Watermark Issue 31.15: Culture Cuts by Watermark Publishing Group

The Center Orlando prepares for 12th Diversity Awards LGBTQ + advocate Nathan Bruemmer running for state House

Culture cuts

ARTS ORGS SPEAK OUT AFTER DESANTIS VETOES $32 MILLION IN FUNDING

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

EDITOR’S

DESK

AS FAR BACK AS I CAN RECALL,

I have wanted to be a journalist. I have always had an affection for writing and, for as long as I can remember, I have always been a nosey person. While there is more to being a journalist, those are

two pretty important requirements.

Even before I was in high school and joining the school newspaper, I remember gathering together with my siblings, getting our family camcorder and making fake newscasts. Our little show had all the standards of your basic local newscast — an anchor, a field reporter, a meteorologist and a sportscaster. We recorded a number of them over the years and while they started pretty basic, I remember us coming up with some clever ways — clever for kids, anyways — to add in props.

For one of our weather segments, we hung a map of the United States on the glass-sliding door and closed the blinds over it. When it was time for our

metrologist to give their weather update, we pulled the blinds back to reveal our Doppler radar map showing incoming storms for the weekend.

Another time, we pre-taped our field reporter talking outside about the devastation from a recent hurricane, leaving dead air between their sentences. We then took the tape and played it on the TV in our “studio,” letting our anchor interact with the reporter. We were pretty proud of ourselves.

When we finished we would sit our parents down and have them watch our news program and they would tell us how funny and creative we were. Our parents were

always encouraging with whatever sparked our imaginations.

They were also pretty good with constructive criticism as well. I remember while on the school paper, one of my beats was movie reviewer. I had written a review for the movie “Sleepers,” a ‘90s crime drama starring Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Billy Crudup, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Bacon.

When the new print edition came out, I brought copies home for everyone. After reading it, I remember my parents putting the paper down and saying “Well, now we don’t have to see the movie.”

While they said it was well written, I had given the entire movie away in the review. I took their critique and tips as well as a teenage kid could and I applied it to my future reviews.

My reviews got so good that the school’s vice principal called me and my journalism teacher into his office to accuse me of plagiarizing. To the credit of my teacher, when the vice principal could not supply any evidence to his accusation other than “it’s too well written for a student,” she backed me up and told him he should have more faith in not only the abilities of his students but also in his teachers’ abilities to teach.

I learned so much from being on the high school newspaper and after doing a stint in the United States Air Force, decided I wanted to go to college to study journalism. Using the G.I. Bill (thanks, Uncle Sam), I signed up for classes at Valencia College and there I met a group of dedicated writers and an inspirational teacher, all of whom encouraged and supported each other (for the most part).

I took a lot away from that group that I have applied to my journalism career even today. While I love what I do here at Watermark and I think it is important work telling the stories of our community, I miss those days of being surrounded by dozens of journalists and bouncing

story ideas off each other. We are a small but mighty staff here so most of our journalists fall into the freelancer category, leaving myself and Watermark’s managing editor, Ryan Williams-Jent, as the staff journalists.

Watermark’s management team — me, Ryan, our sales director Danny Garcia and our publisher/ owner Rick Todd — recently got the chance to attend this year’s AAN Publisher’s conference in Charleston, South Carolina. A gathering of alternative weekly’s and niche market newspapers, it was a time to embed ourselves with other journalists and discuss best practices in the industry.

It was an interesting and

As far back as I can recall, I have wanted to be a journalist.

stressful trip — mostly due to the events of getting up there (a story for another column) — but the best thing to come out of the conference was being able to sit and listen to other journalists talk and brainstorm (and occasionally complain) about the industry.

I also got to see one of my old Valencia friends. Shay, who was my first editor-in-chief at the Valencia Voice (the name of our school paper), is out in Colorado living her best life as the editor of Boulder Weekly. She is an amazing writer and I encourage everyone to check her out.

Watermark is celebrating its 30th anniversary and we have a lot of fun surprises in store, so be sure to follow us on our socials to keep updated on what’s going on, and if you have a story to tell, I encourage you to reach out and share it with us.

REV. JAKOB HERO-SHAW is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. He and his husband are the proud parents of two teenagers. Page 17

DEBORAH BOSTOCK -KELLEY reviews theatre for Broadway World and other outlets and runs The WriteOne Creative Services. She is an ally, wife, mom and Tampa native. Learn more at TheWriteOneCS.

SABRINA AMBRA, ABBY BAKER, STEVE BLANCHARD, DEBORAH BOSTOCKKELLEY, JOHNNY BOYKINS, BIANCA GOOLSBY, JAKOB HERO-SHAW, LORA KORPAR, JASON LECLERC, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, MELODY MAIA MONET, NICHOLAS MACHUCA, TIFFANY RAZZANO, SISTER JUANA REACTION, MOMMA ASHLEY ROSE, GREG STEMM, SYLVIE TREVENA, MICHAEL WANZIE, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI

BRIAN BECNEL, NICK CARDELLO, J.D. CASTO, BRUCE HARDIN, JAMARCUS MOSLEY, CHRIS STEPHENSON, LEE VANDERGRIFT PHOTOGRAPHY

DESK EDITOR’S

MY FAMILY DIDN’T TRAVEL A LOT

while I was growing up, but one place we frequented was South Carolina.

Specifically, Charleston: just a “short” 10-hour trek from Ohio.

We spent quite a few summer vacations there since we had loved ones to visit, folks who showed me how significant chosen families can become. My mother’s lifelong best friend and her husband called the city home with their family, which meant it functioned as a home away from home for mine.

The love my aunt and uncle had for the region quickly cultivated my own. I was captivated not just by Charleston’s natural beauty — it has beaches that rival some of my favorites in Florida — but by its historical significance. It was clear to me that every street and every building had a tale to tell, something I always appreciated as a nerdy kid drawn to such stories.

Once I was older I learned how shameful some of them

were. Charleston is intrinsically tied to U.S. slavery; 40% of all enslaved people entered our country through the city, and the Civil War began in Charleston Harbor in 1861.

It wasn’t until 2018 that Charleston formally recognized, denounced and apologized for its role in the slave trade. Local lawmakers simultaneously vowed to work with businesses and organizations to combat racism, and just last year the city’s International African American Museum opened after two decades of planning. It exists to challenge, inspire and move residents and visitors alike to action.

That kind of energy is what I loved about Charleston growing up, and why I was so excited to return there recently. Earlier this month, Watermark Publisher

Rick Todd, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams, Sales Director Danny Garcia and I all attended the annual AAN conference for two full days of journalism-focused programming.

AAN represents more than 100 North American news organizations like Watermark. We officially became a member during last year’s event in Dallas, which was also my first journalism convention.

“It was invigorating,” I wrote in my column afterwards. “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.”

I’m happy to report that this year’s event did the same. I got to network with dedicated journalists and subject matter experts from around the country, which is a remarkable experience.

This year’s conference challenged the ways in which we’ll cover the 2024 election, provided insight into new fact-checking tools in a world of AI and much more. I made quite a few connections and have a number of ideas that I’m excited about.

As an added bonus, I also got to have a long overdue night with my family. We had a lovely dinner and drove around the city they taught me to love. It was a personal tour that I’ll never forget, one followed by another memorable night admiring Charleston with the Watermark staff.

Late one evening we decided to take a “Ghost and Graveyard Tour,” which promised “an exclusive and entertaining opportunity to walk inside the gates of one of Charleston’s oldest graveyards after dark.” It delivered on that front.

While I’m a skeptic at best when it comes to seeing spirits, I loved seeing the city from such a unique vantage point. It had everything I expected, from deteriorating

graves to breathtaking buildings, but it’s what was unexpected that moved me the most.

High above the aging gravestones, I was delighted to find a massive and well-lit banner plastered across the columns of a church. It read “A JUST WORLD FOR ALL” and was printed on the colors of the trans flag for all of Charleston to see.

There was also an all-gender restroom beneath it, which featured a sign explicitly noting it could be used “by any person regardless of gender identity or expression.” It reminded me that change is possible, even in

Change is possible, even in unexpected places.

unexpected places. I’m so thankful to have experienced it.

That feeling is something I’m holding onto at home, where Gov. Ron DeSantis recently vetoed $32 million in critical funding for local arts organizations. In this issue — which features artwork from talented and local artist Chris Sellen on the cover — we speak to several of them about what it means and what comes next.

In news, LGBTQ+ activist Nathan Bruemmer announces he’s running for state House and Dunedin’s Cliché Restaurant closes its doors but vows to return. The City of Orlando also details its first meeting of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee.

Watermark is proud to be your LGBTQ+ news source, so thanks for reading and supporting our advertisers. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.

REV. JAKOB HERO-SHAW is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. He and his husband are the proud parents of two teenagers. Page 17

DEBORAH BOSTOCK -KELLEY reviews theatre for Broadway World and other outlets and runs The WriteOne Creative Services. She is an ally, wife, mom and Tampa native. Learn more at TheWriteOneCS.

BRIAN BECNEL, NICK CARDELLO, J.D. CASTO, BRUCE HARDIN, JAMARCUS MOSLEY, CHRIS STEPHENSON, LEE VANDERGRIFT PHOTOGRAPHY

ORLANDO ANNOUNCES 1ST PULSE MEMORIAL MEETINGS

Victoria Pera

ORLANDO | Members of the public are being invited to attend the first meeting of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee and Open House.

The Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee consists of families, survivors and community stakeholders. The committee was recently created to guide engagement towards the recommendation of a conceptual design for a permanent memorial to the Orlando City Council by the end of this year.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced July 10 that the community members who will sit on the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee had been selected. In a press release, Dyer stated that more than 150 individuals submitted applications to join the committee with 18 members being selected.

Those members are Aracelis Maria Jimenez, who lost a family member in the tragedy; Brett Rigas, a survivor who lost a family member in the tragedy; Brian Reagan, a survivor, former Pulse employee and artist; Carlitos Diaz Rodriguez, a family member of a survivor, an architect/design professional, landscape architect and artist; Cesar Rodriguez, a survivor; Felicia Burt, who lost a family member in the tragedy; Jamie Reed, who lost a friend in the tragedy, an architect/design professional and marketing professional; Joshua Garcia, a former Pulse employee, who provided services after the tragedy as a mental health professional; Keinon Carter, a survivor; Kelly Dawson, who lives in the Orlando area and felt the loss as a community member and is an architect/design professional; Rev. Marcelino Rivera, who lost a friend and provided services after the tragedy; Mayra Alvear BenabeI, who lost a family member in the tragedy; Norman Casiano-Mojica, a survivor; Nancy Rosado, who provided services after the tragedy and is a mental health professional, community advocate and former first responder; Perry T. Snider Jr., who lost a friend in the tragedy and is a former Pulse employee; Siclaly “Laly” M. Santiago-Leon, who lost a family member in the tragedy; Terrance Hunter, who regularly visited or patronized Pulse and is an educator and museum professional and Tommy Connelly, a survivor and artist.

Meetings are to be located at the Kia Center, located at 400 West Church St. They will take place July 24, from 4-8 p.m. and July 25, from 4-6 p.m., with the open house following the July 25 meeting from 6-8 p.m.

Throughout the open house you can interact with the committee, visit stations and provide feedback. Those who want to join the meeting but cannot attend in person can join the meeting or open house virtually. You can join virtually at PulseOrlando.org/ MeetingInformation. All meetings will be available in English and Spanish.

Learn more about it at PulseOrlando.org/Committee.

central florida news

Community Leaders

The Center prepares for 12th Diversity Awards

Victoria Pera

ORLANDO | The LGBT+ Center Orlando will host their 12th annual Diversity Awards on July 26 at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista. The ceremony is set to start at 12 p.m.

The Center Orlando has promoted and empowered the LGBTQ+ community and its allies through advocacy, education, information and support for the past 46 years. The Center Orlando holds its annual Diversity Awards to honor local champions, trailblazers and impact makers that support and celebrate inclusion.

The event will consist of a plated lunch, a rainbow juice bar during cocktail hour and a program where The Center Orlando will acknowledge and celebrate individuals and businesses that exemplify leadership in diversity and inclusion. The Center Orlando

will also be announcing its 2024 student scholarship recipients.

For its 2024 Diversity Award honorees, The Center Orlando will recognize Congressman Maxwell Frost, the U.S. representative for Florida’s 10th congressional district, with the LGBT+ Ally award.

“I feel incredibly honored,” Frost said in an interview with Watermark. “The Center does such amazing and important work ... When we live in a state like this in Florida, where we have a neo-fascist, right-wing government that uses and abuses marginalized communities to try and consolidate power, we do have to protect us, and that is what the Center does.”

The Center Orlando will also recognize two individuals with its Trailblazer Award: Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and National Press

Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign Brandon Wolf.

“A ‘trailblazer’ is someone who is making a change, whether it be a small change locally, all the way to a national change,” says George Wallace, The Center Orlando’s CEO. “A trailblazer to me is someone who is outspoken and visible.”

Other award recipients will include La Jon Dantzler, The Center Orlando’s Individual Giving Manager, who will be named the Emerging Leader Award and Michael Slaymaker, CEO at Orlando Youth Alliance, who will be recognized as the 2024 Lifetime Achievement recipient.

“My family brought me up as, ‘Michael if you want that bicycle, go mow some yards.’ In other words, go work for it. Don’t let somebody else do it; if you see something in need, make it better. That’s how I was raised,” says Slaymaker.

Several organizations will also be recognized at the Diversity Awards, including Zebra Youth with the Non-Profit Partner award, Orange County Government with the Champion of Equality award, Universal Studios Florida with the Corporate Partner award, and Watermark Publishing Group with the Small Business Partner award.

The 12th annual Diversity Awards will be at the Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort in Orlando on July 26. Individual tickets are $85 and are available at GiveButter.com/ DiversityAwards.

AWARD CENTER:

The LGBT+ Center Orlando (pictured) will host its 12th annual Diversity Awards on July 26.

PHOTO BY LUIS XAVIER DE PEÑA

AZupka Counseling

Journalism matters. Journalism provides information. Information is knowledge and knowledge is power.

Watermark matters. Our mission is to advance LGBTQ+ interests. We do that by connecting community, informing you of what is happening around you that might not be on your radar. We celebrate our triumphs and, at times, we question our missteps. We uplift those fighting the good fight and hold those accountable who seek to silence you.

We need your help to continue our mission. In honor of our 30-year anniversary, Watermark is asking 1,000 of our readers to support local queer journalism by gifting $30.

Visit WatermarkOnline.com/30th or scan the QR code to show your support.

Unlike other news outlets, Watermark covers the LGBTQ+ community from a local perspective, year-round, providing depth and context for our readers they can’t get elsewhere.

Your gift will help go towards investigative journalism, expanding our freelance team and creating opportunities for more LGBTQ+ journalists, hopefully providing us with the resources to hire more staff to provide a better experience for you, our readers.

CLICHÉ RESTAURANT ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE CLOSURE

Ryan Williams-Jent

DUNEDIN, FLA. | Cliché Restaurant Bar & Grill announced its immediate closure July 3, just months after the LGBTQ+ safe space’s grand opening.

Business owner Delores T. Van-Cartier opened the venue in April, designing the showbar to be everything you’d expect and more. According to Pinellas County public records, building owners James and Dianne Pramataris filed a complaint for eviction June 10.

The two cited unpaid rent, though documentation also shows remedies sought as “nonmonetary declaratory or injunctive relief.” Van-Cartier says the designation is indicative of an agreement she made with her landlords after paying $14,000 to tent the building and another $9,000 to repair its roof.

“I don’t owe him anything,” she says of James Pramataris. “I paid thousands in repairs and upgrades. Things he was supposed to pay for [per] the lease and didn’t … the court documents say ‘nonmonetary,’ so he knows I owe him nothing. He just wanted us out… I was forced to leave.”

Van-Cartier — who is a Black, trans woman — also alleges the building owner’s anti-LGBTQ+ and racist views played a part in the eviction.

“He never called the previous owner by name, he just kept referring to him as ‘the Chinese guy’ even though I referenced the name,” she explains. “And when he asked what [Cliché was doing], I said ‘selling burgers.’ He mentioned the other businesses and turned his nose up when he said [the building] used to be a gay bar, [saying] ‘those people’ always cause trouble… that’s why I never said what we were.”

Van-Cartier filed an emergency motion with the court July 2, the day Cliché ceased current operations. Documentation shows the entrepreneur sought a motion to stay in the property, asking for 30 days to settle financial matters. It was granted through July 12.

She also shared July 3 via social media that Cliché’s closure is temporary.

“Currently we are temporarily closed. The location no longer wants to support our business,” Van-Cartier wrote. “We are looking for a new safe space so that we can continue to bring you great food, entertainment and also continued support of our local charities.

“Thank you so much for the out pouring of love we have received and the support from the community,” she continued. “It doesn’t go unnoticed. The location has been known to have a common denominator of why businesses leave, and sadly, Clichè has fallen prey to that as well due to no fault of our own … We’ll be back!”

Watermark reached out to James Pramataris who declined to comment for this story.

For more information about Cliché Restaurant, Bar & Grill, visit ClicheRestaurants.com.

tampa bay news

Fighting for Florida

LGBTQ+ advocate Nathan Bruemmer running for state House

Ryan Williams-Jent

ST. PETERSBURG | LGBTQ+ activist, lawyer and Democrat Nathan Bruemmer has officially launched his campaign for state House District 61, hoping to help build “a brighter future for Florida.”

The southwestern Pinellas County district includes Gulfport, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach and more. It is currently represented by state Rep. Linda Chaney, a part of Florida’s Republican supermajority. Chaney, who was first elected in 2020 when she unseated former LGBTQ+ lawmaker Jennifer Webb, claimed last month to have played a part in the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s decision not to wrap buses for St Pete Pride. Incidentally, Bruemmer previously served as the nonprofit’s president and acting executive director, guiding the state’s largest LGBTQ+

celebration through the beginning of the pandemic.

Bruemmer is also a former Watermark columnist whose work has extended to nonprofits like Equality Florida and ALSO Youth. In 2021 he was appointed as the state’s LGBTQ+ Consumer Advocate for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under former Commissioner Nikki Fried, becoming the first transgender man to hold the role.

