Watermark Issue 29.13: Labor of Love

INS

Y BA DE PA I M GU TA E S ID K’ PR AR H M IT ER W AT NG W IVI L

IDE

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Orange County reports first case of monkeypox St Pete Pride closes landmark 20-year celebration

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Centralized Care with a Certified HIV Primary Care Provider

“It’s common knowledge that primary care providers and specialists don’t always communicate, and that can be problematic,” says Dr. Luke Johnsen, Medical Director for Metro Inclusive Health.

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It’s true, an HIV provider or Infectious Disease Specialist may be familiar with medication interactions and side effects of HIV medications. However, they may also struggle to pick a medication for their patients’ non HIV-related health problems. Alternatively, they may not practice Primary Care due to the additional time commitment it requires. In this case, coordination of care can lag behind, as multiple providers have limited time to communicate with one another and coordinate medication changes or adjustments.

Aging with HIV

A specialist that combines HIV and Primary Care is likely to understand the impact of long term treatment. For example, some cancers can be more prevalent in long-term HIV patients. Equally, HIV patients who began treatment in the 80s may need to monitor for cognitive issues.

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Founded in 1992, Metro Inclusive Health is a 501(c)3 organization that began with one service: HIV case management. This means METRO has 30 years of experience in supporting those living with HIV. In that time, the organization has strived to become a centralized source for healthcare needs. To that end, we have expanded with over 100 services and programs including primary care with an LGBTQ+ focus, behavioral health, sexual health and prevention, advanced HIV care, pediatrics and more to be announced.

The not-for-profit organization has locations in Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater and New Port Richey.

By Bob Carskadon To learn more or to schedule an appointment at one of four Tampa Bay locations, visit METROTAMPABAY.ORG or call 727-321-3854

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As a trans woman, it was a way to feel feminine when I was feeling masculine early on in my transition.

– DRAG PERFORMER OPAL D’MARCO, SPEAKING ABOUT THE FIRST TIME SHE GOT INTO FULL DRAG

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PAGE WHAT MAKES A VASE?:

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The plight of the local drag queen. PHOTO

BY DYLAN TODD

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Writer-actor Julio Torres on his new picture book.

WATERMARK ISSUE 29.13 // JUNE 23 - JULY 6, 2022

KNOW YOUR STATUS

PROUDER THAN EVER

WERQING THE WORLD

MAKE IT GAY

PAGE

PAGE St Pete Pride marks its 20-year anniversary.

PAGE

PAGE

Read It Online!

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

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Central Florida readies for National HIV Testing Day.

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“Drag Race” sensation Rosé comes to Florida.

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Taffy and Janine Klein on their new cabaret.

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Park Free & Ride to the Pride Parade!

June 25th from 11:00 AM – 11:30 PM St. Pete High Park & Ride 2501 5th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 Cars must be removed by 11:30 PM.

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EDITOR’S

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

T

DESK

HE LATE STAN LEE – FOREVER

my hero – didn’t co-create Spider-Man until the age of 40. It’s something I think about a lot as I age.

The character was first introduced in 1962’s “Amazing Fantasy” #15, which means that, despite his boyish looks, he’ll turn 60 this year. Marvel Comics will mark the milestone with “Amazing Fantasy” #1,000 in August, an anthology celebrating six decades of the world’s favorite wall-crawler.

Sony will subsequently release an extended cut of Marvel Studios’ “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in theaters this September, a film that’s already made $1.9 billion.

While it’s certainly more to cross the $2 billion threshold than it is to honor Spider-Man’s 60th, I’ll still see it again. They didn’t include the film’s deleted scenes on Blu-Ray to make sure of it.

Fankind’s continued fascination with the character is proof that we can make our mark at any stage

WATERMARK STAFF

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

of our lives. With great power and great responsibility, Lee’s work at 40 and beyond has taught me that it’s never too late to make an impact on the world – or to experience all it has to offer.

That’s what I’ve been fortunate enough to do in the last month.

After 37 years, with my husband and some of our closest friends, I left the country for the first time.

I also took a cruise, two things I never expected to do before or after turning 40.

It was one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences of my life, and certainly the coolest. We saved and planned for months ahead of the trip, made possible in large part by another member of our chosen family who watched our dogs and the team here at Watermark,

who worked diligently around my time off.

The entire vacation was lifechanging. It began in Venice, Italy before we boarded our Greek Isles cruise nearby. From there we experienced Kotor, Montenegro followed by Greece’s Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Argostoli. After a full day at sea, we spent a final day in Venice.

I’m notoriously frugal, but the trip was worth every euro. In Venice we bumped into actress Emma Thompson, who was incredibly kind and offered hugs in lieu of photos; in Kotor, we learned about the town’s excessive stray cat population and how they’ve saved the city throughout history and in Corfu, explored ancient forts.

The Acropolis of Athens was as captivating as I’d always hoped.

I’ll remember climbing to the Parthenon and staring down at the Theatre of Dionysus for the rest of my life. Mykonos was beautiful in other ways and included a trip to Delos, an island of the gods that’s largely untouched. Except for by the Mediterranean sun, which I got to know rather personally that day.

We explored Drogarati Cave in Argostoli, an ancient “cave of the dragon,” and a gondolier guided us through the underground Melissani Lake “once populated by nymphs.” I’ve never seen water so blue or felt history so palpable. I’ll never forget it.

Of everything I experienced that week, the fact that I felt so at home while being so far away from my own surprised me the most. Being immersed in so many cultures confirmed that we all have more in common than we usually admit – even if we can’t all get on board with ice in our drinks or indoor air conditioning. While hot, it was a beautiful thing to see.

More than a week after we returned my household experienced another first, testing positive for COVID-19. Not from

living on a cruise ship for a week, visiting multiple countries or flying across the Atlantic Ocean twice, but from the I-4 corridor itself.

We’re both fully vaccinated and boosted – please visit Vaccines.gov if you aren’t – so the experience mostly served as a reminder that COVID is still out there and that science matters. Our cases were mild and symptoms subsided quickly, which thankfully paved the way for us to enjoy the rest of Pride month.

As we celebrate our authenticity in and after June, we check in with some of our community’s fiercest ambassadors this issue. Local entertainers detail their love for drag and we

Being immersed in so many cultures confirmed that we all have more in common than we usually admit.

present Watermark’s second annual Tampa Bay Living with Pride guide.

In news, we preview the opening of The Wet Spot and Mari-Jean Hotel in St. Petersburg, two incoming LGBTQ staples, and detail the second annual Pride at the Village. In Orlando, the Hispanic Federation announces a $1 million investment in Latinx LGBTQ organizations.

We chat with “Drag Race” finalist Rosé ahead of her St Pete Pride show and Werq the World stops in Tampa and Orlando in arts and entertainment. Writer and actor Julio Torres also talks his new picture book.

Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories.

Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.

ORLANDO OFFICE 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

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

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

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

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

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

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JUNE 23 - JULY 6 , 202 2 // ISSUE 29.13 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

CONTRIBUTORS JOHNNY V. BOYKINS

is a Democratic Strategist in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He also serves as Director of Outreach with the Pinellas Democratic Party. Page 19

TATIANA QUIROGA

is the Director of Family Equity and Diversity for Family Equality. She is a proud mother, wife and LGBTQ advocate in Central Florida. Page 21

ABBY BAKER

is a writer, photographer and cat lover with a knack for news. She spends her days writing for her main schtick, The Gabber Newspaper. Page 25 SABRINA AMBRA, NATHAN BRUEMMER, SCOTTIE CAMPBELL, MIGUEL FULLER, DIVINE GRACE, HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, JASON LECLERC, MELODY MAIA MONET, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, GREG STEMM, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI, MICHAEL WANZIE

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

DISTRIBUTION LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail).

The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication.

WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

7

EDITOR’S

Jeremy Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

W

DESK

HEN I WAS YOUNGER, WE

tended to move every couple of years.

They weren’t all big, cross-country moves, but rather mostly short moves a few hours across Florida’s I-4 corridor and tied to a combination of relocating for my dad’s job — he was in restaurant management — and my mom wanting to be closer to family.

One of those moves brought us to the St. Petersburg area, more specifically Pinellas Park, in the late 1980s. It amazes me when I head over to the Tampa Bay area today how much it has changed, not just in growth but in tolerance.

When I lived there it wasn’t that the people of Tampa Bay were homophobic, at least not anymore than any other area was in the ’80s, but there was no talk of the LGBTQ community. They didn’t encourage GSAs in the schools, they didn’t display rainbow-covered merchandise in the storefronts and they certainly did not raise the Pride flag at City Hall each June.

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

The closest our neighborhood got to celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month was when the kids on our block unknowingly attended the birthday party of this closeted husky gay kid who happened to have been born in June. So to now be preparing to attend the 20th anniversary of St Pete Pride at the end of this month is something that brings me quite a bit of joy and a whole lot of Pride, and Lord knows we need Pride now just as much as I needed it back then.

After years of what felt like great progress during the Obama administration, the country’s acceptance meter has swung backward for the better part of a

decade now, and recently it seems the rapid progress of the early 2010s is now rapidly moving in the opposite direction.

From gaining marriage equality, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and passing The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, we are now banning books on marginalized groups in schools, forbidding teachers from even using words like gay or transgender, and most recently trying to convince people that kids seeing a drag queen perform is a form of child abuse. The audacity of the ultra-conservative right would be laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has even suggested that he might have the state’s child protective services investigate parents who take their children to drag shows.

It amazes me that what the right deems as “sexualizing children” only applies when it is about the LGBTQ community, but they are fine asking small kids if they have a little boyfriend or girlfriend in school, or taking them to restaurants like Hooters to take photos of their young boys with the waitresses.

Again, when I was younger and living in the Tampa Bay area, my uncle liked to take me and my older brother — we were probably about 8 and 9 years old at the time — to Clearwater to get a hot dog from one of the vendor carts on the beach. The reason? Because the vendor carts were tended by young women who wore very revealing bikinis.

All the dads, grandfathers, uncles and leering creepy old men would be lined up, gawking at the women as they prepared their hot dog. And whenever a young boy was escorted to the cart, the lady would smile, lean down and kiss them on their forehead. When this happened to me, I would freeze in terror because as they leaned down to kiss me, their mostly exposed breasts were inches from my face.

Someone explain to me how that

is just fine but heaven forbid kids see a man dressed as a woman lip synch during brunch.

Now, are all drag shows for all ages? No. Some are very much for adult audiences only, just like not all films or TV shows are for all ages.

But if you make your argument that shows like “CoComelon” are endangering the children because shows like “Game of Thrones” exist then you seem ignorant in your stance and uneducated on the topic, and in this case you absolutely are.

It amazes me that these are the people who are writing and enacting laws in this state. As we move ever closer to the midterm elections this November, my hope is that common sense escorts Florida citizens into the voter’s booth

The audacity of the ultraconservative right would be laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. because it is quite obviously lacking in many of the GOP candidates.

Speaking of drag, this issue is loaded with drag queens. We take an in-depth look at what it is like to earn a living as a drag queen in Central Florida and Tampa Bay. We also chat with “Drag Race” sensation Rosé, who will appear alongside a dozen other queens for the Werq the World 2022 Tour coming to Orlando July 9 and Tampa July 10.

We also check in with writer-actor Julio Torres about his new picture book and talk with Central Florida performers Doug Ba’aser and Janine Klein about their upcoming “gay, gay, gay” cabaret show.

ORLANDO OFFICE 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

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

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

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

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

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

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

JUNE 23 - JULY 6 , 202 2 // ISSUE 29.13 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

CONTRIBUTORS JOHNNY V. BOYKINS

is a Democratic Strategist in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He also serves as Director of Outreach with the Pinellas Democratic Party. Page 19

TATIANA QUIROGA

is the Director of Family Equity and Diversity for Family Equality. She is a proud mother, wife and LGBTQ advocate in Central Florida. Page 21

ABBY BAKER

is a writer, photographer and cat lover with a knack for news. She spends her days writing for her main schtick, The Gabber Newspaper. Page 25 SABRINA AMBRA, NATHAN BRUEMMER, SCOTTIE CAMPBELL, MIGUEL FULLER, DIVINE GRACE, HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, JASON LECLERC, MELODY MAIA MONET, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, GREG STEMM, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI, MICHAEL WANZIE

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

DISTRIBUTION LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail).

The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication.

WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

7

central florida news

ORANGE COUNTY REPORTS FIRST CASE OF MONKEYPOX Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | The Florida Department of Health confirmed Orange County’s first case of monkeypox June 17.

According to the FDOH, the Orange County patient is between the ages of 35-39 but no other patient information has been released. This marks the 10th case of monkeypox in the state with Collier County reporting one case and Broward County reporting eight cases. Currently, the world is seeing an outbreak of the virus with 2,166 confirmed cases in 37 countries as of June 16, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. About 100 of those cases are in the U.S. Concern over monkeypox has risen within the LGBTQ community as reports have shown most of the current cases are occurring in gay and bisexual men.

“So far the outbreak — both in Europe and here in the U.S. — has been predominantly in those individuals: gay, bisexual, men having sex with men, but that’s not the only population that has gotten it,” says Dr. Jarod Fox, chief of infectious disease with Orlando Health. “Anyone can get it, contract it. It just happens to be those populations that are now the majority of the cases.”

