Watermark Issue 20.11: Gay Days Weekend

Four years after leaving town amidst controversy, Johnny Chisholm returns to promote his parties during Orlando’s big gay weekend

PLUS

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • SARASOTA • ISSUE 20.11 • MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM

to 13de end 20 ui ek D G e G TE W E: LE ay ID P G S M Big IN r CO ’s u do Yo lan r O

YOUR LGBT LIFE.

BELINDA CARLISLE PREPS FOR P-HOUSE SHOW

JUDY TENUTA BRINGS LOVE TO GAY DAYS

DISNEY’S

PRIDE GROUP

INDIGO GIRLS AIM TO EMPOWER AUDIENCES IN CLEARWATER

UNOFFICIALLY WELCOMES REVELERS

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The law makes no distinction between two boys or two 17 girls or a boy and a girl.

DEPARTMENTS 6 // MAIL 8 // ORLANDO NEWS 12 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 17 // STATE 18 // NATION & WORLD 27 // ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 33 // EVENT PLANNER 36 // IN DEPTH 59 // TAMPA BAY OVERHEARD 61 // ORLANDO OVERHEARD 62 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 63 // TRANSITIONS 64 // ORLANDO MARKETPLACE 69 // SPORTS

PAGE

— STATE ATTORNEY BRUCE COLTON OF THE 19TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.

ON THE COVER

PAGE For the first time since 2009,

promoter Johnny 36 party Chisholm will bring events

to the biggest gay weekend of the year in Orlando. What does that mean for the local circuit scene?

Illustration by Jake Stevens

Preview

PAGE

27

GIRL POWER:

The Indigo Girls return to Florida to perform at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on June 1. Emily Saliers shares the secret to the Girls’ success and what it means to be a queer duo on stage.

WATERMARK ISSUE 20.11 //MAY 23 - J UNE 5, 2013

ORLANDO NEWS

TAMPA BAY NEWS

PAGE Drama still surrounds the

PAGE Pride & Passion returned

GAY DAYS WEEKEND

GALLERY W

Read it online!

SCAN QR CODE FOR

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In addition to a Web site with daily LGBT updates, a digital version of each issue of the publication is made available on WatermarkOnline.com

08

creation of a GSA in the Lake County School district; A successful AIDS Walk Orlando raises money for Hope & Help; Harvey Milk breakfast celebrates diversity; more.

12

to the Tampa Museum of Art on May 18 to celebrate diversity and art; St. Pete Pride asked the community to select this year’s grand marshals, and on May 16, the organization shared the results; more.

PAGE The 23rd Annual Gay Day

36

at Disney’s Magic Kingdom returns on June 1, and surrounding it are circuit parties and entertainment throughout the Orlando area; Judy Tenuta headlines at the GayDays hotel; Belinda Carlisle arrives at P-House; more.

PAGE The community of Tampa

was out in full force to 62 Bay support the Tampa Museum

of Art during Pride & Passion 2013 in May. Organizers brought out all the stops, creating a Baroque theme to one of the museum’s largest membership events. Photographer Nick Cardello caught the night on camera.

GAY DAYS IS UPON US, AND WE’RE PREPARED TO COVER IT AS IT UNFOLDS AT WATERMARKONLINE.COM. CHECK OUT OUR COVERAGE MAY 31-JUNE 2.

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SHAME ON LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS

“I would hate to explain to my grandkids why I was on the wrong side of history.”

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T’S INCREDIBLY SAD THAT THE LAKE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CONTINUES TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LGBT STUDENTS. My hope is that another middle school student will continue the �ight next year.

Lake County was given such an opportunity. In this case they could have come out like they actually had their students’ best interests in mind. I believe GSAs should be in all middle and high schools. The material can be made age-appropriate.

I want to thank Mrs. Brandeburg for speaking her mind and sticking to her decisions. I am incredibly impressed by her. I imagine it could not be easy to be the only one on the board willing to stand up to the bullies!

To Mr. Mathiass and Dr. Coward: shame on you.

Shame on you for allowing your fears infect Lake County’s School Bard. Shame on you for using your position on the school board to change the rules when the vote didn’t go your way. If you think what you have done was a good political move, you are mistaken.

The LGBT community and its allies will make sure you do not serve another term.

As you can tell from all the supporters at the meetings, there are a lot of us!

—ERICA SILBERSTEIN

I honestly feel bad for you both. I would hate to explain to my grandkids why I was on the wrong side of history.

ERICA SILBERSTEIN ORLANDO

luckiest pups on earth.

Keep up the great work that you do, and tell Duncan I said hi on your next walk.

MIKE CALLAHAN VIA E-MAIL

CONDOLENCES FOR DUNCAN

EMPOWERING MESSAGE

I

JUST FINISHED READING TOM DYER’S PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE COLUMN ABOUT DUNCAN [Issue 20.09], with tears rolling down my cheeks. As a dog owner/lover I was touched as I thought of my 9-year old schnauzer Baxter, and how I’d feel in this situation.

Like Duncan, he’s the �irst dog I’ve owned. There is nothing on earth like the loyalty and love shown by him.

Tom’s act of kindness was rewarded by comforting words from a stranger, and although there’s not much I can say that you haven’t already heard, I wanted to personally thank you for sharing your story. The next dog that �inds its way into your life, will certainly be one of the

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MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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S

TEVE BLANCHARD’S EDITOR’S DESK IN THE RECENT ISSUE OF WATERMARK [ISSUE 20.10] WAS ONE OF THE BEST PIECES that I’ve read written by him. It was somehow touching and empowering at the same time. Keep up the good work! It was a honor to read it.

JOHN FERRARO SARASOTA

COVER MESSAGE RECEIVED!

A

RT DIRECTOR JAKE STEVENS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB on the cover of the recent issue of Watermark. The Boi’s Life reference sums up the issue very well.

JAMES D. BROWER ORLANDO

editor’s

Steve Blanchard EDITOR

SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com

B

Desk

ACK WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED IN

Florida as a new graduate still looking to earn my chops as a reporter, my editor assigned me a story that seemed, quite literally, made for me. He asked me to drive from my daily assignment desk in Port Charlotte to the Magic Kingdom in Kissimmee to cover Gay Day. I leapt at the opportunity to not only leave the con�ines of my of�ice on a beautiful June Saturday, but to experience the Magic Kingdom with LGBT people from around the world. Just weeks after securing press passes for myself and my husband—who was my “of�icial” photographer—I was soon walking through a sea of red T-shirts as we were escorted by a cheerful Disney Cast Member.

The woman told me that while I was welcome to explore

WATERMARK STAFF

the park, I could not directly approach anyone for interviews.

If I happened to see someone with whom I wanted to speak, I should tell her, and she’d approach the Disney guests to ask their permission to speak with a reporter. It was a clunky way to get information for a story, but it made sense, since Disney didn’t want to disturb its park guests.

Almost every person I pointed out to my personal escort agreed to speak with me, and most of

Publisher: Tom Dyer • Ext. 305 • Tom@WatermarkOnline.com Chief Financial Officer: Rick Claggett • Ext. 108 • Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Admin. Assistant: Stephanie Saylor • Ext. 100 • Stephanie@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Steve Blanchard • 813-470-0899 • SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com Editorial Assistant: Susan Clary • 104 • Susan@WatermarkOnline.com Online Media Director: Jamie Hyman • Ext. 106 • Jamie@WatermarkOnline.com Proofreading: Ed Blaisdell Art Director: Jake Stevens • Ext. 109 • Jake@WatermarkOnline.com Production Assistant: Andrés Duputel • Ext. 107 • AdProduction@WatermarkOnline.com

them shared the same thought: “This was a day to connect with friends from around the globe and to celebrate who they were without fear of judgment.”

I made it a point to not share my sexuality with those I interviewed. I simply wanted to get their individual thoughts on the experience.

While I admit most of that day is a blur, I remember one encounter vividly. My personal escort approached a 30-something lesbian and asked her if she would be willing to talk to a reporter. After she agreed to the interview I sat down on the bench next to her, not realizing that the charm on my gold necklace had come out from my T-shirt. The gold cross caught the sunlight and my interviewee’s entire demeanor changed.

“Wait a minute,” she said. “Who do you write for?”

My Disney escort was obviously nervous and paid close attention to the exchange. When I explained that I wrote for a mainstream newspaper, she still hesitated.

I saw her eye my necklace and I immediately understood the new situation before me. She related the symbol of a cross to anti-gay rhetoric spewed by Christian conservatives.

I nodded at my “cameraman” and explained that he was my husband and then told her the angle of my story was not to highlight the debauchery

of Gay Day, but to put human faces to a day celebrated by the LGBT community.

She relaxed and then proceeded to share her story and introduce me to her long-time partner and their baby boy, who was in a stroller nearby.

Our conversation steered my story in a new direction and for the �irst time, even though I was a member of the LGBT community, I saw Gay Day as a family event— or better yet, a celebration for all families. It also inspired a column for my mainstream employer, where I wrote of how disheartening it was that a religious symbol I had always been taught signi�ied love, easily signi�ied hate to someone else.

Despite having survived to see its 23rd year, Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom will continue to spark controversy and to ignite �irestorms among social conservative groups. In the mid1990s it was the American Family Association who threatened boycotts and feigned disgust atsame-sex couples enjoying Disney World. In 2012 it was the Florida Family Association who �lew banners behind airplanes to “warn” Disney attendees about Gay Day. And this year it’s One Million Moms, which is a branch of the AFA, asking Disney to disown the LGBT community.

What these organizations fail to understand, however, is that the more noise they make, the more attention they bring to our community, which legitimizes our �ight for equality.

It’s been 13 years since I experienced Gay Day for the �irst time, and it’s still a day of community. And no matter where we gather, it really is the happiest place on earth. |  |

I saw Gay Day as a family event— or better yet, a celebration for all families.

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CONTRIBUTORS ZACH CARUSO

is a musician and journalist from New Jersey who now lives in St. Petersburg. He has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and an MA in writing. Page 27

KIRK HARTLAGE

is an Orlandobased journalist and DJ and a former full time employee of Watermark. He specializes in celebrity interviews. Page 39

Greg Burton, Erik Caban, Scottie Campbell, Amy Dees, Kirk Hartlage, Rev. Phyllis Hunt, Joseph Kissel, Ken Kundis, Mary Meeks, Stephen Miller, David Moran, Anthony Paull, Greg Stemm, Brett Stout, Louanne Walters, Stephen Warne

PHOTOGRAPHY NICK CARDELLO

is the owner of Cardello Photography and he lives and works in Tampa Bay. He is the official photographer for several area events and organizations. Page 70

Angie Folks, Tom Eckert, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift, Tinkerfluff

DISTRIBUTION Debbie Oliver, Phil Garris, Ken Caraway

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Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles, advertising, or listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK is published every second Thursday.

Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail).

The official views of WATERMARK are expressed only in editorials. Opinions offered in signed columns, letters and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper’s owner or management. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted for publication.

WATERMARK is not responsible for damages due to typographical errors, except for the cost of replacing ads created by WATERMARK that have such errors.

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

7

orlando NEWS WALK ON!: AIDS Walk participants take over downtown

Orlando May 18. PHOTO BY JAKE STEVENS

AIDS Walk 2013 raises $130,000 Jamie Hyman JAMIE@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

O

8

RLANDO | There is still money coming in, but as of press time, the 2013 AIDS Walk Orlando raised $130,000 to support Hope and Help of Central Florida’s mission of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.

IN all, 1,500 walkers from 125 teams gathered in downtown Orlando for the fundraiser. Congressman Alan Grayson spoke to kick off the walk and Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer made the closing remarks.

“It was wonderful having Alan Grayson and the mayor come and speak,” said Hope and Help events manager Chris Hessler. “It really showed their support for the agency and the community.”

This year’s event also featured AIDS Walk Orlando’s �irst-ever after party, held at Parliament House. Hessler said the after party was a Hope and Help fundraiser as well, but no totals are available yet. He said the shuttle buses going from downtown to Parliament House were full and the resort’s managers are reporting they’re happy with the event.

The AIDS Walk’s fundraising is short of last year’s $209,000 raised and this year’s stated goal of $250,000. Hessler said the “biggest shortfall” was sponsors.

“A lot of our typical very big sponsors didn’t have the budget to be involved at all, and some had to cut what they could give in half,” Hessler said. “The community came out though, and as far as walkers go, that was right on point.”

He added that the walk itself wrapped up a little earlier than usual this year and that was wellreceived as well. |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

BATTLEGROUND: Lake County School Board members debate restrictions on school clubs—including a proposed Gay/ Straight Alliance—at their May 13 meeting. PHOTO BY SUSAN CLARY

Foggy future for GSA Lake County continues club debate Susan Clary

SUSAN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

T

AVERES | The decision by the Lake County School Board to rewrite its policies concerning student clubs has left many wondering if it has opened itself up to more lawsuits. Less than a month after settling a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union over the district’s refusal to allow a Gay-Straight Alliance at Carver Middle School, the School Board voted 4-1 to limit middle school clubs.

The board quickly voted at its May 13 meeting on policies for clubs at the elementary and high school levels. The policy for middle schools, however, was debated by members with several votes failing before the 4-1 decision was reached.

The limited policy left many people scratching their heads. It allows middle school students to create clubs, but they are limited to organizations that can “strengthen and promote critical thinking, business skills, athletic skills and performing arts.”

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clubs besides the GSA, such as service clubs and religious/ athletic clubs that don’t promote It is unclear whether the “skills,” would not meet the GSA club charter could meet proposed standards for middle those application requirements. school clubs. Members in favor Superintendent Susan Moxley, of the limited option talked of who approves the applications, tweaking club names and charters has expressed her desire to keep to make them �it and argued about GSAs out of middle schools. how to avoid a lawsuit.

Not every member was pleased “They are trying to handpick with the result, which affects the clubs they want,” said Erica approximately 9,500 students at Silberstein, 37, mother of Bayli 10 middle schools in the county. A Silberstein, a bisexual Carver �inal vote could occur in June.

Middle School 8th-grader who has been �ighting for a GSA at her school since November 2012. “They are leaving themselves to more legal action.”

