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Addams reflects on her ‘Drag Race’ season, p.49.
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COVER Photo by Dave Decker. Design by Paul Pavlovich and Jack Spatafora.
MEE T TH E CHEFS - ST. PETE
The Birchwood Hotel Thursday June 18 • 6PM - 9PM 340 Beach Dr NE • Downtown St. Petersburg The best of Tampa Bay’s culinary scene in one room. Now in St. Pete & Tampa!
Clayton Parrett HEW Parlor & Chophouse
Lee Aquino Driftwood Cafe
David Asher Taverna Costale
Nick Ocando Allelo
Tim Lentsch Juno & The Peacock
Ryan VanDusen LUMA at SkyBeach Resort
Cameron Capri Q Southern BBQ
Steven Cady Birch & Vine Jessica Leung Central Park
Lee Aquino Teak
Brian Lampe Pete’s Gulf Bistro
Chefs
Marco & Makil Paul’s Landing
Tony Bruno The Brinehouse
Johnathan Rodriguez FOMO Chefs
Michael Butler The Helm
Presented by:
Taylor Dillon Con Amor
Felicia Lacalle Quiote Tequileria
Max McKee Bar Terroir
Mike Morales Sunda
David Reyes Uno Mas
Olivia Gielser The Pearl at Water Street
Yanick Destine Bulla Gastrobar
Anthony Santos Private Chef
Cody Tiner District South Kitchen + Craft
Gerry Sizemore The Gin Joint
Nelly Buleje Timpano Hyde Park
Arturo Lo Rusty Pelican
Billy Brannen O-Ku
Billy Brannen Maru
Cristian “Cris” Ruiz Sal Y Mar
BEST FITNESS STUDIO / BEST PILATES STUDIO
BEST WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS
BEST PERSONAL TRAINER / BEST GROUP FITNESS
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay keeps reaching into the mailbag, and treading carefully into the comments section. The exercise leaves us increasingly grateful for readers who come to us in print—and especially online—to read the news and thoughtfully respond. Keep the feedback coming (scan the QR code if you’re the emailing type), and we’ll keep posting.—Ray Roa
Open letter to St. Pete Mayor Welch, City Council, and police chief,
I am writing with grief and anger after learning that a woman sleeping in an alley was run over twice by a garbage truck. I understand the driver has been charged, and there will be a process for determining his responsibility. But I am writing because the responsibility cannot stop with one driver.
On March 5, 2025, you received a letter (linked below) from the National Homelessness Law Center, Southern Legal Counsel, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Florida Justice Institute regarding St. Petersburg’s enforcement of laws criminalizing public sleeping and camping. That letter was clear: Florida law did not require the City to arrest people for sleeping outside, camping outside, or engaging in basic life-sustaining conduct. You were urged not to enforce Section 20-73 and to pursue housing-centered alternatives instead.
So I am asking directly: will anyone in City leadership be held accountable for the enforcement choices that made it necessary for this woman to sleep in an alleyway in the first place? Will anyone be held accountable for ignoring the warnings of civil rights attorneys and housing advocates? Will anyone be held accountable for trying to intimidate those who spoke up for unhoused people before more harm was done?
St. Petersburg can still choose a different path. The City can stop enforcing ordinances that criminalize sleep. The City can invest in housing, services, bathrooms, safe places to rest, and real public health solutions. The City can stop using police power to move poverty out of sight and start using public resources to keep people alive.
A woman is dead. The driver may face consequences. But the policies that pushed her into that alley deserve accountability too.
Respectfully, Rev. Andy Oliver Allendale United Methodist Church
Former Tampa Bay Bucs TE Kyle Rudolph is selling his Davis Islands home (via Facebook)
The City was warned. Arrest was not required. Criminalization was a choice.
When people are pushed out of public space, away from visibility, away from safer places to rest, and into alleys, shadows, dumpsters, and danger, that is not an accident disconnected from policy. It is the predictable consequence of treating homelessness as a policing problem instead of a housing crisis.
I am also deeply disturbed that, rather than receiving that legal and moral warning with humility, City Attorney Patner sent a threatening letter to the lawyers and advocates who were exercising their free speech on behalf of the dignity and rights of people experiencing homelessness. These organizations were not attacking the City. They were telling the truth. They were warning you about the cost of criminalizing survival. They were asking St. Petersburg to choose humanity.
Lol he played like 4 games— Robert Davis
Tampa Bay cyclists share their thoughts on the newly opened Howard Frankland Bridge Trail (via Facebook)
Needs a hot dog cart.—Gary Mack
Went there today! I couldn’t figure out how to hop on the trail from 4th so i went over to No. Reo Street off Cypress and I saw the entrance to the trail.. It’s a great trail but why is there so much trash everywhere??.. The whole way - there was just trash everywhere.. I was walking today so I probably noticed more than a person on a bike would.. I was concerned it’d be too hot but the breeze was fantastic!—Sheila Dean
Anything is better than these bannanahead tour de france wannabe’s riding in traffic David Goodwin
Electric bike racetrack......—Thomas Ernesto
Just in time for hurricane season.—John Jenkins
FRIDAY JUNE 12th
SATURDAY JUNE 13th
5:30PM •
6:30PM
CURATOR OF: S moke Shop Festival Burn & Boom Tampa Bay
Beauty sleep
Photos by Dave Decker
Tampa Theatre is in the midst of its centennial restoration, and now a book chronicling 100 years of the historic venue has a release date. University Press of Florida says “Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories” will hit shelves this fall. It’s the final work from beloved University of South Florida librarian and historian Andy Huse, who died last August.
In an interview with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay the week of Huse’s death, Tampa Theatre’s Vice President and Director of Marketing & Community Relations Jill Witecki said that internally, the venue knew it had to do more than a coffee book. “There was a bigger and better and more important story there about Tampa theater’s first century,” she said.
Witecki will speak about the centennial in Palm Harbor. There’s no cover for “Tampa Theatre: 100 Years of Movie Magic” happening Wednesday, June 10 at East Lake Community Library. More information and photos from the restoration tour led by Devin Dominguez—theater's Vice President and Director of Development, pictured—are available at cltampa.com.—Leif Helland
do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from June 04 - 11. See more on pp. 30. 52, 55, and 65
Can do
The Caribbean diaspora is well-represented in the Tampa Bay area thanks to diverse communities of Puerto Ricans, Haitians, Dominicans, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Cubans and more, who make up roughly a quarter of the area’s immigrant population, according to census data. The Caribbean American National Development Organization invites you to bring a chair to Tampa’s university neighborhood this weekend and soak in the culture for an afternoon. This day long, family-friendly celebration includes food, a cash bar, and live music from the likes of Jamaican singer Duane Stephenson, Orlando soca band I-Land Rebels, and guitarist Freddy Montes, who’s been a staple of the University Area Community Development Corporation’s Prodigy Cultural Arts Program for more than two decades. 14th annual Tampa Bay Caribbean Heritage Festival: Saturday, June 6. 4 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover, RSVP requested. Victor Crist Community Center Complex, 14013 N 22nd St., Tampa. wicando.org—Ray Roa
Rated X
After completing discombobulating Gov. Ron DeSantis’ brain in 2024, Tampa Fringe has found a way to soldier on. This year, the multi-venue, jury-less festival—which the governor cited in his reasoning for cutting state arts grants—celebrates a decade of weirdness. Two venues just a 15-minute walk (or short Fringe shuttle ride) apart host 36 different shows from Fringe performers across the globe, U.S., and based right here in the Bay area. Running the gamut from mature to fully-family friendly (all neatly labeled, in case the cops are reading this!), Fringe productions were selected by lottery, not gatekeepers, and include comedy, theater, storytelling, cabaret, dance, plus immersive experiences from folks who simply don’t fit into regular boxes. “We believe artists deserve spaces where they can afford to take risks, tell unconventional stories, and build community through live performance,” Trish Parry, festival producer told CL. “In a time where so much entertainment is curated by algorithms, Fringe remains gloriously human.” A rapid-fire opening night preview goes down next Thursday, June 11, and tickets start as low as $5, with multi-show discounts, certain free shows, and the all-encompassing Eliminator Pass ($225) available, too. See a full guide at cltampa.com/arts. 10th Annual Tampa Fringe: June 10-11. Kress Contemporary (1624 E 7th Ave., Ybor City) and The Commodore (811 E 7th Ave., Ybor City)—Ray Roa
Hafta work
Dave Decker has stories. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s senior photographer has lived many lives, as a bike shop owner, crosscountry-traveling punk-rock frontman, and most recently as an award-winning photojournalist on the frontlines of news from Florida, to the midwest and eastern seaboard. This weekend, he’ll share some of those tales for the latest installment of “Salud & Happy Days” a placemaking event where a notable Tampeño is interviewed before improv comedians act out the stories they hear from the stage. ‘Salud and Happy Days’—Comedy Inspired by True Stories about Tampa w/Dave Decker: Saturday, June 6. 7:30 p.m. $18.12. The Commodore, 811 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. commodorecomedy.com —Ray Roa
RACHAEL FRAMINGHEDDU
Make you wanna
There’s just one U.S. stop in Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series’ six-date 2026 season—and it happens this weekend, literally, in Tampa Bay. The water’s not that deep around the St. Pete Pier, but some of the world’s most extreme athletes will dive into it anyway, because of the energy drink. Red Bull says that in St. Pete, women athletes will jump from 69 feet while the guys go from 89 feet—and that the dive tower will face the North Yacht Basin. Spa Beach, Bayshore Drive NR, North Straub Park and the pier itself will have public access viewing points. “Large video screens will also be in place at North Straub Park, the Spa Beach area, and on a floating screen off Bayshore Drive.Spectators are also welcome to watch from the water.” Athletes confirmed for Red Bull Cliff Diving’s St. Petersburg stop this June include Dutch diver Ginni van Katwijk, American Kaylea Arnett (pictured), Canada’s Molly Carlson, plus dudes like Spanish Diver Carlos Gimeno, Frenchman Gary Hunt, American James Lichtenstein. Without wild card entries, 15 divers are on the bill. Diving starts around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, with the site opening at 10 a.m. on Sunday for the finals starting at 1 p.m.
Red Bull Cliff Diving: Friday-Saturday, June 5-6. No cover. St. Pete Pier, 800 2nd Ave. NE, Tampa. redbull.com—Ray Roa
Two for the show
In comments surrounding a new film about “Democracy Now!” the program’s co-founder Amy Goodman has been very clear about why it’s important to support indie news outlets. “I really do think that those who care about war and peace, those who care about the climate catastrophe, those who care about reproductive rights and LGBTQ issues and the immigrant crackdown, those who care about inequality and racial and economic justice are not a fringe minority, not even a silent majority,” she told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, “but the silenced majority, silenced by the corporate media.” The legendary journalist and “Steal The Story, Please!” filmmaker Tia Lessin are in Tampa to screen the documentary and talk to fans in post-screening Q&As moderated by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Editor-In-Chief Ray Roa. Find our interview with Goodman and Lessin at cltampa.com/news. ‘Steal This Story, Please!’ w/Amy Goodman: Friday, June 5. 6:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. $15. Sun-Ray Cinema, 12332 University Mall Ct., Tampa. sunraycinema.com—Ray Roa
DEAN TREML/ RED BULL CONTENT POOL
BROOKE DUTHIE
Rainbow coalition
St. Pete’s mayoral candidates weigh in on Florida’s anti-DEI law.
By Jasmin Parrado
This month, St. Petersburg Pride kicks off its annual festivities. This year will already look different thanks to an exodus of corporate sponsors, but there’s also a big question mark over Pride in general after the passage of a Florida bill that means less funding and less visible public officials in 2027.
On April 22, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1134, which prevents counties and city governments “from funding, promoting or implementing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.” Residents can sue public officials if they violate the bill, and the governor can remove them from office.
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch, who’s running for reelection this August against five candidates, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay the city will continue to aid St. Pete Pride—Florida’s largest Pride celebration—with in-kind support through public safety measures from the police department.
But Welch said his team is still reviewing the bill’s limits over public funding and monetary contributions. He said he’ll support St. Pete Pride “within the guidelines of the new law.”
The mayor said he discussed the bill with the nonprofit’s executive director, Bior Guigni, on Thursday, May 21, at a meeting with the
Stonewall Democrats. According to Welch, Guigni is reviewing possible funding alternatives, and private donations from the community will likely have to fill those gaps.
Welch told CL he still plans to keep all public initiatives, including the Minority and Women Business Enterprise program, running. And he finds it hard to believe that the state could penalize him or any public official for attending any DEI-related event; he doesn’t see it happening.
“They can’t tell you what church to go to; they can’t tell you what celebration to go to,” Welch said. “I guess their only angle might be that you’re expending public dollars to do that, but I think that one is a stretch.”
Welch claims that he “certainly did,” as he was among a group of Florida mayors that met in March to speak out against SB 1134. He said he also drafted a joint letter in February after he saw Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner and city commissioners collaborate on a letter to state legislators, urging against the bill. But Welch told CL the St. Petersburg City Council “declined to do that.”
Welch told CL he doesn’t support the state’s “redefinition” of DEI and doesn’t believe it applies to any public programs in St. Pete.
LOCAL NEWS
“Our programs for minority and womenowned businesses are not discriminatory,” Welch said. “It’s based on a history and a track record of the city underutilizing minority and women-owned businesses. So, they want to erase history and just say that all these programs were created on a whim to be discriminatory. And that is not a fact.”
“They can’t tell you what church to go to; they can’t tell you what celebration to go to…”
If he or any public official were penalized, Welch said he’d support legal action from the city against the state.
Welch told CL he believes he did everything he could on his part to oppose the bill before it was approved.
“It’s interesting when I hear folks say what they would have done,” Welch said. “And my question is, what did you do? Did you raise your voice at all to oppose this legislation when it could have made an impact?”
Welch believes the bill’s “vague and inconsistent” wording—which it faced criticism for—is problematic, and Republican Florida Senator Clay Yarborough’s sentiments on the bill reflect that.
“The sponsor from Jacksonville said that he is supportive of diversity, supportive of equity and supportive of inclusion; he’s just against ‘discriminatory’ DEI programs,” Welch said. “Well, we don’t have ‘discriminatory’ DEI programs. So, it would seem like we’re good to go from the start, because I don’t accept his redefinition of DEI. It doesn’t apply to what we do in St. Petersburg.”
Here’s what other St. Petersburg mayoral candidates said about how they’d handle the new law banning Florida cities and counties from supporting DEI programs.
Charlie Crist
For Charlie Crist, former governor of Florida and U.S. representative for the state’s 13th congressional district, court is his solution. He told CL he’d legally challenge SB 1134, just as he claims he would’ve done against the statemandated street mural removals last fall if he were mayor. He said that in the same way he considered the murals an expression of free speech, local government officials supporting and funding DEI initiatives is protected by the First Amendment, and he’d defend it using the same free speech principle.
“We’re all children of God,” Crist said. “I would work for all the people and their right to freedom of speech and can’t believe that the current mayor didn’t feel that it was enough to fight for.”
When Crist ran against DeSantis for governor in 2022, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed his campaign, which promised to combat DeSantis’ “attacks” against the LGBTQ+ community. Crist was walloped in the race, which he lost by nearly 20 points. Years after Crist lost that election, he said his support for local government’s role in DEI is still rooted in a longstanding defense of free expression. continued on page 21
FAMILY AFFAIR: Kenya (L) and Mayor Ken Welch at St. Pete Pride 2024.
DAVE DECKER
“The law feels very all-encompassing, but in a lot of ways, the verbiage is very vague.”
“I think it is enough to fight for and is important,” Crist said. “And I would fight for it in the courts and anywhere else necessary to preserve the right of freedom of speech in St. Petersburg and for other cities throughout the state.”
