Come Out With Pride 2015 Guide by Watermark Publishing Group

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COME OUT WITH PRIDE 2015

PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF ENTERTAINMENT

Brian Riha

BOARD MEMBER AND

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF OPERATIONS

Andrew Gillette BOARD MEMBER AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Michael Thomas BOARD MEMBER AND DIRECTOR OF LOGISITCS

Bob Azzarito BOARD SECRETARY AND SILENT AUCTION CHAIR

Deb Ofsowitz BOARD MEMBER AND DIR.

OF FUNDRAISING / EVENTS

Scotty Garstka BOARD MEMBER AND DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

COME OUT WITH PRIDE 2015 PROGRAM PUBLISHED BY WATERMARK MEDIA, INC. AND COME OUT WITH PRIDE

WELCOME TO COWP 2015

PROCLAMATION

AND COMMUNICATIONS

Matt Riha PRODUCTION TEAM LEADS

LETTERS

SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR

Kesia Antunes FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Nolan Hart PARADE DIRECTOR

Alex Ruble SAFETY DIRECTOR

Kevin Sayre GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jeff Prystajko IT MANAGER

Ben Laube

FOUNDER

Tom Dyer PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Billy Manes ART DIRECTOR

Jake Stevens

GINGER MINJ

ONLINE MEDIA DIRECTOR

Jamie Hyman

TAMPA BAY STAFF WRITER

Jeremy Williams

LAUNCH PARTY CHAIR

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Karen Brown

Valentina Boré Gina Avile

11. N Summerlin Ave Orlando, FL 32801 ComeOutWithPride.com Come Out With Pride, Inc. is part of the Metropolitan Business Association family.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Come Out With Pride, Inc is a 501c3 non-profit organization part of the Metropolitan Business Association family. The Come Out with Pride logo and name are the sole properties of Come Out with Pride, Inc., a Florida Non Profit Corporation, and may not be used in any way without license or express written permission - © 2013-2015 Come Out With Pride, Inc. All Rights Reserved

UNITY

Rick Claggett

PRIDE WEEK SCHEDULE

Kathleen Harper

28-29 FESTIVAL MAP

FESTIVAL ENTERTAINMENT

BEVERLY MCCLELLAN

BLUESTAR

VENDORS

SPONSORS

ADVERTISING SALES

Mark Cady Sam Rennels Danny Garcia Justin Ragsdale Bill Jeffries

COVER PHOTO BY LEE VANDERGRIFT

Contents of this Come Out With Pride 2015 are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the publishers. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members or organizations. Watermark Media cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

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! E M O C L E W A

to send my sincere thanks to the Board of Directors, their significant others, the production team and our volunteers for their commitment to this wonderful organization. Without their passion and dedication, this celebration would not exist. I’d also like to recognize the many sponsors, vendors, event partners, parade participants and local government agencies for their support in making this event happen and allowing it to grow to the scale it has today. Orlando Pride would not exist without your attendance; it is your continued support that helps further Come Out With Pride so that our mission can be carried out. The proceeds from Orlando Pride weekend fund the annual pride celebration, our year-round events, operating costs - but most importantly provide financial support to local LGBTQ+ oriented individuals and organizations through grants and scholarships. We appreciate your support for making Come Out With Pride possible! I hope you have fun celebrating our LGBTQ+ community, but most of all I hope you feel safe and united. Enjoy!

s president of the Come Out With Pride board it is my honor to officially welcome you to the 2015 Orlando Pride Celebration. This year has been a phenomenal year of growth and accomplishment for our community; we now have marriage equality in our country and have made progress down the path of acceptance for others within our community who are still faced with many challenges. We still have a lot of work ahead of us in bringing equality for all members of our community, so I encourage everyone to keep on pushing. 2015 has been unlike any other year for our organization. We faced many challenges that in the end caused us to make several changes, which immediately impacted the organization and its future. As every challenge presented an yet another obstacle, we asked ourselves, “What will it take for us to move on and produce an even more efficient event that continues to support the LGBTQ+ community and allows us to carry out our mission of giving back?” We decided to take a very different approach to the operation of our organization by bringing a fresh approach to the year in order to streamline our day-to-day tasks and confidently control our financial stability. It takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication on behalf of the board that is entirely made up of volunteers to produce this event, and I would like

#PRIDEUNITED

BRIAN RIHA PRESIDENT OF THE 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS COME OUT WITH PRIDE , INC.

