Watermark Issue 24.21: Halloween

watermark issue 24.21 • Oct. 18- nOv. 1, 2017

Your LGBTQ Life.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

We collected the stories of the individuals; that’s community members, that’s survivors, that’s family members.

Departments 6 // mail 7 // publisher’s Desk 8 // orlanDo news 15 // tampa bay news 18 // state, nation & worlD news 27 // talking points 51 // community calenDar 53 // tampa bay out+about 55 // orlanDo out+about 56 // tampa bay marketplace 57 // weDDing bells/ announcements 58 // orlanDo marketplace 62// last page

PAGE

33

You can read about this in the news or in a thousand years in a textbook, but to hear it from the voice of the individual who actually lived it, to record their story, is so incredibly important.

—pameLa SchWaRtz, ORange cOunty RegiOnaL hiStORy centeR’S chief cuRatOR, Speaking at the OnepuLSe fOunDatiOn’S tOWn haLL fORum.

on the cover

PAGE work b**ch!: Caleb Marshall,

41

PAGE THIS IS

29

HALLOWEEN:

From costume contests and festive parties to family fun and creature films; we look at why Halloween has become like Gay Christmas.

Photo by Jake Stevens

scan Qr coDe For

watermarkonline.com

a.k.a. The Fitness Marshall, is bringing his infectious dance moves to Lakeland for a set of cardio concerts.

watermark i ssue 24 .21 //oct ober 18 - november 1, 2017

open seat

new beginnings

laDyFingers

amiD the storms

PAGE Eric Rollings looks to become the first openly gay Orange County Commissioner with a run at District 3.

PAGE Longtime LGBTQ community advocate in Tampa Bay joins Equality Florida’s board.

PAGE

PAGE

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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15

The News Junkie’s Sabrina Ambra recalls the scary story of coming out just in time for Halloween.

23

Florida’s celebrated historian Gary Mormino prepares for his lecture “From 9/11 to Pulse” at Orlando’s History Center.

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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.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

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top web comments

Proud Participant of the 2017

St. Pete Pride Festival

“Anderson is not entertaining.

Andy peddles garbage TV.” —mike patten

Watermark’s Facebook:

Your Experts In Life-Changing Care Committed to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Tampa Bay Region through ongoing education, testing and advocacy.

Serving our community through: • Free HIV Testing • Medical Case Management • Counseling Services & Support Groups • Food & Personal Needs Pantries • Housing Assistance • Day Center with Meals & Activities

On The New Yorker reporting that Trump joked saying Pence “wants to hang” all gay people:

“Unfiltered words leave no truths behind. Trump spoke what he believes to be true about Pence, in an off-the-cuff manner. We should pay attention.”

—Ciara Lozano

On Trump speaking at an anti-LGBT summit:

“What is even more disturbing are the people that are cheering/clapping for this sexual predator.

Says a lot about them.”

—Sharon Doherty

“Evil, not our friend ever. Liar, liar, liar.”

—Tim Bernth

“Donald Trump is the polar opposite of good moral ‘values.’”

—Sarah Wissig

Locations in Hillsborough and Pinellas

On Andy Cohen replacing Kathy Griffin as co-host of CNN’s New Year’s Eve special:

For more information: MyEPIC.org Hillsborough: (813) 237-3066 Pinellas: (727) 328-3260

“Well New Year’s Eve won’t get any gayer now, lol!”

—David Eric

EPC-17-0400

“Anderson is not entertaining. Andy peddles garbage TV. Their show will suck.”

—Mike Patten

On pictures taken at Come Out With Pride’s Launch Party:

EPIC 6

“Why is it that alcohol is always rampant at

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

any gay gathering?

I long for the day when LGBTQ Americans can express themselves openly without having to consume vast amounts of alcoholic beverages.”

“She wasn’t satisfied with spreading hate in Kentucky. Now she has gone international!”

On Kathy Griffin spilling “gay tea” on ex-friend Anderson Cooper:

“You are flamous!”

—Hen Ry Mays

“Anderson showed his true colors, a fair weather friend.”

—John Dean

“Trashy and tired.

D-list for sure.”

—Patrick Edwards

On Harvey Fierstein being confused for Harvey Weinstein on Twitter:

“Why would people think a gay man would molest or rape women.

Oh that’s right, there are a fair number of morons out there.”

—Bill Kanouff

“I would say there are a fair amount of gay men out there who think they can grab someone’s breasts and then laugh it off, ‘it’s okay I’m gay.’”

—Morgan Cole

On Kim Davis fighting same-sex marriage in Romania:

“If Kim Davis had such a conscience she would have stepped down from her government job whose duties caused this conflict.”

—Jon Hunt

Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

—Tim Stahl

On Watermark’s interview with Jeffrey’s Joshua Roth: —Jeff Brow

On Sessions undoing DOJ support for trans workers under Title VII:

“I warned people a Trump administration would be rabidly anti-LGBT. It’s easier to fight these whackos by keeping them out of power.”

—Anthony Mamone

“Small little troll needs to go back under his rock - he shouldn’t even be in office for lying at his hearing.”

—Sheridan Smith

Watermark’s Twitter: On Harvey Fierstein being confused for Harvey Weinstein on Twitter:

“Cause you is an Enta-taina (entertainer in my best Torch Song voice) LOVE YOU MR.!!! Hang tough wif you afro-puffs sister!”

—@KenRichey1971

“Harvey Fierstein is prettier and more talented and everybody loves him. Easy to tell the two apart.”

—@OllyMead1

puBlisher’s

rick claggett puBlisher

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

W

Desk

e aRe neaRing the enD Of

Pride season; Oct. 21 marks bi-coastal celebrations in Volusia County and Sarasota, and we close with Sanford Pride Nov. 5. As the Pride door shuts the holiday door swings open.

You can always tell when the holidays are coming, and I include Halloween as the official kickoff to the end of year holiday extravaganza. Pumpkin spice is everywhere, people are complaining that Christmas trees are already on sale and the temperature drops from a balmy 98 degrees to a cool 92. Ah yes, fall in Florida. There really is nowhere I’d rather be.

I’m so basic that I love everything pumpkin, it’s never too early for tree shopping and nothing is better than warm weather. Fall is arguably the best time of the year.

In honor of this spooktacular time, I thought I’d fill you in on one

of my most memorable Halloween experiences.

The most scared I’ve ever been in my life was in the first grade. Before I go any further, it’s important to know that I cried a lot when I was kid. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was a means to get my way or pure frustration for not being able to express myself? In this instance, it was pure fear.

My elementary school in Houston, Texas, was hosting a Halloween party. There was trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples and a haunted house, among other things. It was probably more like a haunted walk through, but to this

six-year-old it might as well have been a haunted mansion. I was dressed as The Lone Ranger: black hat, black vest, badge and a six shooter. Even though it was Texas, the six shooter was a toy. My black mask was not a real mask, it was black make-up smeared on my face to make it look like a mask. I looked amazing and strutted around like I was the sheriff. I was definitely in character.

I decided to tackle the haunted house. It was cute at first, just some howling winds and scary noises.

I came upon a cutout in the wall. It was a big square about eye level and it was dark. I wasn’t sure if it was covered in a black cloth or if it was just dark, so I decided to investigate.

Hand on my holster, I crept up to the wall and leaned in. Out of the dark abyss jumped the most monstrous, haggard witch a child has ever seen.

She had a cackling scream that pierced my soul and sent me into survival mode. I screamed my way to the exit, pushing anyone down that was in my way like George Costanza exiting a kitchen fire.

Once outside the torture chamber, I bent down and let out all the emotion of 20 pregnant women. I cried more than Tammy Faye Baker begging for money, and thanks to my makeup mask I looked worse than her, too.

I mean, who puts eye makeup on a crybaby going to a haunted house?

I was embarrassed, scared and humiliated. My mom came up to me and I thought the worst was over.

Here comes the most important person in my life to save me.

“Don’t cry. It will be okay,” she said lovingly. “Look baby. Look who came to see you.” Was it Glinda the Good Witch to bring a smile to my face? Santa Claus? No, it was a huge scary beast reaching out to eat me! OK, it was a man in a gorilla costume trying to hug me and tell me they were sorry. To me, that

gorilla was 30 feet tall and I was a small banana ready to be devoured.

Who sends a big ape to comfort a screaming child? I wasn’t dressed as Dian Fossey. Spooky-dookie elementary school haunted house 1, Lone Ranger 0.

In this issue of Watermark, we decided to do something we have never done in the past by devoting our In Depth section to Halloween.

Scottie Campbell walks you through some great costume ideas under $100, lists some of the scariest places to visit along with some of the best family friendly Halloween events, gives you some incredible must-have ideas for your party and delivers some costume mishaps

Out of the dark abyss jumped the most monstrous, haggard witch a child has ever seen.

from notable Watermark readers.

Jeremy Williams, our resident movie expert, walks you through some of the best films in LGBTQ horror. Also in this issue we profile Orlando’s Eric Rollings as he strives to become Orange County ‘s first openly gay commissioner, we welcome St. Pete’s Annie Hiotis to the Equality Florida board and we showcase my favorite dancing diva, The Fitness Marshall, as he brings his tour to Lakeland. In the previous issue we introduced the Last Page, where we feature a Watermark staff member. In this issue we introduce you to Watermark’s mom, Sam Callahan. I hope you love her as much as we do.

We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.

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Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

contributors ScOttie campBeLL

is a longtime activist as a member 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. Page 29, 31, 37, 39

migueL fuLLeR is the out and proud co-host of the Miguel & Holly show on HOT 101.5 FM in Tampa Bay. He also hosts everything! Page 21

SaBRina amBRa

is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to. Page 23

sabrina ambra, scottie campbell, krista Ditucci, miguel Fuller, Divine grace kirk hartlage, samuel johnson, jason leclerc, stephen miller, maia monet, DaviD moran, greg stemm, Dr. steve yacovelli, michael wanzie, ryan williams-jent

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.

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central florida news

city approves temporary pulse moDifications as details of permanent memorial discussed Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | The Orlando City Council approved a temporary memorial outside of and around the Pulse nightclub Oct. 9.

The onePULSE Foundation submitted the plans to the city which includes removing the existing fence put around Pulse by the FBI and replacing it with a “more durable and artistic” fence that will incorporate murals as a tribute to the victims and survivors of the tragedy.

Other changes include new landscaping, park benches, an improved parking area and a perforated wall structure that would allow small offerings to be left. The plans also indicate that the now iconic Pulse sign will be secured and featured into the redesign.

The temporary memorial is expected to remain for two years, with a possible extension to three years, while a permanent memorial is completed.

The onePulse Foundation, a nonprofit organization started by the owners of Pulse, held the first in a series of town hall forums Oct. 9, one week after the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas, to discuss what a permanent memorial at the nightclub’s location might look like.

The forum was held at the Orlando Repertory Theater and was attended by more than a hundred community residents and officials, including Orange County mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orlando Police Chief John Mina, Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan and State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith. In attendance as well were survivors and victims’ family members from the June 12 tragedy.

“The foundation and its memorial seek to educate and eradicate hate and violence around the world. We know that education is key. Tonight is the foundation’s first town hall,” said board chairman Earl Crittenden. “We appreciate the community being here for this. Your voice is extremely important in this process.”

The discussion for the first town hall, which was moderated by Boston Globe journalist Indira Lakshmanan, was a focus on why we create memorials after tragedies, what the process in creating a memorial is and how the items that will be used in the memorial were curated.

The panel included individuals who assisted in creating memorials after both the Oklahoma City bombing and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, as well as the Orange County Regional History Center’s Chief Curator Pamela Schwartz who spoke about items they collected after the Pulse shooting.

“Artifacts come in a lot of shapes and sizes. We heard of all the different things they collected after 9/11, and we have tried to do the same kinds of things,” Schwartz said, speaking from the stage. ”The first things that came up are the memorial type items that come from the community, so we have a lot of different items from all the

Continued on pg. 11 | uu |

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Running for office:

Eric Rollings speaks at an event for the Orange County Democratic Party.

Photo courtesy Eric Rollings

Open Seat Eric Rollings looks to become the first openly gay Orange County Commissioner with his run at District 3 Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor and board chairman Eric Rollings announced he is running for the Orange County commissioner seat in District 3.

Rollings filed the appropriate paperwork with the supervisor of elections Oct. 13. Rollings filed for a run at the District 3 seat for 2020, but may actually be eying to take the seat as early as 2018.

“It’s just a bit complicated. I am running for Pete Clarke’s seat, who announced he is running for Orange County mayor, so his seat will be vacant,” Rollings says. “In order for me to run, I would have to run for the 2020 seat unless Pete resigns right now. Under charter law, he doesn’t have to resign until the last day before the first day of qualifying. That would be in June.”

If Clarke does follow through with his bid to be the next Orange County mayor come June, Rollings would still be able to get on the November ballot, but that would leave him with just under six months to cover more than

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

200,000 residents in the district.

“So I chose to be the first one out,” Rollings says. “I wanted to make sure I had enough time to visit every resident that I possibly could and talk with them to see what their concerns are and have more time to spend in the district. I think starting it in June is going to be really tight.”

Rollings has lived in Orange County for the last 28 years. He is a local real estate agent, the longest serving person on the Community Development Block Grant Program board and has served as the Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor and board chairman for the last several years.

If elected, Rollings would become the first openly gay Orange County commissioner.

“I have always been active in the LGBTQ community, as well as active in the environmental community,” Rollings says. “It’s very scary for me to see where the nation as a whole is going. Every day we wake up and, whether it’s the environment or whether it’s women’s rights or LGBTQ rights, we are seeing them either be threatened or stripped away. If we don’t keep the door open

Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

and elect people that are likeminded individuals, we can see just how fragile these rights are. Look what has happened in just the nine months since the election.”

Rollings says there are many issues which he is passionate about and sees the opportunity to work with all local officials to create a better quality of life for all in Orange County, regardless of their political affiliations.

