Watermark Issue 28.15: Perfect Illusion

Your LGBTQ Life.

July 22 - Aug. 4, 2021 Issue 28.15

Gay illusionists showcase their authentic acts Branson takes Orlando ribbon into space LGBTQ St. Petersburg cyclist joins Team USA D A Y T O N A B E A C H • O R L A N D O • T A M P A • S T . P E T E R S B U R G • clear w ater • S A R A S O T A

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July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

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departments 7 // Publisher’s Desk

page

25

8 // Central Florida News 10 // Tampa Bay News

You don’t have to pretend to be someone else in order to be good enough – living truthfully in imaginary circumstances, magicians want to do that too.

– Central Florida illusionist Nick Comis

12 // State News 15 // Nation & World News 19 // Talking Points 39 // Tampa Bay Out + About 41 // Central Fl Out + About 42 // Tampa Bay Marketplace 43 // Central Fl Marketplace 46 // Wedding Bells On the cover

page Making Magic:

33

page Perfect

21

Illusion: Gay illusionists showcase their authentic acts. Photo

Watermark Issue 28.15 // July 22 - August 4, 2021

by Dylan Todd.

scan qr code for

WatermarkOnline.com

The fifth Tampa International Fringe Festival returns to form with in-person shows.

Ribbon in Space

Tokyo Bound

Fighting Back

real laughs

page Richard Branson wears rainbow ribbon during his trip to space.

page St. Pete cyclist Monica Sereda joins Team USA for Paralympics.

page

page

Read It Online!

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

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10

17

Grace Korley looks at white America’s support of BLM in her latest Viewpoint.

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Real Radio’s Sabrina Ambra, Rauce Padgett hit the stage together.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WatermarkOnline and Like us on Facebook. watermark Your LGBTQ life.

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

Publisher’s

Rick Todd PUblisher

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

I

Desk

don’t know how you all do it.

It’s tough business getting through the week.

When I have a rough week, I sit back in awe of moms, other business owners and nonprofit volunteers fighting the good fight. For many people — these three categories especially — it just doesn’t stop. It seems the more you do the more there is to be done. There is great reward, but not without the work.

I find myself overwhelmed lately; and as much as I dislike Facebook, I’m still there, scrolling daily through the lives of those people the algorithms find most important to me. The political posts aren’t as prevalent on my feed anymore, but something new has caught my eye. I see people on vacations or short breaks to recharge and I have to admit, it makes me jealous. Obviously I am happy for my friends and excited to see their adventures, but I find a way to internalize their joy into some kind of malady on my part.

How can they do all this great work and find time to recharge when I can’t seem to take one day off of work and not create more work

for myself? It’s an unfortunate side effect of Facebook, cleverly coined frenvy by an unknown person on the internet.

Too often we catch these glimpses of people’s lives then draw comparisons and create narratives that really don’t apply.

So, what’s the solution? Don’t do it.

I know it isn’t that easy, trust me.

Be happy for your friend and let the post live in the moment. Don’t compare. No one has a better life than you because of where they check in or what’s on their wall. In general, people put out there what they want you to see. More often than not, that is only going to be what they perceive to be their best.

The law of averages would suggest someone is out there with the same perceptions of your posts. The thought of this made me laugh so I went back through my own, and I can clearly see how this communication tool of social media can actually be miscommunicating reality. In light of this revelation I wanted to assure everyone that I am just as self-conscious, self-doubting as any one and it is completely normal.

In addition to running this newspaper operation, I sit on two boards for local nonprofits, I am working on creating a documentary worthy of the LGBTQ community of Central Florida and I am working on creating a sidehustle-at-home-cookie-busine ss with my husband. I also spend countless hours in my car trying to prove that although I am working in an office or playing in a softball game in one city today that I still value the other office, softball team and city as my home. It’s exhausting and I often think I am not pulling it off.

Luckily for me, I have an incredible support system. My husband, my family – both chosen and biological – and the incredible staff here at Watermark make it possible for me to try and do it all.

Whether I succeed or not, they are there to encourage me to keep trying and for that I am grateful.

Watermark is moving full force with the documentary, “Greetings From Queertown: Orlando.”

We have teamed up now with Adrenaline Films to start the process of creating the story for this movie, and it’s beautiful. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with so many people about what they have created and its impact on our community and I really believe this project is something special.

The best things in life stem from unintentional beauty. For example, in the face of tragedy a small business owner created a ribbon as a symbol of strength and hope. His

watermark staff

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

Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com

Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com

Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com

Creative Designer: Ezri Ruiz • Ext. 301 Ezri@WatermarkOnline.com

Tampa Bay Account Manager: Michael Wier • Ext. 105 Michael@WatermarkOnline.com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

act of kindness has inspired many who then volunteered their time to recreate this symbol and spread this message to as many people as possible. The local community newspaper wrote about this venture and quoted the founder as aspiring to see this ribbon make it to space. The article was read by someone with connections to a billionaire who had his sights set on flying commercial flights into space. The billionaire got the ribbon and made that historical flight into space. Pictures from that flight went viral. People from all over the world saw the

I get to witness great things happening all the time and I get to be part of the team that tells you about it.

billionaire wearing the ribbon and the message of strength and hope reached the world.

To quote Joe Biden, “This is a big fucking deal.” One person had one idea to do one good thing and it reached millions, turning into millions of good things.

It happens all the time in our community. This is the true reality.

So, whenever I feel overwhelmed and wonder if I am at a breaking point, I remember why I love my job: I get to witness great things happening all the time and I get to be part of the team that tells you about it. To read more about Ben Johansen and the Orlando Ribbon Project, check out Page 8 of this issue.

We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

Orlando Office Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

Tampa Bay Office 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

contributors Grace Korley is a

lifelong activist and volunteer with Sarasota’s Harvey Milk Festival, where she is collaborating to bring greater visibility to LGBTQ+ people of color. She lives in Winter Park and is working toward a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Page 17

Tiffany Razzano

is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 47

Sabrina Ambra, Nathan Bruemmer, Scottie Campbell, Miguel Fuller, Divine Grace, Holly Kapherr Alejos, Jason Leclerc, Melody Maia Monet, Jerick Mediavilla, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, Michael wanzie

photography Brian Becnel, Nick Cardello, Bruce Hardin, Jamarqus Mosley, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Ken Carraway, Vanessa Maresca-Cruz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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central florida news

Foxtail Coffee unveils mural at SoDo Drive-Thru location in honor of Pulse Tomás Diniz Santos

O

RLANDO | Foxtail Coffee Co., collaborating with onePULSE Foundation, unveiled a new colorful mural at the coffee chain’s SoDo Drive-Thru location in Orlando July 8.

The colorful mural, which is a tribute to the National Pulse Memorial & Museum and all those who were affected by the tragedy at Pulse, can be seen as you fist walk into Foxtail Coffee above the front counter and stretching nearly the length of the room. The mural is painted using 49 different colors to honor the 49 lives lost during the Pulse tragedy and is inscribed with the words LOVE, HOPE, STRENGTH, ACCEPTANCE, COURAGE and UNITY. “I think it’s knowledge. I think it’s showing acceptance,” says Rosie Tchekmeian, one of the two artists behind the creation of the mural. “I think it’s just highlighting that there is good that can come out of something so tragic and you know, that we’re trying to celebrate their lives and then celebrate the future of being more accepting and inclusive.”

After completing the mural design, with the help of Jason Mohn, Tchekmeian painted the mural with fellow artist Sarah Gordon, working 30-40 hours a week for five weeks, according to Tchekmeian.

Earl Crittenden, board chairman of the onePULSE Foundation, says the new mural is an “exciting” step forward for the community, especially coming off the heels of the new bill, H.R. 49, signed into law by President Joe Biden that designates the Pulse nightclub as a National Memorial.

“I think people will see this mural and probably learn a lot,” Crittenden says. “Not everyone in the community or visitors to Orlando know as much as we all know that live here about what the symbols mean. It’s pretty powerful.”

Foxtail Coffee has also launched a new way to donate to onePULSE and help raise funds for the national memorial and museum. The store will now provide customers the option to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar as a donation for the foundation. You will also be able to round up your purchase on the Foxtail app as well.

Iain Yeakle, co-founder of Foxtail Coffee Co., thanked the onePULSE Foundation for their new partnership and talked about the new mural in a speech he gave at the unveiling of the mural.

“We’re excited today to be revealing our new mural,” he said to the crowd. “Love, hope, strength, acceptance, courage and unity are all things that we stand for, firmly believe in and stand by.”

The mural is located inside the Foxtail Coffee Co. location at the SoDo Drive-Thru store. For more information, visit their website at FoxtailCoffee.com.

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Out of This World:

Richard Branson wears a ribbon from the Orlando Ribbon Project during his trip to space. Screenshot from Facebook

Ribbon in Space Richard Branson wears rainbow ribbon during his trip to space Tomás Diniz Santos

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RLANDO | English business magnate Richard Branson beat out fellow billionaires Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk by launching himself into space July 11.

Branson did so with a rainbow Pride ribbon pinned to his suit courtesy of the Orlando Ribbon Project.

The 70-year-old billionaire entrepreneur wore the rainbow ribbon on his chest during his trip to space, more than 50 miles above the Earth, to keep a promise he made to honor the victims of the 2016 Pulse tragedy.

“Somebody who lost a loved one at the Orlando massacre asked if I would do that,” Branson said in an interview with the Daily Mail. “We also have many, many friends who are gay and I know people who lost friends there.”

In a video posted to his Twitter the day of the flight, Branson is seen wearing the colorful rainbow ribbon as he declares “My mission statement is to turn the dream of space travel into a reality

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

for my grandchildren, for your grandchildren, for everyone.”

The ribbon is part of the Orlando Ribbon Project that was founded

by Ben Johansen shortly after the tragic massacre at Pulse. Johansen’s Orlando Ribbon Project has made over 1.3 million ribbons which have made their way to all 50 states, 67 countries and every continent and have been worn by dozens of politicians and celebrities including Vice President Kamala Harris, former presidential candidates Julian Castro and Pete Buttigieg, entertainers Jamie Lee Curtis, Alan Cumming, Patti LaPone, George Takei, Ricky Lake, Ernie Hudson, Ricky Martin and more.

In February, Johansen spoke with Watermark about his intentions to get one of those rainbow ribbons in space.

“I know it’s going to take some time, but I have a really good feeling that it’ll happen no matter how long it takes. I’ve got a lot of perseverance and I want this to happen, so I know it will,” Johansen said at the time.

Johansen took to Facebook July 11 to share the story of how he was able to get his ribbon to

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space, crediting the story written

by Watermark and the help of Chris Garlington.

“Yes, Sir Richard Branson is wearing the Orlando Ribbon today and helping me achieve another goal of the Ribbon Project,” Johansen wrote. “When I announced that was my next goal, I didn’t think it would have much chance of happening.

