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Tampa City Ballet’s Inaugural Gala Fundraiser had folks looking spiffy with its 1920’s theme early this month. The night at the Tampa Bay History Center kicked off TCB’s La Septima series, which kicks off three immersive performances taking audiences back to Ybor City in the Roaring ‘20s. The gala was the first-ever from the company—a nonprofit that regularly brings dance to unconventional spaces—which includes 14 dancers for the 2024-25 season. See all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows—Selene San Felice
do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from May 15 - 21
Story tailoring
Japanese textiles are having a moment in Tampa Bay. At MFA St. Pete, more than 150 garments celebrate craft and culture through artistry as part of “Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress.” Artifacts in that show— many on public display for the first time— date all the way back to the early-1600s and run up to 1989. The exhibit runs through Sunday, June 8, with Sue Castner, who’s loaning many of the objects in “Kimono” and set to do a collector’s talk on Saturday, June 7. Across the bridge, Ybor City’s OXH Gallery is getting ready to say goodbye to works by Japanese textile artist Misako Nakahira who wraps up her first solo U.S. exhibition, “Weave A Tale” (pictured), focused on tsuzure-ori or nail weaving. A press release from the gallery—located inside the Kress Collective on 7th Avenue—says, “The layers created by the two stripe patterns may appear to clash or harmonize depending on perspective, yet neither pattern dominates the other. Nakahira believes that using stripes as a motif—a universally understood and versatile form of expression—provides a way to view society from a broader perspective and interpret the times.” See more photos and get information on both shows via cltampa.com/slideshows—Ray Roa
Grab your goombas
Italians, man. They never let you forget where they come from, and this weekend one of Tampa’s most prominent paesanos is going to do a little looking back as he celebrates 12 years of Loko Cuisine. John Losclazo—who’s also teacher of the year at Tampa’s Brewster Technical College—runs one of the best food pop-up series in the Bay area and celebrates another anniversary with a four-course Italian buffet at one of the city’s finest breweries (the menu includes Milanese grits, fluffy EVOO eggs, limoncello French toast, and ossobuco). BarrieHaus is also unleashing its light and crisp “Goomba” Italian pilsner to wash it all down. Tickets are only sold in advance, and include one pils (Goomba four-packs will also be available for purchase). Loko Cuisine 12th anniversary brunch: Sunday, May 18. 11 a.m. $43. BarrieHaus, 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. lokocuisine.com—Ray Roa
I love trash
One of Tampa Bay’s best garage sales is back in Dunedin this weekend. The seaside town’s art center hosts a big ol’, no-cover, exchange and rummage sessoin on Saturday morning featuring other peoples’ art supplies, books and more for pennies on the dollar. The highkey main event happens the night before though, when every inch of the Dunedin Fine Arts Center becomes the floor for a silent auction featuring donated artwork—painiting, pottery, sculpture, prints, you name it—that will all find new owners before the night is over. The auction features live music, plus food and drink from Dunedin staples like 7venth Sun Brewery, Pisces Sushi, Bon Appétit, Clear Sky Draught Haus, and more.
Trashy Treasures: Friday-Saturday, May 16-17. Dunedin Fine Arts Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd. Dunedin. dfac.org—Ray Roa
DAVE DECKER
“It’s definitely been more expensive.”
We’re still here
On anniversary of six-week abortion ban, Florida providers have a simple message.
By Jackie Llanos and Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix
Ayear into Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks’ gestation, the network of groups and doctors providing access to pregnancy terminations hasn’t vanished.
Still, the six-week ban led to a sharp decline in the number of abortions. By the state’s count, there were 19,198 fewer abortions in 2024 than in 2023. Another estimate from the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health policy and research organization tracking medication abortions from pills shipped through the mail, places the decrease in abortions at 12,100.
As of March 31, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reported 8,682 abortions.
In interviews with the Florida Phoenix, representatives of Planned Parenthood this month stressed that its clinics are still providing people with access to health care services that run the gamut.
“We’re still here. We’re still going to be here. Planned Parenthood has always been around. I cannot imagine it not being around,” said Dr. Cherise Felix, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida.
“We’ve expanded our service line. I think it’s important for the community to know we do much more than abortion care. We do vasectomies, we do prenatal care, we do fertility care. We do menopausal care. It’s not just abortions and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). But I think the community is learning that. There’s a large need for Planned Parenthood.”
Contraception and reproductive health changes
The Florida Supreme Court last year upheld a 15-week abortion ban, which cleared the way for a more restrictive six-week ban Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in 2023 to take effect May 1, 2024, presuming the outcome of the court ruling. The law bans abortions after six weeks’ gestation, before many people know they’re pregnant. There are exceptions for people who get pregnant as a result of rape, incest, or human trafficking. They can obtain abortions up to 15 weeks, but they must show a restraining order, police report, medical record, or court document showing that a crime is the reason they want to terminate the pregnancy.
Other exceptions to the state’s six-week ban require two doctors to certify that the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to “save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.”
A single physician can approve the procedure if no other doctor is available. Abortions in the third trimester are legal if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. A proposed constitutional amendment to allow abortions up to the point of viability was approved by a majority of voters but didn’t receive the necessary 60% approval to pass.
board. And sometimes things fail, birth control pills fail, birth control sometimes fail,” she said.
“So we see a lot of men who are there who aren’t really willing to leave it up to chance anymore and so they are starting to be a lot more involved in contraception as well.”
ABORTION
Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida Chief Medical
Officer Dr. Robyn Schickler says that since the six-week ban she’s seen an uptick in patients with miscarriages diagnosed by other physicians who refer them to a Planned Parenthood center because “they don’t know if they can take care of them” under Florida law.
DO IT: Tampa Bay Abortion Fund has helped around 1,100 people end pregnancies.
In the year since the restrictive six-week ban took effect, Felix said, more of her patients are requesting longer-acting reversible contraception (LARC) implants.
And some patients are asking for more permanent birth control, she said.
“Something I didn’t expect is to see an increase in vasectomy patients—men that are seeking vasectomies because it’s not safe anymore to not have really good contraception on
The clinic is seeing patients seeking exceptions to the six-week ban either because they were raped or are having maternal health complications or their fetus has a fetal abnormality, Schickler said. Florida law defines a fatal fetal abnormality as a terminal condition that, in reasonable medical judgment, regardless of the provision of life-saving medical treatment, is incompatible with life outside the womb and will result in death upon birth or imminently thereafter. Two
physicians must certify in writing that there is a fatal fetal abnormality in order to qualify for an exception to the six-week ban.
The definition is narrow and leaves pregnant people in a tough situation. Schickler said that it locks out some women with fetuses with genetic or chromosomal abnormalities.
“When it doesn’t qualify, it’s something really bad but, medically speaking, you can’t give a definitive, ‘Yes, of course the fetus will die, you know, in the uterus or right after birth.’ There’s some things you can’t, you can’t say for sure. And so it doesn’t fit that narrow exception,” Schickler said.
