On custom charter kayak trips to Content and Mud keys in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, Captain Andrea Paulson has educated thousands of kayaking clients about the importance of keeping backcountry waters pristine. Deeply passionate about the Florida Keys environment, she strives to give her clients a renewed respect for nature.
In late 2018, Key West’s first lesbian mayor was elected. Teri Johnston, a former City Commissioner, is also the first openly gay woman elected mayor of a major Florida city. Popular and well-respected, Johnston was interviewed recently by the leading news source Towleroad — and Towleroad permitted Keys Voices to share excerpts from that interview.
Joe Maxey looks a lot like Ernest Hemingway. That fact was amply proved when the 68-year-old white-bearded retired banker won Key West's annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe's Bar. More than 140 aspiring Ernests competed, vying to be named "Papa" on the island where Hemingway lived and wrote during the 1930s.
Key West Theater has undergone a dramatic transformation to become a cultural hub for the southernmost island’s arts and music community — putting Key West on the radar of world-class musicians, comedians, artists and entertainers. Among the big names it has lured to perform are Bret Michaels, David Crosby, Joan Osborne and Jefferson Starship.
Larry Blackburn is a prominent Florida Keys photographer, a fervent supporter of the Keys' "One Human Family" community and a constant presence at special events and fundraisers. Plus he will reign all year as the king of Key West's Fantasy Fest celebration after earning his crown by raising money for a local nonprofit. "Meet" Larry, whose heart is as notable as his height, by reading on.
Super-talented female impersonator Christopher Peterson brings to life dozens of celebrity icons for Key West audiences — including Joan Rivers, Bette Midler, Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe. Christopher developed and stars in his one-man show, EYECONS, at the island's famed La Te Da Cabaret.
One of Key West’s most talented residents is Gary Marion (aka “Sushi”), who entertains nightly on the second floor of the popular LGBTQ hangout 801 Bourbon Bar with the “Sushi and the 801 Girls” show. Over the years, Sushi has become a drag icon who's known worldwide for her “Red Shoe Drop” appearances on CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve television program.
Donie Lee, Key West's chief of police, is a widely admired officer and the island city's first openly gay police chief. As one of the unique community's many LGBTQ city officials and guiding spirits, this fifth-generation Key West resident plays an integral role in helping protect the place called paradise.
Key Largo Bike and Adventure Tours offers a diverse menu of cycling treks, including a Key Largo to Key West ride, for people of varying fitness levels. Founded about seven years ago, the company specializes in popular excursions such as the Two-Day Tour to Key West, two 100-mile challenges called the Florida Keys and Hemingway Century rides, an Islamorada Bike Tour, the Bike and Beer Tour, and Taste of the Keys.
Daniel Skahen is the executive director of the renowned Key West Business Guild and a longtime resident of Key West. He also fought successfully for the legalization of gay adoption in Florida. In his “free time,” he can be spotted welcoming travelers at the guild’s LGBTQ Visitor Center at 808 Duval St. So what does Daniel like best about living in Key West?