Watermark Issue 24.04: Pennies from Heaven

watermark Your LGBTQ Life.

ISSUe 24.04 • FeBRUARY 23 - MARCH 8, 2017 • wAteRMARKONLINe.COM

Pennies Heaven FROM

In the wake of the Pulse massacre last summer, millions of dollars rolled in to help the survivors.

But where have they gone?

ALSO

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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deparTmenTs 6 // mail 7 // ediTOrs desk 8 // OrlandO news 10 // Tampa Bay news 13 // sTaTe news 15 // naTiOn & wOrld news 21 // Talking pOinTs 37 // cOmmuniTy calendar 39 // Tampa Bay OuT+aBOuT 41 // OrlandO OuT+aBOuT 42 // Tampa Bay markeTplace 43 // wedding Bells/ annOuncemenTs 44 // OrlandO markeTplace

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after years of hard work and courageous advocacy, Jacksonville has sent a clear message to Florida and the entire country that discrimination of any kind is wrong and that LGbTQ people are welcomed and accepted.

— amber paoloemIlIo, fIeld dIrector of equalIty florIda.

On THe cOver

PAGE THe gOOd life: Star of stage and screen

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PAGE SHOW ME THE

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MONEY: In the wake

of the Pulse massacre last summer, millions of dollars rolled in to help the survivors.

But where have they gone?

scan Qr cOde fOr

waTermarkOnline.cOm

(both big and small) Alan Cumming heads to Orlando and Sarasota to serenade us with his cabaret, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs.

waTermark i ssue 24 .04 //feBruary 23 - marcH 8, 2017

magically prOud

geTTing BeTTer

ciTy lOve

Bared sOuls

PAGE With the DeVos family looming over the Amway Center the Orlando Magic hosts an LGBTQ Pride Night.

It Gets Better Project, the Gay Men’s Chorus of LA and Speak Theater Art take on LGBTQ teen bullying in Tampa Bay.

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Read It Online!

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

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The Jacksonville City Council approved an HRO that will now recognize sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Nude Night comes to Tampa to expose the crowds to what it means to be transgender and highlight the struggle for equal rights.

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GIvE us a fOllOW On TWITTER anD InsTaGRaM aT @WaTERMaRkOnlInE anD BE suRE TO lIkE us On faCEBOOk. watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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TOp weB cOmmenTs “People will claim religious exemption to be openly racist as well as homophobic.”

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On lGBT COMMunITy CEnTERs In lOs anGElEs anD MIlWaukEE BEInG vanDalIzED WITh Gay sluRs:

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“I’m guessing their minds were polluted by the Fox News propaganda machine of lies and distortions. I feel sorry for them. There are many avenues out there for anyone to fact check the bullshit of the right wing.

But they have to want to be good citizens. I’m thinking they don’t care.”

—DOUG PACKER

“Gays saying they like Trump because he will protect them is kind of like Jews in 1930s Germany saying they liked Hitler because he will build faster roads and railways.”

—DAVID EDWARD

“Showing your ignorance comparing our president to Hitler or the Nazis.

You don’t know what repression is. Privileged, self-important. Go visit a holocaust museum.”

“Don’t go!!! It’s a trap!!!

Pence is going to be there kidnapping gays and taking them to gay conversion camps.”

—KARYN KOHLMEYER REILLY

On BOy sCOuTs WElCOMInG ThEIR fIRsT TRansGEnDER MEMBER:

“Proud Eagle Scout here.”

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On ThE DalI MusEuM DIsPlayInG flORIDa’s fIRsT sOlO fRIDa kahlO EXhIBIT:

“It’s pretty awesome, definitely worth a trip to St. Pete.”

—JASON EDGE

“Wonderful exhibit!

Definitely a must see!”

—ROANNE SALIBA

On DukE anD n.C. sTaTE POssIBly hOsTInG WOMEn’s TOuRnEy DEsPITE lGBTQ laW:

“There is more to HB2 than the part about the bathroom.”

—SEAN MCLEAN

On BETsy DEvOs BEInG COnfIRMED as EDuCaTIOn sECRETaRy DEsPITE COnCERns OvER anTI-lGBT DOnaTIOns:

“As if advocates and attorneys were not already having to be hired to enforce schools to comply with the federal IDEA Act... now, if a student has special needs, they’re screwed. DeVos didn’t even know what it is.”

—LAURA LEA KOGER

—ED CARTER

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“We must not go backwards in American progress in education. It is truly frightening that DeVos knows nothing about IDEA and special education.”

—MARY ANNE MCGOWAN

On kRIsTEn sTEWaRT CallInG hERsElf “sO Gay” On SNL:

“She was awesome! I had no idea she was so funny.”

—MARCIA PAULS

On sOuTh CaROlIna’s fIRsT OPEnly Gay laWMakER fROM DEEP-RED DIsTRICT:

“Religious freedom is a cowardly way to hide bigotry. It’s a can of worms. People will claim religious exemption to be openly racist as well as homophobic. Violence will continue to escalate. Look at that old Korean woman punched in the face by a white woman shouting shit about Trump. Violent bigotry can’t be allowed to be the new normal in America. If making America great again means labeling people ‘not as good as,’ you’re a Nazi pure and simple.”

—RUSS WEBBER

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“You’re a very talented writer!” @KATHERINEHUNT15

editor’s

Billy Manes EDITOR

BIlly@WatermarkOnline.com

I

Desk

had a friend threaten to kill

herself this week because she was tired of breathing. I had a collapsing roof that needed to be fixed with haste and all of the nailing and banging and visceral management that comes along with contractors trying to make your life better for thousands of dollars.

I watched a famewhore grab a spotlight and run with it, tumbling beneath his own Milo significance, falling somewhere near his pretty little lying face and whatever hair color or sociocultural mythology or, let’s be honest, pedophilia could buy him a headline. I gazed at the moon; I stared at the ground. And for a few minutes there, I gave up.

I mean I really gave up. I won’t even bring up too much of Donald Trump’s scorching of the earth here, because that’s something you all should have expected when you, oh no, hated Hillary for being

watermark staff

a woman. My problems get lost in their own translations, and I own my terrors however weak they may be. It’s been a rough patch, to say the least.

I also had an anniversary – a second one – to the love of my life, Tony, with whom I spent hours rolling my eyes at the Harry Potter silliness of Universal Orlando while he watched me gag at the oyster-swallowing absurdity of New Smyrna Beach, subsequently.

I fought for the dignity of my friends, I attended a Moroccan birthday party, I worked, I pet my

dogs and I lived. Things are harder than they used to be. But things can only get better.

This week’s issue is a tough pill in many ways. There are those among us who want to see that all things are cast in ultraviolet, are beautiful, are decisive and complete. And in numerous ways, they are. We have groups working together in this community – quietly, not seeking attention – that are attempting to make things as right and as good as they should be. We have a presence on the national stage, one that won’t see us fall. We have reasons to enjoy how far Central Florida has come, these little burgs below the Mason-Dixon Line working in unison to honor and help those who deserve and need it. We have each other.

We walk in parades nationwide singing the praises of Florida while attempting to not get smacked in the face by wayward beads (which is generally the best part). We walk the walk and we talk the talk.

A new era has come to our region, and we have the support of the world behind us. And even if you give us a questionable executive branch, we have faith and hope that our own infrastructures will lead us out of the much – the swamp, so to speak – and into a better future. We ain’t scared. We never have been.

For this issue, we celebrate the lives that were lost and the many lives that came forward to fill in the hearts, the blanks, that brought us here after the Pulse massacre.

We’re digging. We’re thinking.

We’re loving.

Thank you to our cover story scribe Alma Hill for her in-depth research and for her voice. We need to hear all the voices and sing all the songs. Alma has a great voice.

We also go a bit batshit crazy with Divine Grace at a low-rent circus, get sappy with Alan

Cumming and all the sad songs that say so much, get naked for Nude Nite in Tampa and pull the typical faces we make when at least one of us has fallen down gracelessly. Oh, how we laugh.

There are plenty other surprises wrapped in this parcel, everything to cock your brow from Tampa Bay to Orlando. Give us a beauty queen running for city commission, and we’re all over it! Also, there are sports. Those still happen every now and then, don’t they? Oh, and Jacksonville finally passed its Human Rights Ordinance after years of valiant efforts from Equality Florida and local forces to reckoned with.

There are plenty other surprises wrapped in this parcel, everything to cock your brow from Tampa Bay to Orlando.

Mostly, though, there is you.

We’re going through some pretty insane times right now, and to exist as a collective looking out for one another is key, no matter how clichéd. Let’s help each other out.

Let’s ignore those who are pulling attention to their faces without the words to back them up. Let’s hug a friend who doesn’t want to be alive (or even just alone) anymore.

Let’s be our best.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Watermark, as it was indeed a labor of love. And we’ll see you at all the Prides and whirligigs as the spring commences, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Speak up. You’ve got our ear. Also, please live gloriously. We need you.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

contributors divine Grace

is an Orlandobased trouble maker with a forked tongue and all the charm you can imagine. Page 17

Scottie Campbell

is a longtime community activist and a friend to the LGBT community.

His work has resulted in a thriving community in the Lake Ivanhoe region and his wit has melted at least a few Orlando candles.

He’s a great guy. He’s backing Bernie. Page 29

Samantha Rosenthal

attended University of Central Florida and is a former Watermark editorial assistant. She is currently a freelance writer and regularly covers Wedding Bells. Page 41

Aaron Alper, Scottie Campbell, Susan Clary, Krista DiTucci, Kirk Hartlage, Joseph Kissel, Jason Leclerc, Mary Meeks, Stephen Miller, David Moran, Gregg Shipiro, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, , Michael wanzie

photography Brian Becnel, Nick Cardello, Angie Folks, Bruce Hardin, Julie Milford, Travis Moore, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift, Tinkerfluff

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Lisa Jordan, Jill Bates, Ken Carraway CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

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

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

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

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

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

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central florida news

Former Miss America champion Ericka Dunlap takes a walk on the political side Billy Manes

O

RLANDO | Ericka Dunlap has been everywhere.

