Watermark Issue 21.20: Come Out With Pride and TIGLFF

DaytOna BeaCH • OrlanDO • tamPa • st. PetersBurG • sarasOta • issue 21.20 • sePt. 25 - OCt. 8, 2014 • WatermarkOnline.COm

TYRA SANCHEZ arresteD On assault CHarGes

L T IA E: U O E EC D E ID P S SI M U O G IN C DE 14 RI 20 P E TH TH WI

orlANDo eDitioN | Your lgbt life.

australian tWins

BEC & SEBASTIAN BrinG tHeir musiC tO PriDe

DaytOna BeaCH • OrlanDO • tamPa • st. PetersBurG • sarasOta • issue 21.20 • sePt. 25 - OCt. 8, 2014 • WatermarkOnline.COm

tAMPA bAY eDitioN | Your lgbt life.

TIGLFF T U R N S

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Films, parties and celebrities mark the festival’s silver anniversary Oct. 3-11

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Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

Departments 6 // mail 8 // orlanDo news 12 // tampa bay news 16 // state 19 // nation & worlD news 39 // community calenDar 45 // transitions 46 // tampa bay marKetplace 47 // sports 48 // orlanDo marKetplace 53 // Gallery w

PAGE

16

there is no one who believes in equality and justice who can stand behind Attorney General Pam Bondi.

—nadine smiTh, eQualiTy florida ceo

on tHe coVer

PAGE

orlanDo eDition, tampa bay paGe 8 eDition, paGe 12 come out With pride embarks on its 10th year the first week of october and has incorporated mainstream music acts into its annual celebration. once again, expect lake eola’s fountain to be lit up as fireworks explode overhead on oct. 11.

tiglff board members (l-r) Ty Maxey, Ed Lally, Ken Hodges, Thom Ross, Brian Taylor, Margaret Murray, Renee Cossette, Kris Johnson and Tim Thomas get into the festival spirit outside the tampa theatre on franklin street in downtown tampa.

preview

27 a sorDiD tale:

Sordid Lives writer and comedian Del Shores talks with us about his upcoming appearances in tampa bay, his stand-up special and the very true rumors surrounding the Sordid Lives sequel.

watermarK issue 21.20 //sept ember 25 - oct ober 8, 2014

orlanDo news

tampa bay news

bec & sebastian

PAGE the annual come out With

PAGE the tampa international

PAGE australian fraternal twins

Gallery w

photo by bruce Hardin

Read it online!

scan qr coDe for

watermarKonline.com

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

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pride celebration is back and in it’s 10th year, there’s a focus on music during the weeklong event; a daytona beach police woman is arrested for domestic abuse; drag race winner tyra sanchez arrested—again; more.

12

gay and lesbian film festival prepares for it’s 25th year; Hillsborough moves forward with a domestic partner registry; “grandma ruth” dies at 97; edward White Hospital scheduled to close.

29

bec and sebastian ivanov made it big on their country’s version of The Voice. now the gay siblings are coming to florida to perform at come out With pride in orlando on oct. 11.

PAGE the annual Headdress

floored spectators 54 ball again this year in its 25th

incarnation. We offer up a small sampling of the amazing night in our gallery W page as we entice you to see the entire collection of photos on Watermarkonline.com.

come out witH priDe stretcHes oct. 6-11. Don’t miss any of our coVeraGe on watermarKonline.com. watermark Your lgbt life.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

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321.293.2240 DavidDorman.com

top web comments {from WatermarkOnline.com and Watermark’s Facebook page)

People move for all different reasons, let me help you with all of them!

On Watermark’s 20th Anniversary:

“I remember being out with my friends while in high school, and sneaking issues of Watermark in my book-bag as if it was something taboo. I’d grab a few issues for the other Gay/ Bi students who would ask to read them. I graduated in 1997 and things have GREATLY changed since then!”

—DannyG

On Florida attorney general Pam Bondi appealing marriage equality rulings:

David Dorman REALTOR®, Broker/Owner wave NOW for 7 years-in-a-row, you have voted ® 2013 DAVID DORMAN FAVORITE ORLANDO REALTOR watermark’s

A W A R D

“Well thank God she is defending marriage... you know, what with all the straight couples filing for divorce because gays and lesbians are allowed to marry.”

—Yung Patriot

“She’s a piece of crap. The law will change soon [and] all 50 states will have to get with the times or lose lawsuits one after another.”

—Fred Sergeant

“She will be a parlor joke in years to come.”

—Jimmypalmieri

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watermark Your lgbt life.

“She will be a parlor joke in years to come.”

—Jimmypalmieri

On Orange County Clerks offices all accepting domestic partner registries:

“Apparently there is some sanity north of Broward. It’s nice to see that Mr. Fernandez is welcoming—and prepared.”

—DavidHart

“I appreciate Fernandez’ actions to make the Comptroller’s DPR forms more accessible. However, with all due respect, Fernandez did nothing to assist us during the fight for the DPR.” —mary meeks

On Facebook deleting drag queens for using false names:

“The only reason Facebook does this is because they can’t market to an alias.

It’s all about generating marketing revenue through advertising. They profile your every click and sell that info to marketers.”

—Nicholas Cardello

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

“It has always been in Facebook’s “terms of service.” Everyone agreed to it. They just need to make a “fan page” and move on!”

—Matt Moss

“Singling out drag performers is not cool.

What about the tons of married women who use their maiden names to allow schoolmates to find them? And children who do not include a real name to protect their privacy?”

—Dana McElvy

“This has always been a rule. This is not the end of the world: (1) Change the name to a real name on your current drag profile; (2) Create a Fan page (with your drag name) and then invite your friends from your real page to like your fan page. Yes, it’s going to suck moving pictures, videos, getting likes, etc., but it can be done!”

—Sasha Citino

editor’s

Steve Blanchard EDITOR

SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com

T

Desk

here have been a string of

changes at Watermark lately, from our layout design to how our paper is printed, bound and delivered.

But no change is as great or as surprising as the news our founder, Tom Dyer, shared in this space in the last issue—he has stepped down after 20 years as this newsmagazine’s publisher.

The staff here was aware of the announcement and he prepped us for it over the summer when he shared that the very capable Rick Claggett would step into the publisher role.

But it came as a surprise to many of our loyal readers.

In this space, Tom shared his reasons behind his decision and expressed excitement for the future of the publication he created two decades ago. During our anniversary party Sept. 13,

watermark staff

he told those in attendance that Watermark grew beyond his expectations into an entity he never could have imagined! It has undergone numerous redesigns and has been led by several editors before me. And who could have imagined web apps and smart phone versions of websites back in 1994, the year Watermark was founded?

Change is sometimes challenging, but it typically results in something stronger and better.

And that’s exactly what we’re expecting with Watermark. Which is why I’m excited to announce our next change, which involves our WAVE Awards.

The Watermark Awards for

Founder and Senior Contributor: Tom Dyer • Ext. 305 • Tom@WatermarkOnline.com Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 108 • Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Admin. Assistant: Kathleen Harper • Ext. 100 • Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Steve Blanchard • 813-470-0899 • SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com Reporter: Samantha Rosenthal • 104 • Samantha@WatermarkOnline.com Online Media Director: Jamie Hyman • Ext. 106 • Jamie@WatermarkOnline.com Proofreading: Ed Blaisdell Art Director: Jake Stevens • Ext. 109 • Jake@WatermarkOnline.com Creative Assistant: Patrick O’Connor • Ext. 109 • AdProduction@WatermarkOnline.com

Variety and Excellence are our annual readers’ choice awards.

Typically, our online ballots are launched in late September or early October and we ask our readers to choose everything from their favorite restaurant or hotel to the best bartender or local television personality. It’s a popular process and an even more popular issue when we showcase all of the winners.

I’ve already received a few emails and Facebook messages asking me about the 2014 awards, so I thought it was important to share here that while the WAVE Awards are definitely coming, the ballots won’t be up until after Jan. 1.

Why? We wanted to include an entire calendar year in the annual process.

Say, for example, you open a business in late November and it’s everyone’s favorite new hangout.

Using our old formula, the WAVE Awards would have passed by and you would either have to wait a whole year to gain that recognition or simply be missed entirely. By launching our open ballot in January, the entire 2014 calendar year can be considered.

Like in years’ past, there will be two rounds of voting.

Our online, open ballot will ask for write-in candidates in each category. When that round closes, we’ll release the top vote-getters and ask readers to select their favorites of the favorites listed.

Come spring 2015, we’ll announce our winners of the 2014 WAVE Awards and we’ll throw our popular WAVE Award parties, complete with plaques for first-place winners and certificates for the top three, in Orlando and Tampa Bay.

Sales Manager: Mark Cady Ext. 102 [Orlando] • Mark@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Sales: Bill Jeffries Ext. 301 • 813-454-9064 • Bill@WatermarkOnline.com Orlando Advertising Sales: Sam Rennels Ext. 103 • Sam@WatermarkOnline.com Orlando Advertising Sales: Heather Crouso Ext. 105 • Heather@WatermarkOnline.com Orlando Advertising Sales: Danny Garcia Ext. 107 • Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Nat’l Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

watermark Your lgbt life.

Change can be a challenge, and shying away from tradition can be uncomfortable. Believe me, we’ve all had to make adjustments in the Watermark offices this year as we continued to thrive along with the fluidity of change.

More changes, no doubt, will continue. Some are already in the works, others will be come as we keep up with the times. But the mission of the news magazine and website remain the same—to report on the LGBT news that is important to our state and our regions and to bring an LGBT perspective that is difficult to find anywhere else.

There is a lot to celebrate in our community. Not only

While the WAVE Awards are coming, the ballots won’t be up until after Jan. 1.

is marriage equality making advances across the country and right here in Florida, but local organizations and events are hitting milestones. As Watermark celebrated its two decade milestone, the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival was gearing up for its 25th festival. And in Orlando, Come Out With Pride prepares to mark its first decade the first week of October, the same time as TIGLFF. Watermark will continue to be at events throughout the state and report what’s happening— whether it’s good news or bad.

But we will—and must— celebrate our community. And I, for one, am still just as excited for our annual poll as I was last year, if not more so.

Orlando Office P. O. Box 533655 Orlando, FL 32853-3655 TEL: 407-481-2243 FAX: 407-481-2246

Tampa Bay Office TEL: 813-655-9890 FAX: 813-849-2986

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

contributors Kirk Hartlage

is an Orlandobased journalist a DJ and a former full time employee of Watermark. He specializes in celebrity interviews. Page 8

Aaron Alper is a

photographer and writer in St. Petersburg.

He holds a Masters in English Education from the University of South Florida. Page 12, 27

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

photography Bruce Hardin

is a Tampa Baybased freelance photographer who shoots portraits and events for the LGBT community.

He is often seen ‘shooting’ leather events. Cover Photo, Page 12

Nick Cardello, Angie Folks, Tom Eckert, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift, Tinkerfluff, Lonnie Thompson

distribution Debbie Oliver, Phil Garris, Ken Caraway CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Although WATERMARK is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

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

WATERMARK is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $55 (1st class) and $26 (standard mail).

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

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

Watermark Media Inc. est. 1994

7

orlando news

funny girl: Jill Shargaa presents her ted talk “the ‘awe’ in ‘awesome’” on stage at Joe’s pub in new York. PHOTO By RyAn LASH

focus on music:

local GrapHic DesiGner anD comeDian presents an ‘awesome’ teD talK

come out With pride has ramped up the music this year, and features mainstream acts like Capitol Cities.

Samantha Rosenthal

o

rlando | Call her “funny.” Call her “hilarious.”

But one thing you do not want to call Jill Shargaa is “awesome.”

A local graphic designer and illustrator for Shargaa Illustration and Design, Shargaa is a woman of many talents and accomplishments—and presenting a TED Talk can be added to that list.

“It was like being in dream,” Shargaa said of her trip to New York as one of 26 chosen presenters out of more than 500 applicants.

Shargaa presented a Ted Talk titled “The ‘Awe’ in ‘Awesome.’’”

“It’s mostly comedy, but there is an underlying truth to how the word is now being said instead of the words ‘thank you’ or ‘great,’” Shargaa said. “Not everything can be awesome. I got so tired of hearing it all the time that the impact, or the value of the word, is lost now with so many people.”

In September 2013, Shargaa presented at an event called PechaKucha (PK). In Japanese, the word means “chitchat,” and it’s a PowerPoint that is limited to 20 slides that run for only 20 seconds each, giving the presenter a total of six minutes and 40 seconds for their presentation. They’re held in select cities around the world and they sell out fast.

“We [Shargaa and her friend] went to [a PK], and I thought ‘Man, how can I do this,’” Shargaa said.

Shargaa submitted a comedic essay, which originally ran in the Orlando Sentinel,to the producer of the Orlando PK. Shargaa’s entry was accepted, and she received a positive response from the Orlando PK audience, so Shargaa wanted to find a way to use her PK presentation again.