The ACLU of Florida �iled a lawsuit on May —ROSANNE BRANDEBURG, LAKE COUNTY 1 on behalf of the SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER younger Silberstein, claiming that the School Board, district “I am not willing to spend superintendent and principal of taxpayer dollars to continue to Carver Middle School violated �ight this,” said School Board Silberstein’s rights under the Member Rosanne Brandeburg, federal Equal Access Act and the the only vote against limiting First Amendment to the United middle school clubs. “It’s cost us States Constitution. thousands of dollars and we need A day later, the Board agreed to allow equal access.” to allow Silberstein to form the Brandeburg speculated during the board discussion that existing

“I am not willing to spend taxpayer dollars to continue to fight this.”

Continued on page 10 |  |

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MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

9

orlando NEWS

|  | Lake County GSA from pg.8

HARVEY MILK DAY: Orlando city commissioner Patty Sheehan presents Stuart Milk a proclamation in honor of Milk’s uncle, Harvey Milk. PHOTO BY SUSAN CLARY

Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast celebrates life of gay activist Susan Clary SUSAN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

10

ORLANDO | If Harvey Milk were alive today, he would celebrate his 83rd birthday this week. Sadly, the �lamboyant and outspoken San Francisco Board Supervisor was gunned down in his of�ice in 1978. He was 48.

More than 100 people gathered to hear Milk’s nephew Stuart Milk, 52, talk about his uncle’s �ight for gay equality on May 20 at Dubsdread Country Club. The Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast was a bene�it for The Center, Orlando’s LGBT advocacy organization.

“The civil rights movement of our time is LGBT rights,” Stuart Milk said in a compelling speech about being your authentic self. “Tolerance is not enough. We need inclusion and acceptance.”

Milk, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, is the founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, which provides spreads its namesake’s message of LGBT equality around the world.

Watermark Media Founder Tom Dyer is a member of the Harvery Milk Foundation Advisory Board and introduced Stuart Milk at the breakfast.

U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) talked about the “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963 which defended a strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism.

Grayson also told the story of Alan Turing, the gay mathematician well known as the father of computer science, who committed suicide after he was arrested for homosexuality and received chemical castration as an alternative to prison in the 1950s.

“Even more than we need martyrs, we need leaders,” Grayson said. “‘The actual goal is to reach his or her full potential—man or woman, black or white, gay or straight.”

Grayson presented Congressional certi�icates to Milk and Randy Stephens, Executive Director of The Center for their work on behalf of LGBT rights. Council Councilwoman Patty Sheehan read a Proclamation by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on behalf of Milk’s birthday. |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

club for the remainder of the school year, which ends June 5.

That decree says the club will be of�icially recognized and can meet on the same terms as any other club. Other portions of the lawsuit are still pending.

“I don’t understand why this has to be so complicated,” said Sherrie Aly, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in Lake County, who spoke before the board. “I don’t understand why the board is doing this when so many places have GSA with no issues.”

Before the May 13 meeting, School Board members had tentatively accepted a policy for middle schools, but quickly scrapped it. Discussion followed with subsequent failed votes on two policies, one would only allow school-sponsored clubs and one that would provide for an “opt

out” provision that would allow a school’s Student Advisory Council to request approval to waive the charter requirements.

About a dozen members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lake County wore gold T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Standing on the Side of Love” and sat in the front row. A number of parents spoke to the board about the “gay agenda,” quoting from the Bible and telling members they would be “judged” on the decisions they made on the issue.

ACLU Attorney Daniel Tilley said the new policy appears to invite future litigation and that it violates both the Equal Access Act and the First Amendment. If the new middle school policy is approved and a student applies for a GSA chapter and is denied, the ACLU would consider future litigation.

“We would certainly argue that GSA falls into the category of critical thinking,” Tilley said.

“These students are addressing the bullying and harassment that School Board members have failed to address.”

Earlier in the meeting, the School Board voted to allow elementary school students to participate in school-sponsored clubs with parental consent with no outside clubs permitted. They voted 4-1 to allow high school students to create clubs with the approval of the superintendant, who was the lone dissenting vote because she believed all policies should include parental consent.

Following the preliminary vote on May 13, the Board must advertise its proposed policies for 28 days before meeting for a �inal vote at the June 24th School Board meeting. They could, at that time, vote on yet another option. |  |

Joy MCC gets a facelift Staff Report ORLANDO | Staff and volunteers rolled up their sleeves to renovate Joy Metropolitan Community Church (MCC).

According to Rev. Terry Steed, Sr. Pastor, Joy MCC’s sanctuary has been the same for the past three decades. Renovations include new carpeting, a fresh coat of paint, removal of some sheet rock that opens up some lighting and the part Steed is most excited about—new seating.

“These renovations will enable us to make the space truly

multipurpose,” Steed said, in an email to Watermark. “Good for not only Sunday worship but also smaller groups, meetings, seminars and gatherings.”

Joy MCC is requesting donations. Each chair costs $50, and donors would receive a nameplate for their chair indicating who made the donation.

“It is most important for all to know that no church funds will be expended for this renovation so all of the needed funds and supplies need to be gifted, donated or purchased through others,” Steed said.

FRESH COAT: Volunteers give Joy MCC a fresh coat of paint. PHOTO COURTESY TERRY STEED

For information on how to donate, visit JoyMCC.com. |  |

Another county office offers stipend to domestic partners Susan Clary SUSAN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

ORLANDO | Marriage equality has yet to come to Orange County, but its Property Appraiser wants to ensure same sex couples receive the same tax bene�its as their heterosexual married counterparts – even if it only affects one employee.

Starting in 2014, Property Appraiser Rick Singh will offer a stipend to reimburse tax

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

collector’s of�ice employees who are discriminated against by the federal tax code’s treatment of domestic partner health bene�its.

One employee has expressed a desire to sign up.

Singh is the second Orange County Constitutional Of�icer to provide this bene�it. Tax Collector Scott Randolph announced a similar policy last month, though no one has signed up. Singh’s of�ice would be the �irst to implement the bene�it.

“We want to equal the playing

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�ield,” Singh said. “I hope one day this conversation will be a thing of the past, but this is the civil rights issue of our time and it’s the right thing to do to grant these bene�its.”

The stipend is not considered salary and will be based on what the coverage the employee chooses during open enrollment in October. Employees must be registered through the Orange County Domestic Partner Registry to be eligible. |  |

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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tampa bay NEWS

REPRESENTING: St. Pete Pride president Aaron Horcha, center, stands with St. Pete Pride’s 2013 grand marshals (L-R) Mark Bias, Carrie West, Susan McGrath, and Metro Wellness and Community Centers representatives Cynthia Amaro, Kathie Michael and Chris Rudisill. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

Metro, McGrath, Bias and West named grand marshals Staff Report

Passionate about Art Pride & Passion 2013 mixes art, party atmosphere Steve Blanchard

S

T. PETERSBURG | For the �irst time in St. Pete Pride’s 11 year history, the community had an opportunity to select its own grand marshals. On May 16, Pride shared the results of a month-long online voting campaign that generated nearly 4,000 votes.

Mark Bias and Carrie West, owners of MC Film Fest and founders of the GaYbor Coalition, Susan McGrath, president of the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County, and Metro Wellness and Community Centers were each chosen in each of their respective categories.

“This chance for the community to vote for its own grand marshals comes at an opportune time,” explained Eric Skains, executive director of St. Pete Pride during the announcement held at Bert Smith BMW in St. Petersburg. “After the �irestorm that followed San Francisco Pride’s announcement earlier this year, it proves we’re stepping in the right direction by letting the community make this important decision.”

Skains was referring to San Francisco Pride’s appointment of Bradley Manning as its grand marshal, which created controversy for the pride organization and led to more than 100 people protesting the decision. Manning is the U.S. Army private who plead guilty to leaking classi�ied documents. The board later issued a statement retracting Manning’s nomination Continued on page 14 |  |

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KEEPING FOCUS: Marc Retzlaff, second from right, is the event chair of the 2013 event at the Tampa Museum of Art held on May 18. PHOTO BY NICK CARDELLO

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

T

AMPA | On May 18, the LGBT community and its supporters gathered en masse at the Tampa Museum of Art to celebrate diversity, pride and creativity at Pride and Passion 2013.

This marked the eighth year for the event, and organizers are expecting a capacity crowd.

The museum can hold about 850 people, and Pride and Passion event chair Marc Retzlaff was con�ident the museum hit capacity the night of the party.

But at press time, he did not yet have solid numbers as far as ticket sales were concerned.

This year’s theme of a “modern re-interpretation of Baroque aesthetic” brought out surprises throughout the night, including a roaming violinist who played along with an accompanying DJ and a carriage full of white-face women pulled by strapping men

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life of its own, Retzlaff said.

“Initially this was an outreach from the museum into the LGBT community to attract that demographic,” Retzlaff said. in harnesses—all within the lobby “Now it’s an incredible party that area of the expansive museum. continues to surprise and impress After the tour of the museum, everyone who attends.” the women stepped out of the This year, Pride and Passion carriage and distributed liqueur to organizers showcased a “Reveal” those in attendance. theme, meaning that surprises were “I’ve never experienced anything unveiled throughout the evening. like this before,” said Megan Pauley “There is lots of drama, grandeur of Ontario, Canada, who attended and costuming,” Retzleff said while the Eighth Annual Pride & Passion describing the event around him. while visiting a friend who lives “And a lot of wigs!”

A group from Penguin Entertainment out of Orlando made the night one to remember, Retzleff added, and local Tampa Bay designers like Helen Guero and Ivanka Ska —MARC RETZLAFF, showcased their creations CHAIR OF PRIDE & PASSION 2013 throughout the night. in St. Petersburg. “It’s amazing The party itself may be organized how incredibly well organized by the LGBT community, but it’s and over-the-top everything is. the community as a whole that I’m going to make it a point to has embraced it and made it come down next year.” one of the Museum’s signature Pride and Passion has gained events of the year. traction over its lifetime and what “It was designed to help broaden was originally merely a membership drive for the museum has taken on a Continued on page 14 |  |

“There is lots of drama, grandeur and costuming; and a lot of wigs!”

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tampa bay NEWS

|  | Pride and Passion |  | St. Pete Pride Grand Marshals from pg.12 saying that since he wasn’t a local resident, he wasn’t eligible for the post.

“I’ve spoken on the phone with representatives from San Francisco Pride,” Skains told the gathering of approximately 100 at the car dealership. “It says a lot when an organization as old and as large as San Francisco Pride pays attention to what we’re doing in St. Petersburg.”

Nominees for grand marshal were selected by community leaders, who were asked who best represents the LGBT community of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay. Then the community voted in three categories: male identi�ied, female identi�ied and organization.

Other nominees included Watermark Editor Steve Blanchard and Trans*Action Florida Executive Director Michael Keeffe, Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce administrator Renee Cossette and Sharon Herman, a longtime contributor to several LGBT organizations.

Other organizations up for the title were the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas and PFLAG Tampa.

Bias and West, McGrath and representatives of Metro Wellness and Community Centers will ride in the front of the annual St. Pete Pride promenade along Central Avenue on Saturday, June 29. The parade begins at 10 a.m. |  |

GetEqual disrupts Republican dinner to Rubio’s immigration stance Staff Report

TAMPA | Chanting “Include our families in immigration reform,” four representatives of GetEqual disrupted a gathering of the Hillsborough County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on May 18.

After about four minutes of chanting while holding a large rainbow �lag, the four protesters were quietly escorted out of the building by a single security guard. Among the protestors was Jarrod Scarbrough, Tampa’s GetEqual organizer.

The protesters are angry at the immigration stance of Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was scheduled to speak at the annual dinner in Tampa. Rubio is part of the “Gang of 8” working to craft immigration reform legislation, but the Republican has said he will harpoon any bill that includes provisions to assist binational LGBT couples.

Rubio has long been hostile toward gay rights and many believe he could eye a run for the White House in 2016. As a Latino representative, he is seen as the Republican Party’s best attempt to reach Latino voters in mid-term elections and in 2016.

Recent polls found that 64% of Latino voters support including same-sex bi-national couples in immigration reform. |  |

14

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

from pg.12

the base and get more people in the community supporting the Tampa Museum of Art,” Retzleff said. “The success has been amazing because of the way the community has taken ownership of it. This is the party of the season and an incredible event for everyone. We wanted it to be

an all-inclusive event. I think that’s where a lot of us have gone when striving for equality.

“Equality doesn’t mean separate. This is a party the LGBT community is throwing for the community at large.”

Several members of the Museum’s Board of Trustees attended Pride & Passion, as did Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor.

Organizing of Pride and Passion fell to a team of 13 people, and each member of the committee had different areas of expertise, Retzleff explained.

“This is by far the most ambitious event we’ve put on, at least it is in the �ive years I’ve been involved,” Retzleff said. “And we couldn’t do it without the support of the museum staff.”

And so far, he added, the feedback has been nothing but positive. |  |

Council told commissioners the email should disqualify Kemple from the post, but Kemple told the commission he still wished to be considered.

Crist recommended Kemple be included. Beckner strongly disagreed. “ To use your personal opinions to try to create public policy that discriminates, promotes hatred, bigotry and divides this community, that is where the line must be drawn,” Beckner said. “Those types of individuals should not be involved in this type of a process.”

Crist, however, said that excluding anyone’s perspective, even if it’s against another group, defeats the purpose of a diversity council.

“The bottom line is there’s a constituency out there in our county that are voters and residents that thinks and feels the same way as Mr. Kemple does and to say they don’t deserve a seat at the table is being exclusive,” Crist said. “We have to begin allowing everyone an opportunity to be able to look everybody straight in the eye and speak their piece and work out their solution.”

Beckner made it clear that he believed Crist only supported Kemple’s appointment because the email talked about LGBT issues, rather than other minorities.

“I would ask everybody here, if

you saw an email—and just replace homosexual with disabilities, replace it with woman—if part of the mission of that board is to promote inclusiveness and diversity and yet an individual’s on that board and they don’t believe that to begin with, why should that individual be included or have a seat on that board?” Beckner asked.

