Watermark Issue 29.17: Making a Difference by Watermark Publishing Group

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA LGBTQ scholarships give students resources and hope Difference MAKING A FALLWATERMARK’SARTSGUIDE - 2022INSIDE! Punky’s Bar and Grill permanently closes Spacelawmaker,Coast school at odds on alleged attack

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WATERMARK ISSUE 29.17 // AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 POP CULTURE The Center Orlando showcases Jeff Jones exhibit. POLITICS UNUSUAL Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends pro-LGBTQ state attorney. FOR FLORIDA Jennifer Webb joins commissionstatewidefor women. PUPPET MASTERS The Straz Center for the Performing Arts moves to “Avenue Q.” page 35 page 10 page 13 page 08 7 // EDITOR’S DESK 8 // CENTRAL FL NEWS 10 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 13 // STATE NEWS 15 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 21 // TALKING POINTS 37 // TAMPA BAY OUT + ABOUT 39 // CENTRAL FL OUT + ABOUT 40 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 42 // CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE 46 // EVENT PLANNER FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM AT @WATERMARKONLINE AND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FROM DALE WITH LOVE: Actress Dale Dickey on her latest film “A Love Song” and more. DEPARTMENTSONTHECOVER MAKING DIFFERENCEA: LGBTQ scholarships give students resources and hope. ILLUSTRATION BY KYLER MILLS (KYVIAN) My mission is to help teens know that they are allowed to be authentically themselves ... Queer kids are our future, and their unapologetic queerness inspires me. –NATHALIE MARCELIN, 2022 BRANCHOUT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT SCAN QR CODE WATERMARKONLINE.COMFOR ItReadOnline! In addition to a Web site with daily LGBTQ updates, a digital version of each issue of the publication is made available WatermarkOnline.comon page 23 page 31 page 29 watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 5

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RECENTLY, “SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY Home” actor Tom Holland announced he is taking a break from social media, saying in a video posted to his 67.7 million followers on Instagram that Instagram and Twitter are both “overstimulating and overwhelming.”

TREVENASYLVIE is a motherminivan-drivingproud,of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 17

feeling. Even Spider-Man needs a breakSpeakingsometimes.ofthe new school year, in this issue we focus on another topic that causes stress and anxiety in students, paying for college. We look at a number of LGBTQ-focused scholarships available here in Central Florida and Tampa Bay to help with those escalating education costs.

In arts and entertainment, we chat with character actress Dale Dickey as she takes on her first lead role in the film “A Love Song” and talks about her role in the new Amazon Prime series “A League of Their Own.” We also hear from the puppet masters behind the Tony Award-winning musical “Avenue Q” as they prepare for a run at Tampa’s Straz Center. In Central Florida news, Orlando performer Jeff Jones is taking his three-dimensional, pop culture-themed sculptures to the LGBT+ Center Orlando for a new exhibit that will be part art show, part fundraiser. We also head to the Space Coast to look into Florida Rep. Randy Fine’s accusation that a transgender girl assaulted another girl in a middle school bathroom even though there is no evidence that it ever happened.

Across the state in Tampa Bay news, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren for not going after transgender folks and individuals seeking an abortion. We also take a look at the immediate and permanent closing of Punky’s Bar and Grill, one of St. Petersburg’s popular LGBTQ eateries.

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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. Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

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BOSTOCKDEBORAH -KELLEY reviews theatre for Broadway World and other outlets and runs The WriteOne Creative Services. She is an ally, wife, mom and Tampa native. Learn more at TheWriteOneCS. com. Page 23

“I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online and ultimately it’s very detrimental to my mental state, so I decided to take a step back and delete the app,” Holland said. “There is an awful stigma against mental health and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn’t something that we should be ashamed of, but it is something that is much easier said than Holland’sdone.”actions follow a long trend of celebrities such as Lizzo, Ed Sherran, Selina Gomez and more stepping back from social media, either temporarily or permanently, to focus on their mental health and/ or to get away from the consistent attacks from the anonymous horde of internet trolls, gatekeepers andAnyonebullies.who has any kind of presence on social media — whether it be a massive following on Instagram or Twitter or just a handful of family and friends on Facebook who you post birthday messages and vacation photos to — knows the impact it can have on your mental health. Not too long ago, I wrote in this space how I was severing ties with social media, as much as I could given my job, to get away from the 24/7 constant stream of information and dinging notifications coming into my phone that helped to feed my anxiety in this world and spend more time doing things that I enjoy. While it has not completely removed my anxiety and panic attacks, it hasRemovinghelped. yourself from social media, whether temporarily or permanently, can have a world of difference on your mental health and improve your daily life, especially if you are young. A 2019 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media were more likely to report higher levels of social withdrawal, direct feelings inward, have difficulty coping with anxiety or depression, show more aggression and act out, and this study was before the world was introduced to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Holland’s video, he made reference to stem4, a U.K.-based charity that supports positive mental health in teenagers, and four resource apps — Calm Harm, Clear Fear, Move Mood and Combined Minds — available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store from the group to help in that fight. While the apps are geared toward teens in the U.K., they contain great information and ways to help you manage behaviors associated with anxiety, depression, low mood and more. And as I mentioned in my last Editor’s Desk, here in the U.S. the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline can be reached simply by dialing 988. We seem to be in a very tremulous time right now, especially in Florida, where it feels like many of our elected officials are more concerned with made-up fears about transgender kids attacking people in bathrooms and drag queens grooming our youth to focus on the actual health and safety of all kids. So, as this new school year starts, if you have any youth in your life — particularly LGBTQ youth — let them know that they are loved, that it is ok for them to not feel ok and it is healthy to express how they are

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I T’S WELL KNOWN THAT I’M A DISNEY apologist. Most folks in my life understand there isn’t much the Walt Disney Company can do to make me question my loyalty to their brand.

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-KELLEYBOSTOCKDEBORAH reviews theatre for Broadway World and other outlets and runs The WriteOne Creative Services. She is an ally, wife, mom and Tampa native. Learn more at TheWriteOneCS. com. Page 23

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That’s not to say that I wholeheartedly agree with everything the corporate juggernaut says or does, but I’ll almost always buy whatever they sell. Disney’s mission is to entertain and inspire the world through storytelling, and I don’t think anyone is quite as successful at it on such a grandThescale.origins of those feelings date back to childhood, when as a little gay boy I felt out of place and first connected with a little mermaid who felt the same. As I’ve aged it’s seemed like kismet, especially when Disney bought Marvel – my ultimate fandom –and when it acquired Star Wars, another of my earliest loves. When I moved to Florida I told myself it was for the beaches, but I knew in part it was because I’d be closer to Disney World. I’d made the trek from Ohio to Orlando a few times in life and the idea of being just a few hours away was incredibly exciting. A few intermittent visits as a Florida resident and about a decade later, I told myself I could finally afford to become an annual passholder. My husband, our friends and I all went regularly for a few years and it was magical, but my monthly dues to Disney World ended during theEvenpandemic.through my apologist lens I could tell they were bungling their early response to COVID-19. Theme parks and large crowds felt unsafe anyway, and while I recognize it was a very privileged decision to be able to make, we made the choice to cancel our passes. I missed the parks but never really regretted it. After more than a year away, however, I was fortunate enough to attend Gay Day at Magic Kingdom this past June, my gayest red shirt in tow. I was in town for Watermark’s coverage of Orlando’s big LGBTQ weekend, always a highlight of the year, and as a recovering passholder I couldn’t have been happier. Until the downpour.

The sky opened on a slightly unsuspecting parking lot when I was about halfway to the tram. Crowds shuffled and scattered, stuffing into the tiny transport as quickly as Throughpossible.therain I saw a row of largely open seats. I also saw a mother struggling with her stroller, unable to access the tram after helping her young child climb aboard. In the spirit of Ariel I swam to her safety, holding the door and extending my hand as she hoisted herself upward. She tried to take a seat with the fully assembled stroller, but an employee joined us to stop her. I stood there awkwardly as he demanded that she fold it to ride. She no longer needed my help but since every other seat was now gone, I waited so I could sit next to her. The woman insisted the stroller didn’t fold, which was clearly a lie, but the worker was tired of drowning and gave up. She and I made eye contact as she settled into her seat, saying nothing as she closed the door I was still holding. I was so dumbfounded I didn’t do a thing. The same worker yelled at me to board or back up, and when the woman turned away I just left. Defeated and drenched, I began my swim to the Magic Kingdom. It wasn’t quite the homecoming I expected, and it certainly didn’t feel like the happiest place on Earth. I found what little shelter was available when thankfully, another man wearing a red shirt found me. He approached with a smile, offering to show me a faster way to get to the Magic Kingdom than I’d likely take. I went with him and he was right. Once we reached the monorail I was thankful for a little bit of warmth, both from the ride and person next to me. We were two strangers but because of our red shirts and their ties to the LGBTQ community, we were family. I’ve been thinking about that ride a lot since then, about how our community can find you at any moment to lift you up in ways only they can. Sometimes it starts with a T-shirt and sometimes it’s through other means. We examine one of those in this issue, throughoutLGBTQ-focusedhighlightingscholarshipsTampaBayand Central Florida. Local nonprofits designed them to help students achieve their dreams. In news, we say goodbye to St. Petersburg’s Punky’s Bar and Grill after nearly seven years of serving the LGBTQ community, preview “Avenue Q” at the Straz Center in Tampa and detail the DeSantis administration’s latest anti-LGBTQ actions throughout the state. Make sure you vote on or before Aug. 23 to help make a difference.Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue. Defeated Magicmydrenched,andIbeganswimtotheKingdom.

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Pop Culture Showcase

CLAIM Jeremy Williams MELBOURNE, FLA. | Florida Rep. Randy Fine sent a letter to Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Aug. 11 alleging that a transgender girl sexually assaulted another girl at Johnson Middle School in Melbourne and requested an immediate investigation. Fine shared a copy of the letter on his social media. “Over the past several days, multiple parents have approached me with a claim that over the summer, a boy, claiming to be a girl, taking advantage of the open bathrooms policy championed by School Board Chairwoman Misty Belford and fellow School Board Member Jennifer Jenkins, sexually assaulted a young girl in the girl’s restroom at Johnson Middle School,” Fine wrote. “These parents — looking to protect their children — have made queries of the school district, including public records requests, to get to the bottom of what happened. Thus far, they have been stonewalled at every turn.” The Melbourne Police Department are now investigating the claims, however there is no evidence that an attack ever took place, says Brevard Public Schools spokesperson Russell Bruhn. “There was no attack. No victim, no witness, no parents coming forward, nothing,” Bruhn said to the Associated Press. “Rep. Fine owes our staff at Johnson Middle School an apology for making this baseless allegation.”Apolice spokesperson, speaking to the AP, said that they received no reports of a sexual assault at the school during this summer but, because of Fine’s letter, have assigned two detectives to the case. Openly gay Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith blasted Fine on Twitter, writing “He just got caught making up an insidious LIE about a transgender student sexually assaulting someone so he could purposefully stoke hatred and transphobia for his own political gain.” Guillermo Smith followed that up with another tweet, writing “The entire reason for your request was creating a pretext to justify all the attacks on trans youth you’re planning for next session. You were obviously horribly bullied as a child, but watching you manifest that by using your power to attack vulnerable kids is just disgusting.” Fine, who is a Republican lawmaker, drew a national spotlight earlier this year when he sponsored a bill to dissolve the private government Walt Disney World controls on its property in Florida as punishment for the company’s opposition to a new law barring gender identity instruction in early grades that critics called “Don’t Say Gay or Trans.” reporting by AP.

The Center Orlando to host Jeff Jones’ first art exhibit Jeremy Williams ORLANDO | Orlando performer Jeff Jones will put his foray into pop culture sculpting on display at the LGBT+ Center in Orlando next month with a new art exhibit showcasing his work. Jones’ art exhibit will feature about a dozen of his sculpted three-dimensional caricatures modeled after some of pop culture’s most popular figures including Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia from the ‘80s sitcom “The Golden Girls,” Joker and the Penguin from the ‘60s “Batman” TV show, Betty Davis as Baby Jane Hudson from the film “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane,” Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson from “Hocus Pocus” and more. The heads of the busts are sculpted from natural air-dry clay and painted in acrylic, then accessorized with old wigs and costumes and are designed to hang on the wall. “The wigs I find online or I use wigs and costumes from old Halloween costumes of mine,” Jones says. “Some of the costumes I’ve made myself using fabric, hot glue and staples. I’ve done probably about 20 so far.”

SPACE COAST LAWMAKER ALLEGED STUDENT SEXUAL ASSAULT, SCHOOL DISTRICT DISPUTES

Jones began his new artistic venture the same way many people discovered their hobbies recently, he says, during the COVID-19 lockdown. “I was stuck at home like everyone else and was looking at some Disney villain sculptures I had hanging on my wall,” Jones recalls, “and I thought maybe while I’m at home I can make some additional characters of ones I didn’t have. So just out of sheer boredom I thought ‘let me see if I can do this.’” He began with the villain Jafar from the Disney classic animated film “Aladdin.”

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POP SCULPTURE: Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson (pictured) from “Hocus Pocus” is among the pieces selected for the art show.

PHOTO COURTESY JEFF JONES FACEBOOK

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central florida news “It came out pretty good so I thought let me do a couple more and have fun with it,” Jones says. Jones started to branch out from animated Disney villains to other characters portrayed in live“Myaction.style was always a little more cartoonish,” he says, “so while I was making human characters, I veered off and did more of a caricature version of them. People would challenge me to try a new character and I would try it and it grew fromJones’there.”exhibit will kick off Sept. 8 with a free art show at The Center Orlando from 6-8 p.m., featuring light bites and a cash bar, and will be displayed for the entire month of September. All pieces will be available for purchase with 10% of all sales benefiting The Center. One particular piece, which Jones is currently working on, will be of Orlando’s drag icon Miss Sammy. “The Miss Sammy one came about because I thought it would be cool to have something at the show that has a local tie,” Jones says. “Since they recently started the Singhaus Scholarship Foundation, I thought why not raffle this one off and donate the funds raised to the scholarship fund.” The caricature sculpture will not only be done in the image of Miss Sammy but it will also contain parts of the drag legend’s history. “I have talked to Eddie Cooper, who is one of the people in charge of the scholarship, and Karen Brown and I’m actually using one of Miss Sammy’s costumes and wigs to go on the piece,” Jones says. Jones says based on the community’s response to the fundraiser, he would be open to it becoming an annual event. “For this upcoming event, I was debating on whether to do Miss Sammy or [legendary Parliament House performer] Miss P,” Jones says. “Since it is the Singhaus Scholarship Foundation I thought it was best to start with Miss Sammy. I know a lot of people have asked me about doing a Taffy one since we just did lose Doug [Ba’aser]. I mean we have lost a lot of great legends here in Orlando so I could see a whole series based on them.”

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Ryan Williams-Jent

In DeSantis’ executive order of suspension, Warren’s “neglect of duty” is described as “the neglect or failure on the part of a public officer to do and perform some duty or duties laid on him as such by virtue of his office or which is required of him by law.” The suspension cites Warren’s signing of a joint statement circulated between prosecutors around the country, who vowed “to use our discretion and not promote the criminalization of gender-affirming healthcare or transgender people.” “Bills that criminalize safe and crucial medical treatments or the mere public existence of trans people do not promote public safety, community trust, or fiscal responsibility,” it reads. DeSantis has signed multiple anti-LGBTQ bills into law during his first term and targeted transgender health care, though no law criminalizing it currently exists. The governor’s order noted, however, that Warren’s statements “prove [he] thinks he has authority to defy the Florida Legislature and nullify in his jurisdiction criminal laws with which he disagrees.” DeSantis also cited Warren’s stance on abortion. The attorney previously joined prosecutors in decrying the reversal of Roe v. Wade and Followingmore.his suspension, Warren called DeSantis’ actions a political“Today’sstunt.political stunt is an illegal overreach that continues a dangerous pattern by Ron DeSantis of using his office to further his own political ambition,” he shared. “It spits in the face of the voters of Hillsborough County who have twice elected me to serve them, not Ron“InDeSantis.ourcommunity, crime is low, our Constitutional rights— including the right to privacy—are being upheld, and the people have the right to elect their own leaders—not have them dictated by an aspiring presidential candidate who has shown time and again he feels accountable to no one,” he continued. “Just because the governor violates your rights, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

ST. PETERSBURG | Punky’s Bar and Grill announced its immediate and permanent closure Aug. 3 after serving Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ community for more than six years.

The duo subsequently thanked patrons as well as employees both past and present for their years of support, calling their customers “the BEST OF THE BEST.” “It has truly been an amazing journey,” they wrote. “We are honored that you chose to support Punky’s and we will cherish our friendships and all of the memories that we made together.” According to the post, employees were provided with “solid leads for new work.” The restaurant’s current inventory of food will also be distributed to the staff, with additional items “donated to charitable organizations who will be able to distribute it to folks in Moore’sneed.”Drag Bingo will now move to Creative Grape, a wine bar and art gallery located in a portion of the former Georgie’s Alibi. Right Around the Corner Arcade Brewery in the Grand Central District also announced they will accept Punky’s chips for discounts on drinks through the end of the year. Governor Ron DeSantis (C) publicly suspends State Attorney Andrew Warren in Tampa Aug.

Warren was first elected to represent Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County in 2016. He was re-elected in 2020. The governor announced his decision during a news conference, flanked by local law enforcement. “State Attorneys have a duty to prosecute crimes as defined in Florida law, not to pick and choose which laws to enforce based on his personal agenda,” DeSantis said. “It is my duty to hold Florida’s elected officials to the highest standards for the people of Florida.”

More than $150,000 was raised through various fundraisers during the establishment’s time in St. Petersburg, they also noted. That includes through Drag Queen Bingo led by fan favorite performer Georgia Moore, which raised money and awareness for local nonprofits. “These organizations we’re working with are not just making this community a better place, they’re making the world a better place,” Moore told Watermark in March. “Helping them along is exactly what we’re here to do.”

In their announcement, Burt and Deibert noted that “Punky’s has been such a joy for so many people, but she is ready to retire… gracefully. Punky’s has closed our doors as of this morning, Wednesday, August 3rd, 2022.”

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The restaurant and bar opened Dec. 15, 2015, led by former co-owners Brian Longstreth, John Burt and Lynn Deibert. Most recently it was run by the latter two, who continued to champion LGBTQ causes. Punky’s was frequently recognized by readers in the annual Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence. “Two thousand four hundred twenty-three days. We have accomplished a lot in this time,” Punky’s shared via social media Aug. 3. “We have made friends, loyal customers, gained an amazing team of employees who have become family. “We worked hard, laughed a lot, and made a difference every chance we had,” they continued. “We have become a place of safety for the LGBTQ+ community, a melting pot for people from ALL walks of life… and their pets! We have celebrated victories, survived struggles, mourned losses and came together to help each other and the community.”

Politics Unusual

Other officials also denounced DeSantis, among them Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “Removing a duly elected official should be based on egregious actions, not on political statements,” she shared. “In a free state, voters should choose their elected officials,” Castor continued. “Tampa remains one of the safest cities of its size in the nation thanks to the hard work and cooperation between our police officers and law enforcement partners.” DeSantis has appointed Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez as Warren’s interim replacement, who he named to the bench last year. Warren has also announced he will challenge the suspension. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com and learn about Andrew Warren’s legal battle at AndrewWarrenFL.com.

tampa bay news PUNKY’S BAR AND GRILL CLOSES

DeSantis suspends state attorney Ryan Williams-Jent TAMPA | Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren from office Aug. 4, calling his stance on gender-affirming care, abortion rights and more a “neglect of duty.”

Make this summer worry free by making EPIC’s Sexual Health Center a part of your sexual health and wellness. everything you need to keep you sexually safe: condoms, lube, STI, HIV and pregnancy testing and more. 300 49th Street South St. Petersburg, FL 33707 (727) 328-6420 | MyEPIC.org KEEP CALM AND CONDOM ON EP-22-0461 watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 11

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After hours of public testimony the board abruptly cut public comment short by one hour withoutEqualityexplanation.Florida’s Press Secretary Brandon Wolf tweeted after the vote, writing “Still thinking about how [Dr. Patrick Hunter], a pediatrician and sitting member of the Florida Board of Medicine, called transgender people a ‘social contagion’ today. Which came after their ‘expert witness’ claimed that COVID isolation made young people transgender.”

LGBTQ PROTECTIONS Wire Report TALLAHASSEE,

JENNIFER WEBB APPOINTED TO FLORIDA COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

FLORIDA TO SCHOOLS:

Lambda Legal, the Southern Legal Counsel, Florida Health Justice Project, and National Health Law Program issued a statement in advance of the meeting, which said that the State Surgeon General’s proposal is unconstitutional and unlawful.

The Board of Medicine is just the latest in a string of state agencies that have been weaponized by Gov. Ron DeSantis against LGBTQ Floridians. The Agency for Health Care Administration is currently undergoing a similar rule-making process that would strip Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care.

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In addition to her work in the legislature, Webb is the partner and co-founder of Omni Public, a global strategy firm specializing in progressive initiatives. Reflecting on her time in the Florida Legislature, she advised Watermark in 2018 that “I don’t have a failure of imagination when it comes to how to serve the people of Florida.” Learn more about the Florida Commission on the Status of Women at FCSW.net. DON’T FOLLOW FEDERAL FLA | Florida advised school districts to ignore protections for LGBTQ students that President Joe Biden’s administration is trying to implement, saying the anti-discrimination language is not binding law and following the guidance could result in breaking state law. Florida CommissionerEducationManny Diaz wrote to school districts July 28 saying they should not change current practices because of proposed new rules under Title IX that would extend sexual discrimination protections to students based on their gender identity or sexual“Nothingorientation.inthese guidance requires you to give biological males who identify as female access to female bathrooms, locker rooms, or dorms … or to allow biological males who identify as female to compete on female sports teams,” Diaz said. He added that doing any of those things would “jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of Florida students and risk violating Florida law.”

But Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only statewide elected Democrat and whose agency overseas school lunch programs, said the matter wasn’t just about bathrooms, but also about feeding students. The United States Department of Agriculture requires schools to put up a poster on nondiscrimination in order to receive federal money for lunch programs, she said. “This is a fictitious culture war that they have created that is going to deny kids food,” Fried said at a news conference. “I will do everything possible to ensure that Florida’s kids are not victimized by the DeSantis administration and denied their meals.” Fried’s department recently told schools they should hang posters with the new language. The Diaz letter told schools to disregard that guidance because it could violate state law. Last year, DeSantis signed a bill banning anyone assigned male at birth from participating in girls’ or women’s sports. This year, he signed a bill that prohibits discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in public schools at least through grade 3. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Tennessee blocked implementation of the proposed new federal protections after 20 states sued over the issue.

Brody Levesque of The Los Angeles Blade, courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association The Florida Board of Medicine on Aug. 5 voted to accept a request by Florida’s State Surgeon General for the Board to promulgate a rule prohibiting medical professionals from providing gender-affirming medical care for trans youth. Hundreds of advocates rallied as the board voted to initiate the rule-making process and consider a new “standard of care” that may threaten gender-affirming care for transgender minors and could restrict that care for adults. After an hours-long public hearing, the board voted 13-1 in favor of accepting the DeSantis Administration’s petition for the rule-making process to begin.

Ryan Williams-Jent TALLAHASSEE | Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried has appointed former State Rep. Jennifer Webb to serve on the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. The FCSW works “to deliver programming aimed at improving the well-being of Florida women and girls – and by extension, all Floridians.” 22 appointed members serve on the nonpartisan board, which was created in 1991. The body recommendationsmakesto Florida’s governor, cabinet and legislature on issues affecting women, presented via annual report. As Commissioner of Agriculture, Fried is responsible for appointing three members for four-year terms. Webb made history in 2018 when she became the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the Florida Legislature. She served for two years in then-House District 69, which included 12 cities throughout the greater St. Petersburg area, serving as Democratic Deputy Whip and championing a number of causes with key committee appointments. “In these unprecedented times, it is crucial members of this commission are champions for women and are invested in finding real solutions that will improve the lives of future generations of women,” Fried said in statement. “Based on her record as a legislator and community advocate,” she continued, “I am confident Representative Webb will be a valuable addition, and I look forward to seeing all she will do on the Commission.” Webb also reflected on her“Iappointment.havelongadmired the work of Florida’s Commission on the Status of Women and I look forward to celebrating and supporting other outstanding women,” she said. “But I also want to highlight the challenges that women and children face throughout Florida, so that we can come up with common sense recommendations for our highest public officials that will help all Floridians thrive. “Food insecurity has been a silent problem hurting our communities for decades,” Webb concluded, “and I look forward to building on Commissioner Fried’s legacy to reduce hunger and food insecurity once and for all.”

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“It is as basic as social transition,” said John Harris Maurer of Equality Florida. “Things like names, haircuts, the clothing that people wear, or things like puberty blockers that are about delaying the onset of puberty so that folks have more time to consider these kinds of decisions.”

Lambda Legal noted that Florida’s State Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo’s “biased and politically-motivated petition, however, runs counter to well-established medical guidelines for the treatment of gender dysphoria, such as those published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the Endocrine Society, and the overwhelming medical consensus in the United States and internationally, and would in effect deny essential, medically necessary, and often life-saving care to transgender people, including transgender youth.”

FLORIDA GENDER-AFFIRMINGPETITIONACCEPTSTOBAN CARE

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The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is echoing a call for men who have sex with men to limit their sexual partners amid the monkeypox outbreak. The agency announced its direction as a part of new monkeypox guidance issued Aug. 5. “Vaccination is an important tool in preventing the spread of monkeypox,” the guidance says. “But given the current limited supply of vaccine, consider temporarily changing some behaviors that may increase your risk of being exposed.” The call to limit partners was previously made by the World Health Organization and has been controversial.

RUSSIAN COURT CONVICTS BRITTNEY GRINER

New Yorkers who want a driver’s license with an “X” gender identity marker can now apply online and skip the line at the Department of Motor Vehicles. New York began offering the “X” option for licenses, learner’s permits and non-driver identification cards in May, following the passage of a 2021 state law. Proponents of the change had argued that limiting gender identity on licenses to either male or female discriminated against nonbinary New Yorkers. The option is open to new applicants as well as New Yorkers with existing licenses.

SEARCH RENEWED FOR 1973 BAR FIRE VICTIMS

Pope Francis met with a fourth group of transgender people who found shelter at a Rome church, the Vatican newspaper reported Aug. 11. L’Osservatore

Ferris LeBlanc, 50, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and three bodies burned past identification were buried next to each other in the city’s unmarked “potter’s field.”

POPE MEETS CHURCH’S TRANSGENDER GUESTS

Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

Elizabeth Rood, the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, described the verdict as “a miscarriage of justice” in a statement she read to reporters outside the court. Blinken in his own statement agreed. Blinken said “nothing about today’s decision changes our determination that Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained, and we will continue working to bring Brittney and fellow wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan home.”

CDC: MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN SHOULD LIMIT PARTNERS

The UpStairs Lounge burned on June 24, 1973, killing 31 men, including two whose mother died with them, and injuring another woman and 14 men.

ARussian court on Aug. 4 found WNBA star Brittney Griner guilty of charges that she smuggled drugs into the country, sentencing her to nine years in a Russian penal colony. Griner — a Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist who is a lesbian and married to her wife, Cherelle Griner — spoke in court earlier that day. “I had no intent on breaking any Russian law,” she said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has publicly acknowledged the U.S. has offered Russia a deal to secure the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, another American citizen who is serving a 16-year prison sentence after his conviction for spying. American officials have reportedly expressed a willingness to release Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S., as part of a prisoner swap. “Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” said President Joe Biden in a statement after Griner’s conviction and sentencing. “It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as Nationalpossible.”Security Council spokesperson John Kirby during the White House’s daily press briefing described the sentence as “reprehensible in its scope” and stressed Griner “shouldn’t have even been on trial.”

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Wire Report Nearly a half-century after arson killed 32 people in a New Orleans gay bar, the City Council has renewed the search for the remains of four victims, three who were never identified.

UGANDA SHUTS DOWN LGBTQ GROUP

An LGBTQ and intersex rights group in Uganda announced the country forced it to shut down on Aug. 3. Sexual Minorities Uganda said Uganda’s National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations “halted” its operations. U.S. Mission Uganda on Aug. 6 tweeted a link to President Joe Biden’s 2021 memorandum that committed the U.S. to promote LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of American foreign policy. “We reiterate our support for those committed to ensuring all people are treated with respect and dignity and able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love,” tweeted U.S. Mission Uganda.

IDS WITH IDENTITY MARKER

The motion, passed Aug. 4, directs local officials to provide “all reasonable assistance” toward recovering the remains. “The City’s callous and deeply inadequate response … rooted in pervasive anti-gay sentiment” made suffering worse for victims’ families and friends, states the motion written by Councilmember J.P. TheMorrell.council believes the city has a moral obligation to do all it can to aid “the recovery and dignified interment of the victims of the UpStairs Lounge massacre,” the motion states. They also issued a formal apology for the city’s response on June 23, one day before the fire’s 49th anniversary. The blaze was the 20th century’s largest mass killing of gays, the City Council’s apology and motion noted. It was surpassed by the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. The location of LeBlanc’s body was noted as “Panel Q, Lot 32” of the graveyard, Robert W. Fieseler wrote in a book published in 2018. But city officials said maps and other relevant records were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, ABC reported later that year. The network had released a 45th-anniversary documentary about the fire and efforts to find LeBlanc’sShortlybody.after the documentary’s release, Mayor LaToya Cantrell appointed five staffers to help the family. But they dropped the matter after months of fruitless searching, the network reported. LeBlanc was estranged from his family in California, not because of his homosexuality but because he hadn’t paid money owed to his grandfather, Fieseler wrote in “Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation.” His body was identified after an anonymous caller told the coroner’s office that LeBlanc wore an antique ring made from a silver spoon, Fieseler wrote. The other three were listed as bodies 18, 23 and 28, and buried more than a decade before DNA fingerprinting was developed. “Body 18, an over-18-year-old white male, … had no identifying tattoos and burns over 70% of him,” Fieseler wrote. “Body 28, over 60% of his body charred, met his final resting place with pants and an undershirt still grafted to his skin. Body 23, 90% burned, was the most unrecognizable figure who had been pulled from the ruins. All that is known is that he met his end wearing brown shoes and blackJohnnysocks.”Townsend, who interviewed more than 30 people who survived the fire for a book that he published in 2011, wrote that one survivor overheard two firefighters talking while the fire still roared. One was frustrated that he couldn’t get up to the blaze, Townsend wrote. The other replied, using a slur for homosexuals, “Let ’em burn.”

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Romano said the encounter took place Aug. 10 on the sidelines of Francis’ weekly general audience, with Sister Genevieve Jeanningros and Rev. Andrea Conocchia saying the pope’s welcome brought their guests hope. The Blessed Immaculate Virgin community in Rome’s Torvaianica neighborhood opened its doors to transgender people during the coronavirus pandemic. “No one should encounter injustice or be thrown away, everyone has dignity of being a child of God,” Sister Jeanningros said.

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Sylvie Trevena is a proud mom of four with eclectic interests who holds a BS in Behavioral Healthcare and an MBA.

I have never understood the idea that someone can hate you simply because of who you are.

viewpoint You’re Amazing MAMA BEARINGS Sylvie Trevena www.tampabaylgbtchamber.org Jo i n y ou r l oc al L G BT C h a mber , a s w e ar e the p r em i er a d v oc a te s f o r the T a mp a B ay A r e a’ s L G B T bus i ness commun i t y . watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 17

I distinctly remember finding myself looking forward to the new year last December, and now my kids are preparing to return to school. 2022 is really flying by, not unlike the last few years which have been pretty hard. The pandemic started off with some of the strangest times I have ever experienced – and when I say “strangest,” I am most certainly referring to some of the most stressful, scary and uncertain days I’ve had. Days that I wanted to just survive. Just get through. Where I wasn’t living my best life but enduring what life was dishing out.

A S A LOVER OF ALL things celebratory, I tend to make a big deal out of birthdays, anniversaries and new adventures. It’s something I’ve written about regarding New Year’s Eve, a time of year when I find value in new beginnings.

I feel a lot differently about COVID-19 than I did a few years back. We have done what we can to protect ourselves and others, and my anxiety about that has mutated more into an awareness and understanding. However, now I feel frightened, frustrated and disheartened by the climate in our country regarding reproductive rights and the increased discriminatory practices towards the LGBTQ community. I have never understood the idea that someone can hate you simply because of who you are. I value self-love and individuality, something I try to instill in my children. I encourage them to love themselves and their differences, and to do the same for others. I try to relay that in this column, making an effort to inspire, empower and connect through words. I can be sensitive and highly emotional, and I understand how negativity can really affect us in powerful ways. The idea that words on a page or screen can turn someone’s whole day around or can change someone’s way of thinking is amazing, and I see value in that Lately,connection.however, I am struggling to stay upbeat for myself and my loved ones. I am scared for my transgender son in 2022 and I am angry on his behalf and on behalf for the entire LGBTQ community. So many things with him are a battle, and I have combat fatigue. I will never give up on my kids or stop providing them with the best life that I can, but getting him what they need to grow up healthy, happy and confident is so hard. My kids are the most important part of my life, and currently I cannot take care of my son in the ways he deserves because his basic human rights are being violated nearly every day. My son must endure endless settingsquestionsinappropriatein“professional”likethedoctor’s office and dentist, something that my other children never experience. People treat him differently because he transgender, and lately I feel like on top of that people want to change him or treat himAspoorly.heison the cusp of turning 13 and becoming a full-on teenager, I cannot answer so many questions he has regarding possible hormone therapy because autonomy of one’s body is not for all of us in 2022. I feel worried and sad, more than I did at the beginning of the pandemic. So much is going on right now on top of that. Inflation, the economy and finances are keeping many of us up late at night. Travel is messier than ever when we all truly need to get away. I believe most of the world is stressed to say the least, but I’ve come to understand that means we can all relate to one another because of it. I know I will read this column again sometime in the future and feel differently than I do today. That is guaranteed. One of the coolest things about life, to me, is how quickly things can change; good or bad. The small suburban city I live in recently started a local PFLAG chapter, for example, and I am a new member. No legislature or politician will change how I support my son’s transition in the future, although I see more challenges on the horizon. I look forward to being more involved and helping support families such as ours understand that while I get support myself. Whenever he’s asked, one of my mentors says that he is “amazing.”

He always follows by explaining why. He doesn’t share fake positivity, but instead genuinely dishes out whatever good he can find every day. He shares his gratitude in life and thoughts on being able to live it on his own terms. My circle of friends, family and coworkers includes some truly exceptional humans whose lives have not always been easy. But they have lived on their terms and done things in their way, which is a definition of success in so many ways. I imagine you have, too. Why is why I hope as many of us struggle that we can remember how amazing that is. That we are kind to ourselves and to others, just for being who we are.

