3 locals eye Miss USofA title
While you're reading this, it's very possible that a Tampa Bay queen has been crowned the 2012 Miss USofA. Three local performers are competing for the title in Dallas, Tex., and the winner is scheduled to be crowned on Friday, May 25. Local Alexis Mateo, Anjila Cavalier and Aspen Love are all competing for the title, which has drawn performers from around the country to the Palladium Ballroom in downtown Dallas. Contestants were divided into groups and began with interviews the morning of Tuesday, May 22. Other categories held throughout the week included evening gown and talent. The top contenders were scheduled to take the stage on final night around 8 p.m.
Several thousand attend Harvey Milk Festival
According to organizers, â┚¬Å”thousands upon thousandsâ┚¬Â of people attended the third annual Harvey Milk Festival in Sarasota's Five Points Park on May 12. The new location helped bring even more foot traffic to the event that honors the late San Francisco politician and LGBT rights activist Harvey Milk. President Shannon Fortner told Watermark that the festival is the only one of its kind in the state and it focuses on the artsâ┚¬â€Âboth visually and musically. This marked the first year the festival had two headlinersâ┚¬â€ÂBreton, a band from the United Kingdom, and the Minneapolis-based synth-pop trio CLAPS. The 2012 Harvey Milk Festival was definitely the largest in its history, and a message of equality was heard by anyone who happed to pass through. That message significant meaning to Fortner because she and her partner of six years have had to live separatelyâ┚¬â€Âdivided by the Atlantic Oceanâ┚¬â€Âbecause the United States' immigration laws won't allow for the two's relationship to be recognized as a marriage. Fortner also happens to share the same birthday as Milkâ┚¬â€ÂMay 22.
LGBT youth star in Stained
Differences in race, religion ethnicity and sexual orientation take center stage in the student-penned play Stained, showing at The Murray Studio Theater within Ruth Eckerd Hall May 31-June 2. The cast of young actors make up â┚¬Å”Shattered Silence,â┚¬Â which boasts both straight and LGBT members. One person close to the organization told Watermark that this year is the largest contingent of LGBT youth in the group. This original piece of theater looks into the lives o people who are more than just the labels they wear on the outside. It's geared toward helping viewers understand that we are all more than just a series of labelsâ┚¬â€Âpretty deep stuff for a troupe of youthful writers and actors.
The group has developed plays over the past several years, and consistently focus on issues of equality. The newest offering coincides with the beginning of LGBT Pride Month. To purchase tickets for the play or for show times, visit RuthEckerdHall.com.
