Watermark Issue 29.26: Year in Review

Jason LeClerc cheers to the holiday season in his latest Viewpoint.

WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Rick Todd PUBLISHER Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

IT MIGHT BE THE UNDERSTATEMENT

of the year to say I watch a lot of TV. Well, maybe not “of the year.” I mean, there are Trump NFTs out there now. I’m sure any claim that that’s nuts is the understatement of the year.

Nevertheless, I’m often found on my couch enjoying small screen entertainment. A good handful of the shows I watch are mindless, which my — at times — overactive mind appreciates. Mostly though, I enjoy something that makes me think or really resonates with me. No show has done this more than “This Is Us,” which took its final bow this year.

Towards the series finale, the character Randall Pearson gave a toast at his sister’s wedding. With his mother’s ailing health at the forefront of his mind, he reflected on the passage of time and how slow it moves when you are young. “But the older we get,”

he continued, “the faster time just seems to come at us. All of us.”

Nothing is truer for me as I reflect back on 2022. It is such a cliché to say, but where did this year go? I feel like I blinked and the year was over. Funny thing about time though, what you feel goes by in the blink of an eye can also seem like forever ago.

My husband and I like to play a silly game at the end of a long day. It goes something like this: Dylan will say to me, “It was today when…,” and I will fill it in with something I did that morning that seems like forever ago.

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to play that game here, but with 2022.

Here’s an example: It was this year when Watermark wrote the controversial stories surrounding the closure of the LGBTQ nightclub Stonewall. It was this year that Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent got to interview Audra McDonald. We had the privilege of seeing her show. She is a stunning woman and a stunning performer. I’m sure he’d rather I mentioned his interview with mermaid phenom Jodi Benson, but Audra is more my style.

It was this year that LGBTQ and ally women of color dominated the Orlando WAVE Award issue cover. Congratulations and thank you again to Heather Abood, Pom Moongaulang, Tish and Tatiana Quiroga.

It was this year Central Florida said goodbye to Doug Ba’aser. He was an amazing human being, friend and talented actor. I’ve often referred to him as the funniest man I have ever met. We also saw the passing of Steve Singhaus, Elliot Barber and most recently, Al Pfeiffer and Ted Maines.

It was this year that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis backed and signed into law the poorly named Parental Rights in Education bill. The LGBTQ community quickly coined it the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill.

It’s legalized discrimination that sparked a change in Watermarks 2023 direction, something I will detail in the next issue.

It was this year that GayDayS, Inc was sold and returned, that St Pete Pride celebrated 20 years and that the Supreme Court dismantled the 50-year precedent of Roe v Wade.

We seem to have packed a whole lot of good and a whole lot of bad into one year. One event however stands out to me that defines this year. President Joe Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act.

The significance of this event cannot go unnoticed. It’s simply something I never thought I would see in my lifetime and I hope it is indicative of a change in direction of acceptance for all LGBTQ people.

In my last column of 2021, I mused about some things I’d like to see come out of 2022. The end of the pandemic, a return to truth and the concept of asking questions rather than making

JASON LECLERC

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

assumptions topped the list of desires. Did 2022 bring these? It’s all subjective. The pandemic as we knew it ended. Life opened up. The anticipated red wave in the mid-term election was dismantled, at least outside of Florida. Election deniers and big lie supporters were denied office. That’s a partial return to truth.

For 2023 I have one simply request: Can we finally put Donald Trump back into the background? I will check back in with you in twelve months to see how that is going.

Watermark has exciting news about 2023. Before we get into that, let’s look at what made 2022.

We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

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

PHOTOGRAPHY

DISTRIBUTION

responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH

MICHAEL WANZIE is an Orlando-based playwright, actor and ordained minister. He is most recognized for his direction of productions in the Orlando area. Page 15

We seem to have packed a whole lot of good and a whole lot of bad into one year.

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2022

1.GAY COUPLE SAYS THEY WERE ASSAULTED IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO BAR

A couple claims they were assaulted at McQueen’s Social Lounge, a downtown Orlando bar, Sept. 23 because they are gay; however, security footage of the incident shows that the couple initiated the incident and that no hate crime actually occurred.

2.

STONEWALL ORLANDO CLOSES ITS DOORS AS IT SEARCHES FOR NEW OWNER

On the last day of 2021, Stonewall Bar posts to its Facebook page a notice that read “due to unforeseen circumstances Stonewall Bar is temporarily closed.” The post is later taken down but the bar remains closed. Stonewall’s owner says the shutdown happened because the bar’s operators did not come up with the money to purchase the bar by the agreed upon date. Unable to run and operate the business from his home in South Florida, the owner states Stonewall’s doors will remain closed until he is able to find new owners.

3.

COFFEE WITH A CAUSE: B-52’S FRED SCHNEIDER CO-LAUNCHES PHILANTHROPIC ROASTERY

Fred Schneider, frontman of the iconic rock band The B-52s, and Von Coven, founder of innovative studio Breyting, launch a coffee roaster in DeLand, whose purpose is to raise funds for Central Florida nonprofits. Breyting Community Roaster donates a portion of every coffee purchase to a cause chosen by the purchaser from a list of participating nonprofits. To help raise awareness about the roastery and some critical organizations, Schneider personally selects three nonprofits: Save the Manatees Club, So You Want Your Name in Lights and the LGBT+ Center Orlando.

4.

ACTOR, HOST AND FRIEND DOUG BA’ASER PASSES AWAY AT 62

Legendary Central Florida actor, entertainer and event host Doug Ba’aser passes away July 16. He was 62. Ba’aser entertained audiences for more than four decades throughout Central Florida, appearing on Orlando stages including Orlando Fringe and the iconic Footlight Theatre at the Parliament House. He was also one of the LGBTQ community’s go-to emcees, hosting everything from trivia and bingo nights to the annual Trash 2 Trends fundraiser and Watermark’s own WAVE Awards.

5.

FLORIDA REP. FINE CALLS ON CITY OF MELBOURNE TO PULL EVENT PERMIT

Florida Rep. Randy Fine posts on social media his disapproval of an upcoming Space Coast Pride drag queen event, calling on Melbourne’s city manager to pull the permit for the event. Fine makes several more posts calling on his supporters to reach out to Space Coast Pride’s sponsors. Melbourne’s mayor, Paul Alfrey, took to social media to address Fine’s concerns, stating that he supports Space Coast Pride and welcomes them to hold all their scheduled events in Melbourne.

Gone Too Soon

Remembering activist Ted Maines

Tom Dyer

APOLE STAR IS A CELESTIAL

light— bright, steady and unwavering –that guides travelers to their destination.

It’s also the perfect metaphor for the life of my dear friend, Ted Maines. Ted died on Dec. 14 after a courageous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In his 64 years, he made an indelible impact on our community, and on the lives of his family and many friends.

I met Ted and his husband, Jeff Miller, soon after they moved to Orlando in the late 1980s. Still uncertain about my gay future, they were the role models I needed; striking exemplars of life lived with style, grace, humor and a passionate commitment to full equality.

“Ted was an early and strong voice for the LGBTQ community,” Jeff told the Orlando Sentinel. “We fought in the trenches in that battle for a long time.”

Ted was a founder of Central Floridians United Against Discrimination and the Rainbow Democratic Club, both precursors to Equality Florida. Back then, the LGBTQ community had no influence, no seat at the table. By 2012, Ted and Jeff were named the area’s #1

Power Couple by Orlando Magazine. They held dozens of fundraisers at their art-filled condominium at The Sanctuary. Elected officials and power brokers coveted a place at their dinner parties, where no topic was off limits.

“Teddy was brash and passionate,” said Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan. “He was engaging, he was funny, and he could tell you to go to hell and enjoy the trip. He was just an amazing human being.”

In 1994, when I shared my idea for a local LGBTQ newspaper over lunch, Ted and Jeff were enthusiastic. They invested, and Ted offered to write a column. “Mixed Media” covered growing LGBTQ culture – local and national – with

the style and wit I hoped would define Watermark.

Was Ted opinionated? Here’s a snapshot from his column in our third issue.

“’Rock Hudson’s Home Movies’ is the cheesiest piece of trash ever assembled to cannibalize on a dead celebrity. There are no home movies … just clips from his films slapped together to make it obvious HE WAS GAY! Maybe that’s a revelation to someone who spent the ‘70s and ‘80s in a coma.”

Back then, Ted worked in management at a Fortune 500 company. When he was asked to skip over a more qualified African American woman for a promotion, Ted refused and was terminated. He sued, and the result was one of the largest whistleblower verdicts handed down at that time.

That episode, difficult and stressful, opened the door for Ted to explore his passion for style and design. As a teenager in northeast New Jersey, and then as a student at Rutgers University, Ted routinely ventured across the Hudson River to explore the latest trends in Manhattan. As design consultant at The Sanctuary and Star Tower, Ted brought a sophisticated big-city perspective to downtown Orlando. When he opened Ted Maines Interiors in 2010, he shared that award-winning sensibility with hundreds of private clients.

All the while, Ted kept busy with meaningful community service. For many years he was President of the Board of Trustees at the Orange County Public Library System. He served on Orlando’s Historic Preservation Board, as well as the Boards of the Orlando Ballet, the Creative City Project, the Hope and Help Center and the Orlando Police Foundation. Ted also co-chaired the Paws for Peace Walk benefitting Harbor House, and he and Jeff were instrumental in creating the Upstanders Anti-Bullying Campaign at the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida.

“Ted touched so many people in very profound ways,” Jeff said. “Not just on the big scale, but in a very immediate and personal way.”

A memorial service for Ted will be held at a later date. In the meantime, contributions in his memory can be made to the Holocaust Center, Harbor House and the Zebra Coalition.

COMMUNITY CHAMPION: Ted Maines was an activist in Orlando for more than three decades. PHOTO FROM DIGNITYMEMORIAL.COM

Moving Forward

Tampa Pride vows reform in 2023

Ryan Williams-Jent

TAMPA | Tampa Pride held its 2023 planning meeting Dec. 13, welcoming more than 50 people to Ybor’s Hampton Inn Hotel & Suites.

