Watermark Out News Issue 32.12: Silver Jubilee, Rooted & Ready

Comedian Erin Foley headlines

— CHARLES CANTRELL,

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Jeremy Williams

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeremy@WatermarkOutNews.com

EDITOR’S DESK

To my Watermark Family

ICAN’T BELIEVE THIS DAY HAS finally come, my final Editor’s Desk with Watermark Out News.

As I sit down to write it, I’m struck by an overwhelming sense of gratitude — not just for the opportunity to lead this incredible publication but for the way it has shaped me, challenged me and connected me to a community that feels like family.

When I first joined Watermark, I had no idea how deeply it would alter the course of my life. What began as a professional endeavor quickly became something far more personal. This publication isn’t just a collection of stories; it’s a living, breathing testament to the power of journalism to uplift, inspire and provoke change. And in doing so, it has transformed not only me but also the incredible people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside.

So many people have passed through these doors that have made an indelible mark on me, too many to name in the limited space here. There are a few who I would like to mention, while I cannot go into detail here why you matter to me, know that you do and I think of you all often: Tom Dyer and Ed Blaisdell, Sam Callahan, Jake Stevens, Mark Cady, Steve Blanchard and Jamie Hyman were some of the first people I met when I came to Watermark in 2013. (There is one name missing from that list but he will come up later). You all taught me so much about not only working at a newspaper but about being a part of a community.

Over the years, people have come and gone but they have all stuck with me. A few people that stand out are Kathleen Sadler, Dilly Dilly, Billy Manes, as well as the current Watermark Out News team: Danny Garcia, Caitlin Sause, Dylan Todd, Luis Salazar, Daisy Chamberlin and the newest member, Bellanee Plaza. (I know two people are missing off that list but they are coming up.)

I’ve been endlessly inspired by my colleagues listed above — their dedication, their creativity and their unwavering commitment to speaking

truth to power. We’ve celebrated milestones together, weathered challenges, and, yes, even shed some tears over the years as tragedies hit close to home for us. But what stands out for me the most are the moments of shared purpose: the pride we get in seeing an important story resonate with readers, the collective determination to get it right and the unspoken understanding that what we do matters. You are all matter and are heroes in my eyes.

There are two people in particular that I would like to thank. The two people missing from the above list: Ryan Williams-Jent and Rick Todd.

Of all the incredible people I have had the honor of working with, none have been more essential to Watermark’s editorial success since I became editor-in-chief than Ryan.

Ryan — who will be taking up the mantle of editor-in-chief when I leave — isn’t just a colleague; he’s my editorial brother. We jokingly (and accurately) call ourselves The Wonder Twins, in part because we are both nerds who love superheroes, but also because doing this job without him would have been very difficult and a lot less fun.

Ryan’s talent as a journalist is matched only by his heart, and knowing Watermark is in his hands gives me absolute confidence that its future is not just secure, but brighter than ever. Ryan has not only helped me to become a better writer but he has also helped me to become a more empathetic person. Ryan, thank you for being my sounding board, my cheerleader and my friend — this publication, and I, owe you more than words can say. Excelsior!

No farewell would be complete without thanking Rick. I would not be the person I am today without him and I most certainly would not be at Watermark without him.

I have met few people as brave at Rick. With the internet screaming “print media is dead,” he bought a newspaper in 2016 and not only kept it going but helped to elevate it to new heights. Rick isn’t just a boss, he is a mentor, my podcast partner-in-crime and my ride-or-die for all community events.

Rick likes to say we are family at Watermark. He was saying it long before Dominic Toretto in “The Fast and the Furious” movies, but it is

When I first joined Watermark, I had no idea how deeply it would alter the course of my life.

very accurate, at least for me. Rick is family. He was there when my dad died to help the family out with funeral expenses. He was there when I moved into town and had no place to stay. (Granted I moved to town because he asked me to but still, he and Jen didn’t have to open their home to me.)

Rick’s unwavering belief in this publication — and in me — has been the backbone of my journey here. Rick leads with passion, integrity and a relentless commitment to community, and I’ll forever be grateful for his guidance, his trust and the countless memories (and laughs) we’ve shared along the way. Watermark thrives because of his vision and I’m better because of his friendship.

While I have been at Watermark, we have strived to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope I have made you all proud.

JOHNNY V. BOYKINS is a political organizer and Democratic Party State Committeeman in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. Page 15

SABRINA AMBRA is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to. Page 17

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

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

CMJM ENTERPRISES LLC, KEN CARRAWAY DISTRIBUTION AFFILIATIONS

Editor-in-Chief:

Ryan Williams-Jent MANAGING EDITOR Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com

EDITOR’S DESK

Looking Back and Forward

LIFE HAS BEEN A WHIRLWIND

lately. It’s carried me across multiple states and into the past, all while I’ve kept an excited eye on the future.

Late last month, Watermark Out News Publisher Rick Todd and I were fortunate enough to attend the 2025 Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit in Philadelphia. It was hosted by the Lenfest Institute and Press Forward, two organizations at the forefront of strengthening local news nationwide.

It’s a thrill whenever I’m able to connect with fellow journalists and changemakers in the industry I love, but the summit was particularly interesting because it was the first of its kind. It was exciting to witness and I’m thankful for the opportunity.

Organizers promised “an interactive conference for journalism fundraising and development professionals to connect with colleagues, attend hands-on workshops and learn from inspirational keynote speakers,” delivering on every front. I left with new contacts and new ideas about how to serve our readers.

The summit was yet another reminder that while local journalism is changing, it’s never been more important — something I think is especially true of local, independent news sources like ours. No one tells LGBTQ+ stories like the LGBTQ+ community, so please see how you how can help support our efforts on our website at WatermarkOnline.com/Support.

Our trip to Philadelphia wasn’t just exciting on a professional level. Aside from an overnight stay a few decades ago on my way to New York, it also marked my first time in the city.

I loved it!

Philadelphia was uniquely charming and utterly fascinating to a history nerd like me. We saw the Liberty Bell, a symbol of American freedom and a personal bucket list item — and visited Independence Square, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed. Independence Hall had copies of each, a sight to behold.

Looking back on our nation’s founding — imperfect as our country was at the time — reminded me that our ideals are still worth fighting for, if only because of how far we’ve come. Things are often bleak in 2025, but marginalized communities like ours have survived far worse than Donald Trump. We will again.

I was home for less than 24 hours before leaving again, this time for a flight to my hometown in Ohio. My husband and I went up to see family, prompted by my nephew’s high school graduation.

I was in the room when he was born, even if my sister would’ve preferred otherwise, and sitting next to her as he accepted his diploma was something I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of you, Nick — and just like the day you came into the world, I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.

I also got plenty of time with my mom, taking in some long-forgotten Cincinnati sights and sharing other special treats, and got to hang out with dear, dear cousins of mine. Getting to do all of it next to my husband, something I’d never have imagined was possible when I moved to Florida 17 years ago,

will never stop meaning the world to me.

All of this happened while knowing this would be my final column as the managing editor for Watermark Out News.

Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams is moving out of state to explore new opportunities and I’ll be stepping into the role, something I’m beyond thrilled about but plan to discuss at length once it happens.

Until then, I want to thank

Pride Month is upon us.

Jeremy for a fantastic blueprint and helping make me a better journalist — but more than that, for being a wonderful friend and unforgettable Wonder Twin. Yours is a style I prefer to even AP.

My next role here isn’t the only thing I’ve been looking toward.

Pride Month is upon us, which is why this issue details major events happening throughout Central Florida and Tampa Bay.

In Orlando, Girls in Wonderland celebrates 25 years with its Silver Jubilee, welcoming comedian Erin Foley, and Gay Days prepares to hold its scaled-down festivities. In St. Petersburg, the 23rd annual St Pete Pride — now underway — continues through the end of the month.

You can read all about the celebration in this issue and in the official guide, inserted into our print editions and available at all official St Pete Pride events. It can also be read digitally on our website. Happy Pride!

Watermark Out News is proud to be your LGBTQ+ news source. Please stay informed, support those who support you and enjoy this latest issue.

JOHNNY V. BOYKINS is a political organizer and Democratic Party State Committeeman in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. Page 15

SABRINA AMBRA is a cohost of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and will kick your ass if she needs to. Page 17

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

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

CMJM ENTERPRISES LLC, KEN CARRAWAY DISTRIBUTION AFFILIATIONS

ORLANDO FRINGE HOSTS PANEL ON STATE OF ARTS FUNDING IN FLORIDA

Bellanee Plaza

ORLANDO | Orlando Fringe invited Floridians for a free panel May 25 at Orlando Shakes with Congressman Maxwell Frost, Representative Anna V. Eskamani and local creatives to discuss the political shifts in the arts.

The panel was moderated by Dr. George Wallace, CEO of the LGBT+ Center Orlando, and featured Frost, Eskamani, Bethany Dickens Assaf, producing director of Whiskey Theater Factory, Terry Olson, former co-founder/producer at Orlando Fringe, and Arius West, co-founder of Mac Boys Entertainment.

“There absolutely has been a motivation to weaponize the political climate against arts and culture of community members,” Eskamani says. “And I would argue that when Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed all of our programs, he really just did it because he doesn’t prioritize it.”

