Watermark Issue 30.16: Back to School

Back To School

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws, rules have students worried about upcoming year

St. Pete pharmacy opens with LGBTQ+ focus onePULSE no longer overseeing interim memorial

Entertainer Leigh Shannon discusses drag on PBS.

Bell Specialty Pharmacy opens with LGBTQ+ focus.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Kevin Maxen comes out.

Jason Leclerc returns with his latest viewpoint.

Birder

It’s hard to feel safe in public schools in general

But they’re basically trying to eventually get us to just not exist. It’s hard not to think about that when you go into school every day.

–CENTRAL FLORIDA STUDENT AVIS SHAW

DESK EDITOR’S

FOR A CHUBBY, GAY KID WHO

loved comic books growing up, middle school was a very long three years for me.

I hated almost all of it, including in eighth grade when I was supposedly king of the castle. I found instead that I wasn’t even king of my school bus, where sixth graders would regularly poke my stomach like I was the Pillsbury Doughboy as I exited. Kids can be cruel. Thankfully they can also be kind. Two of my core memories from the era remind me of that.

The first is attending my eighth-grade dance with a small but mighty group of friends. I distinctly remember experiencing the rush of unreasonably loud music in our gym, normally a trauma hotspot, and what it was like to hear an up-and-coming artist named Britney Spears that loud for the first time.

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Obsessing over “…Baby One More Time” was one of the earliest punches in my gay card, and probably should’ve been a clue for both me and my date that it wouldn’t work out. But how was I supposed to know?

The other is an after-school activity, something I rarely participated in. Normally I couldn’t get home fast enough to dial into America Online, where I could chat with kids who only judged me by my cool screenname, but this fateful day was different.

I can’t remember what exactly prompted me to go through with it, but I stayed behind to learn about high school electives when another student invited me. Freshman year was quickly approaching, which would undoubtedly bring new

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terrors but also leave room for reinvention, and I attended a presentation about journalism.

To say it changed the trajectory of my life isn’t hyperbole. That one session led to four years of working on a newspaper in high school, one I helped found as a freshman and oversaw as a junior and senior, and all of that ignited a passion that grew throughout college and well beyond.

That eventually led me to Watermark, which I’ve gushed about at length for nearly six years, and just recently to Texas. Our editorial team visited Dallas for the 2023 Association of Alternative Newsmedia Conference July 19-21 and the experience was absolutely incredible.

AAN represents nearly 100 alternative news organizations throughout North America, an impressive roster of publications covering local news, arts and more in communities of every size. As of the conference — where we’re proud to say its board voted unanimously in Watermark’s favor — that includes your LGBTQ+ news source here in Tampa Bay and Central Florida.

This year’s conference was hosted by the Dallas Voice, a fantastic newspaper and fellow member of the National LGBT Media Association, and featured two full days of programming split into separate tracks. The first was for revenue and marketing and the second was geared toward editorial and design.

Watermark Publisher Rick Todd attended the former, while Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams and I participated in the latter. It was my first journalism conference and I’m very happy to report that I loved it.

I’ve spent most of my life nerding out about the things I’m passionate about, like Marvel, but

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getting to do so about journalism with fellow journalists was an unforgettable experience. We shared tips and tricks of the trade, compared favorite covers, heard from subject matter experts in our field and more. It was invigorating.

The conference strengthened my resolve and reaffirmed what I’m always thankful for, that I get to play a part in showcasing our community through the craft I love. Thank you to each of our advertisers and readers for making that possible.

In this issue we focus on Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ “Don’t

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 15

Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer

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Say Gay or Trans” law, originally passed in 2022 and strengthened by Republicans earlier this year. We speak with LGBTQ+ students and parents before they head back to school about what it means to them, as well as provide resources for those in need.

In Tampa Bay news, we introduce you to Bell Pharmacy in St. Petersburg, which focuses on access to LGBTQ+ care. EPIC also cycles toward the 20th annual SMART Ride. In Central Florida, we detail developments with the onePULSE Foundation and the interim Pulse memorial.

Author Christian Cooper also flies into arts and entertainment. He reflects on his new book “Better Living Through Birding,” his National Geographic series “Extraordinary Birder” and more. Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.

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HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, SABRINA AMBRA, ABBY BAKER, STEVE BLANCHARD, DEBORAH BOSTOCK-KELLEY, JOHNNY BOYKINS, NATHAN BRUEMMER, BIANCA GOOLSBY, JAKOB HERO-SHAW, LORA KORPAR, JASON LECLERC, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, MELODY MAIA MONET, TIFFANY RAZZANO, GREG STEMM, SYLVIE TREVENA, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI, ANGELIQUE YOUNG, MICHAEL WANZIE

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To say it changed the trajectory of my life isn’t hyperbole.

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

DESK EDITOR’S

GETTING OLDER SUCKS

If I had a little too much to drink the night before, I would down a cup of coffee or maybe a 5-Hour Energy drink in the morning and I was good to go. Now, if I have more than a glass or two of wine, I am down and out for three days.

I was reminded recently just how sensitive my aging body has become while attending a media preview for Walt Disney World’s International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. If you have never been, I cannot recommend it enough. It is just as the title of the event suggests: a festival of foods and drinks from around the world, held at Epcot. I had never been before, so I was excited

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to see what the excitement was all about.

When I got there, we were all greeted with a sampling of some of the new dishes that were premiering at the festival. One such dish was the Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings. Based on that name and my age, I should have known better than to try it but I am a man who loves chicken wings and I thought, “how bad could it possibly be?” To accompany my tasty treat, I also decided to give what is probably the most talked about item this year a try — the pickle milkshake.

Now, I am not someone who loves pickles. I know people who

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love taking shots of pickle juice and the thought of that makes my stomach summersault, but I am also not someone who absolutely detests them. If you are that person then I imagine this milkshake is not for you but as a middle of the road pickle guy, I really liked it. There is more of a faint sweet pickle taste but for the most part it is a flavorful, creamy drink. One recommendation if you do decide to try it, remove the dill garnish on top before you start drinking it or you may suck it up through your straw and get a burst of dill in your mouth unexpectedly like I did.

I found a seat with my new favorite pickle-flavored treat and got ready to try the wings, which I was not worried about in the beginning. I am someone who has always liked spicy foods and back in the day even partook in a spicy wing challenge with my mother, way back before “Hot Ones” was a thing. I ate the first wing, noticing how wonderful the curry flavor of the wing was before the spice kicked in. I finished the first wing and started on the second one before the spice started to overpower me. It built up in my mouth and throat and before I knew it I was in panic mode. I was breathing heavy and sweating, and needed it to stop, so I grabbed my pickle milkshake and started drinking, which softened the spice for a moment but not without giving me intense brain freeze.

As the world began closing in around me and I felt like my insides were in a battle of fire and ice, I realized that I am no longer a young person who could be adventurous in my eating habits. The brain freeze subsided first followed by the heat in my mouth, but the remainder of the evening was spent with intense heartburn and an upset stomach. Even with that, I still

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thoroughly enjoyed myself and cannot recommend the festival enough. And worry not, if you are like me there are plenty of less experimental concoctions to enjoy. I’m not a vegan by any means but the Impossible Buffalo Chicken Tenders with the plant-based blue cheese and the Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Buffalo Sauce were both enough to make me consider giving up eating meat forever, and if a pickle-flavored drink is too far out of your comfort zone, I highly recommend trying the Frozen Fusion, a pomegranate raspberry herbal tea fused with orange ice cream molecules.

In fact, the only thing that truly

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 15

HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, SABRINA AMBRA, ABBY BAKER, STEVE BLANCHARD, DEBORAH BOSTOCK-KELLEY, JOHNNY BOYKINS, NATHAN BRUEMMER, BIANCA GOOLSBY, JAKOB HERO-SHAW, LORA KORPAR, JASON LECLERC, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, MELODY MAIA MONET, TIFFANY RAZZANO, GREG STEMM, SYLVIE TREVENA, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI, ANGELIQUE YOUNG, MICHAEL WANZIE

PHOTOGRAPHY

disappointed me was that I had never gone to the festival before, something I am so happy I have rectified. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is going on now through Nov. 18, so don’t miss it.

Speaking of things not to miss, in this issue we take a look at the expansion of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, speaking with students as they prepare to return to school. In arts and entertainment, we speak with birder and author Christian Cooper about his National Geographic show “Extraordinary Birder,” streaming now on Disney+ and his new book, “Better Living Through Birding.”

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sometimes but I always tell myself it is better than the alternative. I can remember being in my 20’s, living life so carefree and uninhibited, eating and drinking whatever I wanted and having no regrets.

The only thing that truly disappointed me was that I had never gone to the festival before.

ONEPULSE NO LONGER OVERSEEING INTERIM MEMORIAL

Jeremy Williams

ORLANDO | Months after it announced the National Pulse Memorial would no longer be built at the site of the nightclub, the onePULSE Foundation has notified Pulse owners — Barbara Poma, Rosario Poma and Mike Panaggio — that the foundation will cease managing day-to-day operations at the interim memorial starting Sept. 1.