The gathering followed the Dec. 5 resignation of Mark Bias, a co-founder of Tampa Pride’s current iteration and partner of Carrie West, board president. He most recently served as secretary and festival director.

Bias resigned after publicly sharing a derogatory social media post likening women who perform in drag to “Fake DRAG.” It drew widespread condemnation and prompted an apology from Tampa Pride itself.

West told Watermark Dec. 6 that Bias is “very sorry” and noted that there are “no true feelings of negativity to the community from the board nor myself.” Bias did not respond to our requests for comment but read a prepared statement Dec. 10 on “Tru T,” a local web series.

“I wish to offer my deepest and most sincere apologies for my Facebook comments and my poor choices of words,” he said.

Tampa Pride’s Dec. 13 meeting began with a welcome from West, who reviewed upcoming events and initiatives. The meeting was primarily led by Vice President Mark Eary, who quickly fielded questions about the diversity of Tampa Pride’s five-person board.

“We need people that can step up and work with us,” he said. “You don’t just get on the board with no knowledge … we would love to see more board members added if we can. We’re talking about a lot of changes and I’m looking forward to all of them.

“We want to get a diverse group of people … except we don’t have any to pick from,” he continued.

“This is the first meeting I have seen with this amount of people and I am so happy I could just fill up with tears, because this makes me feel what I do is worth it.”

Speakers included entertainer Te Monet, who was approached last year to help guide Tampa Pride’s scholarship fund. She was the first to directly address and apologize for Bias’ comments.

“As a member of this community, I’m excited,” Monet told Watermark afterwards.

“Before we get into the fact that I’m a Black, trans woman, I’m a member of the community here

and an entertainer. I’m excited about the way this board is growing and evolving, because Pride belongs to all of us.

“What happened was ugly, it was not a fun moment for any of us, but through tragedy amazing things can happen,” she added.

Ronnie Angelique, also known as entertainer Angelique Young-Cavalier, addressed attendees as well. She vowed to become more heavily involved to “see the changes I want to see.”

“There’s a lot of wonderful work that the Tampa Pride board does,” she told Watermark afterwards. “I noticed that the board didn’t have much diversity, even though they have a Diversity Parade and a lot of things that use the right verbiage. It really didn’t show that when I walked into the room being one of just a few people of color, and out of those, three of us were Black, trans women. That’s wild.”

Angelique says that her biggest takeaway was that Tampa Pride is heavily invested in expansion. She says it’s critical for supporters to become more involved for that to happen equitably.

“I think it’s important that anyone who has an interest in Pride or wants to see things become better, they’re going to have to start to show up,” she says. “It’s time for us to stand up and actually attend these meetings. I hope that more people do.”

For more information about Tampa Pride and future meetings, visit TampaPride.org.

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2022

1.

SUNCOAST SOFTBALL LEAGUE EXECUTIVE SHARES ANTI-LGBTQ POSTS

An executive councilmember of the Suncoast Softball League, Tampa Bay’s largest LGBTQ sports organization which has served the region since 1993, draws the ire of some league members for publicly sharing anti-LGBTQ content on social media. Lonnie Ledford, the league’s openly gay and former secretary, later resigns April 21. The news comes just two days after leadership voted he could retain the position.

2.

TAMPA BAY’S ‘MIGUEL & HOLLY SHOW’ ENDS AFTER 7 YEARS

“The Miguel & Holly Show” hosts Miguel Fuller and Holly O’Connor announce Feb. 4 that their Hot 101.5 morning show will end after nearly seven years on air. Fuller, an openly gay, former Watermark contributor, breaks the news by sharing that they had the “unprecedented privilege … to say goodbye” to listeners. He also details various events and initiatives listeners supported, including book drives and celebrations like Tampa Pride, St Pete Pride and more.

3.

TAMPA DRAG LEGEND TIFFANI MIDDLESEXX DIES AT 73

Gerald J. Mayes, widely known as local drag legend Tiffani Middlesexx, dies Jan. 11 at 73 years old. Middlesex captivated audiences throughout Florida for decades, including as headliner of the long-defunct Rene’s Club Cabaret, one of Tampa’s pioneering LGBTQ safe spaces. She had retired 10 years prior but remained active in the community as an MCC Tampa congregant. “To all who love her, I offer this: may the glitter of her love stick to you like all the glitter she’s left behind after church drag shows,” Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw says.

4.

JOHNSONS TAMPA ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING

Johnsons, the speakeasy which has provided live, male entertainment in Fort Lauderdale for more than five years, officially launches its new location in Tampa Bay Oct. 14. Owner Matt Colunga began welcoming patrons to the former Cristoph’s in September and following extensive renovations, set its official grand opening the next month. Johnsons “is a niche that hasn’t been filled in Tampa in a long time,” Colunga tells Watermark.

5.ST PETE PRIDE WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BOARD FOR 20TH YEAR

St Pete Pride welcomes its new executive director and expands its board ahead of the nonprofit’s landmark 20th anniversary in June. Berman, who is nonbinary and uses she/they pronouns, says she was drawn to St Pete Pride because of its desire to serve all of Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ community before, during and after Pride Month. The organization details its plans to do exactly that in 2022 and beyond.

IN ACTION:

Tampa Pride President Carrie West speaks at Tampa Pride’s Dec. 13 meeting. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2022

1ROOMMATE OF LGBTQ ACTIVIST FOUND DEAD IN LANDFILL IS CHARGED WITH MURDER

A grand jury charges Steven Yinger in April with the murder of Jorge Diaz-Johnston.

2DESANTIS TESTS LIMITS OF HIS COMBATIVE STYLE IN DISNEY FEUD

Gov. Ron DeSantis signs legislation April 22 stripping Walt Disney World of a decades-old special agreement that allows it to govern itself.

3TRIAL ENDS OVER DESANTIS’ REMOVAL OF PROSECUTOR FOR ABORTION, TRANS VIEWS

Trial over Andrew Warren’s lawsuit against DeSantis concludes Dec. 1.

4PROMINENT LGBTQ ACTIVIST FOUND DEAD IN FLORIDA LANDFILL

The body of Diaz-Johnston is found Jan. 8 in a Jackson County landfill.

24-YEAR-OLD BLACK, TRANS WOMAN KILLED IN JACKSONVILLE

Duval Princess was fatally shot at the Highland Square shopping center Jan. 2.

FLORIDA LAWMAKER WHO SPONSORED ‘DON’T SAY GAY OR TRANS’ BILL INDICTED FOR FRAUD, RESIGNS

Jeremy Williams

Florida Rep. Joe Harding who sponsored the Parental Rights in Education bill — also known as “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” — was indicted on charges of defrauding a federal coronavirus loan program for small businesses Dec. 7.

Federal prosecutors said Harding illegally obtained or tried to obtain more than $150,000 from the Small Business Administration in pandemic aid loans. A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Florida returned a six-count indictment that includes two counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and two counts of making false statements.

If convicted, Harding faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 10 years for money

laundering and five years for making false statements.

According to POLITICO’s Gary Fineout, Harding was released on bond. Fineout also tweeted a statement from Florida’s House Speaker Paul Renner.

“After consultation with Representative Harding regarding his indictment, I am temporarily removing him from his committee assignments to allow him time to focus on this matter,” Renner stated. “In America we adhere to the rule of law, and as such, Representative Harding is presumed innocent and will have the opportunity to plead his case before a court.”

Harding resigned from office the following day, releasing a statement that reads ““Today, I am resigning from my position for the same two reasons: I love people, and I love Florida. I believe

in Floridians and want what is best for them, and I believe their leaders need not be encumbered by distractions that are mine alone.”

Harding’s resignation was effective immediately and a special election will be held to fill the vacated seat.

According to POLITICO, the indictment unsealed by the federal government claims that Harding listed The Vak Shack and Harding Farms, both companies that had been inactive since 2017, on application for SBA loans designed to help small businesses survive the pandemic. He also lied about their revenue numbers, bank statements, and employee counts to secure the loans, federal investigators allege.

Harding has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is set for Jan. 11.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SIGNS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LAW, CALLS IT ‘A BLOW AGAINST HATE’

Wire Report

WASHINGTON | A celebratory crowd of thousands bundled up on a chilly afternoon Dec. 13 to watch President Joe Biden sign same-sex marriage legislation into law, a joyful ceremony that was tempered by the backdrop of an ongoing conservative backlash over gender issues.

“This law and the love it defends strike a blow against hate in all its forms,” Biden said on the South Lawn of the White House. “And that’s why this law matters to every single American.”

Singers Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper performed. Vice President Kamala Harris recalled officiating at a lesbian wedding in San Francisco. And the White House played a recording of Biden’s television interview from a decade ago, when he caused a political furor by unexpectedly disclosing his support for same-sex marriage. Biden was vice president at the time, and President Barack Obama had not yet endorsed the idea.

“I got in trouble,” Biden joked of that moment. Three days later, Obama himself publicly endorsed same-sex marriage.

Lawmakers from both parties attended the ceremony, reflecting the growing acceptance of same-sex unions, once among the country’s most contentious issues.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wore the same purple tie to the ceremony that he wore to his daughter Alison’s wedding. She and her wife are expecting their first child in the spring.

“Thanks to the millions out there who spent years pushing for change, and thanks to the dogged work of my colleagues, my grandchild will get to live in a world that respects and honors their mothers’ marriage,” he said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the crowd that “inside maneuvering only takes us so far,” and she thanked activists adding impetus with “your impatience, your persistence and your patriotism.”

Despite the excitement, there was concern about the nationwide proliferation of conservative policies on gender issues at the state level.

Biden criticized the “callous, cynical laws introduced in the states targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors who give children the care they need.”

“Racism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, they’re all connected,” Biden said. “But the antidote to hate is love.”

Among the attendees were the owner of Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado where five people were killed in a shooting last month, and two survivors of the attack. The suspect has been charged with hate crimes.