C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

Proclamation WHEREAS,

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people throughout many cities in the United States and other countries participate in annual parades, festivals and events collectively called Gay Pride; and

WHEREAS,

the first Gay Pride parade in 1969, known as the March on Stonewall, started as a protest against discrimination and violence against gays in New York City; and

WHEREAS,

today, Pride events have become an annual ritual and have grown to include thousands of LGBT, questioning and gay-friendly participants and spectators to remind the world that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people deserve the same rights as others and people should be free to live their own life, void of judgment or hate; and

WHEREAS,

the LGBT community of Orlando and Central Florida are here today to commemorate our annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride with Come Out With Pride 2015; and

WHEREAS,

Come Out With Pride 2015 is a weekend full of fabulous events hosted at multiple locations, the premiere event, that which exemplifies and is the epitome of Gay Pride, being a parade, beginning in the heart of downtown Orlando and ending at Orlando’s premier park and crown jewel, Lake Eola Park; and

WHEREAS,

Gay Pride is a symbol of solidarity and an opportunity to express the vivid personalities which reflect the diverse gay communities in the city of Orlando, across this great country and throughout the world; and

WHEREAS,

the City of Orlando does hereby recognize and salute that diversity and welcome and embrace the inclusion of all members of the LGBT community as part of what makes Orlando a “world-class community” and further deems Come Out With Pride 2015, its theme PRIDE UNITED as a world class event that not only celebrates the diversity of a few, but instead includes and celebrates the diversity of all.

NOW, THEREFORE, WE, BUDDY DYER, Mayor of Orlando, and PATTY SHEEHAN, Commissioner, District 4, do hereby Proclaim Saturday, October 10th, 2015, as

“COME OUT WITH PRIDE DAY” in the City of Orlando.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto have set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Orlando to be af�ixed this 10th day of October 2015.

Buddy Dyer Mayor, City of Orlando

Patty Sheehan Commissioner, District 4

C O M E O UT W I T H P RIDE 2 0 1 5 10

11 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph Independently Elected to Serve Only You

www.OCTaxCol.com

Happy Pride from Scott Randolph, Orange County Tax Collector! We’ve created a checklist of required documents you’ll need to bring to our office required by the Federal REAL ID Act of 2005. You must bring the original or certified copies of documents to obtain your new driver’s license or state ID. Obtain a marriage certificate Update name on your Social Security card to your new name; Find the required application at www.ssa.gov *May need to wait 24 hours for change to update*

Bring the original or certified copy of the following documents to the Orange County Tax Collector’s office: U.S. Citizens: U.S. birth certificate or valid U.S. Passport Non- U.S. Citizens: Proof of legal presence Social Security Card (or W-2 with full SSN & new legal name) Two Proofs of Residential Address Marriage Certificate that changes your name (court order, marriage certificate or divorce decree) Fees (Set by FL Legislature)

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n Riha, Deb Ofsowitz, Matt Riha, Bria : L-R FRONT ROW: Bob Azzarito, ty Garstka, Scot : URED PICT NOT COME OUT WITH PRIDE TEAM tte Gille Michael Thomas, Andrew Jeff Prystajko L-R BACK ROW: Karen Brown, Ben Laube , Alex Ruble, Kevin Sayre, Kesia Antunes, Nolan Hart

UNITED:

THER ( yo͞oˈnīdəd): JOINED TOGE

ON POLITICALLY, FOR A COMM LINGS FEE ON PURPOSE, OR BY COMM

nited means different things to different people: We saw the women’s US soccer team unite as they conquered the world cup this year; we saw a nation unite as gay marriage was legalized in the United States; we watched our own community unite as we supported one of the most well-known athletes Bruce Jenner transition into her true self, Caitlin. Unity is everywhere. No one, however, can argue that unity is a bad thing. Unity is how we change things, how we change the world. This is us now.

