Watermark Issue 21.03: Get Engaged

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • SARASOTA • ISSUE 21.03 • JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 • WATERMARKONLINE.COM

Rollins to host ‘POZ’ FOUNDER SEAN STRUB IT’S OFFICIAL,

WE ARE

GETTING ENGAGED SIX COUPLES ENGAGE IN A FLORIDA LAWSUIT FOR THE RIGHT TO MARRY

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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It’s time for the commonwealth to be on the right side of history 17 and the right side of the law.

DEPARTMENTS 6 // MAIL 8 // ORLANDO NEWS 12 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 16 // STATE 17 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 25 // IN DEPTH 33 //ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 41 // COMMUNITY CALENDAR 43 // TAMPA BAY OVERHEARD 45 // ORLANDO OVERHEARD 46 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 47 // TRANSITIONS 48 // ORLANDO MARKETPLACE 53 // SPORTS

PAGE

— MARK R. HERRING, VA. ATTORNEY GENERAL

ON THE COVER

PAGE

PAGE Vanessa and Melanie

have been a couple 25 Alenier for eight years and are one

of six couples who filed a lawsuit in Florida to overturn the state’s ban on marriage equality. They have a five year old son.

Preview

33 HISTORY PROJECT:

Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart is about the early days of the AIDS epidemic and shows a piece of gay history. The show runs through mid-February at freeFall Theatre, and the cast talks about its impact on a new generation.

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Read it online!

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says a technical error, not bigotry, was the reason behind a momentary blackout of the Grammys in Orlando Jan. 26; Poz Magazine founder Sean Strub talks about the criminalization of HIV at Rollins; more

12

Community Centers continue to raise money for its new Welcome Center; Madonna memorabilia is set for auction in Tampa Bay, thanks to a trove of items discovered from her early years; more.

PAGE 2 Trains Running, directed

35

by out St. Petersburg arts guru Bob Devin Jones, talks about civil rights at American Stage.

The director and two actors talk about the story’s relevance in 2014.

PAGE The second annual

Art Festival 54 Cardboard showcased the work of 12

artists this year at the The Orange Studio in Orlando. We capture some of the interesting creations that were on display Jan. 24-26.

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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TOP WEB COMMENTS VIA WATERMARKONLINE.COM ON THE SUBJECT OF SEXUAL RACISM: Is it sexually racist that I don’t date white women? I’m white but I feel like there’s this sadistic black dude inside me that hates white women.

—CHICOLINI 99 ON SEN. MARCO RUBIO BLOCKING THE NOMINATION OF AN OPENLY GAY FEDERAL JUDGE: “Judge William Thomas does not belong as a Federal Court Judge.

Judge William Thomas ignored precedent and higher court rulings land [thus] locking/devaluing my commercial property. An absolute intentional ignorance of our constitutional rights and a crime.”

—ROBIN VERNON “Sen. Marco Rubio made the correct decision. Judge Thomas is making erroneous and costly decisions with people’s lives! Look at the judge’s track record before judging Rubio!”

—STEVE PATEL “Marco Rubio is the vilest kind of politician. One who will do anything to undermine the ‘other Party’— what’s right and proper, be damned!

What’s right for the people of Florida, be damned! Representing his constituents? Only if they have the exact same beliefs as he holds.

Thanks for nothing, Mr. Rubio. I can’t wait until these do-nothing (yet sorely destructive), so-called representatives are all gone.”

—JLSR

VIA FACEBOOK ON QUEEN LATIFAH (WHOM MANY SUSPECT IS IN THE CLOSET) OFFICIATING THE MASS WEDDING OF GAY AND STRAIGHT COUPLES AT THE GRAMMYS: “I have mixed feelings on this. She is a celebrity and could do a lot more good coming out than she does celebrating our love from inside her glass closet. She keeps doing the Ricky Martin Tango when asked about it which makes her look scared. How can you effectively take a stand for my rights and freedoms when you won’t even stand up for your own?”

—JOHN SULLIVAN “How each person loves is up to them. And it is up to each person to decide if they wish to express that love in front of the world.”

—MARK CADY

6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CULTURE OF NEGATIVITY

Remember, you are in control of your life, not your smart phone or computer.

I

S IT RACIST [ISSUE 21.02]?

We come from a culture of negativity. Just listen to our own community or peruse those sites (that no one says they visit) and it becomes apparent that some gay men do not like a lot of things, but what do they want?

Well, what they don’t want is apparent: big, short, tall, thin, old, young, ddf, bb, nsa, oral only, only top, only bottom, and all this without even saying hi. What they want is life in their version of perfect anonymous, long-term oriented, partnered, barebacked, disease free, no strings action, white guys, black or latino to the front of the line, shaved, bear, chubby chasing, muscle, leather freak daddy, seeking older, younger, threesomes. It is amazing that these people get any ‘dates’ or hookups at all.

I cannot imagine dismissing an entire class or race for anything so super�icial out of hand. You want what you want? Very many of those guys lie about nearly everything (but skin color) which seems so self-defeating. Maybe it is all about the fantasy.

BRUCE FOURNIER SARASOTA

AN ENTITLEMENT ATTITUDE

O

H MY GOD, WHO CARES? [Issue 21.02] Why is it everyone else’s responsibility to make you “feel” good about yourself. This entitlement attitude of “because I want you, you have to want me” is just ridiculous. Not everyone in this world is going to like you or want you. It’s high time people grew up and stopped being such babies, to say nothing of the fact you’re on nothing more than a sex app.

What exactly are you hoping for? If you want someone to treat you with respect, have some selfrespect and get off the app. Have some face to face interaction and be someone deserving of respect.

By the very logic of some, since you fully believe others should want you without any regards to preference, you’d be �ine with me pawning you off to others regardless of how you feel or whether or not you �ind them attractive? After all these people

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

ISSUE

21.02

—MARK FERGUSON

apparently are under some impression they have a right to others. Well, in turn you give up that right about yourself.

DEAN C VIA WATERMARKONLINE

POLITICAL CARTOON

IT’S ABOUT PREFERENCE

F

IRST OFF, I THOUGHT THE STORY ON SEXUAL RACISM [ISSUE 21.02] WAS A VERY WELL WRITTEN, THOUGHT PROVOKING ARTICLE. Second, it’s okay to have choices on the type of person you want to be with. Having preferences does not make anyone racist at all.

Once again it’s a choice. Not discrimination or hate.

No one should be offended by what someone prefers, and if they are, then they are taking it too personally. So you got rejected, big deal. There are plenty of other �ish in the sea, why limit yourself to a �ishbowl? Don’t give up, keep trying, or stop trying so hard. You don’t want to seem desperate.

People will be turned off if you look desperate, or they will take advantage of you if they think you’re desperate. Lastly, don’t depend so much on all those sex/ dating apps. Before there was all those sites people met each other out in public at the bars, clubs and community events.

Remember, you are in control of your life, not your smart phone or computer.

MARK FERGUSON TAMPA BAY

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

THE FAT BEAST

W

HEN SHOULD I EXPECT TO SEE THE ARTICLE ENTITLED “WHY ALL GAY MEN ARE MISOGYNISTS” FEATURED? After all, it’s nothing more than an extension of the logic on display here. [Issue 21.02] By the logic of this article, if I choose not to have sex with someone, I’m discriminating against them. Thus, if Quan expects his ethos to hold steady, he needs to document his sexual exploits with multiple women—of all shapes, sizes, and races. Otherwise, he fails his own logic test, and he’s little more than a common misogynist.

After all, if he won’t have sex with a woman, he obviously hates them and wants to damage their self-

watermarkonline.com

esteem by rejecting them sexually.

He cannot have women for friends. He cannot simply socialize with women. Platonic relationships won’t cut through the hate here.

The true test is sexual intercourse, including the fat ones.

It seems that Quan has forgotten all about the days when “No fats, no fems” was a standard part of the ad in the old personals pages of gay magazines and newspapers in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Or are those prejudices still okay in gay space?

I would hate to think that he’s tailoring this argument just for his own desires.

Sadly, his whole article comes across as bitter “someone-want-tofuck-won’t-fuck-me” entitlement.

Sad, sad, sad…

THE FAT BEAST

editor’s

Steve Blanchard EDITOR

SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com

F

Desk

OR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR—

already—the media has pounced on the touchy subject of whether it’s okay to out celebrities or politicians. These people are in the public eye, the argument goes, and therefore should expect to lose some of those rights to privacy. Especially if he or she is extremely antior pro-gay in their actions.

First, it was Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) who is a �itness model when he isn’t pushing anti-gay legislation in Illinois. A blogger/journalist insisted the representative was a hypocrite because—he said— Schock is gay. His evidence: the man is handsome, muscular and athletic, photogenic and apparently follows an out Olympic diver on Instagram.

It was a stupid argument to begin with and he had an even dumber example of “proof.” But

WATERMARK STAFF

he raised the question on where journalistic responsibility ends and invasion of privacy begins. Is sexuality newsworthy? Do we want it to be so?

Schock denied the allegation (again), talking heads discussed it to the point of exhaustion and opinions were expressed throughout social media on the appropriateness of outing someone.

Eventually the furor died down.

But now we have an entirely

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different scenario eliciting the same question.

Queen Latifah, long rumored to be a lesbian, has never of�icially come out of the closet. She came close, some say, when she once told a large crowd at a gay Pride event that she was happy to be with “her people.” But the Cover Girl has yet to proclaim her same-sex attraction.

She has shared with the world numerous times that she supports marriage equality and LGBT rights. On Jan. 26, she of�iciated a mass wedding on the Grammy Awards, where a mix of 33 gay and straight couples legally tied the knot.

It was a historic television moment that, not surprisingly, pissed off far-right conservatives who were “disgusted” by the service. But I was shocked at the number of LGBTs and allies who were disappointed that Queen Latifah would participate in such a ceremony without coming out of the closet herself.

By simply supporting us, but not proclaiming to be one of us, many wished she hadn’t participated.

I understand wanting someone to come out of the closet and embrace who they truly are. I have yet to meet someone who has come out, however painful it was initially, and now regrets it. However, forcing someone out, or expressing disappointment when someone isn’t ready or may not even need to do so, isn’t fair.

Would you have wanted someone to pull you out before you were ready? I certainly wouldn’t have. In fact, that probably would have kept me in the closet longer.

The LGBT community constantly argues that our sexual orientation doesn’t make us any different than our straight neighbors and friends.

Marriage is marriage, we argue, and gay rights are not “special rights” as those who oppose us like to shout.

If that truly is the case, why are we so �ixated on outing others?

Queen Latifah, and Rep. Schock, for that matter, both have the right to live their lives as they see �it, whether they are staying true to their sexuality or not. The award-winning performer and the handsome right-wing darling can both �ight for or against whichever causes they wish. Sexuality is not part of that.

Allies are an extremely important part of our mission to gain full equality. Should we dismiss the support Cher gives our community because she’s straight? Of course not. Would we want to exclude Ben Cohen, the handsome, retired European rugby star who �ights bullying because he’s not gay? No, we wouldn’t.

While many of us may wish those two celebrities were “family,” the fact that they aren’t doesn’t in�luence their passion for our �ight.

I did not watch the Grammy’s live, but I saw the postings of it online the following day. It’s not the setting in which I would want to marry, but those couples have a right to do it their own way. now, they can say they were a part of history.

Rather than arguing about with whom each celebrity shares a bed, shouldn’t we stay focused on how their views affect our lives? |  |

Forcing someone out, or expressing disappointment when someone isn’t ready or may not even need to do so, isn’t fair.

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CONTRIBUTORS GREG STEMM

lives in Gulfport, Fla., and has worked as a freelance writer for several local publications. He is a founding member of St. Pete Pride and active politically in Tampa Bay. Page 8

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

is a writer and activist and the former president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance. He can be reached at rrosendall@ starpower.net. Page 19

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 35

Greg Burton, Scottie Campbell, Zach Caruso, Susan Clary, Amy Dees, Kirk Hartlage, Rev. Phyllis Hunt, Joseph Kissel, Ken Kundis, Mary Meeks, Stephen Miller, David Moran, Gregg Shipiro, Greg Stemm, Brett Stout, Jim Walker

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JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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7

orlando NEWS

GUEST OF HONOR: POZ founder and author Sean Strub will speak at Rollins College Feb. 10.

‘POZ’ founder to address the criminalization of HIV Greg Stemm

W

INTER PARK | For people with HIV, a contentious relationship, a personal misunderstanding or even a minor infraction of the law can lead to a long jail sentence, public shaming and registration as a sex offender. HIV-speci�ic criminal charges have been �iled in the United States more than 1,000 times.

About two thirds of U.S. states, territories and possessions have HIV-speci�ic criminal statutes or STD criminal statutes that have been used to prosecute people with HIV. But people with HIV are potentially subject to prosecution for non-disclosure, potential exposure or transmission in every jurisdiction under general criminal statutes.

