Watermark Issue 25.10: !0 Years Later

watermark Your LGBTQ Life.

issue 25.10 • may 17 - may 30, 2018

WatermarkOnline.com

10 Years LATER

A decade after Caylee Anthony went missing, former Orange County CSI Robin Maynard-Harris recalls the events that captivated a nation

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

Friday June 1 2018

· Meet the Florida Prize Artists · Preview the Florida Prize Exhibition · Artist Inspired Dishes · Open Bar · Live Music and DJ · Support the Artists and Exhibition · VIP Tickets Available

Glexis Novoa, Se vende (detail), 2014, acrylic on canvas, 78 ¾ x 118 in. Courtesy of David Castillo Gallery, Miami Beach. © Glexis Novoa. Image courtesy of the artist and the David Castillo Gallery, Miami Beach.

Buy tickets at omart.org/floridaprizeparty2018

The Florida Prize Award is generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn. Additional generous support for the 2018 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition is provided by Rita and Jeffrey Adler Foundation Mr. R. J. Santomassino | Dr. and Mrs. H.E. Gross | Jim and Terry Mahaffey | Daisy and Jan Staniszkis | Terry Snow | Bloomingdale's | Sam Flax | Tesla | Anonymous

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LGBTQ Rights & Discrimination Law

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

DePArtmentS 7 // PUBliSher’S DeSk 8 // CentrAl FloriDA newS 10 // tAmPA BAY newS 12 // StAte newS 15// nAtion & worlD newS 21 // tAlking PointS 43 // CommUnitY CAlenDAr 45 // tAmPA BAY oUt + ABoUt 47 // orlAnDo oUt + ABoUt 48 // tAmPA BAY mArketPlACe 49 // weDDing BellS/ AnnoUnCementS 50 // orlAnDo mArketPlACe 54 // lASt PAge

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I have zero doubt. There’s not even a reasonable doubt.

I can’t fathom why the jury came back with that verdict. unfortunately… people want all this smoking gun forensic evidence and you sometimes don’t get it.

—ORANge cOuNTy csi RObiN mAyNARD-hARRis ON WheTheR she beLieves cAsey ANThONy is guiLTy.

on the Cover

PAGE BAre neCeSSitieS

37

PAGE 10 YEARS LATER:

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After a decade, former Orange County CSI Robin Maynard-Harris recalls her experience working on the Caylee Anthony case.

Illustration by Jake Stevens

SCAn Qr CoDe For

wAtermArkonline.Com

Lakeland’s ButchQueen and the Bad Habits bring equality to punk rock with their debut EP “Bare Grits.”

wAtermArk i SSUe 25.10 //mAY 17 - mAY 3 0, 2018

we rememBer

tAmPA ProUD

trAnS oF thoUght

SPiCe ADviCe

PAGE The onePULSE Foundation opens the Pulse Interim Memorial to the public.

PAGE Out and proud candidate Jane Castor officially kicks off her campaign for Tampa mayor.

PAGE

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read it online!

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

08

10

Watermark’s Maia Monet talks subverting gender definitions at her college reunion.

19

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Bianca Del Rio shares her unique brand of guidance in a new book.

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

puBlisher’s

rick Claggett puBlisher

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

i

DeSk

T’s eAsy TO fORgeT. i fORgeT

things all the time. In fact, I forget things so easily that I am pretty sure our sales director Danny Garcia uses it against me. He’ll say I approved something in a conversation we never had knowing that I will assume we had the conversation and I don’t remember it. It works for us.

I also get so caught up in day to day “adulting” that I forget what it’s like to be alone in a new city, to start a new relationship, to be a kid or to plan for college. All of which I have been reminded of this past month, and I love it.

This past week I had the honor of sitting on the review committee for students applying for The 49 Fund Scholarships. It’s a program started

by Orlando attorney Barry Miller to honor the memory of the 49 lives taken at Pulse by providing financial assistance to future LGBTQ leaders attending college.

wAtermArk StAFF

Students have recently been in the news and the forefront of making movement on sensible gun control following the tragic shooting at Parkland High School. It was a privilege to meet like-minded students who are at the forefront of LGBTQ issues. Some of these students had a thing or two to teach those of us on the review committee. They reestablished hope for our future. They were inspiring and revived memories in me that I thought were long gone.

In this trip down memory lane, I’ve also been reminded of the

good and bad decisions I made in my college career, along with some outright mistakes. It inspired me to compile this list of unsolicited and sometimes valuable advice for those just starting out in college, continuing their education or who are just looking to reboot their path.

1: Change is good. I mean that literally and figuratively. Keep your change and roll your pennies. You’re going to be a poor student and will need all the help you can get. Also, go with the flow. Your whole world is about to open up. The more you learn about the world, the more you will learn about yourself. I spent most of my college career thinking I would be a theater teacher. After observing one sixth grade drama class, my eyes were opened and my major changed.

2: Meet everyone. We have a tendency to gravitate to what is comfortable and easily relatable. Step outside of your comfort zone. This is the best opportunity to expand your mind and hear what so many types of people have to offer the world, especially those who think differently than you. You might not just be opening your mind, but making the world a better place. Do it now and you will develop a skill that will take you further in life. I had an opportunity to travel abroad for a semester and I chose not to. I’ve always regretted that decision.

3: Give credit where credit is due.

Learn your history so you can make a better tomorrow. Many people made many mistakes in the past, so pay attention and don’t make the same mistakes. Also, stay away from credit cards if you can’t afford to pay the bill. They are real money; they just don’t look like it. You’ll have enough debt with student loans, which is also real money and should be treated that way. I deferred my payments for a decade. Bad idea!

4: A little goes a long way.

Moderate what feels good, or it will catch up with you. You’re away from home and there are no rules. You

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can eat what you want, drink what you want and do who you want.

You’re young, so enjoy it. Just keep it healthy-ish. Throw in a salad sometimes, set the bottle down a day or two a week and wrap it with whatever you need to make sex safe.

Remember, even if you’re on PReP, there’s still a lot that can go wrong.

5: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Respect yourself and respect others. It takes no time

I also get so caught up in day to day ‘adulting’ that I forget what it’s like to be alone in a new city, to start a new relationship, to be a kid or to plan for college. at all to earn a reputation, but it takes years to change it.

In this issue of Watermark we take an exclusive look at Robin Maynard-Harris’ time as the lead CSI investigator on the Caylee Anthony case as the 10-year mark of her disappearance approaches.

We also bring you highlights of the interim Pulse memorial in Central Florida news. Mayoral hopeful Jane Castor opens up about her Tampa candidacy and we check in with Bianca Del Rio and Lakeland’s Butch Queens for our Arts and Entertainment coverage. Our Last Page returns this issue with insight on columnist Miguel Fuller.

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

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

ContriBUtorS sTeve bLANchARD

is a former Watermark editor turned media relations coordinator at Moffitt Cancer Center. He returns with his viewpoint column, Fit to Print. Page 17

mAiA mONeT is an Orlando based YouTuber and singer with the band Mad Transit. Page 19

AARON DRAke

is a contributor to Creative Loafing, South Florida Gay News and ManAboutWorld. He loves getting lost in other countries and his German Shepherd. Page 49

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

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7

central florida news

USCA’s Fight Against AIDS Coming to Central Florida Colton Adkins

O

RLANDO | Orlando has been selected as the host city for the 2018 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA). The conference will aim to not only promote Orlando but also to empower those impacted by HIV/AIDS around the entire country.

USCA is an academic conference that reaches out to the communities impacted by HIV/AIDS in order to educate and empower the individuals within these spaces. Over 3,000 advocates, educators, researchers and providers come to the host city and present on topics such as biomedical HIV prevention, gay men with a focus on youth, leadership and skills necessary to be an effective leader to fight HIV, the opioid epidemic, people living with HIV with a focus on stigma and aging, public policy, trauma-informed care and the impact of HIV as well as advancements against HIV for women.

The 2018 USCA will take place at the Hyatt Regency on International Drive from Sept. 6-8. Early Bird registration ends on June 8 and standard registration for the event ends Aug. 10.

LGBA Conference to be held in Orlando Jeremy Brener

O

RLANDO | The Central Florida Sounds of Freedom Band & Color Guard (CFSOF) announced that the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA) will hold their 2019 conference in Orlando Oct. 10-13.

The announcement was made in a press release by CFSOF, as well as South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble and Tampa Bay Pride Band, May 8.

Hundreds of performers will flock to the Central Florida area for the 2019 conference to learn, perform and celebrate the music from the LGBTQ community.

The theme of the conference, set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, is “Looking Back. Marching Forward.” The conference will reflect on the history of the LGBTQ community and use it to move forward in the fight for LGBTQ rights.

The CFSOF will be in Kansas City for the 2018 LGBA conference May 23-26. The 2017 conference, which was set to be in Houston, was cancelled due to Hurricane Harvey.

The LGBA promotes LGBT music, visibility and pride. The association was formed in 1982 in Chicago as the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America when seven bands in the city met together. Since then, the LGBA has grown to 38 bands, and has member bands in the United States, Canada, England and Australia.

The conference coincides with the Come Out with Pride event in 2019, and the LGBA will present a 300+ piece marching band performing in downtown Orlando the weekend of October 12-13.

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Temp Memorial:

onePULSE Foundation opened the interim memorial while plans for a permanent one are worked on.

Photo by Melody Maia Monet

We Remember Pulse Interim Memorial opens to the public Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | The onePULSE Foundation opened the Pulse Interim Memorial to the public with a dedication ceremony May 8.

The foundation was joined by Pulse victims’ family members, survivors, first responders and community leaders for a dedication that opened with Pulse survivor Brian Reagan singing “Hallelujah.” The ceremony included a bilingual opening prayer from Rev. Stanley Ramos, a dedication blessing from Orlando Health chaplains Phyllis Fitzwater and Jason O’Rourke, a video message from survivors and family members and a musical performance of “Together Again” by entertainer Tymisha Harris.

Eric Crittenden, onePULSE Foundation’s board chairman, spoke to the crowd saying that the Pulse Interim Memorial dedication not only marked a special place in Central Florida history, but also in American history.

“This moment of rebirth is an affirmation of the resilience of which the United States is known,” Crittenden said. “We will not, and we did not, be kowtowed to an act of mass hatred or terrorism.”

Founder and CEO of onePULSE Foundation and owner of Pulse

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

nightclub Barbara Poma spoke at the dedication thanking the Pulse families, survivors and first responders for their continued support in the memorial process.

“Their willingness to come to meetings and give their input, even in their toughest moments making hard decisions, is a true reflection of the love and understanding they have for this important journey,” Poma said.

The process for creating the interim memorial design was led by Kody Smith, Christina Hite and Greg Bryla, of the landscape architecture firm of Dix.Hite + Partners, and David Stone of Phil Kean Design, all of whom worked closely with onePULSE Foundation’s memorial task force.