Every year it is important to Come Out With Pride that we select a theme that is not only impactful but in some way connects with our attendees and community. This year, we choose Pride United as our theme, because we felt it was important for all of you to see us united as a board and united with our community. We are, by every possible measure, moving forward. And why wouldn’t we be? Each year over the past decade, we have witnessed an entire region coming together in a chorus of support for the LGBTQ+ community. Upwards of 100,000 spectators, participants and volunteers have flooded downtown Orlando with rainbows and beads and screams of celebration. The battles haven’t all been won yet, but sometimes a bit of reveling is in order. This is that time. Without our diverse LGBTQ+ community, Come Out With Pride Orlando would not be united as a board, we wouldn’t feel the drive to make each year better than the last, and

this event would likely not exist. It has taken many pioneers and many years to bring the LGBTQ+ community to where it is today, and in each of our festivals and parades, in each of our daily lives, we celebrate our forbearers. We know that all of this would not have occurred had a group of individuals decided not to unite as one and take on important equality issues throughout the LGBTQ+ community. Despite our differences (political or otherwise), we stand together as one, and as every year passes, we stand in larger groups with increased rights and bigger smiles. Now we’re getting somewhere. I hope you feel and see the Pride United passion our organization has set to achieve as you attend our (and your!) annual event. We have so much work ahead of us, and it will take all of us being united in order to get it done. But, at least for today, let’s celebrate. We deserve it.

Pride United! 13 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

Join Macyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as we Celebrate Family + Friends + Love + Life + Equality + Respect We are proud to join the parade across America in honor of National Pride Month. We think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really something to celebrate. Plus, join us in supporting The Trevor Project this year! The Trevor Project provides life-saving crisis intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

F O R M O R E D E T A I L S visit

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R E G N I G

! P A N S RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE RUNNER-UP—AND ORLANDO RESIDENT— GINGER MINJ REFLECTS ON A MYSTICAL, MAGICAL YEAR

BY BILLY MANES

s a fan favorite on the seventh season of LOGO’s hit reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ginger Minj (Joshua EadsBrown), the runner-up status bequeathed to the local hero brought eye rolls and their requisite mascararunning scoffs. After all, it was Minj who made the franchise fun again with all of the attitude, stage presence and intelligence of the rest of her (his?) contemporaries combined. But that hasn’t stopped the Minj from Gingerly moving on. Currently off the grid in some place that seems to be Australia, Minj was able to tie a tin can to some string and answer some questions about a career in the making—and a history to be thankful for. Currently at work on an album with, wait for it,

Nile Rodgers (Madonna, Duran Duran, David Bowie) and reeling from excellent reviews of a stage phenomenon titled Crossdressers for Christ, Ginger is set to come back to town for a hero’s welcome as grand marshal of this year’s Come Out With Pride parade. Not without a few down-to-earth messages about tolerance and unity, though. Sing it, Ginger.

WATERMARK: TELL US ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT LED FROM BEING A SUPERSTAR CONTESTANT ON A REALITY SHOW TO AN “OOH LALA LALA” RECORDING STAR? CLEARLY, ONE LED TO THE OTHER. GINGER MINJ: I had a ton of folks telling me CONTINUED ON PG. 21 |  |

17 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

19 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

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C O M E O UT W I T H P RIDE 2 0 1 5 20

|  | GRAND MARSHAL GINGER MINJ FROM PG.17

for a few years that RPDR would be a great opportunity. I don’t watch much TV and I had not seen too many of the episodes. After I started watching I became hooked! And I submitted my video thinking “It’s worth a shot!” And it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

YOU ARE WORKING WITH SOME ORLANDO TALENT. WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KEEP THINGS LOCAL AND SHINE SOME LIGHT ON THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW YOU WHEN? Definitely. Luckily, two of my best friends are two of the most talented people I know (the Minx and Janine Klein), so it was a no brainer

‘‘

protesting a title and had no idea about the content. And it›s strange, because I›ve also had a lot of backlash on that title from the gay community. The Bible has been used as a tool and weapon to hurt gays, and that is something our community is sensitive about. But I equally offend everyone in this show, and that›s what comedy is. It›s showing the ridiculousness in all discrimination.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE? WHERE DID YOUR DRAG CAREER BEGIN? It’s funny but it was actually a Fringe show called Boys, Boys, Boys that launched my drag career. The audition notice asked for four guys to do full frontal and two drag queens. Well, I sure as hell am not about the full frontal for me; it’s fine for others. So I grabbed one of my grandmother’s wigs, and I went

d, you start realizing after it’s all Being gone a lot and on the roa t of life. are really the most important par ily fam and nds frie r you e, don said and

