Watermark Issue 22.10: Fringe Fried!

daytOna beach • OrlandO • taMpa • st. petersburg • sarasOta • issue 22.10 • May 7 - May 20, 2015 • waterMarkOnline.cOM

Your lgbt life.

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cia

! e d i s in spe

’S ArK ErMEddinG t A w tw E firS Guid

Our tour guides lead us to the gayest shows at this year’s Orlando fringe festival

JOE SAUNDERS ‘AMAZON EVE’ JANE CASTOR pOlitical run taMpa pOlice chief

eyes retireMent

cOnsiders anOther

preps fOr spOOky eMpire

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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8 // orlando neWs 12 // taMpa Bay neWs

Thank you to so many passionate voices speaking out against this hateful bill; that made such a difference by —Gina opening hearts and minds. duncAn

16 // state 17 // nation & World neWs 49 // coMMunity calendar 51 // taMpa Bay overheard 53 // orlando overheard 55 // transitions 56 // taMpa Bay Marketplace 57 // sports 58 // orlando Marketplace

on the cover

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Orlando International Fringe Festival stars (L-R) Kevin Kriegel, Michael Wanzie, Xtopher Blu, Carla DelVillaggio, Tommy Wooten, Blue Starr and Doa Farrantine react to the comedy of George Wallace and Jeff Jones, center, at The Abbey.

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WearaBle art: St. Petersburg partners George Medeiros and Scott Durfee create art with organic, Florida native material. The two men talk about their inspiration behind their booming business aptly named Spathose.

WaterMark i ssue 22.10 //May 7 - May 20, 2015

orlando neWs

taMpa Bay

aMaZon eve

gallery W

PAGE Former Rep. Joe Saunders

PAGE Tampa Police Chief Jane

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Photo by Jake Stevens

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

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may try to reclaim his District 49 seat now that it looks like it will be available in 2016. Two men are charged with the murder of a homeless man they say made sexual advances at them; more.

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Castor is set to retire on May 8, which means one of the most powerful members of the LGBT community will shift her focus to volunteerism; Una Voce: The Florida Men’s Chorale introduces its new artistic director.

On season 4 of American Horror Story, Erika Ervin turned heads as Amazon Eve. Now, the transgender actress and model is scheduled to appear at Spooky Empire in Orlando later this month. She talks about her new career and what she plans to do with her fame.

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The Flamingo Resort hosted the first ever North Florida Drummer contest, which gave leather men a chance to strut their stuff. Our photographer Bruce Hardin was at the resort all weekend and selected a few PG-rated photos to share with our readers.

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win tickets tO see chelsea handler in MelbOurne On May 21. visit waterMarkOnline.cOM fOr details

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The Healing Well Jennifer Torres-Ordinas, AP 407-535-6574 Mobile Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine…

Mobile to You

top web comments Marriage is important for older LGBTs

S

MEET: KARLENE SANTIAGO & QUEEN MASSALINE, COMMUNITY RELATIONS COORDINATORS

HELPING OUR COMMUNITY “ LEARN ABOUT CONSERVATION IS WHAT WE LOVE TO DO.”

AGE was particularly gratified during the Supreme Court arguments on marriage equality to hear several justices repeatedly refer to the importance of marriage to older couples while they questioned the attorneys arguing the marriage cases.

Marriage equality is critically important to many LGBT older people.

Contrary to the arguments of the states defending discrimination against same-sex couples, marriage has never been primarily or exclusively about children and procreation. This cramped view disregards and devalues the many older couples—both LGBT and heterosexual—who have compelling reasons to marry even though they cannot and will not procreate.

Many older LGBT people who are coupled face severe vulnerabilities in old age when it comes to financial security, care-giving, isolation, health care, and community support.

Marriage can be an important means to address these issues. We are grateful older couples featured prominently in the arguments.

Michael Adams

Executive Director of SAGE

“Contrary to the arguments of the States defending discrimination against same-sex couples, marriage has never been primarily or exclusively about children and procreation.”

—Michael Adams

From WatermarkOnline.com: On Arkansas cities’ pushback against laws deemed anti-gay

“Why not add the antidiscrimination protections now and avoid the cost of nonsense legal battles to discriminate against the LGBTs? It will save the Arkansas taxpayers a lot of money and will save a lot of jobs.”

—GayEGO

From Watermark’s Facebook page: On a gay real estate developer apologizing for hosting a Ted Cruz event

“What rock do these dufuses live under to not know how Cruz feels about our community? Don’t buy their explanation, they aren’t sorry for any of it except the financial losses they’re experiencing.”

—David Casson

“People like this guy have not been under any rock.

Their arrogant selves think

Karlene and Queen are OUC’s helping hands around town. They connect with the community through outreach and educational programs like The Water Color Project, a water conservation-themed art contest where students paint rain barrels for water collection. Working together as a team, they strive to support the communities in which we live and work. Learn more at www.ouc.com.

6

Faces of OUC Campaign_Watermark_2015-04_KarleneQueen_4-5x7-5.indd 1

12:33:20 PM watermark4/27/2015 Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

that we are stupid enough to not notice!”

—Daniel Grell

On the Supreme Court’s hearing of the same-sex marriage arguments

“It’s interesting that the Log Cabin Republicans aren’t commenting given the fact their dude appointed Alito and Roberts. Had Gore been elected, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

—Garrett Grainger

On a North Dakota lawmaker being outed on Grindr

“Why do people continue to put stuff on the internet they don’t want anyone to find out?”

—David Rebstock

On the killing of a Kissimmee man who “liked men” but no hate crime charged

“It is a hate crime. If these crimes continue to go unprosecuted, all LGBTQ will be forced to personally protect themselves.”

—Joan E. Hepsworth

contributors

editor’s

Steve Blanchard EDITOR

SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com

A

Desk

fter a solid decade at

Watermark, it’s time to say goodbye.

On one hand, it feels like I’ve been a representative of this newsmagazine my entire life.

On the other, it seems like only a few months ago that I was a freelancer, frantically searching for the “LGBT angle” and the sources required of my assignments.

It has been an amazing journey—one full of successes, failures, plenty of laughter and some embarrassments. But as of May 15, my career at Watermark will come to a close.

It’s time to hang up my editorin-chief press badge and pursue a new opportunity that is just as near and dear to me as the fight for LGBT equality. I will soon be the Media Relations Coordinator for Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, a research hospital that is on the cutting edge of cancer research. Fighting

and curing cancer is now more important to me than ever, since the disease claimed my mother on April 2, 2015.

Saying goodbye is rarely fun and it is always painful. Watermark has been a big part of my life and identity. It defined me through my late 20s and a majority of my 30s.

I’ve met people with a passion for equality that is both inspiring and intimidating. I’ve chatted with celebrities who have a special place for LGBTs in their hearts.

I’ve seen people so opposed to

watermark staff

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Editor-in-Chief: Steve Blanchard • 813-470-0899 • SteveB@WatermarkOnline.com Online Media Director: Jamie Hyman • Ext. 106 • Jamie@WatermarkOnline.com Asst. Media Director: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 • Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

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spoken at meetings, gatherings and special events that are aimed directly at our community.

I’ve interviewed senators, representatives, commissioners, council members and mayors— all of whom were asked specific LGBT-related questions.

I’m very proud of my Watermark career and leaving it behind was not a decision I made lightly.

But I do know it is time to pass the pen (or laptop, in this instance) onto someone with a fresh perspective and new ideas. I didn’t expect to remain the editor

I didn’t expect to remain the editor of this amazing paper forever; I just never had an active plan to leave—until now.

of this amazing paper forever. I just never had an active plan to leave—until now.

While I will hand over my business cards, my press pass and my work email addresses on May 15, I am physically staying close since my incredibly supportive partner and I have no plans to leave Tampa Bay. While I am excited about this next chapter, my passion for LGBT equality has not diminished and you will see me at galas and Pride festivals for years to come. I just won’t be there in an “official” capacity.

I truly hate to think of this as goodbye. Instead, I’ll say, “I’ll see you around.”

Orlando Office

Tampa Bay Sales: Bill Jeffries Ext. 301 • 813-454-9064 • Bill@WatermarkOnline.com

Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 108 • Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

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LGBT rights that they yell at my community, hold up hateful signs and attend governmental meetings just to ensure that I am denied certain rights.

I’m happy to say that in my time here I’ve seen more wins for us than losses.

Saying goodbye is hard.

My co-workers are my friends, and the team of freelancers who bring so much quality to Watermark are amazing, talented people who are rarely afraid of a deadline or scared of a story assignment.

It’s those people who have made my career at Watermark a successful one.

As a resident of Tampa Bay, I’ve worked closely with a number of organizations and individuals who are fighting the good fight.

And I’ve had some amazing “work spouses”—the men and women who have served as Watermark’s Tampa Bay sales reps—since I came on board 10 years ago.

Grateful scarcely describes my feelings for Watermark founder Tom Dyer, who saw in me a responsible person capable of steering the editorial direction of this company.

This newsmagazine is his baby, and the trust he has shown in me over the years is immeasurable.

Many know him as the founder of Watermark. I called him my boss and my mentor. Now I consider him my friend.

When I was hired on full-time in 2005, I saw an opportunity to use my journalistic talents in a way I never imagined—to put a spotlight on LGBT issues. A decade later, it’s my honor to have a portfolio full of stories about our community, all told by you and collected and shared through me.

I’ve manned the Watermark booth in sun-drenched parks, hot streets and rain-soaked fields; I’ve been on LGBT Pride floats and

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Krista DiTucci

is a freelance writer and family advocate for Manatee Children’s Services. She lives in Sarasota with her husband and children. Page 12

Trevor Pettiford

is an Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist with more than 20 years experience in television news. He currently works for Bay News 9 in Tampa Bay. Page 19

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photographer and writer in St. Petersburg.

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7

orlando news

SuSpEctS: Jason Simmons, left, is accused of killing a

61-year-old homeless man. Police say Jonanthony Santiago, at right, drove the car Simmons fled in.

suspect killed kissiMMee Man Because he ‘liked Men’ Jeremy Williams

K

iSSiMMEE | Two murder suspects have had their first appearance in a Kissimmee courtroom for the shooting of a 61-year-old homeless man outside an auto parts store in Osceola County.

Jason Simmons, 31, appeared before a judge on April 30 and is accused of killing Guillermo Olivencia in the parking lot of Advance Auto Parts on North Main Street in Kissimmee on April 25.

According to police, Simmons claims that he shot Olivencia in retaliation after Olivencia made sexual advances towards him, saying that he had “been in prison before and liked men.”

Police say while Simmons allegedly killed Olivencia because he made advances toward him, investigators are not handling the incident as a hate crime.

Jonanthony Santiago, 23, went before a judge on April 29 and is accused of driving the car Simmons fled in after shooting the victim. Simmons reportedly left the auto parts store with Santiago and returned some time later with a gun, says police.

In the 911 call, a man is heard speaking to the operator “my brother, they killed him in front of my face.” When the officers arrived, they found Olivencia in his car dead with two gunshot wounds to the head, reports say.

Police said they found two .25-caliber shell casings behind the driver’s seat inside the car, which meant the shooting was from “extremely close range,” a report said.

Police obtained surveillance footage from Advance Auto Parts’ security cameras, which shows a man running from a car to the front of the store and then returning back after two pops are heard, according to the report.

Santiago identified Simmons as the shooter after being picked up for a traffic stop, police say. The car appears to be the same one from the surveillance video which officers say they were able to identify because of the vehicle’s distinct rims.

“I know why you want to talk to me. It’s about the shooting,” Santiago said to police after he was picked up. “I’m not in trouble am I? All I did was drive the guy.

He told me he was going to shoot him but I didn’t really believe him.”

Simmons and Santiago were arrested April 21 and booked into the Osceola County Jail without bond.

Olivencia was living out of his car and has no family in the area, said police.

Simmons and Santiago are charged with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

8

tiME to run AGAin?:

Former State Rep. Joe Saunders may run again for the District 49 seat in 2016.

another run?

Joe Saunders may try to reclaim his seat in the Florida House of Representatives in 2016 Staff Report

o

rlAndo | Former State Representative Joe Saunders may make another run for Florida House in 2016. Saunders said he’s considering running again after current District 49 State Representative Rene Plasencia (R-Orlando) announced he would run for the District 50 seat in the next election.

“Some game changing news for House District 49 this week,” Saunders said via Facebook April 26. “Rene Plasencia’s decision not to seek re-election in District 49 has taken me as much by surprise

watermark Your lgbt life.

as the rest of you and given me a lot to think about.”