“I’ve heard of TED and watched many of their shows, and I thought ‘This is very similar to PK,’” Shargaa said.

“They recorded it [the PK], so I sent that recording as my audition tape up to TEDTalk up in New York. There was an open call for like a talent search in New York.”

COntinueD On PG. 10 | uu |

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A decade of Pride Come Out With Pride returns for year 10 Oct. 6-11 Kirk Hartlage

o

rlando | What a difference a decade makes.

Orlando’s Come Out With Pride celebration turns ten this year, and the event has seen changes and shifts since its debut in 2004. Public perception towards the LGBT community has most certainly shifted towards acceptance, which in turn has helped laws affecting gays and lesbians—such as marriage equality, adoption, and non-discrimination—pass on local, state-wide, and national levels.

But 10 years ago, the debut of COWP also meant a calendar shift for the local community’s annual Pride celebration from June to October.

Prior to COWP, Central Florida typically held Pride events around the last weekend of June. That weekend is frequently seen as the “traditional” Pride weekend in the United States as it commemorates the June 28, 1969, Stonewall riots

watermark Your lgbt life.

in New York City, a pivotal moment in LGBT history. As Gay Days at Disney World grew in popularity and attendance, interest in Orlando’s Pride events seemingly fell by the wayside. The local sentiment seemed to be: How much celebrating of being gay can Central Florida support in one month’s time? Once each Gay Days wrapped, Orlando’s LGBT community appeared to be too “gay-ed out” to celebrate—let alone financially support—Pride just a few weeks later.

Leaders from Orlando’s Metropolitan Business Association, the area’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, partnered with the University of Central Florida’s LGBT student group to create a new Pride event, one that would be held instead in October in conjunction with National Coming Out Day. Originated in 1988, the date of Oct. 11 was chosen for NCOD because it was the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The

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move made Pride in Orlando a new destination weekend, not only for the local gay and lesbian community, but also to attract LGBT tourism dollars.

And the move has worked. That first COWP, a single-day event held in Heritage Square Park, featured a performance from a little-known American Idol Season Three finalist… though despite coming in only seventh on the TV singing competition show Jennifer Hudson has gone on to become one of today’s top R&B recording artists, not to mention winning both a Grammy and an Oscar. COWP now involves a week’s worth of events, with an entire concert series sponsored by local radio station XL 106.7.

COWP Executive Director & Senior Executive Producer Mikael Audebert says the concert series is part of the organization’s overall goals.

“One of my approaches since taking over Come Out With Pride has been to attempt to narrow the gap between our communities,” said Audebert. “One way to do it is to bring people with similar interests and likes together, in one room or at one event, so they can actually engage in conversations, get to know each other and go beyond their sexual orientations to truly create a human connection. For the COntinueD On PG. 10 | uu |

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Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

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orlando news

Tyra Sanchez arrested for assault

Anti-gay ministry headed to Orlando

Staff Report

V

Staff Report

O

rlando | The right-wing, conservative Christian ministry “The Gathering” will hold its annual conference in Orlando Sept. 25-27 in downtown Orlando. The organization has been closely monitored

by Truth Wins Out Director of the Center Against Religious Extremism, Bruce Wilson.

While the agenda listed on The Gathering’s website makes no mention of anti-LGBT sessions during the conference, Wilson insists the conference, it’s organizers and deep-pocketed attendees have a long history of anti-gay discussions.

“It’s what I’ve been documenting as the biggest and most prolific anti-LGBT funding conference in America,” Wilson said in an email to Watermark.

Wilson plans on reporting on the conference and will post his coverage of the event at WatermarkOnline.com.

| uu | Jill Shargaa from pg.8 Shargaa was chosen as one of the presenters for their July 8 event at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater in New York City. Upon arrival to the venue, Shargaa recalled the entire experience in detail and how awe-stricken she was during the rehearsal, the night prior to the TED Talk.

“I got a tremendous response here in Orlando [at the PK], so then I thought ‘Maybe I can do this again,’” Shargaa said.

“That’s why I applied to TED, and TED said ‘yes.’”

Shargaa, an Orlando native, grew up surrounded by funny people, including her parents.

“I wrote a fan letter to Joan Rivers when I was just out of college and she wrote back with a contract inside essentially saying ‘If you’d like to write for me, here’s a contract,” said Shargaa. “So right there I’m about 23 years old and one of my idols is asking if I would like to write for her. That was a game changer right there.”

Besides working for the Orlando Sentinel and WESH 2, she also was one-half of a comic duo with Mike Brennan, performing for The Funny Farm—the only sketch comedy group of its kind in Orlando in the early 1980s.

She said presenting at TED was just like performing at any other event.

In New York, she presented to past TED speakers, TED staff, TED Content Director Kelly Stoetzel and TED Curator Chris Anderson.

“At the very end, Kelly said ‘Wow that was real strong.’

And Chris said, ‘That’s great.’ It was just terrific feedback,” Shargaa said.

Shargaa’s Ted Talk was featured on the main Ted.com website Aug. 29. The video of her talk hit the half a million views mark just 10 days later, but the winner of the New York TED Talk will not be announced until 2015.

“If nothing else happens from this, I can still say ‘I gave a TED Talk.’”

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irginia Beach, Va. | RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 2 winner Tyra Sanchez is in trouble once again, and this time for assault.

Sanchez, formerly of Orlando and whose real name is James Ross, was arrested Sept. 9 in Virginia for a misdemeanor assault. Virginia

Beach court records say Sanchez was arrested 15 days after the offense.

Sanchez told TMZ that he was signing autographs at a venue in Virginia Beach when a person in the crowd started to heckle him. He went over to calm the person down and claims he was grabbed and assaulted by the security guard of the venue. He was then handcuffed but eventually let go.

When Sanchez went to file a charges Sept. 9 against the venue, the performer was informed he had a warrant for his arrest.

He was arrested and arraigned in court Sept. 9, but posted bail and was later released that same day. The complaint, filed by Daniel Alonso, was categorized as an assault and battery penalty code under Virginia law.

Sanchez will have to appear for a follow-up arraignment Oct. 8.

Sanchez was arrested previously for marijuana possession in Georgia in August 2010.

Daytona Beach police woman charged with domestic violence Staff Report Daytona | Sarah Martin of Port Orange, Fla. was arrested on Sept. 13 after a domestic violence dispute with her wife, Tabitha Martin, that involved a Daytona Beach Police-issued firearm. The women are both officers of the Daytona Beach Police Department.

The couple was married out of state but Tabitha Martin said the two had separated roughly six months ago, according to police.

| uu | COWP 2014 from pg.8

straight community, the past three years, Pride has also been their celebration. It has helped create new friendships and certainly helped us take our mission further.”

Audebert credits XL 106.7 with assessing and selecting artists that have an interest in promoting equality, whether it’s through their songs or by attaching their names to the LGBT movement towards equality. And when it comes to relevance, COWP couldn’t do much better than securing the singer of the current number one song in the country, Meghan Trainor, especially when the self-acceptance theme of “All About That Bass” is one that rings loud and clear with gays and lesbians.

Other artists appearing throughout the week include Clean Bandit (Monday, Oct. 6, at Firestone Live), AJR (appearing with Trainor Wed., Oct. 8, at The Abbey), and Capital Cities (Thurs., Oct. 9, as part of COWP’s Opening Ceremonies

watermark Your lgbt life.

Tabitha Martin has recently taken custody of the couple’s child and Sarah Martin was reportedly angry with Tabitha Martin for seeing another woman and said “I’m coming for you.”

Officers said Sarah Martin punched Tabitha Martin and stole her police-issued handgun from her Port Orange home.

Sarah Martin then attempted to leave in Tabitha Martin’s car according to police.

This isn’t Sarah Martin’s first time having trouble with the law.

Sarah Martin has been employed with the Daytona Beach Police Department since 2008, but, according to officials, was terminated in 2010 for untruthfulness and misuse of a computer, WFTV reported.

Sarah Martin was reinstated 18 months later during a grievance process where she agreed to 18 months of suspension without pay, according to police. She has since bonded out of the Volusia County Jail.

at Heritage Square at the Orange County History Center).

Additionally, the Parliament House will present Lil’ Kim in concert at the gay resort as part of its after-Pride party Sat., Oct. 11.

And for those who can’t attend but still want to be part of the action, XL 106.7 is scheduled to broadcast live all of the Pride In Concert events.

The radio station is also sponsoring a “Faces of Pride” contest where listeners are invited to apply to become the Face of Pride, winning VIP tickets and treatment to all of the week’s events, including riding on the Wells Fargo stage coach in the parade.

Also new this year: an “Out at Aquatica” daytime event at SeaWorld’s water park on Friday, Oct. 10. Audebert says the day of showing pride at one of Orlando’s top tourist destinations will be similar to the previous evening’s third annual Pride at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios on Thurs., Oct. 9.

The Friday night block party relocates from Church Street Station

to Orange Avenue at Lake Ivanhoe in the Ivanhoe District, bringing yet another one of the city’s diverse neighborhoods onboard for the celebration. Church Street organizers are instead launching the return of Rain, a once-popular Tuesday gay night at the Kirkman Road club, at the Orchid Garden at Church Street Station on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Plans call for the party to become a once-a-month special event.

Wednesday’s opening ceremonies at Heritage Square, which include a time capsule ceremony, presided over by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, returns at least one part of COWP to its original location.

“This is Come Out With Pride’s tenth anniversary so we have gone all out to make sure we celebrate 10 years of coming out…with pride, but also to ensure we don’t forget the pioneers who started the movement in the early nineties,” said Audebert.

For more details, visit ComeOutWithPride.com

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

watermark Your lgbt life.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

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tampa bay news

HillsborouGH to form partnersHip reGistry Aaron Alper Tampa | The Hillsborough County Commission meeting earlier this year where an amendment that would prohibit discrimination within the county on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (which triumphed with a 7-0 vote) had its fair share of drama from the public speakers. There were heated words, arguments, Bible verses and, in some cases, thinly veiled hate-speech.

However, during the Sept. 17 meeting on reconsidering the vote to pass domestic partnership registry (which was struck down 4-3 in January 2013), not one peep of protest was heard from the speakers and commissioners unanimously agreed that domestic partnership registry, regardless of orientation, is a step in the right direction for equality in Hillsborough County.

The discussion between commissioners quickly echoed the unanimous nature of the public and the county commission voted 7-0 to move forward in the process of creating a registry for unmarried couples.

But things can change in a year and a half in government, and these issues were not glossed over despite the ruling.

“It’s a different world,” said Commissioner Sandra Murman, who in 2013 voted against the registry’s creation. “Our group, our board and each individual member has worked hard on certain issues and solved so many major problems.”

While Murman was not against the registry this time, she did feel that domestic partnership created too narrow a definition for the complex legal language that pertains to hospital laws, especially in regards to who has the actual legal rights to visit a hospitalized loved one.

The vote does not immediately place a domestic partnership registry in place. The vote simply asks the county attorney’s office to come up with wording for the ordinance. In Tampa Bay, the City of Tampa, Pinellas County and the cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Gulfport all have domestic partnership registries.

“There was a lot of controversy on how that ordinance was pieced together,” said Commissioner Kevin Beckner, who moved for the registry’s approval. “We looked at the best practices. We looked at our sister county, Pinellas. But I don’t want to just use one county only [as a resource].”

Commissioner Victor Crist, who was also a ‘no’ vote in 2013, said he wants Hillsborough’s ordinance to be clear that it’s only valid in the county and that it should recommend to those registering that they should seek additional legal protections.

“They may sign up thinking it’s the only practice for legal documents that they may need to do their planning,” Crist said of the registry. “It’s incumbent upon us to help them understand that they need to do more and not just rely on the registry.”

When the final vote of 7-0 was taken, the audience erupted in a massive applause, and many were heard saying that it was “a step in the right direction.”

12

Time To celebraTe:

(l-r) tiglff president Kris Johnson, executive director Margaret Murray and board member Ed Lally celebrate 25 years of film outside the tampa theatre.

PHOTO By BRuCE HARDIn

Fabulous at 25 John Waters, Del Shores and parties are just part of TIGLFF’s 25th anniversary plans Steve Blanchard

T

ampa | Margaret Murray remembers the early years of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. It was long before the film fan became the organization’s executive director— for the second time. It was in the early 1990s when the festival was only three or four years old and she experienced LGBT cinema with a fresh, wide-eyed perspective.

“It seemed like this glamorous exciting event, and it was,” Murray said. “There were protestors out there every single day of the film festival. We had to have a heavy police presence to protect us.”

