Biden in February signed a memorandum that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ rights abroad.

Visibles Executive Director Daniel Villatoro and Ingrid Gamboa of the Association of Garifuna Women Living with HIV/ AIDS were among the members of Guatemalan civil society who participated in a roundtable with Harris in June when she was in Guatemala City. USAID Administrator Samantha Power also met with LGBTQ activists in Guatemala and El Salvador when she was in the countries at around the same time.

UGANDA PREZ DECLINES TO SIGN QUEERPHOBIC BILL Tinashe Chingarande of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

U

gandan President Yoweri Museveni has refused to sign the country’s infamous “Sexual Offenses Bill” that Parliament approved on grounds that it details offenses already covered by pre-existing laws.

Although this is a positive development for LGBTQ Ugandans and activists, the East African country is embroiled in harsh queerphobic sentiment institutionally. And there still exists a culture that makes it unsafe to live in Uganda as a queer person.

The Sexual Offenses Bill, which MP Monicah Amoding originally introduced in 2015, “seeks to consolidate laws relating to sexual offenses and provide procedural

and evidential requirements during trial of sexual offenses and proposes several measures to check among others, sexual harassment in schools by guardians or teachers.”

The bill would also criminalize same-sex relationships and sex work.

Parliament passed the bill in May of this year. Questions regarding its legitimacy rose among LGBTQ individuals and activists as Museveni won his sixth presidential term and new MPs were sworn in. “[When the bill was enacted], that was a time when Parliament was coming to an end, before we went into elections and [installed] a new Parliament,” said Adrian Jjuuko, executive director of Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF). “So when the new Parliament was sworn in, there was a question around what the actual legal status of a bill was that had been passed by Parliament, but not signed by the president.”

Although the proposed legislation went through an “in

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limbo” phase and was not fully bonafide, Jjuuko said Ugandans treated the legislation as if it were fully implemented.

Additionally, the word “bill” in Luganda, the country’s local language, has the same translation as the word “law.”

In response to what this means for law enforcement officials and how they would treat LGBTQ citizens, Jjuuko said that police officers rely on a new form of LGBTQ persecution: Charging individuals with committing “negligent acts.”

This has led to an increase in mass arrests of LGBTQ individuals, with 44 people being arrested as recently as June, and consequently being charged with breaching pandemic restrictions as they pertain to the sizes of public gatherings.

Now that Museveni has refused to assent the bill, it has been returned to Parliament for further review “to address the redundancies.”

IN OTHER NEWS VIRGINIA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO STABBING HUSBAND Roel Delua, 36, will serve 30 years in prison after pleading guilty Aug. 23 to second-degree murder, wounding in the commission of a felony, malicious wounding and hit and run resulting in personal injury in the stabbing death of his estranged husband and hitting his mother-in-law with a car over two years ago.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a charge of arson. In January 2019, Delua stabbed John Kilgore 128 times, started a fire on the kitchen stove and, while fleeing the scene, hit Kilgore’s mother with his car. Court documents say Delua was arrested that day in a Virginia Beach Walmart bathroom, where he had tried to kill himself.

TRANSGENDER TEEN STRIPSEARCHED AT AIRPORT A transgender teenager from North Carolina was ordered to undergo a strip-search at an airport after she registered a “false positive” at a security checkpoint. Jamii Erway was 15 in 2019 when she passed through security with a valid boarding pass at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. But when she triggered an alert, a TSA screener told her she would have to have her genitals inspected in a private room. A lawsuit said the search request and subsequent police presence triggered Erway’s “panic, anxiety, fear, racing heart, shortness of breath.” The Erways are seeking a jury trial, unspecified damages and an injunction preventing such a scenario from happening again.

SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PAY $1.3 MILLION IN GAVIN GRIMM CASE A Virginia school district will pay more than $1.3 million in legal fees to resolve the case of Gavin Grimm, former high school student who challenged its bathroom policy. The ACLU announced Aug. 26 the Gloucester County School Board in a court filing said it would not challenge Grimm’s request to pay the fees and other costs associated with his case. Grimm was a sophomore in 2015 when he filed a federal lawsuit against the school district’s policy that prohibited students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that did not correspond with their “biological gender.”

ISRAEL EASES RESTRICTIONS ON GAY MEN BLOOD DONORS Israel has lifted restrictions on blood donations by gay men, saying the longstanding limitation was discriminatory and denigrating, Israel’s health minister said Aug. 19. Until Aug. 19, men seeking to donate blood in Israel were asked whether they had same-sex relations in the past 12 months, a category that would disqualify them from giving. Now the questionnaire inquires whether a prospective donor has had “high risk sexual relations with a new partner or partners” in the past three months, using gender neutral wording.

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viewpoint

Divine Grace

SWEET

DIVINITY Sorry I’m late? What did I miss?

H

ELLO, DOLLS!!

When I took this gig, former Editor Billy Maines gave me only two caveats: That I write as Divine Grace, and that when I write, I complain.

Strap yourselves in and hang on tight: It’s a litany!

It’s been a hot garbage minute since last we spoke, and what a doozy of a time! In just 10 short months, I have kept my (increasingly) fat trap shut about some of the crap that threatened to topple a democracy while the plague combined with a “Karen” haircut have led some pretty random people to act like complete idiots.

In January, an orange goblin tyrant got a few thousand truckstop diners and respective waitresses to put down their greasy spoons and pick up pitchforks. Later, we would Zoom in the swearing in of a Commander-in-Chief who looked like 12 miles of bad dirt road when he started, but now is being genetically-modified for human consumption. I don’t know who his doctor was before he took office, but it looks like it might have been someone with a stethoscope and a grudge. Joe Biden was present at Methuselah’s bar mitzvah, but at least he’s able to descend a ramp without looking like a plotted accident during an episode of “Matlock.” Trump looked like an amputee on a trampoline. ((EDIT)) Joe Biden fell three times on the same ascension to Air Force One. We FINALLY got through COVID-19, and came out on the other side happy and healthy with a strong economy. ((EDIT)) As of the writing of this column, Orlando, Florida is the epicenter of the planet Earth among new COVID cases, and our governor has decided to turn the state, its elderly and now its children into snot-nosed

vats of disease coughing on your Publix shopping cart because you require another chub of hamburger meat for your super-spreader baby-reveal. Please excuse the disinformation.

For everyone else, well, here we are after the lockdown with pants that no longer fit, partners that are sick of us and eight seasons of “Forensics Files” planting ideas in our heads that are making returning “back to normal” with a laundry list of dirty ideas, and a grocery list requiring a small carving knife, a medium tarp and a lot of bleach.

On a happier note, a member of my family is the sweetest miniature schnauzer on the planet, and she continues to bring my family joy. ((EDIT)) As of the release of this publication, Zoe was led into a veterinary clinic and put to death. (In lieu of flowers, her family asks that you send me cash and canned goods.)

Apparently the Olympics happened, and while Tom Daley was sporting a set of abs one could wash the aforementioned crime scene with, nobody watched because we gave up on cable. Here we were spending $100 a month with Spectrum when we could have been spending $300 a month on the additional charges, channels and features with Roku that we only use after a blunt and a beverage.

I currently rent Paramount ONLY because Ginger Minj is on the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: 6.” Not one single frame have I watched other than that on this new platform.

While I’m bitching, we all know that Ginger Minj is a bona fide star, but at my advanced age (and ironic lack of dexterity considering my stage name) I watched my sister put on a full face of makeup while Gidget Galore and I were just attempting to manage foundation. She’s 100% into her 301 lashes, FULL-FACE and we are still struggling with the Avon we got when Michael Wanzie

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was insisting on that third shipment of “Skin So Soft” because I apparently attract too many insects.

Now that the weather is “fake news,” I’d like to point out that I used to gripe about a daily monsoon or tornado, but now that the news is littered with stories about

At least my conscience rests comfortably in the knowledge that Bill Cosby is a not a free man, and no longer continuing a legacy of sexual misconduct and adulterous date rape. ((EDIT)) It turns out that Bill Cosby’s lawyer was able to restore his freedom by

get to work, our LGBTQ scene is revitalized and experiencing a renaissance. People are finally getting vaccinated.

We’re not out of the woods yet but we are hopeful that we are on our way to returning to some semblance of normalcy.

Stay safe, keep your chins up and tell somebody you love

how Germany is having the worst flooding in 500 years, my own hometown in the Appalachian Mountains of North Cackalacky is somehow now practically coastal from flooding, Italy is on fire along with WASHINGTON STATE and there’s a rampant virus murdering the planet.

fashioning fine print into a prison shank. They let him out through the front door, but his career is crawling out in Andy Defresne-style through half a mile of sewage. (Good luck getting that stink out, Dr. Huxtable!)

In spite of all of this sturm and drang, during this period, I saw a lot of our gay venues

them today. ((EDIT)) I just screamed at a construction worker for starting at seven o’ clock in the morning.

Welcome back! I’ve missed you all!

Amen, The Divine Grace

We’re not out of the woods yet but we are hopeful that we are on our way to returning to some semblance of normalcy. Stay safe, keep your chins up and tell somebody you love them today.

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viewpoint

Sylvie Trevena

MAMA BEARINGS Back to Normal?

L

IKE A LOT OF

Americans in March 2020, I was suddenly unemployed – furloughed until the pandemic was under control, the world opened back up and things “went back to normal.”

I spent so much time online reading about COVID-19 that I felt even uttering its name was a jinx. I had high hopes for 2021.

This is not a column that is meant to add to the mental burden of how the coronavirus has changed our entire worlds. The loss of life, the sickness, the fear, and the controversy and political implications of this crisis will remain with us living now forever. The thing that resonates with me, now, a year and a half into this new way of life, is that people keep going.

