Watermark Issue 31.03: The Love, Sex & Marriage Issue

Your LGBTQ+ News Source.

February 1 - 14, 2024 • Issue 31.03

St Pete Pride elects 1st Black president Congressman Frost announces Orlando arts festival

The

LOVE, SEX & MARRIAGE Issue Readers, retailers and more on the Big Three

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Meet & Greet our new BLISS CARES Executive Director, Johnida Pena.

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DEPARTMENTS 7 // EDITOR’S DESK

page

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8 // CENTRAL FL NEWS 10 // TAMPA BAY NEWS

There was a huge barrier to love that used to exist before U = U was validated, because people thought that if you had HIV you were pretty much damaged goods, and this concept helped change the tide of that.

– “LOVE AND HIV” PHOTO SUBJECT ANDRES ACOSTA ARDILA

12 // STATE NEWS 13 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 19 // TALKING POINTS 31 // TAMPA BAY OUT + ABOUT 33 // CENTRAL FL OUT + ABOUT 34 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 35 // CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE 38 // EVENT PLANNER ON THE COVER

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The Love, Sex & Marriage Issue: Readers, retailers and more on the Big Three. PHOTO

BY NOEL GARCIA

SCAN QR CODE FOR

WATERMARKONLINE.COM

page SEX AND MUCH MORE:

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Adult retailers including The Back Room by ZaZoo’d, above, fulfill community needs.

WATERMARK ISSUE 31.03 // FEBRUARY 1 - 14, 2024

FAIR FUN

PRIDE 2024

SPEAKING OUT

TRANS OF THOUGHT

page Pride Night returns to Central Florida Fair.

page St Pete Pride elects 1st Black president.

page

page

Read It Online!

In addition to a website with daily LGBTQ+ updates, a digital version of each issue of the publication is made available on WatermarkOnline.com

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LGBTQ+ advocates rally in Tallahassee.

Maia Monet returns with

15 her latest Viewpoint.

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EDITOR’S

Jeremy Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

A

DESK

S WE BEGIN MONTH NUMBER

two in another year — wait, is that right?

Are we already a month into 2024?! — I am getting geared up for my favorite time of the year: Oscar season!

Nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced Jan. 23 and we saw history made even before the first Oscar statue has been handed out.

A record number of LGBTQ+ characters are nominated in the four acting categories, a total of seven to be exact. Colman Domingo for “Rustin,” Annette Bening and Jodie Foster for “Nyad,” Sterling K. Brown for “American Fiction,” Bradley Cooper for “Maestro,” Sandra Hüller for “Anatomy of a Fall” and Emma Stone for “Poor Things.” Domingo and Foster’s nominations made this year’s Oscars the first time multiple LGBTQ+ performers were recognized for playing LGBTQ+ characters. Queer folks were

still outpaced by straight actors playing us but it was a good year for visibility.

Several films entered the Oscar history books, including “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which not only got Martin Scorsese his 10th Best Director nomination — making him the most Oscar-nominated, living film director — but also got Lily Gladstone a nomination for Best Actress making them the first Native American to be nominated in that category. Justine Triet became only the eighth female filmmaker to earn a nomination for Best Director for her brilliant film “Anatomy of a Fall.” For the first time ever, three of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture were directed by female directors — “Anatomy of

a Fall,” “Barbie” and “Past Lives” — and Emma Stone earned dual nominations for Best Actress and Best Picture for the film “Poor Things,” only the second time that a woman as been nominated for both for the same film.

With all this history being made, it was disheartening to see most of the Oscar conversation online focused on complaining about who got “snubbed,” specifically “Barbie’s” Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig who did not make the final five for Best Actress and Best Director, respectively. Many on social media said voters missed the point of the movie and that not recognizing both of these talented women was proving the point that Gerwig was making with “Barbie.”

There is a valid argument to be made that the Academy has ignored many fantastic movies featuring and made by women, people of color and LGBTQ+ filmmakers but the social media outcry for “Barbie” seems out of touch for a film that got eight Oscar nominations, including nominations for Robbie and Gerwig — Robbie for producing the film and Gerwig for writing its screenplay.

The complaining is made even worse when you look at how it is distracting from other women nominated for their part in bringing “Barbie” to the screen. Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer are nominated for Best Production Design, Jacqueline Durran is up for Best Costume Design, Billie Eilish has a nomination for Best Original Song and the one that I’m most excited about (I was a huge “Ugly Betty” fan) America Ferrera picked up her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But instead of seeing article after article celebrating and lifting up a gifted actress who is a woman of color getting her first Oscar nomination, the internet was bombarded with calls of injustice for two white women who didn’t get nominated

WATERMARK STAFF Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Managing Editor: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

in the categories they wanted them in. It seems like a lot of fans of the “Barbie” movie missed the point of the “Barbie” movie.

I have also seen a lot of arguments about how “Barbie” deserved to be nominated for all the awards because it was the most successful movie of 2023 and it made over a billion dollars.

There have been 53 movies that have made over a billion dollars at the global box office and only nine have been nominated for Best Picture over the years. Only two of them went on the win: 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and 1997’s “Titanic.” Box office has never and will never be a determining factor for the best film

It was a good year for LGBTQ+ visibility.

of the year. If that was the case, we would have to walk through this world saying things like “the 2006 Best Picture winner ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.’”

The Oscars are subjective.

For every movie you didn’t like, someone out there loved it and for every movie you love, there is someone who thinks it’s trash. As a lifetime watcher of the Oscars, the biggest takeaway each year for me is learning about amazing films I haven’t already seen. Yes, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” were great movies that most of the world saw, but “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Poor Things” and “The Holdovers” were also great. The Oscars have put “The Zone of Interest,” “Past Lives” and many others on my radar.

Take my advice and spend a little less time this month yelling into the social media void and check out some of this year’s nominated films you haven’t seen yet.

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CONTRIBUTORS MELODY MAIA MONET has her own trans lesbian themed YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MelodyMaia and is the vice president of the board for Come Out With Pride Orlando. To find more information on Pride, visit ComeOutWithPride.org. Page 15

SYLVIE TREVENA

is a proud, minivan-driving mother of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 17 HOLLY 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

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

DISTRIBUTION LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH

AFFILIATIONS

CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or gender identity of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail).

The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication.

WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

7

EDITOR’S

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

A

DESK

S THE NATION SPIRALS TOWARD

another showdown between President Joe Biden and his predecessor, barring any miracles from our judicial branch or Nikki Haley, I’ve been thinking a lot about Donald Trump.

More specifically, his first and hopefully sole term in office. I’m a political junkie, so if you know me that’s probably not surprising, but I’m convinced it’s a form of low-level PTSD. That was a very long and very dark four years for both our community and country.

I remember because I spent a lot of time dissecting Trump’s words as a journalist, a profession he attacked almost daily as president.

Anyone paying attention knows they’ve rarely been worthy of the White House.

The weekend of Aug. 11, 2017, comes to mind as one example.

That’s when a group of white nationalists donned red caps and brandished their Tiki torches for the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottsville, Virginia.

I covered the news for a political website I edited before joining Watermark’s staff full time, reporting on their vitriol as they protested the removal of a Confederate monument. Ultimately 35 people were injured and one woman was murdered, all of whom were peaceful counter protesters.

Trump issued a statement from his golf course about the “egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides.” The former president failed to condemn white nationalism, presumably for fear of losing a few votes.

It took two full days of bipartisan political pressure for him to address the matter further.

He ultimately doubled down and blamed violence “on both sides.”

WATERMARK STAFF

Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Managing Editor: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

Whether it was that weekend, four years of his anti-American rhetoric or his incitement of an insurrection after losing the 2020 election, Trump showed our country who he was at every tweet and turn. It wasn’t a leader, something I believe every American knows.

The problem is that too many just don’t care. The 2024 results from the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary made that perfectly clear, when a majority of Republicans voted for him again.

That tragic weekend in Charlottsville has stayed with me over the years not just because of Trump’s inaction but because of the hate it cultivated. It’s something I experienced firsthand that I’ve never discussed publicly.

In the weeks after the rally, a portion of the internet banded together to publicly identify the white nationalists who participated.

I wrote about this concentrated effort to dox them and went on with my life — at least for a few days.

It didn’t take long for a reader to alert me that I’d been doxxed myself. A white nationalist website deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center published my name, cell phone number and last-known physical address, along with a photo of my husband and me.

I won’t share the website’s name but it has targeted minorities for nearly three decades. Its users were encouraged to harass journalists who covered Charlottsville in retaliation for doing so, myself included.

I was able to peruse the comments under my personal information, which included a litany of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and more, along with suggestions of what kind of hate mail I could be sent. It was incredibly surreal; the news site I worked for had a sizeable following but it wasn’t CNN. I was just a freelance editor and had never experienced anything like it.

I wasn’t sure what to do so I consulted the Committee to Protect Journalists. The nonprofit defends our right to report the news safely and they advised me to file a report with the FBI, which I did. I didn’t hear from anyone after that.

I wasn’t terribly worried since we’d already moved to another address, but my husband was. That was the worst part, something I still hold against Trump and the army of bigots he’s emboldened.

His 2024 candidacy is a threat to this nation and I’m not certain our democracy could survive another four years with him in charge.

It didn’t take long for a reader to alert me that I’d been doxxed myself.

I know that sounds dramatic, but it disturbs me that any American would want to try.

Every election has consequences, from our school boards to the presidency, and it’s important that we speak out against hatred at every level. One of the best ways to do that is at the ballot box, so please make sure you and your loved ones are registered and ready to vote at Vote.org.

