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GLAAD Partners with JCE
Publisher/Executive Editor: David Vandygriff dvandygriff@cityxtramagazine.com
By Olivia Zayas Ryan, GLADD
CoRK Art District…….
Editor In Chief: Harvey Carr editor@cityxtramagazine.com
By James Lee Johnson
RuPaul’s All Star Drag Race S2
Creative Designer: Jason Smith designer@cityxtramagazine.com
By Dan Aver
Sales Department: Adam Plante, Esq. aplante@cityxtramagazine.com
Trust the Vet By Jack Bobeck
Facing Your Inner 'Life Contortionist' cityXtra Interview
HIV Treatment That Fits Your Life By Tyler Curry
cityXtra Magazine is published by cityXtra Inc . 2941 Plum Street Jacksonville, FL 32205 (904) 300-3320 www.cityxtramagazine.com Like us on Facebook/cityxtramag Twitter/cityxtra
Contributing Writers
Feeling Stuck In Life? By Mitch Rustand
Prayers to Move On By Dr. Harvey Carrr
Why the HRO is Still Important
Laura Riggs, Dr. Harvey Carr, Attorney Gordon Nicol, Meredith O’Malley Johnson, Tina Vaughn, Jake Moore, Tyler Curry Editor HIV Equal Online, Sebastian Fortino, David Vandygriff, Joey Amato Publisher Unite Magazine
By Jimmy Midyette Esq
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GLAAD Partners with JCE By Olivia Zayas Ryan, GLADD
GLAAD is partnering with the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality (JCE) to advocate for the LGBT community and push toward accelerating acceptance in the state of Florida. Ross Murray, Director of Programs - Global and U.S. South, is on the ground in Jacksonville meeting with local advocacy leaders and participating in conversations on what can be done to make Florida a safer, more inclusive, more equitable place for the LGBT community. He appeared on First Coast Connect with Dan Merkan of JCE to discuss acceptance and nondiscrimination legislation in the U.S. South and GLAAD's work in Florida after the Orlando attack. Ross--who is a deaconal minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America-gathered with numerous faith leaders in the Jacksonville area, representing a diverse range of faith traditions to discuss what religious communities can do to advocate for and support the LGBT community. They also honored the victims and survivors of the attack on Pulse
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Orlando through prayer and reflection. Ross was a panelist at "Tipping Point: Jacksonville's Role in the National LGBT Discussion," an event hosted by JCE and GLAAD at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville. The panel event was an opportunity for regional members and allies of the LGBT community to come together and discuss ways to make LGBT affirming and inclusive legislation, LGBT visibility in the South and full equality and cultural acceptance realities for LGBT Floridians. The conversations and work being done on the ground in Jacksonville today will help inform and build GLAAD's partnership with local leaders and advocacy organizations to accelerate acceptance across Florida and the U.S. South as a whole.
CoRK Art District…….. By James Lee Johnson
What is CoRK? What is it you do in there? Can I visit? Creativity and community meet at CoRK Arts District. In the few years, this Jacksonville, Fla., studio and gallery space located on the corner of Rosselle and King Streets (thus CoRK) has energized the Northeast Florida arts scene. In early 2011, artist Dolf James was looking for a larger studio space. Real estate developer Mac Easton approached James about the possibility of renting out sections of a 1920s-era warehouse complex as artist studios. “I waited for a long time to actually come and look at this place,” says James. Surrounded by his sculpture work in his current 7,500-square-foot studio space, James admits that he was initially skeptical about moving into the empty and neglected warehouse. “When I finally came down and they opened up the door, it was spooky; this was my vision of what I was looking for in a studio.” James has been a longtime participant in community-based art. In the past decade alone, the 58-year-old has been involved with public art projects such as “Art in Strange Places” and the creation of “pop-up galleries” in parks in downtown Jacksonville. In 2010, James and fellow artist Christina Foard created “Imagination Squared,” an open-call project that culminated in a grid composed of 5″ x 5″ paintings featuring the work of more than 900 local artists. The opening reception for “Imagination Squared,” held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA Jax), drew a record crowd of more than 5,000 people. While James is reluctant to take credit for his role as the de facto leader of CoRK (”by default,” he says), his credibility and ability to gather artists together was certainly a factor in CoRK’s immediate success. In a matter of weeks, eight artists had rented spaces in the warehouse. “Then we went to the next section [of the building], drew out some plans and before it was done, all of