Brandi Gabbard
District 2 Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard told CL the bill is an overreach on local government, and she already feels the looming threat of the bill over her own personal freedoms as an American and Floridian. She said the city’s legal team is reviewing every policy to understand what officials can or can’t do, but she’s currently unsure what that entails.
She’s concerned as to whether she can, for example, join an organization or purchase tickets to an event with her own money if it’s deemed DEI, like when she attended the Equality Florida Gala just weeks back.
“Am I allowed to do that going forward? I don’t know. And I don’t even know that we have those answers yet,” Gabbard said. “The law feels very all-encompassing, but in a lot of ways, the verbiage is very vague.”
But Gabbard is more concerned about how state legislation will impact the city’s procurement code, including the Minority & Women Business Enterprise Program, which is heavily based on DEI-related criteria that the bill could challenge, such as ethnicity and gender.
Though she doesn’t know yet how Council can keep its procurement code intact, Gabbard told CL she’s willing to legally challenge the bill as mayor, and she’s not new to that task. In 2018, she joined the majority of council members in a 6-2 vote in favor of former St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman’s unsuccessful lawsuit against firearm preemptions.
But Gabbard was one of the members who didn’t sign Welch’s joint letter against the bill,
and instead, she wrote her own. She claimed that the mayor’s letter did not enter the council’s usual review process, “and there was an opportunity for it to be followed.”
“For me—I can only speak for me—we have a very clear process as to how we jointly come together as a city council in the Sunshine to share issues of concern and decide if we want to band together to push back on those,” Gabbard told CL.
Gabbard said that as mayor, she’d make sure to collaborate fully with all eight city council members on the lawsuit and any joint letters regarding the bill. She also stressed she’d ideally form coalitions with other cities against it.
“We should be banding together with one another to find whatever legal recourse there could be to push back on the state,” Gabbard said.
Jim Large
While other candidates are concerned about the bill, retired St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large believes it is reasonable and shouldn’t harm the city’s practices. He told CL he “supports the principle behind limiting political DEI spending,” and he insists that the city follow the law when it’s instated.
“I do not believe in taxpayer-funded programs that actually divide people, create preferences, or turn city hall into an ideological or political battleground,” Large told CL.
Large claimed that in his 18-year tenure as St. Petersburg Fire Chief, equal opportunity, fair treatment and hiring were successful for the majority of the time that there was no DEI department. He also claimed that in his time as fire chief, he hired over 70% of the department, amounting to around 365 employees. According to Large, 49% of those hired were minority or protected class, while 17% were Black or African American.
For Large, those statistics—and his observation of “similar hiring” across other cities—showed him that a dedicated DEI
department wasn’t necessary to achieve goals for equal opportunity. He pointed out that there wasn’t one for a majority of his tenure since 2006, which only saw the city introduce the Office of Equity—now, the Office of Community Impact—in December 2022. “I think the city always tried to do the right thing and reflect the community,” Large said.
Maria Scruggs
Maria Scruggs, administrator at the Orange County Community Corrections Department, said she has previously gone on the record against the formation of specific DEI programs, specifically because of challenges like the bill. She said that separating and identifying a program with DEI criteria “creates a target on the program.”
“The intention is great, but one of the things that I’ve learned in the 40-plus years that I have been in the public sector is, the moment that you set something aside as something different, it becomes under attack,” Scruggs said.
STEM grant to a Tampa-based program without releasing an RFP.
Scruggs said she still supports all targeted programs and would continue to participate in parades and festivals—including those considered DEI—and she’d do it in her official mayoral capacity.
“I would see it as an honor and a continual expression of what I said when I ran for mayor,” Scruggs said. “And I would feel it would be part of my duty as mayor not to separate myself, but to embrace the fact that I have a basic tenet that as the mayor of St. Petersburg, you’re mayor for all the people.”
SB 1134 states that public officials can face removal or punishment for “malfeasance.” But Scruggs said she considers all celebrations “as an expression of one’s culture and one’s belief,” and she believes that argument will withstand any type of legal scrutiny. She told CL she’d challenge the state in court if it impeded on that.
LOCAL NEWS
Beyond removing DEI designations, Scruggs said that in order to still achieve equity for underrepresented vendors and programs in the city’s procurement process, she’d make sure Requests for Proposals are released and outreach is “intentional.”
In a May 28 press release, Scruggs said she does not agree with the possibility that equity-driven outreach from the city could become illegal under state law, “noting that Florida procurement law allows broad, inclusive outreach as long as the process remains open and competitive.”
Scruggs said in the press release that she’s concerned that the city is practicing favoritism and has not informed minority groups in St. Pete of grant opportunities, after it awarded a
Scruggs said that legally, the city’s ability to support “cultural programming” for all events and organizations falls under constitutional requirements like the Equal Protection Clause and First Amendment rights. And the bill makes an exception for compliance with federal law.
Specifically, Scruggs finds it discriminatory that the bill targets celebrations like Pride and ethnic programs while exempting religious and national celebrations under federal law, like Christmas and Independence Day. She believes that all celebrations are cultural, whether rooted in religious, ethnic or sexual identity, and state governments can’t discriminate between supporting communities and their activities.
“I’m not going to be placed into a situation as mayor of choosing one culture over another,” Scruggs said.
continued on page 23
DAIS RIGHT: St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard on April 13, 2023.
“I truly believe that the municipalities are protected. And the moment that we start to differentiate which culture we’re going to support and which one we’re not is the moment that we fall subject to being in violation of federal law.”
Kevin Batdorf
Kevin Batdorf, real estate broker and former president of the Shore Acres Civic Association, joins Welch in his doubt that public officials will ever have to worry about being barred from events centered around DEI initiatves. He said funding, instead, is the “main obstacle.”
“The government should not be fully funding private events,” Batdorf told CL. “If an event coordinator wants to put on a parade, for instance, then it should be privately funded, except for possibly police and fire and safety.”
Batdorf said that further funding is largely up to the city council—not the mayor—and that ideally includes appropriating funds under non-DEI requirements.
detriment of other organizations that want to put on an event.”
On that note, Batdorf told CL he believes that the city’s traditional Pride and MLK parades are net positives for the city. If the city doesn’t succeed or is challenged by the state for allowing DEI-designated organizations to join and request grants this way, Batdorf said he’d challenge it right back.
“Assuming the grant process is administered properly, it is the mayor’s duty to defend the policy,” Batdorf told CL. “Bad policy occurs at all levels of government. I will stand up and fight for St. Pete.”
That said, Batdorf said he didn’t support Mayor Welch appointing Nathan Bruemmer as the city’s LGBTQ+ liaison—a role that was established by former Mayor Kriseman in 2017 and will end after the bill is enacted.
LOCAL NEWS
In order to squeeze past the semantics of state law, Batdorf believes the city should consider targeted programs for grants under different criteria, names and categories. Batdorf said grants could be awarded for categories like the arts, entertainment, economic benefits to the city and civic pride.
“You’ve got to take the ‘wink, wink’ out of it too,” Batdorf told CL. “Say, ‘We’re putting this money in for the Pride parade and here’s how much they need.’ So, we’ve got to make sure there’s enough for that, but not to the
“You’re mayor for five years, and then late in your next to last year, you appoint this particular liaison—what is the purpose?” Batdorf told CL. “Of course, it’s clearly political, to garner more votes from a certain community. I can tell you who the liaison would be to pretty much every community if I were mayor, and that would be me. I’m the liaison.”
Batdorf said the only liaison he’d appoint apart from himself is an education contact, specifically to help develop his youth programs. Otherwise, he wants to be the central point of contact for all of St. Pete’s communities, including LGBTQ+. “If there’s a special interest out there that needs to seek recognition, come to the mayor’s office,” Batdorf said. “I’ll be that guy.”
LIVE COMEDY SHOWS THIS WEEK
THURSDAY, JUNE 4 TH
7:00 PM: WEEKLY IMPROV DROP-IN CLASS
Give improv a try in a supportive, fun environment! No prior experience required!
8:30 PM: LONGFORM IMPROV SHOWCASE
Three great improv acts split the bill in this weekly show! Come for the Drop-In at 7:00, and stay for this show for free.
FRIDAY, JUNE 5 TH
8:00 PM: THE MYSTERY SHOW
Welcome to the Mystery Show, the comedy improv show where we’re not going to tell you who’s going to be performing. Could it be someone famous? Could it be your annoying co-worker? Come to the Mystery Show and see for yourself!
SATURDAY, JUNE 6 TH
7:30 PM: SALUD AND HAPPY DAYS: COMEDY INSPIRED BY TRUE STORIES ABOUT TAMPA
The legendary Dave Decker takes the stage as the featured guest storyteller for this monthly show that blends Tampa life and lore with hilarious improv comedy. Don't miss it!
9:00 PM: NASHBUFF
Three of Tampa Bay's most experienced improvisers join forces to take a single suggestion and bring the audience on a wild and hilarious ride. No subject out of bounds and no detail too small to explore!
SUNDAY, JUNE 7 TH
4:00 PM: CLEAN COMEDY SHOWCASE
Join your host Marla Hartson for Tampa Bay's only clean comedy showcase!
7:00 PM: WIGS & WIT
Three comedians and three drag queens go head to head, trading one another's talents in a contest to see who reigns supreme, with YOU as the judge in the final round!
THAT
Three Friends, Get Yours Free
“Being at Pride is the most American thing that you could do.”
Still Proud
St. Pete Pride vows to keep fighting in its hardest year yet.
By Selene San Felice
Being an LGBTQ+ Floridian right now feels like the parable of the boiling frog. As more extreme anti-DEI legislation passes each year, we stay hoping the bubbles of hate will somehow cool off.
And then one day, we wake up and rainbow crosswalks are illegal, local governments are banned from supporting Pride and Trump is equating trans allyship with terrorism.
So are we cooked?
“No,” says St. Pete Pride president Byron Green-Calisch. The three years he’s been leading the organization have been the most difficult of his life, which also includes raising a trans child, he told CL. But he’s far from losing hope.
“We’re tartare at this point, but not cooked. The fight is nowhere close to actually just starting, so if you think we are cooked, please hear me loudly saying, ‘Baby. They haven’t turned on the stove.’”
Anti-LGBTQ+ Republicans “want you to feel like there’s no hope, that there’s no opportunity to fight back, but there absolutely positively is,” he continued.
“Here Comes the Sun” is the theme for the month of celebrations, chosen as a message of hope and an acknowledgement of dark times.
For the nonprofit—which throws the biggest Pride parade in the Southeast U.S. and claims to have a larger economic impact than the Firestone Grand Prix—that darkness looks like $150,000 lost from sponsorships, either due to the declining economy or to cater to anti-DEI Republicans. A new state law that severs its ties with local governments starting Jan. 1 means $150,000 more will be lost in city support, Green-Calisch told CL.
celebration in the fall. But the group will rely on more than ever on residents to pull off its 25th anniversary celebration next year.
“You’ll see us be very upfront about fundraising,” Green-Calisch said. “In the past, we have been a little bit more muted about what support looks like for St. Pete Pride, but you are going to hear me full-throatedly ask for support…In order for us to continue to exist as an organization going into our 25th year, we won’t be able to do it without the support of our community.”
PRIDE
Green-Calisch added that St. Pete Pride also lost sponsors and co-presenters among a wave of trans people fleeing the state for their safety (the frogs who left the pot).
Still, Green-Calisch is confident in a more grassroots future of St. Pete Pride.
“As an organization that is built on the backs of a riot, it’s important for us to remember that our resilience is baked into our history,” he said.
“I know if she could do the work that she did in a community that did not love her back the way that she wanted to be loved, but still advocated for it, we can do the work that we have ahead of us,” Green-Calisch said.
Modern Pride celebrations are far from the Stonewall uprising of 1969, where Johnson smashed the windshield of a cop car in the six days of violence that resulted from a police raid of a New York City gay bar.
St. Pete Pride faces criticism from local organizers who feel unheard by the organization and want St. Pete Pride to stop taking money from unethical corporations and help from cops who agreed to work with immigration. (See the Sapphic Sun report on p. 33).
But Green-Calisch maintains that showing up to Pride is vital for a strong LGBTQ+ community.
The organization is still expanding, taking over Sapphic St. Pete to host its weeklong
On his hardest days, he reflects on a picture of Stonewall-era trans activist Marsha P. Johnson framed in his office.
“The biggest instance of resistance is joy, and being able to celebrate loudly and publicly,” he said. “Being at Pride is the most American thing that you could do—celebrating living authentically and truly who you are, without any interference from anyone, specifically the government.”
TARTARE: St. Pete Pride throws the largest LGBTQ+ parade in the Southeast.
Bright spots
Tampa Bay’s best Pride month events.
By Selene San Felice
Miss Vanjie got the party started at St. Pete Pride’s kickoff last weekend, but there are lots more “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars and some big, gay names in music coming to town this month.
St. Pete’s own Discord Addams, whose kooky runway walk and fierce self-designed looks just made herstory in Season 18, headlines the Cocktail mainstage along with Alyssa Hunter, Kerri Colby, Olivia Luxx and LaGanja Estranja. Plus, performances from musicians Tommy Genesis and Pepper Mashay.
St. Pete Pride’s Friday Night concert, now at Al Lang Stadium, brings British singer Chinchilla, elf-eared hip hop duo Flyana Boss, ICE-melting viral pop star and violinist Cain Culto and a big-deal guest DJ yet to be announced.
See details below and find more gay shit at community.cltampa.com.
Big Gay Pride Market Thursday, June 4. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Cocktail, St. Petersburg Dyke Nite: Thicker than G.R.I.T.S Thursday, June 4. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City
Dunedin Goes Carting Golf Cart Parade Friday, June 5. 6:20 p.m. Mease Manor to TD Ballpark lot, Dunedin.
Dunedin Jays Pride Game Friday, June 5. 7:15 p.m.-10 p.m. $8-$11. TD Ball Park, Dunedin.
Silver Pride Saturday, June 6. Noon-4. No cover. Senior Friendship Centers, Sarasota Pride & Pours Dunedin Pride Pool Party Saturday, June 6. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $30 ($10 valet only parking). The Fenway Hotel, Dunedin West End Pride Block Party Saturday, June 6. Noon-8 p.m. No cover. Jack Pallino’s Brick Oven Pizza & Sports Bar, Dunedin
St. Pete Pride: Family Day On The Pier Sunday, June 7. 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. No cover. St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg St. Pete Pride: Stonewall Reception Thursday, June 11. 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
$80.03. Urban Stillhouse, St. Petersburg
Shuffle with Pride Friday, June 12. 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. $10 to play for non-members. St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, St. Petersburg Community Kickstarter Pride Weekend Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. Times vary. Call or text (352) 204-3234 for scheduling. Ichetucknee Yoga Club & Outdoor Meditation Center, Branford Dyke Nite: Big Fat Dyke Weekend FridaySunday, June 12-14. Sawmill Campground, Dade City. @dykenitestpete on Instagram for prices and more info
Lipstick Masquerade Saturday, June 13. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Prices TBA. The Floridian Social, St. Petersburg
Polk Pride: Kick-Off Party Saturday, June 13. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $15. Union Hall, Lakeland
Destination: Studio 54 Pool Party (Winter Pride) Saturday, June 13. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 & up. The Wet Spot at Cocktail, St. Petersburg
Rowdies Pride Night Saturday, June 13. 7:30 p.m. $24-$88. Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg
Pride Bingo Monday, June 15. 4 p.m. & 7 p.m. $12.51. Blur Nightclub, Dunedin
PRIDE GUIDE
Polk Pride: Pride For Youth Wednesday, June 17. 6:30 p.m. No cover. United Women’s Club, Lakeland All the Colors of the Rainbow Art Show Thursday, June 18. 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Blur Nightlcub, Dunedin
St. Pete Pride: Surreal Summer Nights at the Dalí Thursday, June 18. 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
$16. The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg Pride Rainbow Pairing Dinner Friday, June 19. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $110 plus tax and gratuity. The Honu Restaurant & Tiki Bar, Dunedin
Polk Pride: Pride In Faith Thursday, June 18. 7 p.m. No cover. Beacon Hill Fellowship, Lakeland
Polk Pride: Friday Night Pride Friday, June 19. 6 p.m. (21+ after 9 p.m). No cover. Rec Room, Lakeland
Bear Pride at the Lake Saturday, June 20. 11 a.m. No cover. Ichetucknee Yoga Club & Nature Retreat, Branford
Polk Pride: Pride After Dark Saturday, June 20. 9 p.m.- 1 a.m. $25. Eala’s Speakeasy, Lakeland
Polk Pride: Pride In The Park Saturday, June 20. 9 a.m. No cover. Munn Park, Lakeland Pride Pool Party noon-4 p.m. $20. Casa del Merman at GayStPete House, St. Petersburg
Alyssa Hunter Wednesday, June 24. Time TBA. No cover. The Wet Spot at Cocktail, St. Petersburg.
