Watermark issue 18.20: Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2011

ISSUE 18.20 | SEPT. 29 - OCT. 12 2011 WATERMARKONLINE.COM

YOUR LGBT LIFE.

READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP TAMPA INTERNATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN FILM FEST

D aY T O N a B e a C H • O R l a N D O • Ta M Pa • S T. P e T e R S B U R G • S a R a S O Ta

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| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

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| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

issue 18.20

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YOUTUBE SENSATION

RANDALL The laugh-out-loud hilarious “Crazy Nasty-Ass Honey Badger” is a YouTube sensation, with 17 million hits and counting. Think Wild Kingdom, but narrated by your sassiest gay friend. Created by the mysterious Randall, the video has made “Honey Badger doesn’t give a shit!” part of the cultural vernacular. It’s also spawned a cottage industry of Honey Badger t-shirts and merchandise. Read Erik Caban’s interview and learn that Randall is a very funny guy, with a very serious mission.

8 | Orlando News

Harmony Santana stars in Gun Hill Road, the Opening Night selection for the 22nd Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The transgender coming-of-age story is no more dramatic than Santana’s own. Read Tom Dyer’s interview on p. 45 Photo by Tom Dyer, Illustration by Jake Stevens

An Orlando man’s experience spotlights troubling and outdated policies at Central Florida’s blood banks; UCF shows support for LGBT students; an update on much-needed AIDS money returned by a county advisory

ORLANDO NEWS

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committee.

10 | Tampa Bay News Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith is named to President

12 / SARASOTA NEWS 13 / STATE NEWS 15 / NATION + WORLD NEWS 16 / TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE

Barack Obama’s re-election committee; the Tampa Bay Bears expect big

10

TAMPA BAY NEWS

crowds for their second Monkey Suite Masquerade on Oct. 1.

19 / ORLANDO MARKETPLACE

31 | Scene+Heard

23 / MAIL

YouTube diva Randall shares how he got started doing gay narrations for

38 / EvENT PLANNER

wildlife videos, and how their success (17 million hits) has changed his career plans; Kirk Hartlage interviews Mark Caruso, the gay “Poppa Bear” still in the running on Survivor: South Pacific; movie reviews by Stephen Miller include Brad Pitt’s Moneyball and Ryan Gosling’s Drive; plus an Event Planner filled with essential events for your two week calendar.

SCENE+HEARD

31

45 | Tampa Intl. Gay & Lesbian Film Fest Harmony Santana makes a stunning debut in Gun Hill Road, TIGLFF’s

40 / TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT 32 / ORLANDO OUT+ABOUT 56 / TRANSITIONS 57 / ADvICE 58 / CLASSIFIEDS

Opening Night film, playing a character not unlike herself, a transgender teen with a disapproving father; TIGLFF board president Ken Hodges

59 / SPORTS

talks about the magic of movies, and producing the 6th largest LGBT film festival in the nation; and director David Weissman previews We Were Here,

45

KNOW+TELL

his much-anticipated documentary about the early days of AIDS in San Francisco.

60 / GOSSIP 62 / GALLERY W

watermark | preview

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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editor’sdesk I

group email, it spreads faster than watered-down pancake syrup, and it’s just as n early September, the national LGBT community was stunned when a difficult to clean.

California jury could not reach a unanimous decision in the trial of Brandon The accusation of homo or trans phobia may be accurate, but it is often made McInerney, who shot a gay middle school classmate in a computer lab. without investigation or even a conversation with the perceived offending party.

There is no doubt that he shot 15-year-old Larry King, who was constantly Instead, we “panic” when something doesn’t go our way. We play the gay card. bullied for being gay. McInerney said he was going to do it. He admitted to When a politician misses an LGBT gathering, we conclude that their support authorities that he brought the gun to school. There were plenty of witnesses. is tepid or non-existent when they may simply have a scheduling conflict. When And it was no secret that McInerney didn’t like gay people, especially King. a business declines to sponsor an LGBT event, we assume indifference when He made that abundantly clear by bullying King at school, time and again. they may have legitimate budget constraints. If a flyer for an LGBT group or The defense argued that the shooting was the result of “gay panic”—the event is removed from a retail establishment, we conjecture that the owner fearful and violent projection of a 14-year-old with a history of abuse. They doesn’t want us as customers when it may just be that claimed that on the day of the murder, McInerney the windows needed to be cleaned. was beaten by his father and then snapped when King History has placed each of us squarely inside the flaunted his homosexuality in front of him. It was When a politician misses LGBT rights movement. And contrary to what those enough to result in a mistrial. A simple case of murder who oppose us argue, it has always been about equality, was turned upside down by speculation about the an LGBT gathering, not special treatment. Should we know who supports Steve Blanchard perpetrator’s confused motives. we conclude that their us and who doesn’t? Of course. Should we be wary With the “gay panic” defense, attorneys argue that EDITOR SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com their clients were made temporarily insane because of those who pay us lip service or seek to exploit our support is tepid or buying power without respecting our right to equal of a person’s perceived or actual sexual orientation. non-existent when they treatment? Absolutely.

Expert witnesses—often psychiatrists—testify that the But we should never threaten a claim of defendant may have been subjected to unwanted sexual may simply have a discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity to advances so offensive and frightening that it created a scheduling conflict. get our way. It’s embarrassing and unnecessary. dissociative state characterized by unusual violence.

McInerney’s murder trial drew worldwide attention The tactic doesn’t always work. It was unsuccessful because of its shocking premise: that he killed King in the “Jenny Jones Show” murder of Scott Amedure, and in the defense of the killers of Matthew Shepard. But in an alarming number in a fit of homophobic rage because he was threatened by the young gay man’s dress and demeanor. Bullying, beating or murdering someone because you are of cases—like McInerney’s—it is. threatened by their sexuality is no excuse, nor should it be a successful defense.

As indefensible as the “gay panic” defense may be, there is a cautionary Similarly, we should not assume that our sexuality is the only reason people lesson for the LGBT community. When we perceive a slight, whether in may act in ways we dislike or disapprove of. Human beings have a wide range business or politics, we are often quick to blame it on homophobia. It’s the only of motivations. Sometimes they’re about sexuality, but sometimes they’re just defense we can fathom in the heat of the moment. about storefront signage.

Watermark staffers regularly receive accusations directed toward elected Assuming prejudice based solely on our sexuality is reckless, and it is officials, store owners or other businesses that are considered—by at least one counterproductive to the advances we hope to make as a community. “Gay person—to be anti-gay or anti-transgender. Sometimes those businesses are panic” by any definition is an inappropriate defense. | l | even gay-owned. When that accusation is shared in a status update or sent in a

staff

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watermark | orlando news

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

Ban on gay blood donations still enforced locally david moran Orlando | An HIV-negative, openly gay Orlando man was turned away from donating blood recently. This happened as several nations moved toward lifting decades-old bans on gay men giving blood.

Earlier this month, Michael Watson inquired with Florida’s Blood Centers about volunteering to donate blood and was deferred. He then received an email stating that “this FDA deferral is based on high risk behaviors. Unfortunately, some types of high risk behaviors (such as IV drug use or sexual contact, etc.) may defer a donor per current FDA regulations.”

Watson said he recently tested negative for HIV. “I’ve been in a committed, monogamous relationship for 30 years and wanted to make a contribution,” said an outraged Watson.

“I’m not quite sure at what point my blood should be more suspect than somebody who is hanging out in bars and having one night stands.”

Pat Michaels, Executive Director of Public Relations for Florida’s Blood Centers, responded that their organization does not regulate policies or hold an opinion concerning

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is a potential tradeoff in regards to the risk of exposing the blood supply to HIV and allowing the MSM population to donate blood based on the prevalence of HIV in that particular group.

“I do know that the prevalence of infected MSM (men who have sex with men) issues.

MSM in San Francisco is quite high,” he The Food & Drug Administration currently said. “If someone identifies as MSM, then identities MSM as one of the highest risk you already know that the likelihood of HIV groups for exposing the nation’s blood supply infection is substantial.” to HIV. The FDA first instituted a ban on MSM The FDA’s website states that the current in 1983, two years after the first public AIDS lifetime MSM blood donor ban is still report was released. necessary to protect the blood supply due to In the early 1980s, HIV was discovered both the high prevalence of HIV in MSM in the country’s blood supply as numerous and the possibility of a window period that recipients of blood transfusions began testing would allow HIV to enter the blood supply positive for HIV/AIDS or dying from AIDSundetected. related illnesses. According to the National However the United Kingdom Department Hemophilia Foundation, between 1981 and of Health lifted its lifetime ban on blood 1984, more than 50% of the United States donations from MSM on Sept. 8. Canada and population with hemophilia became infected other nations are expected to follow. with HIV due to tainted blood products and When asked if lifting the ban could pose transfusions containing HIV-infected blood. a risk to the blood supply, Fran Haynes, But experts say that since blood banks Executive Director of the Hemophilia began testing for HIV, incidents of HIV Foundation of Greater Florida would not transmission through blood products and comment. Haynes referred to a statement from transfusions have become a thing of the past. the National Hemophilia Foundation that said, “The [bleeding disorders] population is still “Unless there is evidence that a proposed tracked. Has there been a documented case of change will not elevate the risk to the nation’s HIV in our area through a blood transfusion, blood supply, we must maintain current recently? No,” said Debbie Tucci. policies to protect the recipients of blood and Tucci is the Area 7 HIV/AIDS Program blood products. It is critical to remember that Coordinator for the Orange County Health our community has been devastated by death Department and is responsible for reporting and illness resulting from contaminated blood HIV/AIDS data on Brevard, Orange, Osceola products.” and Seminole Counties to the Florida Bureau LGBT Rights groups such as the Human of HIV/AIDS. She said she hasn’t seen an HIV Rights Campaign (HRC) argue that the positive case resulting from a blood transfusion current policy is in over two decades. discriminatory Tucci credits rigorous and unnecessarily testing for HIV and stigmatizes gay “I’ve been in other diseases prior to and bisexual men, a committed, blood donations. especially those who Florida’s Blood engage in low-risk monogamous Centers tests all of its behaviors. relationship for 30 blood donations using “It’s a very Nucleic Acid Testing, years and wanted to complicated issue,” which is considered to said Dr. Michael make a contribution.” be the best available Busch, the Director testing technology on —Michael Watson of Blood Systems the market.

Research Institute “Every blood donor and a Professor of is first screened using Laboratory Medicine medical and social history questions. Then all at the University of California, San Francisco. blood donations are tested using state-of-theBusch’s research in the mid-1980s led art laboratory procedures,” said Pat Michaels to an accurate calculation of the window with Florida’s Blood Centers. period for HIV infection and the first accurate Dr. Christopher Pilcher, a clinician-scientist estimates of the risk of HIV transmission by and Associate Professor of Medicine with transfusion in the United States. At the same the University of California, San Francisco, time, he said that researchers and organizations specializes in the study and treatment of HIV such as the National Hemophilia Foundation patients during the initial stages of infection. have been and are coming together to assess “There could be a virus that is not current scientific data and alternative policy detectable that is still present enough to infect recommendations in light of the United someone. With large volumes of blood, a very Kingdom’s decision. tiny trace of virus could cause an infection,” But Watson thinks it’s simpler than that. said Dr. Pilcher.

“It is a massive generalization that gay When an individual first contracts HIV, a people are promiscuous and a higher risk to the “window period” exists where the virus begins blood supply, and that [heterosexual] people to produce HIV antibodies not yet detectable aren’t,” he said. | l | by a test. Though Dr. Pilcher said that HIV testing is very effective, he added that there

watermark | orlando news

UCF expands LGBT services tony ward Orlando | The University of Central Florida has a new LGBTQ Services department, and is launching a new initiative called Q Lab. The monthly interdisciplinary forum for faculty, staff and students is to share LGBTQ related research and projects.

From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, Q Lab will feature two formal presentations followed by a question and answer session. The inaugural Q Lab session on Sept. 7 included faculty from Rosen College of Hospitality Management and students from UCF’s College of Medicine.

“Do you tell your doctor that you’re gay?

Does your doctor even care? These were a few of the questions raised from this month’s Q Lab,” said David Moran, graduate assistant/coordinator for UCF’s LGBTQ Services. “We felt the first series was really successful. Upcoming sessions will feature everything from student or staff research, student art, and narratives of student comingout experiences.”

Moran is the first employee at UCF’s LGBTQ Services, whose mission is to connect the diverse student population to opportunities and resources, and to achieve a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ people. The former Virginia Tech undergrad dedicates 20 hours a week to the position. Initially, his chief responsibility is to engage with students and learn their needs.

“Our first priority is to create a safe space where LGBTQ students and allies can talk to someone and find resources,” Moran said.

“We now have an office where students can stop by and review literature and materials from local community partners such as the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.”

In addition to the newly launched Q Lab series, interested students can also attend a weekly lunch discussion called “Alphabet Soup,” which Moran describes as a less structured brown bag lunch break in a relaxed environment for students that are

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

Activists turning up heat over unspent AIDS money staff report Orlando | AIDS activists continue to question Orange County officials over millions of federal dollars intended to aid HIV/AIDS patients that have allegedly gone unspent.

Orange County commissioners were questioned about the oversight at a meeting last month.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the commissioners admitted that a problem

exists.

“I share the same concerns you have,” said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.

“We need to get to the bottom of that.”

The funding source is the Ryan White Treatment Extension Act of 2009. One activist claims that as much as a half million dollars in the past year, and nearly two million dollars over the past five years, has not been spent. The money is intended for medical and transportation services. | l |

The University of Central Flodia has created a new LGBTQ Services department, and has laundched an innovative Q Lab forum.

looking for an outlet to share.

As for the future, the LGBTQ Services will work to bridge resources that currently exist on the UCF Campus and in the surrounding community.

“Our plan to connect with existing community outlets includes lining up mentoring opportunities with organizations such as the Metropolitan Business Association and the Human Rights Campaign, and coordinating community engagement projects with charitable agencies such as Zebra House, where students can learn from and give back to the community in the process,” Moran said.

“Our students have such diverse experience. We hope to help them celebrate the LGBTQ in themselves, but not let it define them,” Moran said. “We are fortunate to have a supportive administration at UCF that believes in positive change.”

The next Q Lab session is at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Student Union.