Less stressful than presidential politics are love, sex and marriage — the focus of our new issue. Our annual coverage returns to detail a new photo series, local adult retailers and the results of our reader survey. We also highlight St Pete Pride’s new leadership and much more.

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

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Office Assistant: Bubba Trahan • Ext. 100 Bubba@WatermarkOnline.com Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

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CONTRIBUTORS MELODY MAIA MONET has her own trans lesbian themed YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MelodyMaia and is the vice president of the board for Come Out With Pride Orlando. To find more information on Pride, visit ComeOutWithPride.org. Page 15

SYLVIE TREVENA

is a proud, minivan-driving mother of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 17 HOLLY 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

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

DISTRIBUTION LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH

AFFILIATIONS

CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or gender identity of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail).

The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication.

WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

7

central florida news

CONGRESSMAN MAXWELL FROST ANNOUNCES ORLANDO MUSIC, ARTS FESTIVAL Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost is bringing a music and arts festival at Loch Haven Park in Orlando March 2, according to a press release from the congressman.

The MadSoul Music & Arts Festival will be a one-day event bridging the gap between political advocacy and music, featuring both national and local community leaders.

“MadSoul is about bringing together our Orlando neighbors and beyond to enjoy and celebrate the music, art, and struggles that unite us all and make our community the place it is,” said Frost in the release.

“This is an opportunity for people of all ages to come together to listen to some incredible artists, hear from some amazing leaders doing the work to fight for a future for our country, and to support local artists and businesses. Music, advocacy, art, food, love, and community are at the heart of MadSoul festival.”

Musical acts already scheduled to appear include MUNA, Melanie Faye, Kaelin Ellis and Palomino Blond. Speakers for the event include New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones of the “Tennessee Three,” Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, union leader Sara Nelson, Human Rights Campaign Press Secretary Brandon Wolf and more.

Festival attendees will have an opportunity to connect with leaders and organizations in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, climate justice and more, as well as have a chance to register to vote or update their registration. General admission tickets are available on a sliding scale with a donation ranging from $20 to $100, with a suggested donation of $35.

MadSoul was founded by Frost, along with friends Niyah Lowell and Chris Muriel, in 2015 as a mid-size festival to help raise mutual aid in their Central Florida community.

“More than just a festival, MadSoul embodies Congressman Frost’s vision of connecting cool with consciousness. Join us for a memorable experience where art and activism intertwine,” the festival states on its website. “This year, ticket sales benefit MadSoul Victory Fund, which supports Maxwell Frost for Congress and a Love Supreme PAC. Both will donate a portion of proceeds to local abortion funds, LGBTQ+, and community organizations.”

A portion of event proceeds will go to the Florida Access Network, Zebra Coalition, Equal Ground and SWAN of Orlando.

MadSoul Music & Arts Festival will happen March 2, starting at 2 p.m., at Loch Haven Park in Orlando. For more information and to secure tickets, go to FrostForCongress.com/MadSoul.

8

OUT AT THE FAIR:

Yasmin Flasterstein (L) and Tatiana Quiroga attend Pride Night at the Central Florida Fair in 2023.

Fair Fun Pride Night returns to the fair Bellanee Plaza

O

RLANDO | A night of LGBTQ+ celebration will be held at the Central Florida Fair featuring a variety of local vendors, food, games, live music and entertainment for all.

The second annual Pride Night is presented by the LGBT+ Center Orlando, SAVOY Orlando and Watermark in partnership with the Central Florida Fair.

Michael Tipton, president and CEO of the Central Florida Fairgrounds, says Pride Night makes a difference in the community by creating a safe space. He adds his team surveyed attendees last year to see if they felt safe while at the fair, with several responders saying “I didn’t until I came to Pride Night.”

“It’s nice to be someplace where there is a large LGBTQ community,” Tipton says. “To feel safe and make it an even better place for us.”

Tipton says the fair has already secured 40 vendors for Pride Night, with a waiting list of more possible to come.

“We want people to know about their resources,” Tipton says. “To see the importance of our

community, want to get involved and want us to know they’re there and that they’re supportive.”

Along with the 40+ vendors, the Pride Night area will feature two drag shows — one at 8 p.m. and another at 10 p.m. — a VIP area with private bar, raffle prizes throughout the night and a swag bag for the first 150 people.

As for the fair itself, guests will be able to check out the new Bizarre Boulevard, an area where “the strange and extraordinary come to life,” featuring a haunted house, an 18+ adult circus variety show, tarot readings, fire dancers, chainsaw jugglers, aerialists, stilt walkers and more.

Last year, there were over 600 people who attended the fair’s Pride Night. Tipton says they hadn’t anticipated such a turnout and he can’t wait to see how many attend this year.

“What really makes you feel all warm and fuzzy was the parents that were there with their LGBT kids,” Tipton says. “They get to see this whole community that they can be a part of and not feel like there’s something wrong with them or that they’re being ignored.”

PHOTO BY SCOTT E.Z. FRANKLIN

Tipton says events like Pride Night should give hope to the LGBTQ+ youth.

“It lets them know that despite some of the media and political portrayals there’s nothing wrong with this community,” Tipton says. “It’s a wonderful, diverse community. Hopefully, they’ll have hope for the future. I know, I would’ve loved to see something like that when I was a kid.”

One thing Tipton noticed last year was the amount of allies who came out to celebrate Price Night.

“The fact that so many people came out and so many non-LGBTQ people came out just to support us, was amazing,” Tipton says.

“Especially in last year’s political climate, it was nice to see.

Hopefully, it indicates better things for the future.”

Tipton adds that the fair will always be for everybody and there will always be something for everyone. The goal of theme nights at the fair is to make sure everyone feels welcomed.

“I want the entire community first and foremost to feel that we support them,” Tipton says.

“We love them, and everyone is welcome here.”

The Central Florida Fair runs Feb. 29-March 10. Pride Night will take place March 6, starting at 6 p.m. Admission to the fair is only $5 if you use the promo code PRIDE when purchasing tickets at CentralFloridaFair.com.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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9

tampa bay news

DRAG LEGEND DESIREE DEMORNAY, TAMPA BAY STAPLE, HAS DIED Ryan Williams-Jent

T

AMPA | Celebrated drag entertainer Dana “Desiree DeMornay” Randolph, known for her work in Tampa Bay and beyond, died Jan. 24 after a diagnosis of stomach cancer. She was 51.

Friends, family and fans shared the news via social media. DeMornay was a seasoned talent from Louisiana who served as the show director for Hamburger Mary’s Tampa and more before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in recent years.

The entertainer was a longtime competitor, capturing titles throughout the nation. They included Miss Phoenix Pride 2022, Miss Black Universe 2019, Miss Mardi Gras 2018, Miss Sunshine State Black Universe 2017, Miss Victorian International Plus 2017, Miss Gay USofA at Large 2011, Miss Large and Lovely 2010, Miss Lakeland 2008 and more.

DeMornay publicly reflected on her cancer diagnosis and treatment via social media. She wrote on Jan. 7 that “I have been very ill, and I don’t have the energy right now to talk to everybody I love and everybody that loves me.

“I see your messages, and I promise I am not ignoring any of you,” she continued. “I am really just reserving my energy and fighting to get better.

I LOVE YOU ALL!” Tributes for the drag legend poured in from across the nation Jan. 24, including from local Pride organizations.

“The Tampa Pride organization expresses deep sorrow upon receiving the news of Desiree A DeMornay’s passing,” Tampa Pride wrote. “Being an integral part of our local community for many years, Desiree brought a vibrant energy and unwavering pageantry that touched the lives of all who knew and loved her.

“We honor her legacy and remember her for the love and beauty she brought to our community,” the organization continued. “May she rest in power, forever cherished and remembered as a beautiful soul.”

“Desiree DeMornay was a force within our community,” Polk Pride also shared. “Desiree blazed trails for LGBTQ+ entertainers locally and nationwide, acquiring several titles throughout her career, including Miss Lakeland 2008. We grieve for her loss alongside all who loved her.”

Miss Black Universe Pageantry and Southern Nights Tampa also shared condolences.

“Southern Nights expresses their deepest condolences and sorrow to all that are feeling the loss of our beloved Desiree DeMornay,” the LGBTQ+ bar shared on social media. “We pray for comfort to all touch by her love and have experienced her entertainment. She will be deeply missed... ‘Fly high our beloved angel.’”

A Tampa Bay memorial service will take place at MCC Tampa Feb. 12 at 1 p.m., located at 408 E. Cayuga St. in Tampa.

10

ST PETE PROUD: Dr. Byron

Green-Calisch at St Pete Pride’s office Jan. 24. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

Pride 2024 St Pete Pride enters 22nd season with 1st Black president Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride announced its 2024 lineup Jan. 19, 11 signature events guided by one of the most diverse boards in the organization’s history.

That body is led by Dr. Byron Green-Calisch, an LGBTQ+ advocate, business owner and consultant who is also Black. His election as president marked a first for Florida’s largest Pride celebration.

“Being the first Black president is indeed a big deal,” he says. “I also want to acknowledge that we have further to go!”

Green-Calisch hopes his leadership will help St Pete Pride continue building bridges to the community it’s served since 2003.

More specifically, to connect with “organizations and individuals that may not historically have thought we would be open to them.”

“Representation in and of itself is important,” he adds. “We want to make sure that people are able to see what the future might look like — and we know that if you see

something, you’re more likely to engage in it.”

A North Carolina native, Green-Calisch holds a Bachelor and Master of Science as well as a Doctorate of Education. He relocated to St. Petersburg on Pride weekend 2018, which he calls serendipitous, and joined the board in 2022 to leverage his work in adult education and diversity, equity and inclusion.

