Watermark Issue 31.02: Love Stories, The Look of Revelations

Your LGBTQ+ News Source.

January 18 - 31, 2024 • Issue 31.02

Love Stories BL Comics attract audiences worldwide

Climate First partners with Bliss CARES for Pride banking

TIGLFF St. Pete a ‘pivotal time’ for LGBTQ+ festival

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA

Your LGBTQ+ News Source.

January 18 - 31, 2024 Issue 31.02

TIGLFF St. Pete a ‘pivotal time’ for LGBTQ+ festival

Climate First partners with Bliss CARES for Pride banking

The Look of Revelations Sasha Velour on ‘Drag Race,’ ‘We’re Here’ and coming to Clearwater

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

DEPARTMENTS 7 // PUBLISHER’S DESK

page

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8 // CENTRAL FL NEWS 10 // TAMPA BAY NEWS

In all my stories I write in a universe where ‘coming out of the closet’ does not exist or a person’s sexual orientation is not a topic of conversation. So we could say that in fact it is very far from what it is like to be homosexual in real life … it has never been my goal to make real representations of what it is like to be LGBT in the real world.

– PÍA PRADO, A BL COMIC WRITER AND CREATOR OF “TRIPLE NACIONAL”

12 // STATE NEWS 13 // NATION & WORLD NEWS 17 // TALKING POINTS 31 // TAMPA BAY OUT + ABOUT 33 // CENTRAL FL OUT + ABOUT 34 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 35 // CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE 38 // EVENT PLANNER ON THE COVER

pages

19/25

page THE LOOK OF REVELATIONS:

BL Comics attract audiences

worldwide. ILLUSTRATION BY PIA PRADO

THE LOOK OF REVELATIONS: Sasha Velour on

“Drag Race,” “We’re Here” and coming to Clearwater. PHOTO BY GREG ENDRIES

SCAN QR CODE FOR

WATERMARKONLINE.COM

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LOVE STORIES:

Sasha Velour on “Drag Race,” “We’re Here” and coming to Clearwater.

PHOTO BY GREG ENDRIES.

WATERMARK ISSUE 31.02 // JAN 18 - 31, 2024

COUNTRY FOR ALL

PART TWO

MOMMA KNOWS BEST ICONO DE ARTE

page Frost, LGBTQ+ leaders address ongoing immigration talks.

page

page

Read It Online!

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

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10

TIGLFF St. Pete is a “pivotal time” for the LGBTQ+ festival.

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Read what Momma Ashley Rose has to say in her latest Viewpoint.

page

Opera Orlando brings

of Frida Kahlo 29 theto thelifestage.

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER’S

Rick Todd PUBLISHER

Rick@WatermarkOnline.com

I

DESK

USED TO BE A VERY INSECURE

person. I credit my progress toward confidence on the process I used to get sober, and I am grateful for that long, hard journey.

I still, though, find myself dabbling in imposter syndrome from time to time. When I was first promoted to business manager at Watermark, it was difficult for me to really accept it. I used to laugh when I told my friends what my title was, as if I didn’t think I deserved it. I would also laugh when my friends stopped by Watermark and I would show them my office, like I didn’t deserve to have an office.

I was shy in meetings, not one to give my opinion or advice. The previous owner of Watermark had to sit me down a couple of times to encourage me to speak up and do the job I was hired to do. Time, some more experience and 12 steps have helped to correct this.

At my 12-steps meetings there are a few of us that might groan every time we enter a gratitude meeting. It is exactly like it sounds. We talk about what we are grateful for. By the end of the meeting we always feel better and question why we ever whined in the first place.

Gratitude is an amazing feeling. For me it is the antidote to feeling like an imposter. For all those times I actually felt like I didn’t deserve what I had achieved, they pale in comparison to the times I feel like I do right now — amazed and grateful for what I have accomplished.

This week, Jeremy Williams and I wrapped our 52nd episode of “Wine, Wine Not: A Queer Podcast.” It has been such a gift to participate in something

WATERMARK STAFF Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOnline.com Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Williams • Ext. 106 Jeremy@WatermarkOnline.com Managing Editor: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOnline.com

I have long wanted to do and love doing so much. We had talked for years about doing a podcast and always thought it would be news oriented.

When we decided to just hit record and see what happened, we ended up talking about our hidden passion, movies and television. Straying from news allowed us the freedom to be opinionated and authentically ourselves. This has to be my favorite thing I do and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity. I truly feel blessed.

Outside of celebrating one year of “Wine, Wine Not: A Queer Podcast,” Watermark is set up for an amazing 2024.

First and foremost, Watermark is celebrating its 30th year of sharing your LGBTQ+ stories in Central Florida and Tampa Bay. Stay tuned to these pages throughout the year to see how we honor the 30-year history of this paper and the heroes that graced our headlines.

Watermark’s documentary highlighting Central Florida’s LGBTQ history, “Greetings From Queertown: Orlando,” will make its Tampa Bay debut on Jan. 28 at the Green Light Cinema in St. Petersburg thanks to the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. I am super excited for everyone in Tampa Bay to have an opportunity to see this and hopefully be reminded of the hard working queer pioneers that advanced their own community.

Watermark has also been working on building a Spanish-speaking section of its website. We are working with a consulting editor to bring the stories that matter to the queer, Spanish-speaking community. Check it out by going to WatermarkOnline.com and clicking En Español in the

upper right corner. Keep an eye out for our Spanish social media accounts, all thanks to a grant from the Google News Initiative.

Watermark also received a grant to expand our services and we have amazing plans to reach more people in different ways.

We are still in the development stage but we hope to announce soon our plans for membership and exclusive benefits, video podcasts and news programs, and an enhanced social media experience through platforms you have yet to see us on.

I can’t fully express my gratitude for being part of all of

Watermark is set up for an amazing 2024.

this, being part of Watermark for 22 years and seeing how it has grown. I am grateful for all the employees, writers and distribution team who have dedicated so much of their time to help in Watermark’s success. I am grateful for all of the businesses and entertainers that have helped us along the way with supporting our events with their food and talent. It takes more than a village, it takes an entire community and it is amazing that this community has been together like this for 30 years.

Sometimes we all need to step back, recognize what we are able to accomplish and be grateful for the opportunities we have been afforded to make a positive impact.

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

ORLANDO OFFICE Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOnline.com Creative Designer: Caitlin Sause • Ext. 104 Caitlin@WatermarkOnline.com

Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOnline.com Senior Orlando Account Manager: Sam Callahan • Ext. 103 Sam@WatermarkOnline.com Central FL Account Manager: Daisy Chamberlin • Ext. 101 Daisy@WatermarkOnline.com

Office Assistant: Bubba Trahan • Ext. 100 Bubba@WatermarkOnline.com Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

MOMMA ASHLEY ROSE has

performed family friendly drag for over 20 years. She is a philanthropist, public speaker, activist and mentor who founded Rose Dynasty Foundation to help provide a safe space for all. Page 15

FEDERICO SOTO is

a Colombian writer, editor and journalist who specializes in film, television and comic book projects. He currently works as Watermark’s Consulting Spanish Editor. Page 23 HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, SABRINA AMBRA, ABBY BAKER, STEVE BLANCHARD, DEBORAH BOSTOCKKELLEY, JOHNNY BOYKINS, BIANCA GOOLSBY, JAKOB HERO-SHAW, LORA KORPAR, JASON LECLERC, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, MELODY MAIA MONET, NICHOLAS MACHUCA, TIFFANY RAZZANO, SISTER JUANA REACTION, MOMMA ASHLEY ROSE, GREG STEMM, SYLVIE TREVENA, MICHAEL WANZIE, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI

PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN BECNEL, NICK CARDELLO, J.D. CASTO, BRUCE HARDIN, JAMARCUS MOSLEY, CHRIS STEPHENSON, LEE VANDERGRIFT

DISTRIBUTION LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, RAYLENE HUNT, ZACHARY WELCH

AFFILIATIONS

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 or gender identity 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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central florida news

CLIMATE FIRST PARTNERS WITH BLISS CARES Bellanee Plaza

O

RLANDO | Climate First Bank, the world’s first FDIC-insured community bank founded to combat the climate crisis, announced on Jan. 3 its latest Pride Banking Partner, Bliss CARES. By partnering up, these two organizations aim to improve the health and financial wellness of the Central Florida LGBTQ+ community, according to the press release.

Rachel Kent, vice president director of marketing for Climate First Bank, and Johnida Pena, executive director for Bliss CARES, says this partnership will benefit Central Floridians by providing enhanced access to resources and care.

“We all have the right to show up as we want to or as we want to be and I feel that Pride Banking really enables that for people,” says Kent. “Being able to bank with your preferred names and pronouns definitely enables that.”

Pena says the goal is to have the community find safety in this partnership.

“Bliss Cares is a nonprofit division, we get the sponsors, and we implement the programs that are necessary to help the community,” says Pena. “To give back to the community and let them know you guys aren’t alone.”

Bliss CARES is collaborating with BLISS Health to improve medical care in Florida. Their mission is creating a safe and welcoming environment and providing comprehensive medical care to Central Florida patients living with or at risk of HIV and STDs. This complements Climate First Bank’s efforts to empower LGBTQ+ people and allies with the tools they need to live well and achieve their financial goals, according to the press release.

“This is a safe haven and we’re ultimately on your side,” Pena says. “We have your best interests.”

With Climate First Bank’s Pride Banking, a $100 donation is made to Bliss CARES each time a qualifying Pride checking account is opened through June 30.

Kent says the donation window is open for a six-month window to allow Climate First Bank to engage with other LGBTQ+ nonprofits as well.

Kent and Pena both agree that all this effort comes back to creating an inclusive and friendly environment.

Kent says that there is a big part of acceptance that comes with banking at Climate First Bank.

“We’re so lucky to be able to do what we do because we get to bring awareness to groups who don’t always get to show up as themselves,” Kent says.

Pena says being able to partner with Climate First Bank to support the LGBTQ+ community is exactly what Bliss CARES stands for. She says this partnership feels like the companies are joining forces to give back to those in need.

For more information about Climate First Bank’s Pride Banking Program, visit ClimateFirstBank.com/Pride.