Republican Plasencia upset then-incumbent Saunders, a Democrat, in the November 2014 election. District 49 is a typically regarded as a safe “blue seat.”

“Serving the people of House District 49 was one of the most challenging and fulfilling of my life,” Saunders said. “When I lost unexpectedly last November, I left office exhausted and disappointed from another grueling campaign, but grounded in the belief that my commitment to public service didn’t begin the day I decided to run and it wouldn’t end as a private citizen. The opportunity to return to public life sooner than

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

I expected is one I’ll be strongly considering.”

Saunders first won his District 49 seat in 2012 in a victory that made him one of Florida’s first openly gay lawmakers.

“We made history and we challenged people’s assumptions about what was possible,” Saunders said. “I have no doubt that if I choose not to run that there are brave and talented people who can carry that torch and finish what we started.”

If Saunders decides not to run, that person may already be waiting in the wings. Saunders’ comments came days after Orange County Democratic Executive Chairman Carlos Smith said he would strongly consider a House 49 run.

Smith worked on Saunders 2014 campaign and was an aide for him while he served in the Florida House.

“My decision on whether to run for House District 49 has always been based on whether Joe Saunders was interested in cOntinued On pg. 10 | uu |

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orlando news | uu | Joe Saunders from pg.8 taking back his old seat. As his former legislative aide, advisor to his campaigns and good friend, we make every major decision as a team. If Joe’s out, then I’m in and I’d have big shoes to fill. It’s that simple,” Smith told Orlando-Politics.com, and later posted on his own Facebook timeline.

The opening of the District 49 seat happened in a domino effect: Plasencia decided to run for District 50 after State Representative Tom Goodson (R-Titusville) announced he would be vacating his seat to run for District 51, which will be empty once the current House Speaker, Rep. Steve Crisafulli (R-Merritt Island) reaches his term limit in 2016.

Regardless of who runs and wins in District 49, they will have quite a job in front of them come 2016.

The Florida House seems to be in chaos after they adjourned three days early this legislative session among stalemates with the Florida Senate over budget issues and Medicaid expansion.

For now, Saunders doesn’t have to think about that.

All he needs to think about is “will he or won’t he.”

“Thank you to all of you who have sent notes of encouragement and support,” Saunders said. “I’ll be talking to my family and friends about what the future may hold and I’ll ask everyone from my Democratic family for a little bit of patience.”

NSYNC’s Lance Bass joins Visit Orlando to boost Orlando tourism Jeremy Williams

F

ormer boy band member and third-place-Dancing with the Stars finisher Lance Bass will promote Orlando as a LGBT tourist destination, thanks to Visit Orlando.

The ex-NSYNCer, who has a music-themed talk show on Sirius/ XM Satellite radio, began singing with the hugely popular, multiplatinum album selling band.

“Lance [Bass] has had strong ties to Orlando since his days with the popular musical group NSYNC, which got its start in Orlando,” said Mark Jaronski, Vice President of Communications for Visit Orlando.

“He is very respected in the LGBT community and we are happy that he is excited to be promoting Orlando to the LGBT community.”

The” gay tourist” is worth big bucks. American LGBTs are expected to spend more than $60 billion in travel this year, according

New job:Lance Bass will actively promote LGBT attractions in Orlando.

to Out Now marketing agency.

With Orlando being the top tourist destination in the U.S., that’s a lot to capitalize on.

“Lance [Bass] is sharing with listeners the breadth of Orlando as a vacation destination and how VisitOrlando.com/LGBT is a helpful

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

resource for vacation planning,” said Jaronski.

Bass’ main avenue to promoting Orlando will be through his radio show “Dirty Pop” which airs on OutQ through satellite radio. But don’t expect to see Bass joining in on some of the fun in the sun.

“While Visit Orlando promotes LGBT events taking place in Orlando, we are not the creators or organizers of these events,” said Jaronski.

Sirius Radio has nearly 23 million subscribers, bringing a potential huge market to Orlando.

“He’s an ideal fit to help share our message that Orlando is a welcoming destination for LGBT visitors,” said Jaronski.

In addition to the partnership with Bass, Visit Orlando has an LGBT Guide that is distributed in national and regional LGBT publications, and an advertising campaign running with print and online ads in national and regional LGBT media outlets.

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

11

tampa bay news

una voce introduces neW director Krista DiTucci

t

AMpA | Una Voce: The Florida Men’s Chorale, welcomed Joseph Caulkins as their new director in February 2015. But as the group’s summer concert approaches, its members are excited to introduce the native Iowan. Caulkins studied at the University of Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois University and has 30 years’ experience working as an artistic director and conductor.

From 2001 to 2010, Caulkins directed the Southwest Florida Symphony in Fort Myers.

Most recently, he was artistic director for Key Chorale in Sarasota Caulkins, who lives in Fort Myers, is currently focused on Una Voce’s upcoming performance “I Am Harvey Milk,” words and music by neW leadership: Andrew Lippa.

Una Voce’s new director “I’ve always had a love Joseph Caulkins is preparing for music,” Caulkins said. the gay men’s chorus for “My family members were this summer’s presentation musicians growing up, so of “I Am Harvey Milk.” PHOTO music was always part of COuRTESy JOSEPH CAuLKInS the house. They all had careers in performance, but I’m the only one who went to college and read music. I’m more on the classical side of music, whereas they are more on the popular side.”

Caulkins said he left Iowa because it didn’t offer the opportunity for the arts that are available in other states, like Florida. But Caulkins only arrived in Florida after spending time in Indiana.

“In 2001, the Southwest Florida Symphony posted a national search for a director,” he said. “I was looking for jobs and not having much luck, and a friend of mine told me, ‘Stop trying to pick your job—just apply for everything.’

“I took his advice. I was a machine and started putting together my resume, then I got a call from the symphony offering me an interview. I was scrambling to find out where Fort Myers even was! It (joining the symphony) wasn’t part of the plan but it worked out nicely. And I can’t complain about the weather and the beauty here. “ Caulkins, who is straight, said he was nervous about how a gay chorus would react to a married heterosexual director. But he said his fears were unfounded and the transition has been a smooth one.

“In Una Voce, the guys range from those who don’t read music well but have a great ear to professional

cOntinued On pg. 14 | uu |

12

StEppinG down:

Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor will step down from her post on May 8.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has named Eric Ward as her replacement.

PHOTO By JAKE STEvEnS

Time for retirement Police Chief Jane Castor is set to retire May 8 after more than 30 years with the Tampa Police Department Steve Blanchard

t

AMpA | At the close of business on May 8, Jane Castor will no longer be the chief of police for the Tampa Police Department. After more than three decades in law enforcement, the recent grand marshal of Tampa Pride is finally retiring—kind of.

Castor will run a nonprofit that will “start its work where the city budget stops,” she said.

Rise Tampa will raise money for advanced training, specialty equipment and new technology within the department that the city budget cannot fund. The foundation will also fund community outreach initiatives for at-risk children in Tampa’s most challenged

watermark Your lgbt life.

neighborhoods, officials said.

On April 30, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced that Eric Ward will replace Castor. The 26year veteran was encouraged by Buckhorn to follow Castor’s model.

The mayor said that Castor’s embrace of technology and intelligence-led policing helped combat crime since she was originally appointed by former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. Buckhorn also stressed the need for increased diversity within the department and the active recruitment of minorities.

Castor described her successor as “the perfect choice.”

“He has the experience, the knowledge, the leadership ability and the temperament for this job,” Castor said during a press conference.

The outgoing chief has been a

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

leader not only in the city, but in the LGBT community. Her out and proud attitude has made her a darling among LGBTs and an approachable law enforcement figure, beginning when she served as a liaison prior to her appointment.

During her tenure as Tampa Pride grand marshal in March, she said she was never afraid to show who she truly was in order to gain equality for others.

“I was born and raised here in the city,” Castor said. “One of [Mayor] Buckhorn’s goals has been to show how inclusive our city is and how we embrace our diversity.”

Watermark interviewed Castor before the department announced her plan to spearhead the Rise Tampa initiative. But she did say she planned to volunteer after retiring.

“I’m not the best planner, so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in a week or two,” Castor laughed. “One thing I do know for sure is that I’m not moving from Tampa. I was born and raised here and this will be my home for life.”

She said that since she is raising two teenage boys, her roots remain deep in Hillsborough County.

“But I’ll be involved in some way,” she said. “I’ll be volunteering or I’ll be doing things that will improve our city for as long as I am able.” cOntinued On pg. 14 | uu |

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13

tampa bay news | uu | New Una Voce Director from pg.12

| uu | Jane Castor Retires

musicians who have always read music,” he said. “It takes a good director to work with all skill levels. The challenge is to get the very best out of them every time they’re together. They have made a lot of progress, and to have such progress happen in just a handful of months is exciting. You can see in their faces that they love to hear the sounds they’ve created.”

That love is truly showing, he says, as the group prepares for its presentation of “I Am Harvey Milk” in June in St. Petersburg and in Tampa.

“Lippa wrote this piece commissioned by the five largest gay men’s choruses in the country, and we are one of the first groups allowed to perform it outside of those five groups,” Caulkins said. “It was quite a process to get that authorization.”

The show encompasses many styles of music, from Broadway to classical, he said. The first half of the show on June 12 at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg focuses on heroes of equality and social justice. The second half to be presented on June 13 at the USF Concert Hall in Tampa is the performance piece that focuses not only on Milk, but on a human story.

“What Harvey stood for was equality for all people,” Caulkins said. “His story is a tragic one. But out of tragedy comes a great deal of hope.”

For tickets to Una Voce’s concerts, visit Una-Voce.org.

from pg.12

As her tenure as chief wound down, Castor found herself honored by different groups and roasted by others. Comic Murv Seymour hosted a comedy roast for Castor at T. Pepin Hospitality Center that drew more than 400 business executives and investors. The night raised more than $100,000 for the police department.

While Castor is considered by many LGBTs as a role model and an advocate for equality, the law enforcement veteran does not consider herself as an activist for equality.

“I feel there are so many others who have done a great deal to further equal rights,” Castor said. “Kevin Beckner, Nadine Smith...there are a lot of people who have worked very hard for several years.”

Castor does admit that her role as police chief has proven to many that sexuality has nothing to do

New face, new title: (L-R) Deputy Chief Mary O’Connor, Chief Jane Castor and Assistant Chief Eric Ward, who will replace Castor, celebrate Castor’s retirement. Photo courtesy Tampa Police Department with professional capacities.

“Being who I am doesn’t make my job more difficult,” Castor said.

“I don’t think citizens care one way or another. What they look for is someone who is doing a good job.

“When I was first named chief, I said the significance of being the first female wasn’t lost on me. But

I wanted at the end of my tenure to be remembered as a good chief—not the first female or the first gay female chief. I just want to be remembered as being a good police chief.”

For more information on the foundation Castor will head, visit RiseTampa.org.

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state news

Florida House leaves Bathroom Bill flushed and the Conscience Protection Bill unadopted Jeremy Williams

M

ay 1 was to be the day to get things done at the Florida Capitol, during the final session for state representatives and senators.

Instead, the halls were silent as the House adjourned three days early due to a budget impasse with the Senate over Medicaid expansion.

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli (R-Merritt Island) thanked the state representatives for their “patience as we work through a really incredibly unusual session” before declaring adjournment sine die on April 28.

While members of both the House and Senate work out a plan for a special session, possibly in June, to work on the budget, all other business that went unfinished now dies. This includes several bills that directly affect the LGBT community in Florida.

The Single-Sex Public Facilities

bill (HB 583), also known as the “bathroom bill,” would have required an individual to use the restroom that matches that person’s gender at birth.

Republican State Rep. Frank Artiles of Miami introduced the bill on Feb. 4. Many who supported the bill said it would allow for security, safety and privacy for all individuals using single-sex public facilities while also preventing antitransgender sex crimes.

Artiles maintained that the bill was “not an attack on transgender people, bisexuals, homosexuals or any sexual orientation.”

The House’s Government Operations Subcommittee approved the bill on March 17 and moved it to the Judiciary Committee on March 19, but the bill was never placed on the Committee’s meeting agenda.

With the House session officially over, the ‘bathroom bill” is dead.

“Thank you to so many passionate voices speaking out against this hateful bill that made

such a difference, by opening many hearts and minds,” wrote Equality Florida’s Gina Duncan on her Facebook page.