This complex and often misunderstood topic will be the focus of a presentation by Sean Strub at Rollins College in Winter Park on Feb. 10. Strub is a writer and long-time activist who has been living with HIV for more than 30 years. He founded POZ Magazine, which is published about eight times a year with more than 125,000 copies distributed at thousands of doctors’ of�ices and AIDS service organizations nationwide.

Strub co-chaired the North American regional af�iliate of the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+/NA) and co-founded and is a member of the Positive Justice Project.

He has been engaged in HIV-related stigma, discrimination, criminalization and empowerment issues since the earliest days of the epidemic.

Strub is also executive director of the Sero Project (SeroProject.com) a network of people with HIV and allies �ighting for freedom from stigma and injustice. Sero is focused on ending inappropriate criminal prosecutions of people with HIV for nondisclosure of their HIV status, potential or perceived HIV exposure or HIV transmission.

Continued on page 10 |  |

8

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

DONE DEAL: A newlywed couple seals the deal during a mass wedding ceremony at the Grammy Awards on Jan. 26.

Grammy blackout was technical AT&T says a �iber cut is what disrupted the awards show Staff Report

O

RLANDO | As history was about to unfold on the live telecast of the Grammy Awards Jan. 26, some viewers in Orlando were stripped of the opportunity to see a live wedding ceremony featuring 34 gay and straight couples. Users of AT&T U-Verse HD lost the television signal just as couples were entering the Staples Center.

AT&T says it wasn’t a fear of advancing LGBT equality or any other form of bigotry that caused the outage. It was, a spokesperson said, a technical glitch.

AT&T spokesperson Rosie Montalvo told the Orlando Sentinal that because the company experienced a �iber cut shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday, some Orlando U-verse customers may have experienced a disruption of local TV af�iliate channels, including CBS, which telecast the Grammys.

“Technicians worked to quickly reroute the impacted video feed, and service was

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

restored in about 10 minutes,” she said. “We sincerely apologize for the perceived implication of the timing. It de�initely was not purposeful.”

The feed was restored as some of the couples were already exiting the �loor of the Staples Center.

The show went dark just as performers Macklemore &

stained-glass windows. Queen Latifah was deputized speci�ically for the ceremony.

Mikael Audebert with the Metropolitan Business Association in Orlando said that the organization received several emails about the disruption, and many accused AT&T, or the local CBS af�iliate, of censorship.

Audebert said that AT&T is an active member with the organization and shared that it was important to not rush to judgment as to the cause of the blackout.

“MBA Orlando will continue to put some pressure on the different companies involved until it gets an explanation as to what happened during the live broadcast,” a prepared statement from the MBA read. “In line with its mission statement, MBA Orlando will do everything in its powers to call upon these companies to fully investigate and hold the individuals responsible accountable, if it turned out to be a deliberate act. It will also offer assistance and guidance in training and educating employees about Diversity & Inclusion” |  |

“We sincerely apologize for the perceived implication of the timing. It definitely was not purposeful.”

—ROSIE MONTALVO

Lewis prepared to sing their song “Same Love,” with Queen Latifah set to use her new authority to of�iciate at weddings to marry 33 couples. AT&T says that’s when a �iber cut left customers experiencing “a brief disruption of local TV af�iliate channels, including CBS.” The event took place on a stage set to resemble a giant chapel with

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orlando NEWS 10

Orlando debuts Youth Empowerment Summit

|  | ‘POZ’ Founder from pg.8 “Unfortunately, Florida is a hotbed of these kinds of prosecutions with over 250 reported cases,” said Strub.

Florida has statues that provide for up to a maximum of �ive years for non-disclosure.

“Actually, these laws were well meaning when they were put in place,” said Strub. “If you ask any room full of people, regardless of their sexual orientation or [HIV/AIDS] status if they think if should be illegal for people to knowingly spread HIV, then you’ll probably get an overwhelming response that there should be laws to guarantee that won’t happen.”

He cites a health department worker in the Midwest who had 24 cases in her county and could trace at least 14 of them to a single person. Strub acknowledges Sean Strub’s new book, that that type of behavior is Body Count, tells his irresponsible and warrants story of living with HIV protection, but argues for three decades. that the current laws are counterproductive in terms of health policy.

“They scare people into thinking that by getting tested and knowing their status they could be prosecuted if they don’t reveal their HIV status to potential partners,” Strub said. He added that it’s not a crime to pass along HIV if a person doesn’t know his or her status.

“The saying ‘get tested, get arrested’ has become all too common a street saying among people who really should know their status,” Strub said.

The Sero Project has produced a brochure to educate people who are HIV-positive in ways they can protect themselves. It includes a sample af�idavit that individuals can have a potential partner sign before they engage in sex.

“Admittedly, the reality of the situation is that most people aren’t going to be comfortable having someone they pick up in a bar or online sign such a document,” said Strub. “But we include it as a way to make the point that if you are HI- positive, you need to take precautions to avoid misunderstands and possible prosecution.”

Strub also has words of advice for anyone who might be thinking of pressing charges against someone who had sex with them without disclosing their HIV status.

“Being HIV-positive is not a death sentence, but prosecuting someone could be,” said Strub. “Pressing charges against a former sex partner might feel like the right thing to do, but it can put that person in jail for decades, require them to register as a sex offender and further stigmatizes people with HIV in your community.”

He also warns that people who press charges should be prepared to have personal details about their lives exposed in court and the media.

Strub is on a national tour promoting his book Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS and Survival. His Rollins appearance lasts from 6–8 p.m. Feb. 10, and it will include a reading and book signing. The event is free and open to the public. |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

Alyssa Merwin

O

RLANDO | For the �irst time ever, Orlando City Hall will host a youth empowerment event targeted at LGBTs. The Central Florida Youth Empowerment Summit will run from 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 1. The free event is presented by The Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network along with Orlando Youth Alliance (OYA) and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

According to City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, the summit is the �irst of its kind in Orlando.

“What we’re doing is letting [LGBT] youth know about services and what they can do if they’re bullied in school.” Sheehan said.

“They’re getting kicked out of their homes and are not accepted by their own families and there are a lot of services available to them.”

Russ Kasim, OYA board member, said the event will feature workshops on making schools safer, internet safety and there will be transgender speakers.

“We’re also having a talk on how to establish Gay Straight Alliances,” Kasim said. “The Orlando Police Department will talk about having a more inclusive school and there

will also be question and answer. “ The summit isn’t just for the younger generation. According to Kasim, there will be information, services and resources available to parents of LGBT youth.

“It’s a way for youth to come out and know there are resources and people who care,” Kasim said.

“They can be empowered.”

There’s a Youth Empowerment Summit slated for Tampa, but the date has not yet been determined.

In addition to free admission, complimentary parking will be available and breakfast and lunch will be provided. To register, visit CFYes.org. |  |

Orlando Magic donates $35,000 to support LGBT youth Staff report

O

RLANDO | The Orlando Magic Youth Fund has donated $35,000 to the Zebra Coalition, a network of organizations working together to support LGBT youth in Central Florida.

Over the past two dozen years, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation and the Orlando Magic Youth Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund (OMYF-MFF), has distributed more than $18.5 million to local non-pro�it organizations.

“We are so grateful for this support from OMYF and MFF because the $35,000 will allow us to easily add shelter beds for our community’s LGBT youth,” said Dexter Foxworth, director of the Zebra Coalition, in a media release.

“Last year we housed 34 youth and provided outreach services to more

MAGIC MONEY: (L to R) Zebra Coalition board members Scott Bowman and Stephanie Allen, along with Zebra Coalition director Dexter Foxworth and Babette Hankey, CEO of the Center for Drug-Free Living, accept a donation from the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation at a surprise reception Jan. 23. PHOTO COURTESY OF ZEBRA COALITION

than 2,000 additional youth.”

The donation will be used to increase bed capacity at the Zebra House, the coalition’s headquarters and youth drop-in center.

According to the Zebra Coalition,

the funds will also be used to provide food, clothing, laundry and shower facilities. Right now, the average cost to shelter a youth for one month is $500. |  |

Marucci and that he may resume his senior year at Cocoa High School.

Michelle Irwin, a district spokeswoman, told WKMG-TV that “No child would ever be suspended for a job that they have outside of the school environment.”

Marucci said school of�icials initially told him the reason for his suspension was for making threats, which he denies.

He says he did nothing wrong and appeared in the �ilm to help his family pay bills. It was published on popular gay porn site SeanCody. com. His initial suspension caused a protest by dozens of classmates last week.

Marucci is 18 and of legal consent to work in the adult entertainment industry. |  |

Teen expelled for porn work returns to class Staff Report

C

OCOA, FLA. | A central Florida high school student who says he was expelled from school after performing in a gay adult �ilm is being allowed to return to school.

Brevard County School District of�icials said Jan. 21 they were wrong to punish 18-year-old Robert

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

11

tampa bay NEWS

Madonna items up for auction in St. Pete Wire Report

S

T. PETERSBURG | Long before Newsweek called her a “tarted-up �loozy,” way before she married and had babies and adopted babies, and a lifetime before she opened an Instagram account, Madonna was a young woman in New York, hanging out with her gay best friend and trying to make it big.

That ambition—and a good bit of innocence—can be seen in a collection of photos, art and drawings that are on the auction block Feb. 9 in St. Petersburg.

The collection is owned by the parents of Martin Burgoyne, an artist, Studio 54 bartender and Madonna’s best friend during that time.

Burgoyne and Madonna befriended each other before she became famous. They were roommates and he played a huge role in Madonna’s early career.

He managed her �irst tour and drew the cover image of Madonna for her 1983 `Burning Up’ EP album cover. They partied with artists Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and others. He was raised in England and went to New York to study art at the Pratt Institute.

Madonna and Burgoyne also supported each other emotionally and �inancially during hard times—after she was raped and when Burgoyne contracted AIDS. Burgoyne died in 1986 after battling that disease.

He was 23. Madonna wrote a song about him called “In This Life” that was on her 1992 album `Erotica.’

For decades, his parents have kept their son’s memorabilia from that era private—until now.

Mary Dowd, the co-owner of Myers Fine Art, said Burgoyne’s parents live in Tampa Bay and are in their 80s. They are selling the collection at an auction.

“I think they came to a point in their lives where they �igured that it was time to do something with the collection,” Dowd said. “And so they phoned us up and asked us if we would come take a look at it, which we did, and so we saw the breadth of the collection, it was really pretty incredible.”

There’s an original hand-drawn portrait of Burgoyne by Andy Warhol. There’s an original invitation to a fundraiser for Burgoyne by Keith Haring—a party written about in the New York Times in September 1986 as AIDS was devastating a generation of mostly young gay men, including Burgoyne. The story is heartbreakingly sad, not only because of its foreshadowing of Burgoyne’s death, but of prevalent attitudes in that era toward those with HIV and AIDS. Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell noted in the story that “people could be in the same room with someone infected with the AIDS virus without contracting it.”

Madonna was at that party, the Times noted.

But in Burgoyne’s collection in Florida, there are no photos from that party, only from the earlier, happier years.

And then there are the Madonna photos. Some Continued on page 14 |  |

12

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

TOUR TIME: Larry Biddle, left, speaks with a group touring Metro Wellness and Community Center’s future LGBT Welcome Center in St. Petersburg on Jan. 26. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

Touring for dollars Metro opens up future welcome center to tours in hopes to boost donations Steve Blanchard

S

T. PETERSBURG | On a rainy Sunday afternoon, employees and volunteers with Metro Wellness and Community Centers welcomed guests to tour its new Welcome Center, which is in need of some TLC. The new facility, which is in a relocated, old-style bungalow home that was moved from just two blocks away, is currently no more than a shell. But the Metro staff sees much more within its walls.

“This will be a welcoming place and a place for youth to come and enjoy each other’s company,” explained Adam Jahr, who conducted the mid-afternoon tour. “As you can see, we have a ways to go, but there’s a lot we can do here.”

As reported previously in Watermark, the Welcome Center will serve as both a resource for visitors to LGBT Tampa Bay, as well as a location for LGBT youth to congregate and �ind services.

To become fully operational, the center must raise nearly $160,000.

Larry Biddle, director of center development, hopes to have the location open before St. Pete Pride.

As Jahr led groups through

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

the 1,135 square-foot space, he explained the functionality of each room.

“Here, we could have a conference table for groups wanting to meet here,” he explained while standing in a room just off the kitchen. “And this sunroom is a

Community Center Thrift Store at 2235 Central Ave., in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg.

Metro just �inished an indiegogo. com fundraising campaign on the property, and raised just over $13,000.

That doesn’t include donations made outside of the website, however. The Tampa Bay Bears, for example, donated more than $500 after their Jan. 22 event in conjunction with Watermark at Georgie’s Alibi. “Watermark Wednesday” raised $520, which the Bears then handed over to Metro Wellness and Community Centers speci�ically for the Welcome/ Youth Center.