ORLANDOSHAKES.ORG ORLANDOSHAKES.ORG || 407-447-1700 407-447-1700 Front (L R): Trene l Mooring in Much Ado About Nothing; E Mani Cadet Bert Rodr guez Brandon Roberts Damian Barray and Phi ip Nolen in The Fantasticks Back (L R) Connie Castanzo Walter Kmiec K P Powel N ck Bubl tz Trenel Moor ng and Rodney Lizcano* n Much Ado About Nothing PHotos by Tony Firrio o and Orlando Shakes staff watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM18

Many of you who already know me — either personally or through my social media platforms — know my life revolves around education, politics and community service, as well as my personal spiritual path. Being present in the community can bring a unifying sense of purpose, commitment and the intention of improving everyone’s lives. As you rally down the street, demanding for what one believes is the righteous protection for everyone, it can sometimes be a double-edged sword. One you wield in defense of yourself and your families, yet one that can strike back at you painfully. Even as I strive to keep the intentions of my work hopeful, I have to confess that lately I have been struggling to feel safe in our current state of affairs. It could just be paranoia but I cannot ignore the fact that in this lacking sense of collective safety there is a feeling that we all, LGBTQ+ and intersectional communities, have struggled with before. Every word I choose to communicate something coming out of my mouth (or my fingers) is carefully curated because I know the power of words. A writing element that, when rearranged, also spells the word “sword”; and as such, words can be double-edged. In the era of rampant social media, unbridled opinionated minds and boisterous chants, my mind has been focused lately on keeping myself in the safety of my home. As I witness the irresponsible actors in public office who, in ill-empowering fashion, resuscitate hurtful words from the past, such as “groomers,” “pedophiles” and “sinners,” just so they feel like the momentaneous heralds of truth, it only reminds us of the danger that cult-like minds pose to our society. Knowing exactly how fatal these words can be, they decide to use that side of the sword to inflict pain and disillusion. Make no mistake, those who purposefully use their words to blindly judge, attack and instigate falsehoods onto others, using their belief system as an anchor to justify their hatred, know what they are doing. When we see their insanity coming after us, how do we Lovehandle our own safety and the safety of the loved ones around us? In a previous Viewpoint column, I made reference to one of the personal beliefs that I seek to follow wholeheartedly, and that concept is called ahimsa. In the philosophical traditions of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism, among others, ahimsa is referred to as the virtue of nonviolence. Briefly explained, ahimsa calls on each of us to exercise, through thought, word and actions, the intention of not harming anyone or anything. When practiced consistently, this principle raises our awareness of the respect we all bring to the table, the one we deserve, but ultimately the one we must extend. This awareness of nonviolence is certainly easier said than done, but like any ritual or skill, the more we practice it, the better we become. Now, when faced with extreme acts of violence, like the ones we have been seeing escalating in the past years, we become more and more excruciating to experience, the challenge to be nonviolent and follow a path of loving kindness rests at the edge of the same sword. When we hear, see or experience hatred, I would like to invite you to think of it in this way: when someone is mad, upset and yelling, there are only two sides of the spectrum where those feelings stem from — love or fear. When we don’t know something, we fear it; when we fear what we don’t know we avoid it, and when we avoid what we don’t know, our world shrinks to the size of a marble, and so will our capacity to becomeWhennonviolent.lookingat angry people, I like to imagine a blazing fire. To put out a fire we need to bring an extinguishing agent but you don’t throw water at the flames. You have to aim for the base, the root cause of the fire where the flame lies, to bring that fire to disappear. The main object of so many disputes and violent acts lies in our incessant need to react, be inflamed, and while we all have the capacity to bring down a city with flames, we also carry within us the agent to pacify the heat, and when the heat is down, we can all breathe better. This scene can be extrapolated to various aspects of our daily lives, from the tweet we just read to the email from work we just received to the driver in front of us on the streets; as so many rusty swords come at us all at the same time, we have the power to decide how and if they will hurt us or if we will let that sword hone itself in your invincible nonviolent persona. The escalation of violent acts in the past years only reminds us that these will not cease or disappear any time soon, unfortunately. Our sense of collective safety continues to be challenged by these external forces or our deepest, most personal mental manifestations. The way you wake up and actively decide to take on your day is key, as the bodies of energy we are your vibrational frequency will protect you from harm or pull you right into it, relentlessly. When you start to feel the heat blazing up within you from a situation that you have little to no control of, allow yourself to stop and take a look at the root of that fear. Ask yourself why you feel the way you feel, and honor the power within you to wield the sword to strike, or the words that strive for peace in all of us. You have the final (s)word.

I know the power of words. A writing element that, when rearranged, also spells the word ‘sword’; and as such, words can be double-edged.

I N MANY WAYS, WHEN I create my Viewpoint column, it feels like cooking up a recipe; one that requires one part truth, one part vulnerability and one part hopefulness. I always like to end my writings on a hopeful note because why would you eat the salad if you’re not going to enjoy the dessert, right?

Words #LOVEHANDLIN Jerick Mediavilla WE’VE MOVED! 2766 E Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32803 viewpoint watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 19

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WARNER BROS. AXED THE PLANNED“BATGIRL”LGBTQ-INCLUSIVEFILMFORHBOMAX,

[Life] is acquiring chapters in a book. I don’t want my life to be a pamphlet. I want it to be a tome. I enjoy chapters. I enjoy lines on my face. I enjoy wrinkles around my eyes. It came about because I smile a lot, so I don’t feel the need to age down at the moment.”

—NEIL PATRICK HARRIS ON AGING IN HOLLYWOOD DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH OUT MAGAZINE WHEN DISNEY REOPENS ITS BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOUTIQUE SHOPS AT RESORTS IN FLORIDA AND CALIFORNIA AUG. 25, the workers who help children dress up as their favorite animated characters will have new, more gender inclusive titles. That is because for the first time ever, all genders are going to be able to work at the shops. The workers will be referred to as Fairy Godmother’s Apprentices instead of Fairy Godmothers-in-Training, as they were called before the shops closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to allow all genders to work at the shops was made before the pandemic but hadn’t been implemented before the closures. Workers at the shops provide hairstyling, makeup, costumes and accessories to help children between ages 3 and 12 transform into their favorite characters. points

talking

WARNER BROS. LGBTQ-INCLUSIVEAXES‘BATGIRL’FILM

‘DRAG ANNOUNCESRACE’SPINOFFS WORLD OF WONDER, THE PRODUCTION COMPANY BEHIND “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE,” made three individual posts to its Instagram Aug. 8 calling on drag queens in Brazil, Germany and Mexico to apply for each of their country’s respective shows. “Calling all queens,” each post begins. “World of Wonder is looking for [each country’s] best drag queens. The producers of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ want to hear from you: apply at France,Australia,otherspawningwinningbecomepremieredAugustandworldofwonder.com/castingsubmityourapplicationby26th!”“RuPaul’sDragRace”in2009andhassinceaculturalphenomenon,24EmmyAwardsandspinoffseriesinadozencountriesincludingtheU.K.,Canada,Thailand,Italy,Chileandmore.

JOJO SIWA RESPONDS TO ‘LESBIAN’ BACKLASH JOJO SIWA CLARIFIED HER COMMENTS IN WHICH SHE COMPARED THE WORD “LESBIAN” TO THE WORD “MOIST,” after receiving backlash from users on social media. In a TikTok video response to a commentor who claimed that Siwa called “lesbian” a dirty word, Siwa responded, “I never said that lesbian was a dirty word and I never, ever would say that it’s a dirty word because it is not. It is not a bad word, it is not a slur, and it is especially not a word that I am ashamed of saying or ashamed of identifying as by any means.” The 19-year-old “Dance Moms” star added that she simply didn’t like “the sound” of the word “lesbian.”

DISNEY DRESS-UP SHOPS BECOME MORE GENDER INCLUSIVE TOP ISSUES5 FLORIDA LGBTQ VOTERS WANT CANDIDATES TO ADDRESS: RESTORING PROTECTINGHIGHREFORMSRIGHTSABORTION(47%)FORGUNSAFETY(31%)HOUSINGCOSTS(22%)INFLATION(22%)ANDLGBTQEQUALITY(19%) —GLAAD poll of Florida LGBTQ voters watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 21

opting to shelve the $90 million film as the reorganized studio revamps its approach to streaming and DC Comics films. The studio ultimately decided the nearly completed “Batgirl” didn’t merit either a streaming debut or a theatrical release. Warner Bros. instead is choosing to entirely write off the film starring “In the Heights” star Leslie Grace as Batgirl, which would have also introduced actress Ivory Aquino as the first major trans character to appear in DC’s cinematic universe. Production on the film wrapped in April.

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In Central Florida and Tampa Bay, LGBTQ safe spaces are working to make a difference for these students. These organizations ensure that LGBTQ youth, adults and allies flourish in their education and future careers through scholarships ranging from $500 to $10,000 per recipient. We detail some of their efforts here.

The onePULSE Foundation formed after the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse in Orlando. It was established to create a sanctuary of hope and honor the 49 lives that were taken, the 68 others who were injured and the countless first responders and health care professionals who treated them. In 2020, the onePULSE Legacy Scholarship was created to keep the memory of those 49 alive, offering recipients up to $10,000. The scholarships are based on the victim’s vocation, hobbies or aspirations. Preference is given to immediate family members, survivors of the shooting and first responders on the scene. No age restriction, GPA or school location impacts the scholarship selection and applicants all share the common thread of community service, leadership and advocacy. The committee seeks to pair a scholarships give students resources and hope

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GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS HAS drawn the ire of activists nationwide for his administration’s treatment of LGBTQ Floridians, especially the state’s students.“ParentalRights in Education” was signed into law earlier this year, more widely known as the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, and in 2021 he championed “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” to restrict transgender youth from playing sports aligning with their gender identity. The vulnerable population’s access to gender-affirming care has also beenAccordingtargeted.to its most recent National School Climate Survey, GLSEN – which has worked to ensure LGBTQ students thrive in schools since 1990 – found that nearly 60% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, 42.5% felt unsafe because of their gender expression and 37.4% felt unsafe because of their gender. Nearly all heard anti-LGBTQ remarks in the classroom.

Deborah Bostock-Kelley

CENTRAL FLORIDA

LGBTQ

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At the LGBT+ Center Orlando’s 10th annual Diversity Awards in July, 10 recipients received a total of $10,000 in scholarships. “It was an amazing day to give the awards, and we surprised the recipients with a performance by Ginger Minj from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’” LGBT+ Center CEO Dr. George Wallace says. “She sang ‘I Am What I Am,’ a song from ‘La Cage aux Folles,’ which Sammy was in onTheBroadway.”scholarship does not have to be educational. A recipient can be a drag performer needing make-up and wigs or a seamstress who needs a new sewing machine. “They can utilize the funds however they see fit,” Wallace explains. “The checks are made out to the students and not the school. We know that education is important, and that’s what most people use the scholarship for, but they don’t have to use it just for that. If you get it and need a laptop for college, you can get one.” Submissions for the next round of scholarships will be accepted in the spring and will be presented at the Diversity Awards Banquet the followingEstablishedJuly. in 2010 in Orlando, the Zebra Coalition assists LGBTQ youth, ages 13-24, facing homelessness, as 18% of the national homeless youth reside

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“The scholarship started because the youth came to us,” OYA CEO Michael Slaymaker says. “They were voicing a need for educational purposes, things they wanted to do to better themselves, and that’s why we started talking to different donors and individuals in the organization to see what we could putWhiletogether.”OYA helped students purchase computers and books as well as cover testing fees, they formalized the scholarship program in 2015. Slaymaker says a minimum of $1,500 is given per student but that this year they received up to His$3,000.favorite memory was in 2015 when he knew two students were able to go to college because of the OYA scholarship. “That meant a lot to me personally to see someone with great potential and be able to help them, push them forward, get an education and help them become leaders of tomorrow. That’s one of OYA’s goals, to build tomorrow’s leaders,” Slaymaker says. Since 2015, the nonprofit has awarded $80,000 in scholarships. Submissions are open now, with a deadline of Feb. 28. Scholarships are awarded in the spring. In Central Florida, LGBTQ youth and allies ages 16-24 with financial needs in the field of theatre — performance, technical, creative and costume design — also have a scholarship that supports formal education and specific individual needs related to their craft. Established in early 2022 by Neil Hamilton, the Singhaus Scholarship for Performing Arts is in memory of Marcy, Sam (drag icon Miss Sammy) and Steve Singhaus. They were a beloved family of activists that contributed to and supported theatre, art, music, fashion and drag in Central Florida. “Sam Singhaus was a good friend to me and so many others … he was a bright light and truly one of a kind. Sam, his brother Steve and his sister-in-law Marcy were wildly creative. For over 30 years, they poured their time and talent into the Orlando community and mentored many young people along the way,” Hamilton says. “After they passed, it seemed fitting to honor their legacy while helping the next generation of young creatives to achieve their goals,” he continues. “The theatre community can act as a safe harbor for young people that may feel a bit different from their peers, including LGBTQ youth. It can offer a place for expression and growth at a pivotal time.”