Another bill, the Conscience Protection for Private Child-Placing Agencies (HB 7111), died before reaching the Senate floor for a vote. HB 7111 would have given child-placement agencies the right to deny adoptions to a couple or individual if it violates that agency’s religious or moral convictions.

The Republican-led House passed the bill on April 9 with a vote of 75-38, almost directly down party lines.

The bill was then heard by the Senate’s Rules Committee on April 20. The Committee moved to postpone the bill at the end of the 2015 session without a vote, which effectively killed the bill.

The anti-gay Conscience Protection bill had been proposed in the Florida House as a reaction to the approval of the Adoption and Foster Care bill (HB 7013), which

struck outdated statutory language that banned gay people from adopting in the state of Florida.

The ban has been obsolete and unenforced since 2010, when it was ruled unconstitutional by a Florida appeals court.

The move to scrub the gay adoption ban language was an amendment added to part of a larger adoption bill that would provide adoption benefits to state employees and incentive payments to community-based care groups.

Rep. David Richardson, who is openly gay, introduced the proposed amendment to the bill that would remove the anti-gay verbiage of the state’s adoption ban.

House bill 7013 was approved by the House and moved to the Senate where it also passed with a vote of 27-11. The bill awaits Governor Rick Scott to sign it and become official on July 1.

Several other LGBT bills were proposed in both the House and the Senate this session.

The Prohibited Discrimination bill (HB 33/SB 156) looked to create the Florida Competitive Workforce Act (FCWA) which would protect against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bill was introduced and sat in committee in both the House and Senate without being read. An FCWA bill has been introduced in some form since 2007 but has died in committee each session.

The Sexual Orientation Change Effort bill (HB 83/SB 204) was introduced in both the House and Senate this year but sat in committee without a single vote.

The bill would prevent therapists from administering “ex-gay conversion therapy” to minors.

Similar laws have passed in New Jersey, California, Washington D.C. and, most recently, Oregon.

Florida is one of two dozen states that heard cases against conversion therapy this legislative session.

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nation+world news

Supreme Court hears historic same-sex marriage arguments Wire Report

W

ashington | Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy joined conservative colleagues in asking skeptical questions April 21 as the high court heard historic arguments over the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Kennedy, whose vote is seen as pivotal, said marriage has been understood as one man and one woman for “millennia-plus time.” He said same-sex marriage has been debated in earnest for only about 10 years, and he wondered aloud whether scholars and the public need more time.

“It’s very difficult for the court to say ‘We know better,’” Kennedy told Mary Bonauto, the lawyer for the same-sex couples.

Chief Justice John Roberts said gay couples seeking to marry are not seeking to join the institution of marriage.

“You’re seeking to change what the institution is,” Roberts said.

The arguments offered the first public indication of where the justices stand in the dispute over whether states can continue defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, or whether the Constitution gives gay

and lesbian couples the right to marry.

The session was interrupted after about 30 minutes by an antigay protester yelling loudly. He was removed by security.

Justice Antonin Scalia said the issue is not whether there should be same-sex marriage “but who should decide the point.” He expressed concern about the court imposing a requirement on the states that “is unpalatable to many for religious reasons.”

Justice Stephen Breyer asked if the nation needs more time to “wait and see” whether gay marriage is harmful to society. Bonauto responded that wait-and-see has never been considered a justification for discrimination under the Constitution.

The court heard extended arguments, scheduled to last 2.5 hours, which also explored whether states that do not permit same-sex marriage must nonetheless recognize such unions from elsewhere. Samesex couples now can marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia.

The cases before the court came from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, four of the 14 remaining states that allow only heterosexual marriage. Those four states had marriage bans upheld by the federal appeals court in Cincinnati in November. That is the only federal appeals court that has ruled in favor

of the states since the Supreme Court in 2013 struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law.

Kennedy has written the court’s three prior gay rights decisions, including the case from two years ago.

All eyes are on him for any signals of his intention this time.

“This case is not about the best marriage definition. It is about the fundamental question regarding how our democracy resolves such debates about social policy: Who decides, the people of each state or the federal judiciary?” wrote John Bursch, representing Michigan,in his main brief to the court.

Other arguments by the states and more than five-dozen briefs by their defenders warn the justices of harm that could result “if you remove the man-woman definition and replace it with the genderless any-two-persons definition,” said Gene Schaerr, a Washington lawyer.

The push for same-sex marriage comes down to fairness, said Bonauto, who argued on behalf of the plaintiffs.

The people who have brought their cases to the Supreme Court are “real people who are deeply committed to each other. Yet they are foreclosed from making that commitment simply because of who they are,” she told reporters last week.

A decision is expected in late June.

sent the man sexually suggestive messages and an unsolicited explicit photo. The newspaper reported that it learned of the exchange from the man, who contacted The Forum earlier this month.

Boehning’s comments mark his first public acknowledgment that he is gay. North Dakota House Majority Leader Al Carlson said that he and most others in the GOP-controlled Legislature were unaware of Boehning’s sexual orientation.

Carlson said he may call for an internal legislative investigation into “blackmail” after he can confer with Boehning.

“I have not met with Randy faceto-face,” Carlson said. “I will talk to him and see if that’s true.”

House Minority Leader Kenton Onstad, a Democrat from Parshall, and Fargo Democratic Rep. Josh

Boschee, the state’s first openly gay lawmaker, said no one from their party threatened Boehning about outing him as payback for his vote.

“We had nothing to do with it,” Onstad said.

Boschee said he worried for Boehning and called the fellow lawmaker’s sexting “probably questionable judgment.”

“I just hope he has a support network that sees him through this,” Boschee said.

More than 35 GOP lawmakers signed a letter that was intended to be sent to North Dakota newspapers defending Boehning, but the decision to send it was scrapped, said Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, the letter’s author.

“Randy did not want to drag any more people into this,” Becker said.

North Dakota GOP lawmaker defends sexting man on Grindr Wire Report Bismarck, N.D. | A North Dakota lawmaker who has voted against extending legal protections to gays and lesbians is defending his decision to send a graphic photo of himself to another user of a gay dating website, telling his hometown newspaper that he is gay and “that’s what gay guys do on gay sites, don’t they?”

Rep. Randy Boehning, a 52-yearold Fargo Republican who is single, has served in the North Dakota Legislature since 2003. Boehning told The Forum newspaper that he thought his exchange with the man was being made public in retaliation for his vote against a bill that would have protected gays and lesbians from discrimination. Boehning

watermark Your lgbt life.

in other news Iowa college to offer LGBT student housing Iowa Western Community College will offer LGBT students a new community housing option this fall. The college has set aside a cluster of about 40 suite-style apartments to create an optional community-style living environment for LGBT students, with a focus on transgender and intersex individuals. About 40 students have already expressed an interest in the new Pride Q*mmunity cluster. Other schools plan similar gender-inclusive housing options in the fall.

New York governor wants to end AIDS epidemic by 2020 New York state will end its AIDS epidemic by 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said April 29, vowing to add the virus to the list of largely vanquished killers such as polio and smallpox. The details of the ambitious proposal are spelled out in a list of recommendations by a task force Cuomo appointed last year. The suggestions include greater focus on HIV testing and treatment, and the use of pre-exposure drugs that can prevent new infections in high-risk groups.

Gender-neutral bathrooms OK’d in Santa Fe A proposal to establish gender-neutral restrooms in Santa Fe cleared a hurdle May 4. The initiative that would cater to transgender people barely passed a City Council committee with a vote of 3-2 in favor of the restrooms. The proposed ordinance calls for businesses and government buildings to label single-occupancy restrooms as family restrooms that could be used by anyone, regardless of gender. The proposal would not impinge on people’s privacy or affect any multi-stall bathrooms throughout the city.

European bans on gay men blood donors OK The European Court of Justice ruled April 29 that E.U. governments may ban gay men from ever donating blood, but only under strict conditions. Most such bans were imposed early in the AIDS crisis, because sexually active gay men are more likely than other groups to contract HIV. But activists and some medical groups say a lifetime ban is no longer justified, given advances in HIV testing.

Kenyan court orders government to register gay rights group Kenyan judges on April 27 ordered a government agency to register a human rights group representing the country’s gay people. The Non-Governmental Organization Co-ordination Board had refused to register the rights group on religious and moral grounds. The Attorney General, the NGO Board and religious groups had opposed the registration of the gay association but the court said the Kenyan Constitution does not allow limitation of rights on moral or religious grounds. In Kenya, gay sex is a crime.

The Kenya gay community has complained of harassment, which in some cases is violent.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

17

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and Vegeterian Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean, viewpoint

Trevor Pettiford

trevor’s

notebook Socially unacceptable

M

aybe my age is

showing. Maybe I’m not as tech savvy as I’d like to be.

Maybe I’m getting stuck in my ways like I promised myself I wouldn’t do when I got to be my parents’ age. But what in the world has happen to social graces in our community?

Thanks to social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, Grindr and Scruff, our initial connection to another person has been reduced to a “Hey! ‘Sup? Trade pics?” What’s even more disturbing than that poorly formed sentence structure we now consider an appropriate “greeting” is the response to the exchange of one or two pics thereafter.

We immediately assess whether we’re going to continue the conversation or move on. And the way some of us “move on” is beyond rude—it’s downright nasty! Not to mention the absurd arrogance some guys wield online as if they’re God’s gift to gays. Even though that have just a part-time job at age 30 and still don’t own a car. (More on that later.)

I guess it just doesn’t seem that long ago to me, when Friday night at 7 p.m. meant Happy Hour at the neighborhood bar. For me, it was Cactus Club in Orlando. The place was packed. There was no texting your friends to see when and where you were all going to meet up.

You just knew to be there. And when you got there, that’s when you began the lost art of socializing.

Yea, you chatted it up with friends, but as a single man, you were there to see and be seen. You couldn’t hide behind a fake pic or one you took last summer when you were in shape that one week for the trip to Pensacola.

What you saw is what you got. And that was

ok. Because if you caught someone’s eye or someone caught yours, you got your nerve up, walked over and had a conversation!

One thing was certain: when you said “Hi” to someone, they always said hi back. Ignoring someone who is talking to you never crossed anyone’s mind.

Instead of exchanging pics, we exchanged words. For so many, those words lead to friendships, even if it was for one night. They lead to longer lasting friendships and they even lead to relationships that are still going strong today.

On social media, we don’t give enough time to get to really know anyone or to let anyone get to know us. Have you seen some of the profiles on Scuff and Grindr? Most guys haven’t even taken the time to fill any of it out. And yet their blank screen is supposed to make me jump to respond when they utter an anonymous “Hey.” Be still my heart!

Oh, but some of the profiles that are filled out read like a menu of social inappropriateness.

Listing age ranges and race preferences like they’re ordering take out. Oh, and for the record, when you list race restrictions on your profile, you’re not expressing a preference, you’re expressing prejudice.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines prejudice as: (1) preconceived judgment or opinion; (2) an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. I dare any of you to tell someone to their face that you’re not interested in talking to them because of their race. Suddenly, it doesn’t sound like just a preference anymore, does it?

Our social interactions have been reduced to a series of text messages and selfies that leave our faces buried in the LED light of our smart phones, and we find ourselves

dumbfounded as to why we can’t find a meaningful relationship.

I’ll use as an example a young man my partner and I affectionately call our “son.” His name is “David” and he’s an intelligent guy who is wiser than most his

by his ear buds to his Galaxy large screen smart phone, texting, scruffing, grinding or whatever it is these 20somethings do today… and only occasionally looking up to inhale a burger.

And yet, there are times

our mobile devices, and more social than these online social networks.

Take a chance and try taking the time to learn more about someone beyond their profile pic and two sentence prose.

Better yet, try leaving your

age. But when it comes to socially interacting, he’s more interested in watching anime on his phone than watching a movie.

We’ve all gone to a neighbor’s pool party before, and while everyone else is drinking, talking and splashing about, David sits in a nearby chair tentacled

he laments on how it’s impossible for him to meet a nice guy to date, or friends to hang out with on a sunny Saturday. Really? Is this a question?!

We are at a social crossroads in our community. We need to be smarter than our smart phones, more mobile than

smart phone at home. (ok, ok— just leave it in the car) and go to a bar or restaurant with friends and talk instead of texting the evening away.

You never know, you may end up talking yourself into a closer friendship or something even more.

“Social interactions have been reduced to a series of text messages and selfies that leave our faces buried in the LED light of our smart phones and we find ourselves dumbfounded as to why we can’t find a meaningful relationship.”

