Watermark Issue 29.21: Halloween Queen

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR

EDITOR’S

DESK

Last year I added elder to the mix, connecting with the idea pretty quickly. I was born in December 1984, which means I’ll be 38 this year, and that I’m just barely part of a “micro-generation born in the early 1980s that are comfortable with both analog and digital forms of communication.”

Technically, the internet initially deemed us “geriatric millennials,” the �irst generation to grow up with technology like PCs at home. Those of us who ruined quite a few of them with LimeWire, showed our parents how to write an email, could rock a �loppy disk and probably had a pager before a cell phone.

Despite all that, my back pain doesn’t feel geriatric quite yet, so I settled on elder. It sounded more re�ined, like a wi ard before J.K. Rowling tarnished half of their reputations.

is nearly 20 years old, but my graduating class? Impossible.

I graduated high school in 2003 and can do the math, of course, but it still seems like a bunch of hocus pocus to me, reason enough not to go. Thankfully age is just a number, something I say a lot as an elder millennial.

We focus on another type of “Hocus Pocus” in this, our annual Halloween issue. We speak with Ginger Minj, the Central Florida drag sensation who appears in the new sequel, about working with original Sanderson Sisters and more.

STEVE BLANCHARD is a former Watermarkeditor turned media relations coordinator. He returns with his viewpoint column, Fit to Print. Page 23

DR. STEVE YACOVELLI is owner of TopDog Learning Group, LLC, a learning and development, change management, and diversity consulting practice based in Orlando. He’s also the Chief Inclusion Officer of LGBTInclusivity.com, a consulting group focused on LGBTQ equality in the workplace. Page 25

LIKE A LOT OF ELDER MILLENNIALS,

a term the internet popularized last year, I joined Facebook in college. It wasn’t long after its 2004 launch, when only students could.

It felt exclusive and easy to use, a far cry from the digital drama of MySpace’s Top 8 with less cryptic poetry and prose than on LiveJournal. It also didn’t require the attention span of AIM, though I’d long mastered the art of crafting the perfect away message.

If none of that makes sense, congratulations! You probably don’t have a lot of back pain. If it does, I strongly recommend a memory foam lumbar support pillow from Amazon, which I just adjusted while writing this.

Before I go too much further, I do want to stress that I’m not into the whole generation vs. generation thing. Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, whatever, we can all work together to address

real problems by �inding real solutions. If we want to.

Labels like these are interesting and serve a purpose, but can easily be used to avoid doing the necessary work to make this community and world a better place together. Generational warfare is just lazy and immature, at any age.

I say that as a human being, not a millennial, which according to the Pew Research Center is anyone born between 1981 and 1996. The group has monitored key issues and documented differences of opinion among various demographics for decades, so I consider them the authority in the matter and adopted the moniker a long time ago.

Even if you fully embrace the title, however, being an elder millennial can be pretty confusing when it comes to the passage of time. So far, the top-grossing �ilms of are new iterations of 1986’s “Top Gun” and 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” with comic characters from my childhood like pider- an leading �ilms that round out the list.

In the streaming sector, a sequel to 1993’s “Hocus Pocus” also just became the No. 1 Disney+ debut of all time. It’s another glorious morning, but what year is it?

Everything old is new again, at least except for me, something acebook recently con�irmed. he platform isn’t quite as exclusive as it used to be, and since I’ve been on it so long, a few of my friends date back to high school.

One such person invited me to join a group planning my 20-year high school reunion next year and I nearly dropped my phone. I can accept that Facebook itself

Fellow “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Alaska Thunderf**k also talks her horri�ic new hit “All That She Wants” and previews her “Red 4 Filth” tour, coming to Central Florida and Tampa Bay this month. Our haunted holiday coverage continues with event listings and much more.

In Tampa Bay news, we preview the return of major LGBTQ events, Halloween and non. Sarasota Pride will hold its 31st celebration early Oct. 22, while the 44th All Hallows’ Masquerade Ball will haunt Tampa that night.

In Central Florida news, we speak with Maxwell Frost, who could become the �irst eneration Z member of Congress. In arts and entertainment, we check in with celebrated actor Kal Penn.

Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed, enjoy this latest issue and have a Happy Halloween!

TIFFANY RAZZANO is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 62

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

LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH

Generational warfare is just lazy and immature, at any age.

Jeremy Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

EDITOR’S

DESK

We are also six weeks away from the Thanksgiving holiday. A day �illed with some of the most amazing food you could ask for. How could you not love that day? Unless you’re a vegan or have a gluten allergy, then it is probably �illed with lots of dishes you can’t have and a collection of relatives claiming you won’t eat the turkey and stuf�ing because of your support of the woke liberal agenda.

At least you can take that pent-up rage of dealing with conservative members of the family out on Black Friday shoppers. I’m kidding, don’t rage shop. It will only raise your blood pressure, cause you to have to go on meds and be constantly reminded that we are the only super power that doesn’t have socialized health care.

And we are only a couple of weeks away from Halloween, which is on a Monday this year.

I

S IT HALLOWEEN ALREADY?

It blows my mind that we are nearly through 2022. I still haven’t moved passed the fact that New Year’s 2020 sounds too futuristic to have already happened and here we are almost three full years from that point.

As I try and wrestle with how fast time seems to move the older I get and ignore the looming anxiety that death grows ever closer each day, I must admit I am excited that we have reached the back quarter of the year. It contains so many things I enjoy in life.

Cooler weather, well as cool as the weather can be in Florida. I long for days that I can save a few pennies by turning off the A/C and opening up all the windows to air out the stuf�iness of my apartment’s humidity-�illed spring and summer seasons. The �inal three months of the year also contain the triple threat of THE holiday season.

Christmas is only about 10 weeks away, my favorite of all the holidays. Maybe it’s because I love gingerbread, or maybe it’s because I resemble Santa Claus as my beard gets whiter and whiter and my round little belly continues to shake like a bowl full of jelly every year. I think Bill Murray best described why I love Christmas in a monologue in the holiday classic “Scrooged,” where he, as Frank Cross, says: “It’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we... we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be.”

So not ideal but you do have all weekend when most places are holding their Halloween events. I must be honest, and I believe I have stated this in desks of Halloweens past, I’m actually not a fan of this holiday. I never really cared to dress up in costume or put make up on and go out trick-or-treating, dance the night away at a scary party or hit up the theme parks to get jumped out at by monsters, ghosts and ghouls and scream in front of a crowd of people.

I do however love what comes out to accompany the holiday, namely horror movies and candy. I know I am in the minority when it comes to this holiday, especially within the LGBTQ community, and I am sorry. Every year I try, I really do. I tell me friends I think this is the year I will go to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal or head downtown to try at one of those big bucks costume contests but alas each

year it ends up the same way, me on the couch with a bowl of miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups, a bottle of wine and some scary ghost stories on Net�lix.

But for those of you who bask in all that is Halloween, this is the issue for you — Watermark’s annual Halloween issue! In this year’s dive into all that is demented and delicious, we chat with a pair of scary good queens who have events coming to Central Florida and Tampa Bay — Ginger Minj, who can currently be seen on Disney+’s “Hocus Pocus 2,” and Alaska Thunderfuck.

We also chat with author Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya about her �irst book “Helen House,” a queer

STEVE BLANCHARD is a former Watermarkeditor turned media relations coordinator. He returns with his viewpoint column, Fit to Print. Page 23

DR. STEVE YACOVELLI is owner of TopDog Learning Group, LLC, a learning and development, change management, and diversity consulting practice based in Orlando. He’s also the Chief Inclusion Officer of LGBTInclusivity.com, a consulting group focused on LGBTQ equality in the workplace. Page 25

TIFFANY RAZZANO is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 62

ghost love story, we offer up some Halloween �ilms for those of you who hate scary movies and more.

In A&E, we chat with international DJ Ben Bakson, as he heads to Orlando for an event, and Kal Penn, who visited UCF recently.

In news, we sit down with U.S. House District 10 democratic candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost to talk about his historic Congressional run and we look at Scooters 4 Hooters return, a fundraiser for Libby’s Legacy, an organization that helps to pay for mammograms, breast health services and trips for stage IV breast cancer patients.

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

LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH

I must be honest, and I believe I have stated this in desks of Halloweens past, I’m actually not a fan of this holiday.

LIBBY’S LEGACY FUNDRAISER SCOOTERS 4 HOOTERS RETURNS

Jeremy Williams

ORLANDO After a �i e-year absence, ibby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation is relaunching Scooters 4 Hooters with a reunion fundraiser at Ace Café Orlando Oct. 22.

“We did it for 10 years, then took a break,” says Robin Maynard-Harris, founder and director of Libby’s Legacy. “We wanted to venture out into some other things. Sometimes Scooters 4 Hooters was hard to get sponsors for because of the edgy name, so we tried some other campaigns but everyone wanted Scooters 4 Hooters back.”

Maynard-Harris launched Libby’s Legacy in 2007, named in honor of her mother, Libby Maynard, who passed away due to breast cancer. She launched Scooters 4 Hooters as a fundraiser event the same year. The funds are used to provide free mammograms and breast health services to underserved communities, as well as fund other Libby’s Legacy programs. In total, the event has raised $938,000 since it began.

“We are very close to that $1 million mark and we hope to get over that amount with this year’s event,” Maynard-Harris says.

This year’s event, being a reunion, will be a little different than prior ones. Instead of a police-escorted ride through the city, it will kick off at Ace Café starting at 11 a.m. with a self-guided nostalgia ride.

“We are going by all the other places where we have held this event before,” Maynard-Harris says. “We will go to ills arket, where we left for the �irst time, then Orlando Brewing Company, even though it’s not there anymore, then Lake Eola and Wallstreet Plaza and then end up at Ace Cafe for the party.”

The after-ride celebration will feature survivor tributes, a silent auction and live music from Kelly Neff and Randall Crawford.

“Kelly Neff is coming up from Fort Myers, she had her whole place wiped out and damaged [from Hurricane Ian] but her and her band are still coming,” Maynard-Harris says. “They didn’t cancel and they are even donating their time, they are incredible.”

Libby’s Legacy was also recently awarded a , grant from A�lac’s are rant initiati e. he company has partnered with NFL legend Deion Sanders to gi e million in grants total to nonpro�its in the U.S. by the end of 2022.

“ hey sent an email to the of�ice and our staff answered it but they weren’t sure about it,” aynard-Harris says. “ hen they told me A�lac wants to give us $100,000.”

aynard-Harris was skeptical at �irst, saying “grants are competitive, you have to apply and there’s just a lot

central florida

Historic Run

Frost looks to become the first Gen Z member of Congress

Jeremy Williams

ORLANDO | Maxwell

Alejandro Frost became the person who will most likely serve in Congress representing Florida’s 10th District after he won the Democratic primary Aug. 23. While he will face Republican Calvin Wimbish in the general election, District 10 — previously held by current U.S. Senate candidate Val Demings — is a fairly progressive district that is favored to go to the 25-year-old Democrat when voters head to the polls Nov. 8.

Barring an upset, when Frost is elected he will become the youngest member of the House and will be the �irst member of Generation Z to serve in the Congress.

“ hen was �irst deciding to run, that had nothing to do with why I wanted to run,” Frost says. “I wanted to run because I believe in a better future where everybody has what they need. I believe in these progressive values, that’s why I wanted to run. But I do think

that it is an important part of the story, the fact that I will be the �irst member of my generation and I will be the youngest member of Congress next year. I believe that we need younger people in government. I believe we need a government that looks like the country.”

Frost, who would also be the only Afro-Cuban member of Congress if elected, was born and raised in Central Florida. He attended Osceola County School for the Arts for seven years where he played jazz drums, then started to get involved in politics after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that killed 26 people, mostly children.

“Ten years ago, I made the decision to dedicate myself to �ighting for a world where no one has to feel the pain of losing someone due to gun violence,” Frost says. “What I’ve learned as I continue doing that work, is that type of pain — that avoidable pain — exist in many different issues.”

Frost says while he has been active as a political organizer and an activist for years,

running for political of�ice ne er appealed to him.

“I was actually asked by some organizers that I had been arrested with during the Black Lives Matter uprising to run for Val Demings’ seat, and the �irst thing said was ‘hell no,” Frost says, laughing now. “But little by little I talked to people in the community and people were excited about having a young voice in Congress. But what ultimately changed everything for me was connecting with my biological mother.”

Frost, who had been adopted at birth, says he learned a lot from speaking with his birth mother about the situation she was in when she put him up for adoption.

“I was learning that she had me at the most vulnerable point in her life, I was learning she didn’t have health care, just learning about her life and the fact that my organizing has always been about seeing the world through the eyes of the most vulnerable, I hung up that phone and said ‘I have to run,’” he says. “So I’m running for people like my biological mother. For people like my mother, who came here from Cuba in the 1960s; my dad, who is a self-employed musician; my sister, who is an artist here locally and my community and the world I believe in.”

Frost has been endorsed by more than two dozen organizations including the

GEN-ZER LEADER: Maxwell Alejandro Frost could become the first Gen Z member of Congress. PHOTO COURTESY FROSTFORCONGRESS.COM

of steps. Someone doesn’t just call you and want to give you $100,000.”

ut they did. A�lac’s president e en �lew into rlando to help �ilm a commercial with ibby’s egacy that premiered on ESPN Oct. 7.

“I asked them while they were here: Why us?” Maynard-Harris says. “They said ‘Libby’s Legacy aligns with our mission: you are a local organization giving more than 90 cents of every dollar to the programs you support. Your transparency and boots on the ground efforts are exactly what we want to give to for the underinsured and underserved.’”

A�lac was impressed that ibby’s egacy had an LGBTQ program as well, Maynard-Harris adds.

“They are very big on diversity and inclusion,” she says. “And we have to be because anyone can get breast cancer, even men.”

She points out that the new Libby’s Legacy logo, which celebrates the nonpro�it’s years, includes a blue stripe.

“Men get breast cancer too,” she says. “The problem is a lot of times it’s too late because men ignore it.”

more about Libby’s Legacy at LibbysLegacy.org.

Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, BOLD Democrats, Voters of Tomorrow, several groups dedicated to gun control and more. He has also been endorsed by do ens of elected of�icials and community leaders, both local — such as state Reps. Anna V. Eskamani and Carlos Guillermo Smith — and national — including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Dolores Huerta and Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Frost hopes that his historical run for Congress will inspire other people of his generation to get involved, whether it be in politics, activism or whatever avenue they think they can do the most good.

“Now I’m not one of these people who says we need to clear house and put only young people in,” Frost says. “I think it’s important that we have different perspectives, people who come from different parts of the country

who have been through different experiences. But I come from the generation that has been through more shooting drills in school than �ire drills. come from the generation where the leading cause of death is gun violence. So I come to this issue with a certain urgency, all these issues with an urgency, because this turmoil is all we’ve ever known and I think that is a valid experience and I think we need more from my generation, not just in Congress, but in state and local government, business leaders, media, clergy; we need to be in every facet of society.”

Frost says he plans to go to Washington to address all of the urgent issues that are plaguing not just his generation but all generations here in Florida, but adds that one of the top issues he hopes to tackle is the country’s gun violence epidemic.

“For me, obviously as a survivor of gun violence myself and as gun violence has ravaged our community, that’s an issue that is in my top three,” he says. “It is something I want to be a vocal advocate for, talking about how

do we end gun violence, ensuring we don’t get guns into the wrong hands, but also how do we create a world where people don’t feel the need to use a gun to solve their problems in the �irst place.

I think there are so many different aspects to it that are not really spoken about.”

Other areas Frost says are urgent to address are protecting democracy and climate change.

“We just had one of the worst hurricanes hit us recently,” he says. “We have such a need for climate friendly infrastructure because a lot of our vulnerable communities are still under water right now. They’ve lost everything that they own. There are two aspects of this. There’s one that everyone likes to talk about: resiliency and taking care of people now, which is important and we need to. But we also need to talk about how we are going to prevent this from happening again with good climate infrastructure. ... The climate crisis is something that is so important to me.”

The general election is Nov. 8.

Rafael E. Pinero,

Heather

JOHNSONS OPENS IN TAMPA

Ryan Williams-Jent

TAMPA | Johnsons, which has provided live, male entertainment in ort auderdale for o er �i e years, has of�icially launched its ampa location.

Owner Matt Colunga opened Johnsons Tampa Sept. 2 and has welcomed patrons to the two-story structure formerly known as Cristoph’s ever since. The entrepreneur set its of�icial grand opening for ct. .

“Johnsons is a neighborhood bar that happens to have male dancers,” he explains the concept. “You go in and it’s like ‘Cheers,’ where everybody knows your name. You’re welcome right away, you don’t feel like an outsider. You feel like part of the family.”

Colunga has a decades-long history in the industry. Also a competitive bodybuilder, the entrepreneur has worked in and operated multiple adult establishments throughout the country over the years. At 23, he became general manager of Swinging Richards, Georgia’s all-male, all-nude bar that closed last year.

The establishment was featured in “All Male, All Nude,” a series of documentaries which journey “into the world of male strippers at America’s only all-nude gay strip club located n the heart of the Bible Belt.” They also highlight Johnsons and Colunga himself, calling him “the man at the epicenter of it all.”

ohnsons “is a niche that hasn’t been �illed in ampa in a long time – and honestly, a lot of cities don’t have the vision I have because I’ve worked in so many strip clubs,” Colunga says. “In the gay scene we have GoGo Boys, a side attraction for a bar, and all I’ve done is turn it into the main attraction.”

Colunga currently employs 20 dancers. He hopes to ultimately feature 35-40 men on weekends and 20-25 on weekdays.

The lounge is currently open Thursdays-Sundays from 5 p.m.-3 a.m. with a $5-10 cover, dependent on the day and time of entry. October will also introduce no-cover Wednesdays to the 21+ space, which requires female customers be accompanied by a male. IDs are utilized to establish each patron’s gender.

Renovations to the space are ongoing, but thus far include new �loors, air conditioning, lighting, sound and more. Colunga says patrons should expect to have a good time. “We pride ourselves in making sure every customer leaves happy,” he explains. He also notes that “we sell fantasies, we don’t sell sex.”

“The curtains on the VIP rooms don’t close all the way,” Colunga explains. “I want people to have a good time and they’re allowed to touch the dancers, but I want my boys to walk out that door with their head up high; to use this for a couple of years to make some money, sa e up and ful�ill their dreams.”

Colunga also hopes to change the perception people may have about similar spaces.

“We’re not a place where people won’t want to be seen,” he says. “This is a beautiful, beautiful club and there’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

Johnsons Tampa is located at 2606 N. Armenia Ave. in Tampa. For more information, visit Facebook.com/JohnsonsTampa.

tampa bay news

Proud Return

Sarasota Pride to hold 31st outing

Ryan Williams-Jent

SARASOTA | Sarasota Pride will hold its 31st celebration Oct. 22 from 12-5 p.m. at J.D. Hamel ark, its �irst e ent in more than two years.

Sarasota Pride, Inc., its organi ing nonpro�it, celebrated 30 years in Jan. 2020. Its upcoming celebration was originally scheduled for Jan. 22 after skipping 2021 due to the pandemic.

“As much as we hated to postpone Sarasota Pride again, our Board of Directors felt it was the best decision given the circumstances,” Sarasota Pride President Cindy Barnes shared. Florida was experiencing another surge in COVID-19 at the time.

“We know our community wants to come out to celebrate together, but they’ve also told us that they want to wait to do that when they feel it’s safer,” she continued. Organizers say that time is now.

“It’s happening,” Barnes stresses. “I think people are itching to get back to it; we had such a great turnout in 2020, it was unbelievable. We’re hoping for another beautiful day this year.”

An estimated 5,000 people attended Sarasota Pride 2020, a number Barnes hopes to match or exceed. In preparation, at least 50 different vendors will offer beverages, food and other goods.

Sarasota entertainer Lindsay Carlton-Cline will emcee the event, welcoming fellow drag icons from throughout the region. Fan favorite entertainers Divine AF, Karmic Tattoo and Sandi Grecco will also provide live music.

Additionally, Sarasota Pride 2022 will feature a Kids’ Zone sponsored by Project Pride, which has fought for LGBTQ equality in Sarasota since 2019. The area will include a 40-foot slide, face painting and more.

“It’s nice to see families come,” Barnes says. She notes that attendees are LGBTQ and allies, which is “really heartwarming, especially in the political climate we have right now.”

To make this year’s return possible, Project Pride will also serve as presenting sponsor. The nonpro�it sees it as an extension of their own mission.

“Project Pride is thrilled to be the presenting sponsor of Sarasota Pride’s most iconic event,” Project Pride President Jordan Letschert

says. “For decades, Sarasota Pride has hosted events bringing the LGBTQ+ community and our allies together.

“For our part, we look forward to making it a memorable event with some exciting news that will be shared – so come out and join us to celebrate, unite and support the LGBTQ+ community,” he also teases.

“Everyone that’s a part of Project Pride I have known for a long time,” Barnes says. “They’ve got their act together and have quality people behind them. We really rely on vendors and sponsors like Project Pride to make Sarasota Pride happen.”

This year will also mark Barnes’ �inal arasota ride as president. Her involvement with the organization began in 2006 and she became its �igurehead in , guiding the organization through signi�icant growth.

Barnes expects Sarasota Pride will continue to thrive, beginning with this year’s event.

“We’re going to make it a great day,” she says. “Come out, be who you are and have fun. Bring your friends, bring your family. Let’s all make it a day of celebration because that’s what we need it to be.”

Sarasota Pride will return Oct. 22 from 12-5 p.m. at J.D. Hamel Park, located at 199 Bayfront Dr. in Sarasota. For more information, visit SarasotaPride.org. Learn more about Project Pride at PPSRQ.org.

SARASOTA PROUD: Sarasota Pride 2020 attendees.

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

bay

HAUNTINGS & HAPPENINGS: MAJOR LGBTQ AND LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE HALLOWEEN EVENTS RETURN TO TAMPA BAY

Ryan Williams-Jent

TAMPA BAY | Two major Halloween events organized by, for or inclusive of the LGBTQ community will return this month.

All Hallows’ Masquerade Ball, last held in 2019, will celebrate its 44th Tampa haunting Oct. 22. St. Petersburg’s Halloween on Central 2 will follow Oct. 30 with activities and entertainment organized by local LGBTQ organizations.

All Hallows’ is one of Tampa’s longest-running traditions, a private, by-invitation-only costume party thrown almost every year since 1981. A small group of organizers host the gathering, which in recent years has welcomed 2,500 attendees.

he group’s �igurehead “Casper” communicates directly with guests as each event draws closer, providing important

details like each theme. In 2020 and 2021, that included sharing news that the events were cancelled due to the pandemic.

“ t was dif�icult to postpone, but it was also the absolute right thing to do,” Casper explains.

They announced All Hallows’ return in June, asking guests to save the Oct. 22 date and teasing this year’s theme. Invitations were mailed in early September, revealing it as “Carnivale: Celebrating the Peculiar.”

The celebration will once again return to Bryan Glazer JCC from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Casper says All Hallows’ hosts are eager for the event to return now that it’s safe.

“Every year we do try to do something to make the guests feel special,” Casper explains. “This is their party, their environment, and their safety is what’s most important to us.”

On Oct. 30, 22 blocks of St. Petersburg’s Central Ave. will close for motorized vehicles

for the second year. Halloween on Central 2 is presented by SunRunner, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s new Bus Rapid Transit service launching Oct. 21, in partnership with the Grand Central District, EDGE District, St Pete Pride, City of St. Pete and PSTA.

“After a very successful event last year, with nearly 75,000 people attending, we are excited to further enhance accessibility to this year’s event with the opening of the SunRunner,” Grand Central District Association Executive Director David Foote announced in August.

From 12-5 p.m., attendees will have access to nearly two miles of the city along Central Ave., from 9th (Dr. MLK Jr. St.) to 31st. Local businesses will offer full access and Halloween-themed fun.

This year’s Trick or Treat sponsors include Come OUT St. Pete, Metro Inclusive Health and St Pete Pride. COSP will

be responsible for the 28-30th St. blocks, hosting vendors and entertainment.

Metro is expected to utilize its LGBTQ Welcome Center on Central Ave., transforming the space into a Haunted House, while St Pete Pride will be responsible for the 24th-25th St. blocks. They will once again present the LGBTQ-centric FrankenPride.

“St Pete Pride is excited to be a presenting partner for Halloween on Central because the opportunity for self-expression is core to our mission and something to be celebrated,” Executive Director Nicole Berman says. “We value the LGBTQ+ community’s right to freely express themselves without fear of reprisal and are thrilled to participate in events that allow for that, especially ones that are youth and family focused.”

LGBTQ hotspots along Central Ave. will also prominently feature

this year, including Cocktail and The Wet Spot, which will hold its grand opening Halloween weekend. LGBTQ rapper Cazwell and “Drag Race” alum Aiden Zhane will headline Cock-O-Ween.

Zoie’s, which is currently eyeing a grand opening of its own, is expected to present a Halloween 2022 Bash with “Dragula” winner Biqtch Puddin, “ rag ace” �inalist Angeria aris Van Michaels and more. Enigma will also offer entertainment, as will other LGBTQ and ally spaces.

“We hope visitors and residents from all over the county are able to experience St. Pete’s biggest Halloween celebration,” Foote also shared.

All Hallows’ 44 will be held Oct. 22 from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. at Bryan Glazer JCC in Tampa. Learn more at AllHallowsBall. org. Halloween on Central 2 will be held Oct. 30 from 12-5 p.m. in St. Pete. Visit HalloweenOnCentral2.com to learn more.

Jo in y ou r l oc al LG BT C ha mber , as w e ar e the pr em i er a dv oc a te s fo r the Ta mp a B ay Are a’ s LGBT bus i ness commun ity.

Care and Support for an EPIC Generation

LGBTQ seniors are more likely to be isolated in and out of their LGBTQ communities and to these seniors through a variety of fun social activities, check-in phone calls and access to community resources through the Friendly Caller program and care for their sexual health and well-being.

Learn more about becoming a part of this EPIC Generation by calling (727) 328-3260.

MyEPIC.org

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‘DON’T SAY GAY OR TRANS’ LAWSUIT DISMISSED

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

The judge also pointed out that violations of the law would be enforced against school districts, not individual teachers.

TALLAHASSEE

|

U.S. District Court Judge Allen Cothrel Winsor dismissed a lawsuit Oct. 3 against Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay or Trans law” on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to challenge the law.

Winsor, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, issued a 25-page order dismissing the case brought by students, families, educators, Family Equality and Equality Florida against the “Parental Rights in Education” bill. It passed in March of this year by the Republican-controlled Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The lawsuit alleged, in part, that the law violated First Amendment and due-process rights. In his ruling, Winsor left open the question on the constitutionality, instead focusing on whether the plaintiffs showed they had standing to pursue the case. The judge concluded that they had not met that requirement.

“With or without the law, school districts direct teachers as to what they may and may not teach,” he noted. “Plaintiffs do not allege otherwise; they do not assert, for example, that Florida’s public-school teachers may teach whatever lessons they wish. So to the extent plaintiffs allege that some teachers or others wish to provide ‘classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity’ to students ‘in kindergarten through grade 3,’ they would have to show (at a minimum) that without the law their individual school district would allow it. Yet plaintiffs offer no speci�ic allegation that any teacher would be providing such classroom instruction absent HB 1577.”

The judge also spelled out that the law should not be used to silence students from talking about their LGBTQ parents, to silence LGBTQ teachers from acknowledging their partners or to exclude LGBTQ parents from school events, and that it should not be used to treat LGBTQ students differently, fail to step in when they face bullying or remove signs of support like rainbow �lags.

In a June motion to dismiss the case, the state’s lawyers argued that the plaintiffs did not have standing. But they also wrote that the plaintiffs “have not come close to showing that the Legislature acted out of animus against LGBTQ individuals.”