Eskamani and Frost started the panel off to focus on how the arts have shifted since their time in politics. Eskamani made points during the panel to highlight the arts communities that are in the more conservative parts of Florida like Sarasota, Naples and down the Treasure Coast.

Donations were received under the United Arts Collaborative Campaign and raised a record-breaking number of $9 million for over 40 local arts organizations, according to Orlando Fringe’s Instagram.

“Our community, it’s not necessarily a political thing unless it’s being politicized, which it is,” Olson says. “But that first year, 2001, we had $500,000 to invest in the arts. This past year after I left the office and left it with about $30 million being invested in our arts community.”

Wallace reminded the members in attendance to donate to nonprofits, especially ones that people personally believe in, to support those who may be hurting from the cuts to funds.

“There’s so many organizations out there that are producing really great things, but how do we support them all?” West says. “So the shift, it was just from trying to be independent to we need each other so we can do this together.”

Frost reminded the audience of how much the National Endowment for the Arts gets in funding, anywhere from $150 million to $200 million per year. However, he says France or Germany gets $3 billion to $4 billion U.S. dollars a year. To Frost, this was the key difference in how the U.S. government views the arts versus other countries’ governments.

“I think what gives me a lot of hope is despite the horrible funding levels, the arts have continued to really thrive in the areas that it can thrive in this country,” Maxwell says. “And I think the big issue is finding out how to make it more equitable.”

You can see our photos from the event by going to WatermarkOutNews.com.

central florida news

GAY DAYS

PAGEANTRY:

GAY DAYS TO TAKE PLACE WITH MUTED EVENTS

Jeremy Williams

ORLANDO | While it will be a smaller celebration than in years past, Gay Days says it is still holding its annual events at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld June 5-8.

Past attendees of the event became concerned after it was announced that current Gay Days owner Jospeh Clark would be stepping away to deal with some personal matters.

“Joe is currently not with Gay Days but you never know what will happen in the future,” says Charles Cantrell, Gay Days executive producer.

Cantrell has worked with Gay Days for nearly 20 years and will be running the events group with Josh Duke. Both Cantrall and Duke are listed as Gay Days Partners on the organization’s website.

“Nothing is really going to change,” Cantrell says of the transition in leadership. “We still have all of our events scheduled and planned, ready to go.”

While all events will move forward as planned, Cantrall does acknowledge that attendees will see small crowds this year, most notably because of WorldPride happening in Washington, D.C., the same weekend.

“We did talk last year about changing our dates but Gay Days is traditionally the first Saturday of June and we saw tradition outweighing the financial piece,” Cantrell says. “We knew if we moved our dates, we would financially be in a better place but tradition means more to us than anything.”

WorldPride’s dates did lead fellow June event’s group One Magical Weekend to move its events a weekend earlier. Girls in Wonderland, which is celebrating 25 years this year, and Gay Days decided to keep their events during the first full weekend of June.

Some differences attendees will see upon arriving include a change in the layout of the events.

“Normally where we have the bear pool, or it’s called the west pool at the hotel, we’re gonna have a DJ there. What we normally know as the main pool, the center pool, it’s gonna be more of a quiet area,” Cantrell says. “We will also have our expo back, and that will be right there in the lobby. We are pushing to have everything centrally located, so everything will be right there in the lobby or at the pool.”

Gay Days’ official Kick Off Party, sponsored by Harmony Healthcare, happens June 5 from 7-10 p.m. at the host hotel. The Kick Off Party will be hosted by Twila

Holiday and Addison Taylor with a performance by Darcel Stevens. This event is free to attend.

The weekend will include several returning events — drag bingo, XXX porn bingo, the puppy mosh and the foam party — as well as a few new events — Are You Smarter Than A Porn Star and Are You Smarter Than A Drag Queen.

“It’s going to be just like the [TV game] show but the audience plays along,” Cantrell says of the new events. “They’re gonna pull out their smartphones, they’re gonna scan a QR code and play along. And of course, there will be prizes.”

Gay Days will also feature the Miss Gay Days Pageant on June 6 and “Golden Girls: The Tribute Show” and Mr. Gay Days Leather on June 7. The weekend will conclude June 8 with a Closing Party.

As they prepare for this year’s events, Gay Days leadership is also turning its attention to next year as Gay Days prepares to celebrate 35 years.

“Our goal is to fill up that hotel next year,” Cantrell says. “We need the community to show up. If they want this event to continue for years and years, they need to come out. Get a room, buy tickets, support this event that has been going on for 35 years.”

For more information and to buy tickets to the events, go to GayDays.com.

Miss Mya Buena Matthews is crowned as Miss Gay Days at last year’s pageant. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA

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

POLK PRIDE TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS

Ryan Williams-Jent

LAKELAND, FLA. | Polk Pride will mark a decade of serving Polk County’s LGBTQ+ community with events June 7-14 in Lakeland, including their signature Pride in the Park.

Organized by the Lakeland Youth Alliance and PFLAG of Polk County, Polk Pride “creates an inspiring and dedicated culture of support and is the platform for education and entertainment for LGBTQ+ people, as well as their friends, families and allies.” This year’s milestone celebration is themed “InTENtionally Proud.”

“The theme chosen for 2025 reflects both Polk Pride’s milestone anniversary and the power of choosing Pride in the face of adversity,” organizers advised last month. “In a world where LGBTQ+ rights are still being challenged, being unapologetically and authentically ourselves is not just important, it’s necessary.”

Festivities will begin with a Kick-Off Party June 7 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Union Hall, located at 1023 S. Florida Ave. A partnership with Fierce Drag Events Lakeland, the 21+ event will feature entertainers Aquira Sherrington, Sadie T. Elise, Ja’Staria Rayen and Sky Lemay with “dazzling performances, delicious drinks and a whole lot of Pride!”

Pride for Youth will follow June 11 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the United Women’s Club, located at 1515 Williamsburg Square. A partnership with the Lakeland Youth Alliance, it will provide a safe space for youth ages 11-17 “to connect, celebrate and embrace being InTENtionally Proud!”

On June 12 at 7 p.m., Pride in Faith will be held at Beacon Hill Fellowship at 220 W. Beacon Rd. The interfaith celebration will honor “the diverse spiritual and religious identities within the LGBTQ+ community.”

Friday Night Pride will follow June 13 from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at The Parrot, located at 1030 E. Main St., before Pride in the Park on June 14. The signature celebration returns to Munn Park from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with vendors, entertainment, a Pride Flag March and more to “come together to celebrate 10 years of Polk Pride and being InTENtionally Proud!”

Pride After Dark will close this year’s celebration at Union Hall from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Kathryn Nevets, De DeLovely and Olivia Rae Taylor will perform alongside headliner Denali from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its “All Stars’ spin-off series, currently airing on Paramount+. VIP meet-and-greet tickets are available for $75 at general admission is $29.

“Pride week will be filled with events, including our largest event, Polk Pride in the Park — the must-do event for the entire family,” Polk Pride President Scott Guira shared. “Polk Pride welcomes the entire community to join in celebrating the progress won for LGBTQ+ people and committing to continue the work needed to achieve equality for all.”

Polk Pride will celebrate 10 years June 7-14 with events throughout Lakeland. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit PolkPrideFL.org.

tampa bay news

ST PETE PRIDE KICKS OFF 23RD SEASON

Ryan Williams-Jent

ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride and supporters raised the Pride flag above City Hall May 29 ahead of this year’s Kick-Off Block Party on June 1.

The ceremony began with an introduction from City Council Chair Copley Gerdes. In addition to Mayor Ken Welch, he was joined by most of city council, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and state Reps. Lindsay Cross and Michele Rayner.

Mr. and Miss St Pete Pride 2025, Seduction Dickerson and Dioscar DeMilo, who were crowned May 25 alongside Mx. St Pete Pride 2025 Roman Lewinsky, also made their first official appearances.

“… let us celebrate us choosing love and not fear in the City of St. Petersburg,” Gerdes shared. Rayner spoke next, crediting St. Petersburg for making her the first Black, openly queer woman to hold office in Florida.

“The theme for St Pete Pride is ‘Rooted In’ this year, and they want to attacks folks who are ‘Rooted In’ — and not just people who identify as LGBTQ, but people who are accomplices,” she said.

“We have to be unshakeable in this moment,” Rayner continued. “… when we raise this flag it is saying, ‘This is who we are … our city, St. Petersburg Florida, in this

moment, we are saying ‘all are welcome here.’”

Castor spoke next, noting that “the pursuit of happiness … means equal rights for all, it doesn’t mean equal rights for some.” Adding that “here in St. Petersburg we’re going to ensure that is the case,” she introduced Welch.

“Each year we raise this flag and your presence here matters,” the mayor told the crowd. “It sends a message, not just to our city, not just to our state, but to our entire nation … It’s a simple but powerful act, and it becomes more important every time we do it. It’s more important than ever that we are clear about who we are in our city and the principles that we believe in and that we will fight for.

“Across our nation, we’re witnessing a wave of legislation and rhetoric aimed at erasing the very things that make us who we are — our diversity, our history, our humanity — but not in St. Pete,” he continued. “In this city, we do not fear our differences, we embrace them, we celebrate them. We understand that our strength lies in our diversity, in the LGBTQ+ community, in our artists and entrepreneurs and our families, our youth, our seniors. We all matter in our city.”