Besides combating LGBT rights in the county, Kemple is also outspoken about Islam. Last year, he made headlines for protesting the Hillsborough County School Board when a local Muslim leader was invited to speak to a classroom teaching students about different religious practices and beliefs.

Initially the commissioners voted to support Kemple’s appointment 4-3. But Miller’s procedural maneuver to table the �inal approval of the appointment inde�initely gained the support of Beckner, Mark Sharpe and Ken Hagan.

The appointment could come before commissioners later this summer, but no speci�ic details on when that will happen are available.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Beckner plans to continue his focus on diversity and told commissioners that he plans to ask them to lift a 2005 ban on recognizing LGBT Pride events within Hillsborough County. |  |

for her new hit “We Are Young.” Also scheduled to spin is DJ Dave Aude.

Also on Sunday, May 26, a RuPual’s Drag Race reunion shows featuring Coco Montrese, Roxxxy Andrews and Alyssa Edwards begin at 8:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., and 11:30 p.m.

The holiday weekend begins with a Tampa International Gay and

Lesbian Film Festival showing of Red Lodge, a �ilm by award-winning director Dan Steadman. The �ilm is a romantic comedy and drama that tells the story of Jordan and Dave, whose engagement is threatened with a visit to family in Montana.

A full schedule of events can be found at GaYbor.com. |  |

Kemple’s anti-gay email tables Hillsborough diversity panel Staff Report TAMPA | In the county known for a horrid track record concerning LGBT rights, Hillsborough County Commissioners voted to table discussion on the creation of a diversity board when antigay emails by appointee Terry Kemple surfaced May 15.

After a heated exchange between commissioners Kevin Beckner and Victor Crist about the viability of having an anti-gay member lead a group that is supposed to promote diversity in the county, Les Miller moved to scuttle the panel’s creation, for now.

The email that ignited the heated debate was from Kemple, to members of his Community Issues Council, a Christian advocacy group.

In that email he said the proposed diversity council was “code for some effort to forward the homosexual agenda.” He also went on to say that such a council was not the sort of “important work” on which commissioners in Hillsborough should put their focus.

He still, however, applied for an appointment to the group and was assigned a slot as a “person of Northern and Southern European heritage.”

Leaders at the National Diversity

GaYbor Days returns Memorial Day Weekend Staff Report TAMPA | Ybor City will host the annual GaYbor Days celebration over Memorial Day. On Sunday, May 26, the annual Tampa Bay White Party will return to Ybor City at the Honey Pot and features pop singer Vassy, known

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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Lesbian teenager charged for underage romance SUSAN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

S

EBASTIAN | When Kaitlyn Hunt began to date a teammate on the girls’ basketball team at Sebastian River High School this year, she never considered the implications of the relationship.

The two girls became friends and a relationship blossomed, according to her father Steve Hunt via a Change.org petition requesting the state attorney stop Kaitlyn Hunt’s prosecution. The younger Hunt, a high school cheerleader and senior, turned 18 in August. Her girlfriend was a 14-year old freshman.

According to Stephen Hunt’s petition, the 14-year-old’s parents are only pressing charges because they are against the samesex relationship.

“The two girls began dating while Kaitlyn was 17 but her girlfriend’s parents blamed Kailtyn for their daughter’s homosexuality,” Kaitlyn’s father wrote. “They waited until after Kaitlyn turned 18 and went to the police to have charges brought against her.”

According to an Indian River County Sheriff’s Of�ice police report, with the help of the 14-year old, detectives secretly taped a telephone call between the two teens in which they talked about their sexual relationship.

Indian River County Jail inmate information shows Kaitlyn Hunt was arrested on Feb. 16 and booked into the Indian River County Jail.

She was released on a $5,000 bond a day later, reported an employee at Barnett Bail Bonds. On March 4, the State Attorney’s Of�ice �iled charges of two counts of lewd and lascivious battery of a child between 12 to 16 years old. If convicted, she faces 5 to 15 years in prison, according to State Attorney Bruce Colton of the 19th Judicial Circuit.

“As it stands now she has

AGE OF INNOCENCE?: Kaitlyn Hunt of Sebastian, Fla., is in legal trouble for her relationship with a 14-year-old female.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE “FREE KATE” FACEBOOK GROUP

admitted to violating state statute,” said Colton. “The law makes no distinction between two boys or two girls or a boy and a girl.”

The ACLU of Florida released a statement May 21 criticizing a legislature that creates laws that criminalize the innocent behavior of two teenagers involved in a high school romance and condemning her prosecution by the State Attorney’s Of�ice.

Court records show the parents of the alleged victim, who turned 15 after the arrest, asked the judge to order Hunt to have no contact with their daughter. Circuit Judge Robert L. Pegg ruled that Hunt could return to school if she stayed with 100 feet of the victim. Even so, the Indian River School Board voted to expel Hunt. It’s not clear exactly when she was expelled, as student expulsion proceedings are private.

But based on court records and the school board’s schedule, it appears she was expelled a few months before graduation.

Indian River School Superintendant Dr. Fran Adams

Statewide DPR dead in the water Staff report TALLAHASSEE | When Florida’s legislative session ended May 3, so did LGBT activists’ hopes for a statewide domestic partner registry.

The bill, �iled by Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) in January, cleared the Florida Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs by a 5-4 vote on April 1.

It died in the Judiciary Committee.

State lawmakers also failed to

said May 20 she could not comment speci�ically on Hunt’s case because she is bound by con�identiality. She said the school district followed its Student Code of Conduct. According to the arrest af�idavit, the two girls participated in consensual sexual activity on campus, which is a violation of the code. Hunt is attending an alternative school and will not be permitted to graduate with her class, Adams said. She can appeal the decision.

The story went viral the week of May 20 after Hunt’s father took to social media to plead his daughter’s case. He created a Facebook page titled “Free Kate,” which has almost 25,000 followers. It asks for members to write to their legislators to change the law. Hunt’s Change. org petition has garnered more than 75,000 supporters to ask Colton to stop the prosecution of Hunt. Colton said his job is to enforce the law.

“Nowhere at any time did the family claim she was physically forced,” Colton said of the victim’s parents. “Unfortunately, consent is not a defense to a charge like this.”

Colton said his of�ice has taken into account all aspects of the case including that Hunt has no prior criminal record. Hunt has been offered a plea deal of two years of community control in exchange for pleading guilty to two counts of child abuse. The judge could withhold adjudication and petition to court so that she doesn’t have to register as a sex offender. If she turns down the deal, the case is set for trial in late June.

“We have these cases where an older boy is dating a younger girl and we have to charge it, yet no one raises an eyebrow,” Colton said. “It would be hypocritical of us not to pursue this case.”

Colton said his of�ice has prosecuted a number of these cases since he took of�ice in 1984, but this is the �irst case that has involved two females. |  |

move on the Competitive Workforce Act, which would have updated Florida’s Civil Rights Act to include workplace protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. |  |

Openly gay candidate still in running for North Miami mayor Staff report

N

ORTH MIAMI | After the primary election May 14, an openly gay candidate is still in the running for the of�ice of North Miami mayor.

During the campaign, Kevin Burns’ talking points consisted of the city’s privatized garbage services and apparently he has a bone to pick with the local parking authority.

Burns will face Lucie Tondreau in the run-off election on June 4. In the primaries, Tondreau received 28% of the vote and Burns received 33%.

The third candidate in the primaries, Anna Pierre, claimed to be endorsed by Jesus Christ. After she �inished last in the primaries, she made a statement on her Facebook page that the city chose Lucifer over the Son of God. Current North Miami Mayor Andre Pierre terms out this year. |  |

state

Susan Clary

Charlie Crist now supports marriage equality Staff report

Just �ive years after he supported Florida’s Amendment 2 which rede�ined marriage as solely between one man and one woman and prohibited the recognition of any other kind of domestic institution, former Governor Charlie Crist has �lipped on the issue of marriage equality.

The one-time Republican and newly-turned Democrat posted on his Facebook this week that it was “great news” that Delaware passed marriage equality on May 7.

“I most certainly support marriage equality in Florida and look forward to the day it happens here,” he posted.

Crist is expected to run as a Democrat for his old position as governor, although he has not made any formal announcement. He lost his bid to become a senator in 2010.

In an interview with CNN in 2010, Crist voiced opposition to marriage equality, saying that “marriage is a sacred institution,” but adding that he believes in “tolerence.”

“I’m a live and let live kind of guy,” he said in the interview. “While I feel that way about marriage, I think if partners want to have the opportunity to live together, I don’t have a problem with that. When it comes to the institution of marriage, I believe it’s between a man and a woman. It’s just how I feel.”

Crist now joins a growing list of politicians who have changed their stance on same-sex marriage. President Barack Obama and Florida Senator Bill Nelson have both expressed support for marriage equality. |  |

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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nation+world NEWS

IN OTHER NEWS CHINESE POLICE DETAIN GAY PRIDE MARCH ORGANIZER Police in Changsha, China detained the 18-year-old organizer of a gay pride march in a sign of the government’s nervousness over demands for more free expression and civil rights. The man, identified only by his surname Xiang, was detained following the May 17 event and ordered to serve 12 days in a detention center for organizing an illegal march. The march was the second held in Changsha on the International Day Against Homophobia, and was joined by similar events in several other Chinese cities.

NORTHWEST: 133 LGBT STUDENTS GET $600,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS The Greater Seattle Business Association, the largest LGBT chamber of commerce in the nation, announced May 17 the 44 LGBT students and allies from across Washington state that will share $200,000 in scholarships provided by its members. At another scholarship dinner on May 22, the Seattle-based Pride Foundation granted $400,000 in financial assistance to 89 LGBT students from the five-state region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington).

BOY SCOUTS TO VOTE SOON ON ACCEPTING GAY YOUTH The Boy Scouts of America is asking its local leaders from across the country to decide whether its controversial membership policy should be overhauled so that openly gay boys can participate in Scout units. The proposal to be put before the roughly 1,400 voting members of the BSA’s National Council on May 23, at a meeting in Texas, would retain a ban on gays serving in adult leadership positions.

2 RUSSIANS ARRESTED FOR BRUTAL HOMOPHOBIC KILLING Investigators say Vladislav Tornovoi, a 23-year-old Russian man, was brutally raped, beaten and left to die by his companions after drunkenly telling them he was gay. A former schoolmate of the victim and another man have been arrested for the May 10 killing in the southern city of Volgograd. Investigators say the victim “was raped with beer bottles and had his skull smashed with a stone,” and had such severe injuries, including to his genitals, that he could not initially be identified.

PORTUGAL EXPANDS ADOPTION RIGHTS FOR GAY COUPLES Portugal’s Parliament on May 17 passed a law allowing same-sex married couples to adopt their partners’ children, but lawmakers rejected legislation granting gay couples the same adoption rights as heterosexuals. The 230-seat Parliament passed by five votes the center-left Socialist Party’s proposal permitting a person in a same-sex marriage to adopt a partner’s biological or adopted child. A proposal that would have let gay partners adopt children together as a married couple was defeated.

PRIDE RALLY IN GEORGIA DERAILED Thousands of anti-gay protesters, including Orthodox priests, occupied a central street in Georgia’s capital May 17, in violent protest of an authorized gay pride parade. Police in Tbilisi guarded several dozen gay activists and bused them out of the city center shortly after they arrived at the gathering. A number of protesters carried bunches of stinging nettles and threatened to use them on gay activists.

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

Murder of gay man in NYC draws protesters Wire Report

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ew York | The killing of a gay man who police say was taunted with homophobic slurs drew thousands of people to the scene of the crime on May 20 to restore a sense of safety to one of the nation’s most gay-friendly neighborhoods.

Fabio Cotza, a gay member of an interfaith Bronx church, said he looked around cautiously when he stepped out of the subway in Greenwich Village Monday evening to join the rally.

He said the killing “really makes me scared ... especially since it happened in this area.”

His reaction was not unusual after a spate of bias attacks stirred up anxiety, disbelief and outrage even before 32-year-old Mark

Carson was felled by a single gunshot to the head on May 18, just a few blocks from the Stonewall Inn, the site of 1969 riots that helped give rise to the gay rights movement.

The crowd carried �lags and signs and chanted: “We’re here! We’re queer!” and “Homophobia’s got to go!”

Christine Quinn, the city’s �irst openly gay City Council speaker, marched along with Edie Windsor, whose pivotal case to win the same rights for gay couples as heterosexual couples is before the Supreme Court.

“We are never going to go back to the time when it was unsafe to walk down the street holding the hand of someone you love who may be the same gender,” said Quinn.

Shortly after midnight on May 18, police say shooter Elliot Morales followed Carson and his partner

through the Village, asking if they “want to die here.’’ Police said Morales then yelled anti-gay slurs before shooting Carson pointblank in the face.

Morales was arrested a few blocks away. He is charged with murder as a hate crime.

Following the deadly shooting, of�icials said police would increase their presence there and in nearby neighborhoods through the end of June, Gay Pride Month.

Police say there has been a rise in bias-related crimes overall so far this year, to 22 from 13 during the same period last year. The New York City Anti-Violence Project, a nonpro�it group that tracks police and other reports of hate attacks against LGBTs, says its numbers rose 13% in 2011 and 11% the previous year. |  |

automatic pistol.

The 78-year-old put the gun in his mouth and �ired before collapsing on to the altar, according to French media reports.

Venner had recently been involved in the campaign against the government’s decision to legalize gay marriage. President Francois Hollande signed the bill legalizing same-sex marriage into law on May 18.

Police said Venner had made no statement before killing himself, although a note was found next to his body. They did not disclose its contents.

Venner, an ultra-right wing

Catholic, was known to be extremely angry after Hollande signed the law allowing same-sex marriage across France.

Earlier on the day of his suicide, he had written on his blog a damning critique of the samesex marriage bill.

“New spectacular and symbolic actions are needed to wake up the sleep walkers and shake the anaesthetized consciousness,” he wrote. “We are entering a time when acts must follow words.”

Many of those who witnessed today’s carnage are expected to be treated by psychiatrists specializing in sudden trauma. |  |

make in our state.’’

Rainbow and American �lags �lapped in a sweltering breeze during the ceremony, held on the Capitol’s south steps. The crowd, estimated by the State Patrol at 6,000, spilled down the steps and across the lawn toward downtown St. Paul.

