Watermark Issue 28.6: Year in Review by Watermark Publishing Group

Your LGBTQ Life.

Dec. 23, 2021 - Jan. 5, 2022 Issue 28.26

YEAR IN

REVIEW

How 2021 impacted the LGBTQ communities of Central Florida and Tampa Bay

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DEPARTMENTS 7 // EDITOR’S DESK

page

8 // CENTRAL FLORIDA NEWS 10 // TAMPA BAY NEWS

2021 also became the deadliest year on record for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, which included tragic losses here in Florida and even within our local communities … They are not forgotten. –YEAR IN REVIEW, WATERMARK STAFF

12 // STATE NEWS 13 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 19 // TALKING POINTS 39 // TAMPA BAY OUT + ABOUT 41 // CENTRAL FL OUT + ABOUT 42 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 43 // CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE 46 // EVENT PLANNER ON THE COVER

page A-Z POP:

page YEAR IN REVIEW:

How 2021 impacted LGBTQ Central Florida and Tampa Bay.

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY KYLER MILLS (KY VIAN)

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WATERMARKONLINE.COM

We review some of this year’s most talked about moments in LGBTQ pop culture.

WATERMARK ISSUE 28.26 // DEC. 23, 2021 - JAN. 5, 2022

GIFT OF GIVING

COMMUNITY DOLLAR

THE OTHER SIDE

SEASON’S READINGS

page Santa’s Bike Force brings 100+ bikes to local kids.

page LGBTQ bank reflects on Tampa Bay launch.

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

Jason Leclerc believes every day can be Christmas.

“Deck the Hallmark” examines seasonal staples.

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EDITOR’S

Jeremy Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

DESK

FEEL LIKE THE TERM “DUMPSTER

fire” could be used to describe the last few years. We went from a 4-year period led by an unqualified, egomaniacal president to a worldwide pandemic that has claimed the lives of millions. 2021 tried hard to be the worst of the worst, beginning with the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol, the above-mentioned president trying to undermine our voting system, COVID variants making their way around the world and James Corden getting to host the “Friends” reunion. But 2021 wasn’t all bad. There were several things that were fun, joyful and dare I say exciting. So as we wrap up our final issue of the year, I want to take my final desk to mention just a few of my favorite things. First and foremost, I loved vaccines this year. As the pandemic continued to chug along, science gave us our best weapon to fight COVID and our newly sworn in

president gave us the access to them. Thanks Obama, I mean Biden. For the record I am three shots in and see no reason to stop now. And don’t @ me about Biden being the one who gave us access because I won’t get it thanks to my second favorite thing this year, I left social media. Not 100% left because the world we live in requires me to have Facebook for my job but I did get rid of Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, and I only watch YouTube on my television, which doesn’t let me read comments and the comments section is where the danger is. I do still have TikTok but this unplugging from social media is hard and is done in baby steps. Favorite things three and four are television shows, namely “Ted

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 Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com Creative Designer: Kyler Mills • Ext. 301 Kyler@WatermarkOnline.com

Lasso” on Apple+ and “It’s A Sin” on HBO Max. I stayed away from “Ted Lasso” when it initially came out in 2020 because the hype behind this show had expectations so high that I knew I was going to immediately not like it. Thanks to Watermark publisher Rick Todd for slapping me back to reality and making “Ted Lasso” required viewing because it lives up to the hype. And if you haven’t watched the miniseries “It’s A Sin” yet, watch that now and then “Ted Lasso.” “It’s A Sin” is a five-part series on the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1980-90s London and it is heartbreaking, soul-shaking and should be required viewing for our community. Get tissues because you will cry a lot, then watch the warm hug that is “Ted Lasso” afterwards to help you with the tears. While we are on the topic of HBO Max, number five on my list of 2021 favorites was HBO Max’s same day release of Warner Bros.’ theatrical releases. Some were great (“The Suicide Squad” and “King Richard”) and some were terrible (“Space Jam 2” and “Mortal Kombat”) and the rest fell somewhere in between – but they all were accessible from my living room. I know that almost everyone in Hollywood outside of Warner Bros. executives hated the idea but the movie watching audience loved it and I am a big supporter for giving people options who won’t or can’t get to a theater. 2021 was a year of change and the man-child inside me was no exception. That brings me to my sixth favorite thing this year. I got away from collecting Funko Pop figures and got into LEGOs, more specifically the ones based on TV shows. It started with our Watermark holiday party last year when Ole Saint Nick (AKA Dylan Todd) drew my name in Secret Santa and got me the “Friends” Central Perk LEGO set. While I have always been a “Friends” guy (again don’t @ me), I was never a LEGO person before that night but the set

opened me up to a new hobby that not only scratches that pop culture bite but it gave me something to do outside of the noise of the world – just me, a bottle of wine and building with LEGOs. This year, I went back to the “Friends” world with The One With Two Apartments. I built Jerry’s apartment with the new “Seinfeld” set and I got a makeover with the Fab 5 Loft from “Queer Eye.” I also ventured away from TV sets and built three Batmobiles, the LGBTQ-inclusive Everyone is Awesome and Winnie the Pooh’s treehouse from the Hundred Acre Wood. Needless to say I had to sell off most of my Funko Pops to make space, which brings me to my

2021 wasn’t all bad. There were several things that were fun, joyful and dare I say exciting.

seventh favorite thing, Mercari, which is an app that let’s you sell your crap. It’s like a yard sale for the digital age. It started with selling my Funko Pops and moved on to me selling all the stuff I collected during the pandemic. Quarantining away with only the computer as your window to the outside world will make you buy some random stuff at 2 a.m. Finally, my favorite thing in 2021 is the same thing it has been every year since I started at Watermark, being able to be a part of the team that helps to tell your stories. In this issue, we look back at some of those stories with our annual year in review. I hope you enjoy this issue, and may you all have the happiest of new years.

ORLANDO OFFICE Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com

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CONTRIBUTORS DIVINE GRACE

is an Orlandobased trouble maker with a forked tongue and all the charm you can imagine. Page 15

JASON LECLERC

is a near lifelong resident of the I-4 corridor, currently in South Tampa. He publishes poetry online at PoetEconomist. blogspot.com. His first book, “Momentitiousness,” was published in 2014. His book “Black Kettle” was published in 2016. Page 17

KIRK HARTLAGE

is an Orlando-based journalist a DJ and a former full time employee of Watermark. He specializes in celebrity interviews. Page 37

SABRINA AMBRA, NATHAN BRUEMMER, SCOTTIE CAMPBELL, MIGUEL FULLER, DIVINE GRACE, HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, JASON LECLERC, MELODY MAIA MONET, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, GREG STEMM, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI, MICHAEL WANZIE

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN BECNEL, NICK CARDELLO, BRUCE HARDIN, JAMARQUS MOSLEY, CHRIS STEPHENSON, LEE VANDERGRIFT

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EDITOR’S

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

DESK

HE END OF THE YEAR HAS ALWAYS

been my favorite time, starting with Thanksgiving. As a child it was one of the few occasions my extended family all came together. In my youngest years that was at my grandmother’s, then and now in memoriam the light of my life. I’m thankful every day to have reconnected with my sister in college, but as my mother’s only child that’s how I was raised – which meant that as a kid my cousins became stand-in siblings and more in my eyes. I idolized them, especially as the baby of the family for most of my childhood. The holiday season let us reconnect and find even more folks to love as our family grew. There was still a little room for being selfish, even with so much to be thankful for. Thanksgiving gave me the perfect opportunity to remind every family member I could that my birthday fell between then and Christmas, our

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

next rendezvous. It isn’t easy being a December baby. These days I rarely make the trek to Ohio for the holidays, but I still carry those years of joy with me here in Florida. They taught me a lot about what I wanted from life as an adult, preparing me for one of my most meaningful years to date. It was always going to be amazing compared to the year prior, but I had a lot be thankful for in 2021. For starters, it began with the inauguration of competent and compassionate U.S. leadership after four very long years. To this day just typing “President Joe Biden” brings me comfort. Having an LGBTQ ally in the White House again greatly benefited our community. Biden immediately issued the most significant LGBTQ-focused

executive order in U.S. history, directing agencies nationwide to enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It’s easy to forget what a big deal that was – but by February, the Florida Commission on Human Relations announced it would explicitly protect LGBTQ Floridians for the first time since 1969. It was a victory for us all. Before long, the administration also made science great again. With a long overdue national strategy to combat COVID-19, my husband and I were fully vaccinated by April and ready to avoid Zoom socially for the rest of our lives. We were also fortunate enough to buy our first house that month and in November, mark five years of marriage. In another of the best decisions I’ve ever made, this month I also celebrated three years smoke free. If you’ve been contemplating quitting, I can’t recommend it enough. In my case three years means I’ve skipped nearly 25,000 cigarettes and saved more than $6,000. Of course I use “saved” sparingly, since every penny and more has gone into being a new homeowner. I’m thankful for the year I’ve had but try not to take it for granted, especially because so many members of the LGBTQ community aren’t here to mark the end of it. 2021 has been the deadliest year on record for our transgender and gender nonconforming siblings, with at least 50 known murders. It’s a national epidemic and every one of us should treat as such. Tyianna Alexander was 28. Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín, 21. Bianca “Muffin” Bankz and Dominique Jackson, 30. Fifty Bandz, 21. Alexus Braxton, 45. Chyna Carrillo, 25. Siblings Jeffrey “JJ” Bright and Jasmine Cannady were 16 and 22. Jenna Franks was 34. Diamond Kyree Sanders, 23. Rayanna Pardo,

26. Jaida Peterson, 29. Dominique Lucious, 26. Remy Fennell, 28. Tiara Banks was 24, as was Natalia Smut. Iris Santos was 22 and Tiffany Thomas, 38. Keri Washington was 49. Jahaira DeAlto, 42. Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, 41. Sophie Vasquez, 36. Danika “Danny” Henson, 31. Serenity Hollis was 24 and Oliver “Ollie” Taylor, 17. Thomas Hardin was 35. Poe Black, 21. EJ Boykin, 23. Aidelen Evans, 24. Taya Ashton, 20. Shai Vanderpump, 23. Tierramarie Lewis, 36. Miss CoCo, 44, Pooh Johnson, 25 and Disaya Monaee was 32. Briana Hamilton was 25. Kiér Laprí Kartier, 21. Mel Groves, 25.

May we each work to build safer communities for those within and outside of our own in 2022.

Royal Poetical Starz, 26. Zoella “Zoey” Rose Martinez, 20. Jo Acker, 26. Jessi Hart, 42, Rikkey Outumuro, 39 and Marquiisha Lawrence was 28. Jenny De Leon was 25. Angel Naira, 36. Danyale Thompson, 35. Cris Blehar, 65 and Nikai David was 33. Every one of them mattered. May we each work to build safer communities for those within and outside of our own in 2022. In this issue we reflect on the tragedies and triumphs which defined 2021. We examine the local, statewide and national headlines that captivated our community and feature a look at the best in LGBTQ pop culture this year. Watermark stives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed, enjoy this latest issue and have a Happy New Year.