The mayor then read this year’s Pride proclamation, celebrating 23 years of St Pete Pride. He officially

proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in St. Petersburg before welcoming St Pete Pride President Dr. Byron Green-Calisch to address the crowd.

Green-Calisch thanked attendees, pointing out St Pete Pride’s new executive director, board members and the 2025 royal court. He then highlighted LGBTQ+ history across the nation and the “ever-deepening roots” that have led St Pete Pride to become the largest Pride in Florida.

“It is you who made this organization as large as we have gotten, it is you who have sustained us for the last 22 years and into our 23rd season,” Green-Calisch addressed the crowd. “I am grateful for the roots that have sustained us. This community is rooted in resilience. It is rooted in tradition. It is rooted in love, but above all, we are rooted in St. Pete.”

After the flag raising, crowds gathered en masse for St Pete Pride’s Kick-Off Block Party in the Grand Central District, the celebration’s birthplace. St Pete Pride’s signature events and more continue through June.

For more information about St Pete Pride 2025, visit StPetePride.org and read the official guide in this issue, also available at WatermarkOutNews.com.

ST. PETE PROUD: Officials raise the Pride flag above City Hall May 29.

PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

FLORIDA DEMOCRATS TALK CANDIDLY ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS AND HOPES

Mitch Perry via The Florida Phoenix

Donald Trump’s victory led the Democratic Party to engage in some serious soul searching. In Florida, it was the second successive electoral blowout, and the conversations about that reality are underway.

Take the discussion held May 22, sponsored by the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus in Tampa.

“Democrats are the best at losing, losing, losing,” said Mike Drapak of The Hillsborough Society, a political committee formed in the aftermath of party infighting with the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee. “And that’s really where we need to start, and we need to start being self-reflective.”

Party members need to stop “pointing fingers” and instead

look at themselves in the mirror start “understanding exactly what it is we’re doing that’s making people dislike us,” Drapak said.

The descent of the party has been well documented. After losing all statewide races by double-digit deficits in 2022 and 2024, the party saw two members of their already super-minority in the state House of Representatives flip to the GOP last December, followed up last month with their then state Senate leader, South Florida’s Jason Pizzo, dramatically announcing on the floor that he was leaving the party because it was “dead.”

Much of the discussion among the Democrats centered on messaging. Nick Clemente, who lost a state House race to Republican Traci Koster in November, said the Florida Democratic brand is “unequivocally broken.”

Logan Mueller, president of the University of Tampa Democrats, said a major problem in his opinion is that the Democrats were still campaigning “like it’s 1996.”

“They’ve won the information battle right now,” he said of the GOP. Sabrina Bousbar agreed with Mueller.

The 28-year-old Pinellas native campaigned for Joe Biden in 2020 and later served as a senior adviser in his U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. She ran for Congress last summer, finishing second behind fellow Democrat Whitney Fox in Florida’s 13th District.

“We’re a little too complicated,” she said. “We try to have messaging for every single silo, but we don’t have a cohesive message with everyone.”

Mueller said he encounters a lot of his fellow students at

UT who prefer registering as non-party-affiliated rather than a Democrat.

The fourth member of the panel was Tamika Lyles, an Osceola County Democrat seeking the party’s nomination for U.S. Senate next year. She complained that Democratic candidates wait too long to connect with the electorate.

“They don’t see us until it’s primary time or general election time, when we’re knocking on a door and we’re trying to give them that message. They’re not hearing it,” she said. “Because the first thing they say is, ‘Where have you been the whole year? What have you been doing the whole year?’ What was the messaging like the whole year when all of this was going on? So we need someone who is continuously speaking that language.”

A common theme among Democrats in the aftermath of the 2024 election nationally and

in Florida is “meeting voters where they are.”

While there was plenty of talk about messaging, or the lack thereof, there wasn’t as much dialogue about policy and how to adjust to an electorate that has shifted to the right over the past five years. “We should be putting Spanish radio ads, Spanish TV messaging around the laws that Donald Trump has done around the Latino communities, specifically Venezuelans and Cubans and within the state of Florida because maybe we can get that pendulum to come back our way,” Bousbar said.

Florida Phoenix is a nonprofit news site, free of advertising and free to readers, covering state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

TARGET SALES DROP IN 1ST QUARTER AND RETAILER WARNS THEY WILL SLIP FOR ALL OF 2025

Wire Report

NEW YORK | Target’s challenge to revive sales and its status as a cheap chic retailer just got more complicated.

The discounter announced May 21 that sales fell more than expected in the first quarter, and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025 year as its customers, worried over the impact of tariffs and the economy, pull back on spending.

Target also said customer boycotts did some damage during the latest quarter. The company, long a fierce corporate advocate for the rights of Black and LGBTQ+ people, scaled back many diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in January after they came under attack by conservative activists and the White House. Target’s retreat created another backlash, with more customers angered by the retailer’s reduction of LGBTQ+themed merchandise for Pride Month in June of 2023.

Shares fell 3.5% in midday trading May 21.

Quarterly sales fell 2.8% from last year to $23.85 billion, and that was short of the $24.23 billion Wall Street expected, according to FactSet. Target earned $1.04 billion, or $2.27 per share, for the period ended May 3. That compares with $942 million, or $2.03 per share, in the year-ago period.

Target cut its annual sales projections May 21. The company now expects a low-single digit decline for 2025 after projecting a 1% increase for sales in March.

It also forecast annual per-share earnings of $7 to $9, excluding gains from legal settlements this year.

For the year, analysts expect earnings per share of $8.34 on sales of $106.7 billion, on average.

Comparable store sales, those from established stores and online channels, fell 3.8%. That includes a 5.7% drop in store sales and a 4.7% increase in online sales. That reverses a comparable store sales increase of 1.5% in the previous quarter.

The number of transactions across online and physical stores fell 2.4%, and the average ticket dropped 1.4%.

Back in March, Target had outlined to investors how it was going to bring back its “Tarzhay” magic by expanding its store label brands and shortening the time it takes to get products to the shelves from conception. That will help the company stay close to trends, company executives said.

Target’s shares have fallen more than 37% in the past 52 weeks.

Target didn’t offer specifics on tariffs’ impact on prices but said that it was looking at different ways to offset those costs like shifting sourcing. It said it should be able to offset the majority of the impacts from tariffs.

The company in January said it would phase out a handful of DEI initiatives, including a program designed to help Black employees advance their careers and promote Black-owned businesses. Conservative activists and President Donald Trump have sought to dismantle DEI policies in the federal government, schools, and at private businesses.

Target operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people.

SUPREME COURT REJECTS APPEAL OF STUDENT WHO WANTED TO WEAR ‘ONLY TWO GENDERS’ T-SHIRT

Wire Report

WASHINGTON | The Supreme Court May 27 rejected the appeal of a Massachusetts student who was barred from wearing a T-shirt to school proclaiming there are only two genders.

The justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling that said it would not second-guess the decision of educators in Middleborough, Massachusetts, to not allow the T-shirt to be worn in a school environment because of a negative impact on transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

Educators at the John T. Nichols Middle School barred the student

from wearing the T-shirt and an altered version with the words “two genders” covered up by tape with the word “censored” written on it.

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

The court should have heard the case, Alito wrote, noting that “the school permitted and indeed encouraged student expression endorsing the view that there are many genders,” but censored an opposing view.

“This case presents an issue of great importance for our Nation’s youth: whether public schools may suppress student speech either because it expresses a viewpoint that the school disfavors or because of vague concerns about the likely effect of the speech on the

school atmosphere or on students who find the speech offensive,” Alito wrote.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it was reasonable to predict that the T-shirt will “poison the educational atmosphere” and disrupt the learning environment.

The school district’s decision was in line with a Supreme Court ruling from 1969, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, that upheld the right of public school students to wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam War when it did not create a substantial disruption to education.

IN OTHER NEWS

REPORT: HATE GROUPS IN THE US DECLINE BUT INFLUENCE GROWS

In its annual Year in Hate and Extremism report, released May 22, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it counted 1,371 hate and extremist groups, a 5% decline. The nonprofit group attributes this to a lesser sense of urgency to organize because their beliefs have infiltrated politics, education and society in general. Some of the ways they have done this are through pushing for bans on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, book bans and protests of drag story hours, the report says. Last year, there were 533 active hate groups. These include groups who express views that are anti-LBGTQ+, anti-immigrant, antisemitic and anti-Muslim. This number has been steadily declining since reaching a historic high of 1,021 in 2018.

‘DUCK DYNASTY’ PATRIARCH DIES

Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died March 25, according to his family. He was 79. Robertson’s family announced in December that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show around him and his family called “Duck Dynasty.” In 2013, Robertson said gay people are sinners and African Americans were happy under Jim Crow laws. A&E suspended him from the show but reversed course in a few weeks after backlash.

DEALER GETS 19 YEARS FOR PROVIDING DRUGS THAT KILLED NYC TRANS ACTIVIST

Michael Kuilan, a 45-year-old New York City drug dealer who admitted providing the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed trans activist Cecilia Gentili, was sentenced May 27 to 19 years in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay $24,482 in restitution and forfeit $30,000 and a seized firearm. Kuilan had three prior state felony convictions related to selling heroin before he pleaded guilty to the federal charges last year. His co-defendant, Antonio Venti, 53, was sentenced in February to five years in federal prison after also pleading guilty to the same drug offense last year.