Monkeypox as a disease typically has symptoms similar to smallpox but are milder, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

Within 1-3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body.

“What’s a little bit different in this outbreak is that a lot of [the patients] have not had those initial viral type symptoms like the fever and chills, they start off with the rash and sometimes those rashes can start in the mouth or in the genital area, depending on how it was transmitted,” Fox says. “So it is behaving a little bit different. It still has the typical characteristics of the rash itself but just some differences in how it is presenting, and I think that is due to the population that is currently presenting most of the cases. Those cases seem to be coming from close, sexual contact.”

The virus works in stages, Fox says, moving from the rash to a raised, fluid-filled bump or several bumps on the skin that eventually scab over. Fox advises if you think you may have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for monkeypox or if you see a rash or bumps, contact your primary care physician to be further evaluated.

“I don’t want everyone rushing to the ER because of every rash that they have because the majority of the time it’s not going to be monkeypox,” he says. “But especially if they have been exposed to someone that they know has tested positive, those are the high-risk ones who need to be tested.”

8

GETTING TESTED: An

HIV Rapid Test being administered.

PHOTO COURTESY LGBT FREE MEDIA COLLECTIVE, FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Know Your Status Central Florida gets ready for National HIV Testing Day on June 27 Charlotte Skipper

O

RLANDO | According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Orlando takes the undesirable prize of ranking the third highest city in new HIV cases per year.

To raise awareness and lower these rates, agencies in the Central Florida area are rolling out several events for the 27th annual National HIV Testing Day on June 27.

“Ultimately, if Central Florida can do a better job of promoting HIV testing, we’ll be able to make a dent in what is currently an epidemic that is ravaging our community,” says Andres Acosta Ardila, CDC Ambassador for Stop HIV Together.

National HIV Testing Day was created to encourage people across the country to get tested for HIV, know their status and get linked to care and treatment if needed.

Acosta Ardila, a councilmember of the Central Florida HIV Planning Council, says the day serves as a nationwide push to get individuals more aware of their health.

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

“The only way that we can really start to make a dent is through HIV testing because once people know their status, if they are HIV positive, we can get them into treatment,” says Acosta Ardila. “Once they’re into treatment, and they become virally suppressed, they can no longer transmit the virus to anybody else.”

For its part, the LGBT+ Center Orlando is hosting a 24-hour “Testathon” from June 24 at 2 p.m. until June 25 at 2 p.m. to give individuals the opportunity to get tested, not only for HIV but also for Hepatitis C, at any hour of the day. The Center’s director of health services Keyna Harris says although many local pharmacies offer HIV testing, not everyone is accommodated.

“A majority of places that provide HIV testing work in the confines of normal or traditional business hours, so essentially a 9-5 or an 8-5,” says Harris. “It doesn’t allow testing for those people who work 9-5, so the purpose is to allow for after hours that benefit anyone and everyone and allow for people to

access this resource whenever it suits them.”

With each new year of National HIV Testing Day comes a new theme to center on why every individual should get tested. This year’s theme is titled “HIV Testing is Self-Care,” and for Acosta Ardila, he says getting tested for HIV several years ago was the catalyst for prioritizing his own self-care.

“I am HIV positive, and I know that if I had never gotten tested for HIV, I would have never known my status which means eventually, my body would have suffered through everything that happens when you are not medicated,” says Acosta Ardila. “So, for me, HIV testing is self-care because it allows you to properly look at yourself and say, ‘What do I need to keep myself going?’”

Acosta Ardila says despite his diagnosis, he lives a healthy life and can no longer transmit the virus to others due to medical treatment.

He says he hopes others take the message of practicing self-care to heart, and more individuals can get tested this month to help Orlando lower its HIV rates over time.

“Having an HIV positive diagnosis is not the end of the world, if anything it is the beginning of a new chapter,” says Acosta Ardila.

The LGBT+ Center Orlando’s 24-hour Testathon will take place at its Health & Human Services office, located at 1200 Hillcrest St. #112 in Orlando, starting June 24 at 2 p.m. through June 25 at 2 p.m.

JUNE 23 - JULY 6 , 202 2 // ISSUE 29.13 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

Prevent HIV with pride.

There are many options to prevent HIV. Choose the method that works for you.

LEARN MORE AT CDC.GOV/STOPHIVTOGETHER

@StopHIVTogether • @StartTalkingHIV @CDCHIV • @StartTalkingHIV @CDC_HIV

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JUNE 23 - JULY 6 , 202 2 // ISSUE 29.13 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

9

central florida news

HISPANIC FEDERATION ANNOUNCES $1M INVESTMENT IN LGBTQ LATINX ORGANIZATIONS Yasmene Warren

O

RLANDO | LGBTQ Latinx organizations will soon have more revenue streams available to them as the Hispanic Federation has announced a $1 million investment in the groups that serve those communities.

The Advance Change Together initiative will provide 20 LGBTQ Latinx nonprofits across the U.S. with grants of up to $50,000, which will help strengthen each of the organizations’ advocacy efforts, services and infrastructure while overall serving the LGBTQ Latinx communities better.

LGBTQ and Latinx community leaders from across the country helped make the announcement at a press conference in Orlando June 14.

“Latinx LGBTQ+ organizations that are on the ground every day, supporting, advocating for and empowering our communities have never received the resources

and support they desperately need and deserve to continue their important work. Hispanic Federation is looking to change that, not only by raising awareness but also through this project investment,” said Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of Hispanic Federation, in a press release. “The ACT initiative is the most recent step we’re taking to strengthen organizations who are at the forefront of empowering Latinx LGBTQ+ communities.”

Those leaders were also joined — both in person and virtually — by several well-known Latinx celebrities, including Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated actress and singer Michaela Jaé Rodriguez; actress and director Stephanie Beatriz; Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter and Emmy-nominated actor Ricky Martin; internationally renowned performer, singer, artist and television actor Valentina; and award-winning songwriter,

actor, director and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“I know firsthand what it means to have the support of a loving community as I navigated and embraced my gender identity,” Rodriguez said. “It’s long overdue that we came together to empower each other, and I thank Hispanic Federation and Latinx LGBTQ+ leaders for launching the ACT Initiative to make this a reality.”

Similarly, Lin-Manuel Miranda urged everyone to help keep the LGBTQ community safe.

“We’ve seen what happens when hate and division are allowed to run rampant in our country. People fall through the cracks, lives are lost and communities are left broken,” he said. “We saw that six years ago when 49 lives were lost at Pulse nightclub, and we see that now as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation increases across our country. With the Hispanic Federation’s ACT initiative, we are responding to this urgent moment by bringing together Latinx LGBTQ+ nonprofits

to empower, advocate and create stronger support networks for the LGBTQ+ community. I encourage everyone to get involved to protect LGBTQ+ communities and combat hate.”

The Federation will host convenings and capacity-building trainings for ACT grantees for at least two years while it continues engaging other possible funders and partners to continue the initiative beyond two years.

For any LGBTQ Latinx nonprofit organization looking to apply for one of the grants, it must serve a majority Latinx constituency; be Latinx LGBTQ+ led; have a 501(c)(3) status (or have a fiscal sponsor with that status and plans to become a (c)(3)); and have been active for at least two years. Organizations can contact Fernando Aguilar at faguilar@ hispanicfederation.org for more information.

The ACT initiative works to bring together Latinx-serving LGBTQ nonprofits nationally to

develop a unified policy agenda meant to combat the seemingly growing list of anti-LGBTQ legislation, as well as protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.

“With the hate and division so many in power are looking to create in the U.S. and P.R., there’s never been a more important time for communities and organizations to come together to empower one another,” said Martin. “With the ACT initiative, we’re uniting to remind Latinx LGBTQ+ organizations that they have the support they need to serve and empower their communities.”

Founded in 1990, HF continues to embark on its mission to empower and advance the Hispanic community, extending its help to the LGBTQ members of the Hispanic community through the ACT initiative. For more information on all of the organization’s work, visit HispanicFederation.org.

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tampa bay news

PINELLAS PARK HONORS PRIDE Ryan Williams-Jent

P

INELLAS PARK, FLA. | The second annual Pride at the Village was held June 18 at Pinellas Arts Village, the city’s emerging creative district.

Organizers made history with last year’s event, which marked the first official Pride celebration held in Pinellas Park. Local officials did so again by proclaiming June 18 as Pride Day within the city.

Vice Mayor Patti Reed read the proclamation, issued by Mayor Sandra Bradbury. She was joined

by Councilmember Rick Butler, Pinellas Park Police Department Chief Michael Haworth, Pride at the Village Founder and Curator John Gascot, Pastor Joyce Stone from Christ the Cornerstone Church and more.

“All are welcome in the City of Pinellas Park to live, work, play, and retire,” Reed began. “Every family deserves a place to call home where they are safe, happy and supported by friends and neighbors.”

The proclamation continued by reflecting on the 1969 Stonewall Riots as well as the importance of Pride Month. June is “a special opportunity to become more knowledgeable about this history and to honor the many LGBTQ American leaders who have contributed to the progress of our nation,” Reed shared.

The vice mayor read further that Pinellas Park has a strong history of honoring inclusivity, values the contributions of its citizens and is proud of its diversity. She noted that while the LGBTQ community has made strides forward that full equality has not yet been realized.

“On behalf of Sandra Bradbury’s office in the City of Pinellas Park and on behalf of all of our council members, our staff … I hereby proclaim June 18, 2022 to be Pride Day in the City of Pinellas Park,” she said.

Event organizers subsequently introduced the recently crowned Miss Pride @ the Village 2022 Sade Erotica to help crown the celebration’s king. Cortez Blue was named Mr. Pride @ the Village. The two performers entertained throughout the day, joined by emcee Daphne Ferraro and fellow fan favorites Kori Stevens, Aquarius and Georgia Moore; Tampa Bay native and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Coco Montrese headlined.

“Thank you so much for supporting us and being a part of this,” Montrese told the crowd. “Pride is not just a celebration, it’s a lot more than that. It’s for people to understand that we are here to stay.”

Attendees also enjoyed a wide array of vendors and food. Gascot estimates that attendance met or exceeded the inaugural event, which welcomed more than 1,500 people.

“I am so thankful to all who came out in celebration of diversity on our second year,” he says. “We made history yet again by receiving the first-ever official Pride proclamation from the City of Pinellas Park. We have raised the bar from last year and will continue to do so.”

Pride @ The Village benefits Diversity Arts, Inc., which assists underserved youth and much more. Learn more at DiversityArtsInc.com and view photos at WatermarkOnline.com.

12

PRIDE PARTNERS: (L-R) St. Pete

LGBTQ Liaison Jim Nixon, Mayor Ken Welch, St Pete Pride Executive Director Nicole Berman and Deputy Mayor Stephanie Owens at the Stonewall Reception on June 17. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

Prouder than Ever St Pete Pride marks 20 years Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride’s 20-year celebration will continue through the end of June.

Festivities began June 1 when advocates raised the Progressive Pride flag above City Hall. Events with headliners Carson Kressley and Sandra Bernhard were then held June 11-12 after St Pete Pride named 20 grand marshals.

This year’s honorees were chosen by the community and St Pete Pride’s board of directors. They are Naomi Ardjomandkermani, Derek Baxter, Carla Bristol, Ella K. Coffee, J. Carl DeVine, Mick Ferrari, Jason Fields, Sheree L. Greer, Farron Hipp, De’Mario Jives, Bob Devin Jones, Brian Longstreth, Jenny Miller, Jim Nixon, Jay Petry, Michelle Rayner, Mark Sforzini, Kori Stevens, Julius Vaughn and Alexander Witzigman-Jones.

St Pete Pride’s Stonewall Reception returned June 17, held once again at the James Museum.

Supporters reflected on the birth of the LGBTQ civil rights movement and more.

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Speakers included grand marshal J. Carl DeVine. The longtime activist was present during the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

“I remember the fight, the sounds, the smells, the fear,” he said. An educator, he noted he was unable to stay because “I could not be caught in a gay bar. We couldn’t be seen holding hands together.

“One of the blessings is that we have an opportunity now to unite and make things right,” he continued. “Are you willing to do it? You have a responsibility to make this a better country ... Do you really want to change this world? Then change it.”

State Rep. Michele Rayner followed, deeming 2022 another Stonewall moment. She called on members of the LGBTQ community to engage politically and for allies to become accomplices.

“We have folks in Tallahassee specifically that are hoping and praying that we’re so tired that we won’t do anything,” Rayner said.

“We’ve got to mobilize. There is an agenda and our very lives are on the line. It’s up to us, just like it was up to our ancestors and our predecessors, to change it. The moment is now.”

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch spoke next. “We can’t control what happens in the state, but we can control what happens in St. Pete,” he said. “We will not move backwards in St. Petersburg.

“I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my LGBTQ+ family,” he concluded. “I’m looking forward to riding my new Harley in the Pride parade, but more importantly after that celebration … continuing our partnership to build a St. Petersburg where everyone is treated equally.”

St Pete Pride’s Family + Youth Day followed June 18, welcoming crowds to Downtown St. Petersburg for all-ages activities. “Shades of Pride” was then held June 19 with celebrity guest TS Madison, celebrating Pride and Juneteenth.