ORLANDO OFFICE Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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 15

JASON LECLERC

KIRK HARTLAGE

is an Orlando-based journalist a DJ and a former full time employee of Watermark. He specializes in celebrity interviews. Page 37

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN BECNEL, NICK CARDELLO, BRUCE HARDIN, JAMARQUS MOSLEY, CHRIS STEPHENSON, LEE VANDERGRIFT

DISTRIBUTION LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, VANESSA MARESCA-CRUZ

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

central florida news

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2021

CENTRAL FLORIDA PARENTS REFLECT ON SON’S HAMBURGER MARY’S PERFORMANCE GOING VIRAL Parents Meghan and Adam Kehoe bring their son Aiden, a “Drag Race” superfan, to Hamburger Mary’s Orlando for Broadway Brunch. When the cast found out, they brought Aidan on stage to lip synch to “This is Me” and a video of the performance went viral.

DRAG PERFORMER NAZHONI T. FOXX REMEMBERED BY FRIENDS AS THE ULTIMATE ‘ORLANDO CLUB KID’ Central Florida drag performer Nazhoni Taylor Foxx, who had been battling the coronavirus since December 2020, passes away Jan. 15 at the age of 47. Foxx, whose real name was John Silversmith, was admitted into the ICU at a Seattle hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 Dec. 21. Foxx, who was a travelling nurse who had been living in Seattle providing at-home care for dialysis patients, was known as the ultimate club kid in Orlando.

SANTA’S STASH: Santa’s Bike

Force provided more than 100 bikes and helmets to local kids. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

Gift of Giving

CENTRAL FLORIDA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP OWNER CALLED OUT FOR TRANSPHOBIC, RACIST POSTS Stan Allen, president and CEO of Allengang Entertainment based out of Sanford, Florida, comes under fire by LGBTQ activists and performers who Allen and his group promoted because of controversial posts on his social media that were transphobic and racist. Allengang had been working with The Queens of Broadway up until that point as well as several cover bands in Florida.

GINGER MINJ GOES COUNTRY WITH HER LATEST SINGLE ‘WALK TALL’ Ahead of the season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6,” in which local legend and drag icon Ginger Minj was in the final four, Minj releases the first single off of her new country album, “Double Wide Diva.” The single titled “Walk Tall” was released with an animated music video Aug. 31. “Double Wide Diva” was Minj’s second album release of the year following the summer release of the dance pop album “Gummy Bear.” “Double Wide Diva” came out Sept. 17.

Santa’s Bike Force brings 100+ bikes to Central Florida kids Jeremy Williams

NICOLETTE SPRINGER ANNOUNCES RUN FOR ORLANDO CITY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3 Nicolette Springer announces her candidacy for Orlando City Commissioner – District 3, holding a kick-off event at College Park Gallery June 7. Springer spoke to dozens of supporters, with the U.S. flag on one side and the rainbow Pride flag on the other, saying she believes that local government should represent all the people who live in a community. Springer looked to unseat incumbent commissioner Robert Stuart, who represented the district since 2006. Stuart went on to win in November for another term.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

RLANDO | The KindRED Pride Foundation turned out dozens of Santa’s elves at Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando Dec. 16 as more than 100 Central Florida kids were gifted their first bike. Santa’s Bike Force, which was started by Tom Christ and Billy Looper in 2003, celebrated its 18th year bringing 16-, 18- and 20-inch bikes and helmets to 110 kids. Shannon Graves, who helps to coordinate the volunteers and works with local organizations to match children up with the bikes, says this was the biggest year that Santa’s Bike Force has had in its nearly two decades. “I started volunteering with Santa’s Bike Force five years ago and have built some great relationships with organizations that we still work with today,” she says. “We also worked this year with a new organization, FACT foster care, and they have about 30 children who are in the foster care system who are all getting their first bike.”

Foster Adoptive Caregiver Team is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization in Central Florida which advocates, empowers, educates and supports families effected by foster care. Graves says they also worked this year with Healing the Children, one of the oldest and largest volunteer-driven charities in the U.S. who partners with health care providers to help underserved children around the world secure urgently needed medical care otherwise unobtainable, and the Orlando Dream Center, a resource center that provides assistance to local at-risk individuals and families. “Orlando Dream Center does a lottery every year and this year we were able to give a bike to every single person that went through their lottery,” Graves says. The bikes were purchased thanks to the nearly $11,000 in donations raised through the event’s GoFundMe page. The fundraising began early this year, says Christ, because of the issues with the country’s supply chains. “Normally we don’t even start emailing people about donations

until after Thanksgiving but this year we sent the first email out at the end of September,” Christ says. “So from that point, I went to a few Walmart stores and told them what we were looking for and we were able to get all of the bikes from them.” Santa’s Bike Force not only was able to get all the bikes from local Walmart stores but they also received a $1,500 grant from Walmart Community Grants this year as well. The supply chain issues also meant Christ and Looper had to pick the bikes up as the supplies came in and store them until the event. “We ended up renting two storage units and picked the bikes up three separate times from Walmart to store them,” Christ says, “but we were very fortunate to be able to find all the bikes and helmets we needed for the kids this year and it was all worth it. “It’s my favorite day of the year,” he continues. “Seeing the kids smile and knowing that you’re making a difference in their Christmas and making it a little more special is really incredible. Gives me goosebumps just talking about it.” The day of the event, the kids were each given a bike, helmet, cookies provided by Se7enbites and got to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as the many volunteers that helped to make this the biggest Santa’s Bike Force ever.

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tampa bay news

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2021

COCKTAIL DETAILS GRAND OPENING IN ST. PETERSBURG Cocktail opens in the Grand Central District May 7, promising “stiff drinks, hard liquor and raging good times” as Tampa Bay’s newest LGBTQ bar. The space is the latest concept from David Fischer, the interior designer behind ZaZoo’d and speakeasy The Saint, another St. Petersburg staple which shares its building. The space will also eventually house The Wet Spot, it’s teased, a third bar near a pool which Fischer will also run.

APPARENT ANTI-LGBTQ POST RESURFACES FROM ROBERT BLACKMON An anti-LGBTQ social media post apparently made by then-mayoral candidate and City Councilmember Robert Blackmon resurfaces Aug. 11, the latest derogatory screenshot to do so. In the post dated Oct. 6, 2007, Blackmon allegedly wrote that “fsu f***in rules and that game was sick after that homo delay stopped.” He does not respond to Watermark’s request for comment but later affirms his support for the community prior to losing his mayoral bid to Ken Welch.

PROJECT PRIDE UNVEILS HISTORIC LGBTQ STREET MURAL AND MORE Project Pride announces it will install a Pride-focused crosswalk and street mural in Downtown Sarasota April 2-12, an unprecedented tribute to LGBTQ visibility. The Rainbow Pride Walk and Street Mural will be the first major installation of its type in the city and precedes Sarasota’s first formal recognition of Pride Month. “We decided to focus our first year on visibility for the LGBTQ community,” Project Pride explained.

TASTE OF PRIDE RETURNS TO THE GRAND CENTRAL DISTRICT St Pete Pride holds its annual Taste of Pride March 12-14 in the Grand Central District, returning to its birthplace for the nonprofit’s first event of the year. The event marks a departure from its traditional format, reimagined for participant safety and to serve an industry still recovering from COVID-19 closures. No purchase is required to participate from St Pete Pride, which subsequently returns for a reimagined, month-long celebration in June for its 19th year.

TAMPA BAY PERFORMER JAY MIAH MAKES ‘ALTER EGO’ DEBUT ON FOX Local drag queen and trained vocalist Jay Miah makes his debut on the third episode of FOX’s “Alter Ego” Sept. 29, performing as his female digital character Nevaeh King on the network’s first-of-its-kind singing competition. It features competitors who create avatars using motion capture technology to “become the stars they’ve always wanted to be,” competing for the chance to win $100,000 and celebrity mentorship.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

LGBTQ FOCUS: (L-R) Daylight

co-founders Paul Barnes-Hoggett, Rob Curtis and Billie Simmons Oct. 7. PHOTO COURTESY DAYLIGHT

LGBTQ Dollar Daylight reflects on local launch Ryan Williams-Jent

AMPA BAY | After nearly 3,000 people in Tampa Bay and Central Florida sought its services this year, the LGBTQ-focused virtual bank Daylight is hoping to queer banking for the better nationwide. Daylight launched its campaign in St. Petersburg Oct. 31, introducing locals to branchless banking “for you and your chosen family.” It promised to reward users for safely spending in line with their values. “We are a mobile-first digital bank, which means that customers can open an account, receive their card and manage their bank account fully on their mobile,” Daylight CEO Rob Curtis explains. “Being mobile first gives us the opportunity to do many more interesting things with technology that step outside of the traditional model of what a bank does.” Curtis founded the bank with Billie Simmons and Paul Barnes-Hoggett, fellow LGBTQ millennials who sought to reach those who are underserved in the industry. Daylight says that while LGBTQ Americans have $1 trillion

in spending power, 53% of the community struggles to maintain a regular savings. “When it comes to your wellbeing, you seek out LGBTQ doctors, therapists, mentors and even bartenders,” the bank shares. “People who just get it. Daylight is that for your financial wellbeing and money is just the beginning.” Their model is tailored to empower members of the LGBTQ community in a number of ways. Among other services, Daylight analyzes how LGBTQ-friendly a user’s spending habits are and provides educational resources to help them reach financial goals like adoption, surrogacy or gender confirmation surgery. “When you think about a bank, it has a branch and probably sells four or five different products,” Curtis says. “Their job is to sell them to as many people as possible, which means ... everybody gets the same thing with small differences, and they’ve been designed for a predominantly heterosexual audience. “By the time we get to 39, here’s what happens,” he continues. “You’re asked the question, ‘Do you want a home, a family or a gender transition? Pick one.’ Now,

maybe you’re wealthy and you can afford $50,000 for a house deposit, $100,000 for a surrogacy and $100,000 for a gender transition, but chances are that’s very unlikely.” Curtis says other banks can’t understand that. Instead, they offer “the same content with a rainbow on it or a teller who may only be beginning to understand why pronouns are important.” He argues that “banks have failed because their model is to provide services that reach as many people as possible,” noting that “the best thing that they’re able do is put rainbows on things and maybe sponsor some parties.” “Authenticity starts at the beginning of the journey, not the end,” Curtis adds. More than 100,000 people have already signed up for Daylight’s waiting list to enroll in services, with hundreds actively utilizing them. Current perks include a Rewards Realness program which offers cash back for spending at LGBTQ businesses. “We had a wonderful experience in Tampa Bay because we brought in merchants, bars and LGBTQ community leaders,” Curtis says. “It was transformative in how we thought about approaching LGBTQ people in the market. People think banking isn’t about people, but banking is all about people.” Daylight is planning a wider launch for early 2022. You can sign up for its waiting list or learn more at JoinDaylight.com.

