Most Remarkable 2020: Chris Jones and Loralei Matisse, 2020 Co-Chairs, Come OUT St Pete
By : Brian Longstreth, former Board Member, Come OUT St Pete December 17, 2020
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Come OUT St Pete (COSP) is finishing a busy and challenging year.
Under the leadership of co-chairs Chris Jones and Loralei Matisse, the organization was able to not only move forward with their traditional events, adjusting them for COVID-19, but to also add new ones.
On May 22, COSP organized a Harvey Milk Day proclamation from the City of St. Petersburg which was presented virtually. On June 27th, the organization worked with the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum and Project No Labels to create a virtual vigil for Black Lives Matter on Shore Drive adjacent to Vinoy Park. It was an emotionally-draining event to honor the lives of transgender people who had lost their lives to violence and for George Floyd among others.
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December has always been my favorite time of the year. Even with the end of the school year and my birthday both happening in June, this month was the one I looked forward to most when I was growing up and that love has only grown in me as I grew.
As a big guy, my internal temperature runs fairly hot so a cooler month is always preferable to me rather than a sweltering summer month. I also love all things Christmas. I know it is sacrilegious as a gay man to say that I don’t really care about Halloween, but aside from the scary movies and the candy, the spooky season just isn’t my cup of tea.
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Like most things in our new normal, the end of 2020 has been unique. While October, November and December have long been my favorite months of the year, this one in particular tried its best to change that.
It was difficult not to let it at times, like during Halloween. The global pandemic rightfully kept responsible, in-person celebrations at bay this year – easily the best part, candy aside – and it stung a bit. I love a costume, but wearing one at home on a Zoom call didn’t pack the same punch.
Like a lot of folks in the LGBTQ community, I’ve always loved Halloween. It gives so many of us the opportunity to outwardly reflect whomever or whatever we want to be, praised by a world that often shuns us for doing exactly that.