Watermark Out News Issue 32.03: Shining Bright

JIMBO JIMBO

LAGUNA LAGUNA BLUE BLUE

Rick Todd PUBLISHER Rick@WatermarkOutNews.com

PUBLISHER’S DESK

Mid-life Crisis?

IFEEL I AM IN THE MIDST OF A MID-

life crisis. How would I know? What does a mid-life crisis look like for a gay guy?

I have never been one to be caught up on aging. My whole life I have spoken out against any fight against it. I was a believer in nature’s course and think people do best when they let that play out. No Botox or a nip here or a tuck there for me. No dyeing away the gray.

I was young when I developed that life strategy. Tight skin and a high metabolism give you a certain courage to face the inevitable receding hairline, especially when it is decades away. How does the strength given by youth hold up at 50? In short, not well.

I turned 50 two weeks ago. I celebrated the milestone with a week-long cruise with some family and friends. In fact, two weeks ago this very minute I was in a private cabana on a private island in a heated infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean ocean surrounded by the people I care most about. It was a big deal, so I splurged. It was a perfect day, just as Royal Caribbean’s marketing will tell you, but the lead-up to the trip was when I started to see cracks in the foundation of my youthful optimism.

My hairline has been receding for some time now. It bothered me at first, so I would grow it out a little and let the curls cover it up. After some time though, I decided to keep my hair short because I liked it and I embraced that aspect of aging.

Lately, I’ve noticed some things that I am less willing to accept. I was getting a haircut and my barber, an extremely talented and nice guy, had wet my hair to cut it. I looked at the top of my head and gay gasped. The thinning process had hit full force. I became obsessed with examining the rest of my body. I checked my eyes for age lines, noticeable but not too bad. I made my way down to my neck. Ut-oh. I had begun my metamorphosis into a turkey. I’m not sure if it was weight loss or age that was the problem, or a combination of both. It’s nothing like whatever is happening to Trump’s neck, but it was noticeable enough for me to start applying serum to it and doing that thing where you pull the skin back to see how a lift might look.

I know, in the grand scheme, 50 isn’t that old — or I should say I don’t feel like it is. I do, however, notice that lunges become more difficult for the knees, I have to stretch a bit before going to bed or my legs won’t let me sleep and my occasion middle-of-the-night bathroom break is a steady couple of trips. Let’s not forget, I also own somewhere around 21 pairs of readers.

None of this is attributed to my self-proclaimed mid-life crisis, though. It isn’t the physical part of aging that sent me into a tailspin. That was just the catalyst to the mental chaos.

Although 50 is arguably young in the grand scheme, it is likely I’m on the back half of my existence on this earth. I’m not even a drinking age away from how old my father was when he passed away. This realization had me questioning all of my life choices.

Mostly those that surround my career and my marketable

talents should something go drastically wrong. Do I show the people I love enough love? Do I spend quality time with them?

I shared all of these thoughts with a colleague and close friend. His response: “Sounds like you need a weeklong cruise.”

Maybe he was right. It definitely helped. Maybe it’s just natural to doubt, and arbitrary milestones bring out the worst of those doubts. This

I’ll spend my 50th year connecting more with my youth.

recent vacation was probably my favorite. I spent a lot of time with my favorite people.

As I was basking in the afterglow of my recent trip, I took a minute to go to the Festival of the Arts at EPCOT. Jelani Remy was performing “Son of Man” From “Tarzan” and he asked the crowd to stand and dance. I despise audience participation so I didn’t stand, but I noticed a little girl who did. She was so young, so carefree and having the time of her life. She made my eyes well up. It renewed a sense of joy that I lost a little in the rat race. I’ll spend my 50th year connecting more with my youth, dancing along to the song if only quietly in my head as I remain seated with my thinning hair, waddling neck and weakening knees.

Stay visible, stay strong and support each other.

SABRINA AMBRA is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to. Page 15

JASON LECLERC (@JLeclercAuthor) is an essayist, poet, economist, and author of two published collections, “Momentitiousness” and “Black Kettle”. He shares his work online at PoetEconomist.Blogspot. com. Page 17

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ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC

OFFICIAL ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Christopher Klimek

ORLANDO | Matthew A. Inman, treasurer and board member for the Orange County Democratic Party and president of the Rainbow Democrats, was arrested on charges of transportation of child sex abuse material. A criminal complaint was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Jan. 16.

According to the complaint, Inman, 39, sent several videos containing child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the father of a 9-year-old boy. The videos sent by Inman had been collected and saved by him on his phone between August and October 2024.

Inman had been visiting Las Vegas at the time he conversed with the undercover officer. During the online chats, which took place on the cruising app Sniffies and the messaging app Telegram, Inman expressed interest in meeting and sexually assaulting the 9-year-old child.

The FBI executed a search warrant of Inman’s home Jan. 15 and interviewed him in an FBI vehicle parked in front of the house. In the interview, Inman admitted to sending the pornographic videos to the undercover officer and to having similar conversations with other individuals on Telegram. He also admitted to sharing child pornography with other individuals on the app. Inman stated in the interview that the conversation with the undercover cop was “fantasy only” and that he would “never touch a child.” Inman admitted to viewing child pornography for the past two years.

According to the complaint, when the FBI knocked on Inman’s door to execute the search warrant, Inman admitted to crawling into his attic to hide and factory reset his phone. After resetting his phone, Inman exited the residence.

The Orange County Democratic Party issued a statement Jan. 21, writing “We unequivocally condemn child sexual abuse in the strongest possible terms and hope that any victims involved receive the support and resources they need moving forward.”

“After learning of the allegations against Mr. Inman, the Orange County Democratic Party acted swiftly to suspend him from all voluntary roles and responsibilities. We will continue to uphold the highest standards of accountability and integrity,” the statement concluded.

The Rainbow Democrats followed with a statement as well, writing “We have suspended Mr. Inman from the Caucus. He has no acting role in any capacity with the organization as of now. He will be officially removed at our next general meeting. The Rainbow Democrats are working to move beyond this horrible incident to continue our service to the community.”

According to a press release, this case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan. If convicted, Inman faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison.

central florida news

Queers Doing Things

Local group aims to highlight transgender issues

Caysea Stone

ORLANDO | Queers Doing Things, a new event planning collective aimed toward building a queer community beyond nightlife, hosted their second event, Tea 4 Tea, at Austin’s Coffee Jan. 19. Rocky (he/they), director of critically acclaimed Hellhound Entertainment and local DJ, established Queers Doing Things with Alice Dee (she/ they), a burlesque performer and co-producer of Silouhettes. The pair worked together to put on Tea 4 Tea to host an open discussion surrounding issues Orlando’s transgender community faces via a panel made up of three trans individuals: Steph Alford (she/ they), also known as The Amnesia Effect; Nikki Chong (she/her) and Jasper Feliz (he/him), who also goes by Punkal0id.

The event gathered roughly 30 attendees who attentively watched as the panel discussed issues like performative activism, how to gain access to gender-affirming care and the current political climate.

Feliz, Alford and Chong also recommend resources to the group including Bliss Health, Pineapple Health and 26Health for trans or sexual health, the Florida Doll Defense for safety resources and Gala Ghouls and Hellhound events for safe LGBTQ+-led entertainment. Although the event was geared toward highlighting trans issues, QDT’s primary objective is to provide queer youth and those disinterested in Orlando’s nightlife scene a chance to connect with others within their community without being 21+ or feeling like they have to drink or stay out late. Alford, a drag performer and makeup artist, explains that the events offer an intimate environment to find support, a space where “anybody at any stage in their transition, however they define their own transition, feels invited.” A space where queer people shouldn’t feel inclined to go “full drag” if they do not wish to in order to feel welcomed.

“Gender-affirming care looks like whatever the fuck feels right for you, period. Literally, whatever the fuck feels right for you,” Alford said.

Discovering queer language and seeing older trans women played a massive role in Alford’s journey of finding herself and aligning with her femininity. She spent kindergarten through senior year at a private Christian school, so her first exposure to something reminiscent of what was to come was attending a show at Hamburger Mary’s at 16. For today’s queer youth, the path of discovery through drag has been made more difficult thanks to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state GOP. The QDT founders point to Senate Bill 1438: Protection of Children, which prohibits minors from attending “adult live performances,” being signed into law in 2023. It was later blocked by the courts who said the measure likely violates the First Amendment. According to Dee, the bill used vague language and was a huge reason why the following Pride month had so few drag queens or trans people in the street.

