Watermark Out News 32.26: Year In Review

YEAR IN REVIEW LGBTQ+ Central Florida and Tampa Bay in 2025

DAYTONA BEACH • ORLANDO • TAMPA • ST. PETERSBURG • CLEARWATER • SARASOTA WAT E R M A R KO U T N E W S . CO M • I S S U E 3 2 . 2 6 • D E C E M B E R 1 8 - 3 1 , 2 0 2 5 • F R E E & T R U S T E D

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Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

THE JAMES MUSEUM

PHOTOGRAPHER OF HIS TIME SUSAN & ROBB HOUGH

DAVID & HELEN FEINBERG

ON VIEW NOW – MARCH 29, 2026 This exhibition is drawn from the museum’s Robb and Susan Hough Edward S. Curtis Collection. Edward S. Curtis, Jackson, Interpreter at Kotzebue, 1927/1930.

Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

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Serving the Community for 20 years Primary Care / LGBTQ+ / PrEP / HIV Treatment and Care / Gender AArming Care / Hypertension / Diabetes / Immunizations

First LGBTQ+ Clinic Recognized as a Patient Centered Medical Home in Central Florida.

Now Book Your Appointments Online www.Pineromedical.com or call: 407-426-9693 Monday-Friday 7am-5pm | Saturday 9am-2pm

2766 E Colonial Drive Orlando FL, 32803 Accepting Most Insurances. | Se Habla Español

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Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

DEPARTMENTS 7 // EDITOR’S/BUREAU CHIEF’S DESK

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8 // CENTRAL FL NEWS

We cover the news in a state that is ground zero for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation … we want everyone to know that we are here to inform and support the LGBTQ+ community.

–WATERMARK OUT NEWS PUBLISHER RICK TODD ON OUR 2025 REBRAND

10 // TAMPA BAY NEWS 12 // STATE NATION & WORLD NEWS 19 // THE GOOD PAGE 24 // TAMPA BAY OUT + ABOUT 25 // CENTRAL FL OUT + ABOUT 26 // TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 28 // CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE 30 // EVENT PLANNER ON THE COVER

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page YEAR IN REVIEW:

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LGBTQ+ Central Florida and Tampa Bay in 2025.

ILLUSTRATION BY KY VIAN

SCAN QR CODE FOR

WATERMARKOUTNEWS.COM

LOOKING BACK:

The Florida Department of Transportation’s removal of inclusive crosswalks and murals dominated the 2025 news cycle.

WATERMARK OUT NEWS ISSUE 32.26 // DEC. 18 - 31, 2025

CENTRAL FL NEWS

TAMPA BAY NEWS

#LOVEHANDLIN

THE GOOD PAGE

page Celebrated entertainer Addison Taylor dies at 41.

page Nathan Bruemmer becomes St. Pete’s LGBTQ+ liaison.

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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 WatermarkOUTnews.com

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Jerick Mediavilla returns with his viewpoint.

Rainbow Family Wellness

19 offers inclusive care.

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, THREADS & INSTAGRAM AT @WATERMARKOUTNEWS & LIKE US ON FACEBOOK Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

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Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

Ryan Williams-Jent EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com

EDITOR’S DESK

I

Happy This Year ALWAYS ENJOY OUR YEAR IN

Review issue. It’s a nice chance to pause and reflect on the last 12 months of two-week cycles, something we don’t have much time to do.

It’s been a dark year, no doubt about it, but revisiting the headlines that shaped it is a great way to remember it wasn’t all bad. I, for one, need the reminder — and thought readers might, too.

So in the spirit of finding light in the darkness, I wanted to share 25 things that brought me joy in 2025, in no particular order. I hope it inspires you to do the same and to hold onto whatever brings you happiness in 2026.

1. My husband. This year we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary and I can’t imagine going through this life without him. The last nine years have been the best of my life.

2. Our puppy. Our pomsky Frankie turned one last month. She’s become the very vocal queen of our home and our hearts.

3. My family. My mom is the definition of selfless love and I’m so thankful to have spent time with her this year. I also got to see my nephew graduate high school and spend time with my sister, cousins and more favorites up in Ohio.

4. Friends-turned-family. I’m not related to a single person in Florida, but don’t tell my heart that. My husband and I have an incredible support network, folks we’ve known and loved for over a decade.

5. My job. I celebrated eight years on staff this month and became Editor-in-Chief this year. It’s a privilege to tell your LGBTQ+ stories.

6. Our staff. Every single person works so hard to serve our community, including two wonderful additions in 2025: Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza and Social Media Coordinator Kay Yingling. I’m so proud of all of them.

7. Our freelancers. We have an incredible team of writers and photographers working to showcase our community. Thank you all.

8. Our advertisers. Watermark Out News has been Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ news source for over 30 years — and it’s always been free. That’s only possible because of the advertisers, so please support those who support you.

9. You. There’s no point in writing if no one’s reading. It means so much that you’re here.

10. Comic books. I’ve read comics every week since I was around seven years old, so the characters are some of my oldest friends. I wouldn’t be the reader or writer I am today without them.

11. The library. I spent most of 2025 finding new reads. Some of my favorite books this year are “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin and “The House in the Cerulean Sea” and its sequel “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” by T.J. Klune. “107 Days” by Kamala Harris was also surprisingly cathartic after last year’s heartbreaking loss.

12. Videogames. I played some great ones this year, on PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but I’ll never forget experiencing “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” for the first time.

13. The Good Page. Watermark Out News introduced this new feature in 2025 and it was a welcome addition. LGBTQ+ joy matters.

14. TikTok. I never wanted one, and resisted until this year, but now I love it. You can find our business page @WatermarkOutNews and me @RyanWJent.

15. The gym. This month marks four years of consistent usage, something that’s made me feel stronger physically and mentally.

16. Not smoking. This month is seven years of being smoke free!

It’s never too late to make a change.

17. Diet Coke. I know it’s not great for you, but have you ever had a McDonald’s Diet Coke after a long day? Who needs cigarettes?

18. Protests. “No Kings” protests rocked the nation this year, a welcome response to Donald Trump’s clear desire to become one.

19. Music. I went to some incredible concerts in 2025, including Kylie Minogue’s “Tension” tour in Orlando and Brandy/ Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” tour in Tampa. Seeing Brandy perform live was a bucket list moment for me.

20. Disney! I became a passholder again this year after too many away. Hakuna Matata.

The LGBTQ+ community isn’t going anywhere.

21. Inclusive care. I finally made the switch this year to an LGBTQ+-owned and operated clinic. What a welcome change to see someone who understands every part of you.

22. Live theater. One of my favorites this year was “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” at the Straz Center. Support the arts!

23. Duolingo. I started using the app to revisit Spanish this year and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m not quite ready to type that en Español.

24. Our community. Florida removed many of our rainbows this year but they didn’t remove our resolve. The LGBTQ+ community isn’t going anywhere.

25. The possibilities. I still believe in a brighter tomorrow — and if recent elections have shown us anything, it’s that next year’s midterms might just be a welcome reprieve from Republican chaos. Let’s all make sure to do our part: Vote.org.

Watermark Out News is proud to be your LGBTQ+ news source.

Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.

Happy New Year!

WATERMARK OUT NEWS STAFF Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOutNews.com

Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOutNews.com

Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com

Creative Designer: Caitlin Sause • Ext. 104 Caitlin@WatermarkOutNews.com

Central Florida Bureau Chief: Bellanee Plaza • Ext. 106 Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com

Social Media Coordinator: Kay Yingling • Ext. 303 Kay@WatermarkOutNews.com

ORLANDO OFFICE Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOutNews.com Central FL Account Manager: Daisy Chamberlin • Ext. 101 Daisy@WatermarkOutNews.com

Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer

51 E. Jefferson St. #1148 Orlando, FL 32802 TEL: 407-481-2243

National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

TAMPA BAY OFFICE 3135 1st Ave N. #10266 St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

CONTRIBUTORS JERICK MEDIAVILLA

is a former journalist from Mexico City, an educator in Central Florida and an human rights activist for the LGBTQ community. Jerick is one half of an Orlando power couple with State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith. Page 17

SYLVIE TREVENA

is a proud mother of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 19

HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, SABRINA AMBRA, STEVE BLANCHARD, DEBORAH BOSTOCK-KELLEY, JOHNNY BOYKINS, MARTIN “LEIGH SHANNON” FUGATE, BIANCA GOOLSBY, JAKOB HERO-SHAW, LORA KORPAR, JASON LECLERC, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, MELODY MAIA MONET, TATIANA QUIROGA, TIFFANY RAZZANO, SISTER JUANA REACTION, MOMMA ASHLEY ROSE, TREVOR ROSINE, BRYANA SALDANA, GREG STEMM, SYLVIE TREVENA, MICHAEL WANZIE, MULAN WILLIAMS, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI

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

DISTRIBUTION CMJM ENTERPRISES LLC, KEN CARRAWAY

AFFILIATIONS

CONTENTS of WATERMARK OUT NEWS 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 OUT NEWS 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 OUT NEWS is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or gender identity of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK OUT NEWS is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $100 1st Class or $55 Standard Mail.

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

Watermark Publishing Group, Inc.

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Bellanee Plaza CENTRAL FL BUREAU CHIEF Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com

BUREAU CHIEF’S DESK

I

A Year of Reflection FEEL LIKE I WILL SAY THIS EVERY

year, but where has the year gone? 2026 is approaching and I feel like the months only went by quicker.

This year was a challenging one for many. There were so many changes in the political climate and personal lives. When I look back on what I was doing a year ago, I would have never thought this is where I would be.

Mentally, I’ve grown and changed into such a different person.

I often get told how surprised people are by my age — and I know for 23 years old that I have a lot more life to experience, but this year felt different. I do feel the growth mentally of becoming a woman and that alone makes me think differently.

I have always felt mature for my age but working in the field I have wanted to and creating change has really made it feel more real to me. I didn’t know if I would have a job after graduation and a year later, I am doing what I have dreamed of.

There were many changes for me within this year that I’d like to reflect on. I’m not the type of person to create new year’s resolutions but I do try to tell myself to work on improving certain things. One of those things was staying physically active. I have always enjoyed going to the gym but with my final semester at UCF, I couldn’t find time for the gym and got out of my routine.