It is the human condition that we suffer, but it is also that we find joy, love, sympathy, empathy and kindness. Continuing in this new strange, masked world means we must find the most strength and compassion we have ever mustered.

My four kids have helped me survive and even thrive throughout the pandemic. They all went to online school in 2020 and the lack of social interaction was very hard. We barely saw anyone and I spent my days that I was out of work from my three jobs manically baking banana bread, sending loved one’s quirky gifts and wiping down my grocery deliveries with bleach wipes. As long as I stayed as busy as

possible, I could keep focused on just “doing” so I forgot how little we were living.

I started a weekly virtual group where my dinner and drinks friends and I watched trash TV together and texted thoughts and commentary throughout. I started an online book club. I got back into therapy and added the kids; now all through telemedicine which was very convenient.

In 2020 my depression and anxiety were peaking, and my panic attacks had returned. My bipolar disorder kept me up for days on end, and I was afraid, exhausted, and felt that nothing would improve. I am happy to share this because I know I am far from alone.

One of my dearest friends is a licensed mental health therapist, and I noted her burnout last year when she said that this year in her career was different because everyone had the same problem, the coronavirus.

We were all separated and alone, but oddly united in our problems in 2020.

In 2021, I am employed again and have an exciting new opportunity. My oldest son has recently moved out, is in his sophomore year of college and is working towards a promotion at his job. My oldest daughter is learning to drive and started her first job and my younger one started high school and is thinking about babysitting.

The baby of our family, our Jake, has started at middle school and has a new kitten. They all went face to face for learning, and you have never seen kids more eager for school.

I usually have a tremendous fear of back to school for Jake as he is my transgender son. Will they use his dead name still present on official documents? Will he be called out for being different? Will he get to play sports as the Florida Legislature works to make sure transgender kids cannot?

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I can really go off the deep end of mom worry and guilt when it comes to my little dude, but he always reminds our family of the importance of being true to oneself. He wakes up every day sure of who he is, and he only just turned 12. His

girl’s gym class, my kids are very happy and healthy and loving school so far.

My kids got me through 2020. I was frightened and I lost a lot. I think I understood early on that this virus would not just go away, but we are still

with masks, and socially distancing.

Last year showed us a lot. I will never minimize the losses or suffering of what this virus did to the world, but we cannot let it stop life or living.

Nobody gets out of this life

journey has connected my kids and I in ways I always dreamed as a parent, but it will be a marathon not a sprint.

This year we will be looking into hormone therapy along with soccer.

In no way are his needs different from my other kids; you do what your kids need to thrive no matter what.

Aside from the meltdown I had at his back-to-school night when Jake was seemingly placed in the

wearing masks while the pandemic rages on in 2021.

Still, we keep going.

That is the beautiful part of the human condition.

My gang and I love road trips now. The kids and I have gotten into exercise and more healthy eating.

We appreciate getting to go to the movies or going bowling. We value our time with friends and family so much more and we are living during this freakishly odd time – vaccinated,

alive; enjoy this amazing opportunity you have.

We were all separated and alone, but oddly united in our problems in 2020.

Sylvie Trevena is a proud mom of four whose eclectic interests include hairdressing, horror movies, mental health, advocacy and writing. She holds a BS in Behavioral Healthcare and an MBA. This column is dedicated to Daniel James who lives life every day and who has helped her live her own.

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They are NOT alone PHOTO © GABRIEL

Central Florida, Tampa Bay GSAs receive support as students head back to school

A

Edward Segarra

S A TEENAGER GROWING UP IN TAMPA BAY

in the early 2000s, Sara Grossman had to fight for recognition and inclusion as an LGBTQ youth – under a cloak of caution.

Grossman, who would later go on to become communications director for the LGBTQ advocacy organization the Dru Project as an adult, wanted to start a Gay Straight Alliance at Berkeley Preparatory School.

However, her ambition was not met with support from the school administration.

“The headmaster said, ‘There are no gay kids here. Why would we need something like that?’” Grossman says.

Unprepared to out herself at school, Grossman and her peers settled on

establishing a less controversial diversity awareness club instead.

Nearly two decades later in 2021, the classroom is still a place of uncertainty for some LGBTQ youth.

Aside from navigating the harrowing realities of a global pandemic, including contentious mask mandates and potential exposure to COVID-19, LGBTQ students may also face hostility and exclusion, as illustrated by the results of GLSEN’s most recent school climate survey.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

According to the 2019 National School Climate Survey, 60% of “LGBTQ students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation,” while 40% “reported feeling unsafe at school because of how they expressed their gender.”

These feelings match up with the grim reality for many LGBTQ students: “more than 8 in 10 LGBTQ students experienced harassment or assault at school,” the survey notes, most commonly for their sexuality and/or gender expression.

Mediation from school faculty and staff is rare, as most LGBTQ students refrain from reporting incidents of harassment or assault to school staff, according to the survey.

Students who do report often receive little to no assistance from staff with some even being discouraged from embracing their

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queerness, “to not act ‘so gay’ or dress in a certain way.”

A considerable portion of LGBTQ students also lack the opportunity to receive interpersonal support from their classmates.

“Just over 6 in 10 LGBTQ students attended a school that had a Gay Straight Alliance or Gender and Sexuality Alliance [both types of clubs use the initialism GSA] or similar student club that addressed LGBTQ issues in education,” the survey states.

The overall impact of this marginalization can be destabilizing for LGBTQ youth, both personally and academically.

In addition to becoming more susceptible to “lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depression,” the consequences of school victimization for LGBTQ youth can include lower GPAs, decreased class attendance and slimmer prospects for a post-secondary education, the survey reports.

Ian Siljestrom, who serves as the safe schools associate director for the LGBTQ-centric civil rights organization Equality Florida, says the efforts of schools to counter this hostility can make a world of difference in the experiences of LGBTQ students.

“The more that our schools can remove that rejection, the more our schools can remove that negative language and remove that discrimination, the more our students are going to feel safe and comfortable at school,” Siljestrom says.

We looked at what support there is for GSAs across various Central Florida and Tampa Bay school districts, as well as some of the organizations that help these student organizations flourish.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

The Hillsborough County school district is home to schools such as Freedom High School, Riverview High School, Benito Middle School and Turkey Creek Middle School.

In Hillsborough County, student groups are given full authorization by their school pending factors such as approval by the school administration and sponsorship by a teacher or staff

SUPPORTING KIDS: Shawn Chaudhry, president of the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization The Dru Project, poses with students from Seminole High School’s 2018 GSA. PHOTO COURTESY THE DRU PROJECT member, the school board policy manual reads. The school board’s Equal Access policy provides a safeguard to GSAs, as it prevents a nondistrict-sponsored student group from being denied the use of school facilities outside class hours on the basis of the group’s activities, according to the school board policy manual.

Moreover, the board’s nondiscrimination policy bars

board has further solidified its commitment to LGBTQ students by hiring Monica Verra-Tirado as the board’s chief of equity and diversity. Gray said Verra-Tirado “absolutely engages diverse groups and is always including the LGBTQ population in her diversity work.”

Watermark contacted Verra-Tirado to further discuss her work with LGBTQ students

the dialogue on topical issues.

Additionally, she says she hasn’t witnessed “any dissidence toward … inclusion and support,” with regard to the acceptance of LGBTQ school clubs, during her time with the board.

Gray said outreach with LGBTQ students is “very important” to the board, especially when the “social and emotional effects” of the isolation

For a lot of our LGBTQ+ kids, this is their chance to engage in leadership because they get to run to be the GSA president and they get to control what the programs and the outputs of their club over the course of the school year will be.

— IAN SILJESTROM, EQUALITY FLORIDA’S SAFE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR discrimination and harassment in Hillsborough school programs and activities, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Lynn Gray, chair of the Hillsborough County School Board, says acknowledging the LGBTQ community at the policy level is important as a gesture of inclusivity, which is why Gray specifically included LGBTQ students in the board’s diversity policy, as well.

“There’s several groups that have minority status,” Gray says.

“And what we don’t want to do is not put into writing the LGBTQ group, so I had it inserted into the policy.”

Apart from these policy protections, Gray said the school

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

in Hillsborough County, but she could not be reached for comment.

The climate surrounding GSAs in Hillsborough County has certainly changed in recent years.

In February 2006, according to a press release from the American Civil Liberties Union, the school board tasked an extracurricular clubs task force with “evaluating the school district’s policies on extracurricular clubs” after parents with the Southern Baptist Convention – a Christian denomination – protested “the existence of GSAs in the [county’s] schools.”

Gray says periodic changes in the school board’s makeup – “new board members who have new thoughts” – help shift

brought on by the pandemic are factored into students’ well-being. “Times are a lot different now,” she says.

However, Gray said the oversight of school principals is critical in shaping the degree of LGBTQ inclusiveness found in individual schools.

“It does very much stand from the principal’s leadership and the autonomy we’ve given them,” Gray says. “So, you might have one principal doing one type of emphasis and another one not.”

SEMINOLE COUNTY

Oviedo High School, Lake Mary High School, Sanford Middle School and Jackson Heights

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Middle School are some of the many educational institutions residing within the Seminole County school district.

Similar to Hillsborough County, the Seminole County School Board’s Student Groups and Equal Access policies ensure county GSAs the ability to mobilize and access the necessary resources, regardless of their point of view.

Michelle Walsh, assistant superintendent of student support services, says creating this type of supportive environment is a top priority for the board.

“We do want to be inclusive,” Walsh says. “We want students to feel that they belong to the community.”

On the other hand, Walsh also says school policy can only go so far in facilitating the establishment of GSAs and that student initiative is an important factor.

“I don’t know that any policy makes something successful or not,” she says. “I think a policy provides a venue for things to be able to take place – that’s allowable on a school campus.