More recently, he made history again as president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, which represents the interests of LGBTQ+ Floridians to the state’s Democratic Party. He resigned to focus on his campaign, a decision formally announced by the group July 5 and detailed on p. 14.

Bruemmer is running for state House “to champion the values of equality, community, and justice,” his website reads.

“With a proven track record in

leadership roles … Nathan has tirelessly worked to build bridges between diverse communities and local government.

“His extensive experience, from serving as an educator to leading LGBTQ+ youth support initiatives, underscores his commitment to creating inclusive and equitable spaces,” it continues. “As a native Floridian and proud resident of Pinellas County, Nathan’s vast leadership experience, coupled with his deep-rooted community involvement, positions him uniquely to serve and uplift the residents of District 61.”

Following his campaign announcement, Bruemmer told Watermark he is running because of those he’s met personally and professionally throughout his advocacy. He says he’s seeking support because he’s “committed to creating real change and advocating for our community.”

Bruemmer could make history if elected this year. He is one of several transgender candidates running for the Florida Legislature, including Tampa Bay’s Ashley Brundage. Both he and Chaney are running unopposed for their respective parties and will appear on the ballot this November.

Learn more about Nathan Bruemmer and his campaign at NathanForFlorida.com. Check your voter registration and more by visiting Vote.org.

NEXT CHAPTER: Longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Nathan Bruemmer hopes to represent Florida House District 61. PHOTO COURTESY BRUEMMER

LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN SOUTH FLORIDA FEELS LESS SAFE THAN 5 YEARS AGO

Staff Report

Arecent survey by OUTSFL found that a majority of LGBTQ+ Floridians feel less safe now than they did five years ago.

OUTSFL surveyed 335 LGBTQ+ individuals living in South Florida and found that 62% of respondents feel less safe as opposed to five years ago; however, 75% of those surveyed still feel somewhat safe or very safe in Florida.

The survey also asked respondents if they had the means to move out of the state, would they, with 43% saying yes and 57% saying no.

The survey comes about a month after SafeHome.org released its 2024 LGBTQ+ State Safety Report in which it named Florida one of the worst states for LGBTQ+ people only faring better than South Dakota.

KRISTEN BROWDE NAMED FLORIDA LGBTQ+ DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS PRESIDENT

Victoria Pera

Kristen Browde has been named president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. Browde is an out transgender woman and an attorney living in Miami. She was previously vice president of the caucus, assuming her new role after the previous caucus president, Nathan Bruemmer, resigned to launch his campaign for state representative.

In a July 8 message, Browde said Florida’s LGBTQ+ community is “in a battle for our lives.”

“But what you may not know is what I heard in a briefing from the data team at Out for Biden,” she said. “Data shows that LGBTQ+ voters are the single strongest, most reliable block of Democratic voters in every state of the nation. I see our job in this campaign season as not just

energizing and activating those members of our community, but reaching out to the farthest reaches of our community.”

Browde sat down for an interview with OUTSFL moments after being announced as the caucus president, discussing several topics, including what “Take Back Florida,” the rallying cry for the caucus, means to Browde.

“‘Taking back Florida,’ at the first level, does mean taking back power in the legislature and that means breaking those supermajorities,” she said. “There are great candidates from Key West up to Gainesville. But it’s not just the state legislature. There are those school board races. What really affects [voters] is what happens in your town. Those decisions make a difference in your life and your children’s lives.”

Browde went on to explain that there is more that unites us in Florida than divides us.

“The difference between an LGBTQ+ citizen of Florida and any other citizen of Florida is negligible. We all want the same things; we want good jobs, safe streets, good schools, a good environment and a great place to live,” said Browde.

Lately, much attention as been placed on President Joe Biden’s age and ability to run the country with several Democrats calling on the president to step aside for a younger candidate, something Browde says she disagrees with.

“Joe Biden has been a terrific president for three-and-a-half years,” she said. “Are there still problems? You betcha. But I would rather have a man of good heart even if he’s an older man of good heart.”

You can watch the entire OUTSFL interview at WatermarkOnline.com. To learn more about the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, visit LGBTQDems.org.

TRUMP PICKS ANTI-LGBTQ+ RUNNING MATE

Christopher Kane of

The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

Former President Donald Trump announced anti-LGBTQ U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his 2024 running mate in a Truth Social post on July 15.

A political neophyte who was first elected in 2022 thanks to Trump’s endorsement, Vance once compared the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to Adolf Hitler, also calling him “cultural heroin” and “an opioid of the masses.”

The Ohio senator’s journey from critic to acolyte was cemented before the pick.

After Trump walked away from an assassination attempt and both of the major candidates said it was time to turn down the rhetoric, Vance went further than many on the right and directly blamed President Joe Biden and his campaign for the gunman’s actions.

“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” he said on X. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

LGBTQ organizations and advocates issued statements blasting Trump’s vice president pick.

“Donald Trump has been a bully for years — and his pick of MAGA clone JD Vance is a reminder that nothing has changed. This is anything but a unity ticket,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said.

“We are not simply choosing between two campaigns. We are choosing between two fundamentally different visions of America. One, with Trump and MAGA ‘yes man’ JD Vance at the helm, where our rights and freedoms are under siege. And the other, with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris leading the way, where we are advancing toward freedom and equality for all,” she said.

“Everything is at stake and the contrast could not be clearer. We must defeat Trump, Vance, and their

brand of chaos and division, and send Joe Biden and Kamala Harris back to the White House.”

In a press release, HRC listed some of the ways in which Vance has denigrated LGBTQ people.

GLAAD, meanwhile, has a lengthy entry for Vance in the GLAAD Accountability Project. Positions, statements, and actions by Trump’s running mate that were noted by the two organizations include his endorsement of the “groomer” slur against Democrats for their support of LGBTQ people, his statement “strongly disagree[ing]” that LGBTQ people should be protected from discrimination, his opposition to the Equality Act, which would federalize and codify LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections, and his extreme anti-choice views, including opposition to exceptions to abortion restrictions for victims of rape and incest and opposition to IVF. Vance also claimed a week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that Biden was risking war with Russia because President Putin doesn’t believe in trans rights.

DUTCH SUPREME COURT RULES ARUBA, CURAÇAO MUST ALLOW SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY

Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

The Dutch Supreme Court on July 12 ruled Aruba and Curaçao must extend marriage rights to same-sex couples.

The Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba in 2022 ruled in favor of marriage equality in two cases that Fundacion Orguyo Aruba and Human Rights Caribbean in Curaçao filed.

The governments of the two islands appealed the ruling.

The Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba has jurisdiction over Aruba, Curaçao,

and St. Maarten —three constituent countries within the Netherlands — and Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba — which are special municipalities within the kingdom.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry and adopt children in Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba since 2012.

Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten must recognize same-sex marriages from the Netherlands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. Aruba’s registered partnership law took effect in 2021.

“Today, we celebrate a historic victory for the dignity and rights of LGBT individuals in Curaçao and Aruba,” said Human Rights Caribbean President Janice Tjon Sien Kie in a statement.

Aruban Sen. Miguel Mansur, who is gay, described the ruling to the Washington Blade as “an amazing victory which applies to

Aruba, Curaçao, and by implication St. Maarten.”

“Aruba progresses into a society with less discrimination, more tolerance, and acceptance,” he said.

Melissa Gumbs, a lesbian St. Maarten MP, told the Blade the ruling “could very well have some bearing on our situation here.”

“I’m definitely looking into it,” she said. “We’re researching it to see what is the possibility, and also in touch with our friends in Aruba who are, of course, overjoyed with this ruling.”

Cuba, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Martin, St. Barts, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, are the other jurisdictions in the Caribbean in which same-sex couples can legally marry.

Mansur said the first same-sex marriages in Aruba will happen “very soon.”

“There are two couples ready to wed,” he told the Blade.

IN OTHER NEWS

BIDEN ASSAILS ANTILGBTQ+ PROJECT 2025

While Joe Biden has been attacking Project 2025, Donald Trump has attempted to distance himself from the anti-LGBTQ+ conservative project. Project 2025 is a 922-page plan that focuses on the expansion of presidential powers, among other things. “I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump posted on his social media website. Biden’s reelection campaign has drawn more attention to the plan, including Trump’s ties to the individuals who contributed to Project 2025. “He’s trying to hide his connections to his allies’ extreme Project 2025 agenda,” Biden said. The president’s campaign also created TrumpsProject2025.com.

MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING, DISMEMBERING TRANS TEEN

DaShawn Watkins, 29, was charged with the murder and dismemberment of a 14-year-old Pennsylvanian and transgender teen July 9. Prosecutors said they will also be seeking hate crime charges. The pair met through the dating app Grindr and planned to meet up on June 22 according to Watkins. Evidence shows the teen had appeared to be waiting to meet someone near the lake’s canoe launch that evening, prosecutors said. Authorities said the surveillance footage also captures Watkins making multiple trips out of his apartment in the early morning of June 23 and was spotted driving near the lake where the teen’s remains were found.