“They labored over every detail to make sure it was respectful, dignified, cost efficient, impactful and most of all, reflective of our community,” Poma said of the design team. “Everything you will experience here is intentional.

It has purpose. It is because of their love and compassion for all those affected by the tragedy.”

Rial Jones and Chris Contino of Jones Clayton Construction led the two-month construction of the interim memorial which converted the Pulse property into a memorial park. Poma thanked Jones and Contino for their care of Pulse and for recognizing that this was not just another property.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

“This is sacred ground and they treated it as such. Thank you both for taking such good care of Pulse,” she said.

The Pulse Interim Memorial contains photographs of the community after the Pulse tragedy affixed to a paneled wall that surrounds the Pulse nightclub. The photos were all selected by Chief Curator Pam Schwartz and her team at the Orange County Regional History Center. Several of the panels are clear, allowing visitors to look in at the building itself. On the wall near the nightclub’s front entrance is a panel listing the victims’ names.

The park’s landscaping, the sycamore trees, the bench bases and an electronic guest book kiosk were all among the items and services donated for the memorial. The now iconic Pulse sign has been enhanced with message boards attached to its base for visitors to write notes.

“The list is so long of people who just wanted to be a part of this. It is so reflective of Orlando’s reaction,” Poma said. “It is utterly heartwarming how everyone still wants to be a part of what happens here. The people of Orlando, they love their city. They love their people. We are family.”

The interim memorial is open to the public while planning and design of the permanent memorial are underway. The Foundation’s Design and Construction Committee, led by Vicki Berman, reviewed and approved the interim design, and will soon begin efforts to oversee the design of the permanent memorial and museum.

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

9

tampa bay news

LGBTQ artists announce multi-venue Pride exhibits for June Ryan Williams-Jent

S

t. Petersburg | Local LGBTQ artists Chad Mize and John Gascot have partnered to curate two Pride-themed art exhibits across three venues during the month of June.

“LGBTQ and ally artists will be painting the town rainbow this Pride season,” the duo announced via press release May 1. “St. Pete Pride is already well-known as Florida’s largest Pride celebration, boasting a massive parade, a variety of performances, concerts and parties, but this year creatives are making the most out of this yearly tradition to adorn galleries and artful spaces with visual celebrations of individuality, diversity and loving freely.”

Beginning June 8, Mize will host “Pride and Joy” at his newly-opened MIZE Gallery. The exhibit is described as “a celebration of life and living free, featuring bright and colorful works by local and out of state LGBTQ+ artists.”

On June 9, Gascot’s “Pride Without Prejudice” will open in both the Cider Press Café and the Emerald Bar. The exhibit “will explore diversity in the LGBTQ community and beyond,” featuring “expressions of LGBTQ Pride as well as [touching] on themes of gender, orientation and racial equality.”

“We didn’t plan it from the beginning,” Gascot says of his collaboration with Mize. “I was going to do two shows up at Cider Press and Emerald and I put a call [out to artists] for that. Then I got the call for Chad’s show. We got to talking and we decided to promote this together.”

“That’s really what Pride is about for me, bringing us all together,” Mize adds. “We have this month of June, this Pride month, but I feel like we celebrate every month. We have this great city, St. Pete. It’s a great city to live if you’re gay. I feel safe here; I feel like I can be who I want to be.”

Gascot says that while obviously the city is known for its Pride celebration, it’s also known for its art.

“I think we feel that art should really stand up there with everything else in celebrating Pride,” he says. “It’s us now, but hopefully next year there’ll be others and we can almost really have like an art tour for Pride. So that’s what our effort is.”

Each exhibit is free to attend and will feature original art from local LGBTQ artists and allies. “Pride and Joy” will hold its opening reception June 8 from 7-11 p.m. at the MIZE Gallery, located at 689 Dr. MLK Jr. Street N. The opening reception for “Pride Without Prejudice” will be held during Second Saturday’s Art Walk June 9 from 6-9 p.m. at the Cider Press Café and Emerald Bar, respectively located at 601 and 550 Central Ave. For more information, contact jgascot@gascot.com or mrchadmize@gmail.com.

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TAMPA PROUD: Out local Jane Castor discusses her bid to become Tampa’s next mayor at the Blind Tiger Café in Ybor on May 11.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

Tampa Strong Jane Castor officially kicks off mayoral campaign Ryan Williams-Jent

T

ampa | Tampa’s former chief of police and out LGBTQ advocate Jane Castor officially launched her campaign for Tampa mayor on May 17 to outline her vision for the city’s future.

“The message for the campaign kick-off is Tampa Strong,” Castor told Watermark ahead of the event, held at Columbia Restaurant in Ybor. Castor’s campaign will focus on a strong foundation for the city, including building stronger neighborhoods and a stronger economy.

“I am looking at a strong foundation to continue those services that everybody has come to expect on a daily basis,” she asserts. “We can build a new baseball stadium… we can do a lot of the things in this community, but if you don’t have clean water, your streets are flooding or you have potholes, you’re not going to be successful.”

One area of focus is workforce training, with Castor advocating

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

for skilled trade. “There’s a great deal of value and respect in the trades,” she says. “I grew up poor and the most successful people that I grew up with are in the trades; electricians, carpenters, my family owns a cabinet shop.

That’s something that I’m going to try to turn the corner on here in our community.”

Castor’s goal is to partner with the neighborhoods she served during her three decades in law enforcement. The newly minted politician first joined the Tampa Police Department in 1983, where she would later become its first LGBTQ community liaison and first openly LGBTQ chief of police in 2009.

“Clearly I have always been a part of the community, I’ve been out and proud my whole life; it’s never something that was hidden,” Castor notes. “I was a police officer for 31 years and everybody knew the day that I was hired that I was gay. It’s never been an issue, and that’s one of the reasons why when I was appointed as the chief of police no one ever made a big deal out of it.”

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

Castor believes that’s because the city of Tampa isn’t focused on sexual orientation, it’s focused on results. “I think the same applies for the position of mayor,” she says.

“People want to know that you’re going to do a good job and you’re going to serve every citizen of the community.”

“I’ve worked the streets of Tampa for 31 years, there’s not a corner of this city that I don’t know,” she continues. “So I know specifically what the needs are in the neighborhoods and I know who to talk to about those needs.”

Thus far, residents in those neighborhoods seem to have backed her bid for mayor. Castor’s campaign announced in early May that it had raised nearly $250,000 since declaring her candidacy on April 19. “Everything’s going well, but I never take anything for granted,” she says. “Just as I have done my entire career, I’ll work harder than anybody else in this race.

“Voters have had 31 years to test drive me and I’ve been the same,” Castor concludes. “They know who I am, they know what I stand for and they know my work ethic. They know that I’m transparent in all I do and they know that I am a community builder. That’s what you’re gonna get: you’re going to get that same person as a mayor for the city of Tampa.”

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

11

state news

PriDe Fort lAUDerDAle to AwArD 15 grAntS AnD SCholArShiPS staff Report

f

ORT LAuDeRDALe, fLA. | The board of Pride Fort Lauderdale is now accepting applications for community grants for local charitable organizations as well as a new scholarship for an LGBTQ student. The grants and scholarship are funded from proceeds from the annual Pride Fort Lauderdale festival and first South Florida Trans Pride held on Feb. 11 at Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Pride Fort Lauderdale will award up to 10 $1,000 grants to 501(c)3 charitable organizations that serve the local LGBTQ community and up to five $1,000 South Florida Trans Pride grants to 501(c)3 organizations that specifically serve the local transgender community.

This year, the board also established a $2,500 scholarship.

Applicants must either be enrolled or plan to enroll at an accredited professional school, college or university.

Applicants are asked to complete an online application and provide two references.

The scholarship and grant applications can be found at www.PrideFortLauderdale.org.

ASSAilAntS in SoUth FloriDA gAY PriDe PArADe AttACk ChArgeD with hAte Crime Michael d’oliveira, courtesy south florida Gay News

m

iAmi beAch, fLA. | The four men who attacked a gay couple after Miami Beach Pride on April 7 have now been charged with a hate crime.

“The four defendants arrested for assaulting two gay individuals during the Gay Pride Parade on South Beach last month were charged today with hate-crime related felony offenses.

I commend the investigative work of the @MiamiBeachPD & my Hate Crimes Unit prosecutors in this case,” State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle wrote on Twitter. “Due to my office filing hate-crime related enhanced felony offenses against the 4 defendants charged in the SoBe assault during Gay Pride Parade, my prosecutor’s Motion for Increased Bond granted today. Defendants taken into custody & new bond of 75K w/ GPS house arrest set on all.”

Michael Gongora. “Our community must stand up against hate and attacks against any individual based upon them being a member of our LGBT community will not be tolerated. Justice will be served.”

A third person, Helmut Estrada, attempted to assist Chalarca and Logunov and was also attacked during the altercation and injured.

Recently Estrada was given an award from the city commission for his bravery.

“He saw two individuals being attacked and was compelled to intervene. Helmut’s efforts helped stop the attack but not before he himself was injured requiring a visit to the hospital and staples in his scalp,” Gongora said. “The City of Miami Beach Medallion is a special honor usually reserved for acts of bravery, heroism and other significant contributions to our city. Helmut’s selfless act of defense warrants this honor and his stepping up and doing the right thing is even more special since he is straight and helped defend two gay victims from an attack related to their sexuality.”

The two victims, Rene Chalarca and Dmitry Logunov, were called faggots in Spanish and then attacked as they were leaving a public restroom.

“We were walking and holding hands and needed to use the bathroom,” Logunov, 32, explained.

Days after the attack he said, “We are beyond grateful to all of social media and people who were not indifferent to our problem and helping us to go through this nightmare.”

The attack was caught on camera and the suspects later surrendered themselves to the Miami Beach Police Department through an attorney. They are Juan C. Lopez, 21; Luis M. Alonso Piovet, 20; Adonis Diaz, 21; and Parblo Reinaldo Romo-Figuero, 21. All four were charged with three counts of aggravated battery.

“I am pleased that the State Attorney Office has filed hate-crime related enhanced felony charges against these four attackers,” said Miami Beach City Commissioner

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

nation+world news

Oklahoma governor signs first anti-LGBTQ law of 2018 Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

O

KLAHOMA CITY, Okla. | Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law May 11 a “religious freedom” bill enabling taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny placement into LGBTQ homes, marking the first time in 2018 a state anti-LGBTQ bill became law.

In a statement, Fallin announced she signed Senate Bill 1140 into law “after many hours of consideration and investigation of Oklahoma’s current practice” amid a groundswell of opposition from LGBTQ rights supporters and child care agencies.