What a difference a two and a half decades can make. As TIGLFF prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, it celebrates strong support from the City of Tampa, it’s mayor, the city council and elected officials from across the bay in Pinellas County. Protestors these days are non-existent, and the nine-day festival, which runs Oct. 3-11 at the Tampa Theatre and freeFall Theatre,

watermark Your lgbt life.

will mark its silver anniversary with parties, amazing films and an outreach to LGBT youth.

“We have two big street parties on opening weekend,” Murray said. “They are open to everyone and our opening night film, Blackbird, is free.”

This is the third year TIGLFF has offered its opening night screening for free—and that practice has boosted attendance and participation throughout the rest of the festival.

The opening night street party begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 with food trucks, beer trucks and outdoor bars ready to serve festival attendees, and the free film starts at 8p.m. The party continues from 10 p.m. to midnight on Franklin Street in front of the theater.

The party continues the next evening, Oct. 4, when TIGLFF presents director and author John Waters with a Lifetime Achievement Award for cinematic achievement. Waters will perform his one-man show, This Filthy World: Filthier and Dirtier at Tampa Theatre and then sign copies of his book at the Mondo Trasho Street Party outside the theater.

“John will have his book, Carsick, available outside,” Murray said. “This

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

is huge for us and we want to let as many people as possible come enjoy the film festival.”

While the party is going on outside, another offering will take place inside.

Comedian and screenwriter Del Shores of Sordid Lives fame will attend Naked. Sordid. Reality.—a film about his stand-up career. Shores is expected to do some of his stand-up after the screening. Read our interview with him about his upcoming appearance on page 27 in this issue of Watermark.

a yOutHFul OutreaCH

Twenty-five years is a long run for any event. TIGLFF started small and has grown to a world-class festival in more than two decades, but it needs the next generation of LGBTs and allies to keep it going. That’s why it is reaching out to Tampa Bay’s youth.

While everyone is welcome at the free opening night film, anyone 18 years old and younger can attend any of the films—age appropriate of course—for free this year.

“We sat in on a panel with St. Petersburg City Councilman Steve Kornell and people from Gay Straight Alliances, GLSEN and Metro Wellness to see how we can reach out to gay youth,” Murray said. “Our board member Ashley Brundage has also helped us a lot with this outreach.”

The goal is to bring younger LGBTs to the theater to experience the festival and hopefully get involved as the festival continues to grow.

On Oct. 4, TIGLFF’s Queer Youth COntinueD On PG. 14 | uu |

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13

tampa bay news

Tampa Pride sets ambitious fundraising goal Steve Blanchard

T

ampa | $70,000. That’s the amount of money Tampa Pride must raise before Feb. 1, 2015, to make the return of Tampa Pride a reality. And Tampa Pride president Carrie West is optimistic the organization will reach that goal through the generosity of the LGBT community and its supporters, not only locally, but nationally.

“We’re already getting a lot of smaller donations from outside of the area, and we haven’t really advertised,” West said.

Currently, Tampa Pride Inc., which is a completely different organization run by different people than its 1990s predecessor, is operating under the 501c3 paperwork of the GaYbor District Coalition, which formed in 2007 and transformed Ybor City into a safer, LGBT-friendly entertainment destination. West is hopeful that the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County will remember the impact the coalition had on the area during the recession, and help with some of the expense of the inaugural pride, which is set for Saturday, March 28.

Tampa Pride is comparing itself to the Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and has even modeled its 1 p.m. parade to follow the same route along 7th Avenue. A vendor festival is planned from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 8th Avenue between 14th and 17th streets.

“We told [the City of Tampa] what we’re doing and used the St. Patrick’s Day Parade’s numbers,” West explained. “They got back to us with the price point of $70,000 that we have to come up with before we can have the parade in Tampa. It’s going to take a lot of effort.”

West hopes both governmental organizations will offer some kind of assistance—but so far, neither has.

The March 28 day is set, and when asked about a contingency plan in case fundraising falls short, West said he’s remaining optimistic that Tampa Pride will move forward as planned.

Much of the community, when it learns about Tampa Pride, immediately think it’s a spin-off of St. Pete Pride.

West wants to correct that misunderstanding.

“This is a separate, new entity,” West said. “And we picked the spring so it doesn’t conflict with other large prides.”

Tampa Pride will hold an official launch party on Friday, Sept. 26, at The Honey Pot on 7th Avenue from 6-10 p.m. A $10 donation requested at the door will gain entry and access to some provided food, West said.

Anyone interested in donating to Tampa Pride may do so through the Tampa Pride Facebook page, where a link to a Go Fund Me account is available. Those interested in helping with planning of Tampa Pride 2015 can attend the open board meetings held the first Tuesday of every month at the Hampton Inn in Ybor City. Those meetings begin at 6 p.m.

A website with more information will hopefully be up and running by the first of October, West added.

14

| uu | TIGLFF 2014 from pg.12

Program begins at 10 a.m. with a free showing of G.B.F. followed by a Show & Tell with filmmaker Lucas Omar, a complimentary lunch, music and activities geared specifically for LGBT youth. The program ends at 1 p.m.

Reflecting on history

Throughout the year, TIGLFF holds monthly screenings. This year, the organization has featured some of the more classic films featured in previous festivals. That feeling of nostalgia continues into the nineday celebration of LGBT cinema as TIGLFF hosts a special panel Oct. 5, at 2:45 p.m.

“We have a screening of Letter to Anita,” Murray said. “After that movie, we have a free panel discussion to talk about why it’s so important that organizations achieve and preserve LGBT history. This film talks about the Letter to Anita campaign that had a huge impact on the entire state.

We need to make sure we document those things.”

Panelists scheduled to participate at the Tampa Theatre include Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith, filmmaker Andrea Myerson, USF special collections’ Merrell Dickey and Watermark founder Tom Dyer.

“Everyone who lives locally—or internationally—is invited to attend,” Murray said. “We have invited a lot of familiar faces to come back to the festival and the opening party and we have had a large community help us over the years. There will be a reunion feel, I think, throughout the festival.”

The two sides of tech

A lot has changed since those early days of the festival. When it began in 1989, there were no restaurants or bars downtown near the Tampa Theatre and Murray remembers bringing food to the projectionist, who couldn’t leave his post.

“This was back in the days of 35 mm film and we had to carry 20 70-pound films every day,” Murray recalled. “Now you have DVDs, streaming movies and digital downloads.”

Now, films arrive via email inboxes or in small boxes of DVDs, making set up and screenings much easier to manage.

watermark Your lgbt life.

But with that technology comes competition. Many LGBT films are available on Netflix or other online sources. But the experience of those films just isn’t the same on the home television or laptop, Murray said.

“Part of it is that you can’t always get these films with friends,” Murray said. “You can’t always watch with a lot of friends or have a party afterward. I think that’s one important aspect. The other is just being able to sit and see a film that you wouldn’t necessarily watch on Netflix—maybe a documentary before or after a larger feature that you came to see.”

Murray added that the homeviewing experience also lacks the interaction with the film’s stars and creators, which is a big component of TIGLFF. “This year we really offer a wide range of films,” Murray said. “And we’re bringing 10-12 filmmakers to speak to our audience. It is truly an experience, and we offer the party atmosphere to accompany the great films.”

through Oct. 9.

Films will also be screened at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts.

“It’s important that we leverage our resources,” Murray said. “It makes sense for us to be at certain venues, so the films we’re showing at the museum are documentaries on Susan Sontag and Alice Walker on Oct. 9.”

For a full lineup of films and a schedule of events, visit TIGLFF. com or pick up an official program distributed at LGBT establishments around Tampa Bay.

It’s not lost on the TIGLFF board that two major metropolitan areas are interested in each years’ slate of films. The festival pulls fans from Tampa and St. Petersburg. While it’s true that the hub of activity surrounding TIGLFF each year is the Tampa Theatre, there is an ongoing effort to reach into Pinellas County each October.

“So much of our audience is in St. Pete now that when we do our website analytics, half of it is St. Pete visitors and the other half is Tampa,” Murray said. “It’s a really close split and it’s something we need to explore.”

That’s why TIGLFF has partnered with freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg this year, where nearly 20% of this year’s lineup will be screened.

“We showed our first film there back in February and the response was incredible,” Murray said of the partnership. “I programmed an outdoor film series there called Movies That Move and I saw the beautiful chapel they have there that isn’t used that often. It was the first pick for our monthly film series. It’s a really beautiful campus and a venue that was suited for showing films. It made perfect sense.”

Films will be shown at the theater at 6099 Central Avenue Oct. 5

10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Free Queer Youth & Allies Celebration featuring G.B.F.

Reaching across the bay

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

TIGLFF 2014 Schedule of Highlights Friday, Oct. 3

6 p.m.-Midnight: Street party in front of the Tampa Theatre 8 p.m.: Blackbird—free screening of opening film

Saturday, Oct. 4

6:30 p.m.: John Waters Live 8 p.m.-Midnight: Mondo Trasho Party 9 p.m.: Naked. Sordid.

Reality. featuring Del Shores live

Sunday, Oct. 5 2:45 p.m.: Letter to Anita followed by LGBT retrospective panelist discussion

Wednesday, Oct. 8 6-8 p.m.: Celebrate 20 years of Watermark at The Crumb & Cork 9 p.m. Open Up to Me

Thursday, Oct. 9 6:30 p.m. Susan Sontag and Alice Walker documentaries at St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art

Saturday, Oct. 11 7:30-9 p.m. Closing Night Reception 9 p.m. Eat With Me

tampa bay news

sayinG GooDbye to ‘GranDma rutH’ Steve Blanchard

l

argo | The first time Steven Pearson met ‘Grandma Ruth’ Dallmann, it was her 80th birthday and she rode into the Pro Shop Pub in Clearwater on top of a Harley. The last time he saw her—two weeks before she passed away peacefully on Sept. 13—the bartender at the long-surviving LGBT bar served Dallmann her favorite drink: a vodka cranberry.

“She was one of those people that if you were a new person in the bar, she knew you before you left,” recalled Pearson, a manager at Pro Shop. “She was so unique.”

Dallman, who was 97, will be buried alongside her husband, Robert Dallmann, and is survived by her two sons, Michael R. (Linda) Dallmann and Patrick J. (Ann) Dallmann, numerous grand children, great-grandchildren and friends throughout Tampa Bay. According to her family,

Dallmann didn’t become acquainted with the LGBT community until her late 70s, when she began battling macular degeneration, which forced her to lose much of her eyesight. In 1992, Dallmann was riding a bus to get to her exercise program when she met a young gay man, Paul Wells. Wells introduced Dallmann to his friends in the LGBT community and soon “Grandma Ruth” was born.

Dallmann became a staple at St. Pete Pride and only missed two of the event’s 12 years. She eventually became a regular on Pro Shop Pub’s Pride float, riding in the air-conditioned cab and waving over a sign attached to the door that proudly stated her name and her age.

“She loved St. Pete Pride and the gay community, but she always wanted to be on the float,” said Pearson. “This year she got to ride on the actual float because the parade was held at night. It was like fate that it was a night parade this year. She had a wonderful time.”

eDwarD wHite to close Staff Report

a final boW: “Grandma Ruth Dallmann” finally got to ride on thepro shop pub float in 2014 since the parade was held at night. PHOTO By JAKE STEvEnS Pearson is confident that Dallmann was prepared to reunite with her husband.

“No one was ever more at peace with death,” Pearson recalled. “She was ready to be with her husband.

She said when she gets buried she wants to be face down on top of him.”

Services for Dallman were held Sept. 20, at Sylvan Abbey in Clearwater.

sT. peTersburg | Seven months after holding a town hall meeting to reach directly to the LGBT community, Edward White Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg will shutter its doors. Owner HCA West Florida announced the decision to close the hospital in a statement Sept. 23.

It cited operational expenses, a significant rise in unoccupied hospital beds and the age of the hospital.

“Therefore, we have made the decision that the community would benefit most if further investment is focused on consolidating Edward White’s clinical services with those of our other facilities in the area,” HCA West Florida president Peter Marmerstein said in a statement. Other facilities include Northside Hospital, Palms of Pasedena Hospital and St. Petersburg General Hospital.

Edward White Hospital should close before Nov. 24.

It’s unclear what will happen to the staff of Edward White when the hospital closes its doors, but the statement by Marmerstein said HCA West Florida will do its best to place those employees in other facilities.

The statement says 85% of hospital employees should find similar jobs at other area HCA facilities.

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Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

15

state news

Equality leaders celebrate adoption ban anniversary with renewed push for marriage equality

Miami-Dade County HRO transgender amendment passes first reading

Staff Report

Staff Report

M

iami | Miami-Dade County Commission is moving forward an amendment that would add gender identity and expression to its current Human Rights Ordinance.

County Commission voted 10-0 at its Sept. 16 meeting on the first reading of the agenda item. Gina Duncan, Equality Florida Transgender Inclusion Director, spoke at the meeting about the importance of having gender identity added to the law.

