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Homophobic Hate Groups And Schools That Ban Gay Teachers Handed Millions In Coronavirus Relief Funds “Umbrella Academy” Star Elliot Page Comes Out As Transgender Top Gay Travel Christmas Gifts 2020 Gay Men Are At Higher Risk Of Poor Bone Health RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 Will Make History With First Transgender Male Contestant Billy Porter Is Co-Hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” To Say Goodbye To 2020 In Style Florida’s Most Popular LGBTQ Getaways Light A Candle, There’s Hope On The Horizon
Publisher/Executive Editor David Vandygriff Dvandygriff @cityxtramagazine.com Editor In Chief Dr. Harvey Carr hcarr@cityxtramagazine.com Director of Sales Adam Plante, Esq aplante@cityxtramagazine.com Creative Designer Debbie Johnson Djohnson @cityxtramagazine.com cityXtra Magazine is published by cityXtra Organization Inc . 2941 Plum Street Jacksonville, FL 32205 (904) 300-3320
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Michigan Court Rules That Businesses Can Refuse Gay & Bi People, But Not Trans People Lawmaker Who Resigned After Calling Gays “Fa***T” Gets Reelected
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Association also created One Million Moms, an organization Homophobic Hate Groups And Schools comprised of a That Ban Gay Teachers Handed Millions In small number Coronavirus Relief Funds of angry By Alex Jones mothers who Anti-LGBT+ hate groups and call for boycotts on almost schools that ban gay teachers anything LGBT+ related. because of their sexuality have Liberty Counsel, a legal been handed millions in organization that has claimed coronavirus relief funds in the homosexuality causes United States. “significant damage to those More than $5 billion was involved”, received $428,000 in handed to organizations under funds under the Paycheck the Paycheck Protection Protection Program. Program (PPP), which was set The legal organization made up to help small businesses headlines in 2019 when it tried survive the COVID-19 to have gay people removed pandemic. from an anti-lynching bill. Seven of the organizations that Trump administration accused received funding under the of ‘rubber stamping’ vile hate program are listed as antigroups. LGBT+ hate groups by the Cassie Miller, senior research Southern Poverty Law Center analyst at the Southern Poverty (SPLC), NBC News reports. Law Center, said it is The American College of “unconscionable” that the Pediatricians, American Family federal government is giving Association, Center for Family funds to organizations that and Human Rights (C-Fam), actively campaign against Church Militant/St Michael’s LGBT+ people’s rights. Media, Liberty Counsel, Pacific “This administration is putting Justice Institute and Ruth Institute were among those that its rubber stamp on the vile received state funding totaling ideologies these groups espouse by giving them $2.5 million, despite their forgivable federal loans. designated hate group status. “At a time when millions of Most of that money went to the people in the US are hurting American Family Association, a because of the pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis, hate group committed to our federal government should “combating the homosexual not be sponsoring agenda”. taxpayer-paid hate. The American Family “These far-right actors have exploited people’s fears and 06 www.cityxtramagazine.com
grievances to promote their ideologies.” Miller added: “We will not stand idly by as hate groups try to take our money to help spew their hate. Every American of good conscience should be outraged.” The American Family Association, the Ruth Institute and the Pacific Justice Institute did not respond to requests for information on how they used the funding when contacted by NBC. However, the American College of Pediatricians – which has linked homosexuality to pedophilia and has endorsed conversion therapy – said it used the funds for “the covered payroll period as designated”. The American College of Pediatricians also denied that that it is a hate group, while Liberty Counsel accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of trying to “destroy those with whom they disagree”. Other SPLC-designated hate groups that received funding under the program include the Center for Immigration Studies, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, the David Horowitz Freedom Center and the Remembrance Project.
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“Umbrella
Academy” Star Elliot Page Comes Out as Trans By Michael Jenkins
It’s a big day for Elliot Page. The Umbrella Academy star took to Twitter this Tuesday, December 1, to issue an important announcement: Page is trans, and he now uses he/ they pronouns and goes by the name Elliot. In his statement, the 33-year-old actor, who is married to Canadian choreographer Emma Portner, thanked all of the “incredible people” who supported him throughout his coming-out journey.
followers. “I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community.”