He jointly served as vice president in 2023 with Stephanie Morge, who remains in the role, helping to guide the largest St Pete Pride yet. The organization says it welcomed more than 500,000 people to the city last year throughout June, which followed the most anti-LGBTQ+ legislative session in Florida’s history.

“Before the month started I was genuinely concerned about our safety … and when it started, I was inundated with so much love,” Green-Calisch recalls. “By the time we got to the end of the month for our big parade weekend, I had goosebumps the entire day because I had not allowed myself to experience the anticipation of the joy that was going to be there.

“It just rushed over me very quickly, seeing so many young people, seeing so many trans folk come out and participate in the Trans March before the parade,” he continues. “Seeing the city come out in full force and witnessing their joy and excitement made all of it worth it.”

Green-Calisch and St Pete Pride’s board — a team which along with Executive Director Nicole Berman he calls “purely immaculate” — hope to recreate that feeling this year. Festivities will begin May 26 with the Mx. St Pete Pride Pageant.

A Pride Month Kickoff Party will follow June 1 and St Pete Pride’s LGBTQIA+ Youth and Family Day will be held June 8. “Get Nude: Nothing But Your Flag” and Transtastic will follow.

The Shades of Pride Festival, an LGBTQ+ Juneteenth Celebration, will be June 14-15. St Pete Pride’s traditional weekend featuring the Friday Night Concert, Parade & Festival with the Trans March and Street Fair, will be June 21-23 in their traditional locations. The Stonewall Reception will close the month, with more details to follow.

“There very well may be a retro feel to Pride this year but at the heart of it we will always remember how it started,” Green-Calisch teases. “Pride is a celebration of a riot and we will never lose track of that.”

For more information about St Pete Pride 2024, visit StPetePride.org.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

This new year, join us at our new location!

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state news

PRIDE AT THE CAPITOL: HUNDREDS RALLY IN TALLAHASSEE FOR LGBTQ+ RIGHTS Ryan Williams-Jent TALLAHASSEE, FLA. | Hundreds of LGBTQ+ advocates rallied in Tallahassee for Equality Florida’s Pride at the Capitol Kick-Off Jan. 16-17 to combat what the organization calls “the 60 most dangerous days in Florida,” just days before Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Jan. 21.

Florida’s 2024 legislative session began Jan. 9 with an “an alarming slate of over 20 new anti-LGBTQ bills,” Equality Florida notes. They include House Bill 599/ Senate Bill 1392, which they call “Don’t Say Gay or Trans at Work,” and HB 1233 and HB 1639, the “Trans Erasure Bill.”

The bills “are fueled by a sinister belief that transgender people do not exist and that government should be weaponized to exclude them from public life,” Equality Florida said in a press release.

“Instead of focusing on the real problems facing Floridians, lawmakers are continuing their obsession with culture war attacks in service to DeSantis’s failed agenda of division, censorship and government control.”

“Floridians are fed up with government intrusion into our private lives,” added Equality Florida Senior Political Director Joe Saunders. “We’ve had enough of DeSantis and right-wing lawmakers forcing censorship and surveillance into every part of our lives.

“We will decide what medical care we and our families need, not politicians,” he continued. “We will not hand our schools over to fringe groups who refuse to protect every student and respect every family.

We will resist the stripping away of our rights everywhere extremism threatens our freedom. It is time for state legislators to undo the harm and work for the good of our state, not for the Governor’s political ambitions.”

Attendees included representatives from PFLAG Safety Harbor and Drag2Talle, of which Equality Florida’s TransAction Special Events Coordinator Angelique Godwin was a key organizer.

Godwin spoke out against “the relentless harassment and demonization perpetuated

by Governor DeSantis and his extremist allies for their cynical political purposes” on Jan 16.

“Our community deserves equality under the law and the right to live authentically without being weaponized for divisive agendas,” Godwin said in a release.

“DeSantis’ extremist rhetoric not only undermines our liberty but has also made Florida less safe.

We are not pawns in a political game; we are people with the right to dignity, equality, and a life free from constant slander and discrimination.”

Organizers also utilized Pride at the Capitol to praise legislation

sponsored by state Sen. Shevrin Jones and Rep. Anna Eskamani dubbed the “Health Care Freedom Act.” Equality Florida says it “would restore Floridians’ fundamental rights and freedoms to make their own personal healthcare decisions without political interference.”

“Extreme politicians have stripped away the personal freedoms and parental rights of Floridians while paying lip service to those fundamental liberties,” Eskamani said. “The Health Care Freedom Act restores the fundamental rights and freedoms of Floridians to make their own personal and potentially life-saving healthcare decisions without political interference.”

“This is about protecting patients, providing them dignity and autonomy and aligning our policies with the values of freedom,” added Jones.

Equality Florida also celebrated the introduction of the “Freedom to Learn Act” by state Sen. Tracie

Davis and Rep. Michele Rayner.

It would “undo the many harms DeSantis inflicted upon Floridians,” allowing “age-appropriate K-12 instruction on topics including gender identity and sexual orientation” and more.

“A single objector should not be able to overrule parents and ban books for every child,” Rayner said.

“But Governor DeSantis has turned schools over to these book-banning extremists who censor and whitewash history and relentlessly attack LGBTQ people, students of color, and families who don’t look or think like them.

“We cannot stand by and allow our youth to be indoctrinated into ignorance,” she continued. “Real freedom is a Florida where every student is protected, and every family is respected.”

View Equality Florida’s full 2024 Legislative Slate and learn more about participating in Pride at the Capitol at EQFL.org.

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nation+world news

SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO STEP INTO FIGHT OVER BATHROOMS FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS Wire Report

W

ASHINGTON | The Supreme Court on Jan. 16 passed up a chance to intervene in the debate over bathrooms for transgender students, rejecting an appeal from an Indiana public school district.

Federal appeals courts are divided over whether school policies enforcing restrictions on which bathrooms transgender students can use violate federal law or the Constitution.

In the case the court rejected without comment, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an order granting transgender boys access to the boys’ bathroom. The appeal came from the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, about 30 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

The federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, also has ruled in favor of transgender students, while the appeals court based in Atlanta came out the other way.

Legal battles over transgender rights are ongoing across the country,

and at least nine states are restricting transgender students to bathrooms that match the sex they were assigned at birth.

In her opinion for the 7th Circuit, Judge Diane Wood wrote that the high court’s involvement seems inevitable.

“Litigation over transgender rights is occurring all over the country, and we assume that at some point the Supreme Court will step in with more guidance than it has furnished so far,” Wood wrote.

of the attacks is meant to send a message to Queer people that they are not welcome in society.

Over the past six years, the rights group Letra S has documented at least 513 targeted killings of LGBTQ+ people in Mexico. Just last year, the violent death of one of the most recognizable LGBTQ+ figured in Mexico, Ociel Baena, sparked a similar wave of outrage and protests.

Some like 55-year-old Xomalia Ramírez said the violence was a partly consequence of comments made by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador last week when he described a transgender congresswoman as “man dressed as a woman.”

While López Obrador later apologized, marchers like Ramírez, a transgender woman from the southern state of Oaxaca, said it was too little too late.

Ramírez said women like her struggle to find work and when they do, their gender identity is regularly ignored. Working as a Spanish teacher, she said her bosses force her to wear men’s clothes to work.

“If I want to work, I have to disguise myself as a man,” Ramírez said. “If I don’t, I won’t eat.”

“These comments by the president have created transphobia and resulted in hate crimes against the trans community,” Ramírez added.

Last month a transgender activist, Miriam Nohemí Ríos, was shot to death while working in her

business in the central Mexican state of Michoacán.

On Jan. 16, authorities in the central state of Jalisco said they found a transgender person’s body laying in a ravine with gunshot wounds.

Two other cases were not immediately confirmed by law enforcement, but were registered by rights groups who said they often struggle to get details from officials in their efforts to document hate crimes.

One transgender woman known as “Ivonne” was slain alongside her partner in the southern state of Veracruz, according to the National Observatory of Hate Crimes Against LGBTI people.

Meanwhile, Letra S. documented the killing of transgender stylist Gaby Ortíz, whose body was found in the Hidalgo state. Local media, citing local authorities, said her body was found on the side of the road next to “a threatening message” written on a piece of cardboard.

Law enforcement said they would investigate the violent deaths but the activists said they doubted anything would come of the cases. Due to high levels of corruption and overall disfunction in Mexico’s government, around 99% of crimes in Mexico go unsolved.

“It’s very likely that cases like this will end in impunity,” said Jair Martínez, an analyst for Letra S.

TRANS SLAYINGS IN MEXICO SPUR ANGER Wire Report

M

EXICO CITY | Authorities in Mexico said at least three transgender people were killed in the first two weeks of 2024, and rights groups were investigating two additional such cases.

The killings spurred outrage among members of the LGBTQ+ community who protested in Mexico City’s main throughway Jan. 15.

Around 100 people marched chanting: “Samantha listen, we’re fighting for you” and carrying signs reading “your hate speech kills.”

Another group of protesters earlier in the day spray painted the words “trans lives matter” on the walls of Mexico’s National Palace.

Fonseca originally intended to march alongside other activists to call for greater acceptance of trans people in society. After her death, the march quickly turned into a call for justice.

Paulina Carrazco, a 41-year-old trans woman among the marchers, said it felt like “the violence was knocking on our front door.”

“We are scared, but with that fear we’re going to keep fighting,” Carrazco said. “We’re going to do everything in our power so the next generations won’t have to live in fear.”