“SB 1140 allows faith-based agencies that contract with Oklahoma

to continue to operate in accordance with their beliefs,” Fallin said. “In a day and time when diversity is becoming a core value to society because it will lead to more options, we should recognize its value for serving Oklahoma also because it leads to more options for loving homes to serve Oklahoma children.”

LGBTQ rights supporters had criticized SB 1140 and urged Fallin to veto the measure because it would enable religious-based adoption agencies in the state, which receive taxpayer funds, to deny placement into homes with LGBTQ placement over “religious objections.” Conceivably, the bill could also permit these agencies to subject LGBTQ children in foster care to widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy.

A massive outcry from LGBTQ rights supporters emerged as SB 1140 moved through the state legislature

and to Fallin’s desk. Joining LGBTQ groups in opposition to the bills are child welfare organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America and the North American Council on Adoptable Children.

Others who spoke out against the bill were Oklahoma native and “Will & Grace” star Megan Mullally, singer Kristin Chenoweth and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. According to Freedom for All Americans, more than 15,000 Oklahomans sent letters to their lawmakers urging them to reject the bill.

Supporters of the bill are organizations supporting Catholic adoption agencies—such as Catholic Charities and the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma—who say these agencies will have to shut their doors if forced to place children into LGBTQ homes.

dedicated to LGBT-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs. At the time, an SBA spokesperson said the website was under construction and new information would be added, but was non-committal on whether the LGBT pages would be restored.

The webpage for LGBT outreach previously contained quotes and photos from Obama administration officials, which would be unusual for the Small Business Administration to maintain after the change of leadership in the Trump administration.

The removal of the LGBT material was consistent at the time with the removal of LGBT information from other federal government websites under the Trump administration, including the White House website.

Officials attributed the LGBT omission to relaunching the websites from scratch, but the LGBT information hasn’t been restored in a major way.

A Google search of the phrase “LGBT” for the Small Business Administration website reveals a page dedicated to LGBT businesses, but that page has no information and instead a note promising an update.

“SBA is currently updating programmatic information on SBA. Gov,” the note says. “During the update, some pages are not available. The process is expected to be complete in the near future.”

According to the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, only 964 small businesses in the United States are LGBT Business Enterprises, but they contribute more than $1.1 billion to the U.S. economy and have an average of $2.45 million in revenue each year—which is almost triple that of other firms. LGBT businesses in total make an estimated $2 trillion in contributions to the U.S. economy.

After advancements the SBA made during the Obama years—such as highlighting an LGBT-owned business during Small Business Week—Velazquez and Clarke write the continued omission of the LGBT pages from the SBA website “suggests the agency may be reversing this progress.”

Echoing the lawmakers in calling for the restoration of the LGBT information were Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell, co-founders of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

“The $1.7 trillion dollar economic impact of the nation’s estimated 1.4 million LGBT businesses on the GDP knows no political ideology,” Nelson and Mitchell said in a joint statement.

“The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce hopes to see the resources and information that benefit job creating, revenue-generating LGBT business owners return to the SBA website soon. Our economy only works if everyone is represented and included.”

House Dems demand answers on LGBT removal from SBA website Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade

courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

W

ASHINGTON | Two House Democrats are demanding answers from the U.S. Small Business Administration over the continued omission of LGBT material from the agency’s website more than a year after the pages were removed.

In a letter dated May 9, Reps.

Nydia Velazquez and Yvette Clarke— lawmakers from New York who serve on the House Committee for Small Business—requested information from Administrator Linda McMahon on the “disconcerting change” of the LGBT omission at the start of the Trump administration.

“It has now been over a year since those resources were taken down,” the letter says. “Other pages that were also under construction are already up and running. This is deeply troubling and renews our concern that this page’s removal may have been politically or ideologically motivated, rather than simply administrative.”

As first reported by the Washington Blade in January 2017, the SBA at the start of the Trump administration removed from its website pages created during the Obama years

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in other news Oregon school district accused of forcing LGBTQ student to read Bible as punishment An Oregon school district is accused of forcing students to read Bible passages as a form of punishment, among other accusations. The Coos Bay World reported the North Bend School District initially denied the claim, but the building administrator later acknowledged in an interview with state education officials that he demanded Bible reading for punishment. The allegations include an LGBTQ student being forced to read the Bible, and extend to whether LGBTQ students were discriminated against after reporting sexual harassment. The allegations are detailed in a March 6 letter from the Oregon Department of Education to District Superintendent Bill Yester.

NJ Mayor-elect condemns racist mailers that supported him The new mayor of Paterson is vowing he will “bring to justice” the people responsible for distributing an offensive campaign mailer that encouraged residents to vote for him. Mayor-elect Andre Sayegh says his campaign had nothing to do with the mailer, which attacked political leaders who were Hispanic, black, Muslim and gay. NJ.com reports the mailer also used multiple racial and ethnic slurs. Sayegh says his campaign sent law enforcement a photo of someone who was allegedly dropping the mailers off at homes.

Bill banning gay conversion therapy sent to NH governor The New Hampshire House has sent to the governor a bill that would ban therapy that attempts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors. House lawmakers agreed May 10 to accept changes made to the bill by the Senate and advance it to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who has said he supports banning such therapy. Supporters of the measure say the therapy is inappropriate, ineffective and harmful. But opponents say there’s no evidence it happens in the state, and that state licensing boards already have the authority to regulate and discipline any practitioner who uses coercive tactics. A similar measure failed two years ago.

Richard Grenell takes up duties as US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has taken up his duties as the new U.S. ambassador to Germany, ending more than a year in which the top position at the embassy in Berlin was unfilled. Grenell presented his credentials Tuesday to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He won confirmation by the Senate in late April, just in time for a visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel to Washington. Grenell was a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration and a longtime Fox News Channel commentator. He was the first openly gay ambassador nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump. The ambassador’s job in Berlin has been vacant since Trump took office.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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steve Blanchard

Fit For Print History isn’t always pretty, or straight

i

Am A hisTORy NeRD.

I love visiting historical places, reading up on history and even enjoying a book or film classified as historical fiction.

In fact, years ago, before I decided to pursue a career in journalism, I came very close to becoming a history teacher.

So it’s no surprise that recent headlines about the inclusion of LGBTQ history in school textbooks caught my attention. The Illinois Senate recently approved a bill that requires public schools to teach LGBTQ history, following in the footsteps of California which approved a similar measure last year. I’m a fan of the decision—because it just makes sense.

We have black history month. We have women’s history month. Both fall within the normal school year—February and March, respectively—and provide an opportunity to learn about the history of cultures with which not all students may be familiar.

LGBTQ Pride month is in June, when most students are out of class for the summer and learning about their local LGBTQ communities through Pride events.

I’m by no means knocking Pride, but learning about the historical contributions of LGBTQs would be well-served with some kind of official curriculum.

Not surprisingly, conservative talking heads have expressed shock and disgust at the idea of teaching our younger generations that LGBTQ people have actually contributed to, well, anything. Some on the right have also accused academia of trying to “normalize homosexuality.”

Well, duh. Isn’t that the whole point?

African-American history, Asian-American History, Hispanic history —all of these focuses give students a chance to see a culture with which they may not be familiar in a different and relatable light. Why would it be so bad to do the same for LGBTQs? Humans learn from our history, or at least we hope to. Presenting LGBTQ history gives students an opportunity to understand the extreme discrimination and successes LGBTQs have experienced.

And there is plenty of history to study—more than enough to fulfill curriculum requirements and showcase the contributions of LGBTQ people going as far back as ancient times.

When I first came out I had never heard of the Stonewall Riots. I didn’t know why a rainbow flag was a thing and I certainly didn’t know that LGBT people were just like so many other people I knew.

Gay people were only on Pride floats or dancing on boxes in my mind. No one told me that they were authors, farmers, politicians or even actors.

Education comes in all forms. I’m old enough to remember the drama surrounding Ellen DeGeneres’s coming out in the 1990s. That classic moment fueled a conversation and eventually led to other LGBT programming, such as “Will & Grace” and “Queer As Folk.” While those were helpful and remain iconic, it still didn’t make LGBT culture totally relatable for everyone. Even though the characters were familiar, they were still characters— personalities made up in the writers’ room.

Seeing the direct impact that LGBT people have had on society gives a whole new perspective to the conversation. As a young gay man, I can only imagine what impact learning that gay

and lesbian couples existed in ancient Egypt or ancient Greece would have had. I do know I would have learned I wasn’t the first boy to ever have the feelings I had.

It wasn’t until I was in college that I learned that LGBTs were targeted in the Holocaust alongside

seen as classic historical figures. A nod to their sexuality wouldn’t hurt anyone and would show young LGBTs that greatness can be achieved by anyone, regardless of sexual orientation. My hope is that most students today would give an indifferent shrug to

have written that putting a spotlight on LGBTQ history is a way of recruiting or pushing an agenda. I half agree with that statement.

Recruitment? No. But if the agenda is providing a way to more fully understand the LGBTQ community and push for equality and respect, then

the Jews. Why wasn’t that ever mentioned in previous courses? I remember studying the Holocaust many times throughout my middle school and high school years but the inverted pink triangle was rarely, if ever, mentioned.

Poets Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, playwright Oscar Wilde and writer Gertrude Stein were all part of the LGBT community and are now

learning about the sexuality of a historical figure and argue that sexuality or gender identity is only part of a whole.

There’s also Margaret Mead, Marlene Dietrich, Langston Hughes, Harvey Milk…the list can go on-and-on. LGBTQs are everywhere today and it is obvious we were everywhere in our shared past.

Some of those opposed to an LGBTQ history curriculum

yes, there is an agenda here.

My hope is that more states follow the lead of California and Illinois, and teachers who are afraid to teach this because of religious beliefs are only doing a disservice to their profession and their students.

History, as they say, isn’t always pretty. It’s also not only white, black, straight or LGBTQ.

It wasn’t until I was in college that I learned that LGBTs were targeted in the Holocaust alongside the Jews.

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viewpoint

Maia Monet

trAnS oF thoUght Love and Transphobia

i

N TWO Weeks i WiLL be

attending my 25th college reunion at Princeton University. As you can imagine would be the case at one of this country’s oldest institutions of higher learning, Princeton prides itself on its traditions, and “Reunions” as the alumni body call it, is one of our most cherished.

The plural is purposeful as well because all major and minor reunion classes gather on campus to meet and consume alcohol in quantities, or so the legend goes, second only to the Indy 500 for a singular event in the United States. Reunions is serious business and there are alumni who return every year, which allows for the highlight event of the weekend, P-rade, to take on fascinating detail.

Picture a boulevard lined with everyone who ever went to your university neatly arranged by graduating class order. Now imagine each class marching down that boulevard, in clever costumes and great fanfare, with the oldest classes taking their turn first and the current graduating class joining in at the tail end. That is P-rade.