Then The Watermark did a story on the project and what my future plans for ribbons were. The article was read by a traveler from CA, and he read the story.

“Well, I received a call from [Garlington] this past Friday saying it might happen,” he continued. “He knows Sir Richard and talked with him personally. I sent an overnight package of ribbons to this person and from then it’s been a few weeks…..until Friday’s call. But today it’s happening ... now, The 49 will be up with the stars.”

Following his arrival back on Earth, Branson celebrated with his crew and reflected on his historical achievement.

“The whole thing was magical,” he said. “We’re here to make space more accessible to all, and we’re going to turn the next generation of dreamers to the next generation of astronauts.”

You can watch video of Branson, wearing the rainbow ribbon, on his trip up to space at WatermarkOnline.com.

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9

tampa bay news

Kriseman endorses Welch Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | Mayor Rick Kriseman has endorsed former Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch to succeed him ahead of the city’s Aug. 24 primary.

Kriseman detailed his support during a July 19 press conference at City Hall. Reflecting on Welch’s decades of public service, the term-limited mayor said the candidate “has integrity, a love for the city, an appreciation of our past and a vision for our future.”

Welch served on the Pinellas County Commission for five terms, during which he led a number of high-profile, LGBTQ-focused initiatives. In 2008, he supported amending the county’s Human Rights Ordinance to include sexual orientation and five years later, reintroduced the measure to add gender identity.

“Ken has been at this for a long time, always on the side of right,” Kriseman shared. “Always fighting for what’s right – and doing so in a thoughtful, deliberate manner. His approach to issues is why he receives such broad support.”

Welch has been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and three of the current St. Petersburg City Councilmembers.

“Now more than ever – as cities contend with bigger and bigger issues – a steady hand is required to steer the ship,” Kriseman said. “We can’t risk going backwards. Ken and his family have given so much to St. Pete and Ken has even more to give.

“I don’t know all of his opponents, but I do know a few of them, and none of them are as prepared as he is,” he continued. “You know where Ken stands. With Ken there are no surprises. He is consistent in his positions and his values, and he is the same person he’s always been.”

Welch subsequently thanked Kriseman for his support. He noted that he and the mayor have partnered on “critical issues that have moved our community forward,” including housing, public safety and investments like St. Petersburg’s recently constructed pier and police department.

“I’m especially grateful, Mayor Kriseman, for your commitment to equity, inclusion and opportunity for all,” Welch said. “Under your guidance, St. Pete is in fact soaring … I want to move our city to soar higher.”

In addition to Welch, a Democrat, the nonpartisan race for St. Petersburg mayor includes Republican City Councilmember Robert Blackmon and Councilmember Darden Rice, another Democrat who would become the city’s first openly LGBTQ mayor if elected.

When specifically asked about his endorsement of Welch over Rice, he referred to his earlier comments. “I’m looking at it from who I think is best positioned and best ready to lead the city, beyond my time,” Kriseman said.

“I think of all the candidates, there was a clear choice and it was Ken Welch.”

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote Aug. 24, the top two candidates will advance to the general election on Nov. 2.

For more information about Welch’s campaign, visit KenWelch.com.

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U-S-A: Paracyclist Monica Sereda will represent the U.S. in Tokyo next month.

PHOTO COURTESY MONICA SEREDA

Tokyo Bound LGBTQ St. Pete cyclist joins Team USA Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | Openly LGBTQ cyclist Monica Sereda will represent Team USA at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo Aug. 25-Sept. 3.

The Paralympics – international events featuring athletes with a range of disabilities – have run parallel to the Olympics for decades.

U.S. Paralympics Cycling announced its 14-member team June 20, which includes participants who have won a combined 19 medals from previous games.

The athletes earned their spots after a three-pronged qualification process and were selected based on their results from the 2020 Track World Championship, the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials and the Para-cycling Road World Cup. It was in the World Cup that Sereda received her first Team USA nomination after winning double gold in her class. She’s considered a T2, which along with T1 is utilized for athletes with cerebral palsy, neurological conditions or other losses of stability and function who ride tricycles, or trikes.

“My move to Paracycling was unforeseen,” Sereda shares.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“I retired from the U.S. Army in 2011 and a year later was involved in an auto accident.”

The veteran retired at the rank of Master Sergeant before sustaining a neck and back fusion from the St. Petersburg collision. She was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.

“It wasn’t noticeable right away,” she recalls. “It took some time and then I couldn’t formulate sentences or conjugate words. I knew something was wrong and I kept having bad headaches – I already had migraines but this was worse.

I was lucky to have my military disability and VA disability to keep me going.”

After connecting with the Wounded Warrior Project and Project Hero Pinellas, she started cycling in 2014 to heal both emotionally and physically. Sereda was introduced to the trike the following year.

By 2016, she was invited to a Paracycling Camp at the Olympic Training Center and began racing internationally in 2017. The athlete soon ranked fourth in the world and competed in her first Paracycling World Championships.

“A lot of people assume that to participate in the Paralympics you

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have to be paralyzed,” Sereda says.

“That’s a huge misconception ... not every disability is visible.”

After organizers postponed the 2020 games last year due to COVID-19, Sereda remained focused by undergoing two overdue procedures. The cyclist had surgery on her rotator cuff and had an electrocardiogram implanted to monitor her heart. “That was the positive aspect about last year and the pandemic,” she says. “That and I also found love.”

Sereda and her partner Samantha recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. The athlete says “she has been wonderful, amazing partner and supporter.”

The cyclist will depart for Tokyo Aug. 22 and will race between Aug. 31 and Sept. 3 at Mount Fuji Speedway. The Paralympics are expected to air in the U.S. via NBCUniversal after the network announced its record 1,200 of programming for the games in February.

“Being military, I’ve always represented the country,” Sereda says. “I’m also competitive as an athlete and person, so competing for the U.S. is just something I’ve always wanted to do. Representing my country when I was in the military, but also now going to the games, it’s a dream come true.”

Visit Paralympic.org to learn more about this year’s games. To learn more about Team USA and Monica Sereda, visit TeamUSA.org. For sponsorship opportunities, email Monica.Sereda@gmail.com.

6th Annual Masquerade

Saturday, July 31, 2021 Tampa River Center For more information and to purchase tickets and sponsorships visit MyEPICMasquerade.org Proceeds benefit EPIC (Empath Partners in Care)

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July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

EPIC a member of

11

state news

State of Gratitude awards third grant

‘Double suicide’ at Versace’s former mansion

shot him twice in the head at unanswered and were not returned. point-blank range.

In two instances, family members Following a massive nationwide said they didn’t want to speak. manhunt that lasted nine days, Police cleared up a few details to ORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. | the Herald July 15, stating “both men Cunanan, 27, killed himself in a Two men apparently killed Tomás Diniz Santos houseboat where he had been were shot in the head in the hotel’s themselves, police said, in hiding several miles from the ‘Villa Suite,’ indicating an apparent a suite at the Miami Beach hotel mansion. His death left authorities double suicide, or murder/suicide.” that Gianni Versace turned into his tate of Gratitude awarded its third grant to Christian with few answers to what motivated “I don’t know the order or mansion, nearly 24 years to the day Douglas Rosales of Miami, Florida, last month. his killing spree. sequence,” police department after the fashion designer died on State of Gratitude, which was started in 2020 “There was no suicide note and spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez the building’s front steps.

by Christopher Bilyk, is fashion-forward streetwear and no correspondence to reflect why he told the Herald.

Their bodies were found by activewear that aims to serve as a reminder to “live in committed the crimes,″ then-Miami Police made no mention of a housekeeping July 14, the eve of the a perpetual state of gratitude.” The company takes a Beach Police Chief Richard Barreto motive and made no indication that anniversary of Versace’s slaying by a portion of its proceeds to pay out $500 grants to those said at the time. a suicide note was found, according suspected serial killer. A preliminary who are in recovery needing assistance. The $500 grant In the mid-1990s, along to the Herald. They also made no investigation ruled it “an apparent was first awarded in August 2020. with Giorgio Armani, Versace indication whether the location double suicide,” Miami Beach “Rosales is an inspiration and serves as an was considered Italy’s leading or the Versace murder itself had spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said exemplary example of someone who has been able to ready-to-wear designer and a any connection to the deaths of in an email July 15. turn their life into a source of hope and inspiration for symbol of Italian fashion.

Rashap and Gross.

The scene at the Casa Casuarina others looking to follow his path,” Bilyk said. “We are The Casa Casuarina was built Versace was gunned down on was contained to the suite, and truly grateful to be able to award Rosales with these in 1930 and was divided into the morning of July 15, 1997, as detectives are still investigating funds and reward a truly deserving individual.” apartments when Versace bought he returned home from the News the deaths of Adam Rashap, 31, Good Morning Dylan, and converted the property in 1992.

Cafe, a few blocks down Ocean of Randolph, New Jersey, and For more information on the grant recipient or to purchase merch from I signed a new advertiser, and he'll be running an 1/8 page ad for 26 issues, and will Alexander need his ad to be created.

We initially agreed a horizontal orientation, but he seems very open to whatever options we recommend.

Based on our conversation earlier, let's start with the horizontal per the insertion order, and go from there.

It has operated asorientation a boutique hotel Drive.

Andrew Cunanan, who was Gross, 30, oftoYork, State of Gratitude, visit their website at StateOfGratitudeUSA.com.

Artwork elements have been moved and organized into: since 2015. suspected of killing four gay men Pennsylvania, police said.

C:\Data\Editorial\Master Ad Folder\Customer Files\R\Romeo's Sensation\Artwork Elements from Minneapolis to New Jersey, According to the Miami Herald, I took the liberty of organizing the text-blurbs he sent over as best I could. You have full creative-license on this to help his business shine, and you're free to pick and choose from the information and images provided. Thanks Dylan! some calls to their families went Company Name:

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Wire and Staff Reports

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Additional descriptions from the owner: Specializing in trauma, identity, and sex, Romeo’s Sensation LLC aims to provide culturally competent, diverse, and affirming services to all. We focus on addressing the entire you – physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual.

We offer English and Spanish services. We take insurance and offer sliding scales for folks who are unable to pay full cost out of pocket. We work with individuals, couples and consensually non-monogamous folks of all genders, races and backgrounds.

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In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011

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July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

AT THE DOOR

nation+world news

USAID denies funding conversion therapy Prince Chingarande of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association A six-month investigation conducted by openDemocracy found multiple aid-funded health facilities in three African countries have been administering conversion therapy.

“Health facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have provided, or provided referrals for, controversial anti-gay ‘conversion therapy’ to ‘quit’ same-sex attraction,” said openDemocracy in a statement.

In an article that highlights their findings, openDemocracy reports that a receptionist at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda’s largest public hospital and HIV clinic for marginalized and most-at-risk populations, said that an undercover reporter’s 17-year-old gay brother could “quit” his same-sex attraction.