A group of representatives from Equality Florida accompanied Duncan at the Miami Dade Commission meeting to support adding protections to the county’s HRO. This isn’t the first time this amendment has been brought up to the Miami-Dade County Commission. In August 2013, the County Commission was presented with an amendment to include gender identity and expression into its existing HRO. The amendment was sponsored by Commissioners Bruno Barreiro and Audrey Edmonson, and also passed on its first reading with an 11-1 vote, but it did not make it past the first reading.

The amendment will now go to a second reading at a later date—yet to be announced—to be voted on and enacted.

Little known Libertarian gubernatorial candidate supports marriage equality Wire Report Jacksonville Beach | Libertarian Adrian Wyllie senses that voters are frustrated with their choices in this year’s governor’s race and is hoping they see him as a better alternative.

The campaign between Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist has been extremely negative and Wyllie is polling better than third-party candidates have in past years.

The 44-year-old Libertarian from Palm Harbor doesn’t have a lot of money to get his message out, but he has been getting increasing attention.

As a Libertarian, Wyllie has a conservative philosophy on government spending, taxes and regulations while supporting ideas like gay marriage, legalization of marijuana and protecting abortion rights. It’s a philosophy that appeals to some Democrats and some Republicans.

Still, political observers say he has little chance of winning.

16

T

alalhassee | Four years ago, Florida’s three decades-old ban on same-sex couples adopting children fell when then-governor Charlie Crist refused to appeal. That’s the motivation to keep fighting for marriage equality in Florida, leaders said in two separate press conferences held on Sept. 22.

The two phone conferences, held in Tallahassee and Miami, featured Nadine Smith of Equality Florida; George Sheldon, a Democrat running for Florida Attorney General; and Martin Gill, the plaintiff in the historic adoption case four years ago.

Smith wasted no time attacking Attorney General Pam Bondi’s ongoing appeals to uphold Florida’s ban on same-sex marriages and Gov. Rick Scott’s support of those appeals. “(They) have decided to continue to inflict harm on my family and on hundreds of thousands of people across the state of Florida,” said Nadine Smith, who is raising a son with her partner. “There is no one who believes in equality and justice

who can stand behind Attorney General Pam Bondi.”

As a Tampa legislator, Sheldon voted against the adoption ban in 1977 when lawmakers approved it.

After it was overturned, Sheldon was secretary of the state Department of Children and Families when then-Gov. Charlie Crist chose not to appeal the decision. If elected attorney general, Sheldon said he’d drop the appeals on gay marriage.

“Children need loving parents, and it doesn’t matter if those parents are two women or two men, or a single parent,” Sheldon said in a statement.

“It is time we all not only accept that, but embrace it as part of what America is.”

In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times and Bay News 9, Bondi has said she has “many gay friends” but wouldn’t say if she personally supports same-sex marriage. She has consistently said it is her job as attorney general to uphold the state Constitution, which had a voter-approved amendment added in 2008 banning marriage equality in the state.

So far this year, five Florida judges have overturned Florida’s ban,

including federal Judge Robert Hinkle, who called it an “obvious pretext for discrimination.”

Bondi had hoped to wait for a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the matter and bypass the State Court. That is unlikely, and unfair, according to Gill.

Gill recounted the time Sheldon called him four years ago to tell him the state wouldn’t appeal.

“It brought us tears of joy,” Gill said during the conference.

At the time, Bondi was running for attorney general against Democrat Dan Gelber. Gays should be able to adopt, said Gelber, who praised the decision. Bondi refused to say then if she personally supported the ban, but said she would appeal it.

Bondi has since been more specific.

“I’m not against gay adoption,” Bondi said earlier this month.

She said voters had approved the marriage ban. The adoption ban was merely a law passed by the Legislature.

Smith wasn’t impressed.

“Attorney General McCollum and Gov. Crist chose not to appeal and the (gay adoption) ban fell,” Smith said. “She cannot pretend her hands are tied.”

have been put on hold while appeals are pursued.

The Supreme Court is the ultimate authority and “that court has held that a traditional definition of marriage does not implicate federal due process or equal protection,” according to the motion.

Judges in four Florida counties— Palm Beach, Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward—have overturned the ban.

A federal judge has also overturned the ban. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle in Tallahassee ruled on Aug. 21 that the ban violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. Hinkle issued a stay delaying the effect of his order, pending possible appeals.

The latest Florida ruling came in a pair of lawsuits brought by gay couples seeking to marry in Florida and others who want to force Florida to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other states.

Bondi’s motion argues that the

question is not whether the gay marriage ban is a good policy, but whether the ban rationally relates to a legitimate state interest.

The issue “is whether a challenger can demonstrate that there is not even a conceivable reason for Florida voters to define marriage as they have.”

Bondi, a Republican, has appealed previous rulings striking down the ban. Hinkle’s ruling allows time for appeals in the federal case. Bondi wants the Florida cases to remain on hold pending a definitive national ruling on gay marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court.

No marriage licenses have been issued so far as the cases have either been appealed or judges have issued a stay to delay the effect of the ruling.

The Florida Supreme Court recently declined an appellate court’s request to consider the constitutionality of the state’s gaymarriage ban.

Florida Attorney General appeals marriage rulings Wire Report Tallahassee | Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed appeals late Sept. 12 on several rulings overturning the state’s ban on gay marriage.

The motion argues the sole legal issue is the constitutional validity of the state ban and any changes should come from voters, not the courts. Florida voters approved the ban in 2008.

Bondi’s office said the agency joined the appeals to promote an orderly and consistent resolution after several judges around the state recently overturned Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. Bondi has asked judges to stop ruling on same-sex marriage cases until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether states can ban gay marriage. A number of similar rulings around the country

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nation+world news

Head of Serb church denounces gay pride march Wire Report

B

elgrade, Serbia | The head of Serbia’s influential Christian Orthodox church denounced a gay pride march planned for Sept. 28, adding to tensions over the event, which has faced threats from extremists.

Patriarch Irinej said in a statement that the “shameless” event casts a moral shadow on Serbia—a conservative Balkan country whose gay population has faced harassment.

Officials have suggested they could allow the Sunday event

despite fears of a repeat of the violence in 2010 when right-wing groups attacked a pride march in Belgrade, triggering clashes with police that left more than 100 people injured. Authorities banned gay rights marches planned for the following three years, citing security reasons.

Holding the march is seen as a test of Serbia’s pledge to respect human rights as it seeks European Union membership.

Irinej said that the pride organizers “and their mentors from Europe” haven’t learned the lesson from the past marches, adding that “a great majority” of Serbs are against holding the event.

“Thousands of policemen will have to be brought to Belgrade,” he said, adding that they face the threat of injury and death.

Several far-right groups, which include soccer hooligans, have announced anti-gay marches in the capital a day before the pride event.

Police said Sept. 23 they have filed charges against eight people who had made threats against gays on social media.

“Police are here to secure the safety of all citizens,” said Milorad Todorovic, the police officer in charge of cyber crime. “I hope the pride event will be held on Sunday.”

Mitchell Reich and Patrick Pearsall in the Washington suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Sept. 22 that the same-sex ceremony was the first at which Kagan officiated.

Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have previously

officiated at the wedding of gay and lesbian couples, including at the Supreme Court. Ginsburg most recently performed the wedding of Washington theater director Molly Smith.

The court could decide in its upcoming term whether same-sex couples nationwide have the right to marry under the Constitution.

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan performs her first same-sex wedding Wire Report

Washington | Justice Elena Kagan has officiated for the first time at a same-sex wedding, a Maryland ceremony for her former law clerk and his husband.

Kagan presided on Sept. 21 over the wedding of former clerk

Philadelphia police commissioner supports charges over gay couple’s injuries Wire Report Philadelphia | Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey believes that at least some people should be charged in a highprofile altercation that left two gay men injured.

Detectives were presenting their findings Monday to prosecutors, Ramsey told The Philadelphia Inquirer. District Attorney Seth Williams is expected to make the final decision on whether to file charges over the alleged assault, which involved a gay couple in their late 20s and about a dozen young men and women leaving a downtown restaurant.

“We feel that there is sufficient

evidence to have charges placed against some of the individuals there,” Ramsey told the newspaper.

Police initially called the case a potential hate crime, but Pennsylvania’s hate-crime statute does not cover crimes motivated by anti-gay bias.

“Obviously, in my opinion, (that) needs to change,” Ramsey said.

Detectives have been interviewing some of those involved in the Sept. 11 encounter as well as witnesses. Others have declined to cooperate.

The victims have said the group hurled gay slurs and some threw punches that left one of them with a broken orbital bone and a wired jaw.

Defense lawyer Louis Busico,

Anti-gay Tennessee billboard stirs religion debate The Tennessean reported that an anti-gay billboard flashed a message to a town just north of Nashville reading: “You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. It is an abomination. — God.” The sign says it is “paid for by concerned Christians.” Portland resident Ronny Monday helped initiate the placement of the billboard, but there are many other residents and people who see the sign as a form of bullying that could have negative effects on young people struggling to find their own identity.

HRC forms Nebraska chapter The Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign will form a Nebraska chapter called HRC Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. Organizers said it will push for laws that protect people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.

“There is simply no excuse for Nebraskans to discriminate against their neighbors,” said Brad Clark, director of programmatic development for the campaign. The organization said about one in five LGBT people in Nebraska report experiencing employment discrimination and about two in five say they’ve been harassed at work.

Ginsburg: Keep an eye on 6th Circuit Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said on Sept. 16 that cases pending before the circuit covering Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee—which fall into the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals—would probably play a role in the high court’s timing. She said “there will be some urgency” if that appeals court allows same-sex marriage bans to stand. Such a decision would run contrary to a legal trend favoring gay marriage and force the Supreme Court to step in sooner, she predicted. She said if the appeals panel falls in line with other rulings there is “no need for us to rush.”

French court extends adoption rights to lesbians

who represents one member of the group under investigation, acknowledges that an apparent argument broke out and “got physical.”

“However, this altercation was in no way driven by any individuals’ sexual orientation,” Busico said.

“Unfortunately, assaults happen all the time.”

A security video of the large group strolling downtown was posted online by police and led amateur sleuths to identify some of them as former students at Archbishop Wood High School. One man has since stepped down as a part-time basketball coach at the Catholic school.

watermark Your lgbt life.

in other news

France’s highest court has ruled that married lesbians are allowed to adopt their partner’s child born through in vitro fertilization or other medically assisted reproduction. The Cour de Cassation’s ruling is a consequence of the legalization of gay marriage in France last year. The court ruled Sept. 23 that married lesbians may adopt children born by their partners through assisted reproduction performed outside of France.

Louisiana marriage ban ruled unconstitutional A Louisiana judge has ruled that the state’s ban on samesex marriage is unconstitutional because it violates equal protection rights. KLFY-TV reported that Judge Edward Rubin ruled Sept. 22 that the ban violated the 14th Amendment and the constitutional requirement that states give “full faith and credit” to each other’s laws. The decision stems from a couple’s lawsuit said the state should recognize their marriage, which took place in California.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

19

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Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

viewpoint

MEDIA Jamie Hyman ONLINE DIRECTOR

ally aGenDa Playing chicken

i

don’T even liKe chicK-fil-a

that much. I mean, obviously I have some issues with their politics. But even before I knew that was a thing, I couldn’t figure out what the fuss was about. Chick-fil-A offers a mediocre chicken sandwich with waffle fries that are fine, but give me Beefy King tater tots any day.

My husband, on the other hand, loves Chick-fil-A. I remember when Dan Cathy made his anti-gay comments in 2012, my husband looked at me sadly and said, “I can’t eat it any more, can I?” I told him it’s up to him, but Chick-fil-A makes charitable donations to a bunch of anti-gay organizations and he needs to know that if he’s spending money there, he’s helping to fund those organizations.

He’s an ally, too, and he loves our LGBT friends so my husband decided to give up the chicken.

Now, we’re talking about Chick-fil-A again, but for a change, it’s not because of any actions from the corporate level—it’s because organizers of Come Out With Pride, Orlando’s annual Pride event slated for Oct. 11—have accepted a donation of Chick-fil-A food for COWP volunteers.

When that information came out, Rick Claggett, Watermark’s publisher, sidled up to my desk and asked, “Is it okay to eat Chick-fil-A again?”

I told him I’d look into the current state of Chick-fil-A’s donations, but it made me think. Even though accepting a donation doesn’t directly fund the haters, it does tacitly demonstrate some level of approval, to publicly eat their food at a Pride event.

“So what should I do if someone walks up to me and hands me a sandwich?” Rick asked.

“Throw it to the ground!” I joked.

“And stomp on it!” Rick laughed.

Clearly, we were kidding and grinding chicken sandwiches into the cobblestones isn’t productive. But

this sponsorship has raised the question for many—if Chick-fil-A continues to be anti-gay at the national level, but supports local Pride events, is it okay to eat there again?