Dayton thanked legislators for “political courage’’ before signing the bill just a day after it passed the state Senate. It had passed the House the week before.

The push for same-sex marriage was a rapid turnabout from just six months ago, when marriage equality supporters had to mobilize to turn back a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage.

But voters rejected the amendment, and the forces that organized to defeat it soon turned their attention to legalizing samesex marriage. Democrats’ takeover of the Legislature in the November election aided their cause. |  |

Marriage opponent kills self in Notre Dame Cathedral Wire Report PARIS, FRANCE | A right-wing historian shot himself dead in front of hundreds of tourists at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on May 21, apparently in protest at France’s legalization of same-sex marriage.

Dominique Venner, who had recently been campaigning against marriage equality in France, is said to have calmly walked past the crowds milling around the 850-year-old Cathedral, one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, before taking out an

Minnesota Gov. Dayton signs marriage equality bill Wire Report ST. PAUL, MINN. | Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill May 14 making samesex marriage legal in Minnesota, the 12th state to take the step, as thousands of onlookers cheered.

“What a day for Minnesota!’’

Dayton, a Democrat, declared moments before putting his signature on a bill. “And what a difference a year and an election can

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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A

At the end of life: Grace, peace and voice

Peggy Green PEGGY@CLEARHEARTCOACHING.COM

S YOU SLIP TOWARDS THE

end of your days, what do you need in order to know that the work you came to do is done?

At the far end of that tunnel of light, looking back, what do you have that will help you behold a life well lived, a love well given, a journey completely and courageously taken?

Maybe you’ve yet to do what you came to do; maybe you’ve yet to become who you came to become. Or maybe this diamond in the rough of an un�inished life is more polished than you think. How can you know? What would it take to leave this life feeling ready to go?

As a Palliative Care chaplain turned end of life coach, I follow where the client leads. From that leaning tower of papers on the desk to the unanswered letter from that still, small voice, I coach the client in such a way that needs are spoken and steps are taken. From Advance Directives to reconciliation with a loved one, I help LGBT people, and I help their families �ind the voice that brings grace and peace at the end of life.

Not about isolation or endless striving, to be described as graceful often means that you rose to the challenge of dif�icult decisions in a way that looked effortless to an observer. To be graceful at the end of

life means, not that you tore up your adductors with Herculean strides into the end zone all alone but that you took courageously achievable steps with your cheerleader, soccer mom and coach on the sidelines. To be graceful at the end of life means that when it was time to pass on your knowledge, you found the middle school poet, baf�led by math, and taught her to two-step to the rhythm and rhyme of coef�icients and Cartesian coordinates. To know Grace at the end of life means you likely had help with the little ThankYou and the big I’m-Sorry whose time had come, and because of them, when you reached the �inish line, you were prepared to cross it.

The thing about dying is that we want to go peacefully. But how does that work exactly? Do we reach the end the way we reach for a beer, reach for a diploma, reach for the �ingers of the long lost unforgiven?

My grandfather faced that tunnel of light a half-dozen times before he �inally entered it. Each time he went to the hospital, he decreed, “Next stop: Holy Cross,” nodding to the Catholic cemetery across the street. But every time he left St. John’s Hospital— shingles, needles, emphysema and all—he’d go back home where he’d ignore, with religious conviction, the fact that my sister was trying to visit him. The last time he woke up in St. John’s, rattle in his lungs, he railed at the priest: Why does it take so long to die?

And the priest, a hospital chaplain who never failed to bring Communion, �ingered the rosary in his jacket pocket, hoisted a chair on a toe and a knee, and quietly slipped it closer in. “Mike,” he began, “heaven is not a house of bitterness.”

Having facilitated years of dialogue between gay people and evangelicals— and having helped people in hospitals write reconciling letters to estranged family members—I know one thing: To have peace in our hearts, we need peace in our relationships.

You broke my heart, my grandfather told her, lungs full of liquid, voice full of cracks. He was real. He was hurt. And my sister came to speak to that.

Sometimes, all the unforgiven needs is a chance to say, I didn’t mean to, or Please forgive me, or I was a jerk.

And sometimes, the unforgiven does her part the moment the unforgiving forgoes lifelong blame in favor of one true thing—like a broken heart, hidden from sight, coming to voice.

After years of dialogue between “culture warriors” gay and straight, left and right, I can tell you that reconciliation is not as hard as people think. All it takes is the desire to hold peace of mind in higher esteem than ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Because the thing about dying is that we want to go peacefully. How does that work exactly? Here’s what I know: After two years of �ighting to complete the journey from St. John’s hospital to Holy Cross cemetery, my grandfather reconciled with my sister, and he died the next day.

In the years since my grandfather died in peace, I’ve begun to wonder

what it is about reuniting with those by whom we feel most betrayed, what it is—about reconciling—that we allow ourselves to remember as we approach the passage between life and death.

What is it—as we prepare to leave the body behind us—that we cannot bear to recall until we begin to die?

And what if we decided not to wait?

What would happen, at the center of the ordinary life, if the disciplined heart refused to forget? |  | EDITOR’S NOTE: Peggy Green’s column ran in a previous issue of Watermark but included an incorrect attribution. This is the original column in its entirety. We apologize for the error.

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PUBLISHER’S

Welcome home, Joe

Tom Dyer TOM@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

L

AST NOVEMBER, JOE SAUNDERS

made history as one of two openly gay candidates elected to the Florida House of Representatives—a �irst for the 160-seat legislature in the nation’s fourth largest state. A few weeks later, he was sworn into of�ice at the State Capitol with his partner, Donald Rupe, at his side.

Saunders has mostly been in Tallahassee since, acclimating himself to his new position and participating in his �irst legislative session, from March through early May. But now he’s back in town, moving into a house he just bought in East Orlando and otherwise recovering from the breakneck pace of representative government.

Over a two-hour lunch at City�ish in Thornton Park, Saunders described the highs and lows of his �irst session and provided a unique glimpse at the surprising—often overwhelming—life of a freshman state legislator.

“You can watch it, you can be around it, you can even be involved in the process,” Saunders said, “but until you’re sitting on the other side of the desk you can have no real idea what it’s like.”

Saunders, 30, fought hard for the privilege of being there. Unlike David Richardson, the gay legislator elected in Miami Beach, he faced a tough primary and even more

dif�icult general election. Republicans spent a million dollars in an attempt to claim the new District 49 seat surrounding UCF. “I ran for of�ice for a year,” Saunders said. “The last eighteen months have been pretty relentless.”

After being sworn in, Saunders was assigned to the Education Committee and several education and health carerelated sub-committees. He spent most of December, January and February learning the legislative ropes, attending presentations by state agencies, and participating in “committee weeks”— an exhaustive process whereby bills are prepared and heard.

Saunders and legislative aide Carlos Smith set up of�ice on the 11th �loor of the executive tower at the State Capitol Complex. And with an annual salary under $30,000, Saunders was determined to live within his small housing per diem. He found a studio apartment near Florida State University, just �ive minutes from the capitol, and spent most evenings there.

“There are different ways to be a successful legislator,” Saunders said. “I decided that I would make a name for myself by knowing what I was talking about.”

He dissected every bill considered by his committees; a time-consuming process that quickly reaped bene�its.

“People—especially my Democratic colleagues—started to look at me as someone that would know the bills; someone they could ask questions and look to for guidance,” Saunders said.

But the pace was relentless.

Saunders usually hit the ground running at 7 a.m. and rarely left the Capitol Complex before 9 p.m. Days were consumed by legislative sessions, committee and caucus meetings.

Free time was �illed in 15-minute increments with constituents, lobbyists and agency personnel.

“Tallahassee is the land of the ‘walk and talk,’” Saunders said. “There are so many demands on so little available time that you schedule walk appointments.”

Late nights were mostly reserved for reading.

During session, legislators are provided with a list of bills—as many as 70 each day, some more than 100 pages long— to consider. Then they get one day to ask questions on the �loor before voting the following day.

“The information is coming at you so fast it’s like constantly drinking out of a �ire hose,” Saunders said.

As members of a 46 to 74 minority,

Saunders noted that Democrats function differently than Republicans, who control the legislative agenda.

Committee chairs—“For the most part brilliant, not that I agree with them.”—advance bills. Fellow Republicans make few waves.

“The only reason questions are raised—based on policy, values or just logic—is because Democrats ask them,” Saunders observed.

But he also noted that until there is more parity, the only way for Democrats to be effective is to have relationships with Republicans.

“If your goal is to shape or turn your ideas into policy, you have to have Republicans,” Saunders said. “The challenge is to do that in a way that honors your constituents and remains true to the values that got you elected.”

Since November, Saunders has developed a special relationship with Richardson. He recalled an episode that demonstrates the positive change their election has brought to Tallahassee.

When a bill was presented that would give foster parents more control, Richardson introduced an amendment to protect LGBT youth.

Although the amendment failed, it was unprecedented.

“It turned into this moment where David talked about growing up gay,

and then I did, and then ten more legislators told stories,” Saunders said. “Every day David and I are there, we’re opening minds.”

Saunders is discouraged that that the Competitive Workforce Act, which would provide non-discrimination protections for LGBT employees, didn’t advance out of committee. Ditto a statewide domestic partner registry But he sponsored the Arts for All Students Act, and advanced a bill that would reign in compensation abuses at charter schools. And he successfully amended a bill that would have kept students from the classrooms of extracurricular teachers with low—and wholly inapplicable— FCAT evaluations.

Saunders believes Tallahassee remains disconnected from much of the state, but he says there’s never been a clearer road map for positive change: elect more Democrats, so that moderate Republicans have room to maneuver outside the shadow of party leadership.

“When that happens,” Saunders says, “I think all of our issues will break through at the same time.”

Saunders plans to be there.

Reelection plans begin—just as soon as his batteries have recharged. |  |

Get Ready For The Gayest Week of the Year!

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MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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1 in 5 The number of same-sex couples in the U.S. who now live in states where they can marry.

—After Michigan became the 12th state to approve marriage equality, according to The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law

— E.W. JACKSON, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF VIGINIA

FOX SPENDS

LESS THAN A MINUTE

“Why would you want to sue her to force her to take your money? That’s almost as stupid as her “religious” reasoning. If she doesn’t want your business, go somewhere else. Who cares why!”

—RON HERNANDEZ

ON THE FRENCH ANTIGAY ACTIVIST WHO SHOT HIMSELF AT NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL: “He committed suicide, which is a horrible sin in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church and in most Christian denominations, which leads ones soul straight to hell. So, he’ll burn in hell for taking his own life, one that was given to him by God. He thought he’d martyr himself, instead he ended up giving up his soul to hell.”

—MARK CADY

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FETCHES

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OX NEWS VIEWERS ARE LIKELY UNAWARE THREE STATES—RHODE ISLAND, DELAWARE AND MINNESOTA—voted to legalize same-sex marriage over the past three weeks. That’s because it spend less than one minute covering the stories, according to an Equality Matters analysis.

CNN and MSNBC both covered the decisions, but Fox News made only three mentions of the passage of marriage equality in Rhode Island, ignoring the new law in Delaware.

Fox did promote several stories meant to stoke right-wing fears about marriage equality. |  |

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AMOUS PAINTER JOHN CURRIN NEVER ACTUALLY SAW ACTRESS BEA ARTHUR NAKED, but that didn’t stop him from imagining her “golden girls” for a 1991 topless painting of the actress.

That creation fetched $2 million at a Christie’s auction this month. Arthur, who died in 2009 of cancer at the age of 86, is pictured from the waist up. Currin said he used a photograph of the actress with clothes to create the artwork, aptly named “Bea Arthur Naked,” with her clothes off. |  |

GAYDIRECT PREMIERES ON YOUTUBE

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HE LGBT COMMUNITY NOW HAS ITS OWN CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE. The video-sharing website launched the paid channel in early May. It features new series and �ilms each week from independent producers with hundreds of hours of programming. In coming months, shows include drama, comedy and reality series with variety, talk and entertainment in the mix. For a subscription rate of $24.99 a year or $2.99 monthly, viewers can watch GayDirect on their computers, tablets, cell phones and TVs. GayDirect can be seen in eight countries, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Japan and Spain. |  | MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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T WAS A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK (NO PUN INTENDED), BUT LAST YEAR CALIFORNIA INVENTOR DANNY RESNIC developed the “�irst dedicated condom for anal intercourse.” Less than a year later, clinical trials have begun in Boston. Origami Condoms, based in Los Angeles, have been developing the world’s next generation of condoms. The Origami anal condom is, as it sounds, meant to be folded on rather than rolled on. It �its loosely, not to lead to accidents, but to increase sensation and allow for more movement. Incidentally, Resnic studied at the Art Center College of Design in L.A. in the mid 1970s. Surprising to most consumers, especially to gay men, no condom has ever been safety-tested for anal sex usage, nor has it been reviewed or approved for such by the FDA. |  |

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DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS

indigo girls

Summer Horns Tour 2013

with Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright & Richard Elliot

with Symphony Orchestra

with

Robert Cray & Steve Cropper

Sat, Jun 1 • 8pm

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Tue, Jun 18 • 8pm

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MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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POWER OF TWO: The

ARTS &

Indigo Girls, Emily Saliers, left, and Amy Ray, will bring their hits to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on June 1.

ENTERTAINMENT

GirlPOWER The Indigo Girls return to Florida with a June 1 performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall

I

Zach Caruso ZACH@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

F YOU HAVEN’T YET EXPERIENCED

the “Power Of Two”, then June might be your chance. The wildly popular folk duo of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, better known as the Indigo Girls, embark on a six-month nationwide tour that kicks off this month.

“It’s kind of a crazy schedule right now,” says Saliers. “Amy has been in the studio recording a solo record, I was in Canada for three months, so what we’ll do is write each other emails discussing what songs we want to do, then we start practicing, and then head out and play the shows.”

Their summer tour schedule

is jam-packed with dates—36 performances between May and October. But Saliers says the tour is set up to allow the duo some time to regroup and take a breather every so often.