Transtastic Thursday, June 25. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $26.90 & up. James Museum, St. Petersburg Discord Addams, Kerri Colby and Pepper MaShay Saturday, June 27. Time TBA. No cover. Cocktail St Pete, St. Petersburg. St. Pete Pride: Friday Night Concert & Market on the Waterfront Friday, June 26. 7:30 p.m. $85-$97. Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg
TransMarch and Festival Saturday, June 27. 2 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Marching from Vinoy Park to Albert Whitted Field, St. Petersburg
Pride on the Runway presented by Black & Glen Friday, June 12. 7 p.m. No cover. Blur Nightclub, Dunedin
Shades of Pride: Juneteenth Friday, June 19. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. prices TBA. Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg
St. Pete Pride: Parade and Festival Saturday, June 27. 2 p.m.- 10 p.m. No cover. North and South Straub Parks, St. Petersburg. St. Pete Pride: Sunday Street Fair Sunday, June 28. Noon-5 p.m. No cover. Grand Central District, Central Ave., St. Petersburg
COCKED N LOADED: Adriana Sparkle will perform at Cocktail events for Pride.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Dear reader,
The Sapphic Sun
June 2026 St. Petersburg, FL
You’re reading this because you picked us up for free in a newsstand. Thanks for joining us! We’re a local lesbian and sapphic paper fortunate enough to be printed in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay for the first time this month through a Tampa Bay Journalism Project partnership.
We print a new issue each month to keep the local queer and trans community informed through the lens of our lesbian, bisexual and otherwise sapphic contributors. Our biggest hope is that we bring you closer to your local real-world sapphic community while also creating a written record of what Tampa Bay dykes are up to for future generations to read.
In the CL newsstands, you’re getting a free edition: slightly pared down due to a different print deadline and format, but still containing most of the content of The Sapphic Sun, supporting our mission of breaking down paywalls in the news. We hope to continue this partnership in future months, if CL’s inkwells don’t dry up on us.
We encourage you to enjoy the summer heat by celebrating Pride with community events like Queer Expression St. Pete’s “RISE,” going camping with Dyke Nite at Sawmill, and getting campier.
Happy trails!
Valerie Smith Editor in Chief
If you become a paid subscriber, you’ll get a RISOprinted copy of The Sapphic Sun, which is a work of art (and history, if we do our job right). Later in the issue, you can read more about how we make our final product, folding and packaging each by hand.
Our June theme is “camp,” which can mean two things. First, you might have had your first gay kiss at a summer camp where single-sex bunking was designed to discourage heterosexual partnerships. In these pages, Victoria previews an upcoming gay camp coming-of-age movie, and Willow catches you up on what the women of the WNBA have been doing at training camp.
The second meaning of “camp” is defined more thoroughly in this issue by Evelyn Long, who talks about the underground performance style gaining mainstream appeal. Raunchy, Looney Tunes-esque pictures painted in broad strokes and bright colors have long been a part of queer culture.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a June issue if we didn’t talk about Pride. We’ll check in with St. Pete Pride to figure out if they’ve changed much since last year’s criticisms of the organization brought by community organizers who say the event no longer reflects Pride’s progressive roots.
HOW THE SAPPHIC SUN IS MADE
an environmentally-friendly, soy-based ink on paper Kelly picks up from a local supplier.
The team loads up a few hundred sheets in the RISO printer, which prints one color at a time, so we feed each sheet through multiple times to layer both sides in several colors. One person watches carefully to make sure the layers line up, stopping the press and making adjustments as needed.
Each 16-page issue requires four sheets of paper, printed on both sides. It takes the printing team several hours of attention to detail and meticulous realignment. Messed up prints get chopped up and used as material for the Scissor Sirens sapphic collage club.
When printing is finished, contributors gather to collate and fold and package each issue by hand. Kelly brings a crate of issues to St. Pete’s open air post office where they eventually make their way to the doors of hundreds of subscribers in our immediately-recognizable orange mailers. Readers regularly tell me that The Sapphic Sun has made them excited to check the mail again.
On average, four lesbians and sapphics touch each physical copy of The Sapphic Sun by the time it reaches your doorstep in an orange envelope.
Each issue begins with several contributors gathering in my apartment to discuss the previous issue, brainstorm pieces for the next, and settle on a theme. Once we finish writing and editing the words, we pass them on to the next step of the process.
The Sapphic Sun is designed by Alexis Thompson, with input from creative director and founder Kelly Dunsmore. Alexis designs each page specifically from a handful of colors available at Print St. Pete, our local community letterpress. There, our printing team works the RISO printer, which uses
This month, we are also partnering with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay through their donor-driven Tampa Bay Journalism Project. They’re letting us leech off their print copy so we can bring The Sapphic Sun to everyone with no financial barrier. Traditional newsprint has been an important tool for the freedom of information for centuries.
That’s how The Sapphic Sun gets made, and how we make sure we are providing a genuine service to the community along the way. We’ll keep uplifting queer artists and organizers who deserve the spotlight, while holding bigger LGBTQ+ organizations accountable to the queer and trans people they claim to serve.
by Valerie Smith
WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘SAPPHIC’ MEAN?
SAPPHIC adjective (saf • ik)
Sapphic is an expansive term that includes lesbians, bisexuals, pansexuals, trans femmes/mascs, nonbinary folk and cis women. It derives from Sappho, an ancient greek poet known for her beautiful writing style and themes of love shared between women. The term ‘Sapphic’ goes beyond describing sexual orientation, it conjures an experience of connection through a mutual understanding of what it means to experience love, sexual desire, romance, community, friendship, inspiration, and creativity.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS SAY ST. PETE PRIDE IGNORED THEM THIS YEAR, TOO
St. Pete Pride took heat for accepting sponsorships from polluters and weapons manufacturers, and for having indirect ties to federal immigration enforcement. This year, amid increasing hurdles imposed by the Florida legislature, local queer leaders critical of the organization told The Sapphic Sun that St. Pete Pride isn’t changing its tune yet.
When The Sapphic Sun first reported on the protests of St. Pete Pride in 2025, organizers with the People’s Pride Coalition said that the group was going against Pride’s roots as an act of progressive rebellion against oppression. This was evidenced, they said, by the organization’s partnership with the St. Pete Police Department, which had (and still has) an active 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Some of St. Pete Pride’s 2025 sponsors also seemed to conflict with the progressive message of the earliest Pride celebrations.
One was Jabil, a St. Pete-based tech company that manufactures weapons, collaborating with companies like iRobot to produce remotely-operated war robots. Jabil has also been heavily investing in controversial AI data centers over the last few years, including a recent nearlybillion-dollar acquisition of a company dedicated to providing electrical services to the centers. Critics of data centers say that the massive buildings can take the place of ecologically important land, exhaust local water resources, use huge amounts of electricity and drive up surrounding utility rates.
Another was Gilead, a pharmaceutical company that has paid out settlements for undisclosed side effects of its HIV treatment medications. This year, Doctors Without Borders publicly accused Gilead of refusing to sell the organization a highly-effective HIV prevention drug it relies on to curb the global spread of the virus.
“Pride saves lives but if the loss of funding causes the ONLY TWO Black Pride events to be on the chopping block while others have been maintained and added- we have a WHOLE other problem. Unacceptable and incredibly disappointing. Walk AND chew gum,” Leigh’s Facebook post reads. She later edited the post to acknowledge that Shades will still take place, according to St. Pete Pride’s website. The Sapphic Sun found that the link to RSVP for Shades currently does not work, leading only to a link to sponsor the event as a donor, and there’s very little advertising of the event on social media.
The Sapphic Sun spoke with People’s Pride Coalition organizer V last year when covering the many accusations community organizations have made against St. Pete Pride. This year, V said, St. Pete Pride has not responded to many requests to meet with PPC.
Books, and the rest of their funding comes from small, local donors. This model allows them to weather periods where LGBTQ+ causes aren’t attracting as much money from mainstream funders.
A full layout of RISE events can be found on QE’s Instagram page @queerexpressionstpete
V said that they ran into Executive Director Bior Guigni at an awards event, and Guigni indicated that she would meet with the group. She didn’t respond to later emails, V said.
Lauren Harris-Taylor is a founding member of Queer Expression St. Pete, which provides programming and a physical community center for all age groups in the LGBTQ+ community. This year, QE will host its second annual RISE (Resistance, Intersectionality, Solidarity, Expression).
RISE is a “cop-free, corp-free” month of almost-daily Pride programming, like a conversation about Miccosukee culture and the everglades with Two-Spirit Reverend Houston R. Cypress.
Local phosphate mining company Mosaic — who has dumped millions of gallons of contaminated water into area waterways — was not listed as a sponsor last year, but did have a group in the parade. This reporter attended the parade and heard the Mosaic group get booed by a few attendees.
Despite all of its funding sources, Tampa Bay 28 reported that St. Pete Pride was still $200k short of its fundraising goals just two weeks from the beginning of June this year. St. Pete Pride said this was partially due to $150,000 in lost funding from corporate sponsors and government funding that have run dry in the anti-DEI climate.
“A parade that has cops with rainbow cop cars is very jarring when you’re looking at our history and the history of Pride,” Harris-Taylor told The Sapphic Sun. “(We are) trying to move our community back towards the kind of collectivism and radicalness that Pride is supposed to stand for, and that its origins are tied to, rather than something that’s just supporting banks and cops.”
St. Pete Pride often justifies its existence to the city by touting multi million-dollar tourism boosts to the surrounding economy. But Harris-Taylor points out that tourism dollars are historically complicated for Florida’s communities.
Tourism is a primary driver of gentrification from northern transplants, according to HarrisTaylor. “Positioning pride as a tourist attraction rather than a moment of reflective togetherness for our community … is already completely straying from the point,” they told The Sapphic Sun.
Other alternative programming to St. Pete Pride has emerged across the bay. Dyke Nite St. Pete is hosting several parties, including a collaboration with Dyke Nite Orlando and Sawmill for a weekend of clothing-optional camping.
Despite St. Pete Pride dropping support for the event, Tampa Bay Black Lesbians are hosting “Get Nude V.” The event will be themed after juke joints, where Black Southerners gathered to drink and dance in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. It will be held at Black-owned Venue 2106 in Tampa.
St. Pete Pride’s Juneteenth event does not have a distinct theme. It will be held at the Morean Center for Clay, named for its foremost donor, Beth Morean. She is the daughter of Bill Morean, co-founder of Jabil.
People’s Pride Coalition will host their second annual People’s Pride event on June 26 at Allendale UMC from 6–10 p.m.
St. Pete Pride did not return a request for comment by our print deadline. We will update the online version of this article with any response we receive. Find it at cltampabay.com.
by Valerie Smith
DEM EVENT HOSTS ‘TRANSPHOBIC’ SPEAKER
A liberal Democrat organization organized a virtual conversation between David Jolly and Jerry Demings, who are both running for governor. Also invited to speak on the call was Martina Navratilova, a lesbian professional athlete who has been vocally critical of inclusion of trans women in sports.
Navratilova has said many moderate things about the inclusion of trans women in sports, insisting that there is a way to balance single-sex competition and trans rights. She has also supported and lobbied for outright bans on allowing trans women to play sports with other women, boycotted Nike for advertising a sports bra with trans woman Dylan Mulvaney, and incorrectly insisted that Imane Khelif — an Olympic boxer assigned female at birth — is a trans woman who should be banned from competition.
These statements resulted in Navratilova being labeled “transphobic” by LGBTQ+ sports organization Athlete Ally and being removed from its board of directors.
Tamara Leigh is a community powerhouse who founded the national queer Black magazine, Blaque/OUT. She also leads Tampa Bay Black Lesbians. In previous years, TBBL has collaborated with St. Pete Pride for their annual “Get Nude” events celebrating queer Black women and other nonwhite LGBTQ+ community members.
Leigh started this event, as well as St. Pete Pride’s “Shades” event which celebrates Juneteenth. This year, according to a Facebook post by Leigh, TBBL was not contacted by St. Pete Pride at all to indicate that they would be terminating the collaboration with the group.
RISE’s theme this year is queer ecology, and how queerness ties into the natural world. Harris-Taylor also noted that the tourism industry results in many abuses of the local environment, like tourists getting too close to gators and litter covering area beaches.
Harris-Taylor invites anyone who is excited about the party aspect of Pride to attend some of RISE’s more celebratory events, like the Gender Freaks mixer or the trans pool party. They also encourage attendance of the teach-in they will host with People’s Pride Coalition highlighting the history of Pride and how it went from police riot to corporate parade.
Unlike St. Pete Pride, RISE isn’t threatened by grants and corporate sponsors pulling funding, because they never had that funding in the first place. Their only business sponsors are small local businesses like lesbian-owned Tombolo
The Diverse Coalition for Democracy did not outright respond to calls from the public to cancel Navratilova’s appearance. East Hillsborough County Democratic Club President Drew Vaughn denounced the event in a statement.
“The Democratic Party has a big tent, but our tent should not be so big that it includes bigots,” the statement reads. “The Board of the East Hillsborough County Democratic Club stands with our trans brothers and sisters. We will not be attending this event and we urge all of our members to do the same.”
A later post to the Diverse Coalition for Democracy’s Facebook group reads: “Lets not let our passion for specific causes get in the way of achieving the main objectives, unity, coalition building and winning elections!”
by Valerie Smith
ENTERTAINMENT REC GIRLS LIKE GIRLS (2026)
I know it’s risky to recommend a movie that hasn’t come out yet. Especially because the last movie I recommended before seeing, Honey Don’t, ended up having a fun start, and falling a little flat in the end. However, I think it’s important to support sapphic movies in the cinema to let the people in charge know we want more queer stories. As a bonus, this recommendation is a debut film for WLW icon and star of the cinematic masterpiece Lemonade Mouth, Hayley Kiyoko. In 2023, Kiyoko released her debut novel titled after her hit song Girls Like Girls. Even before the book was released, Kiyoko discussed the desire to adapt the story into a feature film. That’s coming to fruition June 19.
From the trailer alone, I knew this movie would be perfect for an issue celebrating summer camp vibes. The film follows the story of two girls and their whirlwind summer romance. Coley is adjusting to her new life in Oregon after the loss of her mother when she meets Sonya. The two have an instant connection that speaks so much to those special friendships that turn into so much more. The film and novel are both
musk. Evoking the moody, sun-drenched vibes of Midnight Sun by Zara Larsson and Champagne Coast by Blood Orange, Baní offers a sexy depth that beautifully complements warm skin. It delivers an addictive energy and begs to be worn.