“It’s not lost on me that our struggle for freedom hasn’t been achieved,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “But this is a huge step forward, and we have to celebrate the victories we achieve and use that to fuel the future of the fight.”

Our kids are watching this moment,” she said. “It’s very special to have them here and show them that we’re on the right side of history.”

The new law is intended to safeguard same-sex marriages if the U.S. Supreme Court ever reverses Obergefell v. Hodges, its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex unions nationwide. The new law also protects interracial marriages. In 1967, the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia struck down laws in 16 states barring interracial marriage.

The signing marks the culmination of a monthslong bipartisan effort sparked by the Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that made abortion available across the country.

In a concurring opinion in the case that overturned Roe, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested revisiting other decisions, including the legalization of gay marriage, generating fear that more rights could be imperiled by the court’s conservative majority. Thomas did not reference interracial marriage

with the other cases he said should be reconsidered.

Lawmakers crafted a compromise that was intended to assuage conservative concerns about religious liberty, such as ensuring churches could still refuse to perform same-sex marriages.

In addition, states would not be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples if the court overturns its 2015 ruling. But they will be required to recognize marriages conducted elsewhere in the country.

A majority of Republicans in Congress still voted against the legislation. However, enough supported it to sidestep a filibuster in the Senate and ensure its passage.

The ceremony marked another chapter in Biden’s legacy on LGBTQ rights, which includes his surprise endorsement of marriage equality in 2012.

“What this is all about is a simple proposition: Who do you love?” Biden said then on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Who do you love and will you be loyal to the person you love? And that is what people are finding out is what all marriages at their root are about.”

A Gallup poll showed only 27% of U.S. adults supported same-sex unions in 1996, when President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which said the federal government would only recognize heterosexual marriages. Biden voted for the legislation.

By the time of Biden’s 2012 interview, same-sex marriage remained controversial, but support had expanded to roughly half of U.S. adults, according to Gallup. Earlier this year, 71% said same-sex unions should be recognized by law.

Biden has pushed to expand LGBTQ rights since taking office. He reversed President Donald Trump’s efforts to strip transgender people of anti-discrimination protections. His administration includes the first openly gay Cabinet member, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and the first transgender person to receive Senate confirmation, Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine.

WATERMARK’S TOP 5 ONLINE HEADLINES OF 2022

1.

WARLORD WHO PERSECUTED GAY CHECHENS KILLED IN UKRAINE FIGHTING

Magomed Tushayev, head of the “141 motorized regiment” of the Chechnya National Guard and one of the top warlords and close advisor to Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, is killed Feb. 26 in the battle for Antonov Airport, also known as Hostomel Airport, an international cargo airport and testing facility northwest of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

2.

GAY MAN SHOT TO DEATH ON NYC SUBWAY TRAIN

Daniel Enriquez, a 48-year-old gay man becomes the latest victim of a New York City subway shooting May 22, when police said Andrew Abdullah, 25, shot Enriquez in the chest in an unprovoked random act inside a subway car traveling from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Police arrest Abdullah May 24, who they identify as the sole suspect in the shooting, after attorneys representing him from the Legal Aid Society attempt to arrange for his surrender.

3.

NONBINARY DEPT. OF ENERGY OFFICIAL REPLACED AFTER FELONY THEFT CHARGES

The Department of Energy replaces Sam Brinton, a nonbinary senior official, after they were charged with a felony over an incident at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Sept. 16. During an initial conversation with police, Brinton allegedly denies that they had stolen another passenger’s suitcase. Subsequently, Brinton told investigators they grabbed the wrong bag by mistake out of exhaustion.

4.

FAMILY OF BLACK GAY TEEN KILLED BY BALTIMORE POLICE DEMANDING ANSWERS

The family of Donnell Rochester, an 18-year-old gay Black man who is shot and killed by Baltimore Police Feb. 19, demand that Mayor Brandon Scott and the City’s Police Commissioner Michael Harrison investigate the teenager’s shooting death and also meet with the family. BPD officers were on patrol when they found a car registered to Rochester. Officers got out of their vehicle to try and stop the car Rochester was driving because of an open warrant out against him. While police body camera video shows officers firing on the car, it’s unclear whether Rochester drove toward officers, as police said he did.

5.

HERSCHEL WALKER’S GAY SON ADDRESSES DAD’S ABORTION CONTROVERSY

Christian Walker, conservative influencer and son to Georgia’s then-senate candidate Herschel Walker, posts several videos and tweets slamming his father over an article released by The Daily Beast accusing the anti-abortion candidate of paying for his girlfriend’s abortion in 2009. Christian Walker blasts his father who has been running on a “family values” platform, calling for a total ban on abortion with no exception for rape, incest or the life of the mother.

OVER A YEAR AGO WHEN

Watermark’s editor was planning the 2022 schedule for contributing writers, I specifically requested to have one of my columns appear in this Year in Review issue.

I envisioned being able to recount some great moments and some measure of progression in a positive direction, as opposed to the four years of backward movement and downright evil achievements ushered in during four years of the tRump administration which unfortunately had lasting effects that continued to taint and dangerously infect the body politic all through the first year of the Biden administration.

Unfortunately, here in Florida, 2022 treated us to a special homegrown, high-octane shit show all our own produced by and featuring Governor Ron DeSantis. Rather than doing much of anything that mattered he engaged in showmanship politics geared to appeal to a tRumpish right wing extremist base and, in his efforts to win their approval, this big bad schoolyard bully cared not one iota whose lives his words and actions endangered and harmed along the way.

DeSantis went to war against women, scientists, fair voting districts, trans persons, gay marriage, the teaching of true history, books, drag queens, vaccines and legal asylum seekers and unsuspecting immigrants in ways that caused real and quantifiable harm to individual human beings, most of whom were already suffering and vulnerable. When thinking back upon all this I thought I would be challenged to write anything positive about this past year but in the 11th hour this year proved me wrong.

To find the positivity in 2022 we need look no further back than Nov. 8. On this date the saner, more compassionate and constitutionally dedicated among us rose up to stave off the predicted red wave and we showed up at the polls in record numbers with a flat-out rejection of hate and division. Through our votes we rejected the crazy unqualified tRump-selected

candidates in a stunning upset of a midterm election that will forever be one for the history books —with Florida being a sad and embarrassing exception — but overall the outcome of the midterms should give us hope that there is still a chance we will preserve our democracy.

Then, earlier this very month, Biden orchestrated the celebrated return to America of Brittney Griner from a penal colony in Russia. A happy event indeed but a more significant factor to our community and a testament to Biden’s willingness to not shy away from his commitment to LBGTQ+ inclusion was the administration’s decision to have present at The White House during the prisoner exchange, Griner’s wife, who was treated with dignity, respect and allowed to speak to the press from a podium with the White House insignia after being introduced by the president himself. As an old, gay rights activist who as of late has been made to feel that so many of our hard-won advances have been stripped from us this moment meant a great deal to me.

And in even better news, as we approached mid-December, The U.S. Department of Energy announced a monumental milestone in nuclear fusion research: a “net energy gain” which, for those of us concerned for the actual health of our planet, is quite possibly the most significant discovery to come along in my lifetime. Jennifer Granholm, U.S. energy secretary, said “This milestone moves us one significant step closer to the possibility of zero carbon abundance fusion energy powering our society.” In other words, this breakthrough is the first truly tangible step toward ending the need for fossil fuels and that is good and happy news indeed.

Also this month, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law mandating federal recognition for same-sex marriages, much to the relief

of so many of our friends who once again had to fear their families were under threat.

And seeing Cyndi Lauper present at the elaborate White House ceremony added a smile-inducing coda to the signing of this important piece of legislation.

But by far the very best thing — and that which I believe will be the single most memorable “gift” that 2022 has given unto us — was that of Donald tRump’s major announcement. This lifetime grifter was not about to allow his presidency to eclipse his scam huckster past. His major announcement proved to be the most bizarre return to his self-serving, con artist roots one could have ever possibly imagined as the former pitchman for the failed Trump

Steaks, Trump Vodka, Trump University, Trump Shuttle and the multiple Trump casinos, he announced he’s selling, “… my first official NFT collection … they’re called Trump Digital Trading Cards.”

THIS is his first and only move of any kind since announcing a month earlier that he is running for president. It’s so crazy it’s almost not to be believed.

pertaining to my life and my career” except that none of the images on the cards — other than one of him golfing — have anything at all to do with his actual life or his career. They are all crazy-ass depictions of him as all the things in life he could never hope to be.

Watching his “major announcement” was like watching an “SNL” skit meant to mock him, but instead the idiot makes a complete mockery of himself as the man who once again seeks to be the leader of the free world goes all Home Shopping Network on us, selling badly photoshopped images which he say features “really incredible artwork

Watching an actual former U.S. president demean and embarrass himself in such spectacular fashion was both cringe worthy and laughable at the time, while reminding us of who he really is, and that is why this stunt by this sideshow barker qualifies as my favorite moment of 2022.

Michael Wanzie is an Orlando-based playwright, actor and ordained minister.

Michael Wanzie

SIGNING OFF OF ZOOM

meetings with Canadian or British clients is always fun.

“Cheers,” they dryly accent with their version of salaam or its cognate shalom or their chill cousin aloha—all words for all seasons. At first this was jarring, but lately the idea of finishing every interaction with a feigned toast has become a fantastic midday, any day fantasy. Jarring has evolved into shaken-not-stirred. Cheers to virtual shots with people I’ve never met in person.

The night that Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, I received a random text from my Christian fundamentalist godmother. “Maybe after 48 years,” I thought, “she’s calling to acknowledge my gayness in light of the legislative coup, or maybe,” even more incredibly (I posited to my handsome spouse), “she’s calling for advice on how to acknowledge the humanity of her own grandchildren who,” through closed-eyed sleuthing, “she has discovered may also live on the LGBTQ prism.”