Although his joy “is real,” Page admitted that it is also “fragile,” and he does fear the prospect of navigating the world as a trans person. He noted the high rates of hate-motivated violence that plague America’s transgender community, particularly Black and brown trans women. “I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ’jokes,’ and of violence,” he “I can’t even begin express continued. “To be clear, I am how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I pursue my authentic self,” celebrate, but I want to address Page wrote to his 1.5 million the full picture.” Twitter
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The actor also called upon anti-transgender politicians to understand how denying trans people health care or “the right to exist” is harmful. “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,” Page concluded. “To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and [threats] of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.” Congratulations, Elliot, and thank you for sharing story.
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bi-weekly travel column for Mannschaft magazine? Anyways, we think, magazine Top Gay Travel Christmas Gifts 2020 subscripBy Karl & Dean From Amsterdam tions are perfect How time flies‌ And here we gay travel Christmas presents are again, the pre-Christmas for 2019! time has finally arrived. For us, #2 Plan a romantic getaway: it is also the time to get the A good hotel or gay-friendly Christmas present sorted out accommodation, in general, is for everyone. But instead of half the trip. Because when you material things and overpriced are well-rested, the following gifts, we like to present nice day is just double so much fun moments and memorable and exciting. During our trips in experiences like winter event the past years, we had the tickets, summer event tickets, chance to test some pretty and romantic hotel stays with good LGBTQ+ friendly hotels, the little luxurious extra. The for example, the 5*-hotel Le most important thing about it for Meridien in Vienna, the us: We can share those gay Fairmont hotels, the Hilton Christmas memories afterward hotels in New York, or the together. Enjoy our selection of luxury apartments by Yays in Gay Travel Christmas Presents Amsterdam. Check all our 2020 and get inspired by our Gay-friendly hotel reviews to best Christmas gift ideas. Merry find the right one for you! If you Christmas and happy giving! wanna support our blog, please #1 Get inspired by gay travel use the following links to find stories: We have always a and book your stay! Thanks! stable of travel magazines next Hotels auf TripAdvisor | Hotels to our sofa. Reading good gay auf Booking.com travel stories is, besides writing #3 Book your partner a them ourselves, the one thing surprise flight: You probably we love to do to get inspired for noticed it already: We are really our next adventures. Our big fans of KLM Royal Dutch favorite magazines are the Airlines. One reason is, of Swiss-German magazine course, their home airport Mannschaft, the German Schiphol here in our home town Spartacus Traveler, and the Amsterdam. The second part British magazine Attitude. Did is, of course, their LGBT and you know, that Karl is writing a gay-friendliness. This summer we were able to team up with 10 www.cityxtramagazine.com
their company employee LGBTQ+ group to show you Amsterdam during Pride. Our Christmas tip: Secretly book a flight with KLM or upgrade the seat category. If you wanna support our blog, please use the following link to KLM to find some great offers! Special tips for German travelers: You can fly from 10 German airports with just one stop in Amsterdam to 160 (mostly direct) destinations around the world! #4 Stay connected everywhere you go: Last year in summer we had the chance to test the Wifi devices of SkyRoam for the first time during our trip to Edmonton, Canada. And we loved it. We were able to stay online where ever we were and did not have to worry about any hidden costs. Skyroam offers different options for their different SkyRoam devices to stay connected: with unlimited global monthly or daily subscription as well as pay-perGB GoData subscription. And the best is that we could connect both our phones and MacBooks to one device. Skyroam Gift is our Christmas gift tip especially for trips outside Europe. #5 Get winter event tickets: Just a few weeks to go and we will arrive in the year 2021. With the beginning of January, the annual Gay Ski Weeks will start their season. Event passes and tickets for skiing and snowboarding are already available, most of them with Christmas deals and good
discounts. In the past three years, we attended the gay ski weeks in Jasper and Whistler in Canada and had so much fun being together with hundreds of LGBTQ+ ski and snowboard fans in the winter wonderlands of Canada. The first Gay Ski Week in 2020 is, as usual, the popular Aspen Gay Ski Week in Colorado. Fly to Denver and up you go into the mountains! #6 Get summer event tickets: We know, we know! It is just Christmas but summertime will come soon enough. And you know how much we love the late summer event in Austria, the Pink Lake festival, right? Well, most of the summer events have already their ticket sales online where you can get some pretty good early-bird deals, especially over Christmas. The tickets for the Pink Lake Festival 2020 are, for example, already available. We think it is a great Gay Travel Christmas present 2020! #7 Become a child for a day (or more): We love theme parks, and you know that of course. Buying a ticket for your loved one is just a logical Christmas present idea! We have been to Universal Studios Hollywood this year as well as Disneyland. It was not our first time in the happiest places on earth in California and most definitely will not be our last one, for sure! Getting a ticket for your next trip to Paris, Anaheim, Florida, Hongkong, Tokyo, Osaka or Shanghai is the best childhood Christmas surprise there is!