EU COUNTRIES DEMAND HUNGARY RETHINK LAW BANNING PRIDE

A large majority of European Union countries called on Hungary May 27 to revise a new law that allows bans on public events by LGBTQ+ communities, as pressure mounts on the country’s populist government over democratic backsliding. In a declaration, at least 20 out of the EU’s 27 nations, including France, Germany and Spain, expressed concern that the law passed in April allows for fines on people organizing or taking part in Pride events, and the use of facial recognition software to identify them.

Johnny V. Boykins

Been Here Before DEMOCRATICALLY YOURS

We’ve

MY BELOVED POLITICAL

science professor, Dr. Anthony Brunello, retired this year at the close of the academic calendar at Eckerd College. For decades, he taught the foundational courses that shaped generations of undergraduates, myself included.

His classroom was where I first began wrestling with the enduring questions of power, justice and the state. Lately, in light of our national condition under President Trump’s second term, I’ve been revisiting those questions with a new urgency.

The normative: What is the role of government in our society? What is the nature of justice? The empirical: Why are our institutions proving so fragile? And the theoretical: How should we be examining political power right now?

These aren’t new questions, but they feel newly pressing. As both a student of politics and a citizen of this republic, I can’t shake the sense that we’ve been here before. The stakes, however, feel different now. Will we find our way forward again?

On a recent work trip to Arizona, I managed to steal a moment of quiet in Sedona. Hiking up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, surrounded by ancient red rock formations, I was struck by a profound realization: the lesson Professor Brunello often emphasized was the corrupting nature of power. It has never felt more real, more tangible.

Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” which we studied under his guidance, is often mischaracterized as a manual for tyranny. But it is more accurately a mirror for a raw, unsentimental examination of how power functions when stripped of moral pretense. Written in the turmoil of Renaissance Italy, it remains unsettlingly relevant.

The authoritarian impulses of President Trump are not anomalies. They are echoes from history. We have seen this before, in the rise of fascism, in the failures of democratic institutions, in moments when republics faltered from the shores of Europe to state failures in South America.

At the heart of “The Prince” is a sober thesis: power is seductive, and often sustained not by virtue, but by fear, illusion and ruthless pragmatism. Leaders are counseled to appear moral while doing whatever is necessary to maintain control. “The ends justify the means.”

As we witness the terrors unleashed since President Trump’s second inauguration, we are seeing the ends justifying the means. This principle is cynical, but it doesn’t have to be our reality, despite how enduring it feels. It is evident in the playbook of Trump’s enablers, particularly those advancing the authoritarian blueprint of Project 2025. Their corruption is not hidden; it is performed on television every day. For students of history, it’s deeply familiar.

“The Prince” doesn’t celebrate corruption. It exposes it. It forces us to confront the mechanisms by which institutions erode, public trust is manipulated, and justice is traded for control. “The Prince” is a warning. It tells us that without ethical resistance, power drifts inevitably toward moral decay. We have seen this before.

The corruption of the Trump administration is not theoretical, it is observable, documented, and worsening. From weaponizing the Department of Justice, to attacking the legitimacy of elections, to enriching his allies and punishing his critics. Presidential advisor, Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Governmental Efficiency is real-time case study. Musk pillaged government agencies, stole the data of the American people and positioned his business to benefit while in the role.

Trump has hollowed out democratic norms and replaced them with personal loyalty tests. He has surrounded himself with yes-men, grifters and ideologues who operate

with impunity. This is not the leadership many of his supporters thought they were voting for; it is authoritarian rot.

The president has normalized political violence and delegitimized dissent. This rot is not just about one man. It is about a movement

transparency and accountability, restoring the independence of the judiciary, passing real ethics reforms and protecting the press and civil service from political interference. Most importantly, it demands a recommitment to the idea that public office is a public

Machiavelli’s insights are no longer academic exercises of undergraduates. They are a call to action. We must decide whether we will be governed by princes or served by public servants. Dr. Brunello taught us that the study of politics is never neutral. It demands

This is the moment where we must remember the lessons of history and act on them.

and a political party that enables his authoritarian impulses. If left unchecked, it threatens to hollow out the foundations of our republic and replace them with a culture of loyalty, fear, and unaccountable power. Democracy demands better. We know this because we’ve seen it before.

Fixing it will take more than winning elections. It will require rebuilding civic institutions with

trust, not a private asset.

This is the moment where we must remember the lessons of history and act on them. Democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires citizens who are willing to defend it, even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable or costly. That is the lesson Dr. Brunello gave us and that is the duty before us now.

So here we are in an age of Trump, institutional strain and democratic doubt.

moral clarity, historical awareness and civic courage. I carry that lesson with me still and I hope we, as a nation, do too.

Johnny V. Boykins is a political organizer and Democratic Party State Committeeman in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef, and U.S. Coast Guard veteran.

E n d i n g t h e H IV epide m i c

Sabrina Ambra

LADYFINGERS

Unsolicited

advice I’ve given that might actually be good

INEVER ASKED TO BE A guru. And yet, here I am — doling out half-sincere wisdom like a TJ Maxx clearance bin version of Oprah. Not everyone wants my advice, and frankly, I don’t always want to give it. But whether it’s shouted across a parking lot or whispered into a glass of whiskey at 9:17 p.m. (after two to four neat pours, naturally), I’ve dropped some gems that, upon reflection, are actually kind of brilliant. Or at the very least, not entirely unhinged. Here are a few unsolicited nuggets of truth I’ve offered (or lived through) over the years. They weren’t asked for. But dammit, they were needed.

“If someone ghosts you, pretend they died and move on. Grieve. Grow. Block.”

This one’s been my go-to since 2016. Ghosting used to mess me up until I realized: Oh shit, they’re dead. Spiritually, emotionally, technologically. They passed into the afterlife of bad decisions. There is peace in pretending they were taken too soon by their own cowardice. Honor them with silence and an Instagram thirst trap. Bonus points if you caption it with something vague and dramatic, like “rising.” Do NOT caption it with, “I did a thing.”

“Don’t get bangs after a breakup. You’re not starting a new chapter; you’re writing in lipstick on a wine-stained napkin.”

Look, I say this with love because I did the thing. After a brutal breakup, I skipped the scissors and drunkenly adopted a dog. His name is Carl. My judgment was fogged with feelings and Jameson, and I had absolutely zero awareness that my application would be approved within 20 minutes. He was, and he is, the best impulse buy my heart ever made. So maybe the advice is: skip the haircut, adopt your soulmate. But also, make sure your soulmate doesn’t need obedience classes and a $1,300 dental cleaning within the first month. Ask me how I know.

“Never trust someone who uses a Bluetooth earpiece in public and doesn’t work in logistics.”

If you’re not actively routing produce from Modesto to Minneapolis, take it out. You’re not in the matrix, you’re in a Winn Dixie. And no, I don’t care if you’re “between calls,” you still look like you’re doing your own commentary track for life or waiting for Scotty to beam you up.

“Your gut is louder than your red flag filter. Trust it. Even if it sounds like gas.”

We always know, even when we pretend we don’t. If you feel weird around someone, even if they’re hot or have a Costco membership, that’s your gut waving its arms like a Pitbull backup dancer. Listen to it. Bonus: If it turns out to be gas, at least you didn’t ignore both types of warning signs. Double bonus if you excuse yourself and never return.

“Don’t mistake being needed for being valued.”

This one came out of my mouth mid-pep talk and even I had to pause like, “Wait… who said that?” Turns out it was me, baby. Codependency wears nice cologne sometimes but that doesn’t make it love. It makes it an unpaid internship. That was a full-blown Life Coach Energy™ moment from someone who had just eaten a bagel with more cream cheese than actual bagel (ratio-wise). If I ever start a TED Talk, it’ll begin with that line and end

with me crying into my free promotional tote bag after spending $50 or more.

“See something, say something… but maybe make sure you’re seeing the right something.”

We’ve all heard the PSA. Mine comes with a

his aging ears and confusion — lowered his window just in time for me to realize that what I saw wasn’t a crime against public decency but a reflection of flesh-colored leaves on the windshield. So yeah. Double-check your angles before you ruin

adopting a third animal on a small bender, then my job here is done. For now.

And while none of this will land me a book deal (yet), I stand by my unsolicited advice because, like most of the best things in life, it’s unprompted, slightly chaotic

I stand by my unsolicited advice because, like most of the best things in life, it’s unprompted, slightly chaotic and occasionally useful.

backstory. I was at Walgreens for cigarettes and cat litter (the duality of woman) and noticed an elderly man sitting in his car next to mine. From my angle, it looked like he was… well, doing the five knuckle shuffle with no shame. Horrified, I shouted something along the lines of, “What the fuck?! You’re disgusting!” The man — bless

grandpa’s Tuesday. Final Sip of Wisdom

Look, I’m not claiming to be a philosopher. I’m just someone who has made enough mistakes — and narrated them loudly enough — to accidentally accumulate some wisdom. If even one of these tidbits keeps you from texting your ex, misreading a windshield reflection or

and occasionally useful. If you’re looking for clarity, just remember: it might not come from a self-help book. It might come after a few pours, a poorly timed impulse decision or screaming at a stranger over phantom genitals. Namaste.

is a

Sabrina Ambra

co-host of Real Radio 104.1’s “News Junkie” program and stand-up comedian.