The receptionist also referred the undercover reporter to a former patient who she claimed was no

longer gay and gave the reporter the patient’s phone number.

Mulago, like a number of health facilities in Africa, receives foreign aid and funding from organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Global Fund, PEPFAR and the U.K.-based NGO MSI Reproductive Choices.

OpenDemocracy reports the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau network received more than $1 million from USAID between 2019 and April 2021. It remains uncertain whether the specific hospitals identified in investigations received any of this money.

The donors in response to the investigation’s findings have committed to launching a separate investigation into the health facilities and taking action against so-called conversion therapy practices they are administrating.

“We strongly condemn this harmful, unethical practice, which goes against everything we stand for as an organization,” an MSI Reproductive Choices spokesperson told openDemocracy.

“We are grateful for all

safeguarding concerns raised and thank openDemocracy for their investigation.”

MSI Reproductive Choices also receives millions in aid from the British government and other international donors to specifically provide health services to marginalized communities, including gay men and transgender people.

A USAID spokesperson in a statement said the agency “does not fund or promote anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy.”

“The United States government, through staff at the U.S. Embassy in Uganda, has engaged leadership of the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau and the Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) Uganda concerning the allegations cited,” said the spokesperson. “IDI subgrants to the Most At Risk Populations Initiative (MARPI) clinic in Kampala, with U.S. funding.”

The USAID spokesperson added that officials from the U.S. Embassy in Uganda “emphasized the need to ensure support for key populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.”

The Communist Party decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but LGBTQ citizens and other minorities still face discrimination.

While there is more public discussion of such issues, some LGBTQ activities have been blocked by authorities.

The official attitude is increasingly strict, the founder of the LGBTQ group said.

Contents of the WeChat accounts, which included personal stories and photos of group events, were erased, according to the group’s founder.

The former operator of a different group for university students, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, called the step a devastating blow.

University officials asked students two months ago to shut down LGBTQ social media groups or to avoid mentioning their school names, according to the LGBT group founder.

She said universities in the eastern province of Jiangsu were told by officials to investigate groups for women’s rights and sexual minorities to “maintain stability.”

The U.S. said it was concerned the WeChat accounts had been deleted while merely expressing views and exercising freedom of speech.

“We oppose the use of network restrictions to suppress freedom of expression online,” whether in China or anywhere else, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington.

Surveys suggest there are about 70 million LGBTQ people in China, or about 5% of the population, according to state media.

Some groups have organized film festivals and other public events, but those have dwindled.

One of the most prominent, Shanghai Pride, canceled events last year and scrapped future plans without explanation after 11 years of operation.

China’s legislature received suggestions from the public about legalizing same-sex marriage two years ago, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. However, it gave no indication whether legislators might take action.

social media giant WeChat deletes LGBTQ accounts Wire Report

China’s most popular social media service has deleted accounts on LGBTQ topics run by university students and nongovernment groups, prompting concern the ruling Communist Party is tightening control over LGBTQ content.

WeChat sent account holders a notice they violated rules but gave no details, according to the founder of an LGBTQ group, who asked not to be identified further out of fear of possible official retaliation. She said dozens of accounts were shut down, all at about 10 p.m. on July 6.

It wasn’t clear whether the step was ordered by Chinese authorities, but it comes as the ruling party tightens political controls and tries to silence groups that might criticize its rule.

WeChat’s operator, Tencent Holding Ltd., confirmed it received an email seeking comment but didn’t immediately respond.

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in other news BOSTON PRIDE SHUTS DOWN After 50 years, the longtime organizers of Boston’s Pride parade have shut down. Boston Pride announced its decision to dissolve with a statement posted to its website July 9. The group had recently faced criticism and calls for action for excluding racial minorities and transgender people. “It is clear to us that our community needs and wants change without the involvement of Boston Pride,” the group’s Board of Directors wrote in the statement. “We care too much to stand in the way.” The advocacy group MassEquality called the dissolution a loss for the community but predicted that a new organization will take over the work of organizing the parade.

CHICAGO STADIUM SUED OVER SLURS Four men are suing Chicago’s Soldier Field, the Bears’ home stadium, for being subjected to anti-LGBTQ slurs during a 2019 game. The incident took place in during the CONCACAF Gold Cup championship match between the U.S. and Mexico. They say stadium personnel did “nothing” to stop the slurs. According to the suit filed July 6, fans were shouting “puto,” which has been used as a homophobic slur in Spanish. It is estimated that “tens of thousands” joined in on the chant. The suit also advises the Illinois Dept. of Human Rights investigated the incident and found Soldier Field guilty of violating Chicago’s Human Rights Act.

ISRAEL RULES FOR COUPLES The Israeli Supreme Court ruled July 11 that same-sex couples and single men must be allowed to have a child via surrogate. The court rejected the government’s current position that allowing same-sex couples and single men to have a child via surrogate was “unfeasible,” directing officials to change the law within six months. “The High Court ruling is a historic milestone in our struggle for equality,” Israeli LGBTQ advocacy group The Aguda said in a statement. “This tremendous achievement gives us the strength to continue to fight until full equality of rights for all members and members of the proud community in all areas of life.”

PAKISTAN OPENS 1ST TRANS SCHOOL Pakistan opened its first government-run school for students who are transgender July 8 in Multan, promising to set up more such schools in the future.

It was established by the educational department in Punjab province and opened its doors with 18 students. “We have provided them everything that is required” for their schooling, tweeted Punjab’s education minister. He said he hopes the school will help transgender youth get better job opportunities in life. In Pakistan, trans people are often forced into dangerous professions. That started to change in 2019 when the country’s Supreme Court designated transgender people as a third gender.

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

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July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

viewpoint

Grace Korley

Intersectional

Advocate I

One Year Later n response to several

widely covered police killings last year, support for Black Lives Matter surged among white Americans. Their new interest in racism sent books, documentaries, shows and films about racial injustice from the periphery into the mainstream.

Infographics and TikToks about apprehending racism trended on social media for months at a time.

For the first time in decades, it looked as though Americans were on the cusp of realizing great change within the racial justice movement – and then it stopped.

It happened gradually, but markedly. What happened, and why? Perhaps we have difficulty empathizing with those whose experiences vary from our own. As a graduate student in mental health counseling, I cannot help but view this phenomenon from an evolutionary psychology standpoint.

Our ability to empathize with those who look like us and inability to sustainably do so for those who do not is an evolutionary adaptation. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, humans adapted to recognize in-group members as same and out-group members as others. It’s unlikely that humans encountered different races during evolutionary history, thus, we don’t have adaptations specific to our contemporary concept of race.

Whether you attribute it to evolution or media coverage wrought with increasingly violent imagery, it’s clear that many of us are becoming desensitized to hearing or reading about acts of violent crime.

Not only have Americans returned to their normal lives, a poll by political scientists Jennifer Chudy and Hakeem Jefferson show that white support for Black Lives Matter is now lower than it was in January 2020,

before Breonna Taylor and George Floyd were killed by the police.

For myself and others who work in varying levels of social justice advocacy, this is a devastating blow. While I recognize that progress often isn’t linear, I wonder how long it will take for the racial justice movement to come back from this.

Racial justice isn’t just another political issue. It intersects with issues such as freedom of education, feminism, queer and gender justice, and the anti-capitalist movement.

If one stands for any of these ideals, one must stand for racial justice. While we cannot choose what circumstances we are born into, we can choose how we show up for ourselves and advocate on behalf of others.

I feel strongly about these issues because they affect my life and those of my loved ones on a deeply personal level. Anti-racism – whether anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-indigenous or fill-in-blank – is a human rights issue. It is a matter of a safety, and in many cases, life or death.

People of color don’t get to leave their race at the front door. It’s something we are constantly reminded of and must always maintain awareness of for the sake of our safety.

This time last year, I marched in the streets for racial justice alongside white allies. I watched them mobilize and memorize information about being an ally to share with others.

The air was electric with the promise of change. I had so many feelings. I was angry, sad, realistically optimistic, but not entirely hopeful.

I think I knew better than to be hopeful, even then. I don’t place blame on anyone or anything for the way things turned out. As the world has slowly reopened since COVID-19 lockdown, white allies have returned to other priorities. Anti-racism has taken a back seat

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because it does not explicitly affect their lives.

I believe the racial reckoning truly lost its momentum when white Americans realized that “doing the work “meant more than following a hashtag or reading a book on practicing anti-racism. Doing

Doing the work is exhausting, but it is rewarding. It will pay off, even if it sometimes takes time. It means greater or more widespread understanding, and meeting what we do not understand with openness and kindness rather than with fear

difference between asking a question from a place of genuine curiosity and asking a question with the intent to make someone else feel different.

Be intentional with what you say and how you say it. When possible, call on others to be curious as well.

Racial justice isn’t just another political issue. the work of anti-racism is a lifelong learning practice.

It lost momentum because “doing the work” is hard and often uncomfortable. It asks one to place their ego aside, unlearn what they have been conditioned to know, and ask questions about something they may not fully understand. You many sometimes get it wrong – and that’s ok. Keep doing the work!

or violence.

One simple thing you can do to be a social justice advocate is ask “why.”

Instead of ignoring or shying away from someone or something you do not understand, be curious.

Find out why, either by looking it up or by politely asking the source. If you choose not to, be aware of what thought patterns are standing in your way.

Learn to recognize the

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

A wise person once said that conflict often stems from a lack of understanding.

Seeking to better understand our differences enables us to find the humanity in any person or situation.

Grace Korley is a lifelong activist and volunteer with Sarasota’s Harvey Milk Festival, where she is collaborating to bring greater visibility to LGBTQ+ people of color. She lives in Winter Park and is working toward a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

17

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July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

talking points [T]he moment my name was announced, I just screamed and I broke. And my mom grabbed me. She kind of like flung me around. I gave her a hug. She swung me around a little bit. And I just remember falling into my boyfriend’s arms and just crying.

—“Pose’s” Mj Rodriguez in an interview after becoming the first trans performer to be Emmy nominated in a lead acting category

Tyler Posey comes out as sexually fluid

1LGBTQinyouth4 identify as

I

n a recent interview with NME magazine, Tyler Posey revealed that his girlfriend Phem has helped him realize he is queer and sexually fluid.

The “Teen Wolf” star said that his girlfriend has been his biggest supporter

nonbinary.

since they started dating in February. The 29-year-old also said that it’s the “best relationship” he’s ever been in. “[Phem] helped me realize that I fit under the

queer umbrella and that I’m sexually fluid, I guess,” Posey told NME magazine,

While often grouped under the umbrella term of

quickly correcting himself, “No, not ‘I guess,’ I don’t want anyone to take this

[interview] and be like: ‘Well, he was kind of wishy-washy about it.’” In October,

Posey opened an OnlyFans account and was accused of “gay-baiting” for doing so.