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LEADING THE FIGHT: Congressman Maxwell Frost calls for immigration policy changes in Orlando. PHOTO BY

Country For All Frost, LGBTQ+ leaders address ongoing immigration talks Connor Barry

O

RLANDO | U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost held a press conference Jan. 8 at Christ the King Episcopal Church to discuss the current state of immigration in the U.S. and ongoing negotiations for new immigration policy changes.

Along with community leaders Father Jose Rodriguez, Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet and Tessa Petit, Frost talked about potential harmful impacts of changes currently being discussed by senators in D.C. “They hold our government funding hostage to change and implement their inhumane policies at the border and for immigration across the entire country. They want to slash asylum … they want to end protections for migrant children and lengthen the time that children can be held in adult facilities at the border,” Frost said.

Frost went on to talk about other changes being discussed, such as slashing the humanitarian parole program, a program that allows temporary asylum for

people in urgent humanitarian need who may not have otherwise been admitted into the United States.

Along with humanitarian parole, Frost also said the discussions included denial for asylum seekers who traveled through other countries to get here, creation of more detention facilities and pausing the ability for people to claim asylum.

Frost expressed his frustration with not being able to participate in these discussions.

“Right now, it’s about five or six senators in a room, deciding the fate of immigration in this country. Your member of Congress that fought to get there to fight for these very issues is not included in the conversation,” Frost said.

This frustration was echoed by multiple speakers at the Congressman’s press conference.

“My call to Congress is not to sell us out as some bargaining chip that you’re working out in some back room, that I don’t even know where it is. Congressman Maxwell Frost, the person who represents us, should be in that room because he is bringing our voices to

CONNOR BARRY

Washington DC,” Sousa-Lazaballet, the executive director of the Hope Community Center, said. “If you are from Orlando and you’re not angry that you’re Congress person is not participating in this conversation, you know, wake up.”

Sousa-Lazaballet explained in an interview that the issue of immigration is also an LGBTQ+ issue.

“Asylum is a system that exists to protect the lives of people from persecution and LGBTQ+ people are facing life threatening situations in many places across the world,” he said. “If asylum is gutted in the way that Congress is currently considering, it could leave thousands to die.”

Sousa-Lazaballet gave himself as an example. As an LGBTQ+ immigrant from Brazil, he came to the U.S. when he was only 14 years old from a country that he said has the highest number of LGBTQ+ hate crimes in the world.

It is for reasons like this that he stresses the importance of supporting one another.

“I am constantly asking and reminding our LGBTQ+ community to stand in solidarity with immigrants and also for immigrants to stand with the LGBTQ+ community,” Sousa-Lazaballet said.

Beyond just the LGBTQ+ community, he said that much more is needed to protect immigrants in the US and around the world.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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9

tampa bay news

LGBTQ RESOURCE CENTER SEEKS PRESIDENT Ryan Williams-Jent

G

ULFPORT, FLA. | The LGBTQ Resource Center is searching for its next board president following the completion of Susan Gore’s four-year term.

The organization launched in 2015 as a project of the Circle of Friends of the Gulfport Public Library. It exists today to promote the experiences, contributions and needs of the LGBTQ+ community and began operating as its own nonprofit under Gore’s leadership.

“Circle of Friends has a very local focus and we grew larger and more widespread in our outreach, just exponentially,” she told Watermark in 2019. “Everyone agreed it was a good idea for us to go out on our own.”

Gore’s tenure saw the creation or expansion of initiatives like ArtOUT, ReadOUT, BranchOUT and SpeakOUT, annual events and scholarships designed to elevate and support the arts and more. Gore reflected on her time at the LGBTQ Resource Center in its newsletter Jan. 8.

“Along with our signature events … the Resource Center hosted multiple smaller programs at the Gulfport Library and Hickman Theater,” she wrote.

Gore noted that they will continue in 2024 with “onsite offerings at both venues … as we expand our online and onsite presence elsewhere.”

They’ll do so under new leadership, set to be announced at the LGBTQ+ Resource Center’s annual meeting Feb. 7. Gore is serving as interim board president until then and will assist in the transition.

Interested parties are invited to apply for the board president position by Feb. 2 and can do so online. The role requires a two-year term, which is renewable up to four years maximum service, is volunteer-based and requires 5-10 hours per week with frequent outreach and community engagement.

The organization says its ideal candidate will be “passionate about inclusion,” have between three and five years of nonprofit volunteer board experience, budget management skills and be “committed to educate about, celebrate and inspire LGBTQ+ lives.”

“We will have further news to share at the February 7 annual meeting,” Gore also shared. “Please accept my abiding gratitude for the opportunity to have served as the LGBTQ Resource Center board president for the past four years. Term limits are good things.

Organizations do not belong to individuals.

“The Resource Center’s value is measured in how well we have met our purpose, ‘promoting awareness of the experiences, contributions and needs of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer,’” she continued. “I am proud to be part of the growth of the Resource Center’s programs and wish everyone a new year filled with good health, happiness and resilience that grows out of an unquestioned belief that you are valued.”

For more information and to apply, visit MyGulfport.us/LGBTQ-Resources and TinyURL.com/LGBTQ-Prez.

10

PART ONE:

TIGLFF Tampa filmgoers last October.

PHOTO COURTESY TIGLFF

Part Two TIGLFF St. Pete a ‘pivotal time’ Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will hold the second part of its 34th annual celebration at Green Light Cinema Jan. 25-28.

The festival is the state’s longest-running celebration of LGBTQ+ cinema. TIGLFF St. Pete follows TIGLFF Tampa, held Oct. 5-8 last year after organizers split the festival between cities in lieu of its traditional nine-day format.

“People enjoyed the shorter period,” TIGLFF President Rob Akins says. “They seemed to like not having to attempt to commit to nine days; a long weekend was much more palatable.”

“The main thing that was clear from TIGLFF Tampa is that TIGLFF exists because of a loyal and devoted audience,” Program Director KJ Mohr adds. “But there were also several new festival goers. All of which tells me that there is still a need and a strong desire for TIGLFF to exist.”

Whether or not it will is up to supporters. Akins’ term will end this month and he tells Watermark new leaders are needed for TIGLFF to move forward.

Akins and Mohr also address that in a joint letter featured in TIGLFF St. Pete’s program.

“This is a pivotal time for TIGLFF as we are in desperate need for members of the community to get involved to ensure the organization’s continued existence,” they wrote.

“We’re the ... oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in Florida where LGBTQ+ rights are under continued threat.

This is not a time to lose TIGLFF!” TIGLFF St. Pete’s films, a collection Mohr says consists of “extremely compelling, unique stories that we won’t be able to see elsewhere,” was designed in part to prove that. It opens Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. with a collection of shorts.

Full-length features “The Venus Effect” and “Norwegian Dream” will respectively follow Jan. 26 at 7 and 9 p.m., and Jan. 27 will feature four others. They include “1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted a Culture” at 12:30 p.m., “Before I Change my Mind” at 3 p.m., “Lie with Me” at 5 p.m. and “Peafowl” at 9 p.m. Another shorts program will also play at 7 p.m.

Watermark’s documentary “Greetings from Queertown: Orlando” will subsequently make its Tampa Bay debut Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. The film details the history

of the LGBTQ+ community that built Orlando’s political and nightlife scene.

“I am overjoyed at the opportunity to share this film in the Tampa Bay area,” says Rick Todd, Watermark owner, publisher and the film’s executive producer. “I have worked with this community for the last 22 years and hope to engage similar projects here in the future.”

“A Big Gay Hairy Hit! Where the Bears Are” will then screen at 4:15 p.m. Making its U.S. premiere, “Riviere” will close the festival at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets begin at $15 for single films or are four for $45. For $65 supporters can purchase “Friend of the Fest” passes to see as many in-person screenings as they’d like.

“TIGLFF grew out of community need and has thrived for decades despite antagonism, homophobia, recessions and pandemics,” Mohr says. “It emerged out of necessity and a lot has changed ... But we still need this space of queer joy, an in-person celebration of LGBTQIA artistry and community.

“It has always been the community who has made TIGLFF happen,” she continues. “Now it’s up to that community to keep it alive. It would be sorely missed if we let it dissolve. I hope that won’t happen.”

TIGLFF St. Pete will be held Jan. 25-28 at Green Light Cinema, located at 221 2nd Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. For more information about supporting its future and to purchase tickets, visit TIGLFF.com.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

11

state news

SMART RIDE REVEALS FINAL TOTAL Ryan Williams-Jent

F

ORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. | SMART Ride organizers revealed during their final check distribution party Jan. 14 that the organization raised a record $1,422,943 for AIDS service organizations in Florida last year.

SMART Ride 20 was held Nov. 17-18 but fundraising continued through Dec. 31. Its vision of “giving back 100% of every dollar its participants raise to AIDS service organizations throughout Florida” culminated with a 20-year fundraising total of $16,377,287.

The final beneficiaries included Empath Partners in Care in Tampa Bay, which received $253,609, and Miracle of Love in Central Florida, which received $223,477. Broward House in Wilton Manors received $237,004; Pridelines in Miami-Dade County received $203,880; Compass Community Center in Palm Beach County received $219, 460 and A.H. Monroe in Monroe County received $285,513.

Representatives from each agency also revealed that a new fundraiser will take SMART Ride’s place later this year, Bike It For Life. The inaugural ride is scheduled for Nov. 23.

BILL WOULD REVOKE STATE IDS OF TRANS PEOPLE Connor Barry

T

ALLAHASSEE, FLA. | The Florida House introduced a new bill, House Bill 1233, on Jan. 4 seeking to define the terms “man” and “woman” based on sex assigned at birth.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dean Black, would legally determine whether a person is male or female based on what is listed on their birth certificate.

Black said in a press release, “Since time immemorial, and for all time yet to come, there are two sexes: male and female.

These are immutable, unchanging characteristics in the eyes of the law… And so now, with the filing of this bill we have answered the defining question of this decade, ‘What is a woman?’”

