Saw the Sign” topped the charts, “Friends” was the most popular show on TV, Disney’s “The Lion King” hit the big screen, gas prices were at $1.11 and the average price of a movie ticket was $4.18.
I was 19 years old in 1994. After finishing my first year at Mars Hill College I returned to spend the summer in Orlando. I was always happy to come home because Orlando had something my Southern Baptist college didn’t have, the Delta Youth Alliance (now the Orlando Youth Alliance) — Orlando’s LGBTQ+ youth support group.
This group was important to me and the group facilitators were some of the most influential people in my life. Jeff Horn, Terry Deischer, David Slaughter and his partner Jimmy, to name a few. That summer one of the mentors, Tom Dyer, announced he was stepping
down as a group facilitator to spend his time starting the LGBTQ+ newspaper Watermark. I had no way of knowing how impactful his decision would be on my life.
Fast forward to 2002. I had just moved back to Orlando after a three-year stint in New York City. I picked up a copy of the local gay rag and while flipping through saw an ad for an administrative assistant. I immediately applied for the position and was called in to an interview shortly after.
I had completely forgotten this was the newspaper Tom Dyer started back in 1994, that is until I walked into his office for my second interview of the day.
We were happy to see each other. I was offered the job and quickly accepted. Again, I had no way of knowing how impactful this decision would be on my life.
It’s been over 22 years since that day and I can honestly say it has been one hell of a ride.
News was different back in the day. People relied on reading newspapers and watching news programs on TV. Although LGBTQ+ print media is still king in the queer market, other forms of media such as social media and video are a must in communicating and Watermark is working hard to keep up with changing technology.
In addition to our newspaper and 13 annual specialty magazines, Watermark has started the podcast “Wine, Wine Not: A Queer Podcast” hosted by myself and Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams. This year Watermark put the final touches on the documentary “Greetings From Queertown: Orlando,” highlighting the brave pioneers who helped build Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ community. Most recently Watermark began sharing your stories via video content on multiple social media platforms.
We do all of this, from Daytona Beach across the state to Tampa and down through St. Petersburg to Sarasota, with a full-time staff of six and one part-time employee. That’s a lot of Pride for a small group to cover. Those are a lot of stories for a small group to tell. We do get help from a talented pull of freelancers and an internship program overseen by Jeremy Williams who has a passion for cultivating new journalistic talent.
It is never lost on me the amount of work the dedicated staff of Watermark undertakes to make our mission successful. It’s why I pour so much of myself into this company. I want them to know that I see what they do and I am in this every step of the way, right by their side. Thank you Jeremy, Ryan, Danny, Daisy, Dylan and Caitlin.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who has worked at Watermark in its three decades. Without the incredible, hardworking people who have called Watermark home we would never have survived the fall out from 9/11, the housing market crash, a recession, a tragic mass shooting and a pandemic.
We also would not have survived without our amazing community partners and advertisers who keep our doors open.
I want to give a special thank you to the Orange County Regional History Center. Scottie Campbell approached me earlier this year and offered to create an exhibit at the museum highlighting Watermark’s 30 years as your
Thank you for inspiring me, for giving me purpose.
LGBTQ+ news source. I had the privilege of seeing it today and I was blown away. It will remain open to the public through Dec. 15 and I highly recommend you check it out. It’s not just about Watermark’s history, it’s about all of our history and the stories that defined our community.
Finally, I want to say thank you to Watermark. Thank you for inspiring me, for giving me purpose. Thank you for teaching me humility and welcoming me into sobriety, and thank you for introducing me to my husband who I met at a WAVE award celebration in 2018. You have been as much a part of my existence as I have been part of yours. I wouldn’t change one minute of it. Cheers to what is to come in our fourth decade.
We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.
TOM DYER is an Orlando attorney and has been an LGBTQ+ leader in Central Florida for decades. He is the founder and former owner of Watermark. Page 19
STEVE BLANCHARD is the former editor of Watermark. He currently works in public relations and hosts the paranormal podcast “Phantom History.” Page 21
KAPHERR ALEJOS, 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
THE PRIDE CHAMBER ANNOUNCES
PRIDE IN BUSINESS 2024 NOMS
Gabrielle Giles
ORLANDO | The Pride Chamber, Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce, has announced its nominations for its Pride in Business Awards & Gala.
Winners will be announced Sept. 21 during the gala, which once again be held at the Hard Rock Café at Universal’s CityWalk.
This year, for Small Business of the Year, the nominees are BodyStreet Winter Park, CampOUT, FastSigns Orlando Central, Pride Lending, Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwicheria, Watermark Publishing Group, Harmony Healthcare, J Meyers Insurance Agency, Paloma Technologies and OutWellness.
Nominees for New Small Business of the Year are CampOUT, OutWellness, Jack & Honey’s and Simons Law Firm.
Nominated for Business Leader of the Year are Brian Bodnarik from FastSigns Orlando, Dawn Kallio from Bowled Over Promotions, Latrice Stewart from 26Health, Richard Kowalczyk from District Dive, Denise Merritt from Merritt Business Solutions and Tee Rogers from Dignity Memorial.
The nominees for Non Profit of the Year are CampOUT, Harmony Healthcare, the LGBT+ Center Orlando, Encore Performing Arts, Orlando Shakes and The Winter Park Pride Project.
For Corporate Ally of the Year, the nominees are ADP, Floor Coverings International, Orlando City & Orlando Pride and Seacoast Bank.
For Outstanding DEI Leader of the Year, the nominees are Andrea Snead from USTA, Brett Rigas from Harmony Healthcare, Dr. George Wallace from the LGBT+ Center Orlando, Frank Sassano from Travel+Leisure Co., Heidi Bodine from Gilbane Building Co., Kay Yingling from FastSigns, Lincoln Gleeton from JetBlue and Dr. Steve Yacovelli from TopDog Learning Group.
This year’s Pride Superstars are JetPride at JetBlue and PRIDE Diversity Resource Group at Travel+Leisure.
The Pride Chamber’s Volunteer of the Year and Community Ally of the Year, both of which are chosen by the chamber staff and board of directors, will be announced at the event.
The event will be hosted by Central Florida drag legend Darcel Stevens with performances by entertainers from Hamburger Mary’s and the Orlando Ballet. Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith will be the keynote speaker.
The gala’s theme is “Circus of Colors,” taking inspiration from the movie “The Greatest Showman,” highlighting its theme and message.
The Pride in Business Awards and Gala will be Sept. 21 from 7-10 p.m., with the VIP Reception beginning at 6 p.m., at the Hard Rock Café at Universal’s CityWalk. Tickets and more information are available at ThePrideChamber.org.
central florida news
Online Attack
Local resident alleges homophobia after reviewing pizzeria
Bellanee Plaza
ORLANDO | An Orlando resident says he experienced homophobia and harassment from a pizzeria last month after leaving a review.
Ryan Gregg and his partner moved into Park Central in July, where they learned Solorzano’s Pizzeria & Poolside Bistro is located within the community. After hanging out by the nearby pool, the couple ran into issues with the restaurant on July 28.
Gregg says there are five community pools in the community, one of which is located adjacent to the pizzeria. That same one is closest to Gregg’s unit.
The couple decided to go to the pool with a cooler of drinks, but Gregg says they were told over a speaker system from the pizzeria that they could not be in the pool area with beverages or food not purchased from the restaurant.
That evening the couple placed a pickup order from the pizzeria, saying they didn’t enjoy the pizza or think the price was fair.
After leaving a low-rated review on Tripadvisor about the experience, Gregg received a private Facebook message from the owner, Phil Solorzano. In the messages shared with Watermark and available on Tripadvisor’s website, Solorzano indicated he knew Gregg’s place of work.
Solorzano advised he and his employees would share negative reviews of the workplace since Gregg “bashed” his business.
“He responded to my review basically taunting me for being gay and having a partner, calling him lover boy, and I just told him those remarks were not appreciated and they were, in my opinion, homophobic,” Gregg says.
Gregg found out that the restaurant made a Facebook post that included photos of Gregg from Halloween 2019, calling him a crossdresser. As of Aug. 16, the post had been removed.
Solorzano says he was not at the restaurant when the incident occurred but made the post on Facebook to defend himself after Gregg’s review.
“It makes no sense,” Solorzano says. “The whole ‘homophobe,’
‘transphobe’ thing is ridiculous. I have gay employees at all my pizzerias, I don’t care if they’re gay or not. I have white, Black, Asian, everybody. A racist is not something I am. Homophobic is definitely not something I am.”
Reflecting on the matter, Solorzano says two wrongs don’t make a right, but he continues to claim the review is a fabricated lie.
“I have outstanding food, outstanding quality, customer service,” Solorzano says. “Everything is a lie so when customers come and meet me, the truth will speak.”
Gregg says he is seeking legal counsel and has also reached out to his landlord who is also the pizzeria’s landlord. He says they have had a conversation, but he hasn’t received a satisfactory response.
“I understand they’re in a strange spot because they have a commercial tenant, but they also have an obligation to the residential tenants to keep them in a safe environment,” Gregg says.
At the end of the day, Gregg says everyone should be open to feedback. He says it wasn’t appropriate for a humiliating post to be made because a review was shared that wasn’t positive.
“I think that when you have a great experience, you tell one or two people, when you have a really negative experience, you tell a lot more people,” Greggs says.