Festivities continue June 24 with the Todrick Hall-headlined concert, featuring Pussy Riot and local acts. This year’s parade will once again be led by the TransPride March June 25 and is expected to be its largest to date.

The street festival will return to the Grand Central District June 26 and culminate with two final events. Transtastic will be held at the Museum of Fine Arts June 28 and a wrap-up party will close out Pride Month June 30.

For additional information about St Pete Pride’s 20-year celebration, to view photos and more, visit WatermarkOnline.com and StPetePride.org.

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tampa bay news

LGBTQ HOTEL, POOL BAR PREPARE FOR GRAND OPENING IN GRAND CENTRAL DISTRICT Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | The Grand Central District will welcome an LGBTQ-focused hotel and pool bar to the eclectic neighborhood this summer, the latter of which will begin opening for St Pete Pride.

The spaces are the latest concepts from David Fischer, owner of the design firm and retail shop ZaZoo’d, speakeasy The Saint and LGBTQ staple Cocktail. The Wet Spot Pool Bar & Day Club and Mari-Jean Hotel, the entrepreneur’s new ventures, will share a building with the bars.

That building is the historic hotel itself, built in 1926. The Saint will celebrate two years on site this September, while Cocktail marked one year in May. The Back Room by ZaZoo’d also opened last month, a retail shop with swim suits and more.

Each venture has shown Fischer there’s a hunger for LGBTQ businesses in the area.

“We have learned that there is a huge market for gay clientele within the area, bigger than we even thought,” he explains.

“Not only at Cocktail, but also at The Saint.”

Planning began not long after Cocktail’s grand opening, made possible in part by the community’s support of Fischer’s endeavors. He says he’s incredibly grateful.

“I think that people in town needed a more upscale place to go, celebrate and call their own,” Fischer says. “Each of my businesses has humor ... I think that’s been a part of their success.

We’re not shy about being a little cheeky or a little sexual. It’s clearly resonated here in St. Pete.”

More than that, he adds, “I think the people here were looking for places to shop, celebrate and be themselves.

the pool because we just didn’t think it was a good idea to open without it,” Fischer says. “It’s a big amenity for guests.”

Once open, hotel guests will be able to utilize the pool upon check in. They’ll also receive a complimentary cocktail and have access to each business on site, including a forthcoming restaurant. It will also provide food for customers at Cocktail and The Wet Spot.

Daily access rates will apply to those who aren’t staying at the hotel. Fischer estimates a $25 fee that will include a cocktail, towel and more. Monthly rates will also be available, allowing full access for 30 days with four guests.

He currently estimates that will be within a $125 range and include perks at the three-, sixand nine-month membership marks. Details and prices aren’t yet finalized.

While St. Petersburg has a long history with LGBTQ-focused

They feel comfortable in our businesses and that’s great.”

The Wet Spot is expected to open without its pool by the final weekend of St Pete Pride.

Cocktail will host events as the celebration’s official afterparty June 24-26, culminating during the Pride in Grand Central street festival.

“We were hoping to open the pool but there were some permitting issues,” Fischer says.

“So it will be fenced off and will continue to be worked on, but we’ll open the back bar area and restrooms for Pride.”

Fischer anticipates it will open by mid-August, with a maximum depth of six feet. The Wet Spot will include VIP cabanas, lounge chairs and more, complementing the 54-room Mari-Jean Hotel. Its second floor will open before the third, with cosmetic renovations currently underway.

“We’re targeting to have the hotel open at the same time as

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resorts, its most recent permanently closed in 2019.

Fischer says now is the right time to bring one back to the area.

“We feel like there’s a need again for that,” he explains. “The Flamingo and Suncoast Resorts did very well in their day and with this, we’ll apply what’s been successful with ZaZoo’d, Cocktail and The Saint. There’s going to be a kitschy side to it and it’s going to be more adult-oriented and upscale, but not unapproachably upscale.”

Most importantly, it will be a welcoming space for all.

“We’re just trying to provide a space a safe space for people who want to enjoy themselves in St. Pete, whether they be from out of town or for people locally,” Fischer says. “It’s going to be fun.”

Learn more about each of Fischer’s businesses by visiting CocktailStPete.com. See renderings and read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

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state news

TEEN THREATENS WEST PALM BEACH PRIDE EVENT

LGBTQ OUTRAGE OVER DESANTIS NYC VISIT

Yasmene Warren

A

Wire Report

N

EW YORK | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared before a friendly conference of conservative Jewish leaders in New York City June 12, despite efforts by LGBTQ rights advocates to get the event canceled.

LGBTQ groups, still raw over the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law that DeSantis championed, protested the Republican’s appearance at the Jewish Leadership Conference.

The Jewish Leadership Conference lost its original venue in New York City after adding DeSantis to its list of speakers. The Museum of Jewish Heritage had been set to host the annual gathering of conservative thinkers but backed out earlier this spring.

A spokesman for Pier Sixty, the event’s eventual venue located in the Chelsea Piers complex, said it was not in a position to arbitrate any differences between the groups, saying it has had a long history of being inclusive.

17-year-old teen has been charged with planning a mass shooting at West Palm Beach’s “Pride on the Block” June 6, according to a Palm Beach County Human Rights Council press release.

The teen, whose name has not yet been released, has been taken into custody in Canada where he is being charged.

In a video posted on the video chat platform “Omegle,” the teen was shown wielding a gun and making death threats. He claimed to be a resident of Palm Beach County and appeared to have very specific knowledge about the location of the event, according to the West Palm Beach Police Department.

“Pride on the Block” is an annual block party and fundraiser held in downtown West Palm Beach.

The event began in March 2020 and celebrates Pride Month in South Florida and helps raise

funds for “Transpire Help,” a local LGBTQ+ nonprofit.

This year’s event was held on June 5 and just hours before it was set to begin, a person who saw the video on “Omegle” notified the City of Miami Beach Police Department of the threats, which immediately informed the West Palm Beach Police Department.

The event organizers were informed and uniformed officers, as well as SWAT team members and undercover officers, were dispatched to the event.

“Heartfelt thanks go out to the City of West Palm Beach Police Department for their prompt and thorough response to a credible threat against the local LGBTQ+ community,” Rand Hoch, a retired judge who serves as President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, said.

“Transpire Help” founder Donna Weinberger produced “Pride on the Block” and said that over 2,000

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LGBTQ+ and allied people attended their third annual event.

“Once we were informed of the threat, police officers were promptly dispatched to ensure our safety,” Weinberger said.

The West Palm Beach Police Department worked with the New York City Police Department, the FBI, the Toronto Police Service and the Peel Regional Police Service to help find and apprehend the teen, according to Rick Morris, the deputy police chief of West Palm Beach.

“We want the LGBTQ community to know we stand behind them.

Every event they have, we will protect them from hate and ignorance,” Morris said.

Despite facing severe charges in Canada, the City of West Palm Beach plans to extradite him to Florida to face the charges, which include anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime charges.

“We hope justice is served and hope the man gets the help he needs,” Morris said.

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nation+world news

BIDEN SIGNS LGBTQ EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR PRIDE Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

P

resident Biden signed a sweeping executive order June 15 that expands LGBTQ rights.

The mandate, among other things, directs the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education and other federal government agencies to develop policies that will counter anti-LGBTQ laws that have been enacted in states across the country. It also creates a “Bill of Rights for LGBTQI+ Older Adults” within HHS and will prohibit the use of federal funds to support so-called conversion therapy.

Javier Gómez, a gay 18-year-old recent high school graduate from Miami who challenged Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, introduced Biden at the White House Pride Month reception before he signed the executive order. First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Assistant Health

Secretary Rachel Levine joined five young LGBTQ people on stage.

“All of us here on this stage have your back,” said Biden.

Biden during the event specifically mocked Florida lawmakers who backed their state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, noting they are “going after Mickey Mouse, for God’s sake.” He also noted that upwards of 300 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the country.

“I don’t have to tell you about the ultra-MAGA agenda attacking families and our freedoms,” he said. “These attacks are real and consequential for real families.”

The event took place less than a week after police in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, arrested 31 white supremacists who planned to disrupt a Pride event.

Biden in his remarks noted the arrests and increased violence against transgender women of color and other vulnerable LGBTQ people.

“Violent attacks on the community, including ongoing attacks on transgender women of color, make our nation less safe — because the attacks are more than ever last year, and they’re on pace again this year,” he said. “They’re disgusting, and they have to stop.”

Biden also urged lawmakers to pass the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal civil rights law.

“We are in the battle for the very soul of this nation,” said Biden.

“When I look around this room with all of you here today, it’s a battle that I know we will win.”

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland; White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.); U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.); U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Mark Takano (D-Calif.); Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride; Arizona state Rep. Daniel Hernández; Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad, are among those who attended the event. Judy and Dennis Shepard, Jim Obergefell, GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis, Interim Human Rights Campaign President Joni Madison, TransLatin@ Coalition President Bamby Salcedo, Arianna’s Center CEO Arianna Lint, LGBTQ Victory Institute Executive Director Elliot Imse, D.C. trans advocate Earlene Budd and other activists joined them.

event from the seaside promenade to a larger venue. Israeli authorities have been increasingly concerned about managing crowds since a stampede at a religious festival in northern Israel last year that killed 45 ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Some 250,000 people attended the Tel Aviv Pride parade in 2019, before it was called off the following year because of the pandemic.

In 2021, an estimated 100,000 people attended.

Kutali Lansman, who attended this year with a handmade flag of solidarity with the bisexual community, said he’s here “for the fun, of course.” He said the march is also a “demonstration of love, freedom and rights for the community.”

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Nides attended the march with a delegation from the embassy. “This is about tolerance and decency and respect,

and being here with all the folks from the embassy is unbelievably meaningful to me,” he told The Associated Press.

Israel is a rare bastion of tolerance for the LGBTQ community in the conservative Middle East, where homosexuality is widely considered taboo and is outlawed in some places. A pride parade held each year in Jerusalem is more subdued, with a heavy police presence and counter-protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Gay people serve openly in Israel’s military and parliament, and the current health minister is openly gay.

Yet they haven’t attained full equality.

Jewish ultra-Orthodox parties, which wield significant influence over matters of religion and state, oppose homosexuality as a violation of religious law, as do other religious groups in Israel.

PRIDE PARADE IN TEL AVIV DRAWS THOUSANDS Wire Report

T

ens of thousands of people attended this year’s Pride Parade in Tel Aviv June 10, the largest annual gathering of its kind in the Middle East.

The sprawling event in Israel’s seaside metropolis, which resembles a festive block party, returned last year after pandemic restrictions were mostly lifted. This year it is being held after Israel reopened to foreign tourists.

“We have a majority here in Israel that supports this community,” said Mayor Ron Huldai. “Tel Aviv has always been home for every transgender person, and every lesbian and gay person, and the home of anyone who wants to be who they are.” The crowds have grown so big over the years that this time the organizers moved the

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IN OTHER NEWS CONGRESS REINTRODUCES ‘LAVENDER SCARE’ REVIEW Three Democratic lawmakers reintroduced a bill June 16 that seeks to rectify the harm caused to LGBTQ federal government employees who were fired during the “lavender scare.” The scare refers to the firing of thousands of gay employees throughout the federal government from the 1940s to the 1960s as anti-communist sentiment raised suspicion toward certain minority groups. “As we celebrate Pride Month, I’m proud to introduce the LOVE Act, which is an important step forward to address the harms of the ‘lavender scare’ and protect today’s State Department employees,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro.

PATRIOT FRONT MEMBERS ARRESTED NEAR IDAHO PRIDE 31 members of a white supremacist group Patriot Front were arrested ahead of a northern Idaho pride event June 11. The group was arrested with riot gear after a tipster reported seeing people loading up into a U-Haul like “a little army.” Among those booked into jail on misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot was Thomas Ryan Rousseau of Texas, the 23-year-old who founded the group after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. The six-hour Pride event went on as scheduled, including booths, food, live music, a drag show and a march of more than 50 people.

RUSSIA EXTENDS BRITTNEY GRINER’S DETENTION A Russian court once again extended WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detention June 14, the openly LGBTQ Phoenix Mercury player and two-time Olympic gold medalist who was taken into custody for having cannabis oil in her luggage in February. Reports indicate Russia will hold her until at least July 2. The State Dept. last month determined Russia “wrongfully detained” Griner. The Women’s National Basketball Players Association has endorsed a petition that urges the Biden administration to “prioritize” Griner’s release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also spoken with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner to discuss efforts to secure her release.

GERMANY EXTENDS COMPENSATION DEADLINE Germany will give people prosecuted or investigated under a Nazi-era law criminalizing homosexuality another five years to seek compensation, the justice minister said June 8. The law criminalizing male homosexuality was introduced in the 19th century, toughened under Nazi rule and retained by West Germany, which convicted some 50,000 men between 1949 and 1969. Lawmakers previously cleared the way for payments of 3,000 euros per conviction, plus 1,500 euros for every year of jail time those convicted started.

Originally applicants had until July 21. “It is important to me that we continue to keep this route open to the people affected,” Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said.