Thinking it would be useful to find out how the sponsorship came about, I called Mikael Audebert, the executive director of COWP. Audebert told me that they reach out to Chick-fil-A every year, and this year, their district marketing manager was open to participating. According to Audebert, they’re limiting their participation to the food donation because one, the local employees are committed to a 5K event already that day and two, he suggested Chick-fil-A ease into Pride.

“I recommended that they come to Pride and support and sponsor in a more subtle manner so that we could gage the interest and start the conversation with them,” Audebert said. “Next year will probably be easier for them to participate fully in Pride.”

So why the sudden change of heart from Chickfil-A in 2014?

I reached out to the regional marketing director, Cindy Coffman, to try to find out. Unfortunately, she is out of town and was unable to speak to me, but she did tell me in an email that they were “happy to accommodate” the COWP food request.

“As you can imagine, we receive hundreds of food donation requests in any given year due to the fact our restaurant operators are so active in the Orlando community,” Coffman wrote.

“While we can’t accommodate every request that comes in, we fortunately were able to do the COWP food donation when [COWP] reached out to us. We were glad to be able to help!”

That doesn’t shed much light on why this donation is happening, and without that light, it’s hard to make a judgment call on where to go from here.

Here is what we do know.

Since 2003, Chick-fil-A has

watermark Your lgbt life.

given more than $8 million to anti-gay groups, with a focus on organizations fighting marriage equality. In 2012, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy made several comments essentially stating that he and his company support hetero-only marriage, which put those donations in the

has backed off of its anti-LGBT acts. It’s a little complicated because they’ve created two foundations for charitable donations, but based on tax filings from 2012, it appears Chick-fil-A has ceased funding to all anti-gay organizations.

If news breaks that Chickfil-A used a sub-group to

point—even though the chain no longer backs it up with cash, it’s easy to assume that the company’s leadership still only believes in the biblical definition of family.

Chick-fil-A is a symbol, kind of like how the Confederate flag doesn’t mean the person displaying it is racist, but

forefront and sparked outrage and boycotts among LGBT supporters. Right after that, hundreds of thousands of super gross people lined up outside of Chick-fil-As across the nation to purchase chicken sandwiches and shove them down their gullets in the name of anti-gay solidarity.

Despite that show of support for their chosen brand of bigotry, Chick-fil-A

make a donation to an antiequality cause, I won’t exactly die from shock, but based on the information publicly available right now, it looks like the company has mostly mended its ways.

That does not, however, change the past. Earlier this month, a California high school principal rejected a similar donation from Chick-fil-A based on its politics. She has a

it remains a symbol of the South’s racist past.

Audebert thinks we should forgive and move forward.

“If nothing comes out of it, you know what? The best we can do is try,” he said.

It’s a clear conclusion for me—I don’t like their food, so I wouldn’t eat it either way.

The rest of you Chick-fil-A fans, however, have a tougher decision to make.

If Chick-fil-A continues to be anti-gay at the national level, but supports local pride events, is it okay to eat there again?

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

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watermark Your lgbt life.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

viewpoint

rick claggett

W O r D s

to liVe by honored

i

T Was mid-november

2013 when Tom Dyer began the discussion with me that I might one day replace him as publisher of Watermark. A few happy expletives and a multitude of emotions flooded my thoughts. The most prevalent among them was “honored.”

I felt honored that the man by whose side I worked for more than 12 years trusted me with his baby, honored that the godfather of gay royalty had chosen me to carry out his legacy, and honored that I would get to work closely with this community in telling the story of our ongoing, yet-to-bewritten history.

My love affair with the LGBT community began in the summer 1991. That’s when, at age 16, I decided to stop fighting the fact that I was gay. I was the pizza-faced sophomore drama kid at Winter Park High that used humor in every situation to mask the internal struggle that too many LGBT teenagers face.

I was definitely a product of the ‘80s. Nancy Reagan said one drag from a joint would turn you into a junkie and I believed her. The world said homosexuality was depraved and I believed that, too.

One carefully planned Saturday morning, I waited for my parents to leave the house before taking the city bus to Gay & Lesbian Community Services on Colonial Drive. Based on my misconceptions of the gay community, I expected to walk into a building that resembled a Turkish

bathhouse from a movie I once saw. I thought that’s what gay people did.

I paced the streets for almost an hour before working up the nerve to walk up to the door. A huge sense of relief overcame me as I pulled the handle and the door was locked. At the time I had no concept that volunteers probably did not work that early on a Saturday.

I scurried home and decided to try to connect to the gay community in a more passive way—the telephone. There were two listings in the phone book: Gay & Lesbian Community Services and Gay Plumbing.

Now, of course, the older sophomore in me snickers when I read that, but the more serious kid that day called GLCS. That phone call changed the course of my life. It introduced me to the Delta Youth Alliance and I was in awe. Certainly I expected to meet people like me, but an entire group of gay youth in 1991?

Finally I had an outlet.

Sadly, I discovered something new about myself in the first few meetings: I was incredibly shy.

Most of the kids in the group were outgoing, good-looking freedom fighters. This proved to be so intimidating to me.

Enter Jeff Horn, my first gay role model. Jeff was a founder of DYA, as we called it back then. He wasn’t just a mentor to me, he was my gay dad. Jeff taught me to play tennis and took interest in my life.

I remember vividly the day Jeff came to me and said I could be anything I wanted.

It seems simple now but it meant so much. It was the first time a gay man, passionate about his work, told this gay kid that he had a future. This was my first anchor in this community.

Jeff wasn’t the only mega-mentor I would meet through DYA. In 1994, Tom Dyer,

watermark Your lgbt life.

a mentor in the group, announced he would leave his position to start a newspaper for the local LBGT community. At the time I had no idea that this would be my second anchor and how influential Tom would become in my life.

Just over six years later I would start my career

as the administrative assistant. Shortly after that I found myself volunteering as a board member for the Metropolitan Business Association. Meeting then-president, Debbie Simmons, is without a doubt the third anchor.

Debbie certainly taught me the value in selflessness.

This connection also led

responsibility.

Tom has taught me patience, compassion and understanding. He has taught me the business of community service.

My passion for Watermark is deeply rooted in both my personal history and Tom’s bedrock principles. The foundation of what we do is to provide

with Watermark. I had just moved back to Orlando from a three-year stay in New York City. Following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, I decided Orlando was where I wanted to be. If the world was going crazy then I wanted to be home with the people who raised me.

I began at Watermark

me to become a founding member of Come Out Pride.

Outside of Watermark, this is the accomplishment in which I am most honored to have had a helping hand.

In 2005, I was elevated to Watermark’s business manager, then chief financial officer and now publisher. Filling the shoes of Tom Dyer is a huge

a medium for your story.

This is what you can expect from me.

I look forward to celebrating what is good about our community while we fight for what is inalienable. I am honored to help you tell the story of your LGBT life.

I look forward to celebrating what is good about our community while we fight for what is inalienable.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

23

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Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

83

talking points

As an elected official, disclosing this personal health decision was a hard but necessary choice.

%

OF DUTCH RESIDENTS

SAY THE NETHERLANDS IS

THE BEST PLACE FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS TO LIVE.

Iceland was a close second with 82% answering favorably and canada was third with 80%.

Of united States respondents, 70% responded favorably.

—according to a recent gallup poll.

—scoTT Wiener, san francisco’s disTricT 8 laWmaKer Who publicly said he’s TaKing Truvada To reduce his risK of hiv infecTion.

GOD lOves Gays, WitH Or WitHOut BillBOarDs

l

asT monTh, lgbTs celebraTed a small Win when a “God loves gays” sign appeared next door to the hateful, anti-LGBT Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. More signs are in the works, but they haven’t gone up yet because a Utah billboard company said, “no thanks.”

According to Buzzfeed, the company that owns the billboards, Reagan Outdoor Advertising, rejected the ads because of their controversial nature. General manager Dewey Reagan told the site that it was a business decision and went on to say the company is an equal opportunity employer. The “Facebook God” personality is behind the ad campaign, and has stressed the importance behind the message, especially for LGBT youth. The fight, no doubt, isn’t over, since a massive amount of money has been raised to erect more billboards with the loving message.

t.a.t.u. sinGer: lesBians Okay, But nOt Gay men

W

hen russian T.a.T.u singer Julia volKova played “lesbian” in music video, she was seen as taking a stand against her home country’s anti-gay doctrines. However, the singer you’ve probably never heard of may not be so gay friendly after all. When asked if she would condemn her son if he was gay, her response was pretty direct: “I believe that a real man must be a real man. I won’t accept [a] gay son.” The performer is okay with lesbians, because two women “look aesthetically much nicer than two men holding her hand or kissing.

watermark Your lgbt life.

GrinDr POll On sCOttisH reFerenDum is tOtally aCCurate

b

elieve iT or noT, a random poll of grindr users nailed the outcome of the recent Scottish referendum asking voters if they wanted to secede from Great Britain. The poll of 635 Grindr users who were asked “Do you believe Scotland should be an independent country?” landed at a 55-45 percent split with “no” leading days before the vote. The actual voting outcome was 54-46 percent in favor of not seceding.

The independent poll was way more accurate than professional polling companies.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

sean Hannity: Gay is nOt nOrmal

a

noTher fox neWs anchor doesn’T liKe gays. Shocking, we know. But Sean Hannity wants to be clear that being gay is not normal. During his Sept. 16 radio show, Hannity expressed concerns that the federal government—who is investigating child abuse charges against Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson—could come in and tell parents they can’t tell their children that “gay is not normal.” Here’s what he said: “You guys want to tell parents what they can and cannot do — for example, is it going to become illegal if a parent teaches the politically correct view that being gay is not normal?”

25

Celebrate

1990–2014

Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival proudly salutes

John Waters for 50 years of cinematic achievement Please join us as we present him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work celebrating the queer community.

1990–2014

Saturday, October 4 | Tampa Theatre | 6:00 pm Featuring a live performance of This Filthy World: Filthier & Dirtier, Mr. Waters’ acclaimed one-man show.

Mondo Trasho Street Party afterward, featuring DJ “Lounge Laura” Taylor, food truck rally, and a book signing of his latest bestseller, Carsick.

Books for sale the day of the event!

26

watermark Your lgbt life.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

arts and entertainment

a reTurn of aunT sissy?: comedian and

writer Del Shores says a sequel to Sordid Lives is in the works. but A Very Sordid Wedding is still seeking funding.

T

Aaron Alper

ampa | When The

film Sordid Lives was released in 2000, it was an instant cult classic, especially among LGBTs. The self-labeled “Black comedy about white trash” made Del Shores a household name—at least in samesex-led households.

A

‘SORDID’ STORY

Del sHores brinGs His ‘sorDiD liVes’ tales to His stanD-up at tiGlff anD flaminGo.

watermark Your lgbt life.

Now, five years after his spin-off series was canceled by LOGO, Shores is doing standup to pay the bills, and he has two stops scheduled in Tampa Bay this October. He’ll appear at the Flamingo Resort on Friday, Oct. 3. On Saturday, Oct. 4, he’ll appear at the Tampa Theatre following the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival’s screening of Naked. Sordid.

Reality, a filmed version of his stand up.

He also has appearances scheduled in Wilton Manors and Fort Myers while he’s in the Sunshine State. But before beginning his tour, Shores took time to talk with Watermark about his shift to stand-up, the inspiration provided by his recent divorce, convincing his fellow Queer as Folk writers that his Southern upbringing is real, and those very true rumors about a Sordid sequel.

WATERMARK: sO tell us a little Bit aBOut tHe mOvie NAKED. SORDID. REALITY.

Del sHOres: This was my most successful tour. I always include ‘sordid’ in the title. I always say in the show ‘I’m the guy who is known for writing Sordid Lives,’ so I’d be stupid not to market myself that way. (laughs) I always include that word just in case. In fact, the other day I was the Grand Marshal of Calgary Pride in Canada and I’m passing by, and the sign says ‘Del Shores, Grand Marshal,’ and someone really loud goes, ‘Who the hell is Del Shores?’ And I feel like if it had said ‘author of Sordid Lives’ it would have helped. (laughs) The reality in the show is because I’m obsessed with reality shows; they’re my guilty pleasure and I actually act out, verbatim, a couple of scenes from the shows.

As for the naked part, I love the word ‘naked,’ I like being naked , but the show is about exposure, and

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

COntinueD On PG. 36 | uu |

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watermark Your lgbt life.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

9/5/14 9:29 AM

live music

Sibling Sounds

Crossing continents:

Twins Bec & Sebastian Ivanov leave their native Australia to perform at Come Out With Pride 2014.

T

Steve Blanchard

hey shared a womb, they shared

their coming out experience, and now they’ll share their inaugural trip to Florida in October.