NEW IN TOWN: Ryan Gregg (R) and his partner recently moved to Central Florida. PHOTO
COURTESY GREGG
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ASHLEY BRUNDAGE WINS PRIMARY
Ryan Williams-Jent
TAMPA | Ashley Brundage won the Democratic primary in the race to represent state House District 65 Aug. 20, securing her spot in the general election this November.
Brundage bested fellow LGBTQ+ activist and candidate Nathan Kuipers in the race. According to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections as of Aug. 26, she received 8,106 votes or 81.15% compared to his 1,883 or 18.85%.
The entrepreneur will now face incumbent Karen Gonzalez Pittman, a part of the state’s Republican supermajority responsible for passing Florida’s explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ laws in recent years. By contrast, Brundage could make history by becoming the state’s first transgender lawmaker should she win.
Other candidates in Florida could potentially do the same. In Tampa Bay, longtime LGBTQ+ activist Nathan Bruemmer is running to represent state House District 61.
"House District 65 has spoken," Brundage shared after her race was called. "I am so proud ... we've made some amazing history and we've only just gotten started."
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 5. For more information about Brundage and her campaign, visit AshleyBrundage.com.
INAUGURAL OUT ARTS & CULTURE
GALA RAISES $7,500
Ryan Williams-Jent
GULFPORT, FLA. | OUT Arts & Culture’s inaugural OUTies Awards GAYLA raised $7,500 for the nonprofit’s year-round programming.
The gala was held May 31at the Gulfport Casino, celebrating their rebrand from the LGBTQ Resource Center with over 225 supporters.
Honorees included the Gulfport Public Library, Pinellas Community Foundation, Raymond James Pride Inclusion Network, Florida Humanities, Stetson College of Law, Gulfperk Coffee Bar and Watermark. A special Founders Award was also presented to the 2019 LGBTQ Resource Center board.
“OUT Arts & Culture is the only nonprofit in Pinellas County that focuses solely on humanities-based programs and continuing education scholarships through an LGBTQ lens,” President Paul Raker said in a press release this month. “Signature programs like ArtOUT, ReadOUT, SpeakOUT and our BranchOUT scholarships depend on the generosity of individuals and organizations that value our mission to educate, celebrate and inspire the entire community.
View photos at WatermarkOnline.com. Visit Facebook.com/ OUTArtsAndCulture to learn more on OUT Arts & Culture.
tampa bay news
Disco Fever
Adult LGBTQ+ prom benefits PFLAG
Ryan Williams-Jent
TAMPA | Life Amplified will hold its 16th major fundraiser Sept. 28 from 8-11 p.m., welcoming supporters to The Studio at Carrollwood Cultural Center for its first adult, LGBTQ+-affirming prom benefiting PFLAG Safety Harbor.
The musical showcase is the philanthropic side of WriteOne Creative Services, the design and advertising company founded by Deborah Bostock-Kelley.
“Mark your calendar now to step back in time to the unforgettable nights of high school prom — but with a twist!”
Life Amplified shared in a press release, promising “the ultimate grown-up event.”
“Whether you reveled in every second of your high school prom, wished for a do-over, or never had the chance to attend, Life Amplified SPECTACULAR offers the perfect opportunity to create or recreate those special moments,” it reads.
“The prom’s theme is a throwback to the 70s, voted on by social media, inviting attendees to dust off their bell bottoms and tease their hair for a night of Saturday Night Fever.”
The era’s fashion is encouraged but optional, though business casual attire is suggested. ABC Action News' Anthony Hill will emcee the event, which will also feature nearly 30 local vocalists, complimentary corsages, a dance floor, grazing table, photo spaces, mocktails and more. St Pete Pride and Tampa Pride will jointly crown a prom couple.
“It’s a disco-themed wonderland that will transport you to Studio 54," Life Amplified notes. "But this isn’t just about the past; it’s a vibrant statement against the forces trying to erase the LGBTQ+ community.”
That’s part of why Bostock-Kelley chose PFLAG Safety Harbor as the prom’s beneficiary. The chapter formed in 2023 and has advocated for LGBTQ+ civil rights since then.
“We’re not just stepping back in time; we’re stepping into a world where every moment is a chance for you to shine, love, and be unapologetically yourselves,” Bostock-Kelley says. “This event is a tribute to the past, a celebration of the present and a beacon for the future.”
PFLAG Safety Harbor
President Wendy Vernon says the
organization is thankful to have Life Amplified’s support.
“This is such an awesome opportunity for our LGBTQ+ and allied community to attend prom as their authentic selves,” she notes. “Some friends have shared past prom experiences about leaving their houses in the outfit their families expected them to wear, then changing into the outfit that aligned with their gender. Everyone can and should be out and proud at this 70s themed LGBTQ+ prom!”
In addition to celebrating queer joy, Vernon adds, the prom will also “raise funds that will go right back into serving our LGBTQ+ families with support, advocacy and education.”
Tickets are currently on sale and are $20 for individuals or $35 for couples. Every ticket sold will directly support PFLAG Safety Harbor and its mission to empower and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. Watermark readers can save $5 by utilizing the discount code “WATERMARK5.”
“Join us as we sing through the decades and create special prom memories,” Bostock-Kelly says. “This is a safe space, and we are an ally who loudly says GAY at Life Amplified SPECTACULAR.”
Life Amplified Spectacular: An 18+ Prom will be held Sept. 28 from 8-11 p.m. at The Studio at Carrollwood Cultural Center, located at 13345 Casey Rd. in Tampa. Learn more and purchase tickets at LifeAmplifiedShowcase.com.
KING OF PEACE
VISIT FLORIDA REMOVES LGBTQ+ TRAVEL SECTION
Ryan Williams-Jent
Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, has removed a section dedicated to LGBTQ+ travel from its website.
The not-for-profit was created as a public/private partnership by the Florida Legislature in 1996 and “serves as Florida’s official source for travel planning to visitors across the globe." NBC News reported Aug. 19 that the website removed its LGBTQ+ content “sometime in the past four months.”
“The website … had an ‘LGBTQ Travel’ section that no longer exists, according to archived versions of the site viewable on the Internet Archive,” the outlet noted.
“The landing page previously featured blog posts and videos related to the state’s 'gay-friendly beaches, Pride events and LGBTQ road trip ideas.'"
Visit Florida previously indicated that Florida offered “sunshine for all." Its archived version shared that there is “a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities – a draw for people of all orientations,
but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance.
“Whether you’re a couple seeking a romantic getaway or a modern family searching for kid-friendly fun, here are some LGBTQ-friendly destinations for you, throughout the Sunshine State,” the section added.
Content included the “Top 10 Gay Beaches,” highlighting St. Petersburg’s Sunset Beach, Sarasota’s North Lido Beach and others; provided information about LGBTQ+ Chambers of Commerce like the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber and the Pride Chamber in Orlando and highlighted “Florida’s most popular LGBTQ getaways.” Locales included Wilton Manors/Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Miami Beach, Tampa, Gulfport/St. Petersburg, Orlando and Sarasota.
Tampa Bay-based OutCoast CEO Rachel Covello, whose content was previously featured on the website, spoke to NBC after her organization held its second annual conference focusing on the state’s LGBTQ+ tourism industry in August.
“It really feels like we were just erased in a way,” she told the outlet. “We want LGBT people
to come here … But when the state-run platform removes any trace of us being in Florida, it sends a pretty strong message to our travelers, to our community in Florida.”
LGBTQ+-focused travel content from Visit Orlando, Visit Sarasota, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater and Visit Tampa Bay are all still available.
“We are proud to market Orlando as a top travel destination to everyone,” said Casandra Matej, Visit Orlando’s president and CEO, in a statement to Watermark.
“While we cannot speak on behalf of Visit Florida, Visit Orlando actively welcomes and promotes our destination to LGBTQ+ travelers. This is an important market to us, and we are fully committed to ongoing support for our LGBTQ+ community by sharing with the world our welcoming and inclusive destination. Visit Orlando runs a year-long LGBTQ+ campaign that includes several media partnerships, a float in the Dallas pride parade and the upcoming Orlando Come Out with Pride parade, along with many other activities throughout the year.”
Watermark reached out to Visit Florida for comment but did not hear back in time for press.
US APPEALS COURT CLEARS WAY FOR FLORIDA BAN, RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSGENDER CARE
Wire Report
Afederal appeals court Aug. 26 cleared the way for Florida to enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, blocking a lower court order against the ban while the matter is appealed.
The 2-1 decision was issued by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The law revived by the ruling prohibits transgender minors from being prescribed puberty blockers and hormonal treatments, even with their parents’ permission. It also required that transgender adults only receive treatment from a doctor and not from a registered
nurse or other qualified medical practitioner. Adults who want the treatment must be in the room with the physician when signing the consent form.
U.S. District Judge Judge Robert Hinkle had blocked the law in June. Florida’s attorneys had conceded during the district court trial that the state cannot stop someone from pursuing a transgender identity, but said it can regulate medical care. For minors, the only treatments at issue are puberty blocking treatments and cross-sex hormones. Those who were undergoing treatment when the law was adopted in May 2023 were allowed to continue. Surgery, which is rare for minors, was still blocked.
At least 26 states have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and most of those states face lawsuits. Federal judges have struck down the bans in Arkansas and Florida as unconstitutional.
The states that have passed laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
IT'S SCOTT VS. MUCARSEL-POWELL IN U.S. SENATE RACE
Mitch Perry, Courtesy of the Florida Phoenix
Rick Scott and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell easily defeated their primary opponents in the Aug. 20 elections and now will face each other in the general election for U.S. Senate in November.
