2024 wasn’t a great year and by the looks of it 2025 isn’t going to be a whole lot better.
For my final Editor’s Desk of the year, I usually try to look back at the things I enjoyed over the past 12 months or I look ahead at all the amazing things I hope to see in the coming year. Needless to say, this desk has been proving to be a difficult one to write.
In a few short weeks, Donald Trump is going to be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. A job the man had four years ago but this time around he seems more chaotic, unhinged and far more dangerous. That is evident in many of his cabinet picks which include Robert Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, Linda McMahon and the list goes on and on. Who knew that picking someone as awful as Marco Rubio would be one of his sanest picks.
Again, I always try to see the good coming with the new year, so there are some things that I think will be bright spots in 2025. We came close to Attorney General Matt Gaetz, but he withdrew his name because he was not going to be able to get the Republican support in the Senate. While that is kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel for optimism, it’s the best I can hope for when the GOP will hold the White House, Senate and the House. The next four years are going to be a wild and scary ride so any kind of guardrails, no matter how poorly built, are appreciated. My hope is that there will be enough moderate Republicans in Congress that it will keep most of the worst Trump ideas from happening.
Here in Central Florida we have some amazing bright blue spots that should make life better at least locally. Fighters like Florida Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani and Congressmen Maxwell Alejandro Frost and Darren Soto, all of whom have proven to be progressive champions. In Orlando we still have amazing leaders like Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan. There are also extraordinary activists in even the most ordinary of people in this community.
There may not be a lot that you and I can do right now when it comes to big issues in Washington, but we can make sure that we are helping to take care of marginalized people in our own communities. Volunteer, mentor and let them know that you are there with them. Donate funds, attend marches and rallies; I know it seems bleak but remember the old phrase “it’s always darkest before the dawn.”
Some of those very extraordinary activists are highlighted in our current issue, one of my favorite issues we do every year, our annual Remarkable People issue. Every year we name 10 Remarkables — five in Central Florida and five in Tampa Bay — and then ask someone in the community who knows them or works with them to write a short profile on their works from the past year. Ahead of naming our Remarkables, we ask the community to nominate who they saw doing the work that needed to be done and you did not disappoint. We received more nominations this year than any other year I have been on Watermark’s editorial team. A true testament to how many amazing activists, leaders and fighters we have here. It was difficult narrowing the list down to just five here in Central Florida. So many amazing folks got left off but the final five we have were some of the most active, unsung heroes we saw in 2024.
Leaders like Chevalier “Chev” Lovett, who not only has been fighting for voting rights right here in Florida but has also worked on boards and committees with several organizations including Contigo Fund, Hope CommUnity Center, Habitat for Humanity, 26Health and many more.
Jeremy Armando Rodriguez is another one who spent 2024 working on political campaigns while also working to secure funds for the trans and nonbinary communities through Contigo Fund.
Another activist who has been everywhere this year is Juleigh Mayfield. This amazing leader and activist has been on the frontlines pushing for equality and educating everyone on the intersex community.
Donald Rupe is another remarkable person who not only has opened his Renaissance Theatre to the community for gatherings and events but also made Orlando proud as he took his amazing show “From Here” to Off Broadway in New York City.
Melody Maia Monet rounds out Central Florida’s five Remarkable People. She is not only one of the most passionate trans activists I have met but she is also someone I have seen firsthand fight for the community as one of Watermark’s most beloved Viewpoint writers.
We also named a special 11th Remarkable Person this year, Watermark’s owner/publisher Rick Todd. Rick has been remarkable this year, Watermark’s 30th in publication.
Thank you all for keeping Watermark going for the past three decades and we look forward to bringing you more LGBTQ+ stories in the coming year. Happy Holidays!