Organizations or individuals interested in partnering with UCF’s LGBTQ Services or presenting at an upcoming Q Lab can contact Moran at 407-823-1027, or by e-mail at david.moran@ucf.edu. Students can learn more about services at Ucf.edu/lgbtq. | l |

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watermark | tampa bay news

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

Mayor to attend TIGLFF opening

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tom dyer Tampa | Two-term Mayor Pam Iorio attended Opening Night of the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in each of her eight years. This year, newly elected Mayor Bob Buckhorn will continue that tradition.

“It will be different this year not seeing Pam on Opening Night,” said TIGLFF board president Ken Hodges. “But Mayor Buckhorn prepared a welcome letter for our program and is scheduled to address the audience on Opening Night. I hope he’ll be there every year, like Pam was.”

The Opening Night film is Gun Hill Road, a finalist for the coveted Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

The dramatic film about a transgender teenager and her ex-con father stars Harmony Santana (see story, p. 45), who will be present at the Tampa Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7:45 p.m.

For the first time, some documentaries and foreign films will be presented at the Tampa Museum of Art. And this year the Tampa Bay Business Guild is joining St.

Pete Pride to launch a new event: A Taste of TIGLFF & Street Festival on Saturday, Oct. 15 outside Tampa Theatre on Franklin and Zack Streets.

There will once again be Following a tradition a semi-formal established by Pam Iorio, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn event associated will address the Opening with the 6th Night crowd at the Tampa largest LGBT International Gay & Lesbian film festival in Film Fest, Oct. 6. the nation. The Great Gatsby Gala, sponsored by ALandCHUCK. travel, takes place at the Don Vicente de Ybor the evening of Saturday, Oct. 8.

The men’s Surge Party is the following Saturday, Oct. 15, at The RITZ Ybor, and the women’s Sugar Party is the same night at The Honey Pot. For information and the full schedule of more than 60 movies, visit tiglff.com. | l |

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Tampa | Tampa Bay Bears vice president John Burchett expects a huge second year for the Monkey Suit Masquerade Ball on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The charity fundraiser is one of only a few black-tie events in Tampa’s LGBT community.

“In our first year almost 100 people attended,” Burchett said. “Everyone had a great time and I think we’ll double of what we had last year.”

Burchett believes that adding the King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church as a benefitting charity will generate interest, given the large and active membership of the St. Petersburg church. Other event beneficiaries include the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and the University of South Florida LGBT Endowed Scholarship fund.

The makeup of charities is not happenstance, according to Burchett. The Tampa Bay Bears use a specific formula: one gay charity, one children’s charity and one community service charity.

“We try to hit different areas of need within the community,” Burchett said.

While the Masquerade Ball is produced by the Tampa Bay Bears, Burchett clarified that it is not a bear event, per se. Men and women, both gay

and straight, are welcome to attend the semi-formal celebration.

“For nine years we held an auction that focused on the bear community,” Burchett said.

Opera singer Jacques Snyman will help draw guests “But the Ball to the second Monkey Suit is a community Masquerade Ball, Oct. 1. The event and we’re semi-formal event is a benefit expecting a for the Tampa Bay Bears. mixed crowd, which is what we want.”

The 2011 Monkey Suit Masquerade Ball and charity auction begins at 7 p.m. at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel with “red carpet interviews.” Celebrity entertainer and Joan Rivers impersonator Holly Faris will greet guests, and her interviews will be broadcast onto a large screen within the ballroom.

A sit-down dinner begins at 8 p.m., and personal trainer and counter tenor Jacques Snyman will perform several opera pieces. There will also be both live and silent auctions. After dinner, a DJ will provide dance music until midnight.

To purchase tickets, visit MonkeySuitBall.com. | l |

watermark | tampa bay news

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

11

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Nadine Smith with President Barack Obama: “I want the President to not only win re-election, but win decisively.”

Nadine Smith Appointed to Obama Re-Election Campaign greg stemm St. Petersburg | Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith has nurtured ties to President Barack Obama, bringing a clear LGBT—and Florida—voice to the White House. In recognition of this work, Smith was recently appointed to a committee working on the President’s 2012 re-election campaign.

On Aug. 8, Smith and 30 other community and civic leaders from across the country were invited to Washington to attend a dinner and question-and-answer session with the President.

“Actually, I’ve been fortunate to chat with the President twice,” said Smith. “Once during the first Pride event ever held at the White House in 2008, and last month at the small dinner in Washington.”

Smith noted that time with the president is precious, and so her communication was focused.

“I told him, ‘Thank you for the tremendous work that has been accomplished, and there is much more to do,’ Smith said.

“I want the President not only to win reelection, but to win decisively. I want him to be in the strongest position possible to deliver on the federal level.”

Smith was also able to personalize her message, sharing that she and her wife, Andrea, recently welcomed a new baby boy to their St. Petersburg household.

“I was able to talk about the challenges my wife and our son face at a time when our family is not protected in the state we’re in, and when rights and protections vary by state,” she said.

Smith was named a member of the National Finance Committee for the President’s re-election efforts.

“The committee is made up of volunteers who believe that re-electing the President is vital to our country,” Smith said. “It’s an honor. We build grassroots support and raise

funds to help mobilize voters for the 2012 election.”

Smith is the respected co-founder of Equality Florida, the state’s largest and most well-funded LGBT lobbying and outreach organization. But she will serve on the committee as an individual, and not as the representative of any organization.

Smith said the committee, which will meet quarterly through the Nov. 2012 election, is still being put together, but that LGBT interests will be well represented. She reported that she was recommended by other committee members, but she also believes Florida’s pivotal role in the upcoming election was at least partially responsible for her selection.

President Obama’s poll numbers have dropped in recent months, largely attributable to stubborn unemployment numbers. But Smith is quick to defend his record, including avoidance of an economic meltdown in 2008, and passage of the Affordable Care Act health care reforms.

“What the President has accomplished in dire circumstances, and in the face of unprecedented partisan obstruction, has improved the daily lives of the LGBT community and is well worth celebrating even as we push for more,” she said. “His list of pro-equality accomplishments is impressive, and I believe we will accomplish much more with an ally in the White House for four more years.”

Smith also contrasted President Obama with his Republican challengers, noting that election of any of them would be an “utter disaster.”

Smith encouraged LGBT voters to get involved. “This election is ours, not just the President’s, to win or lose. The stakes have never been higher. Hold a house party. Reach out to friends,” she said.

Anyone wishing to be actively involved in President Obama’s re-election campaign can contact Smith at smithnadine@me.com. | l |

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watermark | sarasota news

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

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steve blanchard Sarasota | Sarasota Pride 2011 is just around the corner, and planners are working to ensure that everyone will be part of the party. The Oct. 22 celebration returns to J.B. Hamil Park in downtown Sarasota, and organizers emphasize that this year no one will be separated from the action.

Last year’s festival attracted nearly 2,000 people, but several attendees and vendors expressed concerns about having to cross Main Street to get from the vendor booths to the entertainment. That won’t be a problem this year, according to Cindy Barnes, the organizer of the celebration.

“Everyone will be in the park,” Barnes said. “There’s no more having to cross a street.”

Besides moving everything to the park, vendors should be pleased with additional changes. This year, every booth will be on the grass and under a tent—so no more hot asphalt or sunburns.

“I think we’ll have 60 vendors, easily,” Barnes said. “That’s what we had last year, and I had to turn some away because we ran out of space. This year we have plenty of space, so we can welcome as many as we want.”

The Sarasota Pride Street Festival begins on Saturday at noon and runs until 6 p.m. Several local luminaries are expected to attend, including Mayor-At-Large Suzanne Atwell, who has volunteered to be in the popular dunking booth.

“The City of Sarasota has been amazingly supportive,” Barnes said. “Each department has been extremely helpful in directing me to the next step of planning.

The city wants events like this downtown.

It’s good for the city and it’s good for our community.”

Barnes said she wouldn’t be surprised if the festival isn’t swarmed by local politicians, considering 2012 is a huge

election year.

“I think that says a lot for Sarasota and for the community here,” Barnes said. “It’s exciting.”

Several acts have been booked to entertain on Saturday, including Karmic Tattoo, Diversity and Halcyon. The local LGBT community has been supportive of Sarasota Pride throughout the year, Barnes said, adding that fundraising efforts have been successful.

“The people I work with are amazed by what we’ve received,” Barnes said. “I got $10,000 from Tropicana, and $5,000 from other sponsors.”

Barnes also noted that the recent Butchlesque drag fundraiser made $3,000.

“Budweiser told me how impressed they were because they’ve seen so many events cancelled due to the economy,” Barnes said. “But for Pride, I just have to ask and things happen. Everything we’ve done so far has made money, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

There are several Sarasota Pride events scheduled throughout October for those who can’t wait for the 22nd to show their colors. They include the Walk for Equality and Unity on Saturday over the Ringling Bridge at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1; and Laugh Out Sarasota on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Golden Apple Dinner Theater featuring local favorites Dennis Maley, Poppy Chaplin and Brian Bradley.

“Last year we held an event every night of the week leading up to the street festival,” Barnes said. “That was too much and we were exhausted the day of Pride.

This year we’re stretching it out over every weekend of the month. That makes the events more accessible to everyone and easier on us.”

For a full schedule of events leading up to Sarasota Pride 2011, visit SarasotaPride.org.

The Oct. 22 festival is free. Those interested in becoming sponsors, volunteers or vendors can sign up at the website. | l |

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Gay adoption turns one staff report Tallahassee | Sept. 22 marked the oneyear anniversary of the repeal of Florida’s ban on adoption by gay people.

“Ending the ban was both a legal and political victory,” said Equality Florida’s executive director Nadine Smith on the organization’s website. “Most of all it was a victory for the 20,000 children in foster care and the nearly 2,000 who are waiting and

hoping to be adopted. “ Adoption by gay people was outlawed in Florida in 1977, after singer and orange juice spokesperson Anita Bryant said it was necessary to protect children. The ban had been in effect ever since until Judge Cindy Lederman ruled it unconstitutional in 2008. On Sept. 22, 2010, a court of appeals upheld that decision. Florida’s attorney general at the time, Bill McCollum, announced that he would not appeal the ruling, which officially ended the ban. | l |

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Gay soldier booed at Republican forum wire report Orlando | Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says the end of the military’s ``don’t ask, don’t tell’’ policy that barred gays and lesbians from serving openly is a social experiment pushed by Democrats.

At a debate held at the Orange County Convention Center on Sept. 22, Santorum said

the military has one responsibility: protecting the country, and that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly is a distraction to that role.

The former senator from Pennsylvania was responding to a video question from a gay soldier stationed in Iraq that yielded boos from the large debate audience. Congress repealed the Clinton-era ban; it ended Tuesday. | l |

Rep. Ros-Lehtenin calls for end of DOMA wire report Miami | Florida U.S. Rep. Ileana RosLehtinen has signed onto a new effort to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. The bill’s sponsor, Brooklyn Democrat U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, says Ros-Lehtinen is the first Republican to do so. He hopes her voice will convince other GOP lawmakers.

Under current law, the federal government

recognizes only marriages between men and women. That means even same-sex couples who wed in the six states that have legalized gay marriage can’t enjoy federal marriage benefits like tax breaks, social security and hospital visitation rights. The bill would return the definition of marriage to the states.

Ros-Lehtinen, whose district has a large gay community, became the 125th co-sponsor Sept.

23. | l |

Ft. Lauderdale gay chamber created wire report Ft. Lauderdale | The Rainbow Alliance was formed 15 years ago to promote LGBTfriendly tourism in Fort Lauderdale. But members were limited to tourism-related

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Repeal of DADT causing few waves in military Washington, D.C. | After years of debate and months of final preparations, the U.S. military passed a historic milestone on Sept. 20 with the repeal of a ban on gays serving openly in uniform.

Repeal of the 18-year-old legal ban took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT, ending a prohibition that President Barack Obama said had forced gay and lesbian service members to “lie about who they are.”

Since 1993, more than 14,000 service members were discharged under the policy.

They will now be allowed to reenlist, and all pending discharges and investigations have been halted. In anticipation of the repeal, all military services began accepting applications of openly gay recruits last month.

Some in Congress still oppose the change, but top Pentagon leaders have certified that it will not undermine the military’s ability to recruit or to fight wars.

Obama issued a statement saying he is confident that lifting the ban will enhance U.S.

national security.

“As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love,” Obama said. “As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members.”

The Army distributed a business-as-usual statement Sept. 20 saying simply, “The law is repealed,” and reminding soldiers to treat each other fairly.

“From this day forward, gay and lesbian soldiers may serve in our Army with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said the Army statement.

The commander of Air Mobility Command, Gen. Raymond Johns, told reporters that repeal is being taken in stride in the Air Force.

“It really hasn’t come up in any significant conversation,” Johns said. “It’s not a big deal.’’ | l |

Police probe bullying after NY teen’s suicide Amhearst, N.Y. | Police are investigating whether criminal charges should be filed after the Sept. 18 suicide of a 14-year-old New York boy who had complained in an online video about being bullied over his sexuality and who often alluded on his blog to killing himself.

Officials in the Williamsville school district near Buffalo said they are cooperating with the investigation into the death of Jamey Rodemeyer, who had started his freshman year of high school less than two weeks before he died.

“We’re going to have to look at the stuff that’s out there and determine if any of the things out there are a violation of the law,” said Amherst Police Capt. Michael Camilleri. The use of a telephone or computer would escalate the charge.

The boy had frequent meetings with school officials in the previous two years, when he was in middle school. School officials spoke with the bullies, but the taunts continued, his

mother said.

In 2010, Gov. David Paterson signed the Dignity for All Students Act, which requires New York school districts to protect children against bullying because of their sexual orientation.

In his video posted four months ago, Rodemeyer described being taunted in hallways and receiving hateful messages online, “telling me that gay people go to hell.”

The video, in which he said he was bisexual, was part of the “It Gets Better Project,” meant to give hope to gay teens.

After he hanged himself outside his home, Jamey’s parents said that their son seemed to be doing better since starting at his new school.

The suicide comes one year after 18-yearold Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River after his roommate at Rutgers University allegedly used a webcam to spy on his samesex liaison. | l |

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A federal judge decided Sept. 19 to unseal previously unseen video recordings of last year’s landmark trial on the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban. Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware found that no compelling reasons exist to keep the recordings secret despite opposition from religious and conservative groups. Gay rights advocates believe the video will demonstrate “the extraordinarily weak case that the anti-marriage proponents presented in a desperate attempt to defend this discriminatory law.”