LE CLOSE TO YOU THAT OP PE E TH EP KE TO NT WA U YO D AN —GINGER MINJ G. NIN GIN BE E TH CE SIN U YO D VE LO VE HA for us to work together on Crossdressers for Christ, and it was a blast. Jimmi Rossi has been an awesome assistant, and The Broadway Brunch Bunch (from Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando) are like my kids. I love them to death. Shooting the video with them was so much fun. Being gone a lot and on the road, you start realizing after it’s all said and done, your friends and family are really the most important part of life. And you want to keep the people close to you who have loved you since the beginning.

SPEAKING OF THEATER, CROSSDRESSER FOR CHRIST WAS PROTESTED BY A FEW SAD INDIVIDUALS. DOES THE CONTROVERSY, HOWEVER MUTED, INSPIRE YOU TO TOUR THE PROJECT FURTHER?

Weren›t they adorable? We offered them $100 for the signs, and they refused. We made our own. The craziest part of that experience was that the show is actually very positive about religion and spirituality. They were

’’

to Big Lots for some makeup. But I couldn’t have done this without Jimmi and Minx, and Hamburger Mary’s has been extremely supportive and helpful to my career, and I am very grateful for them.

HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU HOOK UP WITH NILE RODGERS? MARGARET CHO? ADAM LAMBERT? WILL THEY ALL BE ON YOUR ALBUM? WHEN? WE’RE DYING HERE. I know right?! My manager called and said Nile Rodgers’ people are interested in an album with you. I looked him up on the Wiki and about fell out of my chair! Nile has a team of writers who sat down and wrote with me. Margaret was a fan of the show and was interested in recording, as well as Carnie Wilson, and I have one with Jinx Monsoon. Adam has a crazy schedule, so we’re hoping to line up something, but it really is surreal. That’s one of the craziest parts of all this, when the people you have looked up to your whole life actually look forward to working with you. It’s indescribable. 21 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

The Marriott family of Hotels in Orlando is proud to sponsor this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pride Marketplace.

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TICKETS, REGISTRATION AND MORE INFO COMEOUTWITHPRIDE. COM C O M E O UT W I T H P RIDE 2 0 1 5 24

T:2.15” S:2.025”

S:3.5”

Production Specs

me: 059-TMO-5-P07_PRIDE-Orlando-NoBleed_

Bleed: None

Trim: 2.15” x 3.625”

nt: T-Mobile

Live: 2.025” x 3.5”

#: 5059_TMO_P07

PrePress Info Application: InDesign CS6 8.0.2

Yellow,

Colors: Black

Cyan,

Magenta,

Fonts: Tele

Gutter: None

Common Size: None

pe: Magazine Ad

te: None

Ad Size: 1/4 Page Vertical

me: 8-17-2015 2:19 PM

Output %: 100%

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Fifth Third Bank. Member FDIC. 25 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015 QFRC5842000_Small_4C_LGBT(4.5x3.625).indd 4

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Fifth Third Bank is proud to support Come Out With Pride 2015.

eneral Information

COME OUT WITH ROBINSON STREET

FOOD VENDORS

SPONSOR WALK

PRIDE LAWN food, drinks & entertainment

MAIN STAGE

SPONSORED BY

Emcee BlueStar

Acts and performance time subject to change.

1:00PM

6:30PM

Central Florida Sounds of Freedom Band & Color Guard

Emily Kopp

1:30PM Orlando Gay Chorus

2:15PM Julia

3:15PM

FOOD • DRINKS • FUN ENTERTAINMENT

1:00PM

7:15PM

Davey Leatherwood

Pride Spectacle

2:00PM

7:45PM Beverly McClellan

8:30PM

Davey Leatherwood

BlueStar presents A Big Show with VarieTEASE

6:00PM

9:00PM

Rally

New this year, a second stage has been added for your enjoyment at the new Pride MarketPlace area. Enjoy entertainment from your favorite local musicians to winning prizes playing bingo.