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viewpoint

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DEMOCRATICALLY YOURS Hopes and dreams

M

Y HUSBAND AND I

are preparing to celebrate seven years of marriage.

We were married on a beautiful October evening on St. Pete Beach, surrounded by family and friends.

The excitement was palpable because it was the first gay wedding most of our attendees had experienced. It was just five months after the Obergefell v Hodges decision, making marriage equality the law of the land.

I read all the books during the wedding planning stage, browsed Pinterest boards and watched countless YouTube videos. We sent out about 120 invitations thinking we would get a 50% RSVP rate, but to our surprise, almost everyone invited decided to join us.

I’ve been in a very reflective mood lately because I am watching us develop and live out our wildest hopes and dreams. Our lives are elevated in meaningful ways. We survived the pandemic intact, healthy and on the climb. My husband and I have reached personal and professional milestones in the last year and have jumped into new opportunities and ventures.

We are settling into a rhythm of marriage that remains special. In the previous seven years, we have experienced all seven stages of marriage: passion, realization, rebellion, cooperation, reunion, explosion and completion. We are bound to experience the stages many more times in the future. However, I keep returning to the idea of hope and dreams.

We have all watched in horror at the string of gun violence around the country. Deranged shooters are crushing the hopes and dreams of the innocent daily in the United States. Mass gun violence in the U.S. occurs at a rate our brains cannot conceptualize.

We enter what I call the American ritual of thoughts and prayers. I am naturally an optimistic person, I always believe that better days are ahead, but if I am being honest, a part of my soul was crushed after the Sandy Hook massacre.

I didn’t think it could get worse. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Gun violence in the U.S. is a sickness that can be cured if we decide to move beyond thoughts and prayers and focus on the idea of hopes and dreams.

A white supremacist drove over 200 miles to Buffalo, New York to target a grocery store in a predominantly African American community. The gunman murdered 10 people with hopes and dreams for the future. Several days later, a disturbed teenager murdered school children in Uvalde, Texas, two days away from breaking for summer vacation. Those kids had hopes and dreams.

Their families had hopes and dreams for their futures.

The carnage of American gun violence does not need more thoughts and prayers.

We need common-sense solutions, policy reforms and collective action to end the madness and cure our sickness.

We recently gathered to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre, where 49 LGBTQ people and our allies were murdered.

I remember Pulse so clearly because I received frantic phone calls from friends around the world checking in with my husband and me.

After all, it was a club in our general area where we had gone before. A part of my soul was crushed after Pulse because it felt very close to home. I think about the hopes and dreams of all victims of gun violence. I ask myself what their futures could have been.

I wonder if one of the elementary students killed in Uvalde could have grown up to help us combat climate change. I wonder about the

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grandma killed in Buffalo and never got to teach her grandson how to bake her famous cookies. I wonder about the hopes and dreams of Pulse victims who could not experience the joys of marriage. So much hope is lost, and so many dreams are denied because we continue

and dreams and, in some cases, will curtail our ability to plan for the future.

I don’t care to entertain any more thoughts and prayers that don’t come with action and solutions.

In 2017, I wrote, “We need to restore regulations and think about what the framers

gun violence problem, we will continue to repeat the ritual as it exists today.”

I was angry when I wrote those words. I am anxious now. I want to experience the seven stages of marriage for years to come; I want to relieve the beauty and love I experienced on my

to believe that all we need are thoughts and prayers.

We are waiting with bated breath as the U.S. Supreme Court issue rulings on a host of cases, including abortion rights, environmental protection, due process, immigration and, yes, a Second Amendment case that can undermine gun safety laws across the country. The decision will undoubtedly impact our ability to live our best hopes

intended when they gave us a right to bear arms.

Let us stop sanitizing this experience. We need to start showing the carnage of gun violence in the United States.

“We need to bear witness to the bullet-riddled bodies of six-year-olds, the blood-soaked dance floor of a nightclub, or now the bloodstained concert venue hall,” I continued. “Until we bear witness to the senselessness of America’s

wedding day. I want to continue living out and proud with my partner fulfilling our wildest hope and dreams.

The carnage of American gun violence does not need more thoughts and prayers.

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Johnny Boykins is a Democratic strategist and organizer in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He also serves as Director of Outreach with the Pinellas Democratic Party. Learn more at PinellasDemocrats.org.

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viewpoint

Tatiana Quiroga

PARENTAL GUIDANCE More than a party

W

RAPPED IN

rainbow paper with a giant glitter bow on top, June is here and really queer!

However, Pride Month can’t simply be packaged and placed on a store shelf.

As the executive director of Come Out With Pride, I’m constantly thinking about Pride, as a celebration, as an action, as a space, as a mission and vision, and as an organization. As I’ve exclaimed countless times, “Pride is more than a party!” Actually, it’s complex and complicated. Sometimes, it’s a messy conversation, full of mixed emotions, historical events, current political obstacles, challenges, celebrations and calls to action. For many of us, Pride is part of our story.

Having moved to Orlando in the late ‘90s to attend UCF, my first exposure to real queerness was late night rave parties at the Historic Firestone. The bumping base of house music thumping throughout the night, keeping me awake until first light.

I witnessed nonbinary bodies adorn in beautiful costumes, covered in glitter and balancing on platform shoes, while rhythmically moving to the beat. All were accepted and welcomed. This is where I found home.

Embraced by the drag queens, glow sticks lit my path and Jnco jeans were my uniform. At the time, I didn’t know what I was, but I most definitely knew what I wasn’t. In those days, I found Pride when entering this inclusive space with a sense of belonging I had not found anywhere else.

Years later, I found Pride in a sea of red shirts at a magical place. There, I was witness to members of my newfound community, which puzzled me because they

were not familiar faces at the local club. They broadened my perception of my possible future. I saw queer parents with their kids and couples, who appeared past their prime but still madly in love, holding hands while watching the fireworks.

Bang! I realized there’s more to this than panties and parties.

In the early 2000s, I discovered Pride in an actual LGBTQIA+ parade down Orange Ave., which kicked off at the Historic Firestone. It was disorganized, poorly attended and way too short, but it was my first taste of activism. I was energized being amongst my people, marching, chanting, holding signs and hands, we took over the street. My act of rebellion and resistance was being unapologetically me! That day, an activist was born. As a kid raised in the ‘80s, who witnessed the HIV/AIDS crisis and clearly remembers Ryan White, I could not quietly sit by as our positive numbers continued to climb.

I found Pride in becoming a certified HIV tester, volunteering my time and educating our community.

I dove deeper into community involvement.

Countless years later, I found Pride the day I legally married my wife in Massachusetts, before nationwide marriage equality. I discovered true love. As my best friend and my soulmate, we began building our life together.

Our oldest kiddo was born in 2011 in October, on the date of that year’s Come Out With Pride parade.

That day, Pride found me, making me a proud parent and forever changing my life. As a queer mom of color, I am committed to passing down our culture to my children. I want my kids to know that the LGBTQAI+ movement was conceived by a riot, which turned into a revolution started by Black and Brown trans women, who had had

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

enough. We must show respect and gratitude to our ancestors for paving the way and creating the opportunities we have today.

I want them to celebrate their authentic self, feel the power of protesting and the enthusiasm of marching, enjoy a drag show and

Yes, Pride is more than a party. It’s more than the limited items sold in June.

It’s more than the corporate attempt to capture our dollar. For me, Pride is the increasing visibility and representation of queer and people of color in mainstream media. It is

Orange Ave., enjoy all day fabulous entertainment and end the experience with a firework extravaganza. Pride is a lot of different things for a lot of different people.

Personally, Pride is not only my full-time job, but also part of my story. It’s part of my core and my mission.

understand why lesbians wear cargo shorts (because of all the practical pockets), feel loved by their gaggle of gay uncles and know the symbolic importance of our chosen family.

I admit, I indulged and bought the rainbow Oreos.

I enjoy the extra LGBTQIA+ sections in the streaming channels, picked up a few more rainbow items at Target and bought a pair of rainbow glitter sneakers.

growing recognition of our economic impact. It is hosting a Pride Prom for adults in our community to enjoy prom in their true form with the people of their choice and create new and positive memories.

Pride is that collective celebratory spirit and love that we feel on that hot day in October, where hundreds of thousands of us take over Lake Eola, proudly and colorfully parade down

Pride is creating spaces where my people can feel belonging and acceptance as their authentic selves.

To loosely quote the brilliant artist, P!nk — The universe is the DJ, life is the dance floor, love is the rhythm, and you are the music!

Happy Pride Month, Orlando!

As I’ve exclaimed countless times, ‘Pride is more than a party!’

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THE BARBER FUND HELPING THOSE LIVING WITH CANCER

www.thebarberfund.org WE HONOR THEIR COURAGE. WE HONOR THEIR STRENGTH. WE HONOR THEIR FIGHT!

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talking points

I’m so, so, so lucky to be a part of this incredible community.

There are no words. Thank you.

—JESSE TYLER FERGUSON TWEETING AFTER HE WON THE BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY TONY AWARD FOR “TAKE ME OUT”

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES BANS PIXAR’S ‘LIGHTYEAR’ OVER SAME-SEX KISS

T

HE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES BANNED THE UPCOMING PIXAR ANIMATED FEATURE “LIGHTYEAR” from showing in movie theaters after its inclusion of a kiss between two lesbian characters. The decision by the UAE comes as Malaysia also reportedly will ban the film. The movie, with actor Chris Evans voicing the inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear action figure from the “Toy Story” films, includes a female character voiced by actress Uzo Aduba kissing her female partner. The Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, announced through its Media Regulatory Office of the country’s Ministry of Youth and Culture that the film would not be opening in the country. Movie theaters in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, had already advertised showtimes for the film. But a social media campaign with the Arabic hashtag “Ban Showing Lightyear in the Emirates,” caught the attention of conservative Emiratis. They described showing a lesbian couple on screen as being against their culture and religion.

LADY GAGA IN TALKS TO JOIN ‘JOKER’ SEQUEL

L

ADY GAGA IS IN EARLY TALKS TO JOIN THE CAST OF THE SEQUEL TO THE 2019 OSCAR-WINNING FILM “JOKER,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gaga is expected to play Harley Quinn in the Todd Phillips-directed sequel which is titled “Joker: Folie à deux.” Phillips announced the film’s title in an Instagram post along with a picture of star Joaquin Phoenix reading the script. The Hollywood Reporter is also saying that the highly anticipated film will be a musical.

Phillips, who is co-writing the script with Scott Silver, worked previously with Gaga in 2018, producing her Oscar-winning film “A Star is Born.”

No release date has been announced for “Joker: Folie à deux.”

‘A STRANGE LOOP’ WINS BEST MUSICAL TONY

“A

STRANGE LOOP” TOOK HOME THE 2022 TONY AWARD for best musical.

The 11-time-nominated show features Usher, a Black queer man, and his relationship between himself and his art. Michael R. Jackson, the show’s playwright, spoke on stage about his nearly two-decade journey of creating the musical. “I wrote it at a time when I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life,” Jackson said. “I didn’t know how I was going to move forward. I felt unseen. I felt unheard.

I felt misunderstood, and I just wanted to create a little bit of a life raft for myself as a Black gay man.”

Of the 11 nominations granted, “A Strange Loop” also won the category for best book of a musical.

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REBEL WILSON COMES OUT IN INSTAGRAM POST

A

CTRESS REBEL WILSON ANNOUNCED her new relationship with a woman in a Pride Month post on Instagram June 9. “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,” Wilson, 42, wrote on her post with the hashtag #loveislove. In the Instagram photo, Wilson has a huge smile on her face as she snuggles up to a woman who has been identified as Ramona Agruma. According to CNN, Agruma is the founder of Lemon Ve Limon, a Los Angeles-based clothing brand, in addition to being a brand ambassador for Bee Goddess jewelry. Wilson, best known for her role in the “Pitch Perfect” films, can currently be seen in the Netflix comedy “Senior Year.”

300,000 OR

1.4% OF

U.S. YOUTH

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TRANSGENDER WITH 34% IN THE SOUTH

27% IN THE WEST 21% IN THE NORTHEAST AND

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—Williams Institute

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TAIL ST. PETE PRIDE 2022 WEEKEND LINEUP

FRIDAY

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AY SUND 26TH

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TAKE OUR COAVOID THE CROWDS & M BUS TO ANDPLIMENTARY PARTY FR WITH DRAG,OM THE PARADE BOOZE, & BO YS ROSÉ

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FREE SHOW 11AM - 5PM ON THE MAINSTAGE FOLLOWED B ENTERTAINMY A FULL NIGHT OF FAVORITE LO ENT FROM YOUR CA DRAG QU GO-GO BOYL S, AND DJSE! ENS, THE OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY SPOT FOR

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Abby Baker

HE DRAG SCENES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

Tampa Bay are full of talent, but it’s not always easy for performers. Wigs aren’t cheap and drag – especially starting out – isn’t exactly lucrative.

That’s the general consensus of drag performers within the area. When queens decide the limelight is for them, they’re often losing money on costumes, not to mention gas and time.

For many performers, it’s worth it to do what they love.