I think it is really the students themselves that make a club active and successful or not.”

In addition to these policy protections, Walsh says the LGBTQ+ Working Group, a district committee headed by Intervention Services Director Amy Elwood, seeks to address overlooked areas for LGBTQ inclusion. Elwood said via email the group’s initial meetings focused on areas such as “current non-discrimination policies, best practices, and student and staff support.” The committee plans on having monthly meetings beginning in September, Elwood added.

Walsh says the school board’s commitment to LGBTQ inclusivity is a work-in-progress and something they approach by creating dialogue with students and getting their honest feedback.

“They think all students are important, and to hear their voices and hear what they have to say is important,” Walsh says.

“They’ve been attending open forums at the high school level and have been working with various high schools to find out what are some of the areas that we need to take action.”

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MANATEE COUNTY Manatee County features Gulf Coast schools such as Bayshore High School, Braden River High School, Lakewood Ranch High School and Palmetto High School.

GSAs have achieved a widespread presence within the county school district, with five out of seven Manatee high schools having an active GSA, Noelle DeLaCruz and Karina Li, co-chairs of the Manatee County School Board’s Student Services LGBTQ+ Committee, wrote in an email to Watermark.

The school board’s nondiscrimination policy provides LGBTQ students protections against discrimination and harassment on the basis of characteristics such as “sexual orientation, transgender status or gender identity,” something which DeLaCruz and Li say communicates “a powerful statement regarding fair and equal treatment for those groups.”

When it comes to administrative support for county GSAs, DeLaCruz and Li say the committee has not received any reports to date of pushback against GSAs from school administrators. The co-chairs also said the committee “encourages school staff to notify us when problems arise.”

Every school in Manatee County has an LGBTQ+ Liaison, DeLaCruz and Li stated, which is a staff member who provides support to a school’s LGBTQ population. DeLaCruz and Li say the committee provides GSA information, such as a one-page reference guide for starting a GSA, to liaisons through the online communication portal Schoology, which can then be distributed to staff and students as needed.

“It is our hope that in having district support such as the Student Services LGBTQ+ Committee and an LGBTQ+ liaison in every school, we are creating a safe space for staff to support students who want to start a GSA and helping students feeling empowered to seek out guidance,” say DeLaCruz and Li. They added that in addition to promoting leadership

OUR CLUB: Students from Seminole High School’s 2018 GSA pose with their new “mascot,” a plush unicorn named Drew, named after the SHS alum Christopher Andrew Leinonen, who inspired The Dru Project. PHOTO COURTESY THE DRU PROJECT

development and advocacy skills in students, a GSA is an accessible tool for effecting LGBTQ inclusivity in schools.

“It is a free resource that has a substantial impact and only requires the time and dedication of the members and (a) GSA staff advisor,” DeLaCruz and Li say.

One obstacle that’s impacted the functioning of GSAs recently is the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions, DeLaCruz and Li stated, which highlights the unique vulnerabilities of LGBTQ

Overall, DeLaCruz and Li say the committee has seen an improvement in school climate for LGBTQ students in Manatee County, as reflected by an increase in requests for safe space stickers – which are often displayed to indicate LGBTQ allyship – and committee consultation from staff members.

“We see it as a good indication of increased inclusion when staff reach out to us looking for ways to be supportive,” say DeLaCruz and Li.

and affirmed,” DeLaCruz and Li stated.

PINELLAS COUNTY

The Pinellas County school district is home to schools like Clearwater High School, St. Petersburg High School, Largo Middle IB World School and Pinellas Park Middle School.

GSAs in the county have been thriving since 1998, when the first GSA was established at Largo High School, says Lisa M.

It’s our hope and our goal that through our guide, through our grants and through just helping some of these clubs along that they can move up to the next level and do advocacy work in addition to meeting as a social club.

— SARA GROSSMAN, THE DRU PROJECT’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR students during the pandemic.

DeLaCruz and Li say a couple of GSAs “lost momentum” in the last school year due to social distancing measures.

“This was definitely a concern for our committee since quarantine and e-learning created adverse circumstances, particularly for our LGBTQ+ students who potentially face family rejection and were isolated from supportive resources on campus,” they say. “We are hoping that GSAs will have more opportunity to transition back to in-person, consistent meetings this year.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Moving forward, the co-chairs hope to expand the committee’s professional development training program over the next few years, as a way of making LGBTQ-focused training accessible to more schools and their personnel.

The focus of this year’s training includes “preventing bias-based bullying and creating inclusive environments on our campuses.”

“Our committee will continue to advocate for best practices and be a supportive resource for the students and staff of Manatee County, so all members of our community feel valued

DePaolo, managing officer of prevention. Other high schools quickly followed suit, DePaolo says, leading to the establishment of a GSA at every high school in the county. DePaolo also says many of Pinellas’ middle schools have supported students in establishing GSAs as well.

“We want our students to know they are not alone,” DePaolo wrote in an email to Watermark. “There are caring adults who surround them every day in the school setting.”

To further aid the development of GSAs, DePaolo

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says the Pinellas County School Board’s Prevention Office, “a team of school social workers, school psychologists and school counselors,” offers students and school staff “tools and resources … to address LGBTQ topics in a school setting.” Students, families and staff are also given access to “a robust resource library,” DePaolo says, which features a collection of LGBTQ-inclusive texts, including a GSA handbook.

Joshua Bean, who serves as a prevention specialist, conducts a monthly virtual meeting series for GSA sponsors. DePaolo says the purpose of these meetings is to provide sponsors with networking opportunities and a GSA support system.

Additionally, the school board’s Equal Access policy ensures that GSAs are able to access the same school resources as other student organizations.

“Our goal is to create a safer learning environment for all students, including LGBTQ youth and their families,” DePaolo says.

She adds GSAs are vital in creating an LGBTQ-inclusive school climate because they allow LGBTQ students to create a safe place or students, build positive relationships with peers and foster deeper social connections through philanthropy and community involvement. DePaolo says there’s been a significant reduction in bullying and social isolation at Pinellas schools with active GSAs. “LGBTQ+ students and their allies in the GSAs are empowered to make healthier choices that positively impact personal well-being and academic achievement,” she says.

DePaolo notes the school board is steadfast in its ongoing commitment to uplift LGBTQ students and maintain an inclusive school environment.

“Because of our dedication to the safety and well-being of all students, including LGBTQ+ students, we will continue to work to give a voice to students who have traditionally not always been heard,” she says.

Watermark also contacted school board officials from Brevard, Volusia, Orange and Sarasota counties to discuss their support for their respective GSAs, but these officials could not be reached for comment.

CONTINUED ON PG. 29 | uu |

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Resources THE DRU PROJECT

T

HE DRU PROJECT IS DEDICATED to shaping the LGBTQ+ change makers of tomorrow.

The nonprofit’s inception was inspired by the life and activism of Christopher Andrew Leinonen, who started the first GSA at Seminole High School in 2002 and later became one of the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. Grossman says The Dru Project aims to keep the memory of Leinonen’s humanitarian spirit alive for the next generation of LGBTQ youth, which includes empowering GSAs to reach their fullest potential.

“We know that Gay Straight Alliances are such an important and integral club for queer youth these days,” Grossman says.

One of the ways in which The Dru Project helps GSAs, Grossman says, is by providing them with mini-grants to cover organizational expenses, such as creating T-shirts for GSA members and facilitating LGBTQ-themed field trips and school events. To date, The Dru Project has donated $15,000 in mini-grants to various GSAs, according to its official website.

The nonprofit awards up to 10 grants each school year, and GSAs can apply by filling out an online form, which includes writing an essay on how the grant money will be used.

The Dru Project has also published its own GSA guidebook, which GSAs can download for free on its official website. The guidebook includes resources such as an LGBTQ glossary, club event outlines and a coming out handout. Grossman says the guidebook is being revised for the next school year to be more intersectional, offering increased representation to the layered experiences

of BIPOC, transgender and nonbinary students.

In addition to the mini-grants and the GSA guidebook, Grossman says the Dru Project hosts talk-backs across various schools: informational events during which a Dru Project officer visits with a school – in-person or virtually – “to talk about our work and why GSAs matter so much.”

“It’s our hope and our goal that through our guide, through our grants and through just helping some of these clubs along that they can move up to the next level and do advocacy work in addition to meeting as a social club,” Grossman says. “So, they are out in their school, they’re out in their communities: they are really just representing themselves and being as authentic as they can be.”

ORLANDO YOUTH ALLIANCE

T

HE SELF-DESCRIBED “COMMUNITY GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE,” Orlando Youth Alliance has been serving LGBTQ youth, including local GSAs, for the past 31 years.

OYA CEO Michael Slaymaker says the nonprofit’s philanthropic outreach to GSAs is part of its commitment to creating more consistent, inclusive school environments for LGBTQ students.

“We were the first GSA because the schools didn’t have them,” Slaymaker says. “So, it was important for us to make sure that when our school systems got caught up with the LGBTQ community and the need for GSAs and started having more of them in the schools, that we wanted to be there to support them and make sure that they continue.”

Slaymaker says having a GSA gives LGBTQ students more immediate access to resources.

“The students can get help and assistance right after fifth period

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

as opposed to having to drive or dial into a meeting in the evening,” he says.

Similar to The Dru Project, OYA provides eligible GSAs with grants to cover “general operating expenses,” according to OYA’s official website. Slaymaker says a Ginger Malcom GSA Grant, named after a former OYA board member, ranges in amounts from $300-500. As part of the application process, which is available online, interested GSAs are required to submit a narrative on how the grant money will be used.