Wrong twice, I accepted that she’s from another generation where simply reaching out to acknowledge my uncomfortable-to-her existence during the holidays is tantamount to acceptance. Cheers to cross-generational, calling to “just let you know I love you,” and accepting it for the reaching-out that it is. 2022, when even Mitt Romney voted to acknowledge the universality of love, is a special time in the immediacy of culture change. Timing is everything. Do Mormons have godparents? Cheers to RINOs, endangered as they may be.

I recently rewatched the 1964 episode “How The Flintstones Saved Christmas” with a smile on my face and sense that—even for a modern Stone Age family—there was something to look forward to: even before mid-Century TV censors forced us to believe in an immaculately conceived Pebbles. Not many things scream anachronistic (“Yabba-dabba-doo!”) more loudly than a “Flintstone’s” Christmas episode:

ptalking pterodactyls flying over shopping malls and gaudily lit, sugar-cookie shaped evergreens highlighting a pre-historic cheer that seems right at home in the glow of cathode rays turned LED pixels.

Hinting at parochialism, such imagined vistas are still, somehow, wholly secular. Such an invoking and saving-of Christmas as if it were just another battle for democracy’s soul in the Cold War, this “phase right out of (imaginary) history” reminds us that the spirit of the season isn’t so much Christian as it is American: a stony mix of optimism, archeology, and myth. If you’re looking, in 2022, for a bedrock of 60s culture to hold strong against hippies and commies while still upholding traditional values, look no further than MacyRock’s and an ill-Santa trope. Now, that was something to cheer about. So, cheers to Fred and Wilma, Lucy and Desi and Mary and Joseph.

It’s wintertime in America and for many of us it means we have something to cheer about: even if (for my BabyBoomer and GenX cohorts) it’s simply that it’s not a Nuclear Winter; the Doomsday Clock has been static for a couple of years. Cheers to another year, one hundred seconds ’til midnight, with fingers a little further away from the red buttons on the football

Even the Scroogey-est among us can find something to cheer for in December 2022. FSU and UCF football fans have found ways to cheer out loud and with much gusto—bouncing houses and war-chanting their ways into the post-season—not every cheer needs to be ground shaking. But there ain’t nothing wrong with some good ol’ sports cheers. Cheers to college kids living their dreams and working toward something bigger than themselves.

It may not be the white Christmas Nick Fuentes

and Holocaust deniers have been looking forward to, but we in Florida can cheer for lower humidity and 50s-at-night. Cheers to cool weather and for bipartisan condemnation of former presidents who break bread with white supremacists.

Cheers to rebuilding in the wake of Ian and Nicole. Cheers to “Respect for” displacing “Defense of.” Cheers to spunky and irascible Ukraine for staving off World War III so far.

Cheers to Elon Musk for SpaceX and Tesla and batteries and StarLink.

Cheers to reducing carbon emissions. Cheers to dunes and sea walls and mangroves and building codes. Cheers to friends

around the world. Cheers to a moonshot and beyond.

Cheers to 1776 and 1787 and the Declarations and Constitutions that created us. Cheers to 1865 and 1954 and 1968 and the Amendments and overturnings and Acts that righted our trajectory.

Cheers to 1969 and 2013 and 2022 and the Riots and Decisions and Laws that codified love as a right.

Cheers to our founding generations, our grandparents, our godparents, our siblings and all of their kids and progeny.

Cheers to getting this all jumbled together in a single shot of future-looking nostalgic positivism tied together by 900 words that

spanned from prehistory to the brink of 2023 in the Common Era. There will be plenty of cynics who’d rather dwell on war and inflation and culture conflicts and I’ll let them have their spaces (cheers to the multiverse of ideas). As for me (and you): Rest up, take an Aleve and drink a gallon of water before bed because we have 365 days of 2023 to start

cheers-ing to.

Cheers: Salaam: Shalom: Aloha: God Bless us, everyone.

Jason Leclerc (@JLeclercAuthor) is chief economist and partner at Crescent Consulting. He has published two short story collections.

talking points

Academy Film Award winner. Her films have, over her four-decade-long career, earned $2.5 billion at the box office. The AARP’s Movies for Grownups program champions movies that resonate with viewers 50 and over, and fights ageism in the entertainment industry.

WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER RELEASED

RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES

HAVE RELEASED WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER. Griner was released in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. Griner was serving a nine-year prison sentence after a Russian court convicted her on the importation of illegal drugs after Russian customs officials found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner had been incarcerated in a penal colony before her release. The White House tweeted a picture of President Joe Biden in the Oval Office with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “She is safe,” tweeted Biden. “She is on a plane. She is on her way home.”

KRISTEN STEWART TO

73RD BERLINALE FILM FESTIVAL JURY

ORGANIZERS OF THE ANNUAL BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL SAID DEC. 9 that Kristen Stewart will head the international jury in 2023. The LGBTQ actor who recently played Princess Diana in “Spencer,” for which she received an Oscar nomination, will lead the judges’ panel at the 73rd Berlinale.

“She’s one of the most talented and multi-faceted actors of her generation,” festival directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian said in a statement.

Stewart made her directorial and screenwriting debut in 2017, and was a member of the international jury at the Cannes Film Festival the following year. The Berlin International Film Festival takes place from Feb. 16-26.

TONY AWARDS SET FOR JUNE 11 IN NEW LOCATION

THE PRODUCERS OF THE TONY AWARDS HAVE SET JUNE 11 for the show that celebrates the best of Broadway and are setting it in a new location — more than a hundred blocks north of New York City’s theater district. The telecast will be broadcast live from the lush and elegant United Palace, a 3,400-seat venue in uptown Washington Heights that is Manhattan’s fourth-largest theater. It opened in 1930 and hosts concerts, movie premieres and events. The awards eligibility cut-off date is April 27 and nominations for the 2023 Tony Awards will be announced May 2. The telecast will be shown on CBS and stream live on Paramount+.

When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of a restaurant in the afternoon, this is still wrong. We must stop the hate and violence.

—PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN CALLING FOR CONGRESS TO PASS THE EQUALITY ACT DURING THE RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT SIGNING CEREMONY AT THE WHITE HOUSE DEC. 13

“S

CREAM QUEEN” JAMIE LEE CURTIS WILL BE THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT OF AARP THE MAGAZINE’S MOVIES FOR GROWNUPS AWARDS career achievement honor. Curtis will receive the honor at the AARP’s annual Best Movies and TV for Grownups ceremony, the group announced Dec. 1. Alan Cumming returns to host the ceremony, which will be telecast on “Great Performances” on PBS on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern. Since stepping into the role of Laurie Strode in “Halloween” in 1978, the 64-year-old horror queen starred in her last installment of the slasher series “Halloween Ends,” and the queer-focused indie film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” this year. Curtis, whose other credits include, “True Lies,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “Freaky Friday,” “Knives Out” and the television series “Scream Queens,” is an Emmy nominee and a British

LEAD

Year in REVIEW

2022’S IMPACT ON THE LGBTQ COMMUNITIES OF

CENTRAL FLORIDA AND TAMPA BAY

Jeremy Williams and Ryan Williams-Jent

WHAT A YEAR THIS TURNED OUT

to be. More so than any recent year, 2022 felt like we were all on a roller coaster –with not only its ups and downs but its barrel rolls, loop de loops and corkscrews.

We celebrated major wins in the LGBTQ community including President Joe Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act into law to provide federal protections to same-sex and interracial marriages. We saw parties during the first weekend of June return from GayDays, One Magical Weekend, Girls in Wonderland and Tidal Wave Party and marked 20 years of St Pete Pride. We celebrated the return of Brittney Griner, the election of Maxwell Alejandro Frost as the first Gen Zer elected to Congress and watched Ginger Minj in “Hocus Pocus 2.”

We also saw Florida Republicans, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, attack the LGBTQ community with the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, blocking

gender-affirming care and school sports from trans youth and feeding into the “groomers” lie that led Nazis to protest Drag Queen Story Hours, Pride events and anywhere our community gathered. We also watched as a gunman attacked an LGBTQ club in Colorado, bringing up memories of the 2016 attack on Pulse.

Through all of it — the good and the bad — the LGBTQ community stood together, proud and strong. Join us as we look back on some of the biggest moments of the year –recapping the headlines in Central Florida, Tampa Bay and across the state, nation and world that prove 2022 was a year for the LGBTQ history books.

JANUARY

Watermark begins the year with a focus on health care for the LGBTQ community. We detail local services from several LGBTQ-focused health care clinics. We also speak with drag icon Leigh Shannon who reflects on his health and highlight organizations which hold proms for LGBTQ youth, among them ALSO Youth and Zebra Coalition.

Stonewall Orlando closes its doors as the bar searches for a new owner and Central Florida organizations make big announcements. Dr. George Wallace, the LGBT+ Center Orlando’s executive director, is promoted to the nonprofit’s first-ever CEO. The Central Florida chapter of the Gay Officers Action League also shares that Ashley Figueroa will be the group’s new executive director.

Sarasota Pride plans its 31st celebration, ultimately postponing until October due to continued COVID-19 concerns. Tampa drag legend Gerald J. Mayes, Tiffani

Middlesexx, dies at 73. The longtime entertainer captivated audiences throughout Florida for decades. EPIC is also awarded a check for $60,000 for participating in The SMART Ride 2021 while being named a beneficiary of the fundraiser in 2022.

Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide-elected Democrat in Florida, continues to cultivate the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ new online resource for LGBTQ Floridians. Tallahassee police confirm that prominent LGBTQ activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston is found dead in a Florida landfill and Duval Princess, a hairstylist who was 24 and transgender, is killed in Jacksonville.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announces that his department will allow the options of transgender male, transgender female, nonbinary and other when veterans select their gender in medical records and healthcare documentation. France and Greece also end their restrictions on gay and bisexual blood donations and Canada bans conversion therapy.

FEBRUARY

As conservative groups work to ban diverse and inclusive books nationwide, Watermark highlights Black, queer authors, including Jasmine Mans, Danez Smith, Jericho Brown, Audre Lorde and George M. Johnson. We also speak with Broadway legend Audra McDonald as she visits Sarasota and set the stage for 2022’s LGBTQ celebrations happening worldwide.