Along with legally defining these terms, the bill would also “replace references to the term ‘gender’ with the term

‘sex’,” according to the bill. This would affect applications for disability ID cards and application requirements for driver licenses and ID cards, prohibiting the issuing of original or replacement driver licenses or ID cards that list a person’s sex as inconsistent with what they were assigned at birth.

“Another sweeping assault on the rights and dignity of transgender Floridians that seeks to deny their existence.

It’s disgusting, unnecessary, and we will do everything we can to stop it,” Rep. Anna V. Eskamani responded on social media.

Equality Florida also spoke out against the bill. In a Facebook post, the organization advised the bill would deny :transgender Floridians accurate drivers’ licenses and other IDs, attempting to revoke transgender protections in housing, employment and public spaces, reinforcing anti-transgender discrimination in bathrooms, locker rooms,

shelters, and more, and required the surveillance and outing of transgender Floridians by public health, crime, and economic data tracking agencies.”

The bill also requires insurers to offer coverage of therapies and mental health services that affirm one’s sex assigned at birth when “a person’s perception that his or her sex is inconsistent with the sex at birth,” in all policies after July 1.

Equality Florida also stated that this section of the bill refers to the “widely debunked, fraudulent and dangerous practice” of conversion therapy.

“This bill is rooted in a dangerous ideology that denies transgender people do or should exist. It is part of a blatant attempt to oust transgender Floridians and their families from the state, making them political refugees,” said Equality Florida Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer. “We are ready to fight.”

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

The LGBTQ Resource Center seeks to recruit, develop and retain talented volunteers from a diverse candidate pool.

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nation+world news

OHIO HOUSE OVERRIDES GOP GOVERNOR’S VETO OF BAN ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS Wire Report

C

OLUMBUS, OHIO | The Republican-dominated Ohio House voted Jan. 10 to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move LGBTQ+ activists say would severely restrict the everyday lives of transgender youth in the state.

The override propels closer to law a ban on gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies and sets restrictions on mental health care for transgender individuals under 18. The legislation also bans transgender girls and women from girls and women’s sports teams at both the K-12 and collegiate level.

DeWine previously said he vetoed the legislation to protect parents and children from government overreach on medical decisions.

The House voted to override the veto 65-28 along party lines.

The Republican-majority Senate is expected take up their own override vote on Jan. 24.

Rep. Gary Click, a Republican Baptist preacher from Sandusky County and sponsor of the bill, has maintained that the measures protect children who cannot provide informed consent for such life-altering care. He hopes that the override, and possible related future legislation, will encourage doctors and other individuals who may be afraid to testify against gender-affirming care for minors to come forward and speak their minds.

“We have to get away from allowing our medical institutions to be captured by ideology,” Click said.

Rep. Beth Liston, a Democrat and Columbus-area pediatrician, said on the floor that she was struggling to “comprehend the arrogance of the people in this room” who voted to override the veto and enact these bans, as they are not medical or mental health professionals.

Liston went on to encourage the LGBTQ+ community, saying there was still hope and pointed to recent votes by Ohio citizens to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution and legalize marijuana as evidence that the people could still have impact on these bans.

At least 22 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and many of those states face lawsuits.

GABRIEL ATTAL IS FRANCE’S 1ST OPENLY GAY PM Wire Report

P

ARIS | France saw its youngest-ever prime minister and first openly gay one named Jan. 9 as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right.

Gabriel Attal, 34, rose to prominence as the government spokesperson then education minister and had polled as the most popular minister in the outgoing government.

His predecessor Elisabeth Borne resigned Jan. 8 following political turmoil over an immigration law that strengthens the government’s ability to deport foreigners.

Macron will work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, though some key ministers are expected to stay on.

During the handover ceremony, Attal said: “I could read and hear it: the youngest president of the Republic in history appoints the youngest prime minister in history. I want to see it only

as the symbol of boldness and movement. It is also, and perhaps above all, a symbol of confidence in young people.”

Attal said his goals include making security an “absolute priority” and promoting values of “authority and respect of others.”

He also vowed to strengthen public services including schools and the health system and push for “better controlling immigration.”

The president’s second term lasts until 2027, and he is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term. Political observers have suggested that Macron, a staunch supporter of European integration, wants his new government to prepare for June’s European Union elections, where far-right, anti-EU populists are expected to increase their influence.

Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president, accountable to the parliament and is in charge of implementing domestic policy, notably economic measures. The president holds substantial powers over foreign

policy and European affairs and is the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces.

Attal, a former member of the Socialist Party, joined Macron’s newly created political movement in 2016 and was spokesperson from 2020 to 2022, a job that made him well-known to the French public. He was then named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister, one of the most prestigious positions in government.

Attal will face the same obstacle as his predecessor: Macron’s centrists lost their majority in parliament last year, forcing the government into political maneuvering and using special constitutional powers to be able to pass laws.

Borne left office saying she’s proud of the work done over the last 20 months that allowed her government “to pass the budget, the pension reform, the immigration law and more than 50 other texts designed to meet the challenges faced by our country.”

IN OTHER NEWS LAWSUIT: LOUISIANA TRANS CARE BAN VIOLATES STATE CONSTITUTION A lawsuit prepared by Lambda Legal and others on behalf of five Louisiana minors and their parents looks to block enforcement of Louisiana’s new ban on transgender health care procedures for anyone under 18. The lawsuit, which was announced Jan. 8

by LGBTQ+ advocates, was filed in Louisiana district court in New Orleans. State lawmakers approved the ban last year and overrode a veto by then-Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat. The law bans, among other things, hormone treatments, gender reassignment surgery or puberty-blocking drugs for minors and took effect Jan. 1.

COURT: ALABAMA CAN ENFORCE A BAN ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR TRANS MINORS Alabama can begin immediately enforcing a ban outlawing the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender people under 19, a federal appeals court ruled Jan. 11, granting the state’s request to stay a preliminary injunction that had blocked enforcement of the 2022 law. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously ruled that the injunction should be vacated, but the decision had been effectively on hold for more than 18 months while families with transgender children asked the full appellate court to reconsider the decision.

UGANDA GAY ACTIVIST BLAMES KNIFE ATTACK ON A WORSENING CLIMATE OF INTOLERANCE Steven Kabuye, a well-known gay rights activist in Uganda who was stabbed by unknown assailants, attributed the attack to what he described Jan. 4 as a growing intolerance of the LGBTQ+ community fueled by politicians. The climate of intolerance is being exacerbated by “politicians who are using the LGBTQ+ community as a scapegoat to move people away from what is really happening in the country,” Kabuye said in an interview from a hospital bed. Two attackers on a motorcycle tried to stab Kabuye in the neck Jan. 3, and when he tried to shield himself the attackers stabbed him in the right arm and stomach, police said.

GREEK GOVERNMENT’S PLANS TO LEGALIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WIN KEY OPPOSITION BACKING The center-right Greek government’s plans to legalize same-sex civil marriage received a major boost Jan. 11 after the left-wing opposition leader pledged his party’s backing in parliament. Syriza leader Stefanos Kasselakis said he would instruct his lawmakers to vote for the proposal, although he argued that it didn’t go far enough on parenthood rights. Syriza’s support would practically ensure the draft law’s approval in the 300-seat parliament.

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viewpoint

Momma Ashley Rose

MOMMA

KNOWS BEST

L

Opportunities among Opposition AST YEAR WAS FULL OF

hardship for so many. The LGBTQ+ community, women and other minorities saw their rights stripped away through vicious, unrelenting political attacks.

This created intense stress and fear. We saw a rise in hate and discrimination once again and many of us became more concerned that we are living in a time where our rights may be taken away, along with our very lives.

So, how do we get through this? How can we use this hardship as an opportunity to grow? I have a few ideas.

First, we need to understand that the community needs symbolic figures who rise to the challenge, embodying strength and resilience to champion advocacy and education within the community. In the face of opposition, our community can become a beacon of knowledge, challenging stereotypes and fostering a chance for opponents to understand us.

These opportunities allow us to educate others and build bridges, knocking down long-standing barriers to LGBTQ+ individuals.

Taking the time to educate ourselves and others can lead to significant social change, as can seeking the truth and understanding ourselves. We must speak the truth and stand up with those who need us — now is not the time to be silent. We all have a voice or means by which we can help, be it through protest, writing an article, giving someone a hug or creating a safe space. There are so many ways!

Second, through forging bonds in the shadows of adversity. Community building becomes a powerful avenue for growth and support and we have learned how to come together, stand together and fight.

There’s an opportunity to forge strong bonds of solidarity to provide a sense of belonging to those who may feel marginalized and under attack. This can become a platform for shared experiences, resilience

and empowerment, transforming opposition into an opportunity for collective strength. It is empowering to make the best of the bad things happening. Connecting the LGBTQ+ community and other minorities with our allies is needed to bring change.

Connecting through the mess that has been going on is an avenue to forge these bonds. This last year, I had the opportunity to make new friends and colleagues, network where I never would have been able to, and have a platform I may not have ever had.

I have been able to work closely with the media and news outlets to share the truth about what has gone on in Florida, where I may not have ever had the chance.

Doors have opened for me to speak in not only LGBTQ+ affirming congregations but also others who may never have opened their doors to the conversations or messages we have.

I have seen communities — religious leaders, activists, political leaders, gay, straight, Black, white and more — stand together to fight against the hate. In the shadow of adversity, unity has occurred like I never thought it would.

Forging these bonds must stay a priority.

We also have to recognize and address the unique challenges that members of our community face.

Intersectionality is real and we must use it for the better.

Embracing it allows us to navigate opportunities within the opposition. We need to acknowledge and address the unique challenges faced by individuals who belong to multiple marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community to foster inclusivity and solidarity.

While Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ bills have impacted so many, I have watched my trans siblings in particular fight and fear for their health and lives. It hurts me deeply when I think about how dangerous this state has been for them.

While fighting for the rights of LGBTQ+ youth and drag performers last year, I realized history was repeating itself: our trans siblings felt they were alone, and they needed us to stand up with them. While we all had our own battles to fight, we could have done so much

LGBTQ+ experiences in the face of opposition. We bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table and opportunities will arise when the community creates an environment that values and uplifts every voice and experience.

By highlighting the beauty

indestructible tools for transformation.