This year, I worked on staying consistent with the gym because I wanted to build more strength for myself. I’m happy to share that I have been very dedicated and try to workout at least five days a week. There have been times where I can’t make it to the gym, but YouTube has been my best friend with free workouts at home.

I can see and feel the changes in my body. I have fallen in love with working out and push myself to be stronger. This also benefits my mental state as I find the workouts therapeutic.

I like having hobbies that allow me to release some of the stress. Another thing I have tried to continue but have been a bit on and off about is tapping into my creative side.

I used to draw and paint pretty frequently and slowly I noticed it wasn’t something I was reaching for. When I do get the time to draw, it helps me turn my always-running brain off.

I’m hoping to continue that into the new year.

Almost halfway into 2025, I started working with Watermark Out News, something I’m incredibly grateful for. I was on the job hunt post grad and didn’t know where I would end up working.

Looking back on everything I have done in eight months is a whirlwind.

Working in journalism isn’t for the faint of heart, it requires lots of patience and dealing with many things out of your control. Working in journalism in Florida, though?

Now that’s a whole different game. This year brought many challenges to the state and the LGBTQ+ community.

One of my first big stories after joining the Watermark Out News staff was the first “No Kings” protest in downtown

Orlando. That is a day I will never forget as it was the biggest protest I have ever been to. I had a full-on adrenaline rush from how much I was running around trying to cover every minute.

Those are some of my favorite pictures I have ever taken as you can see the raw emotion of the community looking for change.

Covering the Orlando community has been so eye opening but specifically covering the LGBTQ+ community has

I didn’t know if I would have a job after graduation and a year later, I am doing what I have dreamed of.

been a gift.

I’m so proud to look back on our coverage. We try our best to tell the stories that are often overlooked. In these challenging times, the community needs support more than ever. If you haven’t noticed there is a dark cloud above the White House, and a storm is brewing.

All the policy changes and executive orders have an impact, especially at a local level. That is why local journalism matters; we look to tell those stories and share how the community is being impacted. I hope we continue to create that change in 2026.

In this issue, we reflect on the past year of stories from Central Florida to Tampa Bay news coverage.

I hope you will continue to support Watermark Out News in the new year and trust us to be your LGBTQ+ news source.

WATERMARK OUT NEWS STAFF

Owner & Publisher: Rick Todd • Ext. 110 Rick@WatermarkOutNews.com

Creative Designer: Dylan Todd • Ext. 107 Dylan@WatermarkOutNews.com

Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Williams-Jent • Ext. 302 Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com

Creative Designer: Caitlin Sause • Ext. 104 Caitlin@WatermarkOutNews.com

Central Florida Bureau Chief: Bellanee Plaza • Ext. 106 Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com

Social Media Coordinator: Kay Yingling • Ext. 303 Kay@WatermarkOutNews.com

ORLANDO OFFICE Sales Director: Danny Garcia • Ext. 108 Danny@WatermarkOutNews.com Central FL Account Manager: Daisy Chamberlin • Ext. 101 Daisy@WatermarkOutNews.com

Founder and Guiding Light: Tom Dyer

51 E. Jefferson St. #1148 Orlando, FL 32802 TEL: 407-481-2243

National Ad Representative: Rivendell Media Inc. • 212-242-6863

TAMPA BAY OFFICE 3135 1st Ave N. #10266 St. Petersburg, FL 33713 TEL: 813-655-9890

Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

CONTRIBUTORS JERICK MEDIAVILLA

is a former journalist from Mexico City, an educator in Central Florida and an human rights activist for the LGBTQ community. Jerick is one half of an Orlando power couple with State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith. Page 17

SYLVIE TREVENA

is a proud mother of four with a degree in behavioral health and Master’s in Business Administration with a nonprofit concentration. She loves art and horror movies. Page 19

HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, SABRINA AMBRA, STEVE BLANCHARD, DEBORAH BOSTOCK-KELLEY, JOHNNY BOYKINS, MARTIN “LEIGH SHANNON” FUGATE, BIANCA GOOLSBY, JAKOB HERO-SHAW, LORA KORPAR, JASON LECLERC, JERICK MEDIAVILLA, MELODY MAIA MONET, TATIANA QUIROGA, TIFFANY RAZZANO, SISTER JUANA REACTION, MOMMA ASHLEY ROSE, TREVOR ROSINE, BRYANA SALDANA, GREG STEMM, SYLVIE TREVENA, MICHAEL WANZIE, MULAN WILLIAMS, DR. STEVE YACOVELLI

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

DISTRIBUTION CMJM ENTERPRISES LLC, KEN CARRAWAY

AFFILIATIONS

CONTENTS of WATERMARK OUT NEWS 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 OUT NEWS 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 OUT NEWS is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or gender identity of such persons or members of such organizations.

WATERMARK OUT NEWS is published every second Thursday. Subscription rate is $100 1st Class or $55 Standard Mail.

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

Watermark Publishing Group, Inc.

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central florida news

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TOP 5 CENTRAL FLORIDA HEADLINES OF 2025 SOUTHERN NIGHTS OWNER INDICTED ON CHARGES OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Richard Kowalczyk, former owner of Southern Nights in Orlando and Tampa, and his romantic partner, Eric Patrick, were indicted on multiple counts involving child pornography. The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury Dec. 18 and filed Jan. 2, charged Kowalczyk with conspiracy to entice a minor, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, two counts of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

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A member of Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community was one of 16 individuals arrested as part of an undercover sting operation conducted during Bike Week in Daytona Beach. Joseph De Lustro, 43, was arrested by the Port Orange Police Department on March 9 and charged with obscene communication with a minor/traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child and obscene communication/use of a computer to solicit/ lure a child.

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CENTRAL FLORIDA DRAG LEGEND DIVINE GRACE PASSES AWAY AT 50

Chadrick Pace, better known to the community as the sharp-witted drag legend Divine Grace, passed away in late April. Pace had worked on several shows with Fruit Wine Productions, most famously “The Golden Gals Live” with fellow drag icons Ginger Minj, Gidget Galore and MrMs Adrien, as well as the late Doug Ba’aser. Pace played the no-nonsense Dorothy Zbornak in the popular “Golden Girls” parody.

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WINTER PARK MASSAGE SPA OWNER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY 5 MEN

The owner of a Winter Park massage spa was accused of sexual assault by five men. Ronel Michael Gutierrez Galvis, owner of Romich Massage and Spa, was arrested and charged by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office May 2 with sexual battery, a third-degree felony, as well as simple battery and violating the Massage Practice Act, both first-degree misdemeanors, according to court records.

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MATTHEW INMAN, BOARD MEMBER FOR ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND RAINBOW DEMOCRATS PRESIDENT, ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Matthew A. Inman, then-treasurer and board member for the Orange County Democratic Party and president of the Rainbow Democrats, was arrested on charges of transportation of child sex abuse material. A criminal complaint was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Jan. 16.

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LOCAL LIGHT:

GAY MAN AMONG 16 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN CHILD PREDATOR STING

Addison Taylor performed for over 25 years. PHOTO VIA HARMONY

HEALTHCARE/FACEBOOK

BELOVED ENTERTAINER ADDISON TAYLOR DIES AT 41 Ryan Williams-Jent

O

RLANDO | Celebrated entertainer and LGBTQ+ advocate Addison Taylor died Dec. 14 at 41.

Taylor, who used he/she/all pronouns, was an accomplished drag queen who performed for over 25 years. He also co-owned ANR Productions, which produces the celebrated National Miss Comedy Queen pageant. Among others, he won the title in 2006.

The Orlando native billed themselves as “an accidental advocate — equal parts sass and service, stage-ready and street-smart.” After decades working as an entertainer and bartender, the celebrated emcee stepped away from entertainment in 2024 to join Harmony Healthcare, Inc. The nonprofit provides “compassionate, accessible medical care for everyone.” Taylor worked as its marketing manager and outreach specialist.

“What started as a leap of faith quickly became a true calling,” his website reads. “In that time, Addison has fully embraced this work, emerging as a passionate and trusted voice for the LGBTQ+ and underserved communities.”

“Whether on stage or in a clinical setting, their greatest passion lies in providing honest, accessible

information that empowers others to take charge of their health without fear or judgment,” it also notes.

Tributes have poured in from across the country, including from Harmony Healthcare.

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our amazing marketing manager, Addison Taylor,” they noted via social media. “Addison transformed our team in so many ways. They will be remembered for the energy they brought into a room, their sense of humor, and the way they made others feel seen and heard.

“Addison always spoke with courage and care for all communities and raised the bar for what it means to be a Harmony team member,” they continued. “... your impact will remain woven into the work we do each day!”

The LGBT+ Center Orlando also shared their condolences.

Taylor performed at this year’s inaugural Q-Fest.

“Addison was more than just an entertainer; he was a beacon of light defined by his wit, humor, and compassion,” the organization shared via social media. “For years, he graced our stages, and uplifted our spirits. His dedication to our community and warmth touched every person he encountered …

Thank you Addison, for everything.”

Taylor’s final public post reflected on “being busy and being fulfilled,”

Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

which he noted were “not the same thing” on Dec. 14.

“If you are always overwhelmed, and you are constantly stressed out, and you go to bed that way, and you don’t feel like it was a productive use of your time that day, you’re busy,” he shared. “But if you sleep like a sweet baby angel, because you feel like you made a difference in your own life, or someone else’s life, that was a fulfilling day.”

Tributes continue to show the difference Taylor made in Orlando and beyond.

“Addison was one of the most special people on this earth — and saying that really is an understatement,” Bob Taylor tells Watermark Out News. “The pure love that he showed all of us in the family was unrivaled. Addison became my child in October 2004 and she was so happy to carry the last name of Taylor.

“We started an annual vacation a couple of years ago and went to St. George Island in the panhandle. One of the most special trips of all time ...

I was and will always be super proud of the person that Addison became, not only in the nightlife and nightclub business, but through the art form of drag as well. Today is a very sad day for my drag family.”

Read more about Addison’s work at TheAddisonTaylor.com.

AZupka Counseling “Let the Journey Begin” Alan Zupka

Licensed Mental Health Counselor,

NCC, MA

Teleheath Provider

Serving All Florida Counties

THE BARBER FUND HELPING THOSE LIVING WITH CANCER

www.thebarberfund.org WE HONOR THEIR COURAGE. WE HONOR THEIR STRENGTH. WE HONOR THEIR FIGHT!

