Watermark Issue 27.23: {RE}Making History

Your LGBTQ Life.

November 12 - 24, 2020 • Issue 27.23

Re making History Metro Inclusive Health raises the roof on Tampa expansion

Parliament House resort closes, to be torn down Tampa Bay launches Transgender Film Fest

Holiday Guide

D A Y T O N A B E A C H • O R L A N D O • T A M P A • S T . P E T E R S B U R G • clear w ater • S A R A S O T A

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That alone makes a big difference.

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Learn more about how we’ve increased our safety and protection for patients and team members at BayfrontStPete.com.

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

departments 7 // Editor’s/Tampa Bay Bureau Chief’s Desk

page

15

9 // Central Florida News

The Biden/Harris ticket is the most pro-equality ticket in history. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are not just willing to be our allies, but they are true advocates for equality. And they’ve done it for decades.

—Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign

12// Tampa Bay News 14// Election 2020 News 21// Talking Points 37// Tampa Bay Out + About 39// Central Fl Out + About 40// Tampa Bay Marketplace 42// Central Fl Marketplace 46// Wedding Bells On the cover

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{Re}Making History: Metro Inclusive Health raises the roof on Tampa expansion. Photo and

design by Dylan Todd

scan qr code for

WatermarkOnline.com

page Good as Golding:

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“Crazy Rich Asians” star Henry Golding discusses playing gay in his new film, “Monsoon.”

Watermark Issue 27.23 // November 12 - 24, 2020

Last Dance

Pride at the polls

Fighting in Florida

Community Cinema

page Parliament House closes its doors and is set to be torn down.

page Pete Buttigieg headlines LGBTQ event ahead of Biden win.

page

page

Read It Online!

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

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EQFL’s Joe Saunders looks at Florida’s election day highs and lows.

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Tampa Bay Transgender Film Fest showcases the trans experience.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WatermarkOnline and Like us on Facebook. watermark Your LGBTQ life.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

cityfurniture.com

Editor’s

Jeremy Williams Editor-In-chief

Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com

2

Desk

020 has been a roller coaster

of a year and this past few weeks have been a dozen loop-de-loops in a row as we head into its final, holiday stretch.

Parliament House, the oldest and longest running LGBTQ club in Central Florida, succumbed to the pandemic. While rumors of shutting down seemed to circle the iconic resort every year, they always seemed to come out on top and I think we all thought it would be the same this go around.

Rumors that it will reopen somewhere else in Orlando are flying around, and while it won’t be the same, I’m happy the hear that the name may still carry on and that the LGBTQ community will still have a safe space to go.

We also recently lost the legendary Alex Trebek, who hosted “Jeopardy!” for almost as long as the Parliament House welcomed LGBTQ people to the safety of its dance floor. For 36 years, he was the smartest

man on TV and watching him pronounce every word on that Jeopardy board — especially the words in Latin with 47 letters — with sheer perfection was quite a sight to see. I loved kicking back and watching it after a long day at work and will miss how proud of myself I would get whenever I got the question right.

We lost Trebek this year — just as we lost Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, actor Chadwick Boseman, the iconic Miss Sammy and my own dad — to cancer. The only thing I have left to add to that is Fuck Cancer!

Now on to some good news, a rarity in the hellish year, the U.S. has elected a new president and vice president. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect

Kamala Harris will begin to lead this nation starting Jan. 20, 2021.

The announcement came Saturday morning, four long days after election day where I and most of the country marathon-watched cable news with its electoral college counts, magic boards of blue and red states, projections, analysis and endless what-if scenarios. Did you know that Biden had many paths to victory but Trump basically had one? John King knew.

They told us leading up to Nov. 3 that we weren’t going to know who the winner was until days later but still we glued ourselves to the TV while sharing memes and TikToks on social media to get through it.

While we now must endure two and a half months of Trump temper tantrums, false allegations of rigid elections and more than I care to see television rants from grownup “Bat Boy” Rudy Giuliani, at least there is an end in sight.

Since being denied a second term, Trump has bombarded Twitter with tweet after tweet — posted in between rounds of golf I’m sure — whining about how unfair this all is to him and, at presstime, refuses to concede the election. He tweets his trash to his 88.9 million Twitter followers.

While I don’t doubt that many of his followers are supporters of his, I’m willing to bet that a large portion of them are journalists, politicians and American patriots who follow just to keep up on his late-night “policy” rants and to troll him every time he writes something unverified and non-factual.

I hope that after this lame duck is escorted from The White House, and if Twitter doesn’t take it upon itself to delete his profile, everyone simply unfollows him. I’m pretty certain that the only thing that would infuriate

watermark staff Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Business Manager: Kathleen Sadler • Ext. 101 Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com

Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com Art Director: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Account Manager: Michael Wier • Ext. 105 Michael@WatermarkOnline.com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Trump more than losing is becoming irrelevant.

And on to news that is relevant and very good news for the local community. In this issue, we look at how Metro Inclusive Health’s renovation of the German-American Club in Tampa is coming along and what expanded LGBTQ-inclusive services they will be bringing to the new Metro center.

I’m pretty certain that the only thing that would infuriate Trump more than losing is becoming irrelevant.

In Central Florida news, we say goodbye to the Parliament House resort as news breaks that the LGBTQ landmark will be torn down. We also check in with The Center Orlando which will now be the managing service center for those impacted by Pulse tragedy.

In Tampa Bay news, former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg held a rally ahead of Biden’s historic win and we preview events coming to the bay area for the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

In other news, we highlight key wins and losses this election year for the LGBTQ community across Florida and the rest of the United States.

In Arts & Entertainment, we talk with “Crazy Rich Asians” star Henry Golding about playing gay in his new film, “Monsoon.” We also highlight films playing as a part of the inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Fest.

Orlando Office Tampa Bay Account Manager: Ricky Celaya-Renaud • Ext. 102 Ricky@WatermarkOnline.com Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer Tom@WatermarkOnline.com National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

Tampa Bay Office 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

contributors Joe Saunders

is Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director where he leads the policy and political programs for the country’s largest state-based LGBTQ rights organization. Page 17

Sabrina Ambra

is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to. Page 19

Tiffany Razzano

is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 46

Sabrina Ambra, Nathan Bruemmer, Scottie Campbell, Miguel Fuller, Divine Grace, Holly Kapherr Alejos, Jason Leclerc, Melody Maia Monet, Jerick Mediavilla, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, Michael wanzie

photography Brian Becnel, Nick Cardello, Bruce Hardin, Jamarqus Mosley, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Ken Carraway, Vanessa Maresca-Cruz CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

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

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

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

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

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

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

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tampa bay

bureau chief’s

Ryan Williams-Jent TB bureau chief Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

W

Desk

e did it. There were times I

was certain we would, convinced that voters from all walks of life knew that enough was enough – and others when I accepted it was an impossibility, too exhausted to hope it could happen after 2016. But it’s done.

After a very long four years for the LGBTQ community and this country, seven if you count the first 10 months of 2020, Donald Trump has been ousted by the American people. Joe Biden will become the next president of the United States, bringing with him a selfless, pro-equality track record to which even I can personally attest.

When Watermark reached out to every presidential campaign left standing for our February coverage of Florida’s primary election, the team that the former vice president assembled was the first to respond. I felt they did so with the most in-depth answers of any candidate, and was pleased that throughout the 2020

election they maintained frequent communication.

I value what Watermark does wholeheartedly, and I believe no one in Florida does it better, but we’re not a national operation like USA Today. That didn’t stop Biden’s campaign from treating us with the same respect that outlets of their and every stature deserves, however, ensuring we had every pertinent piece of information we needed to serve our readers.

Closer to the election, Biden would go on to directly commit to equality in an interview with the Philadelphia Gay News, fellow member of the National LGBT Media Association. His respect not only for LGBTQ Americans but

for the free press at large was a refreshing change from the Trump administration, which so clearly valued neither.

With Biden’s election also comes Kamala Harris, a fellow equality champion who will make history as our next vice president.

She’ll do so not only as the first woman to serve in the role, but as the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent.

She was only the fourth woman to appear on the presidential ticket for a major political party in our nation’s 244-year history and is the first to win. Whatever your political affiliation, that long overdue representation should be celebrated by everyone.

As for Trump, there isn’t much I can say at the end of his presidency that I haven’t said during it. So I’ll let him speak for me, something he never did as president. “You’re fired.”

I have no empathy for the man, nor for voters mourning his loss.

Whether they cast their ballots eagerly or with hesitation, they did so after he showed the world exactly how little he deserved it.

My empathy was all used up during his term. From thinking about Nazis killing an American on U.S. soil in 2017 – during protests which did not have “very fine people on both sides” – to reflecting on children caged at the U.S. border like animals, I spent it all on the marginalized communities Trump threatened.

Including ours. From barring transgender soldiers from serving in the military to opposing the Equality Act’s nondiscrimination protections for every LGBTQ American, Trump showed us who he is. That’s why I’m so very thankful that voters showed him who the U.S. should be.

Our country is in good hands with Biden and Harris, something the president-elect made clear during his victory speech. In it, he

watermark staff Owner & Publisher: Rick Claggett • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Business Manager: Kathleen Sadler • Ext. 101 Kathleen@WatermarkOnline.com

Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Bureau Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com Art Director: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com Tampa Bay Account Manager: Michael Wier • Ext. 105 Michael@WatermarkOnline.com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

celebrated the diversity that truly makes this country great.

“I am proud of the coalition we built, the broadest and most diverse in history,” he said.

“Democrats and Republicans and Independents. Progressives, moderates and conservatives.

Young and old. Urban, suburban and rural. Gay, straight, transgender. White. Latino. Asian.

Native American. And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest – the African American community.”

There were always more of us who opposed Trump’s hatred than welcomed it, something 2016’s popular vote showed us, but this time there were enough of us in the “right” states.

His Electoral College loss is a

For the first time in four years, I have hope.

breath of fresh air, especially as our nation grapples with COVID-19 which Trump so predictably mismanaged. For the first time in four years, I have hope.

Exciting changes are happening in Tampa as well, which is why we focus on Metro Inclusive Health’s renovation of the German-American Club with this issue. The nonprofit details how they’re (re)making history to expand LGBTQ-inclusive services.

In our news coverage, we reflect on more local, state and nationwide races impacting the LGBTQ community. In Arts and Entertainment, we log on for the inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival.

Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories.

Please safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.

Orlando Office Tampa Bay Account Manager: Ricky Celaya-Renaud • Ext. 102 Ricky@WatermarkOnline.com Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer Tom@WatermarkOnline.com National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

1300 N. Semoran Blvd.

Ste 250 Orlando, FL 32807 TEL: 407-481-2243

Tampa Bay Office 401 33rd Street N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

contributors Joe Saunders

is Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director where he leads the policy and political programs for the country’s largest state-based LGBTQ rights organization. Page 17

Sabrina Ambra

is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to. Page 19

Tiffany Razzano

is the founder and president of Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit that creates fun, engaging events for writers and readers. Page 46

Sabrina Ambra, Nathan Bruemmer, Scottie Campbell, Miguel Fuller, Divine Grace, Holly Kapherr Alejos, Jason Leclerc, Melody Maia Monet, Jerick Mediavilla, Greg Stemm, Dr. Steve yacovelli, Michael wanzie

photography Brian Becnel, Nick Cardello, Bruce Hardin, Jamarqus Mosley, Chris Stephenson, Lee Vandergrift

distribution LVNLIF2 Distributing, Ken Carraway, Vanessa Maresca-Cruz CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher.