JAPAN ALLOWS TRANS WOMAN TO CHANGE GENDER WITHOUT SURGERY

The Hiroshima High Court has ruled that one does not have to go through compulsory gender-affirming surgery to have their gender changed on July 10, deeming the law unconstitutional. The ruling follows a claim made by a trans woman who argued that the compulsory surgery was a huge economic and physical burden and that the law violates the promise of equal rights provided by the constitution. The decision allows the claimant to officially change her gender without undergoing surgery. The ruling signifies a shift in awareness in LGBTQ+ and gender issues as well as how they are seen in Japan.

IRANIAN-BORN NORWEGIAN MAN FOUND GUILTY IN LGBTQ+ FESTIVAL ATTACK

Zaninar Matapour was found guilty of terrorism on July 4 for his attack on an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo in 2022. His 30-year sentence was the highest sentence in Norway since the Norwegian terror legislation was changed in 2015. He had pleaded innocent and was deemed sane at the time of the attack. Matapour had claimed he was provoked to do the attack by a member of Norway’s external intelligence agency pretending to be a member of the Islamic State group, which the court cleared. He can request parole after he has served 20 years but can only be released if he is deemed no longer dangerous.

QUEERLY BELOVED

Solidarity, Before It’s Too Late

IN NOVEMBER, WHEN THE

citizens of this nation fill out their ballots, we face the very real possibility of losing the basic civil liberties that should be sacrosanct in this nation.

I don’t want to be alarmist, but how much of our nation must burn down before we sound the alarm? Yes, I know, we feel concerned at every presidential election. But this time the threat is heightened, because of a plan called Project 2025. If you don’t know about it yet, now is the time to learn.

Project 2025 should keep you up at night. Chances are that you are among those targeted in the over 900 pages that lay out this plan, known as the “Mandate for Leadership.” It was created by the Heritage Foundation, an extreme rightwing think tank. If you are a person of color, a woman, a person who utilizes birth control or might need an abortion, part of the LGBTQIA+ community, an immigrant, or any combination of these identities, your life and freedoms are on the line.

This plan reeks of Christian nationalism. As a Christian pastor, I can’t tell you how to vote. I can, however, inform you that Christian nationalism neither serves Christ nor this nation. It is dangerous to conflate the extreme beliefs of Christian nationalism with the beliefs of Christianity.

Christian nationalism directly attacks anyone who does not fall in line with a particular white, conservative, nationalist, heteronormative agenda. It warps the teachings of Christ, shifting this nation

into a cruel and heartless hellscape, and Project 2025 is among one of the most dangerous pieces of its propaganda.

Among its many horrific positions, Project 2025 categorizes LGBTQIA+ people as pornographers and demands that pornography — as it is newly defined — be outlawed. Trans people are a particular target of Project 2025. It seeks to criminalize anyone who provides validation to the trans community. People who support trans people or help young trans people find information about the trans community are to be severely punished and even labeled as registered sex offenders.

We are all in danger. What can we do? First, we need reform in our own community. We must learn to work together in ways we have not yet seen. We need to stop treating each other like garbage. In the eyes of those who hate us, we’re all the same trash anyway. We must be, for one another, the community that we all truly need. This will require facing our demons and being willing to change and transform our lives — opting for solidarity over division. What does solidarity look like? The racism in our community needs to stop. The transphobia in our community needs to stop. The misogyny and the misandry in our community need to stop. Yes, I know, it’s often padded with “it was just a joke” or “you’re being too sensitive.” All too often I hear justification for discriminatory language in our community that is wrapped in excuses, such as, “I have trans friends who don’t mind what pronouns I use” or “I have Black friends, so it’s okay to say that.”

No. A few tokenized “friends” do not exempt anyone from accountability in language or attitude. Our community is rampant with verbal attacks on the bodies,

identities and genders of those whom we see as different. We owe it to each other to do better. We must listen to those within our community who are being harmed and transform ourselves into a force far more powerful than Project 2025. We need to

bars, clubs, organizations and faith communities to experience welcome, safety and connection. I want all of us to feel a sense of hope in our community.

We also must vote. We don’t only need to vote for president. We need to learn about every item on the

Project 2025 should keep you up at night. Chances are that you are among those targeted.

embrace a call to solidarity in our community. We need to stop the drama and the infighting. There is a bigger battle, and we will not win unless we learn to join and support one another.

I am not saying these things to make anyone feel bad. I just want us to survive the threat that is coming directly at us. I want our community to be healthier. I want young LGBTQIA+ people who show up in our

ballot and vote like our lives depend on it — because they do. Project 2025, and other initiatives that are in line with it, have infiltrated every level of government. Please educate yourself about what you will find on the ballot. Know who and what you are voting for, and what it will mean for everyone in our community. I know it might feel daunting, but we can make a real difference. All it will

take is some education and some care for our siblings in our community. We have been conditioned to treat each other as if we are expendable. We have learned to reject those whom we don’t fully understand. Now we rise above our unhelpful patterns, transformation is always possible. Now is the time to make a significant shift. Now is our chance to create the community we all need. Now is the moment to prioritize protecting one another.

Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw is the senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, MCCTampa.com. He is a proud husband and father in a family that was legalized through marriage equality and adoption.

Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw

1 Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani wins re-election to the state House in 2020.

PHOTO BY JAKE STEVENS

2 Human Rights Campaign supporters at the Supeme Court ahead of its historic ruling in favor of LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

PHOTO FROM HRC’S FACEBOOK

3 Sarasota Pride holds its first celebration in January, becoming one of the only local Pride celebrations in 2020.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

4 St. Petersburg LGBTQ+ Liaison Jim Nixon (L) and Mayor Rick Kriseman paint the city’s Progressive Pride street mural in late June.

5 Joe Biden is elected the nation’s 46th president in November.

PHOTO FROM BIDEN’S FACEBOOK

6 Protestors in downtown Orlando gather to say in a unifed voice that “Black Lives Matter.”

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

7 Tidal Wave Party is the first group to cancel its June 2020 events in Orlando.

PHOTO BY JAKE STEVENS

8 The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete participates in the inaugural Light Up with Pride to support LGBTQ+ residents.

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

9 Mocha Skye makes masks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

10 Come OUT St. Pete holds an outdoor flag unfurling in October.

2020

ON THE COVER

4 YEARS AGO

LOOKING BACK:

Rick

Todd, Publisher and staff

2020

WAS AN

exhausting year. It was filled with immense loss, sadness and enough chaos to fill a decade’s worth of newspapers. The year was dominated by a global pandemic, which took the lives of more than 1.6 million people worldwide; nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the brutal murders of Black men and women at the hands of police; and a presidential election that saw Donald Trump do everything in his power to discredit the will of the people after a record number of Americans turned out to vote, resulting in his loss.

According to Equality Florida, the year began with the most “anti-LGBTQ+ agenda in recent years” coming from Florida’s legislative session. Tampa Bay’s Michele Rayner made history by winning her primary to represent House

District 70, making her the first Black, openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the Florida Legislature. Openly gay state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and LGBTQ+ ally Anna V. Eskamani are among the state

House representatives to win re-election in Central Florida.

Among the many losses of 2020, we said goodbye to the great Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Central Florida institution

The Parliament House and the deeply loved Sam Singhaus. But among the chaos of 2020, we saw stories of inspiration as everyday heroes stepped up to meet the challenges the year threw at us. We got familiar with words like essential workers and social distancing, as health care professionals, food service workers, grocery store clerks, truck drivers and more became the people keeping us going and keeping us alive.

The Supreme Court also ruled that anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination violates federal law against discrimination in the workplace, and we saw thousands, mostly young people, protest and organize against violence and injustice. They turned their anger and outrage into votes, leading more people to the polls than ever before to say four more years of Donald Trump is not something this country wants or can survive.

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

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talking points

We say our goals out loud. If there’s something we want to achieve, we say it. Putting something in words makes it real.

—HIGH HURDLER TREY CUNNINGHAM ON PUBLICLY COMING OUT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES JULY 8

CRITICS ANNOUNCE DORIAN AWARD NOMS FOR

THE DORIANS — ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS PRESENTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BY GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS — announced its 2024 television nominees June 28. Leading the nomination tally among dramas are three very disparate series based on period novels, with “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” (AMC) snagging six nods, while “Shōgun” (FX/Hulu) and “Fellow Travelers” (Showtime/Paramount+) each earned five. In the comedy field, critical darlings “The Bear” (FX/Hulu) and “Hacks” (Max) – alongside Netflix’s shocking (if darkly amusing) “Baby Reindeer” – all grabbed six nominations. This year’s TV Dorians feature 24 categories with several new categories including Best Written Show and Best Genre TV Show. The winners will be announced Aug. 12. The full list of nominees can be found at WatermarkOnline.com.

ETHERIDGE RELEASES NEW DOCUSERIES

MELISSA ETHERIDGE HAS REALIZED TWO CAREER DREAMS WITH HER NEW DOCUSERIES “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken”: performing for incarcerated women and recording the concert for a live album. Inspired by Johnny Cash’s famous prison concerts, the two-time Grammy winner won permission for a live show at the Topeka Correctional Facility with a film crew documenting the process. In the series, which is streaming on Paramount+ now, Etheridge corresponds with several people in the prison, learning how they ended up there. Their stories inspired her to write her new song, “A Burning Woman.” Many of the women had experienced drug addiction, and Etheridge said she connected with them after her 21-year-old son’s 2020 opioid-related death.

