Watermark Issue 18.05: Marriage

DOMA

ISSUE 18.05 | MAR. 3 - MAR. 16, 2011 | WATERMARKONLINE.COM | YOUR LGBT LIFE.

GOES DOWN DOES THE LACK OF REPUBLICAN REACTION MEAN A SHIFT IN THE FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY? ALSO:

CARRIE WEST LOSES BID

for Tampa City Council seat

ORLANDO’S GAY DISTRICT jumps back to life

D A Y T O N A B E A C H • O R L A N D O • T A M P A • S T. P E T E R S B U R G • S A R A S O T A

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Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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issue 18.05

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AMBROSIUS 32 PG.

Marsha Ambrosius’ discusses her debut single “Far Away” and its impact on suicidal LGBT youth. She also talks about casting two African-American men as lovers in the much-hyped YouTube sensation.

While DOMA faces its biggest obstacle yet, a growing number of Republicans are shifting support toward marriage equality.

Illustration by Jake Stevens

6 | Big Story Thriving new LGBT-friendly businesses are revitalizing an area of Orlando with a history of serving the LGBT community. The new “Mills50” is shaping up to be the newest LGBT hotspot of Central Florida.

THE BIG STORY

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8 | Orlando News The Zebra House will soon open its doors, providing a one-stop location for LGBT Youth seeking assistance; Volusia Schools consider ban on genderbased bullying; more.

10 | Tampa News Carrie West falls short in his bid for Tampa’s City Council District 5 seat while Rose Ferlita and Bob Buckhorn prepare for a run-off election for mayor; Anti-gay activist Terry Kemple is appointed to Hillsborough County’s Human Rights Board; more.

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15 | Nation+World News ORLANDO NEWS

14 / STATE NEWS

Obama directs the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act; Hawaii Governor signs civil unions bill into law; Report says new gel protects anal tissue form HIV; more.

15 / NATION + WORLD NEWS

16 / TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE

19 / ORLANDO MARKETPLACE

23 / MAIL

36 / EVENT PLANNER

39 / TAMPA BAY OVERHEARD

29 | Scene+Heard

TAMPA BAY NEWS

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Author Erin McHugh publishes a collection of photo essays depicting influential lesbians of all types in her new book, L Life. McHugh tells us about the motivation behind the project, the non-coincidental release of the book during Women’s History Month and why a book is needed to continue advancing LGBT acceptance. R&B star Marsha Ambrosius talks about her new single about LGBT suicide and her love for the gay community.

43 | Marriage

44

KNOW+TELL

Since Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage in 2003, marriage equality has been on the forefront of politics as a partisan issue. Today, more Republican leaders—influenced mostly by their children—are standing behind the marriage equality cause while remaining fiscally conservative. We also look at how finances define same-sex relationships and what couples can do to prevent money troubles from harming a marriage.

40 / ORLANDO OVERHEARD

48 / TRANSITIONS

50 / CLASSIFIEDS

51 / SPORTS

52 / GOSSIP

watermark | preview

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

editor’sdesk W

No matter the setting, the people in history are mostly whittled down to two e have a lot to celebrate this month. camps—the good guys and the bad guys.

Maryland is on the verge of becoming the sixth state in the country Lincoln and the Northern progressives were good. Plantation slave owners to grant same-sex marriage licenses and the Obama administration were bad. shared on Feb. 23 that it would no longer fight to defend the constitutionality Jewish refugees: good. Nazis: bad. of the Defense of Marriage Act, which outlaws federal recognition of same-sex Hindsight is 20/20, so they say, and it applies when looking at history. There marriages. was a time when people actually believed they were right to defend slavery.

When Watermark Online editor Jamie Hyman told me about the breaking People just knew they were on the right side of the issue when women weren’t news surrounding DOMA, I was quick to get excited. “What does this mean?” I given voting rights. wondered. “Is this the beginning of marriage equality in the United States?”

Unfortunately, there are people today who truly think that denying gays and Of course, the announcement does not mean that gay marriage is suddenly lesbians the right to marry their same-sex partners is the right thing to do. legal in the U.S. Watermark publisher Tom Dyer, who is also an attorney, Those are the people who will fill the opinion pages of major newspapers, explains what Obama’s decision means in his Publisher’s Perspective column in voice their opinions on cable “news” programs and gather like-minded believers this issue. for rallies outside government buildings.

But it does mean that another small flake has been But inevitably, it will be those on the side of marriage chiseled away from the boulder blocking gays and equality who will triumph on the right side of history.

Steve Blanchard lesbians from enjoying full marriage rights.

There was a time The long-term couple who shares their story of In the coming months, expect a flood of anti-gay EDITOR SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com rhetoric to resurface from talk show hosts, right-wing multiple weddings in several states to gain as much legal when people actually standing as possible will change the hearts and minds politicians and religious conservatives—we are, after believed they were right of many. The young men raised by same-gender parents all, only nine months from a presidential election year. to defend slavery. who are not afraid to speak out against anti-LGBT laws But as the country’s population ages, minds are will convince a few more people that marriage is a right evolving. Each newer generation is more accepting of for everyone—not just those who fit into a “tradition.” same-sex relationships and views the economy, jobs and As we look back at the gains we’ve made in marriage equality in just a few national security as bigger issues than who chooses to marry whom. short years (remember, gay marriage wasn’t legal anywhere in the U.S. before It’s a battle won in a long, ongoing culture war that’s a long way from 2003), it’s important to remember that history is watching us, even as current finishing. But it’s a step in the right direction and it has people talking. events unfold.

Most people are surprised to learn that my favorite subject in school wasn’t How will future generations perceive the ongoing fights and struggles facing Literature or English. The class I looked forward to most was always History—or us as a community and as a nation in 2011? Will students sitting in a 2050 as we used to call it back when we had junior highs instead of middle schools— elementary school classroom learn about the fight for Marriage Equality with the Social Studies. understanding that those opposing it were the bad guys and those for it were the Even to this day I’m fascinated by placing people and events in a timeline.

Imagine hiding Jews in your attic during the Holocaust! What did it feel like to good guys? Will they react in awe and disgust that anyone would have denied two people the right to form a family unit? see Abraham Lincoln speaking to the masses off the back of that train depicted in Yes, I’d like to think so. | l | so many books? Are the descriptions told to us as students really that accurate?

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YOUR LGBT LIFE.

ISSUE 18.03 | FEBRUARY 3 - 16, 2011 WATERMARKONLINE.COM

YOUR LGBT LIFE.

ISSUE 18.04 | FEB. 17 - MAR. 2, 2011 WATERMARKONLINE.COM

YOUR LGBT LIFE.

ISSUE 18.02 | JAN. 20 - FEB. 2, 2011 WATERMARKONLINE.COM

gov. rick Scott Friend or Foe?

CLAY AIKEN

AlexiS Mateo Eyes Drag Race Title

going nutS Winter artS Guide Area arts listings D AY T O N A B E A C H

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Don't Miss shows

ORLANDO

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Justin Osbourne is a gay "Le Con" in Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba

Local artists talk shop S T. P E T E R S B U R G

ISSUE 18.02

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S A R A S O TA

SHIRLEY MACLAINE

Love

ON PARENTING AND BEING HIS OWN BOSS

FAITH PRINCE

TELLS US THE OUTRAGEOUS TRUTH ABOUT SPIRITUALITY, ACTING AND

D AY T O N A B E A C H

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ORLANDO

TALKS HUMANITY IN BILLY ELIOTT

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S T. P E T E R S B U R G

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ISSUE 18.03

S A R A S O TA

Also:

CARRIE WEST eyes Tampa City Council seat

D AY T O N A B E A C H

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JANE GAY HEROINE VALEZ-MITCHELL ‘NARSSICA’ talks addiction

ORLANDO

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debuts in online comic

S T. P E T E R S B U R G

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ISSUE 18.04

S A R A S O TA

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watermark | the big story

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

When Bruce Ground opened Out & About Books, he had no idea he was planting the seeds to a gay district in Orlando. | Photo by Jake Stevens

Realizing Mills50

OrlandO’s Gay district Jumps Back tO life

stephen miller

O

rlando | Thriving new LGBT-friendly businesses are revitalizing an area of Orlando with a history of serving the LGBT community. Amidst an ongoing economic downturn, empty storefronts are coming back to life on busy Mills Ave. between Colonial Dr. and Loch Haven Park. The area, previously known as the ViMi (Virginia/Mills) District, has been rechristened Mills50 (Mills/Highway 50—also Colonial Dr.) with the blessing of the City of Orlando.

“We really hope to continue the positive growth, increase foot traffic and make the area a community and tourist destination,” says Joanne Grant, a city-appointed executive director coordinating neighborhood efforts as part of Orlando’s Main Street program.

In an age of big box stores, internet shopping and online hookups, Mills50 has found a way to attract gay foot traffic. Any night, you can drive through the area and witness a new LGBT-driven

energy. It is particularly noticeable in front of two successful new restaurants.

Meat loaf as magnet “It was always our intention to revitalize the area,” says Eddie Nickell, whose Funky Monkey Wine Shop and Bananas Diner have turned Mills50 into a dining destination that extends into the wee hours.

Nickell and partner Nicholas Olivieri, who also own a thriving Funky Monkey in Pointe Orlando on International Drive, aren’t through in Mills50. Corporate offices and a new retail store, The Vault, will open soon.

“Eddie is a vital part of the Mills50 board,” says Grant, while also noting that the success of his restaurants has demonstrated the potential for other new LGBT-friendly businesses in the area.

But there are still empty, out-of-date buildings dotting the streetscape. And Mills50 is by no means a gay ghetto. There are numerous

Vietnamese and Asian businesses in the area, as well as a variety of mom-and-pop businesses.

Many are not suited for increased LGBT traffic.

Mills50 also endures heavy traffic on two decidedly pedestrian unfriendly state-maintained highways. The area was sited in a March 2007 National Geographic story describing the impact of busy roads on downtown neighborhoods.

Plans to streetscape Mills Avenue are on hold due to the recession. Grant admits that shopping and foot traffic have been affected by relentless traffic in the Mills50 area. The city would like to see the district embrace more pedestrian-friendly side streets.

“Over time, I would love to see us expand Mills50 to [neighboring streets] like Thornton, Hyer and Shine,” Grant says. “I’d also like to see more visible outside dining areas to attract passersby.”

Asian Fusion Extreme diversity is not uncommon in big cities, where ethnic and LGBT communities often coexist. In Mills50, this diversity has been both drawing card and source for confusion.

After the Vietnam War, the declining area attracted a concentration of Vietnamese and Asian businesses; mostly small family businesses including many restaurants. In 1991, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center (GLBCC—the precursor to The Center) rented an office space on Colonial Dr. just a few blocks east of Mills. That same year, Bruce Ground opened Out & About Books just a few blocks north of Colonial on Mills. It was soon a regular Continued on page 18 | uu |

watermark | orlando news

| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

Zebra House set to open doors

jamie hyman

Orlando | According to Shamanic beliefs, the zebra is a power animal whose stripes represent a harmonic balance of opposites. That harmony, support and empowerment are just a few highlights in the continuum of care The Zebra Coalition hopes to bring Central Florida’s LGBT youth when it opens the doors to The Zebra House in March of 2011.

Jeff Voss, president of the Zebra Foundation for Youth, said the House is an offshoot of the Coalition, which is an offshoot of a realization he made shortly after the Coalition’s first meeting in Sept. of 2009.

“As we talked to more and more groups, we realized how fragmented in Central Florida each group was,” Voss said. “Each group did their own thing and they did it well, but if you were a young LGBT person and you needed help, it wasn’t necessarily easy to find the place to go to get that help.”

The Zebra Coalition was and is made up of about 20 groups ready and willing to provide help. But Voss said “what was really needed was a one-stop shop where if you are a LGBTQ young person in need of assistance, from basic needs like food and shelter to counseling or any other types of support, you could call one number or go

to one place and they could help you.”

The house and the hotline will be unveiled simultaneously, but the hotline is already partially staffed.

Dr. Philip Toal with The Center for Drug Free Living (Zebra Coalition managing partner) says once the Zebra House is open, Central Florida AIDS Unified Resources (CENTAUR) will answer phones from 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, Human Services Associates will cover the hotline from 3–11 p.m. Monday–Friday and they’re seeking volunteers to man the overnight and weekend shifts.

Once a young person calls the hotline, the goal is that through the central headquarters of the Zebra House, the Zebra Coalition will offer a full array of support options, fulfilling any need an LGBT youth may have, from substance abuse counseling to assistance in family relations to medical care to emergency shelter. It’s not all serious stuff, either.

“The Zebra House is also a drop in center, a focal point where kids can get information and hang out, getting the positive, effective support of an LGBTQ environment,” Toal said, plus the Orlando Youth Alliance will hold regular meetings there.

