My mother recently flew down from Ohio for a long weekend, the perfect reminder that we live where so many people come to play. She’s a beach bum at heart, so it was a lovely and long overdue visit.
The trip marked her first since my husband and I were married in 2016, though we’ve both gone north in recent years. We took her on a sunset cruise where we saw dolphins and other wildlife, introduced her to the St. Pete Pier and dined on every waterfront we could.
We even braved Red Tide for a bit to secure a few photo ops, albeit with a few tissues. The weekend was spent in full tourist mode.
Thankfully, we did manage to spend some time at home, another big reason for her trip. My husband and I bought our first house almost two years ago now, so she’d never seen it in person. Getting to introduce it to her was a real treat.
I thought dolphins would be my favorite part of her trip — even after 15 years in Florida, a sighting still makes me squeal — but it ended up being an evening there instead. Since buying our house we’ve regularly hosted parties for loved ones, which has gone a long way into making it a home, and we held an impromptu gathering for her to experience that firsthand.
I’m so glad we did. Over the years my mom has gotten to know most of our Florida friends, in no small part thanks to social media, but having chosen and actual family under our own roof was something I’ll never forget. It reinforced my love for everyone involved.
My husband and I are regularly reminded that we have a lot of close friends and how uncommon that can be for folks. We know we’ve been very fortunate over the years to find and cultivate a tightknit group, mostly Florida transplants like me, and we try not to take that for granted.
Our house parties remind me of that, and of just how important finding community can be. Since most of our friends are also LGBTQ, they also remind me of everyone working to take that community away.
It’s impossible not to think about. This year alone, a record number of bills attacking LGBTQ Americans have been filed in state legislatures across the country to strip us of our basic rights. The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking more than 400 of them right now.
Each are led and supported by the “Grand Old Party” at large. Republicans are targeting us just for existing, attacking our access to health care, to education, to free speech and expression, to marry the person we love and so much more, even in 2023. It’s maddening.
I cannot see how someone can vote Republican and call themselves an LGBTQ ally, especially now. Especially in Florida.
Our state’s largest LGBTQ-focused civil rights organization calls Florida’s legislative session the most dangerous 60 days here. They’re right, and we need only look at 2022 as an example — and this year’s began with more than 20 anti-LGBTQ bills, all of which would certainly share the support of Governor Ron DeSantis. When he isn’t campaigning for president.
“DeSantis and his backers in Florida’s legislature are ratcheting up their culture wars,” Equality Florida said March 7. “This is all part of DeSantis’ presidential ambitions, and the discrimination and hate he wants to take nationwide. This isn’t freedom — it’s exactly the opposite, and we need to organize, be ready and fight back!”
I couldn’t agree more. LGBTQ rights are human rights, so please make sure everyone you know is registered to vote and remains vocal. They can’t silence us all if we come together to show them that this is our Florida, too.
One way we do that is through events like Tampa Pride, which we focus on in this issue. The ninth annual celebration returns to Ybor March 25 and we highlight some of the local activists who are making that happen as our community faces widespread opposition, in both Tallahassee and Tampa.
LGBTQ activism is also featured in our news coverage. In Tampa Bay, local drag performers visit the Capitol to protest legislation targeting their craft. In Central Florida, Admiral Rachel L. Levine visits Orlando from the Department of Health and Human Services. State News details some of Florida’s anti-LGBTQ attacks.
In arts and entertainment, the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival prepares for its return to support Transgender Day of Visibility, with films streaming statewide. “Queen of Swords,” an original rock musical, debuts in Orlando.
Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue
