Even after almost 16 years of living here in Florida, my native Ohio still finds ways to surprise me. Usually when I visit my hometown.
I recently returned from an unscheduled trip to Cincinnati, one prompted by a family emergency. I won’t go into too much detail, but my mom proved yet again why she’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met and I’m very proud of her.
I went up there to help out before, during and after she underwent a successful but very serious surgery. I was there for nearly an entire week, the longest stretch I’ve spent there since my “Florida vacation,” which is how I pitched my permanent move to my mom in 2007. She reminded me of that yet again as she recovered.
We spent plenty of time together as she healed and I also had meaningful moments with other family members, spending long overdue time with my stepdad, sister, nephew, aunts and a few of my favorite cousins. It was a stressful week but because of those and other interactions, it was a very fulfilling one.
It was also just filling. The Midwest is home to an impressive array of exclusive eats that I grew up loving, and Cincinnati is no exception. It doesn’t get better than the city’s signature chili — I’m a Gold Star guy, but also love Skyline — and the ice cream and milkshakes from United Dairy Farmers cannot be beaten.
UDF is almost always my first and last stop when I’m there, and this time it felt like I ate my weight in some of my comfort foods. It was worth every calorie, even if it reminded me of why I wore Husky jeans as a kid.
I had other trips down memory lane during my visit as well. Seeing local landmarks was surprisingly touching, from the movie theater where I watched the first “X-Men” film to the mall where I spent weekends with my earliest friends.
It wasn’t just what remained the same that resonated with me, of course, but also what hadn’t. The two houses I lived in growing up have now been torn down, along with my middle and high schools, and the Cincinnati suburb I grew up in has undergone some impressive upgrades.
The physical advancements didn’t impress me nearly as much as some of the social changes I came across, though. Like when I was shopping at Meijer — a chain store I love that wants to be Target — where I came across a Cincinnati Reds hat.
Not totally unexpected, certainly there, but what surprised me is that I almost bought it. I’m not a sports fan and never have been, least of all when I was wheezing through gym class in my Husky jeans, but this hat was different. The Cincinnati Reds “C,” usually solid white against a red backdrop, was embroidered in the colors of the Progress Pride flag, not unlike the one below via MLBShop.com:
I couldn’t believe it was just casually on sale at one of my old hometown haunts. I also couldn’t help but think of what seeing that hat would’ve meant to the kid who shopped there in high school, before and after he came out. I had an okay go at it in the early 2000s, but Ohio has never been a bastion for diversity and inclusion. I can only imagine what a difference casual LGBTQ+ acceptance like that could’ve made.
It was a simple but powerful reminder that change is always possible, something I needed to remember before coming home. Arguably the most anti-LGBTQ+ legislative session in Florida’s history finally came to a close while I was in Ohio, concluding months of attacks on every LGBTQ+ Floridian.
“I cannot see how someone can vote Republican and call themselves an LGBTQ+ ally, especially now. Especially in Florida,” I wrote as it began, and I believe that more than ever. Ron DeSantis, his presidential ambitions and the state’s Republican supermajority targeted our community for 60 days.
As distressing at it’s been, and is, I still have hope. Little things like that Reds hat help, but more than anything it’s the people here in Florida. They’re why I was ready to come home.
The Florida that I know and love is still worth fighting for. I hope you’ll join me in that fight by making sure you and everyone you know is registered to vote. This is our state, too, and we can show them that if we show up.
We examine how some LGBTQ+ advocates are responding to that fight in this issue. We detail Equality Florida’s LGBTQ+ travel advisory and responses from St Pete Pride, Come Out with Pride and other organizations preparing for Pride Month and beyond. We also bring you the latest in LGBTQ+ news, entertainment and more.
Watermark strives to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.
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