After more than 15 years under The Pride Chamber, Come Out With Pride announces that it will begin operating independently. Orlando Veterans Affairs also names Keri Griffin as the medical center’s fulltime LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Program Coordinator. Meanwhile, the onePULSE Foundation begins its search for an executive director as Barbara Poma, owner of Pulse and founding CEO, steps away from the title.

Equality Florida unveils its first LGBTQ mural in Tampa, designed by fan favorite artist Chad Mize. The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus plans

their winter conference in St. Petersburg, focusing on voter registration and turnout ahead of the midterm election. Hot 101.5’s “The Miguel & Holly Show” also ends after seven years as hosts Miguel Fuller and Holly O’Connor announce its cross-country move.

LGBTQ advocates throughout the state prepare for what Equality Florida calls “the most dangerous 60 days in our state,” already underway in the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature. The organization warns supporters about anti-LGBTQ bills including HB 1557, “Parental Rights in Education.” As it limits discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, it’s dubbed “Don’t Say Gay or Trans.”

After the Florida Legislature advances it, the White House speaks out. Biden’s administration says it is “designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most.” France bans conversion therapy and Germany appoints its first commissioner for the acceptance of sexual and gender diversity.

MARCH

The Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence return with new categories and major, in-person celebrations. Central Florida and Tampa Bay readers vote in record numbers, making it one of the biggest WAVEs ever.

After the Florida Legislature passes and DeSantis signs “Parental Rights in Education” into law, we speak with LGBTQ advocates who say “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” silences LGBTQ youth. We also speak with Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees founder Arsham Parsi whose advocacy brings him to Florida.

The LGBT+ Center Orlando creates a performing arts scholarship named after the late Sam Singhaus, also known as legendary drag performer Miss Sammy, and his sister-in-law,

costume designer Marcy Singhaus. By July, 10 recipients are awarded a total of $10,000. Come Out With Pride hosts its first adult-only Pride Prom and GayDayS sets its June return with news that it’s been sold to Joseph Clark and Thomas Souriya.

Manatee Pride returns for its seventh celebration, its first from new presenter ALSO Youth. St Pete Pride also welcomes its new executive director and board, committing to strengthen the organization in and beyond its 20th year, and Metro Inclusive Health launches pediatric care. Tampa Pride holds its eighth celebration while the Tampa Police charge a suspect in the murder of Jenny De Leon, a 25-year-old transgender woman who was found dead in late 2021.

The Walt Disney Company pauses political contributions in Florida due to “Parental Rights in Education.” CEO Bob Chapek, who will be replaced by his predecessor later in the year, apologizes to LGBTQ employees for not speaking out against it sooner. LGBTQ advocates statewide continue to decry its passage and support from DeSantis; Equality Florida says “he has attacked parents and children in our state by invoking hateful anti-LGBTQ stereotypes all to pander to his right-wing base as he prepares to run for President in 2024.”

Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who will become a target of DeSantis and other conservative voices in the months to come, makes history when she becomes the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. Phoenix Mercury WNBA player and a two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner’s detainment by Russian authorities on drug charges is also made public as her wife Cherelle speaks out. Two gay men become the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Chile.

APRIL

Watermark plants roots in April, highlighting gardeners, sustainable living organizations and likeminded enthusiasts in Central Florida and Tampa Bay. In arts coverage, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in sinks its teeth into “Little Shop of Horrors” in Tampa and we preview the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival’s 31st year.

B-52 frontman Fred Schneider co-launches his philanthropic roastery in DeLand, donating a portion of every coffee’s purchase to worthy causes. Dining Out for Life returns to benefit The LGBT+ Center in Orlando as Mayor Buddy Dyer, District 4 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and members of the One Orlando Alliance kickoff the fifth annual Acts of Love and Kindness.

Dining Out for Life also returns to Tampa Bay, once again benefiting EPIC. An executive councilmember of the Suncoast Softball League, the region’s largest LGBTQ sports organization, also draws the ire of some members for publicly sharing anti-LGBTQ content from his social media account. He resigns two days after leadership voted he could retain his position as secretary and subsequently loses re-election for another position.

Equality Florida celebrates 25 years as the state’s largest LGBTQ-focused civil rights organization, doing so in St. Petersburg. The organization is also among the plaintiffs in the first lawsuit challenging Florida’s

“Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. A Florida grand jury charges Steven Yinger with the murder of his roommate, LGBTQ activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston.

In a first, Biden meets with lawmakers in the LGBTQ Equality Caucus to reiterate his support for the community. The State Department releases its annual human rights report, noting that anti-LGBTQ persecution and violence remains commonplace in many countries around the world.

MAY

As Orlando prepares for its celebratory Red weekend, we detail upcoming LGBTQ pool parties, circuits and events from GayDayS, Girls in Wonderland, KindRED Pride, One Magical Weekend and Tidal Wave Party. We subsequently preview Pride Month as a whole, as major events throughout Central Florida, Tampa Bay and beyond prepare for their 2022 returns.

Jack Petocz, a Flagler Palm Coast High School student who helped organize the statewide “Say Gay” student walkout in March, receives honors for his advocacy. An openly gay firefighter files a lawsuit against the City of Orlando alleging he has been discriminated against by the Orlando Fire Department because of his sexual orientation, and the Seminole County Public Schools board votes not to cover up LGBTQ images in a school’s yearbook that were taken during a student protest.

State Rep. Michele Rayner announces the suspension of

ORLANDO’S STONEWALL: The now closed Stonewall Orlando hosting Come Out WIth Pride’s Block Party in 2018. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

EPIC RIDE: SMART Ride 18 participants in 2021. PHOTO COURTESY EMPATH PARTNERS IN CARE

her congressional campaign to focus on another run for the state House. The lawmaker – the first Black, openly LGBTQ woman elected to the Florida Legislature – cites DeSantis’ redistricting map. Government watchdogs say DeSantis redrew the map to favor Republicans and disenfranchise minority voters. The City of Tampa prepares for a “Love is Love” wedding celebration in June, intending to marry up to 50 same-sex couples.

A plaintiff in the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” lawsuit is threatened with censorship in Sarasota. Zander Moricz, a senior at Pine View School, says it shows “they want me to be the last” openly gay class president. A Florida teacher in Cape Coral also says she was fired by Lee County Florida School District officials after discussing her pansexuality when answering a student’s question.

The State Department determines that Russia “wrongfully detained” Griner. Biden, who vows to seek her release, also appoints Karine Jean-Pierre as White House press secretary. She becomes the first Black woman and first openly LGBTQ person to speak on behalf of a president of the United States. In Massachusetts, the U.S. reports its first case of monkeypox, a viral disease spread through fluids and other means.

JUNE

Pride Month begins along with St Pete Pride’s landmark 20-year celebration. We look back at the organization’s beginnings as Florida’s largest Pride celebration prepares to mark two decades. Later in the month we examine the plight of the local drag queen, speaking with regional entertainers who detail their labor of love.

Orlando marks six years since Pulse with remembrance events and the Hispanic Federation announces a $1 million investment in the region’s LGBTQ Latinx organizations. After a successful outing, GayDayS announces its move back to its traditional host hotel in 2023 and Orange County reports its first case of monkeypox. LGBTQ-serving health care organizations prepare their response accordingly.

Tampa Bay remembers performer Star Montrese Love, also known as Star Hayes, who dies at 43. The performer had a

longtime presence throughout the area. When the Tampa Bay Rays play the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field during the team’s 16th annual Pride Night, some Rays players decline to wear the team’s LGBTQ logo. Meanwhile, the second annual Pride at the Village makes history when Pinellas Park leaders officially recognize Pride Month.

A 17-year-old is charged with planning a mass shooting at a an LGBTQ annual fundraiser in West Palm Beach. Florida health officials also ask the state medical board to draft new policies to restrict treatment for transgender youth. It’s among the discrimination Biden decries while recognizing Pride Month.

The president subsequently signs an executive order expanding LGBTQ rights, directing U.S. agencies to develop policies to federally counter anti-LGBTQ laws at the state level.

JULY

Our July issues look at two hot topics from 2022 —abortion rights and mental health. In the first issue of the month, we reach out to abortion rights advocates and discuss how abortion rights are also LGBTQ rights. In our next issue, we chat with the team at Peer Support Space as they purchase space to turn into Florida’s first LGBTQ-focused respite.

In Central Florida, we say goodbye to legendary actor, entertainer, host and friend to

Watermark Doug Ba’aser. He passes away on July 16 at the age of 62. Local LGBTQ organizations also announce new leadership as the onePULSE Foundation names Deborah Bowie as its new executive director and Harold Wright becomes the new executive director of the Orlando Gay Chorus.

St. Petersburg mayors — both past and present — come out to endorse Eunic Ortiz for the state Senate seat in District 18, Illusionists Chris and Ryan Zubrick celebrate the first year in business for Zubrick Magic Theatre and David Fischer’s hew LGBTQ hot spot, The Wet Spot Pool Bar and Day Club, starts its new membership program.

Statewide, the controversial “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill goes into effect, limiting discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. By the end of the month, LGBTQ rights groups will file another lawsuit against it. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also starts recommending the meningococcal vaccine to gay and bisexual men following a meningitis outbreak in Florida.

Nationwide, lawmakers start the push to protect same-sex marriage after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and around the world, the World Health Organization advises men who have sex with men to reduce the number of sex partners they have until the number of monkeypox cases can be reduced.

AUGUST

We kick off August with a photography-focused in-depth on LGBTQ people and their pets. Watermark photographer and designer Dylan Todd captures pet parents as they showcase their furever families. In the final issue of the summer, we look at local scholarships that are being offered to LGBTQ youth, including from organizations such as onePULSE Foundation, The Dru Project, Come OUT St. Pete, the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber of Commerce and more.