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those were rented as well.” Seeing this overwhelming response, Easton’s company made plans to buy the building; those additional spaces were rented out before the purchase was even finalized. Fast-forward to present day and CoRK is now home to 60 artists in a network of three buildings that collectively create a 100,000-square-foot complex of working studios and three separate galleries totaling more than 15,000 square feet of gallery space. And CoRK is still growing. Along with notable visual artists like celebrated naturalist painter Jim Draper and multimedia artist Jeff Whipple, the CoRK roster also includes playwright Jennifer Chase, and spoken-word artist and NPRradio host Al Letson, in addition to other writers and filmmakers. “The cross-pollination between a photographer and a painter or a printer and so forth goes on all the time.” James explains. Key to CoRK’s success has been its effectiveness in providing a focal point for the arts in Jacksonville. The Northeast Florida city boasts a population of a million-plus people and is the second largest city by area in the contiguous United States. Yet, Jacksonville is also spread out into distinct neighborhoods that can suffer from an almost provincial mentality. A half-hour drive is common to simply visit a shopping mall, let alone a gallery opening. In a few short years, CoRK has succeeded not only in centralizing the art scene by uniting the community of artists, but also in hosting events that have been well-received by art lovers and the curious public alike. “The attendance we have at shows is big. It’s not unusual for a single show to attract 700 to 800 people and there have been times when we’ve had over
CoRK Art District…….., Continued
1,000.” The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, and MOCA Jax have all hosted successful events at CoRK. Smaller events ranging from performance art, theatrical productions, workshops, and even yoga classes have been equally well-received. CoRK also features an artist-in-residence program that focuses on visiting emerging artists. They are provided with a large studio space for two to six weeks, a weekly stipend and money for materials. Their stay culminates in a show in one of the galleries. Past participants have included installation artist Rachel Rossin and the multimedia work of Casey James. While CoRK has been an undoubted success in fostering unity and activity in the Northeast Florida visual arts scene, James is humble about those accomplishments. “I don’t by any means want people to think that this is the art scene of Jacksonville. We’re doing the best we can to promote the greater scene.” In that regard, CoRK Arts District has succeeded, turning a crossroads of an older neighborhood into a springboard of new and innovative ideas. CoRK Arts District is located at 2689 Rosselle Street, Jacksonville, Fla., 32204. While CoRK features regular gallery openings and events, it is primarily a studio space for working artists and closed to the general public. For a schedule of upcoming events or to make an appointment to visit an artist, check out http://corkartsdistrict.tumblr.com/ or contact corkdistrictevents@gmail.com.
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“RuPaul’s All Star Drag Race” S2 By Dan Aver
It's time to meet the queens all over again! They’re baaaaack: Today Logo announced the queens of RuPaul’s All-Stars Drag Race Season 2, debuting on the network August 25 at 8pm. Adore Delano, Alaska, Alyssa Edwards, Coco Montrese, Detox, Ginger Minj, Katya, Phi Phi O’Hara, Roxxxy Andrews, and Tatiana are returning for a second chance to snatch the crown and earn their place among Drag Race royalty. The news is appearing in this week’s Entertainment Weekly as part of the magazine’s special LGBT pop-culture guide. “The world needs these queens now more than ever,” declared RuPaul. “We take great pride in providing a platform for our all stars to shine bright. Because fierce is fierce is fierce is fierce is fierce is fierce.” The excitement begins with a supersized 90minute episode on August 25, when the queens will arrive and compete for the favor of Ru and judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Todrick Hall through a variety of challenges, lip-syncing showdowns and, of course, the All-Stars Snatch Game.