This is one of the key reasons Dee and Rocky founded QDT — it’s their turn to be the ones young queers can look up to as they begin to search for a community outside of the four walls they grew up in.

The pair hopes their events will bring at least one thing to attendees: a friend. Rocky, who describes himself as a very politically driven person, believes that interconnectedness could facilitate policy with the togetherness acting as a branch to lean on so queer people feel safe and supported in demanding actionable change.

TEA 4 TEA: Queers Doing Things host an event at Austin’s Coffee in Orlando Jan. 19. PHOTO BY CAYSEA STONE

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READOUT RETURNS FOR 8TH LITERATURE CELEBRATION

Shyler Oras and Ryan Williams-Jent

GULFPORT, FLA. | OUT Arts & Culture will present the eighth annual ReadOUT Feb. 14-16 at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, a celebration of literature by, for and about the LGBTQ+ community.

This year’s theme is Queering the Narrative. Organizers promise to “bring together thousands of literary enthusiasts both virtually and in person to celebrate, educate and inspire around LGBTQ+ literature.”

“We are thrilled to be able to welcome one of the most diverse and expansive lineup of authors for this year’s festival that we’ve ever had,” OUT Arts & Culture Board President Paul Raker says. “We have representation from trans, nonbinary and BIPOC authors and will feature panel topics that will center and uplift them in a way that is topical and necessary in this time.”

Events will include author meet-and-greets, panel discussions, cocktail hours and more. Among other featured content, discussions will uplift LGBTQ+ authors, address recent book bans and detail common tropes in LGBTQ+ romance novels.

Registration begins Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. and this year’s first community panel will begin at noon, a discussion on LGBTQ+ journalism featuring Watermark Out News and more. “Florida Educators and Indie Bookstore Owners Talk Banned Books” will be held at 1 p.m., Kitchen Table Literary Arts will lead a session at 2 p.m. and a selection of readings from LGBTQ+ authors will be held at 3 p.m.

“Be My Spicy Valentine,” where sapphic writers will discuss writing love scenes, closes the first day at 6:30 p.m. Panels, signings and discussions resume Feb. 15 at 9 a.m., where hourly meetings will take place until 4 p.m.

Topics include “Connecting Queer Stories with Spirituality and Healing” and “Queer Art as Resistance.” Fantasy author Ellen Kushner will deliver this year’s keynote address at 1 p.m.

The day will end at 7 p.m. with an evening of comedy led by Poppy Champlin and special guest Rachel Covello. Donor tickets are $40 and general admission is $30.

ReadOUT’s final day begins Feb. 16 at 9 a.m. with “Queering the Struggling Writer Stereotype: How Authorpreneurship Can Create an Abundant Life for LGBTQIA+ Writers.” Subsequent panels will examine young adult LGBTQ+ literature and highlight BIPOC and queer authors before an open signing and cocktail hour close this year’s event at 5 p.m.

In-person and virtual registration is $10 and allows access to the full weekend of panels. Sponsorships and other opportunities are also available.

ReadOUT 2025 will be held Feb. 14-16 with events primarily held at the Catherine A. Hickman Theater, located at 5501 27th Ave. S. in Gulfport. Learn more at OUTArtsAndCulture.org/ReadOUT.

tampa bay news

Winter is Here

Inaugural Winter Pride to celebrate LGBTQ+ St. Petersburg

Ryan Williams-Jent

ST. PETERSBURG | The inaugural Winter Pride will be held Feb. 16-23 in the Grand Central District, a new LGBTQ+ celebration organizers hope will become a seasonal staple.

The venture was originally announced in Dec. 2023 by Cocktail, a presenting sponsor. It’s billed as a partnership with the nonprofit Grand Central District Association, which represents businesses in St. Petersburg’s “gayborhood,” also the birthplace of the unaffiliated St Pete Pride.

The event was conceptualized by an eight-person planning committee led by Executive Director Rob Hall. It includes Cocktail owner David Fischer and other regional advocates.

GCDA is among the local organizations which will benefit this year. Fischer says a Winter Pride nonprofit is in the process of being formed but that organizers will continue partnering with the group “because that’s where Pride started, and part of our mission is to keep it in Grand Central.”

Support for their efforts has grown in recent months. Winter Pride announced Jan. 24 that the City of St. Petersburg will serve as co-sponsor in 2025.

“Winter Pride is such a great opportunity for St. Pete to come together and show the city and world what it means to celebrate love, resilience and community,” St. Petersburg LGBTQ+ Liaison Eric Vaughan says. “I’m thrilled our city supports this event and the folks making it happen ... we’re creating a space where everyone can feel supported and be themselves.”

Festivities begin with an Opening Street Party/Tea Dance Feb. 16 from 4-10 p.m. on Central Ave. and at The Wet Spot. A Dive-In Movie will follow Feb. 17 from 8 p.m.-midnight at the pool bar, a double feature lampooned by host Matthew McGee.

The transgender-focused Trans-n-Dance will be held Feb. 18 from 7 p.m.-midnight at The Ball, formerly The Saint. FloridaRAMA will host the cultural showcase One Love Feb. 19 from 7 p.m.midnight with Lagoona Bloo.

On Feb. 20, the queer women-focused Snow Bunnies

will be held from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at Lost & Found, and “Drag Race All Stars” winner Jimbo will headline at The Wet Spot. The Pelican Ball will follow Feb. 21 from 8-11 p.m. at the Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement, welcoming celebrity emcee Carson Kressley, coinciding with Pride in Plaid at Cocktail from 8 p.m.-3 a.m.

The Winter Pride Drag Race, in which teams construct and race a car at FloridaRAMA, will be held Feb. 22 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. They’ll compete for a $5,000 donation to a local LGBTQ+ charity of their choice. The circuit party Dripping in Diamonds will follow from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. at Coastal Creative.

Vendors, entertainment and more will feature Feb. 23 from 12-5 p.m. for a street festival between 20th and 28th St. on Central Ave with headliner Nick Adams. Afterglow, a closing Tea Dance, is set for Feb. 23 from 5-9 p.m. The Dog Bar will also hold pet-friendly festivities all week.

While most events are free, VIP experiences and upgrades are available.

“Now more than ever, we need a place where people feel safe, welcome and supported,” Hall says. “We want people to feel the love and support that we feel every day, whether you live here or come on vacation … come here during this week to feel loved and appreciated.”

Winter Pride will take place Feb. 16-23. Learn more at WinterPrideSaintPete.com.

GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE BAN COULD STAND UNTIL U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES

Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix

Apanel of judges seemed inclined to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors before deciding whether to uphold or strike down Florida’s ban, which also restricts treatments for transgender adults.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit heard oral arguments Jan. 15 in the state’s appeal asking the court to uphold the ban on puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy for minors with gender dysphoria and increased regulation of treatments for trans adults.

During the hearing in Miami, two of the judges overseeing the case brought up the pending ruling from the Supreme Court. The conservative-leaning Supreme

Court appeared willing to side with Tennessee during the December oral arguments, but a decision likely won’t come until June.

“Should we wait for further legal developments from the Supreme Court before deciding this case?” asked Judge Adalberto Jordan, who was appointed by Barack Obama.

“I mean, you have a stay … so the state of Florida is not being harmed at the moment by the district court’s order, in a practical sense — I know the judgment is there — and so I’m wondering whether or not it makes sense to wait at least a little while and see what if anything happens.”

A different set of judges of the appellate court in August allowed Florida to temporarily enforce the 2023 law. That decision reversed a July ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee in which he reaffirmed his block on the ban while the case brought by parents of trans kids and trans adults went through appeals.

“It is demoralizing and heart-wrenching to live in a state that has politicized my child’s very existence, weaponizing the power of the state to attack her basic rights and dignities,” wrote Jane Doe, the mother of plaintiff Susan Doe, in a press release following the oral arguments.