Navigating abortion travel
Some of Schickler’s patients aren’t even aware of the six-week abortion ban and are shocked when they first present and are told they cannot obtain an abortion.
“I would say the most common is they just start crying like they can’t believe it. Devastation,” Schickler said, describing their reactions. “Sometimes we’ll get someone, you know, asking if you can make an exception and just do this one, which of course we can’t legally. Most of the time, though, it’s just really sad like, you know, immediate crying, complete devastation.”
Planned Parenthood affiliates across Florida refer patients to their patient navigation program, which identifies clinics in states where they can still obtain an abortion. Statewide, more than 3,000 Florida patients have used the system in the last year, according to Planned Parenthood. Additional groups in Florida provide money for abortions in and out of the state, which entails paying for flights, hotels, and rideshares. This year alone, the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund has helped around 1,100 people end pregnancies, said Bree Wallace, the organization’s director for case management. Most of the people the fund helps end up obtaining appointments in D.C. and Illinois.
“Now, people can go within a few days sometimes, so it’s definitely more expensive,” Wallace said. “Flights alone have been, like, $600 to $800, usually, and if someone wants to bring someone with them, that doubles.”
TBAF’s logistical support to help people get to their appointments added up to $91,000 last year, according to its impact report. continued on page xx
SIGN OF THE TIMES: Amendment 4 didn’t pass, but abortion providers carry on.
continued from page xx
“It’s definitely been more expensive. I mean, every case is different, but you could definitely spend almost $2,000 alone on travel for someone going out of state,” Wallace said.
Aside from the sixweek ban, there are other restrictions in Florida’s abortion laws. Only doctors are authorized to provide abortions and telehealth is banned, which means physicians must be in the room when women are administered abortion medication.
ABORTION
Out of 130 petitions minors filed for a court’s approval to seek an abortion last year, judges approved 123. Amanda Greenfield, founder and executive director of The Jane Network, said minors seek judicial bypass because their parents are abusive or they may be estranged and not living at home.
“Often a young person will reach out to us and, by the very next day, they will have an attorney and be able to go to court, and, hopefully, get that judicial bypass granted,” Greenfield said.
Florida has a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that patients undergo a sonogram exam before obtaining an abortion. Minors must notify their parents and secure their approval but a judge can waive those requirements.
The Tampa fund helps minors connect with The Jane Network, which provides free legal services to get a judicial bypass.
Since the six-week ban, minors have been contacting the pro bono group before they know they’re pregnant, Greenfield said.
“We are seeing a lot of fear with young people.”
While the rate of approval for a judicial bypass remained steady since the six-week ban went into effect, the number of petitions declined by 43% from 2022 to 2024, according to annual reports from the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
“We are seeing a lot of fear with young people. Young people contact us all the time, even before they know they’re pregnant, because they think there’s a chance that they’re pregnant,” she said. “If so, they wanna make sure they will be able to meet all the requirements before six weeks.”
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact info@ floridaphoenix.com for questions.
By the numbers
How to fund abortions a year after Florida’s six-week ban.
By Selene San Felice
Florida’s six-week abortion ban has been in effect for a year, but the fight for abortion access isn’t over. Tampa Bay Abortion Fund needs all the help it can get, case management director Bree Wallace told Creative Loafing Tampa. Shuffle Tampa is hoping to raise $50,000 for the fund on Friday with A Night Under the Superstars.
ABORTION
“You essentially get to help someone through a difficult time, not even abortion-wise, but just a physical time, learning new things and just having to go through the terrible laws that are put into place right now in Florida,” Wallace said.
TBAF: A Night Under the Superstars Fundraising Party
w/DJ Cub. Friday, May 16, 7 p.m. $5 minimum suggested donation. Shuffle, 2612 N Tampa St., Tampa. tbafund.com
$50,000 may sound like a lot, but even with a match from the National Network of Abortion Funds it’ll only provide care for about a couple months.
Last month, the fund helped 250 people get procedures. That’s $500-$2,000 per patient. The abortion itself costs $700-800 in Tampa, in the case that a person knows they’re pregnant before six weeks. In the more likely case that they need to go out of state, the fund assists with flights and other transportation, childcare, lodging and meals. In April, TABF provided more than $12,000 in practical support.
“Aside from the six-week ban, there are other restrictions in Florida’s abortion laws. Only doctors are authorized to provide abortions and telehealth is banned, which means physicians must be in the room when women are administered abortion medication,” the nonprofit newsroom added. “Florida also has a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that patients undergo a sonogram exam before obtaining an abortion. Minors must notify their parents and secure their approval but a judge can waive those requirements.”
For many, getting an abortion is their first time traveling out of state.
“No one should have to leave their state to get health care,” Wallace said. “They’re already making the decision to get an abortion. Now they also have to go through this scary new thing of traveling for it.”
“No one should have to leave their state to get health care.”
Florida Phoenix reported that TBAF’s logistical support to help people get to their appointments added up to $91,000 last year, according to its impact report.
To combat the despair, the fundraiser is a celebration focused on raising awareness and celebrating the ability to help fellow citizens. Attendees (18+) are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite pop star (Stevie Nicks, Halsey, Phoebe Bridgers and more have been vocal about their abortions) for a night of dancing, drag performances and raffles. Free Plan B and condoms will be available.
“It’s important just for the community to recognize resources and share them with one another, and keep the information out there,” Wallace said.
RAISING HOPE: Bree Wallace runs Tampa Bay Abortion Fund from her bedroom.
Beam me up
Mons Venus sold to 2001 Odyssey—and an unrelated power struggle.
By Jani Burden
Mons Venus just got beamed up into the spaceship across the street. Tampa’s most famous strip clubs now have the same owner, with 2001 Odyssey’s recent acquisition of its neighbor across the street.
Don Kleinhans, owner of 2001 (the one with the spaceship), told the Tampa Bay Times that the deal—which gives him the business, not the land at 2040 N Dale Mabry Hwy.—was finalized in January.
Kleinhans, 60, added that he wants it to be the same club, but just refreshed, with new light fixtures, sound system and bathroom upgrades.
The sale is a big development in the story of Mons Venus owner Joe Redner, Tampa’s activist strip club king and medical marijuana advocate.
Redner—who previously ran for state house and senate—is most known for his controversial and much-publicized conflict with a “six-foot-rule” the city of Tampa was trying to establish back in the ‘90s. The rule would have required the performers to maintain at least a six feet distance from patrons.
order, the commission approved a nearly $185 million base-rate increase for Tampa Electric in 2025, followed by expected increases of $86.6 million in 2026 and $9.1 million in 2027. The first increases took effect in January.
The commission focused mostly Tuesday on the issue of correcting the mathematical error, which the Office of Public Counsel had raised.
Base rates make up a major part of customers’ monthly electric bills, and rate cases play out over months and involve voluminous amounts of information. Other parts of customers’ bills include such expenses as power-plant fuel and costs of complying with environmental regulations.
LOCAL NEWS
One issue in the Tampa Electric case has been its return on equity, a closely watched measure of profitability. The commission approves return-on-equity ranges for utilities and what is known as a “midpoint.” Tampa Electric sought an 11.5% midpoint, with the commission ultimately approving a 10.5% midpoint.
He is also known to always have a female in charge of managing the performers, which has carried over to this expansion. Kleinhans told the Times he appointed the new general manager of Mons Venus to be former Miss Nude World, Bambi Wilde.
Contacted by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Redner, 85, declined to comment on the matter.
TECO rate hikes likely headed to Florida Supreme Court
State regulators Tuesday kept in place their approval of base-rate increases for Tampa Electric Co., but a challenge to the rates likely will play out at the Florida Supreme Court.
The Florida Public Service Commission largely rejected a request by consumer representatives to reconsider its rate decision, though the panel agreed to fix a mathematical error.
In addressing the request for reconsideration, Public Service Commission staff members last month issued a recommendation backing the commission’s decision to approve the 10.5% midpoint, saying it is “supported by substantial and competent evidence and was reasonable given the unique aspects of TECO’s business.”—Jim Saunders/News Service of Florida
In March, the state Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumers in utility cases, and the groups Florida Rising, Inc., and LULAC Florida, Inc. also filed notices of appealing the rate approval to the Supreme Court. The court issued a stay of the appeals while the Public Service Commission took up the Office of Public Counsel’s request for reconsideration.
Deputy Public Counsel Charles Rehwinkel said that Tuesday’s decision “doesn’t change the appeal we filed.” The Office of Public Counsel and the groups have not filed briefs detailing their positions at the Supreme Court.
In a December vote followed by a Feb. 3 final
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Sashay away
Pete Hegseth brings his obsession with ‘dudes in dresses’ to Tampa.
By Selene San Felice
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who just spent thousands of taxpayer dollars to have a personal makeup studio installed at the Pentagon, came to Tampa last week to talk shit about his own troops.
Seven transgender service members sued to block the trans military ban, led by Navy commander Emily Shilling.
Delivering the keynote for Special Operations Forces Week at MacDill Air Force Base on May 6, Hegseth—a former Fox News talking head—declared that the Trump administration is “restoring the warrior ethos” by “leaving wokeness and weakness behind.”
“No more pronouns. No more climate change obsession. No more emergency vaccine mandates,” Hegseth added. “No more dudes in dresses, we’re done with that shit.” But in his address, Hegseth, a Princeton grad, used the pronouns “he” and “they” 31 times. There was, of course, no mention of “she” or “her.”
“I know this decision will cause fear and doubt in the ranks,” Schilling said in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling. “To those feeling shaken, I say this: stand tall. You are not alone. You are part of a community that will fight for you, stand beside you, and never stop pushing forward.”
Army veteran Joshua Caswell, a member of the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Hegseth’s version of the armed services is a “shitshow.”
COLUMN
Hegseth’s comments come just after the Supreme Court OK’d Trump’s ban on transgender military members, despite ongoing legal challenges.
There are 4,240 trans troops currently serving—less than 1% of the 2 million-member U.S. military, according to DOD stats released in February. Half of them require no gender-affirming medical care, and only a quarter require surgery.
As of last Thursday, the Pentagon said it would begin removing up to 1,000 of those troops who openly identify as trans, giving others 30 days to self identify and leave. After that, trans troops (i.e. those identified by gender dysphoria diagnosis) will be involuntarily forced out of the service and no one with the diagnosis will be allowed to enlist.
The trans ban and
Hegseth’s obsession with LGBTQ servicemembers are all too familiar to Caswell, who was one of more than 13,000 service members dismissed for being gay under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Caswell was stationed in Germany in 2008 when his commander was told Caswell was gay. The next day, he was on a plane back home to North Carolina without a job.
“All these years later, to now watch our trans population go through it...It’s devastating, it really is,” Caswell said. “They pass all the same tests everyone else did to get in. You don’t just walk in there and sign up. You don’t just get to be a pilot in the Marines just because you’re trans. That takes years of dedication. You’re going to take that from these people for no reason.”
CL did not reach out for a comment from Hegseth. Maybe he’ll provide context in a group chat.
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ALL SHADE: Pete Hegseth in Tampa on May 6, 2025.
11206 Sullivan St • Riverview, FL • 33578 donovansmeatery.com
RESTAURANTS
RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Great migration
Artisan teahouse Noisy Crane Tea is looking for a new home.
By Kyla Fields
When 41 year-old Tampa resident KC Cavanaugh experienced her first traditional tea ceremony almost a decade ago, it quite literally changed her life. Since then, she’s been on what she describes as the “path of tea,” and went from being just an enjoyer of traditional Chinese tea ceremonies to selling her own herbal tea blends at markets throughout Tampa Bay.
The retail shop eventually blossomed into an in-person teahouse of sorts called Noisy Crane Tea, where Cavanaugh is finally able to share her knowledge and offer traditional Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese teas in their respective traditions—focusing on ceremonial-like methods similar to the “life-changing” ones her friend exposed her to many years ago.
tea education, Noisy Crane Tea is able to create an interactive and participatory experience for its customers.
This isn’t like grabbing a to-go matcha latte from Starbucks—but in many ways, both metaphorically and physically, the exact opposite of that. Noisy Crane just doesn’t offer a beverage, but an experience curated around it.
DRINKS
“I’ve always considered tea as one of the original plant medicines because it’s been used for over 5,000 years, and is still the second most consumed beverage in the world,” Cavanaugh tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “My first time at a traditional tea ceremony, it literally felt like I was plugged back into the earth and that I was one with nature again.”
“Tea ceremonies and tea meditation became a regular part of my life after that moment,” she adds.
From February 2024 to March 2025, Noisy Crane Tea offered daytime tea service that “blended traditional and modern tea culture” at In between Days, an intimate listening room and sake house in downtown St. Pete. At In Between Days, Cavanaugh created a popup teahouse experience that was unlike anywhere else in Tampa Bay.
Folks are able to enjoy these teas according to traditional preparations and in their respective teawares, or branch out to Cavanaugh’s own herbal tea blends and seasonal drinks. While there’s a seemingly endless variety when it comes to the world of international tea consumption, Cavanaugh mostly focuses on particular styles and brewing methods that stem from China and Japan.
The term “Gongfu Cha” refers to the art of brewing tea in a precise, intentional and skillful manner—typically served in smaller teaware and tiny vessels. This methodology is at the core of Noisy Crane’s ethos.
“This style of tea typically calls for short, fast steeps so you can do multiple steeps over a period of time,” Cavanaugh explains. “It’s a way of enjoying and really honing in on the flavors that you’re getting from these teas—it’s a way of honoring the tea.”
“I very much think that in our society we need more moments to sit down.”