Scott, running for re-election to his Senate seat, received 84% of the GOP vote in beating his two opponents, attorney Keith Gross and actor John Columbus.
“Thank you to the great voters of Florida in every corner of our state who turned out to resoundingly deliver us a win and showed the country that Florida is RED!,” Scott said in a statement. “We have received more votes than every Democrat candidate combined and are ready to deliver a big win in November.”
Mucarsel-Powell, a one-term member of Congress representing South Florida (2019-2021), defeated tech entrepreneur Stanley Campbell, 69%-20%.
Democrats have expressed hope that Scott would be vulnerable this year. It’s the first time he’s ever been on the ballot in Florida at the same time that there’s a presidential race at the top of the ballot, traditionally when more individuals cast ballots.
However, this is also the first time that Scott is running in a year where Republicans lead Democrats in voter registration — by nearly 1 million people. In 2018, when Scott narrowly defeated then-Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of more than 8.1 million votes cast, Democrats led Republicans in voter registration by more than 257,000 votes.
“Florida Democrats are ready to get to work to elect Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and send Rick Scott packing once and for all,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power issued a statement boasting about how Republicans “crushed” Democrats in turning out for their voters, with the GOP up 14% over Democrats in terms of voter participation.
“If Democrats are joyful about their prospects, their voters would have shown up to vote. Florida got Trumped,” he proclaimed. “What is clear is that our voters are fired up and eager to vote in support of our great Republican candidates who promote commonsense policies that work. With that support, Florida will continue to lead and succeed.”
This story is courtesy of Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news site, free of advertising and free to readers, covering state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
IN OTHER NEWS
TEXAS BLOCKS SEX MARKER CHANGES ON DRIVER’S LICENSES
Transgender Texans can no longer change the sex on their driver’s license to align with their gender identity — even if they present the state with a certified court order or an amended birth certificate verifying the change, according to an internal email sent by Sheri Gipson, the chief of the state’s driver license division. Under previous DPS rules, people were able to change the sex on their driver’s license if there was a clerical error, or if they presented an amended birth certificate or an original certified court record. The change was prompted by the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
GAY MAN ATTACKED BY DC SHAKE SHACK STAFF
Washington D.C. police are investigating a suspected hate crime incident in which a gay man says he was attacked and beaten by several Shake Shack employees on Aug. 17 after he and his male partner kissed. The incident was captured on video. Shake Shack stated employees have been suspended as they continue to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
AUSTRALIAN PENGUIN SPHEN, ONE HALF OF FAMED SAME-SEX COUPLE, DIES
Sphen, the elder partner in a world famous same-sex penguin couple celebrated in Australian schoolbooks and an annual gay rights parade, has died at 11 years old, a Sydney aquarium said on Aug. 22. Sphen and his male gentoo penguin partner Magic, now aged 8, came to international attention in 2018 when they built a pebble nest together in the hope of raising chicks at their home in the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. International interest grew as they adopted and successfully raised two chicks in 2018 and 2020. Their union was celebrated by a float in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, included in the Sydney-based New South Wales state education curriculum and discussed in the Netflix series “Atypical.” Their relationship has also been recorded in books and film documentaries.
POPULAR GAY CROSSDRESSER MURDERED IN NIGERIA
Police in Nigeria have confirmed the death of Area Mama, a well-known gay crossdresser in the nation’s capital of Abuja. Authorities found Area Mama’s body along an expressway on Aug. 8. Several LGBTQ+ activists have labeled the 33-year-old’s death as a brutal homophobic murder. His appearance on a popular YouTube podcast earlier this year has been linked to his death. Area Mama during the podcast said he knew he was gay since he was 10. He also disclosed he was a male sex worker whose clients often included high profile people.
nation+world news
GEORGE SANTOS PLEADS GUILTY, ACKNOWLEDGING LIES AND BLAMING AMBITION FOR CONNING HIS WAY TO CONGRESS
Wire Report
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. | George Santos, who spun lies about his life into an 11-month stint in Congress, pleaded guilty Aug. 19 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a case that led to his expulsion from office. He blamed his ambition for clouding his judgment and said he was “flooded with deep regret.”
Santos, 36, is likely to spend at least six years in prison and owes more than $570,000 in restitution and forfeiture after tearfully admitting that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of 11 people, including his own family members, to make donations to his campaign.
Santos’ guilty plea in federal court on Long Island came weeks before the case was to go to trial, punctuating one of the more bizarre stories in modern political lore. He remains free on bond awaiting sentencing Feb. 7.
“I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,” he said, his voice trembling as he entered the plea.
Santos was elected in 2022 after bandying stories — later proven false — about his wealth and background, including a lie that his mother perished in the 9/11 attacks. As his biography unraveled, Santos went to great lengths to defend himself, once saying he was “Jew-ish,” not Jewish, when confronted about his campaign claim that his grandparents had fled the Holocaust.
Once regarded as a rising Republican star after flipping a district covering parts of Queens and Long Island’s Gold Coast, Santos faced scrutiny even before taking office. Reports he lied about having a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree were followed by questions about how he funded his campaign.
Outside court, Santos told reporters his political ambitions
led him “to make decisions that were unethical.”
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Santos, in pleading guilty, told the truth “after years of telling lies.”
“And that truth is he is a criminal,” Peace said.
Santos was indicted last year on felony charges he stole from political donors, used campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses, lied to Congress about his wealth and collected unemployment benefits while working. Additionally, Santos also admitted to “a litany of other crimes for which the court will hold him accountable at sentencing,” Peace said.
Among them: stealing multiple people’s credit card numbers and charging them for his campaign, tricking donors into giving money to a bogus nonprofit and using the cash to buy designer clothing and fabricating his personal wealth in a financial disclosure report to Congress.
A House Ethics Committee investigation last year found money Santos diverted to his personal bank accounts was used to pay credit card bills and make purchases at luxury retailer Hermes, beauty retailer Sephora and OnlyFans.
Peace said Santos “badly deceived” his constituents, who “came to learn that they were victims of a fraud of unprecedented proportions.”
Santos was expelled from the U.S. House last December after the investigation found “overwhelming evidence” he had broken the law and exploited his public position for personal profit. He’d refused to resign, maintaining his innocence in the face of his May 2023 indictment and additional charges months later.
The case had been scheduled for trial in early September. Prosecutors said they were prepared to call some 40 witnesses, including members of Santos’ family, campaign and former employers, and wanted to show jurors evidence of Santos’ myriad
falsehoods, including claims he’d worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
Separately, Manhattan Federal Judge Denise Cote tossed out Santos’ lawsuit alleging that Jimmy Kimmel, ABC and Disney committed copyright infringement and unjustly enriched themselves by using videos he made on the Cameo app for a segment on Kimmel’s late-night talk show. Cote said it was clear Kimmel used the clips for criticism and commentary, which is fair use.
Santos began selling personalized videos on Cameo after leaving Congress. He subsequently launched, then quickly abandoned, a longshot independent bid to return to Congress.
In an interview that aired on WABC Radio, Santos said he has taken comfort in a “somewhat private civilian” again, with little wistfulness for the “rubber chicken dinners and the rah-rah-rah parties and fundraisers” of his former life.
In the days leading to his guilty plea, the ever-online Santos appeared to signal his decision – even as he chided followers for speculating and mixed in a disappointed review of the latest installment in the “Alien” movie series.
After losing a bid to have prospective jurors fill out written questionnaires, Santos cryptically wrote on X last week: “I’m done,” adding an emoji of a hand holding up a peace sign.
Two Santos campaign aides pleaded guilty last year to crimes related to his campaign, complicating his defense.
Ex-treasurer Nancy Marks pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy, implicating Santos in a scheme to embellish his campaign finance reports with a fake loan and fake donors. Her lawyer said she was willing to testify against him.
Ex-fundraiser Sam Miele copped to wire fraud, admitting he impersonated a congressional aide while raising money for Santos’ campaign.
E n d i n g t h e
1994 - 2024
Jeremy Williams
WATERMARK HAS BEEN TELLING
the stories of Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ communities for 30 years now. That adds up to nearly 800 issues of the newspaper. Along with that, we have brought you about 100 different specialty magazines over the years such as Pride schedules, event programs, destination guides and arts listings as well as publications that focus on weddings, the holidays and queer families, just to name a few.
Watermark has also hosted events like Watermark Wednesdays, Third Thursdays and Movies Out Loud, joined our community at Pride parades, festivals, marches and rallies, and in recent years made a documentary and introduced a podcast.
Watermark got its start in 1994, first in Orlando and then expanded
into Tampa Bay in 1995. We now cover more than a dozen counties in the state and can be found in many Florida cities including Daytona Beach, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota; and thanks to WatermarkOnline.com, we have seen an international audience come to Watermark for their LGBTQ+ news, politics, sports, arts and entertainment.
Over the last three decades, we have been able to cover an array of stories — from big, national headlines to local, more focused features — but you will find what we excel at is telling the personal stories of our own community and how those big issues impact us here at home, which is something you will see in the following pages. We have devoted a page to each year Watermark has
been in publication to highlight just some of the LGBTQ+ stories we have covered over the last 30 years.
Watermark as been there to report the events that shaped this community, but as we are also a part of this community. We have been there to celebrate, mourn and fight with you. We have been here to let you know what is happening to the community in the U.S. and around the world, but most importantly we have been in your neighborhoods, your community organizations and your LGBTQ+ safe spaces sharing your stories.
Thank you for bringing us into your homes for the last 30 years. We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. We hope you enjoy this look back at 30 years of Watermark.