The 30-year-old Australian fraternal twins Bec and Sebastian Ivanov will experience their firstever Come Out With Pride during their first trip to Orlando. And the timing is perfect—right at the height of their burgeoning music career.

The two gained a legion of fans after appearing on Australia’s version of the reality competition series The Voice, where they were chosen by coach Ricky Martin during the blind auditions. While the pair didn’t win the second season of

the show, it did launch them into international stardom.

“I said to myself, let’s use this as a platform for us to get people to know who we are and what we’re all about,” Sebastian says during a video call alongside his sister from the home the siblings share in Australia.

“It was so fantastic to use the show as that platform and really expose Bec & Sebastian as who we are. Of course, our eyes were always on the goal, but we saw it as a launching point.”

The show was a big step for Bec,

watermark Your lgbt life.

Gay twins Bec & Sebastian are ready for COWP

who didn’t have the experience her brother had in the music industry. Surprisingly, The Voice helped Bec achieve confidence in her performance skills, something she lacked prior to the televised exposure.

“I never sang in front of people in my life,” Bec says. “My parents heard me two years ago and here I threw myself into it and started on a national singing competition.

What better way to help me with my confidence?”

The twins, who are both gay, are two of four children and Sebastian is five minutes younger than his twin sister. Their brother, who is four years older, is also gay. So when the twins came out, the family handled it well.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

“I remember at a wedding I started talking with my sister and saying, ‘so this guy I’ve been hanging out with, he’s not just my best mate...’” Sebastian says. “She said to me, ‘I have a crush on this girl.’ So we revealed it to each other at the same time, knew it was okay, then agreed to not tell mom just yet.”

Eventually, they told their parents they were gay—and the world. In fact, the pair has had to adjust to the fame afforded them from the show and their growing concerts.

“It’s been a positive,” Sebastian says of their adjustment to fame.

“In the show we were aware of the challenges. They see all of this excitement of being on TVF and hanging out with Ricky Martin.

Continued on pg. 34 | uu |

29

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watermark Your lgbt life.

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

film

Taking a stand

Victimized ties horror, thriller and drama elements to gay characters

On the edge:

Writer, star and director Michael Kenneth Fahr plays a young gay man who is bullied to the breaking point in Victimized.

H

Christal Hayes

ow much abuse can one person

take? That’s exactly the question that’s answered in Victimized, an independent film premiering at the Clearwater Cinema Cafe on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Michael Kenneth Fahr began work on the film in 2002 as a college student. The original version was very short, but the Connecticut native says he knew he always wanted to extend it into a full-length feature.

Victimized tells the story of Matt Miller, a gay teen who feels all his problems and insecurities stem from his brother and his constant bullying.

One night Matt snaps and decides that instead of killing himself out of depression, he is going to get rid of his brother and, in effect, erase his problems.

“It feels really great to finally be able to share it with everyone, but I’m slightly terrified,” says Fahr, who celebrates his birthday the same night

as the debut.

Fahr not only wrote and directed the film—he also stars as Matt. Fahr, who is also gay, says his character isn’t mentally stable because of the constant bullying and persecution from everyone, especially his own brother about his sexuality, among many other things. Matt feels victimized—hence, the film’s title— and takes matters into his own hands.

“When I recently let a friend watch the film, they made a good point that I never thought about,” Fahr says.

“He said it was the first time in a gay film where he remembered the main character really doing something about the situation they were in, instead of just taking it and beating

watermark Your lgbt life.

themselves up over it.”

Fahr also said that he thinks this film is different than others with gay characters because its theme is a mix of horror, thriller and drama, which you don’t often see involving gay characters.

“The film isn’t about him ‘being gay’ or ‘coming out;’ the story is just about him and his feelings and his family and what happens to all of them that night he decides to take matters into his own hands,” Fahr says.

Fahr says the script and characters have evolved over the years, especially Matt, who was originally a heterosexual character.

“Originally when it was written for my story development class back in 2002, there were only four characters, and Matt was actually straight,” Fahr recalls. “But to reference Walt Disney, to me, Matt is my Mickey and I feel that I know him inside and out and maybe in some weird way he is an altered, twisted version of myself. So, Matt evolved with me and years later when I went back into the script to turn it into a feature, characters were added, plot twists were changed and Matt, now like myself, ended up being gay.”

He was inspired to turn the short flick into a movie after meeting a fellow filmmaker, Dustin Hubbard, while working at Blockbuster Video while in college. Hubbard is the executive producer of Victimized.

“We got along instantly because of our love of movies and he was into independent horror-type of films,” Fahr says. “At the time I didn’t really know a whole lot about low budget films. He showed me a lot.”

Fahr began looking for actors to play the 10 characters in his script and began filming. He planned on filming in Connecticut, his home state, but had to cast the actors from Florida.

Casting turned out to be a bit difficult, especially with the lead character and script having a gay-focus.

“I had auditioned a handful of people that were all on board until they read the script,” Fahr says. “I guess they were offended by the story, language and Matt, which was never my intention in writing it. I was told that my story was homophobic, which

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to me is hilarious because if my lead character is gay and myself as the writer is gay, how can my story be homophobic?”

Cuyle Carvin plays Matt’s older brother, Josh. He was cast without meeting Fahr but said being a part of this movie was great and the cast, especially Fahr, worked really hard.

“I play the older brother to Michael’s character,” Carvin says. “I’m a jerk, I’m a bully—I say and do some pretty rotten things to him. Eventually I push him over the edge of his sanity and he takes revenge in a pretty awesome way that filming horror movies can allow.

“Michael is an awesome guy and I think he really made a great project to showcase himself. He was great on set and his performance is awesome.”

Fahr says he hopes his film will bring to light some of the ridicule the LGBT community deals with.

“Some of the rude things some of the characters in the movie say to

“Eventually I push him over the edge of his sanity and he takes revenge in a pretty awesome way that filming horror movies can allow.”

—Cuyle Carvin, who plays a bully in Victimized Matt or about Matt were once said to me,” Fahr says. “Over the past few years, there have been a lot of cases of bullying that have gotten a lot of publicity. That’s no different from what Matt went through. He was bullied to the point of snapping but, in his case, the bully was his own brother.”

Fahr said that he thinks that a person can only take so much before reaching their breaking point like how Matt reached his.

“It bares the question ‘Who is the real victim?’” Fahr asks “Who is the one really being victimized?”

more information

WHAT: Victimized WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 27 WHERE: Clearwater Cinema Cafe, 24095 US 19 North, Clearwater INFO: ClearwaterCinemaCafe.com

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407-245-1166 Dr. David Rice is now working with EOLA EYES

519 North Mills Avenue Orlando, FL 32803 TWo voices: gay siblings Bec & Sebastian Ivanov performed well enough on season 2 of The Voice Australia to get selected by coach ricky martin and move on in the competition.

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People ask us what he’s like. But the show is hard work. And it was fantastic because it kept us busy and it’s great doing something you completely love.”

The twins are still adjusting to getting recognized on the street.

“It’s interesting,” Sebastian laughs. “I wasn’t getting it much, but my sister was.”

Bec thinks she knows why “I think it was my tattoo,” she says. “I have a sleeve and they recognize it. Plus social media has helped. It was weird seeing yourself on the telly.”

Sebastian has a partner and Bec is currently single. Both understand that the other is old enough to find their own romantic connections, but admit they have high standards for each other’s love interests.

“I know what kind of person he is,” Bec says. “Anyone who comes into his life I have to approve of on some level.

But at the same time, as long as he’s fundamentally happy, that’s it. But if I don’t like someone or I have a gut feeling, it interferes with our relationship.”

Bec seems happy with her brother’s partner now, but admits, “I didn’t like one of the last ones.”

While the twins are both out, they see their sexuality as just a part of who they are. It does, however, influence some of their music.

“All of our songs come from personal experience, so yes, sexuality plays into that,” Bec says. “It all intertwines from past relationships and going through our sexuality and realizing things .”

The pair’s newest single, called “Barricade,” is dripping with personal stories of the twins’ sexuality.

“Because it’s about and to our exes,” Sebastian explains. “In the studio we’re channeling what we were feeling from that situation. It just came out. We definitely do pull from the experiences

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and our sexuality.”

But not all of their music is about heartbreak and relationships. Sebastian describes the music he and his sister create as “mainstream pop music.” But it’s not bubble pop, he says.

And it’s the music that keep the siblings compatible and enjoying life together. What they present on stage, Sebastian says, is a combination of styles.

“It’s a journey, I think,” Sebastian says of their stage performances. “With the set list we’ve got [for COWP], it’s tender to upbeat. Moments with mid-tempo and emotion flowing, others with beats. We’re not going to do anything ballady because we want to keep the entertainment factor and energy levels up.”

Bec and Sebastian will be accompanied by their drummer. Both siblings sing and Sebastian will also play the keyboard.

“Our drummer is gay also,” Sebastian explains. “So we’re bringing the gay family from Australia.”

Pride is a great way to celebrate not only who they are, but it’s a chance for Bec and Sebastian to showcase their talents to new crowds. In the not-toodistant future, the pair would like to live in the United States full time and travel the world.

“We’re not getting any younger, but this is an exotic time in our lives,” Bec says.

And the siblings hope to keep working together well into their careers.

“Basically, I want to make sure we get our material out there and get people really connecting with what we do,” Sebastian says. “I want to meet as many people as possible and grow as we go along this journey.”

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| uu | Del Shores FrOm PG.27

and telling the truth. I try to find the humor, and there’s a little bit of confession in it. i nOtiCeD tHat yOu talk a lOt aBOut usinG Pain in yOur WritinG. DO yOu tHink yOur DivOrCe (FrOm lOnG-time HusBanD anD star OF SORDID LIVES: THE SERIES JasOn DOttley) Will Be a mOtiF in Future WOrks?

I do. I think there is probably a play in me a little bit later on. It was a really painful part of my life. My first divorce was from a woman and it was all about me coming out and figuring out who I was. This one just came out of the blue. I had no idea it was coming. I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with this person. The departure happened in November 2011 and I had to be back on stage in January.

The night I got back on stage I was petrified. I don’t have nerves but I still have fear and I thought ‘Given what’s going on in my heart and soul am I going to be able to go out there and be funny?’ And it’s not like you can hide it. Everyone knows your shit, even when you’re marginally famous. But the show worked and it was a very cathartic night for me. There was just something about that laughter that was healing to me. anD i knOW yOu aren’t aFraiD tO sHit talk in yOur PerFOrmanCes eitHer. nOW, aBOut SORDID LIVES: THE SERIES. i HaD reaD tHat tHe PrODuCers GOt tOO GreeDy anD tHat’s WHy tHe series Wasn’t PiCkeD uP FOr a seCOnD seasOn. WHat Was GOinG On tHere?

It was either greed or stupidity, in my opinion. What happened was we had a hit series on Logo.

We had several financial partners.

The owner, the producer, the big mother load, if you will, was Once Upon a Time Films. The episodes had aired and they were successful.

The reviews were great and they were repeating them nonstop and Logo had ordered a second season at that point, but it was contingent on all the financial partners coming back together.

But the foreign company wasn’t on yet, as they were behind and were releasing things later than the Americans. So we were in a holding pattern, but while that was happening we started being owed residuals. Money wasn’t coming in

36

selling sordid sTories: Sordid Lives writer Del Shores started doing stand up when his popular logo series wasn’t renewed. now a film documenting his standup will show at the tampa international gay and lesbian film festival saturday, oct. 4, at 9 p.m. PHOTO By CHuCK MARCELO

so we said “Wait. We are on hold with you and you have to pay us so we can make a living while we wait for the second season.”

Well, he refused and because he refused the union stepped in and they all filed lawsuits against him, and that slaughtered the series because we were doing depositions, arbitrations, hearings. And no money was coming in, which is why I started doing stand-up, because

But tHere is a HaPPy enDinG, at least FOr us, anD i Guess FOr yOu Creatively is tHat SORDID is GOinG tO Have a Final inCarnatiOn.

Well, I was going to do two but after I finished writing A Very Sordid Wedding, I felt like it was finished. I know, never say never.

What I did was bring everything to 2014. It’s set on the date Peggy dies, 16 years after her death.

WHen yOu Were On QUEER AS FOLK, yOu PitCHeD a stOry in tHe Writer’s rOOm anD nOBODy BelieveD it aCtually HaPPeneD. i WanteD tO knOW iF tHat Was true Or nOt.

I was tied to a man who was not paying me.

What’s great is I’m able to write about equality and the journey that we’re on because there’s (switches into a deep Southern accent) a big anti-equality revival in town. (laughs) The banner literally says “Anti-Equality Revival Begins This Saturday!” and equality is not biblical, according to the pastor. I love the script and you get to see the evolution of the characters, especially Ty and him being in a relationship. And we are launching

they were going to use, but I would always get these emails from my relatives. I would bring them in and tell them, ‘Oh my god, you won’t believe this. My aunt went to my Uncle Cecil’s funeral and my cousin showed up in shackles and chains because he’s in prison,” and they would say, ‘Del, you’ve got to be making some of this stuff up!’

Well, one day I got an email from Aunt Rita. She said that my Uncle Humpty was in the hospital and they were going to amputate

an IndieGogo campaign (IGG.me/ at/AVerySordidWedding (http:// igg.me/at/averysordidwedding), if you are interested in that.

Well, it wasn’t that it was a story

I love the word ‘naked,’ I like being naked , but the show is about exposure, and telling the truth.

—del shores tHat’s insiDiOus.

It was horrible. It took two years and we won every single one and we were awarded, collectively, 2.7 million.

GOOD JOB!

Well, wait. That was on a Friday.

On Monday he filed for bankruptcy and we got nothing. So I’m not nearly as rich as people think I am! (laughs)

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his second leg; they had already amputated his first one from diabetes. She said, ‘You may want to call his hospital room.’ So I thought ‘Oh my god, I’m going to go to the writer’s room and see if they want to listen in.’

So I did, and I called my Uncle Humpty’s room and my Aunt Betty Ruth answers. She is the slowest talker on the planet. We’re all listening and she gives us the update on what’s going on. Now the foot had already come off, and I said ‘Is he alright?’ And she says (in a deep, female Southern accent), ‘Oh honey? Have you ever heard of phantom pain? It’s when you have a pain in your ankle but your ankle ain’t there anymore. Or you have a pain right below the knee but they cut off the leg right above the knee!’

Well, they were dying in the writer’s room and they never ever doubted me again.

more information

Who: Del Shores Where: Friday, Oct. 3 at Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg (727-321-5000); Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Tampa Theatre (TIGLFF.com)

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FREE EVENT

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eventplanner event planner

community calenDar

arts+entertainment

tamPa

OrlanDO The Landscape Show, sept. 25-27, orange county convention center, orlando.

407-685-9800; occc.net

tampa pride Launch party

Sylvia, sept. 25oct. 3, theatre downtown, orlando. 407-841-0083; theatredowntown.net

tampa pride is back and with a scheduled date of march 28, 2015, there’s not much time to raise the money needed to make the inaugural event a success. to kick off the fundraising, the Honey pot in Ybor city will host the tampa pride launch and cocktail party titled “out of the storm.” a $10 donation is requested at the door during the party, the theme of the 2015 will be revealed.

6-11 p.m., friday, sepT. 26 The honey poT, 1507 e. 7Th ave.

They’re Playing Our Song, sept. 25- oct. 4, Winter park playhouse, Winter park. 407-645-0145; Winterparkplayhouse.com A Midsummer Night’s Dream, sept. 25oct. 5, moonlight players, clermont. 352-243-5875; moonlightplayers.com Sweeney Todd, sept. 25oct. 5, garden theatre, Winter garden. 407-877-4736; gardentheatre.org Celebrating Hispanic Culture Art Exhibit, sept. 25-oct. 5, osceola center for the arts, kissimmee. 407-846-6257; ocfta.com Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, sept.

28, theatre downtown, orlando. 407-841-0083; theatredowntown.net Les Miserables sept. 28 -oct. 12 mafregson theater, orlando. 407-447-1700; orlandoshakes.org.

Orlando Ballet UNCORKED!, sept. 30, the abbey, orlando. 407-704-6261; abbeyorlando.com nick Swardson, oct. 1, bob carr performing arts center, orlando. 407-246-4262; orlandoVenues.net Citizen Cope, oct. 2, House of blues, orlando. 407-934-2583; Houseofblues.com/orlando.

Who’s Bad, oct. 3, House of blues, orlando. 407-934-2583; Houseofblues.com/orlando.

Future, oct. 3, cfe arena, orlando. 407-823-3070; cfearena.com The Who’s Tommy, oct.

3- nov. 2, the Zehngebotstonerock theatre, orlando. 407-297-8788; madcowtheatre.com.

st. PetersBurG

Taste It

2014 theatre tampa bay Awards 6:30 p.m., monday, ocT. 6 The palladium, 253 5Th ave. n. dress to impress and enjoy tampa bay’s best theatrical talents at the annual theatre tampa bay awards. this year’s show is co-hosted by the hilarious matthew mcgee and honors the achievements of tampa bay’s professional theaters during the 2013-14 season. it’s alsoa fundraiser. tickets are $25 through theatretampabay.org.

OrlanDO

comedian nick Swardson of comedy central fame stops by the straz center in tampa saturday, sept. 30 and the bob carr center in orlando on oct. 1. the funnyman has appeared in many comedy films and recently posted on twitter: “i’m not gay, but if (nY Jets’) eric decker wants to have a hot tub wrestling match on cialis, i’m fucking down.”

Rise Against, oct. 4, House of blues, orlando. 407-934-2583; Houseofblues.com/orlando.

Marc Anthony, oct. 5, amway center, orlando. 407-440-7000; amwaycenter.com.

Kevin James, oct. 5, bob carr performing arts centre, orlando. 407-246-4262; orlandoVenues.net

tamPa Super Boat and Seafood Festival, sept. 2628, clearwater beach, clearwater. 727-593-5536; clearwatersuperboat.com Lobster festival 2014, sept. 2628, suncoast primate sanctuary, palm Harbor. 727-943-5897; suncoastprimates.com

Arts Alive: free Museum Day, sept. 27, various museums, st. petersburg. 727-551-3250; stpete.org 3rd Annual SeptemBEERfest, sept. 27, southern brewing & Winemaking, tampa. 813-238-7800, Visittampabay.com nick Swardson, sept. 30, straz center, tampa. 813-229-7827; strazcenter.com.

Paddles up St. Pete, oct. 4, lake maggiore park, st. petersburg. 727-893-7326; Visitstpeteclearwater.com

sarasOta Adrian Ray, sept. 26, Van Wezel performing arts Hall, sarasota.

941-953-3368; VanWezel.com

Sweet Soul of Dixieland, Bluegrass, Ragtime & more, sept. 26, fogartyville community media and arts center, sarasota. 941-545-5635; sarasotapeacenter.org Peter Frampton, oct. 1, Van Wezel performing arts Hall, sarasota. 941-953-3368; VanWezel.com

community Awareness block party 12-6 p.m. saTurday, sepT. 27 Zebra coaliTion, 911 n. mills ave. the center, the Hope & Help center and the Zebra coalition will host a community awareness block party in the mills 50 district in honor of national gay men’s HiV awareness day. the free event offers rapid HiV testing, sti/std screenings and general health screenings from several community partners. the party is open to all ages.

3rd Annual black & White Gala

Billgrass, oct. 3, fogartyville community media and arts center, sarasota. 941-545-5635; sarasotapeacenter.org flip-flop Walk for Autism, sept.

27, J d Hamel park, sarasota.

813-240-3044; face-autism.org 20th Annual Downtown Sarasota Art & Craft festival, oct. 4-5, five points park, sarasota. 561-746-6615; artfestival.com

6 p.m., saTurday, ocT. 4 orlando museum of arT, 2416 n. mills ave. the black and white gala is the glbt center of central florida’a annual fundraiser. it is going to a beautiful evening of food, drinks, music and art after dark. all the money raised from the black and White gala goes directly to the center and stays locally within central florida.tickets start at $30.00.

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

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Tampa Bay 1- Names in lights: St. Pete Pride and Sarasota Pride get some major props on the Raymond James scoreboard during the first ever LGBT Gameday thrown by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sept. 14. Photo courtesy Cindy Barnes 2- Powerful lineup: (L-R) Bob Pope, Priya Rajkumar, Lorraine Langlois, Nadine Smith, Kathy Castor and Chris Rudisill pose for photos after Metro presented Smith and Castor with awards for their work on HIV/AIDS Awareness and equality issues at the Metro Gala in St. Petersburg Sept. 13. Photo by Aaron Alper

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3- Celebrate art: (L-R) Scott Durfee and George Medieros celebrate the opening night VIP reception of their Spatholicious: A Retrospective art show at Station No. 3 in St. Petersburg on Sept. 12. Photo by Steve Blanchard 4- Bring us Moore!: Monica Moore dances down the house at Bradley’s on 7th on Sept. 13. Photo courtesy Carrie West 5- Looking tight: Trevor Pettiford enjoys the festive atmosphere at Enigma in St. Petersburg on Sept. 20.

Photo courtesy Paul Kinchen of TinkerFluff.com

6- Reunited: Long-time friends Carla Vaughan and George Freiner, visiting from Missouri, enjoy each other’s company while at Butler’s Key West Bar in St. Petersburg Sept. 20. Photo by Steve Blanchard 7- Wild time: Entertainers dressed in “wild” gear entertain the crowd at Metro Wellness’ second annual gala held at One Progress Plaza in St. Petersburg. Photo by Aaron Alper

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8- It’s really her: Jenny McCarthy and husband Donnie Wahlberg greet guests at a party at Enigma in downtown St. Petersburg after the actress performed her stand-up at Clearwater’s Capitol Theatre Sept. 20.

Photo courtesy Paul Kinchen of TinkerFluff.com

Overheard Heeeeere’s Jenny!

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ne-time Playboy Playmate and former The View co-host Jenny McCarthy and her husband, Donnie Wahlberg, stopped by Enigma bar in St. Petersburg Sept. 20 to a packed crowd. Word of the celebrities making an appearance after McCarthy’s standup performance at Clearwater’s Capitol Theater spread quickly through social media and fans lined up for a chance to meet the power duo. McCarthy brought the star quality, appearing in sunglasses as she entered the bar. Paul Kinchen of TinkerFluff.com—who is also a regular photographer for Watermark—managed to arrange

the meeting through his connections in Pinellas County.

Pride hits Raymond James

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everal hundred LGBT football fans showed up for the inaugural LGBT Gameday at Raymond James stadium Sept. 14, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played host to the St. Louis Rams. The tailgate party in the parking lot gave organizations and friends a chance to exchange information and cook out while enjoying the festive atmosphere of pre-game excitement. Inside, a highlight was when the scoreboard sent a shout out to St. Pete Pride and Sarasota Pride, the organizations who helped

bring most of the LGBT attendees out to the event. Unfortunately it wasn’t all good news for local organizations. The Rams beat the Bucs 19-17.

Spathose Designs impresses Martha Stewart Scott Durfee and George Medeiros have caught Martha Stewart’s attention. Well, at least the attention of Martha Stewart Inc. The St. Petersburg artists are finalists in Stewart’s American Made competition. The annual online contest recognizes ingenuity and excellence in crafts, food, design and style. Winners get a trip to New York City, a spot in Stewart’s

watermark Your lgbt life.

American Made Market, a feature in Martha Stewart Living and $10,000 to grow their brand. Spathose builds wearable art and often use Palm Spathes for inspiration.

Fans of the art can vote by visiting MarthaStewart.com/AmericanMade and six votes are allowed per day per person. Voting continues through Oct. 13 and winners will be announced Oct. 17.

Nevets gets Tweeted by Griffin

F

or years, Lakeland entertainer Kathryn Nevets has made her audiences laugh with her spot-on lip-synch impersonation of

Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tob er 8 , 2014 // Issue 21. 20

comedian Kathy Griffin. The red wig, perfect makeup and black T-shirt have impressed judges as well, since she has used the act in several pageants—most recently to help secure Miss Comedy Queen 2014.

But Nevets got the biggest ego boost of her career earlier this month when the Kathy Griffin discovered the drag performer on Twitter.

Griffin posted a photo of Nevets in full-on impersonation mode with the note: “Luv this!” and “I ADORE you!!!!” Nevets only recently started using Twitter because of Facebook’s new enforcement of a rule forcing entertainers to use their real names.

Griffin is scheduled to perform in Tampa Bay and Lakeland in April 2015—and Nevets says she already has her tickets.

