If ever there were a person who made you proud to be a Central Floridian, it's Bob Kealing. From broadcast news to authoring books, Kealing digs up the stories that tell us about a Florida that is as nuanced and culturally rich as anywhere in the country. He's lent his talents and reputation to lift up and celebrate the things that give us some communal bragging rights, like the Kerouac House in College Park. His books range from the female-empowerment story of Brownie Wise and Tupperware to the genesis of country rock via Gram Parsons. His most recent, Good Day Sunshine State, digs deep into the Beatles touring in Florida at the height of Beatlemania, just as the nation was bouncing back from the JFK tragedy and mass social change began to sweep across the state and the world.
"Absolutely not, I would rather die," quipped State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, known for being a supporter of organized labor, when asked for her vote on a new law designed to undercut Florida's public sector unions, representing over 150,000 working Floridians. Eskamani and other state Democrats voted that law down, while most of the GOP supported it, despite opposition voiced by a number of Republican union members. The measure, imposing new requirements on public sector unions, was officially OK'ed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May. Since then, several unions have filed legal challenges to block it. Educator unions claim it's unconstitutional, while the statewide police union (whose members are largely exempt from the law) admits the law is confusing (after realizing some of their co-workers, such as 911 operators, will be affected).
Somebody had to stand up, and the downtown Orlando restaurant, known for hosting drag events like brunch and bingo, stepped up to volunteer as tribute. Hamburger Mary's sued the state in May over a new law that contains penalties for venues that host an "adult live performance" (widely perceived as a reference to drag) with children under 18 present. Because of that lawsuit, the law has since been blocked. "This bill has nothing to do with children, and everything to do with the continued oppression of the LGBTQ+ community," Hamburger Mary's co-owner John Paonessa wrote in a statement on the restaurant's Facebook page after the lawsuit was filed. "We've spent too many years moving forward. We can't go back!"
110 W. Church St., hamburgermarys.com/orlando
You might not equate the term "college radio" with looks that kill or blood that rains, but that train meets weekly on Rollins College's student and community station, WPRK 91.5. Every Friday at around midnight (give or take), DJ Rob Penticoff pours out hours upon hours of molten metal both old and new. It's a blissful run through hesher-land, as programmed by perhaps the one guy in America who can tell you who's in Quiet Riot at any given moment. Recurring themed episodes include "I Didn't Know They Were Still Around" (fresh tracks by genre veterans now working the state-fair circuit) and "The Love & Death Valentine's Special" (alternating power ballads and death-metal dirges, to accommodate the holiday mood of happy couples and bitter singles alike). There's no better place to get your kicks, or your Kix.
Stand With Abortion Now is a grassroots, all-volunteer clinic escort group that seeks to protect patients of one of Orlando's only abortion clinics from anti-abortion protesters, who gather outside of the clinic daily to harass patients. The group, funded by community donations, formed after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned the federal constitutional right to abortion under Roe v. Wade. In addition to clinic escort services, the group also raises funds to help people access abortion care, similar to Florida Access Network and the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund. Unlike Planned Parenthood, SWAN will sometimes take a confrontational approach to their escort services — directly engaging with anti-abortion protesters — and regularly blasts them on their popular TikTok account, @swanofcentralfla.
June 2, 2023
Most (pop-)punk moment of the year for Orlando? No contest. It was when Orlando's U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost jumped onstage with Paramore in Washington, D.C., to join in on a song and maybe tell our governor to fuck off in the process. Frost was surprise-invited onstage at the Capital One Arena to join the band for 2007 number "Misery Business." Besides contributing some headbanging and backing vocals, Frost also got in a lusty shout of "Fuck Ron DeSantis! Fuck fascism!"
Are you looking to make a political statement with an Insta-worthy shot? Look no further than Orlando's City Hall. City Hall's downtown location features a natural stadium riser, allowing activists to create captivating visuals during their pressers. (Fun fact: The previous building was blown up during the filming of Lethal Weapon 3.) So, whether you're championing climate change, trans rights or the right to enjoy ice cream for breakfast, look no further than Orlando's City Hall. Grab your signs, get your message out there, and get into some good trouble — without explosions, of course!
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Orlando and throughout the state was anything but a joke in terms of damage and flooding. And yet, it was impossible not to take some sort of low-key joy in seeing the Lake Eola swans immediately adapt to the flooding and basically take over the area. Completely unruffled, they cruised down what used to be sidewalks and walkways, all but flipping one feathered digit at any humanity they came across: "Can't float? What a pity."