ONE LOVE!

In Memory of John “Tweeka” Barber 1972 - 2011

Services are avaliable from the privacy & comfort of your own home.

NOW ACCEPTING MOST INSURANCE

Specializing in LGBTQ+ Issues for: Individuals & Couples Men’s Issues

Anxiety & Depression A Addiction

Anger Management HIV Diagnosis

Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

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tampa bay news

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TOP 5 TAMPA BAY HEADLINES OF 2025 BELOVED TAMPA BAY DRAG ENTERTAINER JASMINE JIMENEZ DIES AT 46

Celebrated entertainer Jasmine Jimenez died early Aug. 8 surrounded by loved ones at 46 years old.

Friends, family and fans reflected on the loss of the Puerto Rico native, remembering her compassion, kindness and performances in and outside of Florida. Jimenez was a fan favorite at establishments throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay.

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KURT’S PLACE PERMANENTLY CLOSES IN TAMPA

Kurt’s Place, which began operating at the former City Side Lounge less than four months prior under Kurt King, permanently closed Nov. 23. The entrepreneur previously ran multiple Hamburger Mary’s franchises, among other LGBTQ+ endeavors.

On Nov. 19, the Kurt’s Place Facebook page posted a notice attributed to the Buchman-Italiano Partnership, the building’s landlords, demanding payment or repossession of the premises. King denied the validity of the notice and the partnership declined comment.

3

SARASOTA TO REMOVE LGBTQ+ PRIDEWALK AFTER FDOT THREAT

The City of Sarasota confirmed Aug. 1 that it would remove multiple art installations, including its LGBTQ+focused PrideWalk, after the Florida Department of Transportation threatened to withhold funding from cities over inconsistent “pavement surface markings.”

The installation covered the five-corner intersection of Cocoanut Ave. and 2nd St. and was the first major installation of its type in Sarasota, an initiative led

by Project Pride in 2021. The group and other LGBTQ+ advocates denounced the city’s decision.

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KURT’S PLACE TO OPEN AT FORMER CITY SIDE LOUNGE

Kurt King announced Feb. 27 that his latest LGBTQ+ venue would open at the former City Side Lounge, which served Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community for over 30 years. Its grand opening was set for March but delayed until Aug. 7. His efforts were initially supported

by Hunter Vance and Michael Wilson, fellow industry veterans who King said co-owned the establishment, but they left prior to its closure in November. King said he wanted to create a new safe space in South Tampa.

5

POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE HONORS LGBTQ+ HERO

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office issued a Sheriff’s Commendation to AJ Slater in February, honoring the LGBTQ+ hero for saving a child’s life in November 2024.

Sheriff Grady Judd issued the commendation, thanking Slater for his courage and “a job well done.” Slater suffered significant burns across his hands, forearms, back and face while attempting to rescue 3-year-old Walker and 5-year-old JoLynn Wills from a vehicle, the latter of whom did not survive. He also assisted their father Kody Wills, who was subsequently charged with DUI manslaughter and more Dec. 31, 2024.

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ST. PETE STAPLE: Nathan

Bruemmer is St. Petersburg’s new LGBTQ+ liaison.

PHOTO COURTESY NATHAN BRUEMMER

ST. PETERSBURG APPOINTS NATHAN BRUEMMER AS CITY’S LGBTQ+ LIAISON Ryan Williams-Jent

S

T. PETERSBURG | The City of St. Petersburg announced Dec. 1 that Mayor Ken Welch has appointed Nathan Bruemmer as its next LGBTQ+ liaison.

The role serves as the primary point of contact for LGBTQ+ residents, organizations, businesses and allies. Bruemmer is a longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and the first transgender liaison for the city.

A former educator and practicing attorney, Bruemmer’s previous roles include executive leadership for prominent LGBTQ+ organizations throughout Tampa Bay. He previously served as president of St Pete Pride, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ celebration, and executive director of ALSO Youth in Sarasota.

Bruemmer was also appointed as the statewide LGBTQ+ consumer advocate for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2021, and led the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus as president.

His advocacy extends beyond that. Bruemmer launched an unsuccessful bid to represent state House District 61 last year, hoping to advocate for LGBTQ+

interests in Tallahassee, and in October, he joined local advocates in encouraging the city to adopt official flags recognizing St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ+ and Black communities.

“Symbols in cities and communities are crucial because they embody shared values, define collective identity and foster belonging … acting as powerful and communicative representations of who, as a community, we are, and what we stand for,” he said at the time. “These symbols transform abstract ideas into meaningful images and help create shared understanding of the community’s history, present and future.”

City officials said Bruemmer’s new role will advance St. Petersburg’s continued “commitment to advancing inclusivity, safety and equity for all of its residents and visitors.”

“Nathan’s extensive experience serving as a liaison between government, community partners and LGBTQ+ residents uniquely positions him to help St. Pete continue building a truly inclusive city,” Welch said in a statement.

“His statewide leadership, deep community roots, and strong record of collaboration will help us continue advancing equity and

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ensuring that St. Pete remains a welcoming home for all.”

“I’m honored to step into the LGBTQ+ Liaison role for the City of St. Petersburg,” Bruemmer added.

“St. Pete has long set a standard for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and I look forward to working with Mayor Welch, City staff and community partners to expand access, share resources, deepen engagement and help ensure that all residents feel a true sense of belonging.”

Bruemmer succeeds Eric Vaughan as St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ+ liaison, who was appointed in 2024. Welch said he “brought care, professionalism and a true commitment to ensuring our LGBTQ+ residents and visitors felt supported and valued.”

The mayor added that the city is “grateful for his service and the meaningful impact of his leadership in this role.”

The City of St. Petersburg retained its perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2025 Municipal Equality Index earlier this year. The LGBTQ+ liaison role is an essential consideration in the annual assessment.

“With Nathan’s leadership, we’ll continue building on St. Pete’s 12 years of perfect MEI scores and our commitment to a truly inclusive future for all,” Welch also noted.

Tickets On Sale Now! • FLstrawberryfestival.com

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Adriana M. Dinis

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Kathlyn M. Mackojak

721 1st Avenue North, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 727-471-0677 | immlawfl.com

Still Growing!

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Artists Appearing on the

Read It Online!

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

The Oak Ridge Boys Thu. Feb. 26, 3:30 $40-$45

Alabama

Jo Dee Messina

Ty Myers

Riley Green featuring Hannah McFarland

Thu. Feb. 26, 7:30 $65-$70-$85

Lonestar

Sat. Feb. 28, 7:30 $50-$60-$75

Sat. Feb. 28, 3:30 $35-$45

Gene Watson

Legends Of Love

Mon. Mar. 2, 3:30 $30

Brian McKnight, Ginuwine, Ruben Studdard

John Foster

Brantley Gilbert

Wed. Mar. 4, 3:30 $25-$35

Feb. 26 - Mar. 8, 2026 Plant City, FL

Soundstage:

Mon. Mar. 2, 7:30

Wed. Mar. 4, 7:30 $50-$85

$40-$45-$80

Fri. Feb. 27, 3:30 $40-$50

Jamey Johnson Fri. Feb. 27, 7:30 $45-$55-$75

Sun. Mar. 1, 6:30 $110-$120-$135

Sandi Patty Tue. Mar. 3, 3:30 $30

The Bellamy Brothers Thu. Mar. 5, 3:30 $30

Lauren Daigle Tue. Mar. 3, 7:30 $70-$75-$85

Dierks Bentley Thu. Mar. 5, 7:30 $70-$80-$90 Home of OUR

The Marshall Tucker Band Fri. Mar. 6, 3:30 $35-$40

The Offspring Sat. Mar. 7, 7:30 $70-$80-$90

Forrest Frank Fri. Mar. 6, 7:30 $70-$80-$90

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Sun. Mar. 8, 7:30 $45-$55-$75

#berryfest26

Concert dates and times are subject to change.

Additional fees of 10% apply with online purchases.

Visit FLstrawberryfestival.com or call 813-754-1996 and get your tickets for the best seats available!

Suncoast Credit Union • Alessi Concessions • True Frequency Products • Images Everywhere! • AMSCOT Astin Farms • Tampa Bay Times • Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association • Uncommon USA ALLEGIANCE Crane & Equipment • Krazy Kup • DIRECTV • The Bank of Tampa • ICEE • Good Health Saunas Master Spas • Netterfield’s Concessions • Daiwa Massage Chairs • Florida Blue • AT&T • Stingray Chevrolet Candyland Warehouse • Father Time Clocks • Citizens Bank & Trust • T-Mobile • TRUFFOIRE Grove Equipment Service • Solution Source Construction & Development • Berry Amaz’n • Entenmann’s South Florida Baptist Hospital • Premier Portable Buildings • Burger 21 • Advantage Restoration & Recovery Local Ford Dealers • Everglades Equipment Group • SUN ‘n FUN • General RV Center • Spectrum

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state, nation+world news

TOP 5 STATE HEADLINES OF 2025

1

COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF SCHOOL OFFICIALS IN FLORIDA GENDER IDENTITY CASE

A court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit over a student’s expression of gender identity.

2

JAYDEN D’ONOFRIO COMES UP SHORT FOR FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY VICE CHAIR

The 20-year-old contender remained focused on his political future.

3

FDOT THREATENS CITY FUNDING OVER STREET MURALS LIKE RAINBOW CROSSWALKS

The Florida Department of Transportation targeted inclusive asphalt art across the state.

4

FLORIDA LGBTQ+ DEMOCRATS CALL ON PARTY TO DROP HARD ROCK FOR LEADERSHIP BLUE

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus cited anti-LGBTQ+ donations from the South Florida venue.

5

JUDGE ALLOWS TRANS RIGHTS RESTRICTIONS IN FLORIDA PRISONS TO TAKE EFFECT

A Trump-appointed judge did not block restrictions to protect trans inmates.

12

HRC STUDY REVEALS GOP EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE LGBTQ+ RIGHTS IN 2026 Joe Reberkenny via The Washington Blade, Courtesy of The National LGBT Media Association

A

new study by the Human Rights Campaign shows House Republicans continue to push anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, despite overwhelming nationwide support for nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.

The study found that Trump-supporting Republicans are attempting to pass 52 anti-LGBTQ riders — unofficial amendments to legislation with little chance of passing on their own — across 12 of the must-pass FY26 federal appropriations bills.