Gay and transgender populations are regularly attacked and killed in Mexico, a nation marked by its “macho” and highly religious population. The brutality of some

IN OTHER NEWS WEST VIRGINIA GOP PUSHES CONTENTIOUS BILLS West Virginia’s Republican-dominated Legislature pushed forward a slate of contentious bills Jan. 24 that would arm teachers, allow people to sue libraries over books that offend them and restrict where transgender kids can use the bathroom at school. Described by conservatives as efforts to protect children while they learn, the legislation comes as GOP-led state Legislatures across the country are embracing bills expanding gun rights and restricting LGBTQ+ rights.

The bills that would allow teachers to carry guns in schools and bar trans kids from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity were easily passed by a House committee and must get approval from another before being advanced to the full chamber.

OHIO BOARD STANDS BY REMOVAL OF TRANS CANDIDATE The Stark County Board of Elections in Ohio said in a statement Jan. 19 that it stands by its decision to disqualify Vanessa Joy, a real estate photographer from Massillon, Ohio, because she did not put her dead name on the petitions used to gather signatures to get on the ballot. State law mandates that candidates disclose any name changes from the past five years on their petitions, with exemptions for changes resulting from marriage. The law is unknown even to many elections officials, and it isn’t listed in the 33-page candidate requirement guide. Additionally, there is no space on the petitions to list former names. Joy said she’s frustrated by the county board’s decision and that, for now, her campaign is over.

CONNECTICUT MAYOR DEFENDS BANNING PRIDE FLAGS “We’re going back to basics; that way, there is no threat of a lawsuit,” said Ken Nelson, mayor of the northern Connecticut town of Enfield, defending a recent vote to reverse the existing policy allowing Pride flags on town property. Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community organized a rally Jan. 22 to protest the new policy.

Council members voted 6-5 earlier this month to pass the resolution, with all but one of the council’s Republican members voting in favor of reversing the existing policy enacted in 2022.

LGBTQ+ GROUPS CONDEMN ATTACK OF GAY MAN IN GHANA Several LGBTQ+ organizations in Ghana have condemned an attack on a gay man at the University of Ghana’s Legon campus. The university said a woman and a refuse collector assaulted the man, who was dressed as a woman, when they discovered he was not female. Dr. Elizier Ameyaw-Buronyah, the university’s director of public affairs, said the university condemns the assault, while noting anyone affiliated with the university who is determined to be involved in the incident will be appropriately punished.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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viewpoint

Melody Maia Monet

TRANS OF THOUGHT

W

Arrive Alive HEN I WAS A KID,

every summer my parents would pack me and my sisters up into the family van and head down to the magical land of Disney.

Now you might think four kids and two grownups driving south from New York for two days on Interstate 95, before the days of Nintendo Switches or iPads, would be your idea of hell on wheels, but truly it was one of my favorite memories from childhood. It was exciting just to cross the Verrazanno bridge into Staten Island. Once we hit the New Jersey Turnpike with its exotic rest stops and paper punch card schedule of toll fees my father said I absolutely could not lose upon pain of death, it felt like adventure and summer. Even years later while living in New Jersey, I found it difficult to shake the Pavlovian thrill of The Turnpike while driving to such distressed destinations as Newark. Not nearly as fun a place to go to as the home of Mickey Mouse and friends.

As much as reaching the Garden State created barely containable anticipation of what was to come, nothing beat finally reaching the Florida border. The large “Welcome to Florida, the Sunshine State” would be met with squeals of joy that even the sobering “Arrive Alive, Drive 55” follow-up sign could not dampen. Of course, that was back in the quaint era when 55 mph was the speed limit almost everywhere, and The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has since been forced to drop that part of the slogan as speed limits have gone up. Still, the sage advice to “Arrive Alive” continues to live on within the FLHSMV.

Despite the sign, Florida has become a much less welcoming place these days. Women, immigrants, Black, brown and queer people have all been targets of discriminatory, and even deadly, legislation.

If you happen to be trans, gone are the subtle hints at transphobia of the past, in favor of full mask-off government mandated hate. Just in the last year we have been called mutants and demons on the public record by legislators, and proponents of child mutilation on the national stage from failed presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. As a trans person who has been a resident for 13 years, I have wondered more than once at how safe I am to live under such blatant demonization and the new laws it has inspired, to say nothing of the prospect of the even worse ones that are sure to come very soon. Increasingly, it has become clear that I am not welcome to live here at all by those on the right.

Judging by their actions, they would just as soon revoke the recommendation to “Arrive Alive” for us and update the Florida road signs to say “Trans People, Leave or Die.” It has become equally clear that I am not the only trans person who has felt the open hostility.

One of the great joys of my day job is that I get to facilitate a support group for transgender people here in Orlando. When I first began back in August, attendance was in the high teens. Pretty soon thereafter, there was a spike up into the 20s consistently from week to week with a high of 28 just before Christmas.

To my amazement, at the next meeting we matched 28 and I was soon dreaming of breaking into the 30s.

Instead, we blew right past that goal and jumped straight to 41. Now I’d like to believe that growth was due to my sparkling personality and infectious laugh honed

from years of creating videos to successfully expand the audience of my YouTube channel, but I would be naive to believe it wasn’t at least driven in part by cold hard fear. Trans people in Florida are frightened and the support group is a precious safe space even for

replaces gender with a trans exclusionary definition of sex. Of course, the lack of a driver’s license would make it much more difficult to find employment, travel, vote or even enter a gay bar.

The pressure on the trans community is immense, increasing and making our

trans friend is scared right now, then you don’t have a trans friend; you know a trans person.” So I implore you, educate yourself on exactly why we are scared.

Give money to nonprofits that are fighting for trans people and creating safe spaces. Vote. And most of

those of us living in the blue bubble of Orlando.

The government is quickly and directly trying to make conditions in Florida unsustainable for trans life.

They started with obstacles to gender affirming care and have now moved on to other methods. As you read this, the stage is currently being set to revoke the driver’s license of any trans person who doesn’t agree with an affidavit that

lives very difficult.

I do wish that cisgender gay people would do more to help out in what should be seen as an emergency for the whole community. I’m not saying you don’t care, but it seems to be in the abstract way you care about an overseas war. Too many of you don’t know the details of what is happening beyond “bad stuff.” As a meme I saw the other day said, “If you can’t understand why your

all, be ready and willing to be loud and make good trouble. That is how you can be a true friend to the trans people in your life and make sure that we not only “Arrive Alive,” but stay alive while we are here.

The pressure on the trans community is immense, increasing and making our lives very difficult.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

Melody Maia Monet has her own trans lesbian themed YouTube channel at YouTube. com/MelodyMaia.

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Read It Online!

Head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

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BANGIN’ FOOD

viewpoint

Sylvie Trevena

MAMA BEARINGS Finding Happiness

H

ERE WE ARE TWO

months into 2024, which marks my sixth year of writing for Watermark, and I could not be prouder. I have written about the new year frequently over the years because I love the idea of a fresh start while reflecting on the past.

I am 46 now, single but looking to mingle, and certainly without a full plan on how life should be at this stage. I buy the crystals, I read all the books about mindfulness and self-love, I exercise, and I try to be a good person. But like so many of us, I wonder if I am getting it right.

Over the last few years, and I believe I am not alone in this, my life has changed dramatically. Many of us think of our lives as before the pandemic, during it and at its end — or wherever we find ourselves now — and I am no exception. There’s been so much change in our daily lives in the last three years.

Politics here in Florida for the LGBTQ+ community became a national topic of discussion and I personally know folks who left our state for fear of simply existing here. It would be wildly inappropriate to not mention the fear and pain that this caused for myself and for so many whom I love.

Recently a friend and I were discussing happiness after they asked what it looked like to me. It was a great topic and our responses were quite different, but I always enjoy a different

perspective from my own.

For me, learning how others think and feel helps me understand things outside my own comfort zone and perspective.

My answers were mostly centered around love: loving others, being loved in this world and loving your life.

As someone who feels deeply for others and has empathic qualities, the last few years have been devastating for me.

The current state of the world leaves a lot to be desired, but as a parent I feel responsible for being positive for my kids.

That’s because I did not grow up feeling safe or loved a lot of the time. I felt scared and unsure. I did not feel supported by my family most of the time. These hard truths have come from a lot of self-refection, therapy and even writing this column. To understand who you are and why you are the way you are eludes many for their entire lives, but I am lucky to have this insight now even though it took decades.

We tend to focus on what we don’t have. It seems easier to complain than praise. I am not endorsing toxic positivity here at all, I’m just saying that my life is happier when I am grateful, humble and focused on what’s next instead of what is behind me.

We are all different, but we all deserve love, respect, support and a seat at the table of life.

So in the downward slide to 50 (I said what I said), I would love to share with you some of what has brought happiness to my life in this challenging world we live in.

Authenticity in everything you do is hard and terrifying, but it is the best thing for feeling strong and confident. I have learned this from my family at PFLAG, my magical LGBTQ+ friends and from my youngest son, Jake.

Being a parent is so hard

because we care for our child’s happiness so much, and this is amplified being the parent of a transgender child. Happiness is loving yourself exactly how you are — and from the age of six, my baby boy has inspired our entire circle to

Being loved in this world is the big one. I do not have a partner or romantic interest (now accepting applications, however) and I have been single for over five years. My darkest moments have been manageable thanks to my

the foundation of my life outside of my children.

I wish you love and happiness and authenticity in 2024. I hope you feel safe, free and loved. In the moments that you do not, I wish you a tribe to lift you back up, dust you off and

We are all different, but we all deserve love, respect, support and a seat at the table of life. do just that.

Loving others is something else that brings me great happiness. In my journey to find who I am professionally, this is what resonates the most. If I can make someone feel good or feel like they have support, I feel like I am doing what I need to. This is how I discovered what I feel is my purpose. The years I was unsure about it were some of my darkest.

amazing friends.