The up-and-coming platform is where the actor first came out as sexually fluid.

“transgender,”

‘Pose’ earns 9 Emmy noms for final season

“P

Faye Dunaway joins Kevin Spacey in film

ose” left the ballroom with a clutch of Emmy nominations when they were announced July 13. The groundbreaking FX show about ballroom culture in the 1980s and ’90s ended its third and final season with a total of nine nominations, including acting nods for Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez — the first trans performer up for a major acting Emmy — and a best drama series nomination, its second.

The series from creators Steven Canals and Ryan Murphy made history with its historic casting of transgender actors to play trans characters. The series took on transphobia, racism and the AIDS epidemic. The Emmy Awards will air live on CBS Sept. 19.

A

ctress Faye Dunaway is confirmed for Italian actor-director Franco Nero’s film, “The Man Who Drew God,” which also features disgraced actor Kevin Spacey in his first role since 2017 when accusations of sexual assault against him came to light. Spacey came out as gay in his response to the allegations. The film, which Nero also stars, is about a blind artist who can draw people from their voice and is wrongly accused of sexually abusing a child.

When asked about the controversy of casting Spacey, Nero said he felt it was actually good for the promotion of the film. “The Man Who Drew God” is expected to be released in September.

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Melissa Etheridge releases new music

M

elissa Etheridge has released the second single from her highly anticipated upcoming album, “One Way Out.” The single, “For The Last Time,” as well as the first single that she released on May 25, “No Way Out,” are both part of a collection of music on the album written by the songwriter in the late ’80s and early ‘90s. “Finally recording and releasing a song about my frustrations with my relationship in the ’90s is very cathartic for me.

That ‘For The Last Time’ rocks so hard is just the icing on the cake,” Etheridge said. Etheridge’s new album, “One Way Out,” will be out Sept. 17.

only 50% of

youth who identify

as nonbinary also identify as

transgender.

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

—The Trevor Project study

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July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

Gay illusionists showcase their authentic acts

T

Ryan Williams-Jent

he Westcar Papyrus was

discovered in the early 1800s, an ancient Egyptian text that historians have dated between the 18th and 16th centuries B.C. It documents improbable acts performed by the civilization’s most mysterious members.

One such tale was that of Dedi, a commoner widely considered by some to be one of the first-recorded illusionists.

Described as a 110-year-old man capable of eating 500 loaves of bread and drinking 100 jars of beer each day, he

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could allegedly tame wild lions on command and even “mend a severed head.”

Dedi was summoned by the Pharoah Khufu, who sought sorcery in the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. After convincing the ruler it would be immoral to execute a prisoner for his act, he utilized three animals to showcase his talents, “beheading” and “resurrecting” them before his eyes.

Whether fact or fiction, similar accounts of Egyptians utilizing misdirection and mechanics to accomplish the

impossible are supported by historical evidence. Priests and magicians utilized their tricks of the trade to curry favor with pharaohs, influence their subjects and create dazzling deceptions for each.

Similar feats have been celebrated ever since, evolving into the modern performance art we see today.

From Vaudeville to Vegas, dynamic duos like Siegfried and Roy and Penn and Teller as well as stage sensations

Continued on pg. 23 | uu |

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

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showtime staple: Illusionist Nick Comis (R) prepares to saw an audience member in half. Photo via nick comis

| uu | Perfect Illusion from pg. 21

like David Copperfield, Harry Houdini and Karl Germain have amazed audiences for more than a century.

It was Germain who credited the industry’s authenticity for its longevity. “Magic is the only honest profession,” he shared.

“A magician promises to deceive you and he does.”

Be that as it may, openly gay illusionists in Central Florida and Tampa Bay have proven for years that even in deception, they can still be true to themselves. We spoke with three of these magic men – Central Florida’s Nick Comis of “Nick’s Parlor Tricks” and husbands Chris and Ryan Zubrick of Tampa Bay’s incoming Zubrick Magic Theatre – about their authentic acts.

SOLO STAR

“The magic’s not real, but we want to have real interactions,” Comis says. “When I pull someone on stage, I’m not just reading the script. I want to be a genuine person and I want to get to know them. The experience becomes more about those interactions.

“If you’re putting up the additional facade, it’s even harder to live truthfully in those circumstances,” he continues. “It makes you a better performer if you can connect with your audience.”

The 37-year-old illusionist, a North Carolina native who’s called Orlando home for more than a decade, has worked to make those connections professionally since he was 21. That’s when he created his first magic show in a small, independent casino in Nevada.

Comis had moved there to attend college, drawn to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) for its hospitality program centering on entertainment.

“After high school I decided to focus on magic,” he says. “I took all of UNLV’s related classes in the first year and after that, quit to start working for different

to the National Association for Campus Activities.

The organization works to provide engaging entertainment to transform the college experience for students across the country. Showcasing his work led the illusionist to form a traveling show and tour the nation.

“I moved back to the East Coast and started doing my magic show at different colleges and universities,” Comis recalls.

One such show was called “Dangerous Magic,” in which he sought to engage audiences by performing large-scale illusions in non-traditional spaces, a specialty of his.

fan-tastic: Comis utilizes an oversized fan for an illusion. Photo via nick comis

of hand,” it continues. “You will wonder how this is possible as he reads your mind. And you will fear for his safety as he has 40 seconds to escape from a 1,000-pound rack of falling spikes.”

Seeking to perform more consistently, Comis eventually moved to Orlando to find theme park work. He was hired at Universal Studios, where he’s been developing his skills with animatronics and more ever since.

“I work in technical services,” he explains, “and so I have different disciplines now than what I had beforehand with rigging; what’s okay, what’s

The magic’s not real, but we want to have real interactions … If you’re putting up the additional facade, it’s even harder to live truthfully in those circumstances.

— Central Florida illusionist Nick Comis

production companies.”

Also a DJ, Comis’ love for illusion has always extended to the industry’s use of the stage, specifically its lighting and sound. After college, he worked diligently to enhance his technical understanding of each.

“I used my relationships working for other shows to create my own,” Comis says.

The casino he was working in ultimately closed, but his experiences introduced him

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“Nick Comis connects with audiences by combining classic magic with a contemporary twist,” the illusionist’s official biography reads. “By combining comedy, amazing lighting, mesmerizing projections and unbelievable magic, Nick immerses the audience in a full theatrical show that will leave you stunned and amazed.

“During his performance you will question your senses as he deceives you with sleight

not okay. When you have professional experience and you maintain respect for these things, your shows are going to be safe.”

Safety is paramount when you perform tricks called “The Table of Death.” Strapped down to its namesake, Comis has to escape before he’s impaled by lowering spikes.

“It’s crazy, because you do this trick on stage and you have to put a lot of work into

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making it seem dangerous,” he explains. “I think when people are sitting in the audience and they’re seeing something on the stage, they really just think it’s completely safe.”

Comis stresses that some of the real danger lies in the preparation.

“If you watch us assemble this prop, it’s almost more dangerous transporting and setting this thing up than it is actually doing it,” he says. “It takes four guys to lift it straight up in the air, and then there’s the rigging and back and forth with cables. There are a lot of things you can’t miss in order for it to be safe.”

It’s in “Nick’s Parlor Tricks” – Comis’ most recent show in Orlando – that the illusionist sought to combine the most successful elements of his Vegas and touring productions.

Variations of his act were performed at numerous venues including Parliament House, the Orlando Fringe Festival and Sleuth’s Dinner Theater.

“When I went to Sleuth’s, that took me down to being a one-man show, just me and a table,” Comis says. “That was more intimidating than doing large-scale escapes because it was just me. It started off once a week, then it was twice and then I was doing four days. It made me a better performer.”

Comis worked at the theater for more than five years, a period which he credits for

Continued on pg. 25 | uu |

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making the magic: Chris (L) and Ryan Zubrick take the stage at Zubrick Magic Theatre. Photo by dylan todd

| uu | Perfect Illusion from pg. 23

significant personal and professional growth. It was during that time that he began taking acting courses, another step to strengthen his rapport with audiences.

The experience introduced him to the Meisner Technique, the three tenets of which are emotional preparation, repetition and improvisation.

The courses not only enhanced his presence onstage, though he laughs as he says he’s “still not a good actor,” the technique encouraged Comis to strengthen his authenticity under the spotlight.

Orlando’s Theater on the Edge and its Truthful Acting Studios also helped.

The educational program stresses that “thinking has no place in acting. It is a matter of the heart.”

“Their definition of acting is living truthfully in an imaginary

circumstance,” Comis says.

“That’s what a magician does.”

While COVID-19 shutdowns prevented a planned expansion of “Nick’s Parlor Tricks,” Comis knows that when and wherever his show returns he’ll bring every aspect of himself.

“Being gay isn’t a part of my

good enough – living truthfully in imaginary circumstances, magicians want to do that too.”

PERFECT PAIR

When it comes to marriage, Chris and Ryan Zubrick know how to keep the magic alive. The

authentic act: Above, the Zubricks perform overseas. Below, their new

St. Petersburg home. photos respectively via zubrick magic theatre and by dylan todd

to their newfound personal and professional partnership.

Ryan, 35, first fell in love with the craft at the age of six, when he received a magic set for his birthday from his grandparents. He was being paid for his ever-improving efforts by age 10.

After a year like 2020, people need magic in their lives.

This is the perfect time to open a theater and it’s a perfect time to come and see a magic show.

— Tampa Bay illusionist Chris Zubrick

show, it’s not something I talk about,” he says. “But I’m not pretending to be someone that I’m not. My being out and being comfortable with who I am allows me to be honest with who I am onstage.

“If you’re worried about other issues, they’re going to get in the way,” Comis stresses.

“You don’t have to pretend to be someone else in order to be

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illusionists-turned-husbands met in 2005 when they were double-booked for a show, said “I do” by 2013 and welcomed their son Oliver four years later.

Prior to fatherhood, the Michigan natives combined their acts and toured the U.S. together, an ideal scenario for the pair. Each of them brought their lifelong passion for magic

“I was performing at banquets and family reunions, making $100 or $200,” he recalls. “It was a big deal at that age.”

Similarly, Chris discovered a magic trick in a box of cereal as a child. “That was the magic bug that bit me,” he says. The 39-year-old performer says even then, “I knew it was what

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I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

He now does so beside his husband. When the duo made the decision to merge their acts, he says, “we each had our own illusions independent of each other and it was easy to combine them.”

It was also “easy personality wise,” he notes. “I was doing more of the comedy magic, he was doing more of the manipulation classics of magic, if you will. We blended well together on stage and our shows did as well.”

Audiences agreed. The pair soon found themselves overseas, performing during a tenure that lasted 13 years and more than 7,500 shows. It began in Saipan, the U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific when they accepted a two-year contract.