In a statement released after the ruling, Equality Florida noted that “Judge Winsor acknowledges what has been clear from the beginning: that in DeSantis’s Florida, the political climate is so toxic for LGBTQ people that school districts are actively abdicating their responsibilities, choosing instead to capitulate to extremists and the toxic anti-LGBTQ brew they have created rather than adhere to the letter of the law.

“ his �ight is not done. e will continue to expose the harm that Florida’s Don’t Say LGBTQ law is in�licting on children and families,” the organization continued. “A court decision doesn’t negate that harm. This ruling focuses on whether the parents, students or organization were the right plaintiffs to bring it forward. Equality Florida made a commitment to �ight to ensure every student is protected and every family is respected, and that’s exactly what we intend to do through any means necessary.”

ANTI-LGBTQ SENATOR FACES U OF FLA. PROTESTS

Wire Report

LGBTQ CAUCUS RELEASES 2022 ENDORSEMENTS

Ryan Williams-Jent

DELRAY

BEACH, FLA. | The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus released its endorsements in the 2022 general election Oct. 5, kicking off fundraising efforts to mobilize voters statewide.

The caucus represents the interests of LGBTQ Floridians to the Florida Democratic Party, with more than 20 chapters from Pensacola to Miami. Endorsed candidates include challengers and incumbents in races for the U.S. Congress, State Legislature, the governor’s mansion and more.

“The only way to stop the dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ agenda is to defeat the Republican politicians who shamefully attack our community for political gain,” Caucus President Stephen Gaskill said in a statement.

In the race for U.S. Senate, the caucus endorsed Orlando’s U.S. Rep. Val Demings, a longtime LGBTQ ally who is challenging U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

Incumbent U.S. House Reps. Al Lawson of District 2, Darren Soto of District 9, Kathy Castor of District 14, heila her�ilus- c ormick of istrict , ois rankel of District 22, Frederica Wilson of District 24 and Debbie Wasserman Schultz also secured endorsements, along with 14 challengers.

They include Central Florida’s Karen Green, Joanne Terry and Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who could become the �irst member of eneration to be elected to Congress. Tampa Bay’s Eric Lynn, Alan Cohn and Jan chneider were also endorsed. ynn is ying to �ill the seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who resigned after winning the Democratic nomination for governor.

The caucus endorsed Crist in the race against Gov. on e antis ept. , oining other high pro�ile organizations. “Charlie Crist is the leader we can trust to protect and expand LGBTQ+ rights, and we are proud to endorse him,” Gaskill said.

GAINESVILLE,

FLA. | U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse faced pointed questions and loud protests ct. during his �irst isit to the University of Florida as the lone �inalist for the school’s presidency.

Sasse, a Republican in his second Senate term, has drawn criticism from some at the school in Gainesville, Florida, for his stance on same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ issues. Others question his quali�ications to run such a sprawling school with more than 50,000 students.

The separate meetings Oct. 10 were with students, faculty and staff on campus. During

those sessions, the Gainesville Sun reported about 1,000 people yelling “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Ben Sasse has got to go.”

“Sasse does not really believe in equality on the basis of sexual orientation,” said Nathan Knorst, a university senior. “So, how can he adequately represent the student body and faculty and UF’s core values, which are diversity, equity and inclusion?”

Sasse, 50, was previously president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, which has just over 1,600 students. He said during one meeting when asked whether he opposes same-sex marriage that it is the national law as ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court and that his goal is to create

a “place of respect and inclusion for all Gators,” mentioning the Southeastern Conference school’s sports mascot.

“I’ve had political positions and policy positions that represent the views of Nebraskans. It’s a completely different job to have the job of president of UF,” Sasse said, according to the Sun.

Organizations that put together Oct. 10’s protest include UF College Democrats, Young Democratic Socialists and Graduate Assistants United. Sasse, who would resign from the Senate to take the position, still faces a vote by the school’s board of trustees and then must be con�irmed by the state board of governors.

Adam Hattersley and Aramis Ayala were endorsed for the cabinet, respectively for Florida’s Chief Financial f�icer and Attorney eneral. n the lorida egislature, the caucus weighed in on races from State Senate District 3 to 38 and State House District 2 to 120.

Those races include openly LGBTQ State Sen. Shevrin Jones and Tampa Bay hopeful Eunic Ortiz. In the House, endorsees include openly LGBTQ State Reps. Michele Rayner and Carlos Guillermo Smith of Tampa Bay and Central Florida. Municipal endorsements in Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Lee, Leon, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota and Volusia counties were also made, as were constitutional amendment recommendations.

“The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and its county chapters are working to turnout LGBTQ+ voters in the critical 2022 election and elect pro-equality Democrats who will protect and expand the rights of all LGBTQ+ Floridians,” Gaskill noted.

View the full list of the caucus’ endorsements at WatermarkOnline.com and learn more about the caucus at LGBTQDems.org.

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY.

Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

ABOUT BIKTARVY

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

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:

 dofetilide

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 any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

 Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

 Have any other health problems.

 Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.

 Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

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



POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:



Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.



Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.



Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.

Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.



Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, lightcolored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.



The most common side e ects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side e ects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

You are encouraged to report negative side e ects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION

only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5

need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

IN OTHER NEWS

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO CREATE NAT’L LGBTQ HISTORY MUSEUM

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan introduced legislation that would set up the process to create a National Museum of American LGBTQ+ History & Culture, potentially as an official site within the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Pocan, one of nine openly gay members of the U.S. House and co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, said in a statement Sept 29 the measures would preserve LGBTQ history “as our community faces unprecedented attacks and attempts to erase our history.”

IOWA REPORTER ANNOUNCES SHE IS TRANSGENDER

Des Moines television reporter Nora J.S. Reichardt of WOI-TV announced on a newscast that she will publicly identify as a transgender woman. “I didn’t know if there was a place and a space for me to do this sort of work that I’ve really come to love and enjoy, while also getting to be myself while I do it,” she said on the same day that she officially filed for a name change with the Iowa courts. She is not the first reporter to make that announcement. ESPN journalist M.A. Voepel announced in a tweet in August that he is transitioning and would use male pronouns.

SLOVENIA LEGALIZES LGBTQ MARRIAGE, ADOPTION

Slovenia has become the first country in Eastern Europe to legalize same-sex marriage and the adoption of minor children by same-sex couples. After considerable debate Oct. 4 in the Slovenian Parliament, 48 lawmakers passed legislation that guarantees the rights of same-sex couples to marry. Twenty-nine MPs opposed the legislation, while one abstained. This past July, the country’s Constitutional Court in a 6-3 ruling found a Slovenian law that granted rights to only opposite-sex marriages and adoptions violated a constitutional prohibition against discrimination. The court ordered the Parliament to amend the law within six months to guarantee that all marriages and adoptions would be equal in the eyes of the law.

RUSSIAN FINES TIKTOK FOR LGBTQ CONTENT

A Russian court fined TikTok Oct. 4 for failing to delete LGBTQ material, the country’s latest crackdown on Big Tech companies. The Tagansky District Court in Moscow issued the 3 million ruble ($50,000) penalty to the short-video sharing platform following a complaint by Russian regulators. According to the case file, state communications regulator Roskomnadzor complained about a video published on the platform earlier this year that breaches Russian laws against promoting “LGBT, radical feminism and a distorted view on traditional sexual relations.”

COLORADO BAKER FIGHTS COURT RULING

Wire Report

DENVER

|

The Colorado baker who won a partial Supreme Court victory after refusing on religious grounds to make a gay couple’s wedding cake a decade ago is challenging a separate ruling he violated the state’s anti-discrimination law by refusing to make a cake celebrating a gender transition.

A lawyer for Jack Phillips on Oct. 5 urged Colorado’s appeals court — largely on procedural grounds — to overturn last year’s ruling in a lawsuit brought by a transgender woman.

The woman, Autumn Scardina, called Phillips’ suburban Denver cake shop in 2017 requesting a birthday cake that had blue frosting on the outside and was pink inside to celebrate her gender transition. At trial last year, Phillips, a

hristian, testi�ied he did not think someone could change genders and he would not celebrate “somebody who thinks that they can.”

Jake Warner, an attorney representing Phillips from the conservative Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, said the ruling was wrong. He said requiring Phillips to create a cake with a message contrary to his religious beliefs amounts to forcing him to say something he does not believe, violating his right to free speech.

Judge Timothy Schutz noted Phillips’ wife initially told Scardina the bakery could make the cake before Scardina volunteered that the design was meant to celebrate her gender transition.

One of Scardina’s lawyers, John McHugh, said Scardina did not ask the shop to endorse her idea, just sell her a cake that they would sell anyone else. He said

whether or not Phillips sells a cake to someone cannot depend on what the client tells him when he is making the cake.

Both Scardina and Phillips spoke outside the court of larger issues involved. Scardina said the case was about the “dignity of LGBTQ Americans and Coloradans and the rule of law.” Phillips said he was �ighting for the rights of all Americans to live according to their consciences “without fear of punishment” by government.

In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had acted with anti-religious bias in enforcing the anti-discrimination law against Phillips after he refused to bake a cake celebrating the wedding of Charlie Craig and Dave Mullins in 2012. The justices called the commission unfairly dismissive of Phillips’ religious beliefs.

QUESTIONS AFTER KILLING OF GAY PALESTINIAN

Wire Report

JERUSALEM

| The severed head and decapitated torso of a 25-year-old Palestinian were discovered on the side of a road in the occupied West Bank, police said ct. , con�irming gruesome details of a killing that shocked Palestinian society.

But accounts that the victim, Ahmad Abu Murkhiyeh, was a gay man who feared persecution for his sexuality and had sought asylum in Israel two years ago turned the terrible crime into a socially and politically explosive case.

It was unclear how Abu Murkhiyeh wound up in Hebron, the conservative West Bank city that he had reportedly �led. alestinian police of�icials told The Associated Press that Abu Murkhiyeh’s head and torso were found near his family’s house.

Col. Loay Irzekat, a police spokesman, said authorities arrested a Palestinian acquaintance of Abu Murkhiyeh as a suspect in the killing, but declined to ascribe a motive or elaborate on their relationship pending the investigation.

Palestinian social media was gripped by the grisly killing, but silent on the question of Abu Murkhiyeh’s sexuality. Homosexuality remains deeply taboo in the Palestinian territories, where traditional norms play a prominent role in social and political life.

Still there was plenty of outrage across the West Bank. Graphic footage taken by Palestinian youths who happened upon Abu Murkhiyeh’s dismembered body on a hillside rippled through WhatsApp groups, provoking shock and horror, before being taken down.

Abu Murkhiyeh’s family released a statement of mourning, offering blessings and asking for privacy after “this heinous, unprecedented crime that shook the homeland.”

The family claimed that Abu Murkhiyeh lived and worked between Hebron and neighboring Jordan, where his late father was from.

As news of Abu Murkhiyeh’s death spread, a starkly different version of events emerged from Israel. LGBTQ organizations and emergency shelters helping gay asylum seekers said they knew he

was gay and desperate to escape the Palestinian territories, where he was a target.

Rita Petrenko, founder of Al Bait Al Mokhtalef, an Israeli gay rights organization catering to the Arab community, said Abu Murkhiyeh’s fear was distinct when they met in 2020.

“He told me people not only in his family but in the village wanted to kill him,” she said, adding that he �led to srael as word of his sexual orientation spread through Hebron two years ago. “He was scared of his brothers, his uncles, his cousins.”

Israel frequently promotes its tolerance on issues of sexual orientation, despite the rejection of homosexuality in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. But Tel Aviv is proud of its reputation as a top destination for gay and lesbian travelers.

Critics accuse Israel of “pink-washing,” saying it uses such tolerance as a way to divert attention from its open-ended occupation of the West Bank, now in its 56th year, and its harsh policies toward the Palestinians.

A TRIBUTE, A MISSION, AND A MOVEMENT TO END BREAST CANCER

The Pink Pumpkins got their start with Doreen Koenig, mom of CEO Andrew Koenig, who everyone thought of as the CITY mom. She was always known for her philanthropy, and one of her biggest causes was ending breast cancer, long before she was diagnosed in 2015.

As Doreen reached the end of her brave battle, she had the idea to give out thousands of pink pumpkin buckets in our stores and around our community. It was her special and cute wish to fill the community with the color of hope for breast cancer awareness.

Her idea is that moms and families everywhere in South Florida would be using these pink pumpkin buckets on Halloween, and that this would spread some awareness to the cause—ending breast cancer.

When you see a Pink Pumpkins bucket in our showrooms this October, help yourself and join us in spreading awareness.

Scan to learn more

Steve Blanchard

Fortunately, in August while on a business trip with my partner, Tim, to Indianapolis, I stumbled upon a “Paranormal Day” event. Think LGBTQ Pride on a smaller scale but with booths of psychic mediums, tarot card readers and paranormal investigators instead of LGBTQ youth groups, bars and clothing stores.

It’s rare that I’m intimidated, but as a person who is part believer/ part skeptic in this world, I proceeded cautiously into this event. I wanted to ask questions, take photos and maybe make some connections for the future. But I also didn’t want to offend anyone with my lack of knowledge on certain subjects. Gatekeeping has become a much-too-popular pastime for too many groups.

every vendor, investigator and psychic on the grounds. I’ve had an opportunity to of�icially inter iew multiple people from that one day of exploration and am so grateful for the way in which everyone opened their arms and patiently answered my questions. In fact, some of

tarot experts that day and a �loodgate of knowledge was unlocked for me.

I have a new respect for it and an increasing knowledge of the beliefs and intricacies of the practice. It’s fascinating!

Honestly, the parallels between this experience

friends that are still in my life today and will be a part of my life until I die.

If this interaction with the paranormal community is any indication, the same will be said for this growing list of new colleagues, and I can’t wait to expand upon those connections and

WHEN I FIRST CAME

out, I was amazed at the level of acceptance I found within the LGBTQ community. I was in my early s and was terri�ied.

I didn’t know anyone, the things I saw were brand new to me (drag queens, anyone?) and I learned that the things I had been told about the community were all false, thanks to a religious upbringing.