If enacted, these riders would become a significant vehicle for undermining LGBTQ+ equality.

The riders impose broad anti-LGBTQ measures, including blocking gender-affirming care, erasing sexual orientation and gender identity data, restricting nondiscrimination protections, limiting support for LGBTQ+ communities, targeting global LGBTQ+ rights and public health, interfering in medical decisions, and curtailing LGBTQ+ participation in sports, education and civic life.

In addition to the riders, congressional Republicans have used the rescissions process — where the government takes back money already approved for programs deemed no longer necessary — to remove funding from Biden-era programs that have served as major lifelines for the

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most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly low-income individuals, transgender youth, and people living with or at high risk for HIV. Together, these efforts, combined with an already hostile White House eager to remove funding from anything deemed too “woke” or “wasteful,” have created a sizable gap in federal funding for programs once seen as foundational.

Funding for nondiscrimination, public health, housing, and civil rights is now at risk, as Republicans follow Trump’s lead.

The HRC report shows that these proposed bills would drastically affect many aspects of LGBTQ+ existence.

BRANDED CONTENT

Why HIV Drug Resistance Still Matters — And What We Can Do About It

By Andrew Zolopa, Treatment Medical Affairs Executive Director, Gilead Sciences and Professor of Medicine, Stanford University Sponsored by Gilead Sciences Intended for US audiences only

E

VEN WITH DECADES OF

scientific research in HIV, a major challenge faced by people with HIV (PWH) continues to be HIV drug resistance.

HIV can change or mutate over time and HIV can develop something called a resistance mutation. When this happens, some HIV treatments may not work as well. Sometimes, HIV can already have a resistance mutation when it’s transmitted, or it can develop while someone is on treatment. But taking HIV treatment as your doctor prescribes can help lower the risk of resistance.

A major goal of HIV treatment is to become undetectable, which means there is so little virus in the blood that a lab test can’t measure it. Current research shows that taking HIV treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents HIV from spreading through sex. This is also called U=U, or “Undetectable equals Untransmittable.” Reaching an undetectable viral load is a critical milestone for many people living with HIV, and by starting and staying on treatment, they can live longer and healthier lives with HIV as a chronic, manageable condition.

But here’s the challenge: treatment resistance can still stand in the way of getting to and staying undetectable,

especially for those who have had to stop or restart care.

In the US in 2022, only about 65% of PWH were virally suppressed, which means having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood. For those who do not stay on treatment — sometimes because of stigma and life challenges— the risk of resistance and illness increases. Resistance can mean the virus no longer responds to certain medicines, making treatment harder.

As a clinician and researcher, I’ve seen how resistance can affect how well some treatments work. In the early years of HIV treatment, resistance emerged as a major concern, influencing the decisions doctors made and shaping community conversations. Resistance isn’t talked about as much today, but that doesn’t mean it has gone away. Resistance is an especially real risk for people who experience care gaps, have trouble taking medicine regularly, or need to restart treatment. However, most people with HIV face some risk of developing resistance. That’s why it’s so important to talk with your healthcare provider

about what resistance means and why taking your medicine as prescribed makes such a difference.

That’s why re-engaging people in care must go hand-in-hand with clear, supportive conversations about resistance, and making sure each person has access to medicines that fit their unique health needs. The good news is that science continues to evolve. Today, there are multiple treatment options available for PWH who have resistance, giving people more treatment options when restarting care.

Your healthcare provider can help guide you to the option that’s right for you.

So, what does this mean if you’re living with HIV? It means that even if you’ve taken breaks from treatment, you can speak with your healthcare provider about restarting with a treatment that may be able to continue to work even if HIV has developed resistance to certain types of medicines. A medicine’s barrier to resistance refers to how well it can work even if the virus develops resistance due to a mutation.

We must not lose sight of the foundational goal: staying undetectable over time.

That starts with taking your medication as prescribed. Your healthcare provider can help choose a treatment that has a high barrier to resistance — whether it’s your first regimen, you’re switching your regimen or if you are restarting care.

The importance of awareness around topics like resistance, undetectability and starting and staying on treatment is what inspired Gilead Sciences to launch Choose U. Choose U is a new initiative that puts people first in conversations about HIV –

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encouraging them to prioritize their own health by having informed conversations with their providers and making choices that help lower the risk of resistance, help them achieve undetectability, and prioritize their health for the long term.

As an infectious disease specialist, my advice is simple: talk with your doctor about HIV treatment options that help support your long-term health.

To learn more about HIV, visit ChooseUHIV.com.

US-UNBC-3469 10/25

13

Wine

W AVAILABLE WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS

N o t

e n i

– presents –

A Queer Podcast

Hosted By: Rick Todd

SPONSORED BY:

14

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Jeremy Williams

viewpoint

Jerick Mediavilla

#LOVEHANDLIN

I

In-Between Islands HAVE LIVED IN ORLANDO

for almost nine years now, long enough that the city has settled into my bones, long enough for the streets to feel familiar, for the summer winds that remind me of home, and for the everyday rhythm to feel like something I helped stitch together.

Orlando has given me more than I ever expected, more than I ever dared to imagine when I first moved here. It gave me community, friendships that have become a chosen family, and a sense of belonging that I absolutely treasure. And yet, even surrounded by all that love and welcome, I sometimes feel like an immigrant.

Not in the legal, technical way that immigration is defined in this country. I was born a citizen of the United States, in Puerto Rico, on an island that has shaped me at every level. But being technically American has never canceled out the fact that I am also distinctly from the Caribbean. I grew up under a different sky, in a different life rhythm, with a different cultural heartbeat. That identity does not shed itself the moment you board a plane. It travels with you, even when the geography changes.

So when I left Puerto Rico, first to DC, then to Mexico City, I became something new: a migrant, a person in motion. And each place I lived after that, whether back on the island or here in Orlando, added another layer to that feeling. Every move invited me to adapt, translate, reshape, learn a new social language, and figure out where my accent, my history and my face fit into the new landscape.

That is why, even after years of living here, with a life I love, with the love of my life, and communities that embrace me, I still carry that subtle vibration of the immigrant experience.

The intensity of that feeling became clearer to me last year, during the presidential campaign season. At one event, someone stood on stage and said, without hesitation, that Puerto Rico was an island full of trash.

And the crowd cheered. No pushback. No correction.

For anyone who has ever loved a place, hearing it reduced to an insult is painful. But when it is your birthplace, your first home, the soil your grandparents walked on, the place where your identity was formed, it’s more than painful. It’s a dismissal of your existence.

It’s a reminder that you can be a citizen on paper and still be treated like a foreigner in spirit.

Moments like that make it impossible not to feel aligned with immigrants and migrants who face this sort of hostility every day.

Because I know, in my body, what it feels like to be seen as an outsider before you ever say a word. I know what it’s like to be looked at first, and understood second. I know the subtle weight of being watched, even when you’re doing nothing wrong at all.

And I’m not alone.

Millions of immigrants, documented or not, wake up every day in a country that benefits from their work, their culture, their contributions, and still treats them as suspicious by default. It’s unfair. It’s cruel.

And it needs to stop.

People forget that immigration is not an easy choice. It is not whimsical.

It is not careless. It is an act of courage, often born from sacrifice. To uproot yourself, your children, your parents, your routines, your sense of stability, and to replant all of that in unfamiliar soil takes guts. It takes hope. It takes a resilience that most people will never know how to summon.

For me, identifying with the immigrant experience is not about claiming a struggle that isn’t mine. It’s about acknowledging that my own identity, my own journey, intersects with theirs in meaningful ways.

I may not have crossed a national border to move to Orlando, but I did cross a cultural one. I did rebuild my sense of home. I did

reshape myself to fit a place that was not mine from the beginning.

And many Puerto Ricans feel this way. We are citizens, yes, but we also come from a place the mainland regularly misunderstands, belittles, or politicizes without context. Our belonging here

To see beyond the headlines and the rhetoric, and to understand the humanity behind every migrant story.

Because immigrants are not the threat. They are the embodiment of hope. They are dreamers and workers and rebuilders. They add richness, color, talent,

identity lives in more than one place. I will always be Puerto Rican first and foremost. I will always be shaped by the moves I’ve made. And I will always feel a quiet kinship with immigrants, because even in my citizenship, I know what it’s like to be a little

is technically unquestioned, but emotionally complicated.

There’s a duality that never quite resolves.

What I wish for — what I deeply, earnestly wish — is that people in this country would meet immigrants with more compassion. More curiosity. More humility.

To recognize the bravery it takes to start over in a place where everything is foreign, and to build a life anyway.

innovation, depth and flavor to this country. They survive, adapt, contribute and thrive, often carrying burdens they never speak of.

If this country is ever going to live up to the ideals it loves to claim, then the least it can do is honor the courage of these people.

As for me, I will keep calling Orlando home, because it is. But I will also honor the truth that my

outside, a little in between, a little bit of one world and another still.

That in between space is not a weakness. It’s a story. It’s mine. And I cannot see it as anything but a strength.

I know the subtle weight of being watched, even when you’re doing nothing wrong at all.

Jerick Mediavilla is a former journalist from Mexico City, an educator in Central Florida and a human rights activist for the LGBTQ+ community.

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15

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BRANDED CONTENT

More Than Pictures: Why Inclusivity in Photography Matters

(ABOVE)

WITH LOVE:

Nick and Seth share a kiss and laughs in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

I

Deborah Bostock-Kelley

F YOU WOULDN’T TRUST A DOCTOR

who denies gender‑affirming care, or a baker who refuses to serve LGBTQ+ couples, why trust a photographer who erases them?

Photography is more than light and shadow; it preserves identity and ensures every person is remembered. Choosing a photographer means choosing someone whose values shape how your story is told. Representation matters, and the person behind the camera can amplify a voice or suppress it with a single shutter click.

Dylan Todd, founder of Dylan Todd Photography, embodies an inclusive philosophy. Since opening his studio in 2016, his tagline has been “in your best light,” a reflection of his commitment to celebrating every client’s individuality.

REPRESENTATION THROUGH THE LENS A photographer’s values show in their portfolio. Affirming work

reflects people across races, genders, identities, ages, body types and abilities.

Dylan explains, “I think that I have been blessed in a way that I get to meet and work with a lot of different people, so my work is pretty diverse.