That evolved into a seven and a half year stay before they were asked to move their act to a larger theater in nearby Guam.

The subsequent residency

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| uu | Perfect Illusion from pg. 25

lasted five years, and they performed for more than two million people before the pandemic shut the theater down in March of last year.

The closure created an opportunity for the Zubricks to find a new home – the newly remodeled Zubrick Magic Theatre in St. Petersburg, opening July 29. The 90-seat venue will offer their unique brand of illusion three days per week, with opportunities for private matinees and more.

“The Zubrick Magic Theatre is a sophisticated live entertainment venue and the performance is appropriate for people of all ages,” the venture is officially described.

“An intimate and unforgettable evening of magical entertainment fits the bill for date night, an opportunity to escape reality with a group of friends or the chance to seek a mind-boggling activity the whole family can enjoy together.”

As for its content, audiences can expect the Zubricks to “conjure up an exhilarating blend of sleight-of-hand, family-friendly comedy and breathtaking grand-scale illusions in a 70-minute performance that captures the hearts and imaginations of multi-generational audiences.”

“It’s been a dream of ours to open a theater,” Chris says. “When you look at the word show business, business is the larger word; it takes the most effort.

But the reward comes at night when we get to be on stage, finally perform and relax.”

“That’s the easy part,” Ryan muses. Less of a risk taker, he notes that while he took more convincing than his husband to open the space, “it really is so much more rewarding

than working for another company.”

The process of finding the venue began on a cross-country tour that spanned 26 states. The Zubricks took a sabbatical during their time overseas and bought an RV to travel with their son from coast to coast.

“We stopped at all of the major tourist destinations to find our forever home,” Chris says.

“When we came through and stopped in St. Pete, it just clicked. It checked all of our boxes.”

The area was a tourist destination, had great weather and was undoubtedly LGBTQ-friendly, he explains. “That was important because we wanted to raise our son in a place that was safe.”

“We really have just fallen in love with it,” Ryan says.

The Zubricks hope that audiences will fall in love with their show and the new space in return. Chris says that they intend to “keep it fresh, not only for our returning customers but also for ourselves. We also want to do seasonal shows to add in some holiday magic.”

“We have a decent repertoire of routines and illusions that we hope to rotate in and out,” Ryan adds. “We want to present as much as possible, not just come out and do 70 minutes of card tricks. We want you to experience the production value.”

The Zubricks worked diligently to ensure that the experience was everything they wanted for audiences. They assembled every chair in the theater while building the risers they sit upon and the stage they face.

They also hung the speakers and lighting, the latter of which was programmed by Ryan. The illusionist studied technical theater in college.

“When we took this on it was a concrete slab,” Chris reflects. “A four-wall concrete slab.

But we just stood in here alone and envisioned how this would go.”

Or as Ryan notes – in true magical form – “we just pretended.”

“It’s been a labor of love,” Chris says. “This show is theatrical in nature. It’s experiential, not just a sit-and-watch show. The audience actively becomes a part of it. There’s comedy, there’s drama and there’s suspense.”

There are also large-scale illusions – but it’s the intimacy Ryan may be looking forward to the most.

“One of the things we weren’t able to do overseas is tell our stories,” he says. “Our audiences primarily spoke Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Russian, so we weren’t able to speak a lot during the shows because of language barriers.

I’m craving this kind of experience.”

It’s an experience open to all, one led by two men who see the magic in sharing their truth. “We made a very conscious decision that we wanted to live authentically, primarily because we wanted our son to realize that he could live his life authentically,” Chris notes.

“This is the perfect time to open a theater and it’s a perfect time to come and see a magic show,” he continues. “It’s time to come and experience live entertainment together as a group. After a year like 2020, people need magic in their lives.”

Learn more about Nick Comis, “Nick’s Parlor Tricks,” future Central Florida shows and other performance opportunities by calling 702-203-1883, emailing NickComisIllusionist@Gmail.com or visiting NickComis.com.

Zubrick Magic Theatre opens July 29 at 1211 1st Ave. N., Ste. 101 in St. Petersburg. The Box office is open Thurs.-Sat., 6-8:30 p.m., and performances are held Thurs.-Sat. at 7 p.m. General admission for 4+ is $40 and VIP packages are available for $117.

Tickets and additional details are available at ZubrickMagic.com.

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TICKETS AVAILABLE

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arts and Entertainment

Making Magic Fifth annual Tampa International Fringe Festival returns to form

(above)

fringe favorite:

Cabaret headliner Vulva Va-Voom leads “A Rocky, Whorish Patter Show” for this year’s Tampa Fringe.

Photo courtesy vulva va-voom

T

Ryan Williams-Jent

he Tampa International

Fringe Festival (TIFF) is more than Ybor’s home for eclectic, independent theater. It’s also a thriving community.

Founded in 2016, TIFF seeks to promote inclusivity and encourage creative freedom in the arts, all while giving 100% of its base ticket sales back to the artists performing in the 10-day festival. After holding a virtual festival last year

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

due to COVID-19, its fifth annual celebration will return closer to form July 29-Aug. 8.

“Last year we built a 3D model of Ybor that people could explore online and virtually go into venues,” Festival Producer Trish

Parry recalls. “It was nice for the more hardcore Fringers to still have some means by which to come together.”

TIFF also utilized funding they’d received prior to postponing and later restructuring the festival to provide artists with stipends.

Their efforts which extended to recording sessions at Crowbar, event venue which temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

Continued on pg. 31 | uu |

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| uu | Making Magic from pg. 29

Three shows by local performers were filmed.

“We tried to keep supporting the artists however we could,” Parry says.

This year, the festival is excited to do so in front of live audiences. Described as “smaller but still mighty,” TIFF’s fifth annual outing will consist of 14 companies presenting more than 70 performances in three spaces at the Hillsborough Community College Ybor’s Performing Arts Building. They’ll perform in its Mainstage Theater, Studio Theater and Rehearsal Hall.

In conjunction with HCC, TIFF will adhere to a number of precautions to ensure the safety of guests.

“Having seen Tampa theatre come back to life in the past few months,” the festival shares, “we are determined to create a COVID-safe environment where you can indulge in the arts as you have in the past.”

Non-vaccinated patrons are asked to wear masks and all staff

and volunteers will mask when not socially distanced. The festival notes that guidelines are subject to change as the pandemic and local safety precautions evolve.

“It’s smaller this year, there are about half the number of shows, but because they’re in one building instead of multiple this year, we’re able to navigate the traffic in relation to COVID,” Parry adds.

The reduction in scale also inspired this year’s magical makeover. The building will be transformed into a magical grotto, billed “an escape from the usual in Tampa” that’s inspired by classical fantasy art and more.

While the venue is dry, it will include Babayaga’s Refreshment Hut, the Temple to the Chicken and more.

“We’re turning it into this crazy environment,” Parry promises. “We’ll have really cool concessions and props that we’re building. There will also be some free entertainment inside the building. It’s really going to be a magical grotto.”

While this year’s lineup is a more curated list than in years prior, a lingering effect of the pandemic, it will remain

LGBTQ-inclusive. In fact, TIFF expanded its diversity lottery to specifically include LGBTQ artists.

“This year the Diversity Category is divided into three categories to ensure inclusivity,” its application for performers reads.

“LGBTQ+, Ethnicity & Accessibility.

These will be drawn before the general lottery. Those who do not get pulled in this drawing with be put back in the pot for the general lottery.”

Parry notes that while the TIFF has never “suffered from a lack of LGBTQ artists,” they felt it was an important effort. She says “we want to be as inclusive as possible.”

Four of this year’s shows are LGBTQ-focused or produced, three of which stem from Tampa Bay and Central Florida. Offerings begin with the Tampa-based Vulva Va-Voom’s “A Rocky, Whorish, Patter Show.”

Its creator, who is bi-gender and pansexual, draws inspiration from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for the cabaret act.

“When I went from my conservative mid-90s environment to a midnight showing of ‘Rocky,’ I saw flesh and blood people – not essays in a library book – living out

gender non-conformity,” they say.

“And the kid who had felt like an unacceptable boy/girl freak their entire life felt, for the first time ever, accepted and seen.”

The performer adds that they are “very enthusiastic about fandoms that encourage nerds to fully participate and make unapologetic dorks of themselves.”

The production is rated “enthusiastically R.” Also from Tampa is “PREACH! 2: The Second Coming.” The comedy is a follow-up of artist Scott Swenson’s celebrated one-man show where he promises “another evening of improvised, inappropriate sermons.”

“Returning to live performance, especially with a show as unpredictable as this one, could leave me artistically rejuvenated or beaten to a pulp by an angry mob … or BOTH,” Swenson muses.

“We’ll see.”

“The Little Merman from The Black Lagoon” will swim over from Central Florida.

The fan-favorite hit from Orlando Fringe combines “The Creature from The Black Lagoon” with “The Little Mermaid.”

“I liked playing with the idea of not being defined by your gender,” writer and director Christian Kelty told Watermark last month. The show features a character who doesn’t identity as male or female.

“With the support around you, it’s cool to figure out who you are and what you are and that being okay.”

“Moving The Mountain,” a production from Cincinnati, Ohio, rounds out this year’s more obvious LGBTQ offerings.

The award-winning production featuring a puppet named Edna bills itself as a “comedy piece, shining with authenticity, truth and care.”

Tickets prices vary per production and both three and five packs are available. Guests who wish to see this year’s smaller lineup in its entirety can also purchase The Eliminator Pass.

“We’re really excited about this year,” Parry says. “I think even if people come down and check out the building for free, they’ll be very inspired – and then they’ll end up seeing some shows and getting excited about becoming a part of our community.”

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“A Rocky, Whorish Patter Show” (Tampa, Fla.) Studio Theatre Burlesque | 45 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee

July 29, 7:15-8 p.m.; July 31, 10-10:45 p.m.; Aug. 1, 8:45-9:30 p.m.; Au g. 4, 8:45-+:30 p.m.; Aug. 7, 5:15-6 p.m.; Aug. 8, 7:45-8:30 p.m.

“Trailer Park Jesus” (Ozark, Ala.)

Cabaret headliner Vulva Va-Voom takes you on a strange, oversexed journey. Nerdy! Imaginative!

Multi-media & interactive! This “intellectual burlesque” song ‘n dance, neo-Vaudevillian show examines fandom, fantasy, obsessions and titties.

All Ages (Best Suited 8+) | 40 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee

Mainstage Theatre

July 29, 8:45-9:30 p.m.; July 31, 5-5:45 p.m.; Aug. 4, 7:30-8:15 p.m.; Aug. 6, 8:45-9:30 p.m.; Aug. 7, 5:306:15 p.m.

Musical | 60 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee

“Mrs. Bliss’ Titanic Adventure” (Tampa, Fla.)