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state news

DESANTIS HAS LGBTQ YOUTH RESOURCES REMOVED

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2021

1. 2.

Brody Levesque of The Los Angeles Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

MIAMI-DADE POLICE ASK FOR HELP Miami-Dade Police seek assistance in solving the murder of trans Floridian Alexus Braxton.

MIAMI LGBTQ VENUE REELING AFTER CONSERVATIVE’S INSTAGRAM POSTS Conspiracy theorist Angela Stanton-King expresses outrage that a drag performer interacted with two young girls at a nightclub.

The administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis took down a state Department of Education web page Dec. 6 that supplied anti-bullying resources for educators, parents and students. The page featured a range of resources including links to federal government anti-bullying initiatives at StopBullying.gov, information on creating safe spaces for LGBTQ young people to receive support from school staff and additional information from national leaders in combating mental health crises and suicidality among LGBTQ students.

3. 4. 5.

DESANTIS VETOES LGBTQ FUNDING Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes $900,000 from the 2021 state budget intended to support those impacted by the Pulse tragedy and help LGBTQ homeless youth. FLORIDA TO PROTECT LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS The Florida Commission on Human Relations announces it will protect LGBTQ Floridians.

HRC RELEASES 2021 MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX SCORES The Human Rights Campaign announces that 10 of 20 Florida cities rated received a perfect score of 100 in the organization’s 10th annual Municipal Equality Index.

Florida Capital Star, a right-wing online publication, raised questions with officials from the Florida Department of Education over the inclusion of links to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The outlet wrote that “the group encourages teachers to integrate aspects of the LGBTQ lifestyle with their curriculum and provides recommended policies and lesson plans.” When the bullying portal was removed, links to the state’s anti-bullying policy, LGBTQ advocacy groups and other bullying prevention resources were also pulled. “Attacks on LGBTQ students from Tallahassee are fueling a toxic, dangerous environment on the ground,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s executive director. “From the passage of explicitly anti-transgender legislation this year to proposed

legislation that would jail doctors and parents for providing lifesaving medical care to transgender children, a politically-motivated assault on the LGBTQ community is putting young people at risk. Vulnerable youth deserve better than a DeSantis Administration intent on putting them in harm’s way in order to score cheap political points.” In a press release, Equality Florida advises that “escalating hostility toward LGBTQ Floridians comes as LGBTQ students continue to face exponentially higher rates of bullying, discrimination, violence, depression, and suicide. “The facts are clear: LGBTQ young people need more support in our schools, not less,” Smith shares. “These resources are a critical component of creating truly safe schools. They must be reinstated.”

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nation+world news

DRAG QUEEN TV SHOW COSTS PASTOR HIS JOB Wire Report

EW YORK | Rev. Craig Duke has been a Methodist minister for three decades, building a reputation as a staunch advocate of LGBTQ inclusion. His pastoral duties have now been terminated — the result of a bitter rift surfacing in his Indiana church after he sought to demonstrate solidarity by appearing in drag alongside prominent drag queens in the HBO reality series “We’re Here.” Duke, 62, said he thought most of his 400-member congregation at Newburgh United Methodist Church shared his inclusive views, and he was taken aback when a prominent congregation member,

soon backed by other churchgoers, circulated emails attacking him. Duke, who declined to identify his chief critics, told The Associated Press that the attacks “felt very personal,” causing him to worry about his mental health. “It was a matter of sadness and disappointment and heartbreak on my part … realizing I was losing the ability to lead,” he said. Under United Methodist Church protocol, a pastor does not have the option of resigning, but Duke said he made clear to his immediate superior, regional superintendent Mitch Gieselman, that he needed to step away. On Nov. 26, Gieselman — who had been hearing from the pastor’s critics and supporters — sent a letter to the NUMC congregation

announcing that Duke “is being relieved of his pastoral duties.” Through the next three months, Duke said he and his wife will be allowed to continue living in the NUMC parsonage, while he incurs a 40% pay cut. They must relocate no later than Feb. 28, when his pay will be halted, Gieselman said. The episode of “We’re Here” featuring Duke — at one point shown in a dress, high-heeled boots, a pink wig and heavy make-up — was taped in July but did not air until Nov. 8. Duke was invited to participate in the show by an LGBTQ Pride group in nearby Evansville and accepted in part to show support for his 23-year-old daughter, Tiffany, who identifies as pansexual.

of bishops at the Vatican, restored the reference to New Ways Ministries on the website over the weekend of Dec. 12. The synod’s communications director, Thierry Bonaventura, said he wanted to apologize “to all LGBT and to the members of New Ways Ministries for the pain caused” and urged them to contribute their reflections on the consultation process. The Synod had originally included a reference to New Ways Ministries, a U.S.-based organization that advocates for greater acceptance of gays in the

Catholic Church, in its “Resources” page directing people to sources of information about the Synod consultation process. Other U.S. resources alongside it were the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the archdioceses of Boston and Newark. But the New Ways Ministries reference was taken down earlier this month without explanation. Suspicion fell on the U.S. bishops conference, which is headed by conservatives who have kept New Ways Ministries at arms’ length.

highest fine to date because the California-based company didn’t comply with the EU’s tough data protection regulations. Norway isn’t a member of the 27-nation bloc but closely mirrors EU rules. Grindr said the agency’s findings related to consent policies from years ago, not its current practices, and that it is considering its next steps, including an appeal. The data watchdog “relies on a series of flawed findings, introduces many untested legal perspectives, and the proposed fine is therefore

still entirely out of proportion with those flawed findings,” said Grindr’s chief privacy officer, Shane Wiley. In 2020, Norway’s Consumer Council filed a complaint against Grindr for disclosing information about its users, including GPS locations, IP addresses, ages, gender and their use of the app, to several third parties for marketing purposes. That allowed users to be identified and third parties to potentially share personal information further.

VATICAN APOLOGIZES FOR REMOVING LGBTQ INFO Wire Report

OME (AP) | A Vatican official has apologized to a leading Catholic LGBTQ advocacy group for having yanked a reference to it from the Vatican website, saying he realized the move caused pain and that the Catholic Church does indeed want to include gays and hear from them. The Vatican’s General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops, which is organizing a two-year consultation of rank-and-file Catholics ahead of a 2023 meeting

NORWAY FINES GRINDR OVER PRIVACY BREACH Wire Report

OPENHAGEN, DENMARK | Norway’s data privacy watchdog fined gay dating app Grindr 65 million kroner ($7.16 million) Dec. 15 for sending sensitive personal data to hundreds of potential advertising partners without users’ consent — a breach of strict European Union privacy rules. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said it imposed its

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WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2021

INDIANAPOLIS MAN CHARGED IN GAY DATING APP SLAYING Diabolique Paris Johnson, a 34-year-old Indianapolis man, faces arraignment March 4 in Detroit on first-degree murder and using a firearm during a felony charges for killing a man he allegedly targeted as a member of the LGBTQ community through an online dating app. The 39-year-old victim was slain Sept. 5 during an armed robbery.

FBI ARRESTS ANTI-LGBTQ SALON OWNER FOR CAPITOL ATTACK Gina Bisignano, a 52-year-old Beverly Hills salon owner, is arrested at her apartment by FBI agents in connection with her involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bisignano had been identified via several dozen social media video clips and Twitter posts, and she confirmed to a reporter from the Beverly Hills Courier newspaper that she was present when the mob of pro-Trump militia groups, white supremacists and other extremists overran the U.S. Capitol Police and illegally entered the building.

PA LEGISLATOR APOLOGIZES FOR TRANSPHOBIC POST State Rep. Jeff Pyle, a Republican in western Pennsylvania, mocks the appearance of the state’s recently departed health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, on Facebook then apologized after he faced backlash due to the post. Pyle said on Facebook that he “had no idea” the post mocking Levine “would be … received as poorly as it was” but that “tens of thousands of heated emails assured me it was.” “I owe an apology and I offer it humbly,” Pyle said, not specifically apologizing to Levine or other transgender people, but later repeating an apology “to all affected.”

GAY ASYLUM SEEKER IN MEXICO ENTERS US A gay man from Guatemala who the Trump administration forced to pursue his asylum case in Mexico arrives in the U.S. on March 3. Estuardo Cifuentes — who had lived in the Mexican border city of Matamoros since his enrollment in the Migrant Protection Protocols program in June 2019 — and a group of other asylum seekers with active MPP cases are tested for the coronavirus before they boarded a bus that drove them over the Gateway International Bridge.

GAY ASIAN MAN, PARENTS ATTACKED IN DC A gay Chinese man and his parents are attacked and beaten Aug. 7 near Washington, D.C.’s National Observatory by a male suspect who calls them “faggots” and shouts, “You are not Americans!” The charging documents show that D.C. police, who arrived on the scene as the incident was unfolding, arrested Patrick Joseph Miller Trebat, 38, on one count of felony assault, two counts of simple assault and one count of destruction of property. A police incident report lists the assault as a suspected hate crime.

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viewpoint

Divine Grace

SWEET

DIVINITY H

Santa’s Claws

ELLO, DOLLS!

First, please allow me to wish each of you a very happy/ merry whatever annual December festival whose name doesn’t offend you. There are so many different religions and godly deities vying for attention, merchandising power and candle configurations that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to choose one. In an effort not to piss off any of you, my fair readers, this year I have chosen to select someone off of the grid, so I’m going with either Johnny Appleseed or one of the Kellogg’s breakfast cereal mascots. Growing up, my family celebrated Christmas. This was in the ‘80s before it even occurred to us that a seasonal Starbucks cup was flat-out blasphemy. It was a magical time when the only thing that was “pumpkin-spiced” was a pie made out of pumpkin, rather than today’s leaning towards automobile air fresheners. “Magical” doesn’t even begin to explain this season. There’s the most traditional magic in which a virgin gives birth in a barn (breaking all sorts of health code violations because of the surrounding livestock) with one kid on percussion pa-rum-pum-pumming and a trio of know-it-alls offering gold and... air fresheners. (It all makes sense now.) My brothers and I grew up being told that Christmas was really all about this magnificent and incredibly frugal and rustic holy natural childbirth. We were told to focus on what the holiday really stood for. And then the JCPenney and Sears Christmas Wish catalogues arrived in the mailbox. KA-CHING!