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

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

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

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

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

Watermark Publishing Group Inc.

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

central florida news

The Center Orlando to manage service center for those impacted by Pulse tragedy Jeremy Williams

O

Sign of the times: The

iconic sign in front of the Parliament House resort. Photo

by Ebyabe, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Last Dance

Parliament House to be torn down Jeremy Williams

O

RLANDO | After 45 years as Central Florida’s most well-known LGBTQ club, the Parliament House resort officially closed its doors Nov. 2.

Parliament House made the announcement on its Facebook page Oct. 28 stating that its final dance at the resort would be Nov. 1.

“For over 45 years, The Parliament House has called Orange Blossom Trail our home,” the post began. “We have to announce that our home at its current location will be closing Monday, November 2, 2020. We put up a good fight over the last 11 months to secure financing and renovate our existing property.

Unfortunately, that fight ended today with no deal. Our ‘Last Dance’ at 410 N. Orange Blossom Trail (OBT) will be this Sunday, November 1, 2020.”

Rumors that the Parliament House was in danger of being closed began in October when social media posts pointed to court documents that indicated

the owners agreed to surrender the resort property by 11:59 p.m.

Nov. 2. The documents state Lion Financial, the Miami-based firm that holds its mortgage, would be free to take ownership of the property after midnight Nov. 3.

While Lion assumes ownership of the property, Parliament Partners — the company name the LGBTQ resort was owned under — will retain the name Parliament House and, as indicated by owner Don Granatstein in early October and in the resort’s Facebook post, they will look for a new location to reopen the Parliament House.

“Although our location may be changing, we hope you will follow us to our next destination here in Orlando,” the post states. Rumors have already begun circulating online that Granatstein is eyeing several locations on Church Street in downtown Orlando.

According to a Notice of Commencement filed by new property owner Lion Financial with the city of Orlando, the “demolition and removal of Parliament House building structure, slab and footer” has

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

been requested for 410 N. Orange Blossom Trail.

The city application lists Rock & Roll Demolition Services in Altamonte Springs as the contracted company who will be tearing down the iconic resort. Rock & Roll Demolition Services stated they expect to begin the demolition within the next few months.

A chain link fence and “No Trespassing” signs have been put up around the now empty resort.

The application does not indicate what Lion Financial intends to build on the property.

Watermark has reached on to Lion Financial for comment but has not heard back as of press time.

City Commissioner Patty Sheehan told News 6 that the City of Orlando is working to try and preserve the iconic Parliament House sign located out front of the resort.

Parliament House carries with it a large part of Central Florida’s LGBTQ history and has hosted hundreds of national headlining performers. The iconic club has also been home to some of Orlando’s most entertaining drag queens.

A documentary was created for the Parliament House’s 40th anniversary in 2015, featuring interviews of former employees and customers. Visit WateramrkOnline.com to watch the 2015 film.

RLANDO | The LGBT+ Center Orlando will now manage the Orlando United Assistance Center (OUAC) which serves and supports the immediate family members of the 49 individuals taken in the Pulse tragedy and the survivors.

OUAC, a collaboration with the City of Orlando, Orange County Government, Osceola County Government and Heart of Florida United Way, will now have its services incorporated into the existing services of The Center, according to an Oct. 28 press release.

“It was a privilege for the Heart of Florida United Way to manage the OUAC for the past four years. We are so pleased to transition the OUAC to such an esteemed organization with a vision for taking the OUAC to the next level,” Ray Larsen, vice president of community impact for the Heart of Florida United Way, said in the press release.

OUAC, with advisement from the Central Florida Foundation, commissioned a survey outreach initiative in order to identify and better understand the long-term needs of the Pulse victims’ families and the survivors.

The research team’s findings showed a large majority of those affected wanted ongoing mental and physical health services; financial, job and housing assistances; and support groups for at least the next five years.

“The Center’s vision was perfectly in alignment with the core areas the collaborative outlined – based on the research findings,” says Larsen. “We are excited for this next chapter.”

Dr. Erica Fissel of the University of Central Florida and Zachary Murray, M.S., will lead focus groups beginning in early 2021 to help The Center to learn, anticipate and understand how they can best serve the Pulse survivors and families moving forward.

“The Center humbly serves and is connected with the impacted community in many capacities already, and we are grateful to the collaborative’s trust in serving this communities’ future needs,” Dr. George Wallace, executive director of The Center Orlando, said in the press release. “This community is resilient, and they will always be supported. To continue the amazing work of the OUAC is a humbling honor.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer weighed in on the transition of OUAC, saying in a statement “I am confident that The Center Orlando will ensure that the OUAC will continue to provide compassionate care as we embark on this new chapter in our community’s healing.”

To learn more about OUAC and The Center’s new involvement, visit OrlandoUnitedAssistanceCenter.org/ResearchReport.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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tampa bay news

events, vigils highlight and reflect on trans lives Ryan Williams-Jent

T

AMPA BAY | Organizations and activists will highlight transgender lives and reflect on those that have been lost leading up to and on Nov. 20, the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR).

The observance has honored lives lost in acts of anti-transgender violence since 1999. According to the Human Rights Campaign, more than 30 known victims have been reported across the U.S. in 2020.

Transgender Awareness Week will precede TDoR, raising visibility for transgender people. Within it, Metro Inclusive Health will hold their fourth annual Trans Fashion & Health Expo Nov. 9-14 in partnership with Tampa’s James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.

This year’s event will be held virtually, allowing for participants across the nation. They’re encouraged to attend a variety of workshops tailored to the transgender experience, including a keynote address from Schuyler Bailar Nov. 14 from 12-1 p.m.

Bailar is the first transgender athlete to compete on an NCAA Division One men’s team, the highest level of intercollegiate athletics overseen by the organization.

“The systemic barriers to accessing health care and economic stability that exist for the trans and gender diverse community are harrowing,” Metro LGBTQ+ Division Manager Cole Foust says. “We organize this event every year in efforts to alleviate those barriers and to create a space that celebrates trans, non-binary and gender diverse people.

“It’s also an opportunity to share that Metro Inclusive Health will always be a place for the community to access affirming and inclusive healthcare and community programming,” he adds. Participants will have the opportunity to win thousands of dollars in prizes and registration is now open.

TDoR vigils will follow Nov. 20 throughout Tampa Bay. ALSO Youth will gather at its Sarasota headquarters from 6-7 p.m. with support from CAN Community Health. The candlelit vigil will feature music from Modern Marimba and more.

St. Petersburg TDoR will hold its candlelit commemoration from 7-8 p.m. at St. Petersburg City Hall, simultaneously streaming it on Facebook.

In-person attendees are encouraged to wear masks, which will be made available if needed and to maintain social distance.

St. Petersburg TDoR is organized by area gender therapist Tristan Byrnes and 6S Boutique owners Andrew and Sasha Citino. “This is a time to honor the lives lead by amazing human beings and to bring awareness to the unfortunate hate that surrounds us, as well as the love and support that there is for trans people,” Andrew Citino explains.

For more information or to register for Metro Inclusive Health’s fourth annual Trans Fashion & Health Expo, visit MetroTampaBay.org/TFHE. For more information about St. Petersburg TDoR’s vigil or ALSO Youth’s, visit Facebook.com/St.PeteTDOR and ALSOYouth.org.

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BUILD BACK BLUER: Pete

Buttigieg stumps for President-elect Joe Biden in St. Pete Oct. 28 ahead of his victory in Pinellas County and the U.S. PHOTO

BY DYLAN TODD

Pride at the Polls Buttigieg headlines LGBTQ event Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg headlined Pride at the Polls at Williams Park Oct. 28, encouraging voters to support President-elect Joe Biden ahead of his win.

Buttigieg endorsed Biden earlier this year following his own historical bid for the office, in which he became the first openly gay man to win presidential delegates.

Pride at the Polls followed an event he hosted in Tampa for fellow veterans.

A number of elected officials discussed the importance of the LGBTQ vote to those assembled, all of whom wore masks and maintained social distance. Among the speakers were openly LGBTQ State Rep.-elect Michele Rayner and St. Petersburg Council Member Darden Rice.

Additional speakers included LGBTQ allies U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, State Rep. Ben Diamond, Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long, all of whom won their own re-election campaigns Nov. 3, and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. Kriseman introduced Buttigieg, noting he would call

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

him “Mayor Pete until he becomes Secretary Pete or U.N. Ambassador Pete or whatever he ends up doing in the Biden administration.”

Despite attempts to disrupt Buttigieg’s more than 10-minute speech by pro-Donald Trump protestors, he clearly outlined his support for Biden and Kamala Harris. “I have told the Biden-Harris campaign I would go anywhere to support the cause,” he noted.

“I didn’t know that would mean going into the mind of Mike Pence for a while to help with debate prep,” he continued. “I didn’t know he would mean going on Fox News quite as often as it has. But when they told you that part of what they needed was to go to St. Pete, I was pretty excited.”

Buttigieg subsequently discussed what he called Trump’s mishandling of COVID-19, “one of the worst mass causality events in American history,” as well as the outgoing president’s words directed to the far-right hate group the Proud Boys. “Stand back and stand by,” Trump said during the first presidential debate.

“Hate is not the American way and it will have no home in the White House when we get a new and better president,” Buttigieg

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

stressed, turning to Biden’s commitment to equality.

“We are all for the idea that you should be treated equally no matter who you are, no matter who you love, no matter how you identify, and that the LGBTQ community deserves full equality under the law,” he said. “One of the reasons we’re winning this election is that American people already agree with us on the major policy questions of the day.”

“It’s about character. It’s about decency,” he said. “You don’t have to be a die-hard Democrat to know that America is better off when we have a president who gets up in the morning and his first instinct is to bring us together, not to divide us apart for political purposes … This is our chance.”

“Look, here’s the thing about 2020,” Buttigieg concluded. “It sucks. But 2020 is not over yet and we get to write the last and most important chapter in the story of 2020 – we’re doing it right now and we will look back on this moment with Pride. Thank you for caring.

Thank you for coming. Thank you for voting.”

While the presidential election wasn’t called in Biden’s favor until Nov. 7, unofficial election results show that he narrowly won in Pinellas County. As of Nov. 9, the president-elect received 49.44% of the vote to Trump’s 49.22%.

View a full photo gallery of Buttigieg’s visit at WatermarkOnline.com.

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

13

election 2020

Florida man uses music to respond to anti-LGBTQ Trump supporters Yariel Valdés González of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

W

ILTON MANORS, Fla. | Stephen Neil was quietly enjoying election night at home with his partner when he heard a commotion outside his Wilton Manors apartment. He quickly realized it was a caravan of cars honking their horns and waving flags of support for President Trump. More of the same, he thought.