Anyone can become a symbolic figure, embodying the strength needed to turn adversity into opportunities for growth, understanding and positive change. We all must navigate through the opposition to pave the way

more to help them.

By acknowledging and advocating for the diverse experiences within the LGBTQ+ community, we can all foster a more equitable and supportive community.

I do not know the answer, nor do I claim to; however, I feel there is much more we can learn from this while addressing unique challenges.

Finally, we have to celebrate diversity and embrace the richness of

of LGBTQ+ experiences, we can challenge stereotypes, educate others and develop a culture of acceptance that transforms the opposition into opportunities for celebration and understanding. Finding opportunities among opposition takes on a profound experience within the LGBTQ+ context — where resilience, advocacy and inclusivity become

for a more inclusive future.

As human beings, we need the constant reminder that we are loved, accepted and wanted, no matter who we are and no matter what anyone says about us.

Let’s make sure our entire community knows that.

We must speak the truth and stand up with those who need us — now is not the time to be silent.

Momma Ashley Rose has performed family-friendly drag for over 20 years. She is a philanthropist, mentor and more who founded the Rose Dynasty Foundation. Learn more at RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org.

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talking points To get to tell a story of a fat, Black, queer person who is happy about the world around him and loves himself unconditionally … it was the perfect segue into finding Jaquel again.

– JAQUEL SPIVEY ON BRINGING DAMIAN TO THE BIG SCREEN IN THE NEW “MEAN GIRLS”

OFFERMAN WINS 1ST EMMY FOR ‘THE LAST OF US’

OF

LGBTQ PEOPLE

N

ICK OFFERMAN WON HIS FIRST EMMY AFTER FOUR NOMINATIONS AT THE 75TH ANNUAL CREATIVE ARTS EMMY AWARDS Jan. 6, securing Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance in HBO’s “The Last of Us.” The post-apocalyptic drama, based on the videogame franchise of the same name, explores themes of hope, grief and love. The third episode of its first season featured emotionally complex characters like Offerman’s Bill and his partner Frank, played by openly gay actor Murray Bartlett. The celebrated episode explored the relationship between the two men, both of whom were nominated for their performances. Offerman thanked Murray in his acceptance speech, calling him “my magnificently generous partner,” as well as his wife and fellow LGBTQ+ ally Megan Mullally. The “Will & Grace” alum convinced him to take the role. “The Last of Us” won a total of eight awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Work on its second season is expected to begin next month.

DOLLY PARTON HONORS TEXAS DRAG QUEEN

T

EXAS-BASED DRAG QUEEN AND ACTIVIST BRIGITTE BANDIT WAS HONORED BY DOLLY PARTON late last month. Austin-based NBC affiliate KXAN reported that Bandit was photographed holding a copy of a book about Parton during an appearance before Texas lawmakers. A member of the singer’s team saw the photo and passed it along to Parton, who signed a custom-made guitar that was presented to Bandit at one of her performances. Bandit shared the news on social media, thanking Parton for “helping me find my strength in femininity and kindness.” She also said she plans to perform with the guitar only once, for Parton’s birthday Jan. 19.

LGBTQ+ GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES LEAVE EMPTY HANDED

T

HE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION’S GOLDEN GLOBES featured only a handful of openly LGBTQ+ nominees this year, all of whom left empty handed Jan. 7. Two out actors competed for Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at the 81st annual Golden Globes: Colman Domingo, nominated for “Rustin,” and Andrew Scott for “All of Us Strangers.” Both lost to Cillian Murphy for “Oppenheimer.”

Jodie Foster, competing in the Best Supporting Female Actor for the Netflix biopic “Nyad,” lost to Da’Vine Joy Randolph of “The Holdovers.” Matt Bomer, nominated as Best Actor in Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers,” lost to Steven Yuen for the Netflix series “Beef.”

ALMOST 2/3RDS WHO WERE RAISED

CHRISTIAN NO LONGER

IDENTIFY AS

PARIS CELEBRATES DAVID BOWIE’S ENDURING LEGACY

T

HE CITY OF PARIS IMMORTALIZED THE LATE BRITISH MUSIC AND FASHION ICON DAVID BOWIE JAN. 8, naming a street after him in the city’s southeast on what would have been his 77th birthday. The tribute celebrates Bowie’s first Paris performance in 1965, his first outside the United Kingdom, and his lasting impact on music, fashion and culture. The inauguration of rue David-Bowie was first announced in 2020 and the ceremony featured a concert and an exhibit. Bowie’s influence on music, with hits like “Space Oddity” and “Let’s Dance,” and on fashion, are now permanently recognized in the Paris city landscape.

CHRISTIAN. LGBTQ PEOPLE

WHO LEFT WERE BULLIED IN

CHILDHOOD MORE FREQUENTLY

THAN THOSE WHO

STAYED. – Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Report, Dec. 2023

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Love Stories BL Comics attract audiences worldwide

D

Federico Soto

EPENDING ON YOUR INSTAGRAM

algorithm, you might occasionally have seen images of straight, male comic book and manga characters embraced in a kiss.

If this has happened to you, you may have been exposed to the complex and fascinating world of “BL.” Short for “Boys’ Love,” this Japanese term refers to mangas, webcomics or other fictional forms of entertainment which shows an erotic or sexual representation between two or more male individuals.

In the late 1970s, the birth of specialized magazines dedicated to the flourishing BL genre reached a transcendental stage. Keiko Takemiya and Kaoru Kurimoto, recognized as precursors to the genre, stood out as visionary authors by publishing narratives that openly embraced homosexuality. In

1976, Takemiya’s groundbreaking manga series “Kaze to Ki no Uta” established a crucial precedent by explicitly exploring sexual relationships between men, thus triggering the development of this romantic subgenre of comics with explicit sexual content and giving rise to the “fujoshi,” female fans of BL. The term “fujoshi” is a play on words meaning “rotten woman.” While the name was coined by the Japanese media in a derogatory way, it was reclaimed

by BL fans as a symbol of pride, similar to what has happened in the LGBTQ+ community with the term queer.

Today, the popularity of BL mangas and webcomics is undeniable, particularly in the realm of independent webcomics where this romance subgenre dominates much of the market.

The Netflix series “Heartstopper” is an example of these indie comics that have gone beyond the page, having now become one of the streaming service’s most recognizable adaptations.

BL is not only popular among consumers. It is also one of the most popular romantic subgenres for amateur webcomic creators, like those in Latin America.

The region’s top five romance series on WEBTOON’s CANVAS platform in Spanish, where users upload work, is dominated by BL stories. Most are written by heterosexual women.

This is one of the most striking and possibly problematic curiosities surrounding BL. It is a genre of stories about gay men written by women for women, which — as Masaki Satō, a gay

writer who criticized the genre in an open letter points out — can result in an inaccurate depiction of gay men that reinforces the perverse nature of misogyny and can objectify them in disturbing ways.

Some of these aspects are reflected in the raciest (and generally most popular) stories of this genre, with many fetishizing sexual violence in gay relationships. Some even go so far as to objectify their characters, who often end up being idealized versions of attractive gay men who fight against an irresistible attraction.

So why are the majority of BL creators and consumers heterosexual women? The most fundamental reasons can be summed up through the testimonies of experts involved with Latin American BL. Individuals like Alix Pérez, a journalist specializing in Korean pop culture, who stumbled upon the genre when her fandom

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for the British group One Direction began to cross over with BL themes, speculating about homosexual relationships between members of the group who were part of the “headcanon” of their army of followers.

Pérez became an avid consumer of mangas, webcomics and BL series. According to her, the predilection of straight girls for these types of stories stems a little “from the ego” of the readers themselves.

“I think people say ‘no, I don’t want [the character] to be happy with a straight person of my gender, it’s better for you to be happy with your friend.’ Literally any basis for a fanfiction is this longing for a relationship that a woman would like with a man with certain characteristics,” Pérez says. “I find it interesting to see a man outside of the canons of masculinity.”

CONTINUED ON PG. 23 | uu |

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| uu | Love Stories FROM PG.19

For webcomic editor Maro Weber, some reasons fans give “suggest that women like to observe a romance without the typical gender stereotypes, while others suggest that they see women as competition in a heterosexual romance.”

“In heterosexual romances, there is usually an attractive young man and a beautiful young woman,” she explains. “At the BL, there are two attractive young men. In the case of a heterosexual woman, she is more likely to find one of the two young men in a BL attractive. Additionally, [the reader] finds it easier to understand what one character finds attractive about the other, which prevents the romance from being perceived as forced and allows for a better understanding of the chemistry between them.”

Other experts like Fernando Avalos, a Mexican journalist from Kmagazine, believe that the popularity of BL is due to the fact that “it continues to be a novel theme, since it exploded around 2020 and, therefore, still has many areas to explore compared to other branches of romance that saw their peak of popularity several years ago.”

One artist who has enjoyed the genre’s growing popularity is Pía Prado, creator of “Triple Nacional,” a successful WebToon series with a printed edition through Planeta Cómic. As a creator, Prado interprets the popularity of BL in its young female readership as a response to repressive tendencies.

“Repression is something that women and minorities commonly suffer, especially in the romantic and sexual sphere, also linked to the gender roles that must be fulfilled,” she says.

“That unconscious and internal repression can evolve into seeking to consume fictional stories that provoke stronger emotions in order to release that repression.”

Prado had her first contact with BL at the age of 12, while searching for fan art of the popular series “Naruto” on the internet.

“I don’t really remember my reaction, but from there I began to understand what it was and that there were many girls adhering to the genre,” she says. “Around the age of 15 I saw ‘Loveless,’ a BL

QUEER EYE: Sebastián Ceniceros is the openly gay

author of “Anomalía Espiritual.” PHOTO COURTESY CENICEROS

anime and I became a big fan of the genre. I loved drawing fanart and sharing it with the very active community on the internet … it became my favorite genre to read and tell stories.”

As a female BL creator, Prado finds ways to circumvent the problems involved in representing a type of romantic relationship that would be foreign to her otherwise.

“In all my stories I write in a universe where ‘coming out of the closet’ does not exist or a person’s sexual orientation is not a topic of conversation,” she explains.