The “Hard Hat Tours” were successful, but actual hard hats were not required to tour the facility. The building itself is structurally sound. It just needs upgrades to its appearance, plumbing, access points and electricity.

Jahr explained that the building doesn’t even have electricity yet, but he hopes to see that installed soon.

“This truly is a shell at the moment, but it’s going to be so much more,” Jahr said.

Metro’s Welcome/Youth Center is modeled similarly to the one in Miami, according to Biddle.

For more information on the project or to donate, visit MetroTampaBay.org. |  |

“This truly is a shell at the moment, but it’s going to be so much more.”

—ADAM JAHR

great place to enjoy a coffee and do some reading.”

Each room is available for “adoption,” and signs on the walls indicated the price of securing naming rights to each. The cost of adopting each room is divided by square footage, Jahr explained.

“We took the total amount needed and looked at each space individually,” Jahr said. He added that while one room has been claimed, most of the others are still available.

Groups, individuals and companies are all welcome to �inance a portion of the space, he said.

The building’s new address is next to the Metro Wellness and

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tampa bay NEWS 14

|  | Madonna Auction Items from pg.12 are candid Polaroids of her making goofy faces with Burgoyne. Others are black and whites, intended for an album cover, of Madonna looking poised and fragile. There are also numerous photos of Burgoyne, a handsome young man in a white shirt and suspenders.

Some of the photos were taken by Burgoyne, said Dowd, while it’s unclear who took others. She said it’s possible that Andy Warhol took some of the Polaroids, because they date to same years that he experimented with Polaroid portraits.

Dowd said one of the more remarkable items in the collection is Burgoyne’s sketchbook, in which he inked photo booth sessions of Madonna, and a fullcolor sketch for her `Burning Up’ EP album cover. The image is totally `80s, all bright block colors. Madonna sports short hair and thick eyebrows.

“If you’re an enthusiast of entertainment back in the early `80s—and that was a heyday and pivotal time I think—this is kind of a real step back in time to that period,” Dowd said.

Dowd isn’t sure how much each piece will go for— the original Warhol portrait of Burgoyne should fetch a good price, she thinks—but she’s secretly hoping Madonna herself will hear about the auction and bid on some items.

“It seems like it’s something she should have for her historical archives,” said Dowd. “It’s a big part of her life, from the beginning.” |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

Ivory Lounge will remain open Steve Blanchard

S

ARASOTA | Residents of The Plaza at Five Points condominium complex in downtown Sarasota, are not fans of drag queens—or late night music.

That is according to a complaint the complex’s association �iled with the City of Sarasota against the Ivory Lounge last fall, which hosts several drag queen-themed shows a week. Among them, Drag Queen Pillow Fighting and Drag Queen Jell-O Wrestling.

The residents asked the city to revoke the Ivory Lounge’s nightclub permit because they believe it is operating illegally by having such events. The city, however, responded Jan. 14 to say that the club is operating within its legal parameters.

Those activities within the club at 1413 Main St. don’t break any rules, according to the City Attorney’s of�ice, which has rejected claims that the Ivory Lounge was operating as

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

an “adult business.”

The original complaint, �iled by the association’s attorney, Stephen Thompson, claimed that noise from the nightclub is worse than ever, and said the city was being duped by what was really happening inside.

“I am sure these uses were not contemplated when the city commissioners approved the original conditional use permit,” Thompson wrote. “This is not the ‘upscale martini lounge for a mature, educated customer’ approved by the city.”

However, since there is no record of nudity at the club, it can remain open and has not violated any codes, attorney Deputy City Attorney Michael Connolly wrote to the association.

“Obviously, all bars are for ‘activities adult in nature,’ ” Connolly wrote. But “activities that are adult in nature do not make an Adult Use.” He added that even though the association somehow believed the Ivory Lounge would be an upscale martini lounge, that has no bearing

watermarkonline.com

on the case.

“It is very doubtful that the United States and Florida constitutions would allow the City Zoning Code to specify an ‘upscale martini lounge for a mature, educated customer’ as a use allowed by conditional use permit,” Connolly said in his letter to the association.

“There is no evidence that the Ivory Lounge is being conducted beyond what was intended as a bar, tavern or nightclub.”

Thompson, the condo association’s attorney, told the Sarasota Herald Tribune he was meeting with residents to decide what to do next.

For Sarasota resident Joshua Beadle, who works Cream Thursdays at the bar, the city attorney’s decision is a huge win for the lounge, where he holds several events each week.

“The city made a clear statement about the future of Ivory Lounge,” he wrote in a letter to Watermark. “All motivations used by the residents against Ivory Lounge; sound, vibrations, adult entertainment, cabaret, striptease, illegal operation and an immature crowd, have all been discarded by the city as none of it is true. We are a nightclub and we operate as one!” |  |

Jan_Watermark_4.875x10.375 1/12/14 9:56 PM Page 1

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

15

state NEWS 16

Marion County not extending healthcare to same-sex couples Gay journalist recalls little after attack Wire Report

N

EW YORK | A gay journalist who contributes to the Miami Herald underwent brain surgery after being beaten on a New York City street has been talking to loved ones but remembers little about the attack.

Randy Gener (JEHN’-ur) was walking to his New York City home on Jan. 17 when he was viciously punched in the face on West 54th Street in Manhattan.

Police are investigating the beating as a possible bias attack. It is unclear if he was targeted for his sexuality or ethnicity. What is clear is that Gener’s wallet, phone and gold necklace were not taken and the incident is not considered a robbery.

Police on Jan. 27 released a sketch of the suspect.

Relatives tell The New York Times that Gener will need more surgery and could face months of rehabilitation.

On Jan. 27, he was discussing his writing on theater and gay rights topics. He’s done freelance work for both The New York Times and the Miami Herald. |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

Jeremy Williams

O

CALA, FLA. | “There is no legal right not to follow state law” was the of�icial opinion of Guy Minter, Marion County attorney, in response to being asked if there are any legal repercussions in denying health bene�its to same-sex married couples in which one, or both, are employed by the county.

The issue was brought to Minter by Sheri Wiley, Marion County’s Director of Risk and Bene�it Services, after Florida Blue determined it best to rede�ine the term of “spouse” in order to allow those married to gay and lesbian insured employees the ability to utilize those health bene�its as well. However, it was also left up to the insurance providers to follow state law in not recognizing the term’s rede�inition.

Florida Blue is the state’s oldest and largest healthcare provider and has approximately 4 million healthcare members,

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

roughly 2,000 of those are employees of Marion County.

The health-coverage provider said it was doing so to follow an IRS ruling that permits same-sex couples to claim joint tax bene�its, even if they live in a state that does not recognize gay marriage, like Florida.

Florida Blue also gave its customers the option to retain the de�inition of spouse as someone in a “legally valid existing marriage as de�ined under Florida law.”

Wiley wrote in an email to Minter that she wanted his thoughts because the county would probably face a legal challenge on denying the bene�it.

Wiley recommended against expanding the coverage to samesex partners, according to a story by the Ocala Star Banner, as she was concerned about enlarging health care costs in a time when the county is trying to control spending. She also stated that Marion County typically follows state law in the provision of workplace bene�its. Wiley was

watermarkonline.com

contacted for comment for this story but the calls were not returned.

Wiley is not alone in Marion County as, per the Star Banner, she polled the various agencies under the plan and the idea was immediately rejected.

“From the DOMA decision back in June, [Anthony] Kennedy said this was not a ruling on state law and [Antonin] Scalia held that this would have an effect,” reminded Minter. “Now you have Blue Cross/ Blue Shield using the federal de�inition and do you now give an answer under federal or state law?”

Minter did mention that this may become an invalid argument if the six couples suing in Dade County are successful in having the state wide ban on same-sex marriage overturned.

“How the trend is going,” said Minter, “the handwriting is on the wall.” |  |

Wire Report

``I have now concluded that Virginia’s ban on marriage between same-sex couples violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution on two grounds: Marriage is a fundamental right being denied to some Virginians, and the ban unlawfully discriminates on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender,’’ he said.

A federal judge will hear arguments in one of those lawsuits on Jan. 30.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage, most of them clustered in the Northeast. None of them is in the old Confederacy.

court abruptly. ``No one can be sentenced to death until con�irmed without a reasonable doubt,’’ Aliyu said in response to calls for the men’s execution.

Only three of the 11 accused men had given testimony when the mayhem began.

The defense counsel was unable to submit an application for bail, and the rest of the defendants were unable to give testimony. It was unclear when the arraignments would resume.

The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act that Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan signed on Jan. 7 has resulted in dozens of arrests of gays. The law bans all gay associations, with penalties up to 14 years’ imprisonment for marriage.

Bauchi state has both a Westernstyle penal code and Shariah, or Islamic law, in which sodomy can carry the death sentence with a judge deciding whether it should be done by a public stoning or by lethal injection.

is entrenched in the state’s history.

Masto issued a statement Jan. 24 saying she plans to review the ruling and discuss it with the governor’s of�ice. ``The Ninth Circuit’s new decision appears to impact the equal protection and due process arguments made on behalf of the state,’’ she said.

The state’s brief argues that the Nevada law de�ining marriage as between a man and woman ``is legitimate, whether measured under equal protection or due process standards.’’

Opponents argue the state’s ban is unconstitutional and that a law allowing domestic partnerships made same-sex couples secondclass citizens.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of

Appeals ruled that potential jurors may not be removed from a trial during jury selection solely because of sexual orientation, extending to gays and lesbians a civil right that the U.S. Supreme Court has previously promised only women and racial minorities.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the court held that striking someone from a jury pool because he or she is gay constitutes unlawful discrimination and is unconstitutional.

Writing for the panel, Judge Stephen Reinhardt said the Supreme Court’s decision last June that struck down part of DOMA ``refuses to tolerate the imposition of a second-class status on gays and lesbians.’’ |  |

Protesters throw stones, disrupt Nigeria gay trial Wire Report BAUCHI, NIGERIA | Thousands of protesters threw stones into the Shariah court in a north Nigerian city on Jan. 22, urging the speedy convictions and executions of 11 men arrested for belonging to gay organizations.

Security of�icials �ired into the air to disperse protesters in Bauchi city so the accused men could be safely returned to the prison.

Judge El-Yakubu Aliyu closed the

Nevada A.G. re-evaluates defense of marriage ban Wire Report CARSON CITY, NEV. | Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto says she’s re-evaluating the state’s defense of its ban on samesex marriage..

Masto said the state’s arguments in the case ``are likely no longer tenable’’ after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a separate case that it’s unconstitutional to exclude jurors based on sexual orientation.

The ruling was handed down Jan. 21, the same day her of�ice �iled a brief urging the same court to uphold the Nevada’s ban on samesex marriage. The state argues it serves the ``legitimate purpose of preserving traditional marriage’’ and

MOB ATTACKS GAY RIGHTS GROUP OFFICE On Jan. 25, an angry mob of nearly 200 people stormed the headquarters of Ivory Coast’s most prominent gay rights organization, flinging stones to shatter windows and stealing computers. The attack on the offices of Alternative Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan occurred after multiple days of anti-gay protests in Ivory Coast, a moderate country sometimes considered a safe haven for homosexuals fleeing persecution elsewhere.

BLUE CROSS CUTS POLICIES IN N.C. North Carolina’s largest insurer canceled family insurance policies sold to same-sex couples under the federal overhaul law due to contract language. Blue Cross and Blue Shield nvalidated policies for 20 couples because of standard policy language that defines ``spouse’’ as ``opposite sex.’’

CLAY AIKEN CONSIDERING N.C. CONGRESSIONAL SEAT North Carolina Democratic Party consultant Gary Pearce says out singer Clay Aiken could run for Congress. Pearce told the AP Jan. 24 that the 2003 ``American Idol’’ runner-up has talked with him and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about whether to challenge Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers for the seat representing North Carolina’s 2nd District.

VATICAN URGES EX-SWISS GUARD TO DETAIL GAY THREAT

nation+world

R

ICHMOND, VA. | Marriage equality moved closer to gaining its �irst foothold in the South when Virginia’s attorney general said Jan. 23 that the state’s ban on same-sex matrimony is unconstitutional and he will join the �ight to get it struck down. ``It’s time for the commonwealth to be on the right side of history and the right side of the law,’’ said newly elected Democrat Mark R. Herring.

Republicans accused Herring of shirking his duty to defend the state’s laws after less than two weeks on the job, while gay rights

activists exulted over the latest in a string of victories–this one in a conservative and usually hostile region of the country. ``It’s a nice day to be an American from Virginia,’’ said Tom Shuttleworth, one of the lawyers challenging the ban.