The Sapphic Sun’s Zoe Wellmaker is partnering with local scent store Super Memory to bring you scent reviews each month. Check out the scent of the month and pick up a copy of The Sapphic Sun at Super Memory in downtown St. Pete.
by Zoe Wellmaker
SO, CAMP IS MAINSTREAM – WHAT NOW?
n April, Sabrina Carpenter performed to a crowd of thousands at Coachella, with over 50 million additional viewers watching the performance via livestream. Whipping her bouncy blonde hair and glittering in a retro bodysuit, she takes a seat in an antique convertible on stage as she sings her hit song “Tears”.
address. Parody is the primary medium through which information is delivered on social media, and therefore, it is the lens through which we perceive the subject of the parody itself.
Additionally, the digital world has truly expedited the cultural osmosis from LGBTQ+ folks to the mainstream. Language coined by Black queer people in the ‘80s has made its way into the lingo of the very people who threaten Black queer existence today, forcing grandmas everywhere to Google “clock it” and “slay”. Trump supporters are commending one another for “serving cunt”. For better or worse, queer culture is more widespread than ever – even when it means that our tools of expression are stripped of all meaning and slapped onto a mug at TJ Maxx for
aroma that transforms your presence effortlessly from sundrenched afternoons to humid, low-lit nights.
The scent opens with a rich, electric burst of bright citrus that immediately pulls you in, before settling into a captivating blend of lush blossom and deep, skin-warmed
The crowd erupts as the seat lifts above the audience, climbing 20 feet in the air. Water pours from all directions of the chair, becoming a fountain underneath Sabrina. I get wet at the thought of you being a responsible guy. Treating me like you’re supposed to do, tears run down my thighs. The backing vocals play as she moves sensually on the chair, and finally, a massive spray of water blasts from below as the song crescendos, soaking the beaming pop star. Blasts gush from all directions, showering her dancers and the lucky audience members in the first
We are all being drenched in her ironic feminist pussy juice. If this isn’t camp, I genuinely don’t
When you find yourself blasted by Sabrina Carpenter’s metaphorical bodily fluids, you might ask yourself: “How did we get here?” Sure, flamboyance and theatricality have always played a role in pop music. But as we take a look at the heavy-hitters of modern pop culture, it’s clear that camp is the new cool. The entirety of Brat Summer, the global domination of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the exaggerated femme sensibilities of Chappell Roan, and the satirization of literally everything are just a few notable examples of how camp has made its way to the forefront of today’s cultural landscape.
Similar to the ‘90s grunge movement as a response to the polished culture of the ‘80s, camp is the countercultural tool of today’s youth, both queer and not. As both an expression and a perspective, it parodies the very fabric of our society. Where grunge used angst and disillusionment to undermine authority, camp employs whimsy and humor to cast the world around it in an unserious, irreverent light, displacing the power even the most foreboding issues of our generation possess.
Undoubtedly, meme culture plays a heavy hand in popularizing camp among young Millennials and Gen Z. I see the satirization of the news before I see the news itself. I am more likely to see a TikTok reenactment of Trump’s presidential address than to see Trump’s actual
Campiness is a beautiful thing, and it’s a sensibility that I was raised with by a queer, Dolly Parton-loving mother. I love seeing the obnoxious and the ridiculous on the world’s largest stages. That said, I have my reservations. Camp has the potential to be co-opted and diluted by people who have no deeper connection to its roots; I’d argue that this process has already begun. How can we as queer people stay rooted in the expressions and sensibilities we’ve created, and how do we
QUEER WOMAN TAKES HELM AT TAMPA BAY TIMES NEWSROOM
Gays control the media. Congrats, gays!
Claire McNeill is the new managing editor of news at the Tampa Bay Times. It’s hard to picture an absolute institution of a newspaper — one that started while Emily Dickinson and Ulysses S. Grant still walked the earth — placing a young, zinemaking queer woman at the head of its newsroom. For her, it’s a natural transition.
McNeill started college with the intent to graduate as a fiction writer. Craving writing experience, she applied to be an arts critic in the college newspaper. “They said, ‘no honey, you’re going to work the university desk,’” McNeill told The Sapphic Sun.
Sitting through a board meeting felt like driving a long stretch of highway in the middle of the desert: hours of predictable, repetitive action with very little of interest. Nothing juicy in sight. As one dry meeting wrapped up, McNeill overheard some board members discussing the dismal working conditions of the university’s custodial staff.
The Times’ article announcing McNeill’s new role didn’t identify her as queer directly, except by including this sentence: “When McNeill is not working, the St. Petersburg resident reads at Sunset Beach, makes zines and plays recreational softball.”
Zines are traditionally a medium for those lacking a voice in mainstream media, so why is the newsroom leader of one of Florida’s largest papers also vending at Zinefest? McNeill said that zines are a creative outlet, but also help her escape perfectionism. She also feels that zines and journalism are both “ways of loving a place” by chronicling its events and unique character.
The ensuing reporting resulted in student protests over the poor treatment the university staff received, and administration eventually relented and made changes. McNeill got her first hit of reporting making a direct difference. She was hooked.
Though she didn’t end up pursuing fiction writing as a career, McNeill feels that news shares its most important purpose. “Through nonfiction narrative, or through a novel, you can bring people into the specifics of one life or one moment and reveal something about the human condition,” she told The Sapphic Sun.
A little over a decade ago, McNeill took on a summer internship at the Times. She’s stuck with the paper since, first taking on a leadership role in the newsroom right around when back-to-back hurricanes wrecked Tampa Bay in 2024. Her new role puts her at the top of the newsroom, with the other managing editor focusing on sports.
Our beloved alt-weekly, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, already has a queer woman as managing editor, Selene San Felice. The Tampa Bay Times has joined the club, and McNeill wants her newsroom’s coverage to reflect that.
“I come from this outlet that is more traditional,” McNeill told The Sapphic Sun. “I’m not the alt-weekly; we are a big entity. But I think being able to meet with people in this community and say, ‘I am in this community with you,’ … it does matter to people. I hope that is an ethos I can carry through the newsroom.”
McNeill recalled waking up the morning after the Pulse nightclub shooting: “I told my editor, ‘I’m going.’” She left unprepared and stayed longer than expected; she had to expense a toothbrush and a new shirt. People who might not have traditionally spoken with a paper like the Times felt more comfortable with her because she was queer. McNeill was able to provide nuanced coverage of a senseless tragedy, both in the immediate aftermath and five years later during a follow-up story speaking with survivors.
players. However, teams like the Dallas Wings, the Golden State Valkyries, and even a young group like the Washington Mystics have a chance to surprise the league in the playoffs. Catch the in-season tournament starting Monday, June 1st, on Prime Video.
As for the future of the Tampa Bay Times, McNeill wants to put out more stories that people actually use. Think articles about where you can find lunch that’s actually affordable, what you really need in a hurricane preparedness kit, or whether you have to worry about hantavirus. (This reporter hopes she convinces the Times to publish more non-paywalled news.)
Wherever McNeill steers the paper, she wants it to help drag Florida into calmer waters for gay residents. “I love our community,” she told The Sapphic Sun. “Part of why I stay in Florida and do the work I do here is because I think it matters for queer community to thrive in places that aren’t the big three cities.”
by Valerie Smith
C’MON, WNBA SEASON 30, LET’S GET SICKENING!
The WNBA offseason has been nothing less than exciting, frustrating,and monumental in the world of professional women’s sports. With the league’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) unsigned and highly debated at the end of last season, many fans questioned if there would even be a season this year. The players made their demands known, both at the bargaining table and in public, even threatening a player-led strike. Their resilience led to signing the most lucrative deal in league history on March 24, 2026.
The people’s princess, Azzi Fudd, was drafted number 1 on April 13 by the Dallas Wings and reported to training camp the following week. Life comes at you fast as a WNBA rookie. Azzi and her new teammates have less than a month to figure out how they fit together as a unit before the start of the season. This is why camp life is so important- a shared challenge and a foundation of daily growth and encouragement. Even a TikTok dance or doing saucy splits in the locker room (via @niyaa. rivers) can help get the team on the same page.
With the addition of two new teams to the league and more roster spots than ever before, more pro players will have the opportunity to make an impact in the W. Some teams have a completely new look this year; maybe they traded away their star (Chicago), maybe they gained a star (Atlanta). They could be rebuilding for the future (Seattle) or fully operating on vibes (Connecticut). Whatever the case, team cohesion is built in training camp and preseason development. The start of the WNBA’s 30th season is quickly approaching.
Las Vegas and New York have solidified themselves as playoff contenders over the last few seasons by investing in their core
by Willow
@sapphicsunfl
With everything from MICHELIN-starred restaurants to lively waterfront food halls, Tampa Bay turns every meal into a culinary journey. Visit to see how Tampa Bay’s dining scene is just as vibrant and unique as its culture.
Now an entire month of prix
PINELLAS COUNTY:
Allelo
Birch and Vine (at The Birchwood Hotel)
Driftwood Cafe
Dunedin Smokehouse
Flipside Pizza Clearwater Beach
Grace Restaurant
Hi-Fi Rooftop (at The Fenway Hotel)
Jimmy's Tacos - St. Pete
Juno & The Peacock
Latitude 28
(at JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa)
LUMA (at SkyBeach Resort)
Luna Lux Restaurant and Lounge
Madison Avenue Pizza
Melting Pot
Ocean Hai
(at Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach)
Ocean Seven
Paul's Landing (at The Vinoy)
Pete's Gulf Bistro
(at Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach)
Pipos Cuban Cafe
Q Southern BBQ
Sauvignon Wine Locker & American Trattoria
Sparrow Rooftop (at Moxy St. Pete)
Taverna Costale
Teak
The Brinehouse
The Helm
The Library
Tides Seafood Market
Watercolour Grillhouse
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY:
3 Corners Pizza
Acropolis
American Social Bar & Kitchen
Ava
Babushka's - Hyde Park
Barcelona Wine Bar
Bar Terroir
Besito Tampa
Boda
Bulla Gastrobar
CW's Gin Joint
Del Friscos Grille
District South Kitchen & Craft
Flames Indian Cuisine
Foodys Restaurant and Bar
Heights Drive Thru
Jimmy's Tacos - Tampa
Kona Grill
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
O-Ku
On Swann- Hyde Park
Quiote
Riveters
Sal Rosa (at Le Meridien Tampa)
Sal Y Mar Rooftop Bar & Events
Venue
Soul de Cuba Cafe
Sunda New Asian
The Dan (at Hotel Flor)
The Pearl
Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen
Timpano Hyde Park
Uno Mas
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RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Star power
Tampa keeps four Michelin star restaurants in 2026 ceremony.
By Colin Wolf and Ray Roa
For its fifth year in the Sunshine State, the prestigious Michelin guide hosted its Florida awards ceremony last Thursday and unfortunately no new Tampa Bay restaurants earned a star.
Pinellas County was snubbed for stars for the second year in a row.
The Tampa restaurants that kept their Michelin one-star rating, include Ebbe, Kosen, Koya and Rocca.
Notably absent from the new list of starred restaurants was Lilac. The concept on the ground floor of the Tampa Edition (stylized “EDITION”), previously earned a single-star rating and now appears on the recommended list.
Michelin also did not award any new Bib Gourmands to Bay area restaurants in the 2026 Michelin Guide.
Tampa restaurants that kept their Bib Gourmands include Gorkalli Kitchen, Psomi, Rooster & the Till, and Streetlight Taco.
However, a few new Tampa restaurants earned Michelin’s “recommended” status, including Bar Terroir, The Briskette Shop, Fat Beet Farm and Kitchen and Bakery, and Kinjo.
Fat Beet Farm and Kitchen and Bakery also earned a Michelin Green Star “for leading the way in mindful gastronomy,” joining just four other Green Star restaurants in Florida.
Kinjo Chef Jada Vidal was also awarded the Michelin Young Chef Award.
Pinellas restaurants added to Michelin’s “recommended” list include Elliott Aster and In Between Days.
Lakeland’s Nineteen61 was also among the new “recommended” spots.
The highest honor a restaurant can get in the guide is three Michelin stars, reserved for what publishers describe as “superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.”
Two stars are awarded “when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes,” and a single star is given “to restaurants using top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavours are prepared to a consistently high standard.”
Bib Gourmands are awarded to restaurants offering a great venue while highlighting “simple yet skilful cooking at an affordable price.”
Last week’s ceremony marks the first time Michelin did not host an in-person awards ceremony in Florida, and instead choosing to broadcast the event exclusively online. It was also the first time restaurants from across the entire state of Florida were eligible for recognition.
The event was originally set to be hosted on April 14 and was unexplainably bumped to May 28 just weeks prior, along with the announcement that it would be entirely virtual. It’s unclear exactly why the in-person ceremony was canceled, since the event is often something chefs and restaurateurs look forward to attending. It’s also unclear if the shift to include the whole state played into the decision to shift to a new online format.
The revered, 126-year-old dining publication first arrived in Florida back in 2022, and at the time only included the Orlando, Miami and Tampa markets after the state of Florida and local tourism organizations chipped in to cover the cost, which was estimated to be around $1.5 million.
Since then, just five Tampa restaurants have earned a Michelin star: contemporary Italian eatery Rocca, small-scale omakase spots Kōsen and Koya, Scandinavian tasting concept Ebbe and the Tampa Edition’s high-end restaurant Lilac. Lilac was the only Tampa restaurant to lose its Michelin star in 2026.
Last year was the first time Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches, and Pinellas County restaurants were eligible for inclusion in the Florida Michelin guide. As previously reported, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater (VSPC) entered into a two-year contract with Michelin at a cost of $90,000 a year.
Unfortunately no Pinellas dining spots earned stars or Bib Gourmands at the 2025 ceremony.
This year, St. Pete hotspots Il Ritorno (stylized “IL Ritorno”), Sushi Sho Rexley and pan-Asian steakhouse Fortu all maintained their status on Michelin’s “recommended” list, while Safety Harbor’s Best of the Bay-winning Tides Market also kept its “recommended” designation.
So far, only two restaurants in Florida have earned two stars—Miami’s French-contemporary spot L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and Sorekara in Orlando. No Florida restaurants have earned the highest ranking of three stars.
One Michelin Star
addition)
Ebbe 1202 N Franklin St., Tampa
Kō sen 307 W Palm Ave., Tampa
Koya 807 W Platt St., Tampa
Rocca 323 W Palm Ave., Tampa
Michelin Green Star
Fat Beet Farm Kitchen and Bakery 13830 W Hillsborough Ave., Tampa *
Bib Gourmand
Gorkhali Kitchen
10044 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa
Psomi 701 N Howard Ave., Tampa
Rooster and the Till 6500 N Florida Ave., Tampa
Streetlight Taco 4004 Henderson Blvd., Tampa
Michelin recommended restaurants
Tampa
Bar Terroir 3636 Henderson Blvd. *
Bern’s Steak House 1208 S Howard Ave.
Big Ray’s Fish Camp 6116 Interbay Blvd.
Bistro BT 4267 Henderson Blvd.
The Brisket Shoppe 3501 N Armenia Ave. *
Cousin Vinny’s Sandwich Co. 1331 W Cass St.
Fat Beet Farm Kitchen and Bakery 13830 W Hillsborough Ave. *
Flaming Mountain 13520 University Plaza St. Kinjo 224 S Boulevard *
Lilac 500 Channelside Dr. (dropped from one star)
Mad Dogs & Englishmen 4914 S MacDill Ave.
Mise en Place 1229 E 8th Ave.
Noble Rice 615 Channelside Dr. Olivia 3601 W Swann Ave.
The Pearl 823 Water St.
Ponte 1010 Gramercy Ln.
Predalina 1001 E Cumberland Ave.
Restaurant BT 2507 S MacDill Ave.
Supernatural Food & Wine 305 E Polk St.
Yummy House 2620 E Hillsborough Ave.
St. Petersburg
Elliott Aster 501 5th Ave. NE *
Fortu 97 Central Ave.
Il Ritorno 449 Central Ave. N
In Between Days (stylized all-lowercase) 2340 1st Ave. S *
Sushi Sho Rexley 214 2nd St. N
Safety Harbor
The Tides Market 305 Main St. Lakeland
Nineteen61 215 E Main St. *
SOY HUNGRY: Koya omakase retained its Michelin star.
