Agenda Florida Issue 274 by Multi-Media Platforms

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

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FEBRUARY

FT LAUDERDALE • JACKSONVILLE • KEY WEST

18,

2015

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ISSUE

274

MIAMI • ORLANDO • TAMPA / ST PETERSBURG

Page 25

COMPETITIVENESS: MORE LABOR NEEDED TO AVOID BUSINESS AS USUAL Page 21

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February 18, 2015

Vista MINI

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23) SCANDALS SALOON 3073 NE 6th Ave Wilton Manors

8) INFINITY LOUNGE 2184 WIlton Drive Wilton Manors

16) NAKED GRAPE 2163 Wilton Drive Wilton manors

15) MONKEY BUSINESS 2740 N Andrews Ave Fort Lauderdale

14) MONA’S 502 E Sunrise Blvd Fort Lauderdale

13) THE MANOR 2345 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

12) LIPS 1421 E Oakland Park Blvd Oakland Park

11) LE PATIO 2401 NE 11th Ave Wilton Manors

10) LE BOY 1243 NE 11th Ave Fort Lauderdale

30) VILLAGE PUB 2283 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

29) TROPICS 2000 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

28) 13 I EVEN 2037 Wilton Dr Wilton Manors

27) THE STABLE 205 E Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale

26) SMARTY PANTS 2400 E Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale

25) SIDELINES 2031 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

24) SCARFONE’S 2150 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

22) RUMORS BAR & GRILL 2426 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

7) HUNTERS NIGHTCLUIB 2232 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

9) JMARK’S 1245 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale

21) ROSIE’S BAR & GRILL 2449 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

20) RAMROD 1508 NE 4th Ave Fort Lauderdale

19) PROGRESS 2440 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

18) PJ’S CORNER POCKET 2340 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

17) NEW YORK GRILLED CHEESE 2207 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

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6) DAPUR 1620 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale

5) CUBBY HOLE 823 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale

4) CORNER PUB 1915 N Andrews Ave Wilton Manors

3) BOARDWALK 1721 N Andrews Ave Fort Lauderdale

2) B BAR AND GRILLE 2209 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

1) ALIBI 2266 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors

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BAR MAP

Le Patio Restaurant Leatherwerks LeBoy Lemon Grass Lips Lotus Chinese Manor Manor Inn Mattress Expert Mind your Manors Mix Clothing Mojo Barber MoJo Restaurant Mona’s Monkey Business Naked Grape North Point Medical Nuts About Yogurt Office O ut of the Closet… Wilton dr O ut of the Closet… Sunrise PJ’s Palm Plaza Peter Pan Pineapple Point Pink Submarine Plush Royale Resort Ponciana Car Wash Pride Factory Pride Pharmacy Progress Bar Pump N Inc Rainbow Laundromat Ramrod ReMax Realty Rendez-vous Bakery Richard’s Hair Rock Hard Ron’s Barber Shop Rosie’s Bar & Grill Rowan Tree Medical Royal Palms

Rumors Sarfones Scandals Scissorium Secret Moments Siam Cuisine Sidelines Slammer South Smarty Pants Smoke this Too SoBe Tanning Starbuck’s Steel Gym Sterling Stonewall Storks Suan Thai & Sushi Sun Serve Sunshine Cathedral Tee Jay The Athletic Man The Cabanas The Club FTL The Gables The Stable To The Moon Toni’s Cleaners Trantalis Tropics Restaurant Tropixxx Video Unity Church USA Auto Care Village Pub Walgreen’s Specialty Wilton Creamery Wilton Manors Dental Wilton Manors Library Wilton Tower W indamar Beach Resort Wings & Things Winners Pizza World’s Gym W orthington Guesthouse

MIAMI

11th St Diner Beatnix Betsy Hotel Care Resource Ctr Century SoBe Chesterfield Hotel Clevelander Discotekka is now Front Porch Gathering Hotel G ay & Lesbian Visitor Ctr Island House Hotel Magnum Mercury SoBe MEKKA Nasseau Suites News V Cafe O ut of the closet... Alton Rd O ut of the Closet... Biscayne Blvd Palace Food Bar Rufskin Clothing Score Shelly Hotel Studio W To kyo Valentino Adult Store Twist W orld Erotic Art Museum

ORLANDO

Barcodes Orlando Club Orlando Gay & Lesbian Center H amburger Mary’s Orlando Hanks Bar Joy MCC Parliament House Pulse Bar Ritzy Rags Orlando

Savoy Southern Nights St Matthews Tavern Stonewall

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7-11… Los Olas 13 Even 4 Men Clothing 7-11….26th St 78 Degree Spa AHF-Oakland Park AIDS Museum Alibi’s Almost New Andrews Living Art Studio Atlantic Realty Barton Miller Cleaners Best Buy Bill’s Bio Care Pharmacy BioScript Pharmacy Boardwalk Boc a Tanning Body Tech Bona Pizza Boomerangs Bo’s Barber Brian Scott Realty B roward House.. Andrews Ave B roward House… SE 3rd Buddha Happy Calypso Inn Care Resource Castelli Real estate Castrato Law Cheston House Chic Optique City County Cr. Union Clippers Too Clubhuose II Coast Chiropractic C oral Reef Guest House Corner Pub

Courtyard Café Critters with A K Crunch CTR Spiritual Living Cubby Hole CVS Dapur