To apply for The Spirit of Dru Scholarship, students must complete an application, answer two essay questions about advocacy and intersectionality, and submit transcripts. They may apply once for the scholarship and its next submission period is March 15-May 15. Recipients are announced on June 1, Drew’s birthday, also the kickoff of LGBTQ Pride month and Gun Violence Prevention AwarenessAwardingmonth.recipients since 2009, the Orlando Youth Alliance offers an Orlando Youth Alliance Scholarship and a special Rodney Hughley Memorial Scholarship designated for a Black, gay male. Past and current members of OYA of all ages are eligible for the scholarships. Candidates complete an application and an essay about what OYA has meant to them and share educational endeavors. They provide a college class list, transcripts, a letter of recommendation and a resume. Scholarships vary year to year, based on the generosity of the nonprofit’s donors and the number of applicants.

recipient with a scholarship based on matching interests. “What makes our program really unique is we are open to everyone. Our scholars have come from all over the United States. We have scholars in technology, cosmetology and fire science schools, undergrads and grads, all the way up to a scholar doing her residency at Harvard Med. It’s a really nice representation of the community,” says Genelle Kelly, director of the Legacy Scholarship Program. “Our founder Barbara [Poma] took an incredible tragedy and created a program out of that. The Foundation reached out to each of the families of the 49 angels to give a designation to each scholarship.”ScottBowman, chief communications and government relations officer, says there is also “a process after they’re awarded that they can actually meet the family members if they want to. The family members wanted their loved ones to be more than a name on the memorial. This program really allows their memory to live on through each scholar.” In 2022, Nicky Macias received the scholarship for their degree in Linguistics (ASL) at Gallaudet University, honoring the memory of 26-year-old Oscar A. Aracena Montero. “It was an emotional reaction. The director of onePULSE Foundation was the one who actually told me, and she was the owner of Pulse when everything happened,” Macias says. “I was really moved by being able to connect with her. She started Pulse in response to losing her brother to HIV. Pulse was a place where she turned tragedy into something beautiful – and so in the same vein, [she made] the onePULSE Foundation similar in that it almost parallels taking this horrible tragedy and turning it into a place where we can memorialize, honor and make sure we never forget. “It also gives opportunity to people such as myself, a Latinx queer, trans person,” Macias continues. “I hope to make my journey in tribute to Oscar and all the victims, especially knowing there is a lot of work to be done for our existence and to make a joyous life to be authentically who we are … I’m honored to be associated with the onePULSE Foundation.” Since its inception, $917,300 in scholarships have been awarded. Applicants can submit more than once. The next submission period is Dec. 1- Jan. 31. One of the victims of the Pulse massacre was Christopher Andrew Leinonen, who was just 32 years old when his life was cut short. To honor his memory, The Dru Project was born in Orlando, and with it, The Spirit of Dru scholarship. Co-founder Sara Grossman explains, “We launched immediately after the Pulse Nightclub shooting. While alive, Dru was a huge proponent of supporting queer youth, so we decided to continue his legacy. We give out scholarships yearly to those who encompass Dru’s attitude for unity, respect, progress, perseverance and unity.” The scholarships “go out to queer students who are advocates in their community and continue to do amazing work,” she continues. Six $5,000 scholarships were awarded last year to LGBTQ students pursuing higherTheeducation.organization also began awarding grants to help with student debt relief. “That’s a major hindrance for people pursuing the good work they are doing,” Grossman notes. “We want to help out wherever we can. “The work that the Dru Project does to affirm queer youth is more important than ever, especially in the face of what’s happening in Florida politics,” she concludes. “We are so proud to be able to push forward Dru’s legacy of love, acceptance and community through this work.”

AS THEY ARE: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Ginger Minj (3rd from R, Top) poses with this year’s recipients of the Singhaus Scholarship at the LGBT+ Center Orlando’s Diversity Awards in July. PHOTO COURTESY THE LGBT+ CENTER

2022-23 fiscal year … we’re committed to supporting youth, and this is one way we can do it on a practicalStudentsbasis.”who apply must be under age 22 as of Aug. 1, a resident of Sarasota or Manatee county, enrolled in an accredited college or university for the summer or fall of the year applying. They need to provide transcripts and letters of recommendation, and a personal statement of why the scholarship is important to them.

TAMPA BAY ALSO Youth is celebrating its 30th anniversary of empowering LGBTQ youth and their allies in Sarasota and Manatee counties this year. One of the ways it’s done that is through two scholarships — one for $500 and another for $1,000 — that a donor named in honor of his deceased partner and teacher. The Greg Jung Memorial Scholarship helps students majoring in ourMcDonoughExecutiveorganizationhas“Providingeducation.scholarshipsbeenthepriorityoftheforalongtime,”DirectorBeckysays.“We’redoublingscholarshipmoneyforthe

PHOTO VIA COME OUT ST PETE

CONTINUED ON PG. 29 | uu | AT WORK: The Dru Project raises funds in Central Florida for the organization’s ongoing efforts to help LGBTQ youth and more.

“I’m so grateful to have earned the scholarship,” he explains. “It’s an amazing opportunity to curb some of those college expenses … This and other scholarships help so much towards my dream of not having to put a dollar towards my college. I want to work in a nonprofit organization, particularly LGBTQ+. I love everything about it.” Submissions are open in the fall and scholarships are awarded at a reception in the spring. Applicants may apply more than once.

The application committee considers academic achievement and financial needs when we make the“Oneawards.ofthe six who received a $500 scholarship, we’re not able to talk about because they are not out of the closet with their family, and it would make things difficult with them,” McDonough notes, but Hannah Padalik was awarded the Greg Jung Scholarship. She is attending the University of North Florida for a degree in ElementaryEvangelineEducation.Brancati, 18, is using her $500 scholarship to help pursue a degree in zoology at the University of Florida. “I was super excited and was really honored to get the scholarship. I was excited that they read my story about my experience being queer in high school, how it impacts me and my decisions in life,” Brancati says. “It’s really important for queer people –especially in Southern states – to be more involved and more out there in everything. I think many queer people are focused on the arts, but I’d love to see more in science and politics.”MoJones, 18, is seeking his AA to apply to a future joint sociology major and gender studies. He discovered ALSO Youth by attending the organization’s inclusive prom earlier this year.

In St. Petersburg, Come OUT St Pete launched the Longstreth Family LGBTQ+ Scholarship this year. The nonprofit was founded in 2017 to celebrate National Coming Out Day and advocates for community awareness and acceptance of all sexual orientations and gender identities. COSP will award up to three scholarships totaling $5,000 for students attending St. Pete College through a joint effort with the school’s foundation. SPC awards millions of dollars in scholarships each year, funded by corporations, private donors like COSP, the state and college itself. “The scholarship is named after Brian Longstreth because he’s a pillar in our community and his family who have been very influential in this community,” COSP Chair Chris Jones says. “They lost their mother this year,” he continues, “so we wanted to do something to continue the legacy of the Longstreth family and the work that Brian does.” One of the nonprofit’s youngest board members, 22-year-old Christopher Gorman who is a St. Pete College student himself, was instrumental in creating it because he understood firsthand the expenses. It is open to students in all levels of education and enrollment capacity, on all campuses of St. Pete College, all degrees and is not restricted to merit or financial need. Submissions opened Aug. 15 and close Sept. 30. In Gulfport, The LGBTQ+ Resource Center is committed to promoting awareness of the diversity of experiences, contributions and needs of the LGBTQ community. The nonprofit provides educational, social and recreational opportunities through the Gulfport Public Library. Since 2020, the Resource Center at Gulfport Public Library has provided an LGBTQ student in Pinellas County with a $1,000 BranchOut Scholarship. High school graduates or those with a GED, 18 years or older who live, work or attend school in Pinellas County

in Florida. The organization helps with bullying, isolation from their families and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery andInstability.2013,the Zebra Coalition expanded its reach to provide students with financial support for college. That year, Zebra wanted to think outside the box with the Jefferson R. Voss Education Fund Scholarship, named after founding board member Jefferson R. Voss. “We promote our scholarships throughout the year through the support of our major donors,” Executive Director Heather Wilke says. “The scholarships provide basic needs assistance to students going to college. It helps overcome any barriers someone would have had to attend school.” While Zebra has assisted with tuition, they offer help with books, laptops and transportation. “We ask what is it that you really need that goes above and beyond a traditional scholarship,” she says. “We do a lot of vocation support. For example, we paid for one of our youth to go through cosmetology school. We do out-of-the-ordinary scholarship requests. It’s to help give an opportunity that they wouldn’t otherwise have.” An average of 15 students per year receive the scholarships. The amount awarded is based on the need of the recipient and submissions will open in the spring and run through June.

PHOTO VIA THE DRU PROJECT ST. PETERSBURG STAPLES: Come OUT St. Pete boardmembers and supporters including Brian Longstreth (5th from R) announce the Longstreth Family Scholarship in June.

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Submissions are open through Nov. 30 and recipients will be announced in late 2023. Throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay, these nonprofits are providing LGBTQ youth, adults and allies the financial assistance needed to help them make a difference. Each organization welcomes support to strengthen their scholarships and the LGBTQ community’s future. Learn more about the work and scholarships of each Central Florida and Tampa Bay organization at PFLAGTampa.org.Gulfport,org,org,org,TheDruProject.org,OnePULSEFoundation.org,SinghausScholarship.OrlandoYouthAlliance.org,ZebraYouth.ALSOYouth.org,ComeOUTStPete.Facebook.com/LGBTQResourceCenter.TampaBayLGBTChamber.organd a Difference FROM PG.27 LAYING THE FOUNDATION: The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber of Commerce and supporters of its foundation’s scholarship program award this year’s recipient Kaitlyn Bautista (4th from R) with her funds in June.

“This is a community effort,” he continues. “We are giving these students the gift of education and they are giving us a future full of hope and equality. We encourage you to join us in supporting tomorrow’s leaders today.”

The Foundation presented a $2,000 scholarship to Lennard High School graduate Kaitlyn Bautista in partnership with GLSEN Tampa Bay. Bautista will be attending the University of Central“TheFlorida.Tampa Bay LGBT chamber Foundation Scholarship Fund, previously known as the Diamond Scholarship Fund, started seven years ago … and today is still one of the very few scholarships and support LGBTQIA students in the Tampa Bay region,” Chamber President and CEO Justice Gennari shared at the time. “These students exhibit leadership potential, demonstrate strong academic abilities and are actively involved in their communities,” he continued. “Our partner this year for the scholarship program is GLSEN Tampa Bay, a community organization that supports students and teachers in the Tampa Bay area [and] this year’s scholarship fund committee reviewed over 50 applicants.” Gennari says the scholarship allows recipients to make a difference in the world. “With a Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber Foundation scholarship, students are able to focus more wholly on their academic pursuits,” he says. “With the financial burden lightened, they are able to work one less job, avoid going into student loan debt and involve themselves in community activities.”

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PFLAG National was founded in 1972 to make a positive change in the world. Celebrating 11 years this month, its Tampa group consists of the LGBTQ community, family members and allies wanting to make that difference. “We’re recognized for being the group that holds up the signs –‘I love my gay son,’ ‘I love my trans daughter,’ ‘I love my nonbinary child’ while walking in Pride parades,” PFLAG Tampa President Trevor James says. “We are very much run, led and supported by parents of queer children.”