“We are fortunate here, unlike on a national level and to an extent on a state level, in that a lot of us will put down that letter behind our name and work for a greater community,” Rollings says. “You look at Mayor Jacobs and Mayor Dyer, we all get along pretty well and I think it’s important that we have people who are elected to these local positions that have a proven track record, like myself, of being able to work with everybody to get things done.”

Rollings was instrumental in helping to get Orange County to unanimously ban fracking, as well as raising awareness of the dangers that polystyrene, or Styrofoam containers, pose to the environment by calling for Orange County to be a “No Foam Zone.”

“We really have an amazing quality of life here, but I think we can extend that to more residents in Orange County,” Rollings says. “I think we have some great programs in this county, but they do need a little tweaking. I want to get the opinions of the residents of Orange County as we are making upgrades and changes and see what they say works for them.”

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Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

central florida news

bliss cares recognizes transgenDer inDiviDuals at transaction’s celebration oF success Jeremy Williams

O

RLanDO | Bliss CARES recognized nearly 30 transgender individuals for the TRANSaction “Celebration of Success” at the Parliament House’s Footlight Theater Oct. 11.

Bliss CARES is a nonprofit dedicated to saving lives by treating and preventing the spread of HIV, Hepatitis and STDs. Bliss’ TRANSaction program, a six-part instructional series, assists the transgender community in providing education on a variety of topics such as safety, discrimination, medical, name changes and more.

“Tonight is a culmination of their classes, their hard work and dedication, and we are celebrating their success as leaders in their community,” says Maggie King, director of development and

community relations for Bliss CARES. “The more transgender leaders we build up in the trans community and in the general public, the less fear there is going to be toward transgender people, and things like the bathroom issue are all based in fear.”

The event, hosted by 101.9 AMP Radio’s Chad Pitt, featured speeches from Bliss CARES founder and medical director Dr. Roberto Ortiz, Bliss CARES executive director Juan Rodriguez, Bliss CARES community liaison Shakyara Ralat and program director of The Contigo Fund Marco Quiroga.

Each graduate of the program was given a certificate, a lotus flower and a letter of recognition from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. A Proclamation naming Oct. 11 as TRANSaction Day in the City of Orlando by City Commissioner Patty Sheehan was also read out.

| uu | Temporary Pulse memorial frOm pg.8

The TRANSaction program at Bliss CARES was made possible by a grant from The Contigo Fund.

The Contigo Fund is an initiative of Our Fund Foundation which was launched in response to the shooting at Pulse nightclub during Latin Night. The organization helps to fund medium-term to long-term projects meant to bring meaningful, transformative and lasting change to the Pulse-affected communities in Orlando and across Central Florida.

Grants, like the one supplied to Bliss CARES, financially support emerging organizations working to heal, educate and empower LGBTQ and Latinx individuals, immigrants and people of color.

Bliss CARES hopes to offer the TRANSaction program to the community twice a year with the next set of courses beginning in Feb. 2018.

different memorials.”

One of the memorial items collected was the cooler from Pulse.

“If you went to the Pulse site you probably saw the big, white cooler that was left by the police,” Schwartz said. ”The church down the street kept filling it up with bottled water every day. It was this supportive artifact that became a part of the memorial and was covered in signatures.”

Schwartz and her team also went to Pulse owner Barabara Poma after the club was released back to her to collect items from inside. Those items include a cabinet that individuals hid in during the attack and the broken sink survivors stood on to escape after pushing an air conditioner out of the window. “[We also collected] thousands of photos, as well as oral histories,” Schwartz said. ”We collected the stories of the individuals; that’s community members, that’s survivors, that’s family members. You can read about this in the news or in a thousand years in a textbook, but to hear it from the voice of the individual who actually lived it, to record their story, is so incredibly important.”

A date has not been set for the next town hall forum.

The onePULSE Foundation is asking everyone who wishes to contribute to the permanent memorial to complete the memorial survey at onepULSEFoundation.org by Oct. 31.

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WHAT IS GENVOYA®?

GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older who weigh at least 77 pounds. It can either be used in people who are starting HIV-1 treatment and have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. These include having an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) for 6 months or more on their current HIV-1 treatment. GENVOYA combines 4 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day with food. GENVOYA is a complete HIV-1 treatment and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking GENVOYA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA?

GENVOYA may cause serious side effects: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking GENVOYA, your HBV may suddenly get worse.

Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys.

If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking GENVOYA. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

•

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? •

•

Who should not take GENVOYA?

Do not take GENVOYA if you take: Certain prescription medicines for other conditions. It is important to ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

• The herbal supplement St. John’s wort.

• Any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection.

•

•

What are the other possible side effects of GENVOYA?

Serious side effects of GENVOYA may also include: Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking GENVOYA.

•

•

•

All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take GENVOYA with all of your other medicines.

If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about GENVOYA, including important warnings, on the following page.

Ask your healthcare provider if GENVOYA is right for you.

GENVOYA.com

GENC0142_B_9-25x10-1_Watermark_Brian_r1v1jl.indd 1-2

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S

P

T H p

GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

e

t

n e,

n

SHOW YOUR

POWER

Take care of what matters most—you. GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day complete HIV-1 treatment for people who are either new to treatment or people whose healthcare provider determines they can replace their current HIV-1 medicines with GENVOYA.

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IMPORTANT FACTS This is only a brief summary of important information about GENVOYA® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(jen-VOY-uh) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GENVOYA

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF GENVOYA

GENVOYA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking GENVOYA. Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

GENVOYA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About GENVOYA” section.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea.

These are not all the possible side effects of GENVOYA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking GENVOYA. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with GENVOYA.

ABOUT GENVOYA GENVOYA is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 77 pounds and have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. GENVOYA can also be used to replace current HIV-1 medicines for some people who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL of virus in their blood), and have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months and have never failed HIV-1 treatment, and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements.

• GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

Do NOT take GENVOYA if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin (Uroxatral®), carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®), cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®), lurasidone (Latuda®), methylergonovine (Ergotrate®, Methergine®), midazolam (when taken by mouth), phenobarbital (Luminal®), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®), pimozide (Orap®), rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®), sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®), or triazolam (Halcion®).

• Take the herbal supplement St. John’s wort.

• Take any other HIV-1 medicines at the same time.

•

GET MORE INFORMATION • • •

This is only a brief summary of important information about GENVOYA. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

Go to GENVOYA.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 If you need help paying for your medicine, visit GENVOYA.com for program information.

BEFORE TAKING GENVOYA Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical condition.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA.

HOW TO TAKE GENVOYA • •

GENVOYA is a complete one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine.

Take GENVOYA with food.

GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, SHOW YOUR POWER, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0142 06/17

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tampa bay news

WARM WELCOME:

“Annie has been a long-time advocate in the St. Petersburg community,” says Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith. “We are thrilled about the addition of Annie to our board of directors.”

Photo Courtesy Carlton Fields

New Beginnings Longtime community advocate joins Equality Florida board Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | LGBTQ-inclusive and celebrated law firm Carlton Fields has announced that its Chief Operating Officer, Anastasia “Annie” Hiotis, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the board of Equality Florida.

“We are thrilled about the addition of Annie to our board of directors,” says Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith. “Annie has been a long-time advocate in the St. Petersburg community and she and her colleagues at Carlton Fields have provided countless hours of support for our work to advance LGBTQ equality. Annie’s experience and energy on Equality Florida’s board will help us continue to achieve our mission.”

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Hiotis told Watermark that it’s an extreme honor to serve on the board.

“I have been extensively

involved for many years working with the Equality Florida team fundraising in the Tampa Bay area,” Hiotis says, having first begun her work with the organization in 2009. “But am excited now to sit on the Board and see first-hand how the organization works.”

Hiotis has served as Carlton Fields’ Chief Operating Officer since 2001, overseeing the law firm’s operations for its over 600 lawyers and professional staff.

She’s been with the firm since 1992, and openly gay at Carlton Fields since 2008, where she’s been an advocate for their self-described diversity initiatives, which are “recognized at the national level.”

“Carlton Fields consistently ranks as a top law firm in the country for Diversity by Vault, and the firm has received the distinction of ‘Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality’ for eight consecutive years by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index,” the firm’s press release reads.

“Additionally, the firm’s efforts to promote LGBT equality in the workplace are evidenced by

its offering of domestic partner benefits to attorneys and staff since 1999; establishing the firm’s LGBT Alliance; and representing LGBT individuals and families pro bono in significant same-sex marriage and adoption cases for all LGBT Floridians.”

In her new role on the Equality Florida board, Hiotis will provide overall strategic and policy formulation, as well as direction and guidance. She’ll also assist in the establishment of a fiscal budget, its approval and raising funds.

“I always knew Equality Florida was well run, but I am blown away by the talent, commitment and knowledge of the entire Equality Florida staff,” admits Hiotis. “Nadine Smith and Stratton Pollitzer are incredible leaders, and the staff throughout the state are nothing short of top-notch.

It is very clear to me why other equality organizations around the country look to Equality Florida as ‘best in class.’”

Hiotis cited the success Equality Florida has had in combatting anti-LGBTQ legislation in Tallahassee, as well as their active participation with “passing local policies and ordinances that secure inclusive protections in employment, housing, education and public accommodations” for the community.

“They actively educate and

Calling all authors: Gulfport gears up for weekend of lesbian literature Ryan Williams-Jent

G

ULFPORT | The Gulfport Public Library’s LGBTQ Resource Center is seeking authors for its first ReadOut event, self-described as a “weekend of lesbian literature.”

The event is currently scheduled for Feb. 17 at the Gulfport Public Library, and will also feature “other lesbian events taking place during the week leading up to it,” Readout 2018’s press release reads.

“We want to spread the word about our LGBTQ Resource Center to readers,” says Alison Solomon, the chair of the event’s subcommittee. “I thought it would be neat to introduce readers to authors they might not be familiar with, and to introduce authors to Gulfport. Lesbian literature conferences tend to be really popular so it seemed like it was time Florida had one, and we thought we’d start with this formula.”

“Doing an event aimed at this population seemed like a good idea,” she says, noting that she’d heard that per capita, the city is second only to Northampton, Mass., in its lesbian population. “Obviously the event is open to everyone: straight and LGBTQI.” To be considered, authors must have published at least one book for a lesbian audience. In total, 15 will be selected, and Solmon confirmed that potential applicants have expressed interest from as far as Ohio and Massachusetts.

“There are two parts to the event: a ReadOut, which will be limited to 15 authors reading from their work; and a vendor room at the library where those 15 authors, plus as many additional authors as we can fit in the space, will be able to sell their work.”

Elizabeth Sims, author of You’ve Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams, will be featured as the keynote speaker. Her other published work includes the Lambda Award-winning Lillian Byrdcrime series and the Rita Farmer mystery series, and she currently serves as a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest.

Sims will lead a workshop on “Fearless Writing,” which Solomon describes as geared toward “[finding] the heart of the book [that attendees] want to write, and how to convey their story zestfully and truly.”

“Because we expect to receive more than 15 applications,” ReadOut’s press release advises, “we are asking all published authors who wish to read from their work to include a sample reading. (‘Indie’ and self-published authors are welcome.) The fee for vendors will be $25 and there is no additional fee to do a reading.”

Applications must be received by Nov. 10 to be considered. For more information on ReadOut 2018, you can contact Alison Solomon by email at ReadOut2018@ gmail.com.

Continued on pg. 17 | uu |

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tampa bay news

Following controversy, sarasota priDe renews Focus aheaD oF priDe Fest 2017 Ryan Williams-Jent

S

aRaSOta | As the Sarasota LGBTQ community and its allies readied themselves for Pride Fest 2017 on Oct. 21, Sarasota Pride board members and community leaders met to renew the upcoming celebration’s focus.

“Perception is a reality and the past 48 hours has proven that statement to be true,” Joél Pozo, Berry Ayers (Beneva Fruitville) and Sarasota Pride released in a joint statement following an Oct. 3 meeting. “Everyone in this community has a voice and that has been reflected in our collaboration.”

The meeting materialized in response to community controversy.

“Organizers of Sarasota Pride are not allowing drag queens to perform,” Sarasotan Joél Pozo shared via social media ahead of the event. “Make sure you let them know how you feel about it!”

Community members apparently did just that.

“When people feel unheard, it is important that they have a place at this table,” the joint statement advises.

“After a gathering of opinions came together to discuss misconceptions, the feeling of underrepresentation, and inclusiveness with the celebration of our communities’ pride, we are pleased to announce an even stronger bond is now present.”

The statement further advises that Pride Fest 2017 will indeed feature members of both the Drag King and Drag Queen communities, noting that “this event should always and will continue to celebrate all aspects of the LGBTQIA people in Sarasota and surrounding areas.”

Ahead of the celebration, Sarasota Pride’s leadership will reach out to venues and performers to ensure both an inclusive and diverse Pride Fest and Pride Weekend. “Looking to the future, we are actively working on

combining voices to establish open communication within the entire community,” the statement continues.

“In an effort to reduce separation, Sarasota Pride has welcomed with open arms those that felt removed from the planned Pride Fest Schedule. Thank you to all who voiced their opinion.”

“Make no mistake,” the statement concludes, “this is a victory for everyone.”

Residents and community members celebrated the news via social media, but some remained cautious. “Queens and Kings started the movement and it’s important to ALWAYS remember it,” Tampa Bay entertainer Kathryn Nevets responded to the announcement.

“It’s great that you finally decided to include them as WE are the ones on the front lines EVERY TIME we are on that stage,” Nevets continued.

Sarasota’s Pride Fest 2017 will be held Oct. 21 from 12-6 at J.D. Hammel Park. For more information and a full lineup of pre-parties, after-parties and performances, visit sarasotapride. org or sarasotaout.com.

| uu | New Beginnings frOm pg.15 advocate transgender equality, their ‘Safe & Healthy Schools’ project helps provide safe and supportive school environments for LGBTQ young people, and oh yes,” continues Hiotis, “did I mention they won marriage equality for our state in 2015!”