I’ve seen it many times, as both a major-reunion alumnus and as an employee of the university for 10 years, and it has never ceased to inspire me.

You may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with being transgender? Not much. Unless you count how the 15 pounds I’ve gained since senior year, will run a far second in conversation with classmates to the fact that a couple of those pounds went to breasts I didn’t have the last time they saw me 25 years ago. However, I’ve always loved P-rade for the simple fact that it is a glimpse into the cultural history of my alma mater and country.

What begins with white men and their wives gives way

to female graduates, a colorful explosion of skin tones and the wonderful diaspora of modern American life. Times change and I often wonder how the historical “Princeton Man” reacted when that term had to be broadened to encompass today’s diverse alumni body.

I know there must have been resistance similar to what we are seeing today in the LGBTQ+ community.

Being transgender means subverting traditional definitions. This goes beyond the obvious definitions of “man” and “woman.” It extends into much of the LGBQ+ attraction spectrum itself.

In my early days in Orlando, I had a gay therapist who confided in me that, before he started working with trans women, he believed that we were gay men who chose to take on the appearance of women to escape society’s disapproval of homosexual relations. It never occurred to him that transgender people might be gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer or any of the other colors of our rainbow.

The mistake he made, and the mistake many people inside our own community continue to make, is to see transgender people through the filter of their own orientation instead of our gender identity.

Perhaps my therapist’s point of view was skewed because the persecution many in the LGBQ+ face is often motivated by intimacy.

Loving someone of the same sex isn’t as much a problem as physical expressions of that love in public, such as holding hands or kissing. The successful bulwark that has been carefully constructed by the gay community over the years to bring us to this moment in time of greater acceptance in the U.S. is that “love is love.” However, the will to encompass transgender people into that love has been decidedly weaker because it can challenge traditional societal notions of sexual orientation.

Perhaps my evidence is anecdotal, but my social media feeds have been full of gay cisgender people defending their rejection of relationships

with gay transgender people by citing their sexual orientation and corresponding genital preference. Sexual orientation is thus defined solely around what we have between our legs with no consideration given at all to gender identity. For example, a lesbian trans woman who has not had bottom surgery would not be an

these cases, as it requires some flexibility to look past sex in favor of gender identity.

I also don’t think anybody should be pressured to do anything they don’t want to do. However, I also think that the dividing line between legitimate preference and transphobia all comes down to fear. Transphobia isn’t fear of transgender people. It’s

stretch it to the opposite sex?

And maybe even a little fear that we aren’t as open and accepting as we like to believe.

As I watch P-rade go by this year, I know I’ll be struck by how much grander it gets by the end. The “Princeton Man” didn’t disappear, as I am sure he feared would happen when the university opened up its admissions to

acceptable romantic interest for a cisgender lesbian.

These discussions on social media have often devolved into strident accusations of transphobia by transgender people only to be met with accusations of homophobia from the cisgender gay half.

I think it is understandable that pre-bottom surgery transgender people would present a challenge to one’s identity as a gay person in

fear of how our identities are challenged by transgender people. Fear of how we might appear to our fellow gay or lesbian friends. Fear of having to defend ourselves and our transgender loved one to family who barely accept our gayness. Fear of judgment by strangers who might wonder, if we are willing to stretch our personal definition of gay to encompass pre-op trans people, why can’t we

everyone. He just became part of a larger whole that was strengthened by the expansion of the definition of Princeton alumni. It didn’t end up being a zero-sum game. I have faith that we in the LGBTQ+ community will one day learn the same lesson.

Transphobia isn’t fear of transgender people. It’s fear of how our identities are challenged by transgender people.

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talking points

LGBTQ YOUTH

I was scared because I was a cisgender male playing Maura Pfefferman and my whole thing was, ‘am I doing it right? am I doing it right? am I doing it right?’ To the point that I worried myself to death.

are at

MORE THAN

DOUBLE

THE RISK of

HOMELESSNESS COMPARED TO

non-lgBtq peers, with

16%

—JeffRey TAmbOR, iN AN iNTeRvieW WiTh The hOLLyWOOD RepORTeR, eXpLAiNiNg Why he hAD “ANgeR issues” ON The seT Of The shOW “TRANspAReNT.”

samira wiley, gloria Carter, ‘CmByn,’

honored at glaad media awards

T

he 29Th ANNuAL gLAAD meDiA AWARDs WeRe hOsTeD by ROss mATTheWs in New York City May 5. Samira Wiley was presented the Vito Russo Award by her “The Handmaid’s Tale” co-star Alexis Bledel. Jay-Z was honored with the Special Recognition Award for the track “Smile,” included on his latest album “4:44,” which features his mother Gloria Carter coming out. Carter accepted the award on her son’s behalf. “Call Me By Your Name” won Outstanding Film which was accepted by screenwriter James Ivory and producer Peter Spears. Outstanding Music Artist was awarded to Halsey for her album, “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.” Ava DuVernay was also presented the Excellence in Media Award by Sen. Cory Booker. “We were never meant to survive,” DuVernay says in her speech.”I thank my LGBTQ comrades for your fight, for your resilience, for your daring, for your dignity, for your declaration of self, and I dedicate this award tonight to those of every pronoun.”

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ryan murphy planning #metoo anthology series on spaCey, weinstein

R

yAN muRphy is cONsiDeRiNg TuRNiNg The #meTOO mOvemeNT iNTO AN ANThOLOgy seRies. In a profile for the New Yorker by Emily Nussbaum, Murphy revealed he’s been thinking about a project titled “Consent.” It would follow a “‘Black Mirror’ model: every episode would explore a different story, starting with an insidery account of the Weinstein Company. There would be an episode about Kevin Spacey, one about an ambiguous he-said-she-said encounter. Each episode could have a different creator.” Murphy’s latest series “Pose” airs on June 3 on FX.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

lena waithe Brings pride to met gala with rainBow Cape

L

eNA WAiThe mADe A pOWeRfuL LgbTQ fAshiON sTATemeNT AT The meT gALA mAy 7. Waithe, who is an out lesbian, donned a black suit with a flowing rainbow cape designed by Wes Gordon. Her fashion statement was particularly meaningful as the Met Gala’s theme this year was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Waithe made history at the 2017 Emmys as the first black woman to win Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for her screenplay of the episode “Thanksgiving” from the Netflix series “Master of None.”

Waithe is also the creator of the Showtime series “The Chi.”

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

‘queer eye’ star antoni porowski sCores CookBook deal

Q

ueeR eye’s ANTONi pOROWksi, The NeTfLiX RebOOT’s fOOD AND WiNe eXpeRT, will be releasing his first cookbook. Entertainment Weekly reports that the book deal was inked with Rux Martin of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and will feature 100 recipes for “simple, healthy, visually appealing fare.” “I could not be more thrilled to be writing about the recipes I love and think are essential to any novice home cook, professional, and somewhere in between,” Porowski said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. The book is expected to be published next spring.

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

10 YEARS LATER A decade after Caylee Anthony went missing, former Orange County CSI Robin Maynard-Harris recalls the events that captivated a nation

S

Jeremy Williams

O much hAs beeN WRiTTeN

about Casey Anthony, her daughter Caylee’s disappearance and the subsequent discovery of Caylee’s body.

The media circus surrounded Central Florida in the years between Casey Anthony being arrested for the murder of her

2-year-old daughter in Oct. 2008 and her shocking acquittal for murder in July 2011. Many involved in the investigation

and the case have spoken out to news network talk show hosts, written books and gone on press tours explaining what happened.

One person who kept silent was Orange County Sheriff’s lead crime scene investigator, Robin Maynard-Harris.

Ten years later, Maynard-Harris is opening up about her experience. First speaking with famed-O.J. prosecutor Marcia Clark for her A&E series

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

“Marcia Clark Investigates The First 48,” and then sitting down with Watermark.

Maynard-Harris is well known in Central Florida’s LGBTQ community for her activism as a lesbian. She started Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation, named after her mother Libby who she lost to breast cancer in Feb. 2006, and is currently on the board of

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

Continued on pg. 25 | uu |

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

| uu | 10 Years Later from pg.23

One Orlando Alliance. Before her venture into non-profit work, Maynard-Harris was a paramedic and a crime scene investigator for Orange County.

“When I was 8 years old my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up and I said a detective,” Maynard-Harris recalls. “It’s been in my blood since the days of ‘Encyclopedia Brown,’ which many people won’t remember. It was a book series with titles like ‘Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Missing Pencil.’ I used to read all of them.”

Maynard-Harris started as an Orange County paramedic in 1995. She began studying forensic science and in 2002 beat out 85 applicants to be selected for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigations division. She had been a CSI for six years when the car of Cindy Anthony, Casey’s mother and Caylee’s grandmother, was brought into one of the forensic bays in July 2008.

“I was sitting at my desk in the sheriff’s office and a car came into one of our forensic bays, which is about 50 feet from my desk.

I said ‘oh great, who brought the decomp car in,’” Maynard-Harris says. “I didn’t even know anything about the Anthonys. At the time there was no death that we knew of. This was just a mother who called and said my daughter stole my car and it smells like there’s been a dead body in it. That’s all we knew. Then they tell us it was a missing child call. We all knew then that something was really wrong.”

At the time the vehicle was brought to the forensic bay, Caylee had been missing for more than a month. Six months after Caylee went missing her skeletal remains were found in some woods near the Anthony’s house.

“Our whole forensic team was out there processing the scene,” Maynard-Harris says. “I was in charge of sifting the remains, that was a big part of it. We had to try and find all of her. It’s very gruesome when you talk about it that way, but that’s your job.”

Maynard-Harris worked with the chief medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties at the time, Dr. Jan Carla Garavaglia—better known as Dr. G—and the mobile unit

What was hard was I never saw my victims alive, I never saw these victims who I was helping to bring justice for living. No matter where you went they constantly showed that video of Caylee singing ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ I can’t even listen to that song to this day. Caylee would smile at the end of the video and I would look at it and would count her teeth and think, ‘we’re missing two more teeth. I have to get out there and we need to find them.’ It was hard on me that way to see her smiling and singing and living.

—Robin Maynard-Harris

trying to make sure they found all of Caylee.

“Everybody would bring me buckets and I would sift through everything looking for bones.

I would take them to the morgue and we would try and put her back together and see what we were missing,” Maynard-Harris says. “It was a daunting task but I think the whole forensic unit did a fantastic job, as well as the forensic pathologist and Dr. G and everybody that worked on the case.”

Working a criminal investigation can be daunting, but an investigation with the

amount of media attention that the Anthony case had would be overwhelming. Maynard-Harris recalls just putting that out of her mind and focusing on the job.