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viewpoint

Rick Claggett, Publisher

w o r d s

to live by Change

C

hange is inevitable.

It’s scary. You can’t control it or predict it.

We’ve seen a great deal of change over the past several months. In September 2014, Tom Dyer announced that I would take over as Publisher of Watermark. Tom and I spent months working out the details, preparing me for the new role and coordinating the best time to make the move.

Although I handled the day-to-day operations of Watermark for years, my new position threw me a few curve balls I didn’t see coming. Our community was seeing change all around.

St. Pete Pride and the Tampa Bay Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce saw big changes to their boards, and Tampa Pride began its resurrection. In Orlando, the Metropolitan Business Association and Come Out With Pride went through a leadership change, as did The Center and Hope & Help.

It’s overwhelming, and that’s just a small percentage of what has happened. Enter the scary part of change. How will new management in so many associations affect decades of relationships?

For the better, I hope.

Communication is the key to making change positive. I’ve seen communication working in our community, but we can do better. I can do better.

I encourage the executive directors and board members of non-profits to reach out to me. Let’s discuss how we can make our organizations and our community stronger.

You certainly are not alone. Watermark exists to serve this community, to tell your story. Let’s

work together to make that happen.

Watermark has recently gone through a few staffing changes of our own. Our online media director, Jamie Hyman, has given birth to a beautiful baby boy and will be out on maternity leave through July. Jeremy Williams has returned to Watermark to fill in for Jamie, keeping our website updated and making sure Orlando news is covered.

We are grateful to have Jeremy back for the next few months and expect that you will love him just as much as we do.

The biggest change to Watermark’s staff came the morning I was writing this column. As stated in the Editor’s Desk on page 7 of this issue, Steve Blanchard has accepted a new position outside of Watermark and will no longer be our editor-in-chief.

I’ve worked with Steve for over a decade now, since his first day at Watermark. I’ve watched him grow from freelancer to staff writer to bureau chief to editor-in-chief Steve has been a staple here for a long time and exemplifies what it is Watermark strives to do.

He entertains, informs and makes our community a better place. Although I will miss him immensely, I am excited for him as he takes on his new endeavor.

Watermark is hard at work searching for our next editor. I guarantee our commitment to our entire coverage area in whichever direction this change takes us. I am certain we will find a voice that speaks to you.

As Mother’s Day approaches, I’m also reminded of a very personal change in my life.

On December 31, I lost my father to a long battle with liver disease and cancer. My father was a hero to my family. He married my mother when I was 2 years old and the

youngest of 5.

My father raised us as if we were his own and is greatly responsible for who I am today. He loved to laugh and had a corny sense of humor. I both thank and blame him for passing that on to me.

I distinctly remember the day my father and I

Early on a Saturday morning my bedroom door swung open and there stood my father. He threw a handful of cash on my dresser and said, “Please go buy a bigger bed so he doesn’t have to sleep on the floor.”

Then he walked out.

Simple enough but it meant

Mother’s Day we spend without my dad and I’m sure it will be a rough one, but no worries mom—I’ll bring the bloody mary!

Happy Mother’s Day. I’m just over halfway through my first year as Watermark’s publisher and change is everywhere. As it turns out, it’s not that

reconciled over my being gay. I knew he knew I was gay for a long while, but we didn’t talk about it.

In my early 20s I was living at home with my parents and I decided it would be a good idea to invite my boyfriend to stay over... for a few weeks.

Partly because I had a twin bed and partly out of respect for my parents, my boyfriend slept on the floor.

the world to me.

My father remained strong through his many years of illness. I thank my mother for that; she’s pretty tough for a short red head.

I had the privilege of standing with my mother by my father’s side when he took his last breaths. I stood in awe of her love, compassion, strength and faith. This will be the first

scary. I welcome it. With each change there is an exciting opportunity for a fresh perspective.

I’m 40, single (topic for another column) and ready to help make our community more fabulous than it already is.

My new position threw me a few curve balls I didn’t see coming; our community was seeing change all around.

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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This rare job opportunity is Now in its 20th year, Watermark Media is ideally suited for candidates with: Central and West Florida’s premier LGBT • • • • •

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

watermark

talking points

I don’t feel duped because he is turning into a woman, I feel duped because he’s the same fame whore as the rest of the family.

SINCE 2012,

suppOrt fOr Marriage eQuality in the u.s. has

RISEN

6.2%

every year

—Wendy WilliaMs, discussinG Bruce Jenner’s TransiTion.

Jenner’s kids tweet suppOrt

A

MaJoriTy oF Bruce Jenner’s children supporT his TransiTion to become a woman, and showed that support through tweets following their father’s interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer last month.

Jenner is the father of 10 children—both biological and step—that are linked to three marriages. Only four were interviewed for the ABC special, but so far none have said they don’t support Jenner’s transition. Even Jenner’s ex-wife, Kris, expressed support on Twitter by saying, “Not only was I able to call him my husband for 25 years and father of my children, I am now able to call him my hero.”

36 states shOw MOre than

50% Of residents

SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY —The Williams Institute

anti-gay lawMaker defends grindr Message

r

ep. randy BoehninG (r-FarGo), Who voTed AGAinSt EXtEndinG lEGAl protEctionS to LGBTs, defended his decision to send sexual messages and an unsolicited explicit photo of himself to another user of a gay dating website, telling The Forum newspaper that he is gay and “that’s what gay guys do on gay sites, don’t they?” The 52-year-old, who is single, has served in the North Dakota Legislature since 2003. Boehning claims his exchange with the man was made public in retaliation for his vote against a bill that would have protected LGBTs from discrimination.

watermark Your lgbt life.

kentucky Judge whO struck dOwn Marriage ban dies

u

.S. SEnior diStrict judGE John G. heyBurn ii, a Republican who served three decades on the federal bench, striking down laws that forbade gay marriage, died April 29. He was 66. Heyburn was confirmed in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush. In 2014, he struck down Kentucky’s constitutional amendment that barred same-sex marriage within the state and the recognition of samesex marriages performed in other states, saying they violated the right to equal protection under the law by treating gays and lesbians “differently in a way that demeans them.”

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

russia: u2 albuM will Make yOu gay

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dEputy to ruSSiA’S AttornEy GEnErAl wAntS to invEStiGAtE ApplE for distributing the new U2 album—deemed gay propaganda—to minors. Songs of Innocence was a free gift via iTunes that was released in September 2014. The conflict stems from the album cover. The photo of U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr., embracing his 18-year-old shirtless son is supposed to be a metaphor for holding onto your innocence. Russian authorities disagree and say the image promotes sex between men.

There’s talk of a lawsuit from Russia seeking damages.

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

arts and entertainMent

Photo by Jake Stevens

Jeff JOnes and Miss saMMy celebrate the rebirth Of MOvies Out lOud with a lOOk at sOMe Of fringe’s gay-theMed shOws

o

Jeremy Williams

rlAndo | jEff jonES And MiSS

Sammy are two of Central Florida’s funniest and most beloved people who like to talk about other people (especially when other people are listening). So who better to take the stage first when Watermark Media and the Orlando International Fringe Festival join forces to launch the second coming of Movies Out Loud later this year?

What is Movies Out Loud?

The premise: we pick an over the top, campy, so-badit’s-good film to show to a slightly inebriated audience while some of Fringe’s best and brightest verbally destroy the film, a la Mystery Science Theater... only Live!

We asked Jones and Miss Sammy to use their keen wit and comedic talents, which will be on display at

watermark Your lgbt life.

the first installment of the revival of Movies Out Loud, to pick through and make sense of what is aimed at the LGBT community during the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The annual festival runs May 13-25 at the Orlando Shakespeare Center and at other locations in the Loch Haven Park area.

Movies Out Loud begins July 8, and runs every second

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Wednesday of the month, at The Abbey and features a revolving cast of Fringe Festival characters. All proceeds raised will go back to Fringe.

But enough about that. Let’s take a look at the gay offerings at this year’s Fringe Festival, which will be here before we know it. For a full schedule, visit OrlandoFringe.org. cOntinued On pg. 38 | uu |

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2014

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(N.Y. Post) “...has the superstar nailed, not only in her remarkable vocals, but in her patter, manner, giggles and gowns.

She’s in the Babs zone.”

(Orlando Sentinel)

STREISAND:

Gold Venue Orlando Museum of Art 2416 N Mills Ave

Thursday, May 14, 6:30p.m Saturday, May 16, 8:15p.m.

Sunday, May 17, 12:30p.m.

Tuesday, May 19, 6:30p.m.

Thursday, May 21, 6:00p.m.

Saturday, May 23, 2:00p.m.

Sunday, May 24, 2:30p.m.

GUIDE H!” TA T U ke B “Li

ORLANDOFRINGE.ORG

FOR MORE INFORMATION

MAY13 - 25 2015 Eyewitness Theatre presents Peter McGarry’s...

DARK WOOD

Tickets $11.00 (plus surcharge and Fringe Button) Three apes. Two views. One Cage. An escape.

WARNING:

Apes do not wear clothes, neither do the actors.

Tix at www.DangerousTheatre.com

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watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

BROWN Venue Thursday, 5/14 9:30pm Saturday, 5/16 10:45pm Monday, 5/18 5:30pm Wednesday, 5/20 8:45pm Friday, 5/22 5:45pm Saturday, 5/23 9:00pm Sunday, 5/24 1:00pm

Limited Engagement 4 Performances Only!

ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL Dates: May 13 – 26, 2015 http://www.orlandofringe.org

Juggling a Stage Mom, Gender Confusion and Tap!

Directed by Peter Michael Marino

Dates and Times: Fri. May 15, 2015 Sun. May 17, 2015 Mon. May 18, 2015 Tues. May 19, 2015

5:30 pm 2:30 pm 7:30 pm 6:30 pm

Lowndes Shakespeare Center - Red Venue 812 East Rollins Ave, Orlando, FL 32803

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

27

The Florida Men’s Chorale

Presents the Florida premiere of an original song cycle with orchestra and featured soloists Chris Romeo and Ruthie Nelson celebrating the life of an American hero.

I AM HARVEY MILK Words and Music by ANDREW LIPPA

FRIDAY • JUNE 12th • 8:00 PM • THE PALLADIUM • 253 5th Avenue North, St Petersburg 33701 SATURDAY • JUNE 13th • 8:00 PM • USF CONCERT HALL • 3755 USF Holly Dr., Tampa 33620 Tickets: $25 & $40 available at

www.Una-Voce.org

$5 Student Tickets available on our Website.

Requires valid Student ID at the door.

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With the Support of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

art+fashiOn

Wearing art on their sleeves The men of Spathose create wearable art using Florida’s ecological gifts

dESiGn tEAM: (L-R)

Scott Durfee and George Medeiros create their wearable art in the studio within their St. Petersburg home.

The couple have been together nearly three decades and wear their art consistently to promote the brand.

PHOTO By AAROn ALPER

S

Aaron Alper

t. pEtErSburG | ApprEciAtion of Art is subjective, they say. But there’s no denying that the artwork created by Spathose is distinctive.

Partners Scott Durfee, 48, and George Medeiros, 53, created their design business after moving to Tampa Bay and discovering a love of palm trees. Today, their creations using the palm tree’s spathe—the woody covering of the bloom of the palm—has attracted fans from around the country.

It’s hard to imagine the two artists and partners of nearly three decades apart. But they say their meeting was by sheer chance.

“George was stuck in the snow,” co-creator Durfee says. “I pulled over in the truck and helped him out of the storm on Christmas Eve in Swansea, Mass.”

watermark Your lgbt life.

Medeiros explains why he was stuck in the snow.

“The highway system went through both Rhode Island and Massachusetts,” Medeiros explains.

“We had to take the same highways to go to the bars.”

The two began a relationship immediately and have been together ever since.

The evolution for Medeiros and Durfee was an extensive one.

“What are doing now is far removed from what we were doing then,” Durfee says.

In fact, their origins started in corporate America social climbing.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

“Scott was working in office environments and I was in the food service industry,” Medeiros says. “We each had a creative side and were doing creative things, but it took a while to develop individually and as a couple.”

Durfee grew up with his grandparents, who owned a nursery.

So creating with organic materials has always been a part of his life.

Medeiros says that art class was always his favorite in school, as was drama club.

“A lot of it stemmed from out childhood,” Durfee adds. “In regard to how we are now, I was professionally driven and was into the idea of the corporate climb for six years.