Herring, as a state senator, supported Virginia’s 2006 voterapproved constitutional amendment de�ining marriage as the union of a man and woman. But he said he decided after a ``thorough legal review’’ that it is unconstitutional, and he will join same-sex couples in two federal lawsuits challenging the ban.

IN OTHER NEWS

NEWS

Virginia A.G. to fight state’s marriage ban

A senior Vatican official has urged a former Swiss Guard commander to come forward with details about accusations made in a Swiss newspaper that the gay culture in the Vatican posed a security threat to the pope. The Vatican’s secretariat of state, urged Elmar Maeder to provide names to back his accusations that ``homosexuals tend to be more loyal toward each other than toward other people or institutions.’’

OBAMA HAS SAID ‘GAY’ 272 TIMES A new report by the Human Rights Campaign found that President Barack Obama has used ``gay’’ 272 times since taking office in 2009, far more than any of his recent predecessors. Bill Clinton used ``gay’’ 216 times during his two terms, says the report. Neither George H.W. Bush nor Ronald Reagan used ``gay’’ in any of their presidential remarks, and George W. Bush used it only twice. Obama also has used ``lesbian,’’ `’gay,’’ `’bisexual’’ or ``transgender’’ a total of 421 times.

MALAWI COURT HEARS CASE ON CONVICTED GAYS Malawi’s top court wil consider an appeal of the conviction of three men for homosexual acts. The High Court started hearing the case on Jan. 20 after the Center for Development of People, a civil rights group that campaigns for minority rights, challenged as unconstitutional Malawi’s laws criminalizing homosexuality. In 2011, a lower court sentenced the three men to between six and 12 years imprisonment with hard labor.

INDIA SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO REVIEW SODOMY BAN The India Supreme Court refused to review a month-old ruling that banned gay sex in the world’s largest democracy.

On Dec. 11, the Supreme Court reinstated a ban on gay sex, following a four-year period of decriminalization that brought homosexuality into the open. Violation of the law can be punished with up to 10 years in jail.

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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Masque of the Red Death

Richard Rosendall

A

CTRESS GOLDIE HAWN

had no idea what she was wading into last week when she tweeted from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “Met the wonderful President of Nigeria,” and posted a photo of herself with Goodluck Jonathan.

She quickly learned that Jonathan recently signed a harsh anti-gay law that set off a wave of arrests. She deleted her tweet, expressed horror, and apologized.

Hawn’s gaffe was useful in drawing attention to a problem with rami�ications far beyond the salons of Davos. In the city of Bauchi in northern Nigeria on Jan. 22, thousands disrupted a Shariah court by throwing stones and demanding the quick conviction and execution of eleven men on trial for their membership in gay organizations.

Meanwhile, anti-gay American fanatic Christopher Doyle blamed the victims: “These

countries are enacting laws as a response to gay activists’ intolerance towards traditional views on marriage and sexuality.”

This raises an issue closer to home: combating anti-gay persecution overseas requires that we confront the right-wingers in our own country who do so much to fuel it. In August 2013, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that Scott Lively, who helped inspire Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, could be tried for crimes against humanity.

As I was writing this, I received an email on my activist account from a Nigerian man: “I am a proud gay my house has been burnt down and my family has since denied me access to my welfare so as to save them from further harassment, my school has suspended me from classes and sporting activities. My life is in danger please I need help to get out of this country before it’s too late.” A Ugandan sent a similar appeal.

My local advocacy group lacks the resources to rescue people, and I lack the expertise to sort real cases from scams. But the fear and suffering described are all too real for many people. The least one can do upon receiving these desperate appeals is offer encouragement and links to groups that may be of help.

See http://iglhrc.org/content/ asylum-resources for a list of asylum resources, and visit http:// www.amsher.org/contact-us/ to contact African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR), a regional coalition.

Networks near and far are ramping up. The LGBT Faith and Asylum Network has been organized to help LGBT asylum seekers who reach the United States. Members of Sexual Minorities Uganda observed the third anniversary of the murder of their colleague David Kato Kisule as they monitored the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. New African voices were raised: former Mozambique president Joaquim Chissano wrote an open letter to African leaders pleading for tolerance, and prominent Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina revealed his own homosexuality.

The intrusion of a distant land’s persecution into the elite gathering

at Davos brings to mind Edgar Allen Poe’s story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” in which the �igure of Death stalks the revelers at a masked ball who have walled themselves off from a plague sweeping the land outside. Their host, mistaking Death for a partier, is outraged at the tasteless costume and pursues the man through the sumptuous rooms of the castle until he realizes too late his error.

My African correspondents thank me for my help, meager though it is. I tell them about local efforts in D.C. on behalf of asylum seekers who �ind their way here.

But the global need far outstrips the capacity. Most of our African brothers and sisters—and their counterparts elsewhere—will have to face the plague of intolerance in their own land.

We should give what we can to refugee assistance efforts, and increase international pressure to end the persecution. But we must also turn our gaze homeward to the deadly hatred that walks among us. |  |

Celebrate 20 years with Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell LIVE!

Combating anti-gay persecution overseas requires that we confront the right-wingers in our own country who do so much to fuel it.

Saturday, February 8, 2014, 9 a.m.-3 p.m Lake Eola, Downtown Orlando Register at orlandopets.org/pawsinthepark.

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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THINKING

We Have Nothing Against You, But…

Abby Dees ABBY@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

N

O SOONER HAD I WRITTEN

a column a few weeks back about how nice it felt to see a rainbow �lag in front of Philadelphia’s city hall, than I saw this headline from July (my online news alert tends to operate on Gay Standard Time): “Louisiana Republican to introduce bill to ban rainbow �lag from public buildings.”

A little investigation revealed that Councilmember Andy Naquin, of Lafayette, La., was looking into the feasibility of banning all but governmental �lags from city property. A complaint from Ray Greene, 79, and fellow veterans, prompted this inquiry. According to city council meeting minutes, Mr. Green saw a photo of a rainbow �lag aloft in Lafayette’s Girard Park, and “it offended him very much.”

He told the council, “I am not a gay basher…this is a �lag safety issue,” and then, trying to illustrate his point, proffered two examples in which people had been prohibited from �lying the American �lag

somewhere. The minutes do not indicate if anyone asked what that had to do with his rainbow �lag problem.

I don’t mean to bash Mr. Green either, nor do I take any issue with his devotion to the American �lag.

I would, however, like to use his complaint as an example of how our national discussions about LGBT pride avoid the simple truth.

Putting it all in context, the �lag was hoisted for one day by local group Acadiana OUTspoken Alliance to celebrate the overturning of DOMA. Their president says that they got permission from the city and that the �lagpole was not being used at the time. Councilmember Naquin told a local TV station that he was not intending to single out gays, but that he opposed any non-governmental �lag going up there: “What would happen if the Catholics were to �ly a �lag or a pro-life �lag was �lown or KKK �lag was �lown or even Taliban �lag was �lown [sic]? Who would you say ‘no’ to when you open those doors?”

This all seems reasonable at �irst (though any high school civics student could tell you why no religious �lags would be allowed). And it’s true that as soon as the government starts cherry picking what kind of messages are allowed on public property, thorny free speech issues arise. A clean, across-the-board rule could possibly avoid this. But that’s not what’s got me gnashing my teeth.

I’m still stuck on why this issue arose at all, which is not so clean and tidy. Let’s say that instead of a rainbow �lag, the Boys and Girls Club asked to hoist a �lag for a day.

Would Mr. Green be so worried as to give an impassioned—though kind of random—speech on the imminent threat facing the red, white and blue? Of course not.

While both gentlemen made obvious efforts to demonstrate that they had nothing against the gays, everything else they said belied these assertions.

Speaking for the discom�ited veterans, Concilmember Naquin said, “They felt it was a disrespect to this country and a disrespect to them and I’d have to agree with that.”

I’m trying to �ind a way to interpret this that doesn’t mean, “Gays are gross and I shouldn’t

have to watch them celebrating gayness in my park.” What am I missing?

Mr. Green, less politically evasive than Naquin, got more to the point when he warned, “If you allow the gay pride �lag to be �lown, then you got to by all rights allow the KKK, the Muslims and anybody else”—which tells me exactly what he thinks of the KKK, Muslims, and yes, gays.

This is much less complicated than anyone is willing to admit. At its heart the debate isn’t about the 1st Amendment, �lag protection, or delicate local politics. If a

rainbow �lag on public property causes someone distress, it is because he or she fundamentally has a problem with LGBT people, a feeling anyone’s entitled to. But any more explaining is merely tapdancing around this fact.

Fortunately, the furor in Lafayette has since died down and the city council is dealing with more important things now. Last I heard, there was an American �lag in Girard Park. |  |

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TALKING POINTS

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—SurveyUSA for the Salt Lake City Tribune

DE NIRO AND HIS GAY ARTIST FATHER

GEORGE MICHAEL TO RELEASE FIRST ALBUM IN A DECADE

S R

OBERT DE NIRO WAS IN PARK CITY TO DEBUT A NEW HBO DOCUMENTARY at the Sundance Film Festival. Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro, Sr. examines the life of De Niro’s gay father, a famed abstract expressionist painter of the post WWII era, through his son’s eyes. De Niro Sr. was a contemporary of Jackson Pollock and had the support of famed art collector and socialite, Peggy Guggenheim. While he was successful in the 1940s and ‘50s, De Niro Sr.’s work went out of style as pop art became the trend in the ‘60s. He died in 1993 at 71. De Niro created the �ilm for his family, but the producers pushed him to share his father’s story with the world. The story of De Niro Sr.’s life will debut on HBO in June. |  |

INGER GEORGE MICHAEL HAS COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK to announce he will release a new album, Symphonica, on March 17 through Virgin EMI/Universal Music Group. It will be his sixth solo album.

The collection was recorded during Michael’s 2011-2012 tour of the same name and will feature covers of classic tracks. Symphonica will be available as a standard 14-track CD, digital download and pure audio Blu-Ray, as well as a hardback deluxe 17-track CD edition.

It features covers of Roberta Flack’s classic ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Let Her Down Easy,” Nina Simone’s “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and Elton John’s “Idol.” For a free sneak listen, download Michael’s “Praying For Time” on his website, GeorgeMichael.com. |  |

GEORGE TAKEI—1, UTAH GOVERNOR GEORGE HERBERT—0

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E CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON STAR TREK’S GEORGE TAKEI, who is out and proud, to say what the rest of us are thinking.

Takei, who was in Utah in January for the Sundance Film Festival, used the opportunity to insult his host. Yes, Takei called Utah Gov. Gary Herbert “stupid” and “mean” for withdrawing state recognition from some 1,300 gay marriages that took place in Utah after a district court ruled that the state must recognize gay marriages under the Constitution. In an interview with Deadline.com, Takei said Herbert “consciously and mean-spiritedly refused to recognize the marriages that already happened. I’m stunned by his stupidity. Apparently he believes in governing by hysteria — that’s the only way it can interpreted.” |  |

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

on the page says the video may be inappropriate for some users. The viewer uses a Gmail account to sign in to con�irm his/her age. Jonathon Groff, 28, who played Jesse St. James on Glee, plays the lead, Patrick. He is a 29-yearold Midwest transplant struggling to take his work as a video game designer and his love life to the next level. New episodes of Looking air Sundays at

‘TO BE TAKEI’ PREMIERS AT SUNDANCE

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HEN HE WASN’T LAMBASTING THE UTAH GOVERNOR, actor George Takei was in Park City promoting To Be Takei, a documentary about his life.

The �ilm, by Jennifer Kroot, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Takei, a crusader for same-sex marriage and a social media humorist, married his partner of 25 years, Brad Takei, in 2008.

Of the �ilm, The Hollywood Reporter said: “Despite brutal childhood experiences with his family in a dehumanizing Japanese-American internment camp, Takei became a civic-minded citizen and an eternal optimist, who at 76 still gets a kick out of being a breakthrough Asian �igure in Western entertainment culture.” No word yet on whether or when the 93-minute �ilm will be in Florida theaters. |  |

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Photo Courtesy Equality Florida Institute

IN DEPTH GET ENGAGED

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Win or lose, marriage equality is likely headed to Florida’s Supreme Court

M

Jamie Hyman

IAMI | ON JAN. 17, SIX SAME-

sex South Florida couples entered the Miami Beach Clerk’s of�ice and applied for a marriage license. Because samesex marriage is illegal in the Sunshine State, all six couples were turned down.

On Jan. 21, those same couples �iled a historic lawsuit in the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, challenging that Amendment 2, the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, and other Florida laws banning

marriage equality, are unconstitutional.

The legal team representing the plaintiffs is made up of law �irm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz, Orlando attorney

and LGBT activist Mary B. Meeks and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).

The six Miami-Dade Countybased plaintiff couples are: Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello; Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez and David Price; Vanessa and Melanie Alenier; Todd and Jeff Delmay; Summer Greene and Pamela Faerber; and Don Price Johnston and Jorge Isaias Diaz. Four of the couples are raising children, and one of the couples are grandparents. Their professions range from doctor to entrepreneur to artist to homemaker, and they’ve been

in committed relationships from one to 18 years.