Fireworks

Superlicous Bingo with Miss Sammy & Wanzie FUN • PRIZES • FREE TO PLAY

3:00PM Sunshine Mathews

5:30PM Priscilla: Queen of the 80’s

6:30PM Kristopher James

7:15PM Lindsey Leigh & Heather B

31 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

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VOICE OF THE

H T U O S BELTER BEVERLY MCCLELLAN SHINES ON BEYOND REALITY TELEVISION FAME

BY BILLY MANES

ou’ll probably know who she is from the moment she opens her mouth to sing, but Ft. Lauderdale singersongwriter and legendary lesbian finalist from the first season of the Voice—she was coached by none other than Christina Aguilera—has existed on the bar-band fringes of Florida for more than two decades. Over the phone, McClellan sounds like deep-south molasses (she was born in Tennessee), but over the airwaves and on record, she sounds like she’s channeling every influence you can imagine. “Janis [Joplin] should still be here,” she says. “Poor thing.”

LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR NOT-OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. YOU’VE SPENT YOUR DUE TIME PLAYING THE CIRCUIT IN SOUTH FLORIDA BEFORE BECOMING NATIONALLY KNOWN. HOW DID YOU COME INTO BEING A MUSICIAN? I kind of just quit my job on my lunch break and moved to Ft. Lauderdale. I was in Port St. Lucie, that’s where my family moved to, and I was like, “There is nothing going on in Port St. Lucie for me.” I left with my paycheck and red Honda full of everything I could put in that. Never looked back! And I couldn’t take my piano either, because I had an upright regular piano and I had a Honda Civic, so I got to Ft. Lauderdale and I borrowed a guitar from my new friend I’d made and started learning how to play guitar. I didn’t have a piano and I needed an outlet to make music. I play everything now. My newest newfound fun thing is playing banjo.

CONTINUED ON PG. 39 |  |

35 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

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C O M E O UT W I T H P RIDE 2 0 1 5 38

|  | BEVERLY McCLELLAN FROM PG.35

WHO WERE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? Earl Scruggs. I mean, that guy made me want to play the banjo big time.

YOU HAD A RECORDING CAREER PRIOR TO YOUR HUGE TELEVISION BREAKTHROUGH ON THE VOICE. WHAT WAS THAT SHIFT LIKE, FROM INDIE MUSICIAN TO THE NATIONAL STAGE? It was kind of shocking. I get recognized everywhere, because I’m easy to peg, you know? That aspect of it was different. I was like, “Wow, people like my music! That’s pretty crazy!” You know what I mean? It’s outside of one area now. It’s everywhere I go. That was kind of really big turning point.

THE COACHING FROM CHRISTINA AGUILERA AND THEN THE RE-RECORDING OF “BEAUTIFUL,” WAS THAT AS AMAZING AS IT SOUNDS TO LISTENERS AND VIEWERS? We were up early in the morning until probably about 2:30 a.m., and, as you know, that’s a three hour time difference for east coast people, so it was 5:30 a.m. for me. But, yeah, was it worth it, was it awesome, was it everything I thought it would be, and then some more? Yeah, all of that.

SO CHRISTINA’S NOT QUITE THE PRIMA DONNA SHE’S BEEN PORTRAYED TO BE IN THE MEDIA? I don’t know anyone who has accused her of that. Maybe they didn’t get to know her at the level that I did. I talk to anybody, you know what I mean? I was always a little jokester to her, you know. I think that may be why she loved me so much. I’m easy going. She’d come in with a bad hair day, and I’d just rub my head and say, “Well, I can fix it for you!” Little things like that. She’d just look at me like, “You are so insane. I love you.” It takes your mind off of things when you look at them at different aspects. It was so weird, because here I am, not a diva at all, but yet I’m on a diva’s team.

DID YOU FEEL THE LOVE FROM THE LGBT COMMUNITY WHILE ON THE VOICE? Oh, yeah. I really didn’t know what I was going for in that aspect. I mean, I had played bars for 20 years of my life, and here I am playing now, a figure for the LGBT community, and it’s like, what a power position that is to be in. And that’s cool. I mean, everybody needs a Joan Jett. I’m full of songs, and I’ve got a good message. My message is universal. My music is universal.