But since her first lease ended a few months ago, Cavanaugh is looking for another home for Noisy Crane, preferably in a shared space like In Between Days, although she’s open to all sorts of businesses. Noisy Crane 2.0, whether it opens in Tampa, St. Pete or elsewhere, will nonetheless continue the positive momentum it gained at In Between Days over the past year.
An ultra-curated menu of “farm direct, artisanally-crafted teas,” combined with Cavanaugh’s penchant for attentive service and
While the Noisy Crane menu may evolve in its new space, Cavanaugh says that she’ll most likely offer familiar teas like matcha, popular varieties of green tea like genmaicha and hojicha, aged pu’er teas, whites, black or red teas, oolongs and her own herbal blends—like the “Clari-tea” with mint, nettles, oatstraw, marshmallow leaf, gotu kola and bacopa.
All teas can be purchased as a 10-oz. cup or 20-oz. pot, or folks can opt for an oat milk latte made with chai, matcha or hojicha, a roasted green tea. Before Noisy Crane left In Between Days earlier this year, Cavanaugh also offered a seasonal miso-maple smoked latte made with a blend of lapsang and assam teas.
Every tea that’s sold on the Noisy Crane menu can also be purchased in retail bags for
GET THE PAR-TEA STARTED: Noisy Crane started chirping at In Between Days.
home brewing. These teas, acquired through Blue Willow Teaspot in Berkeley, California, are ethically sourced from artisan growers and smallbatch producers on the other side of the world.
“More than anything, I want to share with my customers all of the beauty, dedication and hard work that goes into tea production. Even if tea is commercialized in some way, the amount of agriculture and farming that goes into making these teas is often lost on the consumer” Cavanaugh says.“And despite this very rich history and culture, tea production is also this ever-changing thing that shifts from season to season.”
While looking for another semi-permanent home for her small business, Cavanaugh is still offering tea consulting services, hosting private tea ceremonies, popping up at different events and continuing her education in the vast world of Asian teas and their respective ceremonies.
With years of experience working in customer-facing positions and as a server in fine dining restaurants, service is a natural component of Noisy Crane.
Oftentimes folks would walk into Noisy Crane without a working knowledge of artisan teas, and it was her job to understand what flavors they like and what their palette leaned
towards—not unlike how a seasoned sommelier approaches their customers. The way Cavanaugh and other enthusiasts view artisan teas is pretty similar to how folks of the fine dining world assess flavors in wine or cheese.
And for the regular customer base that she quickly gained during her year-long stint at In Between Days, they’ll have to wait a bit longer to experience Noisy Crane’s laid-back, yet ultracurated atmosphere once again.
While many coffee shops and cafes focus on quick service and to-go orders, spaces like Noisy Crane offer a welcoming space to slow down and enjoy beverages in the way they were meant to be enjoyed.
“I very much think that in our society we need more moments to sit down, be introspective and take time for ourselves,” Cavanaugh explains. “It’s incredibly important to just take a moment sometimes, because everything around us is moving so fast and it’s easy to lose ourselves”
For more information on Noisy Crane’s future home in Tampa Bay, head to @noisycranetea on Instagram. And if you’re someone who thinks they have the ideal space for Noisy Crane’s next home, reach out to KC via noisycranetea@gmail.com.
“There were dark days.”
Breaking ground
Forty years after its founding, the downtown CRA is finally funding the arts.
By Linda-Saul Sena
Four decades after its founding, Tampa’s downtown CRA is finally walking the walk when it comes to its professed love for the arts. The topic of arts as a catalyst for investment will surely come up this month at the 2025 State of Tampa’s Downtown Forum happening Tuesday, May 20. But there were dark days. In the ‘90s, the east side of downtown— now known as the Channel District and Water Street—was deserted parking lots and derelict warehouses.
COLUMN
2025 State of Tampa’s Downtown Forum Tuesday, May 20. 8 a.m.-noon. Tampa Marriott Water Street. 700 S Florida Ave., Tampa. tampasdowntown.com
Then the Florida Aquarium provided a jolt of life and activated that area, and provided the impetus for its renaming. Recent commitments to the restoration of Tampa Union Station (and, hopefully, the Jackson House) will similarly jazz their parts of our central business district.
That’s changed as of late. Tampa’s core has major residential development that is taking off, so the tax revenues from downtown are up. And now, there’s lots of money headed for the arts.
Although getting the CRA designation required an official finding of “slum and blight”, not very flattering, this allowed the taxes from downtown to be spent only on infrastructure specifically in there, like the expansion of the Tampa Convention Center, streetscape, and lighting systems, rather than placed in the city’s general coffers.
Traditionally, the members of the CRA Board, who also serve as Tampa City Council members, have been pretty passive and responded to requests from developers for infrastructure which supports developers’ needs instead of initiating projects themselves.
Painfully, everything ground to a halt when Covid shut down venues like Tampa Theatre, Straz Center and Tampa Museum of the Arts—and put the brakes on their private fundraising efforts.
Since 1983, when the first Community Investment Act (CRA) was established for downtown Tampa, the urban core has benefited from the tax funds generated in the area being reinvested in downtown.
In 2022, the CRA Board realized that although downtown had many new residential buildings it needed additional activation and life, so rather than subsidizing developers, they decided to invest in cultural amenities, to the tune of $64 million through 2033.
Tampa City Councilman Bill Carlson, a member of the CRA Board, made a compelling case for using the CRA revenues to help complete the major cultural institutions’ master plans which had all been temporarily stymied by Covid and politics.
In the early-90’s Carlson was a consultant to the Singapore government, connecting the arts to the technology sector. By 1995, he consulted with the City of St. Pete where he helped them build the arts community and helped them promote St. Pete as an arts destination worldwide.
Later, as a founding member of the St Pete Economic Development Council, he helped build innovation and creativity in St. Petersburg by connecting arts to technology companies. When he became a Tampa City Council member in 2019, Carlson developed a vision to not only fully activate Tampa’s downtown, but also fuel the tech and innovation sectors through reinvigorating the arts.
He also co-founded the Tampa Arts Alliance along with Neil Gobioff and Michele Smith, which for three years has been building a grassroots art movement in Tampa. Along with Tempus Projects founder Tracy Midulla and Hillsborough Community College’s Amanda Poss, Carlson founded Ybor City Ad Hoc Arts Group to connect arts to industry.
Local arts advocates were further bolstered by the results of the St. Pete Comprehensive Arts Strategy report which clearly linked the public investment in these nonprofit arts organizations and their ability to attract both commercial and residential redevelopment in the urban core as well as boosting tourism.
Carlson set about applying the strategy to Tampa’s situation. First he met with the leadership, both staff and board members from arts and cultural groups and questioned them about their plans.
Tampa Theatre CEO John Bell recently told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Carlson asked him what his vision was for the theater’s future. “Bill challenged me and my board to think expansively about our historic theatre and how its programming could grow if we properly preserved and built out this extraordinary landmark,” he explained.