“When you’re in it you don’t realize how big it is because you’re just doing your job,” she says. “We put crime scene tape up and kept people out, the media just kept coming and coming and it grew, but we’re just there to do a job and bring justice for Caylee and bring dignity by recovering as much of her as we can. I think for us we worked it like we would any other crime scene. Part of being a good crime scene investigator

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

is that you’re neutral and you’re letting the evidence speak for itself.”

Maynard-Harris has worked hundreds of cases, all of which did not receive the amount of media attention this one did, and she has her thoughts on why that is.

“I think this garnered so much attention because you have a white, middle class woman who looks like the girl next door,” Maynard-Harris says. “I worked a case where a mother killed her 3-year-old in a 10x10 room at the Budget Motel on OBT and it didn’t garner any attention. That mother got 35 years to life, but she was

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

black and poor and the murder happened at a Budget Motel.

“Another thing that made this case so big is the fact that the child was missing for 30 days while the mother was out partying, and I think people saw that behavior and were shocked because everyone knew that that was not normal,” she says.

Casey Anthony went to trial for the murder of her daughter in May 2011. The trial lasted six weeks, two days of which Maynard-Harris testified for the prosecution. The most surprising Continued on pg. 27 | uu |

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

cRime sceNe: Crime Scene Investigator Robin Maynard-Harris and the entire Orange County Sheriff’s Department forensic team processed the scene where Caylee Anthony’s remains were found in 2008.

Maynard-Harris was in charge of sifting the remains with the chief medical examiner Dr. G, and even tesified during the Casey Anthony trail in 2011. PHotoS CoURteSy RoBin MaynaRd-HaRRiS

| uu | 10 Years Later from pg.25

thing Maynard-Harris remembers hearing from the trial was the defense’s argument that Casey’s father, George Anthony, had put Calyee’s body in the woods after she had drowned in the family swimming pool.

“The fact of the matter is people make murders look like accidents, they don’t make accidents look like murder,” Maynard-Harris says. “You wouldn’t take a drowned child out of the pool, not call 911 because

you don’t know how long they’ve been in there, then put duct tape on their mouth and make it look like a murder. That makes no sense. That should be enough right there to get a conviction.”

Maynard-Harris was on the phone with Dr. G when the jury returned a verdict, of not guilty for Casey Anthony.

“Dr. G said ‘I feel like someone just kicked me in the gut.’

I said, ‘me too’ and I started to cry when I got off the phone,” Maynard-Harris recalls. “It is just so sad because it was not justice for Caylee. One of the reasons I agreed to do the Marcia Clark

interview—I’d been asked to appear on Nancy Grace and all those shows and I turned them all down because I never wanted to sensationalize this child’s murder—was because she wanted to reexamine the evidence and I am all for that. Anything that can prove that the jury made a mistake, which they did. I don’t think Caylee got justice but I hold out hope, just like O.J. Simpson got his 13 years later, maybe Casey will get hers in the next couple of years. She’ll mess up and do something else and she’ll end up in prison where she belongs.”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Maynard-Harris, 10 years after having firsthand knowledge of the evidence, is absolutely convinced the jury got it wrong and believes Casey Anthony is guilty of murder.

“I have zero doubt. There’s not even a reasonable doubt.

I can’t fathom why the jury came back with that verdict” she says.

“Unfortunately, because of shows like ‘CSI,’ people want all this smoking gun forensic evidence and you sometimes don’t get it, especially not after six months when a child has been out in the woods. Roots going through the scene, there’s no skin left, no fingerprints left, but you can do

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

character matching, which we did, with the duct tape. You can surmise that this smell came out of the truck at the same time that this child went missing. It’s called circumstantial evidence but it’s still called evidence.”

The investigation still impacts Maynard-Harris’s mental and emotional state today, especially when she thinks back on one particular moment that played repeatedly on the news.

“At the time I was getting asked a lot if working this case was hard, and not that is was harder,

Continued on pg. 29 | uu |

27

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

TeAm suppORT: ”It was a daunting task but I think the whole forensic unit did a fantastic job,” Maynard-Harris says of the entire Orange County Sheriff’s Department team that worked the case. PHotoS CoURteSy RoBin MaynaRd-HaRRiS

| uu | 10 Years Later from pg.27

anytime there’s a crime against children or the elderly it’s was always hard for me,” Maynard-Harris says. “What was hard was I never saw my victims alive, I never saw these victims who I was helping to bring justice for living. No matter where you went they constantly showed that video of Caylee singing ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ I can’t even listen to that song to this day. Caylee would smile at the end of the video and I would look at it and would count her teeth and think, ‘we’re missing two more teeth. I have to get out there and we need to find them.’ It was hard on me that way to see her smiling and singing and living.”

Shortly after wrapping up the case in July 2009 and sending off the last of her evidence to the FBI, Maynard-Harris left the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. While it wasn’t solely the Caylee Anthony investigation that led to that decision, it was part of it.

“I decided I needed to fight for those who I could help and who needed help.

I left to work Libby’s Legacy fulltime.

Now I get to save lives with no chance of acquittal,” Maynard-Harris says.

One thing Maynard-Harris would like people to take away from this case is the importance of stepping up and doing your civic duty when asked to serve on a jury.

“The fact of the matter is everyone wants to blame the prosecution that they over-charged. They charged with lots of things that the jury could have come back with. They didn’t even convict her for child neglect and she didn’t know where her child was for 30 days,” Maynard-Harris says. “I hear so many people say ‘I was smart enough to get out of jury duty.’ It’s a civic duty for a reason. You want to have bright people on a jury that want to make sure justice is served. The same people who like to scream the jury got it wrong are a lot of the same people who try to get out of jury duty. When you’re called you should serve, and you should want to serve. It may be an inconvenience, but it’s even more of an inconvenience to have someone like Casey Anthony free.”

After everything Maynard-Harris went through with the investigation, if given the opportunity to sit and speak with Casey Anthony she would gladly take it.

“For one thing I believe she is a sociopath. I don’t believe there is any empathy so I find her to be interesting from a criminal justice standpoint. She’ll never admit. She’s the kind of person who will never admit what she’s done,” Manyard says. “I’m not entirely sure what all I would ask her, but I would end it with ‘I know that you killed Caylee, and I know she’s in a better place and I know that you won’t be.’”

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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Photos: Amy Guip

June 5-10

Dr. Phillips Center 17-BW-0161-0026

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

arts and Entertainment

Spice, advice and everything

nice

Drag superstar Bianca Del Rio offers up her own brand of guidance in a new advice book

W

Gregg Shapiro

hen I first heard

that Bianca Del Rio had written a book, in true Bianca Del Rio fashion I thought, “Wrote a book? I didn’t even know she could read a book!” Cue the laughs.

Undoubtedly the greatest success story that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” ever launched out of the starting gate, Del Rio consistently sells out concert venues for her live shows, has graced the silver screen in “Hurricane Bianca” and its new sequel “Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate” and now has a new book of advice, “Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert On Nothing With An Opinion On Everything “ to her name.

Continued on pg. 33 | uu |

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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31

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

| uu | Bianca Del Rio from pg.31

Watermark spoke with Del Rio ahead of her book’s May 22 release about giving (and getting) advice, “insightful prying” and life after “Drag Race.”

Watermark: As someone

who just published an advice book, what’s the best advice you ever received?

Bianca Del Rio: It was really good advice, but I didn’t take it.

Which was “Don’t do drag. It’s a trap” [laughs]. I found out later, they were right [laughs].

What’s the worst advice you ever received?

“Do drag [laughs]!” No. Advice is an odd thing, because you always think you know better yourself. In fairness, I think the best advice I truly did get was “Always laugh.” Laugh at yourself.

Don’t take yourself too seriously and keep moving. I think for me, in particular, when I was much younger I would get hung up on things for a long period of time.

Now, it’s like, “Fuck it! You’ll live.

Get over it! Have a drink. Life’s too short!” In the end, it’s that it’s not that serious. Or it shouldn’t be that serious.

What percentage of advice column questions do you think are legit versus made up by writers?

I grew up without having social media. I’m old enough to remember that world. It’s quite fascinating to me how much of their business people put out in the real world. Whether it’s Facebook or Instagram. When I was doing this book – obviously I’m doing it as a joke to give the worst advice possible, because if you’re seeking advice from a 42-year-old drag queen, something’s wrong with you.

But I’m fascinated by the stuff people would share. I don’t know if they’re doing it for attention purposes or if it was actually real. It was fascinating to see how people’s minds work. People have no shame at all, none, I must say.

Can you please say something about the transition of your humor from the stage, where most people know you, to the page?

I think it’s a lot harder, as I realized when I was doing the book. There’s also an audio

A lot of people are attention whores at this point in the world and they put things out there that they know are wrong. Or they have an idea of what the truth is, but they fail to recognize it.

—Bianca Del Rio

version. When I started to read it aloud (for the recording) [laughs], I started to get nervous about a couple of things. I thought, “This in print comes across differently than my stage show.”

I think you can get away with murder on stage, in a moment, by delivery. Whereas when you have something in print and someone is reading it for the first time, it may come across a little differently. There are some things I fixed in the end where I thought, “Maybe this won’t translate”, unless you got the

audiobook. My first reaction was, “Whoa, this seems too far or a bit much.” Usually, for me, it’s no holds barred. Everything is funny.

But I thought, “In print, it’s a little serious.” Some things I was like, “Go with it! You asked a ridiculous question, you deserve a ridiculous answer [laughs]!”

You mention “insightful prying” in the author’s note. In what ways can that be a useful tool?

I think sometimes the answer is usually there and people know in their hearts what the truth is.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Of course, what I’m doing here is comedy. In fairness, there is a lot of truth in comedy. Usually the funniest stuff is what you can really relate to. A lot of people are attention whores at this point in the world and they put things out there that they know are wrong.

Or they have an idea of what the truth is, but they fail to recognize it. I thought that if I could give it to them in some inspirational way [laughs], it might actually help them. If it’s a real question. You never really know. When I posted stuff saying that I was interested

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

in doing a book of this nature and “Send me your questions”, we had several duplicates. Usually drag-related. Everything from “What is RuPaul like?” to “What color is your eye makeup?” That kind of shit. Some of them, I was like, “This is insane! The answer is right there in your question!”

But I had to point it out for them because they’re probably not smart enough to figure it out themselves.

Continued on pg. 35 | uu |

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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| uu | Bianca Del rio from pg.33

some of the more Colorful and amusing parts of the Book are the wonderful photos. how did you Come up with some of the ConCepts?

Basically, the publisher said they would also like to include photos. But we live in a social media world and I post a lot of photos. Back in my day, you had to have a photo and you had to have it printed and you had to wait a week! This was a different process.

I had to create new content for the book. I had to make myself appear a lot more established than I am. And also push the joke home, make it fun.