He adds that they want to “normalize

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The Zebra House is expected to open its doors sometime in March. Photo courtesy of The Zebra Foundation

the experiences” of LGBT youth “so they don’t have to be depressed, suicidal, engage in substance abuse.”

The lease on the House was signed in October 2010.

“It was very challenging because we had to find a place that was suitably located,” Voss said. “We drew a circle around the corner of Mills and Colonial and we said want to be within this area, because we feel it’s the most centrally located area for access to the population we want to serve.”

The house also had to be zoned for both office space and as an emergency shelter, but Voss said it found a 3,000-square-foot facility that is “perfect for what we need.”

Up to six people can sleep there per night, though Voss stresses “this is not a permanent solution, and our goal is through the Coalition to find homeless youth a more permanent place to be.”

A recent fundraiser provided the money needed to furnish the House.

“We have an option to acquire this facility and so one of our next goals is the $600,000 to do that; that’s our main objective right now.” said Voss.

Currently, the Zebra House is financed by a number of sources, most of them filtered through the Zebra Foundation, which is tasked with raising funds to run and ultimately purchase the House.

“We are supported by contributions from Coalition members as well as The Zebra Foundation, which is actually funding the rent and other things related to the House itself,” Voss said. “The Foundation itself has not written any grants but the coalition members are writing grants. For example the center for drug free living has an excellent grant writing team, and they are working on

writing grants that would support the coalition.”

Beyond house expenses like staffing, Voss said it’s currently difficult to pin down a number for operating costs as those expenses are evolving while staff is being hired to operate the House’s programs and activities. He said Center for Drug Free Living staff is handling the hiring process for an executive director.

“The hiring process is well underway and we are very close to having that position filled,” Voss said. He added that the selection hasn’t been formally announced, but there is a candidate to fill that role.

The other staffing need is an outreach person, which Voss said is being provided by a Coalition member.

The services provided so far are just the beginning. Voss and Toal expressed other goals including assistance with adoption services, legal assistance for LGBT youth who find themselves in trouble with the law and eventually, they’d like to provide scholarships.

“It’s an incredibly thrilling experience,” said Toal. “I’ve been a therapist in the community for more than 30 years and to finally have all this come together and see the community step up and work together to provide these services to our youth is incredible. It’s one of most rewarding experiences of my career.”

Toal added that his life would have been “so much easier” if a similar program had existed when he came out.

The Zebra Coalition is still seeking volunteers and funds that will be put toward the purchase of the Zebra House. Information is available at ZebraYouth.org. | l |

watermark | orlando news

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

Ban on gender-based bullying considered staff report Deland | A four-word addition to Volusia County School Board policies that would ban gender-based bullying is up for consideration in April.

Last month, the Board voted unanimously to advertise the addition of “gender identity or expression” to rules that ban bullying or

harassment of students. The change was requested by the parents of a Deltona child born as a girl who lives as a boy.

They asked that their names not be released but told the Daytona Beach NewsJournal that the policy change will give their child better protection against teasing at school, saying even some staff members insisted on referring to the child as a girl. | l |

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More companies covering transgender surgeries wire report Orlando | When Gina Duncan decided to undergo the medical treatment that would make her a woman, she had plenty to fear: the reactions of her children, her colleagues and friends. How her body would respond to hours on the operating table. If, at the end of it, she would look female enough so strangers wouldn’t gawk.

What the Orlando mortgage banker didn’t have to be anxious about was how she would pay for two of her surgeries.

Her employer of 10 years, Wells Fargo, included breast augmentation and genital reconstruction as coverable expenses under its employee health plan. Duncan

was told the bank already had had 16 other employees transition to new genders and assigned a benefits specialist to walk her through the process.

“They had a template in place, and it was surprisingly supporting and mentally encouraging,’’ said Duncan, 55.

More and more large corporations, including Coca-Cola, and Walt Disney, have expanded their insurance coverage to meet the needs of transgender workers. The trend follows a concerted push by transgender rights advocates to get employers and insurers to see sex reassignment the way the American Medical Association does—as a medical, rather than an optional, procedure. | l |

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Kemple appointment angers Tampa LGBTs steve blanchard Tampa | In December, the Hillsborough County Commission silently appointed Terry Kemple to the county’s Human Rights Board. The appointment received little fanfare until Equality Florida learned about it and shared Kemple’s anti-gay legacy with supporters and the media.

Kemple, a religious conservative political activist who attempted to block Gay-Straight Alliances in area schools and tried to organize a boycott of Pepsico because of its domestic partnership benefits, is not a good fit for a position in charge of equal rights, Equality Florida argues.

“Kemple stands in direct opposition to everything this board is supposed to represent,” Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith said in a prepared statement. “He has consistently opposed equal protection under the law for gay people and has advocated against the freedoms of those who don’t share his particular religious views.”

In an interview with the Tampa Tribune, Kemple disputed Smith, saying it was a matter of “world view.”

“Mine is distinctly different from Nadine Smith’s world view,” he said.

“I’m not opposed to equal rights for homosexuals. I am opposed to special rights for anyone—especially based on their choice of sexual partners.”

Kemple, who lost a bid for the Hillsborough County School Board in November, had the approval of commissioners Victor Crist, Ken Hagan, Al Higginbotham, Sandy Murman and Mark Sharpe. Commissioners Les Miller

The appointment of anti-gay crusader Terry Kemple to Hillsborough’s Human Rights Board has angered many who say he won’t treat LGBTs fairly.

and Kevin Beckner voted against the appointment.

Equality Florida has launched a campaign to remove Kemple from the post and has asked members and supporters to write the commission asking for his removal. At press time, the organization said nearly 700 people had sent letters to the county. | l |

New Taste of Pride to debut at new Dali staff report St. Petersburg | It’s been two years since St. Pete Pride’s Taste of Pride event featured the cuisine of restaurants from throughout the bay area. But now, the event returns with a larger presence and a new location—the brand new Dali Museum downtown.

The Taste of Pride is slated for Saturday, March 19, and will be the first LGBT event at the new museum, according to St. Pete Pride executive director Chris Rudisill.

“We are excited to have this opportunity to bring Taste of Pride back, especially at such a wonderful venue,” Rudisill said. “The excitement surrounding the Dali matches our excitement for 2011.”

Rudisill said that 15 restaurants are to be featured and Barefoot Wine and Bubbly will supply drinks—including wine and craft brews.

The March 19 Taste of Pride is from 6-9 p.m. and is the first St. Pete Pride event of the year. Those attending will have a chance to win a Pride & Passion prize package, teasing to the organization’s big May 21 event at the Tampa Museum of Art. “It’s just another way that we’re working to reach across the bridge and celebrate the partnership we have with Pride & Passion, which will serve as the Official Kick-Off Event for Pride Season in Tampa Bay this year,” Rudisill said.

Tickets for Taste of Pride are $35 in advance and are available at StPetePride.com.

Tickets are $40 the day of the event and each entry includes up to 10 tastings of beer/wine selections. All proceeds benefit St. Pete Pride.

St. Pete Pride’s annual Street Festival and promenade is Saturday, June 25. | l |

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Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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Carrie West’s bid for Tampa’s City Council District 5 seat ended March 1. | Photo courtesy Mark Bias.

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Council hopes dashed for West mayoral run-off takes shape steve blanchard Tampa | With nearly all precincts reporting for Tampa’s election March 1, it appeared that Carrie West’s hopes for a seat on the city council were dashed.

As of press time, West had about 18% of the vote after most of the precincts reported and Frank Reddick, president and CEO of the Sickle Cell Association, had nearly 52% of the votes. If the totals are conďŹ rmed, that means Reddick will serve District 5 and no run-off will be held March 22.

The same can’t be said for the mayoral race. At press time, Rose Ferlita was narrowly leading Bob Buckhorn 25.8% to 24% in a statistical tie. If those numbers are conďŹ rmed, Ferlita and Buckhorn will move forward to the run-off March 22. Former mayor Dick Greco garnered just under 23% of the vote and Ed Turanchik tallied 19%. Thomas Scott trailed with less than 9% of the votes in his favor.

Calls to West’s cell phone were not returned on election night. However, before March 1, the outspoken community leader and activist said the election was a historical one for Tampa—mostly because it was the ďŹ rst time that the entire City Council was up for grabs. “Right now we have a situation where we’re in turmoil,â€? West said. “The City Council isn’t cohesive, and they are not asserting their power under the mayor. Pam [Iorio] has done a great job, but I think we’ve been misled by a council member or two.â€?

West had a large backing from the Ybor City area, thanks to his involvement in founding the GaYbor District Coalition and the name recognition associated with MC Film Fest, the store him and his partner, Mark Bias, run on 15th Street and 8th Avenue. Throughout the months-long race, volunteers from within and outside the coalition sported green “Go West� campaign shirts, signs and buttons.

While it is well known that West is gay, he said he never ran into any opposition because of his sexuality while campaigning. “Only one person has ever brought up my sexuality,â€? said West, who said he made it a point to knock on at least 400 homes per week during his campaign. “People are far more interested in the issues. Everyone beneďŹ ts from a good infrastructure, and that’s what has my attention. I want to represent everyone in the district, not just one segment.â€?

This was West’s second bid for public ofďŹ ce in Tampa. He ran unsuccessfully for the Tampa City Council in 1998.

Ferlita and Buckhorn were both happy with the results as they prepared to face off in the upcoming run-off election. “I believe that we can safely say that we are in ďŹ rst place. We are in the runoffs,â€? Ferlita told her cheering supporters at Timpano Chophouse and Martini Bar. Besides Reddick, it appeared as though the only other two candidates avoiding the run-off election were City Council District 2’s incumbent Mary Mulhern, who was leading with nearly 52% of the votes at press time, and District 6 incumbent Charlie Miranda, with a hefty 63% to 38% lead over Kelly Benjamin.

Early results pertaining to District 1 seemed to place Mike Suarez with a narrow lead over Curtis Stokes and the District 3 race was a toss up between Yvonne Capin and Chris Hart, both of whom had less than 30% of the votes.

In District 4, Harry Cohen was just shy of 45% and will now face Julie Jenkins for that seat on March 22.

Lisa Montelione and Charles Perkins were the top ďŹ nishers in District 7 and will now face off later this month.

Low voter turnout was reported across the city and some attributed that to rainy weather earlier in the day. | l |

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Riders from throughout Florida participated in the 2010 AIDS Ride along Sarasota’s Legacy Trail.

3rd Annual AIDS Ride returns to Sarasota staff report Sarasota | For the third year in a row, Trinity Charities will invite bicycle enthusiasts of all skill levels to participate in its 12 mile AIDS Ride along Legacy Trail in April.

The annual beneďŹ t raises money for Trinity Charities, which provides a number of services to the area’s needy, hungry and HIV communities.

The Legacy Trail is more than 12 miles in length and runs from just south of the City of

Sarasota to Venice, following the former CSX railroad corridor.

Organizers say the total length of the ride is 25 miles round trip. However, beginners are encouraged to utilize any of the 15 rest areas along the trail and it is not required that the entire 25 miles be completed.

The ride is described as a “bicycle fun ride� and is not a race. Those interested in participating in the Saturday, April 28 ride can visit TrinityCharities.org to sign up. For more information, call 941-355-0847. | l |

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It’s a family-friendly time for Orlando Gay Parents (OGP) and Ox Babies in Tampa. The 33-year-long Florida adoption ban ended. A 2010 Cambridge study backed dozens of other findings that gay parents create well-adjusted kids, and adoption surveys show that LGBT parenting is still on a two-decade rise. The two playgroups provide camaraderie and fun for children and their parents.

“It’s important that we have these networks, not just for the parents but also for the kids,” said Tanya Blasingame who has been coordinating OGP for about a year.

Lisa Gray, who Blasingame expresses deep respect for, started OGP about 17 years ago.

The group was going strong for seven years, even garnering a lengthy Lifestyle article in the Orlando Sentinel.

“We were doing one or two events a month,” Gray reported of their outings, picnics, play dates, potlucks and other activities. “As my daughter got older, I handed it off to other parents to take over.”

That didn’t happen, and the group foundered for a while, Blasingame found.

“I sent a message to the Yahoo bulletin board, and asked if anything was still happening. People started responding, ‘Yeah, let’s set something up; that’d be great! We’ll be there!’ All of a sudden, I was the organizing person,” she laughed.

“The first gathering this year was about five families,” Blasingame said. “We have mostly kids five and under, but we’d certainly love to have more of everybody involved.”

“I’m overjoyed the group is re-energized and that Tanya is doing something with it.”

Gray says. She has been coordinating passing the organization’s information to Blasingame.

“I wouldn’t say I’m in charge,” Blasingame said of the group that runs through member effort and suggestion. “I’m just coordinating

it now.”

Seizing an opportunity—that’s a theme OGP shares with the newly formed Ox Babies of Tampa.

“With four kids, the drive to Orlando was too far,” said Amanda Vagianos who looked into OGP before starting her own group on Florida’s west coast.