The ubiquitous beauty queen has followed the trails of her 2004 crowning as Miss America with numerous service projects, making her name as a supporter for the rights of those with less, and doing so with grace. This year, Dunlap will face off against Orlando District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill in November. And though Hill has been dogged by bad press and a series of unfortunate events, Dunlap isn’t trading in the base of political gamesmanship. She’s just continuing her philanthropy in the best way she knows how: at home.

“I have been a resident of District 5 all of my life, and honestly I have always wanted to positively impact the people. That’s the reason why I think people should give pageants credit: for what they can do, which allows a young lady to represent her area, but also to bring life to what you can do,” she says.

Dunlap, who filed quietly on Dec. 6, is looking forward to getting into the advancement of her community, black and white. There is a cycle of abuse, she contends, and it feeds on itself.

“My focus is going to be jobs, housing and education, but education from the standpoint of environmental operations of education to reduce the barriers to success for the students of our area, and that includes students coming from our area for the UCF expansion,” she says. But she doesn’t want to climb into the mud that will necessarily be lobbed at her door.

“It’s really hard to find people who get it,” she says.

“So many people don’t understand that what you see is what you get. And all people expect when I say that I’m from District 5 is that the place is so ridden with crime.

And I’m like, that’s because that is all you see.”

But she has no illusions about political perceptions as she faces down current District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill.

“I’m not a politician, I’m a beauty queen – point blank period,” she says, admitting her lack of political acumen.

And her course has been different already. Dunlap claims that a large part of her success comes from the LGBTQ community, and she intends to pay it back and forward.

“You have no question! I got your back and your front, baby,” she laughs. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without [famed female impersonator] Carmela Marcella Garcia. And I don’t care what people think about Carmela, I just know that is one awesome human being who made my dream come true.”

“We have to value the diversity of the people who make our lives work. I absolutely have the backs of the LGBTQ community, just like I do the Muslim community, just like I do the Christian community. It is because I understand.”

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Magic proud:

This game’s for the gays.

Photo Courtesy Orlando magic

Can you feel it?

It’s magic!

Orlando Magic presents first Pride Night Billy Manes

O

rlando | It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Orlando’s signature sports league the Orlando Magic would be hopping onto the “Pride Night” train. After all, Orlando has been in the global spotlight since last year’s Pulse massacre which took the lives of (eventually) 50 victims. The Magic has made a point of its engagement with the community and the community has paid in kind (nearly $500 million) to build the Amway Center, the spired city landmark that hosts the basketball team and its games. The league is proud of its varied community, staff says. Giving back is what it is all about.

“We, over the last two years have been introducing more theme nights for our community around myriad things,” Linda Landman Gonazalez, vice president of philanthropy and multicultural insights for the Orlando Magic, says.“We’ve always done Black History Month; we’ve always done Hispanic Heritage Month, Latin Night; we’ve always done everything.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“As we looked at whether or not we’ve communicated with our full community, at the back of our mind has been how do we get involved with the LGBTQ community on a real relationship-type , partnership basis. As you know, the league, the NBA, has done a lot, but, you know, it’s like everything. We began some really strong relationships about four or five years ago. When Zebra Coalition started, we were really part of that,” she adds.

The Magic set the ball into motion after last summer’s tragedy.

“And then Alex [Martins] and the Magic and the DeVos family around what happened at Pulse, we just started to ask more and more people about what a theme night would look like,” she says.“When we started talking to the Metroplitan Business Association and the LGBTQ Alliance, we asked whether a ticket-night like thing would work and how would it be best to do that? They thought it would be a great idea, and like everything, it just gained momentum.It’s been a four or five year journey to get us here.”

But there has been some blowback from the LGBTQ

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community. The DeVos family has notoriously funded anti-gay causes, leading some in Orlando to call for a boycott of the team outright.

“Yeah, we’re aware,” Landman Gonzalez says. “Since they launched, Mr. DeVos made some investments in things, but we weren’t in agreement. We had a very healthy conversation with the family that this was not an Orlando Magic focus … And we really had a healthy conversation about the Orlando Magic not being the DeVos foundation.”

In the wake of Betsy Devos narrow approval as Secretary of Education for the Donald Trump administration, it makes for a tough argument nonetheless. Though the family offered $400,000 to the One Orlando Fund, that’s only a fraction of the $2 million spent to fight gay marriage and other LGBTQ rights.

“The only way I can say this is that we have made it very clear from day one that what people do is what they do, but we’re not in agreement, nor does it reflect how the Orlando Magic or the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation wants to support, and we are not included in any of those investments or even conversations,” Landman Gonzalez says. “No one can say this organization, the Orlando Magic, has not been an incredible neighbor. I mean, we have never, ever, thought ourselves of being a neighbor of few. We’re a neighbor of everyone.”

Orlando Magic’s Pride Night is on March 6 at 7 p.m. Visit orlandomagic.com/pridenight for more details.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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9

tampa bay news

Local filmmaker brings religion and gays together in Lakeland

Loud and Proud:

Christina Diaz

Members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and Speak Theater Arts join together to perform it gets better at the Straz Center March 24.

L

AKELAND | A member of a predominantly red city is making a name for himself in the LGBTQ community.

Lakeland resident Kevin O’Brien is a writer and director of a new film called At the End of the Day. Set in Lakeland, the film is about a LGBTQ support group that is fundraising money for a shelter. Dave, the main character, comes from a conservative Christian home and gets a wakeup call when he interacts with LGBTQ people for the first time.

This dramatic comedy will “be somewhat of a bridge for people who are like me, who have been questioning what we’ve been taught,” said O’Brien.

Numerous ideas presented in the film stem from O’Brien’s life. O’Brien is a straight male that grew up in a conservative Christian home in Lakeland and had very little interaction with the gay community.

“Many of the characters are inspired by my friends or people I’ve met over the past couple of years,” said O’Brien.

After watching the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So, O’Brien said, “something about the tension between the church and the LGBT community, for whatever reason, my heart went there, and that’s what I wanted to be my first movie.”

O’Brien became friends with a lesbian couple at his church. “They started breaking the mold of what we’ve been taught about any other orientation,” he said.

“I think the best way to break the ice with people is with comedy and awkward situations and putting themselves in the main character’s shoes,” said O’Brien.

In the past, O’Brien has made a living off short films.

At the End of the Day will be his first feature film.

“I’m constantly between completely overwhelmed and out-of-my-mind excited,” said O’Brien.

Being a first time director, it was hard for O’Brien to find money. But the film must go on and O’Brien was able to fund the film through fundraisers and donations.

“I’ve had a few friends who have not been supportive of it. We’re still friends, but they think we’re making a terrible mistake. I mean, they think we’re barely Christians anymore anyway,” said O’Brien.

Shooting began on Jan. 28 with a $55,000 budget.

Most of the actors are from nearby including Plant City, Clearwater, Tampa and Sarasota. The film contains about 18 cast members, with 15 main characters and five crewmembers.

Once the movie is complete, O’Brien plans to show At the End of the Day at film festivals across the U.S. Jeremy Williams contributed to this story.

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Photo by Ted Sun

Making it better It Gets Better hopes to help eliminate LGBTQ teen bullying and suicide with song and hope Jeremy Williams

T

AMPA | Suicide is the leading cause of death among LGBTQ young people in the U.S., according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of suicide attempts is four times greater for LGBTQ youth than their straight counterparts, and many of these cases have been the result of bullying.

Statistics like these have lead to the creation of organizations such as The Trevor Project, Stomp Out Bullying and the It Gets Better Project, the latter of which is traveling the country with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and Speak Theater Arts and holding educational workshops to help curb the epidemic of bullying and LGBT teen suicide. The group will visit Tampa the fourth week of March.

“We’re mindful that there are already a lot of amazing leaders in these communities doing great work, but we just use our time in town to help shine a little more spotlight on them,” says Liesel Reinhart.

Reinhart is the writer and director of the stage work it gets

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

better, based on the It Gets Better Project. She helps to organize the week of workshops which finishes up with a performance of the show.

“We go in and we talk with everyone, from kids in schools, school board members and educators, to health care professionals, law enforcement, civic leaders, clergy, you name it,” she says. “We get them all in a room and we do facilitated dialogues.”

The road to Reinhart building the workshops and show began in 2010. After the news was becoming saturated with stories of bullying and suicides among LGBT youth, columnist and author Dan Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, created a YouTube video telling the at-risk youth that “it gets better.”

The video went viral and started a worldwide movement that became the It Gets Better Project.

“It’s rooted in suicide prevention at its core but it also quickly became a ‘hang in there’ through bullying, ‘hang in there’ through adversity and was sort of co-opted by not just kids but this general broader movement of persistence,” Reinhart says.

The It Gets Better Project lead to the creation of more than 50,000 user-created videos from members

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of the LGBT community from around the globe: Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Lambert, Tim Gunn; even then president Barack Obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton made videos.

“The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles made a video singing the Cyndi Lauper song ‘True Colors’ in the basement of a church that they rehearse in,” Reinhart says. “It was super powerful and it suddenly, like overnight, had a million views from around the world. It was one of the most far reaching things the chorus had ever done after being around for 30 years.”

Reinhart was on the board for the chorus at the time and saw this as an opportunity to make some real change in the country with LGBT advocacy through theater.

“We called the It Gets Better Project and we did it as a co-production of my theater company and the gay men’s chorus and we premiered it in 2012,” Reinhart says.

The show, which will play at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts March 24, will conclude the week of workshops and outreach the group will be doing throughout Tampa Bay. “This is the third iteration of this show that we are bringing to the area,” Reinhart says. “It consists of music and interviews we have done with people, starting with members of the chorus and branching out to people who posted up videos for It Gets Better. Now that we have been touring with this show for a while, we conduct interviews with people in the areas we visit and we incorporate those interviews into the show, so it’s always changing and evolving.”