Find the people who are honest with you even when it is uncomfortable.

A tribe who knows you through all the weird hairstyles, bad relationship choices and devastating life changes like the death of a parent. I am so lucky in this area and I have had the same best friend since the age of five. The love my friends give me, and that I try to reciprocate, is

remind you who you are.

This column is dedicated to Liz, established in 1984.

Sylvie Trevena is passionate about inclusivity, diversity, mental health and acts of service. She loves food, horror movies, her pets and the moon. Outside of “mom,” she is most proud of being called a writer.

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talking points I’m going to make a pitch for getting rid of the expression ‘openly gay.’ It’s an expression that we actually only ever hear in the media. You are never at a party and you say, ‘this is my openly gay friend.’

— ”ALL OF US STRANGERS” STAR ANDREW SCOTT DURING AN ACTOR’S ROUNDTABLE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

TWO OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS NOMINATED FOR PLAYING LGBTQ+ CHARACTERS AT OSCARS FOR 1ST TIME

O

PENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS COLMAN DOMINGO AND JODIE FOSTER BOTH EARNED ACTING NOMINATIONS for playing LGBTQ+ characters, marking the first time that has happened, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Jan. 23 the nominees for this year’s Oscars. Domingo earned a Best Actor nomination — his first Oscar nom — for playing civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the Netflix biopic “Rustin.” The nomination also made Domingo the first Afro Latino actor to be nominated in the category. Foster, who has two Oscars already, earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Bonnie Stoll in the Netflix film “Nyad,” a sports biopic about openly gay swimmer Diana Nyad’s attempts to swim from Cuba to the U.S. The 96th Academy Awards will air live on ABC March 10 from Hollywood. This year’s telecast will air one hour earlier than in the past with it kicking off at 7 p.m. EST. Late night host Jimmy Kimmel will host for the fourth time.

341 ANTI-LGBTQ+

BILLS ARE ALREADY

MAKING THEIR WAY

THROUGH

LIL NAS X RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘J CHRIST’

A

FTER A TWO-YEAR BREAK, LIL NAS X IS BACK WITH A NEW SONG AND VIDEO, portraying “the man who had the best comeback”: “J. Christ.”

The video shows the gates of heaven opening for A-list celebrity look-alikes such as Taylor Swift, Oprah and Barack Obama. Nas gives many unique looks as he sings in the Biblical-oriented scenes. Nas is known for pushing the envelope and that can be seen with a short clip of him on a cross.

Returning choreographer, Sean Bankhead, arranged the eccentric dance routines. The video is full of eye-catching moves and scenes. Nas finishes the video as Noah, building an ark and setting sail after the great flood. While Nas says he has plans for more music to be released, details around any upcoming projects remain light.

ELTON JOHN ACHIEVES RARE EGOT STATUS

E

LTON JOHN WON AN EMMY AWARD JAN. 15 FOR BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE) for “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” a three-hour concert documentary that streamed on Disney+, making him an EGOT. John said he was “incredibly humbled” for joining the elite group of EGOT winners who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. The superstar performer has five competitive Grammys, most recently for “Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida” in 2001; two Oscars for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King” in 1994 and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”; along with a Tony for his original score on “Aida.”

John became the 19th person to reach EGOT status after Viola Davis achieved the feat when she won a Grammy last year.

UFC STAR LAUNCHES ANTI-LGBTQ+ TIRADE

D

URING THE UFC 297 PRE-FIGHT MEDIA DAY JAN. 17 IN TORONTO, AHEAD OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT that was held Jan. 20, UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland tangled with a reporter over the fighter’s past public homophobic comments. Canadian sports journalist Alexander K Lee asked Strickland about previous comments he made about gay and trans people. The 32-year-old fighter, who has been open about his past embracing neo-Nazi ideology, launched into a vulgar tirade: “The world’s not buying your fucking bullshit you’re fucking peddling. … The world’s saying, ‘No, there are two genders. I don’t want my kids being taught about who they could fuck in school. I don’t want my kids being taught about their sexual preference.’”

STATE LEGISLATIONS

ACROSS THE U.S.

THIS YEAR, INCLUDING

11 IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. — American Civil Liberties Union

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LOCATIONS CLEARWATER 2349 Sunset Point Road #405 Clearwater, FL 33765 Office: (727) 216-6193 eFax: (877) 868-0981

NEW PORT RICHEY 4758 Rowan Road New Port Richey, FL 34653 Office: (727) 312-2040 eFax: (888) 806-9655

ORLANDO 1301 W. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32804 O: (407) 246-1946 F: (855) 895-5749

PALMETTO 408 7th Street West Palmetto, FL 34221 Office: (941) 803-7939 Fax: (941) 417-2328 eFax: (866) 622-3009

ST. PETERSBURG 3251 3rd Ave N #125 St. Petersburg, FL 33713 Office: (727) 498-4969

TAMPA 2105 N Nebraska Ave. Tampa, FL 33602 Office: (813) 769-7207

WALK-INS WELCOME AT ALL LOCATIONS * services vary by location

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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Love & HIV Photo series captures the love between HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals

PHOTO BY NOEL GARCIA

A

Connor Barry

NDRES ACOSTA ARDILA

smiled wide as he spoke passionately about his experience participating in the “Love and HIV” campaign created by photographer Noel Garcia and the HIV Stigma Taskforce.

The campaign, which is a photo series by Garcia intended to demonstrate the joy and beauty of loving relationships uninhibited

by HIV, will debut on Feb.

25 in a gallery at the LGBT+ Center Orlando.

Each photo in the series features both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals laughing, hugging and loving each other.

“Love and HIV” is also partnered with AIDS United to launch a national social media campaign as well as the Florida Department of Health to distribute printed materials to all HIV health care facilities in the area and received contributions from Pineapple Healthcare as well as the Orlando Immunology Center.

Along with being a participant, Acosta Ardila is also the leader of the HIV Stigma Taskforce. He says that showing these happy and loving interactions was the biggest priority of the photo series.

“I think representation matters and I think that’s something that Noel did a beautiful job with capturing images of HIV that were pure joy. All the pictures are joyful and they’re beautiful,” Acosta Ardila says. “We need to show images of people living with HIV that are happy and healthy, because that’s the reality of HIV now. It’s no longer what it used to be, and this is going to have an impact on newly diagnosed individuals.”

Garcia’s inspiration for the campaign came when

CONTINUED ON PG. 25 | uu |

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Read It Online!

Head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

MORE THAN A GREAT SHOW

Mean Girls Jr.

Book by Tina Fey Music by Jeff Richmond Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

June 14 – 23, 2024

Big, The Musical

Book by John Weidman Music by David Shire Lyrics by Richard Maltby, JR

Feb. 16 – March 3, 2024

Tick Tick Boom!

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

for tickets call (863) 603-PLAY (7529) or visit us online at LakelandCommunityTheatre.com

24

April 12 – 21, 2024

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

| uu | Love and HIV, cont.

FROM PG.23

he told his partner he was HIV-positive, and he simply replied “I want to build a life with you. It doesn’t matter to me.” It was the beauty of this simple unimpeded love that led him to create the photo series.

“He wanted to capture that in photographs, the spirit of love and how it’s not defined by HIV,” Acosta Ardila says.

The project began with highlighting romantic love and HIV, which meant it was very important for them to show couples being intimate with each other.

“With the couples we wanted to show some intimacy, so some kissing, some closeness, because that is the biggest taboo with HIV-positive people,” says Acosta Ardila.

Acosta Ardila says they conducted a survey of HIV stigma in Central Florida and many people reported that dating with HIV is one of the most difficult challenges with the way HIV is perceived. It is very common for people to immediately discount an HIV-positive person before they even have a chance.

This feeds into a major message the campaign is trying to push “Undetectable equals Untransmittable,” or U = U, meaning that when a person’s viral load is suppressed, they can no longer pass HIV to someone else.

“There was a huge barrier to love that used to exist before U = U was validated, because people thought that if you had HIV you were pretty much damaged goods, and this concept helped change the tide of that,” Acosta Ardila says.

While the project started with romance it became more when they realized that love goes much deeper than just romantic relationships, leading them to include family love and motherhood as well with a mother and her newborn child and a grandmother with her daughters and granddaughter.

This development was huge for the project, Acosta Ardila adds, because it allowed them to attack other parts of the HIV stigma and ease other concerns of those with HIV. “We were really moved by the mother with her baby because

LOVE IS LOVE: Photos highlighting couples and families featured in the Love & HIV campaign. PHOTOS BY NOEL GARCIA that was such a beautiful story of someone taking care of their health in order to make sure that their daughter can be born

encouraging those with HIV to not be ashamed of themselves and not fear their condition.

The photos intentionally

people the faces of HIV. When some people think about HIV they think about people looking sick and that’s not real in this

I created this project to break the stigma and show people the faces of HIV. — NOEL GARCIA healthy,” Acosta Ardila says. “We are showing that motherhood is still an option.”

This is at the core of what “Love and HIV” is trying to do.

The photo series will show HIV in a new way, without the stigma attached to it, while also

are composed in a way that you cannot tell who has HIV and who does not. Each person photographed looks happy and healthy, Garcia says, adding that this is the true face of HIV. “I created this project to break the stigma and show

time,” says Garcia.

A stigma, such as that surrounding HIV, is built over a history of misconceptions and ill-informed judgments, along with systems that did not always help those in need.

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Acosta Ardila says that the beginning of this stigma came from it being both a sexually transmitted disease and a disease associated with homosexuality.