I do like to work with all types of people, respect them and showcase them in their best light.”

Representation is a promise, not decoration. Inclusive photographers make space for every story.

RESPECTING IDENTITY Inclusivity is intentional. It shows in the way a photographer approaches each client.

Dylan shares, “For every client that I work with, I talk to them and learn more about them in a way that’s without judgment.

I share details about myself and my experiences to let them know that it’s a safe space for them. On my wedding questionnaire, I list ‘partner one,’ ‘partner two,’ just to keep it neutral.”

Respecting identity goes beyond a checkbox. It is a commitment to honoring stories with gravitas.

MAKING EVERY CLIENT COMFORTABLE Comfort is not an afterthought; it is the foundation. Inclusive photographers make the experience seamless rather than stressful.

Dylan describes his process: “Sessions always start with a phone call. I want to learn a little bit about you, what your goals are, how I can bring them to life and get the creative going. The second step of my session is an in-person consultation.

I try to do that in people’s homes every time... It allows me to get an understanding of their style. I want to learn about a person to help figure out what their story is and the story that they want to tell. Everyone’s story and experiences are unique to them. You can learn a lot about people just by entering their homes.

It is a way for me to learn more about the client and become better connected with them.”

At 5’3”, Dylan jokes that home visits give him a quick read on how tall his clients are and whether he’ll need to pack a step ladder.

He adds, “It also helps me solve a problem for them, which is oftentimes clients don’t know what to wear. So, I’ll go with them in their closet and help pull outfits for their session.”

STORIES THAT MATTER Inclusive photographers understand that being photographed can feel vulnerable. Their goal is not just to take a picture but to honor the person in front of the lens.

Dylan recalls, “I had a client who did a boudoir session… She just turned 49 and she has two kids and she devoted everything towards her children. This session was a way for her to feel beautiful and celebrated at her age. When we went through the photos afterwards, she cried and I cried because she felt so beautiful and seen.”

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He also loves photographing LGBTQ+ weddings.

“Weddings that aren’t just a man and a woman, they aren’t a suit and a white dress… there’s so much creativity and freedom with what people get to wear and how they feel wearing what they want to wear to their wedding,” he explains. “That brings me so much joy.”

PHOTOGRAPHY AS ADVOCACY Photography is art, but it is also activism.

Dylan affirms, “Historically, photography has for the most part been a form of advocacy because it is true. It is of a specific time, a specific place of a specific person or thing.”

For him, telling someone’s story with authenticity is the ultimate goal: “It means the world, right? If you can see people and you do not judge them, you can respect them, you can celebrate them, hear them, give them space and time and energy and love, then we’re going to do great with whatever you’re doing.”

FINAL FRAME Choosing an inclusive photographer goes beyond appearances. Images hold the power to shape how communities are viewed, how individuals are remembered and how stories are told. Photography is memory, witness and an invitation to capture who you are in a moment of time without compromise.

When you’re searching for the right photographer, don’t stop at technical skill or style. Look for values. Look for inclusion woven into the way they work. The greatest gift a photographer can give is to see you, respect you and tell your story with care.

By selecting a photographer like Dylan Todd who values capturing your uniqueness — the very thing that makes you, you — you’re investing in representation and ensuring that every person, regardless of race, gender, age, ability, or identity, can have their story authentically and beautifully preserved for generations. In this way, photography becomes more than a service. It becomes a legacy.

Through Dylan’s lens, comfort and trust become connection, each frame a testament to dignity and belonging.

Learn more at DylanToddPhotography.com.

17

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The Good Page Rainbow Family Wellness offers LGBTQ+-affirming care in Tampa Bay

T

Sylvie Trevena

HE GOOD PAGE FEATURES

positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue, we meet Rainbow Family Wellness.

Rainbow Family Wellness began from humble beginnings in 2021.

Elizabeth Wolfson, LCSW, had always dreamed of running her own practice.

Receiving excellent mental healthcare in her adolescence sparked the realization that she wanted to pursue this as a career.

Watching skilled clinicians work was truly inspiring, Wolfson says, adding that “there’s something so beautiful about seeing someone help others heal and grow.”

She credits the help she received not only for her survival through tough times, but for igniting her passion to help others in the mental health space.

Upon receiving her licensure, she set out to begin serving the LGBTQ+ population through inclusive, affordable, affirming counseling services. Through the guidance and support of fellow therapists, Wolfson created the name, website and mission for Rainbow; serving “kids and queers.”

“My own family means everything to me, and I truly could not run this practice without the support of my wife, who has stood by me every step of the way,” she says. Wolfson and her wife are the proud parents of a daughter.

Over time, additional therapists and student interns have joined the practice, united in sharing the goal of creating spaces where families can thrive. The office, located in Tarpon Springs, is dedicated to being a safe place for the community to receive inclusive care.

Wolfson’s says she considers her own family “non-traditional.”

“It can mean so many different things,’ she explains. In her case, “we’re a two-mom household with a beautiful child, and that’s something I’m deeply proud of.”

“To me, non-traditional families are those that exist outside the mainstream mold — single parents, same-sex couples, grandparents raising grandchildren, blended

PHOTOS VIA RAINBOW FAMILY WELLNESS

families, families formed through adoption, families without children and so many more,” she continues.

“Professionally, it means honoring and affirming the many ways love, care and connection can look — because every family deserves to be seen and supported exactly as they are.”

Rainbow Family Wellness strives to be an accessible and affirming space for all with a team that reflects that commitment.

All service providers within the practice are either a member of the LGBTQ+ community or a close ally with the training and competence to address the unique experiences the community faces.

Cultural competence and cultural humility are also important regarding race, ethnicity, religion, ability, background and more, Wolfson notes. “This is sacred work, and in this incredibly difficult climate, both parents and youth need a village.”

With current political and economic challenges, Wolfson and her team are committed to making therapy accessible. The focus on doing more is not only a mission and vision but can be seen as the practice comes up with ways to make therapy more accessible and cost efficient.

A recent partnership with Project No Labels, for example, has expanded their “Dear Self, You Are Worth It” program in Northern Pinellas and Pasco counties. A graduate student intern offers three free therapy sessions followed by a low-cost sliding scale rate of $40-60 per session. Rainbow accepts commercial insurance plans including United/Optum, Aetna and Cigna with the sliding scale option as well.

Collaboration with local organizations like the Ybor Youth Clinic have also provided an amazing prevention station at the office, stocked with sexual health products, information and healthcare resources.

If there is a need in the community, they will seek out a solution to help. On Mondays, Rainbow hosts a Queer Resilience Group that is open to participants with insurance, self-pay or sliding scale rates to ensure community members can access therapy.

Wolfson says being a queer therapist serving the LGBTQ+ community is her life’s passion, and she understands how much the youth need support. She personally specializes in pediatric mental health as well as LGBTQ+ mental

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well-being; two areas that do not necessarily overlap in her opinion.

Working with kids and teens who are neurodivergent or any adolescent identifying within the rainbow family as transgender, nonbinary, gay, or bi, is something she loves as a therapist.

“Serving this community means more than providing mental healthcare — it means knowing who to connect clients with,” Wolfson explains. “We regularly refer and collaborate with Project No Labels, Emerge New Growth Community, PFLAG Safety Harbor, TransNetwork, Ybor Youth Clinic, and many others.”

Rainbow Family Wellness will continue to support the LGBTQ+ community by offering holistic care to help families make informed decisions regarding healthcare, education and more.

For more information about services and providers, visit RainbowFamilyWellness.com.

Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOutNews. com in Tampa Bay or Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza at Bellanee@ WatermarkOutNews.com in Central Florida.

19

YEAR IN REVIEW LGBTQ+ Central Florida and Tampa Bay in 2025

ILLUSTRATION BY KY VIAN

Ryan Williams-Jent and Bellanee Plaza

JANUARY

Watermark becomes Watermark Out News in 2025 — the same trusted news source, more visibly out. “We cover the news in a state that is ground zero for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation … we want everyone to know that we are here to inform and support the LGBTQ+ community,” Publisher Rick Todd explains.

Sometimes support means finding joy during difficult times. The new year introduces The Good Page to highlight positive LGBTQ+ news and our first issue helps Florida find the funny with comedians Sarah Silverman and Jessica Kirson. As the nation prepares for Donald Trump’s second term, our next issue details Project 2025’s threat to LGBTQ+ rights.

Central Florida groups renew their focus as the Orlando Gayming League becomes a nonprofit and the Gay Officers Action League of Central Florida elects a new board. The news is also dominated by the indictment of Richard Kowalczyk, then-owner of Southern Nights Orlando and Southern Nights Tampa, on charges of child pornography.

Owner Clara Barr announces Jan. 15 that Kowalczyk is no longer involved with the LGBTQ+ venues, and Southern Nights Tampa later rebrands as Disco Pony Nightclub. Elsewhere in Tampa Bay, TIGLFF marks 35 years of LGBTQ+ film and the community celebrates Jewels Sparkles, local “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 17 contestant. We end the month with an exclusive interview.

During his first week in office, Trump issues nearly 40 executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion, migrant status and more, attacking transgender Americans in particular. Companies like Target formally end inclusive policies.

20

FEBRUARY

After 10 years of marriage equality in Florida, Watermark Out News examines the likelihood of its reversal. We speak with local LGBTQ+ advocates and married couples.

We also introduce the rebranded WAVE Awards — the Watermark Out News: Diversity, Excellence and Resilience Awards, or WONDER Awards — and readers recognize local activists, entertainers and other favorites. Our 2025 Spring Arts Guide is published as well.

In Orlando, Hope CommUnity Center Executive Director Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet launches his bid for Florida House. The Pride Chamber works with local law enforcement agencies to expand Orlando’s Safe Place Initiative and Matthew Inman, a local politico, is arrested on charges of transportation of child sex abuse material.

The Ball opens in St. Petersburg, becoming a key part of Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ complex with Cocktail, The Wet Spot and Mari Jean Hotel. A grand jury finds Gerald Duncan Radford not guilty in the fatal shooting of Tampa’s John Walter Lay, a gay man murdered in 2024, and the inaugural Winter Pride welcomes an estimated 57,000 people to St. Petersburg.

Equality Florida seeks support for the organization’s forthcoming Pride at the Capitol. The Let Us Live March also plans its return against the backdrop of mounting anti-transgender measures state and nationwide.