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state news

Jacksonville City Council finally approves Human Rights Ordinance Billy Manes

J

ACKSONVILLE | It was a Valentine’s Day to remember as the Jacksonville City Council, after years of effort, pushed through additions to the already existing Human Rights Ordinance that will now recognize sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, the ordinance protects minorities in housing and employment, among other necessities, and more broadly signals a change in Jacksonville’s historically conservative culture.

“Jacksonville is such a conservative area. It really is part of the deep south in the way that most cities in Florida are not,” Equality Florida field director Amber Paoloemilio

says. “There really is a tangible shift and it’s really because of the community we’ve been building over the past few years.

Advocacy group Equality Florida said the LGBTQ community, plus a coalition of over 700 small businesses and 200 faith leaders, has demonstrated the urgent need for these protections so that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, has the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families, according to a statement “After years of hard work and courageous advocacy, Jacksonville has sent a clear message to Florida and the entire country that discrimination of any kind is wrong and that LGBTQ people

are welcomed and accepted,” said Amber Paoloemilio, field director of Equality Florida in a statement.

The vote wasn’t unanimous.

In fact, Mayor Lenny Curry, who effectively carries a deciding vote on the city’s 19-member dais, is allowing it to pass without signing it.

Curry’s inaction will carry its own political caveats, but will not upset the 12-6 victory for LGBTQ advocates.

“It still feels unanimous to us,” Paolomeilio says. “We have 19 city council members, but we were able to organize our donors and supporters in the LGBTQ hubs – the gayborhoods.

It really took a lot of coalition building. There were 205 faith leaders and over 700 small biz owners from all over the city,

from the most rural to the most urban. Their presence allowed us to demonstrate that this wasn’t a niche issue.”

But those who may be considered niche members of the population of approximately one million in Jacksonville appreciate the recognition.

“As a transgender woman, I applaud the efforts of the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality, Equality Florida, and the Jacksonville City Council for helping our city take an important step today,” said Tricia Russell, Ssatewide Equality Florida board member and longtime Jacksonville resident, in a press release.

“Transgender people face a disproportionate amount of discrimination and harassment in our community and our state.

This law will help ensure that all people, regardless if they are gay or transgender, will have the opportunity to earn a living, rent a hotel room, or go to a restaurant without fear of being discriminated against.”

“It’s as important as changing

the culture of that society and humanizing a community,” Equality Florida chief executive officer Nadine Smith says.

Not everything has changed, though. According to Equality Florida, the council passed a separate amendment protecting religious groups playing into the frequently noted religious freedom trend. So, in effect, the group argues, the battle is just beginning.

“As we celebrate the passage of an updated Human Rights Ordinance, we do so knowing that while this bill is not perfect, it is a historic step to ensure that all Jacksonville residents can live, work, and play in this great city without the threat of discrimination. I feel confident that the residents of Jacksonville and the city council will use the incredible energy and passion from our supporters to continue advocating for truly equal protection under the law,” Paoloemilio said in a statement.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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Gay DNC chair candidate Ray Buckley drops out, endorses Ellison Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National Gay Media Association

O

ne week before the Democratic National Committee will vote on its next chair, one of two openly gay candidates in the race — New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley — has dropped out and endorsed Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

In a statement Saturday, Buckley announced he’d remove his name from contention in the crowded field of candidates and endorse Ellison, maintaining he’d strengthen state parties and reform the DNC. “Now, many candidates have spoken about these issues, but Keith’s commitment to the states and a transparent and accountable DNC has stood out,” Buckley said. “He knows elections are not won and lost in the beltway, but on the ground across the country. His plan, in fact, shared many of the same ideas and principles as my own. We both believe in investing in all 50 states, Democrats Abroad, and the territories; providing support and resources to help state parties succeed; and organizing in every

county across this great country.”

Buckley has been New Hampshire Democratic Party chair since 2007 and was the first openly gay state chair for a major U.S. party. Coming from a state where Hillary Clinton narrowly won in the presidential election and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) was able to oust a Republican incumbent, Buckley said both he and Ellison “have a track record of winning elections.”

“While it was a tremendous honor to run for DNC chair over the past few months, I am proud to throw my support behind Keith so we can ensure that the next chair of the DNC is dedicated to investing in and strengthening state parties and ensuring that the DNC is an accountable organization,” Buckley said. “As I’ve talked to the DNC membership, it’s clear Keith has widespread support, and I know as our next DNC chair Keith will successfully unite and grow our party.”

Buckley was considered a long-shot candidate in the race. Among his endorsements were Barbra Casbar Siperstein, a transgender member of the Democratic National Committee from New Jersey; and Stuart Milk, an international LGBT rights advocate

and nephew of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk.

Accepting the endorsement, Ellison said in a statement, “There is no better example of a strong state party than the New Hampshire Democratic Party” and atttributed its success to Buckley.

Ellison, who along with former Labor Secretary Tom Perez is considered one of two front-runners in the race — is the only candidate running for DNC chair who has spelled out a specific plan for advancing LGBT issues at the DNC. Among his ideas are growing the newly created DNC LGBT advisory board, promoting strong LGBT delegate goals for the 2020 national convention and ensuring gender non-conforming people can participate in the DNC and convention.

Even though Buckley has dropped out of the race, another gay candidate, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, remains in contention. In an interview with the Washington Blade, Buttigieg said he’s running to make the Democratic Party more viable in the heartland.

The election for chair is set to take place Saturday during the DNC’s winter meeting in Atlanta over the course of next week.

always open.”

The U.N. Human Rights Council in June 2016 approved a resolution that created the position. It appointed Muntarbhorn, who is an international law professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, last fall.

A U.N. committee last November rejected a proposal that would have suspended Muntarbhorn. The U.S. was among the 84 countries that voted against a second motion against his position a few weeks later.

Muntarbhorn was a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on Syria from 2012 to 2016. Muntarbhorn has also served as special U.N. rapporteurs on North Korea and child prostitution and pornography.

Muntarbhorn in 2006 co-chaired the meeting that led to the adoption of the Yogyakarta Principles, a set of recommendations on the application of international human rights law to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

He also spoke at the 28th ILGA World Conference that took place in Bangkok last November.

“The mandate is to address the issues of violence and discrimination,” Muntarbhorn told the Blade. “That’s the entry point.”

Muntarbhorn said his work focuses on five areas: Decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relations, recognition of gender identity, fighting stigma against LGBT and intersex people, empathy and cultural inclusion.

First-ever UN LGBT rights watchdog seeks ‘open’ dialogue Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade

courtesy of the National Gay Media Association

T

he U.N.’s first-ever LGBT and intersex rights watchdog says one of his main objectives is “to open the dialogue” around issues that relate to sexual orientation and gender identity.

“I look at this process as an engaging process with all actors,” Vitit Muntarbhorn told the Washington Blade on Jan. 25 during a telephone interview from Geneva where he was holding a two-day series of consultations on LGBT and intersex issues at the U.N. Human Rights Council. “The door’s

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in other news Texas governor slams NFL over ‘bathroom bill’ criticism Texas Gov. Greg Abbott slammed the NFL for criticizing a bill in his state’s Legislature that would prohibit transgender people from using the public restroom of their choice. In an appearance on Fox News Feb. 16, the Republican said that if the league punishes Texas over the “bathroom bill,” “I might just pass a bill” requiring all players to stand and place their hands over their hearts during the National Anthem.

A spokesman later suggested Abbott was joking.

California considers update to antiquated HIV laws Legislation being introduced would update California’s laws criminalizing HIV, which were adopted during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s so that a person could not be prosecuted for intentionally transmitting the virus if their sex partner tested negative for HIV. Under current law, HIV-positive persons may be prosecuted for engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse with the specific intent to transmit HIV even if no actual transmission of the virus occurs. There are currently four criminal statutes in the state that criminalize the transmission of HIV.

Finnish lawmakers reject call to revoke same-sex marriage Finnish lawmakers rejected a petition from more than 100,000 people Feb. 17 demanding the repeal of a law allowing same-sex marriage that takes effect on March 1. The petition was considered a last-minute attempt to revoke the law that made Finland the last Nordic country to allow gays to wed. In the 120-48 vote with two abstentions and 29 absentees, Finland’s Parliament rejected a public petition demanding that marriage remains “a genuinely egalitarian union between man and woman” and calling for “repealing the gender-neutral marriage law.” In Finland, any petition with at least 50,000 signatures is automatically considered by Parliament.

Tanzania stops 40 health centers from offering AIDS services Tanzania’s government has stopped 40 privately run health centers from providing AIDS-related services, accusing them of catering to homosexuals in a country where gay sex is criminalized. It is the latest move by this East African country to crack down on the activities of homosexuals. The government believes that non-governmental organizations are using some health centers to promote gay sex, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said Feb. 16 while announcing the restrictions. In Tanzania, gay sex is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Around two-thirds of African countries criminalize consensual same-sex sexual conduct, according to Amnesty International. The HIV rate among gay men in Tanzania stands at 30 percent, according to government figures.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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Join the Premier Chamber in the Bay Area where our diverse membership puts the Diversity in Tampa Bay.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

viewpoint

Divine Grace

Sweet

Divinity The circus

T

he last time I attended

a circus, I was 10 years old and Ringling Bros. was promising everybody a chance to view a “real-live unicorn.” The unicorn turned out to be a goat that somebody had managed to deform in such a manner that it had only one long horn. I was able to locate a passage that explained how this is done:

“Goat horn buds are only on the skin when born. The inside half of each bud was reattached in the center of the forehead, swapped so the curving would grow inward and make a straight horn.”

Then yesterday, my niece Shelby (drink your juice, Shelby!) asked me if I would accompany her and the family to a circus. Knowing that this was a tiny, privately-owned one-truck and one-ring show, I thought it would be relatively harmless to venture out to the county fairgrounds and take a peek.

I don’t even know where to begin. I have witnessed my share of crazy shit under a BIG TOP in my day, but this beat all I have ever seen.