#8 Explore the LGBTQ+ Community in Colombia You know we are just back from our first trip to South America exploring Colombia and Peru. For the first time, we did a queer nightlife tour in Bogota. Our tour guides from Queer Scout Colombia were local gay guys knowing the best parties and bars in town. We are happy to team up with them offering you a 5% discount on all their tours by using our discount code COUPLEOFMEN5! Just mention it when sending them a booking request via email! It is definitely worth it! #9 Get your FREE Christmas present: A couple of weeks ago, we told you about our photo collaboration with the German online photo print service MeinFoto. We teamed up with them for Christmas offering every one of you a 30 Euro discount for canvas prints. If you order the 20x20cm or 30x20cm version, it is actually for free! You just have to pay for transport costs. Why we choose to work with them and all about their sustainable work ethics you can read now on our blog! CoupleOfMen.com #10 Gay Movies for romantic nights anywhere you go: Not that much into traveling and more into some romantic cuddling time at home? Every year new great movies hit the market and become the perfect
present for at home or during your gay travels, not only for visiting LGBTQ+ film festivals. Additional to our last year’s Gay Movie picks like the East-West German gay movie Westler (order in the US | order in DE/NL) from 1985, the UK gay movies Weekend (order in the US | order in DE/ NL) from 2011 and Alive & Kicking (order in the US | order in DE/ NL) from 1996, we added the movies Call me by your name (order in the US | order in the DE/ NL) and God’s Own Country (order in the US | order in the DE/ NL). Especially the least was definitely one of our cinema highlights in 2019. For more inspiration, check our gay movie collection on Amazon. If you are not into DVDs anymore (because of your in a plane like us), you can, of course, stream some of them as well. www.cityxtramagazine.com 11
Gay Men Are At Higher Risk Of Poor Bone Health By Dr. Jacob Talbot
A new study found that gay men are at higher risk of poor bone health compared to straight men, while lesbians and bisexual people have about the same bone health as straight people. “It’s not that sexual orientation on its own is responsible for this disparity in bone health, rather it’s lifestyle and stress associated with sexual minority status that is possibly driving theses differences,” said James Gibb of the University of Toronto, one of the authors of the study, adding that this research will be more important “as the population of sexual minority older adults grows.” The study, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 to 2014 that came from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessments of bone density.
were gay or lesbian, and 103 were “same sex experienced,” and the participants’ average age was 36.