Over four days, we did a photo shoot here in Los Angeles with a friend of mine who is a New York photographer and we hit the road. We thought, “What are the most ridiculous things we could do?” From that is where we came up with the captions and dialogue. I truly didn’t want to do a vanity project and write a book about myself. I thought this would be a good way to slide in my sense of humor, that I’m also making jokes of myself as well. do you think you might have another Book in you, perhaps a novel?

I am not opposed to it. Friends of mine who have read the book have looked at me and said, “What is wrong with you? You are absolutely insane!”

Which I think is great. I guess that works for books. No one has ever said, “Stephen King’s a normal person.”

(Publisher) Harper Collins has been extremely supportive, even discussing things in the future. I’m like, “Sure, sure, sure! But let me get through this week first [laughs].” When I have a minute to collect my thoughts, I would totally do it. Why not? on a sCale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the eXperienCe of your reCent return as a guest on “rupaul’s drag raCe?”

I would say it was a 10 for me. I filmed the show originally in competition almost five years ago. It was like going back to high school. All the feels and smells were the same. When you film on the soundstage, there’s one side where the contestants are during filming. The other side is where the staff and Ru and guest judges stay.

It was interesting to be on the other side of the wall. I didn’t realize how fabulous it was until Audra McDonald was in the dressing room next door.

That made up for it. My little gay heart got excited and I realized that this is some legitimate shit!

ADvice QueeN: bianca Del Rio’s new book, ”Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert On Nothing With An Opinion On Everything,” goes on sale May 22. PHoto CoURteSy oF dey StReet BooKS.

what’s the single Best pieCe of adviCe you would offer this season’s queens?

Oh! In seriousness, the best advice would be to be as honest and as real as you are. Even though we’re wearing wigs. Just be yourself. I think the audience, especially with a reality show, gravitate to people that are real.

Knowing the pattern of Drag Race in particular, now that they’re in their 10th season, some of the most notable characters were people that were true to themselves. It’s very easy to get lost in the madness. It’s easy to get lost with cameras around you. To think, “I need to be this. I need to be that.”

Shockingly, the audience can usually see through it. in addition to your first Book hitting Bookstore shelves, your new movie “hurriCane BianCa: from russia with hate” is opening in theaters. what Can you tell the readers aBout it?

It’s our second feature, which I’m excited about. The first film actually dealt with gay rights and a schoolteacher who was fired for being gay, which is completely legal in America in 29 states, which is insane!

He loses his job and then gets it back.

My nemesis in the film is the brilliant Rachel Dratch. In the second film, we pick up where we left off. I ruined her life and now she’s determined to ruin mine. And I end up in Russia!

So, it’s topical and fun. We have some great cameos and supporting players.

The fabulous Janeane Garofalo, Cheyenne Jackson and Wanda Sykes.

We were lucky to gather a bevy of talented people. I’m really looking forward to it!

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

music

Bare Necessities

Lakeland’s ButchQueen and the Bad Habits stress punk rock equality

(above)

BARE GRITS:

Punk rockers D. Licious, Nolan Nada, Fredi X, Hell Nada and Skeebo have released ButchQueen and the Bad Habits’ debut EP “Bare Grits.”

PHOTO BY CHARLES WOLF

L

Ryan Williams-Jent

akeland, FlA., may not be known

for its punk rock drag queens, but the performance arts band ButchQueen and the Bad Habits aims to change that with “Bare Grits,” the group’s debut EP released May 5.

“In a conservative town, friction caused a blister which pressure-popped and neglect allowed to fester,” their official release reads.

“ButchQueen and the Bad Habits take no prisoners and make no apologies.

Fusing energetic live music with

bizarre theatrical experiments, this group isn’t afraid of kicking up a little dust.”

“The band is notable for its hardcore, ska and rockabilly influences, bringing an old school sound with a new age angst,” it continues. “With their debut

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

EP, the band has no problem letting it all hang out – ‘Bare Grits’ – five songs of doom and debauchery. The band [is] targeting Florida and other East Coast engagements as well as coordinating a summer tour… ButchQueen and the Bad Habits is a punk rock unit out for blood.”

“It’s so conservative around here,” vocalist and guitarist Nolan Nada says of Lakeland. “There’s not much happening or that you can get into, so a punk rock band with a drag queen just seemed like the only answer.”

Nada is joined on vocals by the front-queen Fredi X and on guitars by Hell Nada, with bassist Skeebo and drummer D. Licious rounding out the

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

group’s five mostly LGBTQ members.

He describes the band and its music as iconoclastic, stressing that they’re against the status quo and celebrate themes of diversity and individuality.

“Punk rock is a very wide term, there’s like all kinds of sub-genres,” he says. “Ska would be like a fast, punk rock reggae. But we deviate from that norm.

We play jazz, we play blues, we play straight rock ‘n’ roll and Fredi raps. We just use the term ‘punk rock’ because it’s a good umbrella term to do whatever the hell you want; you’re punk rock, you do what you want.”

Continued on pg. 39 | uu |

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

| uu | Butch Queens from pg.37

Above all else, Nada stresses the band’s inclusive nature. “That’s kind of the big thing about punk rock, but that’s definitely a big thing about us specifically,” he says. “That’s the whole point. To me if you look at each member, we’re all totally different; it’s not like traditional punk rock in that sense because not everyone looks exactly the same. We’re all unique individuals. That’s the big thing with us: everybody’s welcome.”

It’s that directive that’s reflected in the group’s writing process and performances, both in their five-track debut and at events like Ms. Gay Lakeland, Tampa Pride and the Orlando Fringe Festival. “We just embrace different topics,” Nada says.

“We throw out some poetry and then I’ll take that back to the lab and try to form that into a song and make the syllables make sense, make things rhyme and make it fit to the structure of the song.”

Nolan does the “core writing” with Fredi X, advising that “the band just kicks ass. They just do what they do. You could pretty much show up with that band, with any piece of music and just start playing.

They melt right in; they’re just natural musicians.”

“Working with my bandmates has been an awesome adventure,” D. Licious agrees. “I’m in constant awe of their musicianship. The musical receptivity and creativity they display pushes me to become a better drummer. We’re free thinkers who want to liberate the minds of an Internet-centered world.”

The musicians have played together for nearly 10 years, though they’ve been known as ButchQueen and the Bad Habits for only half that time. D. Licious, the group’s newest member who Nada calls “an original member more than the last guy,” joined during the group’s self-titled “drag rock opera” featured in the aforementioned Orlando Fringe Festival in 2017.

“We never did anything serious until Fringe last year,” Nada says.

“It was just an offshoot [because] we’re a performance arts band and we do that kind of thing. We were kind of like, since we’re already characters in the band, Fringe makes perfect sense.”

The group pulled the EP’s titular “Bare Grits” and “Whole World is Watching Me Blues” directly from the musical. “We’ve been wanting to record for a while; it’s just hard, it’s expensive and everybody will record for you but it’ll be terrible,” Nada

NO ApOLOgies: Nolan Nada plays guitar and provides vocals for ButchQueen and the Bad Habits, a rock band that “isn’t afraid of kicking up a little dust.”

The ‘Make america Great again,’ that’s pretty scary… with a political climate of that nature I think punk rock and just anything against the status quo is more relevant than ever.

—NOLAN NADA says. “We were just biding our time, figuring out when it was the most affordable and the most high-quality and we fell on this guy Kenny Evans.”

The EP was produced by Lakeland’s Kenny Evans, owner of the city’s 1,600-square-foot Electric Media Group. Evans specializes in music production, audio mixing and videography. “I love taking an artist’s vision and helping them mold it into something amazing,” Evans professionally advises, “something they never thought possible, and

something they can be proud of for many years to come!”

“He just hooked us up,” Nada says of the group’s 168 studio hours.

“It was the perfect time right after the musical and we were able to record some of the songs we’ve been working on the last couple of years.”

Nada believes that those years juxtaposed with today’s political climate have given new weight to the band’s message. “The past eight years were very liberal and progressive things were happening,” he says. “It almost seemed like

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

there wasn’t as much of a need for rebellious music. You didn’t have to rebel, you could walk down the street and feel a little more comfortable.”

“But now we’re trying to ‘Make America Great Again,’” he adds, “so I’m saying make punk a threat again. There’s gotta be backlash to what’s going on. I’m not trying to get political here, but the Trump situation’s pretty scary. The ‘Make America Great Again,’ that’s pretty scary. When was it ever great? If we look back 100 years, we’ve got some things to talk about. With

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

PHoto By CHaRleS WolF

a political climate of that nature I think punk rock and just anything against the status quo is more relevant than ever.”

Nada says ButchQueen and the Bad Habits’ trajectory thus far has meant the world to him, pointing to their EP’s heavily attended launch concert in Lakeland and their well-received “Bare Grits” music video on YouTube.

“It means so much to me. I want people to see the band,” he says. “But I think the most important thing, what matters most to me, is that we are all-inclusive. Everybody is welcome here, come throw down; if everything else is missed… that would be fine with me.”

ButchQueen and the Bad Habits’ “Bare Grits” is available now on Spotify, iTunes and most major music platforms. For more information about the band or for booking information, visit facebook.com/ Butchqueenandthebadhabits or contact badhabitsbooking@gmail.com.

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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

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FUll tiMe entRy leVel PoSition, HealtH inSURanCe BeneFitS and 401K oPtionS 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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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

community calendar

event planner

ArtS+entertAinment

Central florida

Central florida

Orange County’s 2018 state of the County

orlando Fringe Festival, May 15-28, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando. 407-648-0077; OrlandoFringe.org

fRiDAy, mAy 18, 4:00-5:00 p.m.

DR. phiLLips ceNTeR, ORLANDO Orange County mayor Teresa Jacobs will deliver her final State of the County address at the Dr. Phillips Center to highlight Orange County’s achievements and milestones the community has accomplished.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP at OCFL.net/SOC2018.

Hot Seat Fundraiser for eric Rollings, May 18, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; EricRollings.com orlando Ballet presents “Fast Forward,” May 18, Bob Carr Theater, Orlando. 407-426-1733; OrlandoBallet.org UnderBear dance Party, May 18, The Bear Den, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com the ethical intimacy Forum, May 19, CREDO Conduit, Orlando. 321-348-8851; M-Power.Weebly.com orlando Gay Chorus presents “British invasion,” May 19-20, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-377-6638; OrlandoGayChorus.org naHJ Central Florida Cocktails for a Cause, May 23, Ace Cafe, Orlando. NAHJ.org MegaCon orlando, May 24-27, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. 407-685-9800; MegaConOrlando.com Bare Beef Beach Blast w/ one Magical Weekend, May 25, Stonewall Bar, Orlando. 407-373-0888; StonewallOrlando.com Eureka o’hara, May 26, Parliament House , Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com ledisi, May 27, House of Blues, Orlando. 407-934-2583; HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando trina in Concert, May 29, Parliament House , Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com Greater orlando Equality Connection, May 30, The Hammered Lamb, Orlando.