OYA is also a member of a Central Florida coalition, featuring LGBTQ organizations like Zebra Coalition and Equality Florida, that focuses on supporting GSAs. Slaymaker says the group meets monthly to speak with GSA organizers from Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties and help them design educational programming for their respective GSAs. Additionally, Slaymaker says OYA regularly takes part in the Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit, which aims to “train and educate leaders in GSAs,” by sponsoring speakers and participants at the event.

“Not everybody is going to find all of the places that are safe spaces,” Slaymaker says. “So, the more safe spaces that we have, the greater the amount of youth not thinking that they’re alone or that suicide is the answer.”

E

EQUALITY FLORIDA

QUALITY FLORIDA HAS BEEN STRIVING TO REDUCE LGBTQ HARASSMENT and discrimination throughout the state since its formation in 1997.

When it comes to GSAs, Siljestrom says the organization’s primary mission is ensuring students are well-informed about

their ability to establish a GSA at their own school.

Equality Florida accomplishes this mission through its Safe and Healthy Schools Project, a collection of online resources intended to help “create a culture of inclusion” and counter “the bullying, harassment, social isolation and bigotry that dramatically increase risk factors for LGBTQ+ students,” according to the organization’s official website.

The collection includes resources for students, teachers, parents and LGBTQ allies. Student resources include GSA tools, such as tips for starting a GSA, club activities suggestions and a definition of the Equal Access Act of 1984, a federal law which states that all extracurricular student groups must be provided equal access by their school.

Siljestrom says Equality Florida has already heard from “terrified” parents of LGBTQ youth, who are concerned about potential harassment against their kids, as well as the supportiveness of faculty in affirming students’ identities, such as using the correct names and pronouns for trans and nonbinary students.

“When we think about safety, I would say a couple years ago a lot of people thought about it in the context of school security,” Siljestrom says. “I’d say right now when we talk about safety, a lot of people think about it in the context of health or the pandemic ... And for our LGBTQ kids, their version of safety – and their family’s version of safety – is ‘Can my child simply attend school without being afraid of how they’re going to be treated?’”

GSAs can provide an empowering space for LGBTQ students to find their own voice, Siljestrom says.

“For a lot of our LGBTQ+ kids, this is their chance to engage

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in leadership because they get to run to be the GSA president and they get to control what the programs and the outputs of their club over the course of the school year will be,” he says. “There’s not a lot of other clubs where our LGBTQ+ youth feel like they can be a part and gain those same leadership skills that so many of our kids do gain from clubs.”

Despite the fears and uncertainties, Siljestrom says he’s encouraged by what he sees as an increased attentiveness toward LGBTQ students by Florida schools, as well as the presence of local “champions” who look out for LGBTQ students.

“More and more school districts, more and more communities, more and more individuals are seeing and hearing the experiences of these students, and as a result, there is more happening that is being responsive to the needs of our kids,” he says.

The Dru Project fosters unity and inclusion through LGBTQ+ Student Alliances. To access the organization’s GSA Guide, grant and scholarship information, go to TheDruProject.org/GSAGuide.

The Orlando Youth Alliance, as well as the Lakeland Youth Alliance and Seminole Youth Alliance, are peer-based organizations. For more information visit OrlandoYouthAlliance.org.

Equality Florida’s LGBTQ+ Safe & Healthy Schools Project seek to shift the culture so that each of Florida’s 67 school districts will adopt comprehensive, nationally recognized best practices for meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ students and in doing so build a model that can be replicated nationwide. Its website offers information and resources for educators, students, parents and supporters. Go to EQFL.org/Safe_Schools for more information.

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HIV/STI Testing

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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.

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Visit our website for more info

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when freedom rings, answer Philadelphia is calling. Plan your visit.

VisitPhilly.com 32

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pack light plan big for philly

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TRAVEL

Get Out! LGBTQ TRAVELERS SHOW HOW TO TRAVEL SAFELY THIS FALL

J

Ed Salvato, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

UST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT WAS

safe to hit the road, we were walloped by the Delta variant, the latest plot twist in the 18-month-and-counting pandemic story. The surprising data that fully vaccinated people could transmit the virus came shockingly from Provincetown with a 90% vaccination rate.

Provincetown quickly tightened restrictions requiring masking at all indoor locations and proof of vaccine at all entertainment venues — interventions that worked. As of press time, the positivity rate there is much lower than much of the rest of the U.S. and it remains one of our top recommendations this fall and beyond.

Provincetown demonstrated a successful response — stressing safety yet continuing to deliver a deeply satisfying experience.

Read on for our favorite queer-friendly destinations striving to create a safe space for you and strategies for navigating the increasingly complex world of pandemic travel. Safe, beautiful

and fun LGBTQ-friendly destinations, experiences and accommodations beckon whether you seek to recharge your batteries, deplete them or a little of both.

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PHOTO © ABIGAIL MARIE

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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.

Our tag line is: Romeo's Sensation LLC- Explore life's new possibilities.

We specialize in: Sex Therapy, Trauma Therapy, Identity and Addictions.

We focus on addressing the entire you – physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual.

Contact info: O: 813-461-3098 Fax: 813-475-4431

Se Habla Español

We have offices in: Clearwater, Brandon and Maitland 2430 Estancia Blvd.

STE 106 Clearwater, FL. 33761

Explore life’s new possibilities

1210 Millennium Parkway STE 1030 Brandon , FL 33511

813-461-3098

531 Versailles Dr STE 100 Maitland , FL 33685

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.

Sex Therapy | Trauma Therapy | Identity | Addictions

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.

2430 Estancia Blvd., STE 106 Clearwater, FL. 33761

1210 Millennium Parkway, STE 1030 Brandon , FL 33511

Romel Santiago, LCSW

531 Versailles Dr., STE 100 Maitland , FL 33685

THE BARBER FUND HELPING THOSE LIVING WITH CANCER

www.thebarberfund.org

ASK US ABOUT:

WE HONOR THEIR COURAGE.

Repeat Guest Discounts Military & Veteran Discounts Spa Specials & Memberships Florida Resident Discounts & Student Discounts

WE HONOR THEIR STRENGTH. WE HONOR THEIR FIGHT!

ONE LOVE!

Call 1-800-818-1211 or visit thegrandresortandspa.com for information.

Hablamos Español Falamos Português Nous Parlons Français Wir Sprechen Deutsch

E X C E E D I N G E X P E C TAT I O N S S I N C E 1 9 9 9

3 3 W E L L A P P O I N T E D R O O M S A N D S U I T E S ~ T H E S PA I S O P E N TO T H E P U B L I C

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In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011

| uu | Get Out!

FROM PG.33

QUEER AND SAFE DESTINATIONS

P

ROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS is our very own home beyond the rainbow as suggested by this year’s Carnival theme. Book far ahead for popular weeks (July 4, Bear Week and Carnival) but we recommend visiting outside of the most popular times for a less frantic more enjoyable stay. There are diverse LGBTQ-oriented events almost every weekend through New Year’s Eve. Find more information through the Provincetown Business Guild (Ptown.org) and Provincetown for Women (ProvincetownForWomen.com).

F

ORT LAUDERDALE AND MIAMI remain the beating heart of LGBTQ-friendly Florida despite the barbaric state-level response causing the Sunshine State to be among the worst-hit in the U.S. by the pandemic. Fort Lauderdale has been world-renowned for its authentic and inclusive vibe for all visitors since1996. Over 1,000 local businesses have taken the Safe & Clean Pledge (Sunny.org/Travel-Resources/ Safe-Clean-Pledge). Likewise, Miami has implemented the Greater Miami Travel Guidelines and Destination Pledge accessible from the destination’s homepage (MiamiAndBeaches.com/ TravelGuidelines) outlining how safety measures are being implemented throughout the community.

P

UERTO RICO is the undisputed LGBTQ capital of the Caribbean enticing visitors with reliably warm, sunny weather and a sincere outreach to queer travelers.

Despite unfortunate, highly publicized attacks on local transgender people, Puerto Rico boasts a visible and vibrant trans community, and nightlife options that specifically cater to queer and nonbinary folx.

This helps create a safer and more comfortable environment than other warm-weather destinations in the Caribbean or Mexico, which lack venues for a trans community that mostly lives in hiding. Find more information at Discover Puerto

Rico (DiscoverPuertoRico.com/ Things-To-Do/LGBTQ-Travel).

P

HILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA makes for a fun urban weekend getaway. Once the kids are back in school and the lines at the Liberty Bell disappear, you’ll find a warm, walkable and LGBTQ-welcoming city. Find LGBTQ restaurants, safe nightlife, engaging events and recommendations galore at Visit Philly (VisitPhilly.com/ LGBT). Here’s a pro tip: Try to schedule a half day at the Barnes Foundation (BarnesFoundation. org/ArtCollection).

C

EDAR RAPIDS, IOWA...

Wait, what? Yep, this charming Midwestern town is our top unexpected recommendation. You’ll find historic cultural venues, a walkable entertainment district with plenty of topnotch live music and theatrical performances, a delectable culinary scene and a truly warm welcome. Find trip-planning recommendations at the destination’s website (TourismCedar Rapids.com/LGBTQ).

QUEER CRUISES AND LAND VACATIONS

Cruises are coming back, and it may be surprising to hear that they are probably the safest vacation you can take. According to Randle Roper, CEO at VACAYA, an LGBT+ vacation company, “with cruise lines soon to mandate that all guests and crew members must be vaccinated,

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

cruise ships will be among the very safest locations on the planet – with the entire population vaccinated. Making sensible choices like masking and social distancing while ashore, cruisers can avoid infection altogether.”

Resort vacations are also safe with similar universal vaccinations and plenty of room for guests to spread out.

Remember with no children during LGBTQ weeks at mainstream resorts, they offer much more space per adult guest.