between depression and bone mass, which past research has The researchers found that gay found independent of sexual orientation, but we also know men had lower bone mineral that sexual minorities tend to density values in certain have higher rates of regions of the skeleton that depression,” Gibbs said. were studied compared to straight and bi men. Bisexual As for bisexual women having women showed better bone higher levels of bone health than straight women, but mineralization, Gibbs said that the difference wasn’t is a subject that “warrants statistically significant. further research.” The results for gay men “Bone health is crucial. You persisted even after adjusting need a healthy skeleton to for risk factors. perform all sorts of physical activities because your The researchers believe that muscles pull on the skeletal this is because gay men tend to smoke and drink more than system, and that’s the lever straight men, both of which are that allows you to move,” Gibbs said. linked to worse bone health. Depression can also harm “Ensuring everyone has strong, bone health because it causes healthy bones is an important the body to release hormones way to make sure people are that can block the able to achieve a better overall mineralization process of quality of life, especially as Of the participants, 2,990 were bones. they age.” straight, 97 were bisexual, 53 “There’s an association
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RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 Will Make History With First Transgender Male Contestant By David Vandygriff
Drag performer GottMik will be the first transmasculine contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. World of Wonder, which produces the Emmy-winning drag reality competition, released introductory videos for the contestants on season 13, set to premier in January. LA-based make up artist Kade Gottlieb – AKA GottMik – is among the contestants and he’s the first transgender man to compete on the show. “I need to be the first trans winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Period,” he says in the video. “The more I got comfortable with my gender identity, the more I got to play with the drag/ GottMik side.” “It means so much for me to be on the show right now, especially being a trans guy going in. A feminine perspective of a trans guy?”
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GottMik’s best friend – beauty blogger James Charles – congratulated him on show. Twitter. In season nine, Peppermint was the first person to enter the “My best friend is on Drag Werk Room as an out Race,” Charles tweeted. “The first trans man to ever compete transgender person. Kandy on the show… this is SOOOO Zyanide and Angele Anang were also both out as important and I can’t even transgender women before begin to appearing on season two of explain how PROUD of him I am for all of his hard work over Drag Race Thailand; Ilona Verley and Ma’Ma Queen the past few years! This publicly identified as non-binary season is going to be before their respective seasons SICKENING.” of Canada’s Drag Race and GottMik won’t be the first Drag Race Holland; and Gia transgender person on Gunn transitioned between her RuPaul’s Drag Race – several appearances on season seven contestants have come out as of RuPaul’s Drag Race and transgender, non-binary, and season four of RuPaul’s Drag gender fluid during or after their Race: All Stars. appearances on the series. But Season 13 is set to premier at they will be the first person 8 p.m. Eastern on January 1 on assigned female at birth to compete on any iteration of the VH1.
Billy Porter Is Co-Hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” To Say Goodbye To 2020 In Style By Serina Johnson
Pose actor Billy Porter was announced as the new co-host ABC’s annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show to bookend this year. Alongside annual co-host Ryan Seacrest and fellow guest co-host Lucy Hale, Porter will send 2020 off and welcome 2021 in from Times Square in New York City. Ciara will host the Los Angeles wing of the show for the second year in a row. “2020 has been a trying year for the world and I’m thrilled to have Billy and Lucy join me in ushering in a new year with fresh beginnings,” said Seacrest in a statement to the Associated Press. “We look forward to making sure it’s a night for everyone to remember.” While the show is still expected to be broadcast live, but the area will be “closed to the public” due to coronavirus pandemic concerns. It’s the bookend on a year where Porter — an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awardwinning entertainer — made appearance all across entertainment media. He delivered an “LGBTQ State of the Union 16 www.cityxtramagazine.com
Address” in response to Donald Trump’s 2020 address in February; recorded an episode of Sesame Street that will air in the show’s 51st season next year, but has already earned outrage from the religious right; and performed virtually at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
the show live from New Orleans. He wrote on Instagram that he is “excited” to have co-hosting duties this year. This is Seacrest’s 16th year hosting Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and his second consecutively with He also was part of the Hale, an actress of Pretty Little star-studded virtual NYC Pride Liars fame. Hale took over for ceremonies this June, and he Jenny McCarthy, who appeared on a “Home for the co-hosted the show with Holidays” benefit concert with Seacrest for ten years prior to Cyndi Lauper for the LGBTQ not taking part in 2019 going homeless advocacy group True into 2020. Colors United that premiered “The telecast promises to bring on TikTok on December 11. out some major star power in “Home for the Holidays” will the form of musical also air on Facebook and performances from the YouTube on December 13. ‘crossroads of the world’ and He is also starring in Pose for across the country,” Good its third season, which will Morning America reports, begin airing in 2021. adding that more artists and Last year, Porter appeared on other guests “will be revealed in the coming weeks.”