“We already have a lot of stigma and shame around sex … and when HIV was discovered it was treated as a gay disease, and the LGBTQ community already has a stigma attached to it as well,” says Acosta Ardila.

These stigmas are especially common in communities of color, adds Acosta Ardila.

“HIV is something that disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities because we have uneven access to health care,” he says. “If you look at Central Florida when the first prep trials for HIV were happening, they were primarily recruiting white individuals.

White people were getting into clinical trials, so we were left out of the conversation for a very long time.”

According to the Central Florida HIV Planning Council website, 39% of the 15,693 people with HIV in the Central Florida service area are Black, despite only making up 15% of the population in that area.

“This is why we wanted to show the community families of color that were happy, healthy and loving. Where everyone knew everyone’s status and there was no shame,” Acosta Ardila says.

At the end of the day, Acosta Ardila says the photo series and the campaign is all about loving relationships and the fact that HIV does not have to get in the way of them.

This was what Garcia loved so much as the photographer doing this campaign, getting to capture people’s love and share it along with their story to contribute to the community in a way that they had never been given the opportunity to.

“It was a really special moment because Noel was such a good photographer that he saw how to capture the love that is there,” Acosta Ardila says.

“The most beautiful experience about it was just the joy, like if there’s a theme to the campaign it’s joy.”

Photos used in Noel Garcia’s Love & HIV campaign will debut at the Love & HIV Art Show at the LGBT+ Center in Orlando, located at 946 N. Mills Ave., on Feb. 25, starting at 5 p.m.

This is a free event to attend.

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|

A Queer Podcast Presented by

Hosted By Rick Todd Jeremy Williams

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2024 Marriage Survey 20%

7%

Small and In mate Small and 37% Intimate 37%

What best describes your wedding?

Courthouse Courthouse 26% 26%

Year << 117% Year 1-2 Years 7% 6% 1-6 Years 6%

How long have you been married to your spouse?

Big and Grand Big andGrand 26% 26%

10-20 Years 10-20 7% Years

> 20 Years 6%

< 1 Year <13% 1 Year

7%

3-5 Years 3-5 Years 26% 26%

In one word, what keeps a marriage strong?

{

6-10 Years 41%

6-10 Years 41%

{

> 10 Years 20% > 10 Years

Destination 4%

Eloped 7% Eloped

5-10 5-10 Years Years 24% 24%

Communication Love Trust Respect Commitment

Year < <11Year 7% 7%

>> 2 Years 2 Years 32% 32%

How long were you engaged before getting marrried?

Polyamorous

1-2 Years 1-2 Years 61% 61%

Polyamorous 10% 10%

Less than Less than Before Before 44% 44%

Its Complicated 14%

13%

What is the age gap between you and your spouse?

1-4

Years 1-4 Years 50% 50%

More than

MoreBefore than Before 4% 4%

Compared to before being married, how often are you and your spouse intimate?

Same Same Amount Amount 52% 52%

It’s Complicated 14%

Open

Open Marriage Marriage 10% 14%

What type of marriage do you have?

Monogamous

62% Monogamous 62%

STATISTICS FROM WATERMARK READERS, JAN 2024.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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P hotography in your best light!

Fine Art | Portrait | Wedding | Commercial

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Sex and Much More Local adult retailers fulfill community needs

(ABOVE)

FEELING GOOD ABOUT HELPING OTHERS:

Fairvilla Director of Procurement & Marketing Debra Peterson.

PHOTO COURTESY FAIRVILLA

A

Ryan Williams-Jent

S THE SAYING GOES, SEX SELLS —

but it also brings people together, and not just literally. Retailers throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay have been providing LGBTQ+ safe spaces for decades.

Fairvilla is one of the most prolific.

Originally launched in 1971 as a twin cinema but reimagined to become Fairvilla Adult Video 20 years later, it’s been an evolving Orlando staple ever since. The space is now their flagship Fairvilla Megastore, the largest of seven locations offering thousands of adult products.

Fairvilla’s brands now include Fairvilla Sexy Things, smaller versions of the store with locations in Orlando, Key West, Kissimmee and East Palatka, as well as Fairvilla Boutique. These stylized shops celebrate intimacy and wellness in Cape Canaveral and Sanford.

The growth is a testament to owners Bill and Shari Murphy.

Fairvilla’s website notes they

“nurtured a vision to create more stores that welcomed everyone, no matter their gender, race, sexual orientation or identity,” something Director of Procurement & Marketing Debra Peterson reiterates.

“We want anybody who walks into one of our stores, no matter where they’re coming from, whatever the demographic, we want them to walk out feeling like they got good information, they had a good time and they got what they needed,” she explains. “They’re going to go away with a very good sense of self and what they purchased.”

Fairvilla cultivated a training division for that purpose called Fairvilla University. It provides virtual

and in-person “edutainment” courses for its staff and the public.

“I think it’s separated us from other chain stores and from the internet,” Peterson says. “Because that one-on-one personal experience, you’re not going to necessarily get that by looking on Instagram or shopping on a website. We have one and have a loyal following that uses it, but we love to be present and we love our physical stores.”

Each staff member undergoes extensive training before assisting customers. Purchaser and Certified Sex Educator Amber Baxter says that includes not only product knowledge but how to discuss LGBTQ+ care, gender affirmation and other inclusive practices.

“The staff goes through a lot of training about how to meet people where they are, no matter who they are, so that we can have those comfortable conversations,” they say.

“It really helps people and lives our motto to ‘feel good about feeling good.”

“Our training is also ongoing,” adds Ken Dillon, Fairvilla’s graphic designer and social media specialist. “If a new product comes in, we get the rundown from the brands about how to discuss it, how it can be used and how to talk to our customers.”

Those customers range “from the newest person just turning 18 to the most experienced person in the world who just wants to see what’s out there now and from the gayest gay to the straightest straight,” Dillon says.

“Pretty much everyone has sex,” he continues. “Pretty much everyone needs something to have sex with, whether that be a toy, resource or lube, and so we carry it.”

Tampa Bay entrepreneur David Fischer understands that as well. In 2022 he opened The Back Room by ZaZoo’d after launching his speakeasy The Saint and LGBTQ+-focused bar Cocktail in St. Petersburg, both of which share a building with his Mari Jean Hotel and The Wet Spot Pool Bar and Day Club.

“After the success of The Saint and Cocktail, we decided that the idea of a gay resort was a viable business possibility in St. Pete,” he says. “With that in mind, I started looking at design for the remaining space in the building

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and how to best use the space to make it a viable business.”

Fischer — who also owns Tampa Bay’s interior design firm and retail store ZaZoo’d — says guests also advised “there was a need for more variety on men’s clothing, so the idea started to take shape.” The Back Room was a natural fit.

“There was a great response from day one,” Fischer says. “We immediately started getting recommendations for items our customers felt were missing in St. Pete.”

He also visited Fort Lauderdale and its wide array of LGBTQ+-focused shops for inspiration.

“I noted brands they were buying and categories that were selling and started there,” he says. “Then immediately when we opened the customers have helped shape the inventory by letting us know what they want.”

Popular items include apparel from brands like Andrew Christian, Addicted, ES, Cell Block 13 and merchandise amplifying Fischer’s other businesses, most of which intentionally lean into sexual innuendo. He’s previously told Watermark that his endeavors are designed to be humorous and have been successful, in part, because they’re “not shy about being a little cheeky or a little sexual.”

Fischer says The Back Room is another extension of that and “a great place for the LGBTQ+ community to find clothes and clothing brands that you typically only find in larger cities with very large gay populations.”

The store is also somewhere that customers can be themselves, much like Fairvilla.

Peterson says their popular items range from similar suppliers, all of which are used to cultivate an inclusive environment through marketing and more. She notes that each of their stores “try to be all encompassing and we don’t apologize for who we are.”

“Our stores are definitely a safe space,” Dillon stresses. “So if you’re curious, if you’re looking for a product, if you just need someone to talk to you about exploring sexuality, our staff is there.”

Fairvilla Megastore is located at 1740 N. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. Learn more about the space and its other locations at Fairvilla.com.

For more information about The Back Room

by ZaZoo’d, located at 2355 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, visit CocktailStPete.com.

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Join your local LGBT Chamber, as we are the premier advocates for the Tampa Bay Area’s LGBT business community.

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Exciting Add-on Events!

Birthdays Are a Drag!

Friday, Feb. 16 - 7:30pm

Lynn Ames

Celebrated Author & Keynote Speaker

Workshop

Book Banning: What Can I Do?

Workshop

Indie Bookstores & LGBTQ-BIPOC Lit

Over 50 Authors! Including...

Georgia Beers • Sheree Greer • Kristen Arnett • Melissa Brayden • & many more!

Tret Fure in Concert

Saturday, Feb. 17 - 7:30pm

Partial funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

announcements

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS The Rose Dynasty Foundation announced Jan. 25 that the nonprofit has acquired a building to open The Rose Dynasty Center. “Our team has worked hard building a safe space, NOW we will have a home to continue to do this and more,” they shared via social media. “Big things are coming, please keep an eye out on our social media and emails in the coming weeks for more information! Thank you to all our sponsors and those who have donated!”

Learn more at RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org.

The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, which included the Tampa Bay premiere of Watermark’s “Greetings from Queertown: Orlando,” concluded its St. Pete edition Jan. 28. “Such great films and seeing friends… some tech issues and we thank you for your understanding and compassion,” they shared via social media. “Thank you Green Light Cinema for all you do for the community!” Read more about the festival at WatermarkOnline.com and TIGLFF.com.

Quench Lounge will celebrate 11 years in Largo Feb. 3 with a Glow Party, featuring giveaways and more all night.