Neil initially decided to ignore them, but he decided he could not sit idly by when he heard through a megaphone they began to spew hatred against the LGBTQ community. He decided to reach out to them and film them live on Facebook.

They were standing along Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors’ main artery, in front of two gay bars, Gym and The Pub. “I was worried that what they were saying was not going to be heard from my condo so I decided to go down and film them from a closer vantage point,” Neil told the Washington Blade in an exclusive interview.

“They were spewing hatred; calling us derogatory names, child molesters, and were only there to antagonize the community.”

“This is why we need a change in America,” Neil said at the beginning of his Facebook broadcast as he showed the president’s supporters waving large blue flags with the slogan “Trump 2020” from afar.

Neil felt he had to do more to stop this rampant attack.

“I took my amp and electric violin and played ‘This Is Me’ from the soundtrack of the movie ‘The Greatest Showman,’ among other songs, and I drowned his hatred with love,” said Neil, who is a professional violinist. “I said you might hate us but we still love you.

We are in this together.”

Despite the tense situation, Neil, 34, was not afraid.

He never thought they would physically attack him.

“I realized that they were there to spread hate, but I didn’t think they were going to be violent,” said Neil.

The video clearly shows several police cars parked along Wilton Drive to prevent any incident.

“Once they realized that no one could hear them because of my music, they left,” said Neil.

Neil said this incident is the result of the atmosphere of hatred the president has created during his presidency.

“I think Trump has encouraged white supremacy and other groups whose mantra centers around hate,” he said. “These people now feel emboldened to stand up, make themselves known and spread their messages of hate.”

14

Shevrin Jones becomes Florida’s first openly gay state senator Jeremy Williams

S

tate Rep. Shevrin Jones was elected to represent the Florida Senate’s 35th District Nov. 3 making him the first openly LGBTQ person who will serve in the state senate.

Jones is also one of only two, along with recently elected state Sen.-elect Jabari Brisport of New York, openly gay Black men who serve in any U.S. state senate.

“I’m humbled to have earned the trust of the people of SD 35.

I am looking forward to serving you in the Florida Senate. Thank YOU!

#WEthePEOPLE,” Jones tweeted out Nov. 3 after his win.

Jones has served as a member of the state House of Representatives for District 101 since 2012. He won his state senate primary Aug. 18, defeating five opponents, before going on to defeat write-in candidate Darien Hill in the general election.

Jones, a former teacher, was endorsed by the Florida Education Association and Broward Teachers Union, as well as Equality Florida’s Action PAC, South Florida’s Sun Sentinel and the Florida arm of the Service Employees International Union.

Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston and President & CEO

of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued a statement congratulating Jones on his historic win.

“Shevrin shattered a long-standing political barrier for LGBTQ candidates in Florida and his victory will resonate far beyond the boundaries of his state,” Parker said. “Shevrin will be one of just two Black gay men serving in state senates and his victory is certain to inspire more Black LGBTQ leaders to step up and run themselves. The politics of division and hatred failed in this race and gave way to a government that is more representative of the people it serves.”

Council, won in the Bronx to make history as the first gay Black men elected to the U.S. House. Both are Democrats; Torres identifies as Afro Latino.

The two “will bring unique perspectives based on lived experiences never before represented in the U.S. Congress,” Parker said.

With the addition of Jones and Torres, there will be nine openly LGBTQ members of the House as of January. The seven incumbents all won their races.

In Delaware, Democrat Sarah McBride won her state Senate race with more than 70% of the vote and will become the first openly transgender state senator in the country.

“It is my hope that a young LGBTQ kid here in Delaware or really anywhere in this country can look at the results and know that our democracy is big enough for them, too,” McBride said as her victory was confirmed Tuesday night.

McBride interned at the White House under President Barack Obama and in 2016 became the first openly transgender person to give a speech at a major party convention.

Two other Democrats became the first openly transgender people to win seats in their states’ Houses: Taylor Small in Vermont and Stephanie Byers in Kansas.

Byers, a retired high school band teacher, expressed hope that her victory would encourage other transgender people in conservative Kansas.

“It helps those people who are transgender to reinforce that they are people who matter, they are people who are important and they’re people who can be successful in their lives,” she told The Wichita Eagle.

Before Tuesday’s election, there were four other transgender lawmakers in state legislatures nationwide, according to the Victory Fund.

In Georgia, Democrat Kim Jackson, a lesbian social justice advocate, became the first LGBTQ person to win a seat in the state Senate. Shevrin Jones, a gay former state representative, accomplished that same feat in Florida’s Senate.

And in New York, Jabari Brisport, a gay math teacher, became the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the legislature.

In Oklahoma, Mauree Turner, a Democrat who is Black, Muslim and identifies as non-binary, won a seat in the state House.

“I have continuously lived a life where folks doubt my voice or the power that I have,” Turner said. “I wouldn’t have gotten far if I’d let something like that debilitate me.”

In blue and red states, milestone wins for LGBTQ Wire Report

N

EW YORK | Across the nation, LGBTQ candidates achieved milestone victories in the 2020 general election Nov. 3, including the first transgender person elected to a state Senate, and the first openly gay Black men to win seats in Congress.

The landmark wins came not in only blue but also red states such as Tennessee, where Republican Eddie Mannis, who is gay, and Democrat Torrey Harris, who identifies as bisexual, won seats in the state House to become the first openly LGBTQ members of that legislature.

According to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which recruits and supports LGBTQ candidates, that leaves only Alaska, Louisiana and Mississippi as states that have never elected an LGBTQ legislator. “Torrey and Eddie sent a clear message that LGBTQ candidates can win in a deep red state while being their authentic selves,” said the Victory Fund’s president, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “Their presence in the state legislature can dilute the most toxic anti-LGBTQ voices and lead to more inclusive legislation.”

In New York, attorney Mondaire Jones won in a district of New York City suburbs and Ritchie Torres, a member of the New York City

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

election 2020

Biden wins presidency Chris Johnson of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association After days of thorough ballot counting, former Vice President Joe Biden emerged as the victor of the 2020 presidential election Nov. 7, ousting President Trump from the White House as a one-term president.

The Associated Press called Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, in favor of Biden on Saturday at 11:25 am. That gives him 284 votes in the Electoral College, more than the 270 threshold needed for him to win the presidency.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Biden’s running mate, was also elected as vice president, making her the both first woman and the first woman of color elected as part of a presidential ticket.

Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement the victory by Biden and Harris “proves once again that equality is a winning issue.”

“The Biden/Harris ticket is the most pro-equality ticket in history.

President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are not just willing to be our allies, but they

are true advocates for equality,” David said. “And they’ve done it for decades.”

David name-checked numerous aspects of Biden and Harris’ pro-LGBTQ record, including their early support for same-sex marriage.

“From Biden’s work championing hate crimes protections in the 1980’s to Harris performing some of the first marriages for LGBTQ couples after Prop 8 was overturned, these leaders have a clear vision that centers unity over division,” David said. “A vision where LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination and are afforded the freedoms and rights we should all have. A vision where transgender and gender non-conforming people don’t fear for their lives walking down the street. A vision where LGBTQ children are loved, embraced and protected from bullying.”

The final results remained up in the air days after Election Day Nov. 3 as key states, including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Nevada, counted ballots in exceeding close races. Although Trump had a narrow path to victory, that opportunity went up in smoke Nov. 6 went Biden eked ahead in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Trump has refused to back down and has promised a legal blitz to challenge the ballot counting the

battleground states. Making a statement from the White House Nov. 5, Trump made unfounded claims about widespread fraud and said illegal ballots were being counted.

Following news of Biden’s win, Trump in a statement refused to concede and said he’d fight the election results in court.

“We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: They don’t want the truth to be exposed,” Trump said. “The simple fact is this election is far from over.

Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor.”

Jason Harrow, executive director of Equal Citizens and former manager of SCOTUSblog, said in a statement Trump’s plan to attack the election results in court would amount to nothing.

“The whirlwind of legal filings by the Trump campaign over the last few days all equal up to a sum total of nothing more than legal shenanigans that are distractions which will ultimately have zero impact on the outcome of this election,” Harrow said.

Party, won his race for an at-large seat in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. He defeated María Milagros “Tata” Charbonier, an anti-LGBTQ representative who has been indicted on federal corruption charges, in his August primary.

Voters in Isabela, a municipality on Puerto Rico’s northwest coast, elected Miguel “Ricky” Méndez, a gay man who is a member of the Popular Democratic Party, which supports the island’s status as a U.S. commonwealth, as the next mayor. Edgardo Cruz Vélez, a retired soldier who is also openly gay, won his write-in campaign for mayor of Guánica, a municipality on Puerto Rico’s southwest coast.

Tuesday’s election took place against the backdrop of continued

violence and discrimination against LGBTQ Puerto Ricans.

Six transgender people have been murdered on the island since the beginning of the year.

Puerto Rico’s hate crimes law includes both sexual orientation and gender identity, but local prosecutors rarely apply it. Activists have sharply criticized outgoing Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced and other New Progressive Party lawmakers over their response to the murders, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and general violence towards LGBTQ Puerto Ricans.

The Puerto Rican government last month announced the island’s Medicaid program now covers transition-related health care.

Four out candidates elected in Puerto Rico Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

F

our out candidates in Puerto Rico won their races Nov. 3.

Ana Irma Rivera Lassen, a lesbian woman of African descent, was elected to the Puerto Rico Senate. Rivera won her race less than five months after Antulio “Kobbo” Santarrosa, host of “La Comay,” a Puerto Rican gossip show hosted by a life-sized puppet with the same name, mocked her.

Jorge Báez Pagán, a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

Pappas wins re-election in New Hampshire Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

I

ncumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) has won re-election.

The Associated Press declared the gay Democrat the winner of his race against Republican Matt Mowers in New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district Nov. 4 at 12:40 a.m.

AP reports, with 100% of votes in, Pappas won by a 51.4-46.2% margin. Libertarian candidate Zachary Dumont received 2.4% of the vote.

Pappas came into election day with polls showing he was trailing Mowers among likely voters. The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center between Oct. 24-31, found 50% of likely voters in New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district would back Mowers compared to the 48% who said they support Pappas.

Pappas dating life became a topic of discussion during the campaign when Mowers brought up that Pappas had been dating a corporate lobbyist who was lobbying on behalf of Amazon. Pappas denied the accusation but later admitted to the relationship.

Gina Ortiz Jones, Jon Hoadley lose congressional races Michael K. Lavers of The Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association

T

wo openly LGBTQ Democrats have lost their individual bids for Congress.

Gina Ortiz Jones lost to Republican Tony Gonzales in Texas’ 23rd congressional district.

The Associated Press reports Gonzales defeated Jones, who was an Air Force intelligence officer during the second Iraq war, by a 50.7-46.5% margin with 100% of the votes counted. Libertarian candidate Beto Villela carried 2.8% of the vote.

Jon Hoadley lost to U.S. Rep. Fred Upton in Michigan’s 6th congressional district.