Watermark 30 years ago, my goal was to share — and encourage — the burgeoning richness of the local LGBTQ+ experience. Back then, I had only the slightest idea what that would come to mean.
I founded Watermark in 1994 and served as publisher and often editor until 2014. During that time, Watermark was my entrée to unimagined people and experiences. I hope the same was true for our growing readership throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay.
Together, we stood up to discrimination in its ugliest forms, endured a devastating pandemic and claimed our equality. We evolved, and patiently encouraged friends, co-workers and elected officials to do the same. In the pages of Watermark, we were inspired by local and national legends of our time. Led by their
example, we discovered a real — almost cocky — pride in our uniqueness.
I’ll never forget walking through our offices and overhearing Cyndi Lauper’s distinctive Betty-Boop-from-Brooklyn voice responding to questions from our Kimboo York.
Or Scottie Campbell gushing over Larry Kramer until the activist and playwright finally interrupted and said, “Do you have any questions?”
Or Joan Rivers scolding Kirk Hartlage for wearing pajamas to work. “It shows no respect!”
Or Phyllis Diller educating Sam Singhaus regarding the inspiration for Cruella De Vil. “She is I, Sam. She is I!”
Or Gloria Steinem (still goosebumps) telling me about the patriarchy. “They’re threatened by same-sex couples because they can’t imagine equality in partnership.”
Thirty years ago, I could never have imagined the Watermark — or the world — of 2024. Under Publisher Rick Todd’s leadership, Watermark is one of just a handful of remaining successful LGBTQ+ metro news sources. The talented staff and contributors continue to inform and inspire in print, online and on film with the remarkable documentary “Greetings From Queertown: Orlando.”
Watermark was first envisioned after I attended a Metropolitan Business Association (now The Pride Chamber) meeting where some local elected officials made uninformed and condescending
remarks. I was frustrated that only the few dozen in attendance would see the work that lay ahead. Just a few days later, I was in Atlanta having lunch at a restaurant where everyone seemed to be reading that city’s excellent LGBTQ+ publication, Southern Voice. I began to fantasize about people doing the same in Orlando’s awakening Thornton Park gayborhood. The image was so invigorating that I drove to the nearby offices of Southern Voice and asked to meet with the publishers, Chris Cash and Leigh Vanderels. They indulged my many questions and loaded me down with media kits and contacts.
Eight busy months later the first issue of Watermark was published. Creative Director April Gustetter created an organized and beautiful layout. Advertising Director Keith Peterson sold $10,000 worth of ads. And talented contributors came out of
the woodwork to help me fill 24 pages, including a groundbreaking interview with out actress Amanda Bearse (“Married with Children”).
In less than a year the paper expanded to Tampa Bay, with the remarkable activist and journalist Todd Simmons serving as editor. And we continued to grow — sometimes to as many as 80 pages. The staff and contributors who facilitated that growth are too many to list, but they know who they are, and I hope they know how much they are appreciated, respected and loved.
I chose the newspaper’s name — Watermark — to reflect a demarcation point for the local LGBTQ+ community. But after the first issue was published a reader pointed out the more inspiring symbolism. A watermark is a transparent insignia on fine stationery, visible only when held up to the light. What a wonderful metaphor for Watermark’s readers, 30 years ago and now.
PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
Scott Jackson-Smith
Watermark Editor, 2001-2002
When Watermark Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams first asked me to contribute some memories of my time as Watermark's first editor (other than founder, publisher and mentor Tom Dyer), my emotions went to a happy place. I didn’t recall a lot of specifics, but I remember absolutely loving the paper, our staff and contributors, and being so grateful to our brave and supportive advertisers.
It wasn’t an easy job. I came up with story ideas, designated assignments and deadlines to journalists, did page layout and ad placement, edited all copy, wrote “Editor’s Desk” (my favorite) and co-art directed our covers, among other tasks. After each issue was “put to bed” and everyone else took a much-earned day or two off, I was still in the office updating the website. These were some long days but it always seemed like we were somehow having fun.
As I was taking this walk down memory lane, I suddenly recalled that I was editor during 9/11. I got to the office a little late on that day and it was like walking into another world. The staff was silent. There was no laughing or joking. They just sat around looking completely numb. Someone said, “You can’t get on the internet.” I had no idea what was going on.
It didn’t take too long to get the gist of what had happened that morning. I had a problem: the paper was due at the printer that evening. I needed my staff. I think I was somewhere between a cheerleader and drill sergeant for the rest of the day (and probably for many weeks afterwards). I tried to keep spirits up but it sometimes took barking orders at people to get their work done.
Out of curiosity, I began going through my personal digital archives of Watermark to try to jog other memories. What I learned was we as a community were constantly at battle. We fought Florida’s same-sex adoption ban. We rallied to get “sexual orientation” included in anti-discrimination policies. We were constantly fighting for a simple thing called “equality.”
One story we extensively covered was when Tampa Bay police officer Lois Marrero was killed in the line of duty. This news was sad enough but Marrero had been in a 10-year relationship with Tampa Police Detective Mickie Mashburn. Community outrage ensued when Tampa city officials announced that Mashburn would be denied Marrero’s pension benefits which could have meant more than $500,000 for her. Mashburn twice appealed the decision and was twice denied survivorship rights. It’s a tragic story but many believe it helped establish domestic partnership laws and even affected the U.S Supreme Court to rule in favor of marriage equality.
It seems so odd to think about all the doom and gloom our community faced during my short time as Watermark’s editor. But still I reflect on that time with a lot of love and view it as the best job I ever had.
Ronni Radner
Watermark Editor, 2006-2009
Ihad the honor of serving as Watermark’s first female editor-in-chief. I’m so proud of my time there and grateful that I had the opportunity to not only write about the diverse community in Orlando, but to become a part of it as well.
Watermark was my first foray into local journalism after editing and writing for pioneering national LGBTQ+ (then referred to as “gay and lesbian” or GLBT) publications Out Magazine and The Advocate when I resided in the queer-friendly bubble of Los Angeles. Florida was way different from California. I’d attended middle school, high school and college in Central Florida, and the feelings of not fitting in led me to move all over the country in my 20s, to Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Mexico and back to my birthplace of New York. When the cost of living proved too much in Brooklyn, a desire to be closer to my family and have a more sustainable lifestyle brought me back to the Sunshine State. There was no longer a queer bubble. It was a challenge to adapt. Florida was a red state (like it is now) and we were trying to paint it rainbow. It was a thrill to interview celebrities for Watermark. There’s not much that compares to picking up the phone and hearing Liza Minnelli, John Waters or Lily Tomlin on the other end asking for you by name. When I asked Liza about following in her late mother Judy Garland’s iconic footsteps, she quickly reminded me that she’d won more awards than her mother had ever won. She was fiery and unpretentious, and I loved every minute of our conversation. Politics got me more fired up though. It seemed our biggest barrier to equality was President George W. Bush. Yes, I even had the “Worst President Ever” bumper sticker. Then, in 2008, a young Black senator from Illinois named Barack Obama entered the primary contest for president. I loved Hillary Clinton as well but there was something magical about him, and I endorsed him over Hillary despite many in the community’s understandable allegiance to Clinton. I was, as founder and then-publisher Tom Dyer called me, a lightning rod. My worldview was forever changed after photographing Obama from about 15 feet away at a National Urban League conference at the Orange County Convention Center. When he won the election, I danced and celebrated in the streets of Thornton Park with Black and Brown people, LGBTs, and our straight allies. It was electric. We wept with joy. As I wrote this, I was watching the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where Obama delivered one of his most powerful, inspiring speeches and endorsed the first woman of color for the office of the presidency. Bush is far from the worst president ever since Donald Trump joined the political fray, but I feel that familiar electricity again seeing Kamala Harris. As the cliché goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I’m doing a lot of praying for our future as I reflect on our past. Thank you Watermark for having me. Congratulations on 30 years!
Steve Blanchard
Watermark Editor, 2009-2015
During my decade as a freelance contributor, staff writer, bureau chief and eventual editor of Watermark, I saw my fair share of inspiring and intriguing stories.
We are and always will be one community with so many individual stories that make us a collective. It was an honor to share them all during my various roles at Watermark for 10 years.
I always compared my various roles as a Watermark contributor to that of a documentarian for the LGBTQ+ community. It was always an honor, regardless of the headline.
As editor, I had the unique honor of directing the paper’s team during one of the biggest historical milestones for our community — Florida’s legalization of marriage equality. The state’s ban on same-sex marriage was ruled unconstitutional in August 2014, almost a year before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges that all states must recognize same-sex marriages and issue licenses for them.
The news was surreal and while we covered it at Watermark, the reality of it really didn’t hit me until Jan. 6, 2015, when I covered actual same-sex couples exchanging wedding vows in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.
I woke up early that day and hit all three cities. At each stop I met dozens of couples celebrating the day they were finally getting their marriage licenses and legally becoming spouses.
I arrived in Sarasota just before 9 a.m. Same-sex couples were lined up for marriage licenses at the Sarasota County Courthouse and soon said “I do” with the help of local leader Cindy Barnes, who became a notary just so she could help marry couples as they exited that building. Emotions ran high — but they were all exuberant.
In downtown Tampa, there were 50 or so same-sex couples who were legally wed by then-Clerk of Court Pat Frank outside on Joe Chillura Courthouse Square. There was a feeling of joy, excitement and love that was a far cry from some of the anger and depression that had been felt on that square before then, when earlier County Commissions had shot down equality measures in very public ways.
