Local LGBTQ+ advocates talk LGBTQ+ icons for Halloween

(All photos courtesy each party or via Watermark Out News files)

Halloween season is well underway in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, detailed in our current issue which checks in with “Queens of the Dead” Director Tina Romero, digs up some tasty treats and more.

To help set the tone for this spooky season, Watermark Out News asked local LGBTQ+ advocates “What LGBTQ+ icon would you want to spend Halloween with and why?” View their answers below.

“I have always been an Eartha Kitt fan and I would love to hang out with her for Halloween! If she would be Catwoman, I would be Poison Ivy. A great time would be had and we’d go all over Orlando.” —Altesse Aurum, Miss Center Orlando 2025

“I’d spend Halloween with Lady Gaga. She embodies fearless creativity and has turned self-expression into both art and armor. Between her legendary costumes and her commitment to empowering the LGBTQ+ community, she’d make every moment a performance. Plus, who wouldn’t want to strut through a haunted house in matching couture and heels while ‘Bad Romance’ plays in the background?” —Michael Vacirca, owner and co-founder of Anthem Orlando

“I’d spend Halloween with Freddie Mercury. He was a pioneer in LGBTQ+ visibility as he brought awareness to the AIDS epidemic — and he seems like a fun guy to hang out with on Halloween.”
—Joshua Cooper, co-owner of SAVOY Orlando

“I would like to spend my Halloween with the character Him from ‘The PowerPuff Girls.’ The reason why I chose this character is because he was one of the first genderfluid characters introduced to me during my childhood, not knowing this would end up being the same lane I veered into in the artform and lifestyle!” —Roman Marco Lewinsky, Mx St Pete Pride 2025

“If I could spend Halloween with any LGBTQ+ icon, it would be Kevin Aviance. His strength, artistry and unapologetic self-expression inspire me. He embodies resilience and reminds us that being authentically ourselves is the most powerful costume of all.” —Niomi Onassis Knight,
Miss Tampa Pride 2025

“Without a doubt — Cher. Picture us strutting through St. Pete in head-to-toe sequins, trading one-liners, breaking hearts and leaving a trail of glitter from here to Clearwater. By sunrise, we’d still be singing ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ on top of a convertible. Do you ‘Believe’ Winter Pride is coming soon — February 15–22?!” —Rob Hall, executive director of Winter Pride