We entered the massive striped tent and took our seats on creaky bleachers that two hours later would feel as if they had been constructed out of cinder blocks and razor wire. With a bang (well, almost), a flash pot erupted with

less pyrotechnical fury than a stove-top grease fire. I immediately fell into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

We were introduced to our “Ringmistress,” and I don’t just say that because she had XX chromosomes, but also because it’s quite possible that she moonlights as a prostitute. Her name was Rachel. Rachel the Ringmistress was a blonde woman in her late 50s who was as uncomfortable on a microphone as a traitor at a Congressional hearing.

She was raised upon a trapeze with the grace of a drunken hippopotamus and proceeded with aerial acrobatics so clumsy that an ambulance would have been necessary had she been higher than 18 feet above the ground.

Then Rachel the Ringmistress sent in THE clown. There was one clown in the show. His name was J.T. Clown. He was Mexican and the name given to him at birth was José.

I know this because Ringhooker Rachel just gave up on using his stage name and unwittingly referred to him as José throughout two-thirds of his performance.

Later, we were introduced to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was a zaftig woman in a pink leotard with more keyhole openings than Fort Knox.

She twirled a hula hoop with her cankle for 15 minutes before Rachel announced that Elizabeth would spin no less than 50 hula hoops around her 5-foot, 180-pound frame. She gave them three or four spins before they began to ooze down to the floor, leaving my 11-year-old niece muttering, “Well, I could have done THAT!” It was then that things got really magical.

Ringwhore Rachel

informed us that today was “National Circus Day” as sanctioned by “an important circus delegation” and that we were all part of some incredible coincidence to be in a ramshackle tent with poorly dressed

She then opened a book to display a page that someone had crudely scribbled “FREE TOY” on. This meant that some lucky child would not only get 10 sheets of printed Xerox paper, but a balloon shaped like a

to Be An American” played and three fatigued men of various races, six Mexicans and one middle-aged whore angrily waved tiny flags as a two-gallon confetti cannon erupted as triumphantly as an

Mexicans and abused animals. Because today was such an auspicious occasion, we were all to come down front and purchase a 10-page coloring book that had been drawn by a circus artist so acclaimed that we never heard of him.

crayon as well. (I never did see a child win that useless inflatable crayon, but I guess that’s the gamble, isn’t it?)

The cast appeared to give up at this point and launched into the “Grand Finale” in which Lee Greenwood’s “I’m Proud

elderly cumshot.

And during ALL of this, one hateful drag queen sat with her family on a water-damaged bleacher and laughed her ass off.

It was still not a unicorn, but it was a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL day.

The cast appeared to give up at this point and launched into the “Grand Finale” in which Lee Greenwood’s “I’m Proud to Be An American” played and three fatigued men of various races, six Mexicans and one middle-aged whore angrily waved tiny flags as a two-gallon confetti cannon erupted as triumphantly as an elderly cumshot.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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nEW hIv InfECTIOns In ThE u.s.

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Yes, I am the most overrated, over-decorated and currently, I am the most over-berated actress … of my generation... and it sets you up for all sorts of attacks and armies of brownshirts and bots and worse, and the only way you can do it is if you feel you have to.

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fREnCh vOGuE PuTs a TRans MODEl On ThE COvER

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tunnInG brazIlIan model valentIna SampaIo will be gracing the cover of the groundbreaking French Vogue’s March issue. Why so groundbreaking? Sampaio is the magazine’s first ever transgender model to be on the cover. “Instead of being in a constant evolution, which is what should happen, human rights . . . they’re not going in a good direction. This cover is about the importance of those rights, and that we still need to make progress on an awful lot of stuff,” said editor Emmanuelle Alt. Sampaio’s beauty can be compared with those of her fellow Brazilian models, Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio. Could this beauty next be earning her angel wings on the Victoria Secret runway?

hOlD uP, ThERE’s a ThIRD sEasOn Of KIMMY SCHMIDT COMInG

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ou better call kImmy wIth the Good haIr, because The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is going full Lemonade in the new Season 3 trailer for the Netflix show. Fan favorite character Titus (played by Tituss Burgess) is seen channeling his inner Queen Bey, donning her iconic yellow dress (and the baseball bat) from the “Hold Up” music video. Titus sings along to the tune of the song, changing the lyrics to “Hell no, I ain’t playin’ with you, Michael,” and takes the bat to his truck window. Check out the full trailer on YouTube. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 3 premieres May 19 on Netflix.

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TORCH SONG TRILOGY REvIval COMInG ThIs fall

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arvey feInSteIn’S TORCH SONG TRILOGY, which debuted 35 years ago as three one-act plays, is getting a facelift this fall. The revival, Torch Song, will feature out actor Michael Urie as the main character: a torch singer in drag named Arnold Beckoff, the role that scored Mr. Fienstein’s 1983 Tony for best actor. Feinstein has said he would never rewrite one of his plays and has encouraged the play’s director, Moisés Kaufman of The Laramie Project, to approach the newly edited text with a fresh perspective.

Torch Song will preview this September, with an official opening in late October at the Tony Kiser Theater.

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nEW yORk DOll MakER DEBuTs MaRkET’s fIRsT TRansGEnDER DOll

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azz jennInGS, who haS IdentIfIed as female since she could talk, is now getting a doll modeled after her and it will make its debut at the New York Toy Fair. Jennings made her first TV appearance on Barbara Walters’ 20/20 special in 2007 when she was 6 years old. She went on to be the subject of her own TLC documentary series, I am Jazz. The doll, being made by Tonner Doll, will first be sold by 25-50 stores and, if it does well, will hopefully go to mass market. The 18-inch doll will also be available at TonnerDoll. com and is expected to retail around $89.99.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

In-DEPTh: PulsE funDInG

Pennies Heaven FROM

In the wake of the Pulse massacre last summer, millions of dollars rolled in to help the survivors.

But where has the money gone?

E

alma J. hill

very frIday nIGht, for the paSt

13 years, Josean Garcia had gone out with the same two friends. Garcia, Amanda Alvear and Mercedez Flores had been inseparable since they bonded in middle school. On June 12, after some coordinating, the three made their way to Pulse NIghtclub.

They bought a few drinks. Alvarez danced on camera for her Snapchat story, and filmed partygoers early in the night. In her haunting final clip, gunshots rang out, cutting through the music. She mutters lowly, the word “shooting” audible in the chaos.

She bites her thumb searching, fumbles, and the feed cuts out.

Josean remembers escaping the club that night. He made it out safely, with minor physical injuries sustained in the mad dash for freedom. Amanda and Mercedez

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perished inside the club. Losing them just weeks after losing another family member, Garcia was devastated.

“It was not like a here and there thing. It was like an everyday thing.”

Garcia said of the friendship ”Every weekend. Not getting that call on Friday, to see what we’re going to do for the weekend, it was very different for me. We always had a group message. The text messages stopped.

It was a huge change. I missed work. I was treated for PTSD. I couldn’t even think straight.”

Garcia joined a weekly support group in Kissimmee for people who were affected by the shooting.

The meetings were held Park Place

Behavioral Healthcare, and included survivors, family members of those who died, and volunteer members of the community looking to offer their support in any way they could.

Here, he met Aly Benitez, the founder of the Pulse of Orlando Non-Profit Organization.

“She knew that I was out of work, and she helped me out.” Garcia said.

“It was a lending hand, and I am forever grateful for that. She really set up that committee and helped us.”

Benitez, who is personal friends with the owners of Pulse, jumped into action immediately after the

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| uu | Pulse Funding from pg.23

shooting. In just three days, she had already filed the paperwork to be classified as a non-profit organization within the state of Florida.

She gathered a volunteer board in a little over a week, and by June 30, just 10 days after their first board meeting, the Pulse of Orlando Foundation initiated their first distribution of funds to the victims and their families. They collected approximately $30,000 in the days following the tragedy and were the first organization to start offering aid to the hundreds of people who needed help.

An attorney by trade, Benitez was concerned about the immediate needs of the survivors. She was aware of the legal hang-ups involving the formation of a large charity, and didn’t want those who needed help to have to wait.

“Pulse of Orlando served basically as a bridge fund, in between when the events happened and when One Orlando could distribute, which was quite a while.” she said “It was end of September so, four months. In between when it happened and when One Orlando could distribute, we were giving money. Checks to people, in their hands, that helped them with things like getting evicted, or keeping their power on, getting family members flown in, getting food.”

Now, seven months after the tragedy, Benitez and Pulse of Orlando are closing their doors, but not before issuing one last distribution.

“We’ll be giving out over $325,000” she said of the total collected from their fundraising efforts.

“Our costs (of operation) are around 2.7 percent so pretty much every dime of that money raised will be given out, once we’re done.”

Even though they’re ceasing operations, the members of the Pulse

of Orlando board will continue advocating on behalf of Pulse survivors and the LGBTQ Community of Orlando. They’ve been working very closely with the LGBTQ Alliance, an unofficial organization, who has helped to streamline the efforts of the most prominent advocacy and charity groups of Central Florida. The Alliance was also formed in the days following the Pulse shooting.

Jennifer Foster and Carlos Carbonell saw a need for collaboration, as well as a platform for general communication within the existing community of Orlando-based LGBTQ organizations and their supporters. Together, they formed the Alliance as a neutral base of operations to whose intention was aid the survivors and make sure that all of their needs were met.

Foster, who is also a One Orlando board member, said of their mission, “Our goal was just to get everyone in the same room.”

Today, the Alliance is going through a formalization process, and boasts 37 participating organizations, including The City of Orlando, Orange County Government, The Zebra Coalition, Come Out With Pride, Equality Florida, the Orlando United Assistance Center (OUAC), and Watermark.

It is a comprehensive, continuously evolving network, that allows for member organizations to help the survivors as thoroughly as possible.

“It sounds trite to say we’re stronger together, but that’s what it was.” Foster said. “Now, we’re able to better identify gaps in the LGBTQ community and then fill those gaps.”

