News & Blogs for Sarasota's LGBT community.

Dylonn Cole's Holiday Tradition

12/17/2016

Dylonn Cole is the owner of d.cole Hair Design. He has been creating hair magic for the last 8 years in his trendy salon located in Laurel Park. Though, during the Holiday's, Dylonn creates a different type of magic. The type of magic that makes Christmas... Christmas!

Imagine an unsuspecting mother going into K-mart days before Christmas to make their final layaway payment on toys and clothing for their children. A Layaway that probably has been months in the making, only to find out that their balance is zero! It's the same magic we experience when we were young and find that Santa has mysteriously entered our home while we were sleeping and left us presents!

Dylonn's magic of helping families pay off holiday layaways has been happening for the past 4 years. "I was inspired to do it when my best friend told me about someone else doing it" Dylonn Said. "...we started the following season and haven't stopped since!"

"The cashier told her that we had just paid off her layaway right in front of us...
She left crying because of how much it meant to her!"

Last year Dylonn paid off 6 layaways totaling over $900. "The Staff is excited to do it again this year" Dylonn said.

We asked Dylonn if he ever experienced meeting any of the families he's helped? "We have met a few people and it's been amazing," Dylonn answered. "The first time we did it, we were standing at the layaway counter and noticed a very pregnant mother with a two-year-old toddler patiently waiting their turn. We told her to go ahead of us so she didn't have to keep waiting. We walked around the store for a few minutes while she did her thing, and then came back to continue paying things off. The cashier told her that we had just paid off her layaway right in front of us. She left crying because of how much it meant to her! I knew we would never quit doing it after that."

"We also had one single mother actually come into the salon and bring us flowers and tell us that she wouldn't have been able to finish paying for the gifts for her children if it wasn't for our generosity!"

The d.cole salon family is helping to make this season more magical. "The feeling of knowing that our clients, as well as the salon here, care enough about children to make this happen is the best feeling ever! I have always remembered Christmas as being magical as a child" Dylonn said. "...and knowing that we can make that happen for other children, gives me pure joy!"

Dylonn's tradition is one that makes the season a little merrier. We hope that it inspires you to find a way to create your own magic! A magic that could inspire others! We admire Dylonn for all his greatness, in beauty, kindness, and giving!

Seasons greetings from d.cole Hair Design and SarasotaOUT.com

By: Joshua Beadle, Editor & Chief of SarasotaOUT.com

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Business Spotlight: Tyler Butler's Out & About

12/15/2016

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Tyler Butler is one of the hardest working social media gurus I know. Ever since knowing Tyler, he has been at the pulse of whats happening around town. His socialites group are the center of attention on Friday nights, and now he is in the spotlight himself with his Facebook segment 'Out and About.' I wanted to sit down with Tyler to find out his inspiration behind his many businesses - so we caught up with Tyler on the elliptical machine at the local You-fit to get the “gander!”

Tyler moved to Sarasota from Tampa in search for a slower paced lifestyle but quickly found out that although Sarasota is a beach town, there is a lot of work to be done here. His first project was “The Butler Did It” which is an Estate Management/concierge company where Tyler manages many wealthy homes around town. “Sarasota has so many seasonal residents so it was a great fit” Tyler explained.

"Sarasota has so many seasonal residents
so it was a great fit”

Over the last 2 years you may have seen Tyler around town being chauffeured in a stretch limousine taking pictures at restaurants and bars with a group of fabulously dressed men and women. This sassy group is named The Sarasota Socialites. “The Sarasota Socialites was a way for me to support my clients of my concierge service businesses. I wanted to support them by bringing a large group out and featuring them on social media. My socialites would start at the official kick off venue which is Classico and we would have complimentary appetizers and then receive a round of drinks at each location we stopped at. A classy bar crawl” He explained. “We would end the night at Elevate on the second floor of The Starlite Room and by that time everyone was feeling the moment thanks to the generosity of all the establishments”

Keeping with the times, Tyler saw the success of his social media from his socialites events and knew he was on to something. While it started as a joke he had no idea how social media would change the direction of his career in the matter of a couple months. While out with the socialites he would broadcast the shenanigans of the night LIVE on Facebook. "I would make funny Videos of people being drunk and falling down"

“I would make funny videos of people being drunk and falling down...”