Legal challenges launch against Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders, including his ban on transgender military service and restrictions on transgender and nonbinary Americans obtaining passports. Other countries begin issuing U.S. travel advisories to LGBTQ+ residents and cancelling participation in WorldPride, scheduled for June in Washington, D.C.

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MARCH

LGBTQ+ Floridians take the fight for civil rights to the streets. Our first issue highlights what Equality Florida calls “the most 60 dangerous days in Florida,” the legislative session, and our second checks in with LGBTQ+ immigrants. They share how they’re working to combat Trump’s anti-immigrant executive orders, offering hope amidst hardship.

Orlando is among the cities to host demonstrations led by the 50501 Movement, which held “50 protests across 50 states for 1 movement” to speak out against Trump’s “anti-democratic and illegal actions.” An undercover sting operation also roots out child predators in Daytona Beach, including one gay man from Orlando.

Kurt’s Place announces it will open in City Side Lounge, which permanently closes after 30 years, and Love the Golden Rule launches a new fundraiser. The 11th Tampa Pride is held, detailed in our Pride in Tampa magazine, and Bradley’s on 7th marks 14 years as an Ybor staple.

The Trevor Project releases troubling data on the mental health of Florida’s LGBTQ+ youth, while Marcy Rheintgen makes history in Tallahassee. The Illinois student is arrested for using the restroom aligning with her gender identity in the Capitol Building, believed to be the first arrest of its kind in the nation.

The Trump administration eliminates surveillance protections for LGBTQ+ Americans and a federal judge blocks the transgender military ban. The country also withdraws from the United Nations LGBTI Core Group, which formed in 2008 to support LGBTQ+ and intersex rights worldwide.

APRIL

Following the Trump administration’s lead, Florida targets authentic driver’s licenses for transgender residents. Our first issue of the month examines the state’s anti-trans ID policy and the power of allyship.

Our second issue previews the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival as we publish their program. The LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida and beyond also mourns Chadrick Pace, the drag legend Divine Grace who dies at 50 years old.

Largo Mayor Woody Brown stands up to state Rep. Berny Jacques over a local library’s LGBTQ+ content, which remains despite calls for its removal. Winter Pride becomes its own nonprofit and Watermark Out News speaks with “Schitt’s Creek” alum Noah Reid, who brings his act to Clearwater. Dining Out for Life Tampa Bay marks 20 years as well and Jewels Sparkles becomes a “Drag Race” finalist.

The Florida Senate withdraws its bill to ban Pride flags on government agencies, public schools, colleges and universities after public pressure. Utah, however, becomes the first state in the nation to pass such a ban.

In a setback for transgender rights abroad, the UK’s Supreme Court defines “woman” based on biological sex. The effort was brought forward by For Women Scotland and largely funded by “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling. Additional countries warn LGBTQ+ residents to avoid the U.S. as anti-LGBTQ+ policies mount.

MAY

As the president’s policies spark global warnings and domestic lawsuits, our annual travel issue details LGBTQ+-inclusive destinations and community concerns. Experts weigh in on traveling while transgender in particular.

Our second issue of the month previews an early return for One Magical Weekend and Project Pride’s Grand Carnival in Sarasota, speaking with singer John Duff.

Watermark Out News publishes our annual Rainbow Family and Central Florida Living with Pride Guides as well.

The Orlando Gay Chorus celebrates 35 years with “A Choral Kaleidoscope.”

Romich Massage and Spa owner Ronel Michael Gutierrez Galvis is also arrested after he’s accused of sexual assault by five patrons.

After opening its new LGBTQ+ center in January, the Fabulous Arts Foundation marks 15 years in Sarasota. St Pete Pride also formally announces the hiring of Executive Director Bior Guigni and holds Shades of Pride with TS Madison while LGBTQ+ “Wicked” superstar Cynthia Erivo visits Tampa Bay to perform with the Florida Orchestra.

Citing Hard Rock Hollywood’s support for anti-LGBTQ+ candidates, the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus calls on the Florida Democratic Party to cancel its annual fundraiser at the venue. It does not. Equality Florida marks the end of the legislative session with the defeat of all anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced this year.

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last year. He is later pardoned by Trump.

GLAAD releases a study that finds most major social media platforms have failed to protect LGBTQ+ users from hate and harassment, detailing its annual Social Media Safety Index. Efforts also continue to locate Andry Hernández Romero, a gay asylum seeker who was deported in April. U.S. funds that supported marginalized communities abroad continue to dry up under the Trump administration.

JUNE

Former Watermark Out News Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams resigns and former Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent steps into the role. Bellanee Plaza, who previously served as an editorial intern, is hired as Central Florida Bureau Chief.

Pride Month begins with a look at LGBTQ+ celebrations. Our issues focus on Girls in Wonderland’s landmark 25th anniversary in Orlando, its Silver Jubilee, and the 23rd St Pete Pride. The year’s theme celebrates its roots, detailed at length in the official guide published by Watermark Out News.

Gay Days returns with muted events after former owner Joseph Clark steps away.

Hope & Help appoints Thresa Giles as its new CEO and U.S. Rep. Darren Soto enters LGBTQ+ leaders into the Congressional Record for Pride Month. Orlando also marks nine years since June 12, 2016. Governor Ron DeSantis omits LGBTQ+ and Latino people in his Pulse remembrance statement.

In Lakeland, Polk Pride celebrates a milestone with its 10th event. The Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber honors local advocates with its signature luncheon and Tampa Fringe returns with widespread support after attacks from DeSantis led to major funding cuts the year prior.

Floridians in over 70 cities gather en masse statewide for the national “No Kings Day” protests to speak out against Trump administration. Former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly also becomes the first Democrat to declare his candidacy for governor in 2026.

To “re-establish the nation’s ‘warrior culture,’” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth orders the renaming of the U.S. Naval Ship Harvey Milk, among others. In D.C., WorldPride welcomes over one million people — and the LGBTQ+ community shows its power in other ways as well.

As Target announces a drop in sales, the National LGBT Media Association releases a new study signaling economic consequences for abandoning Pride and DEI. The study shows that 75% of LGBTQ+ and ally respondents indicated they would either stop buying entirely or reduce spending with companies that scale back LGBTQ+ marketing or diversity initiatives.

JULY

After nine years, the Pulse memorial moves forward with support from the city, including financial contributions. We detail new plans in our first issue of the month and speak with HIV clinics in Florida in our second. They share how they are continuing to offer free HIV testing for patients amid federal cuts from the Trump administration.

Also in HIV, the world’s only twice-a-year prevention shot, lenacapavir, is approved and made by Gilead Sciences. The prevention dose is sold under the name Yeztugo.

Drag superstar Ginger Minj wins the 10th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” capping a 10-year journey that turned Orlando’s drag darling into an international icon. She celebrates at SAVOY and tells Watermark Out News “it felt like we all did this together.” Zebra Youth also announces a leadership transition with CEO Heather Wilkie departing after nearly a decade.

The Tampa Police Department awards local hero Hum Duchannes after they saved a child’s life. CAN Community Health launches the Susan Terry Foundation to empower people living with HIV, a nonprofit named after its founder, and the Tampa Bay LGBT History Project makes its debut.

Five state lawmakers, including Reps. Michele Rayner and Anna V. Eskamani and Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, visit “Alligator Alcatraz” before hundreds of immigrants arrive at the everglade’s detention center. A Florida judge also dismisses the case against Rheintgen after her arrest at the Florida Capitol and the Florida Department of Transportation threatens city funding over “inconsistent pavement surface markings” like Pride crosswalks.

In a loss for transgender rights, U.S. hospitals begin to cease gender-affirming care under pressure from the Trump administration and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee quietly prohibits transgender women from competing in women’s sporting events. Nationwide, the Supreme Court upholds Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in a 6-3 vote.

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AUGUST

The state cracks down on rainbow crosswalks and murals, with FDOT beginning to remove any “non-standard surface markings… that do not directly contribute to traffic safety.” They target inclusive sites in Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Key West and more.

That includes the rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse memorial, which is removed in the middle of the night, and Sarasota’s historic PrideWalk. The directive stems from the Trump administration, which notified all 50 states that the U.S. Department of Transportation was introducing a “safety initiative” seeking consistent roadways.

In lighter news, we speak to LGBTQ+ Floridians that are building community through local sports organizations like OUT Sports League and HotMess Sports. For the book lovers, we chat with bestselling author V.E. Schwab about her latest release, which caters to the LGBTQ+ community with three lesbian leads.

With pressure from the state, the Orange County commission approves a controversial ICE agreement. Orlando Museum of art also receives $2.4 million in state funding for repairs. MojoMan Swimwear & Clothing, meanwhile, hosts a community event to paint a rainbow pride flag in the store’s parking lot.

With its removal looming, St. Petersburg looks for other ways to keep the spirit of its Progressive Pride street mural intact. The community at large also mourns the loss of drag entertainer Jasmine Jimenez, who dies at 46.

Watermark Out News speaks with LGBTQ+ medium Tyler Henry as well and publishes our annual Fall Arts Guide.

SEPTEMBER

With new and reimagined businesses opening in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, our first issue of the month checks in with Anthem Orlando, Kurt’s Place, The Ball and Outpost Neighborhood Tavern. They discuss the importance of safe spaces.

Our second issue previews “The Wiz” and Sarasota’s inaugural Gulfcoast Pride, which is set to debut under Project Pride’s new leadership. Watermark Out News also publishes the annual Come Out With Pride Guide ahead of October’s celebration.

As the fight over asphalt art continues, three protesters are arrested at the Pulse crosswalk after consistent efforts to return its rainbow colors with chalk. Orlando Police also investigate an incident at the site where a local activist says he was assaulted. No arrests are made.

Business owners and artists also respond. Se7enBites owner Trina Gregory dedicates her 49 parking spaces to support artists and the LGBTQ+ community in Orlando while in St. Petersburg, a new initiative launches to provide inclusive murals on private property. It follows the removal of the city’s Progressive Pride and Black History Matters murals.

Tampa Pride announces a 2026 hiatus after detailing the termination of former President Carrie West. Creative Pinellas also confirms a significant funding loss from Pinellas County.