Vagianos started Ox Babies just over a year ago; the name of the group utilized the Chinese Zodiac symbol to denote strength. It hosts events at least monthly at various places throughout the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.

“We started by meeting at the park, which is something I do with my kids anyway,” Vagianos says. “It was a laid back thing, not at all intimidating. The first group had about eight kids there.”

Both women say their organizations keep costs down as much as possible.

“I know what it’s like to have to balance a family budget,” Vagianos laughs. “I try to keep events absolutely free, times being what they are.”

Besides that, both groups offer a vital sense of belonging.

“It’s important that all LGBT parents know they have support, whether they’re single or in a couple,” said Vagianos. “It’s a joy to connect with other parents.”

“We love getting people together, and that helps us not feel isolated,” Blasingame said.

Vagianos pointed out another benefit: “It also shows the kids that they have support, that they’re not the only one who has LGBT parents.”

“We’d even like to inspire people who are considering having a kid to come to the group, get to know what its like,” adds Blasingame.

More information is available for Ox Babies at GaySafeHaven.com/Content/OxBabies.

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The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus has elected a new leadership team, naming Tampa Bay’s Sally Phillips president of the organization. Its membership also elected a vice president, treasurer, secretary, communications director, membership director, legislative director and campaign director at their annual winter conference.

Each will serve two-year terms.

Winter Party app launched Winter Party 2011 Festival has launched an app called “WPF ’11,” compatible with iPhone, iTouch or iPad. The free app allows

subscribers to follow the party’s Facebook feed, access contact information and share content with other users. This year’s Winter Party Festival is March 2-7 in Miami. The app was developed by Seekway Technologies and is available in the iPhone app store.

Broward Schools expand non-discrimination policy The Broward County School Board in Fort Lauderdale voted March 1 to add gender identity and protection to the district’s nondiscrimination policy. The district has 256,000 students, making it the largest in the state.

Previously, the district’s anti-bullying policy has served as an example for other districts across the state.

watermark | nation+world news

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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Maryland House weighs gay marriage bill Obama administration drops defense of anti-gay marriage law wire report be protected by this law,’’ said Delegate wire report Washington, D.C. | In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration announced Feb. 23 that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of a U.S. law banning recognition of same-sex marriage.

Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act “contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval

of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships—precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus’’ the U.S. Constitution is designed to guard against.

The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now.

The move quickly drew praise from some Democrats in Congress but a sharp response from the spokesman for Republican John Boehner, the leader of the House of Representatives.

Boehner said he is reviewing potential action to provide support for the law. The House could file friend-of-the-court briefs or take other steps. | l |

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SF bear event calls it quits After 17 years, the final International Bear Rendezvous was held President’s Day weekend in San Francisco. “It was a big decision but we had do it,” said Chuck Rudd, one of the organizers of the annual event aimed at hairy gay and bisexual men—and their admirers. The all-volunteer-run weekend of pub crawls, dance parties, and titleholder competitions helped raise $500,000 for numerous LGBT and AIDS nonprofits since it began.

Annapolis, Md. | The debate to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland shifted to the House of Delegates on Feb. 25, a day after senators approved the measure.

The six openly gay members of the House asked the House Judiciary Committee to grant same-sex couples the same rights heterosexual couples have.

“This debate is not about abstractions, this debate is not about definition, it’s about the thousands of families who will

Heather Mizeur, who married her spouse, Deborah in California in 2008.

Maryland senators voted 25-21 in favor to legalize same-sex marriage. The measure will now face a vote by the House Judiciary Committee and must survive a vote by the full House.

If supporters clear those hurdles, Gov. Martin O’Malley has said he would sign the bill into law, which could make Maryland the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. | l |

Hawaii’s governor signs civil unions into law wire report Honolulu, Hi. | Hawaii Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed same-sex civil unions into law Feb. 23, calling it “a triumph for everyone’’ that gay and lesbian couples will have the same state rights as married partners.

Civil unions in the Rainbow State would start Jan. 1, 2012, making Hawaii the seventh state to permit civil unions or similar legal recognitions for gay couples.

Five other states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage.

“This bill represents equal rights for everyone in Hawaii, everyone who comes here. This is to me the essence of the aloha spirit,’’ Abercrombie said at a signing ceremony.

Abercrombie’s signature makes it the first law he’s enacted since he was elected in November.

Just seven months ago, former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a similar bill because she said it was samesex marriage by another name. | l |

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Z

ach Weinersmith could have taken the ever-so-tempting low road, replacing his comic strip with a message saying, “Suck on this, you hateful bigots!”

But he didn’t.

In early February, the famously anti-gay-marriage National Organization for Marriage (NOM) posted one of Weinersmith’s comics on the NOM website. It was an odd choice by NOM in the first place—the comic poked fun at rapidly advancing technology and had nothing to do with gay rights, a fact confirmed by Weinersmith on his own personal website. But for some reason, someone over at NOM decided it was a good fit for their anti-gay message, so onto their site it went.

When he learned about NOM’s post, Weinersmith realized NOM had hotlinked him, and he had a choice. (In case anyone doesn’t know, hotlinking is when a site displays an image directly from another site’s database, so whatever Weinersmith decided to put in that space would be automatically posted onto NOM’s page, for every visitor to their site to see.) It was a golden opportunity to humiliate NOM, to lash out against their anti-gay messages and to show

a high-profile media interview. the world just how messed up their Results: Moderate coverage, stance on marriage is. neutral message.

Weinersmith said his first impulse One of my personal favorite was the low road, to post some dirty methods is activism through pictures. Then he changed his mind. humanization. Studies show that He decided to use the opportunity people are more likely to be pro-gay to spread a positive message. After if they know a gay person, but it’s not searching for but not finding a always possible to bond face-to-face satisfactory quote from Harvey Milk, in every community. The internet lets ultimately Weinersmith settled on us tear open the windows, tell the quote from Thomas Jefferson, “We story and let web users at large learn hold these truths to be self-evident, about and relate to LGBTs as people, that all men are created equal,” not as some foreign culture beyond beneath a rainbow flag. comprehension, never seen or heard He asked his followers to get “in real life.” Currently, my favorite screen shots before it was removed example of this is the “Born This and yes, it was quickly taken down Way” blog (BornGayBornThisWay.

by NOM but Weinersmith estimates blogspot.com), a photo/essay 100,000 people—many members of project that invites gay adults to “the other side”—saw the positive submit childhood photos and stories message of equality while it lasted. reflecting the early beginning of Imagine if it had been a dirty their LGBT selves. The photos photo? What a waste. are hilarious, heartbreaking and Instead, Weinersmith seized the sometimes both at the same time. But once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to the real gems are the essays—candid, spread a message of tolerance to scraped-bare portrayals of each NOM’s own followers.

Sometimes, I think internet users— person’s awareness and awakening of his or her sexuality. myself most definitely included—are In some way, readers know the quick to temper flares, responding to submitters after reading their stories. anger with anger, fire with fire, hate Results: Low coverage (spread the with hate. It got me thinking about word!), excellent message. the vast number of choices we really Finally, LGBT activism can have when responding to bigots happen online through normalization. online, and all the tiny little bits of You know how sexist jerks say activism we have the opportunity to women are bad drivers, over and engage in, every day, thanks to the over, until the next thing you know, internet. the jerk’s 12-year-old son is cracking I’d call Weinersmith’s approach jokes about “undermining how bad with positivity.” women drive— Results? even though Excellent Weinersmith seized he’s never been coverage, great the once-in-a-lifetime behind the message. opportunity to wheel of a car?

For those It’s like who need to spread a message of the opposite be aggressive, tolerance to NOM’s of that, and a there’s always great recent a threatening own followers. example is approach. This the Facebook approach is relationship a lot easier if status updates, to include civil unions you have the computer smarts to be a and domestic partnerships. Like all bit of a web bully. Anonymous—the of Facebook’s other wackadoodle group most famous for their actions changes (What is up with the new against Scientology—recently photo viewer?!), we millions of took on Westboro Baptist Church, users will soon get so used to the the group most famous for being new gay-friendly statuses that they jackholes by picketing soldiers’ will fade into the background, funerals and waving signs that eventually becoming so firmly woven say “God hates fags.” The start of into the fabric of our online world this feud was a little convoluted. that we forget that they were ever Anonymous is known for using heteronormative in the first place. orchestrated cyber-attacks to cripple Just as it should be. | l | popular websites, but it was Westboro who seemed to fire the first shot, claiming it had been threatened.

Anonymous denied those claims then decided to take down Westboro’s site anyway, timing the attack during

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LEFT: When The Center moved into its location on Mills Avenue, it provided an anchor for LGBT entrepreneurs. | Photo by Jake Stevens CEnTEr: Funky Monkey owner Eddie nickell and his partner Nicholas Olivieri have the “golden touch” when it comes to bringing strategic business plans to the Mills50 area. righT: Bananas introduced comfort food and late night post-party dining to Mills50. | Photo by Jake Stevens

| uu | Mills50 from p.7

stop for LGBT Central Floridians on their way to nearby bars and attractions, and a meeting and gathering place for numerous civic and theatrical groups.

It was a strange mix, and when the area become known as the ViMi District, many thought it was a reference to Vietnamese culture.

“I wasn’t trying to create a ‘gay district,’” Ground says. “I’m not sure there was a need, but there was definitely a want.”

Soon, other LGBT-friendly businesses decided to locate there. Drag performer Leigh Shannon still owns Ritzy Rags, the iconic clothing, wig and costume shop next door to Ground’s bookstore. Soon there was The Cactus Club, Peacock Lounge, Mad’Lyn’s Café, Balloon World, Wacko! clothing store and more.

Competition In fact, the district was so successful as an LGBT drawing card that competition between stores developed. When the splashy Rainbow City gift retailer opened, it cut into Ground’s business.

“The big box stores and online ordering hurt, but I could’ve lived with that,” Ground says. “Rainbow City agreed not to compete with me, but within a few months they were selling the same stuff. I had attracted the gay community. They diverted them with showier displays and merchandise.

Faced with mounting competition and costs, and after losing his partner in 2002, Ground sold his store. Now known as Mojo, the new owner changed focus. In a couple years Rainbow City was also gone, and there was no longer a retail magnet for the LGBT community.

But there was The Center. The organization had moved to a larger Mills Ave. location, providing an anchor while some LGBT businesses faltered. But the area remained attractive to LGBT entrepreneurs. GayDayS.

“I wasn’t trying to create a ‘gay district.’”

—Bruce Ground, owner of out & ABout Books

com established headquarters on Virginia Ave. House of Flowers relocated to a prominent building on Mills. Friends Restaurant became a popular gathering spot. The Cactus Club changed ownership, becoming Paradise.

And gay-owned or LGBT-friendly nonretail/restaurant businesses moved into the area, including Orlando Immunology Clinic, Ranger’s Pet Outpost and Loch Haven Veterinary Clinic.

In 2007 the old Mills-Nebraska lumberyard was torn down to make room for Mills Park, an ambitious multi-use project that was decimated by the housing bust. The 15 acre property is now a giant empty lot.

“Financing has proved very difficult on that [project] in the current climate,” says Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, whose home rests almost directly across the street. “I am expecting some exciting announcements from the developer really soon.”

Meanwhile, the city hopes to embrace nearby LGBT-friendly businesses in the Mills50 revitalization. They include several businesses on Virginia Ave. like Sip, Logan’s Bistro, Framing of Central Florida and John Michael Events.

A second coming?

City plans for Mills50 include a Florida Department of Transportation-approved streetscape that includes bike racks, planters, banners and a community arts project in which well-known local artists will be asked to

redecorate 34 traffic light junction boxes.

Equally impressive are the plans of Mills50 business owners. In that regard, Nickell and Olivieri have ushered in a new era.

The first Funky Monkey opened in an unassuming location on Mills and quietly attracted a devoted clientele. The much larger I-Drive restaurant brought good food and drag show hosted by Danielle Hunter to the tourism corridor. Just this past year, Bananas introduced comfort food and late night post-party dining to Mills50. The lines, including many neighborhood locals, formed immediately and haven’t let up.

This month, Nickell and Olivieri, will open The Vault, a wine and gift basket store just a few doors down from their restaurants. And they just opened corporate offices in a nearby storefront leased from The Center.

“We will cater some of their events, and see if we can find other unique ways to support the community,” Nickell says during a break from interviewing retail clerks for The Vault.

“I’d rather keep my money here and support The Center than to build corporate offices from scratch.”

“It’s a great agreement,” says Center director Randy Stevens.

Just as Bruce Ground’s Out & About Books attracted similar businessess, Nickell and Olivieri’s enterprises caught the attention of Pom Moongauklang, of the gay-popular Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwicheria. She will soon open an Asian-Spanish inspired “tako-

cheena” in between Bananas and The Vault.

It may be the perfect fusion of the diverse elements that comprises Mills50.