A Central Florida comedy queen often bedazzled, tucked and painted as Lady Gaga, Mr Ms Adrien is the winner of the 2022 Miss National Comedy Queen and a familiar face in Central Florida LGBTQ spaces like

Hamburger Mary’s Orlando and Sawmill Campground.

Her days as a baby drag queen may be over, but when she was new to the scene, she first competed at Pulse. She stepped into the drag community at one of the venue’s amateur drag competitions for the winning prize of $50.

“It seemed like a million back then,” Adrien says.

The first time she competed, she lost, but she didn’t stop showing up in heels.

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

Local queens often start their careers like this, entering small competitions with cash prizes and a winning system based on which performer gets the loudest cheers from the audience.

Southern Nights Orlando and Southern Nights Tampa continue to regularly host weekly “So You Think You Can Drag” competitions.” In Orlando, they’re held on Tuesday nights and in Tampa, on Wednesdays.

The winning cash amount for both clubs in 2022? Still $50, often with other prizes or subequent performances.

However, the weekly winners claim a spot at the main finals at the end of the year.

Winning the final competition pays $500, plus a gig on the club’s main cast.

It’s a start, and a way to get on the stage without prior experience.

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“There was no profit for the first three years,” Adrien recalls.

“Breaking even was the goal. It’s tough work and most of the time you’re putting yourself in front of people who are just cheering for their friends.”

While much has changed in the world of drag, including inflation when it comes to purchasing essentials like body padding and makeup, the monetary value of the winning prize of this specific competition has not.

Opal D’Marco, a 22-year-old transgender woman and entertainer based in Orlando, performs in her home city and often travels to Tampa to perform.

She’s out of commission this Pride month while she recovers from a surgery.

It’s a dent in her early career – she has only performed in drag for one year – but a necessary one.

The first time D’Marco got in full drag was at the now shuttered Stonewall in Orlando for a themed night in 2021. She had friends do her makeup and lend her looks for the night and found that after one weekend she was hooked.

“As a trans woman, it was a way to feel feminine when I was feeling masculine early on in my transition,” D’Marco says.

As much as the emerging performer loves the community, she says the monetary compensation for drag is lacking.

“I think that Orlando is one of the worst places to be, as far as compensation,” D’Marco explains.

“There are so many queens, so much competition, not a lot of venues. I’ve gone out of town and gotten paid twice or three times as much.”

She performed in front of a rainbow-clad crowd on the Southern Nights stage in Ybor for Tampa Pride 2022, and performs on Rush Thursdays at Southern Orlando under Cara Cavalli Andrews. Andrews, a staple at Southern Nights Orlando, is the drag daughter of Roxxxy Andrews.

Roxxxy is known worldwide as a finalist on the fifth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as well as the second season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.” She’s known locally as a powerhouse and proud drag personality.

When D’Marco performs on Thursdays at Southern Nights, it’s the host, Cara Cavalli Andrews who pays out her performers

COMEDY CROWN: Mr Ms Adrien wins Miss

National Comedy Queen 2022. PHOTO VIA MR MS ADRIEN

from her club fee. Oftentimes in the industry, the performers share door tips as well as a dressing room.

“I think everyone has a day job if they don’t just happen to have the money,” D’Marco says.

“It’s hard to make a living off performing.”

D’Marco, who almost exclusively wears lingerie on stage with her blonde hair in a high ponytail, is a Starbucks barista by day.

Adrien says day jobs wouldn’t

FIERCE COMPETITION: Opal D’Marco competes at Southern Nights Orlando in March. PHOTO BY ABBY BAKER

get paid,” Adrien explains. “We swallow that crap over and over, and I see hundreds of people paying for drinks. We know that the clubs make money, they could pay us fairly if they wanted to.”

Typically the headlining host(s) of the night earn a flat fee, but the performers that make up the show are oftentimes not paid directly by the club.

Adrien knows what it’s like in other, larger cities, noting that she lived in New York City as a performer for several years

She considered it a long-term career move, and then Parliament House closed in its longtime incarnation in 2020. It is expected to reopen in another location.

Despite this loss, the performer also wants to stay in town to support the drag community that raised her. They helped make her the seasoned queen she is today.

“I feel a bit of me wants to fight here a little longer, the kids coming here now are 10 times more talented than anything this city has seen in years,” she says.

My heart bleeds for these kids who don’t have spaces, we need to stick up for each other and keep going.

– CENTRAL FLORIDA ENTERTAINER MR MS ADRIEN be a necessity if clubs would pay responsibly.

“Sometimes you get fully dressed up and there are six people in the audience; what am I supposed to do with that?

If we were paid properly, then it wouldn’t matter. Those six people would get the best show they’ve ever seen,” she says with a laugh.

When those six people are supposed to provide a chunk of your pay for the evening, it’s less funny, she adds.

While each club or bar is different in their payment styles, a common theme is “pooling.”

The performers of the night split the tips made from tip buckets at the doors.

“A lot of times we’re shoving buckets in people’s faces to

pre-pandemic.

“My first few weeks in New York, the bars welcomed me, offered to pay me $200 a night when I was brand new to the scene,” Adrien says. “It’s a different atmosphere when the performers aren’t fighting for their lives.”

Leaving her Floridian community again isn’t an easy concept, however, despite her strong feelings.

“I have a kiss of death, I daydream about leaving all the time,” Adrien says. The Orlando native moved back home to Florida after she was offered a stable hosting gig at Parliament House, one of the larger Orlando clubs.

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

Orlando’s community may not be perfect, but the city offers more LGBTQ+ spaces than other areas in Central Florida.

Aaliyah Nouveau, the current titleholder of Miss DeLand Pride 2022, often travels to the city’s LGBTQ spaces for diversity and to escape the disadvantages of doing drag in a predominately red county.

DeLand, population 37,351, sits about 30 miles from central Orlando, and 23 miles from Daytona Beach.

“There’s a lot of work to be done in DeLand. It’s, well, Republican,” Nouveau says. “But there’s been a lot of growth in the community.”

Nouveau, who spoke with Watermark while wearing her

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winning DeLand Pride silk sash at Southern Nights Orlando, says there’s “nothing gay in DeLand at all.” The city has no openly LGBTQ bars in its limits.

That leaves queens and performers who live in less LGBTQ-friendly areas, such as Nouveau, to travel to places like Orlando and Tampa Bay. Seasoned entertainer and locally renowned queen Jade Embers has found her niche in Tampa. She performs regularly in the drag scene as a host and female illusionist in Ybor and occasionally in Pinellas County.

Embers is the host of “So You Think You Can Drag” at Southern Nights Tampa, a cast member for the club’s Crave Fridays show, a rotating performer at Bradley’s on 7th, an occasional host on Fridays at Blur Nightclub & Showbar in Dunedin and the host of Drag and Drop every second Thursday of the month at The Loft Ybor City. She’s also a former Miss Tampa Pride.

It’s safe to say that Embers, an old-school glam Tampa queen constantly cracking a joke into her microphone, makes a living for herself as a busy performer.

She’s been doing drag since January 2012. Ember’s first official performance was more than 10 years ago at Valentine’s Showbar in Tampa.

Valentine’s is no longer in existence, but Embers still remembers the thrill of her first performance in one of the bar’s talent shows.

In 2014, just two years after stepping into her first (and much shorter) heels, she booked a regular hosting gig for Frat House Thursdays at the since-shuttered Liquid Tampa.

Embers says the art form in Tampa has changed much in the decade she’s been involved, and she can’t get enough of the colorful community.

“Drag in Tampa has elevated and so much talent has emerged,” Embers explains. “Throughout my years, I’ve always noticed that as more time passes, there are more and more entertainers taking the stage and I’m here for it. So many new styles have emerged and so many new facets of drag are finally getting the spotlight.”

Does Embers think drag performers are fairly paid in Tampa?

“Absolutely, the higher ups at Southern Nights Tampa respect the art of drag and have always

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1

2

LOCAL LEGENDS: 1) (L-R) Shade Showcase’s Mio Hikaru, Kiki Butter Mischief, Morgan Le Shade, Waka Shame and Coyote Caliente at City Side Lounge in 2021. 2) Miss St Pete Pride 2021 Ashlee T. Bangkx leads 2021’s celebration at Sirata Beach Resort. 3) Miss Tampa Pride 2020 Jade Embers at Tampa Pride’s 2020 Grand Marshal Gala in Tampa. PHOTOS VIA MORGAN LE SHADE, BY DYLAN TODD AND BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

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paid fairly and then some,” she tells Watermark.

Embers says it’s rare she feels shortchanged by a club or promoter.

“You can only be paid unfairly if you don’t set a booking fee up front,” Embers concludes. “You’re your own boss. If someone doesn’t feel like the amount offered is enough, they don’t have to take the gig.”

Across the bridge – Ashlee T. Bangkx, Miss St. Pete Pride 2021 – is originally from Fort Myers and regularly performs at Cocktail and Enigma in downtown St. Pete.

According to the entertainer, however, she wasn’t always a polished Pinellas girl.

“I started out doing the talent shows and my first performance, girl, it was horrible,” Bangkx laughs. “I did a Rihanna song, my makeup was orange and my brother read me after the show.”

That was more than a decade ago, and the queen says she’s grown, especially since intentionally entering the St. Petersburg drag scene in 2012. In Bangkx’s opinion, the pay and culture in St. Petersburg and Tampa is better than in other Florida cities, but could always improve.

“In St. Pete and Ybor, they usually pay a flat rate and I always get my check,” she explains. “But it’s not like that everywhere.”

Shade Showcase director Morgan Le Shade knows the process better than most. He doesn’t perform as an entertainer, but he lives in the world of drag.

This May, Shade canceled his show.

A fearless artist with little patience for those who he deems incompetent, Shade started out as a professional photographer for Liquid and Southern Nights. Despite being dazzled by the LGBTQ fun and

For now, he’s pulling the brakes on his event, citing personal reasons and a fluctuation in audience numbers. The Tampa show director suspects his monthly event may not have had the attendance that other, less-inclusive shows have because it’s not located in the heart of

I got very tired of these very white-washed and generic cast of characters with one style of drag. Clubs would book the same eight showgirls every week.

– TAMPA BAY SHOW DIRECTOR MORGAN LE SHADE “I’ll wear heels, that’s about it,” Shade notes.

He’s a queer, Black photographer and the creator of the Shade Showcase in Tampa Bay. It prides itself as “being the most diverse show around while still treating entertainers with all the respect they deserve.”

Shade created, debuted and hosted it three years ago at the defunct Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg before he found it a home at South Tampa’s City Side Lounge. At its core, The Shade Showcase aimed to include all performers of all identities and backgrounds.

fanfare, he noticed the lack of representation early on.

“I got very tired of these very white-washed and generic cast of characters with one style of drag,” Shade recalls. “Clubs would book the same eight showgirls every week.”

So he created his own show and vowed to include every style of drag and every type of person.

“I think The Shade Showcase was pretty successful in doing that,” he explains. “Since I started doing it, I’ve seen a small change in the lineups here in Tampa.

I’ve seen some progress from other clubs.”

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

Ybor, a Tampa city with a culture of LGBTQ nightlife.

“I think people will see what they’re losing when it’s gone,” Shade notes.

In the case of The Shade Showcase, City Side paid Shade a flat fee, which he would use to divvy out each performer’s pay.

In its last year, the show director paid all performers at least $100 per show.

It’s not a whopping amount of money, Shade says, but an amount he always promised.

“I am on the side of the performers, I’ve paid people out of my own pocket before,” he says. “I have a disdain for people

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working for free.” When Shade and his show were just starting out, the flat fee was $65.

He’s stopping for now but maybe not forever. Shade says he hopes to bring his show home to a new venue when the time is right.

Despite club closures, a lack of representation and what many see as unfair pay, the drag community in Tampa Bay and Central Florida remains a refuge.

Especially for entertainers looking for places to be themselves and to be celebrated for it.

“I don’t want to do the thing that I love in a painful way,” Adrian says. “My heart bleeds for these kids who don’t have spaces, we need to stick up for each other and keep going.”

D’Marco, one of the “kids” her predecessor is referring to, agrees.

“I love drag because it has opened my eyes to a community I didn’t think was available to me,” D’Marco says. “There’s a shared understanding between the performers and the people; that’s why we do it despite the monetary compensation. The community is so big and beautiful.”

Le Shade, the self-described “shadiest man in Tampa,” has one thing to say to the drag community and the people who run it.

“Do better,” he asserts. “No one is perfect, but we can all try to do a little better to be inclusive.”

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Friday, July 29 Don your best Going Out Clothes and join us for the hottest party of the summer. Celebrate the debut museum exhibition Gio Swaby: Fresh Up and meet the artist at our tropical-themed party featuring a DJ, dancing, and Bahamian-influenced cuisine and drinks.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PRICING, AND TICKETS, VISIT MFASTPETE.ORG

Gio Swaby, My Hands Are Clean 4 (detail), 2017, Thread and fabric sewn on canvas, Collection of Claire Oliver and Ian Rubinstein

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘Drag Race’

sensation Rosé comes to Florida

T

Ryan Williams-Jent

HERE’S A REASON FAN FAVORITE

PHOTO COURTESY VOSS EVENTS

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” finalist Rosé is billed as “equal parts razor-tongued comedian and remarkable vocalist.” She is.