From that point in October until Christmas morning, all that really mattered was we remained on our best behaviors, did our chores, used our manners and didn’t touch ourselves because Santa Claus is a voyeur. I said what I said. Santa Claus, a man whose arctic sweatshop has a legion of employees suffering from dwarfism banging away on toys for an estimated global 2.2 billion children somehow finds the time to watch ALL of them, ALL of the time. All I could ever think about was how pee shy I already was with God watching, and now I have an audience that also includes His son and a morbidly obese Yankee with a penchant for flannel and whips. Yikes! Adding an Elf on a Shelf meant that I basically needed to practice my “alone time” in a black box theatre. For many years, my twin brother and I would listen to our big brother brag about getting to go up on the roof to feed Rudolph while visions of sugarplums were doing a tango in our heads. (Well, MINE. It was the ‘80s, so Brad’s plums were probably doing “The Robot.”) Nevermind that it didn’t occur to us that our parents would independently be on the phone with social services if they allowed a six-year-old on a snowy rooftop at four o’clock in the morning with flying livestock, much less feeding the one with a radioactive nose. (Chernobyl and microwave ovens had everyone really concerned at the time.) Then one July while contemplating the miscarriage of fairness, we approached our mama who informed us that ***SPOILER ALERT!!!*** Santa Claus wasn’t real. We were devastated. In July. And WE. WERE. LIVID. “You told us never to lie! EVER!” my brother sobbed. As a child does, innocently backing up my brokenhearted twin brother, I howled, “What about those nine reindeer on the rooftop of a two-bedroom,

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500-square-foot rancher? Was all of that bullshit as well, mother? You’re the reason that daddy drinks! Now, if we’re done here, I’m going to my bedroom and waiting six more years for Bette Midler to become a movie star!” Or something like that. Later, my father came

I screamed while clutching my pearls and throwing my boa over my shoulder. Daddy took a long draw off of his Salem 100 and said, “Because Santa was real to you until today, wasn’t he? I’m sorry we lied, but we just couldn’t rob you of a few years of magic even if

parents’ future long-term care facilities. So, during this festive season, rather than thinking about some weird old man breaking and entering into every household on the planet, please try to focus on something more realistic. Like a class action lawsuit as Santa

home from work. Brad and I waited with arms crossed, tapping toes and sucking our teeth as he walked through the door. “The gig is up, old man! We know about this Santa Claus charade that you have been pulling over on us for so many years. We are fully aware that this was all a ruse to con us into submitting to better behavior and a clean bedroom! HOW COULD YOU?”

Santa wasn’t.” And then I understood. I was still hurt, and of course we felt a little defeated, but it was truly an interesting lesson to learn from our parents. I accepted it and we had a wonderful (if less magical) Christmas, then I began the very adult self-introspection that comes when you are aware that you will eventually be responsible for selecting your

possibly delivers COVID and Rudolph’s kennel cough to each and every one of us. Deck the halls, don your gay apparel and may the magic of this holiday season be your best yet. And remember that Santa Claus has neither a lactose intolerance or gluten allergy, so choose a treat that you feel most comfortable eating while lying to your children. Amen, The Divine Grace

Deck the halls, don your gay apparel and may the magic of this holiday season be your best yet.

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viewpoint

Jason Leclerc

THE OTHER SIDE

OF LIFE

Every. Single. Day STRONOMERS, THOSE

scientists who grant the birth story from the Gospels as fact, using the “Christmas Star” as a celestial marker, tell us that Jesus’s birthday was more likely in June or July – when a bright star, perhaps a supernova, was visible over Bethlehem: bright enough to guide the wisemen to the manger.

Historians, charting concurrent, cross-verifiable regional events, tell us that, despite the “B.C./A.D./ C.E.” nomenclature which, by definition, is separated by the Christ-birth, Jesus was actually born between 6 and 4 B.C. (yes, before his birth). The Church, aiming to synthesize pagan celebrations with new-religious celebrations as the global owner of information and knowledge between the third and 19th centuries, has asserted December 25, year One, A.D. as Christmas. My parents, well-meaning and respectful of the American traditions that grew out of mid-century, anti-Communist commercialism, reinforced the belief that Jesus, Santa, red-nosed reindeer and birthday-obsessed snowmen swirled together in a seasonal spirit of crackling fires, presents and over-indulgent feasting. Poets and essayists and playwrights and cartoonists and political leaders, promoting a plasticine mythology around American Christmas that most of us have willingly purchased despite what the astronomers and historians have told us, defined a non-parochial, ostensibly inoffensive Christmas that

became a melting-pot’s holiday season. We have embraced a spirit that is independent of fact or science, accepting that a spirit is enough of a common soul to pulse through. I, a product of the Cold-warrior eighties, with a nostalgic throughline from Reagan to Obama (from Carter to Biden) have made a similar connection from Jesus to Santa. I’ve synthesized hard science and social science and literature and politics and sentimental family traditions; I’ve accepted that a spirit – the third and hardest-to-pin-down member of the Holy Trinity – is sufficient and that it can span an entire season. Post-modernly sliding along a snow-slicked, slippery slope on a sled of synthesized knowledge, I’ve chosen that – not despite but rather deferentially – any day could be Christmas. I’ve decided that the actual year and the actual day, or even whether the official story is made up of fiction-for-didactic-effect, are not the important components of the half-melted, ice-strewn, heavily moguled fact field. I’ve chosen to believe that every day could be Christmas. The subjunctive mood here abounds with spirit. On this mountain of subjectivity, a Jesus-like figure can emerge anywhere, anytime – as an event to celebrate from the past in a Palestine or as an event to look forward to, in preparation for in an as yet uncharted world – to inspire, to teach, to lead us. Love, in such a mountain, is accretive: not zero-summed. Inspire Love. Teach love. Lead love. Increase love. A God, and their realm and their time – their time-space, as it were – after all, is beyond our full understanding. A God, and I say this with a believer’s conviction, is everything and everywhere. A God is alpha, omega: in, with,

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around, over. Not just, any or could: the spirit of this type of Christmas is, “I am!” emphatically. Most importantly, this everywhere God and this everyday Christmas are mine. They neither require nor prohibit your God nor your season nor spirit nor faith nor conformity. Where there are valleys between your mountain

The view of the world from here is wide and broad, but I admit that there are, doubtless, unimaginably breathtaking vistas from your mountain that are beyond my view. Let’s share and trade stories and make common myths. And where the valleys aren’t so deep, let’s make routes and bridges. Come visit when it suits you – and see the

From here, snowmen don’t melt and we celebrate our white-bearded elders and each morsel of sustenance is more of a feast than the previous morsel. From here, I can see clear to heaven because every day is a birth story: every birth is holy. Here, every day is Christmas. Every. Single. Day.

of data points and mine, let’s grow grapes and wheat. Let’s fatten lambs and strengthen oxen. Let’s make and break bread, let’s spread hummus, let’s bathe and baptize, let’s share stories and build temples of knowledge.

view from here. From here, the sun is our Christmas star. From here, every new day is the first day of a common era. From here, we synthesize the plasticine and celebrate with the pagans.

Jason Leclerc (@JLeclercAuthor) is chief economist and partner at Crescent Consulting, a technology consulting firm. He has published two short story collections,“Momentitiousness” and “Black Kettle,” shares poetry at PoetEconomist.Blogspot. com, and regularly contributes Op-Eds at Orlando Sentinel and Tampa Bay Times.

I’ve chosen to believe that every day could be Christmas. The subjunctive mood here abounds with spirit.

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talking points

My only hope and goal was and is to bring the message of God’s unconditional love to a community that has been greatly marginalized. —REV. CRAIG DUKE, METHODIST MINISTER AT NEWBURGH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN INDIANA, WHO WAS ASKED TO RESIGN AFTER APPEARING ON HBO’S DRAG SERIES “WE’RE HERE.”

8% OF

DICTIONARY.COM ANOINTS ‘ALLYSHIP’ WORD OF 2021

U.S. ADULTS

LLYSHIP, AN OLD NOUN MADE NEW AGAIN, IS DICTIONARY.COM’S WORD OF THE YEAR. The look up site with 70 million monthly users took the unusual step of anointing a word it added just last month, though “allyship” first surfaced in the mid-1800s. The site offers two definitions for allyship: The role of a person who advocates for inclusion of a “marginalized or politicized group” in solidarity but not as a member, and the more traditional relationship of “persons, groups or nations associating and cooperating with one another for a common cause or purpose.” It’s the first definition that took off, following the summer of 2020 and the death of George Floyd, white allies — and the word allyship — proliferated as racial justice demonstrations spread. Before that, straight allies joined the causes of LGBTQ oppression, discrimination and marginalization.

IDENTIFY AS LGBT. 2% IDENTIFY

WITH A SEXUAL

ORIENTATION

OTHER THAN LESBIAN, GAY,

BISEXUAL OR STRAIGHT. ZENDAYA WANTS TO DIRECT QUEER LOVE STORY

HE’S AN EMMY-WINNING ACTRESS, A SINGER AND A WORLD-FAMOUS MOVIE STAR, but there is something else Zendaya would like to add to her resume. In a recent interview with her openly gay “Euphoria” co-star Colman Domingo for Interview magazine, Zendaya opened up about wanting to direct. “I just want to do the things that make me happy and bring me joy and fulfill me as an artist, as a person,” Zendaya said in the interview. “The idea of trying to direct in the future excites me.” The actress, who can be seen in theaters in the new “Spider-Man” movie, admits that she doesn’t “necessarily have a plan,” but that directing “a simple love story about two Black girls” is something that interests her.

BETTE MIDLER HONORED AT KENNEDY CENTER

HE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS RETURNED TO TRADITION THIS YEAR WITH A REAL-LIFE GALA Dec. 5. Bette Midler, legendary entertainer and LGBTQ icon, received testimonials from close friends Goldie Hawn and Barbara Hershey, and a performance by Tony Award winner Billy Porter of her iconic song, “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” Midler was joined by Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels, opera singer Justino Diaz and folk music legend Joni Mitchell in receiving the lifetime achievement awards for artistic excellence. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended the event, the first time a president attended since 2016.

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ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY FILM ‘FLEE’ GETS LIMITED RELEASE IN US

HE DANISH FILM “FLEE,” AN ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A GAY AFGHAN REFUGEE fleeing his home country that received critical acclaim during its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, got a limited theatrical release Dec. 3. Written and directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, “Flee” follows the story of Amin as he tells of his life as a child refugee from Afghanistan. The film currently has a 98% on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes and has sparked Oscar buzz in both the Animated Feature and International Feature Film categories. The film received a Golden Globe nomination Dec. 13 for Best Motion Picture, Animated.

CALIFORNIA AND

TEXAS HAVE THE LARGEST

NUMBERS OF

LGBTQ PEOPLE.

—U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey

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YEAR IN

REVIEW How 2021 impacted the LGBTQ communities of Central Florida and Tampa Bay

Jeremy Williams and Ryan Williams-Jent

E DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT 2021

simultaneously seemed like both the quickest and slowest-moving year for those of us here at Watermark.

As we looked back through every edition we published in 2021, stories found in the first few issues of the year surprised us. They felt like they happened years ago. It was at the start of 2021 that the country witnessed an insurrection of the U.S. Capitol building and, despite this, the changing of the guard when Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States. Hope also arose as vaccines were on their way to every American, showing signs that we might be over this pandemic.

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Unfortunately, their roll out hit several roadblocks as misinformation spread along with COVID-19. 2021 also became the deadliest year on record for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, which included tragic losses here in Florida and even within our local communities. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 50 known people were fatally shot or killed by other violent means in 2021. They are not forgotten.