and parties. The famous Aids Memorial Quilt typically makes an appearance – a Florida’s Most Popular LGBTQ Getaways must-see for those who By John Davis have not Florida is one of the world's viewed this powerful reminder premier gay and lesbian travel of the AIDS pandemic up close. destinations, In Wilton Manors – dubbed the That's because the Sunshine country’s “Second Gayest State rolls out the rainbow City,” second only to carpet for LGBTQ travelers, Provincetown, Mass., as a beckoning with year-round result of the 2010 U.S. Census warmth, top-notch dining and – check out Stonewall National clubs, inclusive events and Museum & Archives, known as festivals, and friendly the “LGBTQ community’s accommodations, Smithsonian.” The walkable suburb with a small-town Here are some of Florida's atmosphere houses the largest most welcoming and popular circulating LGBT book and film LGBTQ cities and areas: program in the United States. WILTON MANORS/FORT Shop along curving Wilton LAUDERDALE A longtime destination for gay Drive, where stores and visitors, Fort Lauderdale and its restaurants like The Pink Submarine, Gaysha New World neighboring gayborhood of Wilton Manors welcome more Sushi Bar and Out of the Closet proudly display their than 1.1 million LGBTQ rainbow flags. It’s not difficult to travelers a year. The city has find high heels in size 11 here. more than 100 gay-owned businesses, including bars and The city is surrounded by forks clubs, cafes and coffeehouses, in the Middle River, making it a and award-winning hotels and true island. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from Atlantic guest houses. One of the first gay resorts in Fort Lauderdale, Coast Kayak to cruise the seven-mile loop that wraps the Grand Resort and Spa, at around Wilton Manors. 539 N. Birch Rd., consistently wins high marks on the Travel Prime times for visits are May Channel’s coveted “Best for BeachBear Weekend, All-Inclusive Resorts.” October for the Fort Lauderdale Since 1977, the city has hosted Gay & Lesbian Film Festival or June for Stonewall Summer the week-long Pride Fort Pride. Every April, in nearby Lauderdale every February, Davie, the Florida Gay Rodeo with hundreds of outdoor Association sponsors the vendors, live music, dancing Sunshine Stampede Gay Ro18 www.cityxtramagazine.com deo, a two-day rodeo that
draws thousands for parties, line dancing, bull riding, barrel racing, calf roping and a “rodeo school” for beginners. Info: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, sunny.org/lgbt. KEY WEST Gay transplants have been relocating and vacationing in the island paradise of Key West since the 1970s, with gay and lesbian guesthouses proliferating to meet the demand. The fun-loving southernmost city is selected repeatedly as “Best Gay Resort Town” by readers of Out Traveler magazine. Along with shops and boutiques, you’ll find most of the town’s gay bars along walkable Duval Street, including Aqua Nightclub and 801 Bourban Bar, with their fun drag shows, and La Te Da Hotel and Restaurant, which has a poolside lounge, piano bar and cabaret room. Time your visit for Pridefest in June for a week of events that include home tours, sunset sailing and a two-day street festival. WomenFest, held each September, draws lesbians of all ages for a week of beach parties, snorkeling cruises, competitive bull riding and galas. The annual FantasyFest in October is an outrageous, five-day celebration with costume competitions, street fairs and a grand parade with floats. Info: Gay Key West Visitor Center, gaykeywestfl.com. MIAMI BEACH Dubbed the “Gay Riviera,”
Miami Beach has been flying the rainbow flag for decades. The city passed Florida’s first permanent ordinance banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation back in 1992. It opened the country’s first LGBT Visitors Center at the corner of 11th Street and Washington Avenue as a resource for gay travelers. The city’s legendary White Party Week in November is the nation’s oldest and largest HIV/ AIDS fundraiser, drawing more than 10,000 gay and lesbian visitors for high-energy dance parties hosted by top DJs and performers, comedy shows, sports and recreational events. Along with South Beach’s eye-catching collection of welcoming Art Deco gems and boutique hotels, the beach is a huge draw, especially the “gay beach” at 12th Street and Ocean Drive. Other prime times for visits include spring for the two-day Miami Beach Gay Pride or the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Get your bearings on the Gay & Lesbian Walking Tour, hosted by the Miami Design Preservation League. It covers the contributions of gays and lesbians to the history of Miami Beach and introduces current hot spots of gay life. The tour starts at the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr., at 11 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Info: Miami Beach LGBT Visitor Center’s website gogaymiami.com