The organization meets monthly at the LGBTQ-affirming MCC Tampa. The nonprofit provides corporate training, partnering with organizations and now, offers two $1,000 scholarships. “We started talking about this coming out of the 2020 COVID pandemic,” James explains, “recognizing that it has changed our world and is providing increased barriers to queer folks, particularly queer folks of color, to education.

The scholarships are offered to Hillsborough and Pinellas County students who complete necessary paperwork and are enrolled or attending a two or four-year college, a technical or trade school or an approved certification program. The college can be online and/or outside of Florida. PFLAG is interested in the applicants’ dreams, goals and how they plan to be an asset to the LGBTQ community. “We use four different criteria,” James explains. “Service to the LGBTQ+ community, clarity of future goals and determination to achieve them, maturity and positive sense of self as an LGBTQ+ individual or supportive ally, and sense of integrity, ethical judgment and honesty. We want them to have the best intentions in their educational goals and what their future would look like.”

The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber Foundation has provided nearly $50,000 in scholarships since 2015.

PFLAG Tampa also began offering a scholarship this year. The chapter sees it as an extension of its mission to save lives, strengthen families and change hearts, minds and laws.

may apply for any accredited educational LGBTQ-identifyingApplicantsprogram.mustbeand out as they speak as the center’s scholar to promote the nonprofit. “This is not the traditional educational scholarship that you think of. It is for any accredited education program,” LGBTQ Resource Center Board President Susan Gore says. “We care about leadership development and bringing that leadership into the“Ifcommunity.youwant to be a hairdresser, a bookkeeper, a truck driver, or go to an art school – it doesn’t have to be college, graduate school or community college – it can be any accredited education program,” she continues. “This year, we had an anonymous donor who said the cost of education has gone up and $1,000 was not enough. They added a $1,500 donation, and we were able to give a $2,500 scholarship to a 24-year-old first-generation Caribbean-American woman, Nathalie Marcelin, a graduate student, and full-time employee.” Marcelin, a student and coordinator for diversity, inclusion and collaboration at Stetson College of Law, will use the funds to pursue a Master of Social Work at the University of South Florida this fall. “I want to continue extending my passion for healing the queer community and the generational trauma we have faced due to being persecuted and oppressed for being ourselves,” she shared after receiving her award. “My mission is to help teens know that they are allowed to be authentically themselves and provide them emotional support,” she added. “ Queer kids are our future, and their unapologetic queerness inspires me.”

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD BRANCHING OUT: (L-R) Stetson College’s Carmen Johnson, Nathalie Marcelin and LGBTQ Resource Ctr. President Susan Gore in July. PHOTO BY SALLY OTTO

The Resource Center board has committed to providing three $2,000 scholarships moving forward. They are the Emerging Scholar, given within three years of high school or GED; the Continuing Scholar, given more than three years of school to those working and looking to continue their education and the Returning Scholar, awarded to those who are seeking to reenter the world of academics.“Thesethree different scholarship areas give people better chances to be considered alongside their peers,” Gore says. Submissions open in June next year and scholarships will be awarded in Oct. 2023 during LGBTQ History Month.

The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which since 1983 has represented over 600 businesses, community groups and individuals representing Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, Polk and Hernando counties, offers another resource. The mission of its associated foundation is to raise scholarship funding for LGBTQ and allied students, focusing on education for their members and the community at large. It was last awarded in June at the organization’s annual Pride in Business luncheon.

“There are academic barriers potentially coming out of high school and going to college for their first year,” James continues. “There are barriers to accessing education outside of community college and funds to support those educational goals, whatever those might look like.”

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PHOTOSmovieSong’s”posterCOURTESYBLEECKERSTREET

Everything. He wrote me a beautiful letter asking me to do this role, telling me why he thought I was right for it. He watched my work over the years. I watched two of

(RIGHT) SING OUT: “A Love

(LEFT) WITH LOVE: (L-R) Dale andEngbring,Dennis,MartyDickey,GraceScoutGregoryHope,JesseHopeSamEngbringin“ALoveSong.”

DALE DICKEY: The script was simple and quiet and pure and beautiful. I had not done a lead role and had not been able to play this sort of vulnerability and stillness and quiet. I love the outdoors. I related to her in many ways. It was a challenge that I could not refuse. I was terrified, but I had to do it. WE’RE GLAD YOU DID. “A LOVE SONG” IS WRITER/DIRECTOR MAX YOUWASFEATURE-LENGTHWALKER-SILVERMAN’SDEBUT.WHATITABOUTMAXTHATMADEWANTTOWORKWITHHIM?

Gregg Shapiro B EGINNING IN 1995, WITH HER FIRST movie role in “The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love,” actress and ally Dale Dickey has been a presence in LGBTQ cinema. She appeared in three Del Shores movies, including “Sordid Lives,” “Southern Baptist Sissies” and “A Very Sordid Wedding,” as well as the “Sordid Lives” TV series. Dickey also received numerous accolades, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, for her performance in 2010’s “Winter’s Bone,” alongside Jennifer Lawrence. Dickey is also a part of the cast for the highly anticipated “A League of Their Own” series, which premiered with its first season on Amazon Prime Aug. 12, and stars Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Roberta Colindrez and Nick Offerman, and will feature a guest appearance from Rosie O’Donnell, who appeared in the 1992 Penny Marshall-directed film of the same Knownname.mainly as a character actress, Dickey has appeared in many mainstream films and TV series including “Iron Man 3,” Super 8,” “Hell or High Water,” “True Blood,” “My Name is Earl,” “Breaking Bad” and much more. But in her latest movie, “A Love Song,” Dickey is the star of the show. She plays Faye, a woman waiting at a campsite to be reunited with Lito (played by Wes Studi), an old flame she hasn’t seen in years. Dickey gives another performance,stellarone that could potentially win her more awards. Dickey was generous enough to make time for an interview before “A Love Song” opens in theaters.

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WATERMARK: DALE, WE’D LIKE TO BEGIN BY ASKING YOU TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT MADE THE CHARACTER OF FAYE IN “A LOVE SONG” APPEALING TO YOU AS AN ACTRESS?

From Dale with Love Actress Dale Dickey on her latest film, ‘A Love Song’ FILM I love nature. I grew up in nature. So that was Iinstinctually,something,thatcouldrelateto.

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PHOTO COURTESY BLEECKER STREET

It’s one of the big things my husband and I share together. We both love music. I’ve tried to learn that it’s not good to watch MSNBC all day long and scream at the TV. Sometimes you just put on music and it relaxes you [laughs]. Music is the universal language. When I was growing up, my mom took me to everything. Every plane, every movie, to the opera, to dance. I love all kinds of music, I really do. I want to listen to it all. I have my certain favorites, but it’s the universal language. Particularly country music, which speaks to the heart and the real basic bones of living. Music is a beautiful, magical thing. ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SCENES INVOLVES JAN AND MARIE, A LESBIAN COUPLE AT THE CAMPSITE WHO INVITE FAYE OVER FOR DINNER. THEIR CONVERSATION INVOLVES THE POSSIBILITY OF A WEDDING. AS MARIE SAYS, “IT’S LEGAL NOW, YOU KNOW? LIKE POT.” HAVE YOU BEEN TO MANY SAME-SEX WEDDINGS? That’s Benja and Michelle (playing Jan and Marie), two beautiful actresses from New York. I got to see Michelle at the Tribeca Film Festival. I’ve been to a couple (of same-sex weddings). I work a lot with the LGBTQ director Del Shores in Los Angeles. He’s written a lot of beautiful plays. I went to Del’s first wedding, and I’ve been to another friend’s wedding. I am completely supportive of that community. I grew up with gay friends. My parents had gay friends.

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FOR THE FIRST HALF OF “A LOVE SONG,” FAYE IS WAITING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF LITO, AN OLD FLAME SHE HASN’T SEEN IN YEARS. FAYE AND LITO HAVE WONDERFUL SCENES OF REMINISCING. HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF RECONNECTING WITH AN OLD FRIEND, AND IF SO, WERE YOU ABLE TO PICK UP YOUR FRIENDSHIP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF? Yes. I’d say not necessarily romantically. I was very shy and a very weird theater child in high school, so I didn’t really date. I just had a lot of good guy friends. The same in college. There was one guy in college that was just a good friend, and we would joke about, “Well, if we’re not married at 30, we’ll get together.” But we were just good friends. It was never gonna work. But I have a lot of male friends that I think about fondly, but no one necessarily romantically. AS ONE CAN GLEAN FROM THE TITLE “A LOVE SONG,” MUSIC PLAYS A SUPPORTING ROLE IN THE MOVIE, WHETHER FAYE IS LISTENING TO SONGS ON THE RADIO OR SINGING WITH LITO. HOW DOES MUSIC FIGURE INTO YOUR LIFE?

his short films, I read his script, I talked with him on Zoom. I just felt the connection. I think that he’s a tremendous talent as an artist, at only 27, and he’s also quite a fine human being, which was extra icing on the cake. FAYE HAS TWO AUDUBON BOOKS ON HER BOOKSHELF – ONE A GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS AND ONE A GUIDE TO THE NIGHT SKY. ARE BIRDS OR CONSTELLATIONS THINGS IN WHICH YOU ALSO TAKE AN INTEREST? Oh, yeah! My husband and I lived here for 24 years, and our saving grace is getting the hell out of L.A. and camping. California is a beautiful state. We have a bag of Audubon books that my dad sends us at Christmas for trees and plants and amphibians. So, we’re always looking stuff up. I have a whole night sky chart for when we go camping. So, I could relate to that. I love nature. I grew up in nature. So that was something, instinctually, that I could relate to. AS SECLUDED AS HER CAMPSITE IS, FAYE STILL HAS SOCIAL INTERACTIONS WITH POSTMAN SAM AND YOUNG DICE AND THE COWHANDS. THESE SCENES ARE AMONG THE LIGHTER ONES IN TERMS OF HUMOR AND REMINDED ME A LITTLE BIT OF EARLY COEN BROTHERS MOVIES. Mmmm [laughs]. DO YOU ALSO SEE THE SIMILARITIES? Absolutely. I love that aspect. When I first read the script, I was like, “There’s no dialogue. Who are these weird people?” And then I reread it and I was like, “OK, I get it.” Max’s idea is once you put yourself out into the world, particularly out into the wilderness, you meet all kinds of strange, interesting, quirky characters that can change your life in different ways. To me, when I first read it, I thought, “Are these real people, or is Faye imagining them?” But they’re integral to the story. They each play a part in her progression. I love that! Particularly, the postman. That was a late addition to the script, it was not in the original. This was right around the time that, and I don’t want to get into politics, but that former president put that idiot into the Postal Service. YES. HIS NAME WAS LOUIS DEJOY, BUT SOME CALLED HIM DEJOYLESS. Yeah! The Orange Idiot put DeJoy in and they were tearing apart the postal department. I was like, “Friggin’ A that there’s a guy delivering the mail to the desert because mail’s important!” People get mail! I love that tribute to how important U.S. mail is.

FINALLY, DALE, ARE THERE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS YOU’D LIKE? Speaking of LGBTQ, the only thing I really have coming out is the new Amazon Prime series of “A League of Their Own.” It’s an expanded version of the true story, which included a lot of gay women at that time that had to hide their sexuality. They were forced to go through charm school and wear lipstick and wear makeup and wear short skirts, and they weren’t allowed to wear pants. It also opens up the African-American side of the story. The young Black girl who was this tremendous player but she can’t play for the Peaches because she’s Black! It touches on some social aspects. It’s an incredibly talented cast of young girls. I play their chaperone and I was really proud to be a part of it. I think it’s going to be a great story. “A Love Song” is playing now in select cities. “A League of Their Own” season one is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. | From Dale With Love FROM PG.31 WAITING FOR LOVE: Dale Dickey stars in “A Love Song” as Faye, a woman waiting at a campsite to be reunited with an old flame she hasn’t seen in years.