One Orlando Alliance launches an LGBTQ-focused, first-of-its-kind survey to gather comprehensive data on Central Florida’s queer community. The Kissimmee Police Department launches its Safe Space program, mirroring the Orlando Police Department’s LGBTQ Safe Place program established in 2016, and begins providing decals for businesses to place in their store fronts.

In Tampa Bay, LGBTQ eatery Punky’s Bar and Grill announces its immediate and permanent closure after serving the community for more than six years. DeSantis suspends Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren from office, calling the elected official’s support for gender-affirming care and abortion rights a “neglect of duty.” In the world of sports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign a one-year deal with Carl Nassib,

the first active NFL player to come out as gay.

The Florida Board of Medicine on Aug. 5 votes to accept a request by Florida’s State Surgeon General for the Board to promulgate a rule prohibiting medical professionals from providing gender-affirming medical care for trans youth.

Fried appoints former State Rep. Jennifer Webb to serve on the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. Republican State Rep. Randy Fine also takes to social media to allege sexual assault by a trans student in a Melbourne middle school bathroom; however, the school and police have no report that the attack ever happened.

Secretary of Health & Human Services Xavier Becerra announces he is declaring monkeypox a public health emergency in a conference call Aug. 4. The CDC also echoes the advice from WHO, asking men who have sex with men to limit their number of sexual partners due to the outbreak. A Russian court finds Griner guilty of charges that she smuggled drugs into the country, sentencing her to nine years in a Russian penal colony.

SEPTEMBER

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and our first issue of the month examines this leading cause of death in and outside of the LGBTQ community to raise awareness, provide local resources and more. National Hispanic Heritage Month also kicks off in the month of September, leading to the in-depth feature of our next issue spotlighting and celebrating LGBTQ Latinx activists in Central Florida and Tampa Bay.

The month kicks off in Central Florida with Juan Rodriguez, the executive director of Bliss Cares since 2016, announcing he is stepping down from his position. The month also brings the Orlando Strong Symposium to UCF Downtown during Hispanic Heritage Month for the first time, the Central Florida Softball League kicks off its 25th season in Orlando and Central Florida Community Arts announces Terrance Hunter as the organization’s new CEO.

Tampa Pride launches its 2023 season with its second annual Pride on the River event.

DISNEY BEARS: A group of Red Shirt Bears leave the Country Bear Jamboree during Gay Day 2022 at the Magic Kingdom. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

TEAM ST PETE: St Pete Pride members, both past and present, celebrate the Pride organization’s 20th year. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

BUILDING BACK BETTER: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg kicks off his six-state Building a Better America tour at Port Tampa Bay in August. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

FROM

In Sarasota, the Fabulous Arts Foundation celebrates its 12th Fabulous Independent Film Festival and CAN Community Health releases its annual report for 2021 and 2022, a first in the private, not-for-profit organization’s 30 years.

The Miami-Dade School Board overwhelming decides against recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month. Parents, teachers and students spoke for more than three hours Sept. 7 before the board voted 8-1 against the measure.

A federal judge rules Sept. 7 against a federal mandate that requires employer provided health plans to cover PrEP.

Kelley Robinson, a Black, queer woman and veteran of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, is named the next president of the Human Rights Campaign.

OCTOBER

On our first October cover, we look at two big events from our readership area — Come Out With Pride, which features Broadway star and Grand Marshal Michael James Scott on the cover, and the Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival’s 33rd year. We also feature drag icon Ginger Minj on the cover of our Halloween special edition, highlighting her work on the national stage, appearing in Disney+’s “Hocus Pocus 2” and Hulu’s “Dragstravaganza.”

In Orlando, a gay couple accuses a downtown bar of a hate crime assault only for video

footage to reveal the couple initiated the incident and that no hate crime occurred. After a five-year absence, Libby’s Legacy returns with its Scooters 4 Hooters fundraiser, Orlando Fringe announces it is opening a year-round arts venue in the former home of Mad Cow and the LGBT+ Center Orlando cancels a Drag Queen Story Hour after Nazis threaten to protest. The Nazis don’t show but nearly 50 LGBTQ activists do.

Sarasota Pride returns with its 31st Pride celebration at J.D. Hamel Park after a more than two-year hiatus. During the festivities, it is announced that Sarasota Pride and Project Pride will be merging. Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith appears on the popular talk show “Dr. Phil” to debate Moms for Liberty on the merits of the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. Halloween also comes to Tampa Bay with the returns of the All Hallows Ball in Tampa and Halloween on Central in St. Petersburg. New LGBTQ speakeasy Johnsons Tampa announces its grand opening as well. Watermark Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent makes his national TV debut on Investigation Discovery’s series “Disappeared” as the show looks into the disappearance of Lakeland gay man Brian Klecha.

On Oct. 3, U.S. District Court Judge Allen Cothrel Winsor dismisses a lawsuit against Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to challenge the law. The Florida State Board of Education follows that up by formally adopting nearly a dozen

administrative rules Oct. 19 that stem from Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. By the end of the month, the Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine Joint Rules/ Legislative Committee advances a rule that would effectively ban gender-affirming care for minors in the state. The rule is finalized a week later.

Same-sex couples in Cuba are able to get married under a new law, Mexico approves same-sex marriage and Slovenia becomes the first country in Eastern Europe to legalize same-sex marriage and the adoption of minor children by same-sex couples.

NOVEMBER

Progressives celebrate wins and reflect on losses as voters take to the polls for the midterms. Orlando’s Frost wins his bid to become the first Gen Zer to be elected to Congress. LGBTQ and ally candidates Rayner and Anna V. Eskamani also win their re-election to the Florida House. Unfortunately, openly LGBTQ Orlando State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith lost his re-election bid and Ortiz, who nearly became the first openly gay woman elected to the Florida State Senate, lost her run for State District 18. Statewide, Reps. Charlie Crist and Val Demings lost their races for governor and senator to Republican incumbents DeSantis and Marco Rubio.

Orlando gets the news that the city will not host WorldPride 2026, as InterPride awards the celebration to Amsterdam for that year. The One Orlando Alliance completes its LGBTQ-focused

survey in Central Florida, announcing its findings at a City Hall event Nov. 15. It is also the final act by executive director Josh Bell, who steps down from the position after the event.

Tampa Bay artist Mize announces that MIZE Gallery in St. Petersburg will be closing by the end of 2022. ALSO Youth also celebrates three decades of advocacy, leadership, support and outreach in the Sarasota area with its November gala. The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence mark 20 years in the area and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor launches her 2023 re-election campaign.

After protests and debate from students, the University of Florida Board of Trustees appoint anti-LGBTQ former Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the school’s next president. The Human Rights Campaign releases its 11th Municipal Equality Index Nov. 30, revealing a record number of cities excelling in protecting LGBTQ rights this year – including Orlando, St. Petersburg and Tampa.

While the Republican “Red Wave” came to Florida, in most places in the country, Democrats did better than expected with more than 400 LGBTQ candidates winning on election day. Memories of Pulse come flooding back as news breaks that an LGBTQ club in Colorado was attacked. The gunman killed five people and injured dozens more at Club Q before being taken down by several patrons. WHO announces it will rename monkeypox as mpox, citing concerns that the original name could be construed as racist.

DECEMBER

We look at women in Central Florida and Tampa Bay who fought in the early days of the AIDS crisis and announce our 10 Most Remarkable People of 2022.

Local influencer Bryan the Diamond takes to TikTok to accuse Gilt Nightclub of homophobia after he and his friends are denied entry because a male member of their group had a purse. The community also says goodbye to longtime LGBTQ activist Ted Maines, who passes away at the age of 64.

Steven Lorenzo, who was convicted of drugging and raping nine men in 2005, asks the court to change his plea to guilty and sentence him to death. In Lakeland, a group of Nazi protestors target a Rose Dynasty Foundation fundraiser featuring drag queens. Controversy hits Tampa Pride after secretary and festival director Mark Bias makes a derogatory social media post regarding drag that leads Bias to resign his position with the organization.

Florida Rep. Joe Harding, who sponsored the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill, is indicted on charges of defrauding a federal coronavirus loan program leading him to resign from office.

Russian authorities release Griner Dec. 8 in exchange for a Russian arms dealer. After its passage in the U.S. House and the Senate, Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law Dec. 13, providing federal marriage protections for same-sex and interracial couples as the

looks to 2023.

LGBTQ community

ON THE WATER: Tampa Pride’s Pride on the River. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

COMMUNITY FIGHTER: Eunic Ortiz ran for state Senate District 18. PHOTO COURTESY EUNIC ORTIZ

ON TOP: CFCArts’ new CEO Terrence Hunter. PHOTO COURTESY CFCARTS

THE WAVES: Tampa Bay’s winning cover models. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

GEN-ZER LEADER: Maxwell Alejandro Frost became the first Gen Z member of Congress in 2022. PHOTO COURTESY MAXWELL FROST

Queer Pop

The ABCs of 2022’s biggest LGBTQ pop culture moments

Jeremy Williams

LGBTQ POP CULTURE IN 2022 WAS

a lot like a Negroni. Sbagliato... with Prosecco in it — in a word it was “stunning!”

We said hello to Charlie and Nick in Netflix’s hit series “Heartstopper,” we said goodbye to Victor and his friends in Hulu’s “Love, Simon” spinoff “Love, Victor” and we said welcome to the family as comedian Jerrod Carmichael and actress Rebel Wilson publicly came out as members of the LGBTQ community.

We also watched as Amy Schneider dominated on “Jeopardy!,” Kate McKinnon filmed her final episode of “Saturday Night Live” and who can forget about the slap heard around the world at this year’s Oscars?

There was a lot happening in 2022, so as we do every year, we breakdown some of the biggest moments in LGBTQ pop culture for you with our ABCs.

AMY SCHNEIDER

Amy Schneider dominates on “Jeopardy!,” winning 40 consecutive games from Nov. 2021-Jan. 2022. Schneider returns to the “Jeopardy!” stage in Nov. 2022 winning the Tournament of Champions.