Australian passports will now have three gender options: male, female and indeterminate. The government said Sept. 15 that transgender people and those of ambiguous sex will be able to list their gender with an ‘X’ if their choice is supported by a doctor’s statement. The reform is a major improvement for travelers who face questioning and detention in airports because their appearances do not match their gender status.

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crack it. It was awesome, even though I felt like a useless slug by the end of the day.

Think that’s bad? That’s nothing compared to the time I discovered Peggle, a PC game that combines the geometrically based angles of billiards with the satisfaction of shooting loads of targets.

It also has silly graphics and hundreds of levels and is more addictive than crack.

I spent an entire weekend on that one, only being dragged out of the house for a Online movie. Scouts honor, as I am sitting here typing this, I am thinking that it’s been a addictions long time since I cracked open Peggle and maybe I should play a bit after we put this paper to bed.

Jamie Hyman This is a terrible idea. I will get hooked online media dir. and they’ll have to send me to video Jamie@WatermarkOnline.com game rehab and I really, really hate group therapy.

I do realize that my video game addictions are not so crippling, in the larger scheme. I’ll lose a weekend here and there, but rarely does my “real” life truly suffer and I don’t use games to escape.

My friend Shelly got pretty addicted to World of Warcraft because it was a place where she could avoid the pain of her recent breakup with her girlfriend. For the unfamiliar, World of Warcraft (WoW) is a multi-player role playing game where players form guilds and go on quests and a lot of people are really, really addicted.

There is real life money to be made and once I wrote an article for Watermark about a WoW guild’s gay pride parade. can’t stop playing Sims Social.

Shelly told me she knew the monkey And that’s not even the worst part. was off of her back when she started The worst part is that I know better. planning WoW quests around her fleshThere’s a precedent for this kind of and-blood social life, instead of the other behavior. I do not like very many video way around. games—but the ones I like, I really like.

There are psychologists out there trying As a self-aware, modern nerd I know to get video game addiction classified as a this about myself and try not to get psychological disorder, and every now and addicted to games that feed into my then there’s a story in the media touting a particular taste a little too much. study that concludes video game addiction My drug of choice is puzzles. There is a series of games that fall under the title of is on the rise. That video game rehab that I joked about up above? It exists.

“Puzzle Quest” and they can be played on With all this in computer, console mind, my Sims and smartphone—a Social habit is—so I immediately triple threat far—under control. cocktail of thought, “I cannot I limit it to before accessibility that play that because work, during lunch, feeds my particular and off and on in the disease. My friend I know I won’t be evenings, depending Lauren and I once able to stop.” on whatever else played for an is going on. It’s entire day. I’m not probably a good thing going to lie—we that the game is flash-based and therefore were rugby teammates and had spent the not usable on smartphones, because if I previous day (and night, and into the next could play it on the go, I’d probably do it morning) tearing it up on the field then more. tearing it up in a pub for the after party.

Why is it so addictive?

So we were a little hungover, passing The Sims video game has been around the controller back and forth. We’d take for years, with a number of versions turns on each puzzle. If one of us was released. One of the reasons I’m so unable to complete it, the other would get annoyed with myself for getting sucked a chance. On a particularly challenging puzzle, sometimes we’d pass the controller in is that when I first heard about The Sims, a long, long time ago, I immediately back and forth a dozen times before we’d

I

thought, “I cannot play that because I know I won’t be able to stop.”

It has puzzle components, but even more seductive is the gamer’s ability to create a virtual world and then conduct sociological experiments within. It’s like being a god. Too tempting for me.

Sims Social, on the other hand, is arguably the first truly social Facebookbased game. Right now it’s a simplified version of the original Sims because playing through the lens of Facebook is more limiting than installing a game on a PC. However, I can tell by how quickly my little Jamie is progressing that I’m

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

far more hooked than my friends who are also playing, and this leads to insecurities: Am I requesting too many things from them? Am I being annoying, coming over all the time and fixing the imaginary gadgets in their little Sims houses? IS THERE SOMETHING I COULD BE PROVIDING MY SIM RIGHT THIS SECOND RATHER THAN WRITING THIS COLUMN? You know what?

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watermark | viewpoint

mail

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

Yes, I am currently serving in the military.

COWP clarification While I appreciate the recognition, I am terribly disappointed with the multiple errors in your column (“2011 brings changes and growth to Come Out With Pride,” Issue 18.19).

Come Out With Pride began in 2005, not 18 years ago. We knew that the event would be more successful in October. But it’s not true that this is the first year that Saturday was considered for the event. The board leaned toward Saturday each year for numerous reasons, including the potential for growth into a weekend event. But the consensus each year was to focus on Pride, not partying.

The nightclubs should be happy about the move; it affords them an opportunity to promote their events throughout the weekend. Where might a good number of the expected 100,000 participants go after Come Out With Pride? Big money will be made.

Commissioner Patty Sheehan has done much for the community and deserves recognition for her many contributions, but she was not part of the Come Out With Pride organizing committee.

It’s not true that this is the first year that MBA/Come Out With Pride listened to the community. We held town hall meetings every year, both pre- and post-event, to get input on ways to improve.

Some celebrity entertainers were paid fees, usually by sponsors like Bright House and Universal. Jennifer Holliday drew a huge crowd in 2007, as did other entertainers. We’ll see how the community likes the new local lineup.

We also discussed fireworks in previous years. It’s fitting that they will be part of the celebration this year. As a community we’ve made many monumental local and national

strides toward equality.

Debbie Simmons Former MBA president and Come Out With Pride co-founder

I am a veteran.

Where might a good number of the expected 100,000 participants go after Come Out With Pride? Big money will be made.

top web comments On Rick Satorum saying openly gay soldiers in the military will be a distraction:

I have never served in the military.

Props for church Long after we, as LGBT people, consider bars, shows, what we wear and how we look, we consider faith, religion and God. We have put God deep into a closet because we have been told that is where He wants us. But there are churches that actually make ‘us’ a part of ‘them.’

I am hoping that Watermark will take up this challenge to look at the positive side of religion here in Orlando.

Being Catholic is all I’ve ever known or practiced. I grew up in a church that hides child molesters and teaches that it is a sin to look at members of the same sex with love. But I was fortunate. I had parents who taught me that the church is a place, it is not God, and that the Pope is just a man elected by other men.

Still, I have never found the devotion to God that I find in Catholicism. And I recently learned that for this out gay Catholic, there is hope—right here in Orlando. I found St. Dorothy’s Catholic Community—part of the American Independent Catholic Church—while doing an Internet search. The name made me giggle, so one Sunday morning I drove to Winter Park to see for myself. I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of belonging.

Father Jim Profiro-Bond and Father Anthony Borka are loving, educated, incredibly kind men.

They understand the message of Jesus and the Bible. I invite anyone in Orlando to visit St. Dorothy’s, and feel what it is to have faith and be guided by that faith.

23

“I love when people say things as if they are a fact with no actual proof whatsoever.”

50%

—Kristy Weick

30% 20%

“Santorum is an ass to the nth degree!

That is exactly what they said when they wanted to integrate blacks into the services with whites, and when they allowed women to serve with men!”

—Curt Williams On the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: “For those of us who have served Honorably, it’s about time to serve openly.”

—Oscar LoPolito

At WatermarkOnline.com, we asked you: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is now history.

Are you in the military?

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

On bar safety: “There’s only so much the bars can do to make sure people are safe. The Parliament House has security everywhere… I think they do a great job protecting their patrons.”

—Raymond Bach

Don’t be left out of the community conversation!

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

Bears...& Their Toys!

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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.

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24

watermark | viewpoint

preaching to the

converted

the words of oppression and turning them into sources of empowerment.

Plus, it was funny.

The March on Washington in 1993 felt like the penultimate moment of empowerment. We were there, we were queer, and we weren’t going to take it anymore (girl).

I didn’t necessarily know why “reading” someone else and finishing up with ‘girl-lady-princess-mary-queen!’

That Joke followed by a snap was hilarious; it just was. Such things felt like threeIsn’t Funny dimensional punctuation back then.

Anymore Not anymore.

When I hear gay men referring to each other exclusively in the feminine, or ending every other sentence with ‘gurrrlll,’ Ken Kundis I’m not embarrassed. I don’t flinch in the Ken@WatermarkOnline.com way I perhaps once would. I don’t look around to see who else is listening. Mostly I’m bored.

Like a song played on the radio hundreds of times too often (think “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele), the whole “gay guys are girls” joke has lost its punch. On the treadmill at the gym, I found myself asking, “Is that joke really still funny?”

The whole super-girl thing feels like a minstrel show these days. There’s something so jewel cases and ecstasy about it. I mean honestly: isn’t calling a bald, 6’1”, 305-pound computer programmer “Donna” more than a little silly and undignified?

Gay men under the age of 30 don’t ecently I was at the gym when a remember (and hardly seem interested) situation developed that allowed that we have made gigantic strides since me to see in real-time something that March on Washington 18 years ago. that’s nagged at me for a while.

And for that I’m glad. True acceptance There were two groups of clearly gay means we don’t have to think about the work-out partners. The first: average ramifications of being gay so damned age 45. The second: average age 30. The much. older group referred to one another in the feminine the entire time and made Gay men and lesbians are simply more integrated one dick joke into society. There after another. is less need to Sex and gender swap were their ghettoize ourselves The whole superin gay-specific conversational girl thing feels like enclaves to feel safe, motifs, and comfortable. Most nelliness was their a minstrel show language. of us are creating the these days. There’s lives we choose in While the locales we prefer, neither pair was something so with no worry about demonstrably jewel cases and more masculine being ostracized. ecstasy about it.

If there ever was a than the other, the legitimate political younger pair of reason for calling a workout buddies consistently rolled man ‘lady,’ it’s in the dustbin of history at this point. their eyes as they—unintentionally I’m I’m certainly not advocating the sure—followed the older group around the opposite: that we feel pressure to conform, gym.

When I came out in the late 1980s, my to be something we’re not. We have comfortably enough of that coming from group of friends—and frankly most others within our community as it is.

I saw—had feminine names ascribed to For the record, calling someone ‘bro’ us. We even referred to each other using instead of ‘girl’ doesn’t make you a man. female pronouns. There was something Manliness is a reflection of the content almost political about it. We were of your character. You may not ‘like’ the engaging in classic gallows humor, taking

R

Facebook Project Runway page, but I have yet to find a single gay man who doesn’t have some sort of “tell.”

Certain subsets of gay men present themselves as superior because they’re not as openly effeminate as other gay men.

They say things like, “I’m gay because I like men not because I like [fill in the blank].” They aren’t more manly than anyone else. They’re posers, and I deplore it.

Not to get all Oprah on your ass, but what I am advocating is that we be authentically who we are.

Look, I’m a 45-year-old gay man. I feel like a 45-year-old gay man. I’m not Brenda, or Louise. I’m Ken. I feel exactly

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

25

like a middle-aged man, for better and worse. There is nothing much ‘she’ about me these days, if I’m being honest.

I get why 20 years ago it felt funny or cool or somehow right to celebrate the feminine in our lives, but is that really still a joke that makes anyone laugh? Gay men are pretty good about staying on the cutting edge of cultural trends. I say we ‘cut’ that habit out of our diction and start referring to each other as what we genuinely are.

Men. | l |

26

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

watermark | entertainment

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

Randall is pretty

bad-ass!

The comedic ‘honey badger’ narrator is a YouTube sensation on a mission. erik r. caban

I

f you haven’t seen the laugh-out-loud “Crazy Nasty-ass Honey Badger” video yet (17 million YouTube views and counting), then you are seriously missing out, stupid. At least that’s what Randall would tell you. The part-bitchy, partdisgusted and all-fabulous host of a series of narrated wildlife and pop culture videos has become a phenomenon. Randall’s hilarious, over-the-top narration will leave you quoting lines for days.

“Jesus Christ, lizard!” Randall exclaims as a lizard runs across water to escape a predator. As the fierce honey badger faces a giant cobra, a hive of bees and other beasties, Randall’s narration ranges from amazed—”Honey badger doesn’t give a shit!”—to a disgusted “Ewwww” as the badger chows down on a fresh kill.

As amusing as it is to listen to Randall’s snarky narration, the videos actually teach you something. Honey Badger may not care,

but Randall does. He’s an animal lover, and his Twitter feed is full of calls to help the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other organizations.

Randall’s repertoire of wildlife videos includes, “The Miracle of the Daffy Jesus Lizard,” “Gang Flamingo Versus Team Baboon” and “The Slow-Ass Sloth.”

They’ve led to a gig as a featured blogger at Huffington Post. Most recently, he worked with Orlando Bear Bash 2011 to create a hilarious promotional YouTube video that treats big, hirsute gay guys like exotic wildlife.

“Nothing can stop the honey badger,” says Randall in one video. And nothing seems to be able to slow down the quirky narrator, except maybe exhaustion.

“Frankly, I’ve just been going crazy,” Randall says in his trademark Charles Nelson Reilly-meets-Tony Soprano-New York-ese. “In this day and age, if you don’t

tweet every three seconds or you don’t do facebook posts, people think you’re dead.

It’s unbelievable!”

Watermark caught up with Randall—no last name, please— from his home in Los Angeles in between projects to discuss politics, new endeavors and of course, the infamous honey-badger.

WATERMARK: Where did the idea to narrate these wildlife videos come from?

RANDALL: Ever since I was little, I enjoyed narrating things. My father was a cameraman on Wild Kingdom. So, I grew up watching this rich, unadulterated footage for the show. I was always wondering, ‘Who is that voice I hear?’ I was attracted to the idea of watching this animal footage and being able to narrate it. Even at that early age I was like, ‘What a profession that would be!’

Then I started writing and acing. And one day, it just hit me. ‘This is such a no-brainer.

This is it. Now is the time to just start narrating footage of these animals.’

Besides narrating videos, what do you do?

I also write, but my focus is narrating things. I’ve been swamped. I’ve been getting a lot of offers to do promotional videos and what not. It’s keeping me busy.

How did you get involved with narrating the Orlando Bear Bash promo?

They approached me and I said ‘Absolutely.’ I thought the idea was fantastic—having this video that starts out with real bears and goes into the Orlando Bear Bash. I thought it was genius. Anything I could do to help. So, they sent me the material and I went to town.

