This is my final column of the year, which usually prompts me to revisit my first.
I was a little hesitant about the prospect since 2024 didn’t shape up to be one of my favorites. My default mode tends to be somewhat optimistic, something I’ve struggled with lately.
Within the last six months we lost my stepfather, the man who taught me everything I needed to know about becoming a man myself, and then our beloved dog Riverboat, a tiny Pomeranian who was so much larger than life he changed the way I looked at it forever.
We also may have lost our Democracy, at least as we know it. So not one of my favorite years.
I couldn’t remember exactly what I’d written back in January — time flies when you operate in two-week cycles, particularly those 2024 brought us — but I was hesitant because I figured it was related to the presidential election. I was right.
“As we enter 2024, what’s already become a tiring election year, I hope everyone in our community realizes what’s at stake,” I wrote. “Especially if this November is a 2020 rematch.”
I had no idea how tiring it would become, of course, or that I’ll never willingly listen to “Freedom” by Beyonce again. It joined the ranks of “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten last month, filed away forever with presidencies that should’ve been.
“President Joe Biden isn’t a perfect man, but he’s a good one,” I continued in my column. “He’s a public servant who’s supported our community and this country for decades, who unlike his predecessor isn’t an insurrectionist actively working to dismantle our Democracy.”
I still believe all of that to be true, even after Biden dropped out and endorsed Kamala Harris. I was proud to support the vice president’s inclusive vision for America, one that championed equity and equality for all, and excited about what her potential victory would say about our country.
Instead, her loss — and what it says about our country — has been a sobering and ugly experience. Rather than making history by electing a proven leader as our first female president, the U.S. made history by re-electing a convicted felon whose chief desire seems to be remaking this country in his deplorable image.
I do take some solace, however, knowing that the majority of LGBTQ+ voters actually did realize what was at stake for our community. Exit polls showed that 86% of us cast our vote for Harris compared to 12% for Trump, overwhelmingly rejecting his brand of chaos and division.
He also failed to capture 50% of the nation’s popular vote, another fact — and not an alternative one — that we can all use to push back on his so-called “MAGA mandate.” Since he’s already begun stocking his second administration with the architects of the anti-LGBTQ+ Project 2025, it’s clear we’ll need to.
As bleak as things have seemed recently, and to harken back to my aforementioned optimism, I will say that 2024 hasn’t been all bad. My husband and I traveled to Berlin and Prague with our friends this year, an unforgettable experience, and I turned 40 this month surrounded by those and other loved ones. I’m a lucky man.
I’ve also been incredibly proud to help celebrate Watermark’s 30th anniversary this year, amplifying LGBTQ+ voices throughout Tampa Bay and Central Florida. It’s never been more important, and I sincerely thank everyone who’s trusted me to play a part in telling your stories.
Many of them are the basis for Watermark’s annual Remarkable People issue, always one of my favorite features of the year. We highlight deserving locals who have made an impact on LGBTQ+ Tampa Bay and Central Florida through their work, activism and authenticity, including one of Watermark’s own. Thank you all for making a difference.
We tune into “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” in Tampa Bay news, checking in with a Clearwater couple and their friend who competed on the gameshow’s first season. Equality Florida’s Tampa Gala also raises $690,000 in the nonprofit’s fight for LGBTQ+ Floridians, a regional record.
The Human Rights Campaign releases the results of their 13th annual Municipal Equality Index in State News, which details how inclusive local laws are. St. Petersburg, Tampa and Orlando all retained their perfect scores, another welcome bright spot for the year that’s sure to be critical in 2025.
Watermark is proud to be celebrating 30 years as your LGBTQ+ news source, so thanks for reading and supporting our advertisers. Please stay safe, stay informed and enjoy this latest issue.