BROS

Billy Eichner’s “Bros” opens in theaters and is one of the first gay-themed rom-coms released by a major Hollywood studio with an all-LGBTQ cast. While a critical hit, “Bros” flops when it opens in theaters Sept. 30.

CARMICHAEL, JERROD

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael comes out as gay in his latest special, “Rothaniel,” which premieres on HBO April 1. He goes on to win an Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Primetime Emmy Award for the special.

D’ARCY, EMMA

Emma D’Arcy becomes a household name playing Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon,” which earns them a Golden Globe nomination. They also go viral on TikTok after seductively saying “Negroni Sbagliato with Prosecco in it” during a “House of the Dragon” promo video.

EZRA MILLER

Ezra Miller has a chaotic year filled with a string of arrests and reports of erratic behavior by the “Flash” actor that stretch from Hawaii to Vermont. In August, they state that they have begun treatment for “complex mental health issues.”

FIRE ISLAND

Joel Kim Booster writes and Andrew Ahn directs “Fire Island,” a modern day LGBTQ rom-com inspired by Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice” set on Fire Island. The film, which stars Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully and Margaret Cho, premieres on Hulu at the start of LGBTQ Pride Month.

GLASS ONION

Rian Johnson, director of the “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion,” confirms at the London Film Festival Oct. 16 that star Daniel Craig’s character, Detective Benoit Blanc, is queer. It is confirmed in a scene that shows Blanc living with another man.

HEARTSTOPPER

“Heartstopper,” a Netflix series about first love and coming out, becomes both a critical and commercial hit when it is released on the streaming service in April. The show’s success leads to Netflix renewing the show for a second and third season.

IN MEMORIAM

Emmy-winning actor and social media star Leslie Jordan dies in a single car crash in Hollywood Oct. 24. He was 67. Two weeks later, actor Kevin Conroy, known for voicing Batman for more than three decades, dies of cancer Nov. 10. He was 66.

JESSE

TYLER FERGUSON

“Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson wins his first-ever Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his work in the revival of the gay baseball play “Take Me Out.”

KATE MCKINNON

Kate McKinnon said her final goodbye after 10 seasons of “Saturday Night Live” May 14 during the show’s season finale. During her time, McKinnon received eight consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series from 2014-2021, winning back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.

LIGHTYEAR

Disney-Pixar releases “Lightyear,” a film based on the film that the “Toy Story” action figure Buzz Lightyear is based on, and makes headlines for featuring a same-sex kiss between two lesbian characters.

MICHAELA JAE RODRIGUEZ

Michaela Jae Rodriguez wins the Golden Globe for Best Leading Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her work in the final season of “Pose,” making her the first transgender performer to win a Golden Globe.

NATHAN LANE

After six Primetime Emmy nominations for best comedy guest actor, Nathan Lane finally wins for his work on Hulu’s series “Only Murders in the Building.”

OSCARS

While everyone’s going on about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards, we couldn’t stop talking about Ariana DeBose winning Best Supporting Actress for “West Side Story” and becoming the first Afro-Latina person and first openly queer woman of color to win an acting Oscar.

PRIDE COMICS

The two biggest names in comics — DC and Marvel — celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month by highlighting their queer heroes in a pair of new books, “DC Pride” and “Marvel’s Voices: Pride,” released in June.

QUEER

AS FOLK

Peacock reboots Russell T. Davies’ iconic series “Queer as Folk,” setting it in present day New Orleans with a cast that represents more of the LGBTQ spectrum than previous iterations. The series was canceled after one season.

REBEL WILSON

“Pitch Perfect” actress Rebel Wilson announces her new relationship with Ramona Agruma in a Pride Month post on Instagram. Wilson calls Agruma her “Disney Princess.”

STRANGE LOOP, A “A Strange Loop,” Michael R. Jackson’s musical about

a Black, queer man and his relationship between himself and his art, is nominated for 11 Tony Awards and wins two of them — Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical.

THOMAS, LIA University of Pennsylvania student Lia Thomas becomes the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in any sport, after winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle event.

UMBRELLA ACADEMY, THE “The Umbrella Academy’s” third season premieres on Netflix with Elliot Page’s character Viktor coming out as transgender. The story corresponds with Page’s own transition in real life.

VICTOR

After three seasons, Hulu’s LGBTQ rom-com series “Love, Victor” comes to an end with Victor getting a happy ending similar to that of the film “Love, Simon,” which “Love, Victor” is based off.

WHALE, THE Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” about a 600-pound gay man dealing with grief and regret, puts star Brendan Fraser at the top of everyone’s Best Actor list and ushers in a golden age for Fraser known as the Brenaissance.

X, LIL NAS

After the massive success of his first album “Montero,” Lil Nas X hits the road with his first concert tour in the fall of 2022.

YEOH, MICHELLE

Michelle Yeoh stars in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” a film that seems like it is about the multiverse but is really about queer acceptance and identity.

ZACHARY QUINTO AND BILLY PORTER

Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter, both out and proud gay men, voice gay dads Barry and Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins in the Disney+ series “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.”

1SEASON’S SINGINGS:

Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota members perform at Emmanuel Lutheran Church Dec. 10. PHOTO FROM DIVERSITY: THE VOICE OF SARASOTA’S FACEBOOK

‘WONDERFUL’ EVENING: Patrick A. Jackson (L) and Erica Sutherlin get in the spirit Dec. 15 for American Stage’s opening night of “Wonderful Life” at Coastal Creative. PHOTO FROM AMERICAN STAGE’S FACEBOOK

B&B: (L-R, Clockwise): Berri Wild, Sixxx, Gappie Gee and Morgan Le Shade strike a pose during Babes and Bulges Dec. 16 at the Event Space at Bulge. PHOTO FROM BABES AND BULGES’ FACEBOOK

DYNAMIC DIVAS: Amy DeMilo (L) and PheYonce Montrese share a moment between shows at Bradley’s on 7th Dec. 17.

ROUND TWO: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor addresses supporters at her re-election campaign kickoff Dec. 8. PHOTO COURTESY THE CASTOR CAMPAIGN

ROCKING OUT: Knights of the Krewe of Cavaliers presents funds to Girls Rock Camp Dec. 11 after a partner event. PHOTO FROM GIRLS ROCK CAMP’S FACEBOOK

CONGRATULATIONS

Project Pride announced Dec. 11 that Sarasota Holiday Parade organizers had awarded the organization their 2022 Judge’s Choice Award. The organization has also begun its first new executive director. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com and ProjectPrideSRQ.org. Eve Epstein and Eunic Ortiz were engaged Dec. 14. Dan Schmidt and Chad Mize were married Dec. 15. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced Dec. 16 that she has over $230K cash-on-hand for her re-election campaign, which officially kicked off Dec. 8 with widespread support. “I’m so grateful for the outpouring of bi-partisan support I‘ve received since launching my re-election campaign,” the openly LGBTQ leader said. “Our message of lifting up our neighborhoods is resonating with the people of Tampa.” Read more about her campaign at WatermarkOnline.com and JaneCastorForTampa.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Academic tutor and interventionist Cynthia Wurner (Dec. 22); Big Gay Radio Show co-host Josh Morrow, Joel Schmitz CPA partner Mike Lang, Tampa General physician Dr. Kyle Bowers, Architect John Del Vitto, Tampa Bay Time Lord Jeffrey Lucas (Dec. 23); Brandon salesman Tart, Creative Design Weavers owner Amy Oatley, Tampa realtor Caitlin Jones, Watermark contributor and activist Johnny Boykins (Dec. 24); Quench Lounge bartender Tim Seward (Dec. 25); St. Petersburg bartender Jeff Nicolaus, Metro Inclusive Health’s Chad Chaddington, Tampa Bay activist Topher Larkin, St. Pete Leisure Services Administrator Mike Jefferis, Tampa Pride’s Pride on the River Co-Director Alex Barbosa (Dec. 26); Sarasota realtor Nate Brooks, Clearwater realtor Keith Gill, Tampa Bay talent coordinator Tom Penman (Dec. 27); 6S Boutique co-owner Andrew Citino, Equality Florida Pinellas County Safe & Healthy Schools Coordinator Esme Rodriguez, St. Petersburg bartender Eric Welch (Dec. 28); Watermark contributor Greg Stemm, St. Petersburg socialite Eddie Pruett (Dec. 29); Tampa Bay DJ Mike Sklarz, Tampa ROTC member Steve Deal, Tampa Bay entertainer Stephanie Stuart, Hillsborough County Young Democrats President Michael Womack, Drag It Up LLC owner Michael Richardson (Dec. 30); Mr. Ybor Eagle 2010 Carlos “Wolfy” Diaz, Tampa massage therapist Russell Fox, St Pete Pride volunteer Paul LeCouris, Tampa historian David K. Johnson (Dec. 31); Chanel enthusiast Jeremy Skidmore, St. Petersburg socialite Corey Malyszka, St. Pete Young Professionals organizer Brandon Dysard, Family Resources president Lisa Davis, Author and activist Cindi Grace Miller (Jan. 1); St Pete business analyst Jason Bracewell, Gators gal Deidre Favero (Jan. 2); Sarasota graphic designer Tim Cameresi, Tampa photographer Charles Allen, Lakeland entertainer Momma Ashley Rose (Jan. 3); Tampa Bay DJ LaMonte Monnell aka L Mo, St. Petersburg staple Brian Longstreth (Jan. 4)

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

WOODY’S WORLD: Jim Nixon and Woody celebrate the fifth annual Boston Tea Party in Downtown St. Pete Dec. 18.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA LUCIANA

DEMCEMBER: The Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus marks the season with their holiday party Dec. 14 at New World Brewery. PHOTO FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LGBTQ+ DEM CAUCUS’ FACEBOOK

CONGRATULATIONS

Lee Cohen and Ali Ribe were married in Orlando over the Dec. 17 weekend.

CeCe Teneal was awarded the Richards Reddick Realty Top Producer Award during the group’s second annual Rockin’ Red Christmas Gala in Orlando Dec. 17.