I helped create efficiency on how people should be working. I actually have a business degree.”

Medeiros majored in the liberal arts.

“My degree was in fine arts,” Medeiros adds, with a chuckle. “No wonder I was doing work as a waiter.

But that is what we were taught to do. You get a job and you work your way up. So for the first five years, our relationships were in other jobs.

Then we began working together creatively about 20 years ago.”

That combined creativity has built a juggernaut of artistic expression and exhibits culled together in Tampa Bay. The intricate pieces can take a few days to complete or a few weeks, depending on their size.

“We create our wearable sculpture in multiples, so it is hard to say exactly how long it takes,” Medeiros says. “When it’s done is when it’s done!”

But what, exactly is Spathose? “’Spathose’ literally translates from Greek to mean ‘Spathe-like,’” Medeiros explains. “We developed our quick tag line that pretty much sums up our art—’Organic with an industrial edge.’”

And using natural material not only makes the wearable art of Spathose distinctive, but local.

“We love that we are using sustainable material that’s indigenous to Florida and making

cOntinued On pg. 31 | uu |

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OPENING THIS WEEKEND AT THE MFA

A Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc. Experience

SHELBY LYNNE

Fri, May 22 • 8pm

Tue, Jun 2 • 8pm

DEREK HOUGH & JULIANNE HOUGH

LIVE ON TOUR

Paul Binnie, Scottish (born 1967), Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts, 2004 from the series, A 100 SHADES OF INK OF EDO Japanese color woodblock print, Gift of Dr. John E. Schloder in honor of the Museum’s 50th Anniversary 2014.29.17

FREE ADMISSION to the MFA for Mom on Mother’s Day A wonderful way to celebrate Mother’s Day by visiting downtown, exploring our galleries, seeing our new exhibition and celebrating art. Free admission for moms accompanied by their children.

American Idol: ®/© 19 TV Ltd. and FremantleMedia North America.

2015 All Rights Reserved. www.americanidol.com

Sun, Jun 28 • 2 & 7pm

Tue, Jul 7 • 7:30pm

IDINA MENZEL WORLD TOUR

The voice powering the multiplatinum smash hit “Let it Go” from Disney’s FROZEN

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

Member Jewelry Sale at the MFA Store

Fri, Jul 24 • 8pm

2014-15 Season Sponsor

Mother’s Day Weekend – Thursday, May 7 through Sunday, May 10 MFA members receive 20% OFF all jewelry (including already marked-down pieces).

Non-members receive 10% OFF jewelry.

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watermark Your lgbt life.

Tue, Jul 28 • 8pm Tickets: 727.791.7400 • www.RuthEckerdHall.com Groups: 727.712.2717 • Memberships: 727.712.2720

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

A nAturAl looK: What many consider as yard waste are actually templates for art for the men of Spathose. The couple treats palm spathe and turns it into accessories. PHOTO By AAROn ALPER

| uu | Spathose frOM pg.29 beautiful objects from yard waste,” Durfee says. “I like to say ‘Saving landfills, one accessory at a time!’”

This background in business, as well as a background in fauxfinishing—an integral part of Spathose’s look—no doubt served the productivity of Spathose in spades.

“Our first creative project,” Medeiros says with a hint of irony, “was, well, talk about gay.

It was for a banquet. We created maypole center pieces. Very Martha Stewart.”

Medeiros is quick to point out that he is a fan of Martha Stewart and credits her for inspiration.

The evolution of the Spathose brand came when they couple relocated to St. Petersburg, a community which has both

We create product. We work from both sides of our head. We see it as a business —scoTT durFee that is based around art. embraced them as members of the artistic community and allowed them to be proactive in gaining the permits to use personal residence as an impressive art gallery.

The Spathose brand could be described as both ecological and industrial, environmentally friendly art that appears as though it were manufactured by an assembly line. This synthesis came from both men wanting to incorporate the inspiration of Florida with an edgy twist that will bring in customers who are not keen on the traditional hippie-style brand that “green”

art often connotes.

“We create more than art,” Durfee says. “We create product.

We work from both sides of our head. We see it as a business that is based around art.”

The Spathose line includes wearable fashion, purses and traditional art center pieces, each with a distinct look that requires an open eye to appreciate it.

“We even have neighbors drop off pieces of discarded yard waste in hopes that they can be used in our pieces, “Medeiros admits.

Another interesting aspect of the Spathose couple is they are not afraid to promote their own

watermark Your lgbt life.

personas as much as they are their creations.

Both men wore their own creations for this interview. Their confident self-promotion has served them well in landing gigs that could lead to creating award center pieces for the upcoming Clearwater /St. Petersburg Best of Awards in April.

In fact, in a rather cool turn of events, Medeiros and Durfee are in the process of auditioning for an as-yet-unnamed gay couples reality show.

It is clear that the guys at Spathose want more than just a local following. They want to

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

hoMe oFFice: The workshop

George Medeiros and Scott Durfee use to design their Spathose creations is connected to their St. Petersburg home. PHOTO By AAROn ALPER

appear as brand associated with Florida—hence the use of locally grown items as pieces of their art.

But the men have no intention of leaving the town that so openly accepted them.

Spathose wearable art is available online at Spathose. com. The site also lists upcoming shows throughout the area.

So what advice do they have for beginning artists?

“Love what you do and do what you love,” Medeiros says.

Durfee adds, “And take a business course!”

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watermark Your lgbt life.

1875. S. Orlando Ave., Maitland

Call Fred Berliner to set your appointment today!

(407)644-7111 ext.242 email: carbearfb@aol.com

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

domestic partners CAN buy together!

entertainment

All about Eve

Trans actress Erika Ervin talks about embracing her AHS character ‘Amazon Eve’ before appearing at Orlando’s Spooky Empire

Watermark on the phone to offer a colorful and candid look into the world of a woman who fought an uphill battle into show business while marching to the beat of her own oddly syncopated drum.

WATERMARK: So you’re coming into town for Spooky Empire.

ERIKA ERVIN: Yes I am.

And that is a horror convention?

Drinky bloody.

What was that?

Drinky bloody! (laughs)

Ok. So you’re funny. I wasn’t anticipating that.

The interviews I read with you were kind of stoic.

Ok, so I decided to change the story.

I was on a learning curve when I was doing American Horror Story. My character was a bit more stoic. So during that time I am interviewing in character. I mean, (producer) Ryan Murphy would just pull you off the set and I thought, ‘I’m not gonna break character!’ My character is what you saw, and when you read the interviews you’ll see that stoic side. Now if you know me, in person, I am a nut-case on stage. I am a veritable freak show!

And I also read you see the word ‘freak’ as a more positive term now because of your experiences.

Yes! Get your freak on. Embrace it.

We all have gifts, and my gift is kind of obvious. I stand out. Who I am as a person, I almost afraid to show that person to the world.

Have you been able to start to show that person to the world?

Getting Even:

Erika Ervin’s portrayal of ‘Amazon Eve’ in American Horror Story earned her legions of new fans.

Photos courtesy FX

E

Aaron Alper

rika Ervin has many titles.

She’s best known as “Amazon Eve,” a personality she created when she broke into Hollywood’s modeling scene. That same name earned her immense popularity during her season 4 role on American Horror Story: Freak Show, and “Amazon Eve” is now a popular part of the American Horror Story canon. watermark Your lgbt life.

She’s also personal trainer, an ex-paralegal and an upand-coming comedian.

Ervin will appear at the Universal Doubletree in Orlando during Spooky Empire May 15-17 along with a few other members of the AHS cast. This year’s theme celebrates “Halloween Extreme,” and since American Horror Story falls into the horror genre, the 6-feet-8-inch actress seems like a perfect fit.

The modest actress spoke with

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I may create another character or incarnation. I did actually book a feature film. I am playing more of a dominant woman. I am learning how to wrangle the reporters. I learned a lot from Jessica Lange. I mean, watch her finesse.

Speaking of, what was it like realizing you had to act next to all these icons?

You realize very quickly it is about the work and it is a team effort. That is what you learn working in that

Continued on pg. 36 | uu |

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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on the catwalk: Erika Ervin, right, created the persona of ‘Amazon Eve’ for the runway, long before she was on AHS: Freak Show. Photo courtesy

Line of freaks: Erika Ervin, left, stands with costars Jyoti Amge, Evan Peters and Mat Fraser of American Horror Story: Freak Show during filming in Florida. Photo courtesy FX

AmazonEve.com

| uu | Amazon Eve from pg.33 environment. They were—all of them—so generous. It was a dream job, and a job I didn’t believe I could have.

When did you realize you were an actress? Did it stem from when you were modeling?

I carved my own space. I didn’t make myself only a model. I don’t think you can define me as a model. I have modeled, but I don’t know if I am a model. I’m still working on that.

From what I gathered, model seems like an apt term.

Well, that’s Amazon Eve. That is a character.

Is that the secret? Create a character and then really step into the zones that make you uncomfortable?

Well, getting to put Amazon Eve on AHS was a gift from Ryan. That gave me a sense that I created something of value.

And there are a lot levels to you. I don’t want to pry too

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I am an old school Dungeons and Dragons, chess-playing, over-educated, —Erika Ervin white, privileged nerd. much into the dark parts of your past, but you were bullied growing up for your height (6 foot 8 inches). That was a big problem.

I was bullied for being queer too. I just didn’t talk about it.

Yes, because all the interviews that I read, I was looking for that element and they seemed to be conveniently leave it out.

Amazon Eve, she was my shield.

She was a different person. I felt like I became a human being, instead of just being a freak, a monster or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. She’s a corporation now. There’s this great book I like to read called Fuck It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way, by John C. Parkin. There’s a segment that says, “Fuck it, create your own job, create your own universe, create your own, create your

own, create your own.” And that’s who Amazon Eve became. Am I bragging? Do you get to brag about stuff like that?

I don’t think it’s bragging if you legitimately accomplish something.

Also, I am actually a stand-up comic.

Yeah. I mean, you don’t want me to be an advocate.

Why would you say that?

Which I wasn’t aware of either! What’s the show called and how did it evolve?

I call it “Notes from an Imaginary.”

A few years ago I started going on the road and doing open mics. I practiced it and refined it there.

It’s not typical stand up; it’s more like theater. One big gigantic monologue, with interactions.

I am always working on it. I am always working.

In other interviews you said you weren’t necessarily

watermark Your lgbt life.

comfortable being held up as a transgender role model. Do you think there is a sense of obligation for openly transgender people to be advocates and is that obligation harmful?

It’s like in my show, I am more of a crazy person. I am a performer. I prefer to speak in metaphors and tell stories. I don’t want to be a hero. I do good work. Being a hero?

I have a hard time with that.

Is it the politics that makes it difficult because you have to be politically correct?

It all comes down to identity politics. I gave a speech as grand marshal of Pride…let me give you it. It always starts with love and hate speech. The hate speech

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

always starts the same; by placing a group in a (previously known) category. You’re black, you’re white, you’re straight, you’re not, you’re male, you’re female. Or you’re somewhere in between.

There are other categories.

It’s that kind of thinking I have a hard time with. We live in a world where we build fences. We make distinctions and anybody who becomes a beacon has to be placed with a label and thrown into an agenda. Then that becomes a form of censorship. Do you understand?

Yes. Completely.

I will do advocate-like stuff, but I don’t consider myself an advocate.

I just want to be the crazy person on stage! I am an old school Dungeons and Dragons, chessplaying, over-educated, white, privileged nerd. How is that for a quote? (Laughs)

more information

WHO: Erika Ervin (Amazon Eve) WHEN: May 15-17 WHERE: Spooky Empire, Universal Doubletree Hotel TICKETS: SpookyEmpire.com

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    

    

         

         

 





 













    

    

         

         

 



 

Three acres of breathtaking and inspirational sculpture  gardens on beautiful Lake Osceola in Winter Park.

A lovely event venue available for rentals.

633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789 www.polasek.org · 407.647.6294

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

37

Photo by Brian Becnel

Bubble Gum Party

b

luE StAr’S vAriEtEASE, A frinGE fAvoritE for 9 yEArS, presents Aqueous, a Fatstar Production.

It’s an aquatic freak show set in 1901. This is a haunting and magical tale of how The Girl With Gills unexpectedly finds her true love and how sometimes love is not enough to change destiny.

J

oin the Bubble Gum Party with dad Robbie, mom Debbie, and daughter Abby Bubble as they sing songs for real American families with real American values.