Zaira Campos

THE 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 learn about Basically Wonderful.

When Beck DeTrempe started Basically Wonderful, they had no idea it would blossom into a hub for disabled folks across Orlando and far beyond. It began as a single group in 2019, “Disability is Not a Bad Word,” driven by a personal need.

“I became disabled with no support system,” DeTrempe shares. “I really wanted there to be a space that wasn’t clinical and that was made for people to support each other.”

During the pandemic, that small, in-person gathering went virtual. The group unexpectedly grew as people from across the world joined in, finding solidarity and belonging in a time of isolation.

“We saw people from England, Japan, Australia… all across the U.S.,” DeTrempe says. “It just became so obvious that these types of spaces were so necessary and lacking.”

The Good Page

Basically Wonderful is building a community without compromise

disabled folks, particularly here in Orlando and Florida in general.”

Initiative exemplifies their collaborative spirit.

This grassroots expansion inspired DeTrempe to launch Basically Wonderful as an umbrella organization, one that centers disabled, queer and transgender experiences without losing sight of individual needs.

“I couldn’t ignore the other parts of my identities,” DeTrempe says. “Queer and trans folks were desperate for a place where they could talk about disability while not ignoring these other aspects of their identities.”

Today, Basically Wonderful is much more than a support group. It’s a growing constellation of spaces for disabled and queer folks to gather, reflect and heal, whether virtually or in person. And DeTrempe is determined to keep it that way.

“The simple answer is to just plainly keep existing,” they say of the group’s future. “Everything always feels so precarious but I would love for Basically Wonderful to be a hub for

In-person events have been especially powerful. From Orlando’s first-ever Disability Sexpo to creative zine-making workshops, these gatherings are built on a bedrock of mutual respect and community care.

“You will walk into the space knowing that everybody is taking each other’s safety seriously,” DeTrempe explains. Masking isn’t just encouraged, it’s required, because as DeTrempe puts it, “Not having COVID precautions in place is actively leaving people behind.”

This isn’t just about policy, it’s about lived reality. “There are millions of disabled people who are still living and can’t safely go to events,” DeTrempe says. “We’re already having a hard time accessing spaces as disabled folks. The least we can do is do everything we possibly can.”

Beyond events and book clubs like the Disabled Babes Book Club and If You Give a Trans Person a Book Club, Basically Wonderful’s Growing Roots

“We’re partnering with a different organization each month to help support their community initiatives that are already in place so we’re not reinventing the wheel or siloing the work,” DeTrempe says.

From prepping meals for the Neighborhood Fridge to supporting mask distribution through Swamp, the initiative is a quiet but vital force for good. This spirit of collective care resonates in every part of Basically Wonderful, especially in “Disability is Not a Bad Word.”

DeTrempe has seen firsthand how this space can be transformative for people who’ve never felt welcome to claim that identity.

“People come in with hesitancy,” they say. “They tend to leave in confidence, feeling a little more settled into the concept of disability and the disabled community, and knowing that they have a soft place to land.”

Ultimately, DeTrempe believes that’s the real power of community.

“The thing that I’ve really enjoyed seeing is that people leave feeling like they’re allowed to accept the identity, allowed to accept the embrace of community,” they reflect. “I know for a fact that this group has changed people’s lives. It changed mine, too.”

For DeTrempe, the work of Basically Wonderful is as much about sustaining these intimate moments of connection as it is about big events or flashy fundraisers.

“At its heart, it’s about making sure that every person, especially those most often left behind, has a place to be seen, heard, and valued,” they say.

That’s the call to action: to keep showing up, keep learning and keep weaving the safety nets that hold each other up. Because at Basically Wonderful, community isn’t just a word, it’s a living, breathing promise.

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

JESSICA

Fabiana

Ungaro

GIn the earlier years, many of the big LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations were centered around the queer male experience, and that’s where queer women would meet.

“Before we had Girls in Wonderland, the ‘boy parties’ were where we were used to going,” 45-year-old lesbian Melissa Rodriguez says. “Gay Days, White

GIRLS IN WONDERLAND CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN ORLANDO WITH JUNE PARTIES

IRLS IN WONDERLAND IS AN annual celebration hosted by the women-led company Pandora Events as a way for queer women from around the world to gather and party in celebration of Sapphic, or WLW (women loving women), Pride.

Party, for us on the east coast the only other big women’s event was Dinah Shore.

“There was some stuff off in New York, but Fire Island, also mostly for men,” Rodriguez continues. “There wasn’t anywhere to go that was just dedicated to women until Pandora Events came in.”

Yesi Leon and Amy Alonso co-founded Pandora Events and launched Girls in Wonderland when they were still in their early 20’s. At the time, Leon had experience promoting raves in South Florida and Alonso was saving up for a backpacking trip through Europe when they answered the call to host events for women.

“Some women kept recognizing us from Miami, and they kept coming up to us hoping we were throwing a party,” Leon says. “They kept asking and it kind of ignited the idea.”

According to Leon, the first Girls in Wonderland was hosted in Orlando in 2000 and around 800 guests from all around the country attended. Since its founding,

Girls in Wonderland has been an inclusive festival where queer women from around the world can connect through a series of festivities.

Just last year, over 10,000 guests attended the festival with many staying in the Orlando area.

Girls in Wonderland has revolutionized the queer nightlife scene with its wildly popular gatherings like Shedonism in Las Vegas, Aqua Girl in Miami and Girls in Wonderland in Orlando. Girls in Wonderland has remained committed to creating a safe and empowering space that celebrates the diversity and creativity of the LGBTQ+ community.

“The festival has grown since then, and it has become a place for women to be themselves and meet

people, especially women from smaller towns,” Leon says.

Girls in Wonderland’s most popular event is their pool parties, which take place throughout the weekend.

“My favorite part is the Saturday pool party, getting up on the stage at peak hour, and seeing just a sea of women having the best time, living their best moments, their hands up in the air,” Leon says.

To celebrate 25 years of Girls in Wonderland, they have plenty of events planned for the first weekend in June, which will be June 5-9. The celebration kicks off June 5 with the traditional Welcome Happy Hour at the Girl’s

EVENTS

Thursday, June 5

Welcome Happy Hour

5:30-7:30 P.M.

FLAMINGO BAR & GRILL AT SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT Traffic

9 P.M.-2 A.M. CUBA LIBRE

Friday, June 6

L-Lounge Happy Hour

5:30-7:30 P.M.

in Wonderland host hotel, Springhill Suites/Townhill Suites by Marriott in Winter Garden, followed by the Traffic Jam party at Cuba Libre. The June 6 pool party will feature a performance from up-and-coming girl duo 76th Street, followed by a night of Mardi Gras-themed festivities and Girls in Wonderland’s Out For Laughs Comedy Show featuring Erin Foley.

On June 7, it is a cowgirl’s paradise with a Queer Wild West party and June 8 brings the Last Chance party for closing night. Programming also includes performances by Les Vixens, live DJs and more.

For over two decades, Girls in Wonderland has welcomed a vast lineup of celebrity guests, comedians, influencers and LGBTQ+ trailblazers, including Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig, Fortune Feimster and Chante Wayans.

The festival will benefit Our Rainbow Nest, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit that provides support to LGBTQ+ individuals and couples looking to start or grow a family. Through education, advocacy and community, they provide workshops, seminars and resources to those interested in taking the next step, according to the GIW website.

While the parties for Girls in Wonderland each focus on LGBTQ+ visibility and

community, they cater to different audiences within the spectrum.

“Just like straight people like to go to a straight bar, and country people go to a country bar, if you’re going out looking to meet women, you don’t go out to a straight bar, you want to go somewhere where women go to meet women,” Rodriguez says.

“As for sharing the space with the boys, sometimes it’s fun,” Rodriguez continues.

“And sometimes, it’s like, think about it: Do you want to share a room with your brother? No, you barely want to share the house with your brother. You love your brother, you love spending time with your brother, you don’t want to live with them.”

Leon emphasizes that while being a queer female-focused experience in terms of music and programming, Girls in Wonderland tries to make its events as inclusive to everyone as possible.

“I think we’ve created a safe space for women to come be themselves and party — trans people included, gay men included, even allies can come, as long as the intention is good,” Leon says.

The weekend becomes more than a festival; it is a party with a purpose.

“It’s kind of like we’ve built a family throughout the year,” Leon says.

Alonso echoes that Girls in Wonderland is inclusive

but is geared towards a niche community.

“Girls in Wonderland has always been a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community — a place where everyone feels welcome and celebrated,” Alonso says. “While we are inclusive of all, our focus remains on creating an incredible experience for lesbian and queer women.”

According to Alonso, a question attendees have had recently is why they continue to host events in Florida with the current political climate.

“We grew up in Florida, we’re not gonna leave,” Alonso says. “We’re here, we’re queer and we’re gonna stay.”

With Florida at the center of the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights, anti-LGBTQ+ bills found their way to the 2025 legislative session; however, on May 3, Equality Florida, the state’s leading advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, announced that every anti-LGBTQ+ bill filed in the session was defeated, with there being a total of four proposed bills.