2021 was also a year of celebration. We came back out for Pride events in Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, throughout Florida and across the world. We also saw individuals in the sports, film and pop culture arenas come out and live their truth – including football player Carl Nassib, singer Demi Lovato, dancing star Jojo Siwa, White House staffer Kal Penn and the Mistress of the Dark herself, Elvira. While we cannot believe we are already looking ahead to 2022, we invite you to join us as we look back on a year full of tragedy and triumph – reviewing the local, statewide and national stories that impacted the LGBTQ communities of Central Florida and Tampa Bay in 2021.

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Ending the HIV epidemic

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DECEMBER 23, 2021 - J A NUA RY 5 , 202 2 // ISSUE 28 . 26 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

Your LGBTQ Life.

Jan. 21 - Feb. 3, 2021 Issue 28.02

JANUARY

 As the new year begins, Watermark features the One Orlando Alliance’s new leadership – board chair Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet and executive director Josh Bell – on the first cover of 2021. We follow that with a look at local entertainment venues as they slowly reopen during the pandemic, showcasing the talented Tymisha Harris as Josephine Baker on the Central Florida cover and “Drag Race” superheroes, led by Bianca Del Rio, on the Tampa Bay cover.  In Central Florida, the community celebrates Orlando being named the best destination for LGBTQ families by GayTravel.com as well as celebrates 15 years of Pom Pom’s being in The Milk District. But January isn’t all cheers as we say goodbye to local drag legend Nazhoni T. Foxx, who passes away Jan. 15 after battling COVID-19.

FEBRUARY

 In Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg mayoral race gets the year going as openly LGBTQ City Councilmember Darden Rice files to succeed term-limited Mayor Rick Kriseman. Sarasota’s ALSO Youth expands into Manatee County, kicking off the merger between the youth organization and Prism Youth Initiative with an outdoor event Jan. 23.  Equality Florida starts the year with a detailed, LGBTQ-focused Equality Agenda. The city of Fort Lauderdale joins in on an amicus brief calling on the state to rehear the issue of conversion therapy.  In Washington, as the nation is occupied by the Jan. 6 insurrection, outgoing President Donald Trump quietly rescinds regulations barring discrimination among HHS grantees with respect to sex, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.

 As February starts, we speak with local medical experts as we try to answer questions about the COVID vaccine. We then highlight local trans women of color who are launching businesses and leading nonprofits.  In Central Florida, some of those very trans leaders are honored with an event at Orlando’s City Hall Feb. 1. The day is declared as “All Black Lives Fund Day” which recognizes the contributions of Black-led LGBTQ groups. Orlando also goes viral in February when a video of a six-year-old drag fan lip syncing during Hamburger Mary’s Broadway Brunch takes the internet by storm.  Not to be outdone, Tampa has the eyes of the country Feb. 7 as they host Super Bowl LV. During the preshow, openly LGBTQ Tampa General nurse Suzie Dorner shows

off her Pride with a rainbow watchband as she is featured in a segment highlighting health care professionals during the pandemic. Throughout the month, Empath Partners in Care virtually steps out with its first AIDS walk since 2017 with their reimagined “I Run For Safe Sex” 5K/10K.  Statewide, the LGBTQ community gets a big win when the Florida Commission on Human Relations announces Feb. 3 that it will protect LGBTQ Floridians by enforcing the Florida Civil Rights Act and accept claims of sex discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  On a national level, the month also marks the first time an LGBTQ person is confirmed to a Cabinet-level position as Pete Buttigieg is sworn in as transportation secretary.

Staging a Comeback central Florida and tampa Bay venues start reopening stages for 2021

Orlando remembers drag performer Nazhoni T. Foxx

Darden Rice launches historic bid for St. Petersburg mayor

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Your LGBTQ Life.

April 1 - 14, 2021 • Issue 28.07

MARCH

 While the world is still socially distancing, that doesn’t stop us from moving forward with our annual Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence, or WAVES. Our parties are reimagined, however, and in the second issue of March we look at one year of COVID.  Orlando’s Ribbon Maker, Ben Johansen announces that he is bringing his Orlando Ribbon Project to an end. The Project, started in the hours after the tragic 2016 Pulse shooting, created 1.3 million ribbons which made their way to all 50 states, 67 countries and every continent.  In Sarasota, Project Pride announces it is installing a Pride crosswalk and mural in the city’s downtown area. The Rainbow Pride Walk and Street Mural is the first major installation of its type in the city. St Pete Pride joins in with other organizations returning to in-person events

APRIL

with its Taste of Pride in the Grand Central District.  In South Florida, Fort Lauderdale’s first openly gay mayor, Dean Trantalis, comes under criticism after he signs a proclamation honoring Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. The church, which was founded in 1960, was a platform of founder Rev. D. James Kennedy’s anti-gay views for more than 30 years, including promoting conversion therapy. Trantalis defends his support by advising “it’s time to build a future based on love and not hate.”  Three transgender women are killed across the nation in March. In D.C., the Biden Administration makes history again as Rachel Levine becomes the Assistant Secretary for Health. Levine is the first openly trans person to obtain Senate confirmation as a presidential appointee.

EPIC announces new St. Pete health center

Come Out With Pride begins search for executive director

 April begins with an examination of The Equality Act, which passed in the U.S. House earlier in the year, and whether the Senate is likely to pass it. The year will conclude without a Senate vote on the bill. We also take an in-depth look at Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists, or TERFs. We speak with subject matter experts to find out who TERFs are and what they believe.  In Central Florida, GayDays and One Magical Weekend both decide not to move forward with their June events, the National Trans Visibility March announces it will be coming to Orlando during October’s Come Out With Pride and both the Florida Film Festival and AIDS Walk Orlando move forward with their events.  In Tampa Bay, Dining Out For Life moves forward with its 16th annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser with EPIC and St Pete Pride announces that instead

of its traditional parade and festival over the last weekend of June, the organization will partner with other LGBTQ groups for a series of events to be held throughout Pride Month 2021.  Tallahassee gets on the anti-trans bandwagon with a pair of bills that would ban trans youth from playing in sports in school. HB 1475 passes in the Florida House April 14 but its companion bill in the Senate – SB 2012 – stalls April 20. The Senate resurrects it April 28 as a last-minutes amendment to SB 1028. Gov. DeSantis, appearing on FOX News April 29, indicates he will sign the bill into law.  The bad news continues as seven trans or gender nonconforming Americans are killed, Caitlyn Jenner announces she is running for California governor and Putin bans same-sex marriage in Russia.

LGBTQ advocates champion the Equality Act

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Your LGBTQ Life.

April 29 - May 12, 2021 • Issue 28.09

opera orlando brings trans story 'as one' to the stage Cocktail opens in St. petersburg

MAY

 Celebrating its 30th festival, we feature Orlando Fringe on May’s first cover as they return to in-person shows. For the next issue, we split the covers and focus on LGBTQ travelers on the Central Florida cover and highlight disco queen Martha Wash, who performs at Tampa Pride, on the Tampa Bay cover.  In Central Florida, the LGBT+ Center Orlando announces its Diversity Award recipients, which include honoring Mayor Jerry Demings and U.S. Rep. Val Demings with Lifetime Achievement Awards. The Center also partners with the nation’s largest blood centers to host the ADVANCE study, which looks to change laws banning men who have sex with men from donating blood.  In Tampa Bay, Clearwater’s Keri Washington becomes one of 10 members of the trans community murdered in May. Tampa Pride returns with an

JUNE

in-person parade and festival May 22, marking the first Pride celebration in Watermark’s readership area to return with a traditional parade since the start of the pandemic.  Across the state, elected officials stand up for trans youth against DeSantis. More than 100 elected officials across Florida signed onto a letter titled “Let Kids Play.” The letter urges DeSantis not to sign the anti-trans youth sports bill into law.  The northeast of the U.S. makes headlines as Vermont bans the use of the “gay panic defense” and New York City Pride announces that it will ban police officers from marching in their parade until at least 2025. In other parts of the world, Wales elects its first nonbinary mayor and the president of an LGBTQ rights group in Tonga is murdered.

 Never forgotten, Watermark begins the month by reflecting on June 12, 2016. Five years later, we sit down with Pulse owner Barbara Poma as survivor Brandon Wolf, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and more remember that tragic day. We also examine Gayborhoods for Pride Month, LGBTQ-centric neighborhoods celebrating our community all year long.  Tatiana Quiroga is named Come Out With Pride’s first executive director in Orlando. She enters the role seeking to “create a Pride that speaks to all our futures.” SPEKTRUM Health also gets a new home in the city while opening another facility in Melbourne.  Traditionally the state’s largest LGBTQ celebration, St Pete Pride officially kicks off its reimagined month of festivities after skipping 2020 but skips its parade. Sarasota makes history with the help of Project Pride,

Orlando Fringe gets back to in-person festival for landmark year

SPECIAL INSIDE: WATERMARK’S RAINBOW FAMILY GUIDE

formally recognizing June as Pride Month for the first time.  Gov. Ron DeSantis welcomes June differently. He signs Florida’s anti-LGBTQ bill barring transgender youth from playing sports aligning with their gender identity into law on the first day of Pride Month. He also vetoes funding for Pulse survivors and LGBTQ youth in the state’s budget.  Two trans people are killed in Virginia and Ohio. Seeking change in Florida, donations pour into Orlando for Pulse victims and LGBTQ youth as lawmakers share political prospects in 2022. U.S. Rep. Val Demings announces her bid for the U.S. Senate and State Rep. Michele Rayner, the first Black and openly LGBTQ woman elected to the Florida Legislature, shares that she will seek outgoing U.S. Rep. Crist’s seat.

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Your LGBTQ Life.

Aug. 19 - Sept. 1, 2021 • Issue 28.17

JULY

AUGUST

The_LGBTQ_Generational Queer personal finance content creators are Wealth_Gap helping address financial challenges

 We spotlight authenticity in July. Watermark begins the month with an issue highlighting trans and nonbinary individuals who detail what gender euphoria means to them. Gay magicians then showcase their authentic acts.  The five-year mark of Pulse continues to reverberate throughout Orlando and well beyond. After Biden signs a bill designating the National Pulse Memorial in the final days of June, entrepreneur Richard Branson visits space wearing a ribbon from the Orlando Ribbon Project.  Ahead of August’s primary election, term-limited St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman endorses another longtime LGBTQ ally as his successor: former Pinellas RK’S CountyECommissioner RMA LL Ken T A FAannounced W 0It’s Welch. also that E 2 21 Gand UIDcyclist local veteran Monica S T ARwill represent the U.S. in Sereda

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Tokyo for the Paralympic Games, running parallel to the Olympics.  Nathan Bruemmer steps into his new role as Florida LGBTQ+ Consumer Advocate for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He was appointed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried – the only statewide-elected Democrat also running to unseat DeSantis – and is the second person to fill the role and first who is transgender.  In New Jersey and Maryland, two Black trans women are killed. The nation’s largest LGBTQ-focused civil rights organization also partners with Florida’s largest. After the Human Rights Campaign files a federal lawsuit against the state’s law targeting trans youth, Equality Florida promises to continue the fight on the ground while HRC vows to fight similar laws nationwide.