You said your background is writing and Continued on page 36 | uu |

29

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watermark | television

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

31

bear survivor Retired gay cop Mark Caruso is making waves this fall on Survivor: South Pacific.

kirk hartlage

F

studied people, who’ve studied human all usually means a drop in behavior, and maybe who’ve been around temperatures; but if you’re already a lot of liars before—they have a leg missing the intense heat and humidity of a Florida summer, you can get up,” Probst said. “I would put Mark in my alliance. I would say, ‘You are the a fix from the latest season of Survivor. specialist. Your job is to determine who’s The show’s 23rd season takes place in the lying.’ But then the question is, ‘Will you sultry South Pacific and not only brings know when I’m lying to you? Because back its “Redemption Island” twist— sooner or later I’m going to take you where castoffs duel for an opportunity to out.’” return to the game—but two controversial Before hitting the island, Caruso former players as well. Ozzy Lusth and prepared by upping his workout regime.

Benjamin “Coach” Wade were both “I tried to decrease my weight and build thwarted in their attempts to be Sole more muscle for endurance,” Caruso said.

Survivor. They return to the popular CBS “It changed my lifestyle. Now I work reality competition show to mix things up out like a crazy person, which is good, and compete for the $1 million prize.

Among the 16 other castaways trying to because I think it’s a better lifestyle.”

He also entered the show with a game outwit, outlast, and outplay them is Mark Caruso, a gay retired NYPD police officer. plan, which included being up front and honest about being gay.

Now back home in New York, but sworn “At first they couldn’t figure it out, but I to secrecy, Caruso said he was uniquely just let it out because I’m not embarrassed qualified for the rigors of the competition. about who I am,” Caruso said about “I was a cop for 20 years—a detective coming out to his Savaii tribe teammates. for 15—and I worked in a bunch of places “I’m very proud of who I am. I want to in the police department,” Caruso said. show people that “One of those it’s okay to be gay, was in the morgue that gay people are processing the “I want to show like anyone else out deceased, including there. Hopefully my the 9/11 victims people that it’s okay presence will show and Flight 587. Of to be gay, that gay others to be strong course those days and to follow your were absolutely people are like anyone dreams.” the worst, the most else out there.

Caruso, 48, even devastating.” played up his status A native New as a big, hairy, Yorker, Caruso now middle-aged gay divides his time guy by encouraging his tribe to call him between the Big Apple and South Florida.

‘Poppa Bear.’ It stuck immediately.

Although he lacked a strong background “I thought, ‘Who’s gonna vote off their in outdoor survival skills—his last dad?’” Caruso laughed. “I wanted to make camping trip was as a Boy Scout—Caruso everyone care for me as a person and let said his experiences as a cop definitely them look up to me.” helped his game.

While CBS wouldn’t let Caruso share “You learn how to read people,” he whether his being gay ever became an shared. issue during the game—or any other Survivor host Jeff Probst, in his ondetails of what happened in the South air pre-game analysis of all the players, Pacific—Caruso admitted that there was agreed. one point where he was worried that it “I always think that guys who have

As part of his Survivor strategy, Mark Caruso encouraged tribe members to call him ‘Poppa Bear.’

might. Still, Caruso said participating on Survivor has been a life-changing experience.

“Even though I was confident being a police officer and a father—just in being who I am—it’s a whole other thing when you know you can find food, build a fire, stuff like that where you have to depend on yourself. It made me more independent than I already was.”

Caruso hopes to use his Survivor experience as a way to give back to both the LGBT and 9/11 communities.

“A lot of the Survivors from throughout the 23 seasons get together and do things for cancer, sick children and other charitable and community events. I want to be part of that group and devote my time and energy to those types of causes.”

It remains to be seen whether Caruso

participates in those endeavors as the winner of Survivor: South Pacific or as someone who has their torch snuffed out at tribal council. Thus far he’s distanced himself from the security— and backstabbing—of alliances largely maneuvered by Lusth and Wade. At press time he appears safe from immediate danger.

The best way to find out if ‘Poppa Bear’ stays in the game is to watch this highly entertaining season of Survivor. | l |

see+hear Who: Mark ‘Poppa Bear’ Caruso What: Survivor: South Pacific When: Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

Where: CBS

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watermark | film

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

screened out MEN OF LIMITED MEANS

stephen miller

Stephen@WatermarkOnline.com

Drive (Starring Ryan Gosling, Albert Brooks, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman)

T

he quiet LA stunt driver at the core of Drive is an enigma. Played by a mysterious Ryan Gosling, he chauffeurs criminal jobs with surgeonlike precision and no sense of morality.

Every day he tackles dangerous stunts with a fortitude that seems to preclude doubt. He stares his enemies down with a cold creepiness that is surprising from a handsome but not exactly rugged leading man. And then he smiles at a child, or he flirts with a woman, and reveals the smallest spark of some possible sweetness.

It’s a weird juxtaposition to Gosling’s steeliness.

“If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute

window, anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours no matter what. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down,” he says. “I don’t carry a gun. I drive.”

Sure, Drive is basically a man-versusmob flick. But this film offers a few unexpected approaches. From the start, the titles feature city shots and synth-driven music reminiscent of the 1980s. The first hour is disturbingly action-free while we watch characters develop by observing their actions. No real back-story here, and none is needed. Then the film veers from quiet, almost poetic humanity to disturbing violence with an ease that might give you motion sickness. These are odd choices, not necessarily good ones.

Mulligan is serviceable as Gosling’s neighbor, a flirty wife and mother trying to help her husband transition from prison life to the outside world. Much has been made

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The mysterious, handsome Ryan Gosling moves Drive.

“misfit toys”—among college teams and the minor leagues. The ragtag bunch of upstarts and supposed has-beens shocks the sporting world when the Oakland As make a serious run for the pennant.

It’s an appealing Cinderella story, so why is this film only average? Because the script (co-written by Aaron Sorkin of West Wing and The Social Network) and the central plot device rely on mathematical analysis.

It’s interesting, but not very gripping. And when there are chances to connect on a human level, the film bunts with dry humor. We never get a feel for the players, on or off the field. They Moneyball become statistics, dressed up (Starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, with goofy personality quirks Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and superstitions.

As a one-time baseball Somehow from 2001 to fan, I found Moneyball’s 2002, the hapless Oakland premise interesting. But the As went from 11 straight characters are as flat as a losses to an American ground ball.

League record of 20 straight The film is co-produced Brad Pitt digs America’s wins. How’d that happen?

by Pitt and mechanically pastime in Moneyball.

And can a movie make us directed by Bennett Miller care anymore?

(Capote). Interestingly, it After the damages was once in the hands of Steven Soderberg inflicted by insider betting (Pete Rose), (Traffic, the Oceans films), who was steroids (Jose Conseco, Barry Bonds), and reportedly dismissed for treating the the strike (all the other greedy suckers), material too much like a documentary. the sport has certainly fallen from being Either Soderberg knew there wasn’t a lot of America’s favorite. Now Moneyball shows heart here, or he also couldn’t find the soul how an enterprising manager and a number in the cold, hard facts of Moneyball. | l | cruncher used statistics to up their wins, making baseball seem even more inhuman.

General manager Billy Beane (not gay Overflowing uncontrollably baseball player Billy Bean) had to create a with glittery fabulousness team using just a sixth of the cash spent by Pretty damn good, but the top-ranked Yankees. it’s no Sunset Boulevard “There are rich teams, and there are poor An entertaining enough flick with teams. Then there’s 50 feet of crap. And perhaps a few gaping holes then there’s us,” says Bean, played by Pitt.

Ever so slightly watchable, even if it So Beane hires statistician Peter Brand is just because of that hot actor (Hill). Together, they start treating players Two hours of your life you’ll never get back as stock, looking to the undervalued—the

of Brooks’ against-type gangster turn, but it’s the same stuff DeNiro, Pesci and Pacino have shown us before.

The brilliant casting choice is Gosling, whose quiet, weird performance moves the film. It’s hard to call such a brutal, amoral, sociopathic man a hero. Yet he’s very much a hero in given moments. Whether he acts out of self-interest is just one of the many questions this story presents.

Gosling’s performance is an elegant, creepy turn that will have you thinking about him well after this ride is over.

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

WRITER’S PICK

NOW SHOWING:

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watermark | entertainment

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

| uu | Randall from p.29

acting. Where did the funny come from?

Growing up, I did a few Off-Broadway comedies, but mostly I acted in dramas—a lot of esoteric, weird mumbo-jumbo stuff—and produced experimental plays. I guess the humor didn’t come about until I started doing these videos.

Besides wildlife, you’ve also created videos narrating “The Pigs of Wall Street” and other distinct groups like “Gunnery Sergeants.” Any plans to create more videos narrating ‘nasty’ people?

“The Pigs of Wall Street” was to show that we’re all animals. Really, we’re no different than, say, whales or monkeys. I wanted to show range—that in addition to animals, I can do pop culture. When Huffington Post offered me the opportunity to be their contributing blogger, I jumped at it. I wanted to show that I am capable of doing newsworthy things. As much as I am thrilled with the attention that the honey badger video’s gotten, it’s important for me to start branching out. There’s more to me than just the honey badger.

Do you plan on doing more animal videos?

Oh, yes! Absolutely! I’m actually shopping an original show to different networks. The format of that show is pretty much animalbased with some pop culture thrown in.

Humor with some education thrown in. That’s

I think because everyone wants to have a really what I try to do—inform people. little honey badger inside them. They want to

have the potential to do what they want, take Your animal videos really do educate. I what they want—to not give a shit. didn’t know anything about some of those The message of “The Honey Badger”— animals until I watched your videos. that I didn’t realize at first—is really just Thank you! Some of them are just about seizing the day. Here’s an animal that disgusting, aren’t they? You know, I love doesn’t care. It’s going to do what it wants. all creatures big and small. Going back to I think a lot of people respond to that, just the “Wall Street” video, it’s just an analogy. like everyone was drawn to Charlie Sheen There’s so much going on in the world, but for fifteen minutes after he lost his marbles. when you look around you realize we’re all I think that people animals, surrounded were like, ‘Finally, by other animals. there’s an animal

that’s just as crazy And sometimes a “Everyone wants to have and eccentric as we little comic relief is a little honey badger are.’ It blew people’s just what’s needed, minds. They were like, inside them. They want like your “How to ‘What is this animal Have an Affair” to do what they want, doing?!’ I get so many video. messages from people take what they want— [Laughs] All I that never even knew to not give a shit.” can say is, ‘What are what a honey badger people doing?!’ That —Randall on the was prior to seeing Anthony Weiner is popularity of his the video. So, for me, crazy. I am trying honey badger video I see it as ‘mission to add a little comic accomplished.’ relief. We need Incidentally, there’s to laugh and not so much I failed to take everything so mention in that video. It is actually really seriously. difficult to kill a honey badger. Spears and

arrows don’t pierce their thick skin, which is Of all the videos you’ve created, why do insane. They’re pretty much indestructible. you thing “The Crazy Nasty-Ass Honey The only way to kill one is to club it or shoot Badger” is the breakout hit? I know people it in the head... and that’s just crazy. who’ve watched it a hundred times.

How has your life changed since you introduced everyone to the honey badger?

Once that video started getting millions of views, my life definitely changed. I’ve started freelancing more, and cleaning up a few scripts. I’m thrilled to be getting recognition for my skills.

[The fans] are amazing. They inspire me.

I get emails and drawings from children. I got this one email from this lady who said her husband just died and my videos are the only thing that cheers her up. I just feel it’s my duty to respond to everybody. It keeps me going.

YouTube has become such a great tool for creating a world out there. I’m just so grateful for that. Ten years ago, I would never have been able to do something like this. Now, instead of having to bust my hump to get myself out there and shamelessly promote, the attention gotten to a point where people are approaching me. It’s amazing. It’s completely changed my life!

To be clear, Christopher Gordon, who runs your YouTube channel, and Randall are two different people, right?

Yes. We are two completely different people. We get that a lot. He’s my assistant.

Lease a GPS Tracking Device We actually met in New York years ago.

Then, we reconnected here in California.

For InFormatIon Call He’s the one who introduced me to the honey badger video.

U-SnooP, InC.

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Five More Viral LGBT Web Celebrities Sherry Vine

[sherryvine.com] Born Keith Levy, Sherry is a New York-based drag performer best-known for parodying Lady Gaga and incorporating political satire in songs like “Sh*# My Pants,” based on “Bad Romance.” Sherry also offers up videos from her unconventional attempts to earn a living any way she can.

Sassy Gay Friend

[secondcitynetwork.com] The scarf-flipping interventionist transports through time to change the outcome of literary classics by asking the question, “What would happen if tragic female characters in literature had a ‘Sassy Gay Friend’—to bolster their confidence, admonish their boy-craziness, and prevent them from making life-ending errors?”

Pam Ann

[pamann.com] The buxom, errant and flamboyant Aussie graduated from gay cabaret clubs to air hostess without compromising her references to poppers and cocaine along the way. The alter-ego of comedienne Caroline Reid, Pam’s performances focus on the nuances of air travel.

Very Mary-Kate

[verymarykate.com] Ever wondered what happened to America’s favorite twin child stars? Created by Elaine Carroll, this web series bills itself as the “unofficial biography of Mary-Kate Olsen” and follows the actresses on day-in-the-life adventures.

Shocantelle Brown

[cootercounty.com] Broadway darling Laura Bell Bundy’s tranny alter-ego runs I Beweave Salon and lives in a Holiday Inn Express in Cooter County. “Okurrr.”

You asked us not to print a photo, and few people know what you look like. Do you get recognized by your voice when you go out?

I get recognized by my voice. I’m not exactly the quietest person in the world. I’ll be at a bar and someone will hear me and shout, 'Honey badger!’ It’s really funny.