See a full list of Tampa Bay restaurants appearing in the 2026 Florida Michelin Guide below (*new
MEET THE CHEFS
The Birchwood, St. Pete
June 18 | 6-9pm
Tampa Bay’s most celebrated chefs—all in one room. Sample signature dishes, sip craft cocktails, and go behind the scenes with the creative minds putting Tampa Bay on the national stage. A portion of proceeds benefits Feeding Tampa Bay. This event sells out every year–get your tickets today!
Bring your shades, our chefs really shine.
SINCE 1492
YOUR TAMPA BAY RESTAURANT MONTH EXPERIENCE WITH A STIEGL
Call your X
Retro bar and tavern to close this summer, and more food news.
By Colin Wolf and Ray Roa
Nostalgia-seekers will need to find a new place to drink adult Capri Suns and loaded Sunny D. Gen X Tavern, the ‘80s and ‘90s-loving bar and restaurant is calling it quits after seven years at 103 E Jackson St.
The concept, opened in the spring of 2019 will stay open through July 4 according to a message from founder Dave Burton (who is hilariously running a faux campaign for mayor of Tampa on his personal Facebook page). “It was one hell of a run and I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it,” Burton wrote, graciously thanking the DJs, musicians, customers and employees that came through the door
“You gave this place its soul and were the heartbeat of GenX. Watching strangers become family was the best part of this journey,” he added, noting that a new “elevated, and exciting” concept will take the tavern’s place.
In a text message to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Burton said that he will be involved in the new Japanese concept, which he hopes to have open by October.
In a 2019 review of Gen X Tavern, CL lauded a bar menu that covers all the bases and was impressed by the concept’s throwback feel, complete with old-school TVs, vintage video games and regalia from a generation long gone (think Cabbage Patch dolls, Blockbuster VHs). Guilty pleasures like pickle chips, corn dog nuggets and fried ravioli complemented mains that paid homage to Ferris Bueller, “Caddyshack,” and MacGyver. The place even opened with its own version of SpaghettiOs.
Burton—who also owns Soho Sushi and Gulfport’s StormRunners Tavern—was emphatic that Gen X’s closing was only a short goodbye.
“Change is inevitable,” he added, “and the only way to stay ahead of it is to recreate yourself.”
Tampa’s Two Shepherds Taproom is getting out of the dog bar business
Two Shepherds Taproom no longer has that dog in ‘em. Tampa’s first indoor-outdoor dog bar took to social media last week to announce that the concept will soon cease to be a dog bar, and instead “pivot the taproom into a permanent event space.”
“Our goal in the beginning was to create a space where people and pups could come together,” continues the post, “and we are proud to have accomplished that. We are beyond grateful for the community that has supported us throughout these years.”
The Drew Park space, located at 4813 N Grady Ave., had one last dog-friendly shift on Friday, May 29.
Not a lot of details were released regarding the closure, and it’s unclear exactly how this impacts annual memberships and employees. But
Two Shepherds says it plans to expand its relationship with board game shop Gambit Games, which recently moved in and will launch a new store within the existing Two Shepherds space. CL could not reach Two Shepherds co-founders Ross O’Bryan and Patrick Verdugo for comment.
Two Shepherds first opened its doors back in April of 2020, and was the first in Tampa to incorporate both outdoor and an indoor airconditioned dog-friendly play areas for dogs and beer lovers. Besides dogs and brews, the concept also featured a rotating roster of local food trucks and daily events.
The decision to close the “dog” portion of the business comes about a year after another local indoor-outdoor dog bar, Pups Pub in Tampa, closed after losing a contentious lawsuit with the Florida Health Department, which effectively banned non-service animals from being inside a restaurant.
‘One of the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life’: Guy Fieri heaps praise on Tampa’s Supernatural
In his most recent episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” celebrity chef Guy Fieri had nothing but good catchphrases regarding downtown Tampa’s Supernatural Food & Wine.
As previously reported, the “Mayor of Flavortown” was in Tampa back in early April filming the popular show—and the episode finally aired last Friday, May 22.
Supernatural, located at 305 E Polk St., was the only Tampa spot highlighted in the 21-minute episode, which found the frosted tipped 58-yearold shocked at how this popular sandwich shop could be so successful despite its incredibly small size.
In typical “Triple D” fashion, the episode highlighted the behind-the-scenes recipes of some of Supernatural’s most popular dishes, like the “Italian Stallion” sandwich, which Fieri noted “really is a sandwich worth waiting in line for.”
But Fieri was clearly most excited when he got to try one of Supernatural’s fresh daily cinnamon-sugar sour doughnuts, which Roderick claims often “sell out within the first 10 minutes after we open.”
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
“It’s light, it’s fluffy,” said Fieri after his first bite. “This concoction of salt and sugar, cinnamon, and turmeric is delicious. I mean, that’s got to be one of the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life.”
“How do you explain a place that has no tables? 452 square feet,” asked Fieri when he and Tampa Chef Richard Hales first arrived at founder Wesley Roderick’s service window.
“I wanted to do high fine dining, so I went to New York, spent a few years in Europe, and then came back here. The vision was a high-end sandwich shop,” said Roderick.
If you look close, viewers will also spot a few familiar Tampa faces in the episode, like CL co-owner and pony-tail haver Ray Roa, Hub bartender Kamran Mir and Elevated Embers co-founder Nate Hammond.
This isn’t the first time Supernatural has been showered with praise from a celebrity chef. Back in 2022, Food Network and Cooking Channel Chef Alton Brown said Supernatural’s bacon, egg and cheese sandwich was “The best I’ve had. The best ever.”
SUNNY DAYS: Gen X Tavern’s adult Capri Sun c. 2019.
Seeking vibes
Dyke nite doesn’t fill the lesbian bar void.
By Valerie Smith/Sapphic Sun
Tampa Bay hasn’t had a solid lesbian bar in a while. The Lady’s Room was a flash in the pan, lasting around two years. The Salty Nun, never officially a lesbian bar, closed last year. The Ball hosts Disco Tits every Friday night. Disco Pony has separate areas, and sapphics usually congregate in one of those.
With these factors, plus the increase in parties like Her Way and Dyke Nite that elevate the Tampa lesbian party scene, do we even need a brick-and-mortar, dedicated lesbian bar?
Probably. If events and parties are the only opportunities for sapphics to meet in person, more lowkey sapphics who would rather just grab a drink on a weeknight with some midvolume music in the background probably won’t have luck.
Another reason that we need a lesbian bar is that the parties are struggling to find a home.
Rowan, a Dyke Nite St. Pete organizer and contributor to The Sapphic Sun, weighed in: “The parties are great, as they show there is a real desire for in-person community and fun, but we are actively losing venues left and right. The spaces still available to rent are either inaccessible price-wise and/or owned by conservative homophobes and transphobes.”
“The general attitude towards lesbian nightlife spaces is still, ‘Women don’t spend money, so it won’t be profitable,’” Rowan told The Sapphic Sun. “It’s very important that we own and operate our own physical gathering spaces so we are not at the mercy of the real estate conglomerates that want to kill local culture and communities just to make a quick buck.”
Currently, The Sapphic Sun is unaware of any plans to open a lesbian bar in Tampa Bay. If someone does want to start a sapphic-centered establishment, they will likely encounter the same issues as many other local businesses that have closed down in the last few years. Rising rents force businesses to either close doors or make more money, which is usually done by courting a more profitable clientele — like the thousands of wealthy remote workers that have moved into St. Pete’s high rises over the last several years.
DRINKS
Crowbar, which has hosted legendary Dyke Nites like the Dirty South and Dykeaspora Gay nightclubs, will be shutting down this summer. It will prioritize their usual clientele on weekends, and other venues will prioritize whatever event will make the most revenue. Dyke Nite’s organizers don’t want ticket prices to become inaccessible.
Sapphics probably generate as much revenue as other demographics, but the attitude that they don’t makes it harder to sell sapphic events to venue operators.
It’s possible that the same conditions that created a need for gay bars in the past will return as the state government’s regressive policies on LGBTQ+ issues drive a rightward shift among those who have the power to buy businesses and win elections. Until then, supporting populars like Dyke Nite and Her Way is the best way to ensure that, even if we don’t have THE place to gather, we will have SOME place to gather.
The Sapphic Sun is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project TBJP, a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email rroa@ctampa.com. Support Sapphic Sun by subscribing to its monthly print edition.
GIRLS NIGHT: Scenes from a Dyke Night event in 2024.
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MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
You betta walk
Post-’Drag race,’ Discord Addams is starting a punk revolution.
By Selene San Felice
RuPaul doesn’t remember every contestant who’s been on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” After judging more than 200 different queens across variations of the show, the 65-year-old drag legend doesn’t even recognize All Stars winners anymore.
But he knew Discord Addams before filming even started on Season 18.
“He was like, ‘Where’s the girl with the neck tattoo?’” winner Mykki Meeks recalled at a watch party, mimicking RuPaul pointing at Discord on that first day in the werk room. “I’ve been watching your tape for years. I’ve been waiting for you to be here.”
And it’ll be hard for RuPaul and ‘Drag Race’ fans to forget the St. Petersburg queen after her iconic slouchy runway walk went viral.
Before heading out on her “Emo Fest” tour and headlining Cocktail’s Pride weekend events this month, Addams talked to CL about making it to the top six and starting a creative revolution.
Read the full interview at cltampa.com/arts. (This conversation has been edited for clarity and length)
Tell me about how it’s been like being back since you’ve been on the show, because you were…How long were you doing the Cocktail watch parties?
So, I did the watch parties for all of Season 17. I’m the one who forced them to start that up, because they were very hesitant. They were like, "People don’t come here to watch that." I was like, "I promise you, they will. Just trust me. If it doesn’t go well in two weeks, cancel it. Who gives a fuck?" But it didn’t (get canceled), and (fans) showed up. And then I got to kind of build the audience and get them used to the idea that I was going to be on, because I knew about halfway through the season. I kept pretending, like, "Oh my gosh, should I audition? Would you guys want that?" knowing that I was going to be on.
Do you keep in touch with any of the queens from your season?
LOCAL ARTS
I had to resist doing The Walk™ just now. How many people are doing it to you?
Literally everyone. I love it, I think it’s so cool. What I actually love, is seeing all my sisters have to do it, like they all wanted me to leave the competition so bad, and now they can’t do any single red carpet, any single like meet and greet, without having to be me. And I just think that’s like, fun secret revenge.
I really loved seeing how much RuPaul loved it. What was the dynamic like with the other queens after she remembered you?
I think, because of that, they were like, "Oh, shit, Discord’s gonna win." So, they all wanted to be my friend, and then, once I was safe, safe, safe, safe, safe, they kind of started to discount me out of the competition. But you know, I think being consistently safe means I’m kind of consistently good at everything. The only thing I was actually mad about was the Snatch Game. I should have won the Snatch Game.
Oh, yeah, we have a WhatsApp chat. It’s all of us, and I would say it’s active every day, which was just cool. How close we looked on screen, we were definitely even closer than that. And it was just nice to have a season of no drama, and just adults showing art and showing drag—what that’s supposed to be.
Right now we have an entire government trying to tear us down, and make queer people look evil and look bad, and to have a season that highlights that we’re not that, and to kind of steer away from the drama to show like, look how fucking talented queer people can be, I think that’s what "Drag Race" needed, whether the fans agree or not. If they want to see drama, they can fucking watch "Dragula."
Tell me about your Emo Fest tour and your upcoming punk album.
I kind of want to be this generation’s answer to Nirvana, and I know that’s a fucking tall order, and that’s fucking crazy to say, but I feel like where we’re at as a society right now is we need something like that. I can feel it in the air that everyone’s tired of bullshit. This is what feels like the end of the ‘80s, where people were tired of the electronic pop, people were tired of
hair metal, people were tired of like the costumery of it all, and I feel like now, where we’re at, people are tired of the Kardashians, people are tired of AI, people are tired of the Taylor Swift of it all. We want something that feels real, that feels tangible, because everything else is just AI slop now.
God, I’m so tired of AI slop.
I feel like where we're at now, this is when Nirvana came in and ushered in grunge. I feel like 2026-2027 it’s kind of like the grunge era. I want live instruments. I don’t want hyper production.In America, we don’t, we don’t have that, and if we do, it’s getting, it’s getting suppressed. So being on Drag Race, I have a built-in audience already, and I kind of don’t have to fight against the algorithms. so if I can just come out with an album that’s like, 'Fuck Donald Trump, fuck the government,' then that’s gonna be great, because it’ll push to an audience immediately.
How do you see yourself growing as a performer post- ‘Drag Race?’
I want to be a music artist. I want to break outside of just, like, gay clubs and just outside of like the gay world. I want to be kind of that bridge that brings straight people into drag, and that creates a safe space for everybody to be there. I consistently say there’s nothing different about what I want to do than what David Bowie was doing, or than what Alice Cooper was doing, or what Lady Gaga is even doing. These are all drag queens that just so happen to be mainstream and they’re not considered drag
queens. So when I make music, I want to be a music artist first and I just happen to be in drag.
Are you planning to stay in Florida?
I love Florida so much, I love St. Pete so much, like, I don’t want to leave, unless there was some wild, crazy opportunity where I had no choice but to move. I don’t foresee me leaving St. Pete. I built an actual community here, and that’s what I’ve wanted my entire drag career.
What do you have to say to queer people in Florida who are in despair, and aren’t sure if they should leave?
So, honestly, my favorite touring is like going to smaller, more red states, because in the blue states and the bigger cities, we all agree with each other. When I speak out, it’s like a big giant circle jerk. That was also one of the reasons why I wanted to leave Chicago, because my drag is inherently political, and being political in a city that already agrees with you kind of means nothing.
It’s way more important to build stronger communities in states that want us gone, because if we just leave, then they win, but if we build louder, build stronger in these areas, we can flip them, and they don’t have to stay red.
I think it’s good to at least find these smaller cities in your red states to organize, because these are the places that need the organization, that need hope, these are the places where we’re gonna need each other when shit gets inevitably gets worse.
SISSY THAT WALK: Discord Addams in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18.
Hot in here
St. Pete Opera stages summer production of ‘La Boheme’.
By Martin Clear
Two decades ago, Mark Sforzini stepped up to the podium at St. Petersburg’s Palladium Theater to conduct the first production from a brand-new opera company. It was Puccini’s “La Boheme,” and that fledgling company was St. Petersburg Opera. Both were immediate successes with audiences.
That success has continued for St. Petersburg Opera, which has grown into a powerful regional force in opera. This month, the company celebrates its 20th season by revisiting its inaugural offering. Its new production of “La Boheme” is set for June 5-14 at the Palladium.
The summer months are generally relatively stagnant for performing arts in the Tampa Bay area—Opera Tampa’s season ended some weeks back, and the 2027 season won’t start until February of next year—but St. Pete Opera has made a tradition of summer productions.
starving artists in 19th century Paris. They’re so poor that, to keep from freezing, they burn the pages of a play one of them wrote.
Into their lives come Mimi, a beautiful but sickly who’s destined for imminent death, and Musetta, a carefree young woman. Rodolfo, one of the Bohemians, falls in love with Mimi, while his friend Marcello rekindles his past relationship with Musetta. The contrast between the two love stories is one of the aspects of the narrative that gives its power. While Miming and Rodolfo have to value every moment of their limited time together, Musetta and Marcello fritter away their relationship in petty jealousy.)
THEATER
(People who have never attended live opera are often surprised to learn that English translations of the libretto are projected above the stage, making the story easy to follow.)
