Issue 1821: Family

Featuring articles on Come Out With Pride rescheduling to November 3 because of bad weather, Addams Family: The Musical, TIGLFF wrap-up, Bear Bust sold to Parliament House, gay families and more!

On the cover Orlando’s Come Out With Pride was postponed due to high winds and heavy rain on Oct. 8. Illustration by Jake Stevens

pg.8 | Orlando NewsThe wildly popular Bear Bust has been officially purchased by the Parliament House. The Lake County teacher who made headlines for his anti-gay rant on Facebook is raising more eyebrows with his contributions to a National Organization for Marriage video; more.
pg.10 | Tampa NewsMichael Smith hopes to become the first-ever openly gay elected official on the Largo City Commission following this November’s election. The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival opens its 22nd year with plenty of fanfare and a personal greeting from Tampa’s new mayor, Bob Buckhorn; more.
pg.29 | Scene+HeardOut actors Doug Sills and Blake Hammond play Gomez and Fester, respectively in The Addams Family: The Musical when it arrives in Tampa on Oct. 18 and then moves to Orlando Nov. 1. The two share their take on what makes a â┚¬Å”normalâ┚¬Â family.The girls of UhHuh Her made headlines this month when they were booted off a Southwest flight for supposedly too much kissing, creating a perfect media frenzy for their new album.Lake County will get a first-hand look at the early AIDS epidemic when From a Burning House debuts later this month.
pg.45 | FamilyMarcia Gilliam and Keith Baber, who are both gay, decided their sexuality wouldn’t prevent them from having a child. They raised their son, Thomas, who is now 16, together in OrlandoTwo men in St. Petersburg adopted newborn Addison four years agoâ┚¬â€and are both listed on the child’s birth certificate as her parents. The couple shares their story to parenthood.Judy and Phil Wood are the new leaders of Orlando’s Chapter of PFLAG. The couple tell us about the importance of the organization and how their two gay sons influenced their participation in the organization.