The Associated Press declared Upton the winner early Wednesday morning and, with 100% of the votes reported, reports Upton defeated Hoadley by a 55.9-40.2% margin. Libertarian candidate Jeff DePoy received 2.7% of the vote and the Green Party’s John Lawrence carried 1.2% of the vote.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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viewpoint

Joe Saunders

Fighting in

Florida

P

Take a Breath

resident-elect Joe

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have made history, securing more votes than any previous candidates and shattering the glass ceiling for women and people of color.

While a number of key states flipped from red to blue as mail ballots brought on a slow motion landslide for the Democrats, Florida was not one of them. Donald Trump won the state by spending massively to keep the terrain he won in 2016. The work to mobilize and organize progressive Florida voters forced Trump to fight for every inch of ground in our state and drained his resources in other battlegrounds to the Biden ticket’s benefit.

At Equality Florida we raised $1.5 million to launch the most ambitious pro-equality voter mobilization program in our history, turning out more than 1 million pro-LGBTQ voters. We expanded our field staff to 15, organized more than 400 volunteers and spent months reaching out to 565,000 infrequent pro-equality voters who we knew wouldn’t cast a ballot unless pushed to the polls by a trusted messenger.

By election day we had convinced 109,000 voters who sat out the 2016 election to cast their ballots early.

In a state where the Senate race was decided by less than 10,000 votes and the Governor’s race by less than 30,000, pro-equality voters are a decisive voice.

I wish I could write that a majority of voters in our state rejected outright the racist dog whistles, red scare tactics or QAnon disinformation campaigns that have become standard right-wing election tactics. But this is Florida. Progress here is rarely a straight line. To understand how our state is changing, we must look deeper. In doing so, we find signs of progress and gains that should give all of us hope.

In 2020, 48 LGBTQ candidates qualified for the Florida ballot in races spanning North Florida to Key West, and 12 openly LGBTQ members of our tribe won the support of voters. We are in every corner of this state and we are

stepping into the fray with perspectives and courage that make Florida better.

Shevrin Jones and Michele Rayner made history by becoming the first Black LGBTQ candidates to win seats in the Florida Legislature.

Sen.-elect Jones is now the highest-ranking LGBTQ official in the legislature and Rep.elect Rayner is the first Black queer woman ever elected in the state.

Orange and Hillsborough counties showed again they are pro-equality power bases.

Candidates who attack our families in these markets do so at their own peril. In Orange County, our own community hero Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith won his reelection decisively. Right next door, pro-equality powerhouse Anna Eskamani also won re-election. Their resounding victories – in what were previously swing districts – highlight how long-term investments in progressive organizing and infrastructure can shift this state.

An unquestionable loss for our community is the voice of Rep. Jennifer Webb, Florida’s first lesbian lawmaker. In her first term she served as the lead sponsor of the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, helped grow the Republican coalition of support for it and helped defeat countless anti-LGBTQ bills. This cycle Jennifer endured a barrage of attacks fueled by $2.5 million in ads by the Republican Party of Florida, leading to a narrow loss.

Homophobic incumbents also lost while anti-LGBTQ candidates tried to hide their records. The August primary saw the ousting of notoriously homophobic Rep. Mike Hill, Rep. Kimberly Daniels and Rep. Al Jaquet. All three have made headlines for their homophobia.

In Seminole County, we saw former Rep. Jason Brodeur work hard to rewrite history. In 2015, he pushed legislation to allow adoption agencies to reject LGBTQ prospective parents. This year, facing a tight race against a pro-LGBTQ candidate, he flat

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

out lied to voters and claimed he was responsible for ending Florida’s discriminatory ban. He won the seat, but not before a complete (and dishonest) repackaging of his anti-LGBTQ record.

In the coming months, there will be much discussion about “what went wrong” in

hearts and minds, building infrastructure and slowly moving seats of power – while deepening our relationship with the growing bloc of pro-equality voters who factor LGBTQ rights strongly in who they support for office.

Despite being under-resourced this cycle,

Florida played a role in this victory. We made them fight for every inch. The $100+ million Trump spent here was money not spent in Pennsylvania or Georgia or Arizona. We sapped resources that could have closed the gap elsewhere. We did this together and we took our

Florida. For the donors and activists asking these hard questions, I say “Breathe.”

There is much to unpack and many puzzles to solve.

This cycle we saw historic investment in our state, but historic spending isn’t enough if the voice delivering it has no relationship with voters. Decades ago Equality Florida began investing deeply in shifting Orange and Hillsborough counties. We did the hard work of changing

walking into election day our programs motivated 109,000 pro-equality voters who hadn’t voted in 2016 to vote early. We have cracked an important code for LGBTQ and ally mobilization but imagine if we had the resources to do this work on a larger scale. Now imagine it was happening in every swing state to shift our country from city halls to legislatures to the White House.

democracy back, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what is possible with a deeper investment in the growing pro-equality vote.

Florida played a role in this victory. We made them fight for every inch.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

Joe Saunders is Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director where he leads the policy and political programs for the country’s largest state-based LGBTQ rights organization. In 2012, Joe was elected to the Florida House of Representatives becoming the first LGBTQ state lawmaker in Florida to take the oath of office.

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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viewpoint

Sabrina Ambra

ladyfingers I can see the light

H

ello old friends! I

have not had the pleasure of writing to you gorgeous readers in quite some time; I’ve really missed you. You good? Shoutout to HowLongAgoGo.com for the following slap of reality, right to the face: as of this writing, it has been 244 days since I have graced the Watermark pages with my awkward tales and terrible jokes.

But I’m back, baby, and this time I mean business.

And by “business” I am referring to my newfound yet still crippling anxiety and a recently acquired lifestyle choice of shaving my legs once a quarter.

I’ll be the first to admit this is not the “new me” I had in mind for the new year of 2020, but knowing the majority of the population shares in this sentiment is oddly comforting. We’re all in this together, remember?

Along with the physical weight, I have gained some new perspectives and outlooks on this little life of mine. Why fear the future when the present is actively terrifying? It was around my 145th hour of playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons that I realized not only does hard work payoff, but so does distraction from the demise. I’m not saying we’re all going to die (spoiler alert: we are,) I’m

saying we are all dying inside a little. Instead of focusing on death and destruction, you can use that energy for something else, like learning the WAP dance from TikTok. You see, it’s not about dancing like nobody’s watching; it is about dancing like no one wants to watch, but they have to because they were forced to come to your recital that’s being held in a building with little to no cellphone reception. You only live once, so why not do most of that living in sweatpants? With all this newfangled perspective, I now have something definitive to look forward to: anything but this!

If there’s anything I’ve learned from 2020, it is that I have a lot of learning to do. Moments where my energy should have been used for empathy, it was being used in anger.

My optimism was lacking and my despondency was thriving. It was hard to see that the grass was greener on the other side when the side you were on was so overgrown with weeds and assholes. Not only was my faith in humanity being tested, but so was the faith in myself. We’ve all had our share of curveballs thrown our way, so as depressing as everything above this line seems, I imagine it is relatable to some. Not all hope is lost, though. It just needs some help finding the way back.

The universe may be taking us for a ride, but if we’ve been able to hold on this long then we have to try to hold on a bit longer.

It is like that time Fabio was riding a rollercoaster and got hit in the face by a bird. Yes, there was bird guts all over him, but he survived and his hair still looked magnificent. The past two weeks have felt a little like we’re Fabio, riding this fucked up rollercoaster.

However, instead of one bird it is an entire flock of feathered creatures that

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

are smacking each of us in the face. We’re all waiting for the ride to be over so we can wipe our faces and keep on walking through the theme park. I don’t think I am the only one who feared that even after getting off the first shitty

saying is when I go to tell the story of 2020 to my grandchildren, it will be a multiple-part series where I curse a lot. Oh, and Fabio has beautiful hair.

By the grace of all that is good in this universe, it is with great and

and what seemed like a large cloud of uncertainty looming over all of us. Now, I get to write to you with the sun shining. A weight that has been lifted off the shoulders of so many as the world shared a simultaneous sigh of relief.

coaster, we might find ourselves on yet another one, getting struck in the face by more squawking fowl. We just want to ride the fucking Ferris wheel already, in all its slow and boring glory. Alright, I’m done with the amusement park euphemisms. All I’m

overwhelming pleasure that I am now writing to you with a clear line of sight of the light at the end of this awful tunnel we have been in for four years: HE’S MOTHER FUCKING GONEEEE! I started writing this Viewpoint with the election still underway

Sure, the shit show isn’t over, but we’re strapping on our hazmat suits and ready to clean this mess together.

We’re getting on the Ferris wheel, my friends. The birds are singing and our hair looks fabulous.

By the grace of all that is good in this universe, it is with great and overwhelming pleasure that I am now writing to you with a clear line of sight of the light at the end of this awful tunnel we have been in for four years.

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

talking points

72%

I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too.

— Delaware state Sen.-elect Sarah McBride, after becoming the highestranking openly transgender legislator in the U.S.

of

LGB Democrats

polled said they feel a part of the LGBT community,

46% of LGB Republicans feel the same.

72% of LGB Democrats

McKellen, Scott among winners of Olivier Awards

A

ndrew Scott and Ian McKellen were among acting winners as Britain’s Laurence Olivier Awards celebrated the best of the London stage in bittersweet fashion Oct. 25 — most U.K. theaters remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Fleabag” star Scott was named best actor in a play for his turn as a narcissistic actor in Noel Coward’s “Present Laughter.”

Sharon D. Clarke won the best actress prize for her performance in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell won directing award for the same production, which featured Black actors in the central roles of the struggling Loman family. McKellen won a special Olivier — his seventh — for his one-man 80th birthday tour of the U.K., staged before the pandemic as a fundraiser for regional theaters. Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt” was named best new play. The best musical trophy went to “Dear Evan Hansen.” Olivier organizers say the next awards ceremony will likely not be until 2022.

polled said it’s important to be

politically active in

the LGBTQ

community,

36% of LGB

Republicans

agree.

—Williams Institute study on differences between LGB Democrats and Republicans

New channel offers fare for women in the LGBTQ community

A

n online channel devoted to women in the LGBTQ community is launching with shows including a pandemic-set romantic comedy and a paranormal drama. The channel debuted Nov. 5 as part of Revry, a digital platform that offers free, queer-focused programming, including the 24/7 Revry News channel. The channel’s name is OML on Revry, reflecting its roots in a venture called One More Lesbian when it was founded in 2009 to offer video fare representing lesbian lives. OML has expanded its female-driven content and outreach to a larger audience, a goal that will be enhanced by its partnership with Revry, OML founder Shirin Etessam said in a statement.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

‘The Kids Are All Right’ actor killed in Texas shooting

A

ctor Eddie Hassell, known for his roles in the NBC show “Surface” and the 2010 film “The Kids Are All Right,” died after a shooting in Texas, police said. He was 30. The shooting happened Nov. 1 in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie. Police said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a shooting and found Hassell suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. A representative for Hassell told Variety that the shooting appeared to be connected to a carjacking. Grand Prairie police said the motive remained under investigation and no arrests have been made.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K.’ renewed for Season 3

W

orld of Wonder, the production company behind “RuPaul’s Drag Race” announced Nov. 2 that “Drag Race U.K.” has been picked up for a third season. The British version of the award-winning drag reality series, which features RuPaul and Michelle Visage joining U.K. funny men Alan Carr and Graham Norton as the panel of judges, premiered in the fall of 2019 on BBC Three and was an instant hit. Season two of the show, which has been filmed, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic but will premiere in early 2021, as stated on the show’s Twitter account. “2021 just got ‘much better’” it posted with a short, glittery video.