“As a mother who simply wants to protect and love my child for who she is, I pray that the Eleventh Circuit will affirm the district court’s thoughtful and powerful order, restoring access to critical health care for all transgender Floridians. No one should have to go through what my family has experienced.”

Court documents identify the parents of the trans children in the case under pseudonyms to protect their privacy. During the December 2023 trial in Tallahassee, Doe wept as she talked about telling her then-12-year-old about the ban.

Mohammad Jazil, the attorney representing the state, said it

would be better to wait to see if the Supreme Court applies “heightened scrutiny,” or a closer examination typically used to determine if a law violates a constitutional right, in its decision.

In a back-and-forth between Judge Andrew Brasher and the plaintiff’s attorney, Adam Unikowsky, the judge signaled that the appellate court would wait. Brasher said the Florida and Tennessee laws were the same. However, the Tennessee ban only applies to minors and not adults.

Unikowsky maintained Hinkle ruled adequately in determining that the law was unconstitutional because it was motivated by purposeful discrimination against trans people.

“What the district court did here is distinguished between a law that’s motivated by a medical justification — like these treatments are just bad for children, and they make them less healthy — rather than a law

that’s motivated by just a bare desire for people not to transition,” Unikowsky said.

“It would just be better in the view of the state of Florida if people had secondary sex characteristics corresponding to their natal sex. That’s an interest that the district court characterized as reflective of hostility towards a group of people and it’s an interest the state hasn’t defended.”

Firing back at Unikowsky, Jazil said the notion that the state doesn’t think people should transition was “simply incorrect.” He also said the law came from medical concerns.

This story is courtesy of Florida Phoenix. Florida Phoenix is a nonprofit news site, free of advertising and free to readers, covering state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

TRUMP’S 1ST WEEK SEES ANTI-LGBTQ+ ORDERS

Christopher Kane of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

On the first day and in the first week of his second term,

President Donald Trump issued two executive orders taking aim specifically at LGBTQ+ people while rescinding seven actions by the Biden-Harris administration that expanded rights and protections for the community.

As detailed by the Human Rights Campaign, the anti-trans order, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” would prohibit the federal government from recognizing people and populations whose birth sex does not match their gender identity, while facilitating discrimination against LGBTQ communities “in the workplace, education, housing, healthcare, and more.”

Additionally, the order directs the attorney general to allow “people

to refuse to use a transgender or nonbinary person’s correct pronouns, and to claim a right to use single-sex bathrooms and other spaces based on sex assigned at birth at any workplace covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and federally funded spaces.”

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security are further instructed to stop issuing documents like passports, visas, and Global Entry cards that conflict with the new, restrictive definition of sex that excludes consideration of trans and gender diverse identities.

The order also would prohibit federal funding, including through grants and contracts, for any content that is believed to promote “gender ideology,” while implementing restrictions on the use of federal resources to collect data on matters concerning gender identity.

There would also be consequences for particularly vulnerable populations, such as rules prohibiting trans women from accessing domestic violence shelters, forcing trans women to be housed with men in prisons and detention facilities, and prohibiting correctional

facilities from providing gender affirming healthcare of any kind.

The second executive order targeting LGBTQ+ people would end diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government. HRC points out that “The preamble to the order includes a mention of the Project 2025 trope ‘gender ideology,’ while the language does not actually define DEI — meaning that “confusion and differing understandings of what DEI entails are likely to extend the regulatory process and may, in the meantime, have a chilling effect on any efforts that could potentially be considered ‘DEI.’”

Of the Biden-era executive actions that were repealed, HRC called special attention to “President Biden’s directive to agencies to implement the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that Title VII’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex includes prohibitions of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The organization notes that the ruling, decided in 2020, remains binding precedent.

THAILAND’S MARRIAGE LAW TAKES EFFECT

Wire Report

Thailand’s marriage equality bill, which amended the Civil and Commercial Code to change the words “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” and “marriage partners,” went into effect Jan. 23.

Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity, but struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Thai society largely holds conservative values. The LGBTQ+ community there faces discrimination in everyday life, although they note that things have improved greatly in recent years.

The government led by the Pheu Thai party made marriage equality one of its main goals. It made a major effort to identify itself with the annual Bangkok Pride parade in June, in which thousands of people

celebrated in one of Bangkok’s busiest commercial districts.

In mid-January, Government House invited dozens of LGBTQ+ couples and activists for a photo op and a meeting with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and several high ranking officials to celebrate the law coming into effect, making Thailand the first in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to legalize same-sex marriage.

“It is almost like a dream, but it’s not. So, congratulations to all,” Paetongtarn said. “I think it’s very important that the world notice us ... We have this kind of support for our people. So, we all should be proud.”

Bangkok Pride organizers collaborated with government agencies to hold a celebration in central Bangkok and facilitate couples who wished to register their marriage on the very first day.

More than 300 couples registered to officially tie the knot at the event.

“[The law] is about returning our dignity, and confirming that we also have dignity as a human being,” said Ann “Waaddao” Chumaporn, the lead organizer of Bangkok Pride. “That day is going to be meaningful to all the couples that have gone through this journey together. I’d like to thank everyone, every love, that has faithfully struggled so that today would finally happen.”

The government and state agencies in Thailand are historically traditional in outlook. To prepare them for change, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said that it has organized workshops for staff of all Bangkok district offices who are in charge of handling marriage registration. They included lectures raising awareness about gender diversity and guidance on how to properly communicate with those who come for the service.

IN OTHER NEWS

TARGET JOINS OTHERS IN ENDING DEI EFFORTS

Target said Jan. 24 that it would join Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and the White House. The Minneapolis-based retailer said the changes to its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy would include ending a program it established to elevate Black employees and shoppers and that they will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual LGBTQ+ index. Getting corporations to withdraw from the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index and to stop sponsoring Pride activities have been goals of DEI opponents.

TRUMP DEMANDS APOLOGY FROM INCLUSIVE BISHOP

Donald Trump on Jan. 22 demanded an apology from the Episcopal bishop of Washington after she directly appealed to him during a prayer service to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers. Referencing his belief that he was saved by God from assassination, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde said, “You have felt the providential hand of a loving God … I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” Afterwards, Trump shared via social media that “she is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!” Budde was also praised by LGBTQ+ advocates.

ERDOGAN LAUNCHES ‘YEAR OF THE FAMILY’ WITH LGBTQ+ ATTACK

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the launch of Turkey’s “Year of the Family” on Jan. 13 with an attack on the LGBTQ+ community. Citing the “historical truth that a strong family paves the way for a strong state,” he unveiled a series of financial measures to support young families. The president returned to themes he has espoused before about LGBTQ+ people, including the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ movement as part of a foreign conspiracy aimed at undermining Turkey. Despite its low profile there, the LGBTQ+ community has emerged as one of the main targets of the government and its supporters in recent years.

GHANA’S ANTI-LGBTQ+ BILL ‘EFFECTIVELY IS DEAD’

Advocacy groups in Ghana have welcomed the demise of a bill that would have further criminalized LGBTQ+ people and outlawed allyship. President John Mahama on Jan. 14 said the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill that MP Sam George of Ningo-Prampram co-sponsored in 2021 was essentially dead. He also said that although MPs passed the bill last February, parliament dissolved before former President Nana Akufo-Ado, whose term ended earlier this month, signed it. LGBT+ Rights Ghana Communications Director Berinyuy Burinyuy said the president’s remarks offer a glimmer of hope for LGBTQ Ghanaians.

Sabrina Ambra

LADYFINGERS

My pile of stuff

SOME SAY THAT CLUTTER

is the enemy of a peaceful mind. Others claim one person’s trash is another’s treasure. I’m not sure what to say as I sit among a curated chaos of sentimental junk and functional crap, navigating the psychological tug-of-war between nostalgia and practicality.

This isn’t hoarding — it’s an intimate relationship with my things. Each item has a story, a purpose or, at the very least, a solid alibi. Plus, I have storage bins and a label maker so suck a fart, A&E and your Emmy-winning documentary reality TV series that shall not be named!

Speaking of television that tried to critique my life choices, Marie Kondo sparked nothing but “the audacity.” Every time she said thank you to an item and let it go, I pictured my collection of mismatched souvenir shot glasses and promotional insulated coffee mugs, weeping like orphans. They spark joy, you [sweet, harmless, well-intentioned] bitch. They spark joy, even if I only just remembered I had them after opening the cabinet above the refrigerator — the one I can’t reach without a step stool.