TAMPA The GaYBOR District – a coalition of gay and gayfriendly businesses that began on the west end of Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood – is now a 10-year-old presence in this former cigarrolling, Latin immigrant enclave. Dubbed the “LGBTA Main Street for The West Coast of Florida,” the 12-block area offers a fun mix of shops, bars and restaurants. The coalition has a large presence, with its own float and krewe, in Tampa’s parade season, which includes the Krewe of San’t Yago Knight Parade in February, the Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March, St. Pete Pride Parade in June and the Tampa Pride Parade in March. Visiting in December? Check out the Santa Speedo and Mrs. Claus in Bras Run, a light-hearted, Christmasthemed, one-mile fun run and AIDS benefit through Ybor
City’s holiday decorations. Like the rest of Ybor City, GaYbor has a thriving night life, pumped up by dance music at Seventh Avenue hot spots, such as Honeypot. Among the district’s many restaurants, Hamburger Mary’s is loudest and proudest, with dinner-time drag shows, drag queen bingo and cabarets. Fortunately for film buffs, the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival – one of the country’s largest and longest-running independent gay film festivals – hosts events and films year-round, but the height of activity happens in October, when more than 8,000 people attend films, parties and awards ceremonies. Info: Visit Tampa Bay’s Conquer With Pride website visittampabay.com/tampaevents/tampa-lgbt-pride/ www.cityxtramagazine.com 19
GULFPORT/ST. PETE Considered Tampa Bay’s Margaritaville, the ’burb of Gulfport is a bohemian village of pastel bungalows, artists, eclectic shops and outdoor cafes on the Boca Ciega Bay. The best way to experience it is on foot on the first Friday or third Saturday evening of the month, when Art Walk fills downtown with artisans selling jewelry, wood carvings, tie-dyed clothing, and homemade soaps and candles, with resident musicians sometimes staging live concerts in their front yards. GeckoFest, a Pink Flamingo Tour of Homes and a weekly Farmers Market keep the place walkable and authentic yearround. Years ago, the town’s open-minded residents passed a comprehensive anti-bias ordinance that bans all forms of discrimination, including sex, gender and family status. The town’s public library even has a LGBTQ Resource Center, which hosts a monthly LGBTQ film series on the second Thursday of every month. Only five miles away, St. Petersburg waves its rainbow flag with its own LGBT Welcome Center and Pride Guide featuring events and the region’s LGBT-friendly businesses. The heart of GLBT St. Pete is the historic Grand Central District and its adjacent gayborhood of Kenwood, with its streets lined with Craftsmenstyle cottages from the 1920s. Grand Center’s commercial district features more than 70 GLBT-friendly businesses, 20 www.cityxtramagazine.com
including antique stores, home décor galleries, salons, boutiques, bars and restaurants. St. Pete’s Pride Weekend is one of Florida’s largest gay pride events, drawing more than 100,000 marchers to a downtown night-time parade in the Grand Central District, as well as a street fest and concert, every June. St. Pete also is home to one of the west coast’s premiere gay beaches, bohemian Sunset Beach. Located on the southern tip of St. Pete’s Treasure Island, among the string of barrier islands that extends along the Gulf of Mexico to the west of St. Petersburg, Sunset Beach is famous for its strip with beachfront bars and its Sunday beach parties. Info: Visit St. Petersburg/ Clearwater LGBT Travel Connections visitstpeteclearwater/things-todo/lgbtq
sanctioned by Disney, the annual event has attracted a growing number of LGBT families with children. Later in the year, every October, Come Out With Pride in downtown Orlando is one of Florida’s largest pride festivals, with a street festival, fireworks, kid zone and concerts. Info: Visit Orlando’s LGBT Guide to Orlando visitorlando.com/en/lgbtq
