The female impersonator shuffle
An item in this space in our last issue caught the ire of several St. Petersburg performers. When we shared that police were on standby as two performers collected their belongings at Club Nautico, we heard from both of the performers who left—or were terminated, according to them—and the bar staff. According to show director Alicia Markstone, performers Iman and Coco Montrese asked for the police escort. The two performers agree with that statement. But that’s where the similarities end. Markstone says the two resigned with no notice and chose to leave the show cast. Montrese says she was terminated. Either way, both sides have said they wish their fellow performers well and have no hard feelings. Markstone says she has hired two more performers for her weekend shows at Club Nautico and Montrese and Iman say they are both happy to be working at the Flamingo Resort.
Hate through a scrape
No one was injured in a reported hate crime in early September, but that doesn’t mean there were no victims. In the early morning hours of Sept. 6, an area resident in the Historic Gaybor District saw a man on the corner of 7th Ave. and 15th St. scraping a street tile with a screwdriver. According to the witness, the man was scratching the word “Gay” off of sidewalk tiles donated by three area businesses and individuals. When he was asked what he was doing, the alleged vandal said he was “Getting rid of all this gay shit!” Police arrested him and may charge him with a hate crime on top of vandalism charges.
Gay up the beach
Rumor has it that a new networking group is forming in St. Petersburg. Two friends plan to launch a social and business group that extends throughout Pinellas County this fall. Both men, who asked not to be identified until they unveil their plan, say that the organization will focus on the LGBT businesses of the beach community. Speaking of beach businesses, a new gay theater is on the horizon for the St. Pete Beach area. It’s unclear if it will be a stage theater or a movie theater, but one discussion referred to the new business venture as a “complex.” More details were promised to be released soon.