The City of Orlando, as a representative of the One Orlando Fund, offered the most substantial financial assistance to the survivors. On August 4, 2016, a town hall meeting was held by the One Orlando Fund at the Amway Arena, to outline

the criteria for those in need of compensation or assistance.

Kenneth Feinberg, an attorney who was integral in the distributions of the Sept 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, was named the administrator for the distribution of the One Orlando Fund. He lead the town hall meeting outlining the criteria for distribution, letting the victims know exactly how the $27.4 million in donations would be parceled out.

“One hundred percent of the money that is available to be distributed, will be distributed to the victims and their families. All of it.” he said to those in attendance. He proceeded to outline the distribution criteria, in order from highest priority on down, making sure to emphasize each category of distribution.

“The most money goes to the individual families who lost loved ones that night. Death is a priority.”

Feinberg said. When the One Orlando Fund began their disbursement on September 27, 2016, the families of the 49 individuals who died on June 12 in the Pulse Nightclub each received $350,000. As of the publication of this article, there are six pending cases that have yet to be resolved as a result of familial disputes.

“Second, for the physically injured, we want to know how long were you in the hospital as a result of the shootings.

The longer you were in the hospital, the more money you’ll receive.” Feinberg continued. According to audit documents, publicly available on the One Orlando Fund’s official website, this second tier was divided into four subcategories.

Individuals who spent more than 24 days in the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the

Continued on pg. 27 | uu |

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

| uu | Pulse Funding from pg.25

shooting each received $300,000 from the One Orlando Fund. Those who were in the hospital between 16 and 23 days received $260,000 apiece. Anyone treated for 8-15 days was gifted $175,000. If the injuries sustained landed them in the hospital from three days up to a week, the survivor was granted $11,000 and the five claimants who were treated for less than 72 hours received $65,000 per person.

The third tier included those we were “physically injured” and received emergency outpatient treatment but were sent home the same night. Of the 29 individuals who were approved for compensation in this category, each was granted $35,000.

The last, and final criteria for the One Orlando Fund distribution included those who had an established physical presence at Pulse Nightclub the night of June 12. “Even those who weren’t hospitalized, under the draft protocol, receive compensation” Feinberg told the survivors at the town hall. “If you weren’t physically injured, but you were in the nightclub, hiding, you will receive compensation.” This final category had the most claimants, with 186 approved applicants. Each of them received $25,000.

In total, $29.3 million dollars in aid was given by the One Orlando Fund to 299 applicants, each of whom was directly affected by the events at Pulse on June 12, 2016.

These sums of money, along with other donations, have made a significant impact in the lives of the survivors. Miguel Leiva, a father of two, reported to the Orlando Sentinel in December that he used his share of the funds to secure his family financially. After the shooting, Leiva was out of work for two months. When his disbursement came in, he gave his landlord enough cash to cover his rent for an entire year.

He told the Sentinel’s reporter “It’s a huge burden lifted to have this money and to be able to get back on my feet. I’m eternally grateful.”

Leiva is not the only survivor who used his funds to help him get back on his feet after the massacre.

The Sentinel reported that Orlando Torres was able to pay off $14,000 in backed expenses that accumulated after the shooting.

I think it’s important to highlight, not just the money we gave out but, really the survivor and victim navigation.

We walked people through the OUAC. I met personally, people at the DMV, who were shot many times and lost their personal licenses; got them a new license and a handicap pass.

— Aly Benitez

They also spoke with Leydiana Puyarena, who was able to put a down payment on a home for herself and her three children in St. Petersburg and finally purchase a car for her family.

Others, like Garcia, used their money to help them heal mentally from the trauma they endured.

“It definitely allowed me to take a break from reality, and just get away,” he said.

Since that fateful night in June, the victims have been granted a literal wealth of financial assistance, but it is the non-monetary contributions that truly stand out in terms of generosity.

Jeff Bauk, the current board president of the GLBT Community Center, spoke of the commitment his organization made to offer $55,000 worth of counseling services to anyone affected by the shooting. They currently offer counseling to the victims at their location on Mills Avenue.

Aly Benitez, of Pulse of Orlando spoke of how her organization offered additional services to

those who had needs that couldn’t be met financially.

“I think it’s important to highlight not just the money we gave out, but really the survivor and victim navigation,” Benitez said. “We walked people through the OUAC. I met personally, people at the DMV, who were shot many times and lost their personal licenses; got them a new license and a handicap pass.”

There’s organizations like Edelman, a national PR firm, with a branch in Orlando, who is a member of the LGBTQ Alliance. When a survivor recently expressed to the Alliance the need for a specific leg brace which would not be covered by insurance and could not be obtained easily, Jennifer Foster requested the assistance of the firm. Edelman quietly took initiative and contacted the manufacturer on the victim’s behalf. The manufacturer responded and donated several of the braces to the individual, free of charge.

Orlando Health and Florida Hospital both announced in

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

August that the would not be seeking money from the victims of the shooting in relation to their health costs. Abe Aboraya, a representative of Orlando Health told NPR, “The hospital will bill insurance if a patient has it, but it will not go after a patient’s copays.”

Unfortunately, even charity comes at a price. The Center was investigated for alleged mismanagement of donations and funds designated as aid for Pulse survivors.

“Not even five minutes ago, I got a email from someone ‘...the work you do for and among the community is well known and cannot be diminished. You will weather this and we will all be Orlando Strong.’ That’s what we’re getting,” executive director of The Center told Watermark. “The community knows how much we do, they know how much chaos there was directly after Pulse and if 99.9999 percent of the things were right and on point and there was that .0001 percent that might have slipped through the

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

cracks, they realize how crazy it was during that time and they’re standing with us.”

As of Feb 17, Politico.com is reporting that Gov. Rick Scott is proposing extreme budget cuts to these same two hospitals totalling a combined $88 million, a cost that could decimate both facilities, despite their selfless acts of charity. No other hospitals in the state of Florida are facing such severe funding cuts, according to the report.

Despite these claims, there’s the small acts of kindness from individuals in our community that remind us of the light that resides in our friends and neighbors.

Dozens of local funeral homes and religious centers offered free services and burial materials to the families of the 49. A local contractor offered to remodel the bathrooms and other areas of the homes of those who were partially paralyzed that night.

The LGBTQ Alliance hosted a town hall meeting and job fair as recently as this month to provide survivors who were finally ready to go back to work the opportunity to get in front of important employers in Orlando, all of whom were enthusiastic about helping these individual get their lives back on track.

Donations of all kinds flowed in during the days following the the Pulse shooting. Millions of dollars in financial aid, gift cards, medical assistance and other funds came pouring in from sympathizers from around the world. This money, amongst other forms of aid ,did more than just pay bills.

The donations offered peace of mind to a community whose entire livelihoods had been interrupted by one single act of hate.

Every dollar donated was a sign of compassion and of encouragement. Each of these individuals received more than a check. They were gifted with hope, a second chance at a life that many of them thought they had been robbed of. Included in that gift was the love and support of a community, letting them know that their bravery is an inspiration to us all. Their survival is an act of resistance in the face of hate and bigotry. Their spirits fuel us all, reminding us that in the City Beautiful, we are One Heart; they are the literal pulse of this community driving us to love them, ourselves, and one another, with every single beat.

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aRTs anD EnTERTaInMEnT

W THE

AUTHENTICITY

OF ALAN

scottie Campbell

hen he performS hIS

cabaret, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, in Orlando and Sarasota this March, there will no doubt be a good number of The Good Wife fans who will be surprised that Eli Gold can carry a tune.

But for a good many more, Cumming thrust his pelvis into our collective consciousness during the ‘90s with a revival of Cabaret on Broadway, reinventing the Emcee role and redefining sexy for many.

Cumming played that role 808-and-a-half times; a fact you can find on his website under “FAQ,” along with some other questions he recommends an interviewer not ask him again.

His sexuality, an infamous essay on foreskin and acting on stage versus screen are also on the list. In fact, you might get the idea that Alan doesn’t like to talk, but I found that definitely not to be the case —at all—when I chatted with him by phone from his home in the East Village. He and husband, illustrator Grant Shaffer, have just moved into a newly renovated home one block from their last home.

ThE shOW sEEMs TO BE a COllECTIOn Of sOnGs yOu COnnECT WITh.

Alan Cumming brings his sappy smarts to Florida.

You’re welcome.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

I knew I was going to talk about things that were a little more personal and intimate.

I really thought if I’m going to do another cabaret show, I want it to be real and sort of authentic and I want it to be really intense songs that I can act. I’m not really interested in singing nice songs; I don’t have that nice a voice and I don’t think anyone wants to hear me sing Sound of Music. So all the songs have some sort of personal connection and I kind of made the show up talking about certain things in my life Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

that the songs reflect or are connected to in some way.

sO WhEn yOu’vE DOnE CaBaRETs BEfORE, hOW DOEs hOW DOEs ThaT vaRy. hOW DID yOu sElECT ThE sOnGs usED In ThOsE?

The one was called I Bought a Blue Car Today, then that slowly segued for a while I called it Alan Cumming Uncut.

It was songs that I always liked, always wanted to sing, and some that I had actually sung already. It wasn’t like this where I decided to sing songs that were all really pretty intense and personal and passionate. They were all kind of act-y songs. I guess it was a slightly edited version of this show in terms of the intensity of them because I was just finding my feet in terms of performing as myself and not as an actor.

WhEn yOu PERfORM ThE CaBaRET Is IT sET BanTER OR DO yOu JusT sORT Of GO WITh WhaT Is haPPEnInG WITh ThE auDIEnCE?

I sometimes ramble a little about stuff that’s happening to me that day or even something that’s going on in the theatre even, but mostly there’s a set list and set stories. There’s a

COnTInuED On PG. 31 | uu |

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| uu | Alan Cumming fROM PG.29

real structure to it because I’m trying to make a point about authenticity. I’m also playing with the audience as well, as you’ll see, about the idea of what is authentic and what is showbiz. It’s still show business even though I’m genuinely moved and upset sometimes.

lET’s Talk aBOuT yOuR aCTIvIsM. WhEn CElEBRITIEs MakE sTaTEMEnTs a lOT Of PEOPlE fEEl ThEy PuT ThEIR CaREER On ThE lInE. DO yOu EvER GET sCaRED?