Hiotis is well-known for her own engagement and community support. She served as a Grand Marshall for St. Pete Pride in 2016, was recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as an ‘Outstanding Voice’ in their Business of Pride edition of the same year, and was presented the ‘Voice of Equality Award’ during Equality Florida’s 2014 St. Petersburg Gala.

She and her partner of 25 years, Connie Lancaster, have long-supported the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, sponsoring its annual launch party since 2011, and were “significant benefactors” to the St. Petersburg LGBT Welcome Center.

“As a Board member, I look forward to assisting Equality Florida with planning, policy setting, budgeting, [and] fundraising,” says Hiotis. “And of course, acting as an Ambassador for the organization, helping to further its reach among the LGBTQ community of our fine state.”

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state, nation+world news

in other news Amazon Studio exec placed on leave for harassing lesbian producer Amazon’s programming chief Roy Price has been placed on leave following allegations of sexual harassment against The Man in the High Castle producer, Isa Hackett. Hackett says she went to a party with Price and Amazon executive Michael Paull and, while in the taxi, she claims that Price made repeated sexual advances on her. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Hackett reported Price to Amazon executives and an outside investigator. She says she has not had contact with Price since then. Since Hackett came forward with the allegations, Amazon issued a statement saying, “Roy Price is on leave of absence effective immediately.”

Bipartisan legislation introduced to protect trans servicemembers California Reps. Jackie Speier and Susan Davis joined four other members of Congress to introduce a bipartisan bill intended to protect transgender military servicemembers under siege by the Trump administration. H.R. 4041 prohibits the Department of Defense from discharging trans members of the Armed Forces based solely on their gender identity. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has repeatedly said the current policy of trans open service remains in effect until he has had a chance to develop a policy, under President Trump’s orders, based on recommendations from a panel of experts. Trans servicemembers have been serving openly since June 2016 without incident.

Mississippi anti-LGBT ‘religious freedom’ law takes effect A Mississippi law enabling sweeping anti-LGBT discrimination in the name of “religious freedom” took effect Oct. 10 as a result of a federal appeals court decision throwing out a legal challenge to the statute. The law was signed by Gov. Phil Bryant last year in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide. The purported intent of the law is to protect individuals who have religious beliefs contrary to the ruling, but the measure approaches that in a way that would allow anti-LGBT discrimination. The law prohibits the state from taking action against religious organizations that decline employment, housing or services to same-sex couples.

California reduces penalty for HIV transmission California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation reducing the penalty for knowingly exposing some to HIV. The legislation signed Oct. 6 is part of an attempt by Democratic lawmakers to reverse the tough policies enacted during the AIDS scare of the 1980s and 90s. Under those policies, knowingly exposing someone to HIV was a felony. The new law reduces the crime to a misdemeanor, treating HIV like other communicable diseases. Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco says the harsher penalties for HIV discourage people from getting tested for the disease and stigmatize those who have it. Critics say the law endangers people.

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Miami-Dade commissioners vote no on conversion therapy ban Staff Report

T

he Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners rejected a ban on conversion therapy performed by licensed counselors at a packed council meeting Oct. 10, according to the Miami Herald.

The board voted 7-4 after hearing several hours of public opinion, mostly from members of the community opposing the ban. The proposed ordinance, submitted by Commissioner Sally Heyman, would have banned a licensed counselor from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Heyman was joined by

commissioners Audrey Edmonson, Bruno Barreiro and Daniella Levine Cava in voting yes on the ban.

Commissioners Esteban Bovo, Jose Diaz, Joe Martinez, Jean Monestime, Javier Souto, Xavier Suarez and Rebeca Sosa voted against it.

“In this case, my problem is with the rights of parents,” Sosa said. “If you make a decision about your children that, in the end, is wrong, that’s your responsibility … I think government has to be respectful of that right.”

Conversion therapy is currently banned in nine states—New Jersey, California, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New Mexico, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Nevada—as well as in the

District of Columbia.

Florida does not have a statewide ban, but bans are in place in 16 municipalities, counties and communities; including Miami, Miami Beach, Wilton Manors, West Palm Beach and Bay Harbor. This Miami-Dade ban would have only applied to counselors operating outside the city limits in Miami-Dade.

The only area of the state outside of South Florida to ban conversion therapy is the city of Tampa.

Wilton Manors Vice Mayor Justin Flippen spoke during the meeting.

Flippen was put through conversion therapy as a young man.

“Conversion therapy is so harmful and rejected in California and other states,” he said. “Being gay is not a choice. It is not a preference. It is a part of me as much as my eye color is.”

The New Yorker reports Trump joked Pence ‘wants to hang’ all gay people Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

T

he anti-LGBT history of Vice President Mike Pence apparently isn’t lost on President Trump, who once joked his No. 2 in office “wants to hang” all the gay people, according to a recent article in the New Yorker.

The lengthy profile piece on Mike Pence contains significant details about his long career in politics starting as a U.S. House member, then Indiana governor and now vice

president—highlighting Pence’s ties to the corporate right, including the Koch brothers, and the social conservative movement. (Recalling Pence’s time as a member of Congress, a former Republican staff member is quoted as saying Pence “was as far right as you could go without falling off the earth.”)

Although Pence has aided Trump is serving as liaison to Congress and administration officials, the article says Trump likes to “let Pence know who’s boss.” Citing two sources familiar with a meeting Trump and Pence had with a legal scholar, the article says Trump mocked his vice president’s views.

The legal scholar reportedly said if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many states would

legalize abortion on their own, prompting Trump to say to Pence, “You see? You’ve wasted all this time and energy on it, and it’s not going to end abortion anyway.”

When the discussion at the meeting turned to gay rights, Trump motioned toward Pence and joked, “Don’t ask that guy—he wants to hang them all!”

Pence has a long anti-LGBT history that consists of voting against LGBT rights in Congress, including support for a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage nationwide as well as opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, hate crimes legislation and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.

the anti-LGBT legal group’s vice president of legal affairs and its chief litigation counsel, are visiting Romania “to discuss the impact of same-sex ‘marriage’ on religious liberty and freedom of conscience.”

Davis and Mihet—who was born in Romania and grew up during Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship that ended when a violent revolution overthrew him in 1989—are holding “conferences” in the Romanian capital of Bucharest and the cities of Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu,

Timisoara and Iași throughout their nine-day visit.

The Liberty Counsel said Davis and Mihet have met with two archbishops of the Romanian Orthodox Church and “are scheduled to meet other leaders of” the religious denomination that is the country’s largest.

Davis and Minet are in Romania ahead of next month’s referendum on whether to amend the country’s constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Kim Davis fights same-sex marriage in Romania Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

A

Kentucky clerk who went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples paid a visit to Romania.

The Liberty Counsel said Kim Davis and Harry Mihet, who is

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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HEALTHYSEXUAL, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC3910 01/17

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viewpoint

miguel Fuller

high FiDelity Beyond the summer of single

“T

O my neuROtic

friends, calm down and take a breath. When you go on a date, treat it like you are having drinks and cheese sticks with your best friends.”

Well my friends, cheese sticks happened. That quote was from a column this summer where I was giving you, the reader, and myself tips on dating.

The last column I wrote I talked about my summer of single and how I learned so much about myself.

Apparently, life has a way of opening itself up and making magic happen. Yes, I’m about to get super corny.

The weekend before the unofficial end of summer—Labor Day—I had my new house painted.

I was planning a huge housewarming party to introduce my friends to Chateau Oprah. I did name my house Chateau Oprah—don’t judge. I called on a friend of mine, whom we shall call Mr. Silver Fox, to paint my house. He’s a friend of mine I’ve known for a couple of years. He’s the friend you see out every weekend and catch up on the week, or the one you call if you are in a jam and need someone with a big truck to help out. He is always there to lend a hand.

He came with his business partner to paint my house on a Saturday. What did I do while they were

painting? I met up with some friends for a drink, or three, while they were finishing up the paint job.

After a couple of hours of hanging out, my friends and I ubered back to my house where Mr. Silver Fox and his business partner were still painting. Being that he was a friend and we were continuing the Saturday Funday, we asked him who he was dating or if he would date any one of us. Mr. Silver Fox rolled his eyes and kept painting.

After a little more time passed, the painting was finished and Chateau Oprah looked amazing. As Mr. Silver Fox was leaving my house and I was waving goodbye, he turned around and said, “Hey, remember how you all asked if I would choose any of you to date?

Well I would choose you.”

Mic drop.

Mr. Silver Fox flashed a grin and walked to his truck. I stood there in shock. Was he joking?

Was he just pulling my leg because we were being obnoxious after some day drinking? I would come to find out in the days following that he indeed wanted to date me and held a crush for a few months.

Here’s where I get a little serious. I would have not been prepared to receive his affection and kindness if I hadn’t gone through my summer of single. Before the summer, I really hadn’t taken the time to understand why my last relationship didn’t work out, besides the obvious: We weren’t a match and we didn’t have a lot of common. Those sorts of issues plagued my last relationship.

But there was one problem I was solely responsible for in the demise of my last relationship—I never felt good enough. I always questioned how and why someone could like or even love me. Those feelings of inadequacy I felt about myself made me constantly

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

question my relationship.

When you don’t have confidence in yourself, how can your partner? My summer of single made me really dig down and figure myself out. I truly felt like a new man by the end of

that bring you to a place of understanding.

As Hurricane Irma stomped her way through Florida, Mr. Silver Fox and I evacuated St. Pete together. On our trip away we realized how precious

Mr. Silver Fox is that you should not be afraid of going after you want. We’ve joked a few times about what I would have done if he hadn’t confessed his feelings for me. He would have moved on and started

the summer of working through these issues.

With this newfound confidence and understanding of myself, I’ve been able to receive affection and achieve a level of intimacy I used to try to fake. There are just some things in life that you can’t fake until you make it happen. You have to go through experiences

life is and how small of a time we have on this planet. Why sit around and wait a couple of months before we decide to take the plunge make it exclusive and become FBO (Facebook Official)?

Outside of what I learned about my inner workings this summer, the biggest lesson I’ve learned in my few months with

dating someone else and I would have looked on wishing I would have confessed my feelings for him as well. So if there’s someone in your life that you’ve been wanting to confess your feelings for, do it. Why would you wait? I’m happy he didn’t.

I always questioned how and why someone could like or even love me. those feelings of inadequacy I felt about myself made me constantly question my relationship.

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www.NationsLandscaping.com Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

and Vegeterian Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean,

viewpoint

sabrina Ambra

laDyFingers Spine-chilling buzz kill

‘t

iS the SeaSOn fOR

scary stories, I hear.

Somewhere between the “Dr. Feltersnatch” OBGYN costume and the human skull beer funnel is the timeless Halloween tradition of inducing panic through the telling of horrifying tales.

They are passed down from generation to generation and then, at some point, from generation to Internet where they will live forever alongside funny cat videos and 2 Girls, 1 Cup. It’s like the circle of life, but with scat. That being said, I think there’s no better time than now to hunker down and write my very own frightening tale. And by write, I mean type “www.WikiHow.com” into the address bar. I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t mention that my address bar auto-filled the page for WikiHow: To Get Down From a Bad High (long story, short: Molly from Manhattan is NOT your friend).

Step 1: Make a list of your greatest fears.

Ok, that’s easy: (1) drowning like Aladdin almost did before “using” his second wish (if you don’t know what I’m referring to, call your parents right now and tell them they should be ashamed of themselves), (2) three to four of my exes, and (3) choking on a hot dog alone at home.

Step 2: Add “what if” element to greatest fears.

Challenge accepted, WikiHow. “What if I choked on a hot dog while watching Aladdin?” Terrifying? Yes! Not much of a story though. “What if I was watching

Aladdin and suddenly the screen goes black, then my crazy exes appear in a Brady Bunch formation; but the lovely lady’s story they’re singing about has nothing to do with single parents hooking up and everything to do with my never-ending loop of near-death hot dog experiences?” Too much?

Fuck it! I’ll tell a true story.

We’ll call it the WikiHow To Improperly Handle Your Mom Finding Out You’re Gay. It was a dark and stormy night on the eve of National Margarita Day. Little did I know the taste of a delicious margarita would soon be replaced by the something much saltier than its rim. Is it sounding scary yet? My neighbors had invited me over to watch some World Wrestling Entertainment.

It usually wasn’t my cup of tea, but with enough weed I could be entertained by just about anything. So, I happily accepted their invitation to smoke all their drugs. Little did I know that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wasn’t the only one who was cooking something up.

Getting scarier, right?!

I could hear my phone ringing in the adjacent room as I made my way to the bathroom to “freshen up” (aka stare at myself in the mirror with eyes so glazed over I could use dental floss as a blindfold). The phone rang again - that’s odd.

I put a pause on the stoner bathroom trip and checked to see who was blowing my shit up at 11:30 p.m.

“2 Missed Calls: Mother” There is no question that I was absolutely too stoned to speak with my mother on the phone, a lesson I had learned my sophomore year of high school.

I attributed the calls to the other timeless tradition of butt-dialing in order to make myself feel better. The phone rang for a third time, and this time I could see the mommy/baby contact picture flashing on my screen. My heartrate was

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

well over 130 BPM as I had come to the conclusion that someone was dead. I had no choice; I had to pick up the phone and sound as if I had just been awoken from a responsibly-timed slumber.

“Are you awake? Do you have something you want to tell me?” Oh, God, NO…”Are.

maybe two weeks into my first same-sex relationship and maybe a handful of friends knew. How the fuck did she find out? I was terrified, my mother was traumatized and my buzz was completely gone. There was no way I could WikiHow my way out of this one.

how I would have handled breaking the ol’ lady-lovin’ news myself. I guess I have to give it to the universe this time. Its mysterious ways may have thrown me in a crazy loop, but my life is far from a horror story today because of it. Plus, I can totally wear my “Dr.

You. Dating. A. GIRL?” The feeling that came over me as she muttered that question is one I will never forget. It was almost exactly like that moment in Saving Private Ryan when a bomb goes off next to Tom Hanks. All I heard was a high-pitched ringing while the world as I knew it crumbled around me in slow motion. I was

I was barely in the closet before the door swung open. It was definitely scary, but this “horror” story has a happy ending. It took a few years, many tears and much-needed patience, but the wounds healed and our bond is stronger than ever before. I know this isn’t the outcome for everyone and heaven only knows

Feltersnatch” costume now for Halloween this year— and maybe Thanksgiving so my family can enjoy turkey and uncomfortable table topics.

