Watermark Out News

Our latest edition marks 10 years since the Pulse tragedy with an in-depth report on survivors and advocates. The issue also includes the official St Pete Pride Guide, a Tampa Fringe preview and more. Find a copy near you and read it online at shorturl.at/529nY.

Ahead of the 10-year mark of Pulse, the City of Orlando has shared a look at curated items saved from the nightclub and more. The collection is being kept under controlled conditions for the permanent memorial. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/g6USK.

St Pete Pride kicked off its yearly celebration early with a busy weekend lineup May 29 through 31. The opening events brought together local vendors and crowds celebrating well into the night. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/FvHEo.

A colorful transformation has arrived at St. Petersburg City Hall just in time for June festivities. Leaders unveiled a newly painted rainbow staircase meant to reflect the community's spirit of unity and pride. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/C1fLN

From festival wrap-ups to upcoming parades, we have the most-read stories of the week. Our top headlines feature updates on Orlando's LGBTQ+ Weekend marking 35 years of magic and St. Petersburg preparing to raise the Pride flag for Shine with Pride 2026.

Uncover the ultimate spots for arts, dining, nightlife and entertainment across Central Florida. The 2026 Central Florida Living Out Loud guide is officially here to map out your next adventure. Read it now at shorturl.at/fcDc2

More than 1,700 artists from four countries and 15 states traveled to Central Florida for the 35th annual Orlando Fringe festival. The event celebrated its creators during the closing ceremonies with Patrons Picks and Watermark Out News’ Splash Awards.

Our latest issue detailing 35 years of Orlando magic made the weekly Top 5 countdown alongside major updates on Equality Florida, advocacy and regional political news. Read these stories and more at WatermarkOutNews.com.

Orlando's big LGBTQ+ weekend is almost here. Get ready with the latest issue of Watermark Out News detailing events for Gay Days, Girls in Wonderland Orlando, One Magical Weekend and The Pride Cup.

St. Petersburg gathered for a night of community and advocacy May 16 as Equality Florida raised more than $750,000 for LGBTQ+ civil rights at its annual gala. The "Rainbow Disco" themed event at the Coliseum honored local leaders. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/iVW8c.

Orlando Fringe is celebrating 35 years of weird! Sales Director Danny Garcia hit the festival to find out what that means to the community. Check out our latest video to get their unique definitions of the festival spirit & remember to vote for your favorite shows & performers at shorturl.at/SRXkT

Last week’s recap features queer representation at Orlando Fringe, the big kickoff plans for St Pete Pride 2026 & a controversial new White House counterterrorism strategy. The list wraps up with the 15th annual Out in the Vineyard & the closure of Orlando special effects company AEOStudios, Inc..

The 2026 Rainbow Family Guide is officially here! 🌈✨ Grab your copy on newsstands now for all the best local events and resources. Link in bio to find a location or stay tuned for the digital drop next week! #WatermarkOutNews #RainbowFamily #FamilyFun

Get ready for Orlando Fringe with our latest issue. We dive into the queer highlights of the festival's 35th anniversary and chat with Jason Mraz and Myki Meeks. Pick up a copy to see our LGBTQ+ travel features, the 2026 Rainbow Family Guide and more.

Get seen in Florida's largest Pride celebration! 🌈 The St Pete Pride Guide hits streets June 4 with 16,000 copies and a digital reach of 100k+ monthly visitors. Don't miss out on an audience that drew 500k+ attendees last June. Contact an account manager by Friday, May 15 to secure your spot!

Don't miss a beat! ⏳ Last week's Top 5 most-read stories included the long-awaited Lake County Pride Fest, Dunedin Pride’s new nonprofit era and Brandi Gabbard’s call for local DEI leadership. We also highlighted Rep. Sarah McBride’s congressional journey and The Center Orlando’s success at SAVOY.

The curtain is up for the 2026 Orlando Fringe Program! Showtimes, venues and everything you need to know about this years festival is all in one place. Find a copy near you at select locations through Central Florida at shorturl.at/86aOG.

OIC Inspired celebrated the grand opening of its expanded Orlando facility April 23. Local leaders like Anna V. Eskamani and Carlos Guillermo Smith attended to support the new pharmacy and HiS Health Center. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/8olw9.

Pack your bags and your favorite bookmark. Our new issue features an LGBTQ+ bookcrawl through local shops like BookBurn Cafe and Social and Tombolo Books that build community one chapter at a time. We also preview big changes for Dunedin Pride plus local news and events.

You can dance, you can jive, and Myki Meeks is having the time of her life. The Orlando native was crowned the winner of "RuPaul’s Drag Race" season 18 during the April 17 finale. Read more about the Drag Ingénue at shorturl.at/mo5oI.

From the 5th annual Pride Prom at the Orlando Science Center to a milestone anniversary for Pro Shop Pub, these were the stories you read most last week. Our top five also includes updates on the Charlie Kirk Act and a guilty plea in a major local court case.

Fifty years in and they are just getting started. Pro Shop Pub survived five decades of change to become the longest-running LGBTQ+ bar in Florida. See how this Clearwater landmark is evolving for the next generation at shorturl.at/7y8Qd

Last week's Top 5 stories featured the Tennessee House passing a transgender "watch list" bill and the resilient organizers behind Lake County Pride. We also covered the latest opening updates for Hamburger Mary's, South Carolina's first "hate intimidation" charge, and our "In The Family" issue.

Half a century of community! 🥂 We’re celebrating 50 years of Clearwater’s Pro Shop Pub in our brand new issue. Don't miss this look back at Florida LGBTQ+ history along with your local news.

Stay connected with the best of Tampa Bay and Central Florida! From high-energy drag brunches to community meetings, find it all on the Watermark Out News Events page. Plus, anyone can add an event to our local calendar for free! Get involved and visit WatermarkOutNews.com/Events today.

Last week’s Top 5 stories featured a significant legal win for PrEP coverage in D.C. and a heartfelt farewell to Tampa’s Andy Johnson. The community also tracked a Supreme Court decision on conversion therapy bans and national political reports.

A massive crowd turned out at City Hall for the latest "No Kings" demonstration in Orlando. The event highlighted community resistance to federal enforcement and support for immigrant neighbors. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/tShYd.

Pride of Tampa featured a full slate of events across Ybor City from March 26-29. Supporters celebrated with local nonprofits and businesses, culminating in an official after-party. The new organization aims to ensure the city continues to host an annual celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.

This week features more than 100 No Kings protests and Aaron Lewis launching his campaign for Orange County Commission. We look back at the inaugural Pride of Tampa, Pennsylvania's progress on marriage equality and honor the memory of activist Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray.

The third edition of our Pride in Tampa magazine is here! We detail local events and the community organizations who make them happen. Read it online at shorturl.at/qZ0Ld

Last week’s Top 5 stories on WatermarkOutNews.com included the Queer Asian Museum opening and Pulse nightclub site updates. We also tracked the latest from Project Pride, a huge weekend at Venice Pride and the big reveal for the new Hamburger Mary’s in Kissimmee.

A significant step toward a permanent Pulse memorial occurred March 18 as the former building was dismantled. The clearing makes way for a space of reflection and remembrance, with construction scheduled to begin this September. Read more and see our photos at shorturl.at/ydtLQ

The 90s called, and we answered. ☎️ We are joining the trend by sharing the covers that defined a decade for us. Take a look back at the moments and faces that shaped our history during the 1990s.