The state starts investigating Orange County over its DEI initiatives after a DOGE audit, a directive mirroring the Trump administration’s federal efforts. The first Pope to have been born in the U.S., Pope Leo, meets with one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ advocates in the Catholic Church and Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, is assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University.

OCTOBER

Come Out With Pride celebrates its 21st year with unity and resilience. We kick off the month by speaking to the nonprofit’s team along with this year’s grand marshals and award winners.

For our annual Halloween issue, we chat with Tina Romero, daughter of George A. Romero, about her feature film debut “Queens of the Dead” while previewing happy haunts across Central Florida and Tampa Bay. The month also sees the publication of our annual Tampa Bay Living Out Loud, Wedding and Holiday Guides.

In Orlando, The Pride Chamber celebrates resilience at the 2025 Pride in Business Awards and Gala and community members raise money for the temporary closure of Renaissance Theatre Company. The theater was condemned after a failed annual inspection.

Trans Network unveils its new board in Tampa Bay. We also detail the inaugural Sapphic St. Pete, set to launch with a week of events the following month.

In the directorial debut by queer filmmaker and screenwriter Carmen Emmi, we learn “Plainclothes” is not as simple as the title might suggest. Lead actors Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey discuss the film with us.

Nationwide “No Kings” protests occur against Trump and the LGBTQ+ community mourns the loss of trailblazing trans activist and Stonewall veteran Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who dies at 78. The Supreme Court also considers the legality of conversion therapy bans, seeming likely to side with a Christian counselor who sees them as a violation of her First Amendment rights.

NOVEMBER

With a year until the Florida gubernatorial election, we speak with Democrat David Jolly who hopes to end culture wars in the Sunshine State. The former Republican reflects on his evolution and hopes to make Florida a place where everyone is valued and respected.

In our second issue of the month, we talk to two trans-led groups which are creating safe spaces across Florida. They are Orlando’s Ripple Hauxs, a BIPOC and trans-focused advocacy organization and TransMasc of Tampa, a community-led collective that focuses on empowering transmasculine individuals.

In Orlando, The Pride Chamber announces a change in leadership after CEO Gina Duncan resigns. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announces his own campaign for Florida governor.

PFLAG Riverview announces it will hold Pride of Tampa in lieu of Tampa Pride next year. Metro Inclusive Health rebrands as Metro Healthy Communities and tragedy strikes Ybor. A fatal crash into Bradley’s on 7th leaves four dead and at least 13 injured. Elsewhere in Tampa, Kurt’s Place closes after less than four months.

Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith steps down after 28 years.

Stratton Pollitzer, Equality Florida’s co-founder, is named CEO and executive director.

The Joy Ride also holds its second annual fundraiser, cycling from Orlando to St. Petersburg and raising an initial $282,431.

The LGBTQ+ community celebrates as SCOTUS says that it will not review Kim Davis’ request to revisit her case, a challenge to marriage equality. Davis infamously opposed Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 as a county clerk in Kentucky. The court also allows Trump to enforce its anti-trans passport policy.

Watermark Out News chats with “The Life and Music of George Michael” star Craig Winberry and David Archuleta, both of whom talk LGBTQ+ representation in music, and publishes our annual Q-Health Guide. The award-winning resource details HIV breakthroughs like Yeztugo and much more.

DECEMBER

The Remarkable People Issue returns, highlighting LGBTQ+ changemakers throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay. This year’s honorees include Central Florida’s Nadia Garzón, Descolonizarte Teatro founder; Kassanndra Santiago, SOMOSLOUD Central Florida president; Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Orange County Democratic Party chair; Blake Simons, The Simons Law Firm founder and Trina Gregory, Se7enBites owner.

In Tampa Bay, they are Rob Hall, Winter Pride executive director; Hum Duchannes, Tampa Bay hero; Leo Andersen, Silkpride founder and Shannon Moore and Joana “JoJo” Cardoso-Moore, who founded Effortless City. The issue details their remarkable 2025.

In Orlando, the LGBTQ+ community mourns the loss of beloved drag entertainer Addison Taylor, who dies at 41. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost brings his MadSoul Music & Arts Festival to the Orlando Amphitheater and GLSEN Central Florida announces its closure. Renaissance Theatre Company also temporarily relocates to a new home.

Nathan Bruemmer is named St. Petersburg’s new LGBTQ+ liaison, making him the first transgender person in the role. CAN Community Health also recognizes World AIDS Day with original “RENT” stars, a benefit for the Susan Terry Foundation.

Florida drag continues to impress “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The series announces its next season will feature Orlando’s Myki Meeks and St. Petersburg’s Discord Addams.

The U.S. declines to recognize World AIDS Day 2025, a first since the global observance began in 1988, and the White House also deadnames Admiral Rachel Levine. A federal court allows the transgender military service ban to be enforced as litigation proceeds.

As the year comes to a close, a new study from the Human Rights Campaign shows congressional Republicans — who control the U.S. Congress and White House — are already working to pass over 50 anti-LGBTQ+ measures next year. LGBTQ+ advocates hope the 2026 mid-term election may change their trajectory.

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announcements

TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Winter Pride’s inaugural Yule Be Gagged turnabout raised over $14K for the organization Dec. 8.

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TEAM GREEN: Equality Florida’s Preston Scott (L) and Jack Forsyth attend St Pete Pride’s Red & Green Gala Dec. 4 at The Floridian Social.

PHOTO BY JAMARCUS MOSLEY

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HOT CAUSE: HotMess Sports Commissioner Marta Opsasnick (L) and Luna Waters help raise funds for the organization’s charity benefit for Queer Expression Dec. 13.

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PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

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HAVING A BALL: The St Pete Pride Royal Court strikes a pose at the organization’s inaugural Drag Queen Bingo at Moxy St Pete Dec. 10. PHOTO VIA ST PETE PRIDE’S FACEBOOK

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SPEAKING OUT: Momma Ashley Rose speaks at Planned Parenthood of Florida Dec. 7. PHOTO VIA ROSE DYNASTY

FOUNDATION’S FACEBOOK

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PUPPY LOVE: Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin and his furry friend enjoy the City of Tampa’s Santa Fest Parade Dec. 6. PHOTO VIA THE CITY

OF TAMPA’S FACEBOOK

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DOING THE WORK: Tampa’s Human Rights Board and Office of Human Rights plans for an inclusive 2026 at City Hall. PHOTO VIA MAYOR JANE CASTOR’S FACEBOOK

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VICTORY VISIT: Project Pride Executive Director Tom Edwards (L) strikes a pose with former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s 2025 International LGTBQ+ Leaders Conference in D.C. PHOTO VIA PROJECT PRIDE’S FACEBOOK

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MARKET MEN: Ron Diana (L) and John Gascot table at Cocktail’s Big Gay Holiday Market Dec. 5.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

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Luis Salazar resigned as president of the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus effective Dec. 31 to run for office, detailed at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Vice President Kim Dude will step into the role Jan. 1.

“Thank you for the trust you placed in me and for your unwavering commitment to our community. I wish you the very best in the years ahead and look forward to continuing our shared fight for equality,” Salazar said. Read more at Facebook.com/HillsboroughCountyLGBTQDems.

The Joy Ride shared Dec. 11 that this year’s event has raised $282,431. Fundraising continues through the end of the year. Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

PRIDE INSTALLATION

The City of St. Petersburg installed new Pride-inspired bike racks Dec. 11 in the Grand Central District near the site of its former Progressive Pride street mural. “Pride on the streets!” officials shared via social media. “We’ve just installed 11 Pride-inspired bike racks along Central Ave and 25th St — a vibrant way to honor the Pride street murals that were removed earlier this year due to state requirements.” Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Tampa Bay journalist Trevor Pettiford, St. Petersburg sculptor Mark Aeling, former Honey Pot owner Stephen Moss (Dec. 18); Tampa Bay writer Cindy Stovall (Dec. 19); St. Petersburg loan officer Steven Robertson, Polk Pride staple Dustin Shay, Watermark Out News Creative Designer Dylan Todd (Dec. 20); Tampa Bay entertainer Kathryn Nevets, Tampa Bay realtor Gabe Alves (Dec. 21); Academic tutor and interventionist Cynthia Wurner (Dec. 22); Joel Schmitz CPA partner Mike Lang, Tampa General physician Dr. Kyle Bowers, Architect John Del Vitto, Tampa Bay Time Lord Jeffrey Lucas (Dec. 23); ProSuzy-ProSisters owner Amy Oatley, Trans Network President Callen Jones, Watermark Out News contributor Johnny Boykins (Dec. 24); former Tampa Bay bartender Tim Seward (Dec. 25); St. Petersburg St. Pete staple Jeff Nicolaus, Metro Healthy Communities’ Chad Chaddington, Moffitt Cancer Center’s Topher Larkin, St. Pete Leisure Services Administrator Mike Jefferis, Tampa Bay activist Alex Barbosa (Dec. 26); Sarasota realtor Nate Brooks, Clearwater realtor Keith Gill, Tampa Bay talent coordinator Tom Penman (Dec. 27); Trans Network Co-Founder Andrew Citino, Equality Florida’s Esme Rodriguez, St. Petersburg bartender Eric Welch (Dec. 28); Gulfport staple Greg Stemm, St. Petersburg socialite Eddie Pruett (Dec. 29); Tampa Bay DJ Mike Sklarz, Tampa ROTC member Steve Deal, Tampa Bay entertainer Stephanie Stuart, Tampa Bay activist Michael Womack, Drag It Up LLC owner Michael Richardson (Dec. 30); Mr. Ybor Eagle 2010 Carlos “Wolfy” Diaz, Tampa massage therapist Russell Fox, St. Pete volunteer Paul LeCouris, Tampa historian David K. Johnson (Dec. 31)

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announcements

CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS Orlando entertainer Myki Meeks will compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 18, premiering Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. on MTV. Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has transformed its Frontyard for the inaugural Frontyard Holiday Festival running through Jan. 4. Read more and view photos at WatermarkOutNews.com.

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost brought his MadSoul Music & Arts Festival to the Orlando Amphitheater Dec. 6 for a day of music and advocacy. Read more on p. 8 and view photos at WatermarkOutNews.com.

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Santa’s Bike Force, the charity initiative working to deliver brand-new “first time” bikes and helmets to kids, celebrated its 22nd year with a bike drive on Dec. 11.