That initial experience with our community helped shape me as an adult. gained con�idence, saw the importance of diversity and it showed me that when you �ind acceptance, you ha e found the right community.

Why do I bring this up more than 20 years later? Because I recently had a similar experience with an accepting community that I really didn’t know that much about upon my introduction. It’s also a suiting story for October, the best month of the year, in my opinion.

I have always had an interest in anything paranormal, whether it be in �ilms, tele ision shows or ust Halloween events. If it was old, historic and haunted, I wanted to learn more about it.

In 2018 I took it upon myself to start a podcast called “Phantom History.” In it, I interview paranormal investigators and historians about the creepy locations they’ve explored and their alleged interactions with those who have passed on.

I started local and worked with the people I knew. I gained new insight into the world around me and the techniques and beliefs of those who investigate the afterlife.

However, as the podcast grew and I needed more content, I had to reach beyond my comfort zone to build connections and �ind locations to feature. t wasn’t an easy task, especially amidst a global pandemic.

I know what I know about the paranormal, but I really recognize what I don’t know, and that is a much more voluminous mental encyclopedia.

he �irst people met at the gate immediately put me at ease. They were kind, welcoming and immediately interested in my podcast. They assured me that I was welcome to talk to anyone and ask as many questions as I wanted.

I took them up on that.

Upon entry I saw the River of Bones booth owned by Jaede Russo, an osteomancer who said she uses bones and other trinkets to tell fortunes and, yes, communicate with spirits. I was fascinated by her craft and it was the �irst time I had ever seen something like this in person. While she didn’t read me, mostly because I was a bit hesitant, she was willing to answer my questions and even be interviewed on camera.

Within that 10-minute encounter I learned about a whole new world of the paranormal that was only on the periphery of my knowledge beforehand.

My interaction with Jaede put me at more ease and as we moved through the festival, I spoke with almost

those episodes on haunted locations in that area are already online and streaming.

I learned that anyone is willing to share their passion with you if you ask questions in a respectful way. Tarot cards, for example, are foreign to me. I don’t know the symbolism of the card deck nor am I completely convinced of their accuracy. However, I talked to several

and my coming out as a gay man are more similar than I originally imagined. But it’s also important to recognize the similar ways in which I approached each situation.

Respecting the community you hope to experience and being open and honest about what you know allows people to share the appropriate information. When I came out as gay in the 1990s, I made

�ind e en more interesting content to share.

Steve Blanchard is the former editor of Watermark and currently works in public relations. He lives in Tampa with his husband and their two dogs. Stream “Phantom History” at PhantomHistory.com and wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

&BLAISDELL

had

was

Dr. Steve

N HIS LATEST COLUMN, DR.

Steve Yacovelli, (a.k.a. “The Gay Leadership Dude”) shares his expertise on submitted workplace questions from members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Have a question? See below!

GREETINGS “GAY LEADERSHIP DUDE.” I’VE NOTICED A LOT OF FOCUS ON “INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE” IN MY WORKPLACE AND ELSEWHERE. I WORK IN REAL ESTATE AND AS AN INDUSTRY WE’RE MOVING AWAY FROM PHRASES SUCH AS “MASTER SUITE” FOR MORE INCLUSIVE ONES LIKE “MAIN SUITE,” OR “HIS AND HERS SINKS” TO “DUAL VANITIES,” ETC. IS THERE ANY GUIDELINES OR SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE TO HELP ME USE MORE INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE BOTH AT WORK AND ELSEWHERE? THANKS! ~ INCLUSIVE AGENT

This is complex topic, Inclusive, but glad you asked. I started really thinking about the language I personally use many years ago. I grew up in the Philadelphia area and one of our common phrases was “you guys” as a natural way of referring to any group of people, regardless of the gender mix. But it’s not as inclusive as it could be and luckily, I moved south to Orlando about 25 years ago and picked up “y’all” which of course is much more inclusive. But it’s a constant thought process as the meaning of words change, context shifts and we evolve as a culture.

here’s a lot of great lists of speci�ic words and phrases we should or should not use in our

conversations, but I think taking the approach on general “rules of thumb” that can stand the test o’ time is better. Here’s what I’ve found to be the seven best strategies to use inclusive language in your everyday world.

(1) Put people �irst. First off, only include identity descriptors of people when they are relevant to the current discussion. Focus on using person-�irst language. Adopting person-�irst language acknowledges the complexity of personal identity and recognizes that each person is so much more than any one of their identity descriptors people tend to use.

(2) Use universal phrases. If you don’t thoroughly know your audience avoid idioms, acronyms, jargon and cultural phrases that may not make sense to all people. In a professional setting, phrases like these may impede effective communication and make people feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, confused or excluded.

(3) Recognize the impact of mental health language. This is a list of “do” and “don’t,” but try and avoid using these terms when not discussing a speci�ic diagnosis bipolar, PTSD, ADHD or OCD. If you do use these terms, it minimizes real and serious impact these conditions have on people who suffer from these conditions.

(4) Use genderless language. I think our LGBTQ+ community knows this better than many but a oid gender-speci�ic terms — especially ones that are more male-centric. Instead of “mankind” use “humankind,” “chair” instead of “chairman,” “y’all” or something more regionally appropriate instead of “you guys.” Use gender-free descriptions, and choose the singular “they,” instead of “he” or the clunky “he/ she.” Doing so acknowledges

the full spectrum of gender identities, including individuals who are nonbinary. A

(5) Be thoughtful about the language imagery you use. Take into consideration that some descriptors hold negative connotations for others and can therefore be offensive. Examples include the words “black,” “dark”

to say. This is tough to do but the start of the “unlearning” process for those words and phrases that we *thought* were �ine but really could be exclusive language.

(7) Clarify if you aren’t sure. Most people are happy to share with you the language that makes them feel properly respected once you establish rapport. Talk

respectfully share why the word or phrase bothers you and be open when someone shares their perspective.

And I’d add one last thought: give yourself some grace as you seek to maneuver more inclusive language and “unlearn” some ways of speaking.

ecoming more “�luent” in inclusive language takes

and “blind” as in “a black mark,” “dark day” and “blind spot.” Avoid using these by expressing ideas literally, when possible.

(6) Self-Re�lection. Pause and think about your intentions for using a certain phrase or word, whether it may have unintended negative impact and whether there is a more inclusive way to state what you are trying

to colleagues about their experiences and thoughts on what words don’t �it into their respective worlds. Share with your colleagues that you’re trying to create a more inclusive space for clients and co-workers and give each other permission to provide feedback when a word or phrase being shared isn’t comfortable to you.

Assume good intent, but

practice and patience, and you may not get it right every single time.

HAVE A QUESTION FOR “THE GAY LEADERSHIP DUDE”?

Submit at YourQueerCareer. com. Note: advice shared is for informational use only. It is not intended to replace or substitute any mental, financial, medical, legal or other professional advice.

others

talking points

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER IS SAYING GOODBYE TO HIS LAST REMAINING SHOW ON BROADWAY AND WELCOMING ANOTHER. The musical theater icon announced Oct. 3 that his retooled version of “Cinderella” will land in New York at the Imperial Theatre in February with new songs, a new leading lady and a new title. “Bad Cinderella” — borrowing the title from a key song in the show rather than using London West End’s blander name “Cinderella” — will star Linedy Genao in the title role. She’s had ensemble roles in “Dear Evan Hansen” and “On Your Feet!” Carrie Hope Fletcher played the title character in London. Lloyd Webber is closing his “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway in 2023. A �ixture on roadway since , it will close eb. , a day after pre iews begin for “Bad Cinderella,” meaning a Lloyd Webber musical will have been performing on Broadway every single playing night since September 1979.

LIZZO, SAM SMITH JOIN ‘JINGLE BALL’ TOUR

ELTON JOHN PLAYS THE WHITE HOUSE

BILLY EICHNER’S GAY ROM-COM “BROS” CAME IN FIFTH PLACE AT THE BOX OFFICE for its opening weekend with just under $5 million. “Smile,” a new horror �lick, topped the box of�ice. Horror mo ie audiences are generally front-loaded, dropping off steeply after the �irst weekend, while something like “Bros,” which got great reviews and an A CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth potential, is a mo ie that could continue �inding audiences through the fall. It is not unusual for R-rated comedies to open modestly and catch on later. Eichner addressed the “Bros” opening in a series of tweets Oct. 2 and 3, writing in part “straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up.”

IHEARTRADIO

UNVEILED A STARRY ROTATING LINEUP FOR THE WINTER 2022 IHEARTRADIO JINGLE BALL TOUR, including sets by Sam Smith, Lizzo, Jack Harlow, Dua Lipa, Backstreet Boys, Demi Lovato and Charlie Puth. The 11-city tour will hit Fort Worth, Texas; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; New York City; Boston; Philadelphia; Atlanta; Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Washington, D.C. Other acts part of the tour include Black Eyed Peas, Khalid, Lewis Capaldi, Pitbull, Macklemore, The Kid Laroi and AJR. The concert will be carried live across the country on iHeartRadio and will livestream exclusively via The CW App and CWTV.com. The CW Network will broadcast the event as an exclusive nationwide television special on Dec. 17.

“GOD BLESS YOU, LET’S HAVE SOME MUSIC,” SAID ELTON

JOHN. With that, the White House South Lawn was transformed into a musical lovefest Sept. 23 as John played a farewell gig to honor everyday “heroes” like teachers, nurses and AIDS activists. But as it turns out, the event was also to honor the 75-year-old British songwriter — President Joe Biden surprised him with the National Humanities Medal for being a “tidal wave” who helped people rise up for justice. John seemed almost overcome by the accolades, telling the audience of 2,000 people: “I don’t know what to say. … I don’t know how to take a compliment very well but it’s wonderful to be here amongst so many people who have helped my AIDS foundation and my heroes, that ones that work day to day on the front line.”

I know my mom and I would really appreciate if my father Herschel Walker stopped lying and making a mockery of us. You’re not a ‘family man’ when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over six times in six months running from your violence.

—CHRISTIAN WALKER IN A TWEET SLAMMING HIS FATHER HERSCHEL WALKER OVER AN ARTICLE ACCUSING THE ANTI-ABORTION SENATE CANDIDATE OF PAYING FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND’S ‘09 ABORTION

Halloween Queen

Jeremy Williams

GINGER MINJ, ORLANDO DRAG ICON and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” All Star, has had a scary good Halloween season this year.

They can currently be seen in Disney+’s huge Halloween hit “Hocus Pocus 2,” a follow up to the 1993 cult classic original that brings the Sanderson Sisters back to alem. isney says the �ilm is the streaming service’s biggest domestic �ilm premiere e er.

Minj is also racking up views hosting, with Monet X Change, Hulu’s variety show “Huluween Dragstravaganza,” a Halloween-themed special featuring several other well-known queens.

They can also currently be seen running amok around the U.S. starring in “Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash,” an all-new original show that wraps at The Abbey in Orlando Oct. 31.

We chatted with the new queen of Halloween about their roles in “Hocus Pocus 2,” “Huluween Dragstravaganza” and why the LGBTQ community loves the haunted season so much.

WATERMARK: YOU POSTED A VIDEO ONLINE OF YOUR NAME IN THE CREDITS OF “HOCUS

POCUS 2.” WHAT WERE YOU FEELING WHEN YOU SAW YOUR NAME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CREDITS OF A DISNEY FILM?

It’s so surreal, and it’s groundbreaking. e’re the �irst openly drag characters in any Disney property. To have it be in a movie like “Hocus Pocus,” that has meant so much to not just the LGBTQ community but to the drag community in particular for so many years, to actually see that validation, that little piece of the puzzle that I am a part of, seeing my name up there, it drove it home. It made it real.

It had been something that was in the back of my head for almost a year — like “Oh wow, I’m

Ginger Minj on ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ ‘Dragstravaganza’ and why Halloween is so enchanting

a part of ‘Hocus Pocus’ can you imagine that?” — then to see my name at the end of it solidi�ied it and really drove it home. It was emotional.

I SAW THE MOVIE AND, I SAY THIS AS A BIG FAN OF THE FIRST FILM, I THINK I MIGHT LIKE THIS ONE BETTER THAN THE FIRST.

Me too, but I might be bias [laughs]. Some people are saying they don’t like it as much as the �irst because of the ending (SPOILER ALERT ahead if you haven’t watched “Hocus Pocus 2” yet) saying that they don’t like that they made Winifred Sanderson nice. They didn’t make her nice! They just showed that the most powerful people in the world have their weaknesses, and no matter how powerful you are or above it you may be there’s a humanity in everyone.

IN THE FILM YOU PLAY A DRAG VERSION OF WINIFRED SANDERSON, ALONGSIDE KAHMORA HALL AND KORNBREAD JETÉ PLAYING DRAG VERSIONS OF YOUR TWO SISTERS. HOW DID THAT ROLE COME ABOUT?

“Hocus Pocus 2” is directed by Anne Fletcher, who directed me in “ umplin’” on Net�lix a few years ago, and she and I have become very good friends. I was over in the U.K. playing Ursula in The Disney Villains Ball, which seems so apropos now, and it was like three in the morning and my phone started blowing up from Anne. I texted her and said I am in the U.K, it’s three in the morning, this better be important. She told me to call her, so I did and she said “You know I’m doing ‘Hocus Pocus 2’?” I said, “Yes, I know, you lucky bitch” and she told me she created a role for me.

She told me I am going to be a drag version of Winifred who gets into an argument with Bette Midler, and I was like yes. Then she asked me if I had any suggestions for the other girls so I made a list of a couple of names for each one and sent it in. I was very honored that they chose two people from the list that I made, and the three of us meshed so well and had such a good time. But I didn’t even have time to think about it. �inished my role that night and got on a plane to Newport, Rhode Island to start costume �itting.

IN YOUR SCENE, YOU SHARE THE STAGE WITH BETTE MIDLER, KATHY NAJIMY AND SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ALL THREE ICONS WITHIN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THESE THREE WOMEN WHO ARE SO REVERED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY?