According to the complaint �iled in court, “Each [plaintiff] has made a life-long commitment to one another and are spouses in every sense, except that Florida law will not allow them to marry.” Shannon Minter, the legal director for NCLR, said the twelve plaintiffs “represent the diversity of the community in this state.”

The Equality Florida Institute is also listed on the lawsuit as a plaintiff.

Equality Florida (EQFL) is the state’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

securing full equality for Florida’s LGBT community through lobbying, grassroots organization and education.

Equality Florida Institute is EQFL’s sister organization, a non-for-pro�it that educates the public, elected of�icials, and businesses about issues of importance to the LGBT community.

“These couples have been embraced by their families and communities, but every day, Florida laws are denying them the protections and dignity that every family deserves,”

Continued on page 28 |  |

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27

MEET THE PLAINTIFFS CATHERINA PARETO & KARLA ARGUELLO

DR. JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ & DAVID PRICE

Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello have been together for 14 years. Catherina owns and operates a financial planning firm while her partner, Karla, is a stay-at-home mother to their 15-month-old son.

Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez and David Price have been partners for 18 years. David is the practice manager for Juan Carlos’s medical practice where he specializes in pulmonary medicine. They have twins, a boy and a girl, who are three years old.

|  | Marriage Equality

Lawsuit from pg.25

said Equality Florida Institute CEO Nadine Smith. “These harmful laws are outdated and out of step. It is time for all families in our state to have full equality under the law.”

Plaintiff Jorge Isaias Diaz said it’s important that this battle is being fought in his home state.

“Both Don and I have very strong ties to Florida and cannot imagine getting married anywhere else,” Diaz said. “If we could marry, we would be legally recognized as a family and have all the same legal protections as others.”

On Jan. 23, the case was assigned to Miami-Dade circuit judge Sarah Zabel, a former litigator who specialized in family law. Zabel has been a circuit judge since 2003.

When asked to comment on the choice of judge, attorney Mary Meeks noted that judges are not appointed to cases, but rather “selected blindly and randomly” once the lawsuit has been �iled with the clerk of courts.

“We have faith in the legal

28

VANESSA & MELANIE ALENIER

TODD & JEFF DELMAY

SUMMER GREENE & PAMELA FAERBER

Vanessa and Melanie Alenier have been a couple for eight years.

Melanie is an insurance agent and her partner Vanessa is the assistant general manager of a national trade show and special event service provider. They have a 5-year-old son together.

Todd and Jeff Delmay have been together for 11 years. They own and operate Delmay and Partners, a company that provides housing services for events. They have one son, who is three years old.

Summer Greene and Pamela Faerber have been together for 25 years. Summer is a real estate agent, and her partner, Pamela, is a portrait artist. Summer and Pamela raised Pamela’s daughter from a previous marriage and now have two grandchildren, ages 10 and 17.

Our strategy is to make our legal case as powerfully as possible and to make sure the courts understand the real harm that is caused to real —SHANNON MINTER, families by these discriminatory laws.

NCLR system and are con�ident that this or any other judge will provide a fair hearing and ruling on the merits,” Meeks said.

THE ROAD TO THE COURTROOM

Florida’s battle for marriage equality has been fought on a number of fronts. Florida has not one, not two, but three bans on marriage equality—two statutes, enacted in 1977 and 1997, plus Amendment 2, the constitutional ban approved by 62% of voters in 2008 despite efforts by Florida Red and Blue, the NAACP, the ACLU and other groups to defeat the proposal. Although it was not the �irst municipality in Florida to adopt a domestic partner registry, the city of Orlando’s unanimous approval of the

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registry in December of 2011 sparked a trend, and now more than two dozen cities and counties offer a registry, many modeled after Orlando’s.

A statewide domestic partner registry bill died in committee last legislative session, and a new bill, brought forward by state representative Linda Stewart (D-Orlando), is currently awaiting committee hearings in the state legislature.

As those activists chip away at equality, many in the community wondered…when will Florida’s LGBTs �inally sue for their right to marry?

Meeks said the process toward a lawsuit began shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the federal ban on

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recognizing same-sex marriages, in June 2013. At that time, national and state LGBT leaders started to strategize.

“We determined the judicial process was the best course,” Meeks said. “We began searching for appropriate plaintiffs and putting together the legal team, and waiting for courts in other jurisdictions to issue favorable rulings that could be used as precedent in Florida. Utah and Oklahoma courts very recently issued such rulings, which triggered this lawsuit. We believe now is the right time to challenge Florida’s discriminatory laws.”

Equality Florida launched a search for those plaintiffs.

“This tipping point that has led us to this moment has been building for many, many years, but

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DON PRICE JOHNSTON & JORGE ISAIAS DIAZ Don Price Johnston and Jorge Isaias Diaz have been in a committed relationship for a year and recently decided to get engaged. Don manages the office of a Miami law firm, and Jorge is a paralegal at a Miami law firm.

we put the call out after the DOMA decision in June for folks to sign up to be plaintiffs in a potential lawsuit,” said Michael Farmer, EQFL’s statewide �ield director.

“Over 500 couples applied to be plaintiffs and since then we’ve been hosting plaintiff gatherings and building case �iles to have at the ready when the moment came to go to court.”

Vanessa Alenier, one of the plaintiffs, said she’s motivated to �ight for marriage equality because nothing else comes close to matching the protections automatically provided when a couple gets married.

“Our family is in need of those protections just like other families,” Alenier said. “We want our son to understand that his family is secure and just as respected as any other family part of our community here in Florida.”

According to a 2004 report from the U.S. General Accounting Of�ice, there are at least 1,138 tangible bene�its, protections, rights, and responsibilities granted when a couple gets married. That’s just at the federal level—many state and local laws bene�it married couples, as well.

The lawsuit states that the plaintiffs “and their children are stigmatized and relegated to a second-class status by being barred from marriage.”

WHY A LAWSUIT NOW?

Minter said the NCLR’s partnership with EQFL was key in determining the timing, calling Equality Florida “one of the most strategic and successful state equality groups in the country.”

“Every state is unique, and we believe strongly that state leaders are in the best position to determine which strategy is best for their state,” he said.

Minter added that since DOMA was struck down, more than 40 cases challenging state marriage bans have been �iled in federal and state courts across the United States.

“Equality Florida and other Florida leaders believe—and we strongly agree—that now is the time to �ile a case challenging Florida’s marriage ban as well,” Minter said. “The timing is based on a number of encouraging factors—including recent positive decisions striking down state marriage bans in Utah and Oklahoma, growing public support for marriage equality across the country, and strong precedents from the Florida courts.”

Meeks concurred that the rulings in Utah and Oklahoma “triggered this lawsuit,” and said it “feels great,” both personally and professionally, to �inally take the step of �iling the complaint in court.

“I have worked hard for years to help advance LGBT rights here in Florida, and I have one of those unrecognized marriages from another state,” Meeks said. “So, this is very important to me in all those ways. It feels good to be in the game!”

She added that they chose to �ile the lawsuit in state court because it challenges state laws.

“The plaintiffs that were selected all live in and near Miami, and all applied for their marriage licenses there, so the Miami court had jurisdiction,” Meeks said.

“Otherwise, we would have had to �ile multiple suits in multiple jurisdictions.”

MARRIAGE EQUALITY’S DAY IN COURT

Now that the 21-page “Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief” has been �iled with Harvey Ruvin, Clerk of

Courts of Miami-Dade County, the legal team and plaintiffs play the waiting game. Injunctive relief refers to a request outlined in the lawsuit that the court “should so declare and issue a mandatory injunction requiring Defendant to issue marriage licenses to each of the plaintiff couples.”

Ruvin is the defendant in the case because he is “responsible for issuing and recording marriage licenses within Miami-Dade County,” according to the lawsuit.

“Defendant… is responsible for enforcing Florida’s laws barring same-sex couples from marriage.

Defendant, and those subject to his supervision and control, have caused the harms alleged and will continue to injure Plaintiffs if not enjoined.”

As of press time, no court date has been set.

“In this case, the Miami-Dade Clerk of the court is the defendant and he has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit,” Farmer said. “After that we’ll have a better idea where we are in terms of the dates.”

In its argument for marriage equality, the lawsuit claims that bans on same-sex marriage violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States, which provides that “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

The complaint also argues discrimination based on sexual orientation, sex and the Due Process Clause, which asserts that the marriage equality ban “is not rationally related to any legitimate government interest.”

Minter, who was described

by Meeks as the “mastermind” leading Florida’s team �ighting for marriage equality, said “Barring same-sex couples from marriage causes great harms to their families and children while helping no one.”

He said their courtroom strategy is to focus on the families damaged by the gross inequalities created by Florida’s laws against same-sex marriage.

“Florida’s courts are fair and open-minded, our legal arguments are compelling, and the harm that is caused to same-sex couples

WHAT THE OTHER SIDE SAYS We break down the conservative response

E

Jamie Hyman

ACH TIME THE LGBT COMMUNITY

takes a step forward, the Florida Family Policy Council releases a statement about why progress is anti-Christian. Florida’s marriage equality lawsuit is no exception.

John Stemberger, the notorious anti-gay activist who is President and General Counsel of the Florida Family Policy Council, issued a statement Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida, declared “Arrogant. Condescending.

Bigoted. Expected.”

But we couldn’t resist the urge to take on some statements.

Stemberger’s words are in bold.

62% OF FLORIDIANS DECISIVELY SPOKE ON THIS ISSUE. Stemberger is refers to the vote for Amendment 2, the 2008 constitutional amendment banning marriage equality in Florida. The problem is that he’s using old information. Not only has public opinion changed, but his use of the word “decisive” is misleading because anti-gay forces needed 60% of the vote to change the state constitution. That means the change squeaked in by a mere 2%.

TODAY’S LAWSUIT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PUBLICITY STUNT. Well, it’s not a publicity stunt. It’s a real life lawsuit, with a determined legal team and 12 defendants, 10 of whom are raising or have raised children as part of their real families. That is an awful lot of diaper changes, painful piano recitals and college education payments for a publicity stunt.

FILED IN MIAMI, IT REPRESENTS “FORUM SHOPPING” IN THE MOST LIBERAL LEGAL VENUE IN THE STATE. This a completely unsubstantiated statement. No statistics exist as to how conservative and liberal various state courts are. What does exist are hard numbers illustrating how politically conservative Miami is. The area leans only slightly democratic, FLORIDA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI WILL PROVIDE A VIGOROUS DEFENSE OF FLORIDA’S LONG HELD LAW AND IN DOING SO WILL EXPOSE THE RADICAL

John Stemberger VIEWS AND OVERREACHING LEGAL POSITIONS SET FORTH IN TODAY’S LAWSUIT. We’re not inside Bondi’s head and we don’t know what she’s going to do. It is worth pointing out, however, that when asked whether the Florida National Guard can process benefits enrollment for the spouses of gay troops on state property, the attorney general’s office completely chickened out in answer that simple question. We wouldn’t exactly call that non-statement “vigorous.”

WE WILL NOT SIT IDLY BY AND WATCH LEFTIST GROUPS TRY TO UNDERMINE THIS COMMONSENSE LEGAL PRECEDENT. This is pretty rich, considering that a key argument in the lawsuit asserts that the ban on marriage equality is not common sense. We’ll let the complaint speak for itself: The laws banning marriage equality “cannot survive any level of constitutional scrutiny because they do not rationally further any legitimate government interest, but serve only to injure and humiliate samesex couples and their families.”

We’ve yet to hear a legitimate government interest furthered by Florida’s ban on marriage equality.

WE WILL SPEND AS MUCH TIME AND MONEY AS NECESSARY TO OPPOSE THOSE WHO SEEK TO REDEFINE MARRIAGE IN FLORIDA. Except for the tiny hiccup that marriage has already been redefined. Marriage equality is happening, and it’s spreading.

THE SIX SAME-SEX PLAINTIFF COUPLES IN THIS LAWSUIT APPEAR TO BE VERY SINCERE AND ARE CERTAINLY FREE TO SELF-DEFINE THEMSELVES AND HAVE PRIVATE CIVIL COMMITMENT CEREMONIES. Which deprive them of the 1,138 rights, protections and benefits automatically granted legally married couples. If the plaintiffs seem sincere, doesn’t that mean this isn’t a publicity stunt? Which is it?

THEY ARE NOT FREE TO REDEFINE A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN INSTITUTION WHICH HAS SERVED CIVILIZATION SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. It is common knowledge that marriage has changed enormously over the years. The first recorded marriages were in Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago and designed to preserve power, allow kings to forge alliances, produce heirs and seize land. Love was specifically cut from the equation because marriage was serious business.