MCKELLEN LEAVES PLAY AFTER STAGE FALL

ACTOR IAN MCKELLEN SAID JULY 1 HE IS WITHDRAWING FROM A U.K. TOUR OF HIS LATEST PLAY because he needs more time to recover after falling off the stage at a London theater last month. McKellen, 85, said his injuries “improve day by day.” “It’s with the greatest reluctance that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime,” he said in a statement. McKellen spent three nights in a London hospital after tumbling from the stage during a performance of “Player Kings” at the Noel Coward Theatre on June 17. Several performances were canceled after the incident before the run resumed with understudy David Semark in McKellen’s role.

MUSICAL ‘SUFFS’ DISRUPTED BY PROTESTERS

APERFORMANCE OF “SUFFS,” a Tony Award-winning musical about the suffragist movement, was briefly disrupted July 2 when protesters unfurled a banner with the slogan “Suffs Is a White Wash” and chants of “Cancel ‘Suffs!’” The protest lasted no more than 20 seconds before several demonstrators were ushered out. The show, which was written by Shaina Taub and counts Hillary Clinton among its producers, won two Tonys at last month’s award show. The banner included a website run by self-described “radical, anti-racist, queer feminists” who called the musical “a betrayal of the next generation of feminists” and “rehashed white feminism.”

57% OF COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD HAD FEW OR NO LEGAL PROTECTIONS BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND 90% OF COUNTRIES HAD FEW OR NO PROTECTIONS BASED ON GENDER IDENTITY. IN

COUNTRIES WITHOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION LEGAL PROTECTIONS HAD DROPPED TO 30%, AND THOSE WITHOUT GENDER IDENTITY PROTECTIONS HAD DROPPED TO 51%.

Culture CUTS

ARTS ORGS SPEAK OUT AFTER DESANTIS VETOES $32

MILLION IN FUNDING

Deborah Bostock-Kelley ONSIDER THAT

celebratory moment when a theatre or other arts and culture organization, after meticulous preparation and attention to detail, receives confirmation that its funding has been approved. Planning starts, new seasons are confirmed and the nonprofit is ready for a new year.

Then, picture the shock, fear and devastation as the promised grant, amounting to $32 million throughout the state of Florida, is suddenly retracted after an outright lie.

When Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked in a press conference why he unprecedently vetoed the arts and culture line item that had been vetted and approved by his Republican-dominated state legislature, his response was, “You have your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sexual festival where they’re

He criticized the Tampa Fringe and Orlando Fringe festivals for being “too sexual,” despite no record of his attendance, with all shows categorized and appropriately age rated.

The latter held its 33rd festival May 14-27 before the former

returned to Ybor June 5-16, and neither allowed children in adult-oriented shows.

When people learn that DeSantis eliminated 100% of crucial funding, they often first think about performing arts theatres. However, this veto affects every nonprofit in the arts and culture sector — from museums and zoos to orchestras, operas, visual arts, photography and more.

If it falls under arts and culture, a category known for embracing diversity, multiculturalism and LGBTQ+ inclusivity — aspects seemingly of concern to the governor — his decision has wide-ranging impacts on all arts and culture organizations in Florida.

This move blindsided nonprofit groups that play vital roles in supporting their communities. Despite being

significantly reduced, the funds had been approved and planned for in the state budget before being sent to DeSantis for a final signature.

After fighting to keep their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic, arts and culture organizations that survived already say they are facing additional hurdles in recovering from reduced audience attendance and revenues. The grants enabled many nonprofits to supply jobs to his state’s constituents, leaving them wondering: how can DeSantis not realize the arts generate jobs and income for Florida?

Margaret Murray is CEO of Creative Pinellas, which exists to uplift art and artists throughout Pinellas County in Tampa Bay. She says that “given the financial importance of the arts for our tourism and local cultural economy, I fear the economic impact the most. If we look at the nine-to-one return on investment generated by arts spending, that’s a statewide hit of almost $300 million. It has very strong implications for the area.

“There are organizations like Creative Pinellas that have new leadership that were looking forward to making some significant transformative changes within their organizations and how their organizations would impact their communities,” she continues. “Many of those big changes are — by necessity — not going to happen because there is going to be belt-tightening and ‘OK, we can’t take a big risk because we don’t have that money. We can’t take a leap of faith on this program that we know will positively benefit our community because we have to do what we’re already doing.’”

The day before DeSantis vetoed the funding, Creative Pinellas had launched a restructuring of the grants program to provide more funding to artists across many genres.

“Now, we need to look at our funding to ensure we can still meet those lofty goals that we promised,” she explains. “We need to move forward in a very actionable way, but because this is unprecedented, there is no playbook for how to move forward. What has been

most gratifying to see is people unifying around this tragedy. It’s been wonderful to see arts organizations coming out with statements like, ‘Now is the time for you to support your favorite arts organization. Now is the time to buy work from an artist, buy a ticket to a play, see a performance, or buy season tickets.’

“It’s been wonderful to see this communal advocacy for each other,” she adds. “These are unprecedented times, and I feel horrible that [the Fringe festivals] are being scapegoated. The state funding doesn’t go to support [their] artists … those artists are paid from ticket sales. It’s tarring everyone with the same brush and it’s really unforgivable.”

Murray believes there will be more concrete efforts as people are still organizing.

“Honestly,” she says, “the most important thing is for people to vote and say, ‘I value this in my life and my community.’ If we elect leaders who understand the importance of the arts, no matter their political affiliation, we don’t need to go through this again.”

Justin Muchoney, Vice President, Member and Patron Experience, and Artistic Director of Central Florida Community Arts, explains the enormous negative impact of DeSantis’ decision. The group works to serve and build community through the arts in Central Florida.

“Our message to policymakers is one of deep disappointment and concern. The veto shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the role that

arts organizations play in our communities and the breadth of programming this funding supports,” he says. “We hope they realize that arts programs aren’t narrow or hard to define. They are programs for children, youth and families. They are programs for older adults. They are programs that create healthy and vibrant communities and citizens.

“This year’s veto of arts funding will have significant repercussions for CFCArts,” he continues. “The loss of funding threatens our ability to deliver high-quality arts education and performances that serve thousands of community members, including underserved populations, and our budget is constantly under review to ensure we can deliver the best programming possible to the widest range of people in our community. This not only affects our staff but also the teaching artists, music therapists, older adults, students, and audiences who benefit from these vital programs.”

Muchoney also notes that the arts are a “crucial part of our shared cultural fabric, fostering creativity, expression and unity. Cutting arts funding undermines the very essence of what makes our community vibrant and resilient. The arts contribute significantly to economic development by attracting professionals to our area. For CFCArts, our members, hundreds of doctors, lawyers, teachers, architects, and other professionals participate in our programs, with many citing these

and social progress,” he continues. “While we can’t guess or imply the underlying motives, we know that arts organizations provide vital work to people of all ages in our communities, and the loss of that presence in our communities will be devastating to everyone.”

In a statement, Katie Blankenship, director of nonprofit PEN America’s Florida office, adds that “DeSantis is taking his war on culture to a new level. This decision will not only devastate the arts but add to his legacy of censorship and disregard for art, literature and knowledge.”

Watermark spoke to two Florida lawmakers, each of whom was appalled at the governor’s veto.

Central Florida’s state Representative Anna V. Eskamani, who regularly attends Orlando Fringe, defended the festival against his attack.

cultural offerings as a deciding factor in choosing to live and work in Orlando.”

Furthermore, he says the group urges “policymakers to be steadfast partners through next year’s budget process and recognize the profound impact the arts have on the quality of life and economic vitality of our state.”

Some arts supporters find themselves wondering if the veto was punishment to those organizations DeSantis perceives as “woke.” Is this just another example of censorship, an attack disguised under the guise of protecting children?

Florida has already experienced DeSantis’ opposition to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts and his controversial banning of certain books, many of which are LGBTQ+, reflecting a concerning trend toward restrictive measures.

“It is concerning that the arts community is being targeted in what appears to be a political maneuver against organizations perceived as progressive or inclusive,” Muchoney says.

“The term ‘woke’ has been used pejoratively to describe efforts toward social justice and equity. Punishing organizations for fostering inclusivity and representation undermines the values of diversity and freedom of expression that are fundamental to the arts and our nation.

“Our programs, which include diverse participants from various backgrounds, exemplify how inclusivity enriches our community and drives economic

“DeSantis has attempted to disguise his awful decision to cut these programs by creating another culture war, attacking the International Fringe festivals and saying they are ‘sexual festivals,’” she says. “This is ridiculous and provides another example of how DeSantis pivots to sensational accusations whenever he loses a policy fight.”

The region’s state Senator-elect Carlos Guillermo Smith agrees.

“The governor has gone to great lengths to show his disdain for LGBTQ Floridians; that much is obvious,” he notes. “But it appears he may also be scapegoating Fringe after receiving huge bipartisan blowback for his job-killing veto of arts and culture funds. In either scenario, this unprecedented veto of all arts funding is absolutely devastating to an industry that generates $4 billion in economic activity for our state annually. These arts grants also yield a 9-to-1 rate of return for taxpayers, so the veto is also fiscally irresponsible.