I knew Kathy from “Dumplin’,” we had gotten pretty close during that, so I was excited to see her again. But I was nervous, all three of us were in our make-up trailer ner ous on our �irst day. ike we are going to be two feet away from these people who are such icons: What do we do? What do we say? What if we screw it up? We worried about it so much but when we got on set, each one of our counterparts came up and were very kind to us. Bette Midler looked at me and said, “Oh My God, you were robbed!” because “All Stars 6” had just ended. I don’t know if she’s watched an episode of “Drag Race” in her life but you could tell that the things that each one said to us had been thought about in advance so they could set us at ease, because they had such a respect for who we are and what we did. They made us feel like peers who were on their level, which is B.S. because we are not on their level and we know that. They are icons! But we never had a chance to be nervous around them.

And it wasn’t until the end of our week, it was our very last shot and we are out on the lawn where we were �ilming, and they yell “ , , ” and the witches start �lying over our heads and we grabbed each other’s hands and we were

crying. It really hit in that moment like oh shit, this is real! We are a small part of this really big thing that is so important to all of us.

YOU CAN ALSO BE SEEN RIGHT NOW ON HULU IN “HULUWEEN DRAGSTRAVAGANZA,” WHICH YOU HOST WITH MONET X CHANGE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS VARIETY SPECIAL?

I had no idea they were looking to do something like this but when they contacted me, they said we want you and Monet to host a variety show. That’s all they said at �irst. ’ e ne er hosted anything with Monet but I love her to death so I said, “why not, we’ll have some fun.” Then when we signed on, they told us it’s going to be the “Huluween Dragstravaganza” and it was going to be like a throwback to the old, almost like Carol Burnett kind of sketch shows, with special guests and brand new songs, dances and all sorts of stuff. That is right up my alley, I love doing stuff like that. Anyone who has ever been to a really good drag show understands that’s the recipe for a successful drag show. It needs to be more like a variety show; you’ve got the stand-up comedy, you’ve got the sketches, you’ve got the musical numbers. There’s a little bit of something for everybody. They took a lot of care with this to make sure there was something for every kind of drag fan.

IF YOU PULL THE SPECIAL UP ON HULU, IT LISTS IT AS SEASON ONE, EPISODE ONE.

THAT THIS MAY BECOME A REGULAR SERIES ON HULU?

Your guess is as good as mine at this point. I know that they have gotten a lot of really great feedback about it so we hope it will lead to something else. Who knows, maybe we’ll have the Arbor Day special where we stand around trimming our bushes.

I will say that they were all so good to work with and they treated us all with such care and made us feel really special and heard and validated. Monet and I, they gave us the scripts and they said, “We’ve written all these jokes, but feel free to make them more your own.” Much of what you see on screen is the stuff that we improvised on set that turned out really cute. We just felt creatively liberated. So I’m hoping that we get a chance to work with them again.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT HALLOWEEN THAT APPEALS TO YOU?

It’s the gay high holy day! It’s the one night of the year where most of the new drag babies are born. I think it’s because it is a safe space for everybody. If you can dress up as a werewolf or a ghost or a vampire, why can’t you put on a wig and heels and try out that side of yourself for one night? There’s a freedom that comes with Halloween that our community has really embraced. There’s also that part of Halloween that is a little bit weird and a little bit different, and I think people in our community have felt that way at some point in their life.

WHAT WAS HALLOWEEN LIKE FOR YOU AS A KID?

When I was a kid, it was a lot like the �irst “Hocus ocus” movie. I’ve seen a lot of memes this year that say its weird in that �ilm you see a bunch of children trick-or-treating without their parents leading them around but that’s what it was like when I was growing up. All the kids on the block would put on their costumes and we would travel in packs, taking in a much candy as we could.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COSTUME WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?

I always wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the East from “The Wizard of Oz.” It was really my �irst time in drag. would beg do be able to do it every year and my parents would always tell me no. Then when I was about nine or 10, my Aunt Glenda Faye had dressed up as a witch for a work thing, and my mom said if you can �it into your Aunt lenda aye’s witch costume then you can wear it, but I’m not buying you one. And I did, and I wore that thing for years.

YOU ARE CURRENTLY TOURING WITH A NEW SHOW, “HOCUS POCUS HALLOWEEN BASH.” WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE SHOW?

I think it’s the best show that we’ve done. It is so solid. We have 11 musical numbers and they run the gamut from Broadway to country to rap. If you’ve ever wanted to hear the Sanderson Sisters sing “W.A.P.” now is your chance. It all started because when I was on set, Bette Midler said to me, “I really like the way that you do me and I’d like to see you take this and run with it.” So it gave me that kick in the ass I needed. I’ve been doing these characters for years for Halloween shows, so why not try and put a bigger show together based around them? We did and we opened it in Atlanta and people just lost their minds. It felt like a rock concert. It takes the best parts of the �irst mo ie and my favorite parts of the second movie and puts them together in a completely new story that we came up with and it is so much fun.

“Hocus Pocus 2” is available to stream on Disney+ and “Huluween Dragstravaganza” can currently be seen on Hulu. “Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash” will be at The Abbey in Orlando Oct. 31.

SANDERSON QUEENS: (L-R) MrMs Adrien, Ginger Minj and Gidget Galore are the Sanderson Sisters in the all-new show “Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash” at The Abbey Orlando Halloween night. PHOTO COURTESY FRUIT WINE PRODUCTIONS

BEPrEPARED

LGBTQ+

Not so scary Halloween flicks

Jeremy Williams

THIS TIME OF YEAR IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY

to curl up on the couch with a bucket of popcorn and spend a few hours watching a Halloween movie with the ones you love. But that could pro e dif�icult if you are someone who doesn’t like a good horror �lick.

Have no fear — literally — because we have got you covered. Below, we have complied a list of seven throwback Halloween �ilms that you won’t �ind listed under horror, suspense or thriller when scrolling through your favorite streaming services.

“Young Frankenstein” (1974)

You can’t go wrong with Mel Brooks. “Young Frankenstein,” directed by Brooks, is a comical take on the Universal Classic Monster movies from the 1930s and ‘40s, particularly “Frankenstein” and “The Bride of Frankenstein.” The film has an all-star cast featuring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman and Gene Hackman, and has appeared on countless lists of Hollywood’s funniest films.

“Ghostbusters” (1984)

Few movies epitomize the 1980s’ golden age of action-comedy better than the original “Ghostbusters.”

This classic stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as four New Yorkers who hunt ghosts, demons and otherworldly creatures. You can make it a “Ghostbusters” weekend if you like and combine the original with its 1989 sequel, the 2016 reboot and the recently released “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” for some fun, rather tame scares.

“The Addams Family” (1991)

The dark comedy “The Addams Family” and its sequel “Addams Family Values” are a pair of films based off the popular ‘60s series about an odd, macabre family. They star Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston as the strange but loving heads of the Addams household — Gomez and Morticia. The first film sees the family reconnect with long-lost Uncle Fester (played by Christopher Lloyd) while the sequel kicks the campiness up to 11 with the introduction of Joan Cusack’s Debbie Jelinsky, a serial killer who marries Fester with plans to murder him for his inheritance.

“Death Becomes Her” (1992)

Another comedy classic that is campy in all the right ways, “Death Becomes Her” stars Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, lifelong rivals who both drink a magic potion making them eternally youthful and immortal. The comedy and fantastic special effects, which still hold up 30 years later, really shine after both discover that they cannot kill each other.

“Hocus Pocus” (1993)

Of course we had to include this one and its brand new sequel. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker play the Sanderson Sisters. In the original, the sisters are resurrected on Halloween night, 300 years after being hanged in Salem, Massachusetts, and three kids must stop them before they steal the souls from children to become immortal. In the sequel, the Sanderson Sisters are resurrected again, 29 years later, and begin to run amok and wreak havoc as they try to get revenge on Salem.

“Casper” (1995)

Dr. James Harvey, a therapist who helps the “living impaired” cross over to the other side, and his daughter Kat (played by Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci) move into a haunted house to help the owner get rid of ghosts so she and her attorney can locate a hidden treasure within its walls. Kat becomes friends with Casper, the house’s friendly ghost, while his three less friendly ghost uncles — Stretch, Stinkie and Fatso — bond with Dr. Harvey.

“The Haunted Mansion” (2003)

Based on the popular Disney attraction, “The Haunted Mansion” stars Eddie Murphy as Jim, a workaholic realtor who brings his family to visit a mansion that turns out to be, you guessed it, haunted. After the family is forced to stay the night in the mansion, they discover that there is more to the house than meets the eye. Jim must uncover the mystery and get his family to safety before it is too late. If you enjoy this one, you can continue your “Haunted Mansion” viewing next year when Disney releases its all-new reboot of the film starring Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Winona Ryder, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Dan Levy.

What’s your least favorite treat you ever received during Halloween?”

“I was 14 years old when I received the worst treat ever. Growing up, we knew which neighborhoods yielded the best return. We knew where to find the full-size Snickers bars. In true Halloween horror fashion, my nightmares came true one frightful night as I discovered I had been given candy corn!”

-PRIDE ON THE RIVER CO-DIRECTOR ALEX BARBOSA

“The worst was when I realized my mom was colluding with the other adults in my neighborhood to give me Good and Plenty’s. No hate to that specific candy, I just don’t like them

– but surprise, surprise, my mom LOVES them!

I remember being six or seven and wondering why SO MUCH of my Halloween haul was this awful candy. My mom was more than happy to take them off my hands, of course, and as I would come to find out, she would specifically request those over other candies when we were Trick or Treating. It took me years to realize the deception in my candy bag, although I’m still at a loss for why they were so popular!

– NICOLE BERMAN, ST PETE PRIDE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“Halloween is our favorite holiday and we go all out on decorations, candy and costumes every year, so we’ve had some memorable ones. The worst treats would be any fruit or granola. When Sasha was living in Trinidad one neighbor came to the U.S. often, thinking she would be getting the goods from the good ol’ USA with us, but instead she was given overripe mangos. While we understand some people want to give out “healthy” treats, we think it’s important to say that no one wants fruit for Halloween, fresh or otherwise! Happy Halloween, everyone!”

-ANDREW & SASHA CITINO, OWNERS OF 6S BOUTIQUE

“The worst ‘treat’ I ever received when I was trick-or-treating was a religious pamphlet. The family was Jehovah Witnesses and didn’t celebrate the holiday so they gave us all religious reading material. I did not want it.”

—CHRISTOPHER MILLIRON, CENTRAL FLORIDA NURSE AND LGBTQ ACTIVIST

“The worst treat I have gotten is anything candy corn or black licorice related!”

—KERI GRIFFIN, ORLANDO VA’S LGBTQ+ VETERAN CARE PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND LGBTQ+ SPECIAL EMPHASIS PROGRAM MANAGER

“

QUEER TALES: Kayla Kumari

Upadhyaya’s first novelette is “Helen House.” PHOTOS COURTESY BURROW PRESS

scary read

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya looks at processing grief in new queer ghost story

Things go

from awkward to uncomfortable to nightmarish as the story unfolds at Amber’s parents’ secluded rural home. There, the narrator learns that the family has an odd mourning ritual for their lost family member Helen.

“It is a queer ghost story, also a queer love story, with a lot of messiness within both of those realms,” Upadhyaya says.

One thing Upadhyaya knew from the start that she wanted in “Helen House” was that both women in the relationship were going to be out.

KAYLA KUMARI UPADHYAYA WASN’T

sure at �irst how she was going to get her latest story to audiences.

“ hen �irst sat down to write ‘Helen House’ my plan was for it to be a short story,” Upadhyaya says. “ ut when �inished had well o er 10,000 words and that is way too long for a short story, at least too long to have published. I sat with it a bit, thinking maybe I could stretch it out to a novel but I didn’t think I would be able to do that with this one.”

Then almost serendipitously, Upadhyaya was contacted by Burrow Press about wanting to work with her on publishing one of her stories.

“The timing was great because Burrow Press favors publishing stories that don’t �it into traditional publication standards,” she says.

“So it was a little accidental, a little

lucky but I’m glad that I didn’t have to signi�icantly change the story and was able to �ind a home for it.”

That story is “Helen House,” padhyaya’s �irst no elette about an openly gay woman whose girlfriend wants her to come with her on a trip to see her parents. Before they get there, the unnamed narrator of the story learns that she and her girlfriend Amber share similar traumas.

“It’s about a not-so-great relationship that is marked by grief between two women who have both lost their sisters and what happens over a course of a short amount of time when the narrator is going to her girlfriend’s parents’ house for the �irst time,” padhyaya says.

“I didn’t want them to be closeted,” she says. “I knew I wanted Amber’s parents to know about her queerness and for that not to really be a factor in the con�lict at all. Instead, I wanted to create the con�lict in more surprising or rather unexpected places. There is a different level of intensity when you are in that stage of the relationship, meeting the parents. I think for queer folks in particular, there is often the concern that you have to be perfect. The narrator is going into that space feeling the pressure of yes, even though the parents are accepting, I still need to go in and perform the role of the good girlfriend in a heteronormative way.”

Something else that stands out in Upadhyaya’s novelette is the narrator of the story has no name.

“Not having the narrator be named was a way to have this intimate story feel a little removed,” Upadhyaya says. “Like this person is telling the story to a mental health professional. She can be candid and open because you’re not

telling this story to a friend. You’re

telling this story to a friend. You’re talking to someone who can just listen.”

Using a haunted tale to process grief and trauma is something that has been used with great success in the horror genre. Notable stories like “Midsommar,” “The Babadook” and

“The Haunting of Hill House” have been big hits over the last decade.

“’The Haunting of Hill House’ particularly had a big in�luence on me,” Upadhyaya says. “That show was just so amazing at creating these metaphors for dif�icult things like grief, addiction, death, trauma; I think there is something very useful about turning these things into literal monsters or hauntings or curses.”

“Helen House” is available now in paperback and will be available in a limited-edition hardcover starting Oct. 18. Burrow Press is also hosting an of�icial launch party for “Helen House” at Will’s Pub Oct. 23 with readings at 7:30 p.m. and a dance party at 9 p.m.