My thought process is that a good narrator should be heard and not seen. So I like being mysterious. I want people to focus on what I’m saying, and not what I look like. I get emails asking why I don’t just show my face but they’re missing the point. Eventually I’ll reach a point where I’m comfortable letting folks know who I am, but for now I just prefer to be anonymous. The same goes for my last name. You have Cher, you have Twiggy, and I’m just Randall! | l |

see+hear Who: Randall What: Randall’s Wild Wild World of Animals Where: youtube.com/user/czg123

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Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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watermark | event planner

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

Deepak Chopra Need a little metaphysical fine tuning. Deepak Chopra makes a rare Tampa Bay appearance at the Straz Center on Friday, Oct. 7.

k.d. lang

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Bring your ping pong balls to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, part of Watemark’s “Movies Out Loud” series, Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Plaza Cinema Café.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see the amazing k.d. lang at beautiful Ruth Eckerd Hall on Friday, Oct. 7.

art [ORLANDO]

Spellbound Art Show The Milk District is getting spooky with a group of local artists displaying their wares as part of the Spellbound Art Show, through Oct. 2. Galleries are at Social Chameleon, Milk Bar, and Spooky’s Black Cat Café.

[ST. PETERSBURG]

Blow Your Own Pumpkin The Morean Arts Center’s Glass Studio & Art Shop is hosting a personal glass-blowing experience, Oct. 1 – Nov. 11. $75 for a one-on-one pumpkin-blowing session with the glass artist, limited spots available. Call 727.822.7872 to book.

Photography

by Byron Art Opening Commercial artist Byron Schaerr’s evocative landscapes and manscapes will be on display at Sporters Biker Bar on MLK in downtown St. Pete through Oct. 20. The grand opening is Thursday, Oct. 6 from 9-11:30 pm.

film [ORLANDO]

Movies out Loud: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert On Thursday, Oct. 13, Movies Out Loud sets its sights on frocks in the desert with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Comedian Jeff Jones is joined by special guest host Doug Ba’aser to dish and delight in this iconic 1994 gay classic. Tickets are $10, available now at WatermarkOnline.com.

Showtime is 8 p.m. at Plaza Cinema Café, but happy hour starts at 7 p.m.

[TAMPA]

The Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival More then 60 films will be presented at three venues (Tampa Theatre, Tampa Museum of Art, Muvico Baywalk St. Petersburg) throughout the 6th largest LGBT film fest in the nation, Oct. 6-16. Welcome Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn on Opening Night.

(See special section p. 45.)

music [CLEARWATER]

k.d. lang

Four-time GRAMMY® Award winner k.d. lang returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for an evening of sultry vocals, gorgeous arrangements and unmistakable style. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this iconic performer at this beautiful venue. Showtime is 7 p.m. on friday, Oct. 7. Tickets are $52.50-$88 at rutheckerdhall.com.

theater [ORLANDO]

Avenue Q The long-running and tres gay hit features puppets—singing songs about online porn! You won’t want to miss this first local production at Theatre Downtown thru Oct. 9.

Shows are at 8 p.m. Thur-Sun, with Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 9. Tix are $22 at theatredowntown.net.

The importance of Being Earnest Don’t miss Philip Nolen’s hilarious turn as Lady Bracknell in the classic Oscar Wilde

comedy of manners, The Importance of Being Earnest, at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center thru Oct. 9. Wed.-Thur. at 7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20-38 at orlandoshakes.org.

Savage in Limbo John Patrick Stanley’s Savage in Limbo, the story of feisty young folks from the Bronx trying to connect, comes to UCF’s Black Box Theatre Sept. 29–30, with additional shows Oct. 1, 2, 6 and 8. Tickets are $17, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. For more information, call 407-823-1500, visit Theatre.UCF.edu or email theatre@ucf.edu.

Next fall Part romance, part family drama, part coming-of-age story, Next Fall tells the story of a gay couple with religious differences. On Broadway just last year, it runs at Mad Cow Theatre through Oct. 26. Tickets range from $9-$25 and are available at MadCowTheatre. com. On Sunday, Oct. 9, there will be an MBA-sponsored performance which is an official allied event of Come Out With Pride.

Nice People Dancing to Good country Music A funny, wacky, real-life play by awardwinning playwright Lee Blessing, Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music is both the name of the show and the imaginary bar where the story takes place. $17 adult, $15 seniors, $10 student tickets at Black Box Theatre. Showtimes are 8 p.m.

Oct. 1 and 2 p.m. matinee Oct. 2. For more information, visit theatre.ucf.edu.

[SARASOTA]

The Sound of Music The Sound of Music is an iconic film with a camp following. See it on the stage when

the Manatee Players present the musical through Oct. 9. Look for some of your favorite local LGBT actors—just not as the Von Trapp children. For details and tickets, visit ManateePlayers.com.

[ST. PETERSBURG]

Grey Gardens Gather the cat litter and prepare for the live, musical version of Grey Gardens, presented by the popular Freefall Theatre on Central Avenue through Oct.2. The story of two sisters who become recluses in their massive, historic home was turned into an iconic documentary, Broadway musical, and HBO movie starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Now Freefall is taking a crack at the warm, yet heartbreaking tale of the two women at its core. For details and tickets, visit FreeFallTheatre.com or call 727-498-5205.

[YBOR CITY+TAMPA]

coco & homo’s Super fierce Slumber Party a Trashtastic Coco and Homo are premiering their first full length performance art cabaret, Coco and Homo’s Super Fierce Slumber Party, at the Roosevelt 2.0 on Sept. 29 and 30.

Incorporating an eclectic mix of songs (From Kurt Weill to Ke$ha) and interactive, playful, and sometimes naughty games, this dynamic duo of trash and hedonism have created a post-modern religious experience for the 21st Century. Showtime is at 9 p.m., tickets at CocoandHomo.com.

special events [ORLANDO]

combines clues, trivia, and stimulating tasks to challenge players’ wit, fitness and funny bone. Registration is open now at DareToBeProud.com and costs $70 per team for the full event, with lower pricing for single players and mini events. The adventure begins at noon on Saturday, Oct. 1 at a to-be-announced checkpoint. Teams must have a digital camera (camera phones are ok) and costumes are encouraged.

UpStander Day The Holocaust Center downtown is hosting a free community event to raise awareness about bullying. UpStander Day, to encourage bystanders to take an active role in stopping bullying, is Sunday, Oct. 2, 3 – 5 p.m. at the bandshell at Lake Eola. The event will feature a special performance (appropriate for all)

by MicheLee puppets, activities and snacks.

COWP Opening Ceremony Come Out with Pride’s opening ceremony is a high fashion event featuring 32 designs by 8 students of the International Academy of Design & Technology, with the winning designer featured on stage at Orlando Pride’s main event Oct. 8. It kicks off 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 6 at The Abbey downtown.

No cover, but VIP tickets available at ComeOutWithPride.com. Music, silent auction, cash bar.

[TAMPA]

Deepak Chopra New-age metaphysics master, Deepak Chopra, is making a rare Florida appearance at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts on friday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The author of more than 60 books, including numerous bestsellers, will talk about “Healing, Transformation and Higher Consciousness.”

Tickets are $34.50 and can be purchased at 813-229-7827 or strazcenter.org.

Dare to Be Proud An urban adventure event, Dare to Be Proud

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.

een rt

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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watermark | tamp bay out+about

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

shot on site

Photography | Scott McCauley, Susan McGrath, MC Film Fest

1- A rowdy contestant—possibly an HCC student?—at the Thursday night Amateur Strip Contest at Bradley’s on 7th.

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2- (L-R) leonardo, Gloria, Mercedes and James are the owners of Tampa’s newest LGBT nightspot, 4Friends Club-Bar. 3- Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn presented MC Film Festival co-owner Carrie West with Ybor City Development Corp.’s Achievement Award.

4- Attendees at Queens Head Restaurant and Eurobar’s party to celebrate the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

5- Co-founders Marianne Puechl (left) and Cindy Sproul (with their daughter, Kestin) at the Rainbow Wedding Network’s Expo at the Crowne Plaza Tampa Westshore.

6- Ybor City Development Corp. president Vince Pardo (2nd from left) with new board members (L-R) D. Stephen Moss, Bonnie Plumbtree and Manny alvarez.

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Be Yourself

Gulfport Florida

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Our Village is Your Village!

• Upcoming Events • Fresh Market

Tuesdays, October 4th & 11th, 9 am – 3 pm

First Friday Art Walk

Friday, October 7th, 6 pm – 10 pm

“Blow Your Own” Pumpkin Glass Blowing at The Industrial Arts Center Friday, October 7th, 6 pm - 10 pm

Free Clothing Swap

Tuesday, October 11th, 9 am – 1 pm

watermark | tamp bay out+about

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

tampa bay overheard GaYBOR Happenings The sun never sets in Ybor City. Just in the last two weeks, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn presented MC Film Festival co-owner Carrie West with the Ybor City Development Corp.

2011 Achievement Award for his indefatigable promotion of the historic commercial district.

GaYBOR Coalition members Manny Alvarez (Liquid Lounge), D. Stephen Moss (Honey Pot, G.Bar), and Bonnie Plumbtree (Crowbar) were named to the YCDC board. And Hillsborough Community College students returned!

According to MC Film Fest’s Mark Bias, the bumper crop of fresh-faced collegians loves to party at the Ybor Social Club on Thursday nights, and then with a full complement of liquid courage venture over to Bradley’s on 7th to enter the amateur strip contest—with $200 prize. That’ll buy a few books! According to Bias, some of them stop at MC to pick up a clean pair of underwear first.

4Friends Bar Opens It just opened earlier this month, but many are already pronouncing 4Friends Club-Bar the “best gay latino party in town.” The owners are—you guessed it—four friends, comprised of two couples: Mercedes and Gloria, and Leonardo and James. Gloria is a professional cake artist, and Leonardo is an accomplished

artist whose paintings have won awards, and hang on the walls at the bar. 4Friends features a stage, dance floor, high tech lighting and video screens. Right now it’s open Thursday thru Sunday nights at 4025 W. Waters Ave. just west of Dale Mabry.

DADT Dies at Queens Head On Tuesday Sept. 20, more than 100 people gathered at Queens Head Restaurant and Eurobar to celebrate the repeal of the military’s nefarious ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. A happy mix of LGBT veterans, elected officials and community activists listened to the different experiences of two gay service members, Kris Tobin and Brian Arsenault, under DADT. The happy event was sponsored by Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas.

Trans Art Transgender artist Robin Morgan’s striking “Noise” is one of twelve sculptures being considered for permanent display by the City of Sarasota. All twelve were selected to be installed in downtown Sarasota for one year, and the winner—announced Nov. 9—will be purchased by the city for $20,000. “This is my first sculpture, so I don’t expect to win,” Morgan said. “I’m honored to be included in this group of professional artists.”

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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| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

watermark | orlando out+about

orlando overheard What the Fuzz Vince Koehle, organizer of the successful Cactus Club Reunion in April, is about to let the fur fly just in time for Bear Bust. On October 7, you’re invited to a bear run at Sip. Aptly named “Fuzz,” the event offers the fur bearing and those who love them the opportunity to mix, mingle and man-handle. “Candidly, I like men with fur and I figure there must be other guys like me,” Koehle says. The concept came about after a conversation with SIP bartender Jay Wood about creating diverse events at the bar. A live performance series—LIVE @ SIP—debuted Sept. 20. “SIP wants to give everyone in the community the opportunity to get together,” Wood says. The hope is that Fuzz will become a regular monthly event.

Missing Machers A recent press release announced that Parliament House owners and enthusiastic Come Out With Pride parade staples Don Granatstein and Susan Unger won’t be at this year’s COWP on Oct. 8. Count Revolution nightclub owner Craig Mestel among the missing as well. It turns out that this year, COWP falls on Yom Kippur, a traditional time of fasting and reflection that is one of the highest holy days of the Jewish faith. “On October 8, we will be observing the tenants of our faith

and regret we are unable to participate in the parade,” Granatstein said in the statement. “We look forward to celebrating with all our friends at next year’s event.” But Parliament House, Revolution and Pulse will still be there this year, joining together to form a single parade unit. The press release states that the three nightclubs are combining forces “in the spirit of cooperation and as a demonstration of good community relations.” 2011 is the first year that COWP has been held on Saturday.

The Amazing Race: Orlando If you love The Amazing Race, you’ll adore the “Dare to be Proud Urban Adventure” in Orlando On Oct. 1, two-person teams will have the opportunity to show off their LGBT pride as they tackle clues, trivia, and physical challenges throughout the City Beautiful. Participants must travel by foot or public transportation as they navigate the urban landscape to find hidden checkpoints. This photo hunt has all the exhilaration of the popular television show packed into one day. Inventiveness, agility and wit will be at a premium, and costumes are encouraged. Afterwards, teams are invited to hang out with fellow participants, eat, drink, and celebrate community. For more info, visit daretobeproud.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

3rd Annual C.A.R.E for Women Foundation

02_03128

2011 Golf Tournament

5" x 5.125" 4C

FRIDAY | OCTOBER 21st, 2011 | 1:00pm

We’re all in this together

Shotgun Start 4 person scramble BBQ dinner Silent auction Goodie bags Closet to the Pin Longest Drive Mulligans Range balls 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners

Community is important. It becomes your family, your friends and your home. That’s why Wells Fargo is committed to working with communities to support their financial stability and growth. In fact, we have made significant contributions to LGBT organizations over the past 20 years and encourage our team members to volunteer. When communities prosper, we all succeed.

Registration Golf Tournament & Lunch $75 per person $125 Hole Sponsor $500 Corporate Sponsor (includes foursome, BBQ dinner and 2 signs)

SponSored by

Rotary Club of Baldwin Park

Make checks payable to: C.A.R.E For Women Foundation or go online to Care-for-women.org P.O. Box 4546 | Orlando, FL 32802

wellsfargo.com/lgbt © 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (632102_03128)

632102_03128 4.875x5.125 4c.indd 1

9/16/11 11:37 AM

For further information regarding registration or sponsorship, please contact: Elizabeth McCarthy 407.517.9815 or ElizabethM@care-for-women.org

watermark | orlando out+about

shot on site

Photography | James Bennett, Rick Claggett, Tom Dyer, Scott McCauley and courtesy of the City of Orlando and Out and Proud Veterans of America.

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Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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1- Veterans gathered at Orlando’s VA Medical Center Sept. 20 to mingle, eat cake and celebrate the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

2- (L-R) Momma Lickerpimple (a.k.a. Jen Kunsch) and Eean Bread (a.k.a. Danny Garcia) discuss the finer points of cheap beer consumption at the semi-annual White Trash Party.

3- No mullet was too lustrous at the White Trash Party, an annual party held on Sept. 24. This year’s theme was a “White Trash Wedding.”

