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Michigan St.,Orlando, FL 32806 623 Virginia Drive Orlando, FL 32803 www.mediterraneanblue.net Phone: 407-474-0724 www.scottytherealtor.com 407-422-2583 4 watermark Your LGBTQ life. APRIL 30 - MAY 13, 2020 // ISSUE 27.09 WATERMARKONLINE.COM DEPARTMENTS The designation of all gender restrooms will result in less 7 // BUREAU CHIEF’s DESK hassle for people who don’t fit neatly into some people’s PAGE expectations of what it looks like to be male or female. 8 // CENTRAL FLORIDA NEWS 12 –PALM BEACH CO. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL BOARD MEMBER RHONDA WILLIAMS 10// TAMPA BAY NEWS 12// STATE, NATION & WORLD NEWS 13// TALKING POINTS 15// COVID-19 & COMMUNITY 25// TAMPA BAY INSIDE + OUT 29// CENTRAL FL INSIDE + OUT 23// TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE 26// CENTRAL FL MARKETPLACE ON THE COVER PAGE FROM THE FRONTLINES: Central Florida and Tampa Bay essential PAGE ESSENTIAL HEROES: Frontline heroes discuss COVID-19. LGBTQ workers reflect 19 19 on COVID-19. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DYLAN TODD. WATERMARK ISSUE 27.09 // APRIL 30 - MAY 13, 2020 VIRTUAL REMEMBERANCE FALL FORWARD NEUTRAL GROUND COMMUNITY RESPONSE SCAN Read QR CODE FOR it Online! WATERMARKONLINE.COM In addition to a Web site with daily LGBTQ updates, a digital version of each issue of the publication is made available on WatermarkOnline.com PAGE onePULSE Foundation PAGE St Pete Pride 2020 PAGE Boynton Beach PAGE State Rep. Jennifer Webb postpones Rainbow Run. reschedules to the fall. City restrooms go discusses COVID-19 and 08 10 12 gender neutral. 15 Florida unemployment. FOLLOw US ON TwiTTER AND iNSTAGRAM AT @wATERMARkONLiNE AND LikE US ON FACEBOOk. watermark Your LGBTQ life. APRIL 30 - MAY 13, 2020 // ISSUE 27.09 WATERMARKONLINE.COM 5 6 watermark Your LGBTQ life. APRIL 30 - MAY 13, 2020 // ISSUE 27.09 WATERMARKONLINE.COM uncertainty went up, I started to feel the panic sliding back. outside the window or even the CONTRIBUTORS I became obsessed with breathhum of asa ceiling you exhale fan or works. the traffic watching the news and reading up on how you get COVID, what A scented candle or an old book, REP. the symptoms are, how your body maybe-Find the two smell smells of the around gallons you. of JENNIFER reacts and what dying from a virus hand sanitizer you have been using WEBB like this would be like. It all can, for weeks on end. is a micro- and did, become overwhelming. As entrepreneur who I was slowly regressing back into can taste. A piece of candy, a specializes in business strategy sip -Finally,of coffee, find better one yet thing a nice you and development. She is the first CENTRAL FLORiDA former self, I reached out to some of glass of wine. thosethe anxiety-filled old lifelines madness I had back of when my By the time you reach one, openly LGBTQ woman elected to BUREAU CHiEF’S the panic was getting to be too hopefully the edge has been higher office in the state of Florida. much, and I thought I’d share a few taken off. If not, at least you have She and her spouse, Cynthia, of the suggestions I received in case live with their puppy, Ringo, and you too were feeling overwhelmed. bird, Bandit, in Gulfport. She is The anxiety was a Freshman Democrat up for thing I was told to do is unplug. re-election in November. Page 15 Jeremy Williams In timesThe first like and these most it is important important that annoying kid cfl buReAu chIef to be informed with the facts, but at school who [email protected] you don’t need the facts on repeat SABRINA AMBRA, NATHAN BRUEMMER, and you certainly don’t need them constantly picks at SCOTTIE CAMPBELL, MIGUEL FULLER, DESK accompanied by other’s opinions DIVINE GRACE, HOLLY KAPHERR ALEJOS, on those facts. Pick a reputable you, but the panic JASON LECLERC, MELODY MAIA MONET, news source, get the information JERICK MEDIAVILLA, GREG STEMM, attack was his big DR. STEVE YACOVELLI, MICHAEL WANZIE ’vE alwayS been an anxious for a limited amount of time and then occasionally check in for person. Maybe it is the copious amounts of updates. Also, take the weekends to brother who likes caffeine I have been ingesting every day for unplug completely from news and to beat the shit PHOTOGRAPHY social media. Idecades or maybe it is the crippling fear of death One of my favorite techniques out of you. BRIAN BECNEL, NICK CARDELLO, I have had ever since I was a kid, but for whatever when the anxiety was creeping BRUCE HARDIN, JAMARQUS MOSLEY, up, which was given to me by a sanitized hands and a glass — or CHRIS STEPHENSON, LEE VANDERGRIFT reason I have always been easy to breaking into therapist, is called grounding in the four — of a nice Merlot. sweats and shaking like a Chihuahua in a light present, and it is something easy The biggest tip I have gotten, anyone can do at anytime. though, is reach out and talk to breeze. Even when I seem calm on the outside, my someone. Find a person you can DISTRIBUTION insides are being inappropriately shaken around like on the ground and take slow, long dump all of your anxiety, fear and breaths.First youThen place stand your up andfeet flatdo the irritation on. Someone who will LVNLIF2 DISTRIBUTING, KEN CARRAWAY, a starlet in a 1940s, black and white talkie. listen without judgment and know VANESSA MARESCA-CRUZ About eight years ago, that panic and anxiety and get to a your senses to countdown. that it is not directed at them, it’s following five steps, using each of just you venting. And when you are anxiety manifested itself into much better place. The panic and CONTENTS of WATERMARK are protected by federal anxiety, which still comes and goes, in a better place, offer to be that -Look around the room you are copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole I thought the anxiety was bad. The became manageable. Then the see. It can be objects on the table, person for them. Sometimes you somethingin and count on off the five wall, things anything you just need to unload all the shit in or part without the permission of the publisher. anxietymy first wasfull-on that panic annoying attack, kid and at Unsolicited article submissions will not be returned school who constantly picks at you, that you can focus your sight on. your head and the best thing we can do for each other right now is unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped but the panic attack was his big itStay-At-Home was only going order to last happened. 14 days envelope. Although is supported listen without consequences. WATERMARK brother who likes to beat the shit andAt if firstwe all it waswould fine. social They distance said by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept Again,-Feel it aroundcan be something where you in are front In this issue, we look at some out of you. and self isolate and stay home we responsibility for claims made by advertisers. and find four things you can touch. After many panic attacks, and of you on a table or something essential heroes on the frontlines on your body — your shirt, who are helping our communities Publication of the name or photograph of any just as many visits to the E.R. week the anxiety started back up person or organization in articles, advertising, or thinking I was having a heart could flatten the curve. After a your hair, etc. to run in these scary times. Be safe and let’s make sure we listing in WATERMARK is not to be construed as attack, I started to see someone and the deaths increased and the any indication of the sexual orientation of such who helped me work through the unemploymentand then as the casesnumbers of COVID-19 and the What do you hear around you? The are all taking care of each other.