No, not at all. I mean, I understand that point you’re making and I know certain people who don’t speak up because of that. I’ve never been a person like that, ever,

havE PEOPlE WhO’ll say IT WOn’T DO any GOOD.

Well, that’s just rubbish.

Look what’s happened in the last month with the Trump administration.

Even Trump—irrational, illegal, unconcerned with people who don’t think like he thinks—even he has had to back away or his administration has had to back away from a couple of things because of the sheer power of activism. People standing up and calling and marching and demonstrating: it works, you know! Activism works. The science thing in the early days of his administration was another thing he backed away from there a bit. Even the [immigration] ban, I’m sure a lot of the reason this ban has been so disagreed with by the court is because of the power of the country, so many

I WanTED TO ask aBOuT yOuR DOG, lala. Is ThERE JusT lala?

Lala and Jerry. Jerry’s sitting beside me right now, shivering. He’s a chihuahua/ rat terrier mix. Lala is more prominent on my Instagram because she tends to travel with me, but Jerry stays at home with Grant and they cuddle up. Oh, that’s another thing I’m doing! We’ve written a book coming out in fall called The Adventures of Honey & Leon; they’re our old dogs. It’s a kid’s book.

Grant’s an illustrator and he’s illustrated it and I’ve written it. It’s a story about these two dogs, Honey and Leon. They have two dads, they live in the East Village of New York...so there are some similarities. The dads travel all the time for work and the dogs aren’t there to protect them so they decide

I don’t think anyone wants to hear me sing Sound of Music. so all the songs have some sort of personal connection and I kind of made the show up talking about certain things in my life that the songs reflect or are connected to in some way. —alan cummInG

even when I didn’t have a career. I mean even when I wasn’t well known. I’ve just always been...I’m Scottish and I think we just can’t shut up about things. I always say the saying when I hear it reminds me most of my childhood is “that’s not fair” -- that’s a kind of mantra in Scotland.

People grew up being much more attuned to justness and fairness and decency.

I mean not every Scottish person is like that, but I think that’s partly why I am. And also, I think my work has been infused by my activism and vice versa.

WhaT DO yOu say TO PEOPlE? I MysElf EXPREss My OPInIOns QuITE fREEly anD TEll PEOPlE aBOuT ThE ThInGs I TRy TO DO. I DOn’T knOW Why, EvEn faCED WITh WhaT sEEMs TO BE an IMPOssIBlE sITuaTIOn, I’ll sTIll havE hOPE anD I’ll WRITE a lETTER OR WhaTEvER I nEED TO DO. BuT ThEn yOu’ll

people in the country, so many people in the country not standing for it. You have to stand up especially when you have fascism around you.

You can’t normalize it. You can’t pretend that’s okay.

WhaT OThER ThInGs shOulD WE Talk aBOuT anD DO WE nEED TO MakE suRE PEOPlE knOW ThaT yOu’RE WORkInG On, OThER Than SAPPY SONGS?

I’m about to shoot a pilot for a new TV show and if it gets picked up it will return me to the screens of CBS. It’s not come out yet, but it’s based on a James Patterson novel. I like the fact that I’m a CIA operative and I’m also gay and trying to adopt a child. I like it and I’m really heartened by the way they’re handling him. I don’t think you see many contemporary same-sex existences on television that aren’t done in a femme way or cliched way.

And also I love that I’m going to be kicking ass.

to follow them in disguise. So it’s about the dogs following us and they save us from all these things happening and then they have to rush home before we get back.

I lOvE ThaT!

It’s so cute. I’ve just written another one, The Further Adventures of Honey & Leon. I just finished writing that and Grant’s going to be drawing it. In the first one we go to Cannes and this one we go to Scotland. Honey and Leon are the names of our two dogs we had when we first met and they recently died, last couple years died, so it’s a lovely thing to kind of like... mutual thing to kind of... hOnOR ThEM.

And also just keep them alive in a way. Though I’m kind of thinking when we go to all these kind of readings for kids and the kids are going “Where are Honey and Leon?” and I’ll be, “Oh, they’re dead. They died.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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art

The new nude

Nude Nite highlights transgender rights in this year’s Tampa show

(above left)

Civil war: Nude Night gets political.

Photo by John Burke

T

Billy Manes

here is a litany of reasons people

are driven to Nude Nite, most of which begin with the obvious gawk and gaze at nudity – it happens – but there’s also a social pertinence to the intentionally salacious affair which now exposes itself in both the Tampa Bay area and Orlando.

Past iterations have seen an unflattering nude portrait of teen-pop impresario Lou Pearlman, and, as is required on certain occasions, sushi presented on the body of a naked woman. But there have also been incredibly thoughtful pieces involving all the mixed media that mixed media has to offer: steelworks to fabric-works, portraits to abstract reinventions, love to hate. It’s become a social affair that exists on a level far beyond your typical flirt-and-walk art maneuvers. It’s making a statement about society, about what we’ve become.

“As much as Nude Nite is just

an event, I think it’s recognized as something bigger; it’s a platform and it’s a space where not only artists can express themselves,” Nude Nite Director Kelly Stevens says, “but Nude Nite has been able to create an installation that matters. When you have thousands of people coming to an event, the responsibility is not to give them fluff.”

This year’s Nude Nite promises not so much fluff as provocative social commentary. The central theme of the event is transgender rights – “Revolution Evolution,” it’s called – and it’s bound to raise some eyebrows during its stint at the Tampa Warehouse (6818 S.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Manhattan Ave.) on March 2-4.

“If Nude Nite can help enrich that gap for people who may not feel comfortable with that topic and nudge them over to the understanding side, I think that might result in evolution and equality in these people. And right there is really what Nude Nites are and should be doing,” Stevens says. “These people bare their soul and their bodies, their nude bodies. One of the works is ‘Civil Wars’ and [the subject] has a beard … and this model has allowed himself to be seen, and that’s a gift of understanding. He has trusted us, he has trusted [photographer] John Burke to show him in the best light and honor him, and we’re going to do that.”

There will also be a bit of historical and cultural revisionism centered around the famed Norman Rockwell covers and paintings of American historical significance.

“These eight models will be at the show and talking with people, engaging, asking questions, answering questions, because in this particular exhibit, The

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

Transgender Project, I think what’s most important is that these are images of Norman Rockwell,” Stevens says. “John Burke created all the images around some of Rockwell’s famous works; instead of the red-state American Protestant, we’ll show these different transgender men and women modeling all the parts and reflecting more of what America looks like now. The man and mom and dad in one of these Norman Rockwell paintings are outdated to the transgender man, the transgender woman and transgender man. So, we don’t see grandma with the American flag but we see a transgender man.”

Burke concurs, adding that it’s time that America see itself for what it really is.

“The idea was, I was taking classic Americana images,” he says. “They were all very exclusive, all heterosexual white people. For the grand project, I want to do something for the whole LGBTQ community.”

It’s jarring, Stevens admits, for a

Continued on pg. 35 | uu |

33

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We can do it: Rosie Reimagined. Photo by John Burke

| uu | Nude Night from pg.33

Tampa crowd that she sees as possibly more elevated and intense than Nude Nite’s historically based home in Orlando. Though Tampa is ripe for this kind of engagement, she adds.

“It’s interesting because we’ve kind of created a new concept, kind of changing

your standard Central Florida kind of art experience.”

Stevens, who has led as director for Nude Nite since 2005 (following a change in power and a couple of years of regrouping), says she empowered by the annual institution.

“I went to Tampa; I had picketers every year and I really grew to love the picketers. It made me feel

last year, can’t be wrong, after all. Nude Nite is making its impression by utilizing full expression. There’s nothing to hide, here. There is much to be gained, however.

“A very interesting thing is the ‘Love It or Shred It’ booth,” Stevens says. “If you can imagine the Transgender Project, focusing on body image and loving your body and gender equality and

“I had picketers every year and I really grew to love the picketers. It made me feel important. I grew up in the south in Alabama, and there’s nothing I like more than rebelling against the norm.”

— Nude Nite Director Kelly Stevens the way people experience art. Tampa doesn’t have a lot of local galleries and in a sense we thought using Tampa during the economic downturn, when many local galleries were closing, [Nude Nite] really gave artists a forum to express that and show their work. And what I learned from going to Tampa was that the age of the city and the culture there, from the small neighborhoods like Ybor to the beaches to the downtown scene, gave it a completely different vibe than

important,” she says. “I grew up in the south in Alabama, and there’s nothing I like more than rebelling against the norm. I can’t stand repression, oppression, no. I have to keep moving forward that’s why I think we have to be fearless and protect the show from people who want to exploit it.

And the internet can exploit everything.”

And how better to protect rights than showing the bodies that those rights are meant for? Four thousand people, the number that showed up

acceptance, you take that into a further level, and there’s a giant shredding booth where there’s a model inside and you write on a piece of paper what you don’t like about your body, and you shred it in the shredder and eventually the shredder fills up with the model inside. And the goal is to, we do hashtags, to get people to shred what they hate about themselves and call it a day. How could you not look at this political situation and not be inspired to express something?”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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arTs+enTerTainmenT ORlanDO Janine Klein: The Diva’s Diva, Feb. 23-25, Footlight Theatre at the Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Mardi Gras underBear Party, Feb. 24, The Full Moon Lounge at Woodstock, Orlando. 407-613-5018; WoodstockOrlando.com a Tribute to Harriett, Best of Broadway, Feb. 25, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org Gods & Monsters Reopening Celebration!, Feb. 25, Gods & Monsters, Orlando. 407-270-6273; GodsAndMonsters.com 9th annual Downtown Food & Wine Fest, Feb. 25-26, Lake Eola Park, Orlando. 407-246-4484; DowntownFoodAndWineFest.com Heroes in Blue, Feb. 27, The Hammered Lamb, Orlando. 407-704-3200; TheHammeredLamb.com CaB Comedy Presents: Whitney Cummings, Feb. 28, CFE Arena, Orlando.