The blockage against these bills was built by a broad coalition of everyday Floridians with people showing up to the Capitol to testify in legislative hearings, according to Equality Florida’s website. Over 16,000 Floridians sent emails to legislators opposing the bills.

To help continue this fight, Girls in Wonderland founders have formed the

Aqua Foundation, the state’s first LGBTQ+ women’s nonprofit that will serve on boards and committees for groups like Equality Florida and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Pandora Events donates over $30,000 a year to worthy causes like the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The mission of Aqua Foundation for Women is to serve and support the lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer women’s community in South Florida through grants, scholarships and initiatives, according to its website.

“We’re keeping our events and we have our security, we’re not going anywhere,” Alonso says.

The Girls in Wonderland party culture is back-to-back partying, dancing and meeting new people. Many of the attendees have formed lifelong friendships through GIW.

“They come to the party and they leave with new friends, sometimes they leave with a new girlfriend, a lot of them have met in Girls in Wonderland and have proposed in Girls in Wonderland, and continue coming,” Leon says.

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s fueled by a lot of incredible energy,” Rodriquez says.

Additional reporting by Bellanee Plaza.

For more information on these events and to purchase tickets, visit GirlsInWonderland.com

FLAMINGO BAR & GRILL AT SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT Out For Laughs Comedy Show

7:30 P.M. (SHOW 1) AND 8:30 P.M. (SHOW 2) FLAMINGO BAR & GRILL AT SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT Mardi Gras Femme Fest 9 P.M.-2 A.M.

Saturday, June 7

Signature Dance Party: Queer Wild West 9 P.M.-2 A.M.

POOL PARTIES

AFTER PARTIES

Femme Frequency After Hours

READY TO PARTY: Girls in Wonderland have a collection of events sure to satisfy everyone, from late-night dance parties to celebrations poolside. CLIMAX PHOTO (L) BY LUIS DE PEÑA / POOL PARTY PHOTO (R) BY CAITLIN SAUSE

| uu | Silver Jubilee FROM PG.23

Erin in Wonderland

Comedian Erin Foley to headline Girls in Wonderland’s 25th anniversary with evening of laughs

Bellanee Plaza

(ABOVE) STAND-UP COMIC: Erin Foley brings the laughs to Girls in Wonderland.

STAND-UP COMEDIAN, COMEDIC

actress and writer Erin Foley will be headlining Girls in Wonderland June 6 with two hilarious shows.

Best known for her smart takes on relationships, pop culture and her life as a queer woman, Foley has a night packed with stand-up, good vibes and unforgettable punchlines to celebrate 25 years of Girls in Wonderland.

Along with her comedic work, Foley has her popular podcast “Herlights,” which shines light on women’s sports. Since January, Foley has toured various states to share her stand-up work. Her tour will end in November.

Foley was kind enough to speak to Watermark Out News by phone ahead of her next tour stop, Atlantis Cruise: Virgin Valiant; a gay cruise festival.

WATERMARK OUT NEWS: GIRLS IN WONDERLAND IS COMING UP WHERE YOU’LL HAVE TWO COMEDY SHOWS, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO ESPECIALLY AT AN EVENT MEANT FOR QUEER WOMEN?

Erin Foley: That’s exactly why I took the gig. Let’s backtrack for a second. For the first seven or eight years, I wasn’t out on stage because I was trying to figure it out personally, and I didn’t have the confidence to talk about my personal life on stage. Then I was in New York City, thankfully, which there was so many welcoming, amazing queer spaces, and it took me a while to talk about it on stage. Then when I started touring and started

YOU HAVE A PODCAST CALLED “HERLIGHTS” TO SERVE AS COVERAGE FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS. WHAT MADE YOUR PASSION SHINE THROUGH WITH WANTING TO MAKE SURE THOSE AREAS WERE BEING COVERED?

headlining comedy clubs it was your straight typical comedy club across the country. Finally, here and there I would find work in queer places. I’m sort of dating myself but this isn’t very common. I would say in the last five, seven, eight years, a lot more spaces are popping up, which is amazing. But we didn’t really have that opportunity when I started, so this is such a pleasure, especially obviously in the time we’re living in when it’s so horrifying what the administration is doing to the queer community. I will say yes to a queer gig in a hut in bumble weed, just anything to bring our community together. Also with a sense of levity. To me, Girls in Wonderland, the fact that it is bigger and better every single year. I know that’s a lot of hard work on their end, but it’s really important to me.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE TRAVELING FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TO GIRLS IN WONDERLAND, TO GET THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY?

Oh, it’s huge because I know what it means to me looking for that community. Essentially we’re all still trying to look for that community and grow that community wherever we are. When you don’t have it, I’ve been very fortunate, I lived in New York City and now I live in Los Angeles, to have sort of this built-in community and then you have to figure out how to navigate said community. I see this all when I travel, [other places] don’t have this built-in community. Maybe they’re not excited about living in a bigger city. To me, that is huge to have these events where they know once or twice a year, at least, they can come together. They can meet new people, they’re not alone and have that sense of community and comradery. Also just to like rip it up to have fun, there’s a lot of heaviness. So it’s like, go have five drinks in the pool and go to a comedy show. There should be a lot of lightness and fun around these events.

I’ve been really passionate about women’s sports for quite a long time. “HerLights” is sort of a 2.0 version. It’s a little bit of a rebrand. I started a podcast 11 years ago called “Sports Without Balls.” That title didn’t really hold up but I did that for about six years. Then paused that to do a lot of TV writing. Now I’m back doing a lot of standup and I wanted to dive back in because it’s just the talent in the women’s sports arena has been there since literally 40, 50 years. There’s a couple factors that Title IX and people investing in women’s sports. Now people are seeing it. They can actually see it; obviously there’s a lot more companies televising it and so now people are like, “Oh my God,” but the rest of us have been like, “Oh my God,” since day one. So I’m excited that people are catching up, diving in and spending money and investing in these women because they’re tremendous athletes. They’re also just tremendous people, mentors and role models. So for them to be on the highest stage right now it’s really incredible to see.

WHEN YOU HAVE GUESTS ON YOUR PODCAST, HOW DO YOU SELECT WHO YOU WANT TO APPEAR, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE TOPICS THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT? It really varies. I love every sport, so I’m always interested in learning about new sports. I had a race car driver on, she’s also an owner, so then I was like, “Oh, I can get into race car drivers,” so the sport varies. But I think I look for women that are really impactful on and off the field or the track. People that are either queer or really are helping other women around them. I look for guests that are what I call like the OGs, these women that started playing when there was no path, when there was no league and help create these leagues that we see now. I’m really interested in those athletes because I think what they had to go through just to play is really incredible. I would say that’s what probably draws me in more than anyone else.

Erin Foley will perform at Girls in Wonderland June 6. For tickets and more information, visit GirlsInWonderland.com.

Read the full interview at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Image: Mary Cassatt (American, 1844–1926), Reine Lefebre and Margot Before a Window, 1902. Oil on canvas. Framed: 32 x 40 inches. Private Collection.

TAMPA FRINGE CELEBRATES LGBTQ+ VOICES WITH 9TH FESTIVAL THEATER

Deborah Bostock-Kelley

TAMPA FRINGE RETURNS FOR THE

ninth year June 11-22 with a lineup that proudly spotlights LGBTQ+ productions.

Whether through comedy, drama, cabaret, magic or experimental theater, these performances speak to multifaceted experiences within the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s festival will feature 32 companies in five venues with a beach theme, encouraging attendees to “Run Away with Fringe.”

In 2025, Tampa Fringe introduces the Commodore as a new venue in addition to the Kress Building. Learn more about some of Tampa Fringe’s LGBTQ+ offerings here.

In “A

QUEER PSEUDO

LECTURE,” Noah Pantano examines assumptions and stereotypes surrounding queerness, unpacking societal perceptions while reflecting on his own experiences.

“The whole point of the show is to really unpack what it means to be queer person in the 21st century,” he says. “What it means to find self-love and self-care and

to acknowledge how phobia and hate crimes continue to influence us in our safety and our identity, and our fight against assimilating and making real and actual change.”

“DECEPTION THEATER” is Steven DeCreamer’s dark and edgy magic show. His performance blends traditional magic, freakshow elements and séance parlor-style storytelling, offering a unique, eerie experience.

DeCreamer emphasizes that his show challenges stereotypes about LGBTQ+ performers, displaying the diversity of artistic expression within the community. He sees festivals like Tampa Fringe as a space that amplifies a broad spectrum of queer voices and artistic styles. Having participated before, he appreciates the mix of performers and audiences it attracts, saying, “The brush stroke for the LGBTQ+ community is broad and diverse — you can’t pigeonhole us.”

Victoria Rose Ríos’ “LA ULTIMA MUÑECA: A THEATRICAL QUINCEAÑERA” is an immersive party-style theatrical experience that invites audiences into a vibrant celebration of identity and self-discovery.

While it is inherently a queer story, it isn’t one centered on struggle — it’s about reclaiming joy and pushing back against imposed expectations. “It’s a way to celebrate any day and be loud… It’s a story about being yourself,” she says.

“MY LIFE AS AN INSPIRATIONAL PORN STAR” is Gabrielle Leonore Leonore’s raw and candid exploration of life as a bisexual, autistic woman told through humor, honesty and unfiltered storytelling. The title itself is a satire on the way society reduces disabled people to feel-good narratives, where their success is measured by surviving rather than thriving.