“We go three weeks at a time, so there are little holes in the schedule, but it turned out this summer got pretty busy,” she says. “It’s a combination of shows

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

we’re doing with a symphony, full band shows, a tour with Joan Baez. It’s a lot and we’ll certainly be tired by the end of it, but it’s all we’ve ever known. We don’t go out for months and months at a time, we take breaks, come home, re-energize, and we’ve gotten used to living life that way

Continued on page 31 |  |

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Offices in Tampa and Palm Harbor

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727.493.2900

The Great Gatsby’s Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Screened Out MOVIE REVIEWS

A legendary start to summer Star Trek Into Darkness Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller

T

HE THRILLING INTO DARKNESS

proves that J.J. Abrams is the right director to helm this franchise (as well as his recently assigned takeover of Star Wars). This is a big, overly complicated popcorn movie—a well-deserved action thriller with some of pop culture’s most beloved characters.

Stephen Miller

STEPHEN@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto) are still trying to sort out their relationship when a rogue terrorist (Cumberbatch) attacks Star Fleet. The USS Enterprise crew is dispatched to kill the evildoer, but, of course, Kirk and Spock never strictly follow orders. Kirk and Spock battle over protocol and procedure while trying to bring the superhuman super-villain to justice.

In the meantime, some spectacular special effects �ill the screen, and terrible secrets come to light. It’s all in the name of overblown fun.

The Great Gatsby

Epic

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton

Voices of Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Beyonce Knowles, Christoph Waltz, Colin Farrell, Steven Tyler

B

SPACE-AGE BROMANCE: Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Abrams still seems comfortable with the characters and their humor. Here he shows more of a propensity for the melodrama the original Star Trek often espoused. Perhaps the theme and plot aren’t quite as uni�ied as in the 2009 re-launch, but most audiences aren’t going to notice.

What viewers probably will note are some serious gaps in logic—like if one villain can hide some major, grandiose works, why is disposing of some evidence so dif�icult? Why does it have to be so elaborate?

I think Abram’s second �ilm is supposed to be more fun and less uptight. It commits to breaking the rules, just like Enterprise’s beloved crew. |  |

The tiny heroes of Epic.

E

AZ LUHRMANN’S UNEVEN PIC IS OAK-SOLID ANIMAVERSION OF GATSBY—LIKE TION FOR THE KIDS, but it ALL OTHER FILM VERmay leave the adults wanting SIONS—will never be as engaging more from this miniature world. The as the novel. What Luhrmann at �irst visuals are vibrant, and the voice taloffers is the caffeinated opulence and ent is varied and strong. It’s just that modern music he brought to Romeo this �ilm is so very G-rated that it’s a + Juliet and Moulin Rouge. By the little boring. end, the whole enterprise completely Seyfried’s character has to live sinks into bipolar moroseness. with her dad after her mother dies For those of you who didn’t have of some terrible disease (which is to read the novel in junior high, it’s never named and the death 1922—the height of Prohioccurs off-screen). Dad is a bition—and novelist Nick (Maguire) has moved to RATINGS GUIDE bit of a scatterbrain, a scientist who insists that “little NYC to try his hand at stocks people” are in a grand battle and bonds. His cousin Daisy to save the forests of the (Mulligan) already lives there See it now! Buy world. He wants to capture with her rich, caddish husthe DVD! Quote them on camera, so this diband Tom (Edgerton), whose lines at parties! vorcee ignores his daughter. family has old money. Across Just as she wants to run away the bay from their mansion Definitely worth from Dad’s craziness, though, is Gatsby (DiCaprio), who’s the price of Seyfried gets sucked into the hoping his newly acquired admission little world, which may or riches will lure Daisy away may not be on the brink of from Tom. Nick basically only It’s useful as a extinction. narrates and helps facilitate distraction The world itself is cool. the in�idelity.

Knowles is Mother Nature, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel and �ighters Hutcherson posited powerful things Maybe if someone else pays and you and Farrell ride around on about jazz, the emergence need a nap hummingbirds, all decked of Industrialism and stock out in Celtic scrollwork and capitalism, and the power of greenery.

American optimism. LuhrSlightly worse The story is about how mann skips most of that. Inthan eternal we’re all connected in this stead, he starts by tweaking damnation battle of birth and decay. The the plot, frontloading the �ilm problem is that things and people like a glittery, ADHD Cliffs Notes. The die, but it’s handled in such a gentle second half—like in many of the other way that all we sense is birth. Huge Gatsby versions—is windless, wordy, battles seem to have nothing really and lugubrious. at stake. Seyfried’s mother’s death is As a �inal note, this �ilm is offered in never plumbed, and other characters 3D. What’s the point? The 3D glasses face demise and grief in a way that make Luhrmann’s luridness dimmer would scarcely cause a four-year-old and grimier. Also, do we really need to bat an eyelash. |  | to see glitter, �ireworks and sequins in three dimensions to get that Gatsby’s world is grandiloquent? |  |

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

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|  | Indigo Girls from pg.27 when it’s time to tour.”

On this tour, the girls have two stops in Florida—one at Pensacola Unleashed, and the other on Saturday, June 1, at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. And because the duo doesn’t often play Florida, Saliers says they are both looking forward to the dates in the Sunshine State.

“We don’t get to play in Florida all that often, so when we do we’re really excited about it” Saliers says.

“It’s a very interesting state, and the fans are really full of energy and life, and we always look forward to playing in Florida. It’s really kind of like a separate country unto itself. It’s a hard thing to articulate, but over the years you just get a vibe about places, and we know that playing Florida is going to be different than, say, the Portland, Oregon area.

“We used to play a bar in Pensacola years ago, so it’s cool to come back now playing different venues. You collect your memories, get a vibe for the place, re�lect on how often you get to play the area, and all those elements add up to make it a place that you look forward

As two queer women, if we’re a beacon of hope and strength, it’s extremely gratifying.

—EMILY SALIERS OF THE INDIGO GIRLS

to returning to.”

And with June being Pride Month, Saliers says The Indigo Girls try to take part in as much as they can to participate in the celebrations.

“We try to play as many Pride festivals as we can because we want to be part of the community and celebrate,” she says. “We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”

The Indigo Girls are also known for their political activism, especially in regards to gay rights and the LGBT community. For most musicians, their fans are connected to them through the artist’s albums and live shows. For Saliers and Ray, however, their activism within their fans’ communities adds a whole new level of connection between artist and fan.

“I think it does deepen our relationship with the fans who are interested in those issues, and for Amy and me it makes it more than just playing shows,” she says. “Early

on we realized that we wanted to be active in our communities with issues that concerned us and it became a very natural thing to marry the music with that. It deepens the level of the whole experience for us.”

Saliers also understands the impact their music and message can have on people who are experiencing turbulence in their own lives and �ind strength in music.

“People have different journeys about when they come out, some people have suffered alienation from their families or church and had a really rough go of it,” says Saliers.

“It feels good to be part of a support system through music. As two queer women, if we’re a beacon of hope and strength for anyone struggling and it can lift their spirits when they’re having a hard time on their journey, it’s extremely gratifying.

“And growing up, I knew that even if it wasn’t a queer artist up there, just to see a woman onstage felt very

bolstering for me as a young woman artist. So I think it’s very important for people to have an artist that they can relate to in one way or another. It’s an awesome experience if someone shares that we’ve helped them in any way, because I know other artists helped me.”

And who, you may ask, inspired Saliers?

“Joni Mitchell was, like, the one,” she says with a laugh. “I couldn’t get enough of her music growing up.

She really set the bar for songwriting for me. It was her combination of really crafty musicianship, then her lyrics were incredible. I think the word ‘poetry’ is overused, but they could stand alone.

“It was her imagery and the things it invoked.”

Now, after 28 years in the music industry and a new album of original music slated for 2014, Saliers says she is still inspired and motivated to continue creating and playing music,

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and feels fortunate that she and Ray have had such a successful career.

“Life is inspiring, the best and the worst of it,” she says. “We always want to be viable, we don’t want to keep regurgitating the same old material. It’s a great privilege to play music for a living, and I’m blown away that Amy and I have sustained a career this long. We still have a deep friendship, we still get along, we like working with each other. It’s a miracle. It’s tough to keep that kind of thing together in this world. So while I don’t like leaving my home and my family, when I get on that stage and I’m there with Amy and the audience is incredibly enthusiastic, it’s just a beautiful experience. I just don’t take it for granted. There’s plenty of love left for what I’m doing.”

For more information on the Indigo Girls and to keep up with the progress on their 2014 album, visit IndigoGirls.com. For tickets to their June 1 show, visit RuthEckerdHall.com. |  |

MORE INFORMATION

WHO: Indigo Girls WHEN: Saturday, June 1 WHERE: Ruth Eckerd Hall TICKETS: RuthEckerdHall.com

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when the album came out in January. The band released a four-song EP titled Extended Play before the start of its 2013 U.S. tour. Fleetwood Mac brings its tour to the Tampa Bay Times Forum on June 7. For tickets call 813-301-2500 or visit TampaBayTimesForum.com.|  |

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Imagination,” “ABC,” “My Girl” and “Stop in the Name of Love.”

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watermark

IN DEPTH ORLANDO’S BIG GAY WEEKEND

WHAT’S INSIDE: PG.39

DISNEY’S PRIDE GROUP MAKES LGBTS WELCOME ON DISNEY PROPERTY

Party promoter Johnny Chisholm returns to Orlando after an extended absence

PG.46

BELINDA CARLISLE PREPS FOR P-HOUSE SHOW

PG.49 Tom Dyer TOM@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

O

RLANDO | THE FIRST—ALMOST

impromptu—Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom took place 23 years ago. In that more innocent time, red shirts and public displays of affection felt boldly political.

Since then, Gay Days Weekend has grown into the largest annual LGBT event in the nation, drawing tens of thousands—as well as millions of dollars—to Central Florida. With no blueprint, and the addition and subtraction of multivaried entrepreneurs and events, GDW has had more twists and turns than Space Mountain.

But in 2013, much of the talk is about the

return of Johnny Chisholm.

With a porn star name and the reputation of a Wild West gunslinger, Chisholm brings drama— and promise—to GDW. By the time Chisholm landed at Lake Buena Vista in 2005, GDW was already a mega-event on the gay male party circuit. Tens of thousands attended Beach Ball at Typhoon Lagoon, Jeffrey Sanker’s One Mighty Party at Disney/

MGM Studios, Mark Baker’s Sunday night Colosseum party at Hard Rock Live and his after-hours parties on I-Drive.

In 2005, Chisholm booked the huge Buena Vista Palace resort and established it as a fantasy beachhead for the national and international gay party circuit. And by 2007, he was the master of “One Mighty Weekend,” attracting upwards of 6,000 to theme park spectacles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

By many accounts they were some of the most dazzling, over-the-top parties in GDW history. But by 2009, Chisholm’s big budgets caught up with him. Disney and Universal refused to do business with

CONSERVATIVE GROUP ‘ONE MILLION MOMS’ IS PROTESTING GAY DAY, MUCH LIKE MANY GROUPS BEFORE IT.

Continued on page 56 |  |

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PG.50

JUDY TENUTA BRINGS LOVE TO GAY DAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ALL THE EVENTS, PARTIES, AND FUN IS HAPPENING?

HAVE NO FEAR!

OUR SPECIAL GLOSSY GD2013 GUIDE IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!

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DIVERSITY CHAMPION: Michael Jungen, Director of Experience Development for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts who also serves as the Executive Champion for the compay’s LGBT employee group, PRIDE.

Disney Pride ORGANIZATIONS WDW may not promote Gay Day, but behind the scenes the company remains a corporate leader in rainbow-friendly employee initiatives

O

Kirk Hartlage DJCAPNKIRK@AOL.COM

RLANDO | WHILE GAY DAY AT WALT

Disney World has always been an “unof�icial” event at the resort, what has become of�icial is The Disney Company’s increased commitment to diversity.

The Mouse House’s efforts in establishing and maintaining corporate leadership and an employee base representative of the diverse communities it

serves has not gone unnoticed.

The Walt Disney Company is currently ranked one of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, a

media group dedicated to promoting the business value of diversity-management initiatives.

Closer to home, the Human Rights Campaign recently awarded Disney a perfect score of 100 in its most recent Corporate Equality Index. Disney received top marks for its employment bene�its for workers and their spouses/partners, as well as offering transgender-inclusive health insurance. Also considered in HRC’s scoring system is a company’s public commitment

to, and responsible citizenship towards, its LGBT employees.

Walt Disney World employees, or “cast members” in Disneyspeak, are encouraged to participate in the company’s Diversity Resource Groups.

The clubs focus on individual populations represented in Disney’s workforce. And while becoming involved can certainly provide employee bene�its, Disney considers these groups more of an employee resource, much like training opportunities and information shared on the company’s intranet, that can be useful both on the job and in life.

Disney’s Diversity Resource Groups include: CastABLE, focused on promoting respect, equality and appreciation of people with disabilities; HOLA, which promotes Hispanic/Latino heritage; PULSE, dedicated to cultural, educational and professional development of Cast of African and Caribbean descent; FAMILIES, for parents, caregivers, potential parents and those impacted by parental interests in the workplace; COMPASS, designed for cast members interested in Asian

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and Paci�ic Islander culture and business; and PRIDE (People Respecting Individual Diversities in Everyone), which provides resources, learning opportunities and a supportive network to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and ally cast members.

One of the PRIDE group’s biggest endeavors was in creating an “It Gets Better” video as part of The Trevor Project’s campaign against bullying. Released in December, 2011, the video opens with then-Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis addressing “anyone who has ever been bullied, teased, or harassed for being different.” Kalogridis was recently appointed president of Walt Disney World, overseeing its 66,000 cast members. By becoming the most powerful gay man in Central Florida, Kalogridis has created a newfound interest in the company’s LGBT employee group—not only by cast members both gay and straight, but also by outsiders, like us, as well.

To learn more about Disney’s PRIDE group, we spoke to the group’s executive champion, Michael Jungen. As a director of experience development, Jungen’s primary role with Disney �inds him utilizing emerging technologies to enhance guests’ experiences. In his “extracurricular” role as the PRIDE executive champion, Jungen provides support and guidance to the group, helping the group form relationships within the company while encouraging Disney’s various departments to use the group as a business resource.