“How are the 600 cultural and museum grantees supposed to respond to this threat from their governor?” he asks. “Should the arts be censored and their content tailored to appease Florida’s king? As shocking and unprecedented as these arts vetoes are, we cannot be surprised. Censorship of the arts goes hand in hand with book banning and state control of speech under DeSantis. Just look at what history says about the

ORLANDO STAPLE: The Orlando International Theatre Fringe Festival, the longest-running theatre festival in the United States, kicks off its 33rd celebration of the arts with a ribbon cutting May 14. PHOTO BY LUIS XAVIER DE PEÑA

types of administrations that use their power to censor the arts — they weren’t democracies.”

Tampa Fringe and Orlando Fringe are still reeling from the ambush. The groups released an open letter to the governor July 11 to advocate for the arts advising they would forgo their 2025 state grants to restore the remaining funding for other organizations.

“This is a mischaracterization of what we do at Fringe Festivals, and it’s really not fair to use us as a scapegoat because it’s not merited. We’re not doing anything like what he said. We are not a sex festival. We’re a theatre festival,” Tampa Fringe Co-Founder, President and Producer Trish Parry shared.

“My hope is that this was a misunderstanding about what we do,” she continues. “It could very well be behind-the-scenes people, like the communications director, who misinformed the governor. We don’t know what the motivation is. If it turns out that it isn’t, it is definitely a move in the wrong direction for everyone trying to use their freedom of speech. It would be nice if the governor took ownership of that and perhaps had a conversation and considered doing what he could to make this right with the organizations in Florida.”

“It’s unfortunate that Governor DeSantis mischaracterized the Fringe. I don’t know if that was purposeful or a misunderstanding. We’d appreciate an opportunity to correct his understanding of what Fringe is,” adds Orlando Fringe Interim Executive Director Scott Galbraith.

“We stand firmly with Tampa Fringe and Orlando Fringe, praising their crucial role in championing free speech and free expression while dispelling misinformation on the nature of these community organizations. These festivals and the programs they produce provide an invaluable platform for artists to share their voices and contribute to our society without the constraints of government censorship,” Muchoney also notes. “By amplifying their voices through our platforms and encouraging our supporters to attend and support their events, we emphasize the importance of artistic freedom and the significant positive impact these festivals have on our cultural and social landscape.”

Fringe festivals tend to embrace as many cultures as possible in their different forms of expression.

“We may not always agree with [Fringe participants.] That’s fine. We don’t have to. We welcome them. Even if you find something you disagree with, you grow from that,” explains Galbraith. “We have been very fortunate to be embraced by the community. Hopefully, that will continue because we and arts organizations across the state will clearly need it.

“We are doing what we can to be appreciative while advocating for ourselves and the arts and culture sector as a whole,” he continues. “We amplify what we’ve had to do for centuries. For some reason, the arts and culture sector has always had to validate and justify its reason for being. It’s odd because it is such an essential human need.

Storytelling started around campfires back when Wooly Mammoths were roaming. What we do is millennia old, yet we still have to advocate for the importance of communicating, storytelling and gathering together in community. We have taken a number of hits during the centuries, but we always rise. We always do. We’re working to reframe the narrative because the one that got out there is completely false.”

Both Parry and Galbraith say the community can support the Fringes by sharing their written statements and supporting all arts and culture organizations.

“I think it’s helpful to spread the word that Fringe is not what DeSantis said because it is already hard enough for people to understand what we do since the word Fringe has many different meanings,” Parry explains. “People wanting to support us can write to the governor in a non-incendiary way, imploring him to reconsider this veto of all the arts, explaining that many people are affected, and drawing awareness to this issue.

“Anyone I’ve spoken to — on both sides of the political spectrum — has been appalled,” she continues. “My fondest hope is that it was an accident and will all be fixed. I’d like to think that no one is inherently evil, so my hope is that it is just a misunderstanding.”

Jobsite Theatre — the Straz Center’s resident theater company in Tampa — and Powerstories Theatre, another space dedicated to fostering connection through the arts, reacted similarly.

“We’re disappointed that the governor sees so little value in an entire industry in Florida that generates billions of dollars in revenue and employs tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of citizens every year,” Jobsite Theater Producing Artistic Director David Jenkins says. “The arts and culture are big business in Florida and this move does nothing but hurt Floridians.

“I believe that we are at peak culture war right now and that there is a presidential election in the fall does not help,” he continues. “The far-right has

contributions. We must recognize and support the invaluable impact of arts and culture on our economy and society. I urge the legislature to fully fund these programs next session and ask that community members step up to fill these funding gaps created by Governor DeSantis.”

The best way to support arts and culture is with personal involvement and financial contributions.

“Most importantly, the community should make finding arts organizations they believe in and supporting them directly a top priority,” Jenkins stresses. “Buy tickets, memberships and passes. Donate. Don’t just like a post on Facebook. Show up. This is something people can do right now that has immediate impact.”

weaponized just about every area of culture, and this sort of move is clearly ‘red meat’ to chum up and consolidate a certain base of support as we head toward November. I can’t speculate on what the governor’s actual intention was … however, if the idea was to punish the ‘woke,’ a lot of other organizations were just punished terribly for whatever offense the governor took to Fringe festivals. That seems terribly petty, short-sided and retaliatory.”

Powerstories Theatre founder Fran Powers adds, “I see young people and adults every day whose lives have been changed for the better because of their work with theatre. A mother recently approached me and said, ‘My young daughter is a new person because of your staff’s work with her in your Girlstories Leadership Theater program. She is now engaged, inspired, and dedicated to living a life of meaning.’

“Is this not worth less than a quarter of one percent of the state’s budget to help young children?” she asks. “There are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe how disheartened I am about our state government.”

Eskamani says that “investing in arts and culture is a powerful economic generator. The arts sector creates jobs, stimulates tourism and enhances the quality of life for all Floridians. Cutting this funding undermines our state’s economic vitality and disregards our cultural institutions’ significant

Powers states, “The community can become better informed about our value to the economy in our community in Florida. They can get involved, volunteer, join our board of directors, or they can make a donation to help us continue our great works.”

“We cannot underestimate the potential generational impact of this kind of thing happening on a broad scale over a long period. It will be bad enough if it lasts this entire fiscal year — and by the way, I believe we are the only state now with zero funding,” Galbraith notes.

“If this becomes the norm in our state, the ripples will be monumental, and I’m not being overdramatic by saying that,” he adds. “It will affect education, mental health, people and businesses coming into the area, as well as the ability of some of our arts and culture entities to access the talent pool they currently enjoy. It cannot be underestimated how dangerous a moment this is for the state of Florida.”

Watermark reached out to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office multiple times for comment and received no response.

To read Orlando and Tampa Fringe’s joint letter to the governor and to learn more about each festival, visit OrlandoFringe.org and TampaFringe.org. Visit CreativePinellas. org, CFCArts.com, JobsiteTheater.org and Powerstories.com to learn more about each arts organization.

SETTING THE STAGE: The cast of “#NotOneMore” performs before a crowd of supporters during the Tampa International Fringe Festival’s preview night June 5. PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA FRINGE

Happily Ever After

American Stage gets fairytale season ending with ‘The Figs’

Chloe Wagner

(ABOVE)

INCLUSIVE

TALE:

Natalya Lynette Rathnam (L) and Morgan Tapp in “The Figs.”

PHOTO BY CHAZ D. PHOTOGRAPHY

AMERICAN STAGE IS CELEBRATING

the close of its 46th season with the world premiere of the fairytale comedy “The Figs.”

The show runs through Aug. 4 and began as a first-year project for LGBTQ+ playwright Doug Robinson at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He conceptualized it in spring of 2021 and began writing it in October of the same year.

Robinson took inspiration from some of his favorite genres, fairytales and folklore. “It was just about throwing caution to the wind in whatever your fancy is and exploring it, because this isn’t realism,” he says. “I’m not trying to loudly point out a truth. I’m trying to create a playground.”

Each member of the cast of nine plays multiple parts as well as a main role. The show features Kayland Jordan as the Storyteller; Rita Cole as the King; Charlene Hong White as the Princess and Em Whiteworth as June. Rounding out the cast are Natalya Lynette Rathnam as Lorna; Jemier Jenkins as Jin; Eric Olson as Jod; Troy

Brooks as Swing One and Morgan Tapp as Swing Two.

Robinson grew up surrounded by storytellers like his father, a writer that inspired him to create his own stories growing up. He had been in theatre his whole life, originally wanting to be an actor. He was uninspired by the plays he was auditioning for, leading him to pursue playwriting.

American Stage picked up “The Figs” after its staged live reading at the Lift Every Voice New Play Festival last year. The festival is dedicated to providing exposure to emerging playwrights with a focus on women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ storytellers and gives playwrights an opportunity to hone their craft with their peers.

“What I loved about the Lift Every Voice Festival is it gives space for writers to develop their work,” Robinson explained after the festival.

has been lesbian, what are you talking about?’ This is the most every day, commonplace occurrence of people,” Robinson explains. “People say ‘it’s so brave,’ and I’m like, ‘if you say it’s brave, I guess to you it’s brave,’ but for me, this is my community. These are my people. These are my best friends. Of course, they’re going to be on stage. This is myself.”

He also detailed his gratitude for having his work be picked up by American Stage fresh out of graduate school.