Tyler recalled. “And they were OK with it, especially when everyone around town would recognize them from being in my videos” Tyler’s videos became a hit receiving thousands of views and Tyler started to get recognized everywhere he went.

Over time Tyler decided he wanted to use his social media success for a greater purpose. The content of his videos changed from drunken nights out to reviewing refined happy hours and covering charity events. He named his segments OUT & ABOUT and has his own catchy tag line “Lets go inside and take a gander” Tyler cheerfully tells his audience! He posts a video every couple days covering the widest variety of events from local drag shows to charity fuctions. He has worked with just about every business I can think of featuring their Happy Hour specials and a variety of charities including American Cancer Society, Kids by the Sea and Harvest House. Tyler passionatly joked... "The feeling of giving is so much better than buying a new pair of Louis Vuittons"

"the feeling of giving is so much better then buying a new pair of Louis Vuittons..."

Tyler has received accolades from being in the spotlight as well as people who criticize him for his videos. “I’ve helped so many people for nothing in return, so when people say things about me it really hurts” Tyler said. “I just hope that my videos will do more good and will help build awareness of local businesses and charities around town. I hope that I can make the right business decisions so that OUT & ABOUT can grow into something that could be even bigger than I can dream because ultimately I’m doing this for the community!”

Tyler Butler has exceeded our expectations during our interview and I found myself seeing a little of myself in his story. Many of us start our careers on one path and find ourselves down another serving a greater cause. Tyler has created a platform for himself and what he will do with that platform is exciting for his audience and himself. We couldn't be more proud of Tyler’s success here at SarasotaOUT.com, and are excited to see whats next.

By: Joshua Beadle, Editor and Chief of SarasotaOUT.com

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We asked... "What are you thankful for?"

12/9/2016

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The holidays are a time of reflection and to give thanks so we wanted to see what some of our community leaders had to say!

MIKE CHERRY
Strategic Marketer of atLarge downtown

"I'm thankful presidential terms are only four years and not longer... LOL. During this divided time in our country it's hard to recognize what you're thankful for. I'd say it's our duty today to focus on the good we are doing or could be doing within our community to better ourselves holistically. And I'm thankful to be a part of that growth in Sarasota. I'm thankful for having a voice and using it to better this community."

MICHAEL LAMB
Community AIDS Network
Prevention Specialist

"I am thankful for progress. Progress shows growth & with growth comes wisdom."

SHANNON FORTNER
Founder & Executive Director of
Harvey Milk Festival

"During a time like now we have to think about the things we are grateful for. I am grateful for the love I share with my beautiful bride-to-be and her very wonderful 6 year old son. Being surrounded by a community like ours has given us hope. Joining arms when we need one and other, working together to build bridges and support. This is why we should always remember this, "Our Hearts Beat On. We Promise To Stay Strong"

JOHN SECOR
Festival Producer of Sarasota Film Festival

"I'm thankful this holiday season to live in a community that embraces my differences, supports my needs and values the performing arts and independent filmmaking!"

JOEY PANEK
Senior Producer at Suncoast View

"I'm thankful to live in a city that values the arts. I'm grateful for the friendships I've made because of that. And I'm thankful for my dog Lulu. I'm always thankful for her."

BRADEN CHAPMAN/
MIMI IMFURST
Cheif Innovation Officer at ALandCHUCK.travel

"2016 has proven to be full of extreme rewards and extreme challenges. I can speak for myself and everyone at ALandCHUCK.travel that we are EXTREMELY thankful for the friends and family we can hold close, our extended family around the world; but mostly for the lessons and blessings we carry into 2017. We hope everyone can reflect and find the joy in their lives this holiday season. "

BRIAN CRAFT
Director of Marketing at
Manatee Performing Arts Center

"This Holiday Season, I am thankful to be a part of a community that not only embraces and supports the arts, but stimulates it’s artists, encouraging and pushing us to think outside the box and grow, embracing and celebrating our authenticity. I’m also thankful that we are able to engage in countless collaborations providing platforms to connect and come together as a community."