It was almost exactly like that moment in Saving Private Ryan when a bomb goes off next to tom hanks.

All I heard was a high-pitched ringing while the world as I knew it crumbled around me in slow motion.

Sabrina Ambra is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to.

READ IT ONLINE! head to WatermarkOnline.com and click on the Digital publications link to a read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

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Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

viewpoint

Photo courtesy of the State Archives of Florida

By Graham Brunk Special to Watermark from the LGBT History Project

addison mizner The likely gay father of South Florida architecture

A

ddison Mizner came

to Palm Beach in 1918 to die.

Instead, he would change South Florida forever, especially Boca Raton, with his enduring signature Spanish revival architecture. Eightyfour years after his death, that imprint is hard to miss.

While many in Palm Beach County know who Mizner was, few probably suspect he may have been gay.

No one has written about Mizner’s suspected homosexuality and most of the evidence today amounts to innuendos. Some authors do give us clues, such as Caroline Seebohm, who described Mizner in her book Boca Rococo: How Addison Mizner Invented Florida’s Gold Coast as having “eccentricities” and a very flamboyant personality.

Additionally, at one point in his life Mizner declared himself to be a lifelong bachelor.

Mizner ended up in Palm Beach County after World War I put a damper on the business he had drummed up as an apprentice draftsman in California. He was broke and sick with necrosis of the bone in his leg from a childhood injury.

When he came to Palm Beach, Mizner found that society revolved largely around one man: Paris Singer.

Singer was a wealthy socialite whose father had created a wildly successful sewing machine company.

Mizner, on the other hand, was not even an architect. He never went to school for it, and the states

of New York and California, where he came from, never officially recognized him as such.

Yet somehow, Mizner and Singer struck up an unlikely friendship. They met at Gus Baths (later known as the Lido Baths), a popular hangout in Palm Beach, at the time off of Worth Avenue around where the clock tower stands today. But don’t mistake those baths as necessarily a gay club; many straight men once frequented bathhouses as well.

Autobiographies and memoirs written by both men describe the hunky nature of the men in the Gus Baths scene, and both men seemed to be drawn to a frequent visitor at the time, Norman Selby, better known to the world as champion boxer Kid McCoy (from where the phrase “Real McCoy” comes from).

Both men subtly described McCoy as the physically handsome instructor. McCoy was straight, and nothing suggests otherwise. Even so, he would have been a gay man’s dream at the time.

Mizner would come to be known for being the father of development in Boca Raton. He created some of the most notable architectural works throughout Palm Beach County, including Villa Mizner on Worth Avenue, The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, the Woman’s Club in Boynton Beach and many private homes.

Today, he is regarded as an architectural mastermind.

But few have discussed his sexuality.

Singer might also have been a closeted gay man.

Around the time Mizner arrived, Singer had been involved with a female dancer, Isadora Duncan.

In her autobiography, she described him as unapproachable, but a good companion nonetheless. The relationship was probably just one of companionship.

Feeling what one might

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

assume was likely sexual frustration, she’d often cheat on him when he was not around. Upon returning from a trip abroad, Singer realized McCoy had been having a relationship with Duncan and he distanced himself from her. It was in the aftermath of this relationship that Mizner and Singer grew close. And in turn, Singer launched

York, architect Stanford White. White would become a professional mentor to Mizner. In Aline Saarinen’s unpublished biography of White, she revealed him to be an open homosexual, something almost unheard of in those days.

While White’s letters never mention Mizner by name, they do describe a circle of bisexual and

McKim, Mead & White.

Seebohm’s book, Boca Rococo, not only called Mizner eccentric and flamboyant but referred to Singer as being both as well.

Mizner will always have a legacy in South Florida for jump-starting the trend of Spanish-revival architecture so many others imitated throughout the region.

He also left the area with

Mizner’s career as the local society’s go-to architect.

As for Mizner, after having a few unsuccessful relationships with women in California and New York, he declared himself a lifelong bachelor, giving us another clue of his sexuality.

Before coming to South Florida, Mizner befriended an openly gay man in New

homosexual people with whom White often associated. Those people included, according to Saarinen: “[Augustus] Saint Gaudens, Joseph M. Wells, Frank Millet, Whitney Warren, Thomas Hastings and probably [William R.] Mead.” Nearly all, including Mizner, were associated with White’s architectural firm,

some of the most beautiful structures in the U.S. But his legacy as an early influential gay man in South Florida has gone largely unnoticed.

Today, he is regarded as an architectural mastermind.

But few have discussed his sexuality.

Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

Graham Brunk, born and raised in South Florida, is a librarian in Palm Beach County and has an interest in local LGTBQ historic events.

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Save the Date

Nov. 30

Join us for a special night as we celebrate our 25 year anniversary.

Learn about our history and the amazing things MBA has acheived over the years.

mbaorlando.org | info@mbaorlando.org

CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN ALL OCTOBER AT ENZIAN WITH OUR

13 FILMS OF HALLOWEEN

Cult Classics: Poltergeist Tues, October 3rd at 9:30PM

Midnight Movies: 28 Days Later Sat, October 7th at 11:59PM

Cult Classics: Cabin Fever Tues, October 10th at 9:30PM

Popcorn Flicks: The Blob

Thurs, October 12th at 8PM | FREE in Central Park!

Saturday Matinee Classics: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Sat, October 14th at 12PM

Midnight Movies: The Exorcist Sat, October 14th at 11:59PM

Music Mondays: Phantom of the Paradise

Sat, October 21st at 11AM

Midnight Movies: Kill, Baby…Kill!

Sat, October 21st at 11:59PM

Kid’s Halloween Party featuring Hotel Transylvania 2 Sun, October 22nd at 11:30AM

Cult Classics: High Tension Tues, October 24th at 9:30PM

Midnight Movies: Halloween II Sat, October 28th at 11:59PM

Cult Classics: A Nightmare on Elm Street Tues, October 31st at 9:30PM

Don’t forget to join us for Eden Bar’s HALLOWEEN and 10th Anniversary Party on October 28th FREE ENTRY | 21 & over only | Drink Specials

More info on Enzian.org

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

More info at mbaorlando.org

Book to Big Screen: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Mon, October 16th at 9:30PM

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Nov. 30, 6 pm

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

46 % 33 % 12

talking points

%

OF AMERICANS POLLED Believe a persOn is

BORN BEING GAY OR LESBIAN,

I am a member of the lGbtQ community.

I identify more as queer than as gay, and I feel an obligation—an actual affirmative obligation— to tell the stories of people in my community.

—DaviD fRance, DiRectOR Of the DOcumentaRy THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON,, On Why he maDe the fiLm.

kathy griffin dishes On ex-friend andersOn cOOper

k

athy gRiffin maDe heR StanD-up cOmeDy cOmeBack at the Best in Drag fundraiser in Los Angeles where she wore a Donald Trump mask and spilled “gay tea” on Anderson Cooper. Griffin addressed her former friendship with Cooper who called her Trump photoshoot “disgusting and completely inappropriate.” She has said that she severed ties with the CNN host for his lack of support. “I’m going to leave you with a cup of tea, honey. This is a cup of gay tea that is fucking scandalous and it involves Anderson Cooper,” Griffin said. She then read a letter to the audience she received from a fan who also sent a copy to Cooper. In the letter he calls Cooper a “fickle faggot” for not standing with Griffin.

He finished the letter off with, “Homo rule 101, you always back your fag hag.”

Believe it is the

INDIVIDUAL’S UPBRINGING and

Believe it tO Be

BOTH. —gaLLup pOLL

harvey fierstein gets cOnfused with harvey weinstein On twitter

H

aRvey fieRStein fOunD himSeLf having tO cLeaR hiS name after he became confused with Hollywood producer and alleged sexual assailant, Harvey Weinstein. “Harvey Weinstein is rumored to be in trouble and I am somehow getting flak as well! I get it. All Harveys look alike,” the Torch Song Trilogy playwright and actor tweeted. “I’m a good gay! I mean, a good guy.” Fierstein joked that his first name has been attached to too many negative stories lately. “Between a hurricane and a Weinstein, this Harvey is yearning for the days when people mistook me for an invisible rabbit [the Harvey of a Jimmy Stewart film],” Fierstein says.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

kat vOn d releasing divine-inspired makeup cOllectiOn

k

at vOn D iS ReLeaSing a makeup paLette inspired by drag legend and John Waters superstar Divine.

In August, Von D revealed to HelloGiggles.com that the Kat Von D x Divine collection is in the works.

“As much as I’m dying to spill the beans, it’s a bit early in the game to give away all details, but yes. We are definitely in production to release a Kat Von D x Divine collection—and it’s going to be fu*king awesome,” Von D says. Von D’s boyfriend, Cody Carlson, gave a sneak peek of the palette on Instagram which shows Divine’s iconic eye makeup on the box. However, it may have been too soon to reveal as the post has since been deleted.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

jackie chan’s daughter cOmes Out as a lesBian

J

ackie chan’S DaughteR came Out as a lesbian on Instagram. Etta Ng, 18, posted a photo of herself with a rainbow backdrop along with the hashtags “lgbtqai,” “lgbt,” “lesbian” and “androgynous.” Social media star Andi Autumn also revealed she is dating Ng in an Instagram post in support of Ng’s coming out. “[Etta] has given me a chance to fully express the running thoughts in my head,” Autumn writes. “No judgments, just understanding.

Everything was against us.” Ng is the daughter of Chan and Chinese actress Elaine Ng, who briefly had an extramarital affair while Chan was married to Joan Lin. Etta has stated that she is not in contact with Chan.

27

2017

L I G H T S O F H O P E : C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S O F E Q UA L I T Y F LO R I DA YOU’RE INVITED!

Sunday, November 19 TH 5 - 8 PM Michael’s On East

1212 South East Avenue, Sarasota, FL

Tickets are $125 and $150 at the door.

No printed tickets issued | Names will be on an admission list at the door | Cocktail attire is suggested

R.S.V.P. A N D P U R C H A S E T I C K E T S AT equalityflorida.org/suncoastcelebration or call 813-870-3735

PRESENTED BY

Since 1997, Equality Florida has been winning victories for Florida’s LGBTQ community. Join us at the 2017 Suncoast Celebration to celebrate this progress and learn what’s ahead on our journey to full LGBTQ equality!

Our theme is “Lights of Hope: Celebrating 20 Years of Equality Florida.” We’re excited about this milestone in Equality Florida’s history, and hope you are too! The evening will feature live music by A Deeper Shade of Soul, open bars, delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by Michael’s On East, and an update on LGBTQ equality in Florida by Equality Florida’s CEO Nadine Smith. Also during the evening, we’ll recognize outstanding individuals who have made incredible contributions to LGBTQ equality.

S TAT E W I D E S P O N S O R S

Sponsorship opportunities begin at $500. Please contact Mark Puskarich at mark@equalityflorida.org or visit equalityflorida.org/suncoastcelebration.

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.

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

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR EQUALITY FLORIDA INSTITUTE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES AT FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM OR BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN FLORIDA (1.800.435.7352). REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #CH7992.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

in-depth: hallOween

deck the

Hallows

cLOWning aROunD:

AEO Studios drew dalire (L) and allan ostrander get into the Halloween spirit.

Photo By JaKE stEvEns

WHy is HalloWeen like gay cHristmas?

H

Scottie Campbell

iStORy pROBaBLy giveS uS SOme

insight. Halloween is rooted in religion, but those origins are a convoluted mixture of Christian observances and pagan rituals.

The LGBTQ community’s relationship with religion has historically been, and continues to be, tenuous; maybe we recognize ourselves to that aspect of the October 31 celebration. Halloween is generally considered a decadent holiday so much so that Christian bloggers suggest alternatives like,

we kid you not, a Reformation Day Party. (One such blogger inexplicably suggests a Noah’s Ark Party as an alternative to trick-or-treating. Now that just screams: “I need gay friends!”)

But we relate to Halloween’s rebellious nature because living our true lives has been an act of

rebellion. While it could be debated whether we choose to be gay, it is undeniable that we choose not to live in the closet. We have told the heteronormative world to take its mask and shove it where the sun don’t shine (unless they’re on the nude bit of Canaveral Seashore). And here we are on this high holy homo holiday, defiantly dancing in exaggerated versions of those masks.

Our long-held love of camp no doubt plays an integral role in our love of Halloween. “Camp is our way of digesting straight culture and making it our own,” writes

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

The Daily Dot’s Samantha Allen.

Allen points to drag queens as one example of leveling the playing field. There is, however, the dark flip side of camp when straight people mock us. “But Halloween changes everything,” writes Allen.

“The straight people shed their inhibitions, dress up in ridiculous outfits, and join us queer folk in the gleeful dissection of popular culture that we find so sustaining.”

In other words: On October 31, everyone is a little bit gay.

We could be accused of favoritism because we’re particularly fond of this swath of

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

Florida which is our coverage area, but we declare it to be the World Capital of Halloween. All bias aside, it’s a simple truth. These days people are traveling from across the country and around the globe for our All Hallows offerings. In the pages that follow, we give you tips on things you should do, things you can wear, what to do at home if crowds ain’t your thing, and more.

Don your mask, you gay ghoulies, and—safely, responsibly, please—revel, particularly because you’ll pack that mask away on November 1.