SARASOTA Sophisticated and artsy, Sarasota has developed a loyal gay following, thanks to its cultural diversions, which range from the Sarasota Ballet to Drag Queen Bingo Bonanza at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre in historic downtown Sarasota’s East End. At the Asolo Rep Theatre, the OUT@AsoloRep series pairs theatre with community outreach in monthly events that highlight LGBT organizations in Sarasota county. ORLANDO Take in the posh shops and What started as a small group restaurants of St. Armand’s of gays and lesbians dressing Circle or hit Sarasota’s quiet, in red and spending the day at white-sand North Lido Beach. Walt Disney World in 1991 has It’s secluded – think dunes and grown into one of the largest sea oats – and 22-acre north gay pride events in the world, Lido Park looms like a forest attracting over 150,000 gay above. Sarasota’s Pride Fest in and lesbian travelers to October is held downtown on Orlando on the first Saturday of Sarasota Bay in J.D. Hamel every June. Gay Days at Park. The day-long celebration Orlando Area Theme Parks is features food trucks, a beer now a week-long fete that garden and tiki bar, live music floods all of Orlando’s theme and a DJ, a family fun zone, parks with a sea of red-shirt and vendor expos. attendees. Area hotels and Info: Visit Sarasota’s LGBT nightclubs join in with satellite Travel Guide visitsarasota.com/ pool parties, dances and articlelgbt-travel-sarasotaconcerts. Not officially country
Light A Candle, There’s Hope On The Horizon By Drew Williams
At this time of year, we light a candle of hope and possibility as the days begin growing longer and sunshine returns to lead us out of days of darkness. As coronavirus infections and deaths soar out of control and hospitals approach and exceed capacity while healthcare workers are stretched to the breaking point, several promising vaccines are in development and some have been approved for use. We can now see an increasingly bright light at the end of what has been a long and dark tunnel. As we witness, with increasing rapidity, police harassment and killings of unarmed black and brown people in the United States and other Western countries, progressive coalitions of grassroots activities are increasingly coming together to demand that “enough is enough.” The Trump administration has waged a destructive battle against the Earth by bulldozing dozens of environmental regulations meant to improve the quality of the air, water, and the ground while protecting our ever-shrinking forest reserves. 22 www.cityxtramagazine.com
With the growing environmental movement demanding a better and cleaner future by reducing our carbon footprint with clean renewable energy sources along with the incoming Biden-Harris administration (committed to protecting our environment) we light a candle.
As more businesses have been forced to close resulting in countless layoffs of people who have lost any financial security they had, increasing the already rampant problem of homelessness and food insecurity, and as Congress As Donald Trump cried “fraud” deadlocks on passing a COVID in his electoral defeat and 100 -related stimulus package to Republican congress members assist those in most need, help and 17 Republican attorneys may be on the horizon as a general joined with the Texas new administration takes over. State Attorney General to bring So we light another candle. a lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme While patriarchal white Court to overturn election supremacist neo-Nazis have results in some states, most moved from the fringes to the Constitutional scholars center of society with asserted — in legal parlance — encouragement from the that their effort has as much Republican Party, coalitional chance as the proverbial snow- organizing by We the People is ball in Hell. The case died pushing them back to the yesterday when the Court margins. refused to hear it. And we will use the glow of our Trump stocked the brilliant candle to light our way Washington, DC swamp with toward a better, more just, and unqualified and corrupt compassionate future. sycophants. The new BidenLook around us. Sunshine is Harris administration is choosing career professionals on the horizon. whose expertise will assist the nation in getting back on track rather than jumping to the whip of a narcissist.