Where retail created the city’s so-called “gay district” back in Ground’s day, that energy is now driven by bars, restaurants and other social gathering venues. In this day of connection-by-computer, it offers the LGBT community an opportunity to “see and be seen.”

But The Vault could demonstrate a return to retail for Mills50.

“It’s a 4,000-square foot retail spot with wine, gifts, plateware, glassware, accessories, decanters… that kind of thing,” Nickell says. “We’re also going to sell cheese, wine baskets, silverware, jewelry, beaded things and necklaces and such.”

Danielle Hunter, who performs at Funky Monkey and Bananas, will manage the store.

Local business owners are rooting for its success.

Nickell is enthusiastic about the new store, and the future of Mills50.

“We’re proud of what we’ve done, and hopefully we’ll be able to attract even more businesses,” he says.

But will recent developments once again create a definable LGBT commercial district, similar to those found in Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and other major cities? Sheehan is equivocal.

“I really don’t think we need one,” she says. “Yes—a lot of gay-owned businesses are located in this area, but there are gayowned businesses all over town. We are more mainstream now.”

Ground disagrees.

“Mainstreaming is nice, but it would also be great to have an area where we can maintain our distinct identity,” he says.

Stevens finds a middle ground that seems applicable.

“I think it’s a little of both,” he says. “We love that we are becoming more accepted, but we also want to celebrate what makes our community unique.” | l |

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On Steve Blanchard’s Editor’s Desk about the superficial aspects of being gay:

“I’m with you there, Steve. The gay community is pretty superficial and you are not alone in your frustration. There are plenty of us out there who are not the stereotype of pop-culture obsessed dance floor queens.

Keep up the great work. I always enjoy your editorials!”

—NowWhat

“I’m sure you’ll get a bunch of people agreeing 110%!”

On Obama’s admission that he “grapples” with personal views on gay marriage:

“I don’t really understand how you can be for “strong civil unions” then be opposed to marriage. They’ll be called marriages regardless. He needs to get past this. Or is this his way of keeping anti-gay voters appeased?”

—CampScottie

Don’t be left out of the community conversation!

Head over to WatermarkOnline.com, register and start telling us what YOU think!

When we read the story on Narssica were so giddy it was embarrassing. You rocked our world.

That being said, I also read Steve Blanchard’s “Editor’s Desk” (Issue 18.04) and I think it’s natural to be annoyed with gay culture. It can be too much at times…but at the end of the day I wouldn’t trade being gay for anything. I think he just needs a nap—and a puppy.

Jameson Gardner Tampa

In the wake of the Egypt crisis, every American who voted for Obama has the right to sit back and savor the moment, but not before peeking at CNN’s account of John McCain’s talk show appearance, in which he chided Obama for not “standing up for democracy”

nO - I was always a supporter and continue to be.

nO - I didn’t like him before and DOMA does nothing to change that.

A good read—and a puppy

Obama has the right touch

yes - My support was lagging but DOMA is renewing it.

nO - too little, too late.

Tom Dyer’s Publisher’s Perspective in issue 18.04 was excellent! I loved his reference to Gov. Rick Scott as Skeletor. As a person with a disability and a friend of the LGTBQ community I am concerned with the governor’s failure to include disability and sexual orientation in the anti-discrimination policy applicable to state workers.

And that’s just for starters.

Suellen Fagin-Allen Via e-mail

—RonJ73

neutrAl - I don’t think the DOMA decision really matters.

Ex-cellent column

46%

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

psychotherapist individuals º couples º families

“I loved his reference to Gov. Rick Scott as Skeletor.”

—Suellen FaGIn-allen

and claimed that activists in the region are “looking to America for leadership.”

He’s wrong, of course. It’s because Obama knows that if we strongly back any horse in the Middle East game, other players would run in the other direction, into Al Qaeda’s open arms. If America tried to “lead” the demonstrations, as McCain dumbly suggests, any outcome favorable to the West would be impossible, simply because wherever we stick our nose in, our sticking our nose in becomes the only issue.

Of course, the resulting polarization gives power to Al Qaeda.

Happily for us, our President knows how to apply gentle pressure and not sound belligerent. This posture allows the players in the Middle East a rare pleasure: The possibility of success without having to hate America first. However, over the next few weeks, Republican leaders will play up any “jihadist” elements in the Middle East crowds, and jump at every opportunity to make Obama’s soft touch seem foolhardy. One hopes we’re smart enough to pay them no mind.

Johnathan Zuro Via e-mail

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Send all correspondence to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com. Letters may be edited for space or clarity. Opinions expressed in reader mail do not reflect those of Watermark’s staff.

29%

yes - it actually makes me like him less.

13%

8% youth group

4% 0% At WAtermArkOnline.cOm, We Asked yOu:

Does his decision on DOMA change your opinion of President Obama?

A new poll will be posted to the homepage this week. Be sure to visit WatermarkOnline.com and let us know what YOU think!

23

watermark | viewpoint

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make a run for another state in some sort of pilgrimage or LGBT matrimonial underground railroad. To be able to cross the border to another state and say, “This is my husband” without some saying, “He’s not your husband here.”

The laws of ignorance say that my love for my mate of 19 years is not valid.

Backed by a misinterpretation of the Bible, they say that I cannot marry the man I love. My home shows little or no difference to that of my parents or others Which box in opposite-sex relationships. Moreover, in do i check? most cases, it shows more distinctiveness, because our relationship is not 50/50. Our home is built on 100/100, because we refuse to bring only half of who we are to our relationship. Why is it that separation Rev. Scott of church and state can be enforced in Manning every other facet of government except here, when it concerns the marriage issue?

If I check the “single” box then I deny my partner and the 19 years we’ve been together, and the 1,900 years I hope to be with him. Why is my love summed up into a little box in which I cannot legally check the way my heart tells me to?

It gives the feeling that I’m delusional, that society may have a valid point somehow. Then I’m shaken back to the reality that my love is genuine, it’s just as real as those loves proclaimed through every media vehicle.

I’ve heard the arguments against same-sex marriage; I was raised on those arguments, and at one time I agreed with ecently I was reading an article them. But they pale in comparison to written by a longtime friend. Her the simple yet profound truth that gives piece struck a mental chord in me. me the desire to publicly announce in a She eloquently recounted her experience legalized ceremony. My love has endured of—in her words—“being black and pain, prejudice, hate, ignorance, disbelief, white, in a black or white world.” and Jerry Fawwell. It has stood in the face Her focus was on applications, new of friends and family and said, “If I cannot hire papers and such asking to check the have your acceptance, it’s not healthy to appropriate box to acknowledge if you’re have you in my life.” It has inspired me African-American, Caucasian, Native to say, “Arguments or not, you didn’t give American, Latin this love to me and American or Other. you can’t take it The dilemma was away.”

I want to be married in my friend not So which box do wanting to deny her I check? The apostle without having to heritage as a child Paul said, “I’m in make a run for another of an interracial this world but I’m family. Although she state in some sort not of it.” I realize is very aware and he was referring to of pilgrimage or proud of her family Christianity, but I LGBT matrimonial and heritage, her choose to apply that dilemma was in the to my life, introduce underground railroad. societal ignorance my husband, and condensing her into pray for the day that a tiny box checked I can legally check “Other.” Her question was, “Which box do the “married” box. And with that, I’ll I check?” demand their acceptance and remind them Not wanting to discount my friend’s of the laws that once prohibited me from experience, I began to run the lines of checking the “married” box and then tell comparison. Which box to check? They them to get over it. | l | want to know if I’m married; divorced, separated, widowed, or single. Legally I’m Rev. Scott Manning is the founder of Last Child Ministries in Tampa. single, but I want to be married, in fact, I long to be married—Biblically and legally.

I want to be married without having to

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Columbia. Three additional states (New York, Rhode Island and Maryland) recognize those marriages. And three states (New Jersey, Illinois and Hawaii) sanction civil unions that embrace most marital rights.

So DOMA now has real impact. It denies more than 1,000 provisions of federal law to thousands of legally married same-sex couples.

These include costly federal health, Social Security, pension and tax benefits.

It is the job of the Justice Department to enforce legislation passed by Congress and The DOMA signed into law by the President, and to defend those laws when they are challenged in court.

Dance Until last week, the Obama Justice Department held its nose and defended DOMA. But two pending lawsuits would force Justice to argue Tom Dyer that there is no history of discrimination Tom@WatermarkOnline.com against gays and lesbians, or that we can change our orientation. Whether for moral, legal or political reasons, it was more than the Obama administration could bear.

“The President and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation [should be subjected to a strict legal test intended to block unfair discrimination],” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. stated in a letter to members of Congress. By that standard, he concluded, DOMA “is unconstitutional.”

That kind of unconstitutional discrimination is on vivid display in one of the pending lawsuits. Edith Windsor married her wife in Canada, and the marriage was legally recognized in New York, their state of he headlines last week were exciting, residence. There is no federal estate tax for and also misleading: “Obama Declares property passing between spouses upon death.

DOMA Unconstitutional!” But did But when her wife died, Windsor was forced President Barack Obama put an end to the to pay $360,000 in estate taxes because of offensive Defense Of Marriage Act, passed by DOMA. a Republican-led Congress and signed into law With Obama’s Justice Department bailing,

by President Bill Clinton in 1996? Not by a what will happen to Windsor’s case? DOMA long shot. can be defended by others, including Congress In fact, while stating that the administration and even conservative legal groups. Speaker would no longer defend DOMA in court, of the House John Boehner has said he is Obama’s Justice Department said they will reviewing ways to support the law. But continue to enforce the act until it is repealed the significance of Justice—with all of its or declared unconstitutional in a definitive legal firepower—changing sides cannot be court ruling. overstated.

Let me take a stab at explaining, for my Same-sex marriage will ultimately be benefit as well as yours. decided by the Supreme Court. The issue DOMA defines could arrive there by marriage, from a two routes: DOMA federal perspective, as and California’s When her wife died, exclusively the union Proposition 8. Federal Edith Windsor was between a man and a district courts have forced to pay $360,000 woman. It prevents the already declared both federal government unconstitutional. But in estate taxes from recognizing even if positive, the because of DOMA. same-sex marriages, results could be quite and it allows states to different. deny recognition of A finding that Prop same-sex unions made legal elsewhere.

8 is unconstitutional would likely overturn States grant marriage rights, so this was all dozens of similar state same-sex marriage superfluous prior to 2004, when the Supreme bans—including Florida’s—and make sameJudicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that sex marriage legal throughout the nation. restricting marriage to heterosexuals violated With DOMA, the Supreme Court could strike that state’s constitution. Since then, samecertain provisions of the law without forcing sex marriage has been made legal in four states to recognize same-sex marriage. more states (Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont Of course, the conservative Roberts Court and New Hampshire) and the District of could uphold both laws.

T

In that respect, the position taken by President Obama may be pivotal. For the first time, Justice is arguing that gays and lesbians qualify for the greater protection afforded classes like race or gender. Where there is differential treatment, discrimination is presumed and government interest must be proved overriding.

Of course, all consideration of same-sex marriage—even Supreme Court decisions— rides the wave of public opinion. According to an Associated Press survey last year, the public is evenly divided: 52 percent believe the federal government should give legal recognition to same-sex marriages. That’s more than double the number 15 years ago.

And in every state, a majority of those

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

27

under 29 now supports marriage equality.

But opinions still vary by region and can often be perplexing. Thirty states have constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage, most passed in the last decade.

During his 2008 campaign President Obama opposed same-sex marriage rights, but he also said his opinion is “evolving.”

“I struggle with this,” he said recently. “I have friends and people who work for me who are in powerful, strong, long-lasting gay or lesbian unions.

Based on his administration’s decision on DOMA, I think he’s changed his mind. I think he’s concluded that there’s no good reason for government to treat us differently when it comes to marriage and family. | l |

28

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living the

life

ERIN MCHUGH’S L-LIFE CHRONICLES THE SUCCESSES OF FAMOUS—AND NOT SO FAMOUS—LESBIANS IN AMERICA steve blanchard

Photo courtesy Jennifer May

hile Erin McHugh was munching on a sandwich in a New York Deli nearly two years ago, Michael Jacobs, the president of Abrams publishing, asked the author if she would be interested in writing a lesbian book for him.

“I told him, ‘Let me finish my sandwich and I’ll get back to you,’” she laughs during a phone interview from her New York home.

It didn’t take long for McHugh’s idea for a photo essay to come to fruition and she began compiling a list of notable—and not so notable—lesbians who have made enormous differences in their communities and in their lives.

“I wanted to give a universitality to the women in the book,” McHugh explains. “I thought it would be nice to celebrate many different women—some you know and some you don’t.”

In all, 26 women are featured in the new book, L-Life: Extraordinary Lesbians Making a Difference (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $35.50), which debuts this month.