Prior to securing a top four spot in the drag competition’s 13th season in 2020, the entertainer dazzled audiences on “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent.” She did so as one third of Stephanie’s Child, her live-singing drag trio with “Drag Race” sister Jan Sport and “Nailed It” winner Lagoona Bloo.

The girl group continues to release new music, which Rosé has also done solo since her “Drag Race” debut. Never far from the spotlight, Rosé’s also

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

appeared on the Paramount+ series “iCarly” while reuniting with European audiences around the globe for Voss Events’ 2022 “Werq the World” tour.

Before its North American leg kicks off in Florida this July – including a stop at Hard Rock Live Orlando July 9 and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa July 10 – Rosé will help honor 20 years of Pride in St. Petersburg.

She’ll perform at Cocktail June 26 for Cock’d N Loaded during St Pete Pride’s

Pride in Grand Central Street Carnival in The Grand Central District, the celebration’s birthplace.

Watermark spoke with Rosé about werqing the world, what fans can expect from local performances and entering her self-described “supermodel phase.”

WATERMARK: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF DRAG?

ROSÉ: Well, I think the current state of drag as a whole – and let’s center that around “Drag Race” as it’s the most influential and visible form of drag for the world to see – is that we’re in a really interesting place. I was thinking about this earlier, actually,

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CONTINUED ON PG. 35 | uu |

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people expect and it’s what they deserve. (Laughs.)

| uu | Werqing the World

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE OUR AUTHENTICITY AND PRIDE RIGHT NOW?

FROM PG.33

because of this legislation in Texas trying to prohibit children from being exposed to drag queens, which is absolutely ridiculous and horrifying.

I think that we’ve gotten to a point with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” where the franchise is so enormous. There are so many legs of it in different countries that are providing access for the people of planet Earth to see what this art form is and to see the stories and the art of so many queer people.

I think it’s so accessible that conservative people have become wildly threatened by us – and I think that’s really exciting.

We’re at a point where we’re the reason that we’re facing such sudden, giant waves of oppression again as queer people – because we’re able to be more comfortable.

I think that the cause of that is drag, and because of “Drag Race.” So it’s a scary time but it’s an exciting time.

I know that I’m very proud to be at the forefront of all of that as a queen from “RuPaul Drag Race.”

WHAT ABOUT ROSÉ? WHERE DO YOU FIND YOURSELF?

For me personally, honey, I’m proud to always seek something new every day and to try new things, just in my everyday life and as far as my career and my art goes.

I think I’ll always be a dynamite, firecracker live entertainer, that’s who I am and what I’m known for, but I don’t know if you’ve been noticing, but I think I’ve gotten really hot. (Laughs.)

I was just posting something on Instagram and I could not believe how supreme I am in drag.

So it’s definitely my supermodel phase of my career, and I say that confidently because I’m going to be in my mid-30s soon. I don’t think models can work too far along after that. So we’re definitely in my modeling era, long may it live.

WHAT SURPRISES YOU ABOUT THAT?

Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.

(Laughs.) Actually, to be honest with you, what surprises me about that is that when I started drag, I had so much support from friends and family and audiences really loved what I had to bring to the table because of my background in performance and because of my confidence – but I do have a set of very masculine physical features, especially facially, and nobody really ever thought that I could be

PROUD IN PINK: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” finalist Rosé say she’s in her supermodel phase. PHOTO COURTESY VOSS EVENTS a beautiful woman. But everyone stands corrected as I have just said, because I am now a beautiful female supermodel. That is very surprising for some people, but if you work hard at your makeup and start wearing beautiful human hair wigs, anything is possible – and there’s chapter one of my autobiography, so thank god you have your recording software. (Laughs.)

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TOURING WITH WERQ THE WORLD OVERSEAS?

I just got back from Madrid where I was having a ball. That’s where we closed the tour. We were all over Europe for the last six weeks and it was a dream come true for me. It was so exciting. A lot of the time, it was like you wake up in a new city every single day. This first leg of this tour this summer has been so exciting because I’ve been performing onstage since I was a kid, but I’ve never had such enormous audiences in the palm of my hand. It’s so wonderful, special and rewarding to get to sing and dance for so many people at once.

The energy that we create, both the performers and the audiences in an evening of drag, is really special.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY PARTICULARLY REWARDING

OR CHALLENGING INTERACTIONS WITH FANS?

Rewarding, constantly, because the true fans of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and of me personally, I’ve found that they’re often so excited in an overwhelmed way to meet me and to speak with me and to see me on stage live. When that happens daily, it’s such a humbling part of my routine where I’m like, “Wow, I’m really doing this. This is my life.

This is where I am every day and this is really cool.” So that has been absolutely rewarding, just to see how excited people get to see me.

WELL, YOU’RE IN A SUPERMODEL PHASE.

(Laughs.) Oh, honey! Honey, exactly. They get to see me. I mean, get your earplugs out, because I sound terrible, but wow, wow, do I look good.

WHERE DO YOU FEEL MORE AT HOME, THE RECORDING BOOTH, ON THE STAGE OR ON THE SCREEN?

That’s something that I love about drag. There are so many different outlets as a performer to kind of explore and take advantage of. I think I continue to be reminded in my life that the stage and performing live for an actual audience is where I’m at

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

home. There’s an energy you get as a live performer from an audience that really is difficult to replicate, and while on-camera work is equally exciting, it’s a very different experience and process.

For “iCarly” specifically, I learned that because it was my first time being on a series like that. We would rehearse scenes and then we would do a producer run and suddenly the room was full of creatives and they would laugh. They would laugh at us when we said something funny and my performance was completely different once I heard laughter. So I think that the dialogue between an audience and a performer is something very special, something very sacred and it speaks to who I am as an artist.

BEFORE YOU WERQ THE WORLD IN TAMPA AND ORLANDO YOU’LL HELP ST. PETERSBURG CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF PRIDE. WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOUR PERFORMANCES?

What you can always expect from Rosé is a little bit of dancing and a little bit of singing. I can never grace the stage without leaving those two things out there for everyone. It’s what

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Well, the answer is very clear.

It’s more important than ever because we are literally under attack by different predators every day. I mean, in Texas where I grew up, they’re trying to prohibit and criminalize drag queens being exposed to children. They’re saying that we’re grooming kids.

I remember before I did drag, I remember being in New York the summer where marriage was legalized for gay people. It is strange to now feel like we are moving backwards.

We’ve had so much wonderful time and phases of this country since then to see people more easily come out of the closet and celebrate and be who they are, and people are trying to take that joy and that right and experience away from us.

There are many ways in which I believe we need to stand together and fight, but drag is clearly a threat to people and I think threaten we shall, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with drag. It is for everyone. It is inspiring for everyone. I think it’s a great thing for kids to be exposed to, because it’s centered in being who you are – void of everybody else’s opinion. I think that we’re in a place right now where it’s very necessary to pull out your pantyhose and your lipstick and take a walk on the street.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH FANS?

It’s Pride month so I’m going to be all over the place. I think mostly in the U.S. … but for the rest of the year, I’m basically on the road.

So you’re going to see a couple of different things and I always love to put together a really big, exciting production number. So look out for some Rosé spectaculars coming to the stage near you!

Learn more about Rosé at OMGHeyRose.com. She will perform at Cocktail during the Pride in Grand Central Street Carnival June 26 at 2355 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. VIP tickets are available at CocktailStPete.com.

Voss Events’ “Werq the World” ft. Rosé and more will follow July 9 at Hard Rock Live Orlando, located at 6050 Universal Blvd., and July 10 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, located at 5223 Orient Rd. in Tampa.

For tickets and more information, visit VossEvents.com/Werq-The-World-Tour.

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BOOKS

WHAT MAKES A VASE?

Writer-actor Julio Torres on his new picture book

O

Gregg Shapiro

PHOTO BY DAVID BRANDON GEETING

PENLY GAY WRITER AND ACTOR

Julio Torres seems to be everywhere these days. In movies, effortlessly drawing focus as he did in Nikole Beckwith’s 2021 comedy “Together Together,” co-starring trans actor Patti Harrison. On TV, Torres’ comedy writing for “Saturday Night Live” earned him an Emmy nomination, while current project HBO’s “Los Espookys” continues to gain him a growing following.

Now, when you walk into your favorite bookseller, you will find

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

Torres on the bookshelf with his colorful new picture book “I Want to Be a Vase,” featuring illustrations by Julian Glander.

Torres was gracious enough to chat with Watermark and answer a few questions in advance of the book’s publication.

WATERMARK: JULIO, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PUBLICATION OF YOUR FIRST PICTURE BOOK “I WANT TO BE A VASE.” HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT FROM ITS INCEPTION?

JULIO TORRES: Thank you! It took about a year. What took the longest was shaping it and the CONTINUED ON PG. 39 | uu |

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WEAPON USED BY THE FAR RIGHT. ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED THAT “I WANT TO BE A PLUNGER” HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE BANNED?

| uu | What makes a vase?

FROM PG.37

Oh my God! I suppose it wouldn’t surprise me. It’s very disconcerting because [laughs] a right-wing child has every right to be their happiest, truest self as any other child.

But the right-wing parents might disagree.

[Laughs] Right, because the kids are not the ones buying the books. I think that there is this hysteria around the idea that entertainment and media want to destroy or permanently change a world that is otherwise good and perfect. Just like the vacuum cleaner, I think that if they step back and realize that just because it works for you doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Also, does it work for you [laughs]? I think it’s an important question. Vacuum is overworked. Vacuum didn’t realize that vacuum could use some help.

marinating of the idea. Once it was clear what it was going to be, it was a fairly quick and easy process.

When I say it was a year, that also includes finding and working with an illustrator, collaborating with Julian (Glander), the illustrator.

I’M GLAD YOU MENTIONED JULIAN. WHAT MADE HIM THE PERFECT CHOICE TO PROVIDE THE IMAGES AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR I WANT TO BE A VASE?

I was looking for the book to have a sort of uncanny feeling to it. At first, I thought, “What if it’s photographs? What if we take interesting photographs from telling angles of everyday objects?”

I was resistant to the idea of traditional children’s illustrations because, as beautiful as so many of them are, it didn’t feel like they were right for the story. Then we found Julian who really split the difference between an illustrator and a photographer. When you look at the plunger, you should see a plunger, not so much a beautiful drawing of a plunger. Because it’s in the mundane that the humor and the story really comes alive. I like that his work looks like pictures of a dollhouse or something. Also, I wanted it to feel like the kinds of images that kids are attracted to now, which are not tender watercolors. They’re computerized images. I thought instead of fighting that, embracing it.

HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT A BOOK WAS THE RIGHT SHAPE FOR “I WANT TO BE A VASE” INSTEAD OF A VIDEO REPRESENTATION, AN AREA IN WHICH YOU’VE WORKED BEFORE?

I wanted the book itself to be a beautiful object. I grew up as a kid who loved coffee-table books.

Taking in the images on every page and enjoying them. I was excited to create an artifact that was like that. That felt almost like a kid was opening a coffee-table book that and they were taking away something, rather than being talked down to.

THE MAIN CHARACTER IN “I WANT TO BE A VASE” IS PLUNGER. IT’S PLUNGER WHOSE WANT IS EXPRESSED IN THE TITLE OF THE BOOK. IS THERE PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE TO THE CHARACTER BEING A PLUNGER AS OPPOSED TO SAY, A MEASURING TAPE OR AN ICE CUBE TRAY?

IF “I WANT TO BE A VASE” WAS ADAPTED FOR TV OR A MOVIE, WHOM WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR VOICING PLUNGER?

COVERING BOOKS: “I Want to Be a Vase,” written by Julio Torres with illustrations by Julian Glander, is available now wherever books are sold. COVER IMAGE COURTESY SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING

I think that a plunger felt right because no one is happy using a plunger. When someone is using a plunger, they wish that they weren’t [laughs]. Thinking about objects and their purpose or their jobs, that is one that would be like “I really don’t want to do this.”

PLUNGER’S MOST VOCAL OPPONENT IS A VACUUM CLEANER WHO SPENDS MOST OF THE BOOK TRYING TO PUT THE KIBOSH ON PLUNGER’S WISH TO CHANGE. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A VACUUM CLEANER TO BE THE NAYSAYER?

If you’re a vacuum cleaner, as an object, you work in one of the most cut-throat industries that you can. I feel like vacuum cleaners are constantly on the verge of being replaced by a better vacuum cleaner. Efficiency is such a part of being a vacuum cleaner, and a vacuum cleaner is all efficiency. You’re only as good as the job you do as a vacuum cleaner. Every advertisement is like. “This one’s better. This one’s lighter. This one’s faster.” It’s a very competitive world. To me, someone whose whole identity is tied to succeeding in their industry and maximum efficiency is very quick to judge those who are not happy where they are. If you are doing

well and you feel like you’re doing well because you work extremely hard, hearing someone going through an existential crisis can be annoying to people like that. That’s why I felt like a vacuum cleaner was appropriate.

THE VACUUM CLEANER HAS A TURNING POINT WHEN THEY SAY, “I WAS WORRIED SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU GOT TO BE WHATEVER YOU WANTED.” WAS THIS LINE OF THINKING, REMINISCENT OF THAT ESPOUSED BY THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ELEMENT IN OUR COUNTRY, PART OF THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BOOK?