“So we could say that in fact it is very far from what it is like to be homosexual in real life … it has never been my goal to make real representations of what it is like to be LGBT in the real world.”

Prado’s decision is related to a painful experience that the creator herself had around this situation, one she wishes that no one, not even her own characters, would have to go. “My approach is to put more global conflicts on the table that all types of people can experience beyond their sexual orientation. These types of conflicts are what drive the story.”

While some BL creators may avoid issues of stigma, others continue to feature themes of sexual violence or non-consensual sexual relations (called “non-con” by fans.) Avalos’ explanation of this sheds light on much deeper issues.

“On the side of women who write BL, according to UN Women, about 75% of women in Asia have been victims of some type of sexual harassment,” Avalos

LOVE COMICS: Pía Prado, creator of “Triple Nacional,” a WebToon and comic series. PHOTO COURTESY PRADO

says. “On the other hand, you only need a quick review of X to find that it is common for men’s first intimate homosexual experiences to arise from relationships with clear power differences.”

Their theory is that these types of encounters with marked power dynamics first end up becoming normalized in the communities where they occur and later even become romanticized. “In the end, since the two population groups that write the most about BL are also violated groups, it is common for this to be reflected in their writings,” he says.

For Avalos, this raises the question: If this violent content is so unpleasant and disturbing, why is it so popular?

Two possible reasons: content is consumed by readers with less understanding regarding situations of abuse, and some violent behaviors within these stories are presented in ways that generate empathy with the perpetrator, who therefore can be judged less harshly.

There are signs of progress within the “fujoshi” world, though. According to Avalos himself, fans are beginning to demonize those stories that glorify these type of violent encounters between homosexual men just to garner attention.

“In the last 2-3 years, criticism against situations of sexual violence in series has increased, resulting in some production companies making consent explicit between characters or making it implicit that both characters agreed with the situation,” he says. This implies

“that a character does not reject what the other boy is doing to him and, on the contrary, he likes it.”

But BL is not only evolving to move away from fetishistic clichés of sexual violence between gay men, it can also be interpreted as a response to other types of internal violence that women suffer. According to Prado, “from a young age, women are taught they have a gender role to fulfill, and in hetero romance stories this role is constantly reproduced and set as a canon of what should be followed.

“This generates a lot of internal violence in the unconscious of girls,” she continues. “The BL genre proposes something different, where the female role no longer exists, so there is no mirror in which to look at oneself as a woman. The fact that a woman does not exist in the story allows for a sexual and romantic exploration that liberates many possibilities without the internal violence generated by the very image of the woman. BL allows for a romantic relationship to exist with a less asymmetrical power balance than what exists in heterosexual fictional relationships.”

Sebastián Ceniceros, known as SweetKingart on social media, is the openly gay author of the BL “Anomalía Espiritual.” For him, the fact that there are people outside the LGBTQ+ community creating this type of content is not a problem.

“We were complaining that there was no representation,” he says. “Now they give us

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representation and now the problem is that the author is not part of the community... it’s like dude, what do we want?”

Ceniceros, a fan of action anime like “Naruto,” began producing BL out of the simple impulse of seeing two characters in a story as a gay couple.

“I always liked the action genre, so when seeing the trope of the protagonist and the guy who is his friend but is also his rival, I’d say ‘I like them both, but as a couple.’”

Ceniceros notes that he strives for a more credible representation of what a relationship between two gay men truly is in his work.

“I try to make certain interactions as real as possible,” he says. “With my own story I try to base it on experiences that I have had with some of my partners.”

To Avalos, sexual orientation should not be a limitation when writing fiction, so the creator doesn’t see BL as a form of queerbaiting.

“In the end, we all have the right to try to earn a living by any means possible,” he says. “Many times, when trying to write about a topic that is not so familiar to us, it allows us to educate ourselves about it and better understand the realities that are different from ours. So it could even be beneficial for people outside the collective to write BL.” This interpretation is shared

by Prado, who believes that the motivation to write BL comes from an “unconscious desire for sexual and romantic exploration that is much more possible in fiction than it is in the real world.”

Ultimately BL, like any genre, is ever-evolving art that reflects the societal and sexual complexities of its audience.

As it continues gaining in popularity and scrutiny, creators are exploring narratives that balance creative freedom with the responsibility to accurately and respectfully represent the LGBTQ+ community.

“Fiction and art are revolutionary and liberating spaces, so it is very harmful to place limitations on them,” Prado notes. “BL is a genre that allows for a healthy exploration of the unconscious about the sexual and romantic repression that many women and minorities experience, allowing for a much-needed and healing liberation.”

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Ending the HIV epidemic

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Look of

Revelations

Sasha Velour on ‘Drag Race,’ ‘We’re Here’ and coming to Clearwater

PHOTO BY METTIE OSTROWSKI

A

Ryan Williams-Jent

CTIVIST, ARTIST AND AUTHOR Sasha Velour is more than just a triple threat. She’s a winner, baby.

The drag legend not only won the ninth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2017, she set a new standard in the process. Her scene-stealing, rose-petal-revealing lip sync was christened one of Entertainment Weekly’s best musical moments of the year and has been parodied in pop culture ever since.

Velour has found new ways to cultivate her craft in recent years, launching global tours, joining the cast of HBO’s celebrated docuseries “We’re Here” for this year’s fourth season and publishing her first book, “The

Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag.”

Her tour of the same name comes to Clearwater’s Nancy and David Billheimer Capitol Theater Feb. 2. It promises “an immersive evening of drag, storytelling and live art, featuring iconic new performances from Velour that will have you screaming with laughter at the start and openly weeping by the end.”

Watermark caught up with Velour ahead of the performance to discuss her drag past, present and future.

WATERMARK: WHAT HAS INTERNATIONAL FAME TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF?

Sasha Velour: It’s been tempting sometimes to try to model my path and what I put out after other people, but I think as far as the fame of it all goes, it’s been when I’ve taken the biggest risks and done things that felt the most personal that I’ve experienced the most success, the most attention, the most response. So oddly, I think it’s been a lesson in staying true to my voice and understanding that I have my own way of doing things in drag, in life, that I should stick to.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST NOW?

I’m really interested in doing the most thoughtful and well

put together drag spectacles that I can create. I put so much work into my shows, whether it’s my one night only drag review “Nightgowns” in New York or a big production like “The Big Reveal Live” show that I get to do many times all over the world and finetune. But no matter what it is, I put thought into every detail.

I know that sounds kind of serious, but this show is actually all about humor and life and joy and making fun of ourselves.

There’s a lot of little easter eggs and connections for the audience. I think drag should be at the highest quality, especially right now as we’re fighting for the right to keep doing it in many places.

CONTINUED ON PG. 27 | uu |

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how people interact with me when they see me on the street or what kind of conversations I have when I go into people’s homes and when I’m hanging out with friends or meet people. I feel like the show really gets at that.

I am known for really impactful storytelling numbers that show big emotion with simple theatrical gestures and especially for the reveals, and what I’m bringing to Clearwater is an exercise in that. I got to do a number of performances for “We’re Here” with people to show the stories they want to tell; I really enjoy working with people without backgrounds in performance.

| uu | Look of Revelations FROM PG.25

FLORIDA IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES. WHY DID YOU WANT TO BRING THE SHOW HERE?

I know that the laws that make some states, some countries even, seem unfriendly to queer people, make it so much worse for the queer people who live there. The reality is we are everywhere. We’re part of communities. Queer people have families, run businesses and are really important members of their community.

So I think it’s essential to come and provide a little joy, a little escape and just show our extended community that we are not forgetting about them, even if it’s a little harder to get the show there. (Laughs.)

And in Florida, there are fears of being protested or shut down and there are guns allowed in so many venues, so finding places where we can make sure that me and my crew and the people in the audience are safe is a unique challenge in some places, too, but it’s worth it. We do our research of course and I’m excited to come to Clearwater. (Laughs.)

WHY IS THAT?

QUEENDOM COME: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Sasha Velour’s tour shares the name of her first book, “The Big

Reveal.” Including Clearwater Feb. 2, it stops in six U.S. cities this year before before heading overseas. PHOTO BY GREG ENDRIES

WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOUR STOP?

It’s called “The Big Reveal,” so it’s an exploration of different kinds of reveals. You’ve got your wig reveals, your costume reveals, but there are ways in which I think the story that I tell will be surprising. There are ways in which the show turns back on itself and reveals surprises that have been built over the course of the show, which is very intimate.

Through fantasy, I think the goal should always be to tell the truth, and that was one of my goals with the book, to lay bare the history of drag that people don’t always know. This beautiful story of queer and trans people and our communities finding a way for us to express ourselves no matter what the laws of the time are. And also the personal story in which I found drag through my family and through my community. It did save my life and also teaches me to not take things too seriously. It’s the most serious and the least serious all together.

WHY WAS LAST YEAR THE RIGHT TIME TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK?

In my final draft, I began to be aware that it would need to be used as a tool to combat

misinformation about queer people and about drag. So even though that hadn’t been my goal when I started writing, I was able to make sure that it still served that purpose, though hopefully that won’t always be what it has to be used for. (Laughs.) But through human stories of my life and also people I’ve learned about … it pushes back against these deadly lies that people have told about queer people. Sometimes a human, personal story is the best response.

IS THAT PART OF WHY YOU WANTED TO GO ON TOUR?

Yeah. I know that most people who come to see a drag show already love drag, so I want to give them something really fantastic. I think it’s also important to show the world all that drag can be — and just how full of artistic merit it is.

How much joy it does bring people. Because there’s nothing inappropriate about the human body, especially not our messages of consent and self-determination that are essential in drag. So I’m always trying to do the best drag I can do. I think that is part of our mission right now.

“RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” IS A GLOBAL EMPIRE NOW. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW FAR THE SERIES HAS COME?

I think it’s brought awareness about drag to many places all over the world and to people who maybe wouldn’t have discovered drag without a TV show. It is a tool to tell our stories and to hopefully spark people

to think about things in new ways or to research new things to inform themselves further.

I guess I do see a distinction between commercial success and artwork or activism, and I think drag generally, we need to push ourselves to think about what we’re saying and how we are giving back to the community and supporting the community.