July 29, 8:45-9:45 p.m.; July 31, 2:45-3:45 p.m.; Aug. 5, 7-8 p.m; Aug. 6, 10:30-11:30 p.m.; Aug. 7, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 8, 1-2 p.m.

Comedy | 60 Mins | $12 + festival support fee Mainstage Theatre July 29, 7-8 p.m.; July 31, 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Aug. 1, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 7, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 8, 1-2 p.m.

A disillusioned actress is working in a Titanic exhibition when an intriguing stranger lures her into an unreal adventure. Can she avert disaster? And what can possibly go wrong?

“Be A Pirate!”

(Lakeland, Fla.) Studio Theatre

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Join Shaktooth Sam on a rollicking adventure of pirate stories and songs and learn how he became a different kind of pirate rogue. Fun for the family, ages 8 and up.

The Q&A to change your life – with The Savior in his trailer park. Get prepped for double-wide quality prophecy in trade for your single-wide queries! He’s awesome. He’s Jesus, bro.

“Wilson Goes to Grad School” (Tampa, Fla.) Theatre | 60 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee Rehearsal Hall July 29, 10-11 p.m.; July 31, 8-9 pm.; Aug. 5, 8-9 p.m.; Aug. 6, 10-11 p.m.; Aug. 7, 3:45-4:45 p.m.; Aug. 8, 6-7 p.m.

Wilson is shook. What’s a heady cactus to do? Come help him work through the trauma of grad school chaos, COVID seclusion a spiny personality.

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Reach local LGBT communities across the nation.

Start connecting with over a million loyal readers in print and online across the country.

212-242-6863 info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com

Atlanta | Boston | Chicago | Dallas/ Ft Worth | Detroit | Los Angeles | Miami/ Ft Lauderdale | New York | Orlando/Tampa Bay | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Washington DC

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“Cemetery Golf” (Venice, Ca.)

“Moving the Mountain” (Cincinnati, Oh.)

Studio Theatre

Studio Theatre

Storytelling | 60 Mins. | $13 + festival support fee; $7 + festival support fee for students, military

Comedy | 60 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee July 30, 8:45-9:45 p.m.; July 31, 4:30-5:30 p.m.; Aug. 1, 3:45-4:45 p.m.; Aug. 5, 8:45-9:45 p.m.; Aug. 6, 8:45-9:45 p.m.; Aug. 8, 2:45-3:45 p.m.

July 30, 7-8 p.m.; July 31, 8:15-9:15 p.m.; Aug. 1, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 6, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 7, 2-2 p.m.; Aug. 8, 6-7 p.m.

A one-puppet show about what it means to crush your demons and kiss them goodbye. A mountainous puppet (EDNA) is slowly destroyed by puppeteer Abby. Expect nothing but broken expectations.

Live-wire solo performance brings you the Deep South, with preachers shoutin’ from the mountaintops, mamas pickin’ switches and Hellfire just a heartbeat away. Witty insightful storytelling, characters and Gospel music.

“The Little Merman from the Black Lagoon” (Orlando, Fla.) Mainstage Theatre

“PREACH! The Second Coming” (Tampa, Fla.)

Parody | 70 Mins. | $13 + festival support fee

Mainstage Theatre

July 30, 7-8:10 p.m.; July 31, 3-4:10 p.m.; Aug. 1, 8:45-9:55 p.m.; Aug. 7, 3:30-4:40 p.m.; Aug. 8, 7:458:55 p.m.

A group of scientists traveling the Amazon in search of the legendary “Gill-Man” come face to face with Ethyl the Merman and his friends from “under the lagoon.”

Improv | 45 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee July 30, 8:45-9:30 p.m.; 8:15-9 p.m.; Aug. 1, 5:30-6:15 p.m.; Aug. 5, 8:45-9:30 p.m.; Aug. 8, 4:30-5:15 p.m.

2021 marks the return of Scott Swenson’s one man show, “PREACH! The Second Coming, Another Evening of Improvised Inappropriate Sermons.” Go back “to church” for even more offensive oration!

“Can(t) Relate” (Tampa, Fla.)

“Fringin’ and Flagons” (Groveland, Fla.) Rehearsal Hall

Mainstage Theatre

Comedy | 60 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee

Theatre | 60 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee

July 30, 10-11 p.m.; July 31, 6:15-7:15 p.m.; Aug. 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Aug. 6, 8:15-9:15 p.m.; Aug. 7, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 8, 4:15-5:15 p.m.

July 31, 1:15-2:15 p.m.; Aug. 1, 3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m.; Aug. 6, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 7, 1:45-2:45 p.m.; Aug. 8, 2:45-3:45 p.m.

When a high school theatre class is completely quarantined and forced to distance learn, what can a theatre director do to make the class function at any possible level of normality?

Assemble your party, grab your dice and roll initiative as you become the hands of fate that can aid or doom our heroes in this hilarious D&D impov Comedy Show!

“The Sack: A Superhero Play” (Palm Harbor, Fla.) Studio Theatre Satire | 60 Mins. | $10 + festival support fee Aug. 1, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Aug. 4, 7-8 p.m.; Aug. 7, 8:45-9:45 p.m.; Aug. 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Spyn Isaac was a nobody until he discovered he had the ability to redirect projectiles aimed at him. Watch him reenact his rise to a superhero while playing every character!

“The 500 List” (Houston, Tx.) Music Storytelling | 65 Mins. | $12 + festival support fee Mainstage Theatre July 31, 10-11:05 p.m.; Aug. 1, 2-3:05 p.m.; Aug. 5, 7-8:05 p.m.; Aug. 7, 8:45-9:50 p.m.; Aug. 8, 6-7:05 p.m.

In this award winning musical piece, two best friends listen to each others’ 500 favorite songs of all time and drive across America, learning about friendship, danger and love.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The fifth annual Tampa International Fringe Festival will be held July 29-Aug. 8 at the HCC Performing Arts Building, located at 1411 E. 11th Ave. in Tampa.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit TampaFringe.org.

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www.NationsLandscaping.com

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comedy

Real Laughs

Real Radio’s Sabrina Ambra and Rauce Padgett hit the stage with ‘We Come To You’ comedy tour

(above)

Dynamic Duo:

Real Radio’s Sabrina Ambra (L) and Rauce Padgett on stage.

Photos courtesy Ambra/Padgett

S

Tomás Diniz Santos

abrina Ambra is the co-host of

“The News Junkie” show on Real Radio 104.1 weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and co-host of “The Demo Show” on iHeartRadio. The stand-up comedian is a University of Central Florida alumna with a bachelor’s in radio and television.

Rauce Padgett is an award-winning stand-up comedian who’s opened up for comics like Demetri Martin and Jo Koy. Videos on his YouTube channel have amassed over four million views.

The “comedy alien,” as he’s known on “The Jim Colbert Show,” is on Real Radio 104.1 weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Together, they’ll both be stepping out from their studios and onto the stage as they headline the “We Come to You” comedy tour heading to Ocala July 24 and Leesburg July 31.

“I think the coolest thing about these shows is that Sabrina and I’s styles are vastly different, it’s almost jarring,” Padgett says. “You’re getting

an array of comedy and different types of comedy.”

Ambra is going on four years in the world of being a comic and Padgett has been at it for almost 12 years. Just as their styles of comedy are different, Ambra and Padgett came into the worlds of comedy and radio in very different ways.

“Radio got you into comedy and comedy got me into radio,” Padgett says, speaking to Ambra.

“That’s pretty much it,” Ambra replied. “We’re like a weird ying and yang.”

Padgett’s stand-up career started when he was 20 years old.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“I went to an audition, I got a no and I agreed,” Padgett says.

“I completely understood why they said no. I quickly learned that I have to get on a stage as much as I possibly can for this audition to turn into a yes.

There’s no bigger set of open arms than stand-up comedy and then I fell in love with it.”

Padgett continued to get up on stage, working on his set and eventually becoming Real Radio 104.1’s Monsters in the Morning Comedian of the Year in 2017.

“That’s when we met, that’s when the streams crossed,” Padgett says of meeting Ambra.

“Then he became a talent on Real Radio for ‘The Jim Colbert Show’ and now we’re the best of buds,” Ambra adds.

For Ambra, getting up on that stage for the first time in 2017 came thanks to a comedian friend in radio who had made several attempts to convince her to try stand-up comedy.

“He had pushed for me to try it out but I kept making excuses because it was really intimidating and then finally he was like ‘Hey, this is the last time I’m gonna offer for you to do a showcase and I’m never gonna ask you again.’ So I said ‘Okay,’ then I worked for like a month on my first set, I did it and I loved it,” she says.

“I blacked out on stage from all the adrenaline and a little bit of whiskey, and I was like, ‘Okay I want to keep doing this.’ Now I’ve got my boy Rauce and we have gotten to do a bunch of shows. I’m constantly learning from him which has been really nice.”

The differences in each of Ambra and Padgett’s comedy styles can be seen in the comics who have inspired them over the years. Padgett looks to the likes of like Conan O’Brien and Johnny Carson as inspiration while Ambra has been motivated to get into comedy by the likes of Mitch Hedberg and Amy Schumer.

“I’ve seen Amy Schumer a whole bunch and what I admire about her is that her journey has been very real,” Ambra says. “It got really complicated, thrown in Hollywood and she didn’t

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like it. I got to see her comedy show after she was done with that and she made it seem realistic enough that I’ve wanted even more because I saw her struggle but I saw her come out of that too. I think that it’s inspiring.”

Over the past few years, many famous comics have faced scrutiny from the public over past jokes that were deemed insensitive or morally unacceptable. When asked about their perception of “cancel culture,” Ambra and Padgett say their take on it is just steer clear of jokes that may upset the audience.

“For us, and I feel like Rauce would agree, we avoid it. One because I personally don’t find the jokes that would put you in the ‘cancel culture’ category very funny. But on top of that, the point of stand-up comedy is to entertain people, not to have people be offended. Now, there’s an edge to it, but there’s nuance as well,” Ambra says. “A lot of people are very quick to attack, even without seeing the whole set but there’s also a line that I think as comedians, you shouldn’t cross just because you want to get someone clutching their pearls.”

“I look at it like the audience is gonna let you know how well or how bad you did,” Padgett adds.

“You gotta know your audience and there are some jokes that I know will work out in Ocala and Leesburg and there are some jokes that I just know won’t work in Orlando. One of my commandments of comedy is never blame the audience, even if they are cancelling you. If I ever said something and people groan and get mad then that’s on me. I should have read the room better.”

Following the pandemic-filled year of 2020, both Ambra and Padgett are excited to be performing in front of an audience again and to be seeing laughter across a sea of unmasked faces.

“You can watch TV and that can make you laugh, but there is something absolutely magical about seeing a live performance that you get caught up in the energy of the room,” Padgett says.