Yeah, absolutely. I was interested in doing a few things with this story. I think that the entry point to the story is your more traditional hero’s journey/ power-of- the-individual kind of storytelling, which most stories for kids are. Predicated on this notion that you, the reader, are special and different and you will succeed against all odds. I think that way of storytelling is so intertwined with the American dream and the idea that you, the individual, will work hard and you will succeed.

But then I wanted to take it a step further and be like, “What about

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

the other people around you? They have their own hopes and dreams.”

I would love to motivate kids to search for their own happiness and, along that journey, motivate others and help them to find their own happiness. Because I think that the “you, kid, are special” story is wonderful. But I think that it should have a comma, “and so is everyone else” [laughs].

You have your own wishes and hopes and desires, those around you have their own wishes and hopes and desires that are just as valuable as yours.

The vacuum cleaner is an important voice because, in your search to being yourself and finding your true self and expressing who you are and feeling safe doing so, there will be naysayers along the way and these naysayers are every bit as complex as everyone else.

Rather than making a book that was punishing to the antagonist, I wanted one that was inclusive, and asks the questions, “You’re saying no, but why? What’s beneath that?” Which is why I felt like the vacuum cleaner didn’t have to be defeated, it had to learn and grow.

UNFORTUNATELY, BOOK-BANNING IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AS A

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That’s a very interesting question. I never thought about that. Maybe someone who, when you hear the voice, you hear a plumber. Something a little gruff so that the character has to overcome that other part of the expectation.

“You don’t sound elegant and refined like a vase, so you couldn’t possibly be a vase.” John Goodman or something.

SPEAKING OF MOVIES, I LOVED YOUR SCENE-STEALING PERFORMANCE AS JULES IN “TOGETHER TOGETHER.” DO YOU HAVE ANY UPCOMING FILM ROLES YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?

Thank you! I wrote and directed a movie that I am editing now. God knows when that will come out.

Other than the new season of the HBO show “Los Espookys,” that’s what’s on the horizon film-wise.

We had to stop “Los Espookys” in 2020 like everyone else because we shoot in Chile. In addition to COVID, there were all these international restrictions around it that became an immigration/ bureaucratic nightmare that our fantastic producers had to navigate.

There were so many false starts to the second season, but we finally finished it earlier this year and we’re editing it now.

Season one of “Los Espookys” is streaming now on HBO Max.

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Grease July 14 – 31, 2022 Co-Produced by: The Dr. Robert Cassell Family; George & Kelly Butz; Brad Dantzler - Raymond James & Associates

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STAGE

Make It Gay

Taffy and Janine Klein bring their new cabaret to The Abbey for one night only

(ABOVE)

LOUD & PROUD:

Doug Ba’aser as Taffy (L) and Janine Klein are bringing their gay cababret to The Abbey just in time for Pride Month.

PHOTO COURTESY DOUG BA’ASER

F

Charlotte Skipper

OR DOUG BA’ASER AND JANINE KLEIN,

the best way to tackle the new “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill is by making an audience laugh, sing, and say “gay” a lot.

After nearly three years, Taffy (Ba’aser’s drag persona) and Klein are performing together again in “Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret,” written and directed by comedian Jeff Jones, on June 27 at The Abbey in Orlando for one night only to celebrate everything the LGBTQ community loves.

“I want people to just come and laugh for an hour, and go home with a smile on their face,” says Ba’aser.

“There’s also a big, beautiful bar at the Abbey too, so that’s a plus.”

“Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” features Taffy and Klein, and their strong desire for some extra cash. In order to pay their rent, the duo has taken suggestions

from the gay community for their next performance. Taffy and Klein flip through each suggestion on a giant easel and imagine what each suggestion may look like for their next cabaret.

Ba’aser says the inspiration behind the show stemmed from one of his previous Fringe shows highlighting LGBTQ icon Joan Crawford. After receiving some harsh reviews, he is now playing into the complaints for this performance.

“It’s kind of a slap in the face to somebody who once suggested that a show I did was solely pandering to the gay community,” says Ba’aser. “If that means I’m presenting something that the gay community would like

watermark Your LGBTQ News Source.

and it gets people to come see it, then so be it. So, we just started laughing about that and decided to kind of make fun of ourselves and them.”

The cabaret features a sampling of all the good gay stereotypes — from disco to Broadway to anonymous sex and more. Ba’aser says in a time where the LGBTQ community still isn’t being fully accepted, it is important to poke fun at what the community commonly adores.

Ba’aser has been on the stage for over 20 years and has performed as Taffy for nearly seven. He says the love from the LGBTQ community and popularity of Taffy’s ridiculousness is what continues new shows year after year. Ba’aser and Klein have performed together countless times, but this will be their first time on stage together since the 2019 Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival.

Klein says she has been on the stage for nearly 42 years, following in the footsteps of her parents who met in the world of theater. While performing in a community theater her parents ran, she eventually went on to perform in hundreds of theaters across the country. Her most notable career move was touring with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Ginger Minj.

“I was a very unique child, and I was drawn to others who are unique, and were the underdog,” says Klein. “Plus, I had a big, belty Broadway voice. Put those two together, and you have an ally for life.”

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the infamous “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill into law this past March, the LGBTQ community has yet another roadblock in the way of full equality. With this in mind, Ba’aser says he just wants to ease the anxieties of LGBTQ locals for a night to let loose and remember that it is okay to have fun every now and then.

“We just want people to come and laugh for an hour and get away from so much of what’s going on in the world, especially in Florida, with the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, and now with the governor thinking about

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banning children from drag shows,” says Ba’aser.

The “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill was partially the inspiration for the title of the cabaret as well.

As the governor is signing a bill for individuals to stop saying gay, Taffy and Klein say it thrice.

“After these ridiculous bans and laws of not being able to say gay, we thought it was a perfect name (for the cabaret),” says Klein. “I think it’s a smart move to do something fun and let people feel acceptance, especially right now.”

While the Orlando theater scene has been more dormant than usual in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klein says she is hopeful for new growth not only in the Orlando theater community, but in individual performers like herself.

For the last two years, Klein decided to become sober from alcohol. She says in the past, she would typically rely on a cocktail or two to get into the loose feeling of improvising on stage. “Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” will be the first time she performs a cabaret completely sober.

“I think it’ll actually keep me more present. I’ll be more in the moment with things and I probably won’t be as angry or sarcastic as I usually was,” says Klein.

“Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” will take place at The Abbey, a home to dozens of cabarets year-round. The local Orlando venue has previously hosted a Monday night cabaret series each summer, featuring several cabarets of all genres. After the unfortunate closing of Parliament House in 2020, The Abbey has adopted many of its patrons and continued to provide a home for LGBTQ performers.

“I love the sound quality in the venue, and I love the intimacy at the Abbey,” says Klein. “I love the people that run the Abbey too, they’ve always been great to us. It’s a great stage.”

Tickets for “Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” can be purchased at The Abbey’s official website.

Taffy and Klein will be performing with the musical accompaniment of Christopher Leavy. Ba’aser says everyone will love the show, but the gay folks will think they have died and gone to heaven.

“We just want to create something silly, we’re not curing cancer, we’re not going to win any Tony Awards, but we just want people to come and laugh and have a good time,” he says.

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community calendar

EVENT PLANNER ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA

The Pendulum of Pride

Movie Night: “Dallas Buyers Club,” June 23, LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.com GOALcfl Membership Pop Up, June 24, The Hammered Lamb, Orlando. 407-434-9889; GOALcfl.com Veg-Fest, June 25, Persimmon Hollow Brewing, Orlando. 407-337-6011; Facebook.com/ OrlandoBeardedVegan Hourglass Brewing Summer Market, June 25, Hourglass Brewing, Longwood.

407-262-0056; Longwood.

HourglassBrewing.com Corsets & Cuties, June 25, Orlando Brewing, Orlando. 407-872-1117; CorestsAndCuties.com AMOR Saturday, June 25, Irish Shannon’s, Orlando.

Facebook.com/LatinSaturday Mega Food Truck Rally, June 25, Historic Downtown, Clermont.

ClermontDowntown.com Orlando Food & Supply Give Back, June 26, Men’s Closet, Orlando. 407-578-4878; MensClosetClothing.com The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Mixer: Pride Edition, June 28, The Hammered Lamb, Orlando. 407-704-3200; RealEstateAlliance.org 4th of July at AMOR, July 2, Irish Shannon’s, Orlando. Facebook.com/ LatinSaturday Red Hot and Boom 2022, July 3, Cranes Roost Park, Altamonte Springs. 407-571-8180; Altamonte.org/701/Red-HotBoom Great American Block Party, July 3, Lake Nona Town Center, Orlando. 407-816-6686; LakeNona.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 6:30-8 P.M. ART & HISTORY MUSEUM, MAITLAND

ST PETE PRIDE 2022 Florida’s largest LGBTQ Pride celebration closes out its landmark 20th celebration with events through June. Read more below and at StPetePride.org.

Tie Dye Party, July 3, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company, Orlando. 407-270-6749; IvanhoeParkBrewing.com

“Life’s A Drag,” June 24, First Unity Spiritual Campus, St. Petersburg. 727-527-2222; FirstUnity.org

Fireworks at the Fountain, July 4, Lake Eola Park, Orlando.

407-246-2121; Orlando.gov

St Pete Pride Parade, June 25, Downtown, St. Petersburg. 727-342-0084; StPetePride.org

PlantTalk & Swap, July 6, Mead Botanical Garden, Winter Park. 407-622-6323; MeadGarden.org

PrideWOD and Fundraiser, June 25, CrossFit9, St. Petersburg. 727-469-3240; CrossFit9.com

TAMPA BAY “Rainbow Experience,” June 23-26, Fairgrounds St. Pete, St. Petersburg. Tickets.

Fairgrounds.Art Todrick Hall & Pussy Riot, June 24, St. Pete Pier Waterfront, St. Petersburg.

727-342-0084; StPetePride.org Fourth Friday Pride Party, June 24, Riverwalk Stage, Tampa. StrazCenter.org; 813-229-7827 OUTloud, June 24, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa. 813-229-7827; OperaTampa.org

St. Pete Pride Pool Party, June 26, Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg. 727-873-7900; HollanderHotel.com Pride in Grand Central Street Carnival, June 26, Grand Central District, St. Petersburg. 727-342-0084; StPetePride.org Safe Paws Rescue Drag Bingo, June 28, Punky’s Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg.

727-201-4712; PunkysBar.com

Wrap Party, June 30, Postcard Inn, St. Pete Beach.

727-342-0084; StPetePride.org

David Matteson, former board president of the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, will speak about the history of Central Florida’s LGBTQ community as a part of the Art & History Museum’s free lecture series. The event coincides with the museum’s monthly Last Wednesday event which provides free admission to the gallery as well as offers a cash bar. A complimentary 45-minute gallery tour by Chief Curator Dan L. Hess begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit ArtAndHistory.org.

The Pride Chamber’s July Business Connect WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 5-7 P.M. WATERCREST SENIOR COMMUNITY, WINTER PARK The Pride Chamber partners with the Jewish Chamber of Commerce for its July Business Connect. Come out to the Watercrest Senior Community for light bites, drinks and to mingle with other Chamber members at the monthly networking mixer. For more information, visit ThePrideChamber.org

Headshot Minis, July 1, Dylan Todd Photography, St. Petersburg. 727-310-1212; DylanToddPhotography.com Pride Skate Tampa, July 2, Skateworld, Tampa.

813-884-7688; Facebook.com/ PrideSkateTampa Judy B. Goode Cabaret, July 2, Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg. 727-873-7900; HollanderHotel.com

SARASOTA Pride Karaoke, June 24. Teas Days, Sarasota. 941-312-5192; TheBestBoba.com Celebrate Sarasota, July 2-4, J.D. Hamel Park, Sarasota.

941-263-6000; SarasotaFL.gov

Transtastic, June 28, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. 727-342-0084; StPetePride.org

TAMPA BAY Tampa Bay Sisters Leather, Feathers and Bears Ball FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 9 P.M. CITY SIDE LOUNGE, TAMPA The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host their Leather, Feathers and Bears Ball. This KiKi ball is billed as a function with dancing and friendly competition and is open to all. Participants are encouraged to prance in whatever look they want to walk in. “Pride is for every body,” the organization shares. “Category is – ‘Every body is gorgeous!’”

Learn more at Facebook.com/TampaSisters.

Fourth of July Celebrations MONDAY, JULY 4, TIMES VARY ST. PETERSBURG & TAMPA St. Petersburg and Tampa celebrate Independence Day with annual entertainment and fireworks. “The Fourth” will be held at St. Pete Pier from 4-10 p.m., with fireworks at 9 p.m. “Boom by the Bay” will be held across six locations starting at 11 a.m. with its largest-ever fireworks display along Bayshore Blvd. at dusk. View schedules at TheFourthStPete.com and BoomByTheBay.com.

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

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Fine Art | Portrait | Wedding | Commercial www.DylanToddPhotography.com | 727-310-1212 44

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announcements

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS St Pete Pride’s 20-year celebration continues through June. Read more on p. 12 and view photos at WatermarkOnline.com.