Learn more at QuenchLounge.com.

CONDOLENCES Beloved Drag entertainer Dana “Desiree DeMornay” Randolph, known for her work in and outside of Tampa Bay, died Jan. 24 at 51 in Arizona. A service will be held Feb. 12 at MCC Tampa. Read more on p. 10.

Tampa Bay realtor Terry Bouge died Jan. 28. He will be missed.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, St. Petersburg massage therapist Emily Stone, Tampa Softball player Thomas Hale, Tampa darling Bryan Chant (Feb. 1); Tampa Pride President Carrie West, Enigma Show Director Daphne Ferraro, Gulfport theater addict Rob McCabe (Feb. 3); Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray, Tampa Sister of Perpetual Indulgence Scott Ryan, Financial service representative Sidney Gaddis (Feb. 4); Tampa Bay realtor Derrick Dwyer, Tampa Bay Clamstress Jackie Gill-Foil (Feb. 6); Real estate agent Eric Puzone, JP Morgan Chase’s Rob Hall (Feb. 7); St. Petersburg dance instructor Julia Meyerovich-Neighbors (Feb. 8); Creative Tile Design of St. Petersburg owner Tom O’Keefe, St. Petersburg hair stylist Ric Castro, Metro Inclusive Health’s Jesse T. Rivera, Macy’s St. Petersburg’s HR manager Luis Fabian, Watermark freelancer Jennifer Ring (Feb. 10); St. Petersburg attorney Bobby King, Tampa media specialist Bart Birdsall, Florida Council on Economic Education Executive Director Mike Bell, animal lover Marcus Porter (Feb. 11); Tampa photographer Mark Danner, Tampa Bay socialite Mark Warden (Feb. 12); USF Vegetarian Society President Mark Weber, Tampa Suncrest Home Health director Portia Weiss, Tampa Bay entertainer Aquariius (Feb. 13); Tampa Bay performer Jaeda Fuentes, Tampa Bay realtor Ryan Thompson (Feb. 14).

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GETTING STARTED: Whitney Fox (L) holds her congressional campaign’s first fundraiser in St. Petersburg with support from Johnny Boykins and more.

PHOTO FROM FOX’S FACEBOOK

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ON TOUR: Flamy Grant (L) and Derek Webb (R) enjoy a moment with Momma Ashley Rose at ART/ifact Jan. 28. PHOTO

COURTESY MOMMA ASHLEY ROSE

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PREVENTION PARTY: Metro Inclusive Health’s prevention team provides education, testing and more at Southern Nights Tampa Jan. 20. PHOTO FROM METRO

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INCLUSIVE HEALTH’S FACEBOOK

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TAMPA BAY PREMIERE: (L-R) Watermark Publisher Rick Todd, Creative Designer Dylan Todd and Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent attend the Tampa Bay premiere of Watermark’s “Greetings from Queertown: Orlando” during TIGLFF St. Pete Jan. 28. PHOTO

BY WADE WILLIAMS-JENT

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TEAM TAMPA: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (L) and former Mayor Bob Buckhorn enjoy Gasparilla 2024 during the parade. PHOTO FROM

CITY OF TAMPA’S FACEBOOK

6

SPEAKING OUT: LGBTQ+ advocates including members of Tampa’s Drag2Talle Nine attend Pride at the Capitol with Equality Florida Jan. 17 in Tallahassee. PHOTO FROM

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EQUALITY FLORIDA’S FACEBOOK

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STUDENTS FIRST: Project Pride joins Sarasota School Boardmember Tom Edwards (C) during the school board meeting Jan. 16. PHOTO FROM PROJECT PRIDE’S FACEBOOK

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MIXING IT UP: (L-R) John Scheffel, Jacob Labutka and Todd Wilber support Equality Florida during their council mixer Jan. 27 at the St. Pete Museum of History.

PHOTO COURTESY JOHN SCHEFFEL

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announcements

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS The LGBT+ Center Orlando’s Individual Giving Manager, LaJon Dantzler, and OURS Case Manager, Christopher Grant, both celebrated their one-year anniversary with the organization Jan. 22.

Renaissance Theatre Company is taking its hit Orlando Fringe show “From Here,” written by Donald Rupe, Off-Broadway this summer from June 29–Aug. 11 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center. “An all-Orlando cast and crew will perform our musical love letter to Orlando at the 191-seat theatre in the heart of New York City’s ‘Theatre Row’ on 42nd Street,” the theatre wrote on its website. Tickets are currently available now for a limited Orlando run of preview fundraiser performances at the Renaissance Theatre on weekends from March 22-May 5. Tickets are available at RenTheatre.com.

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WAVES 2024 The Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence, or the WAVEs as we call them, recognize the best in Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community in the areas of activism, service, entertainment and more. Over the last few weeks, we’ve asked our loyal readers to nominate who you think is among the best of the best in Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community and we have your Top 5. Now it is time to pick your favorites. We have dozens of categories to vote in and we want you to tell us who is the best in your eyes. Go to WatermarkOnline.com/ WAVEsTop52024 and fill out your ballot, then make sure to let all your friends and family to vote. IMPORTANT NOTE: One vote per category per user. Multiple votes from a single user will be deleted. Each user must vote in a minimum of 15 categories to have their votes counted.

Each ballot must include a valid email address.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Orlando softball hunk Jason Hamm, Southern Nights owner Rick Kowalczyk (Feb. 1); The Center Orlando board member Lee Kirkpatrick (Feb. 2); Central Florida community activist Brock Cornelus (Feb. 3); Orlando doctor Rafael Pinero, Watermark former intern Edward Segarra (Feb. 4); Orlando Ballet’s former Artistic Director Robert Bell, Watermark contributor Holly Kapherr Alejos, Orlando Fringe board member Daniel Blumberg (Feb. 5); Central Florida fine art photographer Josh Garrick, Central Florida photographer James “Cannonball” Bennett, former Watermark Creative Designer Ezra Ruiz (Feb. 6); Orlando attorney Barbara Leach, Orlando fitness guru Tony Edge, Central Florida photographer Albert Harris-Rusell, Central Florida bartender Jan Echevarria (Feb. 7); Co-owner of Hamburger Mary’s Orlando Mike Rogier (Feb. 9); Watermark columnist Melody Maia Monet (Feb. 10); Savoy’s Julian Bain, Former Watermark creative assistant Patrick O’Connor (Feb. 11); Renaissance Theatre Company owner Donald Rupe, J. Meyer’s Insurance co-owner Cathy Meyers-Keene (Feb. 13); Central Florida activist Steven Hogue, Orlando banking guru Diana Cox (Feb. 14).

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TEAM USA: Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, with various community members, at Orlando City Hall Jan. 11 get ready to welcome the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Feb. 3. PHOTO FROM

CITY OF ORLANDO’S FACEBOOK

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GARDEN GATHERING: Bobby Hermida (L) and Nancy Mills check out the Mead Botanical Garden in Winter Park Jan. 18. PHOTO FROM BOBBY HERMIDA

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BIRTHDAY FUN: Senior Account Manager Sam Callahan (L) and Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent share a birthday celebration — and cake — during Watermark’s yearend retreat at the LGBT+ Center Orlando Jan. 19.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

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DYNAMIC DUO: Sean Mundyschein gets some one-on-one time with Jurassic World’s Blue at Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s Raptor Encounter Jan. 15. SCREENSHOT FROM SEAN

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FRIST BIRTHDAY: Creative Designer Caitlin Sause celebrates her first birthday as a member of Team Watermark at the Orlando Office Jan. 26.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

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SHOP LOCAL: Nick Smith (R), with owner Guilherme Castro, stops in at Lacastro in Orlando Jan. 12 for a little shopping. PHOTO

FROM NICK SMITH’S FACEBOOK

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COMMUNITY WORK: City Commissioner Patty Sheehan assists with installing new gates at the Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando Jan. 24. PHOTO FROM

PATTY SHEEHAN’S FACEBOOK

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WIGS GALORE: Marty Fugate Jr., aka Leigh Shannon, showcases Jan. 30 a portion of his wigs available at Ritzy Rags Wigs & More in Orlando. PHOTO FROM

LEIGH SHANNON’S FACEBOOK

MUNDYSCHEIN’S FACEBOOK

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in Rebates plus additional utility company incentives on qualified units.

DENISE O’DOHERTY LPC, LMFT, MSN, RN

COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

BEAUTY

• Individual Personal Development • • Couples / Marriage Issues • • Addiction / Recovery • • LGBTQ+ •

Counseling to individuals, couples, and families of varying age, gender, race and sexual orientations.

ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS OutSmart Reader’s Choice Awards 2004–2022

On Demand Mobile Hair & Makeup Services

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To Schedule Your Appointment

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RelationshipTherapistRN.com • Virtual Appointments

713-823-4001

COUNSELING

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA /WatermarkFL

Mary Liebermann, LCSW Certiied Imago Therapist

Individuals & Couples - Anxiety - Depression Codependency - Gay & Lesbian - ACCOA 1307 Portland Ave. Orlando, 32803

321-306-7830 mary@maryliebermannlcsw.com

Helping to FEEL in order to HEAL in order to be the REAL YOU!

@WatermarkOnline /WatermarkOnline /company/Watermarkonline/

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C E N T R A L

DERMATOLOGY

F L O R I D A

M A R K E T P L A C E

FUNERAL SERVICES

HOME HEALTH SERVICES

GARDEN + NURSERY

COMPASSIONATE AND INNOVATIVE CARE

Fulfill your skin care needs Patrick Dominguez MD FAAD

Board-Certified Dermatologist Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery

80 W Grant St Ste 117 South Downtown Orlando

(407)-770-0139

www.AdvancedDerm.com/about-us/our-providers/Patrick-Dominguez-md

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

CITY OASIS Your Downtown Garden Shop 407-898-8101 1214 N. Mills Ave. Orlando Mention Watermark and Save!