Fine Art | Portrait | Wedding | www.DylanToddPhotography.comCommercial|727-310-1212 ORL ANDO AYOUTHLLIANCE HIRING! Want to help LGBTQ youth in Osceola County? The Orlando Youth Alliance is hiring a part time person ($25K/yr) to work flexible hours to re-start our youth support group. If you or someone you know is bilingual and knowledgeable about Osceola County, please send a resume (407)OrlandoYouthAlliance.orginfo@OrlandoYouthAlliance.orgto244-1222 WE’RE watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM34

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(ABOVE) Q-RIFFIC: The company of the Straz

Puppet Masters Straz Center moves to ‘Avenue Q’

T HERE’S A REASON THE ORIGINAL cast recording of “Avenue Q” became the first Broadway album to carry a parental advisory. Despite its puppets, “Sesame Street” it ain’t. “Part flesh, part felt and packed with heart,” the musical opened on Broadway in 2003. It won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score the following year and moved Off-Broadway in 2009. There it enjoyed a 10-year run, inspiring performances around the globe before, during and ever since. It returns to Tampa Bay Aug. 31-Sept. 25, produced by the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. It’s featured as a part of the venue’s series showcasing the region’s top talent, most recently on display in “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Nunsense: A-Men!” “The laugh-out-loud musical –featuring actors and puppets – tells the story of a recent college grad named Princeton, who moves into a shabby New York apartment on Avenue Q,” it’s described. “He soon discovers that ... this is not your ordinary neighborhood, which is a racy, adults-only cross between ‘South Park’ and ‘Sesame Street.’” It’s a perfect fit for this season’s lineup, albeit with a parental advisory of its own. The Straz cautions “Avenue Q” contains “adult themes, raunch language and full puppet nudity.” “I think right now audiences desire fun and they want to laugh,” Director David Jenkins says. “I was on the ground-floor of reopening the theaters, not just here locally, but at a national level, and audiences have just been really clear in how they vote with their feet. “‘Little Shop of Horrors’ was selling out nightly but we can’t get folks into things that are more serious, that have less ‘brand-name’ recognition, or that are just generally challenging shows,” he continues. “So, that in mind, I could not be more happy to be directing ‘Avenue Q.’” Its cast is led by Spencer Meyers, an artist, actor and artistic associate for Jobsite Theater, the Straz’s resident theatre company. He’s been an ensemble member there since 2007, working with Jenkins – the company’s co-founder and producing artistic director – in productions like “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Meyers plays Princeton, the “bright-eyed college grad” who finds a home on Avenue Q. That’s where he meets a memorable cast of characters including girl-next-door Kate Monster, internet entrepreneur Trekkie Monster and more. “‘Avenue Q’ has always been on my bucket list,” Meyers says. “It’s a very exciting challenge and there is something really fun about having, manipulating and acting through a puppet. “It feels similar to when I have a heavy makeup show,” he continues. “You can lose yourself and really become the character, and it’s great when that character is literally on yourOtherwrist.”notable puppets include Rod – the “obsessively neat Republican” also played by Meyers –and Nicky, his “slacker roommate.” A play on Bert and Ernie from “Sesame Street,” they share a memorable duet in “If You Were Gay.” “It’s a classic and very comical song, but if you break down the lyrics it’s a song about acceptance,” Meyers explains. “It’s two roommates, one of them saying ‘if you were gay, we’d still be friends.’ “There’s a very specific generation that remembers when this show and song came out, including young kids who were aspiring theater students, and just having it in there was nice,” he continues. “Having characters in this show that may or may not be gay – who may be in the closet, you’ll have to see the show – was a big deal when it came out.” The show’s other fan-favorite numbers include “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist” and “The Internet is For“‘AvenuePorn.”Q’ is one of those shows that’s intentionally transgressive, that’s hitting incredibly serious topics – sexuality, race, equality – for laughs,” Jenkins says. As his PhD work was in comedy, with a focus on how it can lead to social change, it’s something he’s interested in as both an artist and sociologist. “Comedy acts as a pressure-valve, it helps vent some of that pent up steam,” he explains. “It allows everyone in that room to not have to talk but just be witness to another story, and then react accordingly … What comedy does best, especially with ‘heavy’ topics, is that it can work to short circuit taken-for-granted logic and create a space where we can learn from one another. And I loveBringingthat.” “Avenue Q” to the stage is no small task, even pre-puppet. The majority of the cast plays more than one character, frequently featured on stage and in song together. “This is a very complicated show and the duality is a real thing,” Meyers says. “There are scenes with Kate Monster and the character Lucy – both played by the same actress –and watching her go back and forth is a marvel. Luckily, there are only a few times where I have to do that.”

Given that it’s his first time controlling a puppet on stage, let alone two, the actor says he’s lucky to be surrounded by seasoned puppeteers and performers. “I love everyone involved,” Meyers notes. “They’ve passed along so many nice tricks and tips of the trade. It’s been very exciting to develop a whole new skill set.” The performer is eager for audiences to witness the cast and crew in action, particularly their puppets. He says it has something almost everyone can enjoy. “This is a fun, entertaining musical where you can sit down and not have to think too much, really getting an escape from your life,” Meyers says. “That is what a lot of people want right now and it’s perfect for that – as long as you’re 18 or older.”

Ryan Williams-Jent

Spencer“AvenueCenter’sQ,”includingMeyers(3rdfromL) PHOTO PRODUCTIONS.ROB-HARRISBY

The

“Avenue Q” plays Aug. 31-Sept. 25 in the Jaeb Theater of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, located at 1010 N. Macinnes Pl. in Tampa. To purchase tickets and for more information, call 813-229-7827 and visit StrazCenter.org.

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The Loft Ybor City announced its permanent closure Aug. 6, detailing events through Aug. 26 including their drag brunch. Read more at Facebook.com/TheLoftYborCity.

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CONDOLENCES

Tampa Bay’s theatre icon Patrick Brafford died Aug. 8. He will be missed.

Roo Roo’s Diner celebrated two years Aug. 15. Owners Nicholas Ellis and Joe Christianson also became fathers again Aug. 13.

The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence raised more than $1,000 for The SMART Ride Aug. 7 with their Sister for a Day fundraiser.

St. Petersburg’s Punky’s Bar and Grill announced its permanent, immediate closure Aug. 3. Read more on p. 10.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT 3 THE BIG DAY: Sasha (L) and Andrew Citino (R) flank Sister for a Day Joy Winheim at The Salty Nun Aug. 7. PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA BAY SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE’S FACEBOOK 4 ON SITE: CommunityCANHealth’s Tampa Bay team provides testing at Windmoore Healthcare Aug. 10. PHOTO COURTESY CAN COMMUNITY HEALTH’S FACEBOOK 5 REACHING OUT: The Hillsborough County LGBTQ Democratic Caucus hosts a meet and greet with LGBTQ and ally candidates Aug. 10 at Zudar’s on Platt. PHOTO COURTESY HILLSBOROUGH LGBTQ DEM CAUCUS’ FACEBOOK 6 IN THE SPIRIT: Metro Inclusive Health’s St. Petersburg staff becomes the rainbow for the organization’s Aug. 12 Spirit Day. PHOTO COURTESY METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH’S FACEBOOK 7 BACK AT IT: The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber and Balance Tampa Bay partner Aug. 5 for their annual Backpack Drive at District Tavern benefiting local youth. PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA BAY LGBT CHAMBER’S FACEBOOK 8 ROLL OUT: (L-R) Kimberly Embers, Aquariius and Greg Anderson strike a pose during Pride Skate Aug. 6 at Skate World Tampa. PHOTO COURTESY PRIDE SKATE TAMPA’S FACEBOOK

Former State Rep. Jennifer Webb was appointed to serve on the Florida Commission on the Status of Women Aug. 12. Read more on p. 13.

CLOSURES

1 ON THE EDGE: Vulva Va-Voom receives the Edge Award for “Hollywood Psychic of the Golden Age” Aug. 9 from Tampa Fringe 2022. PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA FRINGE’S FACEBOOK 2BIRTHDAY BOY: Clayton Maxywell tends bar on his birthday Aug. 5 at The Wet Spot.

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LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Tampa Bay performer Macaviti, Sarasota orthodontist Michael Radall, St. Petersburg realtor Dan Casper (Aug. 18); Lakeland singer Danny Pate, Tampa pastor Scott Manning, Former St. Pete ASAP Executive Director William Harper, Tampa economics specialist LJ Sosa (Aug. 19); MHK Director of Strategy and Pharmacy Jimmy Singkhapophet (Aug. 20); Clearwater bear Keith Schorr, Brandon restaurant exec. Rob Roberts (Aug. 21); Tampa Bay retailer Charles Germaine, The Hotchkiss Group’s Sonny Hotchkiss, Caretaker Karla Bello (Aug. 23); Writer and ally Karen Brown, Straz Center marketing manager Zachary Hines, founder of Tampa’s The Taylor Company Scott Taylor, Tampa Bay bartender Corey Peterson, Tampa Bay entertainer Kamden T. Rage, St. Petersburg actor/ director Steven Flaa, Channel 125 owner Dick Woelfle (Aug. 24); Tampa Bay realtor Tom Malanowicz, Spring Hill psychologist David Chandler, St. Pete Twirling Project veteran Steven Caruso, Tampa softballer Andrew Cohen, Optician Sharon Greene (Aug. 25); St. Petersburg staple Joshua Wallace, Buffy follower Del Fugler, Hillsborough County educator Laurie Walls, Tampa Bay entertainer Ja’Staria Sherrington (Aug. 26); former St. Pete Pride board member Carl Lovgren, Keller Williams’ Dallas Coffield, Tampa Pride staple Scott Fulghum (Aug. 27); Gypsy Productions’ Darryl Epperly, St. Pete songstress Lorna Bracewell, Clearwater bear Chris Miller, Tampa Verizon guy Jim Green, DoMA Home Furnishing’s Cody Williams, Tampa Bay entertainer Luke Miller, activist Aramis Baynard, Project Pride’s Robby Price Aug. 28); Seminole painting expert Karen Santos, Studio@620 founder Bob Devin Jones, Oasis Restaurant & Bar owner Hunter Vance, PrimeTimers Sarasota’s Stephen Horowitz, PR pro Joey Panek (Aug. 29); ); Tampa Bay barber Tyler Cochran (Aug. 30); Sarasota ally Maggie Wood, Pockets of Sunlight’s Ricky Celaya-Renaud, St. Pete diva Ed Adams, Tampa Bay theatre pro Dan Kelley (Aug. 31)

CONGRATULATIONS

Drop in and get your FREE PASS today. Includes a full week of unlimited classes and a one-hour personal training session. NO CONTRACTS • NO HIGH-PRESSURE SALES • EVERYONE WELCOME DROP IN OR CALL • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 407-802-4631 • 820 Lake Baldwin ROCKHARDFITNESSORLANDO.comLaneFive-StarRatingonFacebook,GoogleandYelp watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM38

CONGRATULATIONS

WORKSHOPS HI-fiVe!, the LGBT+ Center Orlando HIV support group, is launching an eight-week educational workshop starting Sept. 8 focused on achieving a full understanding of HIV in Central Florida. The interactive workshop will run eight consecutive weeks, ending Dec. 15. Each week will focus on one aspect of HIV including criminal law surrounding the virus, prevention, treatments, diet and exercise, community resources and more. The HI-fiVe! workshop is free to attend and participation is confidential. For more information, you can email Daniel Fernandez de Castro at Daniel@TheCenterOrlando.org.

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3 CIVIC DUTY: Joél Junior Morales shows off his Just Voted sticker after voting in the Florida primaries at a branch of the Orange County Library in Orlando Aug. 11. PHOTO FROM JOÉL JUNIOR MORALES’ FACEBOOK

The One Orlando Alliance has launched an LGBTQfocused, first-of-its-kind survey to gather comprehensive data on Central Florida’s queer community that will assist its coalition of service organizations in their advocacy efforts. The “We Belong Here” survey — funded by Contigo Fund and facilitated by Polis Institute — will gather information in an array of areas including basic demographic data, sexual and gender identities, housing stability, access to physical and mental health care, religious affiliation, family makeups, citizenship status and more. Those interested in participating in the One Orlando Alliance’s “We Belong Here” survey can visit OneOrlandoAlliance.org/Survey.