Speaking to us by email, Jungen explained the role Disney’s LGBT employee group serves in the company’s corporate philosophies, why workplace inclusivity is important, and how the PRIDE group plans to participate in this year’s Gay Days Weekend.

WATERMARK: WHAT TYPE OF

RESOURCES DOES THE PRIDE GROUP OFFER TO CAST MEMBERS— BOTH LGBT AND NON.

MICHAEL JUNGEN: The resources PRIDE provides are focused on helping every Cast Member be his/her authentic self at work and in our community.

We’ve given Cast Members opportunities to learn about the LGBT community, advocate, be allies and pursue career development opportunities.

Continued on page 42 |  |

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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR A COMPANY LIKE DISNEY TO OFFER AND SUPPORT A LGBT EMPLOYEE GROUP?

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In addition to meetings, volunteer projects and networking events, we provide resources to Cast on our intranet, which helps us grow and strengthen our support network. We also do projects with the other Diversity Resource Groups at Walt Disney World, which represent the diversity of our Cast and the Central Florida community.

The most recent example is the AIDS Walk Orlando.

DISNEY ALWAYS HAS A STRONG PRESENCE AT ORLANDO’S ANNUAL COME OUT WITH PRIDE FESTIVITIES EACH OCTOBER. IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE PRIDE GROUP PARTICIPATE IN THAT INVOLVEMENT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR DISNEY TO HAVE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE AT SUCH EVENTS?

Our Cast Members are an important part of the fabric of all aspects of our community. The Come Out With Pride parade and festivities highlight the diversity and richness of Central Florida and Disney is proud to celebrate alongside our fellow residents and businesses.

Participating in the parade and volunteering at the KidZone, which Disney often sponsors, are highlights of the event for our Cast.

Our Diversity Resource Groups, including PRIDE, help Walt Disney World by supporting and encouraging diversity and inclusion for our Cast and guests. We are able to work as partners with the company on guest service, products and community involvement.

TALK ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP OF PRIDE. HOW MANY CAST MEMBERS ARE

There are diversity resource groups throughout the company and PRIDE is the name of the LGBT groups within Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Other divisions use different names, for example EQUAL at ESPN, which supports the

—MICHAEL JUNGEN INVOLVED. IS IT STRICTLY FOR MANAGEMENT OR ARE HOURLY/SEASONAL EMPLOYEES INVITED TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL?

LAST YEAR THE PRIDE GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A FLASH MOB AT THE FRIDAY NIGHT “RIPTIDE” EVENT AT TYPHOON LAGOON. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT, AND HOW MIGHT THE PRIDE GROUP BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR’S GAY DAYS WEEKEND?

Within Walt Disney World, PRIDE has a full calendar of opportunities for Cast Members, including guest speakers, networking events, volunteer activities with groups like the Orlando Youth Alliance and Zebra Coalition, and, of course, just-for-fun outings.

We also use our intranet site to share information and resources with Cast Members. PRIDE also helps the company by informing work on inclusive products and services.

DISNEY IS A GLOBAL COMPANY. ARE THERE SIMILAR PRIDE GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE DISNEY PROPERTIES? AND, IF SO, HOW MIGHT WDW’S PRIDE GROUP WORK/NETWORK WITH THESE OTHER GROUPS?

“PRIDE members will be volunteering to assist the Orlando Youth Alliance.”

PRIDE currently has over 500 members in Central Florida, including members from Walt Disney World Resort, Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Cruise Line. All of our Cast, Crew and Imagineers at all levels are invited to participate in PRIDE.

WHAT TYPE OF PRESENCE DOES THE PRIDE GROUP HAVE WITHIN WDW, AND IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, BEYOND COME OUT WITH PRIDE?

about the organization to event Guests.

The PRIDE Leadership Team was approached by organizers of the Riptide event at Typhoon Lagoon with the �lash mob idea.

As part of PRIDE’s focus on Cast Member and community engagement, the leadership team thought this was a great way for members of PRIDE and ally Cast Members to be actively engaged in this great annual Gay Days Weekend event. This year, PRIDE members will be volunteering to assist the Orlando Youth Alliance in providing information

watermarkonline.com

LGBT and ally community.

The PRIDE groups at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort have worked together on multiple projects, including a workshop presented at the 2012 Out and Equal Workplace Summit and the development of Disney’s “It Gets Better” video.

HOW DID YOU PERSONALLY BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE PRIDE GROUP AND WHY?

I �irst joined PRIDE in 1990 when I was an hourly Cast Member working in horticulture at our on-property tree farm.

At that time, PRIDE was a Disney club; Diversity Resource Groups were established later. I joined because I wanted to make contact with other LGBT Cast Members and to learn how other gay Cast Members were engaged in the company. A lot has changed since that time!

PRIDE, along with the other resource groups, is now an important part of the formula for organizational growth and business success at Disney. I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the years to promote diversity and inclusion at Walt Disney World and contribute to our community. |  |

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.5/3/13 5:34 45 PM

a Place on Earth.”

In 2010, Carlisle published her New York Times Best Selling autobiography, Lips Unsealed, �illed with juicy stories about her years as lead singer of the Go-Go’s, her addiction to cocaine and her reaction to her son, James Duke Mason, coming out. In 2011, Carlisle was recognized for her 30-plus-year singing career with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Though stories of her wild youth and struggles with substance abuse have followed her throughout the years, the singer—and her music— have endured. A longtime friend of the LGBT community, she continues to make sure her voice is also heard on LGBT issues.

Prior to her Saturday, June 1, headlining appearance at Parliament House, Carlisle talked with Watermark about her show, her son’s coming out, activism and a possible new album.

WATERMARK: WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT WITH THIS PERFORMANCE? SURELY, YOU’LL PERFORM SOME OF YOUR HITS, BUT IS THERE A SONG YOU WISH YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO SING EVER AGAIN?

STILL GO-GOING STRONG: Belinda Carlisle will make Parliament House “Heaven on Earth,” Saturday, June 1. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EXECUTIVE PR & TALENT

Go-Go for Gay Days MUSIC The Go-Gos’ Belinda Carlisle performs at P-House June 1

O

Erik R. Caban ERIK@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

RLANDO | AS IN YEARS PAST,

Parliament House will bring some iconic pop stars to its stage to mark Orlando’s weeklong gay celebration culminating with the 23rd Annual Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom.

This year’s line-up includes gay icon Deborah Cox, Friday, May 31;

46

Belinda Carlisle, Saturday, June 1; and “Drop it Low” singer Kat

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

Deluna and Erasure’s Andy Bell on Sunday, June 2.

As the lead singer of the Go-Go’s, the band at the forefront of the all-girl groups of the early 1980s, Belinda Carlisle belted and danced her way through hits such “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “We’ve Got The Beat,” and “Vacation.” In just three years, her successful solo career, launched in 1986, yielded the hits “Mad About You” and “Heaven is

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BELINDA CARLISLE: Well, there’s songs I don’t like as much as others that people want to hear, like “Heaven,” for instance. But when I do it live and see people’s reaction, it makes it all worth it.

WILL THIS BE YOUR FIRST TIME PERFORMING IN A GAY BAR?

There was one gay disco called The Odyssey that I loved in L.A. There is another bar in West Hollywood called Trunks that I got thrown out of—[which is] hard to do [there]— for doing drugs in the bathroom.

[Laughs]

IT’S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE YOUR LAST STUDIO ALBUM, VOILA. WITH THE NEW SINGLE, “SUN,” IS IT SAFE TO SAY, WE CAN EXPECT A NEW ALBUM?

I don’t know... I still haven’t decided. It takes up a lot of time and it’s a big commitment—recording, touring and promoting.

IN A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW, YOU MENTIONED THE GO-GO’S LARGE BASE OF LESBIAN GROUPIES IN THE ‘80S. DO YOU THINK YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC HAS CHANGED?

It’s actually more gay than it’s ever been. Thank God! YOU’RE CLEARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT GAY RIGHTS. IN 2009 YOU FILMED A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY. DID THAT HAVE TO DO

watermarkonline.com

“I just think a person has his or her own personal reasons why he or she doesn’t want to come out—and that’s their own business.”

—BELINDA CARLISLE

WITH YOUR SON’S COMING OUT?

No. I probably would have done it anyway. But of course, having a gay son, I’m really in touch with what is going on out there as far as LGBT rights. And I want him and any other gay person to have the same rights as us breeders do.

IN YOUR BOOK, YOU MENTION YOUR SHOCK WHEN JAMES CAME OUT. BUT YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND GAY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER. WEREN’T THERE CLUES?

Well, I had clues that he was. It wasn’t surprising but it was really shocking at the same time. It’s hard to imagine unless one is the mother or father.

HAS BEING THE MOTHER OF A GAY SON CHANGED THE WAY YOU SEE YOUR GAY FANS?

No. It hasn’t. I guess that is because I’ve always had more gay and lesbian friends than straight ones.

There has always been a big gay presence in my life.

YOU’VE SAID THAT YOU AND YOUR SON BUTT HEADS ABOUT HIM WHETHER ALL GAY PEOPLE SHOULD COME OUT. HE SAYS ITS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT YOU DISAGREE. WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY?

I just think a person has his or her own personal reasons why he or she doesn’t want to come out, and that’s their own business. I don’t think it’s right to infringe upon their rights to do or say what he or she wants. |  |

MORE INFORMATION

WHO: Belinda Carlisle WHERE: Parliament House WHEN: Saturday, June 1 TICKETS: ParliamentHouse.com

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Motherly Protest POLITICS One Million Moms targets Gay Day

O

Staff Report EDITOR@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

NE MILLION MOMS (OMM) IS

demanding that Disney put a stop to the 23rd annual Gay Day at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Saturday, June 1.

OMM is an organization with less than 57,000 likes on Facebook.

It is known for its call to boycott of JC Penney last year, after out talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres became a spokesperson for the retailer.

The group’s latest targeted marketing calls on members to contact Disney’s CEO to demand that he end Disney Gay Day. Disney says it has no control over Gay Day or who enters the park

on any given day.

Adding interest to the story, the new president of Disney World, George Kalogridis, is gay.

“The �irst Saturday in June, homosexuals, bisexuals and transvestites will be at the Magic Kingdom with an agenda and purpose different than what would be expected at Disney,” OMM members write on theiur website. “Homosexuals will be

celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Gay Day wearing matching Gay Day merchandise, such as T-shirts.

There will also be transvestites dressed in drag showing their support for the event.”

The Walt Disney Company has never of�icially sanctioned Gay Days—which has been deemed “the world’s most popular gay and lesbian celebration” by its organizers. It draws a reported 150,000 LGBT travelers to the theme parks each year. Disney’s employees treat the �irst Saturday in June just like any other day.

One Million Moms, which is a branch of the anti-gay American Family Association, feels it isn’t like any other day at the park.

“Disney has been irresponsible for far too long,” the group said on its site. “Disney representatives and security need to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere and require proper conduct and dress code on a daily basis.”

This isn’t the �irst time anti-gay, conservative groups have tried to protest Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom. In 2012, the Florida Family Association chartered airplanes pulling Gay Day “warnings” in airspace near Disney properties. The group reported that it was successful in its warning to “mainstream families” who boycotted the park on June 2, 2012.

The FFA, led by anti-gay crusader David Caton, spent thousands of dollars on the plan to “warn” vacationing families that they will encounter gay people at Disney World over Gay Days weekend last year.

On the FFA website, the group claimed it raised $4,100 to hire an airplane to �ly a banner over the parks for 10 hours, warning people about Gay Day, saying it’s the most “cost-effective manner” to make sure families don’t inadvertently “expose their children to same-sex revelry.”

“How would you feel if you

entered the Magic Kingdom anticipating a normal day of fun with your family only to witness thousands of same-sex couples holding hands, hugging, kissing and wearing t-shirts that promoted their lifestyle?” the group’s site asked visitors. “One Gay Day patron’s comments best describes their goal, ‘We need to be seen in the heart of America’s playground.’

It appears from the behavior of Gay Day patrons that they were more intent on being seen rather than seeing Disney World.”

The website claimed LGBT “activists” try to gain access to youthful minds by advocating for LGBT characters in video games.

“They also want to impact a captured audience of tens of thousands of children during the �irst Saturday of Summer Break,” the site stated.

In 1991, the year Gay Day began, anti-gay groups protested Disney and eventually launched an unsuccessful boycott of the media giant.

It’s unclear if OMM will have any success this year. It attempted a boycott on JC Penney when it hired Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson last year, which was unsuccessful. |  |

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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take pictures. You know there will be a lot of gold lamé thongs.

HAVE YOU DONE MANY PRIDE EVENTS?

I’ve done a number of Prides.

Can I tell you about the one I just did in L.A.? It was called Mr. L.A. Leather. Everyone in leather—it was great! What a great audience. I’m going to have to start practicing singing “Lady in Red” for when I’m at Disney on Saturday. [Laughs] More like “Ladies in Red.” I love it!

Fantasmic!

DO YOU FIND THERE’S A DIFFERENCE IN THE AUDIENCE REACTIONS BETWEEN STRAIGHT AND GAY AUDIENCES?

Oh god, yes! I recently did a show in Los Angeles. I had no idea there would be so many gay people there. For everything, the gays just get so excited. They like to express their opinions.

Every now and then, I’d hear, “Yea, Goddess!” and other cat calls from the audience. I’d say there’s de�initely a lot more enthusiasm—especially if I make some sort of political comment.

TELL OUR READERS ABOUT YOUR BOOK, FULL FRONTAL TENUDITY!

BARING ALL: Judy Tenuta goes Full Frontal during GayDays, June 1. PHOTO COURTESY JUDYTENUTA.COM

Full Frontal COMEDY

Judy Tenuta brings her ‘Love Goddess’ to Gay Days

J

Erik R. Caban ERIK@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

UDY TENUTA IS THE MOST FAMOUS

person who has ever lived...and if you don’t believe it, just ask her. Tenuta is a triple threat with stand-up, acting and a large LGBT fan base under her, uh, accordion.