 As COVID cases spike across Florida due to the Delta variant, the state enters crisis mode. Watermark speaks with specialists and local organizations about staying safe, getting vaccinated and more.  We also examine finance, detailing the LGBTQ community’s generational wealth gap and speaking with local experts. They weigh in on unique challenges facing our community and the LGBTQ dollar.  Trina Gregory-Propst, owner of Se7en Bites, once again puts Central Florida on the Flavortown map. The restaurant owner wins Guy Fieri’s realty TV series “Guy’s Grocery Games.” Parliament House also moves forward with opening a new location and after debate, Come Out with Pride confirms law enforcement officers will be welcome to march in their parade.

 Metro Inclusive Health opens its 30,000-square-foot facility in Ybor as the month begins, also unveiling its 1,500-square-foot home beside the facility for LGBTQ programming. The expansion doubles its services in Tampa. In St. Petersburg, voters determine that mayoral candidates Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon will advance to the city’s general election, edging out Darden Rice who later endorses Welch.  Three trans women of color are killed in August. As the Olympics come to a close overseas, “Team LGBTQ” takes a victory lap. Over 180 openly LGBTQ athletes competed in Tokyo for the Games. Had they competed as a country, they would have ranked 11th in total medal count with 30 different countries represented by at least one publicly out LGBTQ athlete across 34 sports.

Metro Inclusive Health doubles Tampa services

Come Out With Pride announces cops can march in parade

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SEPTEMBER

 As students return to classrooms nationwide, Watermark checks in with local Gay-Straight or Gender and Sexuality Alliances. We highlight support LGBTQ youth are receiving in and outside of school.  We also focus on the evolution of entertainment, beginning with the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. We preview their 32nd year ahead of in-person and virtual screenings. Orlando’s Ginger Minj also details her move to country music as Sarasota’s Harvey Milk Festival rebrands as the Fabulous Arts Foundation.  After being denied access to COVID-19 data, Orlando Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and the Florida Center for Government Accountability file a lawsuit for its release. Music superstar Lil Nas X also raises funds for Central Florida’s Bros in Convo

OCTOBER

and other LGBTQ nonprofits with his first album.  St Pete Pride announces its new leadership to guide the organization into next year’s 20th season, naming its first lesbian president in Tiffany Freisberg. Tampa Pride subsequently holds the neighboring celebration’s inaugural Pride on the River, kicking off its 2022 Pride season with a boat parade and more.  Equality Florida welcomes Nikole Parker as its new director of transgender equality and it’s announced that two other staff members will serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Florida Advisory Committee: Nadine Smith and Brandon Wolf. Three trans women of color are murdered. President Biden also recognizes the 10-year mark of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as discharged LGBTQ veterans are awarded overdue VA benefits.

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 Watermark kicks off the month with our annual Halloween issue. We detail LGBTQ frights and delights coming to Central Florida and Tampa Bay, including the inaugural Halloween on Central in St. Petersburg.  We also say goodbye to the city’s outgoing Mayor Rick Kriseman, who sits down with Watermark to reflect on eight inclusive years in charge. Local content creators for OnlyFans also detail how conservative groups have impacted their work on the popular platform.  A record 200,000 people turn out for Orlando’s Come Out With Pride, with more than 300 groups and organizations participating in the Most Colorful Parade. The celebration also welcomes the third National Trans Visibility March, the first to be held outside of Washington, D.C. Advocates reflect on the known trans lives lost to

violence in 2021, which by the year’s end reach the highest number on record.  St. Petersburg mayoral candidates Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon each commit to supporting the city’s LGBTQ community ahead of November’s election. PFLAG Riverview is also honored at PFLAG National’s 2021 convention for the chapter’s exponential growth during the pandemic.  Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature files its latest attack on transgender youth, a bill to criminalize health care providers who perform gender-affirming care. In Miami Gardens, Royal Poetical Starz is murdered; one of five trans people this month. Dr. Rachel Levine also becomes the first openly trans admiral in the U.S. and under President Biden, the U.S. regains its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

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Your LGBTQ Life.

Nov. 11 - 23, 2021 Issue 28.23

BROADWAAYY’S BACK! Touring shows return to Orlando’s Dr. Philips CenterDECEMBER and Tampa’s Straz Center NOVEMBER

 With Broadway on its way making it the deadliest year back, Watermark puts Orlando’s on record for trans and gender Dr. Phillips Center and Tampa’s nonconforming people. Three Straz Center centerstage as others are murdered this month. we detail the return of touring  The Human Rights productions. Ahead of World Campaign, which tracks the AIDS Day 2021, we also check in data, also releases the results with local experts about how the of its 10th annual Municipal COVID-19 pandemic is impacting Equality Index. Of Florida’s those living with HIV. 20 cities scored, half receive a  Orlando incumbents win perfect score of 100 for their big in the city’s election after LGBTQ inclusivity. They are some notable challenges. Police Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, also make an arrest after the Oakland Park, Orlando, St. onePULSE Foundation shares Peterburg, Tallahassee, Tampa, that a man had set fire to one of Wellington, West Palm Beach the Pulse memorial’s banners. and Wilton Manors.  Ken Welch makes  Openly LGBTQ candidates history with the support of across the nation also make LGBTQ-focused groups history. Incumbe n t sin w i n i n C i tAtyleast 184 win elected Tampa Bay. He is elected as office in 2021, more than o fPetersburg’s O r l a n54th d oandc first o m m iinsany sio n eodd-numbered r races St. other Black mayor with more than election year ever recorded. S t .ofP t e rAssadvocates b u r g M aTrans y o rwomen - e l ehad c tthe highest 60% theevote. prepare for Transgender Day of win rates of any Ke n We l c h m a ke s h i s t o r y gender Remembrance, Tampa’s Jenny De identity at 63%, with 12 Leon becomes the 46th known trans women winning their trans person murdered this year, respective races.

 Watermark closes 2021 by reflecting on 20 people who made it a remarkable year for the local LGBTQ community. We highlight 10 incredible individuals in Central Florida and 10 more in Tampa Bay. Come Out with Pride’s Tatiana Quiroga covers one edition while U.S. Paralympic cyclist Monica Sereda covers the other. We also look back on the people, places and events that resonated with readers in 2021.  Orlando welcomes the Orlando Otters RFC, the city’s first LGBTQ rugby team. Santa’s Bike Force also brings more than 100 bikes to Central Florida kids.  Pinellas County Schools make a difference another way. “Gender Queer: A Memoir” is removed from general circulation in two Tampa Bay student libraries after the district “heard concerns” regarding the LGBTQ graphic novel. The

LGBTQ-owned and operated bank Daylight also reflects on launching locally this year.  Gov. DeSantis and his administration end the year how they spent much of it. The Florida Department of Education removes a web page featuring anti-bullying resources that include information about creating safe spaces for LGBTQ youth.  Our nation’s neighbors to the north act to protect LGBTQ youth, however, as Canada bans the discredited practice of conversion therapy. France follows suit. In the states, Nikai Davis, a trans woman, is murdered in California. An analysis of a U.S. Census Bureau survey also reveals ark’s that at least aterm 20 w million Americans could now identify as LGBTQ, almost doubling prior estimates. Our growing community looks toward 2022.

! E D I S IN

y a d i l o HGUIDE

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POP CULTURE

Alphabet Pop

A look at some of 2021’s most talked about moments in LGBTQ pop culture

Jeremy Williams

HILE THE PANDEMIC

continued to take center stage throughout 2021, the world of pop culture wasn’t going to let it steal all the headlines. LGBTQ representation was seen in film and television, it was heard in the music industry, it was cheered on in the world of sports and we read it in our novels and our comic books. We also saw it represented in LEGOs. As we record our last chapter in the book of 2021, we have gathered a few highlights from the LGBTQ pop culture world — 26 to be exact. Welcome to your 2021 pop ABCs.

RCHULETA, DAVID “American Idol” season 7 runner up, David Archuleta takes to Instagram to publicly come out during Pride Month. The devout Mormon said in a post to his 400,000+ fans that while he came out to family as gay in 2014, he feels he may be on the bisexual spectrum.

LOOM, LEYNA 27-year-old Leyna Bloom becomes the first trans woman of color on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue when she is featured in the publication’s August edition.

ASSANDRA PETERSON Cassandra Peterson — best known by fans as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — reveals in her 2021 memoir “Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark” that she has been in a romantic relationship with a woman for the last 19 years. “For the first time in my life,” Peterson wrote, “I’m with someone who makes me feel safe, blessed, and truly loved.”

C COMICS DC Comics announced three LGBTQ heroes in the pages of its comics during 2021. In August it is revealed that Batman sidekick Robin (the Tim Drake version) is bisexual and two months later, it was announced that Superman Jon Kent, son of the classic Superman Clark Kent and Lois Lane, is also bi. DC’s LGBTQ world expanded again when Bia, a Black trans Amazonian, was introduced in the first issue of “Nubia & The Amazons.”

TERNALS Not to be outdone, DC rival Marvel introduces its first openly gay superhero in its cinematic universe with the release of “Eternals.” During the film, it is revealed that Phastos (played by Brian Tyree Henry) is in a loving marriage with a man and that they have a child together. The couple also share a passionate kiss.

LEE The Danish film “Flee,” an animated documentary about a gay Afghan refugee fleeing his home country, receives critical acclaim during its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival sparking Oscar buzz in both the Animated Feature and International Feature Film categories.

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ADDOW, RACHEL MSNBC’s most popular primetime anchor, Rachel Maddow negotiates a new multi-year contractual deal to remain with the cable news network through the 2024 elections, nabbing $30 million per year.

ASSIB, CARL Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as gay when he took to Instagram during Pride Month. Nassib, who enters his sixth NFL season and second with the Raiders, says he wasn’t doing it for the attention but because he felt representation and visibility were important.

G H I J

R S

OODBYE After 18 years and more than 1,800 shows, Ellen DeGeneres says she is done with her daytime talk show after its upcoming 19th season.

UBBARD, LAUREL New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard competes during the Tokyo Olympics, making her the first openly trans woman to compete in the Olympic Games. NSTAGRAM PRONOUNS Instagram becomes a more inclusive social media app as in launches a new feature that allows users to choose their pronouns as a part of their public profile.

AVICIA LESLIE After Ruby Rose stepped away from the series “Batwoman,” Javicia Leslie premieres as the new titular hero in the show’s second season wowing fans and critics. Leslie returned for the show’s third season in October. RISTEN STEWART Kristen Stewart and screenwriter Dylan Meyer announce they are engaged to be married in November, adding to an already tremendous year for Stewart who has been the front runner to win the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Princess Diana in the film “Spencer.” If she wins, she will become the first openly LGBTQ person ever to win an Oscar in one of the acting categories.

OVATO, DEMI Demi Lovato takes to Twitter in May and, in a series of tweets, comes out as nonbinary and says they use they/them pronouns. Lovato’s announcement also came with the first episode of their podcast called “4D With Demi Lovato.”