29

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FANGtAstICALLy FruGAL FAsHIoN We asked area experts to concoct costumes $100 or under, so you’ll be able to save your bucks for cocktails and pumpkin flavored beer!

aEo studios custom makeup

ALAN OSTRANDER • AEO STUDIOS • AEOSTUDIOS.COM

EVIL CLoWN

Let’s face it; due to the success of a certain blockbuster movie based on a book by a certain mega-popular horror writer, clowns of all ilk will be the IT costume of the season. But you can be wise with your pennies and pull of this look.  Clown makeup (greasepaint or glycerin cake) $20.00  powder puff/sponge $5.00  clown wig $20.00  thrift store costume $25.00  ToothFX Blackout tooth color $9.00

Kryolan Professional makeup Kit

Kryolan Professional makeup Kit

ANDREW CITINO • 6S BOUTIQUE • 6SBOUTIQUE.COM

PuMPKIN GIrL Here is a costume that is makeup intense, but can easily be completed with clothes from your own closet or the thrift store. Honestly, we’re not sure what a pumpkin girl is but we see her in a black cocktail dress.  Black (8ml) $8.40

stEAMPuNK CLoWN

The oddly sexy sci-fi mashup for future and yesteryear known as steampunk continues to be popular. To do a bang up job with this make-up kit will take more than a lick and a promise.

gold coast socialite costume

BEN JOHANSEN • EMBELLISH FX • EMBELLISHFX.COM

1920s FLAPPEr

Prohibition is long over, drink up and get zozzled! A flapper costume is easy to put together and comfortable to wear no matter the event you attend. The fun these girls had is timeless and you want to be part of that!  Leg Avenue Gatsby Flapper $49.99

 Orange (8ml) $8.40

 White (8ml) $8.40

 Flat back seam fishnets $5.99

 Yellow (8ml) $8.40

 Black (8ml) $8.40

 Long cigarette holder $4.99

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 Flapper head band with feather and pearls $19.99

 Fixing spray (50ml) $13.80

total: $48.80

 Blue (8ml) $8.40  Red (8ml) $8.40  Fixing spray (50ml) $13.80  Hat $25.00

total: $79.00

total: $80.80 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

 Strand of white pearls $4.99  Satin elbow length gloves $11.99

total: $97.94

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

10 Must Boos

10 Family-Friendly Must Boos

You have your costume picked out, your makeup perfect and all the right accessories, now what? You can’t just sit around the house all by yourself looking that good.

Here are 10 Halloween events you can show off your new threads at.

The Shallow Grave

Scream-A-Geddon

Winter Haven theshallowgrave.com Through November 4

Dade City screamageddon.com Through November 4

Billed as “over the top in your face scares with movie quality” this attraction features two haunted houses.

Cursed Hayride and Infected Ground Zero are among the six haunted house themes in this annual fall attraction which includes a Monster Midway with food, games, and beer.

10th Anniversary Halloween Party

Enzian Theatre, Maitland, FL enzian.org Saturday, October 28 Enzian’s Eden Bar plays host to this adultonly costume party which includes food and drink specials, dancing, a costume contest, and a midnight showing of Halloween II.

A Petrified Forest Altamonte Springs apetrifiedforest.com Through October 28

Also celebrating its 10th year, this attraction is two long, haunted scare trails with themed rooms and “mega scares” around every turn.

Haunted Horse-OWeen Spectacular

In the Breeze Ranch, Tampa inthebreezeranch.com Through October 28 You can either take the non-haunted hayride or the haunted one on which you’ll encounter masked men wielding chainsaws and gone-mad clowns.

Monies raised from this event goes to the ranch’s Children’s Camps.

Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Orlando halloweenhorror nights.com/orlando Through November 1 Universal’s hugely popular event includes nine haunted houses with pop culture themes such as The Shining and American Horror Story. A mustsee this year is Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure which will be getting the ax after 26 years.

Spooky Empire

Hyatt Regency Orlando spookyempire.com October 27-29 One of the nation’s most popular horror conventions features meet-and-greets and panels with celebrities with horror industry connections. This year’s line-up includes Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, John and Joan Cusack, and cast members from recent film It, among others.

Howl-O-Scream

Busch Gardens, Tampa buschgardens.com Through October 29

Late-Night, LightsOff Paranormal Investigation Tampa Theatre tampatheatre.org October 21

Centering around strange occurrences that have happened around the theatre since a beloved projectionist died in 1965, this event is sold out. Not to fear though, Tampa Theatre will be showing horror classic throughout the month.

St. Pete Zombie Food Booze Crawl

Albert Whitted Park, St. Petersburg October 20 gulftobayfta.org Over 20 gourmet food trucks, live music, a costume contest, lots of activities and, of course, zombies!

This free event is pet-friendly and fun for the whole family.

Scare Up Some Prizes

Halloween can be a profitable night, in addition to being fun.

Even if you’re not looking to compete, the big prizes are a good indication of where some of the most creative costumes can be viewed. Here some of the prizes we knew about at press time.

Orlando parliamenthouse.com Saturday, October 28 First Prize: $5000 Tuesday, October 31 First Prize: $3000

Flamingo Resort

Mister Richard & the Pound Hounds: A Halloween Concert Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando orlandorep.com October 28

With sing-along tunes about fish, skunks, cool snakes, and Halloween fun, kid-favorites Mr. Richard & The Pound Hounds play great music for hip kids.

Brick or Treat

Legoland, Winter Haven legoland.com Through October 31 The Halloween party #BuiltForKids returns featuring a LEGO lineup of spooky, kooky, brick-tacular activities and extended park hours.

Howl O’ Woof

Mennello Museum, Orlando mennellomuseum.org October 27 Both you and your pooch are encouraged to dress up for this first annual family-friendly event.

There will trick-or-treating, a photo booth, costume contest, bobbing for apples pet pools, and more!

Seven haunted houses “await your demise” as well as scare zones, the deranged dance party Fiends Show, and Inside Your Mind with mentalist and psychological illusionist Joshua Seth.

Parliament House

You know who loves Halloween? Your babysitter. Which means you may have to take the little ones out with you for some spooky fun. Here are 10 Family Friendly events sure to be scary good for both kids and parents alike.

Southern Nights Tampa

Tampa southernnightstpa.com Saturday, October 28 First Prize: $1000

Barcodes

St. Petersburg flamingofla.com

Orlando facebook.com/ barcodesorlando

Saturday, October 28 First Prize: $2000

Tuesday, October 31 First Prize: 1st 55” Smart TV

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

5K Pumpkin Fun Run & Family Mile Walk

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary

Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista disneyworld.disney.go.com Through November 1

The beloved Halloween event that take place in Magic Kingdom after-dark features unique entertainment like the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, and more. You’re encouraged in costume, but check the site for guidelines.

Pumpkin Fest

Rising Star Ranch, Plant City eventsrisingstarranch.com Through November 5 Activities for the whole family include a pumpkin patch with pumpkin carving/painting, hay rides, pony rides, bounces houses, and more!

Boo Bash

Spectrum Field, Clearwater visitstpeteclearwater.com October 31 All treats and no tricks at the ball field!

This free Halloween celebration features interactive areas for kids, including games, hay rides, a costume parade on the field, and plenty of candy for everyone.

Halloween Spooktacular & Fall Festival

Freedom Lake Park, Pinellas Park pinellas-park.com October 21

Treasure Bay Golf and Tennis, Treasure Island treasureislandflorida.org October 28

Bring the family out for an evening of fitness, fun, music, and food trucks! Participants are encouraged to dress up in their best Halloweenthemed outfits or favorite costumes!

Activities will include a costume contest, carnival games, moonwalks, spider mountain, bungee run, music, interactive games and entertainers, food and beverage concessions, a haunted hayride and spooky cemetery.

Screamin’ Green Hauntoween

Crayola Experience, Orlando crayolaexperience.com Through October 31 Create monster-rific crafts, snap spooktacular character photos, go on a themed scavenger hunt and trick or treat throughout the attraction!

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Trail of Jack-O-Lanterns & Ooky-Spooky Haunted House Green Meadow’s Petting Farm, Kissimmee greenmeadowsfarm.com Through October 29 Explore our impressive lighted trail of pumpkins set to music, then take a dare and visit a family-friendly haunted house.

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Fright-filled

Film Fest

10 horror films to bring the LGBTQ into your Halloween night

T

Jeremy Williams

rick-or-Treating with the

kiddies and a costume party at your favorite club aren’t the only ways to spend Halloween night. For some, a bucket of Orville Redenbacher’s finest and a good scary flick are all one needs to ring in this terror-filled holiday.

Whether you’re looking for a few good jump scares, something to mess with your head or maybe just a harmless family film, we have gathered up 10 Halloween films with LGBTQ characters and themes that will make sure your holiday night is anything but boo-ring.

Are you looking for campy horror this Halloween? Look no further than The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

This 1975 musical cult classic, which parodies the B-horror films of early Hollywood, will have you dancing around your couch. Be sure to secure your snacks before you start doing the “Time Warp.”

If you are going to be home alone and want to keep your scares PG, check out the stop-motion film ParaNorman.

Norman is a normal 11-year-old kid who just so happens to be able to communicate with the dead. This gift comes in handy when he and his friends must save their town from an evil curse.

ParaNorman introduces the first openly gay character in a mainstream animated film, so it’s also a trend-setting flick.

Maybe you’re someone who likes a little romance with your night terrors.

If so, cuddle up with your boo and watch Jack & Diane. Diane finds out that Jack—the girl she met over the summer—is moving away. Things take a turn to the dark side as Diane deals with her feelings for Jack all while something is growing inside her. Keep an eye out for gay-icon Kylie Minogue who has a small role.

You can’t have Halloween without a good monster movie, and the monsters don’t get any hotter than in Wes Craven’s Cursed, starring Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg, Potia de Rossi, Mya and Milo Ventimiglia. Ventimiglia plays a homophobic, closeted jock who loves being on the wrestling team a little too much.

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If you want a great psychological thriller watch Black Swan. The scares stay with you long after the film is over, plus the sexual tension between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis makes this film as erotic as it is terrifying.

There may be lots of Scream Queens out there, but the queen of them all is Mark Patton’s Jesse in Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. As a Freddy Krueger film it sucks (Krueger only appears in it for 13 minutes) but as a homoerotic horror film, this sequel will always be number one.

For those looking for good old torture porn, Kevin Smith’s Red State is up your alley. The film revolves around a group of teens who encounter fundamentalist Christians. Smith modeled the group after the Westboro Baptist Church and what’s more terrifying than that!

A by-the-book slasher film may seem a bit tired, but don’t let that deter you from Hellbent, one of the first all-gay slasher films. When two guys in West Hollywood are killed on Halloween, a group of young gays decide to check it out. Jinkies! Lots of abs to see in this one.

Supernatural horror films are a good way to go, and while The Babadook isn’t necessarily an LGBTQ movie, thanks to a Netflix snafu the titular character is now an LGBTQ icon. And on the plus side, this is actually a great movie that deals with the most horrific of monsters, the ones we create ourselves.

You can’t have a horror film list without the undead, and there’s no tale of the undead with more lust and desire between its leads than Interview With A Vampire starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas. The will-they-or-won’t-they between these three is like having 10 seasons of Ross and Rachel on steroids.

10 Worst CostuMEs We asked 10 notable people in our readership what their worst Halloween costume was and why.

LEt’s GEt tHIs PArty stArtLEd! Some DIY tips to make you the life of your own undead party.

Chad Pitt

co-Host, cHad & Jill in tHe morning I was the rear end of a horse costume. Let’s just say I felt as if I owed the “front end” dinner by the end of the night.

steve Blanchard

media relations coordinator, moFFitt cancer center A few years ago I dressed as bubble gum. Found a Double Bubble dog bed and wore the bed cover as a shirt. People couldn’t read the front of it so I just looked like I was wearing a pink throw blanket.

Asima Azam

commissioner candidate, orlando district 3 I was Princess Leia two years ago, I opted for the white muumuu instead of the slave bikini even though it was 90 degrees out. My buns were too hot!

Pom Moongauklang

oWner, pom pom’s teaHouse & sandWicHeria I went to a Boston Halloween ball and it was my first experience into the gay party scene. It was so extravagant and amazing. I was Marvin the Martian. I had the big giant plastic head and I couldn’t see so I kept bumping into people.

And I had the worst case of cameltoe.

Matthew McGee

entertainment director, bambusa Easy, peasy! It was my first time in drag! I wore a cheap red sequin dress from Ross that barely fit, a wig I found at Walmart for $10 and a pair of 6-inch black stilettos. I had no pads or stockings and my legs were really hairy. I could not walk in the shoes, so I spent most of the night sitting in a chair because I didn’t wanna walk around the Parliament House with no shoes on.

Pumpkin Pie dip Ingredients:

You’ll need: 1 pineapple pineapple corer paring knife 1 tealight

Whip the cream cheese, spice, fluff and powder sugar until smooth, then fold in pumpkin and whip.

Serve with pita chips for dipping.

Dip recipe courtesy Chef Trina Gregory Se7en Bites // Se7enBites.com

david Matteson

associate curator oF education & outreacH, orlando museum oF art I went as a Cub Scout once and the shorts ripped halfway through the night. Turns out I’m not a child’s medium.

Carrie West

editor, bungaloWer My worst costume ever was actually one of my favorites.

I went as Baba Yaga and I looked effing amazing.

I went to the Parliament House party and took my turn walking across the stage and nobody clapped for me.

All I could hear was this one queen in the front row saying, “What the fuck.”

Cut the top off the pineapple and set it aside, it will become the hair.

Use the apple corer to remove the insides which can be served or used in a recipe. Use a paring knife to carve the pineapple - it’s actually easier to cut than a pumpkin and the exterior gives you a grid to follow. Light the tea light inside and replace the top. Enjoy the fun face and the aroma. (P.S. Keaka is Jack in Hawaiian. Ain’t we clever?)

Ingredients:

Judy B Goode

entertainer Years ago at the All Hallows Ball, I decided I was gonna be the whole frickin [Wizard of Oz] movie all by myself! Half of me was the Scarecrow and half of me was the Tin Man. I had on a Dorothy wig with a witch’s hat. I had a lions tail I had the witch’s legs that were under the house around my waist. I could not go to the bathroom!

Keaka-o-Lantern

1 cup pumpkin pie filling 16 oz. soft cream cheese 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 8 oz. powder sugar 7 oz. marshmallow fluff cinnamon sugar pita chips

Love Potion 69

Brendan o’Connor

community outreacH/ marketing, FreeFall tHeatre company I went as a very tragic looking Dame Edna. I got so plastered that I woke up on the lawn of an unnamed government building with no wig, a ripped dress and smeared lipstick.