So come blow a bubble with us—but be careful or it might pop all over your face! This show is perfect for the whole family, except the children.

“This show sounds perfect for Michele and Marcus Bachmann, especially Marcus.

He loves it when a bubble pops all over his face.”

Aqueous

“Blue’s shows are really amazing.

What’s even more amazing, though, is the amount of money she spends a year on nipple tape.”

Around the World in 80 Years: a Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad

“This sounds like fun! I love bubbles, chewing gum, and teen-age sex parties... I mean homework.”

“A

musical comedy about a woman having sex with a ukulele?” Jones asks.

Close, but not quite. A classy comedic “femme” with an international flair takes you on her 80 year journey around the world through songs (in French!), with her piano and ukulele.

Her escapades and sexcapades hold your attention since you won’t know what to expect next. You can expect standup comedy, sing-alongs, and more.

“I think I saw this once in Amsterdam.”

1969: Stonewall

T

he creators of last year’s Weeki Wachee hit present a wickedly funny yet moving exploration of the revolutionary night that sparked the modern gay rights movement.

Michael Wanzie directs a handful of actors in a surprising tapestry of characters spanning all walks of life—all of which are forever changed by a fateful brick tossed by an angry drag queen.

38

“Some think it was a brick that was thrown, but it was really a size 12 patent-leather pump...and it was mine! I never got it back either!”

“Jeff, you were drunk.

We were in Umatilla, and that was you and a ukelele!”

Cootie Catcher

i Photo by Brian Becnel

watermark Your lgbt life.

n This hilarious and Borderline-TerriFyinG rEflEction, Lucas looks back on his many close encounters of the sexually transmissible kind. Through his naked (yet carefully wrapped) adventures, he struggles with his ability to remain sex-positive in an HIV-negative society.

“I cannot wait to see this show,” Jones says. “Though, I have been warned that if you sit in the first two rows you are required to wear a condom.”

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

“Two words.

Splash Zone!”

The Florida Orchestr a T a m pa , S t. P e t e & C l e a rwat er

Orchestra with Big Screen Movie

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN This lm masterpiece comes to life with live orchestral accompaniment and award-winning on-screen performances by Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds.

Constantine Kitsopoulos conducts.

Fri, May 15, 8 pm, Straz Center Sat, May 16, 8 pm, Mahaffey Sponsored By: Ambassador & Mrs. Sembler

Tickets: $20, $35 & $50

727.892.3337 or 1.800.662.7286 www.FloridaOrchestr a.org atermark5-7.indd 1

4/23/2015 1:17:16

• Bevel and Flat Mirrors Cut To Your Speciications • Specialty Frames Available in Oval, Circle and Shadowbox

Dan Fiorini

2060 Tyrone Blvd N • St. Pete • (727) 344-1000

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

39

100’s of Regions 1000’s of Selections Prices ranging from $ 6-$200,000 per bottle

407-332-9636

114 S Semoran Blvd #6 Winter Park, FL 32792 www.AComicShop.com

We specialize in Superior Service – Expert Mixologists & Seasoned Sommeliers are always on staff

Enjoy a glass of wine on us.

From Our Cellar, to Yours.

5425 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819 1-844-4BEVFLY (238359) www.BevFly.com

Watermark-Ad-Template.indd 1

40

5/1/15 11:41 AM

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Large selection of LGBT Books Cookbooks History & Biographies Fiction & Non-Fiction Kid’s Books, Gifts and much more!

(407) 335-4192

124 E. Welbourne Ave Winter Park, FL 32789 www.writersblockbookstore.com

“Pepe is always funny. At least I think he is. I have no idea what the fuck he is saying half the time.”

Truth or Dare with Pepe

“Truth.

Neither does he.”

p

EpE iS bAcK And you nEvEr knoW WhaT To eXpecT WiTh TRUTH OR DARE. Last year nothing was off limits in this sexually explicit show, which featured discussions on pornography, lubricants and squirting.

“She thinks her shit don’t stink... but it does. It smells like a dozen pink roses gently nudged by a sunlit-Springmorning breeze.”

Streisand, the Greatest Star— Like Buttah

h

Ello GorGEouS! Carla DelVillaggio, a multiple awardwinning Barbra Streisand tribute artist, is back with a new show!

A celebration of the greatest songs from the Streisand songbook, featuring Broadway hits from Hello Dolly, Cats, Boulevard, West Side Story, Sunset Boulevard and Carousel.

Carousel

Dragness of God

i

T’s The 10-year anniversary rEvivAl of pAtron’S picK AwArd winninG, outrageous, Wanzie-penned parody of a hit Broadway play and film performed in drag! Try saying that 3 times fast.

Doug Ba’aser is Agnes, a nun prone to virgin birth and stigmata.

Wanzie is the lesbian Mother Superior. Tommy Wooten is the psychiatrist investigating a dead baby found in a wastebasket, oh and there’s the appearance of a fully naked male angel.

“Don’t all male angels fly around naked. Isn’t that why they call it heaven?”

“I just think it will be nice to see Doug Ba’aser in a show that features a penis that isn’t his own.”

COMMUNICATION ISSUES? NEED DIRECTION? RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS? A LIFE COACH CAN HELP. Stephen Halpin Certified Life Coach www.StephenLifeCoach.com (407) 602-8511

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

41

Photo by Brian Becnel “I used to have a DVD porno called Dark Wood and the actors in that were also in cages. I think that might have been the only similarity.”

“I love threesomes.

I still have all the episodes of Three’s Company on VHS!”

“This show is basically a rub and tug on your funny bone. I’m assuming the vignette about an awkward massage is about John Travolta.”

i

ndulGe in a ThreesoMe oF TWisTed oneActS, each with its own absurd take on our constant battle with self-esteem.

John Connon presents his quirky world view in Cheat Meal, Ambush! and Massage a Trois, three outrageous vignettes featuring three hilarious actors exploring our complicated relationships with food, beauty and the occasional awkward massage.

Judy Garland

iMply put, MArK bArAtElli pErforMS as The iconic Judy Garland. The show sold out last year four times and wasn’t even listed in the program. This year it is back with a bigger venue and less expensive tickets.

“Can’t we leave my poor friend Judy alone? All she wants to do is get back to Kansas... in a balloon... with flying monkeys!”

God is a Scottish Drag Queen III

Photo by Brian Becnel “I really hope the ‘Master of the House’ parody involves BDSM and a rotating stage.”

Lay, MS.

f

or every cause There’s a TiMe, and For every MovEMEnt A cAtAlySt. This is a parody of Les Miserables set in the 50s and 60s culminating in the Stonewall Riots.

Watch as the show delves into the true history of pious cops, the mob, BDSM, porn and gay rights. With music stylized to the era, it promises to be a revolution.

42

t

hree apes, TWo viEwS, onE cAGE. Strong Arm and Rico have it good being apes living in captivity until they are put in a cage with an ape from the outside.

Mbwane is from the wild, the Dark Wood. Captured and experimented on, he is determined to get out and get back to his family and the life stolen from him.

It should be mentioned that apes do not wear clothes so neither do the actors in Dark Wood.

“Mark Baratelli’s train wreck impression of Judy Garland is almost as entertaining as the real train wreck that is Liza Minelli.”

Massage a Trois

“Thank goodness there’s a time limit on these shows. By the time the real Les Mis was finished, I needed to shave my legs again!”

S

Dark Wood

watermark Your lgbt life.

w

iTh sold ouT shoWs in 2013 and 2014, Orlando’s favorite deity in a power suit is back to skewer everything from prayer to politics in an all new show. God has sold out in every city it has played, so get your tickets early and see what everybody is raving about.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

“God is back again? Good!

Let’s see if we can get her to ‘flood’ a few thousand rightwingers!”

When only the very best is good enough.

We invite you to visit our conveniently located showrooms, each one as luxurious as the cars they contain.

2015 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe

2015 Infiniti Q50

Jaguar Orlando

Across from the Mall at Millenia (888) 671-3164 | JaguarOrlando.com

watermark Your lgbt life.

Sanford Infiniti

995 Rinehart Rd. Sanford, FL 32771 (888) 927-0739 | SanfordInfiniti.com

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Orlando Infiniti

Across from the Mall at Millenia (877) 235-0345 | OrlandoInfiniti.com

43

presents

WeddingShow

sponsored by

sponsored by

You Are Invited

Caterers ∙ DJ’s ∙ Venues ∙ Photographers ∙ Musicians ∙ Cake Decorators Jewelers ∙ Florists ∙ Spas/Salons ∙ and more...

12 p.m. - 4 p.m. June 14, 2015 Doubletree Downtown 60 S. Ivanhoe Blvd

$10 per person $15 per couple

Register on line at lgbtweddingshow.eventbrite.com If you would like to be an exhibitor at the LGBT Wedding Show, contact Michael@JohnMichaelEvents.com 44

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Janis Joplin, Little Girl Blue

K

aleiGh Baker and an all-sTar Band oF orlAndo’S finESt MuSiciAnS, including director Andy Matchett, present an in-depth and passionate look at the life, music and untimely death of one of music’s greatest icons, Janis Joplin.

“I hear this show is a ‘bringyour-own-southern-comfort’ kind of thing,” says Miss Sammy.

Baker swells in volume as she moves from a solo rendition of “What Good Can Drinkin Do?” to an explosive eight piece band backing her on hits like “Peace of My Heart” and “Get It While You Can”.

“Like the sign in the antique store says, ‘You break it, you buy it’. I wonder if they’ll take a Discover Card.”

“This is basically the Miss Sammy story. Well, with more sex and laughter.”

Shattered Chandelier

“w

hen i FirsT read The titlE I thought it said Shattered Chandler and it would be about Matthew Perry,” Jones admits. “This is very different.”

A dark, love story told through dance and music, it’s a modern version of Phantom of the Opera, choreographed with elements of classical Cecchetti ballet and modern and interpretive dance.

The spectacle should enchant and mesmerize audiences long after the chandelier comes crashing down.

From Como to Homo

A

Photo by Brian Becnel

“This show will make Kaleigh Baker a gay icon.

Which is hard to do without appearing on RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

10-year-old JuGGles her career on The perry coMo shoW and the demands of her stage mom, all while dealing with gender confusion and a bumpy ride into the world of mortality and tap dance.

“Homos love tap!

Enough said.”

“I better get script approval on this one. And script-boy approval.”

The Peevira Chronicles: Wedding Whorrer

p

EEvirA iS GEttinG MArriEd And you’rE inviTed To The aBsurdiTy. After a two year break, she is making her theatrical comeback with a sequel to her 2012 festival cult favorite.

Witness a pantomime drag show filled with sex, laughter, and parody. It’ll be a whore of a good time.

Obsessed

A

rE you oBsessed WiTh vAMpirES, bEinG GAy or God? In this day and age of binge watching, movie sequels and social media, obsessions are hard to avoid. Guilty pleasures and addictive behavior have become the norm. But there is nothing normal about this hysterical one man show full of whacky characters and their mostly unhealthy obsessions.

watermark Your lgbt life.

“Vampires... being gay?

Isn’t that redundant?”

Photo by Brian Becnel

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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The Lion Queen and the Naked Go-Go Cub

Photo by Brian Becnel

i

n anoTher WanZie revival, this is an all new production of the biggest selling Orlando Fringe hit of all time. Kenny Howard directs this hilarious, skewering of Disney.

An opulent musical parody of that classic film and Broadway show twisted to depict the birth of the gay rights movement and death of Judy Garland.

“I am afraid to comment on this show or admit to wanting to see it. Out of fear of retribution from the Walt Disney Company.”

“I’m not afraid.

I still have the pictures of Walt and Tinker Bell doing the ‘dirty boogie’!”

Field Guide to the Gays 2

w

AtErMArK’S frinGE GuidE froM lASt yEAr iS bAcK! Dive deeper into his all new world of nightclubbing, activism, trans trivia, hankies and more.

Logan Donahoo’s award winning, one-man, multimedia safari into the gay community is back with a sequel to the original guide.

46

“I do love a good theatrical disaster, especially when it’s not done on purpose.”

Late with Lance!

f

roM The cloWn Who BrouGhT you DESPERATELY SEEKING THE EXIT comes a brand new theatrical disaster.

Delusional, optimistic cruise ship entertainer Lance is docked in Orlando, so he’s hosting a musical variety-talk show with special guests Liza Minnelli, Hugh Jackman and Miami Sound Machine, but will they show?