Metro Inclusive Health was named a Lightning Community Hero by the Tampa Bay Lightning June 11, receiving $50,000 for their work in the community to benefit local programming.

PFLAG Riverview held its inaugural Pride Prom June 17, welcoming 100 youth from 14-20. “The LGBTQ adults who chaperoned were moved to tears watching the next generation have a safe space to celebrate as their authentic selves,” PFLAG Riverview President Faith Moeller shared.

Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

Sgt. Amy DeWitt celebrated 20 years with the St. Pete Police Dept. June 17.

Southern Nights Tampa celebrated seven years in Ybor June 18.

Polk Pride in the Park returned June 18. View photos and read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

Pride @ The Village made history with its second annual event in Pinellas Park June 18. Read more on p. 12.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Tampa Bay performer Ashlee T. Bankx, Tampa Keller Realty star Bill Knecht, Derby diva Mark O’Hara, Treasure Island politico Gail Caldwell, Tampa Bay entertainer Russell Mania, The Mertailor Eric Ducharme (June 23); Health care professional Adam Silbert, Tampa U.b.U. Salon artist Jeremy Beauchamp, Tampa Bay mainstay Jeremy Fetters, St. Petersburg realtor Todd Fixler, Diamond in the rough Lindsey Burkholder (June 24); Tampa Bay community activist Guadalupe Vargas, St. Pete twirler Dan Radwanski, Tampa outdoor enthusiast Scott Buttelwerth, Nielsen manager Will Edwards, LionMaus Media co-founder Megan Hickey (June 25); Metro Inclusive Health Chief Marketing & Experience Officer Brian Bailey, Tampa Stageworks Theatre Artistic Director Anna Brennan, Hudson’s Furniture manager Aaron Horcha, Helping hand Amy Dalzell (June 27); Rising Tide Innovation Center’s Thompson Davis Kellett, Family woman Arleen Batronie (June 28); Tampa Bay photographer Morgan Le Shade, Musician Todd Wathen (June 29); Tampa Bay bartender Jerry Watson, Tampa Bay realtor Steve Blinder (June 30); Mellow Mushroom Sarasota owner Karen Atwood, St. Petersburg leather man Matt Wolf, Mad Theatre of Tampa’s DJ Holt, St. Petersburg artist Julia Wingle, Shy guy Ian Henderson (July 1); Tampa philanthropist Matt Bachman, Metro Inclusive Health CEO Lorraine Langlois, Sawmill performer Sofonda Cox, St. Pete graphic guru Michael O’Connell, PFLAG Tampa’s Trevor James, Balance Tampa Bay advocate and socialite Alvin Providence (July 2); Tampa Pro Massage owner Cory Jeffries, Tampa Bay realtor Michael Noeltner (July 3); Accuracy Painting’s Abe Gadikian, Career coach Tim Durling (July 4); Tampa Bay performer Kori Stevens, St. Petersburg entertainer Kristina White, a.k.a.

Lady Fatalya (July 5); Balance Tampa Bay’s Steve Watson, Educator Brad Rice, Tampa Bay entertainer Georgia Moore, Tampa Bay entertainer Mya Valentine (July 6).

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HER TIME: Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith attends the TIME 100 Gala in New York City June 8. PHOTO VIA TWITTER

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SPECIAL GUEST: “Drag Race” judge Carson Kressley (L) drops by Cocktail and strikes a pose with Adriana Sparkle after hosting St Pete Pride’s Queer-E-Oke June 11. PHOTO COURTESY COCKTAIL

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DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: (L-R) Bethany Moeller, Kennedy Jensen, Sydney Moeller and Mia Moeller enjoy a night in Wonderland for PFLAG Riverview’s inaugural Pride Prom June 17 at The Regent.

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PHOTO COURTESY PFLAG RIVERVIEW

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POLK PROUD: David Adams (L) and Michael Sines celebrate the return of Polk Pride in the Park June 18. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

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LOCAL HEROES: Metro Inclusive Health is awarded $50,000 at Amalie Arena for community programming from the Tampa Bay Lighting June 11.

PHOTO COURTESY METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH

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VILLAGE PEOPLE: (L-R) Georgia Moore, Kori Stevens, Aquariius, Coco Montrese, Cortez Blue, Sade Erotica and Daphne Ferraro wow the crowd at Pride @ The Village June 18. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

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SHADES OF PRIDE: (L-R) Nate Taylor, celebrity headliner TS Madison and Pablo Herrera share a moment during St Pete Pride’s Juneteenth celebration at The Factory June 19.

PHOTO COURTESY NATE TAYLOR

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POWER PACK: (L-R) Kimmie Kopnitsky Johns, Misty McDevitt and Stephanie Morge enjoy St Pete Pride’s Stonewall Reception at the James Museum June 18. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

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Ending the HIV epidemic

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announcements

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS The Hispanic Federation announced the launch of the Advance Change Together (ACT) initiative in Orlando June 14, which included a $1 million investment in LGBTQ Latinx organizations. Read more on pg. 10.

The Orlando VA Medical Center hosted its 12th annual Pride Month Celebration at its Lake Baldwin clinic in Orlando June 14. See Watermark’s photos from the event at WatermarkOnline.com.

2

Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith kicked off his re-election campaign for District 37 with an event and new online video June 16. The newly drawn District 37 includes parts of both Orange and Seminole Counties, including East Orlando, UCF, Oviedo, Chuluota and part of Winter Springs as well as the Little Big Econ State Forest and other unincorporated areas of Seminole County. Guillermo Smith, who is Florida’s first openly LGBTQ Latinx lawmaker, has been the state representative for District 49 for the last six years. Visit CarlosGuillermoSmith.com for more information on Guillermo Smith’s campaign.

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Hanks Orlando celebrates 35 years in business July 1.

CANCELLATIONS The June 23-26 production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” at Timucua Arts Foundation, directed by Jeremy Seghers and starring Indigo Leigh, Steve Angulo and Lily E. Garnett, has been cancelled.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Seminole County Public Schools theater educator Ayò Jeriah Demps, UCF Musical Theatre Specialist Jim Brown (June 23); Former Parliament House bar manager Dana Tetreault, Arkham Assailant Amanda Hippensteel (June 24); Orlando Fringe Patron winner Nanci “Mama B” Boetto, The Ribbon Project founder and Embellish FX proprietor Ben Johansen (June 25); Mother to the publisher Ginger Bentz, “God is a Scottish Drag Queen” performer Mike Delamont, former Watermark intern Sophia Mackrides, roller derby team captain Amber Luu (June 26); Orlando realtor Chad Gibson, Central Florida artist John Jacopelle (June 27); O-Town DJ and aspiring MD Chris “Cub” Mendez, Central Florida visual designer Adam McCabe (June 29); Photographer Dixie Lee Todd, Central Florida performer Serenity Rosé (July 1); “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Coco Montrese, Tim Vargas of Embellish FX, Former Putnam County Courier Journal editor B.J. Laurie, actor extraordinaire Tommy Wooten, Central Florida drag entertainer Lisa Lane, Assistant General Manager at JJ’s Fusion Grille Sandra Nasrallah, Equality Florida’s Salvatore Vieira (July 2); Central Florida performer and living legend P. Sparkle Rob Ward (July 4); Orlando drag performer Ed Dobski aka Trixie Deluxe, co-owner of Shelbie Press Debbie Simmons, owner of Pom Pom’s Teahouse Pom Moongauklang (July 5); Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, owner of John Michael Exquisite Weddings and Catering Michael Thomas (July 6).

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HISPANIC FEDERATION

PHOTO FROM CONTIGO FUND

ACT UP: LGBTQ and Latinx advocates, activists and celebrities take the stage for the Hispanic Federation’s ACT initiative announcement at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando June 14. PHOTO FROM

2

CAMPAIGN KICKOFF: Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (L), with husband Jerick Mediavilla, at his re-election campaign kickoff at the Center Lake Park Amphitheater and Cultural Center in Oviedo June 16. PHOTO BY LEE PERRY

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VETERAN PRIDE: Keri Griffin celebrates LGBTQ Month with the Orlando VA Medical Center’s 12th annual celebration at its Lake Baldwin clinic in Orlando June 14.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

4

REMEMBERING THE 49: LGBTQ activist and author Chasten Buttigieg speaks during the Pulse Remembrance Ceremony at the Pulse Interim Memorial in Orlando June 12. PHOTO FROM

ORLANDO UNITED: Ava Deamor (L) and Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet host Contigo Fund’s “For Us, By Us” Pulse Remembrance event at the First United Methodist Church in Orlando June 12.

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ADVOCATING CHANGE: Joel Figueroa (L) and Andrea Montanez attend the March For Our Lives rally at City Hall in Orlando June 11.

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PHOTO FROM ANDREA MONTANEZ

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REMEMBERING DREW: Jen Cousins (L) and Tatiana Quiroga attend The Dru Project’s drag brunch at The 808 in Orlando June 11.

PHOTO FROM TATIANA QUIROGA

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NEVER FORGET: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (L) and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan with a wreath they would place at the grave site for the 49 on June 12, the six-year mark of the Pulse tragedy.

PHOTO FROM PATTY SHEEHAN

ONEPULSE FOUNDATION

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T A M P A

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WEDDING BELLS

Nicole and Ingrid Mericle from Orlando, Florida

ENGAGEMENT DATE:

May 7, 2021

WEDDING DATE:

April 22, 2022

OFFICIANT:

Jeffrey Mandel

VENUE:

520 on the Water

COLORS:

Turquoise/yellow and navy/silver

WEDDING SONG/ ARTIST:

“At the Beginning”

by Donna Lewis and Richard Marx

FLORIST:

Bouquets arranged by Ingrid, flowers collected from sales at Joann Fabric over the past year

CATERER:

Chianti’s Ristorante Italiano

CAKE FLAVORS:

Brownies

BAKERY:

Nicole’s mom

PHOTOGRAPHER/ VIDEOGRAPHER:

Ariel Baldwin Photography/ Encore Visuals and Media

N

Lora Korpar

OTHING ABOUT NICOLE AND INGRID

Mericle’s relationship has ever been traditional.

The two had been friends for years before their relationship blossomed into a romantic one in 2019. And with Ingrid being from London, much of their relationship was long-distance, as Ingrid had to return to update her visa in 2020 and got stuck there quarantining during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am so thrilled to never have to do long distance again,” Nicole says.

Nicole, being asexual, was never sure what a long-term relationship would look like for her. She assumed that if she wanted kids and wasn’t necessarily attracted to women, she would likely end up with a man.

“I didn’t so much have a gay awakening as a realization that my frequent wish that I could ‘just marry one of my friends and raise kids

with them’ wasn’t unattainable or strange,” Nicole says. “I love being ace and I love being in a nontraditional relationship, even within the queer community. And I love my wife!”

About a year before the two officially got together, Ingrid visited Nicole at Nicole’s parents’ boat in Daytona Beach. Though they hadn’t planned on swimming that day, they couldn’t resist getting in the water.

Nicole likes to think of their beach day as their “unofficial first date.”

“We went in one of those terrible tourist shops and got tacky T-shirts and way-too-expensive sunscreen and bathing suits just so we could go for a swim,” Nicole says. “In the car afterwards, we both sort of had the verbal realization that we got along

really well one-on-one, and we would probably be good vacation buddies.”

Ingrid proposed to Nicole in May 2021, something Nicole was aware of because they had discussed marriage ahead of time and because Ingrid couldn’t keep it a secret.

When Nicole got home that day, she said “the whole house smelled amazing” because Ingrid had baked ziti and brownies for her. Ingrid also decorated one of the bedrooms with items that were special to them and played a playlist with songs that were significant to their relationship before popping the question.

Shortly after, Nicole surprised Ingrid with her own proposal at Langford Park, something Ingrid said she was not expecting even with a lot of “leading questions” from Nicole about Ingrid’s favorite spots in Orlando. “[Ingrid] was later annoyed that I let her wear the same dress she was wearing the day she proposed to me, but I didn’t know how to tell her to change without giving it away,” Nicole says. “So that’s just her engagement dress now, I guess.”

The couple got married just under a year later. On their wedding day, in addition to reading their own vows, each of Ingrid and Nicole’s bridesmaids read a quote that was special to them, something that

Nicole said was “so us in a way that anything else wouldn’t have been.”

“I had been like ‘oh I don’t know, I might not cry [at the ceremony], we’ll see’, at the rehearsal and then I started crying immediately and did not stop until the ceremony was over,” Ingrid added. “I could get through my vows, though. It wasn’t excessive crying!”

One of the highlights of the night for Ingrid was seeing their families together, a rare occurrence because her family is in England.

“We kept saying we should’ve mic’d up all the tables so we could hear everyone’s conversations,” she says.

Nicole and Ingrid ended off the night by staying in Daytona Beach, wearing the souvenir T-shirts they had gotten together years before.

In the past few months since the wedding, the two have been having fun building a life and a home together.

“I still can’t quite believe we did it,” Ingrid says. “But we did and I have a wife and I live with her in our home, and as much as it seems like something we made up, the relationship we have and the place we’re in together feels very real, and I know I’m going forward holding her hand.”

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

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