Sabrina Ambra and Rauce Padgett’s “We Come to You” comedy tour, presented by Orlando Comedy and Real Radio and featuring special guests Christophe Jean and Joal Warren, heads to the Marion Theatre in Ocala July 24 starting at 8:30 p.m. and the Melon Patch Players Theatre in Leesburg July 31 starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at OrlandoComedy.com.

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community calendar

event planner

arts+entertainment

Central Florida

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Youth Coffee Social

FROGPIG at HÄOS on Church, July 22 & 23, HÄOS on Church, Orlando. 407-203-4099; HAOSOnChurch.com

Saturday, July 31, 1-2:30 p.m.

The Dreka Theater, DeLand Join DeLand Pride as they present their monthly youth social at The Dreka Theater. This social is geared toward LGBTQ and ally preteens and young adults. Come have a cup of coffee or tea, hang out and get to know others in your community. The meet up is casual and with have an open discussion. For more information, visit DeLandPride.org.

Furball Orlando w/ Brent Miline, July 23, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; Facebook.com/Stonewall.

Orlando “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” July 23-25, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org Palaye Royale, July 24, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org “THRIVE: Unplugged,” July 24, CityArts, Orlando. 407-648-7060; DowntownArtsDistrict.com

Savoy vs The Center Employee Turnabout

Be Koz

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

Savoy, Orlando

Dave Koz & Friends: Summer Horns 2021 heads to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater July 30 and the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Aug. 1. Photo from DaveKoz.com

Bruce in the USA, July 24, King Center, Melbourne.

321-424-2219; KingCenter.com

Real Radio’s “We Come To You” Comedy Tour, July 24 & 31, Melon Patch Players, Leesburg. OrlandoComedy.com

Yngwie Malmsteen, July 24, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerd Hall.com

Duke Energy Drone Light Show, July 31, St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg. 727-893-7111; StPete.org

Movie Night: “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” July 25, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Dave Koz & Friends: Summer Horns 2021, Aug. 1, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Legends, July 24, Frescos, Lakeland. 863-683-5267; FrescosLakeland.com

La Lucha’s 80s Jazz Party, July 31, The Palladium, St. Petersburg. 727-822-3590; MyPalladium.org

“[title of show],” July 25, The Abbey, Orlando. 407-704-6103; AbbeyOrlando.com

Movie Night: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, Aug. 5, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org

King Crimson with The California Guitar Trio, July 26, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org Cult Classics: “Easy A,” July 27, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org Kitana Gemini Presents: Trailer Trash Bash, July 29, Southern Nights, Orlando.

407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando

TAMPA BAY Firefall, Orleans and Pure Prairie League, July 23, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Tampa.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerd Hall.com Synia Carroll: Feelin’ Good: Celebrating Nina Simone, July 23, The Palladium, St. Petersburg. 727-822-3590; MyPalladium.org

Richard Gilewitz & Tim May, July 25, The Palladium, St. Petersburg. 727-822-3590; MyPalladium.org Stories We Tell, July 25, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. 727-896-2667; MFAStPete.org Callaboone LIVE at Punky’s, July 29, Punky’s Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg.

727-201-4712; PunkysBar.com Jose Ramirez Band, July 30, The Palladium, St. Petersburg. 727-822-3590; MyPalladium.org Dave Koz & Friends: Summer Horns 2021, July 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Tampa.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerd Hall.com

Drag Queen Bingo, Aug. 3, Punky’s Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg. 727-201-4712; PunkysBar.com Styx, Aug. 5, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerd Hall.com

SARASOTA Master Class: Writing the One-Act Play, July 26, Venice Theatre, Venice. 941-488-1115; VeniceTheatre.org Getting to know ...

Once Upon a Mattress, July 30, Venice Theatre, Venice. 941-488-1115; VeniceTheatre.org ALSO Youth Virtual Variety Show: TOGETHER AGAIN!, July 31, Virtual. 941-951-2576; AlsoYouth.org

Savoy Orlando and the LGBT+ Center Orlando are holding their turnabout event featuring 12 performers.

It will be hosted by George Wallace, The Center’s executive director, and Brandon Bracale-Llewellyn, the owner of Savoy, with all tips benefiting The Center Orlando. The event starts at 7 p.m. with tickets $10 for general admission and $25 for VIP admission. For more information, visit TheCenterOrlando.org.

Tampa Bay HIV Housing Summit Wednesday, July 28, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Thursday, July 29, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Virtual or in-person at EPIC, St. Petersburg Join EPIC as they work together to give HIV-positive Pinellas County residents better access to affordable housing. You can meet online or in-person at EPIC’s St. Petersburg office. All attendees receive a $10 Publix gift card to purchase lunch. Topics include local and state housing updates, HIV housing solutions, panel discussions with clients, landlords and social service providers and more. To register, go to http://StPete.co/unqjk.

6th Annual Masquerade Ball: Showdown Breaking Barriers Saturday, July 31, 7 -11 p.m.

Tampa River Center, Tampa The 6th Annual Masquerade Ball, presented by Balance Tampa Bay and EPIC, bring you a fantastic night of music, dancing, cocktails, bites, auction, friendship and philanthropy. All proceeds support EPIC. For more information, visit MyEPIC.org/ Masquerade.

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

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

www.diversitytampabay.org

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announcements

tampa bay out+about

CONGRATULATIONS Empath Partners in Care (EPIC) has opened its new sexual health center in St. Petersburg. The space is located at 300 49th St. S. in St. Petersburg. Read more and view photos from the new facility at at WatermarkOnline.com.

Entertainer Chi Chi Lalique and Joe Patneaude were married July 10.

GayStPete House owner Brian Longstreth and Sam Xatan announced their engagement on July 19.

Former Salty’s owner J.P. Brewer announced the sale of the Gulfport hotspot July 8. “This is a very bittersweet announcement for me to make,” she shared. “I look forward to serving you at Salty’s Sandwich Bar for some cold beer, good food and good times!”

FILM SERIES The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete is presenting Stories We Tell: LGBTQ Art & Activism July 23-25 in collaboration with the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF). Two documentaries will screen online for $5 and another will screen in person at the museum, which is included with the price of admission. Visit MFAStPete.org/MFA-Film-Series for more information.

FUNDRAISERS Fresh Kitchen shared July 15 that their giveback campaign for Pride Month raised $16,094.80 in guest donations. With the restaurant’s match, they donated $31,094.80 to Equality Florida’s Safe and Healthy Schools program.

Balance Tampa Bay and Empath Partners in Care (EPIC) will present “Showdown: Breaking Barriers” July 31, their sixth Masquerade Ball benefiting EPIC’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Only 200 guests will be permitted to attend this year due to capacity regulations. Balance Tampa Bay and EPIC encourage all attendees to follow current CDC recommendations. Limited tickets remain and are available at MyEPIC.org/Masquerade. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Helping hand Jarrod Ketzler, St. Petersburg sweetheart Natalie Buono, Creative Pinellas chair and journalist David Warner (July 22); St. Pete bear Bob Thayer, Watermark columnist Jason Leclerc, (July 23); Sarasota bartender Noah Guminski (July 25); Auto Advisors St. Pete’s Jerry Dreckman, Prime Timers Sarasota’s Al Doty, Tampa Bay dancer Dustin Goracio Wethington, Equinox’s Brian Darragh (July 26); Tampa Pride and PFLAG staple Nancy Desmond, St. Pete sun-lovin’ Christopher Ruch, Jewelry designer Eric Roper (July 27); St. Pete Bears’ Buddy Chapman, The Spring of Tampa Bay’s Kayden Rodriguez (July 29); American Stage actor Joseph Parra, Tampa realtor Jeffrey Niptuck (July 30); Tampa Bay activist Cole Foust (July 31); Stage superstar Scott Daniel, Suncoast Softball League superstar Ron Frank (Aug. 1); St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, Sarasota visual artists and AIDS activist George Box (Aug. 2).

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CANN DO: The Tampa International Fringe Festival attends Cannafest at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre July 10 to raise awareness for the festival. PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA FRINGE

2

BIG WINNER: Ben Steinke picks up his Punky’s gift basket July 8 after winning big during Pride in Grand Central’s scratch off contest. PHOTO COURTESY

PUNKY’S BAR AND GRILL

3

SOUTHERN SENSATION: Jaeda Fuentes strikes a pose during a Climax Saturday night at Southern Nights Tampa. PHOTO COURTESY

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5

SOUTHERN NIGHTS TAMPA

4

MAYORAL MOVE: St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman (R) endorses mayoral candidate Ken Welch as his successor July 19.

PHOTO COURTESY KRISEMAN

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BALANCING OUT: Ryan Alan Young (L) and Gabe Alves-Tomko welcome guests back to Balance Tampa Bay’s first social of the year at Cocktail July 8. PHOTO

COURTESY BALANCE TAMPA BAY

6

SEX ED: Kellie Bonsor, Katelyn Rosario and Joy Winheim lead a tour of EPIC’s new sexual health center July 8. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

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CHAMPA BAY: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (C), partner Ana Cruz (L) and son Seely Bevan (R) celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup win during the boat parade July 12.

PHOTO COURTESY JANE CASTOR

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BIG MOVE: Metro Inclusive Health staff details their upcoming move to their new Tampa Health and Community Center in front of their current location July 15. PHOTO COURTESY

METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH

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E M P LOY M E N T O P P O RT U N I T Y:

CENTRAL FLORIDA ADVERTISING SALES Now you can be a part of the Central Florida team that brings the news to the LGBTQ community.

Are you motivated and outgoing?

Are you a well organized self starter with great time management skills?

Can you work well by yourself as well as with others?

Full time entry level position, health insurance benefits & 401K options.

Watermark Publishing Group is the premier media outlet for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Central and West Florida. Up to 20,000 copies of our biweekly newspaper are distributed every other Thursday throughout Central Florida, Tampa Bay and surrounding communities. Watermark also produces a collection of high-gloss specialty publications, and a web site with a rapidly growing online community.

PLEASE SEND A COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO DANNY@WATERMARKONLINE.COM Incoming mailbox size limit is 10MB per email.

Emails larger than 10MB will not be received. Please optimize attachments accordingly.

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announcements

central florida out+about

CONGRATULATIONS Khloe Damore was crowned Miss Glamorous Newcomer 2021 at The Plaza Live in Orlando July 19.

Auditions The Orlando Gay Chorus welcomes everyone from all walks of life and would love to have you become a member. Do you sing, dance or want to support OGC in achieving their mission? Then they want you to audition.

OGC will hold open auditions for its 2021-22 season at the First United Church of Christ in Orlando Aug. 4 from 5-10 p.m. Go to OrlandoGayChorus.org to complete the audition registration form. OGC’s membership committee will reach out and assign an audition time as well provide additional information.