“My editor asked me what my dream book launch would look like and I said a haunted dance party,” Upadhyaya says. “So that’s what we are doing. There will be some readings; I will be reading from ‘Helen House,’ my editor Ryan Rivas has a book out, ‘Nextdoor in Colonialtown,’ and he will be reading a piece from that and my girlfriend who is also a writer, Kristen Arnett, will be reading. Then after that it becomes a haunted dance party!”

Jeremy Williams

‘TIS THE SEASON

CENTRAL FLORIDA

A Petrified Forest, select nights through Oct. 29, A Petrified Forest, Altamonte Springs. 407-468-6600; APetrifiedForest.com

Boo at the Zoo, select days through Oct. 30, Brevard Zoo, Melbourne. 321-254-9453; BrevardZoo.org

Halloween Horror Nights, select nights through Oct. 31, Universal Studios, Orlando. 407-363-8000; UniversalOrlando.com/HHN

Howl-O-Scream Orlando, select nights through Oct. 31, SeaWorld, Orlando. 407-545-5550; SeaWorld.com/Orlando

“Nosferatu,” select nights through Oct. 31, Renaissance Theatre, Orlando. RenTheatre.com

Screamin’ Green Hauntoween, through Oct. 31, Crayola Experience, Orlando. 407-757-1700; CrayolaExperience.com

The Haunted Road, A DriveThru Halloween Experience, select nights through Nov. 5, Corn Maze, Orlando. 407-900-7430; TheHauntedRoad.com

Freak Show Horror Film Festival, Oct. 14-16, Epic Theatres at Lee Vista, Orlando. 407-259-2368; FreakshowFilmFest.com

Ongakuvania: A HalloweenThemed Video Game Party, Oct. 15, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

Killer Carnival, Oct. 15-19, LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.com

Gators, Ghosts and Goblins, weekends Oct. 15-30, Gatorland, Orlando. 407-855-5496; Gatorland.com

Haunted Cookie House Party, Oct. 18, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co., Orlando. 407-270-6749; IvanhoeParkBrewing.com

Nightmare on Foggy Bluff, Oct. 19-23, Green Gables, Melbourne. 321-693-2006; Eventbrite.com/ Nightmare-on-Foggy-Bluff

13th Annual Dia De Los Muertos & Monster Party, Oct. 20, CityArts, Orlando. 407-648-7060; DowntownArtsDistrict.com

Orlando Ballet presents Michael Pink’s “Dracula,” Oct. 20-23, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-426-1733; OrlandoBallet.org

Knife Party, Oct. 21, The Vanguard, Orlando. 407-872-0066; TheVanguard. live

Spooky Empire, Oct. 21-23, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. 954-258-7852; SpookyEmpire.com

A Nightmare on Church Street, Oct. 22, Cheyenne Saloon, Orlando. Eventbrite.com/ A-Nightmare-onChurch-Street

“Hocus Pocus” Dragtacular & Coven Night, Oct. 22, Cocktails & Screams, Orlando. 407-904-0124; CocktailsAndScreams.com

“Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Oct. 22, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org

The Funkijam Show: Rock or Treat Halloween Fair, Oct. 22-30, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando. 407-869-7365; OrlandoRep.com

Kids Halloween Party featuring “Hotel Transylvania,” Oct. 23, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org

7th Annual Halloween

Pub Crawl, Oct. 22, Elks Lodge, Cocoa. 321-543-1346; MadHatterPromotions.com

Trick-or-Treat Safe Zone, Oct. 29, Orange County Public Library and Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando. 407-836-8500; The HistoryCenter.org

Eden Bar’s Halloween Party featuring “Evil Dead 2,” Oct. 29, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org Glamorous Halloween, Oct. 29, Irish Shannon’s, Orlando. 407-866-1191; AmorEvents-LLC.com

5K Halloween Scare Run, Oct. 30, Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake, Orlando.

“Hocus Pocus” Halloween Bash, Oct. 31, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

Tim Burton Movie Trivia, Oct. 31, Pour Choice Taphouse, Orlando. 407-664-5441; PourChoiceTaproom.com

Halloween at Old Town, Oct. 31, Old Town U.S.A., Kissimmee. 407-396-4888; MyOldTownUSA.com

TAMPA BAY

UnDead in the Water, Select nights through Oct. 29, Sparkman Wharf, Tampa. 813-228-8766; UndeadInTheWater.com

Busch Gardens’ Family-Friendly Spooktacular, Select days through Oct. 30, Busch Gardens, Tampa. 813-884-4386; BuschGardens.com/ Tampa

Creatures of the Night, Select nights through Oct. 30, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Tampa. 813-935-8552; ZooTampa.org

Haunted River Tours, Select nights through Oct. 30, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa. 813-223-7999; PirateWaterTaxi.com

Ybor City Ghost Tour, Select nights through Oct. 31, King Corona Cigars, Ybor. TampaBay-Tours.com

Busch Gardens Howl-o-Scream, Select nights through Oct. 31, Busch Gardens, Tampa. 813-884-4386; BuschGardens.com/Tampa

Scream-A-Geddon, Through Oct. 31, 27839 Saint Joe Rd., Dade City. ScreamAGeddon.com

Nightmare on Franklin Street, Oct. 14-31, Tampa Theater, Tampa. 813-274-8981; TampaTheatre.org

Friday Night Frights, Oct. 14; 21; 28, No Vacancy, St. Petersburg. 727-308-7878; NoVacancyDTSP.com

Vault of Souls, Oct. 21-22; 28-30, The Vault, Tampa. 813-225-3450; ElegantFear.com

“Dracula,” Oct. 21-Nov. 13, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org

44th All Hallows’ Masquerade Ball, Oct. 22, Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. 813-575-5900; AllHallowsBall.org

Pet Costume Contest, Oct. 22, Studios at 5663, Pinellas Park. 727-328-4612; Facebook.com/ UrbanDogStudio

2022 Haunted Hike, Oct. 22, St. Petersburg. 727-823-0393; Facebook.com/TheHauntedHike

“PurgARTory: Dark Art & Burlesque,” Oct. 22, Coastal Creative, St. Petersburg. ShebaQueenOfTheNight.com

Spooky Pooch Costume Pawty, Oct. 28, Dog Bar, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; DogBarStPete.com

Halloween Silent Party, Oct. 28, The Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. 727-329-9994; Facebook.com/ SaltyNun

Dance with the Dead, Oct. 28, Quench Lounge, Largo. 727-754-5900; QuenchLounge.com

Read No More: St. Pete Murder House, Oct. 28-29, St. Petersburg. WordierThanThou.com

Halloween Celebration, Oct. 28-30, Enigma, St. Petersburg. 727-235-0867; EnigmaStPete.com

“An Eerie Evening at the Tampa Bay Hotel,” Oct. 28-30, Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa. 813-258-7302; PlantMuseum.com

Zoie’s Halloween Bash, Oct. 29, Zoie’s, St. Petersburg. 727-855-6990; ZoiesFL.com

Riverwalk Trick or Treat, Oct. 29, Water Works Park, Curtis Hixon Park, MacDill Park and along Riverwalk, Tampa. 813-221-1539; TheTampaRiverWalk.com

“Hocus Pocus Live,” Oct. 29, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HamburgerMarys.com/ Clearwater

Horny Little Devils Party, Oct. 29, Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg. 727-322-4600; Facebook.com/ FloridianSocialClub

Boo Brunch, Oct. 30, StarShip Cruises & Events, Tampa. 813-223-7999; YachtStarShip.com

Halloween on Central2, Oct. 30, Central Ave., St. Petersburg. HalloweenOnCentral2.com

Cock-O-Ween, Oct. 30, Cocktail, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

GaYbor Presents: All Hallows Eve Bar Crawl, Oct. 30, Ybor. Facebook.com/GaYborDistrictCoalition

Howl-O-Ween Costume

Parade & Races, Oct. 30, Dog Bar, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; DogBarStPete.com

Sensory-Friendly Spree, Oct. 31, Glazer Children’s Museum, Tampa. 813-443-3861; GlazerMuseum.org/ HalloweenSpree

SARASOTA

Movie Night Spooktacular, Oct. 22, Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota. 941-861-5000; SCGov.net

Monsters Booze Cruise, Oct. 29, LeBarge Tropical Cruises, Sarasota. 941-366-6116; SarasotaOut.com

Ghosted Halloween Party, Oct. 29, Oasis Restaurant & Bar, Sarasota. Facebook.com/OasisSarasota

Haunted Mansion Party, Oct. 29, Sage, Sarasota. 941-445-5660; SageSRQ.com

Mote A-scare-ium, Oct. 29-31, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Sarasota. 941-388-4441; Mote.org

Beneva’s Monster Bash, Oct. 31, Mellow Mushroom, Sarasota. 941-388-7504; MellowMushroom.com

Seeing Red

Alaska reads Orlando and Tampa ‘4 Filth’

Ryan Williams-Jent

THE LAUNCH OF ALASKA

hunderf k ’s �irst headlining tour in North America – in support of her fourth studio album “Red 4 Filth,” released Sept. 23 – couldn’t come at a better time. It kicks off in Orlando Oct. 25 and moves to Tampa Oct. 26, the perfect precursor for Halloween.

“Halloween is wild,” the drag icon says. “October 1 happens and everyone is like, ‘Let’s go! Let’s do it!’ I feel like I do

Halloween all the time because I always dress up as a different person, but Halloween is a chance for people to be cheap, be slutty and be an animal.”

Alaska – who rose to fame as a �inalist on the �ifth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2013 and returned to win “All Stars 2” three years later –celebrates all of those things and more through her art. That’s particularly true in “Red 4 Filth,” billed as “an album of addictive pure pop confections

| uu | Seeing Red

harkening back to the 90s and early 2000s.”

“With this album we were heavily referencing the music that made me who I am, and we talk about love and relationships and friendships in a way that I never have before in my music,” Alaska says. It’s a departure from her previous studio albums, which include fan favorite hits like “Your Makeup is Terrible” and “Nails,” which use a more spoken word approach.

“It was really interesting to do this album because I wanted to do songs that I’m actually singing on,” Alaska says. “I hadn’t really ever done that before. Some people were like, ‘Why aren’t you writing songs about hair, nails and eyelashes?’ and I was like, ‘well, because I’ve done that and I’ve done that for 10 years, which is great.’ It’s awesome and I love performing those songs, but I want to venture into new territory.”

Billboard celebrated Alaska’s creative choice after she dropped “ ed” last year, the album’s �irst single. “Alongside being one of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’s’ biggest stars, Alaska Thunderf**k knows how to put together a banger,” they shared.

“Nowhere is that more clear than on ‘Red,’” Billboard continued. “A thumping

electro-pop banger through and through, with Alaska offering some stellar vocals (as well as her signature talk-singing in the song’s second verse) to bring home this early-2000s-style bop.”

“Red is the color of blood, and the heart, and the color of love,” Alaska explained at the time. “This song and this album are dedicated to the time when �irst fell in love with music — around the turning of the century. We’re drawing upon the sounds and textures of the 90s and early 2000s, with pop songs that are about love and friendship. I love the music and I can’t wait to share it with you all.”

That shines through in “All That She Wants,” Alaska’s most recent video and the cover of Ace of Base’s hit song. The Swedish pop group �irst released their chart-topping single in 1992.

“Recording it was such an honor,” Alaska says. “I love Ace of ase’s music. hat was the �irst cassette tape I ever had.”

The video features Bosco, Alaska’s “Drag Race” alum via season 14 and the self-described

“Demon Queen of Seattle.” It’s a celebration of the era’s pop music and sci-�i tale with tones of intentional horror.

“The video is the story of an outer space ingenue – the perfect specimen of womanhood trapped in a space pod by a diabolical creator,” Alaska teased its release. “But when the mystical creation becomes too powerful, her creator �lies into a rage. oes her creator destroy her? Or does the outer space woman break free once and for all?”

“The video is so weird, cool and I really enjoyed telling my story with it,” she explains. “The album is called ‘Red 4 Filth’ and all these videos I’d done so far have looked clean, nice and pretty. ’m like, where’s the f king �ilth

“I wanted the whole second act of the music video to just be the �ilth category, so had “ he Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” fan favorites] Abhora and Dvvsk come out and be mud monsters with me,” Alaska continues. “It was so fun.”

as well as her signature brand of comedy for a must-see show.”

“I want to tell a story with the tour, which is going to be a challenge and I hope it works,” Alaska says. “This album is very theatrical and the music goes to all these different places, so I want to do that with the show. It’s pretty exciting.”

The tour will also allow Alaska to bring her unique brand of drag to the masses. Tickets begin at only $25, with VIP experiences available at higher costs.

“I love that drag is everywhere and everyone is kind of looking at and paying attention to it,” Alaska notes. “I only see that as a good thing, but I think that drag is really like expensive now. Everyone looks really good, really polished and really fancy, but I have sort of an affection for cheap and horrible drag.

“Grueling, unforgiving and emotionally taxing,” Bosco described the experience. “I spent months preparing for the role and don’t know if I’ll ever be normal again.”

“All That She Wants” was the �ifth ideo from “ ed ilth.” In addition to “Red,” it also followed “beautiful (night 4 a breakdown),” “wow.,” “XOXOY2K” and “Girlz Night,” featuring the drag trio Stephanie’s Child. Alaska calls it an overdue departure �inally focusing on what else the �ilth.

The entertainer says fans have expressed that the entire album is. “I’ve heard from people that they love it. They love to work out while listening to it. I don’t know,” she muses, “I guess everyone likes time traveling to the year 2000.”

Nearly 40 audiences throughout North America will get to experience that �irsthand on Alaska’s tour. It promises to “feature her performing the entire new album and other fan favorites with a barrage of sickening high fashion backup dancers (2000’s pop-star style)

“I don’t think that it is necessary for drag to be expensi e, dif�icult to attain or only available if you know the right people or have people building your exquisite ensembles,” she continues. “I like to remind people that drag can be cheap and easily accessible to everyone.”