In St. Petersburg, I attended and photographed two men celebrating their wedding conducted by then-Mayor Rick Kriseman at City Hall. It was another unbelievable moment that drew a crowd, brought out tears of joy and made the LGBTQ+ community and our supporters proud of our state.
That day, driving throughout Tampa Bay and Sarasota, was one of my happiest days as editor at Watermark and one of my proudest moments as a gay man. A few short months later, I stepped away to further my writing career.
I have always looked upon that first day of marriages as a high point in my career, and in my life.
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THE COVER
Watermark turns 25 this coming Labor Day. Owner and publisher Rick Claggett carries on the tradition of Founder and Guiding Light, Tom Dyer, by reviewing the past remarkable years. On this page, he returns to 2014.
LOOKING BACK
Rick Claggett, Publisher
IN 2014, WATERMARK STARTED
war, Touring was arrested and convicted under the anti-LGBTQ laws of the time.
The Boy Scouts of America made a major announcement to allow gay youth in the organization, but continued its ban on LGBTQ adults.
1 Hillsborough County Commissioners approved domestic partnership registry Oct. 15.
2 Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill that would have allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ customers.
3 Laverne Cox became the first transgender person nominated for an Emmy as well asappear on the cover of TIME.
4 Charlie Crist talks exclusively with Watermark about LGBTQ issues.
5 Brian Longstreth at Metro Wellness and Community Center’s new LGBT Welcome Center.
6 Sean Hayes became engaged to his longtime partner, Scott Icenogle.
7 Pam Bondi continued her fight against marriage equality in 2014.
8. Senator Bill Nelson appears at the opening of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 6.
9 Raven-Symone confirms her relationship with a female partner.
10 Terry DeCarlo (L), his husband Bill Huelsman. DeCarlo started as executive director of The Center Oct. 6.
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams
Orlando held its Youth Empowerment Summit, the �irst event of its kind targeted at supporting LGBTQ Youth.
In 2014, Watermark founder and publisher Tom Dyer celebrated the 20th anniversary of his legacy publication by remembering each year, talking to those involved from the beginning and reflecting on the growth of Central Florida’s largest LGBTQ newspaper over the past two decades.
the year with a bang. Founder and Publisher Tom Dyer had an exclusive one-on-one interview with gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, the �irst time the politician sat down with LGBTQ media. The story went viral, making headlines with MSNBC and Huf�ington Post.
Following the death of the Defense of Marriage Act, the world turned its focus to the constitutionality of individual state laws banning marriage equality. Some states’ Attorneys General decided not to pursue their state’s ban on same-sex marriages, as was the case with Virginia and Nevada. In other states, such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, lawsuits were �iled.
Citing Amendment 2 of the Florida State Constitution, Attorney General Pam Bondi fought against marriage equality for nearly the entire year and refused to allow the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex
couples. Six couples who were denied access to a marriage license �iled a lawsuit claiming the law unconstitutional. Joining the �ight as a plaintiff was statewide LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida.
While LGBTQs were experiencing unprecedented support and media coverage in the states, Uganda enacted a law that would sentence those participating in certain gay acts to life in prison. Nigeria banned same-sex marriage and criminalized homosexuality while India refused to review its law banning sodomy.
Our allies in the UK �inally issued a pardon to WWII hero Alan Touring. Following the
The Prism Youth Initiative also celebrated a �irst with Manatee Pride. Mayor Rick Kriseman won his run to head the City of St. Petersburg where he was joined by newly-elected out council members Darden Rice and Amy Foster.
The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival celebrated 25 years. In other birthdays, Come Out With Pride turned 10 and Watermark hit two decades when it celebrated 20 years in business.
The world said goodbye to Westboro Baptist Church leader, Fred Phelps. Michael Sam became the �irst out player ever drafted to an NFL team and Lily Tomlin married her longtime partner Jane Wagner.
“1989” by Taylor Swift HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW “The Big Bang Theory” HIGHEST GROSSING FILM “American Sniper”
Sam Smith (pop singer), Ellen Page (actress), Tim Cook (Apple CEO), Ty Herndon (country singer) STATES WITH
1 Robby Pigott and James Harrison are married by Mayor Buddy Dyer on the steps of Orlando City Hall on June 6.
2 Barbie & Kimmy Denny married at the Joe Chillura Courthouse in Downtown Tampa on June 6.
3 Tampa Pride returns after a county wide ban on recognition of pride events was lifted. Kurt King (L) and Jane Castor were the inaugural grand marshals.
4 Caitlyn Jenner came out on the cover of Vanity Fair’s July issue.
5 Stewart Milk (R) surprised City Commissioner Patty Sheehan (L) with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the third annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast present by the LGBT Center of Central Florida.
6 Torri Ramos shared her emotional story with Watermark about entering the world of sex trafficking after being rejected by her family for being transgender.
7 After 10 solid years at Watermark, Steve Blanchard leaves to follow his passion at the Moffitt Cancer Center.
8 Barrack Obama becomes the first sitting president to be featured on the cover of Out Magazine as the Ally of the Year for OUT100.
9 Watermark announced in late May with this faux-cover that the infamous Billy Manes would become its new editor-in-chief.
10 Ireland celebrated becoming the first nation in history to approve same-sex marriages by a referendum vote in May.
ON THE COVER
MOST POPULAR SONG
“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
BEST SELLING ALBUM
“25” by Adele
HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW
“The Big Bang Theory” HIGHEST GROSSING FILM
“Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens” BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2015
“Spotlight” OUT CELEBRITIES
Aaron and Austin Rhodes (YouTubers), Kristen Stewart (actress), Patricia Velasquez (supermodel), Matt Cage (professional wrestler), Demi Lavato (singer) STATES WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY
50
Watermark turns 25 this coming Labor Day. Owner and publisher Rick Claggett carries on the tradition of Founder and Guiding Light, Tom Dyer, by reviewing the past remarkable years. On this page, he returns to 2015.
On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court delivered their final verdict on the constitutionality of marriage equality. In a life changing 5-4 decision, the land’s highest court declared same-sex couples had the constitutional right to marry.
LOOKING BACK
Rick Claggett, Publisher
2015 PROVED TO BE ANOTHER
landmark year for the LGBTQ community as the Supreme Court struck down all laws banning marriage for the LGBTQ community. Florida had �inally lifted its ban earlier that year, allowing marriage equality to begin Jan. 6.
In de�iance of a U.S. federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Rowan County, Kentucky county clerk Kimberly Jean Davis refused to issue licenses to LGBTQ couples. This act landed her in jail, but garnered support from Republican presidential hopefuls who visited her in jail. Later in 2015, Davis claimed to have the support of the Pope in a private meeting, but the Vatican later diminished the assertion by stating the meet and greet was in no way an act of support for the now former county clerk.
In the wake of marriage equality nationwide, the next battleground issue began to take shape. Republican Florida State Representative Frank Artiles of Miami �iled the “Single-sex Public Facilities” bill. The bill looked to bar people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity. Transgender issues continued to make headlines when India Clarke was discovered murdered at a Tampa Community Center. This upward trend in trans violence would continue to grow.
Carver Middle school lost its long battle for a Gay-Straight
Alliance when a lawsuit �iled on behalf of 14-year-old Bayli Silberstein was dismissed. Jacksonville continued its heated debate about adding sexual orientation to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance. Several organizations hit milestones this year. The Orlando Gay Chorus celebrated 25 years and appointed James Rode as the new art director. Joining in the fun was Gay Day at Disney and Bear Bust, both in their 25th year. Orlando AIDS walk celebrated its 20th year in operation.
St. Pete icon Georgie’s Alibi announced it was closing its doors in September. Cindy Barnes also announced 2015 would be her last year as the head of Sarasota Pride. Heather Wilkie was named Executive Director of The Zebra Coalition and Lu Mueller-Kaul was of�icially installed as the President of The Metropolitan Business Association.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orlando’s �irst openly gay commissioner, Patty Sheehan, both won their re-election campaigns in November.
ON THE COVER
Watermark turns 25 this coming Labor Day. Owner and publisher Rick Claggett carries on the tradition of Founder and Guiding Light, Tom Dyer, by reviewing the past remarkable years. On this page, he returns to 2016.
On June 12, 2016 the LGBTQ community was shaken when a heavily armed gunman entered the nightclub Pulse in Orlando, began shooting and took the lives of 49 innocent victims while dozens more were injured.
LOOKING BACK
Rick Claggett, Publisher
THE WORST YEAR EVER
headlined Watermark’s annual year in review issue for 2016. The year started off with the excitement of a new direction as the paper’s ownership changed from founder Tom Dyer to long-time employee Rick Claggett. The sale of the paper from Watermark Media to Watermark Publishing Group took place Jan. 1.
The celebration was short lived as Jan. 10 marked the death of rock icon David Bowie. It was the first celebrity death in a year that seemed to have more than its fair share. Adding to the list throughout the year would be Prince, George Michael, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds and Nancy Reagan.
Of course the year wasn’t all bad. The Metropolitan Business Association was honored by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce for its efforts with Referral and Exchange Networking and Development
program (RED). The Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce announced it would be changing its name to the Tampa Bay Diversity Chamber of Commerce as Ashley Brundage stepped down, making way for Eric Mathis to take over. Justin Trudeau became the first head of state to march in a pride parade and President Obama issued an order for schools to allow students the right to use the bathroom for the gender which they identified. LGBTQ rights icon Harvey Milk became the first gay man to have a naval
1 Orlando City Commission Patty Sheehan took the oath of office for her fifth term Jan. 11.
2 Scott Schweickert was sentenced to life in prison for the 2003 murders of Tampa residents Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz.