VACAYA’s big 2021 fall events include their all-inclusive Mexico Resort vacation (Oct. 30-Nov. 6) and their New Orleans Cruise (Nov. 14-22). In 2022, there are only two trips that still have rooms available as of press time - their Caribbean Cruise (Jan. 10-17) and their all-inclusive Costa Rica Resort (June 5-12).

Information and booking can be done at MyVACAYA’s website (myvacaya.com).

Not only will queer tour companies get you there and back safely, but “they also can ensure your money is being spent with other welcoming, progressive and even queer businesses and individuals around the world,” according to Robert Sharp, founder of Out Adventures (OutAdventures.com).

“This is even more important,” he continues, “when planning travel to countries that are known to be less than queer welcoming.” Visit their site to read about their New Year’s Eve trips to Thailand and Cuba, their Iceland Winter trip in 2022, and four back-to-back Croatia small

group cruises, which are starting to sell out.

R Family Vacations is one of our top recommendations for planning an incredibly fun and satisfying tour or cruise (big ship and river cruises) in the company of other queer travelers and allies. You don’t even have to have children to join their trips.

In 2022, R Family offers land tours in Thailand and Ireland; an LGBTQ group on board a cruise in Alaska; and a magical all-queer, full-ship-charter Uniworld river cruise in Northern Italy among other trips. Information can be found at R Family Vacation’s website (RFamilyVacations.com).

EXPERT LGBTQ TRAVEL ADVISORS ARE STANDING BY TO HELP YOU. AND THEY’RE FREE!

Even in this uncertain time you can enjoy enriching and joyful travel opportunities in LGBTQ-friendly environments in a way that maximizes safety and minimizes risk. You just have to plan a little more.

We highly recommend using an LGBTQ expert travel advisor who keeps up to date on LGBTQ-friendly tour, cruise and safari providers, as well as destinations and hotels, and who understand innately the needs and concerns of LGBTQ travelers.

They dedicate themselves to both LGBTQ travel safety and keeping up with the latest, ever-shifting pandemic-era guidance, health protocols, openings and closings. They

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know how to get the best value for your time, money and, thanks to their global connections, they can often score VIP upgrades for you at hotels, on cruise lines, on tours and more.

They are also your most important advocate when trips are cancelled or rescheduled. Best of all clients use travel advisors, like our top picks here, for no additional fees.

-Kelli Carpenter, who also co-owns R Family Vacations Kcarpenter@tzell.com; -Jonathan Alder, Travelstore USA - Jonathan.a@ jonathanstravels.us; -Sandie Anders, Bursch Travel - Sandiea@ burschtravel.com; and -Giuseppe Giulio, Gay Friendly Italy - giuseppe@gay.it.

CHOOSE LGBTQWELCOMING ACCOMMODATIONS

We’ve heard far too many stories of queer guests receiving a frosty welcome (or worse) when checking into a hotel or AirBnB. These are our top choices for LGBTQ-friendly resources for accommodations where you can truly relax and be your authentic selves.

-MisterBnB. MisterBAndB. com includes one million LGBTQ-friendly listings in 200 countries and is primarily geared towards gay men.

-FabStayz. FabStayz.com proudly offers accommodations inclusive of all the letters of our ever-growing acronym.

-Orbitz Pride.

GayOrbitz.com lists LGBTQ-friendly accommodations.

-Booking.com. Booking.com is rolling out an LGBTQ certification program, including live training and ancillary materials, for their hotel partners over the next year.

Look for the “Proud Hospitality” label on listings.

NYC-based Ed Salvato is a freelance travel writer, instructor at NYU and the University of Texas at Austin’s NYC Center, and an LGBTQ tourism marketing specialist.

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FABULOUS ARTS FOUNDATION PRESENTS:

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2021 LINE-UP MOONKISSED (NYC) SELMA NILLA(NYC) SUPERKNOVA (CHI) METEOREYES (TPA) DADDY (JAX) ROXX REVOLT & THE VELVETS (NAPLES) DIVINE AF (TPA) EMMANUELLE SASSON (S.FL) ME UMBRA (SRQ)

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Co-creator Gabe Liedman talks about his new Netflix animated series ‘Q-Force’

D

Gregg Shapiro

O YOU LOVE TO HEAR CARTOON CHARACTERS

swearing and talking dirty? What about seeing them naked, muscular and anatomically correct? Oh, and can you dig a story involving brainwashing, world domination and LGBTQ folks saving the planet? If so, the hot new Netflix series “Q-Force” is meant for you!

Featuring the voices of a stellar cast of queer and queer-friendly actors including Sean Hayes (voicing Steve Maryweather aka Agent Mary), Wanda Sykes (voicing Deb), Patti Harrison (voicing Stat), Matt Rogers (voicing

Twink), Laurie Metcalf (voicing V) and Gabe Liedman (voicing Benji) in lead roles, as well as several other guest stars, Q-Force takes animation to a whole other level. It introduces audiences to “a handsome secret agent and his

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

team of LGBTQ+ superspies” as they “embark on extraordinary adventures.”

Liedman, who plays the love interest of hot Agent Mary and also writes for and co-created the series, was good enough to make time for an interview in advance of “Q-Force’s” Sept. 2 Netflix debut.

WATERMARK: WERE A FOLLOWER OF SATURDAY MORNING OR PRIMETIME CARTOONS, OR BOTH, WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?

Gabe Liedman: Both, definitely! My favorite Saturday morning cartoon was “Garfield and Friends.” I never missed it. U.S. Acres was

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E M P LOY M E N T O P P O RT U N I T Y:

CENTRAL FLORIDA - GRAPHIC DESIGNER -

Now you can be a part of the Central Florida team that brings the news to the LGBTQ community.

Position requirements: · Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite programs including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc. · Able to work on a PC platform. · Knowledgeable of print design principles and editorial layouts. · A Passion for the LGBTQ community.

Watermark Publishing Group is the premier media outlet for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Central and West Florida. Up to 20,000 copies of our biweekly newspaper are distributed every other Thursday throughout Central Florida, Tampa Bay and surrounding communities. Watermark also produces a collection of high-gloss specialty publications, and a web site with a rapidly growing online community.

PLEASE SEND A COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO RICK@WATERMARKONLINE.COM Incoming mailbox size limit is 10MB per email.

Emails larger than 10MB will not be received. Please optimize attachments accordingly.

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STREAMING SERVICES AND THE CORPORATIZATION OF PRIDE, AMONG OTHERS. WHY CAN ANIMATED CHARACTERS GET AWAY WITH SAYING THINGS THAT FLESH AND BLOOD FOLKS CAN’T?

| uu | The Way of the Force FROM PG.37

my favorite part of that show.

Primetime I really was raised by “The Simpsons.”

I used to watch it every week and run to school on Monday to quote all the best lines with my friends. We would memorize it. Very much a huge fan of those two.

IN 2014, YOU MADE YOUR FEATURE FILM ACTING DEBUT IN “OBVIOUS CHILD,” ALONGSIDE YOUR FRIEND AND FORMER PERFORMANCE PARTNER JENNY SLATE.

SHE ALSO PROVIDED THE VOICE FOR A CHARACTER ON NETFLIX’S “BIG MOUTH.” DID THAT HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON YOUR DECISION TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ANIMATED SERIES?

It did not affect my decision but there is a little bit of overlap in the world.

I wrote for “Big Mouth”; I still do. We actually use the same animation house as them.

They’re called Titmouse. There is certainly a lot of overlap in our orbit but no, this was a wholly independent choice on my part.

A RECENT EPISODE OF CNN’S “HISTORY OF THE SITCOM” FEATURED “GET SMART,” MEL BROOKS AND BUCK HENRY’S 1960S JAMES BOND PARODY. IS THAT A SHOW FROM WHICH YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

Absolutely! I did a lot of research. I watched a lot of old James Bond films. Watched a little bit of “Get Smart.” I wanted to see what the genre was like.

I would say that one of the biggest influences on the show though was “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which is a show that I used to write for.

I consider that a bit of a training ground for me on how to tell these kind of case-of-the-week or short-arc case stories while still doing a show that’s a workplace comedy about people.

I looked mostly to my days at “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” when I was trying to make a decision.

ON THE SAME “HISTORY OF THE SITCOM” EPISODE, THE SHOW ALSO HIGHLIGHTED SEVERAL CLASSIC ANIMATED SERIES INCLUDING “THE FLINTSTONES,” “THE SIMPSONS” AND “THE BOONDOCKS.” WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU HAVE “Q-FORCE” TALKED

TRIPLE THREAT: Gabe Liedman is co-creator, writer and voice actor for “Q-Force.” PHOTO COURTESY THE KARPEL GROUP ABOUT IN THE SAME BREATH WITH THESE OTHER SHOWS?

[Laughs] It would blow my mind! I don’t think I’m there yet in my imagination. This is still such a baby and it hasn’t really been seen by anyone yet. I’m just sort of holding my breath, waiting for it to come out and see what people think of it. I know we worked really hard on it and had a ton of fun. If it got to live in in a lineup like that, I would just be blown away.

THE LEAD ACTORS PROVIDING VOICES ON “Q-FORCE,” INCLUDING SEAN HAYES AS AGENT MARY, WANDA SYKES AS DEB AND PATTI HARRISON AS STAT, READ LIKE AN LGBTQ WHO’S-WHO, AND EACH ONE IS A GREAT FIT FOR THE CHARACTER. WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHARACTER OR THE ACTOR PROVIDING THE VOICE?

It was a little bit different with each character. Sean was a part of the show since its very inception.

He and I developed the idea for it together with his producing partner Todd Milliner and Mike Schur, the legendary television creator. Sean was a part of it from the very beginning and the rest of the cast came later.