4- The Serial Thrillers celebrated a double-win at the Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls season opening game, School Yard Brawl, Sept. 25 at Universal Skating Center.

5- District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney discussed crime safety with the Lake Davis Neighborhood Watch Group Sept. 20.

6- Watermark publisher Tom Dyer soaked up some history at the Stonewall Inn during a recent trip to New York City.

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watermark | tiglff

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

45

A Career Beyond Camp

Talented Harmony Santana could be one of the first transgender actors to find success in serious roles.

W

hen it comes to life transformation, it doesn’t get any more dramatic.

Two years ago, Harmony Santana was a teenager, living as a man on the streets of New York, turning the occasional trick when it was necessary to eat.

Today, she’s a beautiful young woman in transition, starring in an indie film that’s gaining traction on the film festival circuit, sharing a Bronx walkup with two friends and lining up acting gigs with an eye toward college. At the Sundance Film Festival she met James Franco and Zoe Saldana, and mingled with the likes of Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie and Anne Hathaway.

In Gun Hill Road, the opening night selection for the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Santana plays a shy teenage boy in a tough neighborhood who wants to live as a girl. But everything changes when his macho father, played by La Bamba’s Esai Morales, is released from prison and returns home ready to reconnect with his oldest son.

It was a demanding first role for Santana, whose only acting experience was playing a Boy George lookalike in a high school production of The Wedding Singer. Santana will be at the Tampa Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 6 for Gun Hill Road, and for a couple days afterward to talk about the movie, her amazing life and her plans for the future.

“I know who I am and what I want to accomplish,” Santana says. “And I know that I can save lives with my career and, by example, my life.”

A lot of crying A faded red couch is the only furniture in Santana’s living room, just two noisy blocks from the Fordham Road subway station. There are no tables or lamps. The patched walls are bare.

It might feel dreary if it weren’t for Santana, whose poised charm fills the room. Dressed in designer jeans, a feminine black scoop neck t-shirt, hoop earrings and hair pulled back in a flattering chignon, she pulses with ambition, but also humble disbelief at her change in circumstances.

“I’m living my dream,” she says.

The talented Santana could be one of the first Continued on page 54 | uu |

tom dyer

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| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

Today, METRO announces a recommitment to our GLBT community! Recently, Metro has had a shortage of space due to rapid growth. NOW WE’RE BACK with increased staff, bigger locations, and more programs.

ADAM K. joined our staff as our new full-time GLBT Program Coordinator!

Metro offers GLBT education programs and events, counseling services, and weekly youth group meetings. Learn more at metrotampabay.org.

Hillsborough Over 15,000 sq. ft. in our new Ybor City location 1315 E 7th Ave., Suite 201 Tampa, FL 33605 (813) 232-3808

Pinellas Moving Oct. 1 to a new 15,500 sq. ft. location 3251 3rd Ave. N., Suite 125 St. Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 321-3854

Pasco/Hernando Expanding our space to 2,700 sq. ft. Nov. 1 4747 US Hwy 19 New Port Richey, FL 34652 (727) 494-7625

Ask us about reserving meeting space for your non-profit group in our new, larger locations.

METRO provides vital services in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties.

About 8,000 people are enrolled in Metro’s 20+ HIV programs. To make it happen, Metro employees 82 people and welcomes the support of a dozen volunteers.

METRO PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

HIV CASE MANAGEMENT MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE LINKAGE TO LIFE (L2L) Prevention for families

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HIV Counseling and Support Groups

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HIV and substance abuse prevention

HIV, REGISTERED NURSE Liaison and education program

CLOSING THE GAP

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GLBT Counseling LICENSED, PROFESSIONAL THERAPISTS

To help with depression or anxiety, relationship issues, substance abuse Sliding fee scale, call for an appointment: Pinellas 727-321-3854 Hillsborough 813-232-3808

HIV TESTING & EDUCATION HIV INMATE PROGRAMS

Watch for new programs!

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Case manager at Hillsborough and Pinellas jails

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Provides merchandise certificates for those receiving HIV Case Management services, from any agency.

Also provides women and children with household and personal care bags monthly.

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727-321-7212

watermark | tiglff

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

steve blanchard

A minute with…

Ken Hodges

TIGLFF Board President

T

ampa | Each year, the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has the challenge of producing the fifth largest festival of its kind in the country.

That joyful burden is shared by the organization’s board, staff and volunteers.

But the board president is in charge of bringing all the different aspects of an 11-day festival together. This year that task belongs to Ken Hodges.

Hodges first joined TIGLFF’s board in 2005. He has always been involved with the arts, and especially film. The Tampa-based real estate agent has landed a few bit parts in movies. He was drawn to TIGLFF because of its reputation as a “filmmaker’s film festival.”

This year’s TIGLFF takes place from Oct. 6-16 at the Tampa Theatre, Tampa Museum of Art, Muvico Baywalk in St. Petersburg, and multiple party venues. Visit tiglff.com for movie listings and more information.

With opening night just a week away, we spent some time with Hodges to find out how his love of film developed, what makes TIGLFF click after 22 years, and what we can expect this year.

WATERMARK: Is there a specific LGBT film that stood out for you as a young man?

KEN HODGES: This dates me, but it would have to be the 1982 film, Making Love. At that time, LGBT films were few and far between. Making Love was one of the first that actually had a real story to tell. It was about a married man coming to terms with his sexuality and the love triangle that emerges between the characters played by Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. I grew up in the South, where men and women lived in the closet.

Making Love showed that being gay was okay. I won’t give away the ending, but it is a must see.

With so many LGBT media outlets these days—Logo, Here!, even Bravo—is it more difficult to attract audiences to LGBT-themed film festivals?

It’s a double edged sword. Some people will wait and see certain films when they come out on DVD or online. But some of the best films never find distributors. In that case, the only place to see them is at an LGBT festival like TIGLFF. And some people like it that way; for them it’s a matter of community. The festival gives everyone an opportunity to come out and see movies that are by, for and about us

in an environment that is accepting, welcoming and comforting.

The official TIGLFF program announces the return of the black tie gala. What inspired that party’s resurrection?

The Gala has been around for a few years and has always been well received. We opted not to do it last year due to the downturn in the economy, but people missed it so we decided to bring it back. There aren’t many opportunities for us to get together as a community at a formal event. Of course it’s black tie optional. This year we’re calling it the “Great Gatsby Gala.” It’s presented

by ALandCHUCK.travel at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Don Vicente in Ybor City.

What excites you most about this year’s festival?

Without question it would be the quantity and quality of films submitted to us and that we’re presenting. Our new program director, KJ Mohr, did an outstanding job sampling other top film festivals throughout the country. She had the opportunity to personally meet with some great directors and producers and secure their films.

The festival added a third venue this year—the Tampa Museum of Art.

Photo courtesy Ken Hodges

Why the addition?

This year, TIGLFF really sought to reach out into the community and collaborate with other organizations. The Tampa Museum of Art is a perfect fit. It’s two blocks from our main venue, the Tampa Theatre, and it’s a fantastic facility with an intimate screening room that seats 125 people. It’s the perfect venue for artistic films, foreign films and documentaries that traditionally draw a smaller crowd.

Pam Iorio was a big supporter of the festival. Is Tampa’s new mayor, Bob Buckhorn, also behind the event?

It will be different this year not seeing Pam on opening night. But Mayor Buckhorn prepared a welcome letter for our program and is scheduled to address the audience on opening

night. I hope he’ll be there every year, like Pam was.

How would you describe the TIGLFF audience?

Forever changing. Each year, we work hard to make sure we have a wide variety of films for all segments of our community. This year there’s a “Youth Showcase” on Sat. Oct 15 starting at 11 a.m. We’ll screen Bashment, followed by a panel discussion featuring Community Tampa Bay, USF Pride, and local GSA and youth organizations. We also have a compelling documentary about LGBT elders called Gen Silent.

It’s about how the LGBT seniors who spearheaded our battle for equal rights and have been forced back into the closet by homophobia at nursing Continued on page 52 | uu |

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We Were Here returns to a San Francisco filled with illness, death and discrimination in the early days of AIDS.

Survivor Stories T

hirty years after it first emerged and devastated our community, the AIDS Crisis lingers on— albeit far more quietly.

“There’s been a silence around the epidemic, partly because we all needed to take a breath,” says San Francisco-based filmmaker David Weissman.

Weissman’s powerful new documentary, We Were Here (co-directed and edited by Bill Weber, his collaborator on 2002’s The Cockettes), looks back at AIDS’ arrival and profound impact on San Francisco’s LGBT community. His lens: riveting archival photos and video footage, and the touching recollections of five incredible survivors. The result is an intense, intimate and emotional experience that once again shines light on the forgotten and, to many younger gays, completely unknown horrors that AIDS unleashed on our community. Inspiringly, the film also recalls the caring and courageous activism that resulted.

We Were Here won the Audience Award at a jam-packed OutFest in Los Angeles. It debuts in Florida at the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 9—a perfect time to sit back and fully consider a most important chapter in the LGBT history book. Weissman took a break from the festival circuit to discuss making the film, reliving his experiences through the process, and the controversial issues raised by looking back.

WATERMARK: AIDS has been around for 30 years. What made you want to make the film now?

DAVID WEISSMAN: The idea came from a conversation with a boyfriend, also a filmmaker, who was much younger than I. He’d heard me talk about my experiences during the early years and suggested that it would make a good film. I feel the movie creates a dialogue between generations about those important years. It’s perfect that the idea was

suggested by someone who had not lived through it.

Going back to that time, do you remember the first time you heard about AIDS? I very much remember the Bay Area Reporter article in April of 1981 that said there was a cluster of [Kaposi’s Sarcoma outbreaks] among gay men. And then a few months later there was another little article saying the CDC had also noted a

We Were Here looks back as the first wave of AIDS swept over San Francisco. lawrence ferber

cluster of pneumonia cases among gay men. The first stories were small, but I remember them vividly.

The documentary features just five interview subjects, all of whom you knew prior to making the the film. Did you consider featuring more voices and viewpoints?

Well, from the beginning I knew I wanted to limit the number of subjects because I wanted to tell a movie that was deep rather than broad. And that depth came from fully recounting the experience of those few people. You couldn’t get the same depth if there were too many interview subjects. We settled on the five not because I’d known them, but because they offered such rich insights. Their stories were so potent that I didn’t want to dilute them. In this case, depth created breadth.

You got such compelling stories out of them. Were you surprised that their memories were still so accessible?

Part of the casting process was to identify people who would be really open to sharing their internal journey for the benefit of others. It was an intuitive process, and I think it worked. The ones we chose were incredibly generous with their memories and histories.

So you initially interviewed more people who were around back then?

Yes, many more.

Are the ones who got cut from the film upset?

No. I told everyone at the outset that there was a good chance some or all of their interviews wouldn’t make it into the film. I think they appreciated having the opportunity to revisit and process that part of their life. Many of them hadn’t talked about it in years. I think it was a cathartic experience for everyone.

You used archival photos and footage I had never seen before. How did you Continued on page 50 | uu |

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

ROAD TO EQUALITY HRC BUS TOUR COMES

TO ORLANDO

THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN IS COMING TO ORLANDO! Join the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization dedicated to equal rights, in Orlando this October.

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.HRC.ORG/ROAD-TO-EQUALITY

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Chock Full O’Docs We Were Here is just one of many documentaries you won’t want to miss at this year’s TIGLFF. For the first time, many will be screened at the beautiful Tampa Museum of Art. Here are some standouts:

Hit So Hard: The Life & Near Death Story of Patty Schemel [Oct. 8, 3 p.m., Tampa Theatre] Follows the dramatic journey of the openly gay drummer of Courtney Love’s seminal rock band, Hole.

Kink Crusaders [Oct. 8, 5 p.m., Tampa Theatre] Chronicles the surprising 33-year history of the annual International Mr. Leather gathering in Chicago.

Gen Silent [Oct. 9, 12 p.m., Tampa Museum of Art] Celebrates LGBT elders, and exposes discrimination in nursing homes.

Die Jungs vom Bahnhof Zoo-Rent Boys [Oct. 9, 3 p.m., Tampa Museum of Art] Rosa von Praunheim’s fascinating study of five young men who perform sex for money in Berlin.

Cancerpants [Oct. 9, 4:45 p.m., Tampa Museum of Art] Rochelle Pouson’s battle with breast cancer, and the dyke community that rallied around her.

The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye [Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m., Tampa Museum of Art] Performance artist Genesis undergoes multiple surgeries to resemble his love, Lady Jaye.

watermark | tiglff | uu | We Were Here from p.48

find it, and was it difficult to get permission to use it?

It was particularly difficult to find photos of sick people, especially with Kaposi’s Sarcoma lesions, because people back then didn’t want their pictures taken. So to find a picture of a sick person walking on Castro Street was not easy.

Once you started working on the film, did the intensity of the subject matter follow you home?

Yeah, it was an emotional journey to revisit all of that, even from a historical vantage point. I felt a responsibility to get the politics and the emotions right. And it was unavoidable to share that history without reactivating my personal experience. The same was true for Bill Weber, my filmmaking partner.

The film touches on some emotionally wrenching -- but also largely forgotten -aspects of the AIDS crisis. For instance, a lot of people with AIDS committed suicide when they got extremely sick and there was no effective treatment. Many had the kind of ‘going away’ gatherings like the one depicted in the film, It’s My Party.

There are so many things people have forgotten, or never knew. It’s an extraordinary history of an extraordinary time. One incredible thing someone shared with me was that when they went to a performance back then in San Francisco—opera, symphony, a movie at Castro Theater—it was normal to hear beeping throughout because everybody had these beeper boxes to remind them to take all their different medicines at the exact time.

It was chilling to be reminded of that.

The film is specific to San Francisco. Does it reflect what happened in other cities? Will people who went through the early days of AIDS in other cities relate to the film?

People will have to determine for themselves. I’m curious to know. I lived in San Francisco, so it reflects my vision of the experience there. There were very specific circumstances because of the power of the gay community and responsiveness of city government. So in some ways it’s a singular story, but I also think it’s universal.

The human piece—the suffering, the sadness, the helplessness and frustration, and the care giving—is universal to everywhere that AIDS existed in those early days.

Now that it’s done, does the film surprise you in any way? Does it accomplish anything that you never envisioned?