3 North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signs the controversial HB2 bill into law, requiring people use the bathroom aligning to their birth certificates gender.
4 RuPaul won his first hosting Emmy at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards Sept. 10.
5 Mercedes Successful was found shot to death in the back parking lot of a Big Lots and Tractor Supply Co. in Haines City May 15. She was 32.
6 Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Kiermaier wears a “WE ARE ORLANDO” shirt during batting practice at the Rays’ 10th Pride Night, which raised $300,000 for the victims of Pulse.
7 Within 48 hours of the Pulse tragedy, 7,500 Orlandoans gathered at a vigil on the lawn between the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center and City Hall.
8 Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner ends his reign as the first openly gay elected commissioner.
9 Jacksonville‘s Monica DePaul became the first openly transgender delegate elected to the Democratic National Convention from Florida.
10 Rock icon and LGBTQ supporter David Bowie passed away from cancer on Jan.10.
Two events occurred that would test the LGBTQ community and change us forever. On June 12, a lone gunman indiscriminately fired shots into the crowd at Pulse nightclub. Hundreds of victims were held hostage during the rampage where dozens were injured and 49 fatally wounded. Orlando reacted quickly with love. The LGBT+ Center became a hub for volunteers and donations, as did The Venue. Jennifer Foster and Carlos Carbonelle convened a group of leaders to help meet the needs of a grieving community, giving birth to what would become the One Orlando Alliance. The world worked together to show that Orlando was strong and that love would win over hate.
The second blow came in November when the anti-LGBTQ ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence upset Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House, bringing an end to a heated election. The LGBTQ community and their supporters knew it was time to rally in the face of adversity and prepare for the aftermath of 2016.
MOST POPULAR SONG
“Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber
BEST SELLING ALBUM
“Lemonade” by Beyonce
HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW
“NCIS”
HIGHEST GROSSING FILM
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2016
“Moonlight”
OUT CELEBRITIES
Nur Warsame (Australian imam), Elizabeth Gilbert (author), Shane Dawson (YouTuber), Charlie Carver (actor), Sara Ramirez (actor)
Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Photography and Media Arts Program at The Ringling.
Watermark wants to thank Pannullos for Thirty Years of support and being a loyal advertiser
1 Las Vegas surpasses Orlando with the deadliest mass shooting in modern history, killing 59 including Cameron Robinson (R).
2 Rebecca Storozuk became the first openly transgender Orange County Sheriff’s office deputy.
3 Kate McKinnon thanks Hillary Clinton as she accepts her second Emmy for her role on “Saturday Night Live.”
4 Danica Roem, a former journalist, becomes the first openly transgender person seated in any state legislature in the country by defeating Bob Marshal in the Virginia House of Delegates Race.
5 Kevin Spacey reveals he is gay amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior involving an underage Anthony Rapp.
6 Edith Windsor, a lesbian activist who was a pioneer for LGBTQ rights and brought down the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, dies at age 88.
7 Metropolitan Business Association celebrates its 25 year anniversary at Celebrations Gardens on Nov. 30.
8 The passing of Tanisha Cassadine sparks a fight against silicone procedures and inspires a scholarship to help those wanting to transfer to do so in a safe way.
9 Milo Yiannopoulos resigns as news editor of Breitbart after coming under fire for comments made about sexual relations between men and boys.
10 Metro’s Celebrate 25 Gala raises over $65,000 for youth, seniors and transgender services.
2017
ON THE COVER
MOST POPULAR SONG
“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran BEST SELLING ALBUM
“Divide” by Ed Sheeran
HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW
“The Big Bang Theory” HIGHEST GROSSING FILM
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2017
“The Shape of Water” OUT CELEBRITIES
Brian Michael Smith (actor), Sue Bird (WNBA player), Barry Manilow (singer), Hanne Gaby Odiele (model), Aaron Carter (singer)
STATES THAT BAN CONVERSION THERAPY
8 - New Jersey, California, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New Mexico, Connecticut, Rhode Island.
Watermark turns 25 this coming Labor Day. Owner and publisher Rick Claggett carries on the tradition of Founder and Guiding Light, Tom Dyer, by reviewing the past remarkable years. On this page, he returns to 2017.
A pioneer of LGBTQ representation on television, “Will & Grace” returns in a year that boasts the highest percentage of regular LGBTQ characters in television programing.
LOOKING BACK
Rick Claggett, Publisher
IF 2016 WAS TO BE THE WORST
year in our history, then 2017 would be the year we found our footing. In the year since the tragic shooting at Pulse, the Central Florida community, and the world, came together to show that love would conquer hate.
The Orange County Regional History Center worked hard to preserve memories from the Pulse shooting while honoring those taken, and those still suffering. Flowers, candles, messages and photographs left at the site of the massacre were displayed at the History Center for the public to see at the one-year mark of the tragic shooting, along with stuffed animals, flags and works of art to commemorate those who were killed and injured.
Community organizations were solidified to bridge gaps in the LGBTQ community and those underserved; including
the One Orlando Alliance, QLatinX, The Contigo Fund, The Dru Project, Pride Fund to End Gun Violence, onePulse Foundation and Pulse of Orlando to name a few.
Amid the process of healing and within a month of the one year mark of the Pulse massacre, Orlando suffered another tragedy in the sudden and unexpected loss of beloved journalist Billy Manes. Manes worked as Watermark’s editor-in-chief through the horrific events at Pulse and the year that followed. His words had become those of a grieving community that now grieved for him.
For the first time in 15 years, the St Pete Pride parade was held in downtown St. Petersburg rather than the Grand Central District. When the organization initially announced the controversial move, the Street Festival was also scheduled to move downtown. The announcement sparked backlash from Grand Central businesses, supporters and the mayor. After reconsidering, the Street Festival was to remain in the Grand Central District.
Mayor Rick Kriseman won his bid for re-election against the anti-LGBTQ policies of former Mayor Rick Baker with a turnout of over 27% of eligible voters.
Equality Florida celebrated two decades as the largest civil rights organization for Florida’s LGBTQ community. Jacksonville City Council voted to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s Human Rights Ordinance.
President Donald Trump sends transgender rights activists into action when he tweets his intention to impose a trans military ban.
2018
ON THE COVER
Watermark turns 25 this coming Labor Day. Owner and publisher Rick Claggett carries on the tradition of Founder and Guiding Light, Tom Dyer, by reviewing the past remarkable years. On this page, he returns to 2018.
Just past the midway point of 2018, four transgender woman of color had been gunned down, three murdered, while advocates sought justice and solidarity.
LOOKING BACK
Rick Claggett, Publisher
2018
PROVES TO BE A YEAR OF
great highs and somber lows for the LGBTQ community. Now two years into the Trump administration the country feels to be more divided than ever. With the impending midterm elections, LGBTQ advocates fight for the onslaught of a blue and rainbow wave.
October marks 20 years since the tragic attack and eventual death of Matthew Shepard. His death sparked a worldwide cry for change to U.S. hate crime laws. It would take another 11 years before the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act would be signed into law. However hate seems to be on the rise in 2018. Several LGBTQ individuals were attacked by a paintball gun at downtown Orlando’s Lake Eola while the attacker yelled homophobic slurs. In a separate incident, a 7-11 worker was accused of assaulting a customer because he is gay. In St. Pete, the LGBTQ-affirming
Allendale United Methodist Church was vandalized when the church’s marquee was spray painted with the phrase “gay pastor.” Jacksonville LTGBTQ advocates rallied to seek justice for an alarming number of transgender woman of color who were murdered in the city.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of a “religious liberty” task force designed to protect religious freedom. Oklahoma became the first state to implement the “religious freedom” bill, allowing tax-funded adoption agencies to deny adoption to LGBTQ couples. Maine’s governor vetoed a bill to
1 GayDayS, Inc. announced it will move its host hotel experience from the first weekend in June to August for 2019.
2 Breast cancer survivor who had undergone a double mastectomy was confronted during Bucs game for using female restroom.
3 After community pressure and a meeting with Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Publix began to allow coverage of PrEP for employees under their prescription benefits.
4 “Storm Chasers” star, Joel Taylor, was found dead aboard a gay Royal Caribbean cruise ship due to an apparent drug overdose.
5 In a controversial move, Andrew Christian sends an e-blast to costumers featuring leaked nude photos of Olympic diver Tom Daley.
6 Sasha Garden became the fourth transgender woman murdered in Florida in 2018 when her body was discovered in the parking lot of an Orlando apartment complex .
ban conversion therapy, while a similar bill failed in the final days of Massachusetts’ 2018 legislative session.
The year had just as many wins. The military took in its first transgender enlistee despite President Trump’s intention to ban transgender service members.
St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman is sworn in along with a female majority City Council. Anti-LGBTQ Tampa District 59 candidate Ronda Storms failed in her attempt to regain political office.
The LGBT+ Center of Orlando expanded its resources to a new office in Kissimmee, thanks to a grant from the Contigo Fund. Under the direction of Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando City Hall became the first government building statewide to have an all-gender, multi-stall restroom.
The year ended strong when the rainbow WAVE came ashore. Democrats took back the House of Representatives, while locally we saw the re-elections of Carlos Guillermo Smith and the election of Anna Eskamani and Jennifer Webb to the Florida State House of Representatives.