This decision came after the foundation learned that the temporary use permit for the interim memorial expired more than a year ago.

“The foundation learned about the permit not being in existence through another reporter and that caught our attention,” says Deborah Bowie, onePULSE’s executive director who took over that role after the permit’s expiration date.

The foundation says it immediately contacted the city’s planning department and found that the permitting letter went to property owner Barbara Poma.

“The issue with us is if the permit expired more than a year ago, at this point it isn’t an extension, it’s a brand-new permit,” Bowie says. “We have no legal authority to do anything. We don’t own it.”

The foundation states that its only avenue is to completely separate from the property.

“I can’t have staff there at the facility because that poses risk and liability because we don’t have a permit,” Bowie adds.

The foundation sent a letter to the owner’s attorney advising them that they were just made aware of the permit’s expiration and laid out its plans for separation. In the letter, the foundation stated it would continue to pay the interim memorial’s monthly expenses through Aug. 31 and would also pay a pro-rata property tax of nearly $4,000.

“In no way were we trying to handle this publicly,” Bowie says. “We sent [the letter] hoping to get into a conversation, what we got instead was it was given straight to the press.”

Once the letter was reported on, the Poma’s released a statement, saying the foundation’s decision is “disappointing” and they will “evaluate the status of the property to determine the next steps.”

Bowie says that while the foundation feels it is giving the owners time to figure out their next step, she reiterates that the foundation has no legal ability to remedy this situation.

“This is the responsibility of the property owners and the foundation does not own the property,” she says.

In a statement to WESH 2, the city says that “while the permit has expired, we would consider another request for an extension. At this time, nothing has been filed requesting that extension.”

WESH 2 further reported that the Pomas told them that they are “working to sort out the permitting issue and evaluating the next steps.”

Clearing The Air

Leigh Shannon discusses drag on local PBS news program

Luis Xavier De Peña

ORLANDO | Local drag performer and Watermark contributor, Martin “Leigh Shannon” Fugate appeared in a recorded interview on WUCF TV’s “NewsNight” July 14 as a part of the station’s look at the ongoing fight between Florida’s conservative lawmakers and the state’s drag community.

The story, which focused on the lawsuit filed by Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando over the state’s recently signed “anti-drag bill,” featured interviews with Fugate, whose Illusions in Revue show at Hamburger Mary’s celebrates its 14th year this month, and Demensio Barton, paster of Orange County’s We Are One Ministries.

The piece was meant to show the opposing views Fugate and Barton have on the issue, but when the show premiered and Fugate saw it, he says he was disappointed by the way the story was framed.

In an interview with Watermark, Fugate says he took issue with how drag was continually referred to as

“live adult entertainment,” saying that while Republican legislators and the pastor they interviewed have used that language as a way to vilify drag performers, “NewsNight” should have clarified Fugate’s stance for its viewers that not all drag is actual adult entertainment.

“To me, as a layperson, ‘live adult entertainment’ means strip clubs and things like that,” Fugate says. “That’s just not true with most drag shows. Now the clubs late at night, they may do more of that type of thing but it’s presented as 21 and up, so to spew all this stuff about ‘all drag is one way’ is inaccurate.”

Fugate says that he made this argument during his taped interview with “NewsNight” but that it wasn’t used.

“It really upset me,” he says. “And then when the panel went on, what words did they use? Adult live entertainment. People are going to believe that. We’ve got to stop using that narrative for drag shows because it just isn’t true. Drag shows come in many colors.”

DRAG

Martin “Leigh Shannon” Fugate appears on WUCF TV’s “NewsNight.” SCREENSHOT FROM “NEWSNIGHT” EPISODE ON PBS.ORG

Fugate categorizes drag shows using the same rating system film’s use. He says that his show, for example, is more PG-13, comparing his type of comedy to that of Chris Rock or Kathy Griffin.

“I’m a comedian first, before I’m a drag queen. I just use that form,” he says. “I’m saucy, drop a couple F-bombs, tell some naughty jokes. That’s my show. When clients ask me should they bring their kids to my show I recommend 14 years old and up.”

But Fugate says, like movie ratings, there are drag performances that fit that G or PG rating that are appropriate for kids. Ultimately, what it comes down to, Fugate says, is parental choice.

“These politicians talk so much about parents’ rights,” he says. “Well, kids going to a drag show should be up to their parents and not government.”

Watermark reached out to WUCF regarding the issues Fugate raised about his interview and they responded, stating that they had not yet heard from Fugate about his concerns but that they would reach out to him.

“‘NewsNight’ stands by the fairness and balance of our content and while we do edit to fit time constraints, we do not alter the intent of the message conveyed through that editing process,” they wrote in their statement.

You can watch the “NewsNight” episode featuring Fugate on the station’s website.

TALK:

EPIC SEEKS SUPPORT AHEAD OF SMART RIDE 20 Ryan Williams-Jent

ST. PETERSBURG | Empath Partners in Care is seeking community support ahead of the 20th annual SMART Ride, scheduled to return for its two-day, 165-mile trek from Miami to Key West Nov. 17-18.

Participants in the annual event have raised nearly $15 million for AIDS services in Florida since 2003. That includes over $1 million during SMART Ride 19, when EPIC became a benefiting agency and received $150,985.46 as a result.

EPIC also participated in SMART Ride 19 by raising $30,000 through We are EPIC, their cycling team, and by providing crew members; volunteers who ensure riders have access to food, water, maintenance and more along the route. They’re seeking community support to do the same in 2023.

Organizers are hoping to raise $2 million during SMART Ride 20. This year’s beneficiaries are EPIC in Tampa Bay, Broward House in Wilton Manors, Pridelines in Miami-Dade County, Miracle of Love in Central Florida, Compass Community Center in Palm Beach County and A.H. of Monroe in Monroe County.

“It’s time to jump back on the bike for the 20th Anniversary SMART Ride,” EPIC’s website reads. “This 165-mile ride over some of the most scenic roads in the country gives 100% of dollars raised back to HIV services organization, including EPIC, throughout Florida.

“Join We Are EPIC and ride, join the crew and support riders throughout the race or donate to the cause,” it continues. “No matter how you choose to support the SMART Ride it makes a difference for those impacted by HIV/AIDS in Florida.”

To raise additional awareness and funds, EPIC and longtime SMART Riders the Tampa Bay Area Cyclists will hold the 10th Kick Up Your Heels, a fundraiser celebrating “A Decade of Divas!” at Empath Health in Clearwater. Last year’s event raised $20,000 for SMART Ride.

“We return to this venue to serve you wigs, makeup and heels for a great cause,” TBAC’s Facebook event page reads. “Great prizes, divas and cocktails oh my!! See you and your friends on Sat., Sept. 16th!”

Those interested in riding or crewing SMART Ride 20 are encouraged to sign up soon. EPIC shares that the organization is thankful for continued support from throughout the region.

“We are honored to be a beneficiary of the 2023 SMART Ride,” EPIC Executive Director Joy Winheim said in a statement. “The funds raised will benefit the Tampa Bay community so we can provide more education and prevention services as well as ensure our HIV+ community members have what they need to live healthy lives.”

For more information about supporting EPIC for SMART Ride 20, visit MyEPIC.org/SMARTRide. Learn more about Kick Up Your Heels at Facebook.com/TampaBayAreaCyclists.

tampa bay news

Health Equity

Bell Pharmacy offers specialized LGBTQ+ care in St. Petersburg Ryan Williams-Jent

ST. PETERSBURG | Bell

Pharmacy held its grand opening July 11, promising to become a beacon of care for LGBTQ+ patients in Tampa Bay.

“Bell Pharmacy is a promoter of health equity for all members of our LGBTQIA+ community,” its website reads. “Unlike other companies, we fly our pride flag year-round.”

That’s important to its CEO Dr. Tony Trunzo, a longtime ally whose brother is transgender. He says watching his journey, along with working in pharmacies lacking specialized services, inspired him to open his business.

“I found that the focus was more on the financial side, the metric side, than it was on the patients,” he explains. “As an independent pharmacy we can guarantee a much higher level of service.

“We know you by name and we know your needs,” Trunzo continues. “In a pharmacy that a big chain owns, the staff is constantly rotating … it’s much better to have a staff that’s here every day and knows exactly what’s going on. Especially when you’re dealing with a population

that requires a higher touch like the LGBTQ+ population.”

Bell Pharmacy focuses on gender-affirming care, PrEP, antiretrovirals and other relevant therapies for the LGBTQ+ community with a staff of five. Trunzo expects his team will grow when appropriate.

In addition to a safe space and personalized care, they also promise affordable medication solutions and customizable services. Billing specialists work directly with insurance companies and can seek out grants and government assistance as needed, and prescriptions are available for discrete delivery.

The pharmacy also offers drug compounding, the process of combining pharmaceutical ingredients to create medication tailored to the needs of a specific patient. These dosage forms can be used for hormone or sexual arousal products and even pet care.