Wanda Sykes was Deb in my head from the moment I sat down

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

to write it. It’s always helpful for me to have an actor in mind when you’re writing someone’s dialogue, so that it sounds organic and authentic, like a person talking. I chose Wanda because she’s my idol and I thought she’d make a great Deb. SHE IS GREAT!

She just exploded my mind when she agreed to play the part.

The rest of the cast came together piecemeal. Patti and Matt Rogers, who plays Twink, are comedians on the scene who I really admired and had somewhat of a relationship with. But Laurie Metcalf and David Harbour and Gary Cole and Dan Levy and Neicy Nash were actors I was a huge fan of, but our casting people just sent them the script. It was really up to them and up to the strength of the writing as to why they said, “Yes.” SPEAKING OF DAN AND NEICY, THE GUEST STARS ON “Q-FORCE” ARE ANOTHER QUEER WHO’S-WHO, INCLUDING JANE LYNCH AND FORTUNE FEIMSTER, AMONG OTHERS. DO YOU THINK THERE’S A WAITING LIST OF PERFORMERS WHO WANT TO BE TURNED INTO CARTOON CHARACTERS?

[Laughs] I was surprised that they were all down for it. I think

that animation is a fun type of work. In regular, non-pandemic times, it’s actually fun and easy to pop into a recording studio and bang out an episode or two in an hour.

It doesn’t really take much of actors’ time. They don’t have to get in makeup and wardrobe and do a bunch of takes and wait for the lighting to be done. It’s something that I think actors gravitate to. It was much more difficult to do over Zoom, but we still did it. I was thrilled with who said yes. We really shot for the stars.

YOU PROVIDE THE VOICE OF BENJI, THE LOVE INTEREST OF AGENT STEVE MARYWEATHER. IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU ARE DOING VOICE WORK. WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT IT?

When your body goes away and you’re just your voice, you can really inhabit different types of characters you wouldn’t be cast as based on your looks. I think it’s a really freeing experience.

I’ve played a mouse, which I’m not. It’s much more imaginative acting. All the possibilities exist in front of you. You can really kind of do anything.

When you’re working in animation, it becomes a kind of fantasy world. The stakes are a little different. In the same way that we can blow up a mountain or jump out of a plane or put on Eurovision in a way that you really can’t in live-action, in a believable way; that also applies to the humor.

You can push boundaries or you can sort of slip stuff in because you’re existing in this fantasy world. When we were writing the show, I wanted it to just be fun and just be crazy and sexy and weird. I think that having that as the goal allowed for some of the politics and the more intellectual stuff to slip in. We weren’t going hard on that stuff. Our goal was to be funny and have fun.

DEBRA WINGER WAS RECENTLY IN THE NEWS FOR AN INTERVIEW SHE DID IN WHICH SHE TALKED ABOUT BACKING OUT OF “A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN” BECAUSE OF MADONNA’S INVOLVEMENT.

[Big laugh.]

IN “Q-FORCE,” “DEBRA WINGER HAS BEEN IN ENOUGH MOVIES” IS USED AS A TRIGGER. WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE ON TEAM DEBRA OR TEAM MADONNA?

[Laughs] Look, you’re about to spark World War III here.

I think I might be on both teams.

I can’t imagine “A League of Their Own” without Madonna. But I’d also loved to have seen it with Debra Winger. She’s unbelievable.

She’s an incredible talent. But I [laughs] also have nothing bad to say about Madonna. I need to live in a world where they’re both here. How’s that?

THAT SOUNDS GREAT!

All 10 episodes from the first season of “Q-Force” — produced by by Gabe Liedman, Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, David Miner and Mike Schur, and starring the voice talents of Hayes, Liedman, Gary Cole, David Harbour, Patti Harrison, Laurie Metcalf, Matt Rogers and Wanda Sykes — are currently available to stream on Netflix.

AS WITH ANY PARODY, YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO TAKE DIGS AT A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS INCLUDING ALL THE GAY MIKES,

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HAMBUGER MARY'S ORLANDO PRESENTS: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH PROCEEDS BENEFIT:

Hosted Hosted by: Hosted by: by: 50/50 R AFFLE SILENT AUCTIO N FUN!

SEATING BEGINS AT 6:30 PM. RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY SUGGESTED! 321-319-0600 110 W. CHURCH STREET, ORLANDO, FLORIDA WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/HAMBURGER.MARYORLANDO

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THEATRE

Together Again

TampaRep makes magic with LGBTQ-focused ‘Open’

SOLO STAR: Tampa Bay performer K. Sotakoun stars in the one-person production of “Open.”

PHOTO COURTESY TAMPAREP

T

Ryan Williams-Jent

HE TAMPA REPERTORY THEATRE HAS

served as an inclusive home for the arts in Tampa Bay since 2011. After a nearly two-year hiatus from indoor, in-person programming, however, its mission to connect artists and audiences through its unique brand of drama feels more pressing than ever.

“TampaRep creates transformative, relevant, and compelling professional theatre ... through meaningful and inspiring shared experiences,” the company advises. “We create an experience – one that the audience completes.”

That’s why TampaRep’s staff is eager to return to the stage this month. They announced their 2021-22 season Aug. 2, a return to form featuring at least six eclectic productions.

“Our focus this year at TampaRep is to Come Back Together,” Producing Artistic Director and CEO Emilia Sargent said at the time. “After being separated for so long from both our audiences and creatives, we are now

collaborating with more people and organizations than ever before.”

The season will open Sept. 16 with two separate shows presented in traditional repertory theatre fashion, or “in rep” through Oct. 3. They will utilize the same space in the same evening, alternating which is presented first.

Sharing the stage are “Every Brilliant Thing,” which TampaRep presented outdoors in June, and the LGBTQ-focused “Open.” Each production is a one-person show.

In “Open” from playwright Crystal Skillman, its sole character uses magic to cope with the loss of her partner after a hate crime – or more simply,

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

it’s “a queer love story told by an amateur magician.”

“Open is a magic act that reveals itself to be a resurrection,” it’s officially billed. “A woman called the Magician presents a myriad of tricks for our entertainment, yet her performance seems to be attempting the impossible – to save the life of her partner, Jenny.

“Is our faith in her illusions enough to rewrite the past?” it continues.

“The clock is ticking, the show must go on, and, as impossible as it may seem, this Magician’s act may be our last hope against a world filled with intolerance and hate.”

To provide support for the themes addressed in each show, TampaRep has partnered with The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. The organization assists individuals who are dealing with sexual assault, domestic violence, suicidal thoughts and other matters.

Skillman, whose parents live in St. Petersburg, says she’s proud of TampaRep for both the partnership and for producing her work.

“When the character of the Magician first spoke to me and I wrote ‘Open,’ I quickly realized that the story Kristen tells of her lover Jenny was becoming an act of defying hate,” she says. “The piece was creating a healing catharsis through humor, theatrical surprises, but most importantly through the power of the imagination.

“This is a play that trusts its audience,” Skillman continues. “As we return to the theater and start to heal during a time still fraught with difficulty in this country, and world, I hope this is a piece can bring joy to an audience and allow them to move on to find the magic again in the theater and life. Love is a kind of magic more powerful than hate.

Love is love.”

K. Sotakoun will bring the Magician to life, a St. Petersburg-based actor who’s worked locally with American Stage, freeFall and Jobsite Theater. The production marks a number of firsts for the nonbinary performer, among them leading a one-person show, working with TampaRep and playing a character who was written as LGBTQ. “I bring that identity to every character that I play, just because it’s part of who I am, but I have never had

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the chance to perform material in this deep way,” Sotakoun says. “I feel like I can bring more of myself to the role than I’ve ever been able to before.”

It’s in that vulnerability that Sotakoun shines, “Open” director Fanni Green says. While the play marks her TampaRep directorial debut, she’s a veteran of the stage – an artist and activist whose work has been celebrated throughout Tampa Bay as well as on and Off-Broadway.

“This piece is very connected to the person who’s telling the story and the actor opens the door for the audience,” Green explains. “In K., I’ve witnessed what they bring to the stage in terms of presence, in terms of the ability to tell a story, and it is fabulous to behold.”

Green adds that partnering with TampaRep is also a way to honor her late colleague C. David Frankel, to whom she dedicates “Open.” Frankel co-founded the company and served as its artistic director and president for nine years until his death last year.

When Sargent approached Green about “Open,” she says, “I read the script and was so moved by it that I wanted to be able to work with TampaRep and honor my colleague. I always love to dive into scripts that deal with identity and loss, so I was drawn to it from there.”

Green says “Open” is about identity and hope, universal themes audiences of all backgrounds can invest in that become even more powerful when seen through the eyes of Sotakoun’s Magician.

“The lens of this couple, this violence, loss and love, we get to see hope through magic,” she explains.

“There is an expectation in magic – is the Magician going to pull it off? Hope can be elusive and something that we go in search of when we experience violence, grief and loss.”

Beyond that, both Green and Sotakoun are reluctant to discuss too many details about “Open.” Why ruin the magic?

“I would love for people to allow themselves to be surprised,” Sotakoun says. “In this COVID world, most of us have not had a choice other than to feel like we do not have control over what happens to our lives. I would love for people to allow themselves to feel vulnerable with us and let themselves go on this emotional journey.”

“Open” plays in rep with “Every Brilliant Thing” Sept.

16-Oct. 3 at the HCC Performing Arts Center, located at 1411 E. 11th Ave. in Tampa. Shows alternate between 7:30 or 9 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. and 3 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. on Sun. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for students, with $10 off for both shows. Buy tickets, read about COVID-19 safety measures and learn more at TampaRep.org.

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E M P LOY M E N T O P P O RT U N I T Y:

CENTRAL FLORIDA ADVERTISING SALES Now you can be a part of the Central Florida team that brings the news to the LGBTQ community.

Are you motivated and outgoing?