There are so many drag artists who use their platform to advocate to spread information, to organize, and I think that’s the pinnacle of what drag always is to me. Art and activism together.

I think “Drag Race” begins with that, but it’s also a mainstream TV show and I see the ways in which they have to be careful. But drag artists, we can be even bolder than a TV show can ever be and I think it’s our job to.

WHAT’S IT LIKE LOOKING BACK ON YOUR TIME ON THE SHOW?

I feel like I have become such a more talented drag artist than I was when I was on season nine.

(Laughs.) I mean, it’s been seven years. I had the right intentions and passion and hard work, but I’ve learned so much since then about how to do drag at the top level. Meeting other people and traveling the world, seeing drag in other countries, that’s the best training we can possibly get.

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN COMPETING AGAIN?

Sometimes I think it would be nice if I could show people out there who love drag but don’t stick with it past “Drag Race” a full update on who I’ve become

and the fierce drag artist I am.

I also stand by the little baby queen that I was on season nine who shocked everyone and took the crown with a dramatic surprise. It’s not a bad legacy to have, I’m really proud of that. So sure, I love performing. I will go back anytime they want me to.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR FINALE REVEAL NOW?

It’s still wild to reflect on.

The moment it happened, the reaction was incredible and it’s still rippling which is wild. The thing I’ve learned is that you can’t engineer a moment like that.

I could not have predicted what the reaction would be, but I took a huge risk and I did something in that moment that I had honestly barely rehearsed. I’m always down to try something and every time I’ve done that in my life it’s paid off one way or another.

(Laughs.) Sometimes it’s with “that wasn’t exactly the move, but there was something there to pursue for next time.” But I think that opened up a whole career of taking risks.

AND REVEALS, RIGHT?

Exactly! (Laughs.) Now on tour.

WHAT CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT JOINING THE CAST OF “WE’RE HERE” FOR ITS NEXT SEASON?

I’m really excited to be on “We’re Here.” I really liked that the show explored the role drag can have in the world. “Drag Race” is so beautiful, but it’s very much set in a studio. I think it’s really interesting, because it’s such a big part of my experience,

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

I don’t believe you have to know how to dance, I don’t believe you have to be a certain age or size or wear a certain kind of wig or a certain kind of costume to do great drag. I just love meeting people where they are, figuring out what their fantasies are and bringing them to life in the most spectacular way. I’m excited to see how it comes out.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR LGBTQ+ FLORIDIANS AHEAD OF YOUR VISIT?

We are in this together. What happens to queer people in any part of the world does affect all of us, and we all need to do better to keep our mind on those most in need. I am excited to come and hear from people in Florida about where things are and how they’re doing. We can be even more of a community that listens to each other and moves this world forward. I really believe in our power as a community to make good in this world, and to do it together.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT READERS TO KNOW?

I hope people will show up because they’re in for surprises and I’m really proud of the show.

I’ve heard great feedback and I think it’s my best work yet, so if you want to come see a great drag show, it’s the place to go.

Sasha Velour’s “The Big Reveal Live” is 18+ and features Victoria Elizabeth Black of “Dragula.” It comes to the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre Feb. 2 at 8 p.m., located at 405 Cleveland St..

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit RuthEckerdHall.com and SashaVelour.com.

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A Queer Podcast Presented by

Hosted By Rick Todd Jeremy Williams

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watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

OPERA

Icono de arte

Opera Orlando brings the life of Frida Kahlo to the stage

(ABOVE)

ART & MUSIC:

Cecilia Violetta López is Frida Kahlo in Opera Orlando’s “Frida.”

PHOTO COURTESY OPERA ORLANDO

F

Jeremy Williams

EW ARTISTS HAVE HAD THE IMPACT

on popular culture that Frida Kahlo has.

Considered by many to be the most influential female painter of the 20th century, Kahlo is as legendary for her personal life as she is for her art.

Kahlo, who was born in 1907 in a village outside of Mexico City, was involved in a bus crash when she was 18. During the accident, Kahlo was impaled by a steel handrail causing multiple injuries including fractures to her spine and pelvis. Her injuries and the long recovery process left her bedridden.

“Following the accident, she was kind of thrust into needing to do something. She lost the ability to study medicine, and she had never been trained formally as a painter, so I think she was really doing this as journaling or scrapbooking,” said Peter Tush, curator of education

at the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, in a Watermark interview in 2017. “It was something that she could do while she was mostly horizontal in bed.”

Kahlo’s use of painting as a form of therapy became her life’s passion and led to her creating more than 150 paintings with more than half being self-portraits. Kahlo is quoted as saying “I paint myself because I am so often alone and I am the subject I know best.”

Not just the tragedies in her life but how she responded to adversity, along with the drama and passion of her relationship with husband

and acclaimed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, is why Kahlo’s story is frequently adapted across many various stages and screens.

Kahlo’s life and work has been examined through documentaries, ballets, plays, on television and, most famously, in the 2002 movie “Frida.”

The film, which stars Salma Hayek as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as Rivera, is based on Hayden Herrera’s 1983 biographical novel of the same name.

Before Herrera’s book was adapted into an Oscar-winning film, it was made into an opera. Conceived and written by Hilary Blecher in 1991, “Frida” features music by Robert Xavier Rodriguez and lyrics

by Migdalia Cruz, and examines the life of Kahlo, focusing much of the time on her relationship with Diego.

“The story of Frida is so incredible that is often times seems exaggerated or made up,” says Jorge Parodi, Argentinian Maestro and conductor to Opera Orlando’s presentation of “Frida,” playing at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Jan. 26 and 28.

“What happened to her and how she lived her life was so incredibly dramatic that it works beautifully as an opera. With opera, the music is not a vessel to tell the story, the music is the story. It is the drama, which is why it is such a perfect way to tell Frida’s story.”

Parodi will conduct the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra with stage direction by John de los Santos.

The Opera Orlando production stars Mexican-soprano Cecilia Violetta López as Kahlo and Venezuelan-baritone Bernardo Bermudez as Rivera.

“I love this production and the way Robert Xavier Rodriguez writes musically,” Bermudez says. “He uses a lot of the motifs that were popular in music during the time of Frida so the music resonates with the storyline with regard to the characters.”

Rodriguez’s score mixes mariachi-style orchestrations, classical opera and hints of Mexican folk songs giving an authenticity to the production that not only honors the life of Kahlo but her Mexican heritage as well.

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

“I grew up in rural Mexico, like we would go to the town well to fill up our water bucket because we didn’t have running water,” López says. “And I grew up seeing Frida’s image everywhere, she is so iconic in Mexico, but it wasn’t until later in life that I really discovered her art and who she was, and I became fascinated with her. She is just a complex person; I mean there is nothing delectate about Frida.”

Opera Orlando echoes that sentiment, writing in the show’s description “Full of life, full of death, full of wonder, full of pain: Frida is an operatic ride of the most satisfying sort — a sweeping tale of a woman who fulfills her most passionate desire and remains true to herself.

Hardly any woman of the 20th century is as unique as Frida Kahlo, and hardly any work captures Frida’s spirit as completely as this opera’s intricate and proud portrait of the iconic Mexican artist’s life.”

While the opera is called “Frida,” the story is as much Rivera’s as it is Kahlo’s, and whether a story is a work of fiction or based on the lives of real-world people, many look for the hero and villain in every piece.

The story of Kahlo and Diego is no exception, with Diego often times portrayed as the villain in Kahlo’s story but that’s not an accurate look at the world-renowned muralist says Bermudez.

“If anything, the story highlights how much they loved each other,” he says. “They had this open relationship but loved each other very much. What often gets lost is Diego was Frida’s number one supporter. He encouraged her to paint. He was able to get her paintings onto the world stage. …

It was a very interesting dynamic between them. They were famous on their own, but together they were iconic.”

“They had their ups and downs, and they were very public about it,” adds López. “[This opera] shows Diego being the womanizer that he was but the door swings both ways. We dip into Frida’s life and show her love affairs, both with men and women. This story is very real, very raw. We don’t tiptoe around who these people were, so I think whether you walk out of there feeling uncomfortable or empowered, you realize that this is real life.”

“Frida,” presented by Opera Orlando, will be at the Dr. Phillips Center’s Steinmetz Hall in Orlando Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $29 and are available at DrPhillipsCenter.org.

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announcements

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Eve and Eunic Epstein-Ortiz’s child was born Jan. 2.

Justice Gennari was appointed as National Director of Marketing for CAN Community Health Jan. 3.

Creative Pinellas announced Jan. 4 that Tampa Bay arts staple Margaret Murray will serve as the art agency’s CEO beginning Jan. 22. “I look forward to expanding the ways that residents and visitors enjoy the bounty of arts experiences developed by the truly world-class artists and cultural organizations here on the Arts Coast,” she said in a press release. Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

SMART Ride organizers revealed during their final check distribution party Jan. 14 that participants raised a record $1,422,943 for AIDS service organizations in Florida last year. Tampa Bay’s Empath Partners in Care received $253,609. Read more on p. 12.

Bey Kelz won Tampa Pride’s Ultimate Showdown Jan. 14 at Southern Nights Tampa.

TAMPA PRIDE 2024 Tampa Pride is seeking entertainers and grand marshals for their 10th celebration, scheduled to return to Ybor on March 23. Grand marshal nominations are being accepted until Feb. 4 in five categories: grand marshal, community leader, grand couple, trailblazer and community business.

The board will reveal those selected in mid-February.