Back rolls? More like bank rolls! Coco Montrese (Season Five) Coco’s been hard at work since Season Five, playing the Las Vegas strip six nights a week, touring the country, and even getting to duet with Gladys Knight. But has her legendary rivalry with Alyssa Edwards mellowed? We’ll have to tune in to find out. Detox (Season Five) When Detox was eliminated in Season 5, she had HAD it—officially. After touring the globe, getting her mug on a cosmetics campaign and even inspiring Season 8’s black-and-white challenge, she’s back with a vengeance. So eat it up—and crown it! Ginger Minj (Season Seven) You can’t keep an asthmatic chain-smoking glamour toad down!
Below, RuFamiliarize yourself with the queens of In the short year since Ginger was a finalist on RuPaul’s All Star Drag Race Season 2! Season 7, she’s been criss-crossing the world on the RPDR: Battle of the Seasons tour, performed Adore Delano (Season Six) After two chart-topping solo albums, this Season 6 queen is in Rocky Horror Picture Show, and even recorded a Beach Boys cover with Carnie Wilson. ready to dazzle the judges with her vocal prowess, party style and boundless charm. This Crossdresser for Christ was the first “big girl” Alaska (Season Five) Everybody’s favorite alien to be in the Top Three. Will she be the first to from the planet Glamtron is back and ready to snatch the crown? bring boundary-pushing performances to the All Katya (Season Seven) Season 7’s Miss Stars main stage. Congeniality—and “the sweatiest woman in show business”— Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova P.S.: She still thinks your makeup is terrible speaks a language all her own. Alyssa Edwards (Season Five) This queen didn’t get bitter since Season Five—she just got bet- Will that translate to victory on All-Stars? We can’t say “da” or “nyet”! ter. Phi Phi O’Hara (Season Four) This Season Alyssa has built herself a drag empire with finalist has blossomed incredibly since appearances on Miley Cyrus’ national tour, a hit web series and a drag family that keeps growing. SharonNeedles shaded her as a “tired-ass
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“RuPaul’s All Star Drag Race” S2 Continued
showgirl.” Phi Phi has garnered a massive fanbase online, where fans gag on her cosplay and creative drag. Let’s see if she can download that into victory on the main stage. Roxxxy Andrews (Season Five) This thickand-juicy finalist counts Marc Jacobs and Nicki Minaj as superfans, and Tamar Braxton even hired Roxxxy to do her makeup on tour. But are there enough “sequence” in the world to make Miss Andrews a shining star and AllStars winner? Tatianna (Season Two) It’s been six years since Tatianna walked the Drag Race runway, dazzling the judges with her beauty—and ruffling Tyra and Raven with her fiery demeanor. Has Tatianna kept ahead of the curve in an ever-changing world of drag? If you ask her, she’d say “Yes… Thank you.” RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race Season 2 debuts August 25 at 8pm on Logo. Can’t wait for your drag fix? Sunday at 7pm for RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 8 RuVealed on Logo.
Trust the Vet By Jack Bobeck
Why in the world would someone look online and expect an online “personality” to be a better resource for questions and answers for your pet, over your local Veterinarian? We have had a couple of instances this week with regard to people asking questions online about solutions, rather than their vets. A Veterinarian has been to school, for 8+ years and knows a lot more about your pet, what is going around and what you should be doing for the health and wellbeing of your pet. Why would you not Trust the Vet? So one of the people who was interested in bringing their dog to us, does everything right, she logs onto Happy Hound Dog Resorts, adds her information, adds her pets’ information and makes the boarding reservation. We then call her vet and ask for the vaccination records. In speaking with her Veterinarian, they say that one dog has a liver problem and requires a lot of medication. So we ask “in your expert opinion, is this dog safe enough for boarding or daycare?” They said, yes on Daycare, but no on Boarding. Also, the vaccinations are out of date, so we had to call her and discuss with her the vaccinations as well as the recommendation by the vet. So she calls us the next day and rips us a new one and cancels the reservation. We listen to the vet, if they say they don’t recommend it, we pass that on to