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

Re making History Metro Inclusive Health raises the roof on Tampa expansion

T

Ryan Williams-Jent

ampa became one of Florida’s largest

cities by 1900, growing from less than 800 residents in 1880 to more than 15,000 in just two decades. Its population was bolstered by the founding of Ybor City, a community sustained almost entirely by immigrants.

The city was populated primarily by those of Cuban and Spanish descent, a demographic that continued to evolve as Tampa Bay’s mining and shipping industries grew. Italian and Jewish immigrants soon followed, among them Germans fleeing persecution.

Mutual Aid Societies formed as a response, social clubs dedicated to improving the lives of Tampa’s residents. These

organizations built large clubhouses – safe spaces for the communities they served that provided social services – including Ybor’s German-American Club.

It was first organized in 1901 and collected enough dues from members to lay the cornerstone for its three-story, 16,400-square-foot building on Feb. 23, 1908 at 2105 N. Nebraska Ave., where it remains

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

today. Its grand opening was held less than a year later on Jan. 1, 1909.

“Fine classical details and proportions marked the three-story building, with concrete block molded to appear as tooled stone masonry,” the structure’s

Continued on pg. 26 | uu |

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23

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

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

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

MyDailyCharge.com

BVYC0218_BIKTARVY_B_9-25X10-1_Watermark_Hugo_r1v1jl.indd All Pages

24

(bik-TAR-vee)

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0218 04/20

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

HUGO LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 1995 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

es

h r

ut t

m

KEEP CONNECTING. Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Hugo’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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4/27/20 1:25 PM

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| uu | Remaking History from pg.23

government-placed historical marker reads. “The building served Tampa’s German and Jewish population until its sale in 1919.”

The German-American Club served more of Tampa’s growing community than that, however, inclusively opening its doors to other ethnicities in typically exclusionary times. Even so, widespread anti-German sentiment forced its doors to close when the U.S. entered World War I. Ownership of the massive structure changed throughout the years. In the ‘90s, Tampa officials converted it into office space before it was ultimately vacated and fell into disrepair until 2019.

That’s when Metro Inclusive Health and CAN Community Health announced that the health care partners had acquired the structure. The nonprofits have proudly worked to meet the health and wellness needs of Tampa Bay since 1992 and currently share LGBTQ and ally-focused health centers throughout the area.

Their offices include St. Petersburg’s 47,000-square-foot health and community center, a three-year renovation they completed with the help of community funding in Dec. 2018, and a 12,000-square-foot location they lease in Ybor. The organizations have long since outgrown the latter space.

The $1.7 million acquisition of the German-American Club was made through German American Tampa Holdings, formed along with their current landlord, Alliant Ybor Properties. After its purchase, they revealed plans to transform it into their Tampa headquarters, renovating the structure to double their services, create new jobs and breathe new life into a key part of Tampa’s history.

“As a local organization, we have grown alongside Tampa Bay by serving the community’s holistic health needs,” Metro CEO Lorraine Langlois said at the time. “Being able to restore and modernize this beautiful piece of local history for the community while expanding our impact fits right in line with our organizational mission.”

“CAN and Metro started their partnership in 2013, building what has become a model for us in other communities across Florida, the east coast and Puerto Rico,” CAN CEO Richard E. Carlisle added.

“This investment in our community

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all are welcome: Tampa, CAN Community Health and Metro Inclusive Health officials raise Metro’s Inclusivity Flag representing all LGBTQ identities at their renovation site June 30. Text xxxxxx. Photo courtesy metro inclusive health will continue to transform modern healthcare services for all in the Tampa Bay area.”

The organizations broke ground on the project Aug. 15, detailing renovation plans for the club’s existing structure and a 15,000-square-foot addition. To transform the iconic space into their next state-of-the-art health and community center, Metro also announced its $1 million Raise the Roof fundraising campaign.

“Metro has provided healthcare services that are inclusive of all segments of our community, starting with its roots in HIV case management in 1992,” the organization shared. “Today the organization provides over 100 services focused on the health and wellbeing of our LGBTQ+ community, but available to all, including full-service primary care, prevention and sexual health and advanced HIV care and treatment with partner CAN. “Demand for services continue to increase,” they continued.

“When completed, the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility will more than double our impact in Tampa.”

That impact has only grown in recent years. By 2019’s end, 18,988 people received one-on-one services from Metro and 11,627 had benefited from its educational outreach efforts, for a total of 30,615 lives served in Tampa Bay. “Healthy communities create a greater quality of life for all,” Langlois shared in Metro’s 2019 Annual Report. “Community

sponsors, donors and patients alike helped us maintain and grow life-changing community programming in safe spaces that has impacted thousands of individuals and families.”

Among them were 6,689 people from high-risk populations; 4,626 people living with HIV; 2,741 youth ages 13-24 and 2,851 HIV+ women, families and individuals with high-risk pregnancies. Metro also welcomed 2,674 LGBTQ and community center program participants; 1,739 behavioral health clients and 4,708 medical care patients.

Through its Raise the Roof campaign at the German-American Club, they hope to increase those numbers.

“In addition to restoring one of Tampa’s oldest landmark buildings, we are doubling our capacity to provide over 100 services including primary care, mental health, HIV care, treatment and prevention,” Metro’s fundraising campaign reiterates. “Every donation brings us one step closer.”

Like the services Metro offers, fundraising and construction were impacted by the onset of COVID-19 earlier this year.

The coronavirus’ effects on Tampa Bay and beyond greatly limited educational outreach and social interactions, inspiring Metro to find new ways to connect with the community they serve.

“We’ve seen a big increase in Telehealth usage in our health center and among new patients,” Metro Chief Marketing

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

& Experience Officer Brian Bailey says. “We’ve always tried to position ourselves as the provider of LGBTQ+ health care and that’s really closed the gap for some people.”

Telehealth offers secure and discrete ways to virtually visit with local health care providers.

From a smartphone, tablet or computer, patients have access to obtaining the HIV-preventative Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), transition-related Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and LGBTQ-focused primary care, including mental health services.

Prescriptions are also available by no-contact delivery or mail.

Programming has evolved in similar ways. The organization’s annual LGBTQ youth-focused summer camp was held virtually in July, reaching more participants than ever before. More than 70 teenagers assembled for two weeks of LGBTQ-inclusive workshops, receiving customized care packages made possible by community support.

“We had kids from Canada to Alabama,” Bailey recalls. “There are pros and cons to every situation and this has allowed us to spread our outreach farther.”

“Not only did it broaden access to the program for young people,” Metro Development Division Director James Keane adds, “but it also spread the philanthropic support. We received donations from Canada and Alabama, but also from other locations where we didn’t even have youth

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participating. It spread not only our net of service delivery but our net of financial support.”

At the direction of donors, some of that financial support has been designated for particular causes within the organization like its youth programming.

Others give generally – allowing Metro’s executives to determine where it will have the most impact – or directly to the Raise the Roof campaign.

“We’ve done well overall from fundraising this year, but the pandemic has made it hard to focus on building and construction,” Bailey says. “Raising money for a building versus raising money for services in a pandemic is challenging, there’s no doubt about that, but I feel comfortable with the more outreach we do.”

He says that’s “because donors are interested in our story. They’re interested in what we’re doing and that we’re expanding access in a big way.”

The renovation will ultimately impact all of Metro’s programs, something donors seem to understand. Since announcing its $1 million goal last year and in the midst of a global pandemic, Metro has gratefully received $120,000 for the cause.

Among the donors are Tampa Bay surgeon Gopal Grandhige and husband Darin Bahl, who owns local event design studio Tailored Twig. The philanthropists first discovered Metro and its mission after the Pulse shooting in 2016.

“Both of us are drawn to serving our local community,” Grandhige says. “We researched who was providing LGBTQ services to the youth in the area and sent an online donation the next day. Soon thereafter we were contacted to get a tour of their facility.”

It was inside of Metro’s Ybor location that he interacted with a group of LGBTQ youth. “It took me back to being that age,” he says, “and how important the work that is being done at Metro is, especially for transgender youth who have the highest suicide rates, similar to the gay youth of our time.”

The couple later toured Metro’s renovated St. Petersburg site, something Grandhige says helped them fully realize what a difference the organization makes in Tampa Bay. “Being in healthcare, I know that many have no other options other than going to the emergency room for their care,” he says. “This leads

NAME A ROOM

grand tour: Metro Inclusive Health officials welcome Watermark to the German-American Club’s soon-to-be fully-renovated Grand Hall Nov. 2. Photo by dylan todd to such disparity in the wellbeing of those with and without insurance.

“The need for affordable mental and preventative care for all is the solution,” he continues. “Metro makes a big difference by providing these services. Although LGBTQ issues are dear to our heart, the health of our entire community is an even greater desire.”

Metro and CAN’s inclusive commitment to all is a defining element of their Tampa expansion.

“CAN Community Health is dedicated to providing the best medical services, education and counseling to individuals living and affected by HIV, STIs and Hep C,” CAN CEO Richard E. Carlisle says.

“This project will only expand our reach into the communities that need our services.”

The expansion will allow the partner organizations to provide “a one-stop-shop for patient care in Ybor,” CAN officials add.

“Eliminating space restrictions will increase our patients’ capacity and support staff to improve access to patient-centered, same-day care – including access to provider visits, blood draws, patient care coordination and nursing services,” they say. “The new space will include an infusion chair that permits us to provide in-house infusions of critical medications for our patients. In addition, a new pharmacy and clinical pharmacist will be available on-site for clients.”

“CAN continues to be a great Tampa Bay through its Copay it partner,” Bailey says. “We’re doing Forward program. Insured patients great things together and we’ve all that utilize Metro’s primary taken a lot of pride in restoring this care and fill prescriptions at its building. They are a partner in this – pharmacy make that care available the fundraising we’re doing is really to others at no extra cost. In the to offset our costs but without CAN, first half of 2020, insured patients the building wouldn’t be.” have allowed them to deliver “Metro is actually the first $335,247 in assistance. organization that CAN partnered “Insured patients play a huge role with in any formal way, so we really in our ability to provide services,” have grown together and I think Metro advises. “State-of-the-art complement one another,” Keane facilities and numerous services adds. “Without the partnership we under one roof offer a modern would not be in the position we and centralized opportunity are of restoring and creating this to take care of your health and space in Tampa.” that of our community, just The restoration remains Metro’s by using your normal copay.” fundraising focus through the end Visit MetroTampaBay.org/ of 2020, a year in which one of CopayItForward for more details. its largest annual fundraisers has been postponed. Its 2019 Cocktail DIRECT Party raised nearly $110,000 for DONATIONS its essential health and community services but will not proceed in “Small donations add up to big light of COVID-19. things,” Metro shares. Financial “It’s critical mass,” Keane says. contributions can be sent directly “We have to get this accomplished to Metro by utilizing a web-based – and in order to do it, we need form at MetroTampaBay. further support.” org/Tampa or by texting Metro advises that there are five “METRO” to 44-321. major ways to support its Raise the “Our percentage of new donors Roof campaign: has actually been a surprise to me,” Keane says. “We have been making progress with them, primarily BECOME small level donors, which is very A PATIENT much appreciated. We know that all donations matter and that In 2019, Metro delivered everything helps … the community $435,749 in financial assistance to under or uninsured patients in

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

has really come together to support us.”