Entertainers interested in performing at this year’s celebration can also now submit their information to Tampa Pride at TampaPride.org/Entertainment. The organization’s entertainment directors noted Jan. 11 that “this is a paid opportunity, ensuring a rewarding performance experience for selected participants.” Read more at WatermarkOnline.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS St. Pete Health Care Center case manager William Chase, JP Morgan Chase honcho Kris R. Johnson, Pageant promoter Aaron Bailey-Santamarina (Jan. 18); Cocktail manager Melvin Theriault, Transamerica training consultant Stephen Kalter (Jan. 19); Lakeland filmmaker Kevin O’Brien (Jan. 20); Sarasota stylist Dylonn Cole (Jan. 21); Tampa customer service rep Giovanni McFarlane Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay entertainer James Cass (Jan. 22); University of Tampa educator Christopher Gurrie (Jan. 23); St. Petersburg performer Rolando Xavier (Jan. 24); Tampa Bay performer Ashley Smith, ABC7 meteorologist Trevor Hayes, Your Neighborhood Realty’s Jim Longstreth, Tampa Bay realtor Donna Knight (Jan. 25); Tampa Bay guiding light Jan Flowers, Sarasota photographer Kaje Housman, Double M Band’s Mario Jooste, The Garage bartender Larry Wolf, Ybor City special events promoter Chucky Ruckus, Tampa Bay designer Sofia Banda (Jan. 26); Tampa Bay realtor Michael Scranton, Tampa Bay bartender Robb Weese, Curant Health’s Kyle Richard (Jan. 28); 9); FSU grad and Ocala muse Bill Bondank, Tampa Bay artist Andrea Pawlisz, SLlama Productions Founder Samantha Luque (Jan. 30).

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FOR JUSTICE: Legislative aide Sam Kelleher (L) and state Rep. Michele Rayner participate in Tampa’s MLK Parade Jan. 15. PHOTO FROM REP. RAYNER’S FACEBOOK

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BRUNCH BUNCH: (L-R) Diana S. Ransome, Juno Vibranz and hostess Brianna Summers strike a pose at their first brunch of the year a Haiku. PHOTO COURTESY BRIANNA SUMMERS

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EPIC RESULT: Christian Klimas (L) and Gina Puglisi represent Tampa Bay Jan. 14, accepting Empath Partners in Care’s check from the SMART Ride’s final check distribution party in Fort Lauderdale.

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PHOTO COURTESY EPIC

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INCLUSIVE CARE: Metro Inclusive Health’s pharmacy team strikes a pose at their Central Ave. location Jan. 12 for National Pharmacist Day. PHOTO

FROM METRO’S FACEBOOK

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GIVING A BEAT: DJ Jayson Chancey plays the hits Jan. 6 at Bradley’s on 7th. PHOTO FROM

BRADLEY’S ON 7TH’S FACEBOOK

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COMING TOGETHER: Dining Out for Life International’s leadership, including EPIC Executive Director Joy Winheim (4th from L) convene Jan. 8 in Panama City Beach to plan future events. PHOTO FROM

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DINING OUT FOR LIFE’S FACEBOOK

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BAND BUDS: Divine AF enjoys the Sarasota Lesbian Flannel Party open mic at Mandeville Beer Garden Jan. 13. PHOTO FROM DIVINE AF’S FACEBOOK

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REGIONAL REVIEW: (L-R) Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst convene for Tiger Bay’s State of the Bay Jan. 6. PHOTO FROM MAYOR WELCH’S FACEBOOK

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announcements

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS The Hammered Lamb celebrates its 11th anniversary Jan. 29.

WATERMARK AWARDS FOR VARIETY AND EXCELLENCE 2024

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The Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence, or the WAVEs as we call them, recognize the best in Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community in the areas of activism, service, entertainment and more. Over the last few weeks, we’ve asked our loyal readers to nominate who you think is among the best of the best in Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community and we have your Top 5. Now it is time to pick your favorites. We have dozens of categories to vote in and we want you to tell us who is the best in your eyes. Go to WatermarkOnline.com/

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WAVEsTop52024 and fill out your ballot, then make sure to let all your friends and family to vote. IMPORTANT NOTE: One vote per category per user. Multiple votes from a single user will be deleted. Each user must vote in a minimum of 15 categories to have their votes counted.

Each ballot must include a valid email address.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Lake Fairview Marina owner Cynthia Johnson, Orlando Gay Chorus vocalist Edd “Peaches” Sinnett, A League

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of Our Own member Jerry Rivera (Jan. 18); Orlando socialite Ron Studdard, Central Florida artist Ben Van Beusekom (Jan. 20); Watermark Senior Orlando Account Manager Sam Callahan, Former Watermark intern Colton Adkins (Jan. 21); Orlando LGBTQ activist Michael Deeying, Orlando actor Mike Van Dyke (Jan. 23); Orlando home inspector Paul Kusic, former Watermark intern Kim Slichter (Jan. 24); The Bros in Convo Initiative founder and executive director Daniel Downer, softball expert Janders Santos (Jan. 25); Outreach representative for U.S. House Congressman Darren Soto Roxy Santiago, State of Gratitude founder and owner Chris Bilyk (Jan. 26); Watermark Creative Designer Caitlin Sause, CR insurance group agent Miguel Rullan-Calaf (Jan. 27); Orlando performer Ellen Jewell, Orlando thespian Tim DeBaun, Faith Arts Village Executive Director Will Benton, Spooky Empire’s Gina Mongelli (Jan. 28); “Shameless” bowler Jason Cook, Central Florida photographer Jenna Michele (Jan. 29); Lightning fast jammer Haley Perry, Orlando performer Apple Teenee (Jan. 30); Orlando Wedding Bells writer Lora Korpar, Orlando drag legend and Watermark contributer Leigh Shannon, marketing pro Ken Kundis, former WFTV News 9 anchor Jorge Estevez,

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BEST WISHES: Erick Suarez (3rd from R) celebrates his birthday with his Pineapple Healthcare family in Orlando Jan. 10. PHOTO FROM ERICK SUAREZ’S FACEBOOK

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WELCOME TO 2024: Magic 107.7’s Chad Pitt (L) and Leslye Gale ring in the new year at the House of Blues in Orlando Jan. 1. PHOTO FROM MAGIC 107.7’S INSTAGRAM

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STAGE READY: (L-R) Twila Holiday, Bianca Nicole, April Fresh and Angelica Sanchez are ready to wow the crowd at Secrets Hideaway in Kissimmee Jan. 9. PHOTO FROM LOC ROBERTSON’S FACEBOOK

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LOVE & LAUGHS: Lee Cohen performs at Christian Miles’ “Two Ladies & A Baby Adoption Fundraiser” at the Audubon Park Church in Orlando Jan. 13. PHOTO FROM

CHRISTIAN MILES’ FACEBOOK

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COMMUNITY CELEBRATION: Ida V. Eskamani (L) and Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani march in the MLK Jr parade in downtown Orlando Jan. 13. PHOTO BY EMILY

WRAY, FROM ESKAMANI’S FACEBOOK

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY: (L-R) Watermark’s Rick Todd, Dylan Todd and Daisy Chamberlin celebrate their recent birthdays at Watermark’s Orlando office Jan. 12. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

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COMMUNITY FIGHT: Congressman Maxwell Frost (C) is joined by activists at a press conference Jan. 8 at Christ the King Episcopal Church in Orlando.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

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JOY IN READING: Andrea Montanez reads Kai Shappley and Lisa Bunker’s “Joy, to the World,” a book about a young trans girl who wants to play sports, in Orlando Jan. 12. PHOTO FROM

ANDREA MONTANEZ’S FACEBOOK

Orlando Gay Chorus singer Holly Cowden-Feld, Orlando juggler Dantei Grace (Jan. 31).

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407.923.4000

Stephen E. Roberts Professional Accounting and Tax Services 2180 N. Park Ave. Suite 220 Winter Park, FL 32789

• Anxiety & Depression •

• Deal With Family Conflict

• Anger Management

• Improve Emotional Health Individual, Corporation, and Partnership Put 30+ years of experience to work for you.

Confidentiality Guaranteed.

Tax Preparation Immediate appointments Taxes prepared while you wait!

AIR CONDITIONING

• Men's Issues •

• Build Satisfying Intimate Relationships

• Addiction • HIV Diagnosis

407-963-1542

TELEHEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE

1060 WOODCOCK ROAD ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32803

407-986-2888

www.AZupkaCounseling.com COUNSELORS + THERAPISTS

DERMATOLOGY

407-295-9231

www.4seasonsair.net FL License#: CAC056308

The A/C Company you wish you called first.

We have the perfect deal on

PERFECT AIR for your home

Up to $1700

in Rebates plus additional utility company incentives on qualified units.

Fulfill your skin care needs Patrick Dominguez MD FAAD

Board-Certified Dermatologist Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery

ATTORNEYS

80 W Grant St Ste 117 South Downtown Orlando

(407)-770-0139

www.AdvancedDerm.com/about-us/our-providers/Patrick-Dominguez-md

COUNSELING

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Mary Liebermann, LCSW Certiied Imago Therapist

Individuals & Couples - Anxiety - Depression Codependency - Gay & Lesbian - ACCOA 1307 Portland Ave. Orlando, 32803

321-306-7830 mary@maryliebermannlcsw.com

Helping to FEEL in order to HEAL in order to be the REAL YOU!

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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C E N T R A L

F L O R I D A

FUNERAL SERVICES

M A R K E T P L A C E

HEALTH + FITNESS

UNITED HEALTHCARE

Discount Nutrition Center Serving Orlando for 24 years

.Vitamins .Herbs .Dietary .Sports

We will match or beat local prices!

407-207-0067 M-F 10-7, Sat 10-6 www.NMFbody.com

Crystal Lake Plaza 3074 Curry Ford Rd.

Between Conway Rd. & Bumby Ave.

Come see Dave, Ed & Staff for a Free Consultation!

HOME HEALTH SERVICES

FUNERAL SERVICES

LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

Call or Text

toddtmlighting@aol.com

GARDEN + NURSERY

CITY OASIS Your Downtown Garden Shop 407-898-8101 1214 N. Mills Ave. Orlando Mention Watermark and Save!

Exotic Orchids, Bonsai, Ornamentals, Tropical Plants Full Service Interior Design and Maintenance Free Estimates, Prices start as low as $99/mo

COMPASSIONATE AND INNOVATIVE CARE

LGBT MEDICAL

Our caregivers will help you not just age in place, but flourish with dignity!

Schedule your Free Consultation Today

407.845.9797 www.flourishinplace.com

PUT YOUR AD HERE

!

& BREAKTHROUGH TO THOUSANDS CALL US TODAY!