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Watermark Publishing Group is the premier media outlet for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Central and West Florida. Up to 20,000 copies of our biweekly newspaper are distributed every other Thursday throughout Central Florida, Tampa Bay and surrounding communities. Watermark also produces a collection of high-gloss specialty publications, and a web site with a rapidly growing online community.

PLEASE SEND A COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO DANNY@WATERMARKONLINE.COM Incoming mailbox size limit is 10MB per email.

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community calendar

EVENT PLANNER ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Charity Bingo for The Center

Lasting Impressions 3D, Aug. 13-Sept. 26, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 6:30 P.M. HAMBURGER MARY’S, ORLANDO

“Newsies,” Aug. 20-Sept. 5, The Henegar Center, Melbourne.

321-723-8698; Henegar.org

Trixie Deluxxe hosts a night of Charity Bingo benefitting the LGBT+ Center Orlando, whose mission it is to empower and support the LGBTQ community.

Come out for a fun night of bingo, featuring a 50/50 drawing and silent auction. Tables fill up fast so you are highly encouraged to make reservations. Reserve your table by calling 321-319-0600.

“Ragtime”: A Summer Broadway Benefit Concert, Sept. 2-3, Northland Church, Longwood. 407-937-1800; CFCArts.com “Out of Order,” Sept. 2-12, Little Theater of New Smyrna Beach, New Smyrna Beach.

386-423-1246; NSBPlayers.org LOVESONG: A Tribute to the Cure, Sept. 3, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com Monet Xchange, Sept. 3, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando Classic Album Live: Queen’s “A Night at the Opera,” Sept. 3, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com/Live/Locations/ Orlando Disney on Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party, Sept. 3-5, Amway Center, Orlando. 844-854-1450; AmwayCenter.com Amway Center Job Fair, Sept. 7, Amway Center, Orlando. 844-854-1450; AmwayCenter.com Meet the Filmmaker: “Feels Good Man,” Sept. 7, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org Classical Conversations: Jack Hill and Edson Campos, Sept. 9, Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park. 407-647-6294; Polasek.org

Be Kind to Your Mind

X MARKS THE SPOT “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Monet Xchange heads to Southern Nights in Orlando Sept. 3 and in Tampa Sept. 4. PHOTO FROM MONETXCHANGE.COM

An Evening with Antoni Porowski, Sept. 10, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org

Judy B Goode Cabaret Show, Sept. 4, Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg. 727-873-7900; HollanderHotel.com

Nikki Glaser, Sept. 10, Hard Rock Live, Orlando.

407-351-5483; HardRock.com/ Live/Locations/Orlando

Monet Xchange, Sept. 4, Southern Nights, Tampa.

813-559-8625; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsTampa

The Molly Ringwalds, Sept. 10, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando

LGBTQ Social @ 5663, Sept. 4, Studios at 5663, Pinellas Park. 727-313-2250; PinellasArtVillage.com

“Godspell,” Sept. 10-26, Daytona Playhouse, Daytona Beach. 386-255-2431; DaytonaPlayhouse.org

Come OUT St. Pete Royal Court Finale, Sept. 5, The Garage on Central, St. Petersburg. 727-235-9086; ComeOUTStPete.org

CatVideoFest 2021, Sept.

12, Enzian Theater, Maitland.

407-629-1088; Enzian.org First Time Home Buyers Workshop, Sept. 16, LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org

TAMPA BAY From Margins to Mainstays, Sept. 1-26, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. 727-896-2667; MFAStPete.org

LGBTQ+ Night of Connection, Sept. 8, Punky’s Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg.

727-201-4712; PunkysBar.com TIGLFF’s Riverside Launch Party, Sept. 9, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.

813-879-4220; TIGLFF.com “Cabaret,” Sept. 10Oct. 2, Carrollwood Players, Tampa. 813-265-4000; CarrollwoodPlayers.org

14th Annual “Crack Up Cancer” Comedy Show, Sept. 11, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.

8132297827; StrazCenter.org

STAFFORD HOUSE, ORLANDO Peer Support Space, Bros in Convo, Miracle of Love and Stafford House are partnering to present Be Kind to Your Mind, a community gathering led by and for peers 18 and up. Join them for fuzzy blankets, light snacks, supportive conversation and a meditation as attendees share pain and love. You do not need to share to attend. Open to all sexual orientations, genders, ages, and disabilities as well as those of diverse neurological, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds. For more information, visit MiracleOfLoveInc.org.

TAMPA BAY

Whitney Cummings, Sept. 11, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com Queer Queens in Tampa, Sept. 12, Tampa Improv, Tampa. 813-864-4000; ImprovTampa.com Rapid HIV & Hep C Testing, Sept. 15, TBA Fund, Inc, Oldsmar. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

SARASOTA

Rowdies Pride Night FRIDAY, SEPT. 3, 7:30 P.M. AL LANG STADIUM, ST. PETERSBURG Join the Tampa Bay Rowdies for LGBTQ Pride Night as they take on the Oakland Roots. In honor of the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in 2015, reserved seating tickets are only $20.15. Each tickets sold will include a one-of-a-kind Pride flag and a $5 donation made to the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber Foundation. To purchase tickets go to https://Bit.ly/TBLGBTC.

“Shades of Bublé: A Three-Man Tribute to Michael Bublé,” Sept.

1-Oct. 4, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota. 941-366-9000; FloirdaStudioTheatre.org “Doubt: A Parable,” Sept. 9-19, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton. 941-748-5875; ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 14, 6-7:30 P.M.

Balance Tampa Bay’s Hillsborough River Cleanup SUNDAY, SEPT. 12, 8:45-11:15 A.M. RICK’S ON THE RIVER, TAMPA Balance Tampa Bay has pontoon boats, captains and the supplies to do a Hillsborough River cleanup and wants you to join your fellow Balance folks to help keep our waterways clean and healthy. Boats leave promptly at 9 a.m. and return at 11 a.m. For more information, go to BalanceTampaBay.org.

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TIGLFF Presents:

The 32nd Annual Film Festival's

Riverside Launch Party & Fundraiser $50 includes one free drink & light bites September 9th | 7pm | Outdoors at The Straz More information & tickets at www.tiglff.com

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announcements

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Michael Womack has been named president of the Hillsborough County Young Democrats. He is also the communications manager for Equality Florida.

Paul Edward Wilt will serve as the associate artistic producer for American Stage. Read more on p. 11.

Balance Tampa Bay and Empath Partners in Care (EPIC)’s Masquerade Ball raised $23,536 for the latter organization’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Read more and see photos from this year’s event at WatermarkOnline.com.

Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith was reappointed to a four-year term as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Florida Advisory Committee, which she chairs. Read more on p. 14.

CONDOLENCES St. Petersburg painter Bob Ribits died Aug. 28. He will be dearly missed.

CANCELLATIONS Tampa’s All Hallows’ Masquerade Ball, originally scheduled to return for its 44th event Oct. 23, will not be held until Oct. 22, 2022 due to COVID-19.

Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

Sarasota Pride’s 31st annual celebration, originally scheduled for Oct. 23, has been postponed until Jan. 22, 2022 due to COVID-19.

Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

Polk Pride has cancelled its 2021 return in response to COVID-19. Its sixth celebration was previously scheduled for Sept. 25-Oct. 2 and will now be held June 18, 2022.

Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS American Stage Marketing and Communications Manager Roman Black, Activist Jessica Bond, Tampa actor Troy LaFon (Sept. 3); Asolo Rep social media coordinator David Valdez, TIGLFF husband Erik Carroll, Tampa pharmacist Brian Wehling, St. Pete software genius David Palio, Gulfport party host Ed Dunn, Tampa Bay entertainer Kenneth Lawson aka Juno Vibranz (Sept. 5); Sarasota teacher Steve Eller, Reiki practitioner Lauren Lansrud (Sept. 6); St. Pete retiree Jerry Rechek, Balance Tampa Bay Vice President Ryan Young, Memphis BBQ master Shane Jeffers, Hustle & Heart Group realtor Wendi Johnson (Sept. 7); Tampa’s Colombia transplant Ricardo Mendez, HSN bigwig Darryl Blaker, Tampa bear Mike Scott, Tampa athlete Marty Walsh, St. Pete socialite Clinton Nickels (Sept. 8); St. Pete-based big bear David Reynolds, St. Pete chiropractor Karen Reese, Tampa Bay entertainer Bryan Wayne aka Brianna Summers, Publix pro Raymond Jamison (Sept. 9); St. Pete fundraiser Jonathan Soots, Tampa animal lover Greg Burton, Tampa Bay entertainer Anastasia B. Childs aka Alan Heflin, Tampa Gallery curator Albert Burruezo (Sept. 11); Moments of Clarity host Tiffany Werhner, Diversity Health Center of Tampa Bay Founder Dr. David Lyter, Rising Tide Innovation Center’s Leigh Kellett Fletcher, St. Petersburg realtor Pete McGahan (Sept. 14).

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SPREADING THE WORD: ALSO Youth Outreach Coordinator Christine Grossman discusses the organization’s programming during NovoPalooza Aug. 27 at the New College of Florida.

PHOTO COURTESY ALSO YOUTH

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THE BIG DAY: St. Pete mayoral candidate Ken Welch (L) and Terri Lipsey Scott wave signs in St. Petersburg Aug. 24 ahead of the city’s primary election. PHOTO COURTESY

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THE WELCH CAMPAIGN

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NEW TUNES: New Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay members strike a pose ahead of the group’s first in-person rehearsal Aug. 24. PHOTO COURTESY GAY

MEN’S CHORUS OF TAMPA BAY

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PARTY IN PINK: (L-R) Ana Cruz, Michael Tomor and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor enjoy Neon Jungle, the Aug. 28 return of Pride & Passion at the Tampa Museum of Art. PHOTO BY FOTO BOHEMIA

COURTESY JANE CASTOR

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WARM WELCOME: (L-R) City Councilmember Gina Driscoll, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, Chris, Ryan and Oliver Zubrick and the St. Petersburg Chamber mark the official opening of Zubrick Magic Theater Aug. 25.