Buried deep in my drawers are sentimental T-shirts, hiding under other T-shirts. There are shirts from concerts I barely remember attending, late-night online purchases inspired by Instagram ads that read my half-drunk mind like a book and the seasonal gifts my mother gives every Christmas. They’re always themed — The Grinch, Buddy the Elf — and bought in bulk so the whole family can match (because isn’t

that the true reason for the season?).

Some shirts are too small, some have holes and a faint scent of mothballs, and some remain unworn, perfectly folded as they were years ago. Yet, every time I consider tossing one, a montage of memories plays in my mind — the music, the laughter, the late-night Instagram scrolls as I ladyspread on my couch, the first and last time I crowd-surfed (earning the traditional over-the-pants snatch-scoop). Throwing these away feels like discarding chapters of my life story, a story that deserves a happy ending. Or, at the very least, these shirts deserve to be sewn into a quilt that I would dutifully fold and bury deep in a drawer.

Another collection that reliably churns out sparks of joy is my pens. The ones that always write and never do me wrong (see what I did there). In a world where pens mysteriously vanish or fail at critical moments, these are miracles of consistency. Their ink flows smoothly and each satisfying click of their mechanism is practically accompanied by an angelic choir. These pens have been my companions through grocery lists, half-finished journal entries, stand-up bits and the occasional passive-aggressive note I’d never actually leave but felt fucking amazing to write. They aren’t just pens; they are symbols of reliability in a world that often feels anything but.

My storage closet is a time capsule of forgotten ambitions and questionable financial decisions. The 4-pack of 18x24 blank canvases, purchased alongside charcoal and acrylic paints, still awaits the happy little trees or angst-riddled abstract artistry I’ll eventually get around to. The dumbbells, ankle weights and ab roller stand as remnants of an optimistic health kick I’m

reminded of monthly when my Peloton subscription auto-renews. The alto saxophone mocks me with its brass smugness. Each item represents a version of me that once believed I’d become the type of person with an intellectual,

These items aren’t just things, they’re characters in the ongoing story of this little shitshow called life. Each one holds a piece of who I am, who I’ve been and sometimes who I’d like to be. Minimalism may be trendy and Marie Kondo

the messiness of life itself. Each object — from a forgotten T-shirt to an overly ambitious art supply — tells me it’s okay to be a work in progress. I don’t need perfection; I need connection to my memories, my quirks and the people who gave

I don’t need perfection; I need connection to my memories, my quirks and the people who gave these items meaning.

worldly hobby. Who’s to say I won’t revive those passion projects? The closet and its contents stay, a testament to what could be if I just try to remember what’s in there.

To an outsider, my collection of sentimental objects and everyday essentials might seem like a mess. To me, it’s a carefully curated gallery of memories, practicality and whimsy.

may be a kindhearted cutie but I’ll take my joyful clutter any day. After all, life isn’t about having fewer things, it’s about holding onto the ones that make you laugh, cry or remember why you fell in love with this complex, wonderful existence in the first place.

So, here I am, surrounded by a delightful chaos that reminds me to embrace

these items meaning. In a world that often demands we strip things down to their bare essentials; I choose to celebrate the beautifully cluttered mosaic of who I am. And maybe, just maybe, one day that saxophone will sing again.

Sabrina Ambra is a co-host of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and stand-up comedian.

THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE Jason Leclerc

The Fear of Being Happy

IWAS OUT TO DINNER WITH

friends recently, sitting at the bar

sipping happy hour martinis and munching on brick-baked pizza. We were acting silly and loving life.

Even in the tumult since the election, and even though we range, politically, from Trumpers to ultra-Pinkos, we find our common ground in love and affection. On this night, our cheers were interrupted by a wet towel from down the bar, repeating the “wah-wahhh” refrain of a muted trombone that she clearly had been playing since November: “We are all going to die. He’s going to kill us all. America is over.”

I, ever the radical centrist, shouldn’t have engaged. I should have let the irrational shot across the bar land on deaf ears; I couldn’t. “Look, I didn’t vote for him. I think he’s a rotten person, a narcissist. But I also don’t think that the bad that he can do can undo 250 years of an ascendant America. Do you really think that America is somehow, all of a sudden, that weak?”

“Oh, we will be finished within a year.”

But there are those whose entire perspective is on the failures — systemic and social — along the way rather than on the progress made. Ronald Reagan said, “Optimism comes less easily today, not because democracy is less vigorous, but because democracy’s enemies have refined their instruments of repression.”

Those instruments of repression have been wielded by both poles of our politics: skepticism and nuance have succumbed to cynicism and bogeymen: facts have given way to deep-fakes: temperaments have given way to hyperbole. Our ultra-factionalized discourse has targeted on

They’re using media that were unimaginable a generation ago.

The vast right-wing conspiracy and Trump Derangement Syndrome have been subsumed into this horrible all-permeant cultural cherophobia. How will we get over our irrational fear of being happy? How will we

feel anger or sadness or disappointment, but we also can’t be irrationally afraid of happiness. We can’t be afraid of being great.

For me and mine, we will love our friends and celebrate each other. We will find joy in our communities and let that swell up through the crevasses in our social

nation. We must allow ourselves to believe that we are great. We must allow ourselves to believe that THESE are the good old days. I, for one, look forward to meeting at Armando’s — my antidotal glee fully exposed — with my friends on January 20, 2026 and to cheersing with them

I’m not suggesting that we can’t feel anger or sadness or disappointment, but we also can’t be irrationally afraid of happiness.

stop the spread?

It has to start at the grassroots. It has to well up. Twistedly, we must remove

and political superstructure. I will dwell in optimism. We must temper our joy-sucking cynicism and maintain

and new ones, to America, and to the eradication of cherophobia

Jason Leclerc (@JLeclercAuthor) is

“Well, let’s do this. Let’s plan to meet here in a year to celebrate another year of America surviving. Then we can assess, based on fact, where we are.”

“Oh, we won’t be here.”

Pushing harder than I should have, “Can we make a date? To meet here in a year?”

Afflictedly, “No.” She walked away as my buddy asked me to, “not get elevated.” I licked his ear as she skulked away, dampening joy further down the well. “Sorry, dear. Hand me one of those garlic knots and do a cheers with me.” We cheers’d.

America is imperfect. Even during the Feelings, we had imperfections. We have not always treated neighbors right. We have not always lived up to the ideals of the founders or of our founding documents. We are not, as a people or as a nation, perfect, but rather in the ever-evolving state of perfecting: inching incrementally toward a more perfect union knowing that such a state is unattainable except in the great hereafter.

The Good Page

Tampa Bay Black Lesbians initiative is ‘Holding Space’ for members

Tiffany Razzano

THE GOOD PAGE FEATURES

positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting local stories in our community. In this issue, we check in with the Tampa Bay Black Lesbians, a social group which became its own nonprofit in 2024. They recently launched a new initiative to help members.

With President Donald Trump back in the White House and his administration’s actions impacting minority groups across America, the organization has stepped up to offer support and a safe space for those who need it.

The group launched a new virtual meetup series called “TBBL Is Holding Space” on Jan. 11. During that first meeting, attendees discussed a range of topics, mostly their day-to-day happenings, as well as politics and the new administration.

“Having a rough week? Need to chat? Need some friends for a pep talk? Just need some company and community? Grab a beverage and log on,” the description for the new series reads. “No pressure, no expectations, just good company

and listening ears — a safe, no judgement zone for Black & Brown LGBTIA+ women.”

These meetups will take place on the second Saturday of every month into the Spring but could continue beyond that depending on turnout. The next two events are scheduled for Feb. 8 and March 8.

“If it goes further will depend on the attendees,” says Silk-Jazmyne, TBBL board member and host. “If there’s a need, we’ll keep doing it.”

For months, the organization’s leaders and members closely followed news about the presidential race between Trump and former President Joe Biden, then former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We were waiting with bated breath for the election results … [and] as a group, we were keeping tabs on different legislation,” Silk-Jazmyne says. “So, when we found out that Trump had won, we immediately, as a board, comforted each other, and then it was a question of ‘okay, how can we comfort the community? How can we support them?’”