Exotic Orchids, Bonsai, Ornamentals, Tropical Plants Full Service Interior Design and Maintenance Free Estimates, Prices start as low as $99/mo

Our caregivers will help you not just age in place, but flourish with dignity!

Schedule your Free Consultation Today

HEALTH + FITNESS

407.845.9797 www.flourishinplace.com

INSURANCE

Discount Nutrition Center Serving Orlando for 24 years

FUNERAL SERVICES

.Vitamins .Herbs .Dietary .Sports

We will match or beat local prices!

407-207-0067 M-F 10-7, Sat 10-6 www.NMFbody.com

Crystal Lake Plaza 3074 Curry Ford Rd.

Between Conway Rd. & Bumby Ave.

Come see Dave, Ed & Staff for a Free Consultation!

Read It Online!

Head over to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

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LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

Call or Text

toddtmlighting@aol.com

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

C E N T R A L

LGBT MEDICAL

F L O R I D A

M A R K E T P L A C E

MEDICAL CLINIC

TRAVEL

inclusive A TLAS G LOBAL T RAVEL Y OUR A LL I NCLUSIVE A GENCY

non-judgmental compassionate 407.645.2577 sexual health &

Specializing in All Inclusive packages for cruises, all inclusive resorts and air with hotel and /or rental car packages.

primary care

CALL TODAY!

To plan your next memorable vacation.

CHRIS BEEKIE 321-800-6964

2766 E Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

www.atlasglobaltravel.com

LGBTQ MEDICAL

VETERINARIAN

PERSONAL TRAINING www.rockhardfitnessorlando.com

FREE TRIAL PASS DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH PE/ED OR PAINFUL INTERCOURSE AND WANT TO AVOID PILLS, INJECTIONS, OR SURGERY? CALL 863348663708 FOR A FREE CONVERSATION WITH CENTRAL FLORIDA’S ONLY MOBILE MALE PELVIC PHYSICAL THERAPIST. SERVING CENTRAL FLORIDA, THE TAMPA BAY, AND BEYOND. (8633 48663708 WWW.DAVENPORTPELVIC.COM

MAKE A

1 WEEK UNLIMITED CLASSES 1 HOUR PERSONAL TRAINING 820 Lake Baldwin Lane p. 407.802.4631

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Proudly Caring for the Pets and People of the LGBTQ Community since 1955 Open 7 Days a Week!

BOARDING

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NEW WELLNESS CENTER

1601 Lee Rd. Winter Park (407) 644-2676 YOUTH SERVICES Changing the lives of LGBTQ teens and young adults for over 30 years

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Social support groups Make friends Scholarships for college Weekly groups in Orange, Seminole & Polk Counties

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· Join · Volunteer · Donate

info@OrlandoYouthAlliance.org www.OrlandoYouthAlliance.org

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. FEBRUARY 1 - 14 , 2024 // ISSUE 31.03 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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community calendar

EVENT PLANNER Sasha Velour: “The Big Reveal Tour Live,” Feb. 2, Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

CENTRAL FLORIDA The Pride Chamber’s Business Connect

Tinashe, Feb. 2, The Ritz Ybor, Tampa. 813-248-4050; TheRitzYbor.com

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7, 6-8 P.M. THE NATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR CENTER, ORLANDO Join The Pride Chamber as it hosts its February Business Connect mixer in its offices at The National Entrepreneur Center in Orlando. At the event, the chamber will be collecting dry goods for the LGBT+ Center Orlando’s food pantry. Admission is free for members and $20 for non-members. For more information, visit ThePrideChamber.org.

Watermark’s Third Thursday THURSDAY, FEB. 15, 6-8 P.M.

11th Anniversary Glow Party, Feb. 3, Quench Lounge, Largo. 727-754-5900; QuenchLounge.com

SHE’S HERE!

SAVOY, ORLANDO Join Watermark for its February networking event as we mix and mingle with Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ community. Hosted by Savoy, Watermark’s Third Thursday will include light bites with your first drink provided. Bring cash for raffle prizes, funds raised benefit the LGBT+ Center Orlando. For more information, go to Facebook.com/WatermarkFL.

TAMPA BAY “Straight White Men” THURSDAYS-SUNDAYS, FEB. 1-18 USF THEATRE CENTER, TAMPA Tampa Repertory Theatre begins the year with Young Jean Lee’s provocative comedy “Straight White Men.” The play “explores the meaning of privilege and identity in 21st century America” and features fan favorite entertainers like Beneva Fruitville.

Performances are Thurs.-Sat. evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. matinees at 3 p.m. and seating is general admission. Learn more at TampaRep.org

“From Broadway with Love” SATURDAY, FEB. 10, 2 & 8 P.M. MAHAFFEY THEATER, ST. PETERSBURG The Florida Orchestra brings you the perfect show to enjoy with your special Valentine. Conducted by Jack Everly and featuring Broadway vocalist Ashley Brown, it features favorites like “My Funny Valentine,” “My Romance” and other love songs from the Broadway and Disney songbooks. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit TheMahaffey.com.

Sasha Velour brings The Big Reveal Tour Live to the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater Feb. 2.

Read our interview with the “Drag Race” superstar at WatemarkOnline.com. PHOTO BY GREG ENDRIES

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT CENTRAL FLORIDA Disney on Broadway Concert Series, Through Feb. 19, Epcot, Walt Disney World. 407-939-5277; DisneyWorld.Disney.Go.com MegaCon, Feb. 1-4, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. FanExpoHQ.com/ MegaConOrlando Gimme Gimme Disco, Feb. 2, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com “Sweet Dreams: The Air Supply Musical,” Feb. 2-March 10, The Garden Theatre, Winter Garden. 407-877-4736; GardenTheatre.org The Space Coast Strawberry Festival, Feb. 3-4, Space Coast Daily Park, Melbourne. 855-386-3836; SpaceCoastDaily.com

“Venus in Fur,” Feb. 7-March 3, Orlando Shakes, Orlando. 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org OUTSports’ LGBTQ+ Indoor Volleyball League kickoff, Feb. 8, Dover Shores Community Center, Orlando.

OUTSportsLeague.com Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Perfectly Paired Class, Feb. 8, Quantum Leap Winery, Orlando. 407-730-3082; QuantumLeapWinery.com Ben Sterling, Feb. 9, Celine, Orlando. 407-801-7005; CelineOrlando.com Paws in the Park, Feb. 10, Lake Eola Park, Orlando. 407-351-7722; PetAllianceOrlando.org Virginia Drive Live!, Feb. 10, Ivanhoe Village, Orlando.

IvanhoeVillage.org Simply Tina, Feb. 10, The Ritz Theater, Sanford.

407-321-8111; WDPAC.com

Painting with Jane, Feb. 6, Empath Partners in Care, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org “Moulin Rouge!” Feb. 7-18, Straz Center, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org LGBTQ+ Veterans Coffee Connection, Feb. 8, Empath Partners in Care, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org 7th Anniversary Bear Party, Feb. 9, Quench Lounge, Largo. 727-754-5900; QuenchLounge.com

Pick-A-Chick 2024: A Queer Women’s Valentine’s Day Event, Feb. 10, Southern Nights, Orlando.

407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando

EPIC Generations Coffee Hour, Feb. 9, Sunshine Center, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

Diana Krall, Feb. 13, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Red, White & Pink Party, Feb. 10, Quench Lounge, Largo. 727-754-5900; QuenchLounge.com

The String Queens, Feb. 13, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Trans & Ally Community Picnic, Feb. 11, North Pinellas, Safety Harbor.

727-282-5358; Facebook.com/ PFLAGSafetyHarbor

Understand CHEM-SEX, Feb. 14, LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-758-1592; BrosInConvo.org

TAMPA BAY “Twelfth Night,” Through Feb. 11, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org “The Chinese Lady,” Through Feb. 25, American Stage, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanStage.org

WMNF’s Big Gay Bingo, Feb. 12, Cocktail, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com Gasparilla Music Festival, Feb. 16-18, Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa. 813-708-8423; GasparillaMusic.com

SARASOTA 36th Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts, Feb. 10-11, Main St., Sarasota.

DowntownSarasotaDID.com

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

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Your Heart is in the Right Place.

Best in Central Florida.

When it comes to your cardiovascular health, you deserve to know your heart is in the best hands. We’ve been honored to care for the hearts and health of Central Florida residents for 60 years. From regular checkups to advanced surgeries, our team delivers award-winning cardiovascular care that’s completely focused on you. Giving you more reasons to choose well. Learn more at OrlandoHealth.com/Heart

choose well.

be seen.

We know that every woman is unique, and so are your healthcare needs. That’s why at Bayfront Health, we offer a wide range of women’s health services, including gynecological care, preventative and diagnostic screenings, breast imaging, maternity care, and pelvic health treatments. From routine well-woman exams to leading-edge minimally invasive procedures, you can trust our health specialists to meet your unique needs.

choose well.

Our scope of care includes: • Annual gynecological exams

• Pelvic floor rehabilitation

• Mammograms

• Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery

• Immunizations and screenings

• Expert labor and delivery care

• Reproductive treatments

• High-risk pregnancy support

• Breast reconstruction

• Prenatal and postpartum support classes • DEXA bone density scans • Thyroid screenings • Diagnostic ultrasounds

To learn more about our comprehensive women’s health services or to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, call (727) 823-1234 option 9, or visit BayfrontHealth.com