Kori stevens

president, tampa pride It was about 1997-98. I went to the All Hallows after working.

I didn’t have a costume put together as I thought I may be to pooped to go. I ran home and grabbed huge poly filled boobs and a butt out of Mark’s closet. I took apart three of his costumes and just threw it together. It truly looked like hell. A little Ringling Circus jacket, leopard pants, red shirt , white face makeup, gold shoes.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

vodka blackberries pineapple juice pearl luster dust Pour vodka in large mason jars, add blackberries, let stand for one week.

Strain vodka with a cheesecloth or strainer. Add small amount of pineapple juice. Add a small scoop of pearl luster dust, stir and add more until desired effect. Serve in martini glass. Important: Do not stir after chilled, just pour into glass. For a more potion effect, drop a small piece of dry ice into the glass—make sure you use tongs and gloves. Chill until ready to serve. Your favorite flavored brand can be substituted for infused vodka, but only if your costume is a lazy bitch.

Zombie Brain shot Ingredients: 1 oz, peach schnapps 1 tsp. Bailey’s Irish Cream 1-3 drops of grenadine Pour in peach schnapps (flavored vodka of choice can be substituted) into shot glass, layer on the Bailey’s, then drop the drops of grenadine. You’ll soon understand why zombies have such a craving!

Crystal Head Vodka Class up your party with the special edition skull bottle of Crystal Head Vodka by Aurora of Newfoundland, Canada. It’s on the pricey side ($69.99, Total Wine), but we heard from a friend of a friend that its contents will get you drunk.

Bush Eyes When it comes to decorations, particularly DIY, Pinterest is your friend. Here’s a creative, inexpensive, and easy one we found.

You’ll need: 1 toilet paper roll 1 glow stick scissors or x-acto knife thin gauge craft wire tape Cut eye shapes into the toilet paper roll—get creative! Tape an activated glow stick inside the cardboard roll, the goal is for it to be hidden. Place the roll in your hedge and trees using the wire to secure them, if needed.

Drink recipe courtesy Jeremy Fetters Enigma Bar & Lounge EnigmaStPete.com

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39

YOU’RE INVITED!

2 0 1 7 G R E AT E R

ORLANDO GALA F r i d a y , N o v e m b e r 3 RD

•

8 - 11 P M

At the Orlando Museum of Art 2416 North Mills Ave, Orlando, FL PRESENTED BY

Tickets $100 in advance ( $125 at the door )

Our Steering & Host Committee have planned our best Gala yet, and this year, we are celebrating something special: Equality Florida’s 20th birthday! We hope you will help us mark 20 years of transformational work by joining us for a night of live music by Silkee Smoove band, special entertainment surprises, a silent art auction, delicious hors d’oeuvre, and a full open bar. The year’s program will feature a state of the state address by Equality Florida co-founder and CEO Nadine Smith. We will also be honoring Michael Slaymaker with our Lifetime Achievement Award and QLatinx with our Voice for Equality Award.

To RSVP and purchase tickets visit equalityflorida.org/orlandogala or call 407-462-9692 Sponsorship opportunities begin at $500 and include complimentary Gala tickets along with a number of other benefits.

To become a sponsor visitequalityflorida.org/orlandogala or contact Michael Farmer at Michael@equalityflorida.org or 407-462-9692

S TAT E W I D E S P O N S O R S

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.

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

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR EQUALITY FLORIDA INSTITUTE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES AT FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM OR BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN FLORIDA (1.800.435.7352). REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #CH7992.

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arts and entertainment

Marshall’s Law

the fitness marshall looks to take over the world one cardio-filled dance video at a time.

c

Jeremy Williams

aLeB maRShaLL iS yOuR

typical Mid-Western, gay millennial. He loves his boyfriend Cameron, he loves his Starbucks coffee and he loves him some Britney Spears. Marshall stands out in his sometimes overly criticized generation as the fun-loving, energetic and infectious online persona known as The Fitness Marshall.

Dressed in his is trademark camo pants and black tank top, Marshall uses his part Richard Simmons/part Energizer Bunny character of The Fitness Marshall to motivate his millions (that’s right, millions!) of online viewers to dance, have fun and get in shape.

Marshall launched a YouTube fitness channel in 2014, but he didn’t go viral until June 2016 when he posted a cardio video of himself and his backup

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

dancers (known as his “backup booties”) dancing to Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too.” Trainor saw the video and retweeted it to her two million followers and The Fitness Marshall went global.

The video currently has more than eight million views. The Fitness Marshall channel, which has more than one million subscribers, has just over 100 videos so far. Almost 50 of them have over a million views each.

Marshall has parlayed that

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online fame into a successful cardio concert tour that takes him and his Fitness Marshall team around the country performing. He is bringing that tour to the Lakeland Family YMCA Oct. 28 and 29. Marshall spoke with us by phone ahead of his tour dates about life before and after The Fitness Marshall.

what was grOwing up in the midwest like fOr yOu?

cOntinued On pg. 43 | uu |

41

CELEBRATE Please Join Us as We Honor

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

Years of Service to Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ Community PRESENTED BY

www.diversitytampabay.org

Your $50 ticket includes dinner, open bar, and live entertainment with host, Christine O’Leary

L���. Re���� ����.

HONOREES

Ms. Ashley Brundage Robert Pope Distinguished Leadership Award SMART Ride Team TBAC (Tampa Bay Area Cyclists) Spirit of Service Excellence Award Infectious Disease Associates of Tampa Bay Dr. John Barnett Service Award

I c�� �h�� y�� �����.

P�e����e� Pe����. P�e����e� Pla�e�.

Saturday, Nov. 11TH, Main Event 7-11 pm Gatsby’s, 13355 49TH Street North, Clearwater, FL MetroTampaBay.org/event/great-gatsby-gala For more info, email JamesK@metrotampabay.org.

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K�i� Ke���n�-H�y�, Re�lt��

D��ec�: (941) 321-5638 Em���: K�i�@P�e�h��e�..�e� Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

let’s get physical: Fans, many times by the hundreds, pack gyms and recreational centers across the U.S. for a chance to dance with The Fitness Marshall. Photo Courtesy the fitness marshall team

| uu | The Fitness Marshall from pg.41

It was interesting. It was always a positive environment. Everyone was always really friendly and what not, but I always just knew that being gay was thought of as being wrong. Boys like girls and that’s just how it was. I remember as early as kindergarten having this feeling towards a boy that I instantly thought was wrong.

From that age I knew I should not say anything, I should not tell anyone. I should just try to ignore it. It was never really a question in my mind. I was engrained with very strong, religious values and traditional views on marriage, so it was very scary. Growing up was just a constant internal battle with trying to fight something that I knew was there.

October is the month we celebrate National Coming Out Day. What was your coming out like?

When did you figure out dancing was your passion and was something you wanted to do for a living?

That wasn’t until high school. By that point I was tired of fighting and I surrounded myself with a group of people who I knew really loved me no matter what. My family was like that, too. I didn’t think they would love me if they knew I was gay, but I thought that my friends would.

So, in high school I was in show choir, and the dance captain and I started hanging out and flirting.

I remember this one day we just kissed, and I was like, “Oh my God, this is it. I don’t want to miss this feeling again.” After that first kiss, I slid into accepting myself as a gay man. That’s when that same guy and I started to date. I came out to my parents while we were dating.

The most vivid memory I had as a child, I was watching TV and a commercial came on for [Britney Spears’] “...Baby One More Time.”

I remember being absolutely enthralled with it. I ran to mom and was like, “Mommy, Mommy, I want this CD, please!” Ever since that moment I have been obsessed with Britney Spears and performing pop music.

Tell me about how you took that and started making fitness videos. Is that when “The Fitness Marshall” was born?

That all kind of happened by accident. I had never really known how to be Britney Spears [laughs].

I just was going through my life

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

knowing dancing and lip synching and all of that made me really happy. It was just a way for me to get my personality out. So after high school, in college, they offered these dance fitness classes and I thought I might as well take them to get into shape and dance for fun. I loved it and I kept going. Eventually they asked me to audition to lead one of the classes and I was like, “No, I can’t do that.” But I did it and it was this moment when the heavens opened up and shone down on me and I thought to myself, “This is how you can be Britney Spears. They are giving you a popstar mic and mirrors and having people dance behind you. This is your stage.” It was this release for me.

When did you realize you could turn that into a YouTube channel?

I had been teaching the classes at

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that point for three or four years, and I was still with that guy that I had come out with. He was the only guy I had ever dated at that point and we broke up during my senior year of college. That sent me into this spiral of “what do I do with my life now?” I thought we were going to get married, I thought he was the one and everything was going to be perfect. The only thing that made me happy at that point, and the only thing that made me forget everything I was going through, was teaching these classes and being this character that I was when I was leading the class. So I decided to start a YouTube channel and invest all of my energy into that because otherwise I would just pace and cry and be upset.

I took everything I was feeling and put it into creating this character.

Continued on pg. 45 | uu |

43

PHANTASMAGORIA ORLANDO / DIDONNA PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS THE EIGHTH INSTALLMENT IN THE ACCLAIMED SERIES OF THIS VICTORIAN HORROR TROUP

Fri/Sat/Sun Oct 13 – Nov 4 Mon, Oct 23 & 30 Halloween Performance: Tues, Oct 31

Oct 13th – Nov 4th

*Special VIP Experience only available on Friday/Saturday Nights and Halloween

Gen Admission $25 / VIP $40*

Cash Only at Door Will Call: 407.476.5121 Online: OrlandoAtPlay.com

8 , 7:30 VIP, 10/30 - 9 PM

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Student/Senior/Military $15 / VIP $30*

Mandell Theater Orlando Shakes

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NOVEMBER 4 @ 6pm

(rescheduled from September 22)

Aria, Song, and Film with special screenings:

LOVE THE SINNER & FINGER ON THE PULSE

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| uu | The Fitness Marshall from pg.43

It wasn’t like I’m going to create this character and be famous and successful. I just had to put my energy into something that I was passionate about.

What was your reaction when you found out Meghan Trainer retweeted your “Me Too” video and you went viral?

That was such a crazy moment because that was the first time that one of the artists recognized one of my videos. That was such a validating moment. I feel like it made my dreams seem so much more attainable. Up to that point I didn’t know if anyone would see it or if they would care if they did.

To know an artist saw it, liked it and then wanted to share it—that was such a cool moment. Then I uploaded it to Facebook and it instantly started going viral. It didn’t even take time. People just ate it up.

I realized that this was something that could be for anyone, a video getting this kind of traction. It doesn’t matter if you’re a dancer, or insecure about your body. If you’re having a bad day and want to watch something silly and laugh this can do all that for people.

You now have over a million subscribers on your Fitness Marshal Channel and you made an emotional video thanking all your fans. Is that the moment, or maybe it was the Meghan Trainer retweet or a different moment altogether, that you thought to yourself that you had made it?

YouTube is such an isolating experience, which is why I’m grateful that I can do the cardio concerts and tour. It’s such a weird experience getting known on the internet. I think hitting a million subscribers, that’s the moment I gave myself to really feel the magnitude of what this has become.

Regardless of how many more subscribers I get, or how many more views my videos get, a million people chose to follow me, for whatever reason, while I do these videos and [I get] to see how it has impacted their lives. I’ve tried to have that mentality throughout this entire experience, even if I only impacted one person’s life or even just made one person smile. That’s all worth it.

You have been called the millennial’s Richard Simmons.

boot camp boogie: Caleb, The Fitness Marshall, and his “backup booties,” keep the crowd moving at cardio concerts. Photo Courtesy the fitness marshall team Is that an association you wear proudly and do you see what you are doing with your channel and what he did in his videos in the ‘80s differently?

I’m so honored by that. When people tell me that I am like, “thank you so much,” because he is an icon.

Everyone knows who he is. He’s a

fitness videos is you and how much is the character?

Why did you want to start that channel?

It’s funny because I’ve seen comments where people will write, “I could not hang out with this dude. It would be so annoying.” The Fitness Marshall is a very authentic version of Caleb Marshall, but that is where I put all of my energy and

It started out as a vlog channel just to show all the cool things that were happening because of the videos. I try to make the videos on The Fitness Marshall channel like music videos. You watch it as a performance, so I wanted to show

It wasn’t like I’m going to create this character and be famous...

I just had to put my energy into something that I was — caleb marshall passionate about. household name, so I think it’s a complete honor. Of course what I do is different in a lot of ways, but he pioneered this so it’s really cool to hear that. My goal is to just be the first fitness popstar, so I want to take Richard Simmons and Britney Spears and mash them up and be a “fit-ertainer.”

You have this larger-than-life personality in your videos, you are very high energy and all over the place. How much of the persona in your

all of my silliness and craziness, into that three-and-a-half minute video or that 45-minute concert.

The craziness of it is definitely the character. I mean, it is me but it’s me at a 10. Usually in life I’m at a four or five. I’ll be expressive and I’ll be silly but I am not dialed up to Fitness Marshall unless I have the camo pants on.

You have a second, personal channel that chronicles your adventures with your boyfriend and friends.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

my fans a more authentic side of me to balance out those characters and to show that I’m a real person too.

I want them to get to know me on a level other than me screaming at them and doing cartwheels.

You made the move from the Midwest to L.A. How was the adjustment from small town to big metro living?

The adjustment has been amazing.

I’ve wanted to live in L.A. since I was eight years old. I always felt weird in a small town. I never felt like that was my place. Cameron was the

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first person I talked with after my ex and I broke up. I stayed single for a year. Turns out not only are we a perfect match in everything that we like and believe, but he also had the same dreams that I did and wanted to move to California, too. So we did it and we are both so happy here, and feel so at home and at peace.

I’m really just ready to take over the world [laughs].

You and The Fitness Marshall Team are coming to Lakeland for two shows. What can people expect to see when they come workout with you?