David LaChapelle, one of the most pioneering and influential LGBTQ+ photographers, will present his largest U.S. museum retrospective at the Orlando Museum of Art with “David LaChapelle: As the World Turns,” opening on Jan. 31. Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

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LEADERSHIP SEARCH Peer Support Space is hiring a new executive director.

It is accepting applications now through the end of February. Learn more at PeerSupportSpace.org.

CONDOLENCES Celebrated entertainer and LGBTQ+ advocate Addison Taylor died Dec. 14 at 41. Read more on p. 8.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS Pineapple Healthcare’s Daniel Fernandez de Castro; Florida Rep. Rita Harris (Dec. 18); Former GayDayS owner Chris Manley (Dec. 19); Orlando bartender with flair Tish, Orlando realtor Jeff Ritchie, The District at Mills 50 manager Jamey Harper (Dec. 20); Disney darling Rae L’Heureux, Universal Orlando team captain Christian Conde, Orlando’s Hamburger Mary’s co-founder Tom Schneider; Former Watermark Out News creative designer Kyler Mills (Dec. 21); Pilot Abel Marowitz (Dec. 22); Orlando entrepreneur Eve Hunt, Singer Joey Suarez (Dec. 24); UCF Assistant Director Hank Lewis, Sounds of Freedom trombonist Jeremiah Catherwood, Penguin Point Productions owner James Brendlinger (Dec. 25); Art and History Museums Maitland Marketing Director Hannah Miller, Central Florida bartender Jeff Munzing, Darden’s Boyd Geary, Southern Nights Orlando General Manager Danny Vega (Dec. 26); WAVE-winning drag performer Lacie Browning (Dec. 27); former Stonewall Orlando owner Steven Watkins, Central Florida performer Gadiel Vazquez, Founder of Gay Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Doug Swallow (Dec. 28); Phish Phest phenom and realtor Sue-Bee Laginess, Former Miss America Ericka Dunlap (Dec. 29); Central Florida make-up artist Stacey Gannon, The Hammered Lamb’s owner’s husband J Colón Acevedo (Dec. 30); The Center Orlando’s CEO Dr. George Wallace, Orlando bear Justin Homer, Teacher and activist Clinton McCracken, Florida Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (Dec. 31).

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CAMPAIGN RUN: U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost (L) and Felipe Sousa Lazaballet hug at Outpost Neighborhood Tavern on Dec. 13 for Drag Happy Hour. PHOTO BY AXEL SEMEILLAN

STORYTELLING: Watermark Out News Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza (L) and SOMOSLOUD Central Florida President Kassanndra Santiago (R) attend La Virgen De Guadalupe at Hope CommUnity Center Dec. 13.

PHOTO BY JOSE VAZQUEZ

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MUSIC AND ADVOCACY: Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith speaks at MadSoul Music & Arts Festival at the Orlando Amphitheater Dec. 6.

PHOTO BY BELLANEE PLAZA

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DEFYING GRAVITY: Sister Ann Kendrick attends the Contigo Fund Ball 2025 at Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre on Dec. 6. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA

SHOWTIME: Giveaway winners, Anthony Mauss (L) and Robert Belanger attend the Dr. Phillips Center to see Sarah Brightman on Dec. 7. PHOTO VIA ANTHONY MAUSS HOLIDAY SPIRIT: Real Radio 104.1 members from News Junkie host bike collection promotion for listeners on Dec. 10.

PHOTO VIA SABRINA AMBRA

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COMMUNITY PLANNING: Team members from Anthem Orlando and Addison Taylor take a photo with Darcel Stevens on Dec. 11.

PHOTO VIA ANTHEM ORLANDO

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COMMITTED TO HEALTH: Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (R) and The Center’s Chief Development Officer Amanda Spradlin attend A Walk for Change on Dec. 13. PHOTO VIA REPRESENTATIVE

ANNA V. ESKAMANI’S FACEBOOK

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community calendar

EVENT PLANNER Fortune Feimster, Dec. 19, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-300-2000; TheMahaffey.com

CENTRAL FLORIDA “Professor Love’s Naughty List Comedy Show!”

HIDE Night, Dec. 19, Cocktail, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com The Florida Orchestra: “Holiday Pops,” Dec. 19-21, Multiple venues, Tampa Bay. 727-892-3331; FloridaOrchestra.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 20, 9 P.M. LGBT+ CENTER ORLANDO Ho ho ho! Orlando’s wildest comedy show is back with some holiday cheer featuring performances from Orlando’s most professional idiots and maybe some surprise guests. Produced and performed by BRCostella. For more information, visit Eventeny.com.

Anthem Orlando New Year’s Eve DEC. 31, 8 P.M. ANTHEM ORLANDO Step into a night where tradition meets electric nightlife as Anthem Orlando launches Japanese Midnight, its first major New Years Eve celebration created for Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community. Expect glowing red lanterns and bold neon lights. For more information, visit AnthemOrlando.com.

‘TIS THE SEASON “A Drag Queen Christmas” brings its 11th annual tour to Hard Rock Orlando Dec. 21 and Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg Dec. 22. PHOTO COURTESY MURRAY & PETER

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

TAMPA BAY “Heavenly Heretic” Pride of Tampa Fundraiser SATURDAY, DEC. 27, 8-11 P.M. DEVIANT LIBATION, TAMPA The Tampa Bay Sisters are raising funds after the holiday for Pride of Tampa, which formed after Tampa Pride announced its “one-year hiatus” for 2026. The group promises “great vibes and awesome performances” with raffle prizes, drink specials, antics and “no unwanted in-laws.” Learn more at Facebook.com/TampaSistees.

New Year’s Eve 2026: “Space Sluts Save The World” WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31 COCKTAIL & THE WET SPOT, ST. PETERSBURG Cocktail will welcome 2026 with LGBTQ+ icon Amanda Lapore, promising “an out-of-this-world experience complete with intergalactic entertainment, alien elixirs and antics too gay for this world.” Their annual NYE show will once again feature the Cock + Sparkle drop and no cover, though VIP options are available. Learn more at CocktailStPete.com/NYE2026.

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Shade Showcase, Dec. 20, The Garage, St. Petersburg.

727-258-4850; Instagram.com/ TheShadeShowcase

CENTRAL FLORIDA Frontyard Holiday Festival, through Dec. 24, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org The Magic Show: Holiday Edition, Dec. 19-Jan. 3, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, ORLANDO. 407-206-2400; The RitzCarlton.com Phantasmagoria: “A Very Dickens Christmas,” Dec. 19-20, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org “Holiday Heartstrings: A CeCe Teneal Experience,” Dec. 20-21, Judson’s Live, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org “A Drag Queen Christmas,” Dec. 21, Hard Rock Live, Orlando.

407-351-5483; DragFans.com

Blue Christmas, Dec. 21, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Orlando.

407-876-4991; St.Lukes.org Cocoa & Carols at the Abbey, Dec. 21, Eden Abbey Brewing Community, Mt Dora. 352-729-6698; EdenAbbeyBrewing.com SPIKEBALL: The Knotty List, Dec. 22, Will’s Pub, Orlando. WillsPub.org Orlando Ballet Presents “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 23, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org Christmas Eve at St. Luke’s, Dec. 2324, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Orlando.

407-876-4991; St.Lukes.org “The Nightmare Before Curemas,” Dec. 26, Clermont Performing Arts Center, Clermont. 352-394-4800; ClermontPerformingArts.com

EPCOT New Years Eve Dueling Pianos, Dec. 31, Epcot Walt Disney World, Orlando. 407-939-5277; DisneyWorld.Disney.Go.com NYE LIVE! Orlando’s Block Party, Dec. 31, Live At The Pointe Orlando, Orlando.

407-506-0473 New Year’s Eve with Nat Zegree, Dec. 31, Judson’s Live, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

TAMPA BAY Zubrick Magic Theatre Holiday Spectacular, Through Jan. 4, Zubrick Magic Theatre, St. Petersburg. 866-982-7425; ZubrickMagic.com “A Christmas Carol in Concert,” Dec. 17-21; 23-24, freeFall Theatre, St. Petersburg. 727-498-5205; freeFalltheatre.com

Satur-Sleigh with Veronica Vixxen, Dec. 20, Thyrst, Largo. 727-240-0150; PlurCentral.com Dog Bar Christmas Party, Dec. 20, Dog Bar, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; DogBarStPete.com “A Very Broadway Christmas,” Dec. 21, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-300-2000; DragFans.com “A Drag Queen Christmas,” Dec. 22, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. 727-300-2000; DragFans.com Karaoke with Janine, Dec. 22, Thyrst, Largo.

727-240-0150; PlurCentral.com “STOMP,” Dec. 26-28, Straz Center, Tampa. 813-229-7827; StrazCenter.org Enigma’s NYE, Dec. 31, Enigma, St. Petersburg. 727-235-0867; EnigmaStPete.com NYE at the Pier, Dec. 31, St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg.

StPetePier.org

SARASOTA QT Hangs Holiday Party: Open Mic + Karaoke, Dec. 26, Fabulous Arts Foundation, Sarasota. FabAF.org

“Holiday Sparkle,” Dec. 19-21, Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg.727-823-2040; StPeteOpera.org

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

Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

Orlando’s first FREE STD testing & treatment clinic!

Now Open!

AHF Wellness Center 707 E Colonial Dr | (407) 204-7007 Tues – Sat | 10 AM – 7 PM

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Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

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Watermark Out News DECEMBER 18 - 31, 2025 // ISSUE 32. 26 WAT E R M A R KOU T NE W S .COM

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Holiday Mishaps Happen.

24/7 ER Just for Kids.

Our wish for the season is a safe holiday for all — but we know holiday mishaps are bound to happen. Whether it’s a slip and fall from those new skates or the start of a household flu cycle from visiting friends and family, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is here to help throughout the holidays — providing emergency care exclusively to children and we are home of the only Level One Trauma Center in Central Florida. Learn more at ArnoldPalmerHospital.com/ER

choose well.

Award-Winning Care.

Decades of Dedication.

SPRING 2025

At Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, our commitment to expert, compassionate care has spanned generations. For more than 100 years, we’ve been the trusted healthcare resource our community depends on. From advanced cardiology and comprehensive emergency services to personalized women’s care and leading-edge brain and spine expertise, our dedicated teams deliver award-winning care — close to home. Giving you more reasons to choose well.

OrlandoHealth.com/Bayfront