“Theaters have a finite number of resources, and they have esthetic and they have choice. So, the fact I’ve only been graduated a month and I got to walk into a rehearsal room immediately with actors who are charming and designers who are ready and a director who is a leader,” he said. “There is only gratitude in that respect.”

“The Figs” is about a “king that rules the magical, ludicrous, kingdom of The Figs [and] is quite actually addicted to figs,” the official synopsis reads. “…His more publicly well-received daughter is in love with an innkeeper in a sort of star-crossed lovers situation. A set of friends — human and swan — are on a journey thrown into existence by the royal family’s insanity. All the while, our wily and multiple identity-sporting storyteller keeps us on a track that feels like the ‘Shrek’ universe on an acid trip.”

“But really, this is a story of kindness and what we’ll sacrifice for love,” it adds. “Sometimes stories exist just for the sake of telling stories.”

The play features the staples of a typical folktale — a greedy king, a doomed love story, an unusual friendship and a quirky storyteller. As typical folktales also feature heteronormative relationships and cis-white characters, Robinson wanted “The Figs” to be more. He wanted his play to appeal to a larger audience who could see themselves in the story and relate to it.

Representation in folktales is especially important to him as a queer, Black man who grew up with none that he could relate to. The cast is made of diverse set of actors from all walks of life, as well as a main plotline featuring a lesbian princess whose madly in love with her partner, the innkeeper. Robinson sees his inclusion of a lesbian princess as normal rather than innovative or brave.

“All my life I’ve been surrounded by the LGBT community, and it is a wild thing that I put a lesbian princess on stage. People are like ‘The princess is a lesbian,’ and I’m like, ‘my whole life

In Robinson’s experience as a queer man, he has seen the community’s openness and curiosity for others. The play features characters digging deep in themselves and others to learn their true purpose, something Robinson thinks the LGBTQ+ community might see themselves in.

“This is a play in which one of the through lines is people just saying, ‘what if’ to each other and learning of the stories that they want to tell and the dreams that they have,” he details. “So, in that way, I think many communities, but specifically the LGBTQ community, can engage in terms of there’s a desire of connection, a desire being seen, a recognition of the loneliness that can come with isolation, and the joy that can be found when you find someone to laugh with.”

The play leans on the audience to tap into their imagination, something Robinson believes audiences have not been asked to do since they were children. Robinson and “The Figs” director, Helen R. Murray stress the importance of using one’s imagination even as they get older.

“This piece of theatre asks audiences to remember a time in their lives when they played and imagined,” Murray shared earlier in the season. “Just because we grew up does not mean we should leave those parts of ourselves behind.”

Imagination goes beyond theatre for Robinson. He works with young students and has seen their imaginations dwindle as they age. He hopes that with “The Figs,” audiences can feel empowered to use their imaginations and become storytellers.

“What I hope audiences take away is that you are in an imaginative being. Everything that we see around us only exists because at one point someone imagined,” Robinson says. “What was the last time someone asked you what do you imagine? Not ‘what do you want,’ or ‘what do you think,’ or ‘what do you do,’ but ‘what do you imagine?’ Because that’s where stories come from. They come from ‘what do we imagine?’”

“The Figs” plays through August 4 at American Stage in St. Petersburg and tickets start at $28. For more information and to purchase yours, visit AmericanStage.org

announcements TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

Bell Pharmacy marked one year in St. Petersburg July 11. The GaYbor District Coalition celebrated 16 years July 16. Zubrick Magic Theatre celebrates three years July 29.

CLOSURES

Cliché Restaurant Bar & Grill announced its immediate closure July 3. Read more on p. 12.

PRIDE MURAL ARRESTS

The St. Petersburg Police Department arrested Christian Maier July 1, charging the 18-year-old local in the vandalism of the city’s Progressive Pride street mural. According to SPPD, Maier was recorded doing “doughnutburnouts” on May 22 at 3:45 a.m. after its annual refresh May 6, “recklessly maneuvering his car in a way to leave several tire marks across the mural and causing significant damage.”

A second arrest was made July 9. Antonio Silvestri, 30, was caught doing the same according to SPPD. Footage shows Silvestri in his white Ford pickup doing donuts on the mural May 17 around 10:40 a.m. Both were charged with one count of felony criminal mischief and one count of racing on a street.

“It’s great to have an arrest in this case due to the hard work from the detective and the information provided from the community,” Major Markus Hughes, the department’s LGBTQ+ liaison, told Watermark after Maier’s arrest. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Entrepreneur Delores T. Van-Cartier, Seminole business owner David Verdi, Former St. Pete LGBT liaison Robert Danielson, former Come OUT St. Pete ambassador Joanie J. Werner, Real estate coach Tom Johnson, Dog dad Michael Steven Montgomery (July 18); “Ms. Pinky Penmark” Robert Shaffer, Tampa Bay bear Mike Tobias, St. Petersburg hairstylist Joey Wilkes (July 19); Karmic Tattoo performer Pam Green (July 20); Tampa Bay singer Jennifer Real, Tampa Bay actor Matthew McGee, Makeup extraordinaire J Cureton, St. Pete dancer Erik Shepard (July 21); Helping hand Jarrod Ketzler, St. Pete sweetheart Natalie Buono, Creative Pinellas chair David Warner (July 22); St. Pete bear Bob Thayer, St. Petersburg mainstay Richard Brixie, Watermark columnist Jason Leclerc, (July 23); Santander Consumer USA’s Travis Geerdes (July 23); Sarasota bartender Noah Guminski (July 25); Auto Advisors St. Pete’s Jerry Dreckman, Prime Timers Sarasota’s Al Doty, Tampa Bay dancer Dustin Goracio Wethington, Equinix, Inc.’s Brian Darragh, Metro Inclusive Health specialist Argenis Peralta (July 26); PFLAG Tampa co-founder Nancy Desmond, St. Pete sun lover Christopher Ruch, Trulieve store coodinator Eric Roper (July 27); Gulfport City Councilmember Paul Ray (July 28); St. Pete Bears’ Buddy Chapman, The Spring of Tampa Bay and TIGLFF’s Kayden Rodriguez (July 29); FedEx manager Kristopher Horn, American Stage actor Joseph Parra, Tampa realtor Jeffrey Niptuck (July 30); Tampa Bay activist Cole Foust (July 31).

ALLY AT THE ALLEY: Hostess Te Monet (L) strikes a pose with Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell at the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus’ Bowl-a-Thon June 29. PHOTO FROM THE LGBTQ+ DEM CAUCUS’ FACEBOOK

GOLF GAL: Mayor Jane Castor takes a swing at the Rogers Park Golf Course opening July 9. PHOTO FROM MAYOR CASTOR’S FACEBOOK

MAGIC MOMENT: Chris (L) and Ryan Zubrick share July 12 that Zubrick Magic Theatre has been awarded the Presidential Citation from The Society of American Magicians. PHOTO FROM ZUBRICK MAGIC THEATRE’S FACEBOOK

CHARLESTAAN 2024: (L-R) Watermark Sales Director Danny Garcia, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams, Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent and Publisher Rick Todd attend the 2024 AAN Conference July 11. PHOTO COURTESY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

DYNAMIC DUO: Former St. Pete staple Chris Rudisill (L) leads a panel with Alvaro Gurdian at the AAN Conference July 12. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

BIRTHDAY BUNCH: (L-R) Autumn Vee, Kori Stevens, Christian Klimas, Jeffrey Lucas, Dixie Lynn and PheYonce Montrese celebrate Stevens’ birthday at Enigma July 6. PHOTO BY RICHARD RECUPERO

PLAY BALL: Project Pride is recognized by the Bradenton Marauders at Lecom Park for Pride Night July 13. PHOTO FROM PROJECT PRIDE’S FACEBOOK

8 FIRST IN FLORIDA: Johnny Boykins (L) and Blaine Lawson (R) help welcome First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to Tampa with Jennifer Griffith (C) July 8. PHOTO FROM PINELLAS COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS’ FACEBOOK

& BARS

Bites & Bubbles

Black Rooster Taqueria

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

Grumpy's Underground Eatery

Ivanhoe Park Brewing

Kaya

Maxine's on Shine

Nora's Sugar Shack  Pour Choice Taphouse

Santiago's Bodega  Shin Jung Korean

Ten 10 Brewing

The Guesthouse

The Moderne

Tori Tori

announcements CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

CeCe Teneal was named the new chairperson for 26Health’s board of directors July 8.

The LGBT+ Center Orlando named the recipients of its 12th annual Diversity Awards. Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost will receive the LGBT+ Ally award. Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign Brandon Wolf will both receive the Trailblazer Award. La Jon Dantzler, The Center Orlando’s Individual Giving Manager, will receive the Emerging Leader Award and Michael Slaymaker, Chief Executive Officer at Orlando Youth Alliance, will receive The Center Orlando’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement recipient. Zebra Youth will receive the Non-Profit Partner award, Orange County Government will receive the Champion of Equality award, Universal Studios Florida will receive the Corporate Partner award and Watermark Publishing Group will receive the Small Business Partner award. Awards will be handed out July 26. You can read more about the award ceremony and recipients on pg. 8.