It’s hard to say, because everyone’s experience of the movie is so personal and subjective. The most wonderful thing for me is when people tell me they saw it three times because it was so cathartic. And also how

We Were Here director David Weissman: “I haven’t watched the movie yet without crying.”

powerfully it has impacted young men. I’ve had many conversations with men in their 20s and 30s who were totally blown away by the movie. It enlightened them about how we got to where we are, what older gay men went through, and the extraordinary support provided by lesbians and also straight people.

It’s a story that hasn’t been told like this movie tells it, and it’s really gratifying that it’s deeply impacting people.

to all the lost lives and past suffering to overlook how challenging and expensive it can be to live with HIV today?

I hope that younger generations of gay men see this movie, and gain a greater respect for the suffering and strength of those who came before them. And I hope that translates into deeper thinking about their sexual behavior.

The prevention message in the film comes from a place of love and self-respect rather than finger wagging. We’re part of a community, and it’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other. That’s our legacy.

Unlike back then, gay men today have so much knowledge about HIV and how to prevent its spread.

And yet new infections occur, in alarming and steady numbers.

It’s difficult for people who lived through those years to see people still getting infected. They’re not taking the risk, or the ramifications, seriously. It’s frustrating—even enraging—but I don’t usually express that because I also feel compassion. The people doing the infecting are another story. If you’re HIV-positive, you have an absolute responsibility not to infect anyone. Everybody has an obligation to not hurt anyone, not to make the world worse. And we as gay men have a unique obligation not to perpetuate the epidemic. | l |

“We’re part of a community, and it’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other.

That’s our legacy.”—david weissman

Are there any parts you find hard to watch?

I haven’t watched the whole movie yet without crying, so I don’t sit through it very often anymore. The whole experience is hard—not just watching the movie, but doing a Q&A after a film festival screening.

It’s challenging because it requires me to be present emotionally in a very painful area. But it’s also a rich experience. I don’t mind it, but it’s exhausting.

In light of what passed, and all the new cases of AIDS still occurring, how do you feel about our brothers who eroticize barebacking? Do you think it’s a disservice

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

ATTORNEY KEITH SANDERS, Handles Foreclosure Defense and Bankruptcies with Experience and Sensitivity

“

Y

ou could say my motto is ‘been there, done that’,” says Keith Sanders, from Sanders Law, P.A. He says that for two reasons. First, he says his more than 20 years of experience as an attorney specializing in handling “ literally thousands” of bankruptcies means that he has dealt with virtually any kind of problem or issue that might arise with them. And, secondly, he had to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy himself. He says that experience makes him very sensitive to the kinds of things people face when making the difficult decision to file.

“Most attorneys have never been in a situation where they have been worried about how to keep the lights on, but I have been there myself so I can really relate to what people are going through,” said Sanders. “ Plus, many people are very embarrassed when they come to me, but when I tell them how embarrassing it was for me to have to stand in front of judges and colleagues who knew me and go through the process myself, that usually helps to put people more at ease and understand that I have been there and done that M YSELF.” “You know, in 99 percent of bankruptcy cases the situation is that bad things happen to good people. They have gone through an expensive health crisis or a divorce or just got in over their head with debt.”

He began his career as a staff attorney for the U.S. Trustee in Atlanta. He is licensed to practice law in both Florida and Georgia.

“I like what I do because I feel like I can help people get a fresh start,” said Sanders.

“Since the initial consultation is free, you really don’t have anything to lose to meet with me and we can assess your situation and see how it might be best for you to proceed.”

Bankruptcy can be one solution to getting back on your feet financially, but it may not be the best or only solution for you.

Sanders has held a number of seminars and written professional papers concerning bankruptcy law in general, ECF requirements and new issues. He is a former director of the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

The firm also handles Short Sale negotiations, defense against foreclosures, wills & trusts, civil litigation, loan modifications, and creditor harassment.

Outside of the courtroom, Sanders lives in an unusual home in Gulfport that was one of the featured properties in a recent Pink Flamingo Tour of Homes. It has a tree growing right up through the floor and up through the ceiling of his kitchen.

He has four dogs and a cat.

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Attorney Joe Kopp.

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watermark | tiglff | uu | Ken Hodges from p.47

The Festival Circuit

homes and with health care providers.

How about you? Do you like comedies, dramas or documentaries?

Don’t think of this as a cop out, but I like them all equally. When you love film, and you’re watching a good one, you enjoy it. I guess if I had to pick I’d say comedies. It’s great to see everyone leave the theater with a smile on their face.

Locals comprise the biggest audience for TIGLFF. Do you get much feedback from outside Tampa Bay? We’re getting a lot of feedback from throughout the country on our Facebook fan page. It feels good.

Do you talk with the organizers of other LGBT film festivals?

Yes. We’re all looking for the best ways to obtain funding and utilize our budgets. Some festivals that occur around the same time of year have reached out to us to see if there are ways that we can share expenses for films and also for things like bringing in talent.

Last year we helped the local Jewish Film Festival promote one of their films. This year, the executive director of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is coming up for opening weekend to see how we run our festival. It’s quite an honor actually.

Other than TIGLFF, what are your favorite LGBT film festivals?

I’ve been to many, and they all have their own way of organizing and running their events. Outfest in LA is large and sprawling.

Newfest in New York takes place in multiple venues so you’re just another face in the crowd. Frameline in San Francisco is the granddaddy of LGBT film festivals; it’s a lot like ours, but on a grander scale. My favorite is Miami’s. It’s intimate—both venues are walkable from all the South Beach hotels. .

What’s your favorite TIGLFF memory?

I see so many wonderful things happen during our festival, so it’s hard to choose.

Old friends connect with new friends, people run into people they haven’t seen in years, and people even fall in love! The audience gets to meet actors, actresses, producers and

The TIGLFF Circuit The Great Gatsby Gala Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., The Don Vicente de Ybor, $75 (or TIGLFF pass), black tie preferred, presented by ALandCHUCK.travel.

In addition to 22-year-old TIGLFF, here are some of the biggest and best annual LGBT film festivals:

Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival 24th year, early September.

BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 25th year, early April.

Boston LGBT Film Festival 27th year, early May.

Chicago Gay & Lesbian Film Fest 30th year, early November.

Frameline (San Francisco) 35th year, mid June.

Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 13th year, late April.

MIX Brasil

19th year, mid-November.

NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival 23th year, late July.

Outfest (Los Angeles) 29th year, mid July.

Philadelphia Qfest

17th year, mid July.

Reel Affirmations (Washington, D.C.) 20th year, mid October.

Three Dollar Bill Cinema (Seattle) 16th year, mid October.

directors up close and personal. And of course there are the parties!

One thing stands out: last year we honored Mayor Pam as she was leaving office. We prepared a short video of her from all eight years that she attended. I was sitting next to her in the front row and she looked over at me and said, “This is for me? Really?” Her eyes welled up and she said, “You people are so special. I will never forget you all.”

The other best memory is opening night every year. I love seeing a line form around the building, watching the community come together in front of Tampa Theatre, smiles on their faces, socializing in the street with the anticipation of seeing another great line-up of quality LGBT film. | l |

TIGLFF is the motherlode for current LGBT cinema.

But it’s also host to some of the best parties of the year:

Taste of TIGLFF & Street Festival Saturday, Oct. 15, noon to 5 p.m., Franklin and Zack Streets, presented by St. Pete Pride and Tampa Bay Business Guild.

Surge 2011

Sugar Party 2011

Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., The RITZ Ybor, $15 (or TIGLFF pass), featuring DJ Seth Cooper, presented by ALandCHUCK.travel.

Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., The Honey Pot, $10 ($20 VIP “Taste of Sugar” desserts), décor by Mathieu and Chou, presented

by Tease Saturdays at The Honey Pot.

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

ANNOUNCE IT. RENT IT. SELL IT. POST IT.

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| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

watermark | tiglff

In Gun Hill Road, Harmony Santana (at left, with Karina Casiano) plays a teenage boy whose plans to live as a girl are upset when his father is released from prison.

| uu | Harmony Santana from p.45

transgender actors to establish a career beyond camp. Jaye Davidson received an Academy Award nomination for his turn in The Crying Game (1992). More recently, Candis Cayne and Laverne Cox are finding roles in television and movies, and Chaz Bono is successful as a celebrity activist.

But in the past, coveted transgender roles were filled by mainstream actors. John Lithgow played ex-football player Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp (1982). Hilary Swank won an Oscar for her breathtaking portrayal of a female-to-male murder victim in Boys Don’t Cry (1999).

And Felicity Huffman was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her touching turn as a trans woman in Transamerica (2005).

Santana’s “number one goal” is to play women, and under the tutelage of Gun Hill Road producer Michelle-Anne Small she recently landed a juicy female role in another indie project currently filming in Brooklyn.

Santana also has a recurring part in the Eating Out comedy trilogy currently airing on Logo, including a lead role in Eating Out: Drama Camp.

But right now, she’s betting on Gun Hill Road—a finalist for the esteemed Jury Award at Sundance—to establish her chops as a legitimate actress. In it she plays Michael, a 16-year-old just exploring his sexuality and gender difference in the smothering environment of the Bronx. His mother (Judy Reyes of Scrubs) is accepting, but it is beyond

his violent father’s comprehension.

The role requires Santana, now 21, to play fight scenes, breakup scenes, sex scenes and even a brief nude scene.

“I did a lot of crying,” she now laughs.

It helped that she was able to draw directly from her own experience. One of 13 children, Santana describes a strong bond with her mother and siblings in nearby New Jersey.

“My relationship with my mom is actually better than the one in the movie,” Santana says. “We share clothes, I give her makeup tips… she’s so open. And I go clubbing with my older sisters.”

She expresses sadness and scorn for a disapproving and emotionally violent father who lives in the Dominican Republic, and with whom she hasn’t spoken in seven years “There was no physical abuse, but he’d slap my hand if it was limp and tell me to walk different,” Santana says. “I overheard him calling me faggot.”

then a boy, lost his virginity at 13. And he grew close to his siblings, who accepted his femininity and attraction to other boys at an early age.

Things got more difficult when his mother’s new boyfriend moved in with the family. A disapproving disciplinarian, he shuttered a bedroom window to prevent escape. Santana stuck it out through high school and then left for New York, bouncing around between friends before ending up on the streets. Still living as a man, he contemplated suicide.

When necessary, he sold himself to get money

It was at Green Chimneys that Santana began living as a woman. She also began volunteering for Harlem United, a nearby medical clinic with HIV testing and other services.

In June of 2010, Santana offered to staff a Harlem United booth at Queens Pride, and her life took a wholly unexpected turn.

Queens Pride Other than a small role in a high school musical, Santana had no acting experience.

But she harbored dreams cultivated during that difficult childhood.

“I used to watch DVDs in my bedroom. I’d pause certain scenes and then reenact them in front of the mirror, trying to do it even better than the actor in the movie,” she says, moving to demonstrate. “My favorite was Titanic. I’d lean over the bed and be Kate Winslet… ‘I’ll never let go Jack!’”

At Queens Pride, Santana was unaware that Gun Hill Road director Green was conducting an extensive search to find the right actor for the most difficult-to-cast role.

The actor had to look 16, Hispanic, and convincing as a transgender character without “significant female development.”

“I looked at attractive gay males who had experience with drag, but they didn’t have the essence I was looking for,” Green told the New York Times. “There’s a difference between someone who’s pretending to be female and someone who actually believes

“I know that I can save lives with my career and, by example, my life.”

—harmony santana

Green Chimneys Santana’s mother and father were together off and on for most of her pre-teen years, both giving birth to children in and outside the marriage. But as their relationship deteriorated, some of that time was spent in shelters with her mother, sister and two brothers. Santana,

to live on.

“It felt gross, but I’m not ashamed,” Santana says quietly. “I needed money to live.”

And then he discovered Green Chimneys, a resource for homeless LGBT youth funded by the City of New York. The groundbreaking program provides shelter and a crack at a job for up to eighteen months. Thirty percent of any income is held back, and then applied to rent and other expenses when participants are ready to live on their own, as Santana is now.

It also provides much-needed professional and medical assistance for transgender youth.

watermark | tiglff

TIGLFF Talent Parade Some of the actors, directors and writers who will appear at TIGLFF:

Wendyjo Carleton writer/director Jessica London-Shields actor

Jamie & Jessie Are Not Together Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Tampa Theatre.

JC Calciano

writer/director eCupid Sunday, Oct. 9, 9 p.m., Tampa Theatre

Michael Simon

writer/director The Love Patient Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m., Tampa Theatre

Jill Bennett actor Cathy De Buono actor

We Have to Stop Now 2 Friday, Oct. 14, 7:15 p.m., Tampa Theatre.

Esai Morales in Gun Hill Road.

they are.”

One of Green’s assistants saw Santana at the Harlem United booth. He gave her a flyer, took a picture, and a few days later she was auditioning.

“It was the first time I’d ever auditioned for anything,” she remembers. “It must’ve gone well, because I got the part.”

Six weeks of intense daily lessons with NYU acting teacher Carra Patterson followed.

“I didn’t know I had so many emotional levels, or that I could access them when I wanted to,” Santana says. “It opened my mind to feelings about my father… lots of stuff.”

There were also trips to the gym to lose weight and other physical requirements.

Santana, who had just started living as a woman weeks prior, was forbidden to pluck her eyebrows, and she had to stop tanning and dye her hair black.

The shooting schedule was tight, often placing difficult demands on Santana and the other actors.

“There’s a scene where I break up with a boyfriend,” she recalls. “It was filmed outdoors in a park, and I couldn’t bring myself to the emotional state required in just two takes. But we had to move on because we had to be at another location in time to catch the sunset.”

As for playing both sides of the transgender dichotomy, Santana used the same approach she had adopted in life.

“I just did me,” she says. “I did feel like I had to butch it up sometimes, but most of the time I was me—Harmony—even as a boy.”

Source of inspiration Santana says the movie accelerated her transition in unexpected ways.

“Everyone made me feel very comfortable,” she says. “They called me ‘Harmony.’ They made it easy for me to fall into my own skin.

Being cast in the movie gave me a lot of courage.”

She’s taking hormones and other medications prescribed at the Callen Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan, home to a world-renowned Transgender Health Services department. She eventually wants to undergo sexual reassignment surgery, but for now is pleased with the size and shape of her developing—“I like mine small”—and naturallooking breasts.