Featured women include Jane Lynch of Glee fame and notable comedienne Kate Clinton. But the collection also features the unknown struggles and triumphs of Lupe Valdez, the sheriff of Dallas County, Tex., and Tenaja Jordan, a 24-year-old who came out at a young age, was kicked out of her parents’ home, survived and now works with New York’s foster care system.

McHugh says it’s no accident that her new book, with photographs by Jennifer May, hits store shelves during Women’s History Month.

McHugh filled us in on her process and shared some of her views on the purpose of her book, the mainstream press and the evolution of feminism: WATERMARK: Every one of the subjects in L-Life are lesbians. Did you have any difficulty getting these women to openly share their sexuality?

ERIN McHUGH: Well first off, I fell in love just a little bit with every one of these women. I would open each interview with, ‘This is a tribute. This is not going to be in the National Enquirer next to a story on Lindsay Lohan.’

(Laughs) Seriously, overall, the women were proud and willing to share who they are with me. It was an amazing experience.

How did you compile your list of subjects?

I’ve been around awhile, as far as the LGBT movement is concerned. One of the first people I wanted to speak with was Kate Clinton. She asked right away, “Who’s in the book?” I wasn’t sure at that point. I mean, it was easy to put a list in my head, but I knew it would change.

Continued on page 34 | uu |

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watermark | film

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

31

screened out WHO AM I?

stephen miller

Stephen@WatermarkOnline.com

Cedar Rapids (Starring Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver)

G

olly, innocent people are awesome, even if their pure souls sometimes get wrung through the wringer. A sweet, heartfelt approach fertilizes this small comedy, which succeeds in making the frequent Midwestern stereotyping forgivable.

Helms (The Hangover) plays a smalltown Wisconsin insurance agent sent to the bustling metropolis of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to a convention. His goal is to get his agency their fourth, coveted Two Diamond award. The problem is that Helms is so naïve, he�s almost socially retarded. He’s never flown, rented a car, or booked a hotel room. He’s disconcerted by his “Afro American” suite mate Whitlock.

He doesn’t drink and party like embarrassing, brash Reilly or sexy Heche. Of course, by the end of the conference, he’s tasted forbidden fruits and seen the dark, porky underbelly of the insurance biz. Whether he’s able to maintain his nobility is the crux of this quiet comedy.

Cedar Rapids is a tiny film that entirely rests on its prairie salespeople, with their bad suits, terrible haircuts and bland jokes. It’s a compliment that the script and the actors find the humor and humanity in a situation that could otherwise be considered about as exciting as shredded wheat. Cedar Rapids is charmingly and carefully delivered, sticking to its guns, delivering a solid night of chuckles if not out-loud laugher. Those Midwesterners are too polite to make such a ruckus.

economic landscape. Neeson hits his head, lapses into a coma, and wakes up four days later to find another man (Quinn) claiming his identity and his wife.

So, apparently a man in a coma can wake up and waltz out of a hospital. Elaborate car chases rip through the Berlin streets with nary a cop in sight. Evil villains have lengthy conversations with Neeson—they readily kill people around him, and instead of offing him also, decide to chat for extended periods. Of course, there are plot twists, but after you think about it, those also make no sense whatsoever.

Here’s the biggest problem: hundreds of cars get crashed or explode, buildings blow up, and the actors wear some very expensive costumes—meaning someone spent a slew of money on Unknown. What they didn’t spend any cash on—what they thought audiences wouldn’t notice—is that this expensive, handsome story is a complete absurdity disguised with a shiny coat of gloss.

John C. Reilly, Ed Helms, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. charm in the corny Midwestern comedy Cedar Rapids.

intermittently funny homoerotic hot-tub jokes, fart gags, nudity and misogyny comes the sugary message that marriage maybe isn’t all that bad, and that cheating makes you feel icky.

Perhaps the LGBT audience can feel especially bitter, because the luxury of marriage is provided to these morons while we languish as second-class citizens. This sophomoric gag-fest is too stupid to realize even that easy truth. | l |

Overflowing uncontrollably with glittery fabulousness Pretty damn good, but it’s no Sunset Boulevard An entertaining enough flick with perhaps a few gaping holes Ever so slightly watchable, even if it is just because of that hot actor Two hours of your life you’ll never get back

Hall Pass (Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate Jenna Fischer)

Probably the worst thing about shock humor is that, if the rest of the film is tepid, the funny parts seem a fluke. The Farrelly brothers (of the equally incendiary There’s Something About Mary and Kingpin) try to combine their gross-out gags with the softer stuff of Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), mostly to lackluster results. It’s largely because we don’t care about the shallow characters or the even shallower set-up.

Wilson and Sudeikis are Owen Wilson wimps infantile husbands fixated out in Hall Pass on other women. The wives Unknown (Fischer and Applegate) (Starring Liam Neeson, decide to give their husbands January Jones, Dianne Kruger, Aden Quinn) a “hall pass,” a week to do anything with no questions asked. Of course, that means the In the beginning of this film, Neeson women will be away doing “something else.” takes a blow to the head. Apparently so did These crass and selfish suburban daddies are the producers who sunk bajillions of dollars going to fail spectacularly, partially because into this over-bloated but pretty thriller. It’s they’re out of touch, but also because…well, a mystery why the camera work and the performances are so committed to this illogical they’re selfish.

Wilson’s character is untenably wimpy and action flick. clueless. We haven’t seen this side of him (nor Neeson is a biologist; Jones (Mad Men) his do we particularly want to). Fischer, Applegate pretty wife. They are heading to a conference and especially Sudeikis are more amusing, but in Berlin, where a sheik is about to unveil a the roles seem better tailored. In between the free strain of corn that will change the world’s

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watermark | music

| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

marsha ambrosius:

‘hate is hate’ NOw SOlO, fORMeR flOetRy SINgeR tARgetS HOMOpHOBIA wItH fIRSt SINgle

chris azzopardi

M

arsha Ambrosius isn’t going to tell you that it gets better. Her video, “Far Away,” is an all-too-real take on gay bullying and suicide that’s inspired by her friend’s attempt at taking his own life. The song is also the lead single from the English singer’s very personal Late Nights & Early Mornings, her first solo album after parting ways with R&B duo Floetry.

We caught up with Ambrosius, who opened up about the inspiration behind the bold video, how people are reacting to it and why it’s breaking color barriers, too.

WATERMARK: Why is the issue of gay suicide so close to your heart?

MARSHA AMBROSIUS: I’d gone through a situation with a friend of mine who

was battling issues with his sexuality, and not being accepted and the feeling that there’s no other way out than to take your own life. To try to deal with someone who’s in such a dark place, it was very disheartening for me—the bestie that’s all smiles, ensuring that the world will be okay.

Did he commit suicide?

No, definitely attempted—and not once, but a few times. Thankfully, he’s still here.

How do you feel about the buzz surrounding the video?

It’s so overwhelming. It was never my intention to cause a stir, but I wanted to get a reaction and I’m thankful that it’s opened

Marsha Ambrosius says that her new single about gay suicide was inspired by the experience of a close friend. | Photos courtesy Glynis Selina Arban

a line of communication to people who wouldn’t speak to each other at one point.

Whether it was a fight against what’s right or wrong or what’s love and what’s hate, people are speaking and I’m changing minds.

All I want for people to see with this video is that hate is hate no matter who you are. When you can’t be accepted for who you are in this world, that’s all you have. It’s getting people talking and disagreeing—or agreeing—so I’m thankful for that.

Oh, most definitely. With the title, Late Nights & Early Mornings, it’s how I lived life. It was just late nights in the studios, maybe at a show, waking up the next day to go travel and perform somewhere, wherever. And it’s a continual cycle. Even in a relationship, as sensual and seductive as it gets, you want that late, hot and steamy night with the one that you want to be with—and then wake up to a nice early-morning breakfast.

Do you think there’s a race divide when it comes to gay people in the media?

Initially, it wasn’t on my mind. It was just how I portrayed my scenario as if those were my friends, and I wasn’t thinking of it as breaking color barriers, too. I think for two openly gay males—black males at that—to be shown in the light that they were was a very surreal moment for many.

What was the best early-morning breakfast you had?

Belgian waffles, whipped cream, powdered sugar, a cup of hot cocoa, a side of fresh fruit—and him, with his 6-foot-3 chocolate self. (Laughs)

And you didn’t go with the down-low approach, like R. Kelly did with “Trapped in the Closet,” which seems like a common portrayal of black gay men.

Right—and I even saw some comments like, “What is this with gays on the down low?” There’s nothing down low about this. This is broad daylight in New Jersey, somewhere in the sunshine, looking into each other’s eyes lovingly. This is an open relationship for two people that are in love.

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Why all the heartbreak on the album?

I guess there are three songs conceptually that could be heartache records: “Far Away,” “Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player),” which was written for a friend who went through a bad break-up, and “The Break-Up Song.” The rest of them are just about having great sex: great make-up sex, great break-up sex. (Laughs) Is this based on your own personal experiences?

Based on a line from the song (“Hope that she Kim Kardashian-ed her way up”), I take it you’re not friends with Kim Kardashian?

I don’t even know her, but she is such a sweetheart. On the record I’m actually giving her a compliment, and how I got that line together was, yeah, I may have just known her from a sex tape that she did with an R&B singer at one point, but she turned that around and made herself a million-dollar mogul and a marketing machine.

I’m not gonna say that an R&B singer is going to release a sex tape of him and me tomorrow, but it’s not to say I haven’t sent a sexy text message that someone could just then say, “Oh, I’ve got Marsha’s tits!”

But there’s no sex tape with a 6-foot-3 chocolate lover?

Who knows! | l |

START HERE. Go to WatermarkOnline.com to see the video for Ambrosius' "Far Away."

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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watermark | books

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L-Life is a collection of essays portraying the successes of 26 lesbians from across the country who made a difference in the world. Photo courtesy Jennifer May

| uu | L-Life from p.29

She told me I shouldn’t do the book without including Kate Kendell, the executive director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. I said, “Okay, I’ll put her on my list.� Then three others said the same thing about Kendell. I knew I had to get her.

It became this thing of people saying, “Let me call this person for you,â€? or suggesting people. A lot of calls and letters and emails were ying. I knew I wanted the book to be diverse—and I realized right away that diverse doesn’t just mean representing various races.

It’s about age, career and geography. So the project became a jigsaw, and that’s when it became really fun.

You’ve said that you never interviewed people before. Was that a challenge for you?

It was new to me. I was so entranced by and beholden to all of these people. I was impressed by their stories and I had to wait for over a year for the book to come out and for them to see it. Of course I want this book to go far and wide, but my biggest worry was, “What if I didn’t do a good job or I disappointed these women in some way?�

I’ve since heard from almost everyone in the book and they are all loving it. I’ve been told I did a sensitive job. That’s a huge compliment.

Obviously, as a lesbian author interviewing lesbian subjects, your target audience is lesbians. But where else would you like to see this book go?

I wrote a series of small books about three years ago called “The Portable Queer.� It was tiny volumes of quotes, gay history, etc.

I found that the compliments and feedback I enjoyed the most were those from a parent who said their child just came out and that they received these books as a guide. I heard those collections helped open eyes to LGBT history and helped the understanding process.

I’m hoping that happens with this book too. I’ve already had people tell me that “My daughter is 15 and just came out and she’s so proud. If you would sign a book for me I’d be so grateful.�

I tell them, “Are you kidding? It’s parents like you that are moving this whole world forward!�

The book is released in March—Women’s History Month—and it features 26 lesbians.

Do you view yourself as a feminist?

People seem to think feminism is dead, as a rule. I don’t. Maybe it’s just changed in how people view it. Are feminists from the 1970s different from women who are feminists today? Maybe in only that the women then had to ďŹ ght harder. Today you mention the names Bella and Gloria to a 29-year-old girl and she has no idea you’re talking about Bella Abzug and Gloria Steinem.

Times have changed. Why do you think a book about successful lesbians is necessary today?

Today the doors in peoples’ heads are open a little more. If this was published 20 years ago the audience would be much smaller. But now, so many people are out—kids are coming out.

In 1990 there really wasn’t a PFLAG and high schools didn’t have Gay-Straight Alliances.

Today there are parents, teachers, relatives who are interested in our community and they know they have something to learn.

In the introduction of the book you talk about bonds made and the sisterhood of the subjects in L-Life. How do the stories of these women affect you?

I cry a lot. It was a couple of years ago now that I started this, but every time I see these stories or talk about them, I get emotional. I get really involved. I’ve done a lot of work myself for the movement, but I feel like I’m nothing like these people. These women are goddesses to me. I could write several of these books. I’d be happy to do L-Life 2! | l |

see+hear WHAT: L-Life: Extraordinary Lesbians Making a Difference WHO: Erin McHugh HOW: In bookstores this month

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

POPS

Opera Goes Pops It’s a pops parade of some of the bestloved opera hits that everybody knows from commercials, cartoons and films...

Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Puccini’s La Boheme and Verdi’s Force of Destiny, among others. Featuring Elizabeth de Trejo. Stuart Chafetz conducts.

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watermark | event planner

| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

Lewis Black Comedian Lewis Black will bring his frustrated and angry personality to the stage of Tampa’s Straz Center on March 10.

Equus Adam Pate stars in The Pointe Performing Arts Center’s production of Equus this month.

Natalie Cole Iconic diva Natalie Cole will bring her anthems to Sarasota and Clearwater this month.

comedy

theater

[TAMPA] Lewis Black

[CLEARWATER] Spring Awakening

The world’s most annoyed comedian will stop by the Straz Center on Thursday, March 10, to share his frustrations with the masses.

Lewis Black, the liberal Jewish stand-up comedian with the “angry fingers” will no doubt have plenty to say about the Tea Party, new members of Congress and Florida’s new governor. For tickets, visit StrazCenter.org.

Broadway musicals were taken into brand new territory when Spring Awakening debuted a few years back. The eight-time Tony Award winning production tells the story of late 19th century German students as they navigate teenage self discovery—including their sexuality—right on stage. The production, with music penned by Duncan Sheik, runs two days only, March 1819, at Ruth Eckerd Hall. For tickets and more information, visit RuthEckerdHall.com.

music [CLEARWATER] John Mellencamp Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp will stop by Ruth Eckerd Hall for a one-night concert on Friday, March 4. On the surface the rocker may not seem like a gay icon, but in 2010, Mellencamp blasted the National Organization for Marriage for using his music at anti-gay rallies, saying that his “views on samesex marriage and equal rights for all people of all sexual orientations are at odds with NOM’s stated agenda.” If that’s not a reason to buy a ticket to see his show, we don’t know what is!

For more information visit RuthEckerdHall.com.

[CLEARWATER+SARASOTA] Natalie Cole Gay icon and diva Natalie Cole will make two stops in the Tampa Bay area this month— Wednesday, March 16 at the Van Wezel in Sarasota and Thursday, March 17 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. The Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds power-singer has provided countless numbers for female impersonators— and now’s your chance to see her live. For tickets and information, visit VanWezel.org or RuthEckerdHall.com.

[TAMPA] West Side Story In what many say is the best Broadway musical of all time, lovers from two families must defy the odds in West Side Story, which runs at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts through March. 6. The Tampa engagement is directed

by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents and will no doubt have an amazing musically-charged knife fight. For tickets and information, visit StrazCenter.org.

[ORLANDO] Equus The Pointe Performing Arts Center presents the disturbing and controversial play Equus, through March 27. The story follows a boy who has blinded six horses in a violent fit of passion and his actions are very out of character for the equine-loving teen. No word on if there will be any nude scenes in this local production. For tickets and info, call 407-3743587 or visit PointeArts.org.

film [ORLANDO] Movies Out Loud: Xanadu On March 10, Movies Out Loud presents Olivia Newton-John on roller skates with the bad—but also beloved—Xanadu. Once again armed only with microphones and laser pens, comedian

Jeff Jones and drag personality Miss Sammy will be your tour guides through the wonderful world of camp cinema. $10 tickets are available at WatermarkOnline.com or at the door. Buy tickets now—last month’s Movies Out Loud was sold out. Showtime is at 8 p.m.

special events [ORLANDO] The Center Yard Sale Fundraiser Volunteers at The Center have been collecting items for weeks in preparation for a huge yard sale fundraiser, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. March 5 at The Center parking lot, rain or shine. (If it rains, the sale will be held indoors in the Gallery.) In addition to the clothing, furniture, appliances and other goods for sale, the event will feature a hot dog cart, a bake sale and a raffle. Tickets are $5 and could win you a 2-park annual pass to Universal Studios. The Center will continue to collect donations up until the day of the sale, as well. Either drop items off at The Center or call 407-228-8272 for more information.

Need a Head Shot?

Milford Photography and Portraits by Kacia are teaming up to offer head shot photography at Sip from 3–7 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.

They’ll offer a full studio set-up with lighting and backdrop–-about 20 shots in one outfit for $75, and the customer will own the images.Reserve a spot by calling 407-242-6787.

March Phish Phest Heat Tandoor Lounge is the scene for March’s Phish Phest get-together. The new club features a specialty drink menu, food and South Beach-inspired décor. The party runs from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. There is no cost to attend.

Mary’s. Admission is free, but reservations are strongly suggested.

[SANFORD] Seminole Stroll The 6th annual Seminole Stroll, the second largest annual fundraiser for Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, is March 12 at 9 a.m., with registration starting at 8 a.m. The event’s purpose is to raise awareness and funds for the men, women and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Central Florida community. Last year’s event raised more than $27,000. Teams and walkers can still sign up – go to SeminoleStroll.org for more information.

[ST. PETERSBURG] Kori Stevens Benefit Miss St. Pete Pride 2010 wants another title, but she needs the community’s help to fund her goals. Kori Stevens plans to compete at the All American Goddess National Pageant in Dayton, Ohio later this year and the Flamingo Resort is holding a special benefit to help her get there. The fun starts at 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, and will feature special performances by Alexis De La Mer, Kamden Wells, Dani Panic, Louisa Salome, Madisyn De La Mer and more. For more information, visit FlamingoFla.com.

Rough Riders’ St. Patty’s Day Parade The day honoring the luck of the Irish falls on a Thursday this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your drink on during the weekend.

The 18th Annual Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day Parade will march down Ybor City’s 7th Avenue on Saturday, March 12 and for the first time, the GaYbor District Coalition has been invited to attend. The parade starts at 8 p.m. and is scheduled to wrap by 9:30 p.m. It’s free and open to the public.

The Nearlywed Game See this adult twist on a classic games show where host Jeff Jones asks couples what they really know about each other. It starts at 8 p.m., on Friday, March 11 at at Hamburger

Got an event you’d like to see listed in Watermark? At least two to four weeks in advance, send all pertinent info—date, time, place, cost, contact information for readers to get more details, and what the event is about—to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com, and we will feature it in the paper on a space-available basis.

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

watermark | tampa bay out+about

shot on site

1- Women from throughout Tampa Bay enjoyed the beautiful Florida Weather Feb. 27 while playing volleyball on Gulfport Beach.

Photography | Tom Dyer, Leyden Photography and Suzanne Noe

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2- Members of the Tampa Brigade were energized after round-robin play on the Woodlawn Fields in St. Petersburg during the Gasparilla Softball Classic Feb. 19.

3- Artists were on hand to showcase their talents during the opening of the Fourth Annual Pink Weekend at PLAY in Ybor City Feb. 25.

4- Several members of the Tampa Panthers relax on the bleachers between games during the Gasparilla Softball Classic at the St. Petersburg Woodlawn fields.

5- The Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence celebrate Pink Sunday at City Side in Tampa Feb. 27.

6- Performer Iman is surprised with a birthday cake during a performance at the Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg Feb. 26.

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watermark | tampa bay out+about

tampa bay overheard G. Bar to head north Don’t stress out, Ybor Club Kids. Tampa’s G. Bar isn’t going anywhere—but it will soon have a sister bar in the heart of Atlanta, Ga. later this year. In a release from owners Steve Donahue and Steve Moss, it was announced that a new G. Bar would open its doors sometime this year. Donahue told Watermark in the past that he and his partners were constantly looking at other cities to host a nightclub as successful as his others—including Honey Pot, G. Bar and the Ybor Eagle/Social Club. Now it looks like the Florida Entertainment Group has settled on the hometown of the Designing Women. To keep up with the announcements about the new bar, look for G. Bar Atlanta’s Facebook page.

Tampa Gala breaks records Financial details weren’t available at press time but the attendance numbers were definitely impressive at the 2011 Equality Florida Tampa gala on Saturday, Feb. 26. More than 350 people attended the fundraiser at the Tampa Garden Club that honored Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor as a “Voice for Equality.” The total amount raised

at the gala was scheduled to be released sometime March 2.

Million Hugs has almost as many tour stops What started as research for a novel has turned into a book teaching new performers how to start the art of performing as female impersonators—and achieving success. Now, Million Hugs: The Official Drag Handbook, authored by Tampa’s own Todd KachinskiKottmeier is launching a national book signing tour that starts right here in Tampa Bay. Thousands of entertainers contributed details of their art to the book that is already breaking pre-sale records, according to the book’s senior editor. The author and several of the performers featured in the book will be on hand for the first official stop of the tour at the Flamingo Resort in St. Pete March 3, Manilow’s in New Port Richey on March 10, The Honey Pot in Ybor City March 11, the Parliament House in Orlando March 13 and Chelsea Nightclub in Tampa March 17. From there the tour heads to every other corner of Florida and then to California, Arizona, Wisconsin and even Alaska. For details on the book and a tour schedule, check out MillionHugs.com.

Got juicy gossip or amazing event photos? E-mail the dish or your photos (with full names of everyone pictured and event details) to Overheard@WatermarkOnline.com

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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watermark | orlando out+about

| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

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orlando overheard Spicy Monkey Restaurateurs Eddie Nickell and Nick Olivieri, the creative minds behind Funky Monkey Wine Company and Bananas Diner, are quietly developing yet another unique venture for downtown Orlando. The latest enterprise, called The Prickly Pear (not “Pair”), will feature southwestern fare. Nickell was cagy about further details, but offered this tasty ease: “We are in negotiations with several locations. We are not yet announcing what is coming, but more is coming.” Nickell and Olivieri are currently prepping for the grand-opening of The Funky Monkey Vault, a wine and retail shop located in the Mills-50 District. And just last month, Nickell was appointed as the first openly gay president of the Central Florida chapter of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA).

on Wednesday evening March 16 at 8 PM. Additional performance dates are Sunday March 20 at 6PM and Monday March 28 at 8PM.

You Look Familiar Center director Randy Stevens did a doubletake when he saw a photo posted on Facebook pulled from mugshotsusa.com. That’s because it was the same guy who jumped on stage at Diva Invasion last year with a large fake $50,000 check for the Zebra Coalition, boldly promising another million for the umbrella organization for LGBT youth support groups.

According to Stevens, the 23-year-old con man also had $2,000 worth of t-shirts delivered to The Center—and then stuck them with the bill.

The Pinellas County arrest was for DUI and assaulting an arresting officer. Classy guy.

Wobbling Wanzie

Ellen’s Back

Thunderous thespian Michael Wanzie is being forced to take an unplanned intermission.

His latest production, Christopher Durang’s Laughing Wild was pushed back after Wanzie took a backward tumble onto concrete while moving set pieces out of the Footlight Theatre.

The accident resulted in a broken wrist, back pain and severe Oxycotin-induced loopiness.

Laughing Wild will now open for a limited threeshow engagement at The Footlight Theatre

Ellen DeGeneres is bringing her show back to Universal Orlando. She’ll tape two shows on the oh-so-accessible lagoon stage at Universal CityWalk on Sunday, April 3. Expect big crowds and high energy. “We’re heading back to Universal Orlando,” DeGeneres said on her show last week. “I have a great time there. I meet people, ride the rides and I get an amazing tan—from my knees to my shoes.” It’s Ellen’s fifth trip to the resort.

Got juicy gossip or amazing event photos? E-mail the dish or your photos (with full names of everyone pictured and event details) to Overheard@WatermarkOnline.com

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1 – Other performers congratulated winner Angelica Michelle Jones at the Parliament House 4th annual Miss Large & Lovely 2011 Feb. 21.

2– (L-R) Ron Legler, Sue-Bee Laginess and Thearon Scurlock defied gravity at The Mezz for the Wicked Cast Party.

3– Orlando writer and blogger Jim Crescitelli soaked up some culture at artist Doug Rhodehamel’s Dessication event Feb. 11 at Twelve21 Gallery.

4 – Executive director of The Center Randy Stephens (left) was auctioned off as a part of Indulgence, a fundraiser for The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Brian Humphries (right) is the owner of Mr. Sisters, where the event was held.

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Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

THE MARRIAGE ISSUE

Crossing the aisle

REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE SLOWLY B A C K I N G G A Y M A R R I A G E steve blanchard

O

n Feb. 23, the Obama administration made a historical announcement that it would no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law that bans the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Unlike previous decisions surrounding gay marriage support, Republicans were cautiously muted when it came to objections about the president’s decision to no longer fight for DOMA. That’s surprising to some, but not to others, who see a shift in the Republican ranks when it comes to how same-sex marriage is viewed.

“The Supreme Court has previously ruled that the right to marry is a fundamental constitutional right,” Fox News analyst and conservative blogger Margaret Hoover wrote in a recent post. “When an unpopular minority is denied the right to marry, it is indeed the role of the courts to protect the rights of that minority, especially when a majority would deny them.”

She goes onto say that conservatives have a “flawed history with civil rights.”