AUDITIONS

The Ritz Theater at Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center is holding open auditions Aug. 7 and 8, from 6-10 p.m., for “Young Frankenstein.” Please prepare up to 32 bars of a comedic or up-tempo song that showcases your acting ability. Please bring sheet music if you have it, as well as an accompaniment track. An accompanist will be available Aug. 7 only, and auditions with tracks welcomed either day. More information and an Online Audition Form can be found at RitzTheaterSanford.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

LGBTQ+ ally and health care activist KT Sullivan, Orlando ally Nikki Price (July 18); die-hard theater lover Deborah Simpson (July 19); LGBTQ+ ally and Central Florida softball star Michael Smith, Orlando physician Dr. Jerry Horton, Rock Hard Fitness owner and trainer Max Dunley, Central Florida performer Steven Johnson (July 20); Florida NWO’s former president Kim Porteous, Beloved activist Rachel Gardiner (July 21); Echo Interaction Group founder and CEO Carlos Carbonell, ACLU communications manager Baylor Johnson (July 23); Former Watermark intern Andrew Laporte (July 24); The Hammered Lamb’s Lee Wolfcale, Central Florida LGBTQ+ rights activist Juan Rodriguez (July 25); Former Watermark business manager Kathleen Sadler, Regional manager for Grey Goose vodka David Chase Harding III (July 28); House of Adonis’ Josh Walker, Dance instructor William Merchante, Former MBA president Nayte Carrick (July 29); Orlando massage therapist Karl Lubbers, Central Florida LGBTQ+ activist Bobby Hermida, PomPom’s manager Kerrie Finn, Watermark founder and guiding light Tom Dyer (July 30); Actress Elizabeth Murff, Orlando Realtor Danny Veal, Central Florida violinist Michelle Jones, Amazon’s Michael Vacirca, Savoy owner Brandon Bracale-Llewellyn, performer Donal Noonan, Real Entertainment 4 U CEO Kirk DaVinci (July 31).

SAFE SPACE: Peer Support Space founders Yasmin Flasterstein (L) and Dandelion Hill at the organization’s new peer respite, Eva’s Casita, in Orlando July 8. PHOTO BY GRACE LOWELL

CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Orange County School Board candidate Stephanie Vanos (L) and campaign manager Scott Hottenstein show off Vanos’ ad in Watermark during The Pride Chamber mixer in Orlando July 3. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

PRIDE CHAMBER: (L-R) Vinnie Silber, Melody Rose and Douglas Silber attend The Pride Chamber’s monthly mixer, hosted by Watermark this month, in Orlando July 3. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Abrigando Corazones founder Yosmar Rumbos celebrates his birthday in Orlando July 5. PHOTO FROM YOSMAR RUMBOS’ FACEBOOK

SENATOR SMITH: (L-R) Josh Bell, Jerick Mediavilla, Brent Kelleher, Carlos Guillermo Smith and Eric Rollings celebrate Guillermo Smith becoming Florida Senator-elect at Jack & Honey’s in Orlando July 10. PHOTO FROM JOSH BELL’S FACEBOOK

6 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: Patty Sheehan (L) and Roxy Santiago get disco fever at the Elks Lodge in Orlando July 13. PHOTO FROM ROXY SANTIAGO’S FACEBOOK

7 SUPPORTING LEADERS: Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani meets with leaders from Boys Town Central Florida at Qreate Coffee in Orlando to learn more about the organization’s mission. PHOTO FROM REP. ANNA V. ESKAMANI’S FACEBOOK

8 PROGRESSIVE LEADERS: Catalina Velasquez (L) and Andrea Montanez attend the Netroots Nation convention in Baltimore July 13. PHOTO FROM ANDREA MONTANEZ’S FACEBOOK

community calendar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Camp Pride Fundraiser

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 5:30-7:30 P.M.

LGBT+ CENTER, ORLANDO

Come together with the community to help support the fundraising efforts for Camp Pride Florida with a fundraising paint party. The fundraiser is $50 per person and includes an 11x14 canvas, materials and wine. You can register by going to bit.ly/pridepaint24.

“No Strings Pinocchio” Screening/Signing/ Reading Event

FRIDAY, JULY 26, 7 P.M.

COLLEGE PARK GALLERY, ORLANDO

Join Joel Swanson for the premiere of “No Strings” at the College Park gallery. The event starts at 7 p.m. with nibbles, sips and a screening of a mystery version of the life story of Pinocchio. At 8:30 p.m. the author will be signing copies of his book “No Strings,” which will be available for purchase. Refreshments will be available for purchase. General admission is $15 and includes the screening and signing (book not included). VIP is $30 and includes the screening, book signing, unlimited refreshments and a photo op.

TAMPA BAY

GMCTB Auditions

MONDAY, JULY 29, 7-8:30 P.M.

MCC TAMPA, TAMPA

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay is seeking music lovers who are willing and able to sing traditionally male vocal parts and who love music. Interested parties can schedule an in-person audition or submit a virtual audition via email by July 29 at 11:59 p.m. consisting of a performance of “My Country Tis of Thee” and a few vocal exercises. For more information, visit GMCTB.org/Auditions.

Drag Me Back to School!

SUNDAY, JULY 28, 8 P.M. ENIGMA, ST. PETERSBURG

Join hosts Daphne Ferraro and the Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s Novice Sister Juana Reaction to raise funds for mentoring and after-school programs benefiting local public school students. They will be accepting school supply donations throughout the night and a raffle with prizes will be held for those who donate. Performers include Erika P.C., Natasha Reigns, Kierra Ka’oir Summer Joziah O. Knight, Blu Dream, Lillith Black, Autumn Vee, Alice Marie Gripp and Te Monet. Learn more at Facebook.com/TampaSisters.

EVENT PLANNER WORLDWIDE ICON

CENTRAL FLORIDA

“Little Shop of Horrors,” July 12-28, Garden Theatre, Winter Garden. 407-877-4736; GardenTheatre.org

“Beauty and the Beast,” July 12-Aug. 4, Athens Theatre, DeLand. 386-736-1500; AthensDeLand.com

CFCArts 2024-25 Season

Announcement, July 20, First Congregational Church of Winter Park, Winter Park. 407-937-1800; CFCArts.com

Janet Jackson, July 20, Kia Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; KiaCenter.org

Bricks and Minifigs

Orlando South

Grand Opening, July 20, Bricks and Minifigs Orlando South, Orlando. BricksAndMinifigs.com/ OrlandoSouth-FL

Christmas in July, July 20, Avalon Park, Orlando. 407-658-6565; AvalonParkOrlando.com

Justin Willman, July 21, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

“Golden Girls – The Tribute Show,” July 21, The Ritz Theater, Sanford. 407-321-8111; RitzTheaterSanford.com

City of Orlando Parks & Recreation City Showcase 2024, July 25, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

ShxtsNGigs, July 25, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org

The Center Orlando’s 12th Annual Diversity Awards, July 26, Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.org

Donny Osmond, July 26, King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne. 321-242-2219; KingCenter.com

CFCArt’s Summer Camp presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” July 26-27, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park. 407-937-1800; CFCArts.com

Tacos & Tequila, July 27, Church Street, Orlando. 407-377-0400; OrlandoWeekly.com

Missy Elliott, July 30, Kia Center, Orlando. 407-440-7000; KiaCenter.org

TAMPA BAY

“The Rocky Horror Show,” Through Aug. 4, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org

“The Figs” Through Aug. 10, American Stage, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanStage.org

“The Wizard of Oz,” July 21, Tampa Theatre, Tampa; 813-274-8286, TampaTheatre.org

Missy Elliott, July 24, Amalie Arena, Tampa; 813-301-2500; AmalieArena.com

LGB2B+ Networking, July 24, VFW Post 39, St. Petersburg. Facebook.com/ Groups/LGB2BPlus

EPIC Coffee Connections, July 26, Gulfport Senior Center, Gulfport; 727-328-5526, MyEpic.org

Tampa Pride Scholarship Fund Benefit Show, July 28, Southern Nights, Tampa; 813-559-8625, Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsTampa

Sober Night Drag Show, July 27, Rose Dynasty Center, Lakeland; 863-267-6172, RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org

Punk Rock Flea Market, July 28, Rose Dynasty Center, Lakeland; 863-267-6172, RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org

Afternoon Drag Show, July 28, The Rocking Crab, St. Petersburg; 727-202-8287, Facebook.com/ RockingCrabStPete

Pride Bowling, July 30, Rose Dynasty Center, Lakeland; 863-267-6172, RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org

Drag Queen Bingo, July 31, Corner Club Tampa, Tampa; 813-232-1482, CornerClubTampa.com

Jonas Brothers, July 31, Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Tampa; 866-388-4263, Casino. HardRock.com

Brittany Baldwin & The Bee Stings, Aug. 2, Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. 229-232-0011; Facebookk.com/ BrittanyBaldwinMusic

Empath Honors Veterans Coffee Connection, Aug. 2, Gulfport Senior Center, Gulfport; 727-643-4939

SARASOTA

July Disco Brunch with Antwanette ChanelRoberts, July 21, Embassy Suites, Sarasota. PPSRQ.org

Missy Elliott brings her “Out Of This World” tour, featuring Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland, to the Amalie Arena in Tampa July 24 and the Kia Center in Orlando July 30. PHOTO COURTESY LIVE NATION

Hosted By:

Rick Todd

Jeremy Williams

SPONSORED

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