In 2023, $14 million requested by the Tampa Theatre Board was approved by the CRA Board,
GILDING THE LILY: A $24 million investment will allow Tampa Museum of Art to start expansion sooner.
and coupled with an additional $14 million raised by the theater. The funds are enabling the full restoration of the historic auditorium. The overhaul will modernize the theater’s infrastructure, and transform underutilized spaces to expand the Theatre’s education program and public amenities.
At the same time, the Straz Center had eyed a $100 million expansion for almost two decades. While the bulk of those funds were raised from the private sector, $25 million invested by the CRA Board got the construction going. Despite being wholly owned by the city, private donations are funding 75% of the venue’s expansion.
The massive influx of CRA funds for cultural institutions is not without its critics. Many outside of the downtown CRA have long clamored about how CRA funds can only be spent in designated areas.
In 2020—arguing that CRA money was being used to subsidize developers rather than paving roads—even Carlson himself made a motion to cap or sunset the downtown and Channel District CRAs “That proposal failed, so I shifted to promoting the arts in order to activate downtown and build the innovation economy,” the councilman told CL.
Harry Cohen, the Hillsborough County Commission representative on the Straz board was central in getting $4.5 million for the expansion from the county, which had previously balked at helping support a city-owned facility.
This project, which broke ground in April, includes a renovation of Straz Center’s Patel Conservatory and further opens the performing arts center to the Tampa River walk by building a new restaurant, café, bar, terrace, and expanded outdoor stage. Construction for the Straz Center’s biggest renovation and expansion effort is set to conclude the beginning of 2027.
Across Cass Street, Michael Tomor, President of the Tampa Museum of Art, explained that the additional investment by the CRA Board of $24 million in the museum will allow construction at his building to begin more quickly.
COLUMN
The museum knows the expansion will stimulate private sector investments and business activity consistent with the adopted land use and development plans for downtown, which in part call for outdoor dining and expanded retail near Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Even the unusable grass slope will be enhanced.
And despite the fact that the city actually owns the Straz property, Mayor Jane Castor administration did not support funding of the Straz renovations.
John Dingfelder, a fellow Council and CRA Board member who was council rep on the Straz Board at the time, was a strong advocate for this funding. He told CL, “With strong support from Councilman Carlson, I made the successful motion and obtained a majority of Council to support and commit the $25 million that kickstarted the $100 million dollar capital campaign.”
“Bill Carlson led the way in securing our CRA Board funding” Judy Lisi, who served as Straz CEO from 1992-2023, told CL. “He truly understands the connection between the health of our arts and the strength of our economy, as well as our community!”
Seeing so much CRA money go to TMA, Straz and Tampa Theatre wasn’t easy for Dan Traugott, Chair of the Downtown CRA Advisory Committee. Not because the committee didn’t love having them in the neighborhood, but because it considered the venue’s regional amenities, rather than a neighborhood-focused benefit.
“We were persuaded by the Straz’s promise of new, publicly accessible spaces, without having to buy a ticket to a show, a free amenity and a wonderful complement to the Riverwalk,” Traugott told CL Michele Smith, now Executive Director of the Tampa Arts Alliance said the arts fuel growth as part of an economic ecosystem.
“When completed, these arts projects will be major economic engines,” she said, “and define downtown as a creative and innovative hub for everyone in the region to enjoy.”
CHIPPING IN: While owned by the city, private donations are funding 75% of the Straz expansion.
Uchikake with Manmaku, c.1900–1940, Silk, Selected works from the collection of Norma Canelas and William Roth
Developing stories
St. Petersburg Month of Photography is happening right now.
By Jennifer Ring
St. Petersburg Month of Photography’s 2024
Photo Laureate, Ric Savid, debuted his solo exhibition “Darkroom Silver Linings” on May 1 at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Ybor City (FMoPA), marking the official start of this year’s St. Petersburg Month of Photography.
The veteran photojournalist spent the past year walking around Tampa Bay with his wife, photographing the people they met. The experience taught Savid to keep his camera with him even when he wasn’t on assignment.
“It made me shoot, and it made me realize my own backyard without the stress of having to produce photos,” Savid told Creative Loafi ng Tampa Bay. “Because these types of photos, you can’t force them. It’s like a relationship.”
His analog black and white portraits fill a small gallery within FMoPA and will hang through June 1, telling Tampa Bay’s story through its people. Each shot offered Savid the opportunity to connect with someone new.
“Nobody socializes anymore,” Savid told CL.
“My Facebook got hacked right after Christmas, and I’m leaving it that way. Walking around with my wife, it can be a date, and then we meet people and get the photograph. And no one’s afraid if she’s with me.”
Two of Savid’s favorite Tampa Bay neighborhoods to meet and photograph people are Ybor City in Tampa and Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. But, a quick scan of the gallery shows that Savid is open to meeting people anywhere—Clearwater Beach, rec centers, backyards, family rooms.
You’ll recognize some places in Savid’s photos, but the frames are seldom about the place. Most of us can’t spend all our time at the beach; we go to work, go shopping, exercise, and do the stuff of everyday life. Unlike the postcard photos that have come to defi ne the Tampa Bay area in tourism ads, Savid’s photos capture what it’s really like to live here—what it’s like to live anywhere.
LOCAL ART
When FMoPA Executive Curator Robin O’Dell introduced Savid, she began by listing everything he’s done outside of photography, from serving in the Peace Corps to working as a police reporter, a hauler, and a registered nurse specializing in home infusions. “Just hearing all these things that he’s done, you look around, and you realize why he has such an eye, but also such an empathy for the people he photographs,” said O’Dell.
St. Petersburg Month of Photography: Portfolio Reviews
Saturday, May 17. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. No cover Morean Arts Center. 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. spmop.org
Three years since SPMOP’s beginning, the Photo Laureate project remains their signature event. Photographers from around the Tampa Bay area apply each year. You can see work from this year’s top five nominees— Jesi Cason, Stephen Zane, Patricia Preston Mastry, Angelina Parrino, and Christopher Wharton, whose work is on these pages—at the Morean Arts Center in St. Pete through June 7. SPMOP highlights include this weekend’s portfolio reviews at the Morean Arts Center and the artist talk with Savid at FMoPA on Sunday, May 25.
“Every year it kind of grows,” says SPMOP founder Marieke van der Krabben, “There’s more and more people who say, ‘Oh yeah, I want to do something.’”