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community calendar

EvEnT PlannER

COME aWay WITh hER

ORlanDO

LGbT Music and arts Festival Saturday, feb. 25-Sunday, feb. 26 parlIament houSe, orlando The world famous Parliament House is hosting the LGBT Music and Arts Festival, the first festival of its kind in Central Florida for the LGBT community and their allies.

The two-day music and arts festival is free to attend and will feature more than 20 musical acts/bands on two different stages, over 150 vendors including artists.

rep. carlos smith New District Office Opening

Grammy Award-winning artist norah Jones brings her smooth sound to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater March 7 and the Bob Carr Theater in Orlando March 8. PHOTO COuRTESy OF nORaHJOnES.COM

Orlando Magic Pride night, March 6, Amway Center, Orlando.

407-440-7000; AmwayCenter.com Disney’s The Little Mermaid, March 7-12, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org 3rd annual Out & about at The Central Florida Fair, March 8, The Central Florida Fair, Orlando. 407-295-3247; CentralFloridaFair.com

Bottoms, Bottles and Bears, Feb. 25, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com STOMP, Feb. 25, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com 2017 Equality Florida Tampa Gala, Feb. 25, TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, Tampa.

813-870-3735; EQFL.org

TaMPa Bay

Open arms Homeless Ministry, March 5, Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa. 727-512-1304; BalanceTampaBay.org Something Rotten!, March 7- 12, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

TaMPa Bay lGBTQ youth leadership Summit, Feb. 25, METRO, St. Petersburg. 727-321-3854; MetroTampaBay.org

Twenty One Pilots, Feb. 28, Amalie Arena, Tampa. 813-301-6500; AmalieArena.com

Wit, Feb. 23-March 9, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Sarasota. 941-748-5875; ManateePerforming ArtsCenter.com

Orlando City’s Kickoff Week Pub Crawl, March 4, Church St., Orlando. 407-480-4702; OrlandoCitySC.com

Balance Tampa Bay February Service - Suncoast animal Rescue, Feb. 25, Fairway Pizza and Sports Page Pub, Palm Harbor. 727-512-1304; BalanceTampaBay.org

Sleeping Beauty presented by the Russian national Ballet Theatre, March 2, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

Swan lake- The Russian national Ballet Theatre, Feb. 28, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota.

941-953-3368; VanWezel.org

Spring Kickball league Kickoff, March 4, Lake Fairview Park, Orlando. 407-246-4286; Facebook.com/GaysOnTheMove

Honey Pot anniversary Weekend, Feb. 24-25, The Honey Pot, Tampa. 813-247-4663; Facebook.com/Honey-Pot

Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue, March 3-4, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, March 5, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota.

941-953-3368; VanWezel.org

Olivia newton-John at universal Mardi Gras, March 5, Universal Studios, Orlando. 407-363-8000; UniversalOrlando.com

Pablo Sainz Villegas, Feb. 25, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

GlOW with DJ neon The Glowgobear, March 4, Southern Nights, Tampa. 813-559-8625; SouthernNightsaTPA.com

alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, March 4, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando.

844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Join Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith at the official House District 49 office opening located at 4063 N. Goldenrod Rd., Unit 3 in Winter Park. The event will include light refreshments and a brief program featuring remarks from Rep. Smith.

lip-Schtick, March 4, MCC Tampa, Tampa. 813-239-1951; MCCTampa.com

The Laramie Project, Feb. 26, Carrollwood Players Theatre, Tampa. 813-265-4000; CarrollwoodPlayers.org

WerkQween with Jonny McGovern and lady Red, March 3-4, Footlight Theatre at the Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com

thurSday, march 2, 6:00-7:30 p.m. houSe dIStrIct 49 repreSentatIve offIce, wInter park

saRasOTa

G2H2 March Social: Sarasota Film Fesitval, March 2, TheStarlite Room, Sarasota. 941.364.9514; G2H2Sarasota.com

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

TIGLFF Presents: Political animals tueSday, feb. 28, 7:30-9:30 p.m. freefall theatre company, St. peterSburG The TampaBay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival presents the political documentary Political Animals at the freeFall Theatre. The film introduces you to California’s first four openly gay state legislators – who all just so happen to be women – and follow their struggle to get domestic partnership legislation passed.

saRasOTa

Trans rights rally Sunday, march 5, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. fIve poIntS park, SaraSota Since January 2016, the Nate’s List campaign – lead by one of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People of 2016, Nate Quinn – has been fighting for trans rights in Sarasota County and they aren’t stopping now. Join them at Five Points Park as they resist Trump and his administration, and stand up for trans rights. Bring anti-Trump and trans rights protest signs. Some extra signs will be available for those who are unable to bring their own. Speeches will be at the beginning of the rally to accommodate those who are unable to or choose not to participate in the marching portion of this event.

evenT planner and cOmmuniTy calendar is BrOugHT TO yOu By curTis prOTecTive services • 1-800-551-8368 • curTissecuriTy.cOm watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

overheard

TaMPa Bay OuT+aBOuT

ThaT MaRy suRE DOEs GET aROunD

T

he GlItz and Glam are headInG to brandon with the opening of a new Hamburger Mary’s restaurant on Town Center Blvd. The new drag stop is set to announce its opening date in the upcoming weeks.

Employee interviews took place on Feb. 14 and 15 and the finishing touches are underway.

Before you know it, crowds will be strutting into this new location for fabulous food and a drag queen extravaganza. The building is painted a bright shade of purple showcasing its flamboyant roots and nightclub vibe. This marks the seventh Florida location, and the fourth opened by Mary’s King of Queens, Kurt King. Events will be posted soon so don’t forget to keep an eye out for Drag Queen Bingo and MaryOke! Karaoke nights. Will Hamburger Mary’s be the new LGBT hotspot in Brandon? Check out the Hamburger Mary’s Brandon Facebook page for news and announcements on the jewels and hair spray that will crowd this new location. It’s going to be marvelous!

sORRy BuT WE nEED ThE MOnET

T

he muSeum of fIne artS In St. peterSburG will bid ado to some of the most beautiful piece in their collection when they send classic paintings from Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin and others on a one way trip to the shipping docks.

The pieces have been displayed on the museum’s gallery walls for decades, according to the Tampa Bay Times, and have now been reclaimed by the estate of the deceased owner whose family placed them at the museum as long-term loans. The family plans to auction them off at Christie’s in New York in the spring, but don’t go blaming MFA. Kristen A. Shepherd, the museum’s executive director, wants to emphasize that they are not selling the works. “We are deeply grateful to the family for allowing us to share these stunning works with our visitors for over four decades,” she said. No date is set on the inevitable sale so get their while the getting is good.

WE aRE (GRanD) MaRshal

T

he Grand marShalS for thIS year’S tampa prIde have been announced.

The parade down 7th shall be lead by former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner and local legend Joey Brooks. Vince Pardo and former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman will be recognized with the LGBTA Community Supporter Award. Recognized as Tampa Pride’s Grand Couple are Peter Clark, Hotspots Media Publisher and 30-year partner Cleto Beuren. They have also named Miss Tampa Pride. Miss Kenya M. Black was crowned at Honey Pot Jan. 15. The celebration will take place on March 25 in historic Ybor City and is expected to be larger than it has been in the last two years. Get ready parade partiers! Pride is coming!

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SelfIe tIme: nick Janovsky (L) and Miguel Fuller out and about on Feb. 19. PHOTO COuRTESy OF MIGuEl FullER

2

pure eleGance: alyssa White of the WBTT performs on Feb. 13 as part of the 2017-2018 season announcement celebration.

PHOTO COuRTESy OF WBTT

3

bday baSh: David Kujan (L) and Mike Buckley at Jade Embers’ Britney B!tch Birthday Bash at Southern Nights TAMPA on Feb. 18. PHOTO COuRTESy OF

4

5

SOuTHERn nIGHTS TaMPa

4

Say cheeSe(burGer): (L-R) Brian Rose, Thelma Williams, Angelina Thies, Sabrina Thies, Dawn Thies and Sunshine Diaz at Hamburger Mary’s in Clearwater on Feb. 19. PHOTO COuRTESy OF

HaMBuRGER MaRy’S ClEaRWaTER

5

let’S Get SocIal: Matthew Healey (L) and lucien Monson at Balance Tampa Bay’s monthly social at Hamburger Mary’s on Feb. 16. PHOTO COuRTESy OF

BalanCE TaMPa Bay

6

tune In: Asolo Repertory Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Michael Edward and actor Edward Gero on the four o’clock showing of Suncoast View on Feb. 10.

6

PHOTO COuRTESy OF aSOlO REPERTORy THEaTRE

7

beSt budS: Brian Craft, Casey Kelley, amanda Elizabeth and Patrick Tancey at Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton on Feb. 11. PHOTO COuRTESy

OF BRIan CRaFT

8

lIfe of the party: Mark West Bias photobombing a photo of Chris Myers (L) and Jason James at Liquid Tampa on Feb. 9. PHOTO COuRTEST OF lIQuID TaMPa

7 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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39

3rd Annual

Out & About Night @ the central florida fair Wednesday, March 8 4pm - 11pm Unlimited ride wristband $25

PRESENT THIS AD ON OUT AND ABOUT NIGHT AND RECEIVE MARCH 2 -19 *Closed Mondays & Tuesdays

Advance Discount Tickets Available Now!

FREE ADMISSION! *Excludes rides and access to concert - ride admission & concert tickets sold separately

for more information visit www.CentralFloridaFair.com Sponsored by

4603 W. COLONIAL DRIVE ORLANDO, FL 32808

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

overheard

ORlanDO OuT+aBOuT

laBEl MakERs

T

he nfl pro bowl came and conquered Orlando back in January.