“The potential consequence that conservatives land on the wrong side of civil rights history again is the alienation of an entire generation of voters,” she says. “There are Continued on page 47 | uu |

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45

THE MARRIAGE ISSUE

Separate and equal INDIVIDUAL BANK ACCOUNTS ARE THE KEYS TO SOME COUPLES’ SUCCESS stephen miller

O

ne couple has been married for almost 34 years, another for 23.

The other one is in their second year of marriage after two previous years of living together. Taken together, they exemplify interesting trends about LGBT household finances. Same-sex couples are bucking the dated romantic idea of a single, combined account.

“Comingling your accounts is an old, straight notion from the 1940s,” says David Schuler, who met his partner Dennis Pierce in a bar in Omaha in 1976.

Early on, Schuler simply had to defy that notion: “In our first house, we had a roommate. It was not a ménage a trios!”

Schuler quickly corrects with a laugh. “So, I actually had to keep a ledger, dividing the rent, groceries and such in thirds.”

That pattern set up a “house account” that survived past the roommate and provided a nascent financial structure for their 34-year marriage.

“It’s just easier that he has his account, I keep mine. Over time, we’ve divided things out more for tax benefits, like

Dennis pays the mortgage, because it’s more advantageous for him to take the tax write-off. Plus, I’m a domestic goddess, so I buy the groceries and household items,” Schuler jokes.

A separate house bank account is a possible solution: “We kick into it every week,” says Orlando resident Steve Brooks, who met his partner Paul Driver at the old community center in 1988. “It keeps us from having to talk about who paid the garbage this month, who paid the electrical. We could just write a check from the house account.”

Hashing out the finances may seem terribly unromantic, but all three couples say it’s vital to starting a relationship on strong footing.

“Setting up a system early saves you from heartache later,” Brooks says. “That being said, there are some things that Paul picks up, just because he’s more interested in us having.”

He jokes that tech-savvy Driver buys the electronics and “anything that requires intelligence,” while hairdresser Brooks

Though Steffens and Griffin have great purchases the “pretty stuff” like paint and credit, it isn’t all smooth sailing They decorations. also have credit card and student loan “I think it works better having separate debts, and they’re “kind of upside-down” accounts, because then we’re not going on their mortgage, which has both their into each other’s account and asking, names on.

‘Why did you spend money on this “It didn’t give us a tax break, because or that?’” says Tampa resident Jessie the government doesn’t recognize our Steffens who has known her high-school marriage,” Steffens says. “In the long run, sweetheart Barbara Griffin for eleven it would’ve been better to have only one years. Two years ago they were married. name on the house, “We can buy each and then the other other stuff and get could’ve done the away with it,” Steffens paperwork on a new adds good-naturedly. place.”

“You pay the bills fist; It wasn’t always whatever’s left over is easy for the long-term fun money.” couples, either.

All three couples In 1989, Schuler also suggest meeting lost his job and moved with an attorney to down to Orlando, hash out the long-term away from Pierce, paperwork, especially who kept his position in a world where gay and income in Omaha marriage isn’t yet waiting for a local legal. Schuler and opportunity to transfer.

Pierce have a will, “It took a year and living will, and a a half to do that,” healthcare surrogate.

Schuler says. “That The Brooks-Drivers was hard.” have wills, power of Almost a decade attorney, and medal ago, the Brookssurrogacy. They also —STEVE BROOKS Drivers had to figure have a family trust, and out their finances after everything they own a break-in cleared out lists both as trustees. most of their valuables and damaged their Brooks mentioned that, legally in property.

America, if one partner dies, family can “That was fun,” Brooks quips still come out of the woodwork and claim sarcastically. property both have shared for decades.

Each couple has tips they’re willing to “Paul’s family has only recently started offer. to come around. I only got invited to “Maintain your separate accounts,” dinner with them this last year,” Brooks advises Schuler. “So if I want to buy a says after 23-years in the relationship. new shirt or shoes, as long as we meet our “We have a living will, and I have her financial obligations to our relationship as a beneficiary on my life insurance,” and home, the rest is my money.”

Steffens says. “We are actually trying to “Ignoring you money problems won’t have a child, hopefully this year, so we make them go away,” adds Brooks. have a lot of other agreements we need to “You’ve got to talk it out.” | l | draw up.”

“Ignoring you

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You’ve got to talk it out.”

46

| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

The Marriage issue

Navigating the gay marriage map

Five states down, 45 to go steve blanchard

new York According to polls, residents of New York overwhelmingly support gay marriage and it seemed on its way to become law in 2009 when the New York State Assembly passed the samesex marriage bill. However, the state Senate voted down the bill 38-24.

new Hampshire

California

S

MaP KeY Marriage banned by law Full marriage rights Civil unions or marriage equivalent Recognizes out-of-state marriages, but does not perform them

teps toward full marriage equality come in small spurts—especially when you look at the history of states legalizing same-sex marriage and then deciding against it months—or sometimes years—later. As of March 2011, five states recognize same-sex marriage. The District of Columbia also has legal marriage for gay couples.

Considering that before 2003 there was no place for gays and lesbians to wed in the United States, the six areas where legalized gay marriage is recognized should seem like a victory. But unfortunately, 41 states expressly prohibit same-sex marriage— including Florida. The map above offers a quick breakdown of where we can and can’t say “I Do” and where voters would prefer us to just have civil unions.

The battle for marriage equality is gaining steam thanks to the Obama Administration’s decision to no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act—but that only means gay marriage will once again get the full attention of the conservative right.

After voters passed Proposition 8 in 2008, gay and lesbian couples have not been able to wed in the Golden State. However, in 2010 a federal judge ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The case is expected to land in the California Supreme Court in September 2011.

Florida In one of the strictest constitutional measures concerning same-sex marriage, voters overwhelmingly (63%) to ban same-sex marriage in 2008. The measure, known as Amendment 2, also prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriages or civil unions recognized in other states or countries.

Maryland

The state Senate is debating a bill that would make it the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Legislators approved a same-sex marriage bill in April 2010 but there is already an attempt to repeal the measure. The Judiciary Committee meets on March 8 on whether to hold onto the bills until next year or require that the state House act on them by the end of this month. Gov. John Lynch, who signed the marriage bill into law last year, said he will veto any bills repealing it.

Hawaii In 1993, Hawaii almost became the first state to legally recognize same-sex marriage after its Supreme Court found refusing same-sex partners marriage rights was discriminatory. No marriages were performed, however, while the bill was challenged in court. In 1998, voters approved a law banning samesex marriages. But the fight continues.

After former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a bill that would allow civil unions in 2010, the bill finally became law in February 2011 when it was passed by the state House and Senate and approved by new Governor Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat. Civil unions will begin on Jan. 1, 2012.

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

47

The Marriage issue

wn,

(L-R) Highly visible Republicans Barbara Bush, Dick Cheney, Cindy McCain and Meghan McCain have all voiced support for marriage equality in the United States.

| uu | Republican Gay from p.43

multiple reasons for conservatives to think carefully before digging in their heels against gay marriage.”

Of course, not all Republicans or Conservatives agree with Hoover. Some are already seeing the subject of gay marriage fueling the 2012 elections. According to Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins, Obama has essentially laid down the gauntlet.

“The president was kind of tossing this cultural grenade into the Republican camp,” he Told the Washington Post when talking about the president’s DOMA decision. “If they ignore this, it becomes an issue that will lead to some very troubling outcomes for Republicans.”

Jon Davidson, legal director of the gay-rights group Lambda Legal, predicted the DOMA announcement would energize opponents of gay marriage, but he questioned whether that would have much impact on the 2012 presidential race.

“I think they will try to turn this into a major election issue,” he said. “But the people who feel strongly that same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry were not going to vote for President Obama anyway.”

So in the wake of the DOMA announcement, the response from the conservative, Republican camp has been surprisingly quiet. Could Republicans finally be giving into the fight against marriage equality?

“The wedge has lost its edge,” George W. Bush Republican strategist Mark McKinnon told the New York Times shortly after the administration’s announcement. McKinnon worked for President Bush during his 2004 campaign when gay marriage ballot measures in 12 states helped turn out conservative voters.

In November 2010, a CNN/Pew Research poll of registered republicans revealed that 41 percent of Republicans favored marriage equality for same-sex couples. Taking a more highlighted approach, many stars of the Republican Party and their younger relatives have voiced their support for marriage

equality, leading many to believe that it is an inevitability.

Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, voiced her support for gay marriage in HRC’s online PSA video to bring marriage equality to New York.

“I’m Barbara Bush and I’m a New Yorker for marriage equality,” she says in the video.

“New York is about fairness and equality and everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love. Join us.”

The video, part of a series featuring highprofile New Yorkers, comes as rights advocates make a renewed push to legalize same-sex marriage in the Empire State, after the legislature blocked such a step in December 2009. Barbara’s mother, Laura Bush, is also a supporter of same-sex marriage.

“When couples are committed to each other and love each other, they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has,” Laura Bush told former CNN show host Larry King.

She said she and her husband do not agree on the issue.

It’s not only the Bush family that is breaking the ranks from the former president.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said in 2009 that he does not “have any problems” with gays and lesbians getting married but said legalization should remain a state issue.

“I think … freedom means freedom for everyone,” said Cheney, who’s daughter Mary is a lesbian and in a committed relationship with a woman. “I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish.”

It certainly appears that the younger generation of Republicans are leading the fight for the acceptance of marriage equality in their party—and often they influence their parents.

Recently, Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Senator John McCain, voiced her support for gay marriage—nearly a year after her daughter, Meghan, did the same.

While John McCain was battling against the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Cindy and Meghan posed for photos in the NOH8 campaign.

Meghan voiced her support for samegender marriage in 2009, saying, “I think more Republicans need to start taking a stand for civil rights in this country and set the example that is not a partisan issue.”

Meanwhile the senator said he respects the views of his wife and family, but that he “believes the sanctity of marriage is only defined as between one man and one woman.”

Other Republicans are stepping forward to support marriage equality as well—including former Solicitor General Ted Olson and former

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.

There are still plenty of Republicans opposed to same-sex marriage, and Laura Bush knows that it will take a lot to change Republican minds.

“I understand totally what George (W. Bush) thinks and what other people think about marriage being between a man and a woman,” she says. “And it’s a real ... reversal really for [them] to accept gay marriage.” | l |

48

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| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

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Tampa Suncoast Softball regular Don Kiciena Jr., pictured on the left with his partner Marc Retzlaff, received the 2010 St. Petersburg Times President’s Award—Sales Rep of the Year Majors/National Accounts in February. He can continue celebrating this month—his birthday is March 11.

transitions Passings

Joseph Bettes passed away on Feb. 25. Bettes was a popular bartender at the Full Moon Saloon.

He and partner Dennis McCormack opened Friends Restaurant on Mills Ave. in 2005. It was a popular hangout before the two sold it and moved to Fort Lauderdale two years ago. They recently returned to Orlando. Joe is survived by Dennis and two daughters, a son and three grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 5 at Altamonte Chapel.

Anniversaries Orlando restaurant wunderkind Jeremy Indomenico and Watermark ad sales rep Don Williams celebrate their tenth anniversary together on March 14.

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BarCodes Orlando celebrates two years in business on March 5.

Congratulations Orlando’s The (LGBT) Center has elected three new board members: Danielle Hunter, Andre Woods and Norma Crespo.

After 31 years in the mortgage business, Gina Duncan is retiring from Wells Fargo. Duncan will continue to work as president of the Metropolitan Business Association and will co-own Art in Voyage, a Thornton Park travel agency.

The Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County elected its 2011 officers Feb. 17. Congratulations to President Rick Boylan, Vice President Susan McGrath, Secretary Sharon Janis, Treasurer Gail Caldwell, Membership Committee Chair Beth Fountain, Media Committee Chair Bobby

Poth, Program Committee Chair Robin Rowland and National Leadership Council Representative Joe Carp.

Local Birthdays Tampa Bay singer and comedian Judy B. Goode, Sarasota resident and activist Mark Kidd and Tampa mama to twins and lactation counselor Patty Cannon (Mar. 4); Orlando playwright, actor, columnist, Bingo caller and rabble-rouser extraordinaire Michael Wanzie and Rollins College theater director Thomas Ouellette (March 6); Tampa Bay fashionista and husband to Project Runway contestant Ben Chmura, Robert Chmura-Pappadeas and Campaign manager for Gulfport City Council candidate Stanley Solomons, Randy Smith and Tampa Bay bear David Sparks (March 7); psychologist and co-owner of E.M. & Voss Solutions Event and Wedding Services, Eric Muenks (March 8); St. Pete mail carrier Derek Wilkins and Sarasota woman about town Misty Smeltzer, Clearwater psychiatry practice manager and husband to St. Pete Pride ED Chris Rudisill, Jacob Hamm (March 9); Halcyon singer/songwriter Deb Hunseder and Tampa Bay licensed mental health counselor Blake Williamson (March 10); smooth-pated O-Town actor Kevin Kelly, straightbut-not-narrow Orlando activist/arts supporter Margo Dixon, Orlando Sentinel art columnist Terry Hummel, Orlando hubby to Ron EllstromOliver, Jeff Ellstrom-Oliver, St. Petersburg Times account manager and softballer Don Kiciena Jr. and Dunedin Dentist Mike Hopkins (March 11); Mr. Florida Gay Rodeo Association 2010 Todd Garrett (March 12); Tampa muscle stud and Pensacola native Danny Watson, and Orlando Hamburger Mary’s co-owner John Paonessa (March 13); Largo’s Christopher Street bartender Mitch Demmons and ConceptBait Tampa Bay director of sales and rentals Tim Thompson (March 14); Tampa nutritional biochemist Debra Roche and St. Petersburg legal assistant and partner to St. Petersburg City Councilman Steve Kornell, Bobby Poth (March 15).