the owner. Why won’t owners listen to their vets here in Riverside, Avondale and Ortega? Trust the Vet! Any veterinarian that has a radio show, are they really a veterinarian or are they in show business? Our issue with the latest Dr. X was that she was all about vaccinating dogs in a natural manner, using love, herbs and special ingredients. That may work in Fantasyland, but the reality is that owners of pets need to know that the veterinarian is 1) professional 2) prescribing the right vaccines based on current conditions and 3) can be trusted. When an online veterinarian is paying your bills because your dog got an upper respiratory illness, I will be wrong and we will pull this post, but the reality is the information provided by an online radio talk show host is worth exactly what you paid
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for it, nothing. Office visits get you into speak with the Veterinarian and this is how you get the best information for your pet. You are paying for their time and their information, they know your dog, not someone in a radio booth 1000 miles away. We will tell you to go local and Trust the Vet! We have a new Bordatella policy here at Happy Hound Dog Resorts. We mandate all dogs that enter be vaccinated twice a year with the Bordatella vaccine. According to the AAHA, American Animal Hospital Association, all dogs that are around dogs at a dog park, dog daycare, or who are boarded in close proximity with other dogs should be vaccinated with Bordatella every 6 months. As with professions, there are always going to be other pet medicine associations and some will say that the Bordatella vaccination is fine once every 12 months. Well, when they are paying your bills for Kennel Cough and dog sickness, you can listen to them, but until then listen to your Veterinarian, and most are prescribing the vaccine every 6 months IF your dog is around a lot of other dogs. The best part about Veterinarians, like doctors, if you do not like the answer from one, ask another. The best advice we can offer you, the pet owner is ALWAYS TRUST YOUR VETERINARIAN when they give you advice on your pet. They work with pets every day. Don’t ask your dentist for advice on your 1962 Chevy Truck, just as the mechanic for your car should not operate on your teeth. Some goes for the veterinarian advice, trust the advice you get from your animal medical partner. They do this every day, working with pets and they have your best interest in mind. We listen to them and will always defer on treatment to the veterinarian. Again, we recommend you to Trust the Vet.
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Facing Your Inner 'Life Contortionist' cityXtra Interview
Who do you turn to for help in a personal crisis? Do you have a must-see therapist, energy healer or life coach to get you through life’s rough patches? Finding that support can be essential when it comes to leading a happier, healthier and more empowered life, so we asked Joel Readence, CPC, ELI-MP, Life and Executive coach, to tackle some of our questions. cityXtra: What’s the most common life challenge you see among LGBT people? Fear. It’s fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of success. In the gay community, so many of us grow up turning ourselves into what I call life contortionists. We turn into what others wanted us to become, what society or our parents or peers or teachers wanted us to be. This causes us problems later on in life, because you have such an external focus that you don’t spend the time to turn inward, and answer your own life’s questions and find out what you really want to be doing. So it’s about overcoming fears and really spending the time with yourself, and not being afraid to be alone and figure out what you want in your life.
within ourselves. The gay community wears many masks, and people try to be who they think they should be for outward appearances. As a result, you’ve got all these labels and clusters within the gay community. But as I ask my clients all the time, what is your own personal definition of success and acceptance and authenticity? Have you looked inward to figure out what it is you want? How do you give yourself the level of acceptance to pursue your own dreams without worrying about what others think? That is the huge, huge issue within the gay community, trying to overcome the fear and perceived disapproval of the people in our lives, and being authentic to ourselves and pursue what we really want.