SO DO YOU HAVE NON-EARL SCRUGGS INFLUENCES? I’M SURE YOU DO. It would have to be Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton, I used to watch her on the Porter Wagoner show, and I just, I refused to put on my church clothes until she performed! My mom was like, “OK, here she is, put your shoes on and let’s go.” My mom was the piano player at the church. Plus, my dad was the preacher. It was pretty wild, but it was a pretty good way to grow up: humble beginnings.

AND THE NAME OF THE BAND? Beverly McClellan, of course. Actually, we might add “Express” to it, because that’s what it is. We take people and get them up off their feet. And that’s just straight up.

DO YOU THINK PRIDE PERFORMANCES ARE STILL IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS WE MOVE BEYOND MARRIAGE? Absolutely. I’ve done plenty of Prides. It’s a place for all families to unite, to share and to bring in all of the love of the newbies, the curious, the whatever. We are accepting people, and I would actually be stunned if we didn’t have these types of days. To me, as a younger person, I can’t imagine now not having that for our youth today.

MORE INFO:

WHO: Beverly McClellan WHEN: 7:45 p.m., Oct. 10 WHERE: Lake Eola Bandshell

39 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

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BY BILLY MANES

was only going to be here for a year and a half!” local chanteuse of everything intellectually burlesque in Central Florida BlueStar laughs. To say that BlueStar is a vaunted local celebrity is to do a huge disservice to her filthy tricks at her Dirty Bingo charades, but to call her a hero is likewise a misnomer, in that it doesn’t go nearly far enough in explaining this dancing enigma who shows up everywhere. Coming to Orlando some 15 years ago by way of New York (and classical dance training in Atlanta), Blue has been a glittering flourish of performance-art fancy, a full-time entrepreneur, all while keeping her equal footing in philanthropy. Rather than simply mourn the loss of her friend John “Tweeka” Barber in 2011, BlueStar launched the Barber Fund in his name as a means of funding those fighting cancer and the families trying to hold them together. “It’s so humbling,” she says. “I mean, every day. You just can’t argue with somebody fighting cancer, or their families. They win. Honestly, they win.” And that kind of compassion has led BlueStar into the self-created (which is no small task) world of fostering a sense of creative expression from the frays of the periphery of Orlando’s most talented. Her

ownership of the Venue in Ivanhoe Village has only upped her ante in the leg-up world. “My center comes from the stage,” she says. “There’s nothing like it when you need that. Especially when you do stuff like the improv at the end of ‘Peek-a-boo,’ and one of us had a really bad week, or I’ve had a bad day, four minutes with those kids on a stage—it’s like breathing. You can’t think about anything else when you’re focused on it.” BlueStar will be emceeing this year’s parade festivities as she has the past few years, and then she’ll take her central spot on the stage for a VarieTEASE performance, once again showing that she’ll do just about anything to make everyone else happy. “I never got over to the stage over there until I emceed,” she says. “So, when I first emceed, I thought, ‘Oh, this is what the other side of the park looks like.’ Being on the other side, the families, and the support of the entertainment that’s been happening there—and we’ve really been trying to ramp that up and change it every year—you can’t beat the unity.”

MORE INFO:

WHO: BlueStar with VarieTEASE WHEN: 8:30 p.m., Oct. 10 WHERE: Lake Eola Bandshell

43 C O M E O U T WIT H PRIDE 2015

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tone /tōn/ noun

disciplines, experiences and mediums. Stimulate the mind, body and soul

1. a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.

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synonyms: timbre, sound, sound quality, voice, voice quality, color, tonality

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verb verb

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through art unlike Orlando has experienced before.

/tōn/

noun

1. a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.

“the piano tone appears monochrome or lacking in warmth”

synonyms: timbre, sound, sound quality, voice, voice quality, color, tonality

“the tone of the tuba”

“the rich orange color of the wood tones beautifully with the yellow roses”

2. harmonize with (something) in terms of color.

2. the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.

“exercise tones up the muscles”

“trust her to lower the tone of the conversation”

1. give greater strength or firmness to (the body or a part of it).

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