Send news about birthdays, passings, anniversaries, promotions, commitment ceremonies—and whatever you commemorate—to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com.

watermark | advice

dothis!

Boundaries are not limitless ADVICE FROM

The Truth

Truth@WatermarkOnline.com

you is not passive aggressive, it’s downright aggressive. And it’s rude as hell. The fact that Sofia doesn’t call them out, but leaves that to you, says nothing good about the health and permanence of her spine. It really is up to her to let her family know in no uncertain terms that they way they’re treating you is unacceptable. Let her know that you require that she speak to them about it.

If she doesn’t, or she does and they continue to be insulting, then they deserve what’s coming. Here comes the Truth: Blow up! All over them! Sofia won’t deal with this situation, so you’re going to have to. She probably won’t like the way you do it, but she had her chance.

If basic decency and common courtesy don’t drive their behavior, maybe fear of the crazy shouting lesbian will.

Dear Truth, Is it rude to date someone after they’ve rejected one of your close friends? About three months ago, my good friend Darnell told me that he talked to a guy named Walter online. They chatted for a while and they hooked up one night. They tried dating, but Walter eventually told Darnell that he wasn’t into him and they broke it off about a month ago. Darrell says it wasn’t a big deal, but I know he was disappointed and a little hurt. The problem is that Walter and I have been attracted to each other ever since Darrell introduced us, and we’ve been Dear Truth, chatting online regularly. In fact, we’ve ’m so pissed off at my girlfriend’s family. been talking or hanging out almost every Sofia and I have been together for four day since he stopped seeing Darrell, and I years, yet every time we go to visit her really think that we might have something parents or her sister, they act like I’m just special. Walter says he and Darrell were a passing fad in Sofia’s life. We are both never serious so I shouldn’t worry about Cuban and it’s a big deal that Sofia’s family what Darrell thinks. I know Darrell will say accepts us, but I that he doesn’t care, hate the fact that but I can’t help but they don’t respect us. be concerned that he If common courtesy Her sister refers to does. What’s the rule me as Sofia’s “latest on this? doesn't drive their girlfriend” and —Burdened Best behavior, maybe fear makes jokes about Buddy how long it will take of the crazy shouting before Sofia “moves Dear Triple B, lesbian will. on” to her next The Truth regularly relationship. And last gets questions on time we saw Sofia’s this theme. I try to be mom, she told Sofia that she was very pretty forward-thinking. I try to be cool and casual and she could have “her pick of boys out about it. I really do. But the Truth’s rule on this there.” WTF! is that if Darrell is a good friend, you’re really I’ve told them that I don’t appreciate better off steering clear of his exes. It’s just not their negative talk and that Sofia and I are something the better sort of people do. He may in love, but they just laugh and claim that think, rightly so, like a boyfriend headhunter they’re joking. When I talk to Sofia, she for you if you start picking through his dating says that it’s just her family’s way of coping rubble. However, it sounds to me like this with our relationship and not to take them particular cow has already left the barn. You so seriously. I know Sofia is really close to say that you have been hanging out or talking her family, but I’m afraid that I’m going to almost every day since Walter and your friend blow up the next time her family disses me. stopped seeing each other. You and he have Can you help? also apparently had conversations about the —Furiosa in Ybor affect of a potential relationship on Darrell. Uh, you’re already sort of dating, right?

Dear Furi, What you’re really asking for is for me to As you’ve described them here, Sofia’s provide retroactive permission. Here comes the family are terrible people. Really dreadful. To Truth: it’s a close call, sweetie, but I’m going refer to you as her ‘latest girlfriend’ in front of to pass. | l |

I

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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watermark | classifieds

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watermark | sports

Orlando Edge, Tampa Panthers take Gasparilla titles steve blanchard Tampa Bay | More than 70 teams from throughout the United States converged upon Tampa Bay’s three major softball complexes for the 17th Annual Gasparilla Softball Tournament Presidents’ Day Weekend.

The three complexes spanned Tampa and St. Petersburg—and all were needed to accommodate the large number of teams.

“The way Tampa is set up, there isn’t one complex large enough to accommodate all three divisions at once,” said Suncoast Softball League commissioner Allen Reynolds. “So with 71 teams, you have close to 900 players and you’re trying to put them all in one area.

It’s tricky.”

Reynolds said that several teams and players said they would have preferred to see all of the divisions play—but that they understood it was logistically impossible.

“The only way that would work is if we had half the teams,” he said. “And we don’t want to cut back. We’re growing every year.”

Orlando and Tampa teams secured first place trophies in two divisions and placed in the top three in the third division.

The Orlando Edge won the B-Division, which was held at the Greco Complex in Tampa, and the Birmingham Southern Strokes took second. Orlando’s Broadway Crush secured a third-place win.

In the C-Division—the tournament’s largest with 36 teams competing at the Ed Radice complex in Tampa—the Philadelphia TOC Triple Play earned the first place trophy while Tampa’s Riptide took second. The Orlando Scrappers finished third.

And in the D-Division, where 26 teams battled for the title at the Woodlawn Fields in St. Petersburg, the Tampa Panthers claimed the title after beating second-place Colorado Exile

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XXX. Fort Lauderdale’s Bill’s Filling Station Bombers took home the third place trophy in that division.

“The tournament went really well,” said Reynolds, who added that there were no team protests throughout the two-day tournament.

“We were lucky with injuries as well, overall.”

There was one major injury, Reynolds said, saying that a player from Philadelphia broke an ankle and required emergency surgery. In all, Reynolds was only aware of three injuries throughout the weekend.

“We had a safe year, overall,” he said.

“From what I understand that Philadelphia player is doing better and will hopefully come back to see us next year.”

For more information on the Gasparilla Tournament or on Suncoast Softball League, visit SuncoastSoftball.org. | l |

briefs Gay soccer fans want separate seating A group of gay Polish soccer fans want separate seating for LGBT fans at the 2012 European Championships to be held in Warsaw. The group said separate seating would protect them from harassment and violence. Some gay rights groups are distancing themselves from the request, saying it stigmatizes LGBT people.

English wicketkeeper comes out Steve Davies, a wicketkeeper in England, is the country’s first top cricketer to come out of the closet. Davies revealed he was gay during an interview with The Sun and said he decided to tell his coach and teammates he was gay because he was tired of hiding. “If I can just help one person to deal with their sexuality, then

51

that’s all I care about.” Welsh rugby international star Gareth Thomas, former NBA player John Amaechi and the late footballer Justin Fashanu are the only other high-profile British sports stars to have come out.

Trans basketballer sidelined Kye Allums basketball season is over. The George Washington University became the first publically transgender Div. 1 NCAA athlete in any sport when he came out in November 2010.

Now, he’s benched because of head injuries sustained while playing. But Allums’ mother is crying foul. She said that trainers and coaches cleared Allums to play but that the decision was reversed for unknown reasons. A spokesperson for the school said Allums health is the only reason for keeping him off the court and that keeping him healthy was the most important issue to the school.

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watermark | gossip

| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

billymasters

52

“Hire a stunt person to fall on someone every three or four weeks—that’ll keep the audiences showing up!”

—Joan Rivers gives director Julie Taymor an idea of how to keep the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark from becoming the most expensive flop in Broadway history. Listen to Auntie Joan, she knows a thing or two about flops!

G Let’s turn back time— again Billy Masters Billy@BillyMasters.com

ay people love Cher. Last week, the Dark Lady wrapped up her Caesars Palace run to focus on completing her new CD and plan her upcoming national tour.

So it was no surprise that the faithful trekked to Las Vegas to pay homage to their queen—and among the throngs and multitudes was Kathy Griffin. Prior to leaving LA, she tweeted a photo of herself decked in an eerily Cher-esque ensemble (circa “Turn Back Time”) with a caption (in Tweet-speak) that read: “Off 2 Vegas 2 c closing nit 4 the FAB @Cher. Have 2 return her outfit she doesn’t exactly no I borrowed ;)” Truth be told, Kath looked pretty good in that drag. At the concert, she ran into one of the divas of drag—the delightful and virtually legendary Randy Roberts. Those two Cher nuts posed for the paps and then made their way backstage to share libations with the Half Breed.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a hot man.

The only thing better than one hot man is a gaggle of ‘em. And where will you find more hotties per capita than anywhere else in the world? At Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party. This annual soirée (which was featured during my guest starring stint on The Real Housewives of Atlanta) will return to Palm Springs on April 8-11. And once again, I will greet the hot and

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sweaty masses on the white carpet—this year joined by the hilarious Shawn Pelofsky (if you’ve been on an Atlantis cruise, you’ve seen her). In addition to the constantly evolving line-up of performers, I’m thrilled to announce that my buddy Charo will be a special guest.

If that project doesn’t interest you, what about this one: Jane Fonda would like to make a sequel to Barbarella. Jane told the LA Times, “I have a dream to do a sequel to Barbarella. Not a remake, a sequel. Look, I get shtupped by a blind angel, OK? Let’s just take it from there...I think it could be funny.”

Let’s stop and picture the 73-year-old Fonda in the silver jumpsuit and go-go boots. Now, do you really think the angel started out blind or did he go blind voluntarily? Thank God John Phillip Law died two years ago—this could have killed him.

Our “Ask Billy” question comes from Zane in Toronto: “What do you know about that hot blond guy in the trailers for I Am Number Four? I have no clue who he is, but he’s gorgeous!!!!”

That would be British actor and model Alex Pettyfer, who appears to have sprung up out of nowhere (aside from some ads for Ralph Lauren and The Gap). I do immediately have to identify him as heterosexual, although he is not interested in discussing his relationship with co-star Dianna Agron (from Glee) other than to say they are not engaged. Despite some rumors to the contrary, I’m told that Alex is very down to earth, humble, and missing that quality so many domestic actors have—that feeling of entitlement. In fact, he had to be forced to audition for I Am Number Four.

He simply felt that there was no way he could carry a big sci-fi thriller. He actually walked out of the audition, saying, “I’m sorry. I’m not right for this. I can’t. I don’t want to muck up your movie.” After passing on dozens of other actors, the casting people called Alex back in two weeks later. At that point, he thought he had nothing to lose. He screen-tested, Spielberg liked what he saw, and the rest is history.

Speaking of history, let’s talk about a movie in his past. There’s a little British slasher flick I’m sure none of you saw called Tormented.. One reason to watch it is because you get to see all of Alex during a very steamy, hot, almost animalistic sex scene with some girl in the backseat of a car. Aside from showing Pettyfer’s anatomy from a variety of angles, it actually The chiseled star of I Am Number Four, Alex Pettyfer, is more humble than most, and very tight lipped about his relationship with Glee’s Dianna Agron.

Could Jane Fonda return as “Barbarella” in a sequel to her 1970s film? Rumor has it she’s pitching the idea around Hollywood.

contains a message—the girl stops Alex at the moment of entry by producing a condom from inside her bra! See? It’s a safe sex film. You can watch the entire scene on BillyMasters. com.

When I’ve completely forgotten the theme of the week, it’s definitely time to end yet another column. Oh yeah—love! I guess I was distracted by the hot sex in the backseat of a car. Personally, I always enjoyed the front seat.

If you’ve got a question, drop a note to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before I take to carrying a condom in my jock strap (well, they all end up in there sooner or later).

Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible. | l |

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

Arie Groen’s property maintenance Commercial and Residential Licensed

specializing

■ installation

of sod ■ Ornamentals ■ Trimming ■ Elevating Palms ■ Trees

in:

■ Mulch ■ Irrigation ■ pressure

servicing

washing

orlando

&

tampa

Arie Groen’s Property Maintenance (727)505-0205 • agroen33@yahoo.com

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| Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011

watermark | photography

galleryw Photography | Jake Stevens

OrlandO PSychO city derby GirlS:

bellvue bombshells vs. Serial thrillers

Sunday, February 13 | Universal Skate center, Orlando Catch the next game, Shamrock Smackdown, March 13, at Universal Skate Center Go to OrlandoDerbyGirls.com for more information.

Mar. 3 - Mar. 16, 2011 |

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