cityXtra: What do you say to clients who still believe that the ideal body, designer clothes, cityXtra: What can be done about these fears? and relationship is the ultimate path to So the vast majority of the time, the fears we’re ‘happiness’? A lot of people think that when they grappling with are self-induced, and the vast get all this stuff, then they’ve “made it” in life. But majority of the time they’re not based in reality. A the problem is, that whole idea is so externally lot of people plunge themselves into the future focused. It’s asking what does the outside and imagine the worst possible outcome, instead community need to see in me, in order for me to of staying focused in the present and asking what have a level of acceptance I need? What you will make me happy, and what are the small steps. need to do is look inward, and do an honest inventory of your life, and find out what you want cityXtra: Almost everyone has some fear in for yourself. But I see it all the time, so many their life, but do you think there’s a deeper people who seem to ‘have it all’ but are actually core issue that’s specific to LGBT people? Self-loathing. A lack of self-acceptance. A lack of unfulfilled. any type of grounding force that makes those in But if you base your success alone on what other the gay community comfortable in pursuing people think, there’s going to be that constant opportunities that might be very much personal to longing, that feeling that something is missing. I them, and not understood by the people around think many people in our community grapple with them. So often, we’re still in a place of hiding, and that, but not many are willing to deal with it. being who everyone else wants us to be, while Because that means making difficult changes, and knowing deep inside we are inherently different. they’re worried about what other people will think, We have a tendency to view that as being flawed, and they’re worried about failing at these potential and so leads to a type of deep misunderstanding endeavors.. www.cityxtramagazine.com 14
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HIV Treatment That Fits Your Life By Tyler Curry
Now that HIV has become a chronic disease that, in best cases, can be relatively easy to manage, you might think that there isn’t much difference when it comes to selecting your antiretroviral medication. However, it’s crucial for a person living with HIV, whether you are newly diagnosed or a long-term survivor, to consider a variety of factors in order to get the maximum outcome with the minimal amount of unnecessary side-effects. Unfortunately, if you don’t know the right questions to ask, your doctor could make the wrong decision for you.
does come with certain cardiovascular risks. Therefore, Klappholz doesn’t recommend that patients who are overweight should take this drug. Instead, he says a Tenofivir-based medication, such as Stribild or Genvoya, is the best choice.
If you are "otherwise healthy." If you are not dealing with any coinfections, you don’t smoke or drink heavily, and you aren’t overweight, you may be considered what doctors call “otherwise healthy” This just means that you aren’t at any “Most people might just buy into the one-pill once- significant risk for cardiovascular disease, which a-day and that is it, but there are plenty of factors makes you the perfect candidate for Triumeq. that someone should consider when choosing If you smoke: A person who smokes should their HIV medication,” said Klappholz. “Your job, avoid Triumeq in order to avoid any additional your schedule, you lifestyle, these all factor into increase in cardiovascular risks. Even if you determining which medication will work best.” smoke occasionally, let your doctor know. If you Klappholz tells us which medications would have yet to completely give up smoking, correspond best with several common lifestyle Klappholz says that Stribild or Genvoya are most factors. likely the best options for you. To help figure out what meds will work best for you, we asked nurse practitioner Eric Klappolz, an HIV specialist in Dallas, Texas, who treats a variety of people living with HIV.
If you have an unusual schedule: Maybe you travel to different time zones often or, you work alternating or swing shifts. An unusual schedule can make it difficult to comply with a strict dosage schedule. For some medications, missing even a dose or two here and there can be quite the problem. “I would typically prescribe Prezcobix and Truvada for this patient, just because the Prezcobix is the most forgiving if you are likely to miss dosages. If you are a heavy drinker or recreational drug user: A person who engages in heavy alcohol or recreational drug use runs the risk of missing their daily dose by time-specified or altogether. Likewise, the same suggestion of Prescobix and Truvada is recommended because. If you are considered overweight: Although Triumeq is an excellent drug choice for some, it
If you also have Hepatitis C: An HIV/HCV comorbidity more than triples a person’s risk for multiple liver issues, so it is important to select the right medication to best treat both diseases while minimizing any unnecessary risks. New medications are making hep C easier to treat, as well. “If one of my patients also has HCV, Complera is the safest bet during the duration of the person’s HCV treatment. If you're a long-time user of Atripla: Atripla was once the go-to for people with HIV, but the arrival of new medications such as Stribild, Complera, Truimeq and Genvoya has knocked the popular drug down a notch. Now that Atripla is no longer a first-line medication, Klappholz recommends that his patients switch to a newer medication that provides all of the benefits with fewer side-effects.