St. Pete Opera: ‘La Bohéme’ Select nights and days, Friday, June 5Sunday, June 14. $45 & up. Palladium Theater. 253 5th Ave. N, St. Petersburg stpeteopera.org
“We did that first production of ‘La Boheme’ in June of 2007, so we were historically rooted in doing an opera every June,” Sforzini told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “It always sold very well, and we’re always kept that through the years. It’s always done really well for our box office.”
St. Pete Opera has a reputation for sprinkling its seasons with lesser-known works—such as its recent production of Handel’s “Giulio Cesare,” and even Stephen Sondheim shows, along with titles almost everyone knows. Its June productions are largely reserved for the top-10 operas that almost everyone has at least a passing familiarity with.
“We can see ourselves in these people,” Sforzini said. “It’s not opera about gods and mythological figures, or even huge historical figures like Cleopatra or Julius Caesar. It’s real people.”
But it’s mostly Puccini’s music that brings ‘“La Boheme” its status as one of the world’s’ greatest operas.
“We can see ourselves in these people.”
“Usually, the ‘Carmen,’ the ‘Traviata, the ‘Madama Butterfly,’ the ‘Boheme,’ those are going to be in that early June slot,” Sforzini said.
“La Boheme,” with its dual love stories, its appealing narrative and wealth of familiar melodies, is a natural fit for St. Pete Opera’s summer tradition.
“It is just traditionally one of the most popular operas of all time,” Sforzini said. “I think the thing about ‘Boheme’ is that Puccini was furthering what was called the verism movement in opera, which is opera about real life and real people.He made what was just every day, mundane stuff in these people’s lives—he makes us care about it.”
The story, which was very loosely adapted into the popular musical “Rent,” concerns a group of young men who are prototypical
“Puccini is such a master of music,” Sforzini said. “The score, it’s like a movie score, the way the music matches the drama. The music keeps going all the time and it propels everything. Puccini is almost obsessed with the tempo if the music changes to match the situation. In earlier operas a piece would start and it would kind of stay at the same tempo throughout. Puccini’s always changing the speed of the music, he’s always changing the mood of the music.”
And because Puccini is such a master of melody, several arias from “La Boheme” have become familiar to almost everyone—even people who have never attended or listened to an opera in their lives. They’ve been adapted into popular songs or used as incidental music in films.
The Palladium is maybe not the most natural fit for an opera company. It was built as a church, not an opera hall, so there’s no orchestra pit. The orchestra is onstage with the singers. It could be awkward, but St. Pete Opera has turned it into an advantage.
The onstage orchestra palpably alters the experience for both the audience and the performers.
“I think it’s part of our brand,” Sforzini said. “The music is happening in a very
intimate proximity. The orchestra musicians and the singers are actually closer to each other than they would be if the orchestra was in a pit. There’s a charge and an energy that comes from that closeness.”
The orchestra is generally behind the singers. For some productions, the ensemble is plainly visible to the audience; for others it’s completely hidden by the set.
“We mix it up,” Sforzini said. “For this particular production, the orchestra’s going to be pretty well hidden. I don’t think you’re going to see the orchestra in this one. But they’ll be up there, very close to where the singers are.”
“La Boheme” is the last opera of the company’s 20th season, but there’s one more production ahead.
The 4th of July Pops Spectacular at the Mahaffey Theater will offer a blend of patriotic numbers,
classical music, and popular songs. It starts at 6 p.m., and it will end just in time for audiences to experience fireworks over the water right after.
It will also be the last opera at the Palladium for a while. The theater is scheduled to close for a year while it undergoes extensive renovations. St. Pete Opera will move its 2027 mainstage season to Opera Central, its building at 2145 1st Ave. S which it uses for rehearsals, children’s operas and cabaret shows. The space only seats about 150 people.
“It will be a much more immersive experience,” Sforzini said about the new digs. “You can imagine this amazing talent that you’ve heard singing on our stage and what it’s going to feel like to hear those voices with a chamber orchestra in close proximity. The talent is just going to be washing over you.”
MAESTRO: St. Pete Opera’s Mark Sforzin.
Cracked up: Tampa Bay’s best comedy gigs
June brings a diverse group of comedians to the Bay area. Comedians with a loyal, independent following (Kyle Kinane, Nick Thune), social media viral sensations (Omgitswicks, pictured), long-standing comedians with decades of experience and credibility (Godfrey), known talents from TV (Josh Blue), and local headliners with national touring experience (Rahn Hortman).
Note: Sometimes comedian schedules get shuffled around, and venues have to make last-minute adjustments. Lineups subject to change.
Here’s all the best comedy coming to Tampa Bay June 4-28. See more at cltampa.com/ arts.—Michael Murillo
Kyle Kinane Thursday-Saturday, June 4-6. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Saturday. $40 and up. Side Splitters, Tampa
Rahn Hortman Thursday-Saturday, June 4-6. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $22.50. Snappers, Palm Harbor
Josh Blue Thursday-Saturday, June 4-6. 7 p.m. Thursday; 6:30 p.m. Friday; 6:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Saturday. $37.10. McCurdy’s, Sarasota
Jack Grady (comedy magician) FridaySaturday, June 5-6. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $28.80 and up. Side Splitters, Wesley Chapel
Justin Silva Friday-Saturday, June 5-6. 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday; 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Saturday. $32 and up. Funny Bone, Ybor City
Jacoby Bruton Friday-Saturday, June 5-6. 8 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $20. Coconuts, St. Pete Beach
Jander Gray Friday-Saturday, June 5-6. 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Sunshine City Comedy Club, St. Pete Beach
Mark Christopher Friday-Saturday, June 5-6 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Clearwater Comedy Club, Clearwater
Tanyalee Davis Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $23.80. Side Splitters, Wesley Chapel
Derek Richards Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $22.50. Snappers, Palm Harbor
Connor Wood Friday, June 12. 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. $32. Funny Bone, Ybor City
Chris Gorges Friday-Saturday, June 12-13. 8 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $20. Coconuts, St. Pete Beach
Wes Johnson Friday-Saturday, June 12-13. 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Sunshine City Comedy Club, St. Pete Beach
Mitch Fatel Friday-Saturday, June 12-13. 8 p.m. $30. Laugh Out Lounge, Winter Haven
Quinn Dahle Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday; 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 6 p.m. Sunday. $34.95 and up. Side Splitters, Tampa
Trae Crowder Saturday, June 13. 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. $32. Funny Bone, Ybor City
Johnny C Thursday-Saturday, June 18-20. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $22.50. Snappers, Palm Harbor
Omgitswicks with Ken Miller and Myke Herlihy Friday-Saturday, June 19-20. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $45. Side Splitters, Wesley Chapel
Nick Thune Friday-Saturday, June 19-20. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday; 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. $23.80 and up. Side Splitters, Tampa
Joe Latham Friday-Saturday, June 19-20. 8 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $20. Coconuts, St. Pete Beach
Erik Lewin Friday-Saturday, June 19-20. 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Sunshine City Comedy Club, St. Pete Beach
Donald Evans Friday-Saturday, June 19-20 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Clearwater Comedy Club, Clearwater
Dennis Regan Thursday-Saturday, June 25-27. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $23.80. Side Splitters, Wesley Chapel
Joe Machi Thursday-Sunday, June 25-28. 7 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday;
6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 6 p.m. Sunday. $28.80 and up. Side Splitters, Tampa
Julie Scoggins Friday-Saturday, June 26-27. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $22.50. Snappers, Palm Harbor
Bull Friday-Saturday, June 26-27. 8 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $20. Coconuts, St. Pete Beach
Donald Evans Friday-Saturday, June 26-27. 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Sunshine City Comedy Club, St. Pete Beach
Kevin Deane Friday-Saturday, June 26-27 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Clearwater Comedy Club, Clearwater
Godfrey Friday-Sunday, June 26-28. 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday; 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Saturday; 6:30 p.m. Sunday. $32 and up. Funny Bone, Ybor City
Start your weekend early with exclusive after-hours access to the MFA. Experience the sounds of one of St. Pete’s most exciting jazz ensembles, Chaunces Trio, wander the galleries, and enjoy a drink at Café Clementine, all while soaking in the distinct ambiance of the museum at night. Plus, enjoy fresh-shucked oysters at a raw bar pop-up from Lost Coast Oyster Co.
COOK & CR COOK & CR EAT EAT E EATE E
Out and about: Events happening in Tampa Bay
Besides the events listed in our Do This section on pp. 16-17, the Pride guide on p. 30 and the comedy lineup on p.55, there’s lots to do in town this week. Have a look at what’s going down June 4-9 and beyond. All events are at community.cltampa.com unless noted otherwise. Head there for more and list your own.
ARTS
St. Pete Opera: La Bohéme Select times and dates from Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 14. $20 & up. Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
The Glow Up: A Glow in the Dark Party Every first Friday. 9 p.m. $5. Thyrst, Largo Veteran Civilian Arts Ensemble Showcase Sunday, June 7. 2 p.m. No cover, but registration required. Teco Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
The Graveyard Cabaret Every first and third Sunday. 7 p.m. $52.77. SpookEasy Lounge, Tampa
Little Surrealist Tour Every first Sunday. 11:15 a.m. $32. Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg Ceramics Continued Study Select Sundays through Aug. 23. 10 a.m. $45. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa
Lucy Darling Tuesday, June 9. 7:30 p.m. $63.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater Drum & Dance Circle Every second Wednesday. 7 p.m. Donations welcome. Safety Harbor Art & Music Center, Safety Harbor
Surface and Fire – Raku Firing Begins Wednesday, June 3. 10 a.m. $200. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Realm Thursdays-Mondays through June 28. No cover. FloridaRama Gallery, St. Petersburg
Zubrick Magic Fridays and weekends. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $50 & up. Zubrick Magic Theatre, St. Petersburg Fresh Squeezed 10: Emerging Artists in Florida Runs through Thursday, June 25. 10 a.m. No cover. Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg.
Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound Through Aug. 23. $5 & up. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa
Dalí In America Daily through Sunday, Oct. 18. 10 a.m. $32 & up. Dali Museum, St. Petersburg
FOOD & DRINK
Thirsty Thursdays at the Polish American Society Thursdays. 5:30-9 p.m. No cover. Polish American Society of St. Petersburg
First Friday Lunchtime Market Every first Friday. 10 a.m. No cover. 400 Cleveland Street, Clearwater Funky Brunch Sundays. 11 a.m. No cover to RSVP. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg. bayborobrewing.com
Gulfport Fresh Market Tuesdays. 9 a.m. No cover. Beach Blvd., Gulfport Unwined Wednesday Wednesdays through June 25. 5 p.m. No cover to RSVP. Steelbach at Armature Works, Tampa
LEARN
Cafe con Tampa Fridays. 8 a.m. $12. The Portico, 1001 N. Florida Ave., Tampa
Creatives Support Group Monday, June 8. 7 p.m. No cover. Suite E Studios, St. Petersburg. @suite.e.stpete on Facebook
MARKETS
Dunedin Friday Market Fridays. 9 a.m. No cover. Pioneer Park, Dunedin
The Market Elaine Every first Friday. 5:30 p.m. No cover. The Grove, Wesley Chapel Dunedin Saturday Market Saturdays. 9 a.m. No cover. Pioneer Park, Dunedin
SPORTS
Tampa Tarpons vs Palm Beach
Cardinals Thursday, June 4. 6:30 p.m.
$11.10. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
Florida Series: England vs. New Zealand Saturday, June 6. 4 p.m. $99.35 & up. Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
THEATER
Who is Eartha Mae? Multiple times Wednesdays-Sundays from Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, June 21. $5 & up. Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota
The Hot Wing King Multiple times on Wednesdays-Sundays from June 3-28. $63. American Stage Theatre Company, St. Petersburg
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change June 5-28. $30-$50. Stageworks Theatre, 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. stageworkstheatre.org
Beetlejuice Tuesday-Sunday, June 9-14. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sunday. $61 & up. Morsani Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Morsani Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
Interested in advertising around this listing? Contact jhoward@cltampa.com and acarbone@cltampa.com for details.
6/4 : CROSSFIRE CREEK (PARTY DECK)
LOVE ISLAND WATCH PARTY (PAVILION)
STANLEY CUP FINALS (WATCH PARTY)
FERG’S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
6/5 : QUIET RIOT
WITH VIXEN AND SAINTS OF SATURN (PAVILION)
FLO-RAW BAND (PARTY DECK)
NBA FINALS (WATCH PARTY)
6/6: STREET SOCCER WORLD CUP (PAVILION)
VERSASTYLE BAND (PARTY DECK)
STANLEY CUP FINALS (WATCH PARTY)
LATIN NIGHT (UPPER DECK)
6/7: HELL ON HEELS BAND (PARTY DECK)
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
6/8: RAYS VS. RED SOX (WATCH PARTY)
NBA FINALS (WATCH PARTY)
FERG'S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
6/9: RAYS VS. RED SOX (WATCH PARTY)
STANLEY CUP FINALS
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
6/10: RAYS VS. RED SOX (WATCH PARTY)
NBA FINALS (WATCH PARTY)
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
OPEN JAM NIGHT (PARTY DECK)
WITH BAREFOOT BOB & THE HOPE
6/9: WORLD CUP (WATCH PARTY)
ASHLEY GALBRAITH & CO.
FERG’S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK
Lifers only
Bright Light Social Hour’s Curtis Roush talks evolution, side projects and more.
By J.C. Roddy/Cigar City Sounds
For over 15 years, The Bright Light Social Hour has existed in a near constant state of movement. Six studio albums drift between indie rock, dance music, and cosmic ambience without ever sounding disconnected from the band’s roots in Austin, Texas. Songs stretch and reshape themselves, new projects emerge from different corners of the band, and entire musical directions branch outward before eventually circling back together again.
That sense of evolution feels especially fitting ahead of the band’s return to Tampa in June when The Bright Light Social Hour will play Crowbar in Ybor City during one of the venue’s final stretches after 20 years as one of Tampa Bay’s defining independent music spaces. Like Tampa itself, the band seems caught in a conversation about change—how artists evolve creatively, how music scenes survive growth, and how identity manages to persist through all of it.
Speaking with Cigar City Sounds ahead of the show, guitarist and vocalist Curtis Roush repeatedly returned to the idea of expansion rather than reinvention, describing a band that has survived by allowing itself room to branch outward instead of forcing every creative impulse into a single shape.
Recently, Roush and his wife, keyboardist Mia Carruthers, launched Mid America, a project rooted more heavily in folk and Americana traditions, while bassist and vocalist Jackie O’Brien has continued exploring more danceoriented grooves through Starflake.
“In the band, Jack and I being sort of the primary songwriters—I mean, everyone writes music—but being the primaries over the last 20 years, if our music is just going into Bright Light, we have a tendency to sort of cut off the edges,” Roush said. “Like, sort of my folkier part and his dance music part.”
Rather than fracturing the band’s identity, Roush believes those outside projects have allowed everyone to lean further into what naturally inspires them while preserving what makes The Bright Light Social Hour work in the first place.
“Having these other projects kind of just allows Bright Light to be Bright Light, and Jackie to be Starflake, and Mia and I to be Mid America,” he said. “We can kind of be everything really comfortably, like true to ourselves.”
For Roush and Carruthers, Mid America became an outlet for a shared love of folk and Americana music that never fully sat at the center of Bright Light Social Hour’s sound. O’Brien, meanwhile, has used Starflake to pursue a more rhythmically-driven vision.
“Jackie has long dreamt of having a more exclusively dance band, and he’s kind of taking the opportunity to represent the rhythms of his Mexican culture and integrate them with psych rock,” Roush explained. “It kind of makes a new expression for him.”
Still, Roush sees the band as the place where those separate influences ultimately reconnect.
“To me, I feel like it’s a bit synonymous with psychedelia,” Roush said. “There’s a long tradition of psychedelic music and this aesthetic of space, like a sense of unlimited possibility and mystery and hidden depth.”