See spmop.org for the complete list of SPMOP events in Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Thursday, May 15 • 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Third Thursday: featuring Tampa Tunes Piano
Unveiling and Open Play, PLUS art openings at Honey Gallery and Reverb @ Kress Contemporary 1624 E. Seventh Ave. Tampa
Free to the public kresscontemporary.com/events
Friday, May 16 • 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Artist Reception for Vae Victis: Quintas Sunistra @Tempus Projects
1624 E. Seventh Ave. Tampa
Free to the public tempus-projects.com
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Doors at 6:00 PM, Show at 7:00 PM
Eagles Revival Band @ 1920 Ybor
1920 East 7th Avenue, Tampa
Tickets start at $10 bit.ly/1920Eagles
Saturday, May 17, 2025 • Starts at 5:00 PM
Roost ‘n Rally ‘25:
Mother Cluckin’ Bar Crawl @ Centro Ybor
1600 E 8th Ave, Tampa
Free - Check in outside Jimmy John’s at Centro bit.ly/RoostNRally
Saturday, May 17, 2025 • 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Southern Hospitality Rodeo: Wings & Mimosas Edition @ Saddlebags Ybor 2234 East 7th Avenue Tampa
Free to RSVP, $20 GA, $30 Bring a Friend bit.ly/RodeoWingsMimosas
Saturday, May 17, 2025 • 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM EST
Gospel Brunch - Melodies from 7th @ 7th & Grove
1930 E 7th Ave
$10 GA bit.ly/GospelBrunch7th
Sunday, May 18, 2025 • 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Chicken Yoga with Yoga Loft Tampa and Ybor Misfits @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Avenue Tampa
$12 General Admission bit.ly/41WVJnj
Sunday, May 18, 2025 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Street Photography Class @ Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
1630 E 7th Ave
$75 General Admission bit.ly/3RGpzGL
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Doors at 7:00 PM, Show at 8:00 PM
Chase Shakur @ Crowbar
1812 N 17th St Tampa
$25 - General Admission, $99 - GA with Meet & Greet crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events
Come visit Addict’s first-ever brand store surrounded by 12 courts and located in the heart of Tampa, Florida - Ybor City. addictpickleball.com
Picker Place Market
1402 E 2nd Ave, Tampa
Vintage, upcycled, industrial, shabby chic, Old Florida, Americana, pop culture of yesteryear and just an all-around love of all things old. pickerplace.com
Casa Ybor
Casa Ybor offers unique retail spaces, office spaces, and apartment homes for rent or lease in both newly constructed and lovingly restored historic buildings throughout the vibrant National Historic Landmark District of Ybor City near Downtown Tampa, Florida. casaybor.com
La Union
Community, connection, and culture come together at La Unión Apartments, where Tampa’s rich history and vibrant future unite. Inspired by the historic social hall once on this site, our Ybor City apartments honor that legacy by fostering bonds among residents, the neighborhood, and the area’s deep-rooted heritage. bit.ly/LaUnionYbor
Kress Contemporary 1624 E. Seventh Ave. Tampa
Serving the community by providing spaces for their creative pursuits, and engaging the community through public events, including film screenings, performances, exhibitions, artist talks, poetry readings, and workshops. kresscontemporary.com
REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK
Nasty honor
Ron Galletti talks Brandon metal, as Morrissound gets historical marker.
By Eric Vician
Walk through this Valrico garage, past two Harleys and a host of eclecticallypicked items that include everything from vintage 1970s wrestling magazines to indigenous art and you step into the mind of the self-proclaimed originator of thrash metal: Nasty Ronnie. Ron Galletti has fronted Brandon’s original metal band, Nasty Savage, for more than 40 years. He stands in his personal Jeopardy Room, the title of the band’s first new album in 20 years, released late last year.
While there aren’t any “Twilight Zone” trap doors, spiral staircases or blocked off exits in his home office, there are a plethora of stories, ideas and inspiration within the creative confines of this headbanger’s head. Many of them can be found covertly and overtly on the 10-track record. The band even sold-out of 100 crystal clear blood vinyl LPs containing a flowing red liquid injected into the PVC as an ode to all the bloody stage theatrics that helped create Nasty Ronnie’s moniker back in the 1980s.
To celebrate the new album, Nasty Savage booked a 2025 world tour of sort, with stops scheduled in Los Angeles, Belgium, and Chile.
“I knew I had to bring something back to the old school because I’m the last remaining guy from Nasty Savage,” Galletti, 63, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I’m standing on this island with this flag of Nasty Savage going ‘what the hell am I going to do?’ because everyone’s going to look at us and go ‘oh, it’s really not Nasty Savage without this guy or that guy. But I’ve got another chapter.”
The chapter that connects the story of Nasty Savage’s past to its present includes a few Easter eggs: There’s the album cover art, and there’s “Witches Sabbath,” a collaboration from Donald and John Tardy of Obituary. The track is a holdover from the days when demos were cut at Tampa’s famed Morrisound Recording where Nasty Savage cut its first album. On Friday, in Temple Terrace, the site Morrisound occupied in the ‘80s and ‘90s will get a historical marker from the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council. A reception will follow at Magnanimous Brewing in Seminole Heights, just a short drive from Morrisound’s new location at 8003 N 9th St. in Sulphur Springs.
Florida artist and “warlock” Lewis VanDercar died in 1988, but his grandson approved a painting
that harked to Nasty Savage’s Indulgence album cover art. Fun fact about Obituary: as kids, the Tardy brothers rode their bikes to Galletti’s home in the ‘80s, knocked on his door and asked him how they could start a band. They formed a Seffner band called Xecutioner before reaching international prestige with Obituary. And Jim Morris loved engineering, recording, mixing and mastering Jeopardy Room because it was like a high school reunion for him and Nasty Ronnie.
“It’s always fun to work with Ron, with that smile on his face,” Morris told CL. “He’s willing
outfits like Savatage, which was Avatar at the time, and Crimson Glory from the Tampa Bay area. Two dozen of the 30 best-selling death metal albums of all time (as of 2022) are from bands that all recorded there—including Death, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Obituary, and Sepultura. “No sane person decides to open a recording studio to get rich or famous,” said Tom Morris, adding that he and Jim opened in 1981 to pursue a passion for recording any and all music.
“We have worked our entire careers to help the artists we’ve recorded achieve their creative vision. This marker is an acknowledgment of those efforts, along with those of our staff and the many dedicated artists that came through our door in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It was the artists’ visions and our execution that led to the rise
to try anything and go anywhere. It’s a whole different band, but the new guys all seemed to slot in pretty well. The main thing was to, as a fan of the old record, they needed to be a fan of this record, my goal was to make sure we didn’t leave anybody hanging and somebody hear it they can’t say ‘that’s not Nasty Savage,’ it had to feel like you wouldn’t be disappointed. It had to have enough of the identity of the band.”
The studio’s founder-president Tom Morris called the historical Morrisound marker at 12111 N 56th St. an honor, and pointed to the work done by pioneering extreme metal
of a new musical genre in Tampa Bay and the world,” Tom added. “We are very proud that this groundbreaking work has been recognized by the county with this marker. Now, we need to figure out how to get rich or famous.”
While many of the nine former band members who have played with Nasty Savage through the decades have gone their separate ways, three are deceased, including longtime drummer Curtis Beeson, who died last year. Guitarist David Austin left in 2022 after the band played Mexico. Original bassist Fred Dregischan, wrote the intro on this album called Invocations.