PHOTO COURTESY GINA DRISCOLL

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PLAY BALL: Come OUT St. Pete supporters and Tampa Bay Rays fans watch the hometown team from the bullpen for Pride Night on Aug. 20. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

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TEAM VACCINE: Metro Inclusive Health’s staff offer the COVID-19 vaccine at Tropicana Field Aug. 20. PHOTO COURTESY METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH

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FOR THE CAUSE: Balance Tampa Bay presents Empath Partners in Care with a check for the annual Masquerade Ball Aug. 26. PHOTO COURTESY EPIC

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announcements

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Jose Luis Dieppa was elected president of the Florida Public Relations Association’s Orlando Area Chapter Aug. 25.

Equality Florida’s Media Relations Manager Brandon Wolf was appointed to a four-year term as a member on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Florida Advisory Committee Aug. 26.

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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 18-39 years old and

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interested in becoming a blood donor, you may be eligible to participate. To gather the necessary data the blood centers are partnering with LGBTQ Centers in eight cities across the nation. The study looks to enroll 250–300 gay and bi men in Central Florida who meet the study eligibility criteria.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Former LGBT+ Center board president Jeffrey Buak, LGBTQ activist Heather Lea Soersdal (Sept. 2); Central

4

Florida LGBTQ super ally Jennifer Kunsch, Orlando realtor Kate Maini, Former Watermark account manager Suzane Silder (Sept. 3); Former Watermark intern Alexis Bell, Hotspots central publisher Peter Clark (Sept. 5); Rollins College honcho A. Eddie Mehnert, Orlando Gay Chorus member Andrew Lemin, Crew Health COO Chadwick Thomas, ex-intern and former Watermark cover model Randa Griffin (Sept. 6); Bliss CARES’ Maggie Smith, Anthony Bella Capelli Studio owner Steven Dorsagno, Gods and Monsters owner Anna Maiya Young (Sept.

7); Central Florida entertainer Darcel Stevens, Disney entertainment tech Charles Cantrell (Sept. 8); Les Vixens dancer Christine Machado (Sept. 9); President of Falk Research Associates Thor Falk, LGBT+ Center board member and Edward Jones financial adviser Veronica Woodard, Owner of Lee Forrest Designs Lee Forrest (Sept. 10); City of Altamonte designer Deanndra Meno, Orlando-based international drag performer Joshua Eads-Brown - aka Ginger Minj, political activist Wes Hodge, The News Junkie co-host and ally Chris Lane (Sept. 11); owner of A Comic Shop Aaron Haaland (Sept.

12); Former Pride Chamber president Tom Yaegers,

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PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

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HELPING HANDS: (L-R) Nicolas Smith, Christopher Nutt and Kate Maini take clothing donations at Southern Nights in Orlando Aug. 21 for Out of the Closet.

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WINNING TEAM: Scottie Campbell is all smiles after the Orlando City Soccer Club wins at Camping World Stadium in Orlando Aug. 22.

PHOTO BY BRENDAN O’CONNOR

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TALENTED PLAYERS: The cast of “CHESS in Concert” take a group photo after another sold out performance at The MEZZ in Orlando Aug. 23.

PHOTO COURTESY BLUE ESTRELLA

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THE FORCE IS STRONG: State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani channels Jedi energy as she stands outside her Orlando office holding a Rebel Alliance insignia from “Star Wars.” PHOTO

COURTESY ANNA V. ESKAMANI

ON THE STAGE: The cast of “50 Shades of Gay” get selfies in with the audience participation winners at their show at The Abbey in Orlando Aug. 28. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA SUNDAY FUNDAY: Daniel Downer takes a photo with “Josephine” star Tymisha Harris after seeing her amazing performance at the Theater West End in Sanford Aug. 29. PHOTO

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COURTESY DANIEL DOWNER

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COLLEGE BRUNCH: (L-R) Keri Allen, Ren Yve Joseph and Caleb Trent pose in front of their table for Pride Student Association at LGBTQ Services’ Lavender Brunch event at UCF Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY SKYLER SHEPARD

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FIGHTING FOR CHANGE: Brandon Wolf talks on camera about being a part of the ADVANCE Study at the LGBT+ Center Orlando Aug. 13.

PHOTO COURTESY BRANDON WOLF

Straight ally Dee Richter (Sept. 14); Orlando Derby girl Jill Powers (Sept. 15).

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Wedding Design by Simple Weddings Florida

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Join your local LGBT Chamber, as we are the premier advocates for the Tampa Bay Area’s LGBT business community.

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WEDDING BELLS

John and Richard Owen-Chambrone from Tampa, Florida

ENGAGEMENT DATE:

Oct. 12, 2019

WEDDING DATE:

Aug. 8, 2021

OFFICIANT:

Cheryl Marsh, Orlando

VENUE:

Their home

J

OHN OWEN-CHAMBRONE WAS SMITTEN

the second he walked into St. Petersburg’s Flamingo Resort for a Bear weekend in May 2019 and locked eyes on his future husband, Richard.

“He had a beautiful smile, a beautiful face and then when he spoke, he had this beautiful accent,” John says.

Richard Owen-Chambrone, originally from Tennessee, was at the LGBTQ hotspot with a mutual friend. He and John were quickly introduced and spent the rest of the evening together during a drag queen bingo event.

From that point on, they started talking every day. By the time St. Pete Pride rolled around about a month later, John asked if Richard would be his boyfriend as they walked around the street festival in the Grand Central District.

When John traveled to Las Vegas for the Fourth of July weekend – their first time apart since they’d met – he told Richard he loved him for the first time.

John says things moved quickly but felt right.

Then, in October of that year, he learned that Brie Larson was going to be at ACE Comic Con in Chicago. The actor portrays Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Captain Marvel has always been my favorite superhero. I’ve always been fascinated by her,” John says.

Richard hadn’t seen any of the Marvel movies until he met John. In fact, one of their early dates was to see Larson’s “Captain Marvel.”

Since she was going to be at Comic Con, which they planned to attend, John decided to make their meet-and-greet with the actress even more memorable by proposing.

“What better way to profess my love than in front of Brie Larson?” he asks.

As they took their picture with her in the convention center, John got down on one knee and popped the question.

“It was cool. I was there with my favorite celebrity, and I just looked at Richard and said, ‘I love you. Will you marry me?’” he recalls. “She actually helped us put the ring on his finger.”

Both Richard – and Larson – were blindsided by the proposal.

“I thought something was wrong.

He was shaking really bad. I could tell something was up with him.

I thought it was because we hadn’t eaten anything all morning, though,”

Richard says. “Turns out it was because he was planning to propose in front of a celebrity.”

The proposal was a whirlwind.

John barely even remembers speaking to Larson.

“I don’t really feel like I met her…It was all about Richard,” he says. “Brie who?”

As they left the area, though, Richard turned around to thank Larson for her time and he saw her tearing up.

It was a moment that blew up on social media, touching many people around the world. They were interviewed by media outlets around the globe, Larson – who later sent them flowers – talked about the special moment on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and CNN featured the picture from their proposal in an end-of-the-year roundup.

The excited couple began planning their wedding for May 16, 2020 – the one-year anniversary to the date of when they met.

“Then COVID happened,” John says.

As the pandemic continued, they kept pushing their wedding back further and further until they landed on Aug. 8 of this year.

They rented the St. Petersburg Lions Club Beach House on Treasure Island and planned for a friend to dress as Captain Marvel and marry them. John says that the couple “had these great

big plans to finally have this great big wedding.”

Then, right before their big day, Richard didn’t feel well. They assumed he had a sinus infection, and he went to an urgent care clinic. He texted John from the appointment to tell him that he actually tested positive for coronavirus.

The couple panicked. Some of their friends had already flown into town for the wedding, including one friend from New York that John hadn’t seen in 20 years.

“It was so disappointing. It felt like we got so close,” he says.

They had the marriage license ready to go, though, and began thinking of ways they could go ahead with their wedding safely.

They culled their guest list, trimming it down to about 10 people.

Richard and John stayed in their home with the sliding glass back door shut while their guests sat on the back patio.

They held the ceremony over speaker phone so their guests could hear them and other family members watched the ceremony over Zoom.

“We got thrown lemons, but we made the sweetest lemonade possible,” John says.

—Tiffany Razzano

Do you have an interesting wedding or engagement story you’d like to share with Watermark readers? If so, email the details to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com for consideration as a future feature on this page.

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Compassionate care is at the heart of everything we do.

Avita is a national pharmacy services organization with deep expertise in HIV, PrEP, and LGBTQ+ care. We want you to feel deeply understood, cared for, and empowered to reach your full potential for health.

Visit us online atavitapharmacy.com to learn more and transfer to Avita.

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AAHIVP Certified Pharmacy Teams Financial Assistance Support Free Delivery of PrEP & HIV Meds Care Team Outreach

SEPTEMBER 2 - 15 , 2021 // ISSUE 28 .18 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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EXPERTS. THE HEART AND VASCULAR

At the Orlando Health Heart & Vascular Institute, our comprehensive approach to care is designed to bring you the best possible experience and outcome. Our teams of heart and vascular experts work together and with you and your family — streamlining your care with a quick, accurate diagnosis and treatment plan personalized to your needs and your lifestyle — and always with a focus on your safety.

Cardiology and Vascular Care • Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery • Vascular Surgery

OrlandoHealth.com/Heart

MyChart Now Available

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