She began hearing TBBL members and other LGBTQ+ people in the state say they were considering moving away from Florida, which has enacted a number of laws targeting the queer community in the years leading up to Trump’s re-election. The Florida Legislature also maintained its conservative supermajority last year.

“But there were also a lot of us saying, one, we don’t want to move, or two, we think that it’s important to stay and fight and support one another,” Silk-Jazmyne says. “Because if

everybody moves, then we can’t make any change.”

She and other board members conceptualized “TBBL Is Holding Space” for that purpose. They say it is needed for the organization’s members during this critical time.

“As a Black lesbian, we’re marginalized and then we’re marginalized again, and the way that that intersects is, a lot of the times, the spaces that we’re in don’t hold space for us,” she explains. “So, it’s important for us to hold space for our entire being and our entire identity.”

As the series launches, the meetups are loosely organized. During the first gathering, people mostly spoke about what was happening in their lives and other shared concerns.

“One person was talking about parenting; somebody else was talking about going through a break-up recently,” Silk-Jazmyne recalls.

She hopes to organize the virtual gatherings further down

the road by featuring various professionals, from therapists to other specialized speakers.

“Eventually, I do want it to be more organized, but for right now, this event is exactly what it is,” Silk-Jazmyne continues. “It’s just to hold space, especially as a Black lesbian.”

TBBL will do exactly that on the second Saturdays of each month from 2-3 p.m. Learn more about the organization and their efforts, including in-person social events and other initiatives, at TampaBayBlackLesbians.org.

Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams at Jeremy@ WatermarkOnline.com in Central Florida or Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@ WatermarkOnline.com in Tampa Bay.

GRAPHIC/PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA BAY BLACK LESBIANS

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Free speech advocates say new law for minors risks privacy for adults

Greg Stemm

WHEN AGE-APPROPRIATE

Floridians attempted to access their preferred adult website after the first of the year, they may have been surprised to discover it was blocked. Or perhaps it requested a copy of their ID, or to send a code to their phone for verification purposes.

The reason behind this is Florida House Bill 3, “Online Protections for Minors,” signed into law last year. It went into effect Jan. 1 with a legal challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court, with free speech advocates arguing it is fraught with civil liberties issues for the way it affects minors and adults alike.

There are two parts to HB3. First, it requires regulated social media platforms to prohibit

minors younger than 14 years of age from entering contracts to become account holders. It allows minors who are 14 or 15 years old to become account holders, but only with parental or legal guardian consent, and there is litigation opposing it in its entirety, including this section. SCOTUS has repeatedly ruled that minors have First Amendment rights. The law also “requires regulated commercial

entities that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute material harmful to minors on a website or application to prohibit access to such material by any person younger than 18 years of age, if their website or application contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors.”

“Such commercial entities must verify, using either an anonymous or standard age verification method, that the age of a person attempting to access the material harmful to minors satisfies the law’s age requirements,” it reads. “If an anonymous age verification method is used, [it] must be conducted by a nongovernmental, independent third party organized under the laws of a state of the U.S. Any information used to verify age must be deleted once the age is verified.”

This includes virtually all existing adult sites, leading the legislation to be known colloquially as a “porn ban.”

The bill had 44 sponsors, 42 Republicans and two Democrats including Tampa Bay’s state Rep. Michele Rayner. “I really didn’t have anything to do with the age verification part of this bill. I was mostly interested in protecting kids on social media,” she says.

Regulated social media platforms, commercial entities and third parties performing age verification for commercial entities that knowingly and recklessly violate the bill’s requirements are subject to civil penalties. The Dept. of Legal Affairs may collect up to $50,000 per violation, reasonable attorney fees and court costs, and in some cases punitive damages.

Account holders who are

minors may also pursue up to $10,000 in damages.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of HB3. CCIA, with co-plaintiff NetChoice, asked the courts for an injunction that would have blocked HB3 from taking effect on Jan. 1. It was denied.

Additionally, the Free Speech Coalition — a non-partisan trade association that works to protect the rights and freedoms of the adult industry — alongside co-plaintiffs working in the sex education, adult content, sexual wellness and legal fields, have filed a legal challenge in Florida.

“These laws create a substantial burden on adults who want to access legal sites without fear of surveillance,” said FSC Executive Director

Alison Boden in a statement. “Despite the claims of the proponents, HB3 is not the same as showing an ID at a liquor store. It is invasive and carries significant risk to privacy. This law and others like it have effectively become state censorship, creating a massive chilling effect for those who speak about, or engage with, issues of sex or sexuality.” Pornhub, one of the world’s largest adult websites, blocked access to Florida users Jan. 1. Others like X Hamster now offer age verification options while XVideos, the second largest online distributor, have seemingly enacted no new policies. CCIA notes in its complaint that it supports enhanced protections for younger users online. They state that in a nation that values the First Amendment,

the preferred response is to let parents decide which speech and websites their minor children may access online, “including by utilizing the many tools digital services providers give to parents for monitoring their children’s activities on the internet.”

“This social media law infringes on the First Amendment rights of both minors and adults by creating significant barriers to accessing online information that every American, including minors, has a right to see,” CCIA Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff Stephanie Joyce said. “Protecting children online is an important goal that CCIA shares with legislators, and the far better way to ensure their protection is to give parents the information and tools they need to shield their children from unsuitable content, as digital services providers already have done for decades.”

The lawsuit centers on a part of the law that applies to any business that “knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on a website or application, if the website or application contains a substantial portion of material harmful to minors.” It defines “substantial portion” as more than 33.3% of the total material on a website or app. Its lawsuit raises objections about how the law would apply to minors and adults, advising it “demands that … an adult must provide a digital proof of identity to adult content websites that are doubtlessly capable of tracking specific searches and views of some of the most sensitive, personal, and private contents a human being might search for.”

“As recent high-profile data leaks have revealed, no web users are safe, and hackers are often able to exploit the slightest cracks in a website’s security — however ‘reasonable’ those security procedures and practices may be,” the lawsuit argues. “The inevitable result is that at least some portion of Florida adults will feel the act’s chill and forego accessing this constitutionally protected material.”

“By defining material harmful to minors’ to include that which lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors, the Florida Legislature has painted all minors, regardless of age or maturity, with a single brush,” the lawsuit also reads. “But

there is a broad range of material that has serious value for at least some 16- and 17-year-olds which might legitimately be considered ‘harmful’ to a 10-year-old — like that concerning the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases, sexual health, and the enjoyment of sex (in a state where 17-year-old minors may get married with parental consent).”

Some have even warned that without specific guidelines on what might be considered “harmful to minors” that Florida legislators could add other types of websites to block, including general LGBTQ+ content. The state has passed high-profile anti-LGBTQ+ laws in recent years.

State Sen. Carlos Guillermo

law which is not enforceable while a decision is pending in the courts.”

SCOTUS heard an argument in a similar Texas age verification case on Jan. 15 and is expected to issue a final opinion by the beginning of July. The law in Florida will remain in effect pending that ruling.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed to the U.S. Senate to replace Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was originally tasked with defending the law. Her office did not respond to Watermark Out News’ requests for comment, but she has shared her support for the law elsewhere.

The FSC states they whole-heartedly support the goal of protecting young people from

access while protecting their privacy. The FSC has noted that a 2023 study indicated that according to Early Adolescents’ Perspectives on Digital Privacy, a study conducted in 2023, 41% of middle schoolers ages 11-14 use a VPN to browse the internet.

Additionally, Common Sense Media — the nation’s leading nonprofit source for media recommendations and advice for families — released a report in January indicating that 58% of teens aged 13-17 have seen adult content accidentally. They found that 18% reported that it was on social media.

Free speech advocates note that this bill only applies to websites where more than one third of the content meets the definition of

I do believe the concerns about First Amendment rights and privacy issues are valid ... There is clearly government overreach going on here.

— STATE SEN. CARLOS GUILLERMO SMITH

Smith of Orlando says he does not believe that with the way the law is currently written that there is danger of non-adult related sites needing to add age verification. He does acknowledge however that this legislature has used every opportunity to scapegoat the LGBTQ+ community.