7 Ybor’s The Honey Pot and G Bar owners open a 7,000-square-foot club in the heart of downtown St. Pete.
8 “Pose” was an instant hit when it premiered on FX in June of 2018. The series made history as it featured the largest LGBTQ cast of any scripted TV show ever.
9 The Rainbow Wave sweeps over the Florida November elections, re-electing Carlos Guillermo Smith in Florida House District 49 (C).
10 Jennifer Webb won her bid for Florida House District 69. Webb made history being the first out LGBTQ woman to be elected to the Florida Legislature.
MOST
POPULAR SONG
“God’s Plan” by Drake BEST SELLING ALBUM
“The Greatest Showman” Soundtrack HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW
“This Is Us” HIGHEST GROSSING FILM
“Black Panter” BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2018
“The Green Book” OUT CELEBRITIES
Kevin McHale (actor), Paris Jackson (model/musician), Josie Totah (actress), Ronan Farrow (journalist), Amandla Stenberg (actress
STATES THAT BAN CONVERSION THERAPY
13 – adding Nevada, Washington, Hawaii, Delaware and Maryland
1 Owner Rick Todd (L) and founder Tom Dyer cut the cake at Watermark’s 25th anniversary celebration in August.
PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
2 Gov. Ron DeSantis is sworn in as the 46th governor of Florida in January.
3 Jazell Barbie Royale makes history as the first Black trans woman to be crowned Miss International Queen in Thailand in April.
PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
4 Nikki Fried begins her role as Florida’s first female Agriculture Commissioner in January.
5 Actor Jussie Smollett alleged he was attacked in Chicago in January. It was later found that Smollett staged the attack. PHOTO COURTESY THE CHICAGO PD
6 LGBTQ+ advocates celebrate 50 years since Stonewall at WorldPride in New York City. PHOTO BY NICK CARDELLO
7 Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community at the closing of the region’s Flamingo Resort. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT
8 Florida Rep. Shevrin Jones announces his run for the state’s District 35 Senate seat in 2019.
PHOTO FROM SEN. JONES’ FACEBOOK
9 Lil Nas X became the first out LGBTQ+ man to ever be nominated for a CMA award, and the first to win with “Old Town Road.”
PHOTO FROM LIL NAS X’S FACEBOOK
10 Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (2nd from L) and her family celebrate her historic inauguration.
5 YEARS AGO
MOST POPULAR SONG:
“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
BEST SELLING ALBUM: “Lover” Taylor Swift HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW: “NCIS”
HIGHEST GROSSING FILM: “Avengers: Endgame”
BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2019: “Parasite” OUT CELEBRITIES: Lil Nas X, Willow Smith, Stormy Daniels, Julianne Hough, Eugene Lee Yang (The Try Guys), David Matheson (Former conversion therapist), Anthony Bowens (Professional Wrestler) STATES WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY: 50
ON THE COVER
Pete Buttigieg, who has served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana since 2012, came out as a gay man in a self-penned essay published by the South Bend Tribune on June 16, 2015. In April of this year, he declared his candidacy for president of the United States.
In honor of Watermark’s 30th anniversary, publisher Rick Todd continues the tradition of reviewing our past remarkable years. On this page he reviews Watermark’s 25th anniversary year, 2019.
LOOKING BACK:
Rick Todd, Publisher
WAS
Transgender Visibility March took place in Washington, D.C. GayDayS Inc moved its long-standing events away from June to August, prompting the newly formed Kindred Pride Foundation to promote Red Shirt Pride Days in an effort to keep the spirit of the first weekend of June in Central Florida alive.
Buttigieg spoke with Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segel by phone ahead of the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+-focused presidential town hall which aired on CNN Oct. 10.
A YEAR FOR the LGBTQ+ record books. It was a year of firsts, a year of closings and a year where Gov. Ron DeSantis began his reign against LGBTQ+ rights.
DeSantis was sworn in as governor of Florida at the beginning of 2019. We got the first glimpse of his coming battles with the LGBTQ+ community when he immediately issued an executive order to reaffirm the state’s commitment to diversity, failing to mention anything about sexual orientation or gender identity. Our community suffered other setbacks in 2019. The Supreme Court upheld Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military service, a federal judge struck down Tampa’s ban on conversion therapy and although the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, it died in the Senate.
However, the year was marked by a series of milestones that left us with plenty to celebrate. New Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried started her term in office by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to her department’s list of workplace protections. She continued to make us proud by appointing the department’s first ever LGBTQ+ liaison, Nik Harris. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg made history when he announced his candidacy as the first openly gay candidate for U.S. President. Taiwan became the first country in Asia to allow marriage equality and the Inaugural National
Jussie Smollett reported he was attacked in an anti-gay and racially motivated hate crime. The Chicago police department’s investigation led to information that the attack was faked as a way to advance the actor’s career. While Metro Inclusive Health announced its grand re-opening with a state-of-the-art community center, we said goodbye to Blue Star’s The Venue in Orlando, Hamburger Mary’s in Tampa and Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg.
Black drag won big in 2019 with Darcel Stevens winning Miss Continental Plus and Jazell Barbie Royal winning Miss International Queen. Jazell was the second American to win the competition and the first Black trans woman to take the honor.
PHOTO FROM MAYOR CASTOR’S FACEBOOK
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. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
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.
4 YEARS AGO
MOST POPULAR SONG:
“Blinding Lights” by The Weekend
BEST SELLING ALBUM: “Folklore,” Taylor Swift HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW: “The Masked Singer” HIGHEST GROSSING FILM: “Bad Boys For Life”
BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2020-2021: “Nomadland” OUT CELEBRITIES:
Niecy Nash, conservative politician Aaron Schock, Andrew Gillum, Jameela Jamil, Rosario Dawson, Rapper Da Brat, Auli’I Cravalho STATES WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY: 50
2020
ON THE COVER
COVID 19 took centerstage in 2020. Stating in March, LGBTQ+ organizations began cancelling or postponing events starting with Tampa Pride.
In honor of Watermark’s 30th anniversary, publisher Rick Todd continues the tradition of reviewing our past remarkable years. On this page he reviews the year 2020.
LOOKING BACK:
Rick
Todd, Publisher and staff
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
WAS AN
2020
The changes are a response to the very real dangers of potentially contracting COVID-19, a new coronavirus first discovered in late 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO), which directs international health within the United Nations and leads partners in worldwide health responses, declared it a pandemic on March 11. They did so two days after Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Florida and two before Donald Trump declared one nationwide.
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
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
1 Broadway tour shows, like “Frozen (pictured), return to Florida after the pandemic. PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER
2 Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary of Health and first trans appointee confirmed by the Senate.
3 Tymisha Harris plays Josephine Baker at Orlando Shakes in 2021.
PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
4 Tampa’s Jenny De Leon, who became the 46th known transgender or nonbinary person killed in 2021.
PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA PD
5 Owner David Fischer (2nd from L) and members of Cocktail’s initial team welcome supporters to St. Petersburg’s new LGBTQ+ hotspot in May. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT
6. Representatives from Contigo Fund and 2021’s grant recipients.
PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
7 Pom Pom’s Teahouse & Sandwicheria celebrates 15 years in Orlando in 2021.
PHOTO COURTESY POM MOONGAUKLANG
8 Project Pride completes its historic Pridewalk street mural in April.
PHOTO FROM PROJECT PRIDE’S FACEBOOK
9 Tatiana Quiroga is named Come Out With Pride’s executive director and one of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People in 2021. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
10 Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
PHOTO BY BLINK O’FANAYE; FROM FLICKR
ON THE COVER
3 YEARS AGO
MOST POPULAR SONG:
“Levitating” by Dua Lipa
BEST SELLING ALBUM: “30,” Adele
HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW: “Yellowstone”
HIGHEST GROSSING FILM:
“Spider-Man: No Way Home”
BEST PICTURE OSCAR
RELEASED 2020-2021: “CODA” OUT CELEBRITIES:
JoJo Siwa, Demi Lovato, former World Wrestling entertainer
Gabbi Tuft, former “Bachelor” star Colton Underwood, American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, NFL player Carl Nassib, Elvira STATES WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY: 50
COVID-19 continued to dominate the news in 2021. The pandemic had impacted every aspect of our lives. One year in and COVID-19 has infected 118 million people around the world, with 29.2 million of them coming from the U.S. It has also taken the lives of 2.62 million people
worldwide, with 529,000 of those being American lives. The pandemic also devastated the economy. With shutdowns and social-distancing restrictions, businesses which were able to remain open were forced to limit customers and cut employees. Many small businesses were unable to survive the year and had to close their doors permanently.
Cn honor of Watermark’s 30th Anniversary, publisher Rick Todd continues the tradition of reviewing our past remarkable years. On this page he reviews the year 2021.
LOOKING BACK:
Rick Todd, Publisher
OMING OUT OF A YEAR OF LOSS
and sadness, we had high hopes for 2021.
Joe Biden had been announced as the winner of the 2020 presidential race and the LGBTQ+ community felt inspired by a return to government civility towards our community.
However the year would start with a violent attack on our nation’s Capitol building, an insurrection in which the sitting president, now ex-president, Donald Trump is indicted for inciting.
Before leaving office, Trump quietly rescinded regulations barring discrimination among HHS grantees with respect to religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. Upon his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States, Biden made history by appointing the country’s first LGBTQ+ cabinet member when he named Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary and appointing Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of Health,
becoming the first transgender appointee confirmed by the Senate.