Roush points toward influences ranging from German kosmische musik pioneers like Can and Neu! to the cosmic country lineage of Texas artists like Doug Sahm and Willie Nelson. The Bright Light Social Hour’s own 2015 album Space Is Still the Place directly references jazz visionary Sun Ra’s landmark Space Is The Place, further tying the band to that lineage of spiritually expansive music.
“I think where Bright Light kind of comes together, in the end, is kind of blending the dance, and the rock, and the cosmic, and the Texan, and kind of bringing it all back together,” he said.
“But Mid America and Starflake, I think, represent some extensions out in certain genre branches.”
That word, “cosmic”, has followed the band for years, both in its music and in conversations surrounding the group. For Roush, the term refers to the atmosphere and ideas running underneath the music.
“The music has an ambience, and a sense of mystery and unknown that inspires Jack and I,” Roush said. “Trying to find where those boundaries can touch is a source of constant motivation.”
That openness has also shaped the band’s relationship with improvisation over the years. After two decades of performing together, Roush describes improvisation as a kind of meditation when on stage.
“I find it really comforting to improvise,” he said. “I enter a really relaxed mental state where I don’t have the kind of anxieties I
usually feel in everyday life, and I just feel music moving through me.”
Nearly every Bright Light Social Hour song contains some sort of improvisational element when performed live, even if only a brief four-bar section. Over time, those spontaneous moments often permanently alter the songs themselves.
“Sometimes the songs dramatically change over the course of years, because there’ll be these very small layers of improv that become kind of new parts,” Roush said. “They started out as improvisations but became part of the composition.”
“You accumulate enough of those over a few years, and you look back to an original recording, and you’re like, ‘wow, this song is much different now.’”
That same sense of reinterpretation extends to how Roush relates to older material personally. When the band released its self-titled debut in 2010, he was 26 years old, living in Austin with friends. Now 42, he lives in Wimberley in the Texas Hill Country surrounded by family. Revisiting songs written during entirely different stages of life requires finding new ways to connect with them honestly.
“For those songs to sort of stay authentic, we have to speak to them freshly,” he said. “Even first album songs, I try to come out with inspiration that I have currently.”
At the same time, the band has continued navigating an industry landscape that increasingly demands constant visibility, rapid content cycles, and short attention spans. Roush acknowledged the pressure many artists feel trying to maintain creative focus while also existing inside the modern attention economy.
“A lot of artists have talked about the collapse of income from the streaming models,” he said. “And also, an extent to which short form video and sharing just a ton of yourself all the time seems like a requirement for the job.”
Still, he says the band has resisted allowing those demands to fundamentally reshape how they think about making music.
“We’re all kind of album people,” Roush said. “We like that full story, it’s the musician’s feature film. It feels like the marquee product or way to express yourself.”
SMALL CELEBRATIONS: (L-R) Zac Catanzaro, Jackie O’Brien, Mia Carruthers, Curtis Roush, and Juan Alfredo Ríos of The Bright Light Social Hour.
continued from page 59
Even while adapting to newer expectations around visibility and content, Bright Light Social Hour continues approaching music as long-form artistic expression rather than isolated singles.
“The industry could say, ‘Hey, release only singles,’ but you can just release your album,” he said. “You can release six singles if you want to. There’s nothing stopping you, sgrab you can still kind of do it your way.”
That mindset seems reflected in the sheer number of projects currently orbiting the band. Alongside Mid America’s debut record and Starflake’s upcoming album, The Bright Light Social Hour has already written more than 15 songs for a new record while simultaneously preparing an expansive live release compiled from last year’s Emergency Leisure tour.
For a band nearly 20 years into its existence, Roush sounds far more energized by expansion than preservation. And in many ways, that same philosophy shapes how he views music communities themselves.
Like Tampa in recent years, Austin has spent decades navigating explosive growth and the displacement that often follows it. Independent venues close, creative spaces disappear, and entire neighborhoods begin reshaping around development and commerce.
Still, Roush stops short of viewing those changes entirely through cynicism.
“I don’t think it’s healthy to try to freeze cities in time,” he said. “They have to grow, they have to change, and it’s sort of inevitable in a way.”
Instead, he describes culture as something that continuously relocates and re-forms itself even as older spaces disappear.
INTERVIEW
Bright Light Social Hour’s relationship with Tampa dates back to the band’s earliest touring years, when Florida became a regular stop along Gulf Coast routing from Texas. Tampa specifically, became one of the group’s earliest strongholds thanks to support from WMNF, local promoters, and publications like Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
“Tampa in particular kind of grabbed hold of the band,” Roush said. “The town paid attention and has never let go of us, so we keep coming back.”
That long relationship—which includes shows at The Hub, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tropical Heatwave, Gasparilla Music Festival and more—makes the timing of the band’s return to Crowbar feel especially poignant.
“There’s a way that this kind of hippie Texan backyard culture keeps getting pushed around,” Roush said. “Places close down, new growth, new progress comes in its place. But I’ve noticed that it always has a way of cropping back up somewhere else.”
For a band like The Bright Light Social Hour, that outlook feels inseparable from the music itself. Songs evolve, projects branch outward, and the music landscape continuously reshapes itself. Through all of it, the goal does not seem to be about resisting change but carrying the Bright Light spirit forward.
This post first appeared at Cigar City Sounds, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email rroa@ctampa. com. Support Cigar City Sounds by following @ cigarcitysounds on Instagram.
MOST HIGH: Curtis Rouse (farthest right) says his band has always kept coming back to the Bay area.
Stumped
Officials delay development of controversial Live Nation venue in Ybor City.
By Leif Helland and Ray Roa
A grand oak sitting on the property of 1419 E 4th Ave. and 1402 N 15th St. has stalled the development of a proposed Live Nation venue in Ybor City. Last Tuesday, at a May 26 meeting of the Barrio Latino Commission (BLC), Tampa citizens and the development team leading the construction of the venue discussed a variance that would allow for the removal of the grand oak.
Rich Simmons, chairman of the BLC—charged with preserving the historic fabric and architectural integrity of the historic distric— said the development team leading the venue’s construction had not exhausted their options when it came to the tree. “So I’m not in favor of this tree being removed,” he added.
Ybor City and pointed out that court documents from the antitrust case caught local Live Nation employees joking about overcharging concertgoers for parking, VIP and lawn chair rentals at Tampa’s Live Nation-operated MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.
“robbing them blind baby,” Ben Baker— then working in Tampa as a regional ticketing director for Live Nation—wrote in a message.
LOCAL NEWS
Tampa has long seen trees loom over development discussions. While the city has enjoyed rapid growth, proponents for trees say that Tampa’s once-lauded tree canopy has not kept pace. Earlier this year, tree advocates gathered to debate what to do with $6 million in Tampa’s tree trust fund.
In comments to the BLC, Ricky Peterika— founder of Dark Moss, a landscaping consultant firm and the arborist of choice for developers, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal— said the grand oak at the heart of the variance request is rated a B-6, “which is essentially good.”
In lieu of a vote on the variance last Tuesday, lawyers for the development team requested a continuance to evaluate the BLC’s feedback. The BLC unanimously approved a motion to delay the variance vote about Live Nation’s proposed three-story Ybor City music venue to July 28.
As previously-reported, Live Nation—the promotions giant entangled in an antitrust lawsuit—wants to build a 4,300-capacity venue in the emergent Gasworx District between Ybor City and Channelside. Real estate developer Kettler (stylized all-caps) hopes to open sometime in 2028, but public comment at last Tuesday’s BLC meeting suggests many in the neighborhood don’t want the venue to open at all.
Angel D’Angelo—who started a petition against the venue that has nearly 9,000 signatures—told the BLC that, “Giant corporate venues just don’t have the ability to bring that same substance to a place like Ybor City, and I’m not alone in that thought.”
D’Angelo said approval of the venue would be a nail in the coffin for folks who feel priced out of the district, adding, “It’s nearly $2,000 for a one-bedroom in Ybor City.”
Leslie Mattern told the BLC that she’s probably seen more than 600 music and art shows in
“that’s how we do”
“I understand that the Barrio is not here to make decisions on whether we like or dislike Live Nation,” Mattern added.
“But I do think that it’s a part of your decision to understand compatibility and whether Live Nation can come in with a slick group of folks to make it look like Ybor does not mean that it actually belongs in Ybor.”
Clark Brooks, a comedian who previously worked at the USF Sun Dome (now the Yuengling Center) acknowledged that growth and development are important, but told the BLC that
the city should not sacrifice its identity in the process—especially when a different locallybased developer has already proposed a slightly smaller venue just a few trolley stops away.
“Why don’t we get rid of Columbia and put up an Applebee’s? Does anybody really want to trade the 1905 salad for BOGO riblets?,” he said.
“Let’s do the right thing now, so we don’t have to answer such stupid questions later.”
Live Nation, for its part, seems gung ho on moving forward. In previous comments to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, reps for the promotions giant pushed back on a recent jury verdict saying that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster are operating an illegal monopoly.
jobs, foot traffic, and new energy to the district, enhancing quality of life and helping Tampa attract and retain the talented workforce that fuels our long-term growth,” he added.
Brittany Flores, President of Live Nation’s Florida Market President said that Tampa’s live music scene is thriving and that the company is excited to “support its continued growth.”
“...we’re excited to support its continued growth,” Flores added.
“Why don’t we get rid of Columbia and put up an Applebee’s?”
Craig J. Richard, President & CEO of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council told CL that Live Nation’s desire to open the venue is a vote of confidence in the economy. “A vibrant entertainment venue in Ybor City brings
“Currently, there is no venue of this size in the market, and this project will help fill a longstanding gap for artists and fans. We believe the venue will help attract touring artists and strengthen Tampa’s position as a destination for live music. Together with KETTLER, we’ll continue listening to community feedback throughout the process to help ensure the project reflects the character and history that make Ybor City so special.”
BARK BOX: An updated rendering of the proposed Live Nation venue in Ybor City, submitted to the BLC on May 26, 2026.
By Ray Roa
THU 04
C Dyke Night St. Pete: Thicker Than G.R.I.T.S w/Empowerr/DJ Donnie Luv/ Fessi K B2B Vonne Parks A bit like Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” the dykes aren’t fucking leaving. Ybor City hotspot Crowbar will be closed before the fall, but organizers at Dyke Night St. Pete keep booking shows at the legendary, 20-year-old Tampa venue. The latest includes the tagline “Thicker Than G.R.I.T.S.,” as in “Gays Raised In the South.” The poster for next month’s event is giving Waffle House meets Pussycat Lounge and promises to turn the room into a straight up throwdown soundtracked by southern rap, complete with “the hottest queer+ lesbian dancers in Tampa Bay on the main stage” (bring singles, folks). Dykeowned Carupano Kitchen will make hot, fresh arepas on the back patio while Empowerr, DJ Donnie Luv, and a B2B set featuring Fessi K and They Hate Change’s Vonne Parks handle tunes. The gig is Dyke Night St. Pete’s second to last visit to Crowbar, which will close before August, after two decades in the historic district. Like other Dyke Nights before it, the show will most likely sell-out before doors open. 9 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City
FRI 05
Rolling Together Revue Tour: G. Love w/ Donavon Frankenreiter/Moon Taxi Just two months after playing Ybor City, surfersongwriter Donavon Frankenreiter is back in the Bay area, this time supporting folky Philadelphia bluesman G. Love. The 53-yearold songwriter born Garrett Dutton is having a rough go, too. Despite an enviable career that goes back to 1994, G. Love recently detailed how he lost $424,000 in bitcoin after downloading a fake app from Apple’s App Store. “This is either pathetic or funny and I feel both ways even say anything,” he wrote on X, before giving out his BTC address for anyone that wanted to help and turning to optimism. “A lot of people lost a lot more than me. Give thanks for my health, family and friends and my music.” The music includes last year’s Ode To R.L., his band Special Sauce’s first hip-hop album, and a sophomore outing Lemonade released on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records 20 years ago. 9 p.m. $46.28 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Stewart Copeland The 73-year-old can still bang the cans as well as he did with Sting and Andy Summers when new-wave was all the rage, but Stewart Copeland knows that longtime ride-or-dies are chomping at the bit to hear the stories behind those days. And while he still takes to the road every now and then to perform Police hits with local orchestras, Copeland is trying something a little different this summer. Last fall, after a series of
critically-acclaimed speaking engagements in England, Copeland and his “unreliable friend” Johnny Morgan (an amalgamation of roadies, friends, and pot dealers he’s known over the years) put out a book version of the “Have I Said Too Much?” tour, which shares the same name. He figured it would be a good idea to immortalize the tales he’s explained endlessly over the years, and then some. So while calling this strictly a book tour may be a stretch, Copeland’s stop in downtown Clearwater appears to be his first time in Tampa Bay since The Police’s groundbreaking reunion tour took over the old St. Pete Times Forum (now Benchmark International Arena) in 2007. Read our interview with Copeland via cltampa. com/music. 8 p.m. $33 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater—Josh Bradley
Quiet Riot w/Vixen/Saints of Saturn
Nearly 20 years after the passing of lead singer Kevin DuBrow, Quiet Riot still brings the noise thanks in part to long-running bassist Rudy Sarzo, who’s been around since the band’s first albums in the late-’70s. The L.A. rockers brought heavy metal to the top of the Billboard charts with songs like “Cum On Feel the Noize” and “Metal Health (Bang Your Head),” which fans will surely hear during this concert at St. Pete’s most famous sports bar. 7 p.m. $19 & up. Ferg’s Concert Pavillion, St. Petersburg
SAT 06
C Emo Night Tampa: Pet Lizard w/ Lychee Camp/Fessi K./Bad Bad Things Emo in itself is a bittersweet concept and this show from local lords of the genre is just that. To mark 11 years of concerts, Emo Night Tampa stages one last show inside Crowbar, which will close in just over 50 days. In a statement, organizers lauded the venue for years of support, calling the spot a home away from home. “It is also our last show for a while. We have a few projects that we’ve been waiting to work on, so this is it until Halloween,” the statement added. The soundtrack rips, however, thanks to Tampa bands Pet Lizard (supporting a new single, “Flowers”) along with Bad, Bad Things and Lychee Camp, plus Fessi K., the genre-bending project of songwriter Zoe Robinson. 9 p.m. No cover; $5 for under 21. Crowbar, Ybor City
C Heavy Metal Parking Lot: Navin, But a Good Time (Poison tribute) w/Hands of Doom (Black Sabbath tribute)/Killing Machine (Judas Priest tribute) Febreze your leather and get your eyeliner ready, folks. While it’ll cost you a car payment to go see bands like Judas Priest, Poison, and whatever’s left of Black Sabbath, your local rock and roll heroes are here to help, all to mark the 40th anniversary of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot," a more-or-less-bootleg documentary short that served as a gateway to the genre for countless music fans. DJs Cub & Cat will spin tunes (Dokken!) in between sets. 8 p.m. $17.49. New World Brewery, Tampa
THU JUNE 04–THU JUNE 11
Spanish Needles w/Walled City/Flag Burner Inspired by “bands like American Steel, J Church, Hüsker Dü, Jawbreaker, Omega Tribe, and Dillinger Four,” St. Pete punk band Spanish Needles headlines a no-cover show supporting a new release, Dérive, featuring two songs recorded with Tampa’s Ryan Boesch at Candor Recording. The gig is also the final one for Spanish Needles' bassist. 9 p.m. No cover. The Bends, St. Petersburg
Songwriter Club: Josh Rouse w/Ella Jet With roots in Nebraska, Josh Rouse’s life has taken him across the vast spoils of America, from the west coast, across the desert, into the Dakotas, and even the South. He even lived in Spain and has recorded melancholic smart indie-folk pretty much every step of the way. The 54-year-old brings all that experience and sound to an intimate house show, where St. Petersburg’s own Ella Jet warms up the crowd. 6 p.m. $39.99. Jack Kerouac House, St. Petersburg
TUE 09
C The Bright Light Social Hour For over 15 years, The Bright Light Social Hour has existed in a near constant state of movement. Six studio albums drift between indie rock, dance music, and cosmic ambience without ever sounding disconnected from the band’s roots in Austin, Texas. Songs stretch and reshape themselves, new projects emerge from different corners of the band, and entire musical directions branch outward before eventually circling back together again. Read more in our interview on p. 59. 8 p.m. $26.99. Crowbar, Ybor City—J.C. Roddy
WED 10
Scene & Heard: DIY & Making Your Own Space No Clubs’ industry-focused panel series have spent the last five months inviting local bands, songwriters, managers, venue owners—anyone connected to the local music ecosystem—to come together and talk about what makes (and breaks) the scene. Past talks have tackled touring and booking, marketing and press, legal and distribution. This one taps some of the Bay area’s most prominent DIY promoters and event curators—including Babefest’s Angela Page, Lost Creation’s Ian Tuma and Indie Night Live’s Andres Hernandez—to talk about creating your own lane. The discussion will be moderated by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Editor-In-Chief Ray Roa. 6:30 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Crowbar, Ybor City
THU 11
C Five Eight w/Pohgoh A year after screening its new documentary at Crowbar, Five Eight comes back to Ybor City to pay its respects to the famed venue set to close after July. This time the Athens indie-rock
giant supports a new album, Help A Sinner, released last month. Featuring contributions from Drive-By Truckers’ Jay Gonzalez (who played keys on the 12-track record), DBT producer David Barbe (who produced the album), and Matt Beck (Lisa Loeb, Matchbox 20), the LP is the band’s first in nearly 10 years and continues Five Eight’s tradition of producing some of the country’s most head-bopping, emotionally-charged power-pop. Tampa’s greatest contribution to second-wave emo, Pohgoh, gets its last Crowbar show in at this one, too. 7 p.m. $17-$20. Crowbar, Ybor City
C Steve Earle Steve Earle is not mincing words when it comes to his view of the country right now, and an arguably more famous Steve is helping the 71-year-old American songwriting icon make noise. Last month Earle and longtime New Yorker Steve Buscemi released a music video for “City of Immigrants.” Directed by the Emmy-winning actor, the clip features Brazilian ensemble Forró in the Dark helping update a song first released on 2007’s Washington Square Serenade . Expect Earle, who just won “Best Regional Roots Music Album” at the Grammy awards for A Tribute to the Kin of Zydeco, to play that tune and so many more at this one. 7 p.m. $44.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
C Sunny Sweeney A Rhinestone Requiem is coming to the Skipperdome, thanks to Sunny Sweeney. The 49-year-old songwriter, emergent Sirius XM DJ, and Trisha Yearwood collaborator is on the road supporting her 2025 outing, razzling and dazzling fans of honky-tonking country music with soul. 8 p.m. $23.97. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
C CL Recommends
Sunny Sweeney
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Gov’t Mule has spent three decades proving that genre is more of a suggestion than a rule. That’s probably why a co-headlining tour with reggae royalty Ziggy Marley doesn’t feel nearly as strange as it sounds.
