Orlando Philharmonic executive director David Schillhammer takes a bow, exiting after 15 years. He made some big moves during his tenure, moving operations to the Plaza Live (they’re in the middle of renovating as we write this) and securing impressive new music director Eric Jacobson. We can’t wait to hear Schillhammer’s next release.
High five, Orlando and St. Petersburg! Both cities earned perfect scores in the Human Rights Campaign annual Municipal Equality Index, which scores cities on LGBT inclusion and equality. Tampa did well, too, earning a solid 95 percent.
New president, new board members and new executive directors, Orlando’s Metropolitan Business Association is starting fresh in 2016 after electing and hiring some new leaders. Lu Mueller-Kaul is officially installed to the presidential post after filling the role as a temporary appointment for several weeks and former president Nayte Carrick shifts over to executive director.
The Internal Revenue Service believes being gay is a choice, according to a lawsuit filed by a St. Petersburg gay couple who claim that is the reason they were denied tax deductions for in-vitro fertilization and surrogacy. We’re eagerly awaiting the results to find out whether the courts believe gay couples are entitled to infertility coverage.
St. Pete’s loss is Fort Lauderdale’s gain after more than five years as a visible face of the LGBT community, Chris Rudisill leaves METRO for a plum new role as executive director of Stonewall National Museum and Archives.
After three intense community chats about an LGBT-inclusive HRO, a Jacksonville councilman wimps out and suggests the whole issue be put to a referendum. Oh hell no, says Councilman Tommy Hazouri, who files an expanded HRO ahead of the expected 2016 schedule. We will be watching this one closely in the coming year.
Open Door Baptist Church (one of those hateful anti-gay picketing gangs) learns the hard way that groups who deal in hate should not let their domain names lapse. They forgot to renew and a gay rights activist seized the opportunity to buy the domain and redirect the website to a hardcore gay porn site. Visit WarningsOfWrath.com at your own risk… or for fun, if you’re into that type of thing.