813-870-3735; EQFL.org

Coming to ameriCa The Tony Award-nominated revival of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America Part II: Perestroika”—starring andrew Garfield and nathan lane—will be shown at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa May 20. PHoto By Helen MayBanKS, CoURteSy national tHeatRe ReVieW

Mister and Miss lady Comedy Queen Pageant, May 30, Parliament House, Orlando. 407-425-7571; ParliamentHouse.com “Fun Home,” May 30July 1, Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando. 407-297-8788; MadCowTheatre.com

Miss Polk Gay Pride fundraiser, May 19, The Pub, Lakeland.

863-651-9071; Facebook.com/ MissPolkGayPride

back to the beach!, May 27, Sunset Beach, Treasure Island. 727-321-3854; MetroTampaBay.org

Pride Ride 2018, May 20, Swan Brewing, Lakeland.

863-703-0472; PolkPrideFL.com

Miss Hamburger Mary’s Pageant, May 27, Hamburger Mary’s, Clearwater. 727-400-6996; HamburgerMarys.com/Clearwater

tampa Bay

Cisco’s Circus: a Ride 4 Rescue, May 20, Honey Pot, Tampa. 813-247-4663; SuncoastAnimalLeague.org

Bear Soup Mix 2018, May 17-20, Flamingo Resort, St. Petersburg. 727-321-5000; FlamingoFla.com

Miss St. Pete Pride 2018 Pageant, May 20, Quench Lounge, Largo. 727-342-0084; StPetePride.com

8th annual Kickball 4 Kids, May 19, Seaplane Basin Park, Tampa.

BalanceTampaBay.org

“angels in america Part ii: Perestroika,” May 20, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org

youth Zine Fest, May 19, LGBT Welcome Center, St. Petersburg. 727-201-4925; MetroTampaBay.org

tampa Equality Connection, May 23, Stageworks Theatre, Tampa. 813-870-3735; EQFL.org

White Party - arctic, May 27, Enigma, St. Petersburg.

727-235-0867; EnigmaStPete.com

sarasota Beneva Fruitville’s drag Queen Bingo Bonanza, May 20, McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, Sarasota. 941-925-3869; McCrudysComedy.com “Menopause: the Musical,” May 30-June 10, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton. 941-748-5875; ManateePerforming ArtsCenter.org

a Night of Perpetual Comedy ThuRsDAy, mAy 31, 10:00-11:30 p.m. pARLiAmeNT hOuse, ORLANDO The Orlando Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Gertrude de Nivelles, bring you a night of uproariously funny improvisational comedy.

Tickets start at $15 and are available at the door or in advance at OrlandoSisters.TicketLeap.com. Doors open 30 minutes before the show and show admission doubles as club cover. Proceeds to benefit the Sister Claire Annette Blowood Memorial Granting Fund.

tampa Bay

una Voce: Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay present “you Will Be Found” fRiDAy, mAy 18, 8:00 p.m. & sATuRDAy, mAy 19, 7:00 p.m. kiNg Of peAce mcc, sT. peTeRsbuRg (fRiDAy) & The pORTicO, TAmpA (sATuRDAy) Una Voce, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay, present their spring show “You Will Be Found,” songs of hope and inspiration featuring Tyler’s Suite, a choral piece inspired by the life and passing of Tyler Clementi. Una Voce will perform one show in St. Petersburg and one show in Tampa. Tickets are $10 and available at Una-Voce.org.

Trans Significant Other Peer support WeDNesDAy, mAy 30, 6:30-8:00 p.m. meTRO WeLLNess & cOmmuNiTy ceNTeR, sT. peTeRsbuRg Metro Wellness & Community Center hosts a peer support group for transgender individuals and their significant others at the St. Petersburg location. This is a recurring, monthly event and is free to attend.

For more information on Metro’s Trans Significant Other Peer Support or any of the support groups it offers, please visit MetroTampaBay.org.

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

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

43

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

overheard

tampa Bay out+aBout

gala greatness

E

QuALiTy fLORiDA’s 2018 sT. peTe gALA WAs heLD mAy 12 at the Mahaffey Theater, raising a record total of $354,287 to support the organization’s work.

Una Voce: The Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay dazzled the sold-out event with song while guests dined, danced and donated in the name of equality.

A total of 708 attendees, the largest of any Equality Florida Gala, raised over $26,000 in auctioned items alone.

The evening featured several honorees, including Ren Joseph, who currently serves on Metro Wellness & Community Centers’ Youth Advisory Council. Joseph received the 2018 Youth Voice for Equality Award for his advocacy and for overcoming great adversity as a transmasculine young adult.

Co-founder and Artistic Director of St. Petersburg’s Studio @ 620 Bob Devin Jones was also honored with the 2018 Voice for Equality Award. “Through his work at Studio 620 and in the community, Bob has mentored dozens of young creative workers in arts, theatre and writing,” Equality Florida noted.

For more information about Equality Florida’s work or to donate funds, visit EQFL.org.

deCk the halls

f

AN-fAvORiTe peRfORmANce ARTs QueeN eDeN Deck will take a final bow at Quench Lounge in a farewell show on May 26, surrounded by special guests and an adoring audience.

“I’m sad to leave but excited for a new journey and to get to say farewell with good friends!” Deck shared on social media, noting she’ll be joined by local performers Jaeda Fuentes, Lady Janet, Star Montrese Love and others in an Elaine Southern Belle-hosted roast.

The soon-to-be former Quench Lounge show director also invited other performer friends to “come hang and do a number” in the evening’s two shows at 10:30 and 11:30 p.m. For more information about saying goodbye and decking the halls of Quench, visit Facebook.com/QuenchLounge.

for the Children

T

AmpA bAy LiTeRARy ARTs ORgANiZeR WORDieR ThAN ThOu and the community-oriented Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will team up on June 9 to present their “Family Pride & Literacy Celebration with Drag Queen Story Hour.”

Children and community leaders will gather from 10:00-2:00 p.m. at Wordier Than Thou’s bookstore in Pinellas Park for a reading of local author Rob Sanders’ “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag.”

Area favorite queen Stephanie Stuart will read and present its colorful pages at 11:00 a.m. While it’s geared toward children ages 3-8, the organization advises that older kids and adults will find plenty to enjoy.

Throughout the day, children of all ages can also participate in a book swap, trading in unwanted books and finding their new favorites. For more information about the free and family-friendly event, email WordierThanThou@gmail.com.

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ART TALk: St. Pete artists and curators John Gascot (L) and Chad Mize show off some of their work at the MIZE Gallery May 7. Photo

By Ryan WilliaMS-Jent

2

sTReeT sAvvy: Campaign manager Michael Reyes (L) and Florida House District 69 candidate Jennifer Webb spread her message in St. Petersburg May 10. PHoto By Ryan WilliaMS-Jent

3

miss… vANJie: Local Hamburger Mary’s owner Kurt King (L) strikes a pose with Tampa Bay’s viral sensation Vanessa Vanjie Mateo at RuPaul’s Drag Con in California May 13. Photo

4

5

CoURteSy KURt KinG

4

fOR The kiDs: brian longstreth, Big Brother derek lang, taylor Pruett and Chris Malone (L-R) enjoy Watermark Wednesday benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay at Watermark’s St. Pete office May 9. PHoto By Ryan WilliaMS-Jent

5

TeA Time: Mark West Bias (Tea Cup) serves the tea on the patio of Hamburger Mary’s Ybor May 11.

PHoto By Ryan WilliaMS-Jent

6

meN iN bLAck: Kyle Goyens, Cesar de la Rosa and Juan Fontanez Jr. (L-R) dazzle at Equality Florida’s 2018 St. Pete Gala May 12. PHoto By Ryan

6

WilliaMS-Jent

7

AfTeR The pARTy: linda Chang (L) and eric Casaccio check out Enigma following Equality Florida’s 2018 St. Pete Gala May 12. PHoto By Ryan

WilliaMS-Jent

8

WARm WeLcOme: Monique Garcia (L) and James Keane welcome community members to Metro Wellness and Community Centers in the organization’s renovated entrance May 14.

PHoto By Ryan WilliaMS-Jent

7 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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45

Reach local LGBT communities across the nation.

Start connecting with over a million loyal readers in print and online across the country.

212-242-6863 info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com

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46

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

overheard

Central florida out+aBout

the minX says goodBye

A

bOuT siX yeARs AgO A pAiR Of TALeNTeD DRAg QueeNs, along with an entire bunch of local performers, came to the Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando on a Sunday to entertain diners during a quiet brunch. Those queens were Ginger Minj and The Minx. They, along with their Broadway Brunch Bunch, have gone back every Sunday performing a send-up to live theater and making Hamburger Mary’s Broadway Brunch one of the most successful and beloved brunches across the country. Ginger Minj left Broadway Brunch after appearing on season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and now the announcement has come that the other half of Broadway Brunch’s original dynamic duo is leaving as well. In a Facebook post, Hamburger Mary’s owner wrote “I am sad that we will be losing one of the most talented, and more importantly one of the nicest people I have ever met.”

The post goes on to say that The Minx’s final Broadway Brunch performance will be May 20. “Please make your reservation now to see a very special show, and help us send off Philip (The Minx’s real name) with lots of love and thanks for 6 years of entertaining the masses at Hamburger Mary’s,” the post concludes.

Reservations can be made by calling Hamburger Mary’s at 321-319-0600.

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$2 million for the arts

f

OR The NiNTh cONsecuTive yeAR, United Arts of Central Florida’s 2018 Collaborative Campaign for the Arts exceeded their fundraising goal, raising more than $2.07 million for local arts, science and history organizations. Over the course of three months, United Arts and 14 other organizations local to Central Florida received donations from patrons, most of which saw their gifts matched by 15 percent by United Arts. This announcement comes after statewide budget cuts to the arts heavily impacted local cultural organizations. The donations from this fundraiser will help bring 2.7 million cultural experiences, including 970,000 K-12 student experiences. United Arts Board Chair Kate Wilson expressed her gratitude saying, “Many donors were aware of the recent state budget cuts and increased their donations to help offset this deficit. The generosity and compassion in this region never cease to make me proud.” The money raised will be distributed to more than 60 Central Florida cultural centers and will assist with management, administrative and advisor services.

the Center’s summer reads

A

NeW bOOk cLub DeDicATeD TO eXpLORiNg The LgbTQ eXpeRieNce is coming to The Center Orlando in June. “Queer Quills: Summer Reading Club” will have its first meeting at The Center on June 28 with the book “Some Hell.” The club will also delve into the novels “Here Comes the Sun” and “Life Beyond My Body: A Transgender Journey to Manhood in China” over the course of the season. The club will meet on June 28, July 26 and August 30 from 7-9 p.m. at The Center on Mills Ave. Those interested should register for the club at TheCenterOrlando.com.