Fans can experience that by purchasing “Red 4 Filth” tickets at AlaskaThunderfuck. com. The tour opens in Orlando Oct. 25 at The Abbey, located at 100 S. Eola Dr., Unit 100 and moves to Crowbar in Ybor Oct. 26, located at 1812 N. 17th St. in Tampa. “Red 4 Filth” is now available for purchase and/or streaming on all major music platforms.

FABULOUS FILTH: Alaska Thunderf**k brings the “filth” in “All That She Wants,” her cover of Ace of Base’s classic hit and the latest single from her new album “Red 4 Filth.” PHOTO COURTESY KAIN O’KEEFE, DIRECTOR OF THE MUSIC VIDEO

NEW GROUND: Alaska Thunderf**k strikes red in her fourth studio album, delibrately moving into new territory as an artist. PHOTO COURTESY MAGNUS HASTINGS

Halloween is wild. October 1 happens and everyone is like, ‘Let’s go! Let’s do it!’

— DRAG SUPERSTAR ALASKA THUNDERF**K

you connect with that crowd it’s an incredible feeling.

On the Record

International DJ Ben Bakson comes to Orlando for ‘Tricks & Screams’

car from Washington, D.C. to see me, and they had to go back the next day. It’s overwhelming sometimes, but its so nice when people love what you do and make such and effort to come and see you. When I was working in marketing and economics, I never got feedback like this. Your boss might tell you this Power Point presentation is really good, but to move people like this with music is a different level.

I appreciate every fan who comes up to me and wants to get a picture because it takes a lot of strength to go up to someone you like and ask for a picture, at least I think it does. For me, when I was in Los Angeles, I saw somebody I knew from TV and didn’t ask them for a photo, so it take balls to go up to someone and do that, so that’s why I really appreciate fans who do that with me. That’s the kind of feedback no marketing job can give you.

TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE FELLING WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING ONE OF THESE HUGE CIRCUITS AND YOU LOOK OUT A SEE A SEA OF PEOPLE DANCING TO YOUR MUSIC?

(ABOVE) HEY MR. DJ: Ben Bakson will perform at Orlando’s “Trick’s & Screams.”

PHOTO COURTESY

Jeremy Williams

AFTER A DECADE OF BEING AN

exclusive, invite-only event, Orlando’s Tricks & Screams is opening up to the public at the Level 13 Event Center Oct. 21 starting at 8 p.m.

The event, hosted by Trinity The Tuck and themed “Funhouse,” will feature live entertainment, a $500 �irst pri e costume contest and music from international DJ Ben Bakson.

Bakson, the German-born heartthrob, has DJ’d at some of the biggest events in the world, performing for thousands of fans. He also produces original music, having released his latest single “You Got Me” with Australian singer OMEO.

Watermark chatted with Bakson via Zoom ahead of his Halloween stop in Orlando.

WATERMARK: WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR MUSIC DEVELOP?

From my parents. Music has always been a part of my life since the beginning. In the morning, the �irst thing do is switch the music on and my parents always did the same. And it isn’t just party music like what I play, IT can be when there’s a dinner I have music in the background. It Has always been a part of our lives.

YOU HAVE QUITE A FOLLOWING ONLINE AND AT CIRCUIT EVENTS YOU PLAY. WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO HAVE FANS FOLLOW YOU AROUND THE WORLD?

I was just playing in Los Angeles a few weeks and there were a couple of girls who told me they drove by

As a DJ you have a big responsibility. Everything I do, if I press the wrong button or if the music doesn’t connect to the people, you have the power of the night. Next week I play in São Paulo for 5,000 people, it’s a sold-out event, and it’s an incredible feeling to see so many people. And if they all connect with you then you, as the DJ, you have the best night of your life. This is really an incredible feeling when you have this massive amount of people and they are vibing with you. That’s also not a given, you have to work on that and be able to read the crowd.

I am a bit nervous when I get up there but in a positive way. I’m not afraid to do it but I get a nervous excitement. When I get to the place with my friends beforehand, I have this tension where I am studying the sound system and listening to the music that they play before me, and no matter how big the party is — if it’s 2,000 or 5,000 — it’s the same kind of tension. But if

WHEN PEOPLE HEAR DJ, I THINK THEY AUTOMATICALLY THINK REMIXING EXISTING SONGS, BUT YOU ALSO PRODUCE ORIGINAL MUSIC. YOU HAVE A NEW SINGLE, “YOU GOT ME,” WITH OMEO. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

OMEO is an amazing singer from Australia, I’ve known him for several years. This year at Mardi Gras we met in person for the �irst time, and he has an amazing voice, so I told him we have to do something together. He showed me his concept for “You Got Me” and I loved the lyrics, it talks about getting away from toxic people and how it is important for us to cut those people from our lives. So we started working on it, I produced it and made a radio edition, which is quite calm, and then a circuit version as well for the club. Then we released a remix album as well with the major producers we have on the scene.

ANY ASPIRATIONS TO TACKLE AN ENTIRE ALBUM?

Yes, absolutely. When we have enough songs together, that is de�initely something want to do. Right now I have three original tracks and I’m working on the next one. I’m talking with OMEO about doing another original track because I loved working with him, his vocals are just incredible. So we are in talks right now but it is dif�icult because I have so many gigs at the moment. We will see when we have time but it will happen for sure.

YOU ARE COMING TO ORLANDO FOR TRICKS & SCREAMS. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT EVENT?

I’m very excited about this, it is a Halloween event. I’m told this is the �irst year that it is open to the public and they are selling tickets. It was previously an invite only event so I am excited to play it because I’ve never been before.

WILL YOU BE DRESSING UP?

We’ll see, but to be honest us Europeans we are not really good at dressing up, people in the U.S. love to dress up for several occasions, but we don’t. But we will see, I don’t want to be the only one not dressed up [laughs].

Tricks & Screams will be at the Level 13 Event Center in Orlando Oct. 21. Tickets start at $85 with VIP, After Party and Meet & Greet options available. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to TricksAndScreams.com.

PUBLICITY

Kal Penn reads an excerpt from his book during a UCF event.

PHOTO BY JHEFF MATHIS

Serious Man

Kal Penn visits University of Central Florida

like they might be limited, but they are not.”

In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles to study at UCLA’s prestigious Theatre, Film and Television School. While in L.A., he realized that the glamorous Hollywood world was different from what he had imagined.

The biggest struggle at the beginning of his career was the prejudgment of his look — Indian — bordering on the impossible of �inding an agent to represent him in one of the most competitive industries in the world.

to working in politics, and what led him to this unexpected change was nothing outrageous.

“The fact is that I don’t like politics,” Penn says. “I like public service.”

Penn worked for Obama’s campaign in 2007 and 2008, and after that, he saw an opportunity to continue public service and applied for a full-time staff position. Later, he joined Obama’s administration as Principal Associate Director in the hite House f�ice of Public Engagement.

Penn had the chance to do a lot during his time in politics, but there were speci�ic moments when even the humble actor felt proud of himself.

“I had the chance to put together an executive order that the president signed to reinstate the White House initiative on Asian Americans and aci�ic islanders,” he says.

Jheff Mathis

AHOLLYWOOD STAR, WHO PAUSED HIS

career to get involved in politics, went back to entertainment and became a writer.

Kalpen Suresh Modi, 45, known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, producer and writer who put his career on hold to be a White House staff member during the Barack Obama administration.

Penn attended an event held by the Indian Center at the University of Central Florida Sept. 26, where he read passages from his memoir “You Can’t Be Serious,” and shared some of his life experiences.

Penn says he dreamed of being an artist but telling that to his family was a challenge since Indian families have high expectations of their child’s education and success. For them, an art career was out of sight. Penn faced that challenge and started following his dreams at an early age while still in high school.

Grandson of Gandhian freedom �ighters and son of ndian immigrants, Penn dragged prominent

UCF attendees to the event, such as the University’s president, Alexander Cartwright, a native of the Bahamas, who laughed a lot and seemed delighted with Penn’s stories.

“Attending this event allows us to see different experiences,” Cartwright says. “Many of our students whose family or themselves immigrated here may have a similar experience, and it’s good for them to see how people go about and persevere. It was incredible to hear how he continued pushing forward despite the adversities.”

Penn says he did not see many people like him or his culture on U.S. television while growing up. He felt the lack of representation and wanted to be that change in the industry.

“To be invisible,” Penn says, “makes your possibilities seem

The actor says an agent’s comment hit his feelings hard. The agent commented to Penn’s friend that he “would not represent the artist because someone like him — his appearance — would never work in Hollywood consistently enough for it to be worth the hassle of management.” Penn said this statement enlightened his mind and he understood that the problem was not him but something enrooted in society — racism.

Some years later, Penn became a celebrity seemingly overnight with his role in the 2014 comedy “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” in which he starred alongside John Cho. This movie changed the course of Penn’s career and opened doors to many other roles including the award-winning “The Namesake,” “House,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Designated Survivor,” “Sunnyside” and the recently released horror �ilm “Smile.” Penn also reteamed with his “Harold & Kumar” partner Cho for two sequels.

Penn says the industry has made tremendous changes since he started in the business and highlighted the importance of streaming platforms, which offered vast opportunities to actors of different backgrounds. However, he said these incidents still happen and hopes that someday the system comes to a total change of mindset regarding stereotyping.

Looking to do something impactful, Penn shifted gears and decided to work for the government, joining the list of entertainers who went from working in Hollywood

The executive order, which was signed in October 2019, addressed Asian American and aci�ic slander community issues. t bene�ited ietnamese American �ishermen, who received federal resources after the catastrophic BP oil spill, the largest marine oil spill in history and ignited by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Penn worked for two years in the of�ice of public engagement, focusing on connecting with Asian Americans and aci�ic slanders, another experience he shared in his book.

Something else Penn shared in his memoir, which made headlines in 2021, is that he is a gay man and has been in an 11-year relationship with his partner, American entrepreneur Josh Marlar.

Penn shared a story from his and arlar’s �irst date, saying it was different than expected. He says he was shocked that his future partner arrived at his apartment with an 18-pack of Coors Light and instantly switched the TV on to watch NASCAR.

“I thought, ‘oh, no! It’s not going to work,’” Penn says.

But here they are, almost 12 years later, happy and engaged.

Penn is keeping busy with two big projects premiering this fall. First, he joins the cast of “American Horror Story” for its 11th season, subtitled “New York City” in an undisclosed role, premiering on FX Oct. 19.

He will also join the team behind “ he anta lause” �ilms for the Disney+ miniseries “The Santa Clauses,” set to premiere Nov. 16.

community calendar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA

“Airplay,” Oct. 10-30, Seneff Arts Plaza, Orlando. CreativeCityProject.com

“Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You Too, August Wilson),” Oct. 12-30, Orlando Shakes, Orlando. 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org

The Milky Way Bar + Bites

Crawl | Pride Edition, Oct. 14, Southern Craft, Orlando. 407-401-3003; TheMilkDistrict.org

Pride Brunch & Bar Crawl, Oct. 15, Ember, Orlando. 407-849-5200; DowntownCrawlers.com

Come Out With Pride Parade and Festival, Oct. 15, Lake Eola Park, Orlando. ComeOutWithPride.org

Orlando Pride Diversity Party, Oct. 15, Irish Shannon’s, Orlando. 407-866-1191; IrishShannons.com

Rainbow House, Oct. 15, Ace Café, Orlando. 4079966686; AceCafeUSA.com

Trevor Noah, Oct. 15, Amway Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com

Drag Brunch - 2yr Dragaversary, Oct. 16, Island Time, Orlando. 407-930-2640; IslandTimeOrlando.com

Weird Al Yankovic, Oct. 16, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Orlando Gay Chorus: Uncut Cabaret, Oct. 16, Renaissance Theatre Company, Orlando. OrlandoGayChorus.org

“Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical” in Concert, Oct. 17, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

FL ACDA Fall Conference 2022, Oct. 20-22, First United Methodist Church, Orlando. 407-849-6080Flacda.org

WITCHY WOMAN

AIDS Walk Orlando + Fight the Stigma Fest, Oct. 21, Lake Eola Park, Orlando. 407-645-2577; HopeAndHelp.org

Central Florida Veg Fest 2022, Oct. 22, Festival Park, Orlando. 321-331-1859; CFVegFest.org

Alaska Thunderfuck, Oct. 25, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

“Hamilton,” Oct. 26-Nov. 20, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

The Wallflowers, Oct. 27, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org

TAMPA BAY

“The Female Gaze” Opening, Oct. 14, MIZE Gallery, St. Petersburg. 727-251-8529; ChadMize.com

Sketchy Sketch, Oct. 14, Event Space at Bulge, Tampa. 813-202-1000; BulgeTampaBay.com

70s, 80s and early 90s Night, Oct. 14, The Garage on Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-235-9086; Facebook.com/ OFCLGaragePage

Weird Al Yankovic, Oct. 15, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Pasco Pride Drag Queen Bingo, Oct. 18, Quench Lounge, Largo. 727-754-5900; QuenchLounge.com

WE Convene Town Hall, Oct. 18, Creative Pinellas, Clearwater. 727-582-2172; CreativePinellas.org

Movies in the Park:

“The Goonies,” Oct. 20, Straub Park, St. Petersburg. 727-824-7802; PreserveTheBurg.org

“AQRONYM: A Night of Queer Comedy,” Oct. 21, Rock Brothers Brewing Co., Tampa. 813-241-0098; TIGLFF.com

Broadway Ball, Oct. 22, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Hollander H2O with The Cheaters, Oct. 23, Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg. 727-873-7900; HollanderHotel.com

5th Annual Fall Fest Fundraiser, Oct. 23, 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002; 3DBrewing.com

Stevie Nicks, Oct. 25, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa. 813-600-1000; Facebook.com/ MidFloridaAmp

Alaska Thunderfuck, Oct. 26, Crowbar, Tampa. 813-241-8600; CrowBarYbor.com

“An Evening with David Sedaris,” Oct. 27, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

SARASOTA

Fabulous Independent Film Festival Selections, Oct. 15, Burns Court Cinema, Sarasota. 941-312-1202; FabAF.org

Central Florida Trans March

SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 1 P.M.