“People are probably familiar with testosterone injections, but that’s not right for every patient,” Trunzo explains. “We can take testosterone and make it into a daily cream or a daily lozenge that patients can take, which helps better mimic how the body actually releases testosterone, and that’s something you can apply

across a lot of the pharmaceutical compounding we do.”

It’s a process that requires the pharmacy to work more closely with physicians as “a part of the health care team,” a key part of their mission.

“We want to work with the patient and provider to maximize health care outcomes and to make sure the patient is living their best health care life,” he notes. Trunzo says that may be difficult for some members of the LGBTQ+ community right now, particularly Floridians who are transgender.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get the patient their medicine, and we want to design a network of resources that allows patients to seek it in a sanctioned way, because we feel that’s the safest way,” he says.

The pharmacy’s commitment to equitable gender-affirming care includes a compounding program for alternative hormone replacement therapy options and $10 conventional hormone treatments. Bell Pharmacy is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

“We’re not the first pharmacy to be LGBTQ+-friendly in the area, but I think we’re one of the first who are owner-operated and aren’t connected to a big and nebulous nonprofit or a corporation,” Trunzo notes. “One promise I will always make to patients is I will never allow this company to trade capital for care.”

Bell Pharmacy is located at 3535 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. For more information, visit BellSpecialtyPharmacy.com.

OPEN FOR ALL: Bell Pharmacy in St. Petersburg on July 24.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

•

•

EPIC’s Sexual Health Center offers essential sexual health and disease prevention services through education, support and resources, empowering all people to achieve better sexual health and well-being.

Services include STI diagnostic and treatment services, pregnancy testing and referrals, PrEP and PEP education and medication as well as sexual health education services and workshops with an onsite sexpert.

EPIC’s Sexual Health Center serves Tampa Bay at the following locations:

Michael

Dunn, MD, AAHIVS Rodrigo Sabec, ARNP | Michael Cooley, ARNP

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE COACH KEVIN MAXEN COMES OUT AS GAY IN A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGUES

Wire Report

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. | Kevin Maxen, an associate strength coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has become the first male coach in a major U.S.based professional league to come out as gay.

Maxen spoke about his sexual orientation in an interview published July 20 by Outsports.

“I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore,” Maxen said. “I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else.

“I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react.”

While Maxen’s announcement is a first for a male coach, NFL players have come out previously. Michael

Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted when the then-St. Louis Rams selected him in 2014. In 2021, Carl Nassib, then with the Las Vegas Raiders, became the first active NFL player to come out publicly. Nassib played for Tampa Bay last season.

A few female coaches in U.S.based leagues have come out publicly, including Katie Sowers, a former assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.

LOUISIANA LAWMAKERS OVERTURN GOV’S VETO ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE BAN FOR TRANS MINORS

Wire Report

BATON ROUGE, LA. | Louisiana’s Republican-dominated Legislature overturned Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ recent veto of a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors July 18.

Louisiana, where the ban is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, will join 20 other states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care, which includes puberty-blockers, hormone treatment and

gender-reassignment surgery. Most of those states now face lawsuits, and in some places the bans have been temporarily blocked by federal judges.

Like statehouses across the country, for the last three months Louisiana lawmakers have heard and held debates over gender-affirming care — something that has been available in the United States for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations. Discussions over the ban were marred by misinformation, swarmed with religious arguments and saw hours

IN OTHER NEWS

MICHIGAN BANS CONVERSION THERAPY

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation July 26 outlawing conversion therapy targeting LGBTQ+ youth in the state. House Bills 4616 and 4617 effectively bar mental health professionals from seeking to alter a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity, or risk facing disciplinary action that could result in the loss of their professional licenses. This makes Michigan the 22nd stat in the U.S. to ban the practice.

JUDGE BLOCKS ARIZONA’S TRANS YOUTH SPORTS BAN

of emotional testimony from the LGBTQ+ community.

Republicans maintain that they are trying to protect children, while opponents argue the bill would do the opposite, leading to heightened risks of stress, depression and suicidal thoughts among an already vulnerable group.

In addition, supporters of the bill argued that the ban proactively addresses a problem that they fear could intensify — especially if minors from surrounding states, where there are bans, travel to Louisiana to seek gender-affirming care.

UN PANEL SAYS IT’S CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN UGANDA IN RECENT YEARS

Wire Report

KAMPALA, UGANDA | Human rights violations including extrajudicial killings in Uganda in recent years have raised the concern of a panel of United Nations experts.

The U.N. Human Rights Committee in findings released July 26 also urged authorities in the East African country to repeal a recently enacted law that

prescribes the death penalty for some homosexual acts.

The committee pointed to reports of arbitrary arrests and detention by police and security forces targeting political opponents, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, sex workers and LGBTQ+ people.

The panel’s report was its first review of Uganda since 2004.

A government spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the committee’s findings.

Uganda’s security forces face growing allegations of brutality in their encounters with perceived opponents of the government of President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. ally who has held power since 1986.

Cases of extrajudicial killings “should be looked upon and perpetrators punished,” the U.N. panel said, urging Uganda’s security forces to “stick strictly to the principles of necessity and proportionality.”

A federal judge in Arizona issued an order July 22 blocking enforcement of an Arizona law that bars all transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams. Jennifer Zipps, the federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona hearing the case, ruled the new law likely violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX by singling out transgender girls and barring them from competing on girls’ teams regardless of their individual circumstances. The state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, who is a defendant in the case, said the decision will be appealed.

VENEZUELAN POLICE ARREST 33 MEN AT GAY SAUNA

Police in Venezuela’s Carabobo state raided a gay sauna July 23 arresting 33 people. A Venezuelan activist told the Washington Blade the arrests in Valencia, which is the country’s third largest city, took place “without a search warrant, without due process” and violated “the fundamental rights of 33 Venezuelan adults who were in full use of their mental and physical faculties.” The activist said a judge released 30 of the 33 men July 26 who were arrested and ordered them to report to authorities every 30 days until they go to trial. The activist noted the sauna’s owner and two masseurs will remain in custody until they are able to pay bail.

PUTIN SIGNS LAW BANNING TRANS THERAPY, SURGERY IN RUSSIA

Russian President Vladimir Putin sign anti-trans legislation July 24. The new law, which takes effective immediately, was passed earlier in July by the State Duma and then later in the month by the Federal Counci. The law now bans Russians from changing their gender on official government identity documents including internal and external passports, driver’s licenses and birth certificates, although gender marker changes had been legal since 1997. Medical health care providers are now banned from “performing medical interventions designed to change the sex of a person,” including surgery and prescribing hormone therapy. The law also bans individuals who have undergone gender reassignment from adopting children and annuls marriages in which one of the partners is trans.

Jason Leclerc

THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE

The Special Seventh

Many of us probably remember the childhood illustrations with “two of every animal, a male and a female,” inspired by Genesis 6. Possibly because of different authorship or maybe due to competing translations (KJV, NIV, NAS, WBT), it seems that God wanted to clarify (or maybe he just changed his mind) and thus Genesis 7 reads a little differently:

“Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal (KJV), a male and its mate (NIV), and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,” and birds and the other stuff, blah blah. Wait, what?

What we misremember as the first, most gender-norm-affirming story in the Bible raises questions as a 49-year-old poet that I would never have thought to ask as a 10-year-old Sunday Schooler. Why an odd number, seven? Why a male and its “mate,” instead of “and a female?” What was that seventh of each species for? Does the Pentateuch give a wink and a nod to a “plus one?”

Why did God change his mind from one chapter to the next and what does it tell us about the predictability of God’s temperaments? Or about the Jahwist, or the translators — or the truth? Let’s leave this deluge of questions here to pan out.

Without the story of The Flood, we wouldn’t have rainbows and without rainbows we wouldn’t have those metaphors for inclusiveness, and without those metaphors, we wouldn’t have a reason to take exception with those who put literal meaning into the story of the flood. We wouldn’t have a reason to dwell on the fourth half-pair of each species and its significance.

Speaking of pairs, let’s talk about X and Y: Y=mX+b where m is the (slipperiest) slope.

Speaking of mates, let’s talk about m: where the change in Y is related to the change in X and the interspaces therein.

Speaking of Y=mX+b, let’s talk about b: where a line crosses a set of culturally constructed axes.

Speaking of rainbows: isn’t a rainbow just a curved slope? Science is science. Except when it’s what we remember science to be instead of what it actually is. If we can misremember the popular story of the Ark as “two by two” when it says quite obliquely, three-by-three-plus-one, then what else have we based our entire postdiluvian worldviews on that is basely less-than-correct? Because a scientist theorizes “it’s so” doesn’t mean it’s science any more than a pronoun-pontificating poet can make rainbows out of molehills.

The art of science evolves along disprovals, not affirmations. The facts of science stand on repeated affirmations of disprovals. Thus, there is little that science has proven, but much that science has theorized that stands, yet ready, to be disproven (X and Y chromosome combinations withstanding). This, of course, is the high ground that fundamentalists stand on: there are males and there are females with different kinds of love to link them, none of which are intimate or procreant. But the poets refute: there are different kinds of males and different kinds of females with different kinds of love to link them.