Will’s Pub celebrates its 26th anniversary on Sept. 1. 26Health celebrates seven years as a fully functional comprehensive health center this month.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Orlando actor Chris Shepardson, Orlando lawyer Paul San Giovanni (Aug. 18); Orlando-based actress Daniella Sagona, Central Florida performer Danielle Hunter, Orlando artist Steven McCune, Winter Park Playhouse’s Todd Long (Aug. 19); Orlando LGBTQ activist Sam Graper (Aug. 20); Hope CommUnity Center’s Debo Ofsowitz, school teacher and ally Tabatha Schmidt, GayMovieDB founder Brandon Taylor (Aug. 22); Orlando International Airport’s Pedro Aponte, Orlando graphic artist Marcus Vale (Aug. 23); Sunnyland Slammer Shana Moshen, Ally and activist Karen Brown (Aug. 24); Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Universal Brad Partridge (Aug. 25); Orlando’s Eddie Mora, Central Florida singer and actress Jill Wilson, Former Watermark film critic Stephen Miller (Aug. 26); Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse coordinator Benjamin Cox (Aug. 27); Orlando artist Keith Theriot (Aug. 28); Orlando Miller’s Ale House kitchen coach Nicole Phillips, IT guru Jeff Kern, Orlando artist and photographer Lee Vandergrift (Aug. 29); Human Rights Campaign’s Xavier Persad (Aug. 31). 4 7 8 1 GOING FOR GOV: Shea Cutliff (L) and Andrea Montanez (R) with Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried at Lake Eola Park in Orlando Aug. 12. PHOTO FROM ANDREA MONTANEZ’S FACEBOOK 2 TALKING PRIDE: (L-R) Jeff Prystajko, Sousa-LazaballetFelipe , Julie Tindall and Khalil J. Makdah work on a few Pride surprises at Savoy in Orlando Aug. 10. PHOTO FROM JEFF PRYSTAJKO’S FACEBOOK

4 CONCERT GOERS: Debo Ofsowitz (L) and Mileana Jacobina grab a selfie before seeing Michael Bublé at the Amway Center in Orlando Aug. 10. PHOTO FROM MILEANA JACOBINA’S FACEBOOK

5 EARLY VOTING: Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (center) gets the early vote out with David and Jocelyn Williamson at the Oviedo Aquatic Center in Oviedo Aug. 13. PHOTO FROM JOCELYN WILLIAMSON’S FACEBOOK

Corsets & Cuties celebrates eight years as a burlesque cabaret troupe Aug. 28. Read more about their anniversary show at WateramrkOnline.com.

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SURVEYS

8 CONFERENCE CATCHUP: Jose Luis Dieppa (L) grabs a photo with Stephanie during the Florida Public Relations Association Annual Conference at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes Aug. 9. PHOTO FROM JOSE LUIS DIEPPA’S FACEBOOK

7 FOR THE GIRLS: (L-R) Tp Lords, April Fresh, Tiffany McCray and Twila Holiday grab a pre-show photo at Secrets Hideaway Resort & Spa in Kissimmee Aug. 9. PHOTO FROM LOC ROBERTSON’S FACEBOOK

6 PUPPY PARENTS: Billy Mick (L) and Brian Villa take Bucky to his vet appointment in Orlando Aug. 2. PHOTO FROM BILLY N BRIAN’S FACEBOOK

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CENTRAL FLORIDA MARKETPLACE MEDICAL 3317 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa 813.902.8600 5224 E. Fowler Ave., Temple Terrace 813.902.8600 5979 Vineland Rd., Suite 208, Orlando 407.745.1171 1685 Lee Rd., Suite 110, Winter Park 407.745.1171 • HIV/STI Care • Hepatitis C Care • PrEP MidwayCare.org The Experts in HIV Care Are Here For You GARDEN + NURSERY Your Downtown Garden Shop 407-898-8101 1214 N. Mills Ave. Orlando Mention Watermark and Save! CITY OASIS Exotic Orchids, Bonsai,FullTropicalOrnamentals,PlantsServiceInteriorDesignandMaintenanceFreeEstimates,Pricesstartaslowas$99/mo INSURANCE Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. Y0066_160721_094120SPRJ27925A Accepted 0027FAF6 Are you eligible to switch your Medicare Kathleencoverage?Donnelly Licensed Sales Representative 407-414-6133, TTY 711 Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Y0066_160721_094120SPRJ27925AMedicare. Accepted 0027FAF6 Are you eligible to switch your Medicare coverage? LGBT MEDICAL FUNERAL SERVICES HEALTH + FITNESS . Vi tam i n s . Herb s . D i e ta r y . Sport s Come see Dave, Ed & Staff for a Free Consultation! 407-207-0 067 M-F 10-7, Sat 10-6 w w w NMFbody c o m Crystal Lak e Plaza 3074 Curry Ford Rd. Between Conway Rd. & Bumby Ave. We will match or beat local prices! Discount Nutrition Center Serving Orlando for 24 years HEALTH + WELLNESS HOME IMPROVEMENT /company/Watermarkonline/@WatermarkOnline/WatermarkFL/WatermarkOnline FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA watermark Your LGBTQ News Source. AUGUST 18 - 31, 2022 // ISSUE 29.17 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 43

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Randy Rainbow brings “The Pink Glasses Tour” to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Aug. 26.

PHOTO FROM RANDYRAINBOW.COM EVENT PLANNER PARTY community calendar FLORIDA Team Carlos Volunteer Canvass w/ Angie Gallo SATURDAY, AUG. 20, 10 A.M.-1 P.M. VALKYRIE DOUGHNUTS, ORLANDO Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith endorsed Angie Gallo for Orange County School Board District 1, and now the two have planned a joint event in Orlando to canvass for education and teachers’ rights in the UCF area. Event participants will meet up at Valkyrie Doughnuts and talk to voters until 1 p.m. with a post-canvass meet up at Lazy Moon Pizza. For more information on this and other events, go to CarlosGuillermoSmith.com. Fair Housing and Nondiscrimination

The Miss Quench Pageant returns, honoring Miss Quench 2020 Kenya Black and hosted by house diva Crystal M. Reigns! Entry is $100 and winner receives $500 total and a crown, with $200 for 1st Runner Up and $100 for 2nd Runner Up. Categories include presentation (going green), an on-stage Q&A, evening gown and talent. Learn more at QuenchLounge.com

TAMPA BAY Strike Out for AIDS 15

6th Annual Miss Quench Pageant

Watermark’s Third Thursday, Aug. 18, Pinero Preventative Medical Care, Orlando. Facebook.com/WatermarkFL407-481-2243; Southern Nights 8-Year Anniversary, Aug. 19-21, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039;SouthernNightsOrlandoFacebook.com/ 15th Annual White Party, Aug. 20, Celine, Orlando.GuysWithTies.org407-801-7005; Girl The Party presents RIOT! A Queer Women’s Emo Night, Aug. 20, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039;SouthernNightsOrlandoFacebook.com/ Haunted Mansion Drag Bingo, Aug. 22, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company, Orlando. IvanhoeParkBrewing.com407-270-6749; Bungalower Drag Bingo, Aug. 23, Tactical Brewing Co., Orlando.Bungalower.com407-203-3303; Calentón Tropicál, Aug. 23, Café DaVinci, DeLand. CafeDaVinciDeLand.com386-736-0008; Ukraine Ballet Benefit, Aug. 27, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando.DrPhillipsCenter.org844-513-2014; Corsets & Cuties 8-Year Anniversary, Aug. 28, The Abbey, Orlando. CorsetsAndCuties.com407-704-6103; Peaches’ “The Teaches of Peaches” Anniversary Tour, Aug. 29, The Plaza Live, Orlando. PlazaLiveOrlando.org407-228-1220; Happy Hour w/ the Rainbow SemDems, Aug. 30, Dees Brothers Brewery, Sanford. RainbowSemDems.org407-732-4008; Citrus Club “Cocktails for a Cause” benefitting 26Health, Aug. 30, Citrus Club, Orlando.26Health.org407-843-1080; DeLand Pride and Support Volusia Community Open House, Aug. 31, The Create Space, DeLand. DeLandPride.org386-232-8551; Sing Along w/ “Mamma Mia!,” Sept. 2, The Abbey, Orlando.AbbeyOrlando.com407-704-6103;

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TAMPA BAY Leather Night, Aug. 20, The Garage on Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Facebook.com/OFCLGaragePage727-235-9086; “Kinky Boots,” Aug. 21, Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg. 813-879-4220; TIGLFF.com Final Born this Way Drag Brunch, Aug. 21, The Loft, Ybor. Facebook.com/TheLoftYborCity813-453-8385; New Players Skills Assessment, Aug. 21, Hyde Park Softball Park, SuncoastSoftball.orgTampa. Splash with DJ Shannon C, Aug. 21, Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg.HollanderHotel.com727-873-7900; Florida’s 2022 Primary Election, Aug. 23, Throughout Tampa Bay,FloridaVote.org/State/ Drag-hosted Family Feud, Aug. 24, Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. GregAndersonEvents.com410-262-2929; Randy Rainbow: “The Pink Glasses Tour,” Aug. 26, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater.RuthEckerdHall.com727-791-7400; The Breakdown: Mini Ball, Aug. 27, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625;SouthernNightsTampaFacebook.com/ Orion Story from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Aug. 27, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater.HamburgerMarys.com/727-400-6996;Clearwater

SUNDAY, AUG. 28, 8 P.M.-1:30 A.M. QUENCH LOUNGE, LARGO

PINK

SATURDAYS, AUG. 20 & 27, 6-9 P.M. TAMPA & DUNEDIN VENUES, TAMPA BAY Empath Partners in Care will hold their 15th Strike Out for AIDS beginning Aug. 20 at Pin Chasers Midtown in Tampa and returning Aug. 27 at Dunedin Lanes. This fundraiser helps EPIC provide HIV and STI services. Participants are encouraged to “put on your tacky tourist best” to form teams. Register and get details at SuncoastHospiceFoundation.org/SOFA.

One Night Band Live, Aug. 27, Salty Nun, St. Petersburg. 727-329-9994;SaltyNunFacebook.com/ Drag Queen Bingo, Aug. 29, Corner Club, Tampa. CornerClubTampa.com813-232-1482; “Avenue Q,” Aug. 31-Sept. 25, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.StrazCenter.org813-229-7827; Poetry Open Mic with Keep St. Pete Lit, Aug. 31, Studio @ 620, St. Petersburg. 727-895-6620; Studio620.org SARASOTA Drag Brunch, Aug. 21, Oasis Restaurant & Bar, Facebook.com/OasisSarasotaSarasota. Bradenton Marauders Pride Night, LECOM Park, Sarasota. Aug. 27. BradentonMarauders.com941-747-3031; Ringling Underground, Sept. 1, The Ringling, Sarasota. 941-359-5700; Ringling.org. To submit your upcoming event, concert, performance, or fundraiser visit watermarkonline.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 31, 11 A.M.-1 P.M. DUBSDREAD GOLF COURSE, ORLANDO

CENTRALFLORIDA “Murder For Two,” Aug. 5-28, Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park. WinterParkPlayhouse.org407-645-0145;

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT CENTRAL

Join the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance’s Orlando Chapter for a lunch and learn event on fair housing best practices, nondiscrimination in housing and employment and more with special guest Gina Duncan, the Regional Development Leader of Central Florida for Equality Florida. Tickets are free for members and $20 for non-members. Seating is limited so go to RealEstateAlliance.org/events to register.

Scan the QR code to learn more and transfer to Avita. Have you been searching for a pharmacy that understands your needs? At Avita, our team treats every patient the way we want to be treated. We’ll make sure you get the medications you need, when you need them. We work to get you the best price and will even deliver your meds nationwide! Avita has supported the LGBTQ+ community for nearly 20 years and wants to be your pharmacy partner for life. Avita is your LGBTQ+ friendly pharmacy

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