Orlando Fringe announced that it will open its new ArtSpace Jan. 11 with a Grand Opening Bash open house and street party. The arts organization also announced its first season for the new venue, including shows from VarieTEASE, William Daniel Mills Theatre Company, Kangagirl Productions & Ant Farm, Beth Marshall and Descolonizarte TEATRO. To purchase tickets, visit FringeArtSpace.org, and read more about the events and shows coming to the new venue at WatermarkOnline.com.

CONDOLENCES

Ted Maines, LGBTQ activist and Central Florida interior designer, passed away Dec. 14. He was 64. Read more about his life and activism in a piece written by one of Maines’ longtime friends and Watermark founder Tom Dyer on pg. 8.

Orlando resident Albert Pfeiffer passed away Dec. 16. He was 87. Pfeiffer led a full life with husband Christopher Lesisko and was an architect, museum curator, history lecturer and painter. He spoke with Watermark in 2018 for a story on the aging LGBTQ community, offering the following advice: “If you don’t wallow in the tragedies that you might have gone through, you’re a better and happier person than people who say, ‘Oh my God, it was so bad … I want to have a positive feeling about life and I continue to live that way. That’s my philosophy.”

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Pilot Abel Marowitz (Dec. 22); Orlando entrepreneur Eve Hunt, Singer Joey Suarez (Dec. 24); UCF Assistant Director Hank Lewis, Sounds of Freedom trombonist Jeremiah Catherwood, Penguin Point Productions owner James Brendlinger (Dec. 25); LGBTQ rights activist Hannah Miller, Central Florida bartender Jeff Munzing, Darden’s Boyd Geary, Southern Nights Orlando General Manager Danny Vega (Dec. 26); WAVE-winning drag performer Lacie Browning (Dec. 27); Former Watermark account manager Dillan Ramirez, Stonewall Orlando owner Steven Watkins, Central Florida performer Gadiel Vazquez, Founder of Gay Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Doug Swallow (Dec. 28); Phish Phest phenom and realtor Sue-Bee Laginess, Former Miss America Ericka Dunlap (Dec. 29); The Center Orlando’s CEO Dr. George Wallace, Orlando bear Justin Homer, Teacher and activist Clinton McCracken, Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (Dec. 31); YouTuber Joe Dodd (Jan. 1); Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida’s board chair Dr. Boyd Lindsley, Orlando attorney Joe Seagle (Jan. 2); Central Florida performer Jose Navarro, Promoter Chris Pittman, Ginger Minj’s husband CJ Russell (Jan. 3); veteran and die-hard Pittsburgh fan Bill Stiller (Jan. 4).

WORKING TEAM: Watermark takes on Manhattan Dec. 9 as the team gathers for the 2022 end-of-year retreat.

PHOTO BY RICK TODD

SANTA’S HELPER: Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet (pictured) and their team host a toy sale at Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka Dec. 18. PHOTO FROM FELIPE SOUSA-LAZABALLET’S FACEBOOK

SHINING STAR: Blue Star is dressed to the nines for Bliss Healthcare’s holiday party at the Citrus Club in Orlando Dec. 17. PHOTO FROM BLUE STAR’S FACEBOOK

TIE-DYED ALLY: Orlando VA’s Keri Griffin hosts a holiday gathering for LGBTQ veterans at the LGBT+ Center Orlando Dec. 9. PHOTO FROM KERI GRIFFIN’S FACEBOOK

SAY CHEESE: Yasmin Flasterstein shows off the spread she created for Contigo Fund’s holiday gathering in Orlando Dec. 17.

PHOTO BY DANDELION HILL

HOLIDAY CHEER: (L-R) Sheila from Accounting, KC Starrz, Billy Mick and Trixie Deluxxe take the holidays on the road with a Holiday Special at CitySide Lounge in Tampa Dec. 16. PHOTO FROM ED BOHANNON-DOBSKI’S FACEBOOK

SEEING RED: CeCe Teneal is stunning in red at Richards Reddick Realty second annual Rockin’ Red Christmas Gala in Orlando Dec. 17. PHOTO FROM CECE TENEAL’S FACEBOOK

CENTER LEADERS: Roxy Santiago (L) is honored by Dr. George Wallace for serving on The Center’s board for seven years at the LGBT+ Center Orlando Dec. 17. PHOTO FROM ROXY SANTIAGO’S FACEBOOK

community calendar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

A Night that Changed Everything: Christmas Eve at Joy MCC

SATURDAY, DEC. 24, 5:30-7 P.M.

JOY METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH, ORLANDO

Join Joy MCC for its Christmas Eve service as they celebrate “a night that changed everything.” The service is open to everyone. If you can’t join in person, the service will also be streamed live on Joy MCC’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more information, go to JoyMCC.com.

Blinking New Year’s!

SATURDAY, DEC. 31, 7 P.M.-2 A.M.

SAVOY, ORLANDO

Join hostesses Chantel Reshae and Kitana Gemini as they help to ring in 2023 at Savoy Orlando. Show starts at 10 p.m. Tables are $30 for a four top and $20 for a two top, each table comes with a bottle of Champagne. Tickets are available at Savoy-Orlando. TicketLeap.com/New-Years.

TAMPA BAY

LGBTQ Christmas Day Gathering at The Castle

SUNDAY, DEC. 25, 9 P.M. – 3 A.M.

THE CASTLE, TAMPA

Ybor’s former hotspot The Honey Pot takes over The Castle. They promise a “magical night full of dancing and merriment,” with special lighting and more. Mike Sklarz DJs on the basement level and Bruce Devery will be in the ballroom. No cover before 9:30 p.m.; $10 after 10 p.m. for 21+, $12 all night for those 1820. Learn more at Facebook.com/TheCastleYbor.

“A Very Bunny New Year’s Eve”

SATURDAY, DEC. 31, 8 P.M.

ZOIE’S, ST. PETERSBURG

Zoie’s welcomes drag personality Lady Bunny to St. Petersburg for New Year’s Eve. The entertainer will guest DJ and perform as celebrants bring in 2023 in style. Tickets are $25 pre-sale or $35 at the door, with VIP meet and greets and dinner packages ranging from $50-$100. Learn more and purchase tickets at Facebook.com/ZoiesFL. The event will also serve as the space’s official grand opening event following soft opening services in St. Petersburg.

EVENT PLANNER

Brunch on Grand Central, Dec. 25; Jan. 1, Zoie’s, St. Petersburg. 727-855-6990; ZoiesFL.com

Tuesday Trivia, Dec. 27, The Garage on Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-235-9086; Facebook.com/ OFCLGaragePage

“Hamilton,” Dec. 28 – Jan. 22, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

CHRISTMAS QUEENS

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Dazzling Lights, Nov. 25Jan. 1, Leu Gardens, Orlando. 407-246-2620; LeuGardens.org

“A Christmas Carol,” Nov. 30-Dec. 24, Orlando Shakes, Orlando. 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org

Choose Your Own NOGventure, Dec. 22, Savoy, Orlando. 407-898-6766; SavoyOrlando.com

Ericka Dunlap: Christmas with Soul, Dec. 22, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Nerdy Karaoke, Dec. 23 & 30, The Geek Easy, Winter Park. 407-332-9636; AComicShop.com/GeekEasy

“All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914,” Dec. 23-24, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-512-1900; OperaOrlando.org

White Trash Xmas Ugly Sweater Party, Dec. 24, Vault 5421, Orlando. 407-270-6273; GodMonsters.com/Vault-5421

Feliz Navidad at Amor, Dec. 24, Irish Shannon’s, Orlando. AmoreEvents-LLC.com

Jim Brickman – A Very Merry Christmas LIVE!, Dec. 27, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

“A Drag Queen Christmas,” Dec. 28, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org New Year’s Eve Gala, Dec. 31, The Alfond Inn, Winter Park. 407-998-8090; TheAlfondInn.com

Ball Drop Soirée: New Year’s Eve Party, Dec. 31, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company, Orlando. 407-270-6749; IvanhoeParkBrewing.com

James Bond New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org

Labyrinth Ball, Dec. 31, Cocktails & Screams, Orlando. 407-904-0124; CocktailsAndScreams.com

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

TAMPA BAY

Christmas in the Wild, Through Dec. 30, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Tampa. 813-395-8552; ZooTampa.org

Enchant Christmas, Through Jan. 1, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg. EnchantChristmas.com

“Plaid Tidings,” Dec. 23-24, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Onesie Xmas Eve & Foam Pawty, Dec. 24, Dog Bar, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; DogBarStPete.com

Dine ’N Drag, Dec. 23; 30, Zoie’s, St. Petersburg. 727-855-6990; ZoiesFL.com

Big Gay Sing-along, Dec. 29, Cocktail, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

“A Drag Queen Christmas,” Dec. 29, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

EPIC Generations Coffee Hour, Dec. 30, Senior Center Foundation, Gulfport. 727-893-1244; MyEPIC.org

Enigma’s New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, Enigma, St. Petersburg. 727-235-0867; EnigmaStPete.com

Cock and Sparkle Drop, Dec. 31, Cocktail, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

LGBTQ+ NYE Party, Dec. 31, Avalon Event Center, Tampa. 813-508-3544; Facebook.com/ AvalonEventsTampa

NYE Under The Big Top, Dec. 31, The Garage on Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-235-9086; Facebook.com/ OFCLGaragePage

2023 New Year’s Day Pajama Party, Jan. 1, Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. 727-329-9994; Facebook.com/SaltyNun

COSP Fundraiser, Jan. 1, Zoie’s, St. Petersburg. 727-855-6990; ComeOutStPete.org

SARASOTA

Oasis Ugly Sweater Party, Dec. 23, Oasis Restaurant & Bar, Sarasota. Facebook.com/ OasisSarasota

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

“A Drag Queen Christmas” returns to The Plaza Live in Orlando Dec. 28 and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Dec. 29. PHOTO COURTESY MURRAY & PETER

be seen. choose well.

Ten award-winning hospitals. More than 100 medical specialties. 14 ERs. 4200 expert physicians. So many reasons to choose well. OrlandoHealth.com