The new identity of the band includes Kyle Sokol on bass. A former U.S. Army Captain, Galletti calls him the band’s “organizer” and lauded the fact that he learned the set list in just two days. Jim Coker (drums) and Pete Sykes (guitar) played together in a previous band and came highly-recommended. Alabama resident David Orman also plays guitar on the new album, filling Austin’s big metal shoes.
“I knew I needed to do something to get peoples’ attention,” said Galletti, who motorcycle enthusiasts may also recognize from his 1,340 television episodes and 248 monthly print magazine issues of “Born to Ride” and antique pickers might know from his four booths at the Lakeland Antique Mall and one at Webster Westside Flea Market.
Jeopardy Room was recorded in just eight sessions and pays indirect homage to Rod Serling, who aired an episode of "The Twilight Zone" by the same name in 1964. Galletti calls Serling an “inspiration.”
While each track tells a story, some ring true in Nasty Ronnie’s heart of metal. “Aztec Elegance” harks to Mel Gibson’s 2006 epic “Apocalypto” while “The 6th Finger” is a partial shout out to Jim Morris, who he calls an honorary sixth member of the band. “Schizoid Platform” is an excuse for Galletti to scream lyrics he always wanted to belt out: “Hell a vato, mondo bizarro” and the title track is about the reality of life and not taking things too seriously (especially as you enter AARP status).
Nasty Ronnie likes that Nasty Savage went from the swamps and cow pastures to inspire bands like Morbid Angel, Death, Obituary and Deicide. And he wants to continue to do so. “I want to leave a legacy,” he said.
Look for a potential 2026 follow-up album from the original thrash metal maniacs and something akin to a new media entity/meets podcast/meets reality show for up-and-coming bands that are going to lead what he calls the third wave of metal. Think a Top 10 battle of the new bands that collaborate on an album, learn tips on metal management 101 and get a road tour going.
It’s a smidge intriguing and a stack authentic that after years of bloodying his head with on-stage theatrics that often-included swinging boob-tube television sets, crashing into his everscheming noggin, simply to delight the mosh pit crowd, that Nasty Ronnie remains a mastermind marketer of metal for myriad reasons.
“It’s savage metal played nasty,” Galletti said. “I’ve always said it’s Brandon metal.”
METAL KNIGHTS: Nasty Savage was a pioneer in extreme metal.
MAY
CHASE SHAKUR Crowbar
MAY 24 JOE KAY The Orpheum
MAY 30 REVEREND
HORTON HEAT Jannus Live
JUNE 16
THE KIFFNESS The Orpheum
JULY 8
HATEBREED Jannus Live
AUGUST 12 d4vd Jannus Live
AUGUST 17
SPIKE & THE GIMME GIMMES
The Ritz Ybor
AUGUST 29 AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY
The Orpheum
OCTOBER 11
MARIANAS TRENCH Jannus Live
OCTOBER 12
SHABOOZEY Jannus Live
OCTOBER 16
PHANTOGRAM Jannus Live
Guys named Noah might have an awkward moment if they stay until the end of Tampa Pig Jig this year. That’s if Megan Moroney plays the sleeper hit from her 2024 album, Am I Okay?
The 27-year-old Georgia songwriter is in the midst of a nationwide arena tour that’ll make a stop at downtown’s big ol’ BBQ, music festival and tailgate happening this fall, and she very well could be a household name by then. Moroney, who will please fans who can’t quit country Taylor, has already been on the cover of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Issue and was recently profiled in the New Yorker, which praised her “achy-breaky songs about love and its failure to be respectfully reciprocated by various dudes.”
A year after playing Raymond James Stadium with Kenny Chesney, she headlines Tampa Pig Jig at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, now in its 14th year of raising funds to find a cure for the rare kidney diseases like FSGS (Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis) and Nephrotic Syndrome.
Also on the ticket is “Burn Out” country band Midland and tour manager-turned Moroney show-opener George Pippen.
ALE WORKS
Soulful Americana duo Jamestown Revival rounds out the Tampa Pig Jig bill.
All of it is punctuated by longtime San Francisco pop songwriter Matt Nathanson (“Pretty The World,” “Come On Get Higher”), who has a long history of touring Tampa Bay, from his days playing the long-shuttered Twilight in Ybor City to recent headlining gigs at Clearwater’s Bilheimer Capitol Theatre.
Tickets for Tampa Pig Jig happening Saturday, Oct. 18 at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park go on sale to the public Friday, May 16 and start at $125. Kids under 10 get in free with an accompanying adult.
New this year at Tampa Pig Jig is a “Backyard Bash” ticket which will include access to a party area in the park’s north parking lot where there’ll be a second acoustic stage, air conditioning, private restrooms and more.
Tennessee plays Alabama that afternoon as well, so you’ll have an excuse to wear Tennessee Orange to the party.
Check back next week for Josh Bradley’s roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay.—Ray Roa
Code red
By Dan Savage
I’m a 33-year-old bisexual redheaded cis woman from Europe. Last week, I stumbled across the word “gingerism,” and an important part of my life clicked into place. I went down a rabbit hole of stories from other redheads who, like me, have been bullied, hypersexualized, and treated like mythical creatures since puberty. Honestly? It felt like reading my diary, minus the glitter gel pen. Here’s the tea: I’ve always wondered if being a redhead—even while being considered conventionally attractive—has made my life unnecessarily complicated. Spoiler: it kinda has. Until my 20s, I was shy as hell. Think quiet girl in the back of the class, just trying to survive. Meanwhile, classmates were publicly speculating about the color of my pubes—seriously—and boys would approach me like I was a one-night fantasy, not a human being. I was either adored or despised, no in-between. For years I thought I was the problem. Fast forward: I toughened up. I got louder, prouder, and way more assertive. Plot twist? Society doesn’t exactly throw a parade when a woman finds her voice. Especially not a redhead. Now I’m constantly walking the line between “sex goddess” and “too much.” Confidence? Misread as sexual suggestion. Assertiveness? Labeled aggressive, arrogant, intimidating. You get the idea. And when it comes to intimacy? Yikes. Way too often, my red hair turns me into a walking fetish. I’ve had multiple partners spring degrading kinks on me without asking— choking, spitting, the works—like redheads come with some kind of BDSM consent waiver. At this point, I’m genuinely afraid that my hair color and gender combo is making my sex life more dangerous than it should be. I love my hair. I wouldn’t change it. But I’m also exhausted from being hypersexualized and misunderstood. So, here’s my question: Have you heard similar stories? Is this a legit issue affecting redheads? And what’s the deal with redheads still being overrepresented in porn as exotic, kinky, or straight-up submissive?—Got Issues, Need Guidance, Everything’s Rough
SAVAGE LOVE
Dr. Debby Herbenick, professor at Indiana University and a frequent Savage Lovecast guest, has done extensive research on sexual choking. Her findings are alarming: in a survey of more than 5,000 students at a big Midwestern college, nearly two-thirds of female students said a partner had choked them during sex. Two-thirds! “Twenty years ago, sexual asphyxiation appears to have been unusual among any demographic, let alone young people who were new to sex and iffy at communication,” Peggy Orenstein, author of “Girls & Sex,” wrote in an opinion piece for the New York Times highlighting Dr. Herbenick’s research. “That’s changed radically in a short time, with health consequences that parents, educators, medical professionals, sexual consent advocates and teens themselves urgently need to understand.”