“It is wise for my constituents to stay engaged and make their voices heard to elected officials,” he says. “Be vigilant. Know what’s happening or what’s being proposed. I do believe the concerns about First Amendment rights and privacy issues are valid ones with this age verification law and need to be addressed. There is clearly government overreach going on here.”

The senator adds that the Florida Legislature has wasted thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend laws they knew from the outset were indefensible. He says two thirds of so-called “anti-woke” laws that were recently passed are not enforceable because of court decisions.

“There are many examples of this waste,” he explains. “One that many LGBTQ+ people in Florida will certainly recognize is the ‘anti-drag’

material that is age-inappropriate or harmful. They insist that the FSC has both the subject matter expertise and sincere desire to collaborate with legislators on workable solutions.

Unfortunately, the FSC states the proposals being put forward in statehouses around the country have significant practical, technical and legal problems that will undermine its effectiveness in protecting children, create serious privacy risks and infringe on Americans’ Constitutional rights. They go on to outline in detail why they believe age verification laws are ineffective.

The only way that a website can determine whether a user is located in a particular state is to use the geolocation data provided by the user’s device. It is simple to use a Virtual Private Network or VPN to make it appear as though a user is located elsewhere, thereby evading age checks, and data shows that Google searches for VPNs have skyrocketed since the law was enacted.

VPNs mask the user’s IP address and lets them engage with content they may not have been able to

“What they should be doing instead is working with public school systems to offer comprehensive sex education that includes frank conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity,” he continues. “Instead they have done what they often do, which is to offer meaningless solutions that will almost certainly be thrown out by the courts and will serve to further vilify vulnerable populations.”

Oliver argues it should be up to the parents to monitor their children’s online presence, not the state. He said he regularly checks to see what his teenagers are viewing and he limits screen time.

“No one wants children to have access to adult materials,” notes Kristen Browde, president of the Florida LGBT+ Democratic Caucus. “But that’s not where the right-wing extremists who prop up the DeSantis regime are stopping.

“They’re trying to censor not just what children see, not just adult material, but facts about our population, and facts about our lives,” she continues. “Giving Republican censors, who won’t stop here, this kind of power is an awful idea, but it’s more of the same from the Republicans. They are playing politics instead of solving Florida’s real problems.”

material harmful to minors, so it will do nothing to protect those young people.

According to the FSC, age verification software also requires a user to transmit extremely sensitive data — digitized copies of their government-issued identification, biometric scans or other forms of up data used by commercial providers — over the internet.

While the legislation bars companies from retaining this information, it does not mitigate the dangers of transmitting it in the first place. The FSC notes its collection opens users up to the risk of data breaches and creates an opportunity for bad actors to collect personal information, including details regarding a user’s sexuality. Experts say a common extortion tactic is to employ a threat to disclose a person’s adult website browsing behavior.

“If the legislature was really interested in the safety of kids, attempting to block porn sites is not the answer,” says Rev. Andy Oliver, senior pastor at Allendale United Methodist church in St. Petersburg and a parent.

Many representatives from the adult industry themselves say they do not want minors on their sites. They point to the use of the “Restricted to Adults” label on their sites and platforms and other safeguards. Parental controls and device-level filters are effective tools if parents and schools are willing to use them. This technology is widely available, fully supported by industry and endorsed by SCOTUS.

FSC members have shared an eagerness to find a self-regulating solution that would encourage wider adoption by consumers. They advise that the history of these efforts has taught the industry that an effective system must use a shared standard, be consistent across platforms and states, safeguard privacy, not be vulnerable to hacking or disclosure and not overly burden consumers.

Representatives say that “no system will be perfect, but we are confident that we can make significant progress toward keeping children safe online.” For now, Floridians will just have to wait on SCOTUS to see how it plays out here in the Sunshine State.

For more information about the Free Speech Coalition, visit FreeSpeechCoalition.com.

Tampa

Bay’s Jewels Sparkles makes a splash on ‘Drag Race’

Ryan Williams-Jent

JEWELS SPARKLES DIDN’T WIN

Florida Entertainer of the Year in 2023, but the local preliminary still changed her life.

It’s where she met National EOY 2023 Shontell Sparkles, her soon-to-be drag mother, and her own forebear, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Trinity the Tuck. Jewels joined their ever-expanding empire within months.

“I think they saw the passion behind what I was doing and the potential,” she recalls. “They taught me things and gave me opportunities that I would never have had if I didn’t do EOY — they have helped me so much in navigating my career and polishing my craft.”

“Drag Race” took notice. Jewels was cast on season 17

of the MTV series, airing now, and the network promised she would “enter the competition with intention and strategy.” She did. Watermark Out News spoke with the Tampa Bay queen about her local roots, newfound international fame and what fans can expect next.

WATERMARK OUT NEWS: WHAT DREW YOU TO DRAG?

Jewels Sparkles: I think my introduction to drag was playing with dolls, being in that fantasy and being able to express my femininity somehow. I would literally dip a doll’s hair in boiling hot water

with her hair wrapped around straws to give her curly hair, it was stuff like that. I think over time, that outlet ended up being myself doing drag, but that urge to express that femininity has always been in me.

HOW DID TAMPA BAY’S DRAG SCENE SHAPE YOU?

I started doing drag in my room when I was about 16, then I started performing in Tampa when I was about 19. I was sneaking into clubs. (Laughs.) I was doing drag in my room, perfecting the image of what I wanted my drag character to be before I ever stepped on a stage. I actually had a theater background, so I wasn’t super worried about the stage portion, but then when I started performing, I realized

that there’s way more to a drag performance than just lipsyncing the words. I think most drag scenes for up-and-coming queens are very competitive, but the drag scene in Tampa is extremely competitive; everyone in Tampa knows how to dance.

It’s literally the Battle of the Renaissance. I don’t know why, I cannot explain it to you, but half of the queens were like, flexible Cirque du Soleil dancers, and I was like, “holy shit. I don’t really do anything like this.” But I was obviously competitive and I wanted to get work; I wanted to get my name out there, so I was teaching myself how to be on their level. I’m so grateful because not every scene is like that, not every scene is super dance heavy, and I was able to learn a little bit of something that I probably would not have in another setting.

HOW DID YOU CONCEPTUALIZE JEWELS?

It goes back to my childhood and the things that made me happy growing up. I was always into super hyper feminine things. I always collected the dolls, I still collect dolls, and so my aesthetic is always based in that very hyper feminine, almost childlike world. But obviously, we camp things up a bit and we make it a little sexier than we should, hello! But I always think back to, “what would my inner child like?” That’s always what inspires the drag.

YOU COMPETED IN FLORIDA EOY, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

That pageant completely changed my life. I was very, very naive to the gravity of how big EOY was. I thought it was a bar pageant, and I was looking for ways to kind of grow my drag, and I did not realize that EOY was one of the biggest pageants in the world. I went in there and gave it my all without really knowing how intense and prestigious the pageant was.

I think that definitely showed with my package, I was not on the other girls’ levels at all, but I still caught the attention of Trinity The Tuck and Shontelle Sparkles, who are icons … I always say I’m like the outlier in the Shontelle/ Trinity the Tuck family, because I don’t really do the drag style that they do, but you can tell I’m part of the family because the polish is there, the wit is there,

everything that it takes is there. It’s just a very different style. DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM LEAD YOU TO “DRAG RACE” OR DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO AUDITION?

“Drag Race” I feel was always on the vision board for me. Did I think it was going to happen this soon? Absolutely not. And I don’t think it would have happened without Trinity’s help and guidance. She forced me to do pageants.

Listen, I did that one pageant, I never wanted to be a pageant queen, but she was like, “If you want to do ‘Drag Race,’ if ‘Drag Race’ is something you are passionate about and really want in your life ... pageants will prepare you for the intensity that ‘Drag Race’ is. You need to be able to take critique. You need to be able to come up with talent numbers. You need to be able to do an entrance and get people interested in you.”