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Feeling Stuck In Life? By Mitch Rustand
If you’re feeling stuck in life (who isn’t, right?) here’s a little experiment worth considering. So open your mind and play along… Sunrise Meditation: What if, for a day (or better yet, a week), you deliberately step beyond that ‘how it is’ mind, and act ‘as if’ with true conviction, like a great actor, knowing everything is going to work out beautifully in the future. You KNOW it now, with such certainty, that you can relax and enjoy and flow and love and smile and accept and allow and choose the best, most joyful words, emotions, and feelings. All that, while feeling braver than you’ve ever been.
And of course, so many other authors and leaders -this is not rocket science, this is backed up, ubiquitous and modern (and yet also centuries old) self-help. Its advice I’ve heard from many therapists, motivational speakers and experts over the years.
teachers in the world; I can hear parts of Eckhart Tolle (“The Power of Now”), Iyanla Vanzant (is this not a not-so-subtle exercise in forgiveness and letting go?), and Abraham Hicks (the Law of Attraction is always and only working right now) in this exercise.
But all you’ve done is rename it ‘Why Not Me?' And had some unexpected (maybe uncomfortable) joy for a day, and experimented with your mind. Would it be worth one day of your life to find out? You can always go back to ‘normal’ and ‘how it is’ tomorrow.
It’s just an idea, but to me, a fascinating one. SO many people, most often highly intelligent, smart, even successfully ones, get stuck. They reach a What if you spent a whole day in THAT consciousness, in that 'how it is’ kind of world? Would certain age, and life’s suddenly over, it’s too late for a new career, romance or fresh dreams or possibilities. you explode? Would a world of such apparent irresponsible fantasy-land positivity fall apart around Or their past is just too toxic, too full of trauma and wounds, for this to work. That’s for ‘other people’ with you, and swallow you up, and you’d never be heard from again? Would all your bills go unpaid, your boss fewer problems and more assets, right? fire you, and friends and colleagues stone you to It's Not About Perfection, It's About Perception: This death for being strange? Or would life (for at least isn’t about happiness through being perfect, being one day) be so spectacularly good, so peaceful, the best, or getting the most followers in Instagram profound and expansive, that you’d wonder why you (sorry Kim and Kylie!). It’s a highly personal, intimate ever spent so much time confined to ‘how it is’ exercise, best done with an audience of one: smallness? Yourself. Sure, others are going to be widely impacted, you could meet and interact with hundreds Make It Personal: This little experiment isn’t about of people during this day, but no one else needs to epic fantasy of pretending you’re Henry the VIII or know this isn’t the ‘real’ you – that you’re only faking Roger Federer (but hey, that might help your serve) or anyone else, the leap has to come from the heart, it. Their eyes will take this ‘you’ as the real thing, and interact accordingly. If you’re full of love, acceptance, into personal territory that breaks personal peace and certainty that life is unfolding brilliantly, boundaries. This isn’t about comparisons. It’s about how much drama and ill-will do you think you’ll feeling stuck, and challenging your unique, create/attract as a result? I heard this on Oprah once: self-imposed prisons called ‘how it is.’ It’s about l “Take responsibility for the energy you bring into a eaving that one small windowless room you’ve room.” No blame, no excuses, no yesterdays or always lived in, stepping out, and realizing you own childhoods to carry like a bag of rocks on your back, an entire mansion, and exploring ALL the rooms, just freedom to choose, to be the greatest, most opening the windows and turning on the lights. passionate, powerful ‘you’ the world (or just your cat) This is an exercise in mind-opening, but it’s backed has ever seen. Just for one day. up (at least in my view) by some of the greatest
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Prayers to Move on From a Bad Relationship By Dr. Harvey Carr
Moving on from a bad relationship is never easy. No matter how positive you vow to be there are always going to be obstacles to overcome and lessons to learn along the way. Emotionally investing in another person means you’ve shed the protective layers that are usually present and have openly welcomed someone to become part of your life. Removing those emotional ties can be hurtful internally and externally. However, it’s not impossible. Praying can aid in the healing process and provide you with guidance and support throughout the next chapter. These prayers act as therapy for the soul. It’s comforting to know that God is listening and genuinely cares about your broken heart. A Prayer for a Broken Heart: “O Lord, There is nothing but hurt left. I feel so broken, my heart is torn apart. All I can do is wait, wait in this desolate place, and trust that somehow you can meet me. I feel too weak to go on. I am like a shell, living, breathing, yet so empty. All I can do is give up, give up in this heartbroken time, and believe that somehow you can restore me. I find the sadness overwhelming, like wave upon wave of emptiness. All I can do is rest, rest within your suffering and hope that through You – Your love, Your forgiveness and Your strength – I will wake to a new day. A new dawn for my heart and my life. Amen.” – from Lordsprayerwords.com It’s okay to be vulnerable through prayer and shed your internal defenses. God will listen to your suffering and provide you with the tools to mend your heart. Once you’re able to put your complete faith in God, you’ll discover that everything becomes easier and resolution will present itself.