She has appeared in The Vagina Monologues, made over a hundred guest appearances on TV shows like The View, Late Night With David Letterman, Larry King Live and Dr. Katz, and she’s had her own stand-up

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specials on Showtime, HBO and Lifetime. Tenuta was the �irst female stand-up comic to win “Best Female Comedian” at the American Comedy Awards and is a two-time Grammy nominee for her comedy CDs.

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

The self-described “Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion” has even taken to print with a new book entitled Full Frontal Tenudity. The outrageous book is part memoir, part advice book and part cookbook. In it she divulges her deepest secrets, helpful tips and poignant stories.

Throughout her 30-plus-year career, Tenuta has been a strong advocate for gays and issues related to children and women.

The high-spirited feminist preaches that all we should all be worshipped as “Love Goddesses.”

Before performing Saturday,

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June 1, at the GayDays host hotel, The DoubleTree, Watermark caught up with the unconventional and unparalleled comedienne at her Hollywood home to chat about everything from her return to Orlando and a potential reality show to her plans to crash all the GayDays pool parties on Sunday.

It could happen!

WATERMARK: WHAT CAN WE

EXPECT DURING YOUR SHOW DURING GAYDAYS THIS TIME AROUND?

JUDY TENUTA: I’m so excited! I feel like I’m going to have as much fun, if not more, than the gay men!

Do I need to have a fashion show?

There’ll be music and maybe a fashion parade. The gay men love that. Will I need to have poppers?

[Laughs] HOW ABOUT A BATHING SUIT COMPETITION?

Oh my god! I love that! That’s even better! They’ll all be in sequins!

I have to start thinking about my out�its. Hello! So, I hear there will be a lot of pool parties going on.

I’ll have to go out and watch them do their water ballet. I’m going to have to get my iPhone out and

watermarkonline.com

There’s three sections; one is the “Hollywood to English Dictionary.” I’m sure you have this in Florida also, but it’s really prevalent in Hollywood where people never say what they mean.

They always pretend to be overly friendly, like, “Oh, yes, we’ll have to do lunch.” Right. Basically that means, “Good luck getting a hold of me.” Or this one—people here love to brag about how much money they have so you hear, “Oh I just made a ton of money last year.” That’s code for, “I’m �iling for bankruptcy.”

One of my favorite ones is, “I only drink to unwind,” which translates to “I’m married to Jack Daniels.” “I love your work” means, “I just saw your sex tape.”

I have another section where I give “Goddess Snack Tips.” I don’t cook but I like making snacks.

ARE THERE ANY REALITY SHOW PLANS IN YOUR FUTURE?

I’m working on getting arrested.

I hear from people, saying, “I haven’t seen you on TV much.”

Uh, yea, that’s because I haven’t been in prison! Like that Jodi Hairy-ass, who got a play-by-play of her life! Or Lindsay Blow-han.

Continued on page 54 |  |

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|  | Judy Tenuta from pg.50 That bitch doesn’t have to work a day in her life. She’s in court all the time like it’s a reality show!

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO PERFORM ON A GAY CRUISE AGAIN?

I need to do that! What’s going on with that?! It’s been a couple years. I remember I performed along with Suzanne Westenhoefer.

That was fun! The gay men are so much fun, especially on those cruises. “Goddess, can we help you?” They had all these great excursions and they would ask me to come along. “Come on, ride this tortoise!” I’d reply, “What do you think my boyfriend is for?”

The one thing I did have to worry about was the non-stop food. Gay men are very healthconscious. I try to pump iron.

[Laughs] I’m doing pilates and I like it. I enjoy my candy though. I have to be careful. [Laughs] I have these great energy bars—god, I sound like a commercial. Shut me up. But really, some of them taste as good as a Snickers! Almost.

YOU’VE BEEN DOING STAND-UP FOR

54

I was trying to hook-up with

Pitbull and then J.Lo got jealous.

So, she made me do stuff with her.

—JUDY TENUTA ON HER SEX SCANDAL SCHEME. MORE THAN 30 YEARS, AND YOU’VE ALSO APPEARED IN A NUMBER OF FILMS AND TELEVISION SHOWS.

Oh my God! I know and I’m only 38!

WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE?

I love the live audience, especially the gays! With live performing, I get to vent and speak on stage and meet everybody. I also love doing television because it’s almost like having a permanent record of your work. If I don’t have a sex tape and I’m not in court, I have to �igure out other ways to continue to be on TV. [Laughs] They seem to give you a show as soon as you come out of rehab or jail.

MAYBE WE CAN GET YOU INVOLVED IN A LESBIAN SEX SCANDAL WHILE YOU’RE HERE.

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

Yes! Who lives down there? Gloria Estefan or, I know—J.Lo! I need to break up that union. I’ll have an affair with J.Lo. Oh, and Pitbull! Oh my god!

I think we worked it out. Here’s the story: I was trying to hookup with Pitbull and then J.Lo got jealous. So, she made me do stuff with her. Next, we just need photos and then we can post them on Rick Scott’s web page and TMZ. [Laughs] Love that!

SEEING AS YOU’LL BE HERE DURING THE GAYEST WEEK IN ORLANDO, WILL YOU BE OFFICIATING ANY WEDDINGS WHILE YOU’RE HERE?

You better believe it! What would GayDays be without a marriage through Judyism?

YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE SWEETEST

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PET NAMES FOR THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE. DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE A “LOVE PIG?”

I try to have one in every state.

Don’t you think that’s best? We’ll have to go fudgesicle hunting in Orlando. [Laughs] But really, I’m there to have fun with the gays.

We don’t want to complicate it with some clown that goes, “You’re not paying enough attention to me.”

Then, I’d have be like, “Shut up and get my mascara.”

WHAT’S YOUR LATEST TELEVISION GUILTY PLEASURE?

That show Splash is hard to watch but I give those celebs credit. I should’ve been on Dancing With the Stars. What is up with that?

They should call it, Dancing With the Non-Celebrity Who Wants To

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Be a Star. And I know the gay men love the Housewives shows but I can’t keep up with all of them. I mean, it’s so boring. How many times can you hear, “I hate you.”

“No, I hate you.” “Your implants look horrible.” Shut up!

I love Project Runway. Oh, that Heidi Klum—she’s like an SS Of�icer, isn’t she? But she keeps popping out a kid every season. She needs to keep her legs together. I mean, she looks great but come on. |  |

MORE INFORMATION

WHO: Judy Tenuta WHERE: The Doubletree

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GAY DAY: A TIMELINE

1991

Digital Queers—a computer bulletin board chat group—decides to meet at the Magic Kingdom on the first Saturday of June, agreeing to wear red T-shirts to identify themselves to each other.

1992 1993 1994

With bigger crowds anticipated, Disney issues a memo instructing employees to disavow knowledge of the observance if asked.

The celebration continues with no major interruptions, but attendance begins to swell into the thousands.

Disney issues a statement that is summarized on signs at the entrance to the park: “The Gay and Lesbian gathering at the Magic Kingdom…is not an official Walt Disney World event.”

1995

Calling Gay Day “a mission to pervert America’s children,” the American Family Association says the event deprives thousands of children of a normal, fun-filled day at the Magic Kingdom.

1996 1997

Gay Day spreads across Disney property. All three theme parks see a surge of red-shirted guests.

Travel agents now estimate that 60,000 LGBT visitors converge on the Orlando area for the event. Universal Studios Florida joins forces with Sea World of Florida and Church Street Station to create a joint package.

1998 1999

Tommy Manley and Chris Alexander-Manley form Gay Days Inc., a successful travel business that remains a lynchpin of the weekend.

The Magic Kingdom reaches capacity and closes for a brief time, while the skies above are filled with flying banners reading “Freedom from Homosexuality—Jesus Christ,” and “RainbowVoice.com.”

2000

Pleasure Island hosts Disco Weekend with appearances by Shannon and Taylor Dayne. The Christian Action Network brings video cameras, “looking for bad behavior ... in areas where children are present.”

2001 2002

American Family Association president Donald Wildmon compares Gay Day to “Prostitute Day or Pedophilia Day at the Magic Kingdom.”

Mark Baker’s Stars Party on Sunday at Islands of Adventure swells to 7,000 guests. Universal opens several additional rides to accommodate the overflow.

2003 the park.

After 9-11, Walt Disney World’s airspace is classified as a no-fly zone, ending the tradition of planes carrying religious banners over

2004

Mannequins DJ Dave Cannalte says the club set a new attendance record before the rotating dance floor breaks on Thursday night. Gay Days, Inc. buys an I-4 billboard, welcoming out-of-towners to the event.

2005

In the 100 days preceding the weekend Johnny Chisholm secures the rights to the popular Reunion host hotel and a full menu of nighttime theme park-based events, dubbing it all “One Might Weekend.”

2006 2007

With fewer cooks in the kitchen, Gay Days Weekend once again attracts big numbers—and little drama.

The Orlando/Orange County Visitors and Convention Bureau refuses to recognize and promote the event, causing Gay Days Inc. to drop its membership.

2008

Big crowds continue, but Chisholm’s attempt to create a “One Mighty Weekend of Sports” fails in its first year, as do events targeting African-Americans and the leather community.

2009 2010 2011 2012

Due to unpaid bills, Chisholm is forced to relocate his biggest parties just weeks in advance, and attendance plummets.

Mark Baker returns, rebranding his ambitious events “Wonderland Orlando.”

LGBT attendance at the Magic Kingdom was substantial, if not close to the park-closing numbers experienced more than a decade ago.

Gay Days 2012 was the event’s biggest year yet, with organizers and partners reporting record-breaking attendance and sales numbers.

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

FOND MEMORIES: Revelers enjoy a One Mighty Weekend event in 2008. PHOTO BY JAKE STEVENS

|  | One Mighty Comeback? from pg.36

him—reportedly due to unpaid bills—and he was forced to relocate his parties to lesser venues. He announced a return in 2010 that never materialized. He hasn’t been seen at GDW since.

Mark Baker sought to resurrect the GDW circuit in 2011—with one party co-produced by Watermark— and again in 2012, but was unable to �ind the same magic and produce needed attendance for the expensive parties.

So many wonder if, despite his previous problems, Chisholm’s return will reboot the GDW circuit.

It’s certainly rebooted the drama.

Once again dubbed “One Mighty Weekend,” Chisholm will host Reunion Pool Parties at the Buena Vista Palace and Magic Journeys after-hour parties at Arabian Nights.

Many wonder how he was able to reestablish himself after the wreckage of 2009. Now that he has, few believe his vision stops there.

But no one, including Chisholm himself, will talk about it.

Watermark reached out to Mark Baker and GayDays.com, and neither returned our calls.

Just Circuit Magazine responded to questions and then denied permission to use the answers out of concern that Chisholm would be characterized negatively. A lengthy email supporting Chisholm, his positive impact on GDW and his

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many contributions to charity, was strictly off the record.

Chisholm’s response was even more cryptic. He initially agreed to answer questions submitted several days ago via email. But as our deadline approached, an assistant claimed that he was too busy planning events during Memorial Day Weekend to respond. After another inquiry by Watermark, Chisholm called editor Steve Blanchard, stated that he was recording the conversation and that it was strictly off the record and could not be used either in quotes or as background.

So Watermark’s—and your— questions remain unanswered: Will you produce a theme parkbased mega-party again?

Are you partnering with anyone to produce One Mighty Weekend?

What do you want people to know about your withdrawal from GDW after 2009?

Did you have dif�iculty establishing credit in Orlando after that experience?

What’s your take on the future of GDW in Orlando?

Chisholm’s dif�iculties in Orlando are public record.

In August 2009, Production Resource Group, a local entertainment tech company, obtained a judgment against Chisholm’s Reunion Events for more than $300,000 in unpaid fees. A month later, Universal sued him for debts totaling more than $200,000.

In October 2009, Chisholm’s

watermarkonline.com

production company �iled for bankruptcy in a Pensacola court, claiming debts of more than $1.7 million and assets of less than $50,000. Notable creditors included Disney Resort Destinations and Universal Orlando.

Chisholm �iled a lawsuit in Escambia County against Orlando resident Tony Hayden alleging that comments on his website, TheCircuitDog.com, were defamatory. Hayden was ordered to remove the comments, and he discontinued the blog.

Ads for One Mighty Weekend appear in Watermark and its glossy guide to GDW. But in apparent anticipation of this article, Chisholm denied us press privileges, including permission to photograph his events.

Chisholm has re-established credit and credibility, at least with the Buena Vista Palace, Arabian Nights, and the many vendors required to produce and promote his events. Will that extend to the �ickle circuit crowd?

Some remember expensive, unused tickets to Beach Ball in 2009.

Others recall his extravagant oncein-a-lifetime parties fondly, and hope Chisholm will resurrect GDW and One Mighty Weekend as a staple of the party circuit.

We’ll know much more in a few weeks, but that information won’t likely come from the mouth of Johnny Chisholm. |  | Susan Clary and Steve Blanchard contributed to this article.

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1- FASHION FORWARD: (L-R) Julie Roody, Anthony Moncrief and Portia Weiss show their fashion sense during Pride & Passion May 18. PHOTO BY NICK CARDELLO

2- NEW ROYALTY: Nicky Monet, right and pictured with 2012’s title holder Amy DeMilo, is all smiles after being crowned Miss GaYbor 2013 May 11. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 3- KICKING IT OFF: St. Pete Pride Executive Director Eric Skains welcomes guests to the Pride Launch Party at Bert Smith BMW on May 16. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

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4- STAGE TIME: Kori Stevens entertains the crowd at Quench during Watermark Wednesday on May 15. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 5- HAPPY COUPLE: (L-R) Fiancés Adam Belmerez and Mikel Hopkins spend quality time with each other at the Tampa Museum of Art during Pride & Passion on May 18. PHOTO BY NICK CARDELLO 6- A FEW GOOD MEN: (L-R) Steve Smith, Todd Richardson, Doug McClain, Scott Buttelwerth and Vince Magyar share some time together during Pride & Passion at the Tampa Museum of Art May 18. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 7- CHECKIN’ THE MERCHANDISE: Victor Lopez and Mark Ferguson are all smiles before during the St. Pete Pride launch party at Bert Smith BMW in St. Petersburg on May 16. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 8- LAST CALL: (L-R) Bill Adams, Ashley Brudage and La’Darius Belcher hang out at Quench Lounge in Largo during Watermark Wednesday benefitting ASAP on May 15. PHOTO BY TINKERFLUFF.COM

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OVERHEARD MONET TAKES GAYBOR TITLE

I

T WAS A PACKED HOUSE AT THE HONEY POT IN MID-MAY WHEN NICKY MONET TOOK THE MISS GAYBOR 2013 TITLE. The show was organized by Michael Wilson of Hamburger Mary’s and had a Vegas-style �lavor to it throughout the night.