WHERE MARRIAGE HAS BEEN REDEFINED IT HAS PRODUCED ABSURD RESULTS—IN THE LAW, IN EDUCATION, IN RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES AND IN WHAT IS BEST FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMON GOOD OF SOCIETY. Where’s the proof? Marriage equality is relatively new, and so long-term effects cannot yet be gauged. But so far preliminary studies show that families matter— they’re good for kids, good for the couple’s health and good for the community at large. There are absurdities, but where we differ is that we believe the families of same-sex couples are just as legitimate and valuable as the families of heterosexual couples.

WHEN IT COMES TO DEFINING MARRIAGE, HISTORY WILL ALWAYS BE ON THE SIDE OF NATURE, BIOLOGY, LOGIC, AND THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM OF HUMAN HISTORY. …Which is why marriage equality makes perfect sense.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO A ROBUST DEBATE ON THIS ISSUE AS IT MAKES IT [SIC] WAY THROUGH THE COURTS. So do we, John. So do we. |  |

Continued on page 31 |  |

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

29

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watermarkonline.com

|  | Marriage Equality

Lawsuit from pg.29

and their children is increasingly apparent to both courts and the public,” Minter said. “Our strategy is to make our legal case as powerfully as possible and to make sure the courts understand the real harm that is caused to real families by these discriminatory laws.”

When asked to speak about that harm, plaintiff Dr. Juan Carlos Rodriguez told Equality Florida that it really hits home when he and his partner consider their two children.

“We are a family in every way, except that Florida will not allow us to marry,” Rodriguez said.

“Being a doctor, I see people and families in crisis all the time. In those situations, family and the legal protections that come with it are critical. It pains David and me to be denied a basic safety net of legal protections.”

In the meantime, all parties involved agree that community support is key.

“In the months ahead, we will need the entire community, in every part of the state, to help support our litigation by talking about their families and their lives with their family, friends, and neighbors,” Minter said. “We encourage anyone who would like to help with the public education effort to contact Equality Florida and sign up for Get Engaged, which is one powerful way to share your personal story.”

Farmer said EQFL will create a “signi�icant” public education campaign to push for the lawsuit’s success.

“Across the state, pro-equality Floridians are really stepping up at this pivotal moment to support the work as volunteers and donors,” he said.

The legal team is representing the plaintiffs pro bono, according to Farmer, and at this time, it appears any remaining costs will be covered by EQFL donors.

Meeks said that while the lawsuit follows the legal process, it’s important not to abandon other efforts toward equality. She said appeals are likely, and the court battle will take some time.

“So we need to keep �ighting on all fronts, including continuing our effort for passage of a statewide Domestic Partner Registry,” Meeks said. “Hopefully marriage equality will come in the not too distant

STATING THEIR CASE: Catherina Pareto and Karla Arguello, partners for 14 years, explain to the news media why they wanted to join in the fight to bring marriage equality to the Sunshine State in Miami. PHOTO COURTESY EQUALITY FLORIDA

If we could marry, we would be legally recognized as a family and have all the same legal protections as others.

— JORGE ISAIAS DIAZ, PLAINTIFF

future, but in the meantime, gay Floridians and their families have no rights, and a domestic partner registry would at least give people a handful of important legal protections while we are pursuing full marriage equality.”

WHAT IF WE WIN? WHAT IF WE LOSE?

According to Meeks, it almost doesn’t matter whether the plaintiffs win or lose this lawsuit.

Regardless of the outcome at this juncture, there will be appeals.

“Probably either way, there will be an appeal that ends up with resolution by the Florida Supreme Court,” Meeks said.

Minter agrees with Meeks’ prediction.

“Whichever side wins in the trial court, that ruling will

likely be appealed to the Florida Court of Appeals and ultimately to the Florida Supreme Court,” Minter said.

In the long term, Meeks is con�ident that the case will lead to marriage equality in the State of Florida.

“I think that the law, as well as public opinion, is now �irmly on our side. Courts in several states—traditionally conservative states—have ruled that marriage bans like Florida’s violate the federal constitution, and this is supported by very persuasive language in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the DOMA case,” she said. “I think the Florida courts that address this issue will pay very close attention to those rulings and hopefully come to the same conclusion—there is no

rational basis to treat gay families differently by denying them the fundamental right to marry.”

Meeks added that while she believes the lawsuit will make its way to the Florida Supreme Court, she does not think that’s where it will end.

“I believe that this suit, or one like it in another state, will eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court and we will get a ruling that will apply nationwide,” Meeks said.

As of press time, 17 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., have legalized same-sex marriage. That success has come via three paths: popular vote, state legislation and court decision. Of those 17 states, six states have marriage equality as the result of a court decision: Massachusetts, Connecticut,

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

MORE INFORMATION

READY TO GET ENGAGED? To read the full lawsuit and see videos from the press conference announcing the lawsuit, visit watermarkonline.com.

To share your story of how Florida’s ban on marriage equality has affected you, visit GetEngaged.org.

Iowa, California, New Jersey and New Mexico. California’s battle for marriage equality did make its way to the Supreme Court.

In June 2013, in a 5-4 vote, the justices ruled that the defenders of Proposition 8, California’s ban on marriage equality, lacked the standing to represent their side of the case, allowing samesex marriages to resume in The Golden State. |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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Love is Love in the Howler’s Theatre production of

TEMPEST THE

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S

Directed by Scott Browning

7:30 PM Fri, January 31 Sat, February 1 4421 Edgewater Drive Fri and Sat through Feb 15 Tickets $15 or 2 for $25 Orlando Florida 32804 For Reservations . 407.579.1412 . howlerstheatre@gmail.com

The Acre Orlando

Annie Russell Theatre presents

The

Clean House

by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by

Aradhana Tiwari

Love IS a Laughing Matter O amor é motivo de riso

rollins.edu/annierussell 32

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407-646-2145 watermarkonline.com

artwork by David Matteson ’15

ARTS &

ENTERTAINMENT

S

Steve Blanchard

T. PETERSBURG | ON THE SET OF

freeFall’s current production of The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer’s play about the very early days of the AIDS crisis in New York, there are brick walls in the background to represent apartments and of�ices, and a white hospital bed positioned in the middle of the �loor.

The

HEART

It’s a reminder that while medication has come a long way to keep HIV in check in the 21st Century, there was a time when this “unidenti�ied disease” was killing members of the gay community daily, and those in power were doing little, if anything, to prevent that.

“It’s important to remind people that there is no cure for HIV or AIDS,” says freeFall artistic director Eric Davis, who plays Ned Weeks, the lead in the production. “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. That’s the sentiment of this play.”

Even though it debuted in 1985, the message is still just as important and as powerful as it was back then. Davis, joined by fellow actor Larry Alexander and director Larry Silverberg, talked about the production just days before it opened.

The production runs through Feb. 16.

WATERMARK: MANY MAY SAY THAT THIS SHOW IS DATED, OR NO LONGER RELEVANT. HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT?

of The Normal Heart Larry Kramer’s seminal piece about the AIDS crisis comes to life at freeFall

LARRY SILVERBERG: I don’t think any person with a heart that is still beating can leave the experience of this play and not take a very hard look at their own actions, behaviors and attitudes. And not just toward the gay community, but their own expressions of meanness, cruelty and hatred toward any group. This play is about AIDS and the gay community. But there’s another element that has to do with the passing down of hatred from generation to generation.

LARRY ALEXANDER: We have to look back on the fact that a lot of the abandonment of these people and this cause was the prejudices against gays. Lots of people, including President Ronald Reagan, thought it was self-imposed. Insurance companies tried to not insure people because they said they did it to themselves.

The gay community is still �ighting. And the relevance of this is that we’re still �ighting.

THERE ARE POLITICS INVOLVED WITH AIDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY DAYS. HOW IS THAT HANDLED ON STAGE?

Continued on page 38 |  |

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

33

11am-2am Monday - Friday 10am-2am Saturday & Sunday

Parts I & II in Rotating Repertory Photo: Michael Cairns

February 14th - 16th

Tickets Start at $30 For Tickets Call 407-426-1739

RESERVE SEATS TODAY Sponsored in part by

Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre | OrlandoBallet.org

34

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JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

407-447-1700 ORLANDOSHAKES.ORG/

NICKLEBY watermarkonline.com

UCF

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

TRAIN CAST: The cast of 2 Trains Running at American Stage stand on the set of the restaurant set to be demolished in the August Wilson plot. PHOTO COURTESY CHAD JACOBS

Train of change THEATER

American Stage’s 2 Trains Running is relatable, regardless of orientation or gender

S

Zach Caruso

T. PETERSBURG | IF YOU’RE UNFAMILIAR

with the work of August Wilson, American Stage in downtown St. Petersburg is ready to transport you into his world with its latest production, 2 Trains Running.

At the helm of the production is Bob Devin Jones, a playwright, director, actor, and co-founder of The Studio @ 620 in downtown St. Petersburg who relocated here 20-plus years ago from California to be with his partner.

“I’ve directed a number of productions here at American Stage, and this is my fourth one in the August Wilson Century Cycle, and they asked me to do this and I was delighted,” says Jones. “It’s the words, the language, the story, the

vivid characters, and with the right ensemble you know you can do the right things with it. Anyone who has had any familial relationships, who has been part of a community, any race or gender, you’ll get August Wilson.”

Wilson’s “Century Cycle” is a series of 10 plays, each set in a different decade, and dealing with the African-American experience throughout the 20th century.

Set in 1969 in the aftermath of the riots and the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2 Trains Running is the seventh work in the Century Cycle. It takes place in

the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pa., in a small restaurant that is slated for demolition.

“The community is dying, it’s a depressed economy, and we’re right in the middle of urban blight, and this is the last restaurant on the block and they’re trying to shut it down,” says Kim Sullivan, who plays Memphis, the restaurant owner. “This happens in every east coast city you can imagine. The neighborhood gets run down and they don’t want it to just die, so they buy everyone out, knock everything down, and start over again. But how do you get the city to acknowledge your personal pain and suffering in a situation like that? How do you approximate a monetary value to that kind of thing? That’s what this play is about, the struggle to get a proper compensation for your years of work and toil in your own community.”

For Jones and the actors, the preparation to bring the story and characters to life begins with the words written on the page, but soon moves toward a more visceral place of creativity.

“I read through it [the play] again with the actors the very �irst day we started work, and that’s the last time I looked at the play. I now just look

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

at them,” says Jones. “I �ind what works best for me [as a director] is looking at the actors, and �inding a way to direct what they’re doing, because while I certainly I have a vision, your best clue into the script is watching the actors give it breath and decision.”

Renata Eastlick, who plays Risa, was drawn to her character the �irst time reading the script, and has worked hard to bring Risa to life.

“She’s an interesting character,” she says. “No one really understands her but they all think they have the answers as to why she is the way she is. She’s very different from me, but there are moments, these little nuances where I �ind similarities, and your best acting is when you do �ind those similarities �irst and work from there and build.”

Sullivan’s experience in this production is quite unique, as he acted in this play in the early ‘90s.

“I was considerably younger, and I played a younger man’s role. This time around I play an older man’s role as Memphis,” says Sullivan.

“When I �irst did this play it was in 1994, it was in my hometown of Philadelphia, and I got married there during the production, so it

Continued on page 36 |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

35

MAKING A PASS: Renata Eastlick (Risa) puts up with customer Bryant Bentley during rehearsal for 2 Trains Running at American Stage. PHOTO COURTESY CHAD JACOBS

|  | 2 Trains Running from pg.35

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has some special fondness for me. Now it’s 2014, I’ve matured some 20 years, and there’s been a lot of gristle and grit in those years, so hopefully the maturity will come into play.”

Both Eastlick and Sullivan have a great fondness not only for the work of Wilson, but for Jones’ directing style and accessibility.

“Bob knows his stuff,” says Eastlick. “He was an actor, so that helps, he understands the actors’ point of view, but he also asks questions—why are you doing this or that? What are your intentions in this scene? Let’s discuss this. He knows how to open up the actor and knows how to talk to us in the right way to get what he wants out of us.”

“I was doing a lot of work in Sacramento some years ago, and I was working with a director and he asked me something in regard to the play and my character and I said, ‘Well, I don’t know,’ and he said, ‘Great!’” says Jones. “And so I say now as a director, ‘I may be asking this, but you don’t have to tell me now, you don’t have to please me right now.’”

As rehearsals and preparations come to a close, and the director and actors prepare for the four-week run of the show, their view of what they have created as a team is rarely seen as one whole triumph, but rather as many unique pieces that �it together to create one beautiful accomplishment.

“The creative sneeze that goes into this process is so involuntary, I don’t have any one moment that stands out, there are so many moments, and sometimes it’s just a gesture, a look, and not everybody is going to see it,” says Jones. “But collectively, it will have happened and it will help the quality of the understanding of the play.”