me, Lord. Save me, Jesus.” – from Beth McLendon of Inspirational – Prayers.com When an individual is trying to cope with a broken heart, it may seem like the rest of the world is constantly knocking them back down. In reality, a majority of the struggle is internal and the brokenhearted must be willing to sincerely move forward before they’ll be able to really begin the next chapter in their life. Many people do not know how to release their pain to God however, communication is the first step and then God will provide further guidance. Moving On: “Lord, let my heart not be hardened by heartbreak. Teach me how to love again and understand that everything happens for a reason. Teach me to love those who are hardest to love and teach me how to love even those who do not love me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.” – from theprayingwoman.com Learning to let go of the past is the first step to truly moving forward after a bad relationship. Once you’re able to let go of the hatred and blame, you’ll discover a huge weight lifted from your shoulders. Moving forward is a journey but acknowledging the lesson of heartbreak is a step in the right direction.
The Pain is too Much to Bear: “The pain is so intense. It’s too much to carry, Lord. I want to give it to you, but I don’t know how. I have tried to lift it up to you, but it falls back down on me; it knocks me to the ground; it pins me to the ground. Save
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Why the HRO is Still Important By Jimmy Midyette
Happy anniversary! Many LGBT couples are celebrating their nuptials this summer, as marriage equality has been the law of the land from sea to shining sea for a year. And thank you for your service! It’s been nearly five years since LGB people were allowed to serve openly in the armed forces of the United States. And as of press time, the Pentagon has just completed the freedom circle and ordered that transgender people can now serve openly and with pride, finally adding the T to our LGBT service-members. Even as we celebrate these milestones for our community, our joy is yet incomplete. In most states and in most cities, including Florida and Jacksonville, it is still perfectly legal for businesses, landlords, and employers to discriminate against people based on nothing other than our sexual orientation and our gender identity or expression. As a founding member of the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality, I can tell you that we will not rest until Jacksonville joins the ranks of the growing Equality Zone.
how to best accomplish this integral function. There are many areas of our lives in which we need to be aware of our legal rights and social obligations. Which leads me back to why a fully-inclusive human rights ordinance is so important and such a focus of my work. Let’s say you get married on Saturday. First thing Monday morning, you could be fired from your job. The bar where you go to drown your sorrow could kick you out. And you could arrive home to an eviction notice. All legal; all because you exercised your constitutional right to marry the love of your life.
This month’s column is my way of introducing myself, and my passion for the law and social justice to our readers. If you have a burning legal Many of you reading this live in places where question, I encourage you to reach out me. I will these basic civil rights protections already exist for use this column to be responsive to your needs the LGBT community. Big cities and even small and to help inform our community about our towns throughout the South have enacted these ongoing work toward full equality. protections and now enjoy all the benefits of full equality. For those of us still working on this Reach me online at jimmy@thelunalawfirm.com. dream, your experience gives up hope for our eventual success. As an attorney, I will use this space in the coming months to share legal issues that are relevant to us all, whether or not we’re covered by basic protections in our city or state. Marriage equality hasn’t erased the need for partner protection documents and, at least, basic estate planning. The right to serve openly in the armed forces may cause legal issues around benefits, housing, or other property issues as you deploy. Those who have children need to plan for their protection; those of us caring for aging parents need to know