HOST A FACEBOOK FUNDRAISER

Metro became an approved Facebook Charity earlier this year, allowing users on the platform to directly raise funds for the nonprofit from their personal pages. Facebook does not charge processing fees.

“We’ve been lucky,” Bailey says.

“This is a way that you can help us and have fun at the same time. It’s a very easy way to donate.” Facebook users can start their own fundraiser at Facebook.com/Fundraisers/ MetroTampaBay.

HOST A PRIDE RAISER

These business or individually-led fundraisers vary in scope and size.

Some donors have gifted Metro with flat amounts after allocating a percentage of sales on their goods and other organizations have hosted virtual gatherings.

“The Pride Raiser can really take any shape,” Keane says. “I would encourage each potential host to reach out and talk through it to see how they may be able to have an impact on raising the roof.”

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“The German-American Club restoration and new 15,000 square-foot addition offer opportunities to show support now and into the future,” Metro shares.

“The Grand Hall & Community Center, restored to its original 1909 grandeur, is sure to be high visibility for event rentals.”

Opportunities to name spaces at the renovated site begin at $5,000 and sponsorships remain available.

While the dedicated youth room has been reserved, a conference room, meeting room, group room and lab remain.

Five of the nine intake rooms are also available, as are four of five counseling and therapy rooms, two testing rooms and 10 patient exam rooms. The health center reception area, community center lobby, Grand Hall, health and community center buildings and entire campus are also available.

Every day and every donation brings Metro closer to serving Tampa in a new and exciting way, officials share. Bailey says that “we’re trying to innovate.”

“That’s all you can do,” he continues. “We’re trying figure out how to keep in front of people’s eyes and keep our eyes on the mission and adapt.”

Grandhige and Bahl, who have financially sponsored the room dedicated to youth at Metro’s forthcoming Tampa headquarters, say that the organization has done that and more.

“We live in Tampa and knowing that all the services that are offered in St. Pete will now be offered in our backyard is exciting,” Grandhige says. “We have driven by the historic building so many times, saying how beautiful it was.

“These old buildings have something special,” he says, reflecting on the German-American Club’s history and on its history yet to be made. “The opportunity to play a small part in providing a meeting place for LGBTQ youth to read in, create in, maybe find love in was something we could not pass up.”

The German-American Club is located at 2105 N. Nebraska Ave. in Tampa and limited tours are available. Email JamesK@ MetroTampaBay.org for more information.

To take a virtual tour or to donate to Metro’s Raise the Roof campaign, visit MetroTampaBay. org/Tampa. Donations of $500 or more will be listed on Metro’s Wall of Appreciation. For more information about CAN Community Health, visit CANCommunityHealth.org.

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arts and Entertainment

Good

as Golding ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ star Henry Golding on playing gay in his new film, ‘Monsoon’

I

Gregg Shapiro

n a relatively short period of

time, actor and ally Henry Golding has seen his star ascended, making him one of the most recognizable names and faces on film.

Beginning with the double whammy of 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians” and “A Simple Favor,” and continuing with 2019’s “Last Christmas” and “The Gentlemen,” Golding has become a hot commodity in Hollywood. Among these high-profile movies, Golding ventured into the world of independent features with “Monsoon,” written and directed by gay filmmaker Hong Khaou (2014’s “Lilting”).

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In “Monsoon,” Golding plays Kit, a gay man who left Vietnam for the U.K. with his parents when he was a young boy. He returns, 30 years later, to scatter his parents’ ashes. While there, he meets Lewis (Parker Sawyers, who played young Barack Obama in 2016’s “Southside With You”), an American expat with whom he begins a relationship. Golding was kind enough to answer a few questions in advance of the Nov. 13 release of “Monsoon.” watermark: What was appealing to you about the character of Kit in Hong Khaou’s “Monsoon”

Continued on pg. 31 | uu |

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By Mark Brown

PRESENTED BY

STARTS

DEC 10 ENDS

DEC 20 A heartwarming Christmas comedy!

This hilarious sequel spins the holiday classic on its head.

A VIDEO ON DEMAND EXPERIENCE TICKETS AT ORLANDOSHAKES.ORG

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I think we rejigged the script a little bit to a point where he realizes this and I think you see glimpses of this in the finished film. Kit had an understanding that he was bringing them home.

But Vietnam was never their home for the past 35 years. Their home was where his family was.

That was in the U.K. We often do that as immigrants. Home is a distant memory. Home is really where the heart is. I think he comes to that realization; “I never needed to bring them back, but I needed to come back.”

| uu | Good as Golding from pg.29

that made you want to portray him?

Henry Golding: I think for me, it almost mirrors my personal journey in a sense. I grew up in an expat community in Malaysia until I was about eight. Then I moved from Malaysia to Surrey in the U.K., just South of London.

I grew up, pretty much, for the rest of primary school, secondary school, up until I was about 21 and made the decision on my own to move back to Malaysia in a search of trying to kind of get into broadcasting. My experience of landing in Malaysia and just being kind of dumbfounded with how alien I felt. Thinking that because I’m half Malaysian, I’m going to feel right at home, it’s going to feel great. But it’s often [laughs] a very sharp slap in the face of, “Yeah, you’re definitely not used to this type of culture and culture shock. When I was reading [the screenplay for] “Monsoon,” it really resonated with me. With Kit, it has much more of a personal trajectory, in a sense, that his parents never told him much about Vietnamese. He has so many questions bubbling under him that needed answering that his parents, before they died, couldn’t answer. So, he went on a mission of trying to figure out a little bit of his past. At the same time, he wasn’t really expecting the experience that he got.

Had you seen any of Hong’s previous films, such as “Lilting,” starring Ben Whishaw?

Yes, I did. I watched it pretty much immediately after I read “Monsoon.” I loved it! I think that was one of the things that drew me to working with Hong; his subtlety and beauty in being.

That’s what he wanted from Kit. These moments of self-reflection, these moments of inner turmoil and these questions just whirling around like a vortex in his head.

There’s this look on his face when he just kind of phases out. All this Vietnamese traffic! He’ll be in the middle of the street somewhere, but he has just a moment to himself. He’s had this sort of safety bunker within himself growing up and you see glimpses of that. To see him through the movie and his journey and have him come out of his shell; I think it’s such a beautiful thing.

While in Saigon, Kit meets up with Lee (David Tran), an old childhood friend. Do you have a childhood friend that you haven’t seen for many years with whom you hope to someday reunite?

catching up: Kit (Henry Golding) spends some time with Lewis (played by Parker Sawyers) in the new film, “Monsoon.”

Photo by dat vu, courtesy strand releasing

Like “Lilting,” “Monsoon” addresses loss, grief and family. For fans who know you well from comedies such as “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Last Christmas” and “A Simple Favor,” how do you hope they’ll respond to you in such a serious role?

Hopefully they find that they enjoy it. I finished “Crazy Rich Asians” and I just got back from “A Simple Favor,” which we filmed in Canada, so I was in the middle of a point in my career where

had a taste of the nectar, to be honest with you. It was such a lovely experience to be so involved in a movie like that. It’s difficult because you have people to answer to when there’s a big budget and a lot of opinions to appease. But when you’re making a movie for yourselves it’s beautiful.

“Monsoon” doesn’t shy away from the subject of Kit being a gay man, and includes intimate scenes with Kit and Lewis, as well a scene with

watched the film, especially young, gay Asian men who have never seen that type of movie, where it’s not even taken into account. It’s so normalized, which it should be. It’s so strange seeing what you perceive normality to be on the big screen, but be amazed by it. It just shows that there’s communities out there that are starved of normality in representation.

For me, I think approaching it respectfully, approaching with the collaborative spirit that I, Parker

There are communities out there that are starved of normality in representation.

— henry golding I had just gotten started. I had nothing that the world had seen.

I think at that stage, I had always loved the idea of being involved with a much more personalized experience with filming a movie.

That’s what an independent [film] allows you. So, the collaboration between myself, [co-producer] Tracy [O’Riordan] and Hong, it taught me so much. But yes, I think people are going to be surprised. Hopefully they see the range that I have as an actor.

I’ve got “Snake Eyes” coming out next year. We have a little glimpse into this world before [I’m in] another studio film. I think I’ve

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

a guy that Kit picks up while he’s in Hanoi. Can you please say something about the challenges and rewards of playing a gay character?

For me, it was wonderful. Hong has a way of telling these stories.

His sexuality wasn’t the driving factor or driving attribute to Kit’s personality or this story. It really centered around his personal struggle of identity. I think he’s so secure in his sexuality, that it takes a backseat in a way.

Right, it’s secondary.

Exactly! I’ve had a lot of messages from people who have

Sawyers and Hong had on the set; there was real love on that set.

There was so much trust, so there was never a question of “should we be doing this?” It just felt so natural, in a way.

It comes across that way.

Kit returns to Vietnam after 30 years to scatter his parents’ ashes, even though, as you mentioned, his parents left the country and never expressed any interest in ever returning.

Do you think Kit was doing the right thing?

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Yes, from my time in Malaysia, when I was growing up with an expat kind of community. My dad worked on helicopters on the oil rigs and stuff like that. We had a very close community and all around the same sort of age. One of my best friends, his name was Mark. I think they were a South African family. I haven’t seen him since we left when I was like eight, nine years. They moved to the U.K. as well, I think. Often, we have these best friends that we grew up with as a kid and we lose contact. Sometimes it’s how life is. It goes in chapters, doesn’t it?

It doesn’t mean they’re closed.

It’s not the end of the chapter, it’s kind of open-ended.

Just another chapter. Your tattoos, including the one on your thigh, the one on your tricep and the ones on your shoulders, are visible in the movie. Do you have a favorite one of all of them?

I think the most personal for me are my shoulder tattoos.

I’m from a tribe in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, called the Iban tribe. It is the strongest identifier for our tribe. It is given to a young man who’s come of age after they go out into the world. It’s almost to help you travel through life with safety and to bring you home from these journeys. Iban men around the whole world, back in the day, if you came across people in the jungles and they had these identifying tattoos on them, it would be easily recognizable. Otherwise, there could be trouble.

“Monsoon,” starring Henry Golding, opens in theaters Nov. 13.