Eastlick agrees.

“Everyone’s reaction is going to be

That’s what this play is about, the struggle to get a proper compensation for your years of work and toil in your own community.

—KIM SULLIVAN, WHO PLAYS ‘MEMPHIS’

different,” she says. “But as long as we are giving them a visceral reaction of something real and tangible, that’s what I want people to take away.”

Jones feels that in the end, the collective efforts and freedoms of creativity are what make for a memorable performance.

“If they do something right on, I’ll say ‘Protect that, that’s exactly what you want,’ but really I like to say ‘Consider this, consider that,’ and then have faith that they know their characters,” he says.

“They are the experts in the room on their character, and I’m the expert in the room on how to direct that character, and if you all mutually agree, then that’s when you get the best performances.”

2 Trains Running runs Jan. 24-Feb. 23.

For tickets, visit AmericanStage.org. |  |

watermarkonline.com

MORE INFORMATION

WHAT: 2 Trains Running WHERE: American Stage, St. Petersburg WHEN: Through Feb. 23 TICKETS: AmericanStage.org

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DRAMATIC CAST: (L-R) Dick Baker, Eric Davis, Larry Alexander and Jim Sorensen star in freeFall Theatre’s presentation of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart through Feb. 16.

|  | The Normal Heart from pg.33 ERIC DAVIS: This is a very engrossing, active, powerful and exciting political thriller in many ways. This is true to life, and all that happens is fact. It’s characters living the moments of that crisis and having the political discussions, arguments, �ights, battles, love scenes, all of those things that were part of that time.

LA: These characters all �ight for the same thing, but they have different opinions on how to do it. That brings a lot of drama to the stage.

ED: It’s political, but there’s a love story here too. People are still trying to live their lives, fall in love. All of that. All they knew was that there was a disease out there.

LS: Larry and I were both in NYC when this period happened. It was just people trying to live a normal life in this crisis.

DOES HAVING THAT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HELP IN RECREATING THE SETTING?

LS: It brings a personal understanding of what this was. It’s about what we went through on a daily basis. I had a lot of gay friends who were there and died. It was a horrifying, horrifying time.

DO YOU THINK THIS WILL APPEAL TO YOUNGER GAYS?

38

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

LS: I certainly hope many young people will come. They think an infection just means they have to take an aspirin.

ED: Beyond the AIDS epidemic talked about in the play, there’s a lot of gay history that not many people know about. Ned asks why it’s not taught in schools. Ned’s point of view is that there are things to be proud of as gay men. There is a rich cultural history of accomplishments that gay people have made to history. There are a lot of lessons to be learned here, whether you’re gay or straight. But it is empowering for young gay people.

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

THIS IS SOME HEAVY SUBJECT MATTER. DO YOU THINK THAT WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT AUDIENCES?

ED: To me it’s not depressing. It’s empowering in so many ways. It’s inspiring and comforting because what it says.

Because the human spirit is so strong, and in the face of all of this corruption and negativity of being human, there is also always someone that comes to the rescue.

It’s also a call to action to be that someone.

LD: There is a sense of the humor in the play. In the midst of these terrible crises, the funniest things can occur.

LA: Whenever you get four gay men in a room, there are going to be jokes.

WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO COME AWAY WITH AFTER SEEING THIS PLAY?

ED: I hope it starts conversations between people. Talking about it and knowing more about this time in history and having a better understanding of these characters.

LA: I have a line that says that this could happen to anybody, but it just happened to us. It would be nice if people could �igure out that I’m no different than you are. I just sleep with someone else.

LS: This is called The Normal Heart for a reason. I think every day we are faced with the choice to love more or to hate more. I hope that people leave this play wanting to make the choice to heal the suffering and not permit themselves to cause any more pain. Because there is already so much pain on this planet. |  |

watermarkonline.com

To read bonus content from this interview, go to watermarkonline.com.

MORE INFORMATION WHAT: The Normal Heart WHERE: freeFall Theater, 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg WHEN: Through Feb. 16 TICKETS: $29-$44 at freeFallTheatre.com

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watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

FOURTH AND FINAL SEASON SEASON!!

HOSTS PAUL KARLE AND RANDY STEPHENS INTERVIEW CELEBRITIES AND THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY Saturdays starting January 4th, 2014, 1pm est

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LISTEN TO PAST SEASONS:

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EVENT PLANNER

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Catch the beat

SARASOTA & ARTS Lesbian Ballroom Dance Lessons ENTERTAINMENT Single lesbians and female couples are invited to

participate in an eight-week ballroom dance class beginning Thursday, Jan. 30, from 7-8 p.m. at Colonial Oaks Park 5300 Colonial Oaks Blvd. A $80 tuition fee due via check or cash at the first class covers all eight weeks. Those interested must email instructors Bud and Elaine Boyer to reserve a space at Boyerrlb@ aol.com. For more information contact Joan at Podaby@aol.com.

Harvey Milk Festival meeting The annual Harvey Milk Festival is scheduled to return to Sarasota May 15-17, but volunteers are needed to help plan it. Anyone hoping to get involved are invited to a planning meeting at 7 p.m., on Monday, Feb. 3 at ALSO Out Youth, 1470 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota. The grassroots festival relies on volunteers to continue growing. For more information, find the festival on Facebook.

The company of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Once will perform at the Bob Carr in Orlando and Tampa Bay’s Straz Center in February.

CENTRAL FLORIDA The Tempest

The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

Jan. 31-Feb. 15, The Acre Orlando, Orlando, 407-579-1412; theacreorlando.com

Jan. 22-March 9, Orlando Shakespere Theatre, Orlando, 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org

Once

Mozart’s The Magic Flute Feb. 7 and 9, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa, 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Table Manners

The Normal Heart

Jan. 28-Feb. 2, Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Orlando, 407-246-4262

Jan. 24-Feb.23, Mad Cow Theatre Company, Orlando, 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com

Jan. 25-Feb. 16, Freefall Theatre, St. Petersburg.

727-498-5205; FreeFallTheatre.com

Arctic Monkeys

TAMPA BAY

Jan. 31, Hard Rock Cafe Orlando, Orlando, 407-351-7625

Queens of the Stone Age Feb. 7, Hard Rock Cafe Orlando, Orlando, 407-351-7625

Imperial Symphony Orchestra: EROTICA: An Evening with Venus Masterworks Concert #3 The Feb. 13, Museum of Fine Lark Ascending Arts, St. Petersburg; Fine-Arts.org

Once Feb. 11-16, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa, 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

Feb. 4, The Lakeland Center, Lakeland.

863-834-8100; TheLakelandCenter.org

Jackie Mason Feb. 1, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Ethel Merman’s Broadway Feb. 2, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Kenny Loggins Feb. 8, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Jay Leno Feb. 9, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

ST. PETERSBURG ArtMASH

The St. Pete Art MASH returns for its first show of 2014 at 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, at 400 23rd St. S. at Clay Center of St. Petersburg. Last year, Art MASH produced nine pop up shows that had more than $92,000 in commission free sales for artists, meaning artists pocketed the entire profits. Light food and entertainment are provided as guests see the works of up and coming artists in Tampa Bay.

Singing Sondheim FreeFall Theatre company presents Singing Sondheim, a collection of the composers best works provided by the cast of the theater’s current production, The Normal Heart, and special guests. The show is at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10, and is a tribute to the humor and artistry of the theater master himself. Featured performers include Larry Alexander, Dick Baker, Mark Chandler, Eric Davis, Gavin Esham, Roxanne Fay, Justin Gordon and Jim Sorenson. Proceeds benefit the Suncoast AIDS Theater Project. For tickets, visit FreeFallTheatre.com.

CENTRAL FLORIDA Wild at Heart

Join the Art and History Museums of Maitland for Wild at Heart on Valentine’s Day at 7 p.m. The museum’s spin on its popular Culture Pop! exhibit will feature art by Danielle DeGuglimo and Katherine Bennett.

Jazz instrumentalist Dan Jordan will provide sounds in the Mayan Lounge until 11 p.m. For tickets, visit ArtAndHistory.org.

To submit your upcoming event, concert, performance, or fundraiser visit watermarkonline.com.

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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Tampa Bay

1- CONSTRUCTION CREW: Lorraine Langlois, seated, Chris Rudisill, left, Shirlene Lightsey-Manuel and Larry Biddle prepare to greet hard hat tourists at Metro’s new LGBT Youth and Welcome Center on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg Jan. 26. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 2- CASTING CALL: The Jan. 25 show cast at Sawmill Campground stand for a photo in the courtyard after their performances. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD

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3- DANCING BEAR: Joshua Pillock enjoys the music at The Social in Ybor City the weekend of Jan. 18. PHOTO COURTESY CARRIE WEST 4- BEEFY SINGER: Counter-tenor Jacques Snyman performs at Studio 620 in St. Petersburg on Jan. 26. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 5- A THANK YOU: Quench Lounge co-owner Randy Mears, thanks customers for their one year of patronage during the bar’s White Party anniversary celebration in Largo Jan. 23. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 6- TOUR GUIDE: Adam Jahr conducts a tour of Metro Wellness and Community Center’s new LGBT Youth and Welcome Center in St. Petersburg on Jan. 26. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 7- WHITE OUT: Quench Lounge manager Jeff Beadle welcomes guests to the Largo bar’s one-year anniversary White Party on Jan. 23. PHOTO BY STEVE BLANCHARD 8- NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK: Volunteers help give Metro Wellness and Community Centers’ St. Petersburg offices a new look during their Day of Services Project Jan. 20. PHOTO COURTESY METRO

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OVERHEARD SINGING SNYMAN

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T WAS AN INTIMATE CROWD AT THE JACQUES SNYMAN CONCERT at Studio620 in St. Petersburg on Jan. 26, but the heartfelt performance by the former Rugby player brought huge applause. The counter-tenor returned to the venue after a successful concert tour of Italy. His songs were all dedicated to “Love Through the Ages.” Snyman also managed to talk about the positive side of love, dedicating one Ludwig Van Beethoven to his husband, Victor, whom he married a year ago. Following the concert, Snyman told us his immigration status is nearly complete after meeting with of�icials the day before arriving in St. Petersburg. He expects to

become an American Citizen any day, thanks to updated laws that recognize same-sex marriages on a federal level.

SOFTBALL PITCHES IN TO HELP ITS OWN

L

AST SUMMER, SUNCOAST SOFTBALL LEAGUE’S TREASURER, SCOTT LENKER, learned he had pancreatic cancer. He spent most of the season in the hospital and, at times, word spread that he may not make it out the doors alive.

Fortunately, his health improved and he’s continuing on the path to recovery. However, his medical bills have stacked up. That’s when the league teamed up with Hamburger

Mary’s in Ybor City for Drag Queen Bingo, which raised more than $4,000 to help with Lenker’s bills.

The night was hosted by Esme Russell and several raf�le prizes were donated to not only help Lenker, but to raise awareness on pancreatic cancer.

MADONNA SWAG FOR SALE!

W

E KNOW THAT THIS STORY APPEARS ON THE TAMPA BAY NEWS PAGE OF THIS ISSUE, but we’re just too excited about this Madonna swag to not mention it here. Apparently, Madonna’s GBF (Gay Best Friend) from way back before she was famous had a bunch of memorabilia from their

time together. Martin Burgonye, an artist, roomed with Madonna, supported her �inancially (and she supported him as well) and collaborated on several projects before he passed away in the mid 1980s. When he died, his possessions went to his parents, who live in St. Petersburg and have been sitting on a gold mine of pop culture awesomeness ever since. Now, the items—ranging from original artwork, intimate Poloroids and hand-written notes—are scheduled to reach the auction block on Feb. 9 at Myers Fine Art. Check it out for yourself and make a bid at MyersFineArt.com.

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

CALL IT GAYSPARILLA!

T

HE ANNUAL GASPARILLA FESTIVAL INVADED TAMPA ON JAN. 25, and once again, the LGBT community was in the thick of it. While Gasparilla is technically a straight, drunken, street festival. There were plenty of gays wandering around with their buddies in the thick crowds.