Unaffected by political agendas, geneticists will continue to dig deeper into the dY/dX of the chromosomes of those creatures that survived, two-by-two-by-two-plus one on Noah’s Ark. They haven’t yet affirmed the disproval of that special seventh And that special seventh is what we should all be obsessed with understanding. It’s that special seventh that

fundamentalists are obsessed with not talking to kids about. 600-year-old Noah and his wife, together, constituted their own special seventh that, also would not procreate when the doves returned. Let’s have this conversation with our kids and with each other. If the same God can hate the world so much that he rains his revenge upon humanity over and over again and just a few years later can “love the world” so much that he gives his “only begotten Son,” then isn’t it possible that the same God could create genetic and cultural genders along the slope between male and female?

m, we learn, can stand for misappropriation: a scattering of plots that build a narrative

that purports to know the Mind of the Almighty.

m, we learn throughout our lives, can stand for misconstruction: a series of reimagined meanings along a continuum of linguistic accidents, translations and games.

m, we learn in elementary school algebra, can stand for slope: a straight and narrow line or curve of heretofore non-disproven theories.

A mathematician (in drag, for effect) walks into a bar: “Hold my beer. m is none and all of these. m is a function of all of the possible x’s, y’s, and a(natomy)’s, e(xpression)’s, i(dentity)’s, o(rientation)’s and u(niversal)’s *(‘yous’) which create a multiverse of possibilities, some of which

are males and some of which are females, some of which are both, and some of which are neither.”

m is a confirmation of God’s special design.

m graphs that the same God can love and hate the world over time. That God can change his mind.

m, most importantly to me, graphs that a rainbow is a promise and a solution and that the mind of a 10-year-old Sunday school student is potentially as pure as the heart of a 49-year-old poet and a 600-year-old boatbuilder.

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

LET’S NOT DELUGE ourselves. The source of the controversy about what kids can and can’t learn about in schools these days is as old as the story of Noah’s Ark, the flood and the rainbow.

The art of science evolves along disprovals, not affirmations.

Visibili-T

Jeremy Williams

VISIBILI-T IS DEDICATED TO transgender members of our community in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, some you know and many you don’t. It is designed to amplify their voices and detail their experiences in life.

This issue, we check in with Tobi Layton, who you might better know as the Central Florida drag performer Sue Cyde.

Layton, who came out to a few close friends in high school, says he didn’t really start living truly authentically until he moved to Orlando from Spring Hill, Florida.

“I promptly moved to Orlando as soon as I turned 18,” he says. “Once I was living on my own I didn’t have to worry about judgement from my mom.”

Layton started to realize that he didn’t fit into the gender norms that everyone expected him to when he was in middle school, but he was still trying to figure out what that meant for him.

“I knew I didn’t feel like a girl but I didn’t know how to express that because I wasn’t a tomboy,” he says. “I still liked girlie things, I liked pretty things so for a while I didn’t want to give myself the identity of trans because it felt too serious. I was a kid and it’s scary to have to come to terms with your own queerness in a small town. It took me a while to realize that I’m just a flamboyant queer boy.”

Something that has helped Layton to find confidence within himself and acceptance for who he is has been being a member of the cosplay community. A blending of the words “costume” and “play,” cosplayers dress as characters from their favorite

shows, comic books, video games, anime and more attending conventions with like-minded fans to show off their latest looks.

“I have a love of anime that started when I was a little kid,” Layton says. “My aunt had a specialty hobby, nerd store and she would sell anime on DVD and that is what first got my into it. She would have me watch ‘Sailor Moon,’ ‘Pokémon,’ all the basic ones, and I was like this is awesome. As I got older I started reading manga and playing video games.”

Layton’s first cosplay convention was MegaCon in Orlando when he was 14 or 15 years old, and his attendance at them grew from there.

“I was going to all of them that I could,” he says. “I started off buying pieces and altering them. The more I got into it I thought what if I did this and what if I did that, and I kept pushing myself to do bigger projects.”

One of those projects was as Lucifer from the anime “The Devil is a Part-Timer,” where Layton created a pair of working angel wings that he glued 3,000 individual feathers to.

Another was one he spotlighted in the recent cosplay issue of Watermark — headless Alice from “Alice in Wonderland.”

“That one required a lot of blueprinting and construction to pull the illusion off,” Layton says. “I referenced an idea from drag performer Maddy Morphosis and made it into Alice. I made the construction piece and my drag mom Dollya Black sewed the garment. I would not have been able to pull it off without her help.”

Layton’s talent with cosplay has helped him to exceed in another one of his passions — drag.

“I get really excited when I can do drag and cosplay at the same time,” he says. “I feel like it was a natural progression. I have always wanted to do drag and I love playing other characters, I’m a total theater kid also, so I think they all naturally go together.”

While Layton enjoys performing in drag, it wasn’t something he always thought he’d be able to do.

“I would watch ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and think, ‘I wish I could be a drag queen’ but also think I couldn’t because I am trans masculine,” he says.

That changed when Layton came to Orlando and saw Draggedy Anne perform.

“Seeing Draggedy, another trans masc performer on stage, made me think if he’s doing it

then I could do it too,” Layton says. “He inspired me.”

Layton connected with Draggedy over social media and developed a friendship which then turned into romance.

“We’ve been together for almost three years now,” Layton says. “We really started talking and connecting during the lockdown and we grew closer and closer. Now I have this amazing partner and drag family who have been nothing but supportive and loving. I couldn’t do any of the things I do without them. They lift me up and support me and give me all the love in the world.”

Layton is currently showcasing his drag skills in the “Drag Me To Hell” competition at The Spookeasy Lounge in Tampa. You can also see him performing occasionally at Manikin’s Lounge in Sanford, Pride Night at DaVinci’s in DeLand and at Austin’s Coffee in Winter Park this month.

Interested in being featured in Visibili-T? Email Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams in Central Florida or Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent in Tampa Bay.

24, He/Him/His

TOBI LAYTON

talking points

81%

BRADLEY COOPER’S DRAMA “MAESTRO,” ABOUT THE LIFE OF GAY COMPOSER LEONARD BERNSTEIN, will join Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley movie, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” David Fincher’s “The Killer” and Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” in making their debuts at the Venice International Film Festival this fall. Organizers announced the lineup July 25 for the 80th edition of the festival, which — despite the flashy names behind the films — could have a little less Hollywood glamour than usual gracing its picturesque docks and red carpet come September if the Hollywood actors and writers strikes stretch on. As part of the strike, actors cannot promote projects from the studios and streamers with whom the union is negotiating. The Venice Film Festival runs Aug. 30-Sept. 9.

BAYARD RUSTIN BIOPIC COMING TO NETFLIX

BAYARD RUSTIN, THE OPENLY GAY BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER who dedicated his life to a quest for racial equality, is the focus of Netflix’s upcoming film titled “Rustin.” Rustin, played by Emmy-winning actor Colman Domingo, was the driving force behind the 1963 March on Washington. “Rustin” is directed by five-time Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe from a screenplay written by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black and is being released on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. The film features a star-studded cast that includes Chris Rock, CCH Pounder, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald. “Rustin” will be in select theaters Nov. 3 and streams on Netflix Nov. 17.

YOUTUBER KRIS TYSON COMES OUT AS TRANS

YOUTUBE STAR KRIS TYSON CAME OUT AS TRANSGENDER IN AN INTERVIEW WITH YOUTUBER ANTHONY PADILLA July 21. “I am a woman. She/her,” Tyson said to Padilla, also stating that she had never said that publicly before. The 27-year-old rose to social media fame appearing in videos with massive content creator Jimmy Donaldson, better known as Mr. Beast. In her interview, Tyson stated that she is on hormone replacement therapy and said being on HRT has been “freeing” and allowed her to fully accept herself. “I really never felt connected to my body until I started taking HRT,” she said. “It felt like a fog had been around me and just went away, and I could see things clearly and I felt confident in who I was.”

THE 1975

CANCELS SHOWS OVER SAME-SEX KISS CONTROVERSY

POP ROCK BAND THE 1975 ANNOUNCED JULY 23 IT WAS CANCELING ITS SHOWS IN JAKARTA AND TAIPEI after the Malaysian government cut short a music festival in the wake of the band’s lead singer slamming the country’s anti-gay laws and kissing a male bandmate during their performance. The 1975 was scheduled to have a performance at We The Fest, Indonesia’s annual summer music festival, in Jakarta, part of their 2023 Asia tour. Matt Healey, the lead vocal of The 1975, used profanity in his speech criticizing the government’s stance against homosexuality, before kissing bass player Ross MacDonald. Footage of the incident was posted on social media and sparked a backlash.

56% SAY THEY HAVE ENGAGED IN NON-SUICIDAL SELF-INJURY.

July 2023

I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else. I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react.

— KEVIN MAXEN, AN ASSOCIATE STRENGTH COACH WITH THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH OUTSPORTS ON WHY HE DECIDED TO COME OUT

BRADLEY COOPER’S ‘MAESTRO’ TO PREMIERE AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

OF TRANS ADULTS IN THE U.S.

HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT SUICIDE WITH 42% SAYING THAT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

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Back To School

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws, rules have students worried about upcoming year

Emily Paul and Vanessa Whittle

WITH THE 2023-24 SCHOOL

year quickly approaching, many LGBTQ+ students are anticipating changes due to the new laws affecting Florida schools.

The “Parental Rights in Education” bill, known as the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill was originally passed in 2022 and prohibited instruction and discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. The expansion of the bill was passed May 17 of this year and brought the limits

from prekindergarten through grade eight.

They also include further book bans and prohibit school employees, contractors or students from being required to use an individual’s correct pronouns.

The Florida Board of Education also approved a similar ban in April at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The board stated

it would prohibit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity through grade 12 unless the subjects are required by existing state standards or reproductive health courses that students can opt out of, but that students would still be allowed to form LGBTQ+ clubs like Gender-Sexuality Alliances.

On July 19, the Florida Board of Education voted to adopt five new rules that will negatively impact LGBTQ+ students in the state.

“This politically-motivated war on parents, students, and educators needs to stop,” said Jennifer Solomon,

Florida

Parents

&

Equality

Families

Support Manager, in a press

| uu | Back to School

FROM PG.23

release. “Our students deserve classrooms where all families are treated with the respect they deserve and all young people are welcomed. Instead, the DeSantis Administration continues to wield the state against us, insisting that politicians know better than we do how best to educate our children. Let parents be parents. Let educators be educators. And stop turning our kids’ classrooms into political battlefields to score cheap points.”

The newly proposed rules are as follows:

-Rule No.: 6A-10.086, “Bathroom Rule - School Board, Charters”: Bans transgender youth from using the bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.

-Rule No.: 6A-10.089, “School Events & Activities Rule”: Attempts to restrict student access to certain extracurricular activities and events by mandating detailed, signed permission slips before a student may participate.

-Rule No.: 6A-1.0955, “Educational Records”: Requires a consent form for a student to use a name other than their legal name. This proposed rule will impact students who prefer to use a shortened version of their first

name, a nickname, or any other names, and in application, is at risk of being disproportionately and unfairly applied to transgender students.

-Rule No.: 6A-5.065, “The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices”: Integrates bans on LGBTQ+-inclusive lessons and restrictions on chosen pronoun usage into the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices, which form the foundation of evaluations and certification requirements for instructors.

-Rule No.: 6A-10.081, “Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida”: Threatens educators with loss of their teaching license if they provide LGBTQ+-inclusive lessons to students, and if they enter bathrooms or use personal pronouns that do not correspond with their so-called biological sex.

“Schools should be safe and welcoming places for all kids. But unfortunately, acting at the behest of the administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida State Board of Education is once again attacking the LGBTQ+ community by proposing a slate of hateful rules designed to isolate and demonize LGBTQ+ students,” said Courtnay Avant, Human Rights Campaign’s legislative counsel, in a statement. “The Board is trampling on the rights of parents, and at a time

when the state faces a shortage of thousands of educators, is threatening the credentials and jobs of teachers. The Human Rights Campaign strongly opposes these proposed rules and will continue fighting for all LGBTQ+ students in Florida to live free from discrimination.”

Many have also pointed to the vagueness of these laws, leaving what instruction is to be “age appropriate” up to the state rather than being clearly defined in the laws. Critics of the new laws have pointed out that the rhetoric has caused much self-censorship from teachers and school employees in fear of losing their jobs. Many educators are confused as to what that can and cannot say or do in their classrooms under the new laws. While community leaders like state Reps. Anna V. Eskamani and Michele K. Rayner-Goolsby have been outspoken against these new laws and how they will hurt Florida’s queer youth, LGBTQ+ students and their families are worried about what these new laws will mean for their upcoming school year.

‘PLEASE STOP HURTING US’

Scarlett Seyler, president of the Queer and Ally Alliance club at Boone High School in Orlando, says the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans”

law has gotten in the way of her club making a safe space for other LGBTQ+ students at her school, adding that she can feel the legislation’s changes in a tangible way on her high school campus.

Many of Seyler’s club events last year were canceled because the school said they were potentially inappropriate for campus. She is worried about the Board of Education pushing the limits into clubs and extracurriculars because clubs like Queer and Ally Alliance may be forced to disband.

“Even if the bill doesn’t yet apply to extracurriculars, it’s already been seeping into every aspect of on-campus life. They say that the rules won’t impact extracurriculars but we have seen our events canceled because of it,” Seyler says, speaking with Watermark before the Board of Education announced its new rules. “I’m worried because the queer community will feel abandoned. We see the disheartenment from LGBTQ+ students as we hear administration say that their hands are tied and there’s nothing they can do.”

Seyler, 17, identifies as queer and says the new laws are dehumanizing to her and other LGBTQ+ students.

“It’s so saddening to see us going backwards. There’s so much hate being lobbed at young

people, teenagers are the subject of a lot of hate and political discourse,” she says. “It’s hard to focus on your studies, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, self-discovery, while you’re like the set of a culture war. We shouldn’t have to keep saying ‘we are people too, please stop hurting us.’”

IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

These laws also have a serious impact on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, according to The Trevor Project, the leading organization working to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.

The organization recently conducted its annual U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People and found that anti-LGBTQ+ victimization contributes to the higher rates of suicide risk reported by LGBTQ+ young people and that transgender and nonbinary people are especially at risk for suicidal tendencies.

The survey also found that 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously have considered attempting suicide in the past year— and young people who are transgender, nonbinary and/or people of color reported higher rates than their peers.

SAY GAY AND TRANS: Since lawmakers introduced the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill in 2022, students, teachers and activists have rallied, marched and protested across the state. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

WE ARE HERE: Opponents of Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws take to the streets to protest. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

QUEER HISTORY: The expansion of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law will essentially erase LGBTQ+ stories in all grades. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

There were also some positive statistics that show how society can be helping LGBTQ+ youth and contributing to the betterment of their mental health.

According to the survey, roughly half of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and transgender and nonbinary young people whose families respect their pronouns reported lower rates of attempting suicide.

Although these may be indirect effects of the recent laws passed in Florida, the laws undeniably have had direct impacts on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, as the survey found that nearly one in three LGBTQ+ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ+ policies and legislation.

Nearly two in three LGBTQ+ young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ+ people at school made their mental health a lot worse.

The Trevor Project also noted that while online spaces ranked first in most affirming environments among transgender and nonbinary young people, schools ranked second. This shows the importance of keeping school a place where young people can learn not only the required curriculum but learn about themselves and the people they are becoming, free from government restraints as to what children can read and ask their teachers about.

With an estimated 114,000 queer youth in Florida, according to the Williams Institute, these laws are going to have a signifigant impact on a large portion of Florida’s student body.

‘THEY’RE TRYING TO MAKE US INVISIBLE’

Avis Shaw is an 18-year-old recent graduate from Hagerty High School who identifies as nonbinary and asexual. Shaw says that the recent laws make them feel upset, unsafe and as if the government does not want them to exist.

“Learning about gay people is not going to turn your kids gay,” Shaw says when asked about the recent “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” and related book-ban laws and how they have impacted Shaw’s time in school. “Also, it really

wasn’t necessary,” they continued. “Because we’re not going into school and going to a certain class and teachers are like, ‘Okay, kids, let’s learn how to be gay.’”

Shaw said that there has never been a significant focus on gay people in schools, but what little inclusivity was provided to students has now been taken away.

“My junior year they started asking everybody for their preferred name and pronouns at the beginning of the year,” Shaw says. “And then that went away senior year after the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill went into effect.”

According to the aforementioned study from The Trevor Project, a majority of LGBTQ+ young people reported being verbally harassed at school because of their identity.

When asked if they consider their school to be a safe space, Shaw responded, “Absolutely not. No.”

Shaw says that the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law and the nation’s gun violence crisis have contributed to more feelings of vulnerability in school.

“It’s hard to feel safe in public schools in general, with the current stuff that’s going on,” Shaw says. “But they’re basically trying to eventually get us to just not exist. It’s hard not to think about that when you go into school every day. I think, ‘If we weren’t in school, would these people hate crime me?’”

When asked about their hopes for future high schoolers, Shaw says that there doesn’t need to be a huge focus on the LGBTQ+ community in classrooms, but that schools could simply incorporate important moments of LGBTQ+ history into the already required history curriculum, such as the Stonewall Riots, and simply let students know that “gay people exist.”

“It just seems like they’re trying to make us invisible,” Shaw says.

Shaw is looking forward to attending college in the fall and hopes to find a more accepting environment outside of the public school system.

A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Lucia is the mother of a nonbinary 7-year-old in Pinellas County. She says her child expressed in their own language that they wanted to use they/

them pronouns and after long conversations as a family, they wanted to have those used by others at school also. She says that last school year, her child began using they/them pronouns in their first grade class and switching to preferred bathrooms, but things were not easy for them.