So, the problem isn’t your hair—or anything else about you—it’s that too many young men came of age watching porn that portrayed choking and spitting portrayed as normal and harmless sexual activities that all women enjoy. Our failure as a society to provide kids with the kind of comprehensive sex education that covers sexual pleasure, porn literacy, and consent along with reproductive biology (which can be covered in twenty minutes) makes the problem worse. Because in the absence of good sex ed—in the absence of any sex ed—porn creators wind up serving as sex educators, which they’re not interested in doing or trying to do.
For the record: Some women enjoy being choked—some young men in Herbenick’s studies reported feeling uncomfortable or upset when their female partners asked to be choked—but porn took what was a minority taste (and a dangerous one) and made it look mainstream. So, I’m guessing the guys who tried to choke you weren’t thinking, “This is what kinky sex looks like,” or “This is how redheads want it,” but instead thinking, “This is what sex looks like, and this is how everyone wants it.”
object, not seen and enjoyed as a person. But in addition to the men you could instantly tell had a thing for redheads—in addition to the men who fetishized you and made it weird—you’ve probably been with men who fetishized your hair but didn’t make you feel like an object, men who were fetishists but you didn’t perceive as fetishists because they didn’t treat you like an object.
Finally, I knew “gingerism” was a thing, but your letter made me dig a little deeper, GINGER, and I wound up falling right into that rabbit hole with you. I did not know, for instance, that ancient Egyptians sometimes sacrificed redheads to the Gods for reasons… or that the French didn’t think redheads could be trusted because Judas, the apostle who betrayed Christ, was allegedly a redhead… or that Germans used to believe women with red hair were witches. (The Wikipedia page about discrimination against people with red hair is a trip.) So yes, your feelings are valid—women with red hair are sometimes treated differently, and some men no doubt fetishize your hair—but it’s porn illiteracy, male entitlement, and fetishists who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, i.e. can’t enjoy your hair and treat you as a person, that are your real worries.
P.S. Some redheads—male redheads—don’t feel like they’re objectified enough. Check out the Red Hot 100 Calendar, which was created to combat the stereotype that redheaded men aren’t sexy.
Dear Readers: I respond to comments from my readers and listeners in Struggle Session, a bonus column posted most Thursdays at savage. love. I usually include a question at the bottom of Struggle Session—a question from a reader that isn’t going to make it into the column—and invite my funny, insightful, and compassionate commenters to respond. Below you’ll find the bonus question that appeared in last week’s Struggle Session and a little of the advice Savage Love readers shared.—Dan
A lot of the allure, I admit, comes from the chase. Many times, with the permission and full knowledge of my partner, I have gotten on Grindr, where I’ve gotten people to the point of meeting up and then—when the deal was sealed—lost interest and bailed. Maybe that speaks to deeply held insecurities about my own self-worth that I just want to feel attractive, something I feel I have never truly felt in the past. The problem is that this is now a never-ending spiral. I get intrigued by open relationships, talk to my partner about it, we try again, he enjoys himself, I come back feeling empty, we decide to stop. While my partner has been super patient, his patience with me about this is wearing thin.
I am desperate at this point to resolve it. How do I commit to monogamy and let go of this fantasy that is unsuitable for me in real life? I can’t keep putting my partner through this selfish, never-ending indecisive routine.—Demi And Confused
I’ve heard stories like yours before—about straight men who assumed choking and spitting didn’t require advance discussion or, you know, getting the consent of the woman in advance of the choking and spitting. But I’ve heard stories like yours from women of all kinds, GINGER, not just redheads. I certainly don’t doubt that you’ve been subjected to a particular kind of sexual objectification as a redhead (more on that in a moment), but the kind of consent violations you describe? They’re sadly common, GINGER, and all women are at risk.
All that said, GINGER, I don’t doubt that you’ve been hit with a very specific flavor of hyper-sexualization because of your hair. Encountering someone with an anomalous physical trait—redheads make up just 2% of the population—can bring out the worst in some people, as was the case with your asshole classmates. And for reasons we don’t fully understand, some people become erotically fixated on random and/or anomalous physical traits at around or before puberty. For some, it’s red hair. For others, it’s huge tits or it’s feet.
It is exhausting to feel like you’re being fetishized—that is, to be seen and used as an
I’m a gay man in a wonderful monogamous (currently) relationship with the first and (hopefully) only love of my life for the past four years. This is my first relationship. My partner though is experienced sexually (three-digit body count) and enjoyed his college days, something I actually respect and admire about him. While I am a demisexual, and while I have a much lower body count than my partner (low single digits!), I have this pervasive fantasy about being in an open relationship. We’ve tried being with other people. My partner is not demisexual and has enjoyed the novelty. I, on the other hand, come back from experiences with others feeling empty and lost. And yet, the thought of being in an open relationship turns me on. The thought of other people finding me attractive, having a variety of sexual experiences (and a higher body count!), and hot twinks submitting to me are all things I crave.
BIDANFAN: An open relationship does not mean that you and your partner get—or need— to have an equal number of outside hookups. An open relationship means that you are not restricted to monogamy. Your partner enjoys hookups; you do not. So, he gets to have hookups. And fairness means you also get to have hookups, DAC, but you don’t have to make use of that particular hall pass. What do you enjoy? You enjoy the chase. You enjoy flirting, being desired. So, you get to do that to your heart’s content. You aren’t required to follow through—though try not to tease guys by implying that you will. But you do realize that Grindr hookups are not the only way to have sex outside of a relationship, right? They work for your partner, but you need to get to know someone. Why can’t your relationship also be open to short-term flings with guys you might meet organically and develop an attraction for? Perhaps you can also be allowed to go out and socialize in gay spaces where you might meet a single-serving friend— or even an ongoing one—and that can be your way of satisfying the desire for more than one partner. Think of it this way: just because you’re allowed to eat ice cream every day doesn’t mean you have to eat ice cream every day.
JONATHAN: First, a three-digit body count in college is easy for gay men. That’s 24 guys per year, or one every two weeks plus maybe one orgy. As for DAC: Committing to monogamy is the wrong solution. Clearly, he wants this. Maybe embrace the demisexuality? In D.C., have a drink with the twink at Licht, then go dancing at Bunker. In Philly, go to Charlie was a sinner, then Bike Stop. Talk and hang out for a few hours, then fuck. (“Oh no! I get to hook up with a hot guy, but he wants a cocktail or two at Ranstead Room or Death & Co first? How awful!”)