And while there were not any gay �loats, exactly, there were plenty of LGBTs spotted on and around �loats as they made their way down Bayshore Boulevard. The festivities surrounding Gasparilla continue into February, with the Knight Parade in Ybor City on Feb. 8 and the Gasparilla Classic Softball Tournament Feb. 14-16. |  |

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ORLANDO

1- STATE LEVEL SNAP: Carlos Carbonell, founder of Echo Interaction Group, an Orlando mobile app development firm, was unable to resist the urge to snap a selfie with Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi when he was honored with the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award Jan. 21. PHOTO BY (OBVIOUSLY) CARLOS

CARBONELL

2- SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Server David “D-Rod” Rodriguez feeds the masses at Hamburger Mary’s during a post-Freethought Film Festival gathering. PHOTO BY LONNIE THOMPSON

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3- CULTURE CLUB: Ted Maines, State Rep. Linda Stewart and Jeff Miller celebrate the opening of The Golden Age of Art at Orlando Art Museum Jan. 21. PHOTO BY LONNIE THOMPSON 4- BOOM!: Mary Ellen Bristoe (right) goes in for the hit on Emily Dean during the Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls season opener bout Jan. 26 at Semoran Skateway. PHOTO BY JAMES BENNETT 5- GETTING INTERACTIVE: (L to R) David Stone, Keith Newhouse, Richard Fenters and William Lubyewski take in a showing of Rollins interactive performance of The Laramie Project. PHOTO BY LONNIE

THOMPSON

6- ROCK N’ ROE: Activist Anna Vishkaee Eskamani speaks at Planned Parenthood’s 2nd annual benefit concert, Rock n’ Roe 2014, celebrating 41 years of Roe v. Wade at The Venue on Jan. 22. PHOTO BY ALI KURNAZ 7- WALK IN LOVE: Brian Wettstein and Jeff Brow, the owners of Doggie Door on Park Ave, take in the tunes of Manhattan Transfer at Plaza Theater Jan. 24. PHOTO BY LONNIE THOMPSON

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8- NEWS JUNKIES: The audience for Baggy Pants Theater’s interactive Laramie Project sure enjoyed Watermark’s article on the show at a dress rehearsal Jan. 16 at Orlando Shakes. PHOTO BY SUSAN CLARY

OVERHEARD THE STORY OF NINA SIMONE

O

RLANDO CITY COMMISSIONER PATTY SHEEHAN AND HER RESCUE CAT NINA SIMONE appear in a video on YouTube to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Paws in the Park, a festival to bene�it the SPCA of Central Florida. The event, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at Lake Eola Park, begins with a bene�it walk. Pet vendors will surround the lake, and Splash Dogs will provide entertainment with their dock diving competition.

Have your dog microchipped for $10 thanks to 24PetWatch.

For more information, visit OrlandoPets.org/PawsinthePark.

To hear the story of Nina

Simone, go to YouTube.com/ user/SPCAF.

SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE

W

HEN LESLIE CHAMBERS HAD DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER SHE SHOULD MARRY HER ONCE-GAY BOYFRIEND ALAN CHAMBERS on their wedding day, she asked God for guidance. Chambers, who penned a blog post recently about the experience, said she asked God to “interfere” with the 1998 nuptials if she had somehow “missed the mark.” “I married Alan and have never doubted whether it was the right thing to do,”

Chambers wrote. Alan Chambers, with whom she now has two children, is the founder of Exodus International, an organization that tried to “straighten out” hundreds of gay men with religion and guilt. Last summer, Alan Chambers dismantled Exodus and apologized, admitting that he hurt people with his reparative therapy. Though he believes gay sex is a sin, Chambers said he still struggles with same-sex attraction.

The couple celebrated their 15th anniversary in 2013.

AUDEBERT A LA MODE

E

ACH YEAR, PARIS-BASED TV5 MONDE CHOOSES 24 CITIES AROUND THE

WORLD to highlight on a show called “24 Heures Chrono de L’Internationale.” This year, the network chose Orlando and invited local LGBT Chamber President Mikael Audebert, who is French, to represent the city. Audebert traveled to France and taped the show on Jan. 15. He talked about life in Orlando, growth sectors and new industries, jobs and how to build a business from the ground up or invest in Florida. The show was the most-watched of any city featured with 65 million viewers. He closed the show discussing visa and green cards for LGBT French citizens under the new Obama Administration policy. The show can be seen at MBAOrlando.org/TV5.

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

CATCH GINA DUNCAN ON THE RADIO

L

GBT ACTIVIST AND FORMER ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATE GINA DUNCAN was a guest on GSHRadio.com on Jan. 28 to talk about her book Attraversiamo, “Let’s Cross Over”: A Story of Gender Transition, with Watermark editor Steve Blanchard, co-host of the Rainbow Hour. Gina spoke about of her transition from football star and high school homecoming king to living an authentic life as a woman. GSHRadio.com is a 24hour online LGBT radio station.

Visit the site to hear the interview in its entirety |  |

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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tampa bay marketplace

Transitions CHANGE-OF-LIFE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Congratulations Rev. Deacon Mark Cady has been appointed as Chancellor for the Diocese of Florida, Independent Catholic Church of the America’s. As Chancellor he is the official notary for the Diocese, sealing documents with the Bishops signature and to take oaths before the Church. He is also responsible for keeping the Diocese archival records.

Debbie Simmons and Michelle Murray celebrate 21 years in business for Shelbie Press this month.

Orlando teacher Derek Cavilla and partner Terry Roberts celebrate their anniversary on Feb. 11.

MC Film Festival owners/GaYbor District Coalition founders and Tampa power couple Mark Bias and Carrie West celebrate their 36th anniversary on Feb. 3.

Local Birthdays FSU grad, adorable cub and Ocala muse Bill Bondank (Jan. 30); marketing pro and Watermark writing wit Ken Kundis (Jan. 31); St. Petersburg massage therapist Emily Stone, Tampa Softball player and Verizon rep Thomas Hale, Orlando hunk Jason Hamm, barber and former Tampa resident James Bowman Harris (Feb. 1); Pinellas Park graduate and new south Florida resident Miguel Rivera, Orlando AIDS advocate and The Center board member Lee Kirkpatrick (Feb. 2); Tampa entertainer Daphne Ferraro, Gulfport theater addict Rob McCabe, Tampa licensed massage therapist and karaoke performer David Allin (Feb. 3); TIGLFF programmer extraordinaire Margaret Murray, Tampa Sister of Perpetual Indulgence Monica MuffDiver, AKA Scott Ryan (Feb. 4); superphotographer James “Canonball” Bennett (Feb. 6); Orlando fitness God and bartender Tony Edge (Feb. 7); Brandon sales rep and beach bum Jim Beaton ,1st Dance Studio owner and St. Petersburg dance instructor Julia MeyerovichNeighbors (Feb. 8); co-owner of Orlando’s Hamburger Mary’s Mike Rogier (Feb. 9); Creative Tile Design of St. Petersburg owner Tom O’Keefe, St. Petersburg hair stylist and cyclist Ric Castro (Feb. 10); Xia Adonis from the House of Adonis LaToya Little, Tampa schools media specialist and activist Bart Birdsall, Suncoast Hospice Executive Director Mike Bell (Feb. 11); USF Vegetarian Society President and St. Pete Resident Mark Weber.

EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION: Pam Bondi, Amy Jantzer, Carlos Carbonell, Governor Rick Scott, Jeff Atwater, and Adam Putnam gather as Carbonell is presented with the prestigious Governor’s Business Ambassador Award. The medal is given to companies for excellence in innovation in their field and efforts in creating jobs and opportunities for Florida families.

PHOTO BY MEREDYTH HOPE HALL

WEDDING BELLS: Vincent Dippolito and Robert Arnold of Tampa Bay celebrate their love for one another through marriage in New York on Dec. 26, 2013. The couple met in February, 1991, while on active duty in London. The pair moved in together in 1994 and decided last year, with the ruling against DOMA, to get married in Greenwich Village.

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER:

Orlando drag performer Leigh Shannon celebrates her birthday on Jan. 31.

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!

JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

watermark YOUR LGBT LIFE.

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attorney JOHN B. DORRIS ATTORNEY AT L AW

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Joy Metropolitan Community Church Reverend Terri Steed, Senior Pastor Wednesday Evening Spiritual Transformation Classes 7:00 P.M. Sunday Morning Worship 9:00 A.M. and 10:45 A.M. 2351 South Ferncreek Ave. | Orlando, FL 32806 Office: 407.894.1081

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JAN. 30 - FEB. 12, 2014 // ISSUE 21.03

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FEBRUARY 14-16, 2014 FEATURING • Quality Dealers • Guest Speaker & Book Signing Cynthia Brumback The Art of the Monogram • Appraisal Days • Art in Bloom • Tea Room • Garden Décor & Blooms • Special Events

ANTIQUES

SHOW HOURS

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Friday & Saturday: 10am-5pm

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PRESENTED BY THE COUNCIL OF 101 TO BENEFIT THE ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART

General admission is $10 and available at the door. Includes admission to current Orlando Museum of Art exhibitions including Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough and the Golden Age of Painting in Europe from the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.

Orlando Museum of Art Council of 101 2416 North Mills Avenue Orlando, FL 32803 407.896.4231 ext. 254 councilof101@aol.com www.omart.org/programs

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Sochi set to welcome the world, amid storm clouds

S

OCHI, RUSSIA | Seven years ago, Vladimir Putin traveled all the way to Guatemala to woo Olympic leaders with his grandiose vision: hosting the Winter Games in Russia’s little-known Black Sea summer resort of Sochi.

Putin’s personal pitch did the trick as Sochi beat out bids from South Korea and Austria for the right to stage the 2014 Games on the so-called ``Russian Riviera.’’

Putin’s political in�luence and Russia’s might bowled over the International Olympic Committee on that day.

It was a risky choice then and it shapes up as even riskier now.

With the opening ceremony less than two weeks away, Putin’s prestige and his country’s reputation are at stake—riding on a $51 billion mega-project meant to showcase a modern Russia but overshadowed by a barrage

of concerns over terrorism, gay rights, human rights, corruption, waste and overspending.

No other Winter Games has faced such an acute terror threat.

No other Winter Olympics has been so engulfed in politics. No other recent Olympics has been so closely associated with one man—Putin, the ``captain’’ of the Sochi team.

Amid a politically charged atmosphere and ominous security climate, can Putin and Russia deliver a safe and successful Olympics? Can Sochi defy the grim predictions and dazzle the world with well-organized games featuring shiny new venues, picturesque mountains and the world’s best winter sports athletes?

Lest we forget, the Olympics are also supposed to be about sports and athletes: Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and other NHL stars competing for their home countries on the hockey rink; snowboard great

Shaun White doing new gravitydefying �lips and twists; South Korean �igure skating queen Yuna Kim performing graceful magic on the ice; American teen sensation Mikaela Shiffrin zipping through the slalom gates.

About 3,000 athletes from more than 80 countries will be competing in 98 medal events.

Twelve new events are on the program, with women’s ski jumping making its debut after being rejected for inclusion at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

The medals race is likely to be between Norway, the United States, Canada and Germany. The Russians, coming off their worst ever Winter Games in Vancouver, are determined to bounce back on home territory. A gold medal from the Ovechkin-led hockey team would be the ultimate prize for a country that hasn’t won the Olympic title since a ``Uni�ied Team’’ of former Soviet republics triumphed in 1992. ``Olympics are probably

the most important thing for Russians,’’ Ovechkin said.

For now, the world’s focus remains squarely on the terror danger posed by the Islamic insurgency in the Northern Caucasus. An Islamic militant group in Dagestan claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings that killed 34 people in late December in Volgograd and threatened to attack the games in Sochi. ``We will try to make sure that the security measures taken aren’t too intrusive or visible and that they won’t put pressure on the athletes, guests and journalists,’’ Putin said.

Sochi’s preparations have also been clouded by the Western uproar against a Russian law enacted last year that prohibits gay ``propaganda’’ among minors.

Critics and gay activists say the law discriminates against homosexuals and could be used against anyone openly supporting gay rights at the games.

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Putin has insisted there will be no discrimination of any kind against any athletes or spectators in Sochi, yet his recent comments linking homosexuality and pedophilia have only in�lamed the issue.

The IOC, meanwhile, has reminded athletes to comply with ``Rule 50’’ of the Olympic Charter, which forbids protests or political gestures at Olympic venues.

President Barack Obama has seized on the issue by sending a U.S. delegation to Sochi that includes three openly gay members—tennis great Billie Jean King, �igure skater Brian Boitano and ice hockey player Caitlin Cahow.

Sochi features one of the most compact layouts in Olympic history, with all indoor arenas located close to each other in an Olympic Park along the coast. The cluster of snow venues are about 45 minutes away in the Krasnaya Polyana mountains. ``Russia today is not the Soviet Union of 1980,’’ Canadian member Dick Pound said. “They have created a winter sports complex out of virtually nothing and they did it in six years. My guess is they will deliver good games.’’ |  |

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PHOTOGRAPHY: THE DAILY CITY CARDBOARD ART FEST

Galleryw Go see more photos at

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T

HE SECOND ANNUAL CARDBOARD ART FESTIVAL, held Jan. 25-27 at The Orange Studio on N. Mills Avenue, showcased the work of 12 talented artists this year. Participants created masterpieces out of cardboard, all of which were available for sale to the public. The celebration began with a dance party and ended with a ‘Confectionfest,’ combining entertainment and culture. The event was produced by Mark Baratelli.

Photography

by Patrick O’Connor PATRICK-OCONNOR.COM

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