LAKE EOLA PARK, ORLANDO

In October 2021, Orlando was the host city for the National Transgender Visibility March. This inaugural march will gather transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people to show their Pride as they march down the streets of Downtown Orlando. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. with a rally and continue at 4 p.m. to kick off The Most Colorful Parade.

AIDS Walk Orlando + Fight the Stigma Fest

FRIDAY, OCT. 21, 6 P.M.

LAKE EOLA PARK, ORLANDO

The Orlando AIDS Walk was rescheduled for Oct. 21. The event will still be held in Lake Eola Park and feature the Fight the Stigma Fest scheduled before the walk around Lake Eola. The festival will include local vendors, food and drink trucks, live entertainment, raffle prizes, free HIV testing and more. For more information and to register for the event, go to HopeAndHelp.org/AIDS-Walk.

TAMPA BAY TIGLFF 33

THROUGH OCT. 16, MULTIPLE TIMES

MULTIPLE VENUES, TAMPA BAY

The 33rd Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival presents its centerpiece film Oct. 13, “Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way.” It will screen at Tampa’s Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and St. Petersburg’s Green Light Cinema. Films continue Oct. 14-16 at AMC Sundial in St. Petersburg, including Oct. 15’s closing film “Petit Mal.” Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

SARASOTA

Sarasota Pride 31

SATURDAY, OCT. 22, 12-5 P.M. J.D. HAMEL PARK, SARASOTA

Sarasota Pride returns for its 31st celebration, presented by Project Pride. Enjoy drag entertainment from emcee Lindsay Carlton Cline, live music from Karmic Tattoo, Divine AF and Sandi Grecco and much more. Read more on pg. 12 and at SarasotaPride.org.

Music

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

The Garage on Central Ave. celebrated 11 years in the Grand Central District Sept. 30.

Team Active Hearts raised more than $4,000 for SMART Ride 19 during their Oct. 6 drag turnabout at Cocktail. Learn more at TheSMARTRide.org.

The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival kicked off its 33rd year Oct. 7 at Tampa Theatre. In-person and virtual continue through Oct. 16. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

Nicholas Ellis and Joe Christianson were married Oct. 8. Come OUT St Pete held its inaugural Family Day and 5K Oct. 9 at Seminole Park in honor of National Coming Out Day. View a full gallery of photos at WatermarkOnline.com.

CONDOLENCES

St. Petersburg’s Keith Joseph Frey died Sept. 28 at 44. visitation will be held Oct. 29 at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home and donations in his honor can be made to Moffitt Cancer Center at Give.Moffitt.org or 1-800-456-3434, ext. 1403. He will be missed.

Love the Golden Rule’s Willie Walton died Oct. 9. “He will be deeply missed by all of us and all of the patients he cared for,” they shared. “He is a true example of living life to the fullest by following directions and sharing his love with everyone he met.”

Friend of TIGLFF and Director Doug Langway died Oct. 9. “We are sad to say goodbye to such a talented and young creative talent,” TIGLFF shared. He will be missed.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Tampa Pride’s Mark “Tea Cup” Bias West, WellCare Manager Michael Clouse, Former Tampa Bay bartender Jeff Beadle (Oct. 13); Freelance writer Michael Kilgore, Ybor City Barbering Co. owner Lisa Ann Harmon, Ybor legend Joey Brooks, Sarasota PrimeTimer Dan Warren (Oct. 14); St. Pete socialite Art Lawrence, Tampa retiree Howard Hawk, comic guru Eddie Riordan (Oct. 15); Suncoast softballer Michael Monnich, Out & About host Tyler Butler (Oct. 16); Tampa political guru Mitch Kates, Geico expert Barry Stemle, Ybor City’s King Corona Cigar expert Willy Emerson, Metro Inclusive Health nurse Amanda Graves (Oct. 17); Pinellas County Young Democrat Blaine Lawson, DJ Cubby Pat O’Rourke (Oct. 18); St. Pete strategic advisor Mike Callahan, Former Tampa Bay Diversity Chamber president Eric Mathis, Cider Press Cafe owner Johan Everstijn, Tampa photographer Byron Schaerr, Tampa Bay Pride Band’s Daniel Stevens, Tampa Bay entertainer Chanel P. Cartier, Chago’s Barbershop barber Kevin Rix (Oct. 19); Flamingo Car Club president Robert “Tiny” Nasworthy,Ybor entertainer Blu Yake (Oct. 20); St. Pete DJ Jayson Chancey, Tampa Bay activist SueZie Hawkes (Oct. 21); Former Honey Pot co-owner Steven Donahue (Oct. 23); Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus President Sally Phillips (Oct. 24); Owner of Lakeland’s The Parrot Rich Dunn, Tampa Bay entertainer Austin Hagge, Cocktail bartender Sebastian Hathcock, Cosplayer Charles Parilla, St. Pete staple Barbra Ann (Oct. 26).

1

HONORED: Judge Patrice Moore (L) and Trevor Pettiford receive outstanding excellence awards from Kenzi’s Korner, Inc. Oct. 5.

VIA KENZI’S KORNER, INC.’S FACEBOOK

2

SISTER SISTER: The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence lead Sister Bingo at City Side Lounge Oct. 9. PHOTO VIA THE TB SISTERS’ FACEBOOK

3

ON THE TRAIL: State Sen. candidate Eunic Ortiz (L) and State Rep. Michele Rayner meet with voters at Datsko Park Oct. 9. PHOTO VIA EUNIC ORTIZ’S FACEBOOK

4ALL HEART: Team Active Hearts members and supporters raise more than $4K for The SMART Ride during their annual SMART Ride turnabout at Cocktail Oct. 6. PHOTO COURTESY ROBERT BRENNAN-BUNDY

5

COOL CLUB: Tombolo Books’ Queer Comic Book Club meets at Inclusivitea Oct. 8 to discuss “Chef’s Kiss.” PHOTO VIA TOMBOLO BOOKS’ FACEBOOK

6

ALL IN THE FAMILY: (L-R) Entertainers Adam Cole, Alexis De La Mer, Rockell Blu, Kori Stevens, Veronica Vixen and Caezia Giovanni celebrate National Coming Out Day during Come OUT St. Pete’s inaugural Family Day at Seminole Park Oct. 9. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

7

TEAM 33: (L-R): TIGLFF President Rob Akins and Executive Director Victor Gimenez welcome Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and partner Ana Cruz to opening night at Tampa Theatre Oct. 6. PHOTO BY NICK CARDELLO

8

Z TEAM: Zoie’s entertainers show their support for Girls in Wonderland Oct. 9 at Postcard Inn on the Beach.

VIA ZOIE’S FACEBOOK

CONGRATULATIONS

Heidi Courtenay and Sarah Davis were married Sept. 28. Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation was awarded a $100,000 grant this month as a part of Aflac’s Care Grant initiative. Read more about the organization’s grant and upcoming fundraiser event on pg. 8. Se7enBites celebrated nine years at the start of this month.

The LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus has endorsed several Central Florida candidates ahead of the general election Nov. 8. Among them are Rep. Darren Soto, Karen Green, Joanne Terry and Maxwell AlejandroFrost for the U.S. House; Linda Stewart and Vic Torres for the Florida Senate; Rick Karl, Rishi Bagga, Deborah Poulalion, Carlos Guillermo Smith, Sarah Henry, Tiffany Hughes, LaVon Bracy Davis, Anna V. Eskamani, Johanna Lopez, Allie Braswell and Kristen Arrington for the Florida House.

CONDOLENCES

Local cook Matthew Fisher passed away Oct. 3. Orlando Fringe supporter and volunteer Nicole Ledbetter passed away Oct. 7.

HIRING

Watermark has been the premiere source for LGBTQ news across Central Florida and Tampa Bay for nearly 30 years. Now we are expanding our Central Florida team. If you are a motivated, organized, outgoing self-starter who is great at time management and thrives in a team environment, this may be the right career for you. Watermark offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Email your resume and cover letter to Watermark owner and publisher Rick Todd at Rick@WatermarkOnline.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Watermark freelancer Jerick Mediavilla (Oct. 13); Pink Flamingo Group Trips coordinator Dan Warren (Oct. 14); Orlando realtor Scott Benson, Central Florida Sounds of Freedom musician Melissa Fallcenbury, Art curator Mendi Cowles (Oct. 15); Divas in Dialogue founder Mulan Montrese Williams, Orlando Fringe show director Michael Marinaccio, Real estate agent Kase Elders, Orlando attorney Mary Meeks (Oct. 16); Gecko accountant Judy L. Hines, singer Sunshine Matthews, Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph (Oct. 17); Come Out with Pride Executive Director Tatiana Quiroga, LGBTQ advocate David Moran (Oct. 18); Softball star Jennifer Friedman, Orlando make-up artist Scott Juszczak (Oct. 19); Orlando’s own “Divine Miss M” Jennica McCleary, Quality Analyst Chris Hamlett, Orlando photographer Chris Stephenson (Oct. 20); Hope CommUnity Center’s Andrea Montanez, DJ Ants Adam Brenner (Oct. 21); Karaoke legend Nick Rogers, Orlando maintenance specialist Joe Arlotta, Orlando Hamburger Mary’s bartender Juan Torres, Sprinkles Custom Cakes owner Richard Gregory (Oct. 23); Equality Florida’s Gina Duncan (Oct. 24); Bricks Galore & MORE Toys owner Ryan Malin (Oct. 25).

OUT+ABOUT

1

SCARY SOIRÉE: (L-R)

Kristian Bighom, Danny Garcia, Samantha Rosenthal and Jonathan Welch attend the Milk Mart Spooky Soirée in Orlando’s Milk District Oct. 2. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA

2

MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

Orlando activists Ashley Figueroa (L) and Andres Acosta attend the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS in San Juan, Puerto Rico Oct. 10. PHOTO FROM ANDRES ACOSTA’S FACEBOOK

3

TWO FOR SIX: Rick Todd (L) and Jennifer Kunsch attend the opening night of “SIX” at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Oct. 4. PHOTO BY RICK TODD

4

TEAM SUPPORT: Andrea Montanez cheers on the Orlando City Soccer Club as they defeated Columbus 2-1 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando Oct. 9.

FROM ANDREA MONTANEZ’S FACEBOOK

5

WITCHES BREW: A behind the scenes look at (L-R) MrMs Adrien, Ginger Minj and Gidget Galore as they film their music video for “I Put A Spell On You” at The Abbey Orlando. PHOTO FROM STACY GANNON’S FACEBOOK

6 AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISTS: (L-R) Jennifer Cook, Julianne Kate, Lilly Hernández and Rick Brunson attend the RTDNA Edward R Murrow Awards in New York where they were among the evening’s award winners.

RICK BRUNSON’S FACEBOOK

SPEAKING OUT: State

rally

Anna V. Eskamani

at a Freedom for

of City Hall

ART: City Commissioner Patty

attends Creative City Project’s

Seneff

of

Read It Online!

ENGAGEMENT DATE:

WEDDING DATE:

WEDDING VENUE:

FIRST DANCE SONG:

THEME/COLORS:

CAKE BAKERY:

CAKE FLAVORS:

WEDDING BELLS

Kerissa Hickey and Kayleigh Inzinna from

Petersburg, Florida

PHOTOGRAPHER:

ONE TUESDAY NIGHT IN NOVEMBER OF 2014, Kerissa Hickey was excited to be invited on a whim to a dog’s �irst birthday party.

“It was like, ‘Why are we not in the car already? Let’s go,’” she says.

The birthday pup, Biscotti, was owned by the friend of a friend, someone she had never met at that point. But Hickey, who was living in St. Petersburg at the time, enthusiastically made the drive to North Tampa for the celebration.

It was at this party that she met her future wife – the dog’s owner –Kayleigh Inzinna.

Hickey ultimately crashed at Inzinna’s place. When she got back to St. Pete the next day, she realized she left her phone there and had to turn around to pick it up in Tampa.

They kept in touch after this and began spending time together whenever Inzinna came to the Sunshine City for events.

“I had her as a friend to go to markets and festivals, and friendship became more,” she says.

Hickey adds, “Eventually we went on a date, but we didn’t know it was a date.”

On Cinco de Mayo in 2015, they went to a hibachi restaurant.

“She goes to the bathroom. I pay the tab. I open the car door for her,” Hickey remembers.

That’s when Inzinna asked her, “Are we on a date?”

“I asked, ‘Do you want it to be a date?’” Hickey says. “It was a very goofy, weird start.”

Though they had a clear connection, the couple brie�ly broke up during that �irst year, e entually getting back together.

“We were in different points in our lives but realized that we couldn’t live without each other and worked

through our differences to grow closer together,” Inzinna says.

They moved in together in 2017 and spent the next several years “getting to know each other and what it was like living together” as they chased career and personal goals, she adds. By 2020, Inzinna knew that Hickey was her “ride or die.”

Hickey says, “Originally, she wanted to propose to me in Paris. At the time, I was not ready. She was very much sick of waiting for me to be ready.”

By the end of the year, she decided to surprise Inzinna and show her that she was ready to take the next step. he planned a bon�ire with a group of friends – including their mutual friend who brought Hickey to Biscotti’s birthday party years earlier and was visiting from New York City –and proposed in front of them.

Six months later, Inzinna surprised Hickey by proposing in return on a rooftop while visiting New York.

As they began thinking about what their wedding would look like, Inzinna took over much of the planning.

“She is a planning genius,” Hickey says. “This crazy lady had a 14-page Excel spreadsheet … She even had our wedding day planned down to 15-minute intervals.”

Hickey helped as well, taking on more hands-on tasks like making centerpieces and �inali ing the seating chart.

Because of her wife’s detailed plans, their wedding day was “smooth sailing,” she adds. “There was a page for everything. A page for guests. A page for food.”

They booked their wedding for Feb. 13, 2022, at the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg without realizing that it was not only Super Bowl Sunday, but it was also the day before Valentine’s Day.

“Someone pointed it out and it was like, ‘Oh, gross,’ because we’re not cheesy like that,” Hickey laughs. “So, for us, it was just a beautiful Sunday. It rained in the morning and was nice after that. It’s a good sign when it rains on your wedding day.”

Tiffany Razzano

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