LYMPIA DUKAKIS We love you more than our luggage. Legendary actress Olympia Dukakis dies at the age of 89. Dukakis was an icon who appeared in more than a hundred films and TV shows including playing Mary Anne’s landlady in “Tales of the City,” Cher’s mother in “Moonstruck” and Clairee in “Steel Magnolias.”

OSE The groundbreaking FX series “Pose” concludes with its third season. The show ends on a high note earning five Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama Series for its stars Billy Porter and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.

UEER EYE LEGO The Fab 5 are immortalized in LEGO form as the hit Netflix series “Queer Eye” partners with the iconic toy brand to release the Queer Eye Fab 5 Loft LEGO set just in time for LGBTQ History Month.

OBERT JONES, JR. Author Robert Jones, Jr. releases his debut novel “The Prophets” in January and it becomes an instant New York Times best seller.

IWA, JOJO Social media influencer Jojo Siwa reveals that she is a member of the LGBTQ community on social media in January but says she doesn’t put a label on it. Later she says that she identifies as pansexual but also uses gay and queer to describe herself.

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T U

J OSBORNE TJ Osborne, one half of the country music duo Brothers Osborne, comes out as gay in February making him the only openly gay country artist on a major label. RIE, MICHAEL Michael Urie stars in “Single All The Way,” Netflix’s first holiday romantic comedy centered on the relationship of gay men. The film also stars Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane, Kathy Najimy, Barry Bostwick and Jennifer Coolidge.

ERSACE, KRYSTAL Drag queen Krystal Versace wins the third series of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” and becomes the youngest “Drag Race” winner ever at only 19 years old at the time of her crowning.

ACHOWSKI, LANA Nearly 20 years after the original “Matrix” trilogy, director Lana Wachowski (minus sister Lilly) returns with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss for the fourth installment of the science fiction series, “The Matrix Resurrections.”

, LIL NAS Lil Nas X secured his position as one of the most talked about performers in 2021 with the release of his first studio album “Montero.” The album spawned two No. 1 singles: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” and “Industry Baby.”

Y Z

OU CAN’T BE SERIOUS Kal Penn, former White House staffer during the Obama Administration and one half of the film duo “Harold & Kumar,” comes out as gay in his memoir “You Can’t Be Serious.” ENDAYA In an interview with openly gay “Euphoria” co-star Colman Domingo for Interview magazine, Zendaya opened up about wanting to direct. The Emmy-winning actor admits in the interview that she doesn’t “necessarily have a plan,” but that directing “a simple love story about two Black girls” is something that “excites” her.

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MOVIES

Deck The Hallmark A new guide to Hallmark Channel’s holiday movies will make your yuletide gay and bright

IN A (CHEST)NUT SHELL, HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE BOOK?

From the time the show launched in 2018, I’ve always kidded them about usurping the work of women and gay men by talking about Hallmark movies, but their perspective is genuine and always funny. As they say at the top of every episode, Bran loves these movies, Panda likes them and Dan despises them, which means whatever your own feelings about them, someone on the show has your back. HALLMARK HAS 41 NEW CHRISTMAS MOVIES ALONE THIS YEAR; ANY THAT YOU RECOMMEND?

This year’s Hallmark crop has had some fun entries, including “Crashing Through the Snow,” “An Unexpected Christmas” and the two-part, interlocking “Sister Swap” movies.

(ABOVE)

HOLIDAY BOOKS:

The cover of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies,” the book by the trio behind “Deck the Hallmark” podcast. PHOTO COURTESY RUNNING PRESS ADULT

Kirk Hartlage

OLIDAY TRADITIONS TODAY ARE AS

varied as the families creating them. Some bake treats and build gingerbread houses, others gather for meals or parties. There’s a unique type of folk who find cheer gathered around the TV enjoying Christmas specials and films. One network in particular, the Hallmark Channel, has carved such a niche in the holiday movie market to reach that particular zeitgeist in pop culture. There’s even a podcast devoted to reviewing Hallmark Channel holiday movies, and it’s been ranked in Apple Podcast’s Top 15 overall and Top 5 Comedy. The trio behind that “Deck The Hallmark” podcast – Brandon Gray, Daniel “Panda” Pandolph and Daniel Thompson – have just published “I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies,” the unofficial fan guide to Hallmark

holiday movies. For the book they’ve brought along frequent podcast guest and fellow holiday film aficionado Alonso Duralde, author of “Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas,” who also serves as film reviews editor at The Wrap. We chatted with Duralde about how one half of a Hollywood writing couple joined forces with three South Carolina dads to discuss holiday movies.

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AREN’T ALL HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIES THE SAME: WHITE LADY OVERLY-STRESSED AT THE ONCOMING HOLIDAYS HAS HER PROBLEMS MELT AWAY WITH THE SNOW WHEN SHE MEETS A DASHING HEARTTHROB – ALSO WHITE – WHO QUICKLY BECOMES THE LOVE OF HER LIFE; THE END?

That’s certainly been the network’s paradigm for a long time, but with new CEO Wonya Lucas, a Black woman with extensive TV experience, we’re seeing a lot more diversity in the movies – more leads of color, more LGBT supporting characters and more nontraditional families. Does Hallmark have a long way to go to reach the 21st century? No question. But they’ve made a lot of strides, even if those strides are long overdue, in the last few years. IS LGBTQ REPRESENTATION GETTING BETTER OR DO WE HAVE TO TURN TO THE PREMIUM STREAMERS FOR LESBIAN (HULU, “HAPPIEST SEASON”) AND GAY (NETFLIX, “SINGLE ALL THE WAY”) CONTENT?

Hallmark is definitely getting better, in that they started at zero. This year, we got “Every Time a Bell Rings,” a story about three sisters, and one of them is a lesbian (played by lesbian actress Ali Liebert), as well as “The

Christmas House 2,” a sequel to last year’s film, and both movies feature Jonathan Bennett and Brad Harder as a pair of married dads. WHAT MAKES A HALLMARK CHANNEL BRAND CHRISTMAS MOVIE STAND OUT FROM OTHER CHANNELS?

There’s a level of production that stands out in the ever-more-crowded field of holiday cable/streaming movies. I always say that the best Lifetime movies are better than the best Hallmark movies – and the worst Lifetime movies are far worse than the worst Hallmark movies – but Hallmark has managed a fairly reliable level of consistency over the years. YOUR HUSBAND, DAVE WHITE, CAN BE A BIT OF A CURMUDGEON. HOW, IF AT ALL, DO YOU GET SOMEONE TO CROSS OVER FROM THE DARK SIDE AND TRY A HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIE? ARE THERE “BETTER” ENTRY LEVEL MOVIES THAN OTHERS?

I generally watch these after he goes to bed just to keep the peace. As for newcomers looking to check out these movies -- well, that’s actually where the new book comes in. You can peruse the plot synopses of 116 movies and hear what the “Deck the Hallmark” guys have to say about them and figure out which one sounds like your brand of cocoa. WHAT IS IT ABOUT TV CHRISTMAS MOVIES AND THE PLETHORA OF GONE-BUT-NOT-FORGOTTEN SOAP ACTORS?

Because there’s so much of a nostalgia factor, generally speaking, when it comes to Christmas. It makes sense that Hallmark likes to feature familiar faces, whether you know them from soaps or from the sitcoms you loved growing up. Soap actors are also trained to work fast, a talent that comes in handy when you’re shooting an entire Christmas movie in 15 days. YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF HOLIDAY MOVIES IN YOUR LINE OF WORK. WHAT’S THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD? WHAT HOLIDAY MOVIE HAS HOLLYWOOD YET TO MAKE BUT SHOULD?

There were LGBTQ Christmas movies before “Happiest Season” and Lifetime’s “The Christmas Setup,” but it’s still a fairly new sub-genre, and I’d love to see more movies tackling queer character and love stories in a Christmas context. ”I’ll Be Home For Christmas Movies” is available now wherever books are sold.

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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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announcements

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Following a brief closure, Cristoph’s announced Dec. 13 that Alex Mena Manzano and Steve Wessels have assumed ownership of the Tampa bar. Casa del Merman at GayStPete House owner Brian Longstreth shared Dec. 15 that after purchasing a hotel in Montanita, Ecuador, the venture has gone international. Learn more at VisitGayMontanita.com. Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed Janet Cruz for the Florida Senate Dec. 16, calling her “a trusted ally and friend to our LGBTQ community.” Read more at JanetCruzForSenate.com. Aaron Perry Cruz and Daniel Cruz were married Dec. 18.

Mixers at OKW will celebrate its seven-year anniversary in the Grand Central District Jan. 1.

CONDOLENCES Tampa Police are still seeking information in the murder of Jenny De Leon. Anyone with information about her death or suspicious circumstances Nov. 2, 2021 is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-8477 and reference Case #21-463329. Read more at CrimeStoppersTB.com and WatermarkOnline.com. St. Peterburg activist and advocate Danny Weaver died Dec. 13. He will be missed.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Joel Schmitz CPA partner Mike Lang, Tampa General physician Dr. Kyle Bowers, Architect John Del Vitto (Dec. 23); Brandon salesman and bear fan Walter Tart, Creative Design Weavers owner Amy Oatley, Tampa realtor Caitlin Jones, Watermark contributor and activist Johnny Boykins (Dec. 24); Webtivity Marketing’s Tim Seward (Dec. 25); St. Petersburg bartender Jeff Nicolaus, Metro Inclusive Health’s Chad Chaddington, Zero Pinellas’ Topher Larkin, St. Pete Leisure Services Administrator Mike Jefferis (Dec. 26); Sarasota realtor Nate Brooks, Clearwater realtor Keith Gill, Tampa Bay talent coordinator Tom Penman (Dec. 27); 6S Boutique co-owner Andrew Citino, Equality Florida Pinellas County Safe & Healthy Schools Coordinator Esme Rodriguez (Dec. 28); Watermark contributor Greg Stemm (Dec. 29); Tampa Bay DJ Mike Sklarz, Tampa ROTC member Steve Deal, Tampa Bay entertainer Stephanie Stuart, Equality Florida Communications Director Michael Womack (Dec. 30); Mr. Ybor Eagle 2010 Carlos “Wolfy” Diaz, Tampa massage therapist Russell Fox, St Pete Pride volunteer Paul LeCouris, Tampa historian David K. Johnson (Dec. 31); Hot 101.5 Miguel & Holly’s Holly O’Connor, Chanel enthusiast Jeremy Skidmore, St. Petersburg socialite Corey Malyszka, St. Pete Young Professionals organizer Brandon Dysard, Family Resources president Lisa Davis (Jan. 1); St Pete business analyst Jason Bracewell, Gators gal Deidre Favero (Jan. 2); Sarasota graphic designer Tim Cameresi, Tampa photographer Charles Allen, Lakeland entertainer Momma Ashley Rose (Jan. 3); Tampa Bay DJ LaMonte Monnell aka L Mo, Casa del Merman at GayStPeteHouse owner Brian Longstreth (Jan. 4); Southern Nights Tampa manager Chou Chou Guilder, Tampa realtor Nicholas Buchanan (Jan. 5).