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ShotonSite 1

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orlando

1- THUMBS UP FOR EQUALITY: Orlando transgender activist Gina Duncan (third from right) travels to Miami-Dade to represent Equality Florida with (L-R) Rick Hill, Stratton Pollitzer, Steve Adkins, Jorge Richa and Tobias Packer in efforts to pass an amendment to the county’s HRO to include transgender rights and protections. Photo courtesy of Stratton Pollitzer’s Facebook

2- GOT FIVE ON IT: Hamburger Mary’s trivia night host Doug Ba’aser celebrates five years of hosting trivia night with a special night of games, fun and prizes. Photo by Danny Garcia 3- BOTTOMS UP: Watermark’s Director of Online Media Jamie Hyman and Publisher Rick Claggett sling drinks at a celebrity bartending fundraiser Sept. 22, benefitting GLBT Center of Central Florida. Photo by Patrick Razo

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4- GOOD EATS: (L-R) Hammered Lamb owner Jason Lambert, general manager Nikki Price and chef Tradd Connor show off the spread Sept. 17 at a private tasting event to launch their catering company, Little Lamb. Photo by Jamie Hyman 5- STRAPPING YOUNG LADS: Local models (L-R) Austin Able, Sam Graper and Rob Domenico attend Jock-fession at Stonewall Bar for a night of fun and men in jock straps. All benefits from the fundraiser night went to Joy MCC Food Bank. Photo by Danny Garcia

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6- MOOLAH FOR MURAL: Orlando Fringe Festival executive director George Wallace (left) receives $1,000 from The Awesome Foundation to have local artist Thomas Thorspecken paint a large mural at Fringe HQ. Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs director Terry Olsen hands Wallace the cash. Photo from Olsen’s Facebook page

7- PUMP UP THE JAMS: Guestt disc jockey Dj CRail keeps the party going at Parliament House Sept. 13 for a night of drinks and dancing.

Photo by Danny Garcia

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8- WINNER’S CIRCLE: Ana Devilliers is the winner of the Watermark giveaway from Fields Automotive for a chauffeured ride to the 2014 Headdress Ball. She shows off her ride, a Maserati. Photo courtesy of Ana Devilliers

Overheard Friends come together

W

hen word spread of Christopher Pruitt’s boating accident that severely injured his spine, Orlando’s LGBT community quickly banded together to help him with medical expenses. Pruitt, known for his avid pool playing skills in bars around Orlando, has friends in many areas and LGBT establishments. On Sept.

18, Southern Nights kicked off the fundraising endeavors and Savoy and Stonewall Bar will follow suit on Sept. 26 and 27, respectively.

The Parliament House is also in the charitable mood and will hold a fundraiser for him on Sept. 29.

Last we heard, Pruitt was doing

better and had regained movement in his arms. We wish him a speedy recovery.

The center of attention

S

peaking of fundraising, The Center is getting a lot of attention by charitable souls these days. On Sept. 22, several local celebrities guest-bartended at Savoy to raise cash for the LGBT Center and on Sept. 17, the “gal with the balls,” Addison Taylor, hosted the popular Drag Queen Bingo. She is also set to guest host on Oct. 15. For those wanting to break out the black tie, prepare for The Center’s third annual Black and White Gala at the Orlando Museum of Art.

Organizers say there are a number of announcements coming, including the reveal of the Center’s new executive director and other big changes.

Passing the Tako

T

ako Cheena is a oneman operation now.

The local, favorite AsianLatin fusion taco place, which was a joint venture between Edgardo Guzman and Pom Moongauklang, opened three years ago and has supported local LGBT causes.

Recently, Pom sold her half of the restaurant to Guzman, leaving him as the sole proprietor.

We’ve been reassured, however, that Tako Cheena will continue

watermark Your lgbt life.

supporting the LGBT community while serving up great food and great service.

Be the next star of Fringe Festival

I

f you’ve been dreaming up the next big theatrical smash since last year’s Fringe Festival, your chance has finally arrived. Applications are now available for the 24th annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival at OrlandoFringe. com. You can submit your application right to the website or download a copy and send it in. You can also submit it the oldfashioned way and hand deliver the application to their offices.

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Don’t miss out. The deadline for applications is Nov. 21 and the public lottery will be held at 6 p.m., Dec. 8, at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center’s Margeson Theater.

Good luck!

A first for downtown

G

et ready for a new LGBT night in downtown Orlando. Club 369 Orlando will launch its LGBTQ First Saturdays beginning Oct. 4.

The night is described as a “sexy, monthly party for mature LGBTQ and friends.” Details say the night features R&B and Hip Hop, Top 40 music and other classics. The club is located above Club Parallel in the heart of downtown Orlando.

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transitions

community Announcements conGratulations Dino McGill and nick Lawrence are celebrating the first anniversary of their wedding ceremony on oct. 3.

Watermark’s own orlando sales manager Mark Cady and partner Carlos Archilla announced their engagement on sept. 21. the couple will announce wedding plans in the near future. the Gaybor District Coalition celebrates another year of uniting lgbt and lgbtfriendly businesses in tampa’s historic district on sept. 29. orlando attorney Tony Tapia and author/consultant Scott vedder celebrate the second anniversary of their commitment ceremony at the 2012 come out With pride on oct. 6.

saying goodbye: largo resident “Grandma” Ruth Dallmann passed away peacefully on sept. 13. she was 97. dallmann, pictured in the 2013 st. pete pride parade, was a regular at the annual summer celebration each year, typically riding in the pro shop pub float along central avenue. services were sept. 20. for more on her life, see tampa bay news, page 12. neW posT:

orlando’s Thearon Scurlock was appointed director of marketing at artegon marketplace, orlando.

straz center for the performing arts’ media relations manager Tara Mcnamara announced her last day with the large tampa venue is oct. 7. mcnamara, who has spent 10 years with the performing arts hall, has accepted a position with greenville’s peace center for the performing arts as the director of public relations.

passinGs largo advocate and icon “Grandma Ruth” Dallmann passed away peacefully on sept.

13. she was 97. the . she was often seen riding inside the pro shop pub float at st. pete pride each summer and was adopted as “grandma” by many local lgbts. dallmann was preceded in death by her husband, robert a. dallmann, and is survived by her sons michael and patrick, their wives, eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. services were held on sept. 20.

local birtHDays the dashing man Brian “Lucky” Smith, white trash party event coordinator nathan Schifflett, showboyz lead male dancer Skyler Cross and copywriter

decade of love:

sarasota’s trinity charities program director Bruce fournier, left, and frank Horan celebrate 10 years of marriage on oct. 1. the couple was married in provincetown in 2004.

32 years: tampa couple Keven Renken, right, and Bill Myerholtz, celebrate their 32nd anniversary on oct. 2.

and former Watermark orlando ad sales rep Kevin Thornton (sept. 25); eo inn & Urban spa general manager Eddie Cooper, gay bar star Janine Klein, keep orlando beautiful coordinator Jody Goostree, Watermark director of online media and straight ally Jamie Hyman (sept. 26); tampa decorator extraordinaire Matthieu Stanoch, Ybor city event planner Tony LaColla (sept. 29); HiV/

aids activist Rob Domenico (sept. 30); twirler and bay news 9 traffic expert Chuck Henson, oma’s Randy Ross (oct. 4); lighthouse realty broker/owner Mike Trexler (oct. 6); gomez law firm of st. petersburg’s Ian Stanislaus, activist and oYa and oado co-founder Michael Slaymaker, graphic designer Jocelynn White (oct. 7).

Are you making a Transition? Having a birthday or anniversary? Did you get a new job or promotion?

See your news in Watermark! Send your Transition to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com or go to WatermarkOnline.com/Submit-a-Transition - it’s that easy!

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micHael sam maKes proGress on practice squaD Staff Report

lineup:

police say archbishop Wood High assistant basketball coach fran McGlinn is one of the suspects who beat a gay couple in philadelphia sept. 11.

From coach to suspect Church school fires coach tied to beating of gay couple.

Staff Report

p

hiladelphia | Church officials have fired an assistant basketball coach at a Roman Catholic high school who they say was involved in an encounter in Philadelphia in which two gay men were beaten.

The identities of the men and women involved in the Sept. 11 beating became known when surveillance video was released and social media users helped connect names to pictures. No arrests have yet been made.

The Philadelphia Archdiocese said Sept. 18 some in the group were former students of Archbishop Wood High School near Philadelphia.

They say one worked as an assistant basketball coach and sources close to the investigation say it was Fran McGlinn, who had been “serving as a coach on a contract basis,” said Kenneth Gavin, a spokesman for the Archdiocese.

McGlinn, 25, along with several other former Wood students, allegedly participated in an attack on a gay

couple as the men were walking near Rittenhouse Square.

“He was terminated this evening and will not be permitted to coach in any archdiocesan school,” Gavin said. “We expect all those who work with students in our schools to model appropriate Christian behavior at all times.”

In a statement issued Sept. 18, Archbishop Charles Chaput said the coach resigned after being contacted by school leadership about the incident.

“Archbishop Wood’s handling of the matter was appropriate, and I support their efforts to ensure that Catholic convictions guide the behavior of their whole school community, including their staff,” Chaput said.

Philadelphia police say they got a valuable assist from social media users. Police released surveillance video of a group of men and women wanted for questioning.Not long afterward, a restaurant photo of the group surfaced and social media users set out to identify them. A police detective tweeted, ``This is how Twitter is supposed to work for cops.’

Meanwhile police sources told

the Daily News that at least a few of the alleged assailants had been interviewed by investigators. So far, no arrests have been made.

McGlinn graduated from Wood, in Warminster, Bucks County, in 2007. He was a key member of the Wood Vikings, and persevered on the court despite being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a debilitating heart condition.

“The doctors told me that I could never play basketball again,” McGlinn wrote in an online profile. “However, I still stayed on my high school and AAU teams and went to every game and practice.”

The two victims of the attack told police that a group of about 12 twentysomethings, dressed for a night on the town, crossed paths with them on 16th Street near Chancellor just before 11 p.m.

Someone in the group allegedly confronted one of the men, asking him if his companion was “his fucking boyfriend.”

A fight broke out, during which the men were savagely beaten. One victim suffered multiple facial fractures and his jaw had to be wired shut, the victims told the Daily News.

It is unclear what role McGlinn played in the attack. But the archdiocese said it will not tolerate “the violent and hateful behavior displayed by those who took part in this senseless attack.”

The victims, and many of their supporters, have described the violent act as a hate crime, but the District Attorney’s Office said that the case may not fit that standard. State law on hate crimes does not include sexual orientation.

watermark Your lgbt life.

d

allas | Michael Sam is hoping to play in an NFL game this season, which would make him the first openly gay player to do so. According to his position coach, Sam is making progress on the practice squad of the Dallas Cowboys.

“He’s done some good things,” defensive line coach Rod Marinelli told the Dallas Morning News. “The only thing he really gets is some of our individual periods and then he gets some one-on-one rushes on Wednesday, and I think he’s gotten a little bit better.

“But it’s tougher for a practice squad guy because these other guys here, they’re pounding with all week long in terms of fundamentals and game-planning and those things. So it’s a little tougher, but he’s got movement. I like his quickness and his instincts. He’s got really good work habits, so just keep working to develop him.”

This does not mean Sam will be called up to the Cowboys active roster. Only four players from the practice squad were called up by the Cowboys in 2013.

But one Cowboy, defensive lineman Jeremy Mincey, took the same route to an active roster that Sam is now traveling on. Mincey was on the Patriots practice in 2006 and never played in a game. The next season he was signed by Jacksonville and has been on a team since, playing in this year’s Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

“He’s won a lot of rushes, Mincey said. “He’s doing a good job. He’s got a lot to learn and that comes with experience. I was just like him, a young guy on the practice squad, so it’s a good developmental phase for him to get better.”

The Cowboys defense has not been the train wreck everyone was expecting through two games. Their pass defense is middle of the pack, yet they have only three sacks. Sam needs to be patient and hopefully he will get a chance to be on the field sometime this season.

out DiVer Daley moDels for aDiDas Staff Report

london | Olympic diver Tom Daley has made his modeling debut for sportswear giant Adidas.

The British diving champion has made a splash as a playful fashion model and launched a new teen clothing range with the global sports retailer The collection is a line of basics, including jeans, tees, socks and hoodies aimed at 14-19 year olds.

As the UK ambassador of Adidas NEO label, the 20-yearold sportsman, who recently came out and is dating screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, posed wearing the latest autumn/winter collection in different iconic locations across the capital, including Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, Southbank and Shoreditch.

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Headdress ball 2014 Photography by Jake Stevens JAKE@WATERMARKONLINE.COM

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ope & help cenTer’s headdress ball celebraTed 25 years in a big way on Sept. 20, raising more than $640,000 for the HIV/AIDS charity. Fabulous entertainment, over-the-top art and a performance by Debbie Gibson helped make the black-tie gala one for the record books.

These are just a few of the photos from that night’s celebration.

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Sep t emb er 25 - Oc tOb er 8 , 2014 // ISSue 21. 20

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(Left) David Rathman, Untitled, 2008, ink and watercolor on paper, 18 x 26 in., Private Collection, Minneapolis, Minnesota; (Right)David Lamar Peterson, Bliss, 2008, 2013, ink oil on 73 xon59 in., (Left) Rathman, Untitled, andcanvas, watercolor Courtesy thein.,artist andCollection, FredericksMinneapolis, & Freiser, New York. paper, 18 xof26 Private Minnesota; These exhibitions are organized by oil Rochester Art73 Center, (Right) Lamar Peterson, Bliss, 2013, on canvas, x 59 in., Rochester, Courtesy of Minnesota. the artist and Fredericks & Freiser, New York.

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