By: Joshua Beadle, Editor and Chief of SarasotaOUT.com

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The perfect gift for your GAYmer

12/7/2016

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Final Fantasy XV's all male ensemble cast is sure to steal your heart this Christmas! Stuck in development for nearly 10 years FFXV is finally upon us and it doesn't disappoint! You follow the fetching Prince Noctis as he embarks on a world-spanning quest with his four closest friends in order to reclaim his kingdom from the clutches of the Niflheim Empire. However, Final Fantasy XV is not just a game with four pretty faces. Final Fantasy XV has a genuinely compelling cast of characters, intriguing plot, exceptional villain and is arguably the most ambitious title in the franchise to date.

The game does away with the classic turn-based battle system of yore and instead embraces more modern action based RPG mechanics. While long standing series fans may have an adjustment period the games endearing cast, intriguing story and genuinely exceptional gameplay will compel you to keep playing. FFXV tops GameStop's list, at number 1, as the most desired game this holiday season. Show the GAYmer in your life how much they mean to you and get them a copy of Final Fantasy XV; you won't regret it!

By Kris Pickett, GAYmer Blogger for SarasotaOUT.com

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5 "Gayish" Holiday Movies to Watch this Season

12/6/2016

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The holidays are the best time of year. Full of Shopping, parties, Christmas music and lights but our favorite part of the holidays are curling up in a fleece blanket, turning the AC down to 63' white drinking hot chocolate and watching Holiday Movies. We asked our facebook friends what thier favorite "gayish" holiday movies are and this some of our favorites!

Holiday Heart

Ving Rhames stars as a drag queen who takes in a crack-addicted prostitute and her daughter and helps them get back on their feet. It’s heavy subject matter is a bit heavy-handed at times, but Rhames is superb, and it’s truly one of the gayest things you’re bound to see all Christmas.

A Diva's Christmas Charol

A remake of the Dicken's classic, "A Christmas Carol" featuring a very nasty pop singer who gets a reality check by three Christmas spirits. And with a cast of lgbt allies like Vanessa L. Williams, Kathy Griffin and John Taylor it's sure to be a new holiday tradition.

Mean Girls

There’s plenty of parallels between Cady trying to fit in with the popular crowd and the closet. Many gay guys and girls have tried their hardest to fit into the stereotypical gender roles for the sake of social acceptance. It is only when Cady is forced to come to terms with her identity, in this case with her interest in math, that she can ‘come out’ and be who she is. Mean Girls isn't necessarily a Holiday Movie but there is a whole scene devoted to one of the most famous versions of Jingle Bell Rock... thus making Mean Girls a Holiday movie in our list!

Rent

The show focuses on a single year in the lives of a group of struggling artists and activists living in New York’s Alphabet City. The characters reflect a friend group of filmmakers, musicians, actors and anarchists of all kinds of sexualities and gender expressions, including gay, lesbian, bi and drag queens. In addition to celebrating the diversity of this underground arts scene, the show boldly told stories of people living with HIV and AIDS at a time when it still felt like a death sentence and there were much fewer available treatments.

Frozen

Frozen is about a Princess... suprise although some say this is Disney's first gay princess! It isn’t like she has a girlfriend or any romance at all. It's the idea that she was born different. Eric Diaz at Topless Robotmovie said: “Queen Elsa’s big number, the Oscar-nominated ‘Let It Go,’ is pretty much the gay kid’s coming-out anthem for a generation. Seriously, expect a whole gaggle of musical-theater kids to belt this number out in audition after audition . . . for like, the next 30 years.”

By Joshua Beadle, Editor and Chief of SarasotaOUT.com

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SarasotaOUT.com Launch Party!

12/2/2016

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We had an amazing turn out at The Starlite Room on Thursday, December, 1st for our Launch Party benefiting (RED), a charity that is fighting to end AIDS in Africa. Our launch was on world AIDS day and the communuty came together and raised $650!

Our event included a full demo of our website by its creator, Joshua Beadle and concluded with a show by Eduardo Correa, Spikey Van Dykey and Rockell Blu.

SarasotaOUT.com want's to thank the partners that made this event possible. The Starlite Room, Eduardo Correa, Spikey Van Dykey, Rockell Blu, Joel Pozo, Justin Raines, Angel A Moro, Eduardo Anaya, G2H2 (Gay Guy Happy Hour) and many more!

We are looking forward to many more events! #sarasotaOUT