2 3

MEET & GREET: St. Petersburg Police Department. Sgt. Amy Dewitt meets with the first child to receive a bicycle from the St. Pete Social Club Dec. 9. PHOTO COURTESY ST.

PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT

STRONG SUPPORTER: Tampa City Councilmember Luis Viera (R) receives the Metro Champion Award from James Keane Dec. 14 while touring Metro’s Ybor facility. PHOTO COURTESY

METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH

ST. PETE STAPLE: (L-R) Ryan Young, Santa Nick, Chris ONeal, Renato, Jason Fields and Ed Lopez strike a pose Dec. 12 during the 11th annual Party for Presents at Hollander Hotel. PHOTO COURTESY SANTA NICK

BACK AGAIN: Eve Epstein (L) and Eunic Ortiz enjoy the return of St Pete Pride’s Red & Green Party Dec. 11 at Sunken Gardens. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

BUILDING BACK BETTER: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (L) meets with St. Petersburg Mayor-elect Ken Welch Dec. 14 in D.C. to discuss federal support for local communities. PHOTO COURTESY ST. PETERSBURG MAYOR-ELET KEN WELCH

LOOKING FORWARD: The City of Tampa’s Human Rights Board meets for the final time in 2021 in preparation for 2022. PHOTO COURTESY THE CITY OF TAMPA

TIS THE SEASON: Studios at 5663 wishes the community a very happy holidays Dec. 19. PHOTO COURTESY THE STUDIOS AT 5663

PASCO PROUD: Pasco Pride volunteers and board members come together Dec. 19 for their quarterly roadside cleanup. PHOTO COURTESY PASCO PRIDE

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announcements

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Hannah Willard, vice president of government affairs for Freedom for All Americans, and Dr. Nina Farid, general surgery resident at the University of Central Florida, were engaged Nov. 7. The Miss Comedy Queen Holiday Spectacular event at HAOS on Church raised nearly $3,000 for The Barber Fund Dec. 9.

Santa’s Bike Force gave away 110 bikes during their 2021 event at Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando Dec. 16. Read more about the event and organization on pg. 8. Pom Pom’s Teahouse & Sandwicheria celebrates its 16th year in The Milk District Dec.26.

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 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 Orlando entrepreneur Eve Hunt, Singer Joey Suarez (Dec. 24); UCF Assistant Director Hank Lewis, Sounds of Freedom trombonist Jeremiah Catherwood, Penguin Point Productions owner James Brendlinger (Dec. 25); LGBTQ rights activist Hannah Miller, Central Florida bartender Jeff Munzing, Darden’s Boyd Geary, Southern Nights Orlando General Manager Danny Vega (Dec. 26); WAVE-winning drag performer Lacie Browning (Dec. 27); Stonewall Orlando owner Steven Watkins, former Watermark sales manager Dillian Ramirez, Central Florida performer Gadiel Vazquez, Founder of Gay Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Doug Swallow (Dec. 28); Phish Phest phenom and realtor Sue-Bee Laginess, Former Miss America Ericka Dunlap (Dec. 29); The Center Orlando’s Executive Director Dr. George Wallace, Orlando bear Justin Homer, Teacher and activist Clinton McCracken, Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (Dec. 31); YouTuber Joe Dodd (Jan. 1); Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida’s board chair Dr. Boyd Lindsley, Orlando attorney Joe Seagle (Jan. 2); Central Florida performer Jose Navarro, Promoter Chris Pittman, Ginger Minj’s husband CJ Russell, Equality Florida Field Director Wes Davis (Jan. 3); veteran and die-hard Pittsburgh fan Bill Stiller (Jan. 4); Orlando psychologist Guillermo Navarro, Stonewall Bar bartender Timi Hedrich (Jan. 5).

PHOTO COURTESY CORY FISHER

SHE SAID YES: Hannah Willard (L) shows off the ring with fiancé Dr. Nina Farid after Nina proposes to Hannah in New Smyrna Nov. 7. PHOTO BY IDA V. ESKAMANI

PHOTO COURTESY CONTIGO FUND

PRIDE PANTRY: Local entertainers turn out for Come Out With Pride’s Drive n Drag event at the LGBT+ Center in Orlando Dec. 18. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA DANCING WITH THE STAR: Bartender, dancer and reality TV star Jean Paul Acocella dances at Savoy in Orlando Dec. 18. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA

MEET THE TEAM: New members of the LGBTQ rugby team, the Orlando Otters RFC, take their first team photo at Rose Place Park in Orlando Dec. 19.

SANTA’S HELPERS: Roxy Santiago (L) and Billy Looper get in the giving spirit at Santa’s Bike Force at Joy Metropolitan Community Church in Orlando Dec. 16. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: Jeff Prystajko (L) and Jerick Mediavilla attend Watermark’s 2021 Holiday Party in Orlando Dec. 10.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

40 UNDER 40: Marco Antonio Quiroga, who was named one of the 40 under 40 in 2020, attends the Orlando Business Journal’s event honoring this year’s and last year’s recipients at Mango’s Tropical Café in Orlando Dec. 17.

LIGHT IT UP: (L-R) TJ Switala, James Costello, Chris Bare, Darren Hill and Derek Hughes check out the Dazzling Lights at Leu Gardens in Orlando Dec. 14. PHOTO COURTESY DARREN HILL

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EVENT PLANNER ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA #TwistedTuesdays Last Finals TUESDAY, DEC. 28, 9 P.M. SOUTHERN NIGHTS, ORLANDO Orlando’s hottest talent content, hosted by Axel Andrews, holds its last final before the Grand Finale. Watch as the winners from the past seven weeks compete for a $200 cash prize and that final spot in the finale. Doors open at 9 p.m. and show kicks off at 10:30 p.m. with the talent show beginning at midnight. For more information, go to Southern Nights Orlando’s Facebook page.

“Gilligan’z Island” THURSDAY, JAN. 6-SUNDAY, JAN. 9, VARIOUS TIMES CLERMONT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, CLERMONT The cast of TV Land Live — Ginger Minj, Gidget Galore, Divine Grace, MrMs Adrien and Doug Ba’aser — return with the premiere of “Gilligan’z Island!” at the Clermont Performing Arts Center. Join them for a (less than) three-hour tour that you’ll never forget. Will they get off the island or be stranded forever? Get your tickets to find out. Tickets start at $35 and are available at ClermontPerformingArts.com.

TAMPA BAY The Cock Drop: New Year’s Eve 2021 FRIDAY, DEC. 31, 5 P.M. COCKTAIL, ST. PETERSBURG Cocktail St. Pete rings in the New Year with The Cock Drop. V.I.P. tables seat up to four individuals with a dedicated server, complimentary bottle of alcohol, live entertainment, party favors, champagne toast at midnight and more. Tables start at $475. For more information, visit Cocktail St. Pete’s Facebook page.

SARASOTA “The Rocket Man Show” WEDNESDAY, DEC. 29-FRIDAY, DEC. 31, 7:30 P.M. VENICE THEATRE, VENICE Rus Anderson takes his Elton John persona to the Venice Theatre with “The Rocket Man Show.” Tickets are $58 for the Wednesday and Thursday shows, and $68 for the Friday show. Tickets are available at VeniceTheatre.org.

CENTRAL FLORIDA Eat, ROCK & Be Merry, Dec. 25, Hard Rock Café, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com/Live/Locations/ Orlando A Drag Queen Christmas, Dec. 26, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org WWE Live Holiday Tour, Dec. 27, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com Holiday Weekday Matinee: “Scrooged,” Dec. 29, 407-629-0054; Enzian.org WJRR’s Mistletoe Jam, Dec. 29, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com/Live/Locations/ Orlando Jim Gaffigan: The Fun Tour, Dec. 30-31, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org The Purple Madness – Tribute to Prince, Dec. 30, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando James Bond New Year’s Eve Party, Dec. 31, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-0054; Enzian.org Thornton Park New Year’s Eve Street Party, Dec. 31, 407-701-9382; ThorntonParkDistrict.com New Year’s Eve w/ Rockit Fly!, Dec. 31, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

DRAGGING CHRISTMAS Trinity The Tuck (L) and Monét X Change host “A Drag Queen Christmas” at The Plaza Live in Orlando Dec. 26 and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa Dec. 27. PHOTO FROM MURRAY & PETER PRESENT

“RENT,” Jan. 3, King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne. 321-242-2219; KingCenter.com

Holiday Classics: “Elf,” Dec. 26, Tampa Theatre, Tampa. 813-274-8981; TampaTheatre.org

2021 Sundance Shorts, Jan. 3, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-0054; Enzian.org

A Drag Queen Christmas, Dec. 27, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

“Swan Lake,” Jan. 6, King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne. 321-242-2219; KingCenter.com

“Hairspray,” Dec. 27, The RP Funding Center, Lakeland. 863-834-8100; RPFundingCenter.com

TAMPA BAY The Polar Express 4-D Experience, through Jan. 2, Florida Aquarium, Tampa. 813-273-4000; FLAquarium.org

Dombresky NYE, Dec. 31, Celine, Orlando. 407-801-7005; CelineOrlando.com

WWE Live Holiday Tour, Dec. 26, Amalie Arena, Tampa. 813-301-6500; AmalieArena.com

New Year’s Eve 2021 – Classic Albums Live “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” Dec. 31, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com/ Live/Locations/Orlando

Christmas Aftermath Brunch, Dec. 26, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HamburgerMarys.com/ Clearwater

Adam Trent Holiday Magic, Dec. 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com New Year’s Eve Celebration, Dec. 31, Enigma, St. Petersburg. 727-235-0867; EnigmaStPete.com Swingin’ the New Year, Dec. 31, Gulfport Casino Ballroom, Gulfport. NewYearSwing.com NYE 2022, Dec. 31, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HamburgerMarys.com/ Clearwater

Busch Gardens New Year’s Eve Fireworks, Dec. 31, Busch Gardens, Tampa. 813-884-4386; BuschGardens.com/Tampa New Year’s Eve Riverfront Concert & Fireworks, Dec. 31, Armature Works, Tampa. 813-250-3725; ArmatureWorks.com The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine presents “Cinderella,” Jan. 2, The Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-892-5767; TheMahaffey.com Tuesday Night Trivia – Disney Edition, Jan. 4, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HamburgerMarys.com/ Clearwater

SARASOTA Jefferson Starship, Dec. 31, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-263-6799; VanWezel.org Il Divo, Jan. 6, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota. 941-263-6799; VanWezel.org

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emergencies, providing personalized emergency care in less time.

BayfrontStPete.com/ER

St. Petersburg | Pinellas Park A SERVICE OF BAYFRONT HEALTH ST. PETERSBURG. THIS IS NOT AN URGENT CARE CENTER. ITS SERVICES AND CARE ARE BILLED AT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT RATES.