A donation of $5 per session or $10 for the entire series is suggested.

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PHoto CoURteSy ReP. CaRloS GUilleRMo SMitH

diSteFano WalKeR

LOve is LOve: (L-R) Jerick Mediavilla, state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Christine leinonen visit the interim memorial at Pulse in Orlando May 13.

2

WONDeR TWiNs: Dick batchelor (L) and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan sport the same jacket at Orlando Ballet’s “Contemporary Wonders” at the Dr. Phillips Center May 4. Photo by andRea BatCHeloR

3

g’DAy mATe: brendan o’Connor (L) catches a selfie with (L-R) Danielle Knox, david Martin and amy Kaufeldt after his first live segment on the new FOX 35 news show, “Good Day Extra!” in Orlando May 14. PHoto CoURteSy BRendan o’ConnoR

4

DyNAmic DuO: Adult film star dustin Steele hangs out with addison taylor for Flesh Friday at Parliament House in Orlando May 4. Photo

giRLs’ DAy OuT: Money coach tammy lally (L) and Hard Rock’s Julie diStefano Walker take in the City Beautiful May 6. PHoto CoURteSy JUlie

6

fAb QueeNs: Wes Miles (front) hangs with amazing queens (L-R) Rae o light, lacie Browning and Ginger beer at Stonewall Bar in Orlando May 10. Photo

7

CoURteSy WeS MileS

7

TANkeD: Mike Sklarz (L) and Heather abood show off their sexy tank tops at the Parliament House in Orlando May 5. Photo

CoURteSy MiKe SKlaRZ

8

sOuTheRN gOThic: Kaija adonis (L), with trevor Kiefer, is the mighty Maleficent for the 2nd Annual Goth Affair at Southern Nights in Orlando May 10.

PHoto CoURteSy tReVoR KieFeR

CoURteSy PaRliaMent HoUSe

8 watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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announcements

wedding Bells

Jennifer Warden and Traci Rodriguez from St. Petersburg

Michael Scranton and Rick Vail were married May 5.

Jen Warden and traci Rodriguez were married May 5.

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“i

kNeW she WAs The ONe

I would marry as soon as I realized I couldn’t be away from her and her son,” Jen Warden shared about her wife, Traci Rodriguez.

“There was a bond that formed between us that felt so pure and happy. More importantly, my two little girls felt the same way I did.”

Warden, who originally hails from Wyandotte, Mich., is an esthetician and spa owner of JenSpa Advanced Esthetics & Blush Medical Day Spa. Rodriguez is a Tampa native, graduate of Florida State University, and works as a senior accountant.

“Their happiness and my own were signs that we were destined to become a family,” Warden continues. “I also realized that this kind of love was a once-in-alifetime opportunity, and there was no way I would miss out on having the perfect family I have always dreamed of.”

The couple had crossed paths several times, but didn’t officially start dating until February 2017.

“I remember the strong connection when we first met, and I fell in love with her before our first date,” Rodriguez gushes.

“We talked all day and night since the first day we started talking.

She was definitely what I was looking for and one of a kind.

When she first met Zach and instantly bonded with him and treated him so kind and with so much love, I knew then she would be the one I would marry.”

Rodriguez proposed to Warden in Asheville, N.C., at the Biltmore Hotel Gardens.

The wedding day was set and happened just as perfectly as the two could have imagined.

“From the second we woke up until we went to bed that night, it was the most special day ever,” Rodriguez remembers about the wedding day. “Jen put so much thought, heart and soul into each little detail of the wedding.”

“When I was walking down the aisle and I saw her face when she saw me, her reaction was something I will always remember because the moment had finally come when

I would marry my best friend,” Warden shares.

But the most memorable part of the day for both of them happened after the vows were exchanged.

Warden recalls, “After we had finished the ceremony, we danced outside once the rain passed through. They say its good luck when it rains on your wedding day, and I could feel the cleanse in the air that the rain had brought.

It was like a new beginning had started just for us.”

“I was dancing with my father and he asked me who Jen would be dancing with for her father-daughter dance,” Rodriguez says. “Since Jen’s father had passed away, I told him she was not going to do that dance. He said, ‘Well I am her dad now and I will ask her to dance.’ When our dance was finished, he walked up and asked her to dance. For me, seeing her smile and knowing she would get to have a father-daughter dance meant so much to me and melted my heart.”

“He was family before we were married, and that dance made me realize that I was truly a part of something beautiful,” Warden says.

Orlando muscle bear and trainer Migael Schieder, Sarasota photographer and artist Ming “troy” Ming, Orlando Ballet Dancer alberto Blanco Perez, St. Pete staple Marc Calvillo, Florida traveler david Saccoccio, dog-adoring tom Singer (May 17); Gypsy Productions founder trevor Keller, senior pastor at Joy MCC terri Steed Pierce, Central Florida photographer Julie Milford textor, Central Florida drag performer Kai’ja taylor adonis (May 18); senior pastor at Joy Metropolitan Community Church terri Steed Pierce, Central Florida ally Marianella Zapata noriega (May 19); State House candidate anna Vishkaee eskamani, State House Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith’s legislative aide ida Vishkaee eskamani, Yow Dance owner eric yow, Hamburger Mary’s Ybor bartender James Bailey, Olde Town Brokers realtor Brett Winters (May 20); Two Spirit Health Services’ david Baker-Hargrove, Orlando real estate agent Wes Miller, St. Petersburg photographer Jamarcus Mosley, vice-chair of the Human Rights Campaign board of directors John Ruffier, Tampa Bay bear Rick Grayson, proud mommy tanya Blasingame(May 21); Hamburger Mary’s St. Pete manager nikko Panagos, University of Tampa professor and Equality Florida volunteer Jack Crepeau, Hunks Orlando Promoter Jeffrey torres, Orlando artist Cake Marques, Sarasota University Club’s Peter McClain Jr., manager at Kings Dining & Entertainment Orlando brittany Gayle, Harvey Milk Festival president Shannon Fortner, Central Florida photographer tabitha Whidby (May 22); Orlando Realtor alex Zweydoff, Ted Maines Interiors owner ted Maines (May 23); owner of Lowe and Behold, and all around great dad Randy lowe, Hammered Lamb resident angie Rash, Balance Tampa Bay’s Jason Fields (May 24); Tampa Bay entertainer Holly louya, Wordier Than Thou Founder tiffany Razzano; bartending babe Kerissa hickey (May 25); St. Petersburg karaoke star Javier dones, Seminole personal trainer Chip Wright, Queen of the Wardrobe Marcy Singhaus; Brother to the beloved and departed “Miss P” dave Wegman (May 26); Tampa Drag Queen Bingo maven amy deMilo, Orlando hairstylist Jesse Colin yeager, Sarasota country line dancer david Russell, Southern Nights photographer Hannah Jordan (May 27); neuromarketing guru alex Wall (May 28); St. Pete photographer laurie Ross, St. Pete theater supporter Jon Hughes, GayStAugustine.com’s emery McClune, Orlando behind-the-scenes theater guru Bill St. yves, Dunedin stylist Corey Judge (May 29); Fairvilla peddler DC bulla; Orlando-based photographer Jim Barrett (May 30).

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

—Aaron Drake

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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C E N T R A L

lawn Care

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LGBT Primary Care Your Family Doctor’s Office

Piñero Preventive Medical Care Mon-Sat -New Patients Welcome 1720 S Orange Ave, Ste 200 | Orlando

www.PineroMedical.com | 407.426.9693 Celebrating 10 years of LGBT Primary Care

non-profit organiZation

Proudly Caring for the Pets and People of the LGBT community since 1955

BOARDING DOGGIE DAYCARE 1601 Lee Rd. Winter Park (407) 644-2676 lgBtq mediCal

youth serviCes

non-profit organiZation

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

• Join • Volunteer • Donate

info@orlandoyouthalliance.org www.orlandoyouthalliance.org

personal training www.rockhardfitnessorlando.com

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Head over to Watermarkonline.com and click on the Digital Publications link to read a digital version of the printed newspaper!

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407-481-2243 52

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

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the last page

PHoto By JaKe SteVenS

Miguel Fuller VIE WPOINT COLUMNIS T

Age: 32

hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

iDentiFieS AS: Gay

oUt YeAr:

2000

hire DAte:

July 2016

ProFeSSionAl role moDel:

what kind of writing do you do for watermark?

Morning radio show hosts Bert, Jeff, Melissa and Jenn of the Bert Show in Atlanta, Georgia.

Opinion/editorial.

I have a rich history of standing on a soap box and telling people my story or my opinions about life. Thankfully Watermark allows that tradition to continue.

AUtoBiogrAPhY title:

“The Man Who Just Wanted To Be Liked.”

hoBBieS:

what is the name of your viewpoint Column?

Crossfit, cheese fries, reading, TV and movies

High Fidelity.

what was the headline of your first Column with watermark?

“OMG! Miguel has made his relationship status Facebook official?!” what made you want to write for watermark?

They allowed me to have my soapbox again. Literally in college I was editor of the newspaper and had a column called ‘Miguel’s Soapbox.’ what is your favorite thing aBout writing for watermark?

Having a vehicle to write about topics that are so close to my heart. when did you develop a passion for writing?

I always had an overactive imagination, which is why I would dive into books and immerse myself in those worlds. I was never super confident in my writing until college when a couple of professors really helped me hone my voice. what do you like writing aBout the most?

My life and what I see around me.

I’m a naturally curious person so I love looking into the deeper

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

meaning of life so usually my columns end up being my observations on life situations. what is your favorite lgBtq event?

St. Pete Pride. The year is usually divided into before St. Pete Pride and after St. Pete Pride.

what is your favorite thing aBout the loCal lgBtq Community?

The family vibe. After moving around for a bit because of my job I noticed that the local Tampa Bay LGBTQ community is very welcoming. what would you like to see improved in the lgBtq Community?

I’d like to see us bring more people into the fold of our community. Our senior brothers and sisters that paved the way for us to live openly should be celebrated. Also, I’d like to see us reach out to those minority groups in our community that don’t feel like they have a seat at the table.

what do you want the watermark readers to know aBout you?

I’m SO bad at remembering names and it makes me cringe whenever I can’t remember someone’s name. Faces, I got it. But names, I’m usually at a loss.

what adviCe would you give your younger self?

Chin up sir and enjoy the beauty of learning about yourself…and put the oatmeal cream pies down. They are going to become a problem later in life!

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.

May 17 - M ay 3 0, 2018 // Issue 25.10

55

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