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Film

Community Cinema

Tampa Bay Transgender Film Fest showcases the trans experience

(above)

deep dive: “Transkids” closes out the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival’s suggested schedule in a documentary examining four transgender youth over four years.

Photo courtesy tampa bay transgender film festival

T

Ryan Williams-Jent

he Tampa Bay International Gay

& Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) has entertained and empowered audiences since 1990, screening cinematic experiences by and for the LGBTQ community for more than three decades.

Its 2020 festival was held virtually in response to COVID-19, successfully paving the way for another evolution Nov. 20-22: the inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival.

The virtual event is a partnership with St Pete Pride, Florida’s largest LGBTQ Pride celebration which postponed this year’s 18th annual outing due to the coronavirus. The collaboration is an extension of its longtime purpose to promote visibility through LGBTQ-focused community programming.

The festival will screen five transgender-focused films, four of which will be available nationwide and one which will be limited to

viewers in Florida. They will be made available Nov. 20 at noon at no cost for the first 300 registered viewers, and for only a $1 per film fee to cover the cost of downloads after that.

TIGLFF and St Pete Pride have worked together since 2018, highlighting transgender-focused short films with events leading into the latter organization’s annual TransPride March. The march celebrates transgender members of the LGBTQ community and was founded in 2017 by St Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer.

His five years as a board member have allowed him to “to increase visibility for transgender,

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nonbinary and queer members of our community,” Bruemmer explains, most recently by co-founding the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival with TIGLFF Board Member Kayden Rodriguez.

Rodriguez joined the organization earlier this year to bolster its transgender-focused outreach.

“TIGLFF is truly putting in the work to be an organization that is inclusive,” Rodriguez says. “That’s why this festival is happening, to show that we see the transgender community. We’re supporting all of the community and using film to connect with them, because sometimes there’s a disconnect or a lack of education. Film can really bring us all together.”

Bruemmer agrees. “My hope is the Transgender Film Fest will provide an opportunity for community, visibility and education,” he says.

“There is something so powerful about the genre of film. It allows the audience to share and learn about others’ struggles and dreams.

In crafting the inaugural festival, the co-founders were determined to create a space grounded in the transgender experience. They also sought to elevate the coinciding Transgender Day of Remembrance, the annual observance honoring the memory of lives lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

“To its co-founders, this festival is an echo to the Netflix Documentary ‘Disclosure,’” the festival’s website reads. “The historic documentary is a deep dive into the misrepresentation of transgender individuals in media.

“This festival is an intentional, direct answer to that misrepresentation,” it asserts. “As we know, it is well beyond time to honor the transgender lives that have been lost to incessant, unnecessary violence, and to use media as an educational tool to bring that same violence to an end.”

To accomplish their vision, Bruemmer and Rodriguez formed an inaugural Transgender Screening Committee, consisting of more than 15 transgender individuals who have previously or currently call

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

Tampa Bay home. They assisted in selecting this year’s films and more.

Having a diverse group of voices was important to committee member Jake Racaniello, a University of Tampa graduate who notes that “being trans means something different for every trans person.”

“Each one of our experiences with trans-ness is unique and it’s important to get as many different views as possible,” she says. “I was excited to get to help pick the films and to add to the experiences represented by the other panelists …

I’m excited for everyone to see them.”

“Visibility is so important in our lives to validate our existence,” fellow member Andrea Montanez adds.

Committee member Casper Oliver says it will also compliment TIGLFF and Tampa Bay’s growing arts scene as a whole.

“It is so inspiring and encouraging to see a festival for transgender filmmakers and film lovers of all kinds,” they say. “As a nonbinary creator, it gives a boost of faith to the creative scene to see places popping up that are specifically there to be welcoming places for people like me and many others.”

To watch this year’s festival selections, filmgoers will need to create a free account with the screening platform Eventive, also utilized for this year’s virtual TIGLFF. It bills itself as “the most flexible and comprehensive virtual cinema solution,” delivering “the one virtual cinema package with security, rights management, integrated ticketing, visibility and accountability built in.”

After the films are simultaneously unlocked, viewers will have 60 hours to begin watching their selections once they have ordered their tickets.

They can be streamed from their personal computer, mobile device or home entertainment system featuring Apple TV, Roku or a Smart TV with AirPlay or Chromecast.

Features like rewinding or restarting will be active throughout each screening’s watch window.

Tickets will be linked to whichever email address viewers utilize to create their Eventive account, and once they initiate their screening they will have 24 hours to finish each film. While they will be available in any order, the festival has provided a suggested schedule – seen on pg. 35 – and advises caution while viewing the films.

“For some individuals, particularly those within the LGBTQ+ community, engaging with these films may be

Continued on pg. 35 | uu |

33

www.fusionfest.org/Join-us

entry Deadline: August 1

Event: thanksgiving weekend, 2019

is a project of the Downtown District Government FusionFest is a project of the Downtown Arts District FusionFest with support from OrangeArts County with support from Orange County Government and the Orlando Downtown Development and the Orlando Downtown Development Board, at the Dr. Phillips Center. Board, at the Dr. Phillips Center.

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| uu | Community Cinema from pg.33

emotionally challenging,” the festival’s website cautions. “Due to subjects of dysphoria, violence, and death, viewer discretion is advised.”

For that reason, the festival is providing a pre-recorded centering video led by Ashley Stewart and Steph Ostrow, two transgender-identifying mental health providers from Tampa Bay. The latter stems from Love, Hugh – which provides affirming services to all individuals with a focus on marginalized groups – and the latter from Medicine Within, LLC, which provides holistic services designed to unite mind and body.

“They are working together for this to be available on YouTube with access prior to our festival,” Rodriguez says. “They are providing this video for people to center themselves into the messaging of our Transgender Film Festival, as well as prepare individuals for the difficult and/or re-traumatizing narratives some of these films have, particularly for trans folks.”

Following a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil video, the pair will also close the festival by facilitating a free, virtual “Transgender Healing Space” Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. It will be held specifically for transgender festival attendees who registered for a ticket.

“This is to help process the narratives in our festival, our Transgender Day of Remembrance video vigil and the endless violence against transgender individuals,” Rodriguez says, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous and people of color. Doing so will allow viewers to have an “empowerment space for us to grow and heal together.”

“As someone who has been all over the creative scene, it is beautiful to see places start up to be open arms for the trans community,” Oliver adds. “We are at a scary point right now, but the reminder that we do have a beautiful community and we do have safe spaces can be life-changing and even life-saving.

I cannot wait to see how this film festival grows in the future and what other amazing films that we’ll get to see.”

This year’s suggested schedule follows:

(l-R, clockwise) “Pier Kids,” “Out Loud,” Keyboard Fantasies” and “I Was Not Born a Mistake.”

Photos courtesy tampa bay transgender film festival

“OUT LOUD” Streaming Nationwide | 53 Mins.

I

t’s all about the bass, but don’t forget about the tenors. This triumphant documentary introduces viewers to the historical Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, the largest group of transgender and gender nonconforming people anywhere in the world who regularly sing their truths. They reveal a symphony of stories about what it means to be transgender in America. The passionate, Juilliard-trained director of their chorus, also trans, teaches them to experiment the film’s subjects with newly-discovered parts of themselves as they coax their altered voices into different registers and hit just the right notes about spirit, joy and life.

“PIER KIDS”

Streaming Statewide | 96 Mins.

T

he name Pier Kids originates from the youth population that congregates along Christopher Street in New York City’s Greenwich Village and the surrounding piers during the

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

nights and weekends. Follow the plight of Black, LGBTQ homeless youth in the area in this multi-year documentary exploring their lives. These youth create chosen families and struggle with survival and self-preservation, combatting anti-LGBTQ abuse and more. The documentary provides immersive access to the hazardous life of its vulnerable but fearless protagonists while exposing a raw but hopeful side of New York City that many ignore.

“KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY” Streaming Nationwide | 63 Mins.

B

everly Glenn-Copeland wrote and self-released “Keyboard Fantasies” in 1986. The cassette featured seven tracks of a curious folk-electronica hybrid, a sound realized far before its time. Three decades on, the musician – now Glenn Copeland – began to receive emails from people across

the world, thanking him for the music they’d recently discovered.

This intimate coming of age story spins pain and the suffering of prejudice into rhythm, hope and joy. Half aural-visual history, half DIY tour-video, it provides a vehicle for our newly-appointed queer elder to connect with youth across the globe.

“I WAS NOT BORN A MISTAKE” Streaming Nationwide | 52 Mins.

Y

aakov Smith was an ultra-orthodox married man with six children and a pillar of his community when he left his family, his community and Israel.

It took him 20 years to return – only this time as an observant woman. This documentary by Rachel Rusinek and Eyal Ben Moshe tells the story of Yiscah Smith and touches honestly and openly on a subject that is both relevant and unspoken. It is also a film about self-acceptance, compassion, love, and family.

“TRANSKIDS”

teenagers and their families, this film sheds brand new light on the impacts and implications of youth gender re-assigning. The subject remains controversial and delicate worldwide, especially in Israel The film follows four teenagers who transition in a militaristic society in which religion plays a strong role in each citizen’s identity and teenagers enlist in the army right after high school.

These four protagonists deal with typical teenage drama through the lens of transgender youth and we examine how each family deals with these dilemmas and difficulties.

The inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Fest will be held Nov. 20-22. Each film can be streamed via Eventive at no cost to the first 300 registered viewers and will subsequently be made available for $1 per film to cover downloading fees. Additional donations are welcome.

To pre-order tickets or for more information about the festival, including this year’s sponsors and films, visit TransFilmFest.

Eventive.org. For more information about TIGLFF or St Pete Pride, visit TIGLFF.com and StPetePride.com.

Streaming Nationwide | 103 Mins.

C

apturing four years of intimate and deep documentation of four

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35

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announcements

tampa bay out+about

CONGRATULATIONS Aleksander Helios and Tyler Frederick were engaged Nov. 4 in Cozumel, Mexico.

St. Petersburg LGBTQ Liaison Jim Nixon received the Honored Veteran Award from the city on Veteran’s Day Nov. 11.

POSTPONEMENTS Venice Pride postponed its 2020 Ride for Pride event scheduled for Nov. 7. Any registration or sponsorship fees will be applied to the rescheduled date once it is determined. Those who would prefer refunds may email Info@VeniceFLPride.com or call 941-484-7068.

EVENTS Dylan Todd Photography will host Welcome to 118 at ArtsXChange Nov. 14 from 5-8 p.m. Learn more at Facebook.com/DylanToddPhotography.

Metro Inclusive Health’s fourth annual Trans Fashion & Health Expo began Nov. 9 and ends Nov. 14.

Organizations and activists throughout Tampa Bay will also mark Transgender Day of Remembrance Nov. 20.

Read more on pg. 12.

The inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival will be held Nov. 20-22. Read more on pg. 33.