“I went to the school to have a chat and see if they would be an affirming environment or not and asked if they would support my child. Basically the principal stated that by law, they could not discriminate. That’s all she said. Every other question I asked about bathrooms or using my child’s pronouns, none of those questions were answered. I felt very dismissed, so we realized this wasn’t the right place for us,” Lucia says.

She says her and her husband made the choice to enroll their child in private school for the upcoming year in hopes that they will be respected and acknowledged in their identity.

“We feel confident that this new school will be okay because of their values, but nothing is guaranteed. We have anxiety about the unexpected,” Lucia says. “We have no way to ensure that our kid won’t go through negative experiences. As parents it’s really hard to know that there’s no guarantee for your kid to feel safe.”

Lucia says that another thing that gives her hope is support from the LGBTQ+ community. She says she will voice her opinion as an ally when others may not feel safe to do so. She says that organizations like PFLAG and Queer Expressions in St. Petersburg have been very supportive of her family’s journey.

“I have been so impressed by the community and how many queer people are very open to treat us as family and to make sure my kid has a safe place,” Lucia says. “Florida isn’t all like the news talks about, not everyone is homophobic or transphobic. The community’s resilience gives me the most hope.”

She wishes that people would be more open-minded and would actually get to know people who are trans or nonbinary to really understand their struggles.

“It’s not a trend, it’s not a choice, it’s not confusion.”

RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH IN FLORIDA

THERE ARE LOCAL RESOURCES available for LGBTQ+ youth and families

in the Central Florida and Tampa areas. Many of these organizations offer support or counseling services and other ways to connect with local queer youth and families.

ALSO Youth

ALSOYOUTH.ORG | (941) 951-2576

1470 BOULEVARD OF THE ARTS, SARASOTA, FL 34236

351 6TH AVENUE WEST, BRADENTON, FL 34205

ALSO Youth provides programming and services for LGBTQ youth, their families, friends and the community at large in Sarasota and Manatee County.

The Fitzlane Project

THEFITZLANEPROJECT.ORG | (727) 349-3489

Specializes in providing access to mental health services to underprivileged transgender youth, ages 13-24 in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties.

Lakeland Yo uth Alliance

LAKELANDYOUTHALLIANCE.ORG

Creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth in Lakeland.

The LGBT+ Center

THECENTERORLANDO.ORG

942 N MILLS AVE., ORLANDO, FL 32803 | (407) 228-8272

17 W. MONUMENT AVE., KISSIMMEE, FL 34741 | (407) 201-2544

Community centers for LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida.

LGBTQ Res ource Center

GULFPORT.US/LGBTQ-RESOURCES | (727) 893- 1074

Housed in the Gulfport Public Library, they provide programming for the LGBTQ+ community while highlighting and showcasing queer artists and authors.

Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

PFLAG.ORG | ORLANDO: (407) 236-9177 | TAMPA: (863) 535-5239

PFLAG is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to creating community between LGBTQ+ people and allies. There are multiple chapters throughout Florida.

Orlando Youth Alliance/ Seminole Yo uth Alliance

ORLANDOYOUTHALLIANCE.ORG | (407) 244-1222

Creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth in Central Florida.

The

Tr

evor Project

THETREVORPROJECT.ORG

(212) 695-8650 | CRISIS HOTLINE: 866-488-7386

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under 25.

Zebra Youth

ZEBRAYOUTH.ORG | (407) 228-1446

911 N MILLS AVENUE, ORLANDO, FL 32803

Provides support and services for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24.

Ryan Williams-Jent

YOU MAY KNOW CHRISTIAN

Cooper as an author. Not just of his new memoir “Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World,” but from his pioneering work at Marvel Comics.

He became one of the company’s first openly gay writers and editors in the 1990s. Cooper helped make LGBTQ+ history by working on “Alpha Flight” in 1992 — when Marvel introduced their first gay superhero — and later wrote a title featuring their first openly lesbian character.

The comic creator subsequently penned “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” for the

Avian Adventurer

Birder Christian Cooper flies to new heights with memoir and show

publisher in a groundbreaking 19-issue run. There he introduced the first openly gay character in “Star Trek” history.

If not writing, you may recognize Cooper as the host of “Extraordinary Birder” on National Geographic. The series “reveals the wild, wonderful and unpredictable world of birds.”

It’s his passion, which is why others may recognize the birder — someone who observes

and identifies birds in nature — thanks to a racist exchange Cooper caught on a viral video over three years ago. That’s when the New Yorker was harassed by a white woman in Central Park after asking her to leash her dog.

“While in the park one morning in May 2020, Cooper was engaged in the birdwatching ritual that had been a part of his life since he was 10 years old — when what might have been a routine encounter with a dog walker exploded age-old racial tensions,” his memoir is described. “Cooper’s viral video of the incident would send shock waves through the nation.

“In ‘Better Living Through Birding,’” the synopsis continues, “Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up

to the now-infamous incident in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in America today.”

Watermark spoke with Cooper about his memoir after its publication, reflecting on his story, television show and more.

WATERMARK: WHAT DREW YOU TO BIRDING?

Christian Cooper: Most people get hooked on birding by a particular bird, your spark bird. For me it was when I was about 10 years old and I saw my first Red-winged Blackbird. I was fascinated by it, I thought I found a new species of Crow. It remains one of my favorite birds.

WHAT’S KEPT YOU BIRDING?

What’s alluring is that birds communicate the same way we do. Unlike pets, like cats and dogs who are primarily all about their nose, birds communicate by sight and sound. They come in incredible colors and patterns and make incredible noises and beautiful songs, in the case of the songbirds. These are all things we can appreciate because we communicate primarily by sight and sound ourselves.

That makes birds super accessible to us. They’re everywhere. You can be in Antarctica, you can even be under the sea or in a city, you can be in the desert, and there will be birds.

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

WHY DO YOU THINK THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY MAY BE DRAWN TO BIRDING?

In my case, I was a closeted kid who knew I was gay from about the age of five, so that was a hard place to be. But when you’re birding, all your woes and cares kind of fall away for a little while.

I think for us queer folks, especially now, with all the pressure we’re under — the renewed assaults against our community, coming from so many red states, including Florida — this is a great way to sort of escape from those pressures, at least for a little while.

SOME OF YOUR OTHER ESCAPES ARE FEATURED IN YOUR MEMOIR.

Yes, for me it was science fiction, fantasy and horror, which lets you imagine new possibilities. The whole basis of science fiction is “okay, what’s not here that could be here?”

Whether it’s a future or parallel universe, or some new imagined technology. It lets you open up your mind to new ideas and new things and imagine a different world, which for us queer folk, can be really important — not just for the escapism, but for the self-acceptance and the hope of creating a world with parameters that are so much more welcoming to us.

WHAT CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT CREATING LGBTQ+ CHARACTERS FOR MARVEL AND “STAR TREK?”

It’s funny, I didn’t approach it like, “I must include queer characters wherever I go!” It was more a matter of, “I have to tell stories that are true to my experience, and that experience includes queer people.” So it would have been false, it would have been a lie, to tell stories where queer people weren’t integrated — because queer people were integrated into my life.

I wrote a horror comic called “Darkhold” and the main character happened to be a lesbian, and that’s because I knew lesbians. When I wrote “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” I saw a desert in the future of humanity in terms of alternate sexualities and it was shocking! I mean, this was supposed to be the utopian future for humankind, and we were completely absent.

So I was like, “well, that’s dumb” and I made one of the characters queer. That was important to me and was the approach I took with it. They always say “write what you know,” and this is what I knew.

BOTH FRANCHISES HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION. WHAT’S THAT LIKE TO SEE?

“Star Trek” kind of went wild with the queer characters, it’s amazing. Representation is important because until you see yourself in a particular scenario, it’s hard to imagine yourself there. I think for a lot of kids coming up seeing that they have a role in the future or a role as a superhero is fantastic.

Of course, some of the characters have been done well, and some of the characters have been done poorly. But that’s always going to be the case. I’m happy that we’re having the chance to be done well and/or poorly now, just like everybody else.

WAS WRITING A MEMOIR ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO DO?

Not at all, I’m not a very confessional person. But what I came to realize is that for my whole life, there are certain things I’ve been fighting for — well before the incident [in Central Park], as I like to call it.

Those things are justice for Black people, equality for queer people and the joy of wild birds for all people. I’ve been doing that in various ways

and then suddenly the incident happened, and I had a chance to do it on a much bigger stage for a bigger audience.

I realized that one of the ways to do that, to really bring people in, would be to tell the story from a personal perspective. To explain those issues not as abstractions, but as how they affected me personally during my whole life.

IS THAT YOUR HOPE, THAT SHARING YOUR STORY CREATES CHANGE?

HOW DID “EXTRAORDINARY BIRDER” COME TO BE?

I got a phone call from a National Geographic executive saying, “Hey, I’m thinking about doing a birding show, would you be interested in going to all these different places and seeing all these different birds and telling people about them?” And I’m like, “It sounds awful. Let me think about it.” (Laughs.) I was definitely in. I’m especially pleased that maybe the first major birding show has an African American leading the way.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR IT?