Her performance challenges stereotypes while addressing the complexities of being both bisexual and autistic, ensuring that conversations around identity move beyond superficial representation. She challenges the notion that queer and disabled people should

have to struggle for the same dignity others take for granted and with a mix of biting commentary and personal anecdotes, she dismantles stereotypes.

In “MY HUCK FINN FUNERAL,” 70-year-old Betty Jean Steinshouer showcases how she didn’t let stage 4 cancer stop her from writing the perfect play about her experiences. From her fancy red walker with a DNR sign, Steinshouer explains, “I will try to give my take on the meaning of life, survive the people who hate you, and how to do the best you can to help others survive, especially the ones who are having a terrible childhood.”

Steinshouer’s “Huck Finn FUNeral” is an unapologetically sharp and darkly humorous take on dying on one’s own terms. “If you’ve never been terminally ill, I highly recommend it,” she quips.

“PERCOLATE” is Julie Leir’s interactive, fourth wall-breaking blend of movement, creativity and community, inviting the audience to participate in shaping the performance itself. They aim to make the creative process transparent and accessible, encouraging collaboration and shared artistic expression.

For Leir, Tampa Fringe represents both artistic opportunity and personal affirmation, offering a welcoming space to embrace their identity. “We’re dealing with a lot of struggles right now, but at the same time, we need to remember why we’re fighting so hard,” Leir says. “Part of that is because we need joy, creativity, art and community.”

“QUEEN, INTERRUPTED: THE RISE AND FALL OF A DRAG PARIAH,” a semi-autobiographical cabaret performance, explores themes of identity, resilience and the intersections of queerness and culture through vignettes inspired by Asian drag performer JD Manarang’s life. It addresses the challenges faced by queer artists in a conservative climate and contributes to the conversation around LGBTQ+ representation in theater.

“In the broader spectrum, theater and queerness are two things that are currently under fire by the current administration and current governor,” Manarang

says. “… creating who you are on the stage is deeply frightening to conservative people and in the same way, queerness. It is deeply frightening to those people who have very convenient definitions for their life, and it terrifies them.”

“SCHIZO DAYS” is Alby Queer’s performance focusing on personal experiences and mental illness rather than strictly LGBTQ+ themes. They highlight that mental health struggles are prevalent within the queer community, stating, “A lot of us on the LGBTQ spectrum are dealing with [mental illness].” Queer believes it’s important for queer artists to create shows that explore broader themes beyond just identity, offering perspectives on all aspects of life.

Queer values the festival’s inclusivity, explaining, “Fringe gives us a space where no one else really wants to put our shows on, where they think we’re too weird... This gives us a place where we can actually be ourselves. Because they are so accepting at Tampa Fringe, I feel comfortable to be able to say my story and feel like I don’t have to hide who I am.”

“STRAWBERRY SIDE SHOW” is Mary Strawberry’s celebration of 15 years of variety performance, blending skills, jokes and audience participation into a joyful, immersive experience. The show is a culmination of their artistic clown journey, offering a space for play and laughter.

For Strawberry, Tampa Fringe represents a rare opportunity to bring independent artists to the stage, explaining, “This is a huge opportunity for us because it gives a stage to artists and performers who aren’t associated with larger theater companies... It gives them a platform and an audience.”

At its heart, “Strawberry Side Show” is about embracing fun and letting go of inhibition. Strawberry wants audiences to rediscover their inner child and the freedom of being silly, stating, “We’re being happy out of spite this year. That’s what I keep telling myself.” Through humor and connection, Strawberry hopes to remind people—queer and otherwise—that joy is a powerful form of resistance.

Tampa Fringe will be held June 11-22 in Ybor. Dates and times vary. Visit TampaFringe.org to view a full schedule, purchase tickets and learn more about this year’s festival.

PHOTO COURTESY TAMPA FRINGE

announcements TAMPA BAY OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

St Pete Pride held its third annual Mx St Pete Pride Pageant at The Palladium May 25. Seduction Dickerson was crowned Miss SPP 2025, Dioscar DeMilo was crowned Mr. SPP 2025 and Roman Lewinsky was crowned Mx SPP 2025. View photos at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Dunedin Pride 2025 kicked off May 30 with events through June 6. Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Project Pride held their fourth annual Grand Carnival May 31 in Sarasota. Read more and view photos at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Alexander Helios and Jeremy Paul were engaged June 1.

CLOSURES

Southern Nights Tampa held its final party May 31 in Ybor. The business is expected to become Disco Pony Nightclub in a nearby location.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Watermark Out News contributor Krista Post, Tampa Coldwell Banker realtor Steve Wessels, Metro Inclusive Health’s Cameron Wright, Tampa Bay entertainer Russell Mania (June 5); VHA Nurse Steven Frost, Proud retiree

Ed Halleran (June 6); Florida Cane Distillery owner Pat O’Brien, St. Pete activist Theresa Jones (June 7); Tampa Bay photographer Nick Cardello, Sarasota performer Lindsay Carlton-Cline, Big Gay Radio Show host Christopher Lawrence (June 8); St Pete Pride cofounder Gerry Broughman, Tampa Bay chiropractor Joshua Carreiro, Empath Partners in Care Executive Director

Joy Winheim (June 9); Tampa Bay Sister of Perpetual

Indulgence Daniel Lancaster, AAA Director Julio Soto, Hillsborough Community College teacher David Usrey, Tampa Bay lawyer Scott Bird, Ybor store owner Sharon Rose, Tampa Bay cowboy Roger Bell, St. Pete life-saver Richard Recupero (June 10); Tampa Bay real estate agent Ken Hodges, Tampa marketing whiz La’Trice “Lady LaLa” Sharpe, Tampa Bay leading loaner Keith Louderback, St. Pete SoyBright Candle Company co-owner Tim Huff, Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi owner Samuel Dean Ray (June 11); Tampa native bear Ryan Morris, former St. Petersburg city councilmember Darden Rice, Tampa Bay ally Julia Sharp, former Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber CEO Justice Gennari (June 12); Empowering Differences entrepreneur Ashley T. Brundage, Sarasota activist Joshua Beadle, Tampa Bay marketing guru Tony Pullaro, Oxford Exchange server Curtis Lynch, former St. Pete Deputy Mayor Dr. Kanika Tomalin (June 13); Tampa-based performer Lunatique, former TIGLFF president Chris Constantinou, Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay staple Bill Kanouff, Sarasota socialite Trent Henderson (June 14); Tampa photographer Poly Costas, St Pete Q&A founder Jimmy Biascan (June 15); Bodywork Massage and Day Spa owner Roger Medrano, Town ‘n Country banker Travis Hilborne, St. Pete bartender Taylor Pruett (June 16); St. Teresa of Calcuta priest Fr. Victor Ray, former GaYbor Coalition board member John Gorman, St. Petersburg photographer J.J. Respondek, Tampa Bay entertainer Arabella McQueen, LionMaus Media’s Tiffany Freisberg (June 17).

1

DUNEDIN PROUD: Veronica Foxx hosts Dunedin Pride’s first Pride in the Park June 1. PHOTO FROM THE DUNEDIN CHAMBER’S FACEBOOK

2 SARASOTA STAPLE: India Miller strikes a pose at Projecdt Pride’s Grand Carnival May 31. PHOTO BY LUIS SALAZAR

3

BLOCK PARTY: Mx St Pete Pride Roman Lewinsky (L) joins St Pete Pride board members and volunteers to welcome supporters to the Kick-Off Block Party June 1. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMS-JENT

4 TOOT IN TAMPA: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 17 breakout Suzie Toot performs during Pride & Passion at the Tampa Museum of Art May 31. PHOTO BY JORGE CORDOVA

5 THE MOMENT: Miss St Pete Pride competitors await the results during the Mx St Pete Pride pageant May 25. PHOTO BY LUIS SALAZAR

6

SEASON 23: (L-R) Darius Lightsey, Stephanie Morge, Trent Brock, Dioscar DeMilo, Seduction Dickerson, Immani Brown, Travis Geerdes and Dr. Byron Green-Calisch celebrate the raising of the Pride flag at St. Pete City Hall May 29. PHOTO BY DYLAN TODD

7

BEACH BUDS: Inclusive Care Group staff and supporters attend the group’s Community Beach Day May 25. PHOTO BY LUIS SALAZAR

8 OUT FOR BUSINESS: (L-R) Tony Pullaro, Clint Ridenour, Davey Ridenour and Josh Reed attend Watermark Out News and the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber’s Out For Business Tampa Bay at Red Mesa May 21. PHOTO BY LUIS SALAZAR

announcements CENTRAL FLORIDA OUT+ABOUT

CONGRATULATIONS

Watermark Out News presented the winners of the eighth annual Splash Awards at the Orlando Fringe Festival’s closing ceremony at the Orlando Family Stage May 26. As voted on by our readers, Favorite Show went to “Cinco: The Musical,” Favorite Director went to Jamie DeHay for “Sweet Home Alabama: The Musical, Favorite Writer went to Jamie DeHay and Matthew Wyss for “Sweet Home Alabama: The Musical,” Favorite Lead Performer went to Gabriel Quijano for “Cinco: The Musical” and Favorite Supporting Performer went to Michael Kennedy for “Cinco: The Musical.” Congratulations to all the winners. Orlando Gay Chorus celebrated its 35th anniversary with a concert at the Dr. Phillips Center’s Steinmetz Hall May 28. Go to WatermarkOutNews.com to see photos from the event.

