Well, hello, Daddy
Chaps, harnesses and cuffs, oh, my! The Central Florida Leatherman contest is returning to Orlando for the third year. On Jan. 29, Parliament House will play host to leather men from all over the country and those who worship them. This elite weekend is also an opportunity for the “brothers” to gather, compete, share skills and enjoy the community they belong to. Amongst this year's judges are Pulse mixologist, Brian Humphries and Watermark's own “Fire”-y writer, Erik Caban who are sure to bring their unique talents to the judging panel. The weeklong event kicks off with a meet and greet at Wylde’s Bar, Saturday, Jan. 21. Then, join the boys Saturday, Jan. 28 in the Bear Den at Parliament House. The competition commences Sunday, Jan. 29 with a cocktail party in the Piano Bar at 6 p.m., followed by the contest in the Footlight Theater. Stick around afterwards for more mischief in the Bear Den at the after-party. To be a contestant or for more info. contact Randy Sullivan, randymco@hotmail.com.
Leading the Gay Way
More than 100 attended a spirited Jan. 11 fundraiser for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer at the beautiful downtown home of Ted Maines and Jeff Miller at The Sanctuary. The event raised more than $20,000 for Mayor Dyer’s reelection campaign. On the eve of implementation of Orlando’s Domestic Partner Registry, it was also a ‘thank you’ for Dyer’s leadership in making the city a beacon for LGBT equality. Miller read a long and impressive list of Dyer’s accomplishments. Dyer acknowledged a beaming City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who registered with her partner, Jocelyn White, the following day. “We pushed for a Domestic Partner Registry for one simple reason,” Dyer said. “It was the right thing to do.” He also noted that The Advocate recently ranked Orlando second in its annual survey of the “15 Gayest Cities in America.” Dyer also touted Orlando’s fiscal good health, AAA credit rating and polling that indicates that 75% of residents think the city is headed in the right direction and 66% approve of the job he’s doing. “Orlando is the best city in America,” Dyer said. “And one big reason is that we truly value the diversity of our citizens.”
Orlando's Pretty Gay
Orlando has once again made The Advocate's annual list of the 15 gayest cities in America. For 2012, Orlando is the second gayest city in the country, up two spots from last year's number 4 ranking. According to the 2012 list, only Salt Lake City is gayer than Orlando. Orlando got an edge via the four area teams that competed in the Gay Softball World Series, one of several criteria used by The Advocate to rank the cities. Orlando also fulfilled criteria regarding LGBT elected city officials, LGBT bookstores and concerts by “Gossip, the Cliks and the Veronicas.” Other criteria included WNBA teams, transgender protections and cities that sent a finalist to the International Mr. Leather competition. The Advocate discussed Gay Days, Orlando's recent passage of a domestic partner registry and the Fringe Festival. Orlando's 2012 made it the gayest city in Florida, even besting Fort Lauderdale, which placed fourth.