Sissy

i

T’s aFTer school and coach BJ needs To Teach his sissies a lesson. From Kitty Puncher comes Sissy, a devised comedy that’s making everybody squirt.

Watch as these boys stretch, suck and swallow their pride for Coach BJ’s viewing pleasure.

There’ll be chills, thrills and loads of spills in your pants.

“Logan has no shame and each year he lets us deeper and deeper inside of himself. rumor has it in 2016, he’s just going to have a colonoscopy on stage.”

“Oh Jeff, you would have adored Seven Brides.”

“In other words, this is a good show to see with your parents.”

The Tricky Part

by Martin Moran

M “Eww. I wonder if they might find richard Gere’s gerbil.”

watermark Your lgbt life.

arTin Moran’s 2004 oBie aWard winnEr for bESt plAy is a riveting, funny and surprising journey through the complexities of boyhood, manhood, Catholicism, desire, trespass and forgiveness.

“A show about boyhood, manhood and Catholicism. How did they manage to keep Michael Wanzie out of it?”

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

“Haven’t you heard?

Wanzie is a lesbian nun now.”

A warm welcome...

A warm welcome...

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Our Downtown hotel is gay-friendly, a supporter of the gay community and known for its hospitality and welcoming ambiance...

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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48

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

event planner

arts+entertainMent

coMMunity calendar

OrlandO

OrlandO

Boston, May 7, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com.

Orlando art & Wellness expo

Drivin’ n’ Cryin’, May 7, Abbey Theater, Orlando. 407-704-6261; AbbeyOrlando.com.

saTurday, May 16, 12-7 p.M. ArtEGon MArKEtplAcE, orlAndo Join Artegon Marketplace as it hosts an Art and Wellness expo from 12-7 p.m. May 16. The day will include color therapy yoga, an art therapy workout, live artists, musicians and live performances. Visit PlantBasedPharmacist.com for more details.

Winestock 2015, May 7, Cranes Roost Park, Altamonte Springs.

WinestockUncorked.com.

Rob Bell & Pete Holmes, May 8, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com.

Putting It Together, through May 9, Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park. 407-645-0145; WinterParkPlayhouse.com.

Lisa Loeb, May 9, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com.

Kids in the Hall, May 9, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRock.com.

Fifth Annual Science of Wine, May 9, Orlando Science Center, Orlando.

407-514-2000; OSC.org.

13th Annual Orlando Cabaret Festival, through May 10, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, May 12-17, Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org.

Grupo niche, May 15, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com.

Stars of Tomorrow, May 15, Bob Carr Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-839-0119; DrPhillipsCenter.org.

Spooky Empire’s MayHem, May 15-17, The DoubleTree

by Hilton, Orlando.

SpookyEmpire.com.

Ed Kowalczyk, May 16, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com.

Out & equal Launch Party

Be Our guest

May 19 Grand BoheMian hoTel, orlando Celebrate the launch of the new Out & Equal chapter serving the Greater Orlando area at the Grand Bohemian in downtown Orlando. The new regional affiliate will discuss LGBT issues in the workplace. For details on the event, email Orlando@OutAndEqual.org.

clearwater

TBGLCC Dinner Meeting Tuesday, May 12, 6:30 p.M. holiday inn sT. peTersBurG norTh/clearWaTer Join the Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for its May dinner meeting with guest speakers Maurie Lung, president of NAPW St. Petersburg; and St. Pete Pride executive director Eric Skains. RSVP at 813-362-6203.

Disney’s Beauty & The Beast gets the Broadway treatment at the Straz Center in Tampa through May 10 and again at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando May 12-17. For tickets, visit StrazCenter.org or DrPhillipsCenter.org.

taMpa

Balance Tampa Bay social Gabriel Iglesias, May 16, CFE Arena, Orlando.

407-823-3070; CFEArena.com.

Mae, May 17, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com.

taMpa Beauty and the Beast, through May 10, Straz Center, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org.

In the Heights, through May 17, American Stage Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanStage.org.

Rob Bell & Pete Holmes, May 7, Straz Center, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org.

The Music of The Who, May 8, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-892-5798; TheMahaffey.com.

Pat Benatar & neil Giraldo, May 19, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-892-5798; TheMahaffey.com.

Francesca, May 9, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org.

sarasOta

2Cellos, May 9, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org.

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, May 11, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org.

Singin’ in the Rain – The Florida Orchestra, May 15, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org.

Driving Miss Daisy, through May 28, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota. 941-366-1505; WBTTroupe.org.

Luck be a Lady: The Music of Frank Loesser, May 7, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota.

941-351-9010; AsoloRep.org.

Heart and Soul, May 18, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota.

941-351-9010; AsoloRep.org.

Thursday, May 14, 6 p.M. MAGGiAno’S littlE itAly, WesTshore plaZa The men and women of Balance Tampa Bay will gather at Maggiano’s Little Italy for their May social.

Appetizers will be supplied and there will be a cash bar. Guests and members are both invited.

sarasOta

Harvey Milk Music Festival saTurday, May 16, 2:30 p.M.-MidniGhT fivE pointS pArK, SArASotA The 6th annual Harvey Milk Music Festival returns to Five Points Park and will feature 10 bands. The festival honors the memory of Harvey Milk, one of America’s first openly gay elected officials. The free festival is part of a weekend-long event that also features film and art. For details, visit HarveyMilkFestival.org.

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

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

49

2015

FRIDAY, MAY 29 7:30pm-10pm

The Mahaffey Theater 400 1st Street South, St. Petersburg PRESENTED BY

Please join us for this wonderful event with an open bar, delicious hors d’oeuvres, dancing, live and silent auction, and an exciting program including a State of the State Address by our Chief Executive Officer, Nadine Smith.

TICKETS $125

RSVP and purchase tickets at eqfl.org/greaterstpetegala or call 727-822-2122 Tickets held at the door | Cocktail attire please | Complimentary valet

We will have an exciting live auction conducted by Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner!

Live auction items include a St Martin Vacation, an Olivia Cruise, Tickets to the either the Men’s or Women’s Wimbledon Finals, A beautiful Duncan McClellan Vase, and a special surprise!

There will be many silent auction items to bid on throughout the night.

Sponsorship Opportunities Begin At $500 For Sponsorship Information Call 727-822-2122

PO BOX 20786, TAMPA, FL 33622-0786

All net proceeds directly benefit Equality Florida Institute, a tax exempt 501c3 non-profit organization.

A C O P Y O F T H E O F F I C I A L R E G I S T R AT I O N A N D F I N A N C I A L I N F O R M AT I O N F O R T H E E Q UA L I T Y F LO R I D A I N S T I T U T E M AY B E O B TA I N E D F R O M T H E D I V I S I O N O F C O N S U M E R S E R V I C E S B Y C A L L I N G TO L L- F R E E W I T H I N F LO R I D A ( 1 . 8 0 0 . 4 3 5 . 7 3 5 2 ) .

R E G I S T R AT I O N D O E S N OT I M P LY E N D O R S E M E N T, A P P R O VA L , O R R E C O M M E N D AT I O N B Y T H E S TAT E . R E G I S T R AT I O N # C H 7 9 9 2 .

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watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

overheard

taMpa bay Out+abOut

druMMer cOntest resurrected at flaMingO

i

T has Been years since druMMer conTesTs Were The norM, but Woodie Barnes and Jeff McWhirter hope to change that. The couple hosted the DNA (Drummer North America) contest at the Flamingo Resort the weekend of May 2 and had six contestants.

The contest had two divisions—Drummer and Boy. This year’s winners are Sir Rick, who took the Drummer title, and boy Carl, who had never been in a contest before. Both men will move onto the national Drummer contest next February.

pride and passiOn is fOrbidden

t

he TaMpa MuseuM oF arT’s larGesT Fundraiser is Back This year with a brand new theme: Forbidden.

Organizers are tight lipped about what guests can expect, but artwork seems to hint at an Asian influence. Like in years’ past, expect big reveals throughout the night, delicious food and an open bar. Pride & Passion celebrates the diversity of Tampa Bay and 2015 marks its 10th year. Guests raise money for the museum by purchasing annual memberships. During the last decade, Pride & Passion has generated more than 2,000 of those memberships. For details, visit TampaMuseum.org.

dining Out fOr a gOOd cause

M

ore Than 60 resTauranTs in tAMpA bAy pArticipAtEd in dininG out for lifE on April 28 to help raise money for the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas. The annual event—part of a nationwide initiative—included both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. This year marked one of growth for the fundraiser with restaurants in Orlando participating for the first time.

ASAP organizers helped out in Orlando in this inaugural year, where funds were raised for The Center. Total funds raised were not available at press time, but will be released within the next month or so, according to organizers.

nO edie at this year’s gala

o

rGaniZers oF The eQualiTy floridA GrEAtEr St. pEtErSburG GAlA hoped to repeat the buzz of 2014 this year with another appearance by Edie Windsor. However, Windsor has taken ill and won’t attend the May 29 celebration at the Mahaffey Theater. Windsor successfully sued the federal government in 2013 and effectively killed the Defense of Marriage Act, which banned the federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

Windsor was the gala’s special guest in 2014 and had been invited again this year to present an award to Dr. Rose Watson, a long time friend.

1

2 3

1

dAy for A KicKoff: Bill Kanouff, left, and Ed Lally enjoy a drink at Ulele Restaurant in Tampa during Kevin Beckner’s campaign kickoff party announcing his run for clerk of court.

PHOTO By vInCE D’IPPOLITO

2

AwArd winninG WeaTher: WAVE winning musician Lisa noe enjoys the Florida weather at the Flamingo Resort before performing at the Hurricane Bar on May 2.

PHOTO By STEvE BLAnCHARD

4

5

3

happy hour: Ashley Brundage and Jason Fields enjoy some conversation during Kevin Beckner’s campaign kickoff party at Ulele Restaurant in Tampa April 29. PHOTO By vInCE D’IPPOLITO

4

caMpaiGn launch: Kevin Beckner, back, speaks to the crowd at his kick off party for his campaign for county clerk while his staff stands in front of him.

PHOTO By vInCE D’IPPOLITO

5

Trio oF hosTs: (L-R) Steve Smith, Bill Jeffries and Steve Blanchard represent Watermark during Watermark Wednesday at Quench Lounge on April 22.

PHOTO By vInCE D’IPPOLITO

6

SinG it: The men of una voce: The Florida Men’s Chorale, perform selections from their upcoming show, “I Am Harvey Milk” during the Watermark Wednesday fundraiser at Quench Lounge April 22.

6

PHOTO By vInCE D’IPPOLITO

7

donAtinG to The FiGhT: Friends celebrate Dine Out For Life at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City on April 28. PHOTO

COuRTESy CARRIE WEST

8

bArtEndEr ApprovEd: Bartender Joe Grill gives his approval to the crowd at G. Bar in Ybor City during the last weekend of April. PHOTO

8

COuRTESy CARRIE WEST

7 watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

51

THE BARBER FUND

benefitting

HELPING THOSE LIVING WITH CANCER

www.thebarberfund.org WE HONOR THEIR COURAGE.

1st Annual “Swinging for the Girls”

WE HONOR THEIR STRENGTH. WE HONOR THEIR FIGHT!

ONE LOVE!

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In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011

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Orlando, FL Closet to theShotgun Pin Start Orlando, FL $400.00 Entry Fee Scramble Format May 23rd, 2015 Longest Drives for Team of 4 Closet to the Pin May $125.00 23rd, Individual2015 Registration 7:00 am Longest Drives Entry Fee Tee Off amfor Team of 4 Registration 7:00 am8:30$400.00 $125.00 Individual Tee Off 8:30 am Sponsorship Opportunities What do players get,

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by April 18th and get $40 off Team Hole Sponsorship $600 Includes Golf for 4, Logo’d sign at Sponsor Hole

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2015 Chevy Malibu “Hole in One” Prize Given to 1st Hole in One on designated Hole.

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52

Golfers Goodie Bag

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watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Available Side Games

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To Register you or your Team go to MenopauseTheTournament.com/events or call Lisa Brown @ 407-924-8739.

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overheard

OrlandO Out+abOut

deadbeat drag?

r

UPAUL’S DRAG RACE SEASon 2 Winner Tyra sancheZ wants to make a film called Drag Dad, documenting his life with his nine year old son. The problem is, according to TMZ, Sanchez, whose real name is James Ross, owes a lot of child support. According to TMZ’s sources, Sanchez has been asked to turn over financial records and sources also say that Sanchez has not paid any child support and rarely sees his son. The film project had a Kickstarter account that raised more than $20,000 for the film with the help of 600 backers. That money could, however, end up going to owed child support.