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Murray referenced a state supreme court decision in Barbour v Department of Social SerMichigan Court Rules That Businesses Can Refuse Gay & Bi People, But Not Trans People vices, where the court ruled By David Vandygriff that the state’s A Michigan court has ruled that ban on discrimination because it’s legal for businesses to of sex does not ban discriminarefuse to serve gay and tion against gay and bisexual bisexual people but not people. transgender people. “Whether Barbour’s reasoning
that the U.S. Supreme Court was right to conclude, as did the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, that ‘sex’ in this context is also inclusive of sexual orientation,” Michigan Department of Civil Rights Chair Stacie Clayton told MLive.com. “The fact is that continuing to interpret the word ‘sex’ in a more restrictive way than we do any of the other protected classes under ELCRA is in itself discriminatory.” The state’s civil rights law is no longer valid in light of Michigan Attorney General Daincludes neither sexual Bostock v Clayton Co,” Murray na Nessel said that she plans orientation nor gender identity, wrote, “is a matter for the Court to appeal Murray’s ruling. but the Michigan Civil Rights of Appeals, not this Court.” “Michigan courts have held that Commission voted in 2018 to But the state supreme court federal precedent is highly interpret the state’s ban on has not yet ruled on antipersuasive when determining discrimination on the basis of transgender discrimination, so the contours of the sex to include discrimination Murray referred to several Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, against LGBTQ people, an federal rulings, including and federal courts across the interpretation that federal Bostock, which Murray said country – including the U.S. courts have agreed with and held “that an employer violates Supreme Court in Bostock v that was later used by the Title VII when it treats an Clayton Co – have held that Supreme Court in Bostock v. employee born male but who discrimination on the basis of Clayton County this past year now ‘identifies’ as female sexual orientation is a form of to rule that federal law already differently than an employee sex discrimination,” she said in bans job discrimination against born female. That type of a statement. LGBTQ people. dissimilar treatment, the Court “We intend to submit that all State Court of Claims Judge held, was discrimination Michigan residents are entitled Murray issued a summary because of sex.” to protection under the law – judgement in two discrimination The state’s civil rights regardless of their gender cases, one based on anti-gay legislation, Murray said, is identity or sexual orientation – discrimination and the other on similar enough to apply the in our appeal to this decision.” anti-trans discrimination. One same reasoning, so the case case involved Rouch World, a about anti-transgender Michigan Dept of Civil Rights wedding venue that refused to discrimination can proceed law and policy director Dan host weddings for same-sex Levy said that they are still gowhile the case about anti-gay couples, and the other involved discrimination cannot. ing to investigate cases involvUprooted Electolysis, a hair ing sexual orientation-based removal service that refused to “We are encouraged that the discrimination. If they are workserve a transgender client. The Michigan Court of Claims has ing on a case that ruled the word ‘sex’ in ELCRA involves only sexual orientation lawsuits were combined into [the state’s civil rights law] one. discrimination, they “will hold encompasses gender identity, the complaint pending a final but we will continue to argue result in this case.” 24 www.cityxtramagazine.com
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Lawmaker Who Resigned After Calling Gays “Fa***T” Gets Reelected By Debi Bennett
West Virginia Delegate John Mandt Jr. (R) resigned earlier this year and ended his campaign for reelection to the state legislature after antiLGBTQ messages he sent to a Facebook chat group were leaked. But within hours, Mandt changed his mind and resumed his campaign. State House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R) said bigotry had no place in the state when Mandt resigned, but voters in his district decided otherwise. They reelected him by a slim margin of 71 votes. “Silly Faggot, Dicks are for chicks!!” Mandt allegedly wrote in the chat group “The Right Stuff,” which included conservative lawmakers in the state as well as candidates for office. But Mandt had only praise for the speaker who condemned him, saying Hanshaw is “a great man and a phenomenal leader.” As screenshots of the messages were circulated on social media, Mandt denied making them in a Facebook post, saying he was “really hurt and very disappointed seeing 26 www.cityxtramagazine.com
fabricated posts circulating on social media.” That message was later deleted and he said he meant the comments as a joke. “I’m looking forward to continuing my hard work in the legislature and along with my colleagues,” Mandt said in an email to the Associated Press. “It hurts,” said Del. Cody Thompson (D), one of the two out members of the state legislature. “I work with these people.”
“In general I’m very proud of a lot of things we can work together on for the betterment of the people of West Virginia, but when it comes down to seeing these comments, it’s really hard to work with those who, they may smile to my face and talk to me, but behind closed doors or in conversations with others they use homophobic slurs.”