Football fans from all over flocked to Camping World Stadium to tailgate and watch the games. Places like Stonewall and Parliament House, which is are a short hop,skip and a jump from the stadium saw many pre-gaming at their bars. And despite the misconception that Gays and sports don’t necessarily mix, that wasn’t the case for the Pro Bowl. Especially for local real estate agents Kase Elders and Jeremy Conner who attended the game and now have become the subject of the Ad Council and NFL’s “Love Has No Labels” campaign which feature the two friends kissing. At the forty second mark of the video, the Kiss-Cam makes its way around the stadium and it focuses on Jeremy Conner and a young lady to his side (Kase’s hand resting on Jeremy’s knee); the camera has a heart image framing Jeremy and the young lady. At that point, Kase turns to Jeremy and the two go in for a big kiss, Kase placing his hand on Jeremy’s neck and the stadium goes wild for this touchdown! .

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1

3

5

6

EDuCaTED PulsE

v

alencIa communIty colleGe announced the PULSE Memorial LGBT Scholarship program, the goal is to reach the endowment level of $25,000 before the projected date of June 12th 2017 where they hope to reach $30,000.

According to the Valencia Foundation’s website, The Valencia College PULSE Memorial LGBT Scholarship supports students who desire to contribute or have contributed to the welcoming climate of all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and thus support their academic, personal and social development as a citizen in the community.

Scholarship candidates may be members or supporters of the LGBT and/or Latino community who promote diversity and social justice for all people. If there’s an interest in donating, please visitvalencia.org/fsg/giving.

TWO sPIRITs Is RECOGnIzED

c

onGratulatIonS Go to dr. davId baker-harGrove from Two Spirits for being the recipient of the Family Equality Council’s Hostetter-Habib Family Award.

The award recognizes those who share an unwavering commitment to Family Equality Council’s core values: love, justice, family, and equality.

Dr. David Baker-Hargrove was recognized not just for providing affordable access to LGBTQ families in mental health and medical fields, but for the work Two Spirits did in the following weeks of the Pulse tragedy which was done at no cost to those affected.

4

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Sk8er boIS: The boys came out of the woodwork for Pride Skate at Semoran Skateway in Orlando Feb. 12. PHOTO By

5

lady of one love: (L-R) Donna Chernobyl, Blue Star and laura n. Testins at Blue’s birthday celebration where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence presented her with sainthood Feb. 19.

Danny GaRCIa

2

bInGo love: Drag Queen Bingo hosted by Miss Sammy (R) and guest queen Ginger Minj at Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando Feb. 14. PHOTO By Danny GaRCIa

3

GettInG to zero: (L-R) lisa Barr, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Joshua J. Myers and abby Silverman advocating for increased HIV/AIDS prevention with Hope & Help in Central Florida Feb. 17. PHOTO

PHOTO COuRTESy OF BluE STaR

6

SeeInG red: amanda Kenner, RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Thorgy Thor and Marilyn Beasley attend The Red Ball benefitting Hope & Help at the Parliament House Orlando Feb. 18. PHOTO

COuRTESy OF BEaRS In THE CITy

7

raSInG awareneSS: (L-R) Christopher Haubenestel, nicole Elinoff, Ken Terrell, Deanaldo Salducci and Sam Graper at Parliament House in Orlando for National Black HIV AIDS awareness day Feb. 7. PHOTO

COuRTESy OF HOPE anD HElP

4

hear me roar: Beasts of The Center’s Enchanted Jungle party were on the prowl at Venue 578 Feb. 18.

PHOTO By JEREMy WIllIaMS

7

COuRTESy OF KEn TERREll

8

bear huG: A lucky fan gets a big hug from adult film star noah Donovan, who’s all smiles, at Parliament House’s Flesh Friday in Orlando Feb. 17. PHOTO COuRTESy OF PaRlIaMEnT HOuSE

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

announcements

WEDDInG BElls

James and chaz Butler-Young

cOngraTulaTiOns

from Orlando, Florida

BarCodes Orlando celebrates eight years in business on March 5.

engagemenT daTe:

Honey Pot celebrates its 10th anniversary Feb. 26.

lOcal BirTHdays

May 1, 2015

wedding daTe:

october 1, 2016

wedding venue:

Leu Gardens in orlando

wedding planner:

John Michael Events

wedding caTerer:

John Michael Events

wedding cOlOrs:

Tiffany-inspired theme with their colors being Tiffany blue with gray and silver accents

firsT sOng:

“We Found Love” originally by Rihanna, performed by Sam Tsui

inTeresTing facT:

TV personalities Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen congratulated the couple and gave them well wishes via a virtual video, which was viewed at the reception.

“H

e haS an outStandInG

positive outlook on life, on everything in life. He looks at the world with eyes wide open and I just love that about him,” James says.

Chaz, who is a senior management consultant, and James Butler-Young, a lieutenant for the Orlando Police Department, met one night when they were out with their own friends at the Parliament House. Chaz recognized him as the police officer who sometimes worked near the front of the venue, yet he didn’t realize that James caught him and his friend staring while he was trying to figure this out.

They later ran into each other and said “hi.” From that point, they were together talking the entire evening.

Their jobs both had them working odd hours and shifts so their first couple dates were slightly apart, but they knew this was something special and eventually started dating.

“It got to the point where I was like ‘This is want I want forever, for the rest of my life.’”

Chaz says. “What he had built in

just that short amount of time is something that I just really wanted to invest in.”

The first trip they took together was to Fort Lauderdale, and they decided to travel back there for a longer vacation. It was on this trip that the couple mutually decided to start discussing taking the next step in their relationship – marriage.

As soon as they got back from that trip, they called John Michael and let them know they decided to get married and were thinking about using them as vendor. They then were invited to a tasting.

After checking many locations, the couple chose to wed on the Leu House Lawn and hold their reception immediately following in the Camellia Room at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. James says a lot of the day was a blur but a lot of it was very memorable and dear to him.

“We were getting dressed

in the morning in the opposite rooms, and we wrote little notes to each other prior to the day,” James recalls. “As soon as we got dressed, they pulled us out and we didn’t look at each other, they kept us back-to-back, and we read the little note to each other. That was when I first started crying.”

Chaz says something that was memorable to him was his dad being there and so comfortable about everything.

“I was just really proud of him too. I’m from a small town in Georgia, so being gay is kind of foreign there,” Chaz says. “People still probably don’t understand it or just don’t get it. My dad was definitely there for a long time, but he’s come so far and just to see him smiling and so happy— that did a lot to me emotionally that day too, in a positive way of course.”

“He’s crazy, and when I say ‘crazy’ he just does stuff that makes me laugh and it cracks me up. I love to be able to be in a relationship where I have such a handsome husband that everything is fresh.”

Chaz says.

Orlando’s sexy, singing cowboy cub CiJay Bailey, The Hammered Lamb’s owner Jason lambert, superstar realtor David Dorman (Feb. 23); songbird Megan Monesmith, Geek Easy’s Oral Frier (Feb. 24); Orlando graphic designer lisa Buck, Framing of Central Florida co-owner Mike Van Der leest, Tampa artist and hairstylist Christopher nejman, Tampa’s Outings & Adventures founder Robert Geller, Tampa Bay transgender activist Janice Carney (Feb. 25); Come Out With Pride’s Matthew Riha (Feb. 26); Tampa softballer and karaoke diva Carlos lopez, sexy Sarasota Ballet marketing manager Mike Maraccini, Orlando aesthete extraordinaire Jim Cundiff, muscled Tampa massage therapist Eduardo Campos (Feb. 27); Orlando photographer J.D. Casto, Polk Pride’s Scott Guira, Disney Cruise Line’s David Baldree (Feb. 28); Fields Motorcars Orlando’s Russ Fowler, Orlando Gay Chorus’ Joel Strack (Feb. 29); drag beauty Chrysanthe Mum (March 1); former Joy MCC pastor lisa Heilig, club promoter Tim Calandrino (March 2); Gay Days’ Steve Erics (March 3); Tampa Bay singer and comedian Judy B. Goode, Sarasota resident and activist Mark Kidd, Club Orlando attendant arthur adams, Tampa mama to twins and lactation counselor Patty Cannon (Mar. 4); Orlando playwright, actor, columnist and rabble-rouser extraordinaire Michael Wanzie, TIGLFF’s KJ Mohr, Orlando realtor Rustin Davis, Rollins College theater director Thomas Ouellette (March 6); Tampa Bay fashionista Robert Chmura-Pappadeas, Tampa Bay political expert Randy Smith, handsome Tampa Bay bear David Sparks (March 7); local actor Erik Branch, psychologist and co-owner of E.M. & Voss Solutions Event and Wedding Services Eric Muenks (March 8).

dO yOu Have an annOuncemenT? Having a BirTHday Or anniversary? did yOu geT a new JOB Or prOmOTiOn? See your news in Watermark! Send your announcement to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com or go to WatermarkOnline.com/Submit-a-Transition.

iT’s THaT easy!

—Samantha Rosenthal

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.

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Feb rua ry 2 3 - M a rch 8 , 2017 // Issue 24 .0 4

youth services Changing the lives of LGBTQ teens and young adults for over 25 years Social support groups Make friends Scholarships for college Weekly groups in Orange, Seminole & Polk counties

• Join • Volunteer • Donate

info@orlandoyouthalliance.org www.orlandoyouthalliance.org

VOLUNTEER FOR AN HIV P R E V E N T I O N S T U DY You may qualify if you are:  18 years of age or older and HIV Negative  A gay male or transgender female that is currently having condomless sex with at least two different men within a short period of time Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) This study is to evaluate if a once daily investigational medicine can help reduce the risk of getting HIV infection from sex.

CALL JOCELYN @ (407) 647-3960 x 2133 P r EP @o i co r l ando. co m

OICor lando.com

# O I C P R e Pa r e d

S T U DY M E D I C AT I O N A N D S T U DY R E L AT E D L A B S

P R OV I D E D

AT

1707 North Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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C O S T

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