When you think about it, “Drag Race” is just a really big, very long pageant. Televised, but it’s a pageant. So she and Shontelle sent me all over the country doing random pageants until I got a crown — and then they were like, “Okay, I think it’s time for you to audition for the show” and I got on with my very first try. I had never auditioned before.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

I didn’t think I was ready to audition, I thought I needed another year. But when you have people in your corner that believe in you, and they’re like, “No, you

can do this. We see it for you,” it’s kind of hard to say no — and they were right. I did it and I got on and it’s so crazy.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you. Thank you so much. It’s insane. “Drag Race” always feels like this unreachable goal, this unreachable dream. It’s kind of like the golden ticket of drag. You can see it, and you can reach for it, but it’s almost untouchable. It’s surreal to this day that I grabbed it. I didn’t touch it, I grabbed it, and that’s the craziest part of this whole thing. I’m still processing the fact that this has happened, that I did it. It’s crazy.

HOW DID YOU PREPARE?

You really have to trust your instincts and guts. I felt like the whole year before getting the call was the preparation. I was practicing talent numbers. I was making sure that I knew how to sew stuff for pageants. I was making sure I could fix my hair and learn to do different things I was going to need in my tool belt for the show. So luckily, that whole year before getting on the show, I was fresh with all of that … You have to really know who you are and you have to really know your drag esthetic, because it’s just go, go, go, go, go. It’s quick, it’s stressful.

FLORIDA HAS A LONG HISTORY OF “DRAG RACE” QUEENS. WHY DO YOU THINK WE’VE MADE SUCH AN IMPACT?

You know what? Florida is … a very red state, right? We, as queer

into the wolves. (Laughs.) That was something that I’ll hold on to and cherish forever.

WHAT’S CHANGED FOR YOU SINCE THE SHOW PREMIERED?

people here, have to fight twice as hard in order to be really seen or noticed. I think that shows in the drag. The girls here are fighting 10 times as hard — like I said, everyone here in Tampa is like a professional Cirque du Soleil dancer, but hello! The girls are doing it all. The girls in Orlando are known for creating looks from head to toe, to just be the best, because we’re making up for the reputation that Florida has.

So when you think, “oh, my God, Florida is such a scary place,” the drag is so much fiercer and I think that transcends it. People aren’t always horrified of Florida anymore, because the drag is really good. You can’t say anything about the Florida drag because we’re really making sure that we’re beating that reputation.

YOU WATCHED THE “DRAG RACE” PREMIERE AT THE WET SPOT. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

It’s a core memory for me. It’s something that I’ll never forget, looking in the audience and seeing every single person who has helped me get to this point, whether it be friends, bosses, supporters, people who have booked me for shows, show directors, my parents, my uncles, my aunts, my best friends that have been with me through four gigs a week until 4 a.m. just to support me.

To celebrate that first moment with those people was something I’ll never forget, truly, and then for that to be like an episode where I was in the top two— it was just a beautiful, beautiful moment to kind of send me off

Oh my God. I feel like everything has changed. I’m so honored that I get to do drag full time now. That is, I think, the most beautiful gift, because … it’s so unrealistic for drag to be someone’s full-time job. Not only is drag so expensive, but in a city like Tampa, where there are not that many drag clubs, it’s almost impossible for one queen to make a living doing drag. On top of that, drag is so expensive, and to do drag well is even more expensive. So I think the most beautiful thing about this whole thing for me is that I can put my whole energy, my whole love, into drag now … and also, just being recognized for my art. I knew “Drag Race” was big and major, but it’s gotten to the point where I go to Trader Joe’s and people are like, “Oh my God, wait, you’re from ‘Drag Race.’ I love you. I love your drag.” Being recognized on another level for something that I’m so passionate about, that means the world to me.

And then also getting to represent Puerto Rico and Cuba on this show — the Puerto Rican and Cuban queens don’t always get the best rep on the show and right now, in politics, Puerto Rico is getting an even worse rep, and so much is going on with our government officials saying such terrible things about my island. But it’s such an honor to be able to represent the beauty that’s from Puerto Rico. The talent that comes from Puerto Rico, the sass, the personality, all of it, it’s such a beautiful thing. It’s an honor to get to represent that.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TEASE ABOUT THE REST OF THIS SEASON?

What I can say is, whenever you think you know what to expect, you’re so wrong, because it is so crazy. This season is so crazy. The cast, we’re all really good friends, so we are really comfortable telling each other exactly how we feel and I think it just gets crazier and crazier. (Laughs.) So strap in and enjoy the ride!

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on MTV. Follow Jewels Sparkles @ TheJewelsSparkles for information about local appearances and more.

LOCAL LOVE: Jewels Sparkles greets fans Jan. 3 after the season 17 premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” at The Wet Spot, which hosts watch parties each week. The entertainer attends and performs when in town. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

announcements TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

Jay Aller and Dylan Toften were married Jan. 12. Trevor Rosine and Rylei Baez were married Jan. 20.

The Fabulous Arts Foundation held the grand opening of its LGBTQ+ community center Jan. 24, offering Sarasota’s community a place to create, heal and connect. Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will hold its 35th celebration Jan. 30-Feb. 2 at Green Light Cinema. View a full schedule and learn more about this year’s films at WatermarkOutNews.com.

NEW NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber and Watermark Out News launched OUT for Business Tampa Bay Jan. 22 at Cocktail, a new bi-monthly networking mixer benefiting local nonprofits and more. The gathering featured light bites provided by Cocktail and a raffle benefiting the forthcoming Winter Pride. Read more and view photos at WatermarkOutNews.com, and read upcoming issues, visit our website and follow us on social media for information about upcoming events.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Tampa Bay artist Andrea Pawlisz, SLlama Productions Founder Samantha Luque (Jan. 30); Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, St. Petersburg massage therapist Emily Stone, Tampa Softball player Thomas Hale, Tampa darling Bryan Chant (Feb. 1); Mr. D’z Men’s Emporium and City Side Lounge owner Michael Rivera (Feb. 2); 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, Winter Pride Executive Director Rob Hall (Feb. 7); St. Petersburg dance instructor Julia MeyerovichNeighbors (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, Tampa Bay writer 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).

1

TBD: Tampa Bay staple Rob Weese welcomes guests to the recently opened Tampa Bay Drinkery Jan. 18. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

2 BEARDED BEAUTY: Lilith Black takes the stage by storm at Cocktail Jan. 24. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

3

LADIES WHO LUNCH: Tampa Bay Black Lesbians members watch the Eagles win for the their NFL Meet-Ups at Drunken Taco. PHOTO FROM TBBL’S FACEBOOK

4 OUT FOR BUSINESS: (L-R) Rene Cantu, Lindsey Sheppy, Kathy Houston and Rachel Covello enjoy the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber and Watermark Out News’ first OUT For Business networking social Jan. 22. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

5

MARCHING ON: CAN Community Health’s St. Petersburg team participates in the city’s MLK Day Parade Jan. 20. PHOTO FROM CAN’S FACEBOOK

6 COFFEE CONNECTIONS: The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber welcomes supporters to their Coffee Connection networking social Jan. 9 at United Way Suncoast. PHOTO FROM THE TAMPA BAY LGBT CHAMBER’S FACEBOOK

7 YARRR, TAMPA: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (R) and partner Ana Cruz (L) flank son Sergei Bevan during the Gasparilla parade Jan. 25. PHOTO FROM JANE CASTOR’S FACEBOOK

8 SAYING THANKS: Empath Partners in Care Executive Director Joy Winheim (2nd from R) and EPIC’s Marketing & Comms team serve hot chocolate and more at Francis House Jan. 27. PHOTO FROM EPIC’S FACEBOOK

Hosted By:

Rick Todd

Jeremy Williams

announcements CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

Orlando resident Natan Henrique became a U.S. citizen Jan. 14.

Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, who currently represents the state’s 42nd District and who announced her run to become Orlando’s next mayor, secured three new endorsements in January: Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado, Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson and Circuit 9 Public Defender Melissa Vickers. The new endorsements join Eskamani’s growing list that includes Florida Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Florida Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Florida Reps. LaVon Bracy Davis and Johanna Lopez, Orange County School Board Member Stephanie Vanos, Orange County Commissioner Dr. Kelly Semrad, State Attorney Monique Worrell, Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph and former State Sen. Victor Torres. Eskamani has also been endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 606 organization. The election for the next Orlando mayor will be in 2027.