Contestants competed in a number of categories, but the category that had the crowd most excited seemed to be the talent competition, which was complete with some impressive backup dancers. A professional panel of six judges chose Nicky

Monet among a strong pool of talent. Miss GaYbor 2012 Amy DeMilo was on hand to entertain throughout the night and to give up her crown, all while prepping for another pageant title of her own...

DEMILO TAKES TITLE

S

PEAKING OF AMY DEMILO, THE TAMPA BAY ICON, WAVE-AWARD WINNER AND BINGO HOSTESS can now add another title to her long list of accomplishments: That of Miss USofA Classic 2013!

DeMilo traveled to Dallas, Tex., to participate in the national pageant and took the crown

with an eight-point lead by the time things wrapped up on Monday, May 20. DeMilo tied for second in the talent category but scored the highest in interview and in fashion. Her two �irst-place scores, coupled with a high talent score, were enough to put her on top.

DeMilo’s runner-up was Roxie Hart and second runner-up was Victoria Lace. DeMilo shared her thoughts via Facebook the day after the pageant: “I’m awake and still have the crown, my dream is a reality! I’m looking forward to a fabulous year starting the new chapter to Miss Gay USofA Classic!”

Congratulations Amy!

MISTER, MISS AND MR.

I

T MUST BE DRAG SEASON, BECAUSE THIS SECTION SEEMS TO HAVE NOTHING BUT NEWS ABOUT DRAG TITLES THIS TIME AROUND. But more titles are on the horizon, and few get as much attention as Mister and Miss St. Pete Pride, which will be held at Georgie’s Alibi in St. Petersburg on Sunday, May 26. This is the �ifth year for the pageant and for the �irst time that a new category has been added: The Mr. title. The new category is for those who were born male or have a male gender marker on their government ID who wish to perform as a male. The Miss

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St. Pete Pride category is for biological males who perform as females, and the Mister St. Pete Pride title will be awarded to a biological female performing as a male. The Mr. category has already sparked a great deal of interest. Contestants will compete in Creative Pride Wear, Talent, Formal Wear and on-stage question. Winners will represent Florida’s largest LGBT Pride celebration for a year and get a chance to perform on stage during the annual street festival on Saturday, June 29.

For details, contact Kori Stevens at Kori@StPetePride.com. |  |

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1- NEW BOARD: (L-R) Prime Timers of Central Florida elected new board members were elected May 14: Wilfred Souchereua, Treasurer; Ken Barnard, Director/Membership; Edwin Barnes, Vice-President; Claude Aube, Director/Publicity; Patrick Caraher, President; Ken Stoops, Director/Events; and Ron Bush, Secretary.

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2- EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK: Actor John Stamos is recruited as a NEST agent by the larger-than-life Autobots, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee at Universal Orlando Resort May 13. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

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3- LET IT BE: Watermark publisher Tom Dyer (left), with Mark Holmes, gets ready to hear a Beatle at the Paul McCartney concert, May 19 at Amway Arena. PHOTO BY TOM DYER 4- POWER BREAKFAST: (L to R): Stuart Milk, Randy Stephens, Tim Vargas and Congressman Alan Grayson celebrate diversity at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, May 20 at the Dubsdread Country Club. PHOTO BY TOM DYER 5- OFFICIAL BEGINNING: Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer cuts the ribbon after reading a declaration of Fringe Week at the Orlando Fringe Festival, Loch Haven Park, May 16. PHOTO BY JAMIE HYMAN 6- WALK FOR A CURE: Walkers of all ages participate in the 2013 Orlando AIDS Walk in downtown Orlando May 18.

PHOTO BY JAKE STEVENS

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OVERHEARD NCAA SUPPORTS MBA

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CAA MARCH MADNESS IS COMING TO ORLANDO and is offering an exclusive deal for members of the MBA, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Members can purchase tickets for the March 20 and 22, 2014 games at Amway Center beginning Wednesday May 1, through Friday May 31, 2013.

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

E

ARLIER THIS WEEK, ONE MILLION MOMS LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE

23RD ANNUAL GAY DAY at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, scheduled for Saturday, June 1. On its website, One Million Moms claims that the intent of the LGBT community is “to expose and desensitize children to this lifestyle by same-sex couples holding hands, hugging and kissing.” The group urges its members to e-mail Disney of�icials and demand the park ‘no longer go along with Gay Day.’ In response, Darcy Christ, a heterosexual mom in Texas has waged an online battle against One Million Moms and the group’s boycott of Gay Day at Disney. She has created ‘Millions of Moms for Love’ on Facebook

and hopes to receive as many “likes” as possible to prove antigay beliefs are not shared by most moms in America. OutLoud Enterprises has also set-up a website has also been set up that allows supporters of Gay Day to send a thank you note to Disney for not succumbing to the discriminatory bullying of groups like One Million Moms.

“We will not stand silently while groups like One Million Moms or the American Family Foundation spread their antigay message,” said Christ in a statement. “A majority of American moms believe that every person has the right to love another person, same sex

or not.” Outloud enterprises is also on board battling OMM and spokesperson Wendy Jackson said that “if children have questions about seeing a same-sex couple holding hands, hugging or kissing, it seems that Disney World, the happiest place on earth, would offer a perfect opportunity for parents to teach children about tolerance and acceptance.” For more on the battle, visit Facebook.com/ MillionsOfMomsForLove.

FUNNY LADIES

P

OSITIONED RIGHT BETWEEN FRINGE FESTIVAL AND GAY DAYS,

MAY 23 - JUNE 5, 2013 // ISSUE 20.11

IT’S THE MISS COMEDY QUEEN REVIEW SHOW! Have a laugh Wednesday, May 29 at Parliament House at 8 p.m. Proceeds from the show will benefit The Barber Fund, a local cancer charity named after Miss Comedy Queen 2009 John Barber aka “Tweeka Weed.” The night will consist of performances by Ginger Minj, The Minx, Carol Lee, Gidget Galore, Addison Taylor, April Fresh and some surprise guests! There will also be games, including the return of Gidget’s Hole. For more information, visit ANRTickets.com. |  |

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Transitions

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CHANGE-OF-LIFE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations On May 15, partners of 10 years David Dorman and Scott Penyak of Ocoee, Fla., along with former Orlando residents (now living in Denver) Clay Emerson and Jesse Matney were married in separate ceremonies at Kerry Park in Seattle. Unknown to Penyak and Matney, in addition to planning the ceremony, both Dorman and Emerson were ordained as ministers and performed each other’s ceremonies.

E.M. & Voss Solutions Event & Wedding Services owners Sascha Voss and Eric Muenks celebrate 14 years together during Gay Days Weekend.

Local birthdays Miss Sammy’s sister-in-law, elegant party hostess and glamorous costumer to Orlando’s theatrical stars Marcy Singhaus, St. Petersburg karaoke star Javier Dones, Supermanloving Seminole personal trainer Chip Wright, new graduate Sabrina Napolitano (May 25). Tampa Drag Queen Bingo maven Amy

DeMilo, Sarasota country line dancer David Russell (May 27); neuromarketing guru Alex Wall (May 28); St. Pete theater supporter Jon Hughes, Dunedin stylist Corey Judge (May 29); Fairvilla peddler DC Bulla; world traveler, pilot and Orlando-based photographer Jim Barrett (May 30); Orlando restaurant magnate Nicholas Olivieri, St. Petersburg Target specialist and social butterfly Joe White (May 31); Ranger’s Pet Outpost founder Rick Merrifield, American Stage marketing wizard and triathlete Andy Orrell, City of Gulfport employee and furniture specialist Jon K. Ziegler (June 1); physical therapist Rob Ryan, St. Pete Twirling Project hottie Harry Correa (June 2); Equality Florida public policy director Mallory Wells, Ronda Storms nemesis and Brandon Pride founder Mark Ferguson, OMG Magazine marketing director Timothy Evans (June 3); Tampa catering genious Dan Denoyer, Orange County Sheriff’s Department law enforcer Tom Woodard, German-born bear and current Riverview resident Robert Paquette, USF professor Bo Clements (June 4); handsome Tampa Coldwell Banker realtor Steve Wessels (June 5).

Are you making a Transition? Having a birthday or anniversary? Did you get a new job or promotion? See your news in Watermark! Send your Transition to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com or go to WatermarkOnline.com/Submit-a-Transition - it’s that easy!

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Staff Report

received a 90-day suspension.

Diaz’s older brother, Nick, a UFC welterweight, has been suspended twice previously for marijuana-related offenses.

In addition to losing the bonus money, the UFC states its right to discipline �ighters for “derogatory or offensive conduct, including sexual orientation,” in its code and conduct policy.

Earlier this year, heavyweight Matt Mitrione was brie�ly suspended and �ined an undisclosed amount for his comments regarding transgender martial artist Fallon Fox. Diaz last fought at a UFC on Fox event on April 20. He suffered a second-round TKO loss to Josh Thomson. He contended for the 155-pound belt in December 2012, losing a unanimous decision to champion Ben Henderson. |  |

``I don’t think it would be a problem,’’ Federer said. “We’re very relaxed. We don’t play a team sport and see each other all the time…

We’re very open. So whatever happens, happens. I don’t know if there are any (gay players). So far from what I’ve heard, no. But that could change, possibly because of the case in the NBA.’’ Over the years, women’s tennis greats Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Amelie Mauresmo came out about their sexual orientation and Collins called Navratilova one of his heroes.

After Collins’ announcement last month, President Barack Obama called the 34-year-old Washington Wizards player to congratulate him and tell him he was proud of his courage.

“I think everyone has gotten better at dealing with it,’’ Murray said. “More and more players have come out and I think there has to be some players that are probably gay.

From speaking to the other players, I don’t think anyone has any issues with it. So I hope that in tennis it’s an issue that is dealt with well when the situation arises.’’ |  |

Federer, Murray: no problem for gay tennis players Wire Report

R

OME, ITALY | Roger Federer and Andy Murray believe there would be no problem if a men’s tennis player comes out as gay.

The second- and third-ranked players were asked about the possibility May 19 at the Italian Open after NBA veteran Jason Collins recently became the �irst active player in any of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out.

Staff Report

F

ormer Baylor star Brittney Griner told ESPN May 19 that her coach at Baylor, Kim Mulkey, asked her to not be publicly open about being gay out of fear it would hurt recruiting.

“It was a recruiting thing,” Griner told ESPNW.com.

“The coaches thought that if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn’t let their kids come play for Baylor.

Not discussing one’s sexuality “was more of a unwritten law,” she said. “It was just kind of, like, one of those things, you know, just don’t do it. They kind of tried to make it, like, ‘Why put your business out on the street like that?’ “ Griner came out as gay in April, before being chosen by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick of the WNBA draft.

Mulkey declined to comment on Griner’s statement.

“Brittney Griner represented Baylor University proudly on and off the basketball court, and she leaves behind an incredible legacy,” the coach said in a statement issued by Baylor. “I cannot comment on personal matters surrounding any of our student-athletes, but I can tell you Brittney will always be a celebrated member of the Baylor family.”

Griner said that she never kept her sexuality a secret and that her teammates and coaches knew she was a lesbian.

“I told Coach [Mulkey] when she was recruiting me. I was like, ‘I’m gay. I hope that’s not a problem,’ and she told me that it wasn’t,” Griner said. “I mean, my teammates knew, obviously they all knew.

Everybody knew about it.”

Last year, Mulkey was interviewed by OutSports.com, and was asked if she had any lesbians on her team.

“Don’t ask me that,” Mulkey said. “I don’t ask that. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business. Whoever you are. I don’t care to know that.”

She added that she didn’t care whether her players were straight or gay. |  |

sports

T

he Ultimite Fighting Championship has suspended lightweight Nate Diaz inde�initely for derogatory tweets he wrote about bantamweight Bryan Caraway on his Twitter account May 16.

Of�icials con�irmed to ESPN. com the suspension came after Diaz referred to Caraway using a homophobic slur, writing, “the biggest FAG in the world.”

“We are very disappointed

by Nate Diaz’s comments, which are in no way re�lective of our organization,” the UFC stated in a release. “Nate is currently suspended pending internal investigation and we will provide further comment once the matter has been decided.”

Diaz’s manager, Mike Kogan, declined comment to ESPN.com.

Diaz (16-9) posted two entries on his Twitter account, sympathizing with lightweight Pat Healy, who recently forfeited $130,000 in bonus money after testing positive for marijuana following a submission win over Jim Miller at UFC 159.

The $65,000 bonus he received for Submission of the Night was awarded to Caraway, who �inished Johnny Bedford that night via guillotine choke.

In an interview since, Caraway stated he is against the use of marijuana completely.

Diaz’s full post read: “I feel bad for Pat Healy that they took a innocent man’s money and I think the guy who took the money is the biggest FAG in the world ..”

Healy’s win over Miller was changed to a no-contest, and Healy

Griner: Baylor coach Mulkey asked her to keep sexuality a secret

NEWS

UFC suspends fighter for derogatory tweet

PROUD PARTNERS:

Timbers Army, a devoted group of fans supporting the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, used their creativity on May 19 to organize banners and decorate some seats in rainbow colors to call attention to homophobia in sports. The group wanted to show that fans support LGBT athletes.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: PRIDE AND PASSION

Galleryw Go see more photos at

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NEAR CAPACITY CROWD FILLED THE TAMPA MUSEM OF ART FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL PRIDE & PASSION MAY 18. A modern re-interpretation of “Baroque aesthetic” brought out the artistic in all attendees and staff. Numbers weren’t available at press time, but organizers say there were at least as many tickets sold as last year. For the full story see page 12.

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Photography

by Nick Cardello C ARDELLOPHOTO.COM

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