This fall, Warren Haynes & co. will join forces with the nine-time Grammy-winning Marley for the newly announced “Dreaming the Same Dream” tour, which stops in the Tampa Bay area this fall.
While the pairing may appear unexpected on paper, both artists have built careers by looking beyond traditional boundaries. Since its formation as an Allman Brothers Band side project in 1994, Gov’t Mule has folded blues, soul, funk, jazz, and reggae influences into its Southern rock foundation, while Marley— the eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley,—has spent more than two decades expanding reggae’s reach far beyond its roots.
The tour’s title also speaks to a relationship that stretches back much further than this year’s announcement. “Dreaming the Same Dream” takes its name from a song Haynes and Marley co-wrote, which was featured on the Warren Haynes Band’s 2012 album Live at the Moody Theater
Haynes believes the pairing will introduce both artists to new audiences.
“There’s definitely an overlap between the two audiences, but I think a lot of Mule fans will be hearing Ziggy for the first time and a lot of Ziggy fans will be hearing Mule for the first time,” he said in a statement announcing the run.
For audiences that will flock to Clearwater to this bill in October, Haynes hardly needs an introduction. Gov’t Mule has been a regular presence in the region for decades, from theater dates to festival appearances, including a headlining spot at the 2026 Gasparilla Music Festival.
The tour arrives as both artists continue productive creative stretches. Marley is touring behind Brightside , his latest studio release, while Gov’t Mule continues one of the most relentless touring schedules in the jam world.
The tour will also support relief and rebuilding efforts in Jamaica, with a portion of each ticket sold benefiting Food For The Poor Jamaica’s recovery work following Hurricane Melissa.
For concertgoers, the show offers a rare opportunity to see two veteran acts from different musical worlds find common ground on the same stage—all after a DJ set from songwriter Yola, who’ll also play emcee. If history is any indication, expect plenty of extended grooves, positive vibrations, and a few reminders that great music tends to transcend genre labels altogether.
Tickets to see Gov’t Mule and Ziggy Marley at Clearwater’s BayCare Sound on Sunday, Oct. 4 go on sale to the public on Friday, June 5 and start at $32. Come back next week to see Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay. —J.C. Roddy/Cigar City Sounds
Ziggy Marley (L) & Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule
Doom and groom
By Dan Savage
Should I feel weird about my husband’s grooming situation when he was young with a family friend if he doesn’t feel weird about it? He’s mid-30s. He’s known this woman since he was seven and she used to babysit for him. She was a family friend. Once she returned to England, my husband went to visit her when he turned 18. They wound up having a lot of crazy sex. It squicks me out because she is one of his mom’s best friends and his mom is constantly bringing this woman up in conversation (she doesn’t know) and because I’ve had similar experiences where people who were friends of my parents (people I looked up to) made passes at me later, which shattered my feelings towards them. I met this woman once when she stayed with us a couple days. She was cold towards me, despite me trying hard to make her feel welcome. (I think she was trying to get a read on whether I knew or not, hence her cold behavior.) I have held my tongue the last four years, and I want to continue to hold my tongue, but I feel like she had to have been grooming my husband when he was a child for this to have happened. I am not a jealous person. (My husband had an ex in our wedding party!) and I suppose it’s possible my strong reaction is based on my own feelings about my own experiences. But this whole thing is weird, right?—Think Of England
I don’t think “grooming” is the right word to describe your husband’s situation. Now, I realize words don’t have fixed meanings anymore, TOE, but I feel like this particular word—when used to refer to the actions of adults who sexually violate children and not townies smoothing out ski slopes—still means something very specific. When a pedophile insinuates himself into a family’s life, earning the trust of the parent or parents and the affections of the child, that is a grooming situation. To be sexually abused by someone you thought you could trust adds another layer of trauma for the victim. Worse yet, children being sexually abused by skilled groomers often felt so conflicted about the abuse (or even complicit in it, as was the case with all those pre-gay boys molested by Catholic priests) that they can’t bring themselves to tell their parents what is going on. In some truly horrifying cases, children who did go to their parents weren’t believed. Your husband was not a child when he had a bunch of crazy sex with this woman. You don’t mention how much time passed between this woman returning to England and your husband going to see her when he was eighteen, a detail that, while not exculpatory, does seem relevant. Because if they knew each other when your husband was a small child and then reunited a decade later when your husband was legally an adult… yeah… that
doesn’t make all that crazy sex any less (pick your word) squicky, icky, gross, weird, etc. But it does nothing like grooming and more like two adults doing something that would make all the other adults in their lives feel uncomfortable… if all those other adults knew about it… which, ideally, none of those other adults ever would.
As to why your husband feels differently about this one experience than you do about your experiences with more than one friend of your parents who made passes at you, TOE, that’s probably because his frame of reference is radically different. As a young woman you most likely endured a lot of unwanted sexual attention from men and then, adding insult to injury, you were subjected to the unwanted sexual attentions of adult men who’d known you since you were a child. As a young man, your husband probably didn’t have to fend off a lot of unwanted sexual attention from older women, which may be why he experienced the pass that was made at him by an adult who’d known him as a child—assuming she was the one who made the first move—so differently.
None of which makes this OK. In an ideal world, our first sexual partners—all of our early and formative sexual experiences—aren’t people who used to be our babysitters. You would be more comfortable if your husband had lost his virginity to an 18-year-old girl he met at a club when he was on that trip to England, TOE, and quite frankly so would I. But your husband not having a problem with what happened isn’t evidence that he was victimized by an expert groomer playing a very long game. It’s most likely evidence that, despite the legitimately icky/squicky/weird details, this was a positive experience for your husband.
“TOE says she’s held her tongue for four years and she might need some assistance on how to approach her husband with her own feelings,” said Brazell in an email. “She’s holding a lot of these feelings in and I’d hate it for her if they ended up coming out sideways when she just can’t hold it in anymore. I also think it’s unfair to him if she projects her own feelings onto his experience and assumes he SHOULD be traumatized when he was not. Lots of people make it into adulthood and look back with regret on experiences they had with someone who woke them up sexually and who would not be considered an age-appropriate partner. And then there are lots of other people who have had a sexual awakening occur from a much older person and then later feel a bit conflicted about it because they don’t personally feel weird about it until they find out that maybe they should. But should they really?”
To learn more about Jamie Zane Brazell’s work and her practice, visit outofthewoodstherapy.com.
If it’s recipes for disaster you seek, SEEK, then you came to the right place: I can write cookbooks full of them in my sleep.
If you don’t take your boyfriend up on his offer—so you can experience other men and perhaps get the confidence boost that improves your sexual relationship with him—your shared dissatisfaction with sex could grow until one of you ends the relationship. If you do take him up on his offer, you could meet someone who blows your mind—you could wind up having amazing sex with someone who wants to be your boyfriend—and wind up dumping the boyfriend you’re with for some boy you just met. Or after a year of living with a one-sided open relationship, your boyfriend could rationalize fucking someone else on the side himself, since you’ve been out there fucking other guys, which could result in a messy breakup that saddles you with trust issues that make it harder for you to bond with your next boyfriend.
SAVAGE LOVE
I’m a 31-year-old cis straight woman. I lost my virginity at age 29 to my boyfriend, a 32-year-old heteroflexible cis man. Growing up, my family was very critical of my appearance, and I internalized this and took it for granted that I was ineligible for sex and romance. I forced myself to try dating apps a few years ago which is how I met and fell in love with my boyfriend. Our relationship of two years is romantic, affectionate, fun, and fulfilling. However, despite our strong mutual attraction (he is crazily handsome!), our sex life is just OK. While talking about new things that might make sex more exciting for both of us, my boyfriend said he wouldn’t mind if I slept with another man. He says it’s not a turn-on for him, he just feels like it wouldn’t be fair to me if he was the only man I ever slept with.
Basically, SEEK, there are lots of ways this could go wrong. So, instead of opening the relationship on your side, you might wanna work on the sex first. There are lots of sex therapists out there who work with couples on improving their sex lives and very few recommend fucking other people as a first move—not even in cases where fucking other people is the obvious solution, e.g. in cases where the sex is never going to work and transitioning to a companionate relationship that’s sexually open on both sides is a couple’s only hope of staying together.
I’m not saying a one-sided open relationship isn’t right for you, SEEK, what I’m saying is that—given the stakes—you might want to examine, with the help of a professional, your other options first.
It could just have easily gone the other way, i.e. all that crazy sex with his former babysitter could’ve left him traumatized, and there was no way for her to know how it might turn/play out. So she shouldn’t have done it/him. But she did and there’s no undoing it and rather than faulting your husband for not being traumatized by the experience, you should be grateful (to fate, not her) that he wasn’t, and then stuff it down the memory hole.
P.S. If you think the only reason an 18-yearold boy might wanna fuck a friend of his mom’s is that he’d been groomed by that person when he was a child, TOE, you haven’t met many 18-year-old boys.
P.P.S. You have every right to tell your husband that you don’t want to lay eyes on this woman ever again.
P.P.P.S. I shared your letter with Jamie Zane Brazell, a psychotherapist and AASECT certified sex therapist.
The idea of opening the relationship was interesting to me, as I think having sex with other people might improve my sexual confidence, and that sex with my boyfriend might improve as a result. Unfortunately, I’m not as secure as my boyfriend is, and I don’t think I could handle him sleeping with other women. Just the idea hurts me. I told him this, assuming he would then accept that opening our relationship was not viable. But he said that that wasn’t a problem. He had many partners before we met and says he doesn’t feel a need to be with other people. The idea of our relationship being open on my side only feels unfair to me. On the other hand, there’s an imbalance between our levels of sexual experience that opening things on my side would help correct.
Would it be ethical to open the relationship only on my side? Or would it be a recipe for disaster?—Sexual Erotic Experiences Knowingly
P.S. I know your boyfriend denied having cuck fantasies but that could’ve been kink shame talking. You might feel better about taking him up on this offer if the idea of being with other men gives him as much pleasure as it gives you. So, you might wanna ask him that question again.
P.P.S. He thinks he would be fine with you sleeping with other men… but he can’t know that for sure since he’s never been in an open relationship. You think you couldn’t handle your boyfriend sleeping with other women… but you can’t know that for sure since you’ve never been in an open relationship before either. His reaction to you sleeping with other men may surprise him, SEEK, and your reaction to him being with other women—if you should wind up evolving in the direction of a fully open relationship—might surprise you. Life is long.
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.
on June 12th, 2026 at 10:00 am for units located at Compass Self Storage 1685 Hwy 17 N Eagle Lake Florida 33839 . Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at time of sale. All Goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of purchase.
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Notice of Public Sale Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell, to satisfy lien of the owner, at public sale by competitive bidding on www.storagetreasures.com ending on June 12th, 2026 at 10:00 am for units located at: Compass Self Storage 2291 S. Frontage Rd, Plant City, Florida 33563 Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the time of sale. All goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of purchase. Compass Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid. Sale is subject to adjournment. The personal goods stored therein by the following may include, but are not limited to general household, furniture, boxes, clothes and appliances, unless otherwise noted. Unit 2237 Susan Daniels Unit 2093 Damion Brown Unit 2246 Elizabeth Trice. Run dates 5/28/2026 and 6/4/2026.
Notice of Public Sale Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell, to satisfy lien of the owner, at public sale by competitive bidding on www.storagetreasures.com. ending
Compass Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid. Sale is subject to adjournment. The personal goods stored therein by the following may include, but are not limited to general household, furniture, boxes, clothes and appliances, unless otherwise noted. Unit 1036 Andrew McDonald Unit 1110-1081 Shakeema Merchant Unit 1118 Tyler Zealley Unit 2181 Dazanariah Harris Unit 3132 Judy Morts Unit 3175 Lakeshia Kennedy Unit F501 Isabelino Llanot. Run dates 5/28/2026 and 6/4/2026.
Notice of Public Sale Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell, to satisfy lien of the owner, at public sale by competitive bidding on www.storagetreasures.com ending on June 12, 2026, at 10:00am for units located at: Compass Self Storage 3000 Mulford Rd. Mulberry Fl, 33860 Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the time of sale. All goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of purchase. Compass Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid. Sales are subject to adjournment. The personal goods stored therein by the following may include, but are not limited to general household, furniture, boxes, clothes and appliances, unless otherwise noted. Unit 3010 PINSON, DANIELLE Unit 3164 Santiago Luis. Run dates 5/28/26 and 6/4/26
Summit Mktg Group Inc. d/b/a Beyond Paint seeks a Logistics Associate for Clearwater FL office to: confer with freight carriers for shipment of goods via multiple channels, monitor delivery schedules for order fulfillment, process orders w/ data accuracy, track shipments, inquire on delays, provide status to clients & support sales & marketing to acquire deliver and dispose of inventory as directed. Candidates shall have Bachelor’s (business, marketing or similar) & 12 mos exp in logistics operations. Send CV & salary reqs to thomasm@ beyondpaint.com