Pridesgiving will be held Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. at The Parrot in Lakeland, a fundraiser for The Rainbow Room. Learn more at Facebook.com/TheParrotLakeland.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Sarasota actor Brian Craft, Tampa Bay tangler Justin Geleta, Tampa Bay entertainer Mr. Vyn Suazion (Nov. 12); Dash Creative Group’s Jay Aller, Sarasota opera singer Ron Rispoli, Tampa networking guru Vincent Papaleo (Nov. 13); Ritz Ybor Marketing Director Okie Tilo, Tampa-based but world-renowned flutist Joseph Rose (Nov. 14); Sarasota activist and GAIN member Bart Coyle, Tampa-based Out Q news freelancer Mike Wells, St. Petersburg fox Aleksander Helios, Former St Pete Pride grand marshal SueZie Hawkes (Nov. 15); Tampa Bay entertainer Chi Chi Lalique (Nov. 16); Ray Sickles, AKA Sarasota diva Angelique Monet (Nov. 17); Tampa Bay hairstylist Frank Piscopo, Stonewall activist Jay Chetney, Tampa Bay entertainer Drew Hawk AKA Lilith Black (Nov. 19); , Equality Florida Pinellas Development Director Todd Richardson, Honey Pot show director Toby Brees, Punky’s coowner Lynn Deiber, Boys’ Entrance instrumentalist Bill Ramsey (Nov. 20); Tampa concert aficionado Dwayne McFarlane, Punky’s bartender Jennifer Dunham (Nov. 21); Tampa swimwear designer La’Daska Mechelle, charity-driven Ybor resident Mike Hammonds, Tampa Hospice’s admissions manager Peter Shute, EPIC Special Events Coordinator Molly Robison (Nov. 22); Tampa actress Lauren Clark, Tampa Bay sisters member John Miller (Nov. 23).

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1

WARM WELCOME: U.S. Rep Charlie Crist (L) greets incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to Pinellas County Nov. 3. PHOTO

COURTESY CHARLIE CRIST

2

PAW PRIDE: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor shows off her little rainbow Alcaldesa Oct. 30.

PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF TAMPA

3

DYNAMIC DUO: Kiala Santi (L) and Cole Foust kick off Metro Inclusive Health’s virtual Trans Fashion & Health Expo Nov. 9.

4

5

PHOTO COURTESY COLE FOUST

4

FLOWER POWER: Deidre Favero (L) and Lindsey Burkholder share a day date at Southern Hill Farms Nov. 8. PHOTO

COURTESY LINDSEY BURKHOLDER

5

MARILYN & TEA: Joey Brooks (L) and Mark Bias West glam it up at Bradley’s on 7th Oct. 31. PHOTO

COURTESY MARK BIAS WEST

6

BUILDING BACK BETTER: (L-R) Darden Rice, Nathan Bruemmer, Susan McGrath, Brian Longstreth and Michael Smith show their support for Joe Biden at Pride at the Polls with Pete Buttigieg Oct. 28. PHOTO

BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

7

TAMPA TOUR: (L-R) Nate Taylor, Priya Rajkumar, Brent Sparks and James Keane give Watermark the official tour of Metro’s renovation Nov. 2. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

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TRIXIE PAW-TEL: John Gascot glams up a pooch at the Studios at 5663 Nov. 5. PHOTO

COURTESY JOHN GASCOT

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

announcements

central florida out+about

CONGRATULATIONS Former Miss America and LGBTQ ally Ericka Dunlap welcomed her first child Nov. 4.

Bros in Convos founder Daniel Downer was presented with the 2020 Unsung Hero Award by Divas in Dialogue Nov. 6.

2

Winter Park bakery, The Glass Knife, celebrated its third anniversary Nov. 10.

Comic shop Gods & Monsters celebrates its fifth anniversary, and the third anniversary of its geek-themed craft beer bar VAULT 5421, Nov. 14

CONDOLENCES After 45 years as an LGBTQ safe space, the world-famous Parliament House closed its doors on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando Nov. 2. Read more on pg. 9

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5

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EVENTS Ms. Darcel Stevens brings her “Bitch Gotta Work Tour” to the Twisted Rooster in Melbourne Nov. 13, Hamburger Mary’s in Jacksonville Nov. 14-15 and Southern Nights in Orlando Nov. 15.

Abbey Bar kicks off its DeLand Pride Night with a socially-distanced drag show hosted by Aaliyah Nouveau Nov. 15.

April Fresh’s Comedy Brunch will now be held at Iron Cow on Nov. 22.

4

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Orlando writer Liz Langley, Orlando piano man Kelly DeWayne, LGBT+ Center’s director of Operations Joel Morales, Orlando performer Miss Aiysia Black, DJ Joanie Stanco, Orlando softball expert Anthony Andreala(Nov. 13); Former zoo professionalChristopher Torge, paper bag mushroom artist Doug Rhodehamel, Disney application developer Dan Peters (Nov. 14); The Closing Agent and The 49 Fund founder Barry Miller(Nov. 16); MBA Orlando executive director Kellie Rae Parkin (Nov. 17); Lithia equestrian expert James Meeks, Orlando Gay Chorus tenor and sky hostess Todd Michael Hayes (Nov. 18); Orlando Gay Chorus belter Pattie Noah, Orlando photographer Brian Becnel, HAOS on Church managerJackie Lewin, real estate agent Neil Payne, former Watermark intern Valentina Sofia(Nov. 19); Orlando chef Chris Bean(Nov. 21); Orlando activist Nicki Drumb, Keller-Williams realtor Steve Glose, Pom Pom’s Orlando server Alexis Astolfi(Nov. 22); State Rep. Linda Stewart (Nov. 23); Orlando lawyer Ed Blaisdell, drag legendRich Kuntz, AKA Gidget Galore, Central Florida actor Mickey Lewis (Nov. 24).

1

5

courtesy Daniel Downer

courtesy Dalton Connell

2

6

Honored Hero: Daniel Downer shows off his 2020 Unsung Hero Award, presented by Divas in Dialogue, Nov. 6. Photo

Rocky Horror Pic: MrMs Adrian (center) and cast catch a photo backstage after a performance of “The Rocky Horror Drag Show” at the Parliament House Orlando Oct. 31. Photo by MrMs Adrian

3

Final Weekend: D’Andre Bims (L) and D.j.

Brianna Lee celebrate Halloween at Parliament House Orlando’s last weekend. Photo courtesy The REAL Orlando Parliament House Fan Page

4

Lights Out: Doug Ba’aser says goodbye to the Footlight Theatre at the Parliament House Orlando Nov. 2.

Photo courtesy Doug Ba’aser

Back to the ‘80s: Dalton Connell becomes “Back to the Future’s” Marty McFly for Halloween in Orlando Oct. 30. Photo

Use the Force: State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (L) and Ida V. Eskamani take on the evil Empire in their “Star Wars”-inspired Halloween costumes Oct. 30. Photo

7

courtesy Anna V. Eskamani

7

Ridin’ with Biden: Sam Graper shows off his flag-filled truck after the announcement of Joe Biden’s win in downtown Orlando Nov. 7. Photo by J.D. Casto

8

For the Trees: Lisa Brown signaling to voters to vote Yes on #2 (which they did!) to save Split Oak Forest Nov. 3.

Photo courtesy Lisa Brown

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November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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wedding bells

Luis Balaguer and Dan Casper from St. Petersburg, Florida

Civil Union Ceremony and Reception Date:

Sept. 29, 2012

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Life-Cycle Celebrant Anita Vaughan

Photographer:

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Wedding Date:

Oct. 7, 2020

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St. Petersburg Judicial Building

Wedding Officiant:

Courthouse clerk

Photo by Luis Balaguer

Photos by Hilda Burke

S

Tiffany Razzano

t. Pete’s Luis Balaguer and Dan

Casper met while they were still living in the Windy City. Balaguer moved to Chicago in 1976 from Puerto Rico while Casper, a self-described “good Midwestern boy,” relocated from Indiana in 1990.

Though they were both active in the local LGBTQ scene, it took more than a decade in the same city for them to connect. Sure, they’d crossed paths, said hello when they ran into each other at the bars, and had some mutual friends, but they didn’t get to know each other until they were both volunteering for an International Mr. Leather competition in the early 2000s.

Balaguer worked with the set crew, while Casper sold t-shirts.

“That was the first time we really met and really spent time together,” Balaguer says.

The couple kissed for the first time at an after party for the event.

Casper’s BFF witnessed the kiss and told him afterwards, “I knew right then and there, you guys were going to be together a long time.

I always wondered what it was like when you see stars when you kiss someone, and I could tell you both absolutely saw stars.”

Casper adds, “And we’ve been together ever since. The funny thing is we both said we weren’t looking for anything serious and here we are 17 years later.”

The relationship moved quickly, Balaguer says. They knew of each other from the local bar scene and each “different dimension” he got to know of Casper helped “seal the deal.”

Balaguer recalls inviting Casper to join him at a Human Rights Campaign gala in Chicago. It was the first formal event they attended together.

“I remember that he came down in a tux and I though, ‘Alright, this is good for me,’” he says.

He asked Casper to marry him on their one-year anniversary. But they waited seven years before having a wedding.

“We were waiting for marriage equality,” Casper says. There was movement in the Illinois state government that indicated changes

were happening in that area.

“Ultimately, what came out of it was a civil union,” he adds.

Balaguer says, “Back then, we could only get a civil union, but we were tired of waiting. So, we had a full-on wedding…basically, we just had a wedding for a civil union.”

They invited 125 of their friends and family for “a giant, amazing ceremony and reception,” Casper says.

They planned to fill out the legal paperwork to get married as soon as it was allowed.

Then, they moved to Florida about seven years ago and they quickly fell in love with St. Petersburg.

Casper’s real estate career brought the couple to the Tampa Bay area.

Meanwhile, Balaguer grew a career in health care staffing and launched a t-shirt company, selling his wares at Pride-related events and the Metro LGBT Welcome Center.

When same-sex marriage was legalized at a federal level in 2015, they held off on legalizing their marriage. In Illinois, since they had a civil union, it would have been easy to check a box on a piece of paper to automatically convert it to a marriage.

Casper says Florida didn’t recognize their civil union, since it was filed in another state. They knew they’d have to head to the local

courthouse to fill out a marriage license – which is what they did Oct. 7, around their eighth wedding anniversary. “Around the day we consider our wedding, we went to the courthouse and got our marriage license,” he says.

The couple approached it casually.

After all, they felt that they’d been married for years.

Balaguer says, “I thought of it as just a legal matter that we’re dealing with and we were going about it really casually. I just put on some shorts when the courthouse opened to get our license, no big deal. Our friends told us they could be there with us, but why? We’ve already had our wedding.”

Then, they arrived at the St. Petersburg Judicial Building downtown. “In that moment, it started to feel really different and less casual,” he says.

Casper adds, “Never knowing what a courthouse wedding was I just thought I would sign a piece of paper and we’d be done.”

But they found that it was more formal than that. They were brought into a room to recite their vows in front of the courthouse clerk. “That did it for me,” he says. “That’s when I knew, Oh. This is really real.”

- Tiffany Razzano

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

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watermark Your LGBTQ life.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

watermark Your LGBTQ life.

November 12 - 24 , 2020 // Issue 27. 2 3 wat e r m a r konline .com

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