Luis M. Martínez-Alicea with the City of Orlando’s Multicultural Office was honored at Premios Paoli in Orlando May 31 for his contributions to arts and culture. Girls in Wonderland celebrates its 25th anniversary June 6-8. Read more on p. 23.

CONDOLENCES

Last issue, we announced that longtime LGBTQ+ ally Miss Vicki passed away May 18. She was 78. Southern Nights Orlando will be hosting a remembrance and celebration of life for the Orlando icon June 22, doors open at 3 p.m. Service will be officiated by Ms. Darcel Stevens and will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m. The service will be followed by a special “Legends of Drag” show at 5:30 p.m., which will benefit Miss Vicki’s family.

LOCAL BIRTHDAYS

Orlando performer Remini Mogul aka Remi Doll, Central Florida dancer Angelle Trahan, Rainbow SemDems Vice President Luther “Luke” Dowe (June 5); Orlando realtor Brian Carboy, Orlando banker Luis Alberto Sousa-Lazaballet, Savoy bartender Shane Williams (June 6); Artist and actor Nick Smith (June 7); Orlando drag performer Addison Taylor (June 8); Watermark subscriber Tayden Haile, Founder and Chief Strategist at Heart Forward Consulting Hannah Willard, KangaGirl Productions diva Margaret Nolan (June 9); Central Florida teacher Jochy Cora-Santiago, Flag World Orlando’s GM Rocky Ruvola (June 11); Watermark Editorin-Chief Jeremy Williams, Orlando activist Wendy Elkes (June 12); Orlando performer Kitt Riffel, Department of Transportation employee John Stimis, Former Watermark account manager Dalton Connell (June 13); Orlando DJ and model Marisa Maddox, Opera Orlando’s Grant Preisser, The Glass Knife’s Steve Brown (June 14); Central Florida pianist Tim Turner (June 15); Central Florida queen Evelyn Adonis, Central Florida Sounds of Freedom president Joe Kennedy (June 16); CTS Agency’s Carolyn Capern, Central Florida LGBTQ+ history buff Ken Kazmerski (June 17); Intersex activist Juleigh Mayfield, CBP Martial Arts Academy Orlando’s Milena Ofsowitz, Orlando artist Lu’e Diaz (June 18).

1

FESTIVAL FRIENDS: The staff of Orlando Fringe gather for one last photo before the 2025 festival wraps during the closing ceremony at Orlando Family Stage May 26. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

2

NEWLYWEDS: Gustavo Bardelli-Preston and Robert Preston-Bardelli celebrate being married at the Addams Estate in Lake Alfred May 26. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

3

MUSIC MAN: DJ Alex Lo gets the music going during One Magical Weekend’s pool party at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista in Orlando May 30.

PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

4

SING OUT LOUD: Jerick Mediavilla (L) and Florida Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith attend the Orlando Gay Chorus’ 35th anniversary show at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando May 28. PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA

5

PARTY ON THE WATER: A RipTide attendee floats down the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando for One Magical Weekend’s waterpark party May 30. PHOTO BY BELLANEE PLAZA

6

A BIG FAN: RipTide dancer shows off her moves at Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando for One Magical Weekend’s waterpark party May 30. PHOTO BY BELLANEE PLAZA

7

ARTS LEADERS: (L-R) Bethany Dickens Assaf, Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost, Terry Olsen and Arius West sit on an Orlando Fringe panel on arts funding in the state May 25.

PHOTO BY DANNY GARCIA

8

DANCE PARTY: One Magical Weekend’s dancers take the stage during One Magical Weekend’s pool party at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista in Orlando May 30. PHOTO BY JEREMY WILLIAMS

community calendar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Pulse Remembrance

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 5 P.M. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, ORLANDO

Join the City of Orlando for the annual Pulse Remembrance Ceremony at the First United Methodist Church of Orlando to honor and remember the 49 angels taken, their families, the survivors, first responders, trauma teams and all those impacted by the tragedy. The ceremony will include the reading of the names of the 49 angels, the tolling of 49 bells, remarks from family members and survivors, as well as musical and cultural performances. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the program beginning at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will be streamed live at PulseOrlando.org.

Goblin Pride Market

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1-7 P.M. CENTRAL FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS, ORLANDO

The Central Florida Fairgrounds will be turned into Orlando’s biggest FREE Pride event and the city’s first and only discount art market as Goblin Market takes over. More than 150 artists will have their work on display. The market will feature dozens of food trucks, live entertainment from queer bands and drag queens, and more. For more information, visit LinkTr. ee/GoblineMarketFL.

TAMPA BAY

St Pete Pride 2025 Events

DATES AND TIMES VARY

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, ST. PETERSBURG

St Pete Pride’s Youth Pride and Family Day is June 7 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at N. Straub Park. The Stonewall Reception follows June 12 from 6-9 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts. Get Nude returns June 14 from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at Nova 535 and Transtastic will be held June 18 from 6-9 p.m. at The James Museum. Read more in the official guide inserted in this issue and at WatermarkOutNews.com.

SARASOTA

Diverse Fest 2025

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 11 A.M.-4 P.M. THE HARVEST, SARASOTA

Harvest hosts its third annual Diverse Fest, a celebration of all people with vendors, food and live entertainment. Read more at WatermarkOutNews.com and DiverseFest.com.

EVENT PLANNER

10 YEARS

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Nikki Glaser, June 5-6, Hard Rock Live, Orlando. 407-351-5483; HardRockLiveOrlando.com

“STOMP,” June 6-7, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

9th CommUNITY Rainbow

Run, June 7, Orlando City Hall, Orlando. 407-246-2121; Orlando.gov

Forgotten Broadway, June 7, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Take it From the Tonys, June 8, Judson’s Live, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

Brenda’s Pop-Up Drag Bingo, June 9, Tactical Brewing Co., Orlando. 4074-203-3303; TacticalBeer.com

Prayer Ribbons Memorial Exhibition, June 9-13, City Hall, Orlando. 407-246-2121; Orlando.gov

The Body Shop One Year Anniversary Event, June 10, Southern Nights, Orlando. 407-412-5039; Facebook.com/ SouthernNightsOrlando

Thornton Park Wine & Art Walk, June 12, The Retro Room, Orlando. 407-752-9763; ThorntonParkDistrict.com

Reel Pride: “Vampyros Lesbos,” June 13, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org

Luke Bryan, June 13, Kia Center, Orlando. 407-440-7900; KiaCenter.com

Leanne Morgan, June 14, Addition Financial Arena, Orlando. 407-823-3070; AdditionFiArena.com

Reel Pride: “My Beautiful Laundrette,” June 14, Enzian Theater, Maitland. 407-629-1088; Enzian.org

“Josie & Grace,” June 14-15, Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando. 407-358-6603; DrPhillipsCenter.org

TAMPA BAY

Gulfport Pride, June 7, Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport. GulfportPrideFlorida.com

Polk Pride Kick-Off Party, June 7, Union Hall, Lakeland. PolkPrideFL.org

Taut Tea: Day Spa Party, June 7, The Wet Spot, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

Largo Central Park’s 30th Birthday Celebration, June 8, Central Park, Largo. PlayLargo.com

Pride on the Bay Drag Brunch, June 8, Yacht Starship Dining Cruises, Clearwater. 727-240-0150; ShelterStrong.org

Rose Dynasty Center Anniversary Celebration, June 8, Rose Dynasty Center, Lakeland. 863-267-6172; RoseDynastyFoundationInc.org

Pride Pool Party, Hollander Hotel, St. Petersburg. 727-873-7900; HollanderHotel.com

Pride & Progress Dinner, June 8, Banquet Masters, Clearwater. 727-327-2796; StonewallPinellas.com

Creating Your Legacy, June 10, Empath Partners in Care, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

Pride Splash Party, June 13, Highland Recreation Complex, Largo. 727-587-6720; PlayLargo.com

Polk Pride 2025, June 14, Munn Park, Lakeland. PolkPrideFL.org

Polk Pride 2025: After Dark with Denali, June 14, Union Hall, Lakeland. PolkPrideFL.org

Paws for Pride, June 14, Dog Bar, St. Petersburg. 727-317-4968; DogBarStPete.com

Pride Brunch & Daddy Issues Tea Dance, June 15, The Wet Spot, St. Petersburg. 727-592-1914; CocktailStPete.com

Satur-SLAY with Lady Liemont, June 14, Thyrst, Largo. 727-240-0150; PlurCentral.com

Under the Covers: A Safe Space for Real Talk, June 17, Empath Partners in Care, St. Petersburg. 727-328-3260; MyEPIC.org

St Pete Drag Bingo, June 18, The Study, St. Petersburg. 727-827-2024; StPetePride.org

SARASOTA

Silver Pride, June 7, Senior Friendship Centers, Sarasota. 941-955-2122; PPSRQ.org

June Pop-Up Pride, June 11, Voco, Sarasota. 941-955-2122; PPSRQ.org