I’m hoping, especially because there’s such a deficit of Black and Brown birders, that a lot of young, Black and Brown kids will look at this show and see somebody who looks like them leading the way. That they’ll think, “Oh, maybe I can do that too.”

Also, just that people develop a passion for birds, and that it encourages them to get out there to look and listen. Even if you’re homebound, you can just go to your window.

I’m all about the joy of wild birds, for all people. Birding really and truly is for everybody.

WILL THERE BE A SEASON 2?

DO

YOU GET TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT THE INCIDENT?

It’s not that I get tired of talking about it, but I want to pull people’s focus to what matters. Because a lot of people ask, “Oh, what about her? Why didn’t you pursue charges against her?” And I’m like, “it’s not about her.”

The important thing was how it revealed how deeply racial bias runs through our culture — and the far more important thing to focus on is how that racial bias came out later that same day [with the murder of George Floyd], when it made a white police officer in Minneapolis think it was okay to kneel on a Black man’s neck until he was dead. How that racial bias bubbled up in the other cops around him who thought it was okay to stand around and do nothing.

We may be high fiving that yeah, “we got that woman in Central Park,” but meanwhile the Supreme Court is rolling back affirmative action. That’s why we need to keep our eyes on the ball and understand the need to focus on racial bias where it is doing the most harm. Where we can take action to address it.

Yes! That’s why I talk about it. It’s funny, because a day or two right after the incident, I was sort of like, “God, I just want to crawl under a rock and hide until this blows over.” And I realized very quickly that that was the wrong response and this was an opportunity to add to the conversation to bring racial bias to life in a way that — at least for a lot of white people, because us Black people have known for a long time — might be revelatory. That’s when I was like, “Alright, now I need to step up and talk about this, because George Floyd can’t.”

HOW DID YOU APPROACH WRITING YOUR MEMOIR?

Well, I’m old, I’m 60. So I had a lot of years to sort through, where I could pick out the juiciest bits and just kind of skim over the boring parts. (Laughs.) That was one of the things I tried to do, really zero in on the places that would be the most interesting.

It was also really hard to write because I’m used to writing fiction, where I am the master of the universe and control the whole world and everything about it. That’s not the way life is, you don’t get to control a whole heck of a lot. So I tried to tease out certain themes and shape them in a way that was coherent.

That’s what I tried to do with it and hopefully I succeeded. I guess the reader will have to decide.

We hope so. Watch the show, get your friends to watch the show and maybe that’ll make the difference!

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR LGBTQ+ READERS AND VIEWERS?

Embrace your wrinkles. We all have our quirks and the things that make us weird. For me as a kid, it was the fact that I was secretly queer, that I was a birder and a science fiction and comic book geek. All of those things made me out of step with mainstream society. Also being a Black birder in a largely white birding context, all of it gave me an outsider status.

Some people in that situation might try to iron out as many of those kinks as possible so that they fit in better. Hopefully the book communicates the message that you can embrace those kinks, because at some point your life, they’re going to make you so happy and so fulfilled.

“Extraordinary Birder” with Christian Cooper is streaming now on Disney+. His memoir “Better Living Through Birding” is available wherever books are sold.

THE NEXT GENERATION: Christian Cooper hopes his work will help create new birders. PHOTO VIA CHRISTIAN COOPER

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

Florida Entertainer of the Year, led by Sarasota’s Katie and Neil McCurry, won Preliminary of the Year July 24 at the National EOY pageant. Orlando’s Twila Holiday was also crowned this year’s winner. Learn more at FloridaEOY.com.

MCC Tampa will celebrate 50 years of serving Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ and ally community Aug. 5. Read more about the milestone at WatermarkOnline.com.

Director Nathan Truly will launch “Naked Boys Reading Tampa Bay” Aug. 10. Read more soon at WatermarkOnline.com. PFLAG Tampa celebrates 12 years of serving Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community this month.

CLOSURES

Bulge Apparel & Gifts announced the closure of their Ybor location July 18. “We are so thankful to our Ybor City and Tampa Bay supporters, patrons, clients and community leaders for accepting our vision and launching our growth,” they shared. They will now operate from their St. Petersburg location in the Grand Central District. Learn more at BulgeTampaBay.com.

CONDOLENCES

William Rothey died July 29 at 37. He will be missed.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Tampa Bay mainstay Daniel Velasco, Bucs fan Roberta Ramasanto (Aug. 4); Former Watermark contributor

Aaron Drake, St. Petersburg Starbucks supervisor Mark Mercado, JenSpa and Blush Beauty Center owner Jen

Warden, Tampa scuba diver Nick Walters (Aug. 5); Tampa staple Carol “Mama” Steen (Aug. 6); Hillsborough County ally Russell Patterson, GaYbor District Coalition board member emeritus Rich Kerin, Tampa showgirl and laser professional Jamie Cole, Got Split Ends? stylist Mick Ferrari, Love The Golden Rule’s Dr. Bob Wallace (Aug. 7); St. Petersburg doctor Kush Patel, St. Petersburg realtor

Doug Parton (Aug. 8); Sarasota actor/writer Steve Warren, Healing Village Therapy’s Abbie Aldridge (Aug. 9); St. Petersburg activist Karen Murray, St. Petersburg clothing designer Raul del Castillo, Tampa health restaurateur

Trent McAree, Largo beautician Jay Berwanger, Common

Courtesy host Shawn Nikolas, Kava specialist Michael Murray (Aug. 10); Community builder Kevin Johnson, GTE Financial specialist Jared Acuff, Florida Army National Guard company commander Katie Mace, Salon Swank

stylist Mikey Bessette, Tombolo Books’ Alsace Walentine, Tampa Bay bartender Robbie Parks (Aug. 11); Tampa

Bay leather bear Eric Siglin, Stand Up Florida’s Bryan Arnette (Aug. 13); Sarasota activist Chuck Redding, Tampa Bay chef Andrew Bolton (Aug. 14); former Tampa Bay bartender CJay Tauber, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch (Aug. 15); Tampa Bay entertainer Jay Miah, Tampa Bay photographer Josh Shipp, former Watermark Account Manager Michael Wier (Aug. 16).

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DREAM TEAM: Florida Entertainer of the Year’s Neil (L) and Katie McCurry (R) join National EOY winner Twila Holiday (C) at the pageant July 21 before winning prelim of the year.

FROM FL EOY’S FACEBOOK

LIFE IN PLASTIC: Taylor Eddy (L) and Chad Melton step into a Barbie world for The Wet Spot’s “Barbie” pool party and contest July 29.

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PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

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KICKIN’ IT: The Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay take the field to sing the National Anthem at the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Pride Night July 29.

PHOTO FROM GMCTB’S FACEBOOK

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STRIKE A PAWS: (L-R) Tammy Benjamin, Lindsey Burkholder, good boy Oliver, Jackie Gill-Foil and Deidre Favero sit, sip and stay at The Dog Bar July 29.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

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TEAM 2024: The board of Polk Pride meets at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine July 23 to start planning next year’s events.

PHOTO FROM POLK PRIDE’S FACEBOOK

6 DECADES OF DIVAS: The “The Evolution of Drag” cast flanks Steve Oehler on The Palladium stage July 30 after he won Watermark and TIGLFF’s ticket giveaway.

PHOTO COURTESY STEVE OEHLER

7 SPECIALTY TEAM: (L-R) Bell Pharmacy’s Martin Northrop, Michelle Simmons, Dr. Tony Trunzo and Connor Murphy welcome Watermark to the new location July 24.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

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PLAY BALL: Project Pride tables at the Bradenton Marauder’s Pride Night July 22 at LECOM Park. PHOTO FROM PROJECT PRIDE’S FACEBOOK

PHOTO

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

Twila Holiday was named National Entertainer of the Year in Louisville, Kentucky July 21.

Members of the LGBT+ Center Orlando and Savoy Orlando partnered to host a special fundraising edition of Trivia Night July 27 for host and performer Michael Wanzie. Wanzie was involved in a car accident that left his car totaled and caused him to undergo emergency surgery. The benefit raised nearly $1,000. A GoFundMe has also been created to help raise funds for Wanzie while he works on getting better. You can make a donation by going to bit.ly/Wanzie.

Green House Realty celebrated 13 years in Orlando on July 31.

Sarah Fanok and Steven Johnson are executive director and theater director, respectively, and new owners of Imagine Performing Arts Center, formerly known as Penguin Point, in Oviedo.

Southern Nights Orlando celebrates its ninth anniversary this month.

Savoy Orlando celebrates its 19th anniversary with a weekend party Aug. 18-20.

