Welcome to Watermark’s annual Remarkable People issue. This is, hands down, my favorite issue of the year. We take a handful of people in our local communities, 19 for 2019, and showcase why they are remarkable through the eyes of those closest to them.
Some of those recognized will be well known to you, as they have been champions of our community for many years. Others will be less known, those who work behind the scenes making magic happen, someone whose single act of kindness set them apart or those whose talent was so great it made them rise to the top in places LGBTQ people have not gone before. Whatever their accomplishment, I hope you will join Watermark in celebrating our remarkable people of 2019.
2019 was a milestone year for this newspaper. Watermark celebrated 25 years of reporting your stories this past August. For the 10th year in a row we have seen an overall increase in sales and we received awards from both the Orlando and Tampa Bay Business Journals. Watermark relocated both its St. Pete and Orlando offices this year, moves that allow us to better serve our community. In 2019 we also bid adieu to art guru Jake Stevens, who dedicated 12 years of his life to literally making Watermark look good. He is now thriving at the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
At the end of 2018, I wrote a column outlining things I’d like to see happen in 2019. Since this is my last column of the year, I thought I’d look back and see how I did. First up, removing bad leadership. It looks like progress is being made on the national level. Whether Donald Trump is removed from office or not, truth is being valued in the House of Representatives and that is a start. This progress is completely partisan at the moment, which doesn’t bode well for my second desire for 2019 — an end to the all or nothing culture.
My third wish, changing the alphabet soup nature of LGBTQ+, is slowly happening. More and more I am hearing the community refer to itself as the queer community. Another positive outcome of 2019 was the loving welcome of Red Shirt Pride Days, something I hope continues to grow. Finally, my hope that Lady Gaga would win the Oscar for “A Star Is Born” was squashed. Although, it also didn’t go to Glenn Close as many predicted it would.
What’s in store for 2020? My biggest wish for the New Year is that we elect the 46th president of the United States. That’s of course unless Trump is impeached and removed from office. I believe then I’d like us to elect the 47th president. I’d like to see the nation rally behind a candidate that will bring honesty and decorum back to the White House.
Second, I’d like to see corporate America take a larger interest in local LGBTQ news outlets. This may seem selfish on my part, but it just makes sense to me. Why go to the trouble of slapping a rainbow on your product just to advertise it in the New York Times? I guarantee it would cost less and reach a greater audience with the LGBTQ community if they put that effort in the regional papers of the National LGBT Media Association.
Watermark caught some flack from reader’s this year by sharing stories about Starbucks, Amazon and PrEP not placing ads in local LGBTQ markets. I assure you, the benefit of doing so is being pitched to them and progress is being made. However, the benefit such advertising would make to the LGBTQ community is immeasurable.
Local LGBTQ newspapers are the voice of their communities. They cover the stories on a grassroots level that no other media outlets will. It’s advertising dollars, and only advertising dollars, that allow us to do that year round. It’s advertising dollars that allow us to open our pages to a quarter of a million dollars in sponsorship ad space for nonprofits. Thank you to our advertisers, local and national, for your part in helping us to voice the stories of our community.
Finally, I’d like to see the documentary “Greetings From Queertown: Orlando” be completed. The 25th Anniversary and ongoing changes at Watermark have diverted my time from the documentary, but steps are in place to make it happen in 2020. For information on how you can help make it a reality, please visit GreetingsFromQueertown.com.
We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.