2

Janine tO MinJ Over fringe

t

he TalenTed Janine klein is once aGain TeaMinG up WiTh Josh eades-BroWn, aka Ginger Minj. Klein recently posted she was invited to a “once in a lifetime performance” opportunity where she will perform in New York with Ginger Minj in an original production aptly titled, Crossdresser for Christ–The Musical at the Laurie Beacham Theatre. In our recent interview with Ginger, we were told about this upcoming production but were asked to keep it under wraps...or is it duct tape? Janine has appeared with Minj in various shows over the years including Hedwig and the Angry Inch and 2013’s Rocky Horror Show, where they played Brad and Janet.

Unfortunately, this opportunity conflicts with Klein’s scheduled Fringe performances and replacements have already been selected. The May 22 and 23rd shows are almost sold out, so buy in advance at SpinCycleNYC.com.

gOne away frOM the Mba

i

n a recenT eMail, The MBa has announced The openinG oF an opErAtionS MAnAGEr poSition, which was up until very recently held

by Brannan McNell. We reached out to Brennan as to why he was no longer in that position, but we didn’t get a response. In an email sent out on Monday, Nayte Carrick, President of the Board, did verify Brennan is no longer the Operations Manager. He went on to say, “While Brennan is well liked and is a good friend to many of us, our organization has grown tremendously and so have our needs. As a board, it is our duty to make the best use of the resources to which we have been entrusted.” The MBA is currently accepting resumes for the position at info@MBAOrlando.org

4

1

5

PHOTO By RICK CLAGGETT

OF PATTy SHEEHAn

all phor one and one phor all: (L-R) Suebee Laginess, Jennifer Foster and Blue Star gather in a social pond for Phish Phest at the Hammered Lamb on March 6.

2

cAn i GEt A drinK?: Performer nazhoni (left) slings drinks with XL106.7’s Rae of Johnny’s House morning show as celebrity bartenders at Savoy to benefit the LGBT Center on April 21. PHOTO By DAnny

6

doin’ peachy keen: Joe Saunders takes in the southern hospitality with 1,200 of his closest friends at the Human Rights Campaign’s Gala in Atlanta on May 2. PHOTO

7

COuRTESy JOE SAunDERS

4

8

parTy in The h.r.c.: Thearon Scurlock (left) and Sharlie Reynolds get ready for another great Human Rights Campaign Central Florida Federal Club Event on May 2. PHOTO

5

6 7

cElEbrAtE Good tiMES, coME on: (L-R) Michael Thomas, Art Faulkner and Steve Weinstein celebrate at the opening party for Celebration Gardens, a new venue for weddings, parties and events, on April 29. PHOTO By MARK CADy

3

bicyclE, bicyclE!: Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Mayor Buddy Dyer sport some stylish headgear for the Ride your Bike to Work Day on May 1. PHOTO COuRTESy

3

GARCIA

1

i’M rEAdy for My close-up: A behind-thescenes look at Watermark’s art director, Jake Stevens, working with comedian and cover model Jeff Jones (left) at the Abbey for the Fringe issue on May 2. PHOTO By JEREMy WILLIAMS

biG top broAdwAy: Brian Monin gets ready to see the circus as Pippin played at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on April 27. PHOTO By DAnny GARCIA

COuRTESy SHARLIE REynOLDS

8 watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

53

An Evening Of Tennessee Williams Featuring

3 riveting plays never produced in this area.

Show us your FRINGE BUTTON and see our show for $10.00

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54

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

announcements

wedding bells

Normand, 43, and Thomas Carter-Hale, 44 from St. Petersburg, Fla.

years together:

Eight-and-ahalf years

Wedding date:

dj bdAy: GSH Radio host and St. Petersburg resident

March 12, 2015

Jack Goodwyn celebrates his birthday on May 20.

engageMent date:

AwArd winnEr:

Manatee Players producing artistic director Rick Kerby will receive the American Association of Community Theatre Award this June in Grand Rapids, Mich. The award is bestowed upon those members of AACT who contribute significantly to the idea and ideal of community theatre over a period of years.

Oct. 10, 2014

hoW did your engageMent happen:

Normand asked Thomas over dinner at rocco

Wedding venue:

Pinellas County Courthouse

Wedding caterer:

Mazzaro Italian Market

interesting fact:

When they planned to get married in October 2014, they had agreed to have the ceremony in Chicago in January 2015. However, once it became legal in Florida, Normand’s mom strongly recommended they get married in St. Petersburg so that she could be a part of their special day.

“S

tArtinG out And dAtinG

Thomas, I think we found a lot of great value in each other. It’s kind of yin and yang. I’m a little more scattered and emotional and he’s significantly more detailed and calm,” says Normand.

Both Normand, a human resources director for talent management for HSN, and Thomas Carter-Hale, an IT project manager for Verizon, agree that they complement each other. Years ago, they met by frequenting the same restaurants and knowing similar people—fast forward more than eight years and they have made it official.

“Because we have a lot of friends and everything, we wanted the ceremony itself to be more small and intimate for us,” Thomas says. “We’ve been together for eight-and-a-half years. We are a big part of each other’s lives and families, so our actual wedding day we had a judge, who was a friend of his mom’s, perform the wedding.

We had some close family there. Not too many, probably

about 15 people.”

Both Normand and Thomas believe their wedding is a major accomplishment, after having to wait for this opportunity to finally be recognized as a married couple.

Thomas joked about how he had to catch himself, now, after the big day because he was so used to saying “my partner” or “my boyfriend,” but now he can call Normand his husband.

“I think one of my favorite things about Normand is he’s able to actually see the good in everybody, and he keeps me leveled,” Thomas says. “When you live with someone, it’s not always that fairytale story—life happens. He’s the one who keeps me leveled and keeps me focused. Also, it’s nice to have that one person that no matter

what happens they’re going to be there for you.”

And yes, they admit it was an emotional day, where even a couple tears were shed.

“I think my biggest moment [from the wedding] was when we were standing in front of the judge,” Thomas says. “When we started actually saying our vows, hearing the vows come out of Normand’s mouth and seeing him look me in the eyes when he did it, I got a little teary-eyed. I had to kind of keep myself composed because here he is, committing to me in front of the judge and his family and God, saying I want to be with you. It was one of the most emotional times for me.”

The couple plan a two-part honeymoon. They have already spent eight days in Arenal, Costa Rica hiking the rain forests and experiencing la pura vida, and they are headed to the Florida Keys at the end of May to spend a week in Key West to relax together by the water.

—Samantha Rosenthal

local Birthdays

Bradenton resident and Trinity Charities Program Coordinator Bruce Fournier, Wet Nurse drummer vanessa Brewster (May 7); former USF executive administrative assistant Eric Andersson, former Tampa Bay Bear John Burchett (May 10); Tampa softball player and massage therapist Alexis Acevedo, Pasco County Democratic Chairwoman, techie and straight ally Alison Berke Morano, Tampa political hob-nobber Scott J. Allen, former-Tampa-but-nowin-Fort-Lauderdale personal trainer Jeff Giles (May 11); Lutz real estate agent Kenny Braverman (May 12); Sarasota personal trainer, coach and medical specialist Dr. Sporty Damon Paul Harper (May 13); Suncoast Softball League player and school teacher Bob Tencza, Largo media publisher Jeff youngblood, roller derby secret weapon Vanessa Cattau (May 14); Hillsborough Kids advocate Malachi Ortiz, stylist and Q Salon owner Sameer nurani, straight ally and Friday night host Alex Copeland (May 15); St. Pete ROTC leader Frank Hay, adorable Tampa cub and artist Ric Moreir, Bradenton-based Suncoast AIDS Theatre Project honcho Garry Breul (May 16); Orlando muscle bear and trainer Migael Schieder, Sarasota photographer and artist Ming “Troy” Ming (May 17); Gypsy Productions founder Trevor Keller, Phish Phest phenom and phab photographer Julie Milford, Come Out With Pride’s master marketer Jason Lowe (May 18); Office Dynamics employee and Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce member Phil Lentsch (May 19); Tampa karaoke star Matt Androsiglio, St. Petersburg-based GSHRadio co-host Jack Goodwyn, Tampa Gay Rodeo fan Mark Gongora (May 20).

Do you have an interesting wedding or engagement story you’d like to share with Watermark readers? If so, email the details to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com for consideration as a future feature on this page.

watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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T ampa

B ay

M a r ketplace

accountant

framing

&

Residential • Commercial

Dan Fiorini 2060 Tyrone Blvd N • St. Pete (727)344-1000 Crossroads Center next to Ross

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watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

web site

PROMO CODE: WEDDING.

sports

Zeigler: draft of ray proves saM suBJected to hoMphoBia Staff Report

o

utsports.com editor Cyd Zeigler has no doubt that Michael Sam was the victim of homophobia. He said in an opinion piece on the popular sports site that the recent draft of Missouri defensive end Shane Ray proves exactly that.

“The similarities between the two players are striking, yet while Sam was selected in the seventh round with the 249th pick, Ray was picked 226 spots higher.

Not only that, but the Broncos traded their first round pick, two fifth round picks and a player to get Ray. Sam wasn’t even worth one of those fifth round picks to any NFL team.”

Sam was eventually drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2014, but he

failed to make the team. After a short stint on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, he was let go.

Zeigler says that Ray and Sam have too many similarities to be treated so differently.

“The two men played the same position at the same school— Missouri,” Zeigler said. “They played in the same system for the same head coach. At the same position at the same school in the same system under the same head coach, the two men—of nearly identical stature— performed nearly identically.

He points out that both men even have a “distraction.”

Sam is gay and Ray has a drug possession charge.

While Ray is slightly taller than Sam, he’s smaller in every other category, Zeigler points out.

“While Sam is supposedly

daley takes gold at World diving event

‘too small to play defensive end,’ according to coaches, Ray—at 10 pounds lighter—is the perfect size,” Ziegler said.

He went on to compare the drill performances of the two men. Ray ran a 4.68 40-yard-dash; Sam ran his in 4.73. Ray did 21 reps on the bench press while Sam did 19. And in the vertical leap, Ray jumped 33 inches while Sam leaped 3o inches. Those statistics are too close to cause such a different reaction during the draft, Zeigler argues.

“Ray was better than Sam in each category, no question,” Zeigler said. “He was anywhere from 1% to 10% better. The analysis leading up to the draft offered a tepid response to Ray’s measurables, just as they did with Sam a year earlier.”

Staff Report

l

ondon | Out diver Tom Daley beat a world record holder to win the 10m platform diving competition at the FINA World Series event in London May 3.

Daley scored 554.05 to finish clear of China’s world record holder Jian Yang (518.75) and Olympic silver medalist Qiu Bo (506.60).

Daley won Olympic bronze at the London Aquatics Centre in 2012, but had not secured a World Series title since April 2013.

“It’s always amazing to compete in front of the home crowd and be here in London, where I train every day,” he said. “All my friends and family were here watching.”

Daley had the support of the crowd, but he also had the talent ot back it up. His forward 3.5 somersault with one twist dive scored an impressive 99.00 as Daley dominated the final.

“I knew I had this in the tank and that I could beat the Chinese,” he told BBC Sport. “It [99.00] is the highest I’ve ever scored with a ‘twister’ routine in my life, so it’s great for it finally to work in competition.”

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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iX contEStAntS coMpEtEd for the title of Drummer and Drummerboy at the North Florida Drummer contest at the Flamingo Resort in St. Petersburg May 2. A cast of five judges chose one Drummer and one Drummerboy to participate in the Drummer North America contest scheduled for April 2016.

watermark Your lgbt life.

North Florida Drummer flaMingO resOrt May 1-3, 2015

Photography by Bruce Hardin

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

Starring Join us for the return of MOVIES OUT LOUD in this special reunion edition with original hosts Jeff Jones & Miss Sammy.

This Month’s Movie

WHERE CULT CLASSICS ARE LAMPOONED WITH HILARIOUS COMMENTARY! Sponsored by Wednesday, July 8th at the Abbey

TICKETS ARE $10

100 S Eola Dr #100, Orlando, FL 32801

Advance tickets are available at

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Show starts at 8 pm Doors open at 7pm

Movies Out Loud will continue on the second Wednesday of every month.

All shows benefit Orlando Fringe! watermark Your lgbt life.

May 7 - M ay 20, 2015 // Issue 22.10

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