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RESEARCH STUDY Three of the nation’s largest blood centers — Vitalant, OneBlood, and the American Red Cross — in partnership with The LGBT+ Center Orlando are seeking participants to join a new groundbreaking FDA-funded study in Orlando to consider new approaches for determining blood donation eligibility for men who have sex with men.

If you are a gay or bisexual male between 18-39 years old and interested in becoming a blood donor, you may be eligible to participate. To gather the necessary data the blood centers are partnering with LGBTQ Centers in eight cities across the nation. The study looks to enroll 250–300 gay and bi men in Central Florida who meet the study eligibility criteria.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Echo Interaction Group founder and CEO Carlos Carbonell, ACLU communications manager Baylor Johnson (July 23); former Watermark intern Andrew Ramos (July 24); Bliss CARES executive director Juan Rodriguez (July 25); former Watermark business manager Kathleen Sadler, Regional manager for Grey Goose vodka David Chase Harding III (July 28); House of Adonis’ Josh Walker, Dance instructor William Merchante, Former MBA president Nayte Carrick (July 29); Masks the People’s Bobby Hermida, PomPom’s manager Kerrie Finn, Watermark founder and guiding light Tom Dyer (July 30); Actress Elizabeth Murff, Orlando Realtor Danny Veal, Central Florida violinist Michelle Jones, Amazon’s Michael Vacirca, Savoy owner Brandon Bracale-Llewellyn, performer Donal Noonan, Real Entertainment 4 U CEO Kirk DaVinci (July 31); Stonewall Orlando bartender James Costello (Aug. 1); Central Florida performer Josh Roth, The Ritz-Carlton Residences’ Food & Beverage Operations Manager Vitor Braga Lara (Aug. 2); dynamite derby girl Kiersten Taylor (Aug. 3); Sky 60-Niners slugger Donnie McCammon (Aug. 4).

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Race to June: Tom Christ (L) and Billy Looper at the Daytona International Speedway talk with the NASCAR diversity team about KindRED Pride July 16.

Photo courtesy Tom Christ

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City Cars: City Commissioner Patty Sheehan shows off Carla, a 1968 VW Beetle, at the VW and Audi Show at Ace Cafe in Orlando July 16. Photo

courtesy Patty Sheehan

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Carlos Guillermo Smith

3

courtesy The Center Orlando

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Art Night: State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith with husband Jerick Mediavilla (R) and friends attend Cultural Revolution art exhibit at Mills Gallery in Orlando July 10. Photo courtesy

6

Helping Hands: Volunteers from the LGBT+ Center were celebrated with an ice cream social at The Center in Orlando July 10. Photo

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Summer Winner: Se7enbites owner Trina Gregory-Propst on the set of The Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” Summer Tournament. Photo courtesy Trina Gregory-Propst

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Glam Live: Khloe Damore, after being crowned Miss Glamorous Newcomer 2021 at The Plaza Live in Orlando July 19. Photo

7

courtesy Neema Bahrami

Episode Fun: (L-R) Rick Todd, Jen Kunsch and Dylan Todd are ready to take on the Empire at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios July 18. Photo courtesy Rick Todd

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Cover Model: Andrea Montanez picks up a copy of Watermark, featuring her on the cover, in Orlando July 9.

Photo courtesy Kim Murphy

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tampa

ba y

accounting

M ar k etplace

framing

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photography

Residential • Commercial

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Dan Fiorini 2060 Tyrone Blvd N • St. Pete (727)344-1000 Crossroads Center next to Ross

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Primary Care for All Combined HIV/Primary Care PrEP (Descovy) Same Day Transgender Care and HRT STI Testing/Treatment Same or Next Day Appts.

realtor

www.DiversityHealthCenter.com info@DiversityHealthCenter.com 4302 N. Habana Ave, #200, Tampa, FL 33607 CALL US TODAY! Ph: (813) 518-0881

community organizations

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

medical

youth services

Youth Drop-In Centers, Group Activities, Inclusion and Anti-Bullying Trainings for Schools and Other Organizations, Annual Alternative Prom, Music, Crafts, Arts.

Now serving young people in locations in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

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Follow us on Social media /WatermarkFL @WatermarkOnline www.diversitytampabay.org

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C entral

F lorida

accounting + Bookkeeping

M ar k etplace

attorneys

Counselors + Therapists

MARRIAGE & DOMESTIC PARTNER PLANNING PERSONAL/BUSINESS TAX PREPARATION, e-file QUICKBOOKS ADVANCED PROADVISOR®

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aids organization

counseling Mary Lieberman, LCSW Certified Imago Therapist Helping our Community Since 1987

Original

financial planners

DICTOR FINANCIAL, LLC Wayne S. Dictor, President

Individuals & Couples ・ Adult Children of Alcoholics ・ Anxiety Gay & Lesbian Issues ・ Co-Dependancy ・ Depression

Office: 407-942-3366

Mobile: 941-230-4797 Wayne@DictorFinancial.com

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Phone: 407-657-8555, ext. 4・Fax 407-657-5774

Counselors + Therapists

2727 N Atlantic Ave - Box 900 Daytona Beach, FL 32118 Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member SIPC

funeral services

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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C entral

F lorida

Garden + Nursery

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

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

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Kathleen Donnelly

Licensed Sales Representative

407-414-6133, TTY 711

health + Fitness

Discount Nutrition Center Serving Orlando for 24 years

.Vitamins .Herbs .Dietary .Sports

We will match or beat local prices!

Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Insurance Company one of its affiliated Advantage organization withor a Medicare contract.

Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with companies, a Medicare Advantage Medicare. organization with a Medicare contract.

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Exterior and Interior Shutters Custom Blinds - Shades - Draperies

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44

jrose@SuperiorCustomShutters.com www.SuperiorCustomShutters.com

Read It Online!

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

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medical

C entral

F lorida

optometrist

M ar k etplace

roofer

veterinarian

personal training www.rockhardfitnessorlando.com

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

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

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Changing the lives of LGBTQ teens and young adults for over 30 years Social support groups Make friends Scholarships for college Weekly groups in Orange, Seminole & Polk Counties

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Call 407-481-2243 for more information

July 22 - Augus t 4 , 2021 // Issue 28 .15 wat e r m a r konline .com

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wedding bells

Maddie and Jennifer Love from Riverview, Florida

Engagement Date:

Oct. 1, 2019

Wedding Date:

Feb. 24, 2021

Wedding Venue:

Ceremony at Phillippe Park in Safety Harbor.

Reception at Maggiano’s Tampa

Officiant:

Jennifer’s good friend, Tay Fessenden

Florist:

Paper flowers ordered through Etsy

Wedding Cake:

Coconut cake from Soiree in downtown St. Petersburg

Wedding Theme/Colors:

Sage, blush and ivory

Photographer:

Rachel Curci

First Dance:

“I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles

Music:

DJ KP

W

hen Maddie and Jennifer Love

first worked together as LPNs at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in 2015, it took Maddie a while to learn the name of her future wife.

“I kept calling her Trish,” Maddie says, until she corrected her.

“From that day, we were really good friends and from there, more than just friends,” Maddie says.

They were both going through rough breakups when they first met and relied on the other for support. During this time, they got closer and realized how much they had in common.

“We’re both critical care nurses,” Jennifer says. “We deal with trauma on a day-to-day basis. Other people don’t get it. They don’t feel what we feel ... It’s great feeling that you can come home to someone who understands what you’re feeling and going through.”

It took a year and a half of friendship for them to start dating. Maddie had previously only dated men.

“It took that time for our good friendship to develop. Once it finally did, I knew,” Jennifer says.

“It was instant fireworks when it all connected. It took life eventually

figuring things out and the gears to align, but here we are.”

Still, it wasn’t always easy.

Maddie’s family wasn’t accepting of her relationship with Jennifer at first.

“I’ve always kind of felt I wanted to marry a woman or be with a woman, but I was always too scared of my family,” she says. “I didn’t want to disappoint my family, but I wanted to be happy, too.”

After several years together, her family became more accepting – and when Jennifer was certain that Maddie was the one, she began planning a surprise proposal. She brought Maddie to North Straub Park, a spot that was special to her that she’d never brought anyone to. That’s where she eventually proposed in October 2019.

“It’s my hideaway. My hidden spot.

I knew if I could feel so comfortable bringing this person here, this is meant to be,” Jennifer says. “My whole life I’ve looked for what I call home and I quickly found out and realized that home was in Maddie. So, I took her to the only other home-like thing

that I knew – North Straub Park in St. Pete – and proposed.”

Maddie was completely surprised by the proposal.

“It was the cutest thing ever and I had no idea. We were walking and she hired one of her friends to be the photographer and creep on us,” Maddie says. “We sat on a bench, and she pulled out a journal and she was reading from the journal like we do.

I thought we were just having an us moment. She ended with ‘Will you be my wife?’ I looked a hot mess, too.”

Maddie quickly said yes, but what Jennifer didn’t realize was that she had been planning a proposal of her own. She had even bought a ring so she could pop the question on their upcoming trip to Costa Rica.

“After she proposed to me, I was super starstruck and excited, and said, ‘You do realize I was going to propose to you in Costa Rica?’

Maddie says.

From there, they begin planning their wedding and decided to start trying to have a baby. The pandemic changed all their plans, though.

In 2020, when COVID-19 hit, wedding planning came to a halt – and when they thought their attempt to get pregnant had failed, the couple signed a three-month contract to work in New York. The city was hit

hard by the virus and in need of medical professionals.

“It was the epicenter of everything when we were there,” Jennifer says.

“It brought us closer together.”

They also learned while working in New York City that Maddie actually was pregnant.

“We thought it was unsuccessful, but I worked the entire pandemic pregnant,” she says. “Everybody that we were working with at the time was so supportive. They were excited to hear some happy news during all that. It brightened up everybody’s mood.”

Their daughter, Avery, was born at the end of the year.

When they returned to Florida, the couple, who lives in Riverview, resumed wedding planning. With the pandemic still affecting life, they scaled back their plans and put together a DIY ceremony in Phillippe Park in Safety Harbor, where they’d taken maternity photos.

They held their reception at Maggiano’s in Tampa. Their family and friends helped set up and decorate both venues.

“It was just the perfect day,” Jennifer says.

Maddie adds, “There were nature trails on one side, the beach on the other. It was so beautiful. We were still unable to get everybody there that we wanted because of COVID. Even some close family – my sister, Jennifer’s sister – couldn’t get there and we had to accept that some people close to us that we loved weren’t going to be there. But we didn’t want our wedding postponed any further.”

—Tiffany Razzano

Do you have an interesting wedding or engagement story you’d like to share with Watermark readers? If so, email the details to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com for consideration as a future feature on this page.

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CHOOSE A NEW HOMETOWN PARTNERSHIP. As the official healthcare partner of the Tampa Bay Rays, Bayfront Health St. Petersburg is proud to provide care to the fans and our community. Trust the care that’s been there like a friend, year after year.

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