407-481-2243 36

2766 E Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

C E N T R A L

LGBTQ MEDICAL

F L O R I D A

M A R K E T P L A C E

TRAVEL

PERSONAL TRAINING www.rockhardfitnessorlando.com

FREE TRIAL PASS DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH PE/ED OR PAINFUL INTERCOURSE AND WANT TO AVOID PILLS, INJECTIONS, OR SURGERY? CALL 863348663708 FOR A FREE CONVERSATION WITH CENTRAL FLORIDA’S ONLY MOBILE MALE PELVIC PHYSICAL THERAPIST.

A TLAS G LOBAL T RAVEL Y OUR A LL I NCLUSIVE A GENCY

1 WEEK UNLIMITED CLASSES 1 HOUR PERSONAL TRAINING 820 Lake Baldwin Lane p. 407.802.4631

Specializing in All Inclusive packages for cruises, all inclusive resorts and air with hotel and /or rental car packages.

PHOTOGRAPHY

CALL TODAY!

To plan your next memorable vacation.

SERVING CENTRAL FLORIDA, THE TAMPA BAY, AND BEYOND.

CHRIS BEEKIE 321-800-6964

(8633 48663708 WWW.DAVENPORTPELVIC.COM

www.atlasglobaltravel.com

VETERINARIAN

MEDICAL The Experts in HIV Care Are Here For You • HIV/STI Care • Hepatitis C Care • PrEP

MidwayCare.org

3317 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa 813.902.8600 5224 E. Fowler Ave., Temple Terrace 813.902.8600 5979 Vineland Rd., Suite 208, Orlando 407.745.1171 1685 Lee Rd., Suite 110, Winter Park 407.745.1171

MEDICAL CLINIC

Fine Art | Portrait | Wedding | Commercial www.DylanToddPhotography.com info@DylanToddPhotography.com (727) 310-1212

REALTOR

inclusive

Proudly Caring for the Pets and People of the LGBTQ Community since 1955

non-judgmental

BOARDING

Open 7 Days a Week!

compassionate 407.645.2577 sexual health & primary care

DOGGIE DAYCARE

NEW WELLNESS CENTER

1601 Lee Rd. Winter Park (407) 644-2676 YOUTH SERVICES Changing the lives of LGBTQ teens and young adults for over 30 years Social support groups Make friends Scholarships for college Weekly groups in Orange, Seminole & Polk Counties

· Join · Volunteer · Donate

info@OrlandoYouthAlliance.org www.OrlandoYouthAlliance.org

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

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community calendar

EVENT PLANNER Roe v. Wade Commemoration Visibility Event, Central Ave. and 3rd St., St. Petersburg.

Facebook.com/LWVSPA

CENTRAL FLORIDA Orlando Gayming League

EPIC Generations Lunch and Mini Golf, Jan. 23, Carrabba’s and Congo River Mini Golf, Clearwater.

727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

SATURDAY, JAN. 20, 12-2 P.M. LGBT+ CENTER, ORLANDO Join the LGBT+ Center Orlando on Jan. 20th for its inaugural Orlando Gayming League, a fun afternoon of board games with other gaymers. The Center Orlando plans to host this game afternoon every month in hopes of creating community through play.

For more information, visit TheCenterOrlando.org.

AMOR’s Latin Nite SATURDAY, JAN. 27, 10 P.M.-3 A.M. ENCIMA EVENT CENTER, ORLANDO AMOR is back with a once-a-month party in Orlando.

The first one happens Jan. 27 at the Encima Event Center. Hosted by Michelle Sherrington, the event will feature performances by Nouba Soleil, Rabiosa Sant LORANs and Gigibeth San Miguel with music provided by DJ Flawless. Doors open at 10 p.m. and show starts at 12 a.m. For more information, go to Facebook.com/LatinSaturday.

TAMPA BAY PREMIERE Watermark Publishing Group’s “Greetings from Queertown: Orlando” plays Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. at Greenlight Cinema in St. Petersburg during TIGLFF St. Pete.

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

TAMPA BAY Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival: St. Pete THURSDAY, JAN. 25-SUNDAY, JAN. 28 GREEN LIGHT CINEMA, ST. PETERSBURG The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival returns for the second part of its 34th celebration. Opening night will feature a collection of short films and the weekend’s features include “Greetings from Queertown: Orlando” on Jan. 28, Watermark Publishing Group’s documentary detailing the city’s LGBTQ+ history. Read more on p. 10 and at TIGLFF.com.

Effy’s Big Gay Brunch 8 SATURDAY, JAN. 27, 12-2:30 P.M. EGYPT SHRINERS, TAMPA Game Changer Wrestling presents the eighth Effy’s Big Gay Brunch, returning to Tampa for the first time since 2021. Matches will include BUSSY v. MxM, Jai Vidal v. Rico Gonzalez, Dixon v. MaidKira, Dark Sheik v. Che Monet, Keita v. Noah Veil, Runway v. Creeps and more. Tickets begin at $32.32 and are available at BigGayTampa.Eventbrite.com.

38

CENTRAL FLORIDA Type Out Loud!, Jan. 11-Feb. 9, UCF Art Gallery, Orlando. 407-823-2676; CAH. UCF.edu/Gallery

Puttin’ on the Ritz: Broadway’s Best Music, Jan. 20, The Ritz Theater, Sanford. 407-321-8111; WDPAC.com DJ Chris Sugden, Jan. 21, Southern Nights, Orlando.

407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando

April Fresh’s Ladies of the 80s, Jan. 19, Jack & Honey’s, Orlando. 407-440-4079; JackAndHoneys.com

Orlando Ballet’s Uncorked, Jan. 25, Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre, Orlando. 407-426-1733; OrlandoBallet.org

“The Sound of Music,” Jan. 19-Feb. 11, The Henegar Center, Melbourne. 321-723-8698; HenegerCenter.com

Puddles Pity Party, Jan. 25, The Plaza Live, Orlando. 407-228-1220; PlazaLiveOrlando.org

“Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” Jan. 19-Feb. 17, Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park. 407-645-0145; WinterParkPlayhouse.org

The Vocalitas: Cowabunga Cabaret!, Jan. 25-28, Orlando Shakes, Orlando. 407-447-1700; OrlandoShakes.org

Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Pop Series – Prohibition, Jan. 20, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando.

407-770-0071; OrlandoPhil.org

Opera Orlando’s “Frida,” Jan. 26 & 28, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-512-1900; OperaOrlando.org DJ Felipe Barao, Jan. 28, Southern Nights, Orlando.

407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando

LGB2B+ Networking Meeting, Jan. 24, Mint House Downtown, St. Petersburg.

Facebook.com/Groups/ LGB2BPlus EPIC Generations Coffee Hour, Jan. 26, Senior Center, Gulfport. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org Gasparilla Pirate Fest 2024, Jan. 27, Tampa.

GasparillaPirateFest.com/ Pirate-Fest EPIC Generations Coffee Hour, Jan. 29, Senior Center, Dunedin. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

“FRIENDS” Trivia, Jan. 30, The Porch, Winter Park. 407-233-4464; TastyTrviaFlorida.com

EPIC Generations Media Club, Jan. 30, Empath Partners in Care, St. Petersburg.

727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

Travis Scott, Jan. 31, Kia Center, Orlando. 407-440-7900; KiaCenter.com

Drag Queen Bingo, Jan. 31, Corner Club, Tampa. 813-232-1482; CornerClubTampa.com

MegaCon 2024, Feb. 1-4, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando. FanExpoHQ.com/ MegaConOrlando

TAMPA BAY “Twelfth Night,” Through Feb. 11, Jobsite Theater, Tampa. 813-476-7378; JobsiteTheater.org “Life & Music of George Michael,” Jan. 20, Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater. 727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com 2024 Children’s Gasparilla Parade, Jan. 20, Bayshore Dr., Tampa.

GasparillaPirateFest.com/ Childrens

“The Chinese Lady,” Jan. 31-Feb. 25, American Stage, St. Petersburg. 727-823-7529; AmericanStage.org Tinashe, Feb. 2, The Ritz Ybor, Tampa. 813-248-4050; TheRitzYbor.com Sasha Velour: “The Big Reveal Tour Live,” Feb. 2, Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater.

727-791-7400; RuthEckerdHall.com

SARASOTA January Disco Brunch, Jan. 21, Art Ovation Hotel, Sarasota. 941-316-0808; ProjectPridrSRQ.org “Hadestown,” Jan. 30Feb. 3, Van Wezel, Sarasota.

941-263-6799; VanWezel.org

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

watermark Your LGBTQ+ News Source. JANUARY 18 - 31, 2024 // ISSUE 31.02 WAT E R M A R KONLINE .COM

Film Festival 34th Annual

ST. PETERSBURG EDITION

January 25-28, 2024 www.tiglff.com

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Orlando Health Women’s Institute

Connecting You to Total Care.

Minimally Invasive Surgery at

2

8

Award-Winning

Labor and Delivery Hospitals Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Center for Women and Babies

49

4

11

Imaging Centers

45

OB-GYN

Providers at 27 Practices

Cancer Providers

at 10 Locations

15

Specialized Minimally Invasive

Surgeons

17

Locations

Certified Midwives

High-risk

Pregnancy Specialists

9

Urogynecology Providers

42 In-hospital Providers

Coming Soon Orlando Health Lake Mary Hospital Center for Women and Babies

We’re expanding on the women’s care you know and trust and bringing it closer to you. At the new Orlando Health Women’s Institute, we draw on years of award-winning women’s care to deliver an exclusively designed healthcare experience as unique as you are — for every phase and every age. Giving you more reasons to choose well. OrlandoHealth.com/Women

be seen.

Men have unique healthcare needs, but care is often overlooked or delayed.

At Bayfront Health, we make it easy to get the care you need. As an active partner in your healthcare journey, we offer a variety of men’s health services to support your overall well-being, as well as specific health concerns.

choose well.

Our multidisiplinary care includes: • Prevention and wellness

• Colorectal care

• Infertility

• Heart care

• Urology

• Erectile dysfunction

• Sports medicine

• Prostate health

To learn more about our comprehensive men’s health services or to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, call (727) 823-1234 option 9, or visit BayfrontHealth.com