CONDOLENCES

Andrew “Drew” Micah Bracker, a former Parliament House bartender, passed away recently according to his family. Drew was a good friend to many, an avid “Star Wars” fan and enjoyed softball. Drew moved away from Orlando in 2020 relocating to San Francisco. Drew was 37. He will be missed. Details of his service will be posted by his family soon to Drew’s Facebook memorial page.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Dynamite derby girl Kiersten Taylor (Aug. 3); Sky 60-Niners slugger Donnie McCammon (Aug. 4); Orlando Penthouse Acupuncture owner Mike Eghbal, real estate agent and Southern Nights bartender Colleen Green, Central Florida realtor and environmental activist Eric Rollings (Aug.5), Orlando super mom to a trans teen Jennifer Bertrand (Aug. 6); Orlando designer and “Project Runway” alum Jesse LeNoir, Orlando-based traveler of the friendly skies Drew Sizemore (Aug. 7); Kirkpatrick Veterinary Hospital manager Victor Daza, Shih Tzu rescuer Scott Dunkle, Former Watermark interns Layla Ferris and Isaiah Peters (Aug. 8); Equality Florida Press Secretary Brandon J. Wolf, Orlando accountant Rose Gamba, Former QLatinx executive director Christopher J. Cuevas (Aug. 9); Lady Boy of the Peek-A-Boo Longue

“Sorcha Mercy” Lance Austin (Aug. 11); Orlando hair stylist Bobby Kantz, Rotten S’more’s Shiala Morales (Aug. 12); Central Florida singer Billy Mick, Regalia owner David Lang (Aug. 14); Orlando performer David Almeida (Aug. 15); Central Florida performer Tymisha Harris (Aug. 16).

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CITY POWER: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (L) with City Commissioners Regina Hill and Patty Sheehan join members of OUC as they cut the ribbon to downtown’s new electric vehicle charging hub off Robinson St. in Orlando July 25. Photo from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Facebook

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WIRE REPORTS: Watermark’s (L-R) Jeremy Williams, Ryan Williams-Jent and Rick Todd in Dallas July 21 check out The Associated Press wire report from the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated on display at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Photo from Jeremy Williams

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TRIVIA PANEL: (L-R)

Brandon Bracale-Llewellyn, George Wallace, Danny Garcia and Joe Zimmer cohost Wanzie’s Trivia Night at Savoy in Orlando July 27. Photo from George Wallace’s Facebook

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HAPPY COUPLE: Matthew Burton (L), aka Tora Himan, and Michael Sullivan in front of the Virgin Atlantic Cruise where the couple got engaged July 23. Photo courtesy Michael Sullivan

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WINNING REPORTER: Nancy Alvarez (C) grabs a photo with husband Christopher Nicholas (L) and Orange County Sheriff John Mina during the LGBT+ Center Orladno’s Diversity Awards, which Alvarez was honored with one, at the Sheraton Orlando North in Maitland July 28. Photo from Nancy Alvarez’s Facebook

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FANTASTIC FOODS: Disney’s Will (L) and Ashley show off a selection of the delicious treats July 26 that are a part of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival this year.

Photo by Jeremy Williams

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FIGHTING STIGMA: (L-R)

Daniel Fernandez, Jose Aguilar, Humberto Lopez Castillo, Nadia Garzon, Andres Acosta Ardila, Carlitos Díaz, Yosmar Rumbos and Jordan Jimenez attend “Zero HIV Stigma Day” at Orlando Family Stage July 28. Photo by Jeremy Williams

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WONDER TWINS: Anna (L) and Ida Eskamani grab a selfie July 29 while knocking on doors and speaking with voters in Orlando. Photo from Rep. Anna V. Eskamani’s Facebook

community calendar

CENTRAL FLORIDA Leigh Shannon’s Illusions in Revue 14 Years Celebration

SATURDAY, AUG. 5, 8 P.M. HAMBURGER MARY’S, ORLANDO

Join host Leigh Shannon, as the iconic Bette Midler, as she celebrates 14 years of her “Illusions in Revue” show at Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando Aug. 5. See what stars show up as they congratulate Shannon on 14 years. Seating starts at 7 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 321-319-0600. This is an 18 and up event. For more information, go to HamburgerMarys.com/Orlando.

Watermark’s August Third Thursday

THURSDAY, AUG. 17, 6-8 P.M.

BLISS HEALTH, ORLANDO

Bliss Health hosts Watermark’s August networking social Third Thursday. This is a free event that will feature light bites, first drink on the house and some fun raffle prizes. Proceeds to benefit Bliss Cares. For more information and to RSVP to the event, go to Facebook.com/WatermarkFL.

TAMPA BAY

MCC Tampa’s Golden Anniversary Celebration

SATURDAY, AUG. 5, 5-7 P.M.

MCC TAMPA, TAMPA

MCC Tampa invites you to join them in celebration of 50 years, plus a few extra due to the pandemic, marking the organization’s founding on Aug. 6, 1971. The event will feature hors d’oeuvres, desserts and quality time with MCC Tampa friends and family. The event is free but donations are welcome, and a homecoming service will follow Aug. 6 at 10:30 a.m. Learn more at MCCTampa.com.

Balance Tampa Bay Social

THURSDAY, AUG. 17, 6:30-8:30 P.M.

BERNINI RESTAURANT, TAMPA

Balance Tampa Bay’s August social will gather to raise awareness and build community. Attendees are asked to consider contributing to the Pinellas School Supply Drive for Title 1 schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties with the Chamber of Tampa Bay, benefiting local students. The Ybor eatery will also offer $3 martinis and more. Visit BalanceTampaBay.org for more information.

EVENT PLANNER ON TOUR

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA

“Million Dollar Quartet,” Aug. 2-20, Orlando Shakes, Orlando. 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org

Lunch & Learn: The Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, Aug. 4, Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando. 407-836-8500; TheHistoryCenter.org

“A Chorus Line,” Aug. 4-6, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

“Lizzie The Rock Musical,” Aug. 4-13, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

Butt Munch Brunch, Aug. 5, Renaissance Theatre, Orlando. 407-553-6336; PineappleHealthcare.com

glaive, Aug. 5, The Beacham, Orlando. 407-648-8363; BeachamOrlando.com

Community Clean-up w/ Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, Aug. 6, Lee Road, Orlando. Bit. yl/LeeRdCleanup

“A Place For Us” release celebration, Aug. 7, College Park Gallery, Orlando. 407-756-2758; BrandonWolf.us Main Street 101: Economic Vitality Training, Aug. 9, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-246-3259; OrlandoMainStreets.com

Billy Mick and Friends Rockin’ Birthday Brunch, Aug. 12, The 808, Orlando. 407-440-4079; The808Orlando.com

Zeppelin Books 1st Anniversary Celebration w/ Melanie Farmer, Aug. 12, Zepplin Books, Orlando. ZepplinBookstore.com

Art After Dark, Aug. 12, CityArts, Orlando. 407-648-7060; DowntownArtsDistrict.com

Stuff You Should Know, Aug. 12, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

CallaBoone Nunday Funday, Aug. 6, Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. 727-329-9994; Facebook.com/CallaBoone

Karaoke Tuesdays, Aug. 8; 15, Zipperz, Gulfport. 727-290-7497; Facebook.com/ KingCassProductionsLLC

Pentatonix & Lauren

Alaina, Aug. 10, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa. 813-600-1000; Facebook.com/MidFloridaAmp

“Naked Boys Reading,” Aug. 10, Studio@620, St. Petersburg. 727-895-6620; TheStudioAt620.com

Rocky’s Big Gay Car Wash, Aug. 11, The Lady’s Room, Largo. 727-642-4412; Facebook.com/ TheLadysRoomLargo

Nerdier Than Thou: A Literary Con, Aug. 12, Emerald City Comics, Clearwater. 727-398-2665; WordierThanThou.com

Drag Brunch – I Want to Speak to the Manger, Aug. 13, Island Time, Orlando. 407-930-2640; IslandTimeOrlando.com

Art Night Out: Collage Images, Aug. 16, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando. 407-896-4231; OMArt.org

TAMPA BAY

“Lizzie: The Musical,” Through Aug. 6, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org

“La Gringa,” Through Aug. 13, American Stage, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanStage.org

Piano Lounge with Judy Haines, Aug. 4, Cider Press Vegan Gastropub, St. Petersburg. 727-914-7222; CiderPressPub.com

Pride Skate Tampa, Aug. 5, Skateworld, Tampa. 813-884-7688; Facebook.com/ PrideSkateTampa

Afternoon Trivia, Aug. 12, Neptune Grill, Gulfport. 410-262-2929; GregAndersonEvents.com

EPIC Generations James Museum Visit, Aug. 15, The James Museum, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

Pet Pal Drag Queen Bingo, Aug. 16, The Pesky Pelican, St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600; PeskyPelicanBrewPub.com

“Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992,” Aug. 16-27, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org

Transcend: Transgender Social Group, Aug. 18, Empath Partners in Care, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

SARASOTA

“Divas Three: Four Decades of Iconic Diva Hits,” Through Aug. 19, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota. 941-366-9000; FloridaStudioTheatre.org

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

After releasing his debut album, “I Care So Much That I Don’t Care at All,” last month, glaive brings his tour to The Beacham in Orlando Aug. 5. PHOTO FROM GLAIVEMUSIC.COM

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choose well.

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