The trans and nonconforming members of the LGBTQ+ community suffered great losses in 2021. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 50 known people were fatally shot of killed by other violent means. They are not forgotten.
The year celebrated some firsts as the One Orlando Alliance named Josh Bell as its first executive director followed by Come Out With Pride hiring Tatiana Quiroga in the role. The Trans Visibility March had its first march outside of D.C. by joining the Come Out With Pride festival. St. Pete welcomed its first Black mayor when
electing Ken Welch to the office and Project Pride in Sarasota introduced the city’s first Pride crosswalk.
Although the timing wasn’t right for the return of GayDayS and One Magical Weekend, 2021 saw the return of Tampa Pride, St Pete Pride and Come Out With Pride. Metro Inclusive Health opened a 30,000-square-foot facility in Ybor while Sarasota’s ALSO Youth expanded to Manatee County after their merger with Prism Youth.
Orlando remembered those taken at Pulse with the 5-year mark of the tragedy. Ben Johansen, aka “The Ribbon Maker,” announced the end of his ribbon making career with 1.3 million ribbons created and distributed to all 50 states and reaching 67 countries.
As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ term continued, he signed a law to block trans youth from playing sports aligning with their gender identities. The Florida Commission on Human Relations also announced it would protect LGBTQ+ Floridians by enforcing the Florida Civil Rights Act.
1 President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law in 2022.
PHOTO IN PUBLIC DOMAIN
2 Disney World became a focus of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attacks over the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill.
PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
3 Orlando legend Doug Ba’aser passed away at the age of 62.
PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
4 Gerald J. Mayes, celebrated drag legend Tiffani Middlesexx, died Jan. 11 at 73.
PHOTO FROM MIDDLESEXX’S FACEBOOK
5 Kids gather for a recurring Drag Queen Story Hour in St. Petersburg, an event that drew protests.
PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT
6 Punky’s Bar and Grill in St. Petersburg ahead of its 2022 closure.
PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT
7 Contigo Fund gifted laptops to Divas in Dialogue. PHOTO COURTESY CONTIGO FUND
8 Tampa Bay radio hosts Miguel Fuller (L) and Holly O’Connor left the region behind in 2022.
PHOTO COURTESY MIGUEL FULLER
9 Lia Thomas became the first trans woman to win an NCAA swimming championship.
PHOTO COURTESY PENN ATHLETICS
10 Stonewall Bar in Orlando closed its doors permanently at the start of the year. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
ON THE COVER
2 YEARS AGO
MOST POPULAR SONG
“Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
BEST SELLING ALBUM
“Midnights,” Taylor Swift
HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW
“Yellowstone”
HIGHEST GROSSING FILM
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2022
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
OUT CELEBRITIES
Rebel Wilson, Kesha, actress
Aunjanue Ellis, esports player
Biofrost, Janelle Monae, Trinity the Tuck
50
In honor of Watermark’s 30th Anniversary, publisher Rick Todd continues the tradition of reviewing our past remarkable years. On this page he reviews the year 2022.
With the eyes of the nation on Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed the state’s first explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ bill since 1997 into law on June 1, 2022, the first day of Pride Month.
Christened “Parental Rights in Education,” SB 1834 and HB 1557 were introduced in January. While language evolved throughout debate, they sought to limit the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools at certain grade levels – prompting LGBTQ+ advocates to coin the measure Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill.
LOOKING BACK:
Rick Todd, Publisher
EVERY
YEAR WE HIGHLIGHT
THE ups and downs that cycle around the sun brought to our community, but 2022 seems to be the year of the most dramatic twists and turns we have seen in many years.
We saw a handful of changes in our local landscape. In Central Florida, onePULSE Foundation begins its search for an executive director as Barbara Poma, owner of Pulse and founding CEO of the foundation, stepped away from the title. More than 15 years under The Pride Chamber, Come Out With Pride announces that it will begin operating independently. Neighborhood bar Stonewall Orlando closed its doors as the bar searches for a new owner.
In Tampa Bay, we said goodbye to Hot 101.5’s “The Miguel & Holly Show,” which ends after seven years as hosts Miguel Fuller and Holly O’Connor announce their move
to North Carolina. LGBTQ+ eatery Punky’s Bar and Grill announces its immediate and permanent closure after serving the community for more than six years.
Our community lost some legends in 2022. Actor, entertainer, host and friend to Watermark Doug Ba’aser passed away on July 16 at the age of 62. Tampa drag legend Gerald J. Mayes, Tiffani Middlesexx, died at 73. The longtime entertainer captivated audiences throughout Florida for decades. LGBTQ+ activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston is found dead in a Florida landfill and Duval Princess, a hairstylist who was 24 and transgender, is killed in Jacksonville.
Perhaps the story that captivated Florida, and the nation, the most was Florida Republican’s — led by Gov. Ron DeSantis — attack on the LGBTQ+ community with the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, blocking gender-affirming care and school sports from trans youth and feeding into the “groomers” lie that led Nazis to protest Drag Queen Story Hours, Pride events and anywhere our community gathered. The Walt Disney Company pauses political contributions in Florida due to the bill.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announced that his department will allow the options of transgender male, transgender female, nonbinary and other when veterans select their gender in medical records and healthcare documentation. Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas made history when she became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. We ended on a high note as President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, providing federal protections to same-sex and interracial marriages.
1 The Plaza Live in Orlando battled anti-drag attacks from the state.
PHOTO BY JERRICA SCHWARTZ/WIKIMEDIA
2 Ceazia Giovanni Kreshe sparkles in the St Pete Pride parade.
PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD
3 Participants in the annual Rainbow Run pass by Pulse in Orlando.
PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
4 Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani leads a march through downtown Orlando.
PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
5 Tampa Bay husbands Dustin and Daniel Johnson make national news for adopting six siblings.
PHOTO COURTESY THE JOHNSONS
6 Former Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith speaks against HB 599 at an Orlando press conference.
PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
7 CAN Community Health and Metro Inclusive Health, which first partnered to serve Tampa Bay in 2013, detailed their formal split a decade later.
PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT
8 Brandon Wolf at the Orlando release party for his memoir, "A Place For Us."
PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS
9 OutCoast CEO Rachel Covello leads the inaugural Florida Out Coast Convention in August.
PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT
10 Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith unveils a new LGBTQ+ mural in Tampa in January.
1 YEAR AGO
MOST POPULAR SONG:
“Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
BEST SELLING ALBUM: “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Taylor Swift
HIGHEST RATED TV SHOW: “Yellowstone” HIGHEST GROSSING FILM: “Barbie”
BEST PICTURE OSCAR RELEASED 2022: "Oppenheimer”
OUT CELEBRITIES:
Noah Schnapp, Bella Ramsey, Mo’Nique, former Bachelorette
Gabby Windey, Wayne Brady, Billie Eilish STATES WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY:
50
ON THE COVER
After 60 days of vilifying queer kids, trans athletes, drag queens and more, the Florida Legislature ended its anti-LGBTQ+ session in May 5. Bills banning gender-affirming care, blocking transgender
individuals from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity and preventing state venues from hosting drag shows for all ages were passed and sent to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The attacks against the LGBTQ+ community led Equality Florida to issue an “Advisory Warning For Travel” on April 11.
In honor of Watermark’s 30th Anniversary, publisher Rick Todd continues the tradition of reviewing our past remarkable years. On this page he reviews the year 2023.
LOOKING BACK:
Rick Todd, Publisher
2
023 IS THE YEAR OF FLORIDA’S
state legislature and its assault on the LGBTQ+ community.
Fresh off the heels of the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who later announced a run for U.S. president, worked to expand the measure. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the law and the legislature also took aim at Walt Disney World’s self-governing district, seemingly as punishment for opposing “Don’t Say Gay or Trans."
Florida’s rejection of AP African American Studies also made national news. DeSantis said the course pushed a political agenda, in part for including “Black Queer Studies.” At his administration's request, a prohibition against gender-affirming care for minors is tightened. A federal judge temporarily blocks portions of Florida’s law targeting
gender-affirming care, allowing some trans youth to proceed. Trans adults are also blindsided by limitations in their health care as restrictions took hold.
Equality Florida takes an unprecedented step, issuing an LGBTQ+ travel advisory warning for those seeking to visit or relocate.
In Orlando, the DeSantis administration officially begins the process of revoking The Plaza Live’s liquor license for hosting of “A Drag Queen Christmas” in Dec. 2022.
Hundreds of Florida’s drag entertainers made a statement of their own — led by Orlando’s Darcel Stevens, entertainers converged in Tallahassee for the first-ever Drag March.
After seven years and much uncertainty, the City of Orlando worked out a deal to purchase
the Pulse nightclub property for $2 million after talks between the onePULSE Foundation and the property owners broke down. onePULSE announced the following month that the foundation is dissolving, creating many questions.
Orlando re-elected openly lesbian City Commissioner Patty Sheehan to her seventh term in office. Voters also re-elect Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who announces that after this new term he will not seek re-election.
Metro Inclusive Health announced the retirement of Lorraine Langlois after 30 years and that Chief Operating & Programs Officer Priya Rajkumar would serve as their next CEO. CAN Community Health and Metro, which constructed joint health care centers in St. Petersburg and Ybor, detailed their formal split after a decade. In national news The Red Cross announced that it has changed policy to now assess blood donations based on individual risk factors rather than sexual orientation.
Disgraced Congressman George Santos is expelled from Congress. He is only the sixth member of the House to ever be expelled.