CLOSURES

After 12 years in business in Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village, The Hammered Lamb announced on its Instagram Jan. 20 that the eatery will be permanently closing. Its final day was Jan. 25. “Being a part of the community has been the greatest gift and to everyone who has passed through these doors to support our dream – thank you so much!” owner Jason Lambert wrote in an Instagram post. “We’re grateful for every single one of you and the heart you’ve poured into The Lamb over the years.”

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Lightning fast jammer Haley Perry, Orlando performer Apple Teenee (Jan. 30); Central Florida LGBTQ+ rights activist Jen Cousins, Former Watermark intern Lora Korpar, Orlando drag legend Leigh Shannon, marketing pro Ken Kundis, former WFTV News 9 anchor Jorge Estevez, Orlando Gay Chorus singer Holly CowdenFeld, Orlando juggler Dantei Grace, Central Florida realtor Michelle Zwack (Jan. 31); Orlando softball hunk Jason Hamm, LGBTQ+ rights activist Randy Bertrand (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).

1

LOVE & MUSIC: (L-R) Alix Carter, Melissa Hussein and Jeremy Williams attend the Winter Park Music Academy winter recital at Summit Church in Orlando Jan. 18.

PHOTO FROM JEREMY WILLIAMS

2

I’M 50!: Owner/ publisher Rick Todd celebrates his 50th birthday with Watermark Out News’ Central Florida team at the Orlando office Jan. 20. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

3

IMMERSED IN ORLANDO: Creative City Project’s Cole NeSmith talks about the upcoming IMMERSE event with members of the media at the Drawn to Life Theatre in Disney Springs Jan. 23. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

4

MAKE EM LAUGH: Comedian Jessica Kirson entertains the audience during her show at the Hard Rock Live at Universal CityWalk in Orlando Jan. 25. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

5

LOCAL LEADERS: (L-R) Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, Florida Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis and Florida Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade in Downtown Orlando Jan. 18. PHOTO FROM REP. ANNA V. ESKAMANI’S FACEBOOK

6

PROUD AMERICAN: Natan Henrique shows off his certificate showing him as a new U.S. citizen at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Orlando Jan. 14. PHOTO FROM NATAN HENRIQUE’S FACEBOOK

7

BIG PLANS AHEAD: The Watermark Out News team gathers at the LGBT+ Center Orlando for its annual retreat Jan. 24. PHOTO FROM JEREMY WILLIAMS

8

SAYING GOODBYE: (L-R) Danny Vega-Zweydoff, Jason Lambert and Leann Ferguson at The Hammered Lamb in Orlando for its final day Jan. 25. PHOTO COURTESY DANNY VEGA-ZWEYDOFF

community calendar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

“Relationships: A Love of Collecting”

NOW THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 4

ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART, ORLANDO

“Relationships: A Love for Collecting” exhibit featuring pieces from the art collection of Dr. James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett are on display at the Orlando Museum of Art until May. Tickets are $20 for adult general admission with discounts for seniors, students and children. Active-Duty Military, Veterans and First Responders get free admission with valid ID. For more information, visit OMArt.org.

Pick-A-Chick Orlando

SATURDAY, FEB. 8, 9 P.M.

SOUTHERN NIGHTS, ORLANDO

GIRL The Party presents the premier queer women’s Valentine’s Day event at Southern Nights Orlando. Upon entering the event, everyone has the option to get a number to wear (like a name tag). All numbers have a corresponding envelope on the wall in the venue. See someone you like? Check their number and leave a note in their envelope! This is the ultimate way to find that Valentine’s Day date, no phone screens, no tapping, no swiping! Limited numbers available so you are encouraged to arrive early. For more information, go to GIRLTheParty.com.

TAMPA BAY

TIGLFF 35

THURSDAY, JAN. 30 – SUNDAY, FEB. 2, TIMES VARY GREENLIGHT CINEMA, ST. PETERSBURG

The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival returns for its 35th celebration of LGBTQ+ cinema, exclusively in St. Petersburg. TIGLFF tickets are $12 for individual features/shorts packages and $80 for an all-inclusive pass. Purchase yours at TIGLFF.com to support future endeavors and view a full schedule and more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

ReadOUT: A Festival of LGBTQ+ Literature

FRIDAY, FEB. 14-SUNDAY, FEB. 16, TIMES VARY

CATHERINE HICKMAN THEATER, GULFPORT

OUT Arts & Culture’s 7th annual ReadOUT focuses on “Queering the Narrative,” celebrating LGBTQ+ literature with special guests and surprises. This year’s event promises “a celebration of diverse voices, stories and authors from the LGBTQ+ community!” Learn more and support the nonprofit’s work at OUTArtsAndCulture.org/ReadOUT.

EVENT PLANNER

THE FIRST TIME

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA

“My Fair Lady,” Jan. 17-Feb. 9, Heneger Center for the Arts, Melbourne. 321-723-8698; HenegerCenter.com

“Imogen Says Nothing,” Jan. 30-Feb. 9, Theatre UCF, Orlando. 407-823-1500; Arts. CAH.UCF.edu

Queen of Hearts

Galentines Cocktail Party, Feb. 1, Grand Bohemian, Orlando. 321-746-7588; StandOutVIPEvents.com

Jerry Seinfeld, Feb. 1, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

KStock Fitness Class – PrEPped For Vitality, Feb. 4, LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.com

“A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,” Feb. 4-9, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

KStock Fitness Class – Move With Positivity, Feb. 6, LGBT+ Center, Orlando. 407-228-8272; TheCenterOrlando.com

MegaCon Orlando 2025, Feb. 6-9, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. 407-685-9800; FanExpoHQ.com/ MegaConOrlando

The Orlando Pancakes & Booze Art Show, Feb. 7, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; PancakesAndBooze.com

Opera Orlando presents “Cendrillon (Cinderella),” Feb. 7 & 9, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-512-1900; OperaOrlando.org

Drag Bingo, Feb. 8, Abbey Bar, DeLand. 386-734-4545; VolusiaPride.org

Timucua Jazz Jam, Feb. 13, Timucua Arts Foundation, Orlando. 407-279-0902; Timucua.com

Alan Cumming: Uncut, Feb. 13-15, Judson Live, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

MANIA: The ABBA Tribute, Feb. 14, Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach. 386-671-3462; PeabodyAuditorium.org

Danae Hays, Feb. 14, King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne. 321-242-2219; KingCenter.com & Feb. 15, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org

TAMPA BAY

PFLAG Riverview

Drag Queen Bingo, Jan. 30, The Regent, Riverview. 813-571-2494; PFLAGRiverview.org

“Mamma Mia!,” Through Feb. 2, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

“Macbeth,” Through Feb. 9, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org

Ladies Night, Jan. 31, The Dog Bar, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; DogBarStPete.com

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Watch Party, Jan. 31; Feb. 7, The Wet Spot, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

Satur-SLAY with Crystal Reigns, Feb. 1, Thyrst, Largo. 727-240-0150; Facebook.com/ ThyrstFL

Women of Rock, Feb. 1, Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. 407-952-2868; WomenOfRockTribute.com

Pinellas Medieval Fair, Feb. 1-2, DK Farms & Gardens, Largo. 727-348-0818; Facebook.com/ DKFarmsAndGardens

Skyway Cats Drag Queen Bingo, Feb. 3, Cocktail, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

State of the City 2025, Feb. 4, Palladium Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-893-7111; StPete.org

Eat Your Heart Out: ‘Rocky Horor’ Valentine’s Day Edition, Feb. 8, Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg. 508-816-8968; HellOnHeelsRHPS.com Road to National Miss Comedy Queen, Feb. 9, Enigma, St. Petersburg. 727-235-0867; Facebook.com/ EnigmaStPete

“A Beautiful Noise,” Feb. 11-16, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Mary J. Blige, Feb. 11, Seminole Hard Rock, Tampa. 866-388-4263; Casino. HardRock.com/Tampa

SARASOTA

February G2H2, Feb. 6, CineBistro Siesta Key, Sarasota. Facebook.com/G2H2Sarasota

Comedian Danae Hays brings “The First Time Tour” to the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne Feb. 14 and to The Plaza Live in Orlando Feb. 15. PHOTO FROM KINGCENTER.COM