“I’m so happy, but the surgery is a priority for me,” Santana says. “Otherwise I wouldn’t feel complete. It’s hard to describe, but I want to feel… like me.”

And Santana wants other transgender men and women to feel that way, too. From her understanding family, to her rescue from the streets and good fortune in landing the role in Gun Hill Road, she knows she’s been lucky.

“There’s nothing like it when someone comes up to you and says you’ve inspired them,” she says. “A woman contacted me on Facebook and told me she’d wanted to transition when she was young but felt she couldn’t because she had a child that needed a father. She told me she’d seen the film, and it had inspired her to be herself. Stuff like that really gets to me. I didn’t know I could ever feel that way.” | l |

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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watermark | transitions

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

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Rob Domenico has been hired as Director of Communications at the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida. Domenico, flanked by two entertainers, was chair of this year’s sold out Headdress Ball.

transitions Congratulations

Passings

Sarasota’s Trinity Charities program director Bruce Fournier and his partner Frank Horan celebrate seven years of legal, Provincetown marriage on Oct. 1.

Orlando Sentinel nightlife columnist Kelly Fitzpatrick died on Sept. 23 at the age of 36. Her husband, Casey Dayhoff, said the cause may have been related to sleep apnea.

Fitzpatrick was on outspoken friend of the LGBT community, often devoting significant amounts of her popular column to LGBT clubs and nightlife.

Joe Grodecki and Charles Goss of Altamonte Springs celebrate their 24th anniversary on Oct. 5.

Mary Birchler and Kimberly Boshears of Spring Hill celebrate 19 years together on Oct. 9.

The couple adopted a son who turned 11 years old in July.

The GaYbor District Coalition celebrates another year of uniting LGBT and LGBTfriendly businesses in Tampa’s historic district on Sept. 29.

Moving Framing of Central Florida is moving from Virginia Ave. to Orange Ave., across from White Wolf. The shop is owned by Rudy Wright and Mike VanDerLeest.

New Opportunities Rob Domenico has been hired as the Director of Community Relations for Hope and Help of Central Florida, Inc.

Local Birthdays MBA membership director Ayr Poucher, HIV/ AIDS activist Rob Domenico and Pastor Anthony J. Borka (Sept. 30); Serial Thrillers co-captain Christina Sockol and CuraScript Specialty Distribution’s Troy Marr (Oct. 2); Twirler and former TIGLFF executive director Chuck Henson and flashy flash mobber Randy Ross (Oct. 4); Lighthouse Realty broker/ owner Mike Trexler (Oct. 6); Gomez Law Firm of St. Petersburg’s Ian Stanislaus, Orlando Youth Alliance board president/Orlando AntiDiscrimination Ordinance committee founder Michael Slaymaker, face painter extraordinaire and roller derby fan Brit Lytle and cultural arts coordinator and partner to Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan Jocelynn White (Oct. 7); GLBT Center volunteer Richard Champalbert (Oct. 9); former Mr. Florida Gulf Coast Leather Lincoln Calcavecchi and MC Film Festival co-owner and “Dishing With Mark and Carrie” columnist Mark Bias (Oct. 13).

Watermark blogger Scottie Campbell has been appointed to the board for Ivanhoe Village, part of the Orlando Main Street Initiative.

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

dothis!

watermark | advice

Sloppy houseguest, selfish partner ADVICE FROM

The Truth

Truth@WatermarkOnline.com

A

footprint as possible—in the kitchen, in the shower, in front of the TV, and on your host’s laptop. If you gave him permission to use your computer, you can’t retroactively dictate what he looks at, even if common sense should have led his decision-making. If you didn’t, that’s a little easier.

Here comes the Truth: no matter how you cut it, your buddy is at the very least becoming a sloppy houseguest, even if he leaves the bathroom clean. It might be time for him to find alternate arrangements when he visits. If you’re willing to continue playing host, talk to him for your own peace of mind. No giving out your address. No hook ups at your home.

And even no porn, if you’re concerned about being linked to child pornography. After that, if you suspect he’s not following your rules, make it his last visit.

Dear Truth, My girlfriend is great—fun, sexy, successful—but there’s one thing about her that drives me crazy. She almost never asks me questions about my life, or shows any real interest in what’s going on with my work, friends, etc. Over dinner or in the car or on weekends it’s, “blah, blah, blah, me, me, me.” I’m sincerely interested and enjoy her stories and observations. But when I change the subject to something based on my life, her interest is perfunctory at best.

Follow-up questions are rare. And she often forgets the few things I tell her.

I know she loves me. I even know she cares. How can I develop a better conversational give-and-take with someone I hope to spend the rest of my life with?

Signed, Sick of Listening

Dear Truth, buddy of mine travels to Orlando for work three or four times a year and stays with me for a week or so at a time. Most days I go to work and he has Dear Sick, the run of the place, including my computer.

Do you know she loves you, or do you just After the last visit, I discovered my buddy hope she does? I suppose it could be possible had surfed several porn and hookup sites. that a really selfish person can love someone.

Now my imagination is working overtime.

Maybe she was an only child whose parents Is he giving out my address? Inviting people indulged her and who never learned listening over while I’m gone? Looking at sites that skills. But I have to be honest, SOL, it’s not the offer kiddie porn? Beating off at my desk? best sign. Without a natural, organic interest Bottom line: in your life, it’s going Is it ever cool to to be hard to rewire use someone else’s her to make her more That adult, important computer for those empathetic. conversation will be purposes? And The very first thing what’s the best way you must do is bring difficult, but the outcome to confront him and this to her attention. will be singularly set some boundaries That adult, important before his next visit? conversation will informative regarding Signed, Compube difficult, but the her intentions and pissed outcome will be your relationship. singularly informative Dear C-U-P, regarding her First of all, until intentions and your you find out what has relationship. If she is really happened, I would put your imagination defensive and turns it back, yet again, to her on hold. He may have just been beating off and her issues and her life, I say you have a while looking at hook-up sites. Not sure how tall mountain to climb. If she listens and is good a buddy he is, but I wouldn’t be that put thoughtful about her response, there is a chance out by that, I suppose—although it’s not a best- for retribution. Time will tell. If she changes practice in visitor behavior. her behavior for you, you will have established But let’s be clear: as a guest in someone a firm building block for the future—the ability else’s home, you need to leave as small a to adapt for each other. Best of luck. | l |

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watermark | sports

Phoenix Suns president resigns to be with partner wire report Pheonix | Phoenix Suns President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Welts is resigning after running the franchise’s business side for nine years.

Less than four months after jolting the sports world by becoming the first pro sports team senior executive to be openly gay, Welts jolted his own organization Friday by sharing plans to leave what he has called one of the best jobs in sports. Welts told The Arizona Republic on Sept. 9 that he is not leaving for another job, but to be in another city. In the past year, Welts started a new relationship and his partner is in Sacramento. He plans to do speaking

engagements and perhaps take an offer to write a book.

“The most important thing for me is to get my personal and professional lives Phoenix Suns Preisdent Rick better aligned,” Welts said.

Welts was the first senior “They’ve probably executive of a pro sports team to be openly gay. never been aligned.

I’m 58 years old and it’s time to do that.”

The Suns are allowing Welts to leave his contract nearly 10 months early. His final work

day was Sept. 15. In large part, Welts said he needs to relocate because his partner has joint custody of two children in Sacramento.

“I’ve relied on Rick quite a bit in terms of managing the Phoenix Suns,” team owner Robert Sarver said. “We’ve spoken once a day for the last seven years for the most part.

He’s become a good friend and I’ll definitely miss him. At the end of the day, what’s most important is that he’s happy. As much as I’d like Rick to stay, it’s the right move for him and I’m supportive of it.”

Widely respected after a four-decade career in sports, Welts left as president of Fox Sports to become the Suns’ president and chief operating officer. He said there is a clear connection between this decision and his revelation in May that he is gay and the fallout of that.

“This has been an incredibly gratifying experience, going through that and reaching a different part of my life where I’m able to share

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

59

100 percent of my life with people I work with instead of 95 percent,” Welts said. “There’s a great sense of satisfaction and freedom in that.

What I’m doing is uncharacteristic of Rick Welts. Leaving one of the best jobs in sports to go figure out what’s next is something I never would’ve done a year ago or five years ago or 10 years ago. Personally, there is a level of confidence. The future is going to be terrific.”

Welts began his NBA life in 1969 as a ballboy for the Seattle SuperSonics. NBA Commissioner David Stern recruited Welts to be the league’s director of national promotions in 1982, before the league renaissance. Welts worked his way through various roles until he was the No.3 man in the league as its executive vice president, chief marketing officer and president of NBA properties. He was recently honored at the U.S. Open with the United States Tennis Association’s ICON Award for diversity and inclusion in the sports industry. | l |

Nyad quits Cuba-to-Florida swim

NFL adds sexual orientation as protected class

wire report

wire report

Key West | American long-distance swimmer Dianna Nyad decided on Sunday to abandon her third attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. Nyad, 62 and openly lesbian, had swum for more than 40 hours and completed more than 77 miles of the 103-mile course.

Nyad was forced to quit after being stung

in the face and eyes by Portugese man-o-war.

She reported that the pain was “unspeakable.”

Medics had warned her team that toxins from the stings were building up and another sting could be life-threatening.

Nyad tried the same swim last month but quit after an asthma attack made it difficult to breathe. She also attempted the swim as a 28-year-old in 1978, when she swam for 42 hours before crawling out of the water. | l |

New York | While most focused on the major financial issues resolved in the new NFL collective bargaining agreement, and allowing the NFL season to begin on time, one change went almost unnoticed. The new agreement adds “sexual orientation” to the list of classifications protected from discrimination.

Currently, there are no openly gay players in the NFL. Several players, including David Kopay and Esera Tuaolo, have come out after leaving the ranks of professional players.

There is speculation that the protection was added at the behest of Ted Olson and David Boies, the two lead attorneys in the case challenging the anti-gay Proposition 8 in California. They were on opposite sides of the NFL negotiations. | l |

watermark | gossip

| Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011

billymasters

60

“That’s not to say I wouldn’t like a penis. I really would like one and I hope that someday I will get one.” -- Chaz Bono, who debuted on Dancing With the Stars last week, discusses a goal for the future.

C Carol Channing at Gay Days?

Billy Masters Billy@BillyMasters.com

heyenne Jackson just married his longtime partner, Monte Lapka. Last summer, the couple registered as domestic partners and had a commitment ceremony. But with gay marriage now legal in New York, there weren’t any obstacles to a real wedding. He shared the news via Twitter (of course) by saying, “It’s official, after 11 years together, Zora’s no longer a bastard. Just married the best man I’ve ever known.” By the way, Zora is the couple’s dog. She has Cheyenne’s eyes.

Because of delays in filming Wolverine 2, Hugh Jackman is available to start the film version of Les Miserables early. Paul Bettany was originally slated to co-star as Javert, but we now hear that Russell Crowe is actively campaigning for the part. Other names being thrown into the mix are Anne Hathaway (or Amy Adams) as Fontine, and Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers.

Prior to shooting Les Mis, Jackman will bring his solo act to Broadway. From October 25 through December 20 (unless extended), Hugh Jackman in Concert will appear at the Broadhurst Theater.

You all know that Darren Criss (Glee) will take over the lead in How To Succeed in Business for three weeks once Daniel

Justice Indeed

Radcliffe departs on January 1. But who will replace Criss? Nick Jonas, that’s who -- and he’ll stick around until June. This marks Nick’s return to the Great White Way after roles in Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables. I always had a feeling he was a thespian.

I’ve already told you that Gay Days at Disneyland is from September 30 thru October 2. I’ve already told you that Frenchie Davis will sing her little heart out at the super-duper Kingdom party on October 1. But did you know that the next day I’ll appear in a Speedo at the Plunge pool party? But if you want something less risque, then you’re in luck. The legendary Carol Channing will also appear on October 2 (most likely not in a bathing suit) for an “Intimate Conversation” at the Grand Californian Hotel. Proceeds will benefit her foundation, which is working to get arts back into schools -- a worthy cause if ever there was one. Visit GayDaysAnaheim.com.

It seems like Playgirl has a thing for reality stars. The magazine offered Rob Kardashian $45,000 for a nude pictorial -- with an additional $15K if he got hard. Kardashian booked Dancing with the Stars instead, where he’ll be paid roughly $150K for the first two weeks—before tips from Bruno (whether he gets hard or not). Playgirl’s next choice was The Real World: Hollywood star Joey Kovar,, who will be featured on the cover and centerfold of the next issue, out any day now. We hear the mag only paid him $20,000, but I’ve seen the spread and they paid at least $15K too much. Less shaving, more dieting. Get an early glimpse at BillyMasters.com.

Back in 2007, I ran photos of Oscar de la Hoya in a variety of fishnet stockings and other genderbending attire (and showing some of his “junk”). At the time, he said the pics were Photoshopped and sold to the tabloids by an exotic dancer.

Now he has admitted the photos were real, and fueled by cocaine and alcohol.

Oscar’s been dumped as ambassador for Tres Generaciones tequila. The pics are on view again at BillyMasters.

Carol Channing will be pushing some product (and possibly a walker) at Gay Days at Disneyland in early October.

com.

Our “Ask Billy” question comes from Corey in London: “I just went to “West End Bares”—which is like “Broadway Bares” in the States. Loved it! What do you know about the hot guy from Priscilla? Amazing bod!”

I had forgotten “West End Bares” was last week. This event was the brainchild of my dear friend, Darren Carnall. It started last year when he was in the cast of the West End Blonde—which production of Legally Blonde was directed by Jerry Mitchell, who started “Broadway Bares”. This inspired Darren to organize “West End Bares” and raise money for the Make a Difference Trust (similar to Broadway Cares). Last year was such a huge hit, it returned this year to London’s Café de Paris and raised $70K! Amongst the hunky Thornton, participants was Oliver Thornton one of the sexy stars of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He plays the same part Nick Adams is doing on Broadway and they’re both amazing.

When Brits are showing off their West Ends, it’s time for me to end yet another column. Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible. | l |

Cheyenne Jackson broke the news of his marriage to longtime partner Monte Lapka via Twitter.

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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watermark | photography

galleryw Photography | Jake Stevens

Headdress Ball 2011

Saturday, September 17 | Orlando Hilton

Sept. 29 - Oct. 12 2011 |

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