They should expect a full cardio concert experience. The closest thing I relate that to is a giant sexy, sweaty church service. And I mean that in the most respectful way [laughs]. It’s a place—no matter who you are, what you look like, what size you are, what your sexual orientation is—for you to be free and loved and celebrated for who you are. Everyone who comes out is always so uplifting and encouraging to each other, so much so that it creates an environment where there are no inhibitions and no boundaries. We have people who say they are the biggest introvert in the world but when they are there they whip their hair and roll their body and they free this inner beast and it’s just really cool.

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culture

Amid the storms

Florida’s celebrated historian readies lecture ‘From 9/11 to Pulse’

(above)

AGE OF FEAR:

The History Center will open its doors for Gary Mormino’s “From 9/11 to Pulse” on Nov. 1, detailing what the historian calls Florida’s “Age of Fear.” .

Photos courtesy THe History Center

G

Ryan Williams-Jent

ary Mormino, described as the

“dean of Florida historians,” will showcase his affinity for the Sunshine State on Nov. 1 at Orlando’s History Center, where he’ll present “From 9/11 to Pulse” for the Joseph L. Brechner Speaker Series.

According to the Center’s press release, “Gary Mormino returns to Orlando with a program on the media and Florida in the years 2000-2016, a time when ‘no novelist could imagine a plot involving the real-life events that took place in the state.’”

“The story opens with the zany 2000 election and the unthinkable

tragedy of 9/11 and ends with the shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub and the election of Donald Trump,” it continues. “In between the bookends, Florida experienced the worst recession in modern history.

The media played a critical role in this melodrama.”

The lecture coincides with

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Mormino’s work on his upcoming book, tentatively titled Florida and the Age of Fear: 2000-2017.

Watermark was lucky enough to read its introduction, which offers the historian’s wide-ranging musings on the era he says will be remembered for a “vicious economic downswing” and as having been defined by the “hot-button, hot-blooded issue [of] homosexuality.”

“To support gay rights in 1999 was tantamount to touching the third rail,” Mormino writes, musing on a time without Kardashians, without iPhones and with a certain “testosterone-charged New York developer” who frequently visited Mar-a-Lago. “Same-sex marriage

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seemed as unlikely as gay Hispanic dance clubs.”

“The grim realities of life in the 21st century—global warming, the yawning inequalities of life, the wanton destruction of the wetlands and pollution of our beloved natural springs,” Mormino’s introduction concludes, “touches everyone.”

Watermark discussed Mormino’s work ahead of his Nov. 1 lecture.

He was cheerful but direct, and his correspondence included a signature that may sum up the historian perfectly: “Florida dreams amid the storms.”

“I have lived a charmed life as an

Continued on pg. 49 | uu |

47

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Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

| uu | Amid the Storms from pg.47

academic and writer,” Mormino says. “I arrived in Tampa, Florida, in 1977, not knowing whether Tampa was on the east or west coast of the state. Forty years later, I look back at my career with immense satisfaction, the result of good fortune, great friends, and hard work.”

And he should. As a Fullbright scholar teaching in Rome, Italy, in 1980, Mormino decided to dedicate his energy to “trying to figure out Florida.”

He said that it took a year in Italy for him to “understand that the greatest story of my lifetime was happening every day in Florida—new skyscrapers going up in Orlando and Miami; millions of tourists pouring into Central Florida; race riots in Miami; a dynamic, exiled Cuban community in South Florida; and environmental destruction.”

Since then, he became the Frank E. Duckwall professor emeritus at the University of South Florida, and at the age of 68, received the Florida Humanities Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Writing. ”The Frank E. Duckwall professorship meant a great deal because it was one of the first endowed chairs in Florida history,” he says.

“The lifetime achievement in writing award was heartfelt.

I take a great deal of pride in my writing.”

And although Mormino contributes frequently to the Tampa Bay Times and has written numerous, award-winning books including Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida, he’s quite clear about his profession. “I am a historian, not a journalist,” he says.

“I remain a professor of history.”

On his upcoming lecture, Mormino mirrored the press release but provided greater detail. “The new project deals with an astounding period in Florida and America… the giddiness of Y2K, the chaos of the 2000

The jolting awareness of homosexuality has become one of the most compelling issues in our lifetime.

E M P LOY M E N T O P P O RT U N I T Y:

— Gary Mormino

presidential election, and the tragedy of 9/11.”

On the book and lecture’s end, however, he notes that “originally, his intent was to end in 2016 with “Orlando Pulse and Trump’s election, but Hurricane Irma and Trump’s first year in office made [him] add 2017 to the study.”

He notes that around 2011, the Census Bureau announced that Florida had supplanted New York as America’s third-largest state, prompting the significance of his inclusion of “a severe blow to the Florida Dream,” the Great Recession.

“Consider that as late as 1940, Florida was the least-populated state in the American South!” Mormino says enthusiastically. “For most of Florida history, the state was too isolated, too remote, too hot and humid to matter. Today, Florida matters – think of the late Tim Russert warning during the 2000 election count, ‘Florida, Florida, Florida!’”

Mormino chose the starting point for his study as Sept. 11 because of its “profound” impact on America. “I write that it ushered in a new Age of Fear,” he says. “Consider the new vocabulary: No-Fly

List, dirty bombs, Homeland Security, USA PATRIOT Act, regime change, WMD, color-coded terror alerts, ISIS or al-Qaeda.”

“Imagine in 1999,” Mormino says of the significance of Pulse and its inclusion, “if someone told you that the greatest mass shooting in American history would occur at a gay Hispanic nightclub in Orlando.” (Of tragic note, Las Vegas now holds that unfortunate title. On Oct. 1, 58 Americans were murdered and 489 more were injured in the country’s most recent mass shooting.)

“The jolting awareness of homosexuality has become one of the most compelling issues in our lifetime,” Mormino concludes, and you can hear his extensive take on the matter on Nov. 1.

The History Center is located in the restored 1927 courthouse at Magnolia Avenue and Central Boulevard in the heart of downtown Orlando, at 65 E. Central Blvd. “From 9/11 to Pulse” will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the Orlando Public Library at no cost to the public, with free parking validation. You can learn more about Gary Mormino, the History Center or its speaker series at thehistorycenter.org.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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Watermark Publishing Group is the premier media outlet for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Central and West Florida. Up to 20,000 copies of our biweekly newspaper are distributed every other Thursday throughout Central Florida, Tampa Bay and surrounding communities. Watermark also produces a collection of high-gloss specialty publications, and a web site with a rapidly growing online community.

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Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

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Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

ORL-17-1023Lifestyle-TAB

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community calendar

event planner

arts+entertainment

OrlandO

OrlandO

miss parliament house Pageant

Phantasmagoria’s the chains of Fire, Oct. 13- Nov. 4, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Orlando. 407-447-1700; PhantasmagoriaOrlando.com

mOnDay, Oct. 23, 9:00 p.m. paRLiament hOuSe, ORLanDO

On Your Feet! The Musical, Oct. 17-22, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org hedwig and the angry inch, Oct. 20-30, AntiGravity Theatre, Kissimmee. 407-507-3943; AntiGravityOrlando.com uncut cabaret - a little something extra special, Oct. 20-22, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com 10th annual scooters 4 hooters, Oct. 21, Wall Street Plaza, Orlando. 407-898-1991; LibbysLegacy.org RuPaul’s drag Race: Werq the World tour, Oct. 21, The Plaza LIVE, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.com

rhythm’s gOnna get’cha ana villafane and the cast of On Your Feet! The Musical are currently dancing at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando until Oct. 22 and then shake their way to the Straz Center in Tampa Oct. 24-29. Photo By matthEW muRPhy

Come out and see the best drag performers in Central Florida compete in the annual Miss Parliament House Pageant honoring Miss Parliament House 2016 Trinity K. Bonet. Watch as these talents strut and entertain in the Footlight Theatre to become the new reigning queen. For more information, contact Ms. Darcel Stevens at 407-252-8129.

mbA Orlando’s pride Gala business Awards SatuRDay, nOv. 4, 7:30-11:00 p.m.

ROSen ShingLe cReek, ORLanDO Join the Metropolitan Business Association in recognizing the best of the best in LGBTQ business as Wells Fargo presents the Pride Gala Business Awards. The black tie event, which is themed Champagne and Silver symbolizing the MBA’s 25th anniversary, will feature a full course dinner and fabulous entertainment, as well as a silent auction and amazing after party. Tickets are $125 each and can be purchased at MBAOrlando.com/Gala.

the geeks of comedy Present: the Roast of Batman, Oct. 25, Improv Comedy Club, Orlando. 407-480-5233; TheImprovOrlando.com

third Eye Blind, Oct. 28, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando

st. Pete Queer craft Brews, Oct. 21, Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836; GreenBenchBrewing.com

Kings of leon, Oct. 28, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater, Tampa. 877-870-3674; LiveNation.com

national theatre live—Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Oct. 29, Enzian Theater, Maitland.

407-629-1088; Enzian.org

Balance tampa Bay’s scavenger hunt, Oct. 22, Ybor City Historic District, Tampa.

BalanceTampaBay.org

Rocky horror halloween Extravaganza, Oct. 28, Muvico Theaters-Centro Ybor, Tampa.

813-248-2323; Carmike.com

big Gay brunch at sONO

hocus Pocus—live on stage, Oct. 25, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; SouthernNightsORL.com

gary mormino’s From 9/11 to Pulse, Nov. 1, Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando. 407-836-8500; TheHistoryCenter.org

drag Queen Bingo benefiting PaWs, Oct. 22, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HamburgerMarys.com/Clearwater

PhEEl good with the Fitness Marshall, Oct. 28-29, YMCA of West Central Florida, Lakeland.

863-644-3528; YMCAWCF.org

stories of Pride Fundraiser for hurricane victims, Oct. 24, Nova 535, St. Petetrsburg.

484-447-0089; OutCoast.com

sarasOta

Metro Wellness & Community Centers invites you to mingle and munch at the Sono Cafe, located inside the Tampa Museum of Art, for their Big Gay Brunch Oct. 22.

Brunch with your mates while you look out at the iconic minarets of the University of Tampa, Curtis Hansen Park and the city skyline. Then grab a mimosa and check out the art exhibits upstairs. For more information, contact Metro at 813-421-8367 or visit MetroTampaBay.org.

anna for 47, Oct. 22, Will’s Pub, Orlando. 407-709-9644; WillsPub.org

santana, Oct. 26, Amway Center, Orlando. 844-854-1450; AmwayCenter.com

tampa Bay

orlando Ballet presents Swan Lake, Oct. 27-29, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 844-513-2014; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Pcs & gsa mixer, Oct. 20, Land O’ Lakes Community Center, Land O’ Lakes. 727-321-3854; MetroTampaBay.org

spooky Empire, Oct. 27-29, Hyatt Regency, Orlando. 954-258-7852; SpookyEmpire.com

st. Pete Zombie Food Booze crawl, Oct. 20, Albert Whitted Park, St. Petersburg.

813-720-7060; GulfToBayFla.org

les miserables: the concert, Oct. 28, Clermont Performing Arts Center, Clermont. 352-394-4800; ClermontPAC.com

the curse of Frankenstein’s castle, Oct. 20Nov. 4, Carrollwood Players, Tampa. 813-265-4000; CarrollwoodPlayers.org

on your Feet! the musical, Oct. 24-29, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa.

813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org Bingo4charity benefiting team usa ladies match Fishing, Oct. 25, Punky’s Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg. 727-201-4712; PunkysBar.com santana, Oct. 27, Amalie Arena, Tampa. 813-301-6500; AmalieArena.com

sarasota celtic music Festival, Oct. 21, Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota.

NewWorldCeltsSarasota.com a little night music, Oct. 26-Nov. 12, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton. 941-748-5875; ManateePerforming ArtsCenter.com the Rocky horror show, Oct. 27-31, Venice Theater, Venice. 941-488-1115; VeniceStage.com

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

tampa Bay SunDay, Oct. 22, nOOn-2:00 p.m.

SOnO cafe, tampa

Embrace— an Anti-bullying production WeDneSDay, Oct. 25, 5:30-8:00 p.m.

JOhn hOpkinS miDDLe SchOOL, St. peteRSBuRg John Hopkins Middle School hosts a production of Embrace, an anti-bullying production, performed by the Pinellas County School youth Oct. 25. The production looks at the seriousness of bullying and its impact to the youth through narration, acting, theatrical presentation and fashion runway. John Hopkins Middle School will also provide information and literature on how to get assistance when dealing with these issues. The event is free to attend.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

51

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All equipment necessary to operate this business is included in the sale: Computerized Lifesaver point of sale system, computerized Wizard mat cutter, Universal double miter saw, Miter Mite VN144 joiner, VacuSeal 4468H drymounter, two work stations, Silent air compressor, 2000 GMC Savana delivery van, all existing stock.

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Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

overheard

tampa Bay Out+aBOut

st. pete came Out

c

Ome Out St. pete SucceSSfuLLy WRappeD its inaugural celebration on Oct. 15, and the city’s LGBTQ community is singing its praises.

“I believe anything worth doing is going to start out small, and the only way for growth for an event of this nature is by the support of our LGBTQ+ community and Grand Central district businesses!” said St. Pete resident Chris Burns-Jones, a vendor during the event’s street festival.

“I didn’t get to walk around, since I had my own booth to man,” Burns-Jones continued, “but from what I noticed, it was set up in design to have a quaint little stroll down the Grand Central district.

Perhaps attendees noticed a business they didn’t know was there,” he suggested, praising local artists’ work and business owners.

“Thank you to Shawn Connelly, Brian Longstreth, Dale Osterwise Jr. , the Come OUT St. Pete planning committee and the Grand Central district for giving us vendors visibility and the chance to sell at an affordable booth space rental for this event!”

Come OUT St. Pete will return next year.

On hallOwed grOund

T

he SiLveR, ScaRy anD ScantiLy-cLaD DeScenDeD on the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) on Oct. 14 for the 41st Annual All Hallows Ball, partying until 2 A.M. With over 20,000 square feet to mingle, dance and drink, guests inspired by (or completely ignoring) the “Clara Futura” theme enjoyed music by local spin-master D.J. Reagan.

Official costume judging ran throughout the night, though all attendees participated unofficially, and a performance with an awards ceremony followed. With another successful year under its costume, the mostly-anonymous planning committee is likely already planning the popular event’s 42nd year.

tampa Bay drag race cast annOunced

T

he fLamingO ReSORt haS annOunceD its cast of ten queens who’ll vie for the crown, $2500 in cash and the title of “Tampa Bay’s next Drag Superstar” in the hotspot’s seven-week competition beginning Nov. 3.

The opening night will also feature RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist Trinity Taylor as local queens Ja’Staria Sherrington, Eden Deck, Judah Kiss, Lady Liemont, Samaya Sinsastion, Beyja King, Felin LaPaige, Miah Van-Cartier, Trixi Allshade and Mio Hikaru begin their competition.

“And the competition officially has started,” Flamingo announced via Facebook, noting that the first challenge was a photo shoot. “The girls have been asked to prepare a costume that best represents themselves as an entertainer and the garment must be pink.”

For more information about Trinity Taylor’s Flamingo show and the Tampa Bay Drag Race kickoff, visit flamingofla.com or call 727-321-5000.

1

2 3

1

RuBy Rap: marcus Porter channeled his inner Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element at the All Hallows Ball on Oct. 14. Photo

By Ryan Williams-JEnt

2

cOme On Out: Joshua Wallace showed his Come OUT St. Pete spirit at the Some Like It Hot Movies in the Park event on Oct. 12. Photo couRtEsy oF comE out st PEtE

3

Dippin’ DuDeS: Kioshi aguero (L) and Keith Romanov served All Hallows Ball attendees the ice cream of the future on Oct. 14.

4

5

Photo By Ryan Williams-JEnt

4

tO pueRtO RicO, With LOve: De delovely paused from selling raffle tickets for Enigma’s Puerto Rico benefit on Oct. 7. Local queens and the LGBTQ community raised $1000 for Hurricane survivors on the island. Photo

By Ryan Williams-JEnt

5

the WaLking fieRce: cindy garza ontkos (L) and Brian ontkos zombied-up for Come OUT St. Pete’s Zombie Pub Crawl on Oct. 13. Photo couRtEsy oF comE out st PEtE

6

fORWaRD: mayor Rick Kriseman (L) and City Councilman steve Kornell attended Come OUT St. Pete’s CommUnity Conversation on Oct. 14. (There were no known Rick Baker sightings.) Photo

6

couRtEsy oF BRian longstREth

7

icOnic: Sarasota favorite and community advocate Beneva Fruitville took home an “Icon Award” for Sarasota Out’s Awards Ceremony on Oct. 8. Photo

couRtEsy oF saRasota out

8

pOp!: Off-duty but always happy to help, Justin Palmer readied the popcorn for patrons at Quench Lounge on Oct. 8.

Photo By Ryan Williams-JEnt

7 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

8

53

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Oc tob er 18 - Nov emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

1720 S Orange Ave Ste 200 Orlando, FL 32806

overheard

OrlandO Out+aBOut

phile under phantastic!

D

eSpite the puBLic annOuncement he WaS RetiRing in January 2018, LGBTQ+ ally and multi-WAVE award winner, Jim Philips recently announced he was sticking around as the host of the Philips Phile for at least one more year.

The show will keep the same format with the exception they will only be on the air Monday – Thursday in the 3pm-7pm slot.

Unrelated to his extension, Jim Phillips was also presented with The Debbie Simmons Award by his friend and movie reviewing guest, Michael Wanzie.

Michael shared his thoughts on Facebook after Jim received the award, “In recognition of his early and continued unwavering – vocal – and significant support of Central Florida’s LGBTQ+ community as the greatest straight ally”.

We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations to Jim Philips and we look forward to hearing the Phile for one more year!

2

1

3

5

6

nO wOnder, she’s super wOman

T

he zeBRa cOaLitiOn’S cOmmunity engagement cOORDinatOR, Robin Daily was recently recognized as an Orlando’s Family Magazine’s Super Woman.

Orlando’s Family Magazine wrote, “Daily found her passion for helping others in 2004 when she started volunteering in the local community, and her passion continues to grow each year. She started with Zebra Coalition as a volunteer in 2012 and was hired in April as community engagement coordinator, where she is responsible for executing community outreach initiatives and raising awareness for the organization and the mission they serve.”

Congratulations Robin!

rainBOw cOnnectiOn

O

n OctOBeR 11 ORLanDO ReceiveD itS RainBOW cROSSWaLk after the petition that was signed by nearly 3,000 signatures on Change.org last July. The crosswalk which is meant to honor both the memory of the victims and struggle of the survivors sits on West Esther Street, situated between the site of Pulse Night Club and the neighboring Dunkin’ Donuts.

TH

4

1

cLaSS Of ‘17: The graduates pose on stage as Bliss CARES recognizes them at the first ever TRANSaction “Celebration of Success” at the Footlight Theater in Orlando Oct. 11. Photo By JEREmy Williams

2

impORtant peOpLe: The Center’s Terry DeCarlo (L) and Commissioner Patty sheehan enjoy Come Out With Pride night in the VIP section at Lake Eola Oct. 14.

Photo By danny gaRcia

3

pink LaDieS: Marla harris (L) and Robin maynard-harris at the Parliament House for Libby’s Legacy’s Pink fundraiser Oct. 7. Photo By danny gaRcia

4

i’m yOuR #1 fan: hiba george (L) got a selfie with singer Jojo before the big Pride concert at Lake Eola’s bandshell downtown Oct. 14. Photo

By hiBa gEoRgE

5

We aRe famiLy: Watermark had a colorful and creative group packed on our float for the 2017 Come Out With Pride parade at Lake Eola Park in Orlando Oct. 14.

Photo By JEREmy Williams

6

tOp tuck: trinity “the tuck” taylor looking fabulous right before her performance at Come Out With Pride’s Launch Party at the Veranda in Thornton Park Oct. 12.

7

Photo By danny gaRcia

7

Dancing Queen: the minx kills it on stage at Hamburger Mary’s Church Street Block Party for Pride week Oct. 13. Photo By

JEREmy Williams

8

RainBOW ROaD: nicholas smith visits the newly painted rainbow crosswalk on W. Esther St. between Pulse and Dunkin’ Donuts Oct. 14. Photo couRtEsy nicholas smith

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

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announcements

wedding Bells

lucas Wehle and rachyl Carey

A series of fortunate events led this trans couple to find each other and build a relationship (and a ring!) as special as they are.

current city oF resiDence:

congratulations

sondra Rae valentino and mel guad celebrated their first wedding anniversary Oct. 1. libby’s legacy celebrates 10 years of Scooters 4 Hooters Oct. 21.

local birthDays

St. Petersburg, Florida

engagement Date:

December 15, 2016

weDDing Date:

February 22, 2020

colors:

Metallics (silver, gold, rose gold, bronze), gray and cream

“I

t SeemeD the univeRSe WaS

intent upon us meeting,” says Rachyl Carey of her fiancé, Lucas. They met through Instagram, where Lucas was featured on a profile called Barbells and FTMs, which stands for “fine trans males.” Lucas told Rachyl she was pretty. Rachyl told Lucas she thought he was fine. It worked out.

Lucas says, “After a couple of days of conversing on Instagram, we learned that we had a few mutual friends, which was really random considering she was in the area – home from college for the summer – for the first time in seven years!” According to Lucas, there were probably a few times when the pair could have met otherwise, but they ended up coming together via social media.

Rachyl had been asked to do an interview about being trans at WUSF, the Tampa Bay area’s NPR station, with another trans man.

At the last minute that other man backed out, so Rachyl ended up doing the interview alone with her friend Grant, who also identifies as trans. After a few weeks of talking, it turned out that Lucas was the man who had backed out of the interview (not to mention that Grant is a mutual friend), but they

ended up meeting anyway.

Each of them has tics that the other absolutely loves. Lucas wears glasses and Rachyl loves it when he scrunches up his nose to move his glasses further up his face. “He does it more when he’s nervous, so he did it a lot when we first started dating. I fell in love with that right away,” she says. Lucas loves Rachyl’s humor and intelligence.

“She keeps me on my feet. She is by far the smartest human being I’ve ever met,” says Lucas.

“Our relationship did not start out super serious,” says Lucas. “We were long distance for the first year and a half of our relationship and only saw each other on breaks from school.” As the years went on, Lucas hoped there would be a future with Rachyl. “I don’t think either of us really thought marriage was going to happen for us,” he says. “She was almost completely

against it when we first started seeing each other.”

Lucas helped Rachyl move home from college up north in December, and they stopped at a romantic bed and breakfast in Virginia. Lucas had been busy designing a custom ring that fit all of Rachyl’s criteria. They took a quick dip in their suite’s hot tub to warm up and then Lucas pulled out a Christmas ornament the couple had seen at Target a few weeks before. The ornament was shaped like a giant engagement ring. “I had said it would be a fun ornament to buy and put on our tree the year we got engaged,” says Rachyl.

“She thought I was just messing with her,” he says, “But then I got down on one knee and proposed.

She said ‘Are you serious? Really?!’ and then she said yes.” Rachyl didn’t stop taking pictures of the ring for weeks and Lucas says it is as unique and beautiful as she is.

The couple plans to have a Man of Honor and a Best Woman at their wedding to signify their openness and inclusion of gender identities. “We are in the early stages of planning,” says Lucas. “But I’m pretty laid back about it. I’m just happy to be marrying her!”

St. Pete’s Everest University admissions specialist mike callahan, softball star Jennifer Friedman, Tampa Bay Diversity Chamber president Eric mathis, Tampa photographer and graphic artist Byron schaerr, Orlando make-up artist scott Juszczak (Oct. 19); Orlando’s own “Divine Miss M” Jennica mccleary, quality analyst chris hamlett, Orlando photographer chris stephenson, EMBARQ, Flamingo Car Club president Robert “tiny” nasworthy (Oct. 20); Francesca district manager Jayson chancey, DJ Ants adam Brenner (Oct. 21); karaoke legend nick Rogers, sexy Orlando maintenance specialist Joe arlotta, America-lover Jaime deFrancesco, Orlando Hamburger Mary’s drinkmeister Juan torres, Honey Pot co-owner steven donahue, Sprinkles Custom Cakes owner Richard gregory (Oct. 23); Equality Florida trans hero gina duncan, Stonewall Orlando’s dan Fraser (Oct. 24); former Out & About Books owner Robert Bruce ground, Tampa vocalist david valentine, Tako Cheena proprietor Edgardo guzman, Southern Nights bartender lance Keller, Orlando occupational therapist sarah Bapst (Oct. 28); Orlando accounting whiz norm gentry, Una Voce’s Juan Fontanez Jr., Democratic operative and LGBT activist Elizabeth mccarthy, Orlando attorney michael morris (Oct. 29); Lakeland leather man Jerry miller (Oct. 30); Bungalower’s Brendan o’connor, Sarasota HIV/AIDS activist michael Kehoe, State Farm agent John Psomas, Tampa Bay Sister of Perpetual Indulgence shelita cra-k, Tampa boating enthusiast Jamie Paul, Orlando Off-Lease Only’s Brian Fenn, former Watermark editorial assistant samantha Rosenthal (Oct. 31); St. Pete bear Wendell Wilson (Nov. 1).

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!

—Holly V. Kapherr

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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61

the last page

Photo By JaKE stEvEns

sam Callahan SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

f age:

71

hometown: New Haven, Connecticut

iDentiFies as: Lesbian

than a work place, it’s a home. This sentiment is not truer with anyone than it is with Senior Account Manager Sam Callahan.

Sam began her career with Watermark back in 1998. She spent three years doing “marketing and sales,” as she describes it.

“I build relationships with the LGBTQ community and our allies, making them more than clients by bringing them into the Watermark family,” she says.

Sam left Watermark in 2001 to pursue other opportunities.

Roughly a year later she called then-owner, Tom Dyer, to let him know she was looking for work again and to see if he knew of anyone hiring. The next day she received a bouquet of flowers from Tom with a note simply stating, “Come home.”

Sam returned to Watermark for another three years before departing again to work in the mortgage industry. She returned again in 2012 and has been with our sales department since then. When asked why she kept returning she stated, “Watermark is like a family. Just like brothers and sisters we disagree at times, but the unity is always there.” Sam credits Tom Dyer and new owner, Rick Claggett, for the family atmosphere.

“Tom Dyer introduced me to Watermark in 1998 and allowed me to be a part of the Watermark family collectively for over 12 years. Rick Claggett almost always, regardless of the situation, remains calm and manages to keep cool while fighting fires and keeping our ship well above water and our

proFessional role moDel:

Tom Dyer & Rick Claggett

autobiography title: And I Became the Swan

hobbies:

Cooking & basketball

out year:

1994

hire Date:

Most recently…

4/16/2012

62

OR SOme, WATERMARK iS mORe

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Oc tOb er 18 - NOv emb er 1, 2017 // Issue 24 . 21

family together.”

Sam also has an extensive family outside of Watermark.

She is married to Geri Callahan, has three kids, three grandkids, one great-grandkid and three dogs. When at home, Sam loves to cook. She mentioned her favorite things to make are green chile enchiladas and green chile chicken soup. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that she also makes the best queso. Keep plenty of tortilla chips around though—her food definitely has a spicy kick to it.

Sam is self-described as “the mamma that takes care of the house when everyone is gone.”

Her kindness and compassion are evident in her work at Watermark and in her words of advice to her younger self: “Be yourself and be proud of who you are. I was the ugly duckling growing up and was reminded of that throughout my adolescence.

I now realized that the ugly duckling is a beautiful swan.”

Watermark is the collective product of a team of incredibly hardworking individuals.

Over the next series of issues, we’re using this space to introduce each member of our staff and contributors to you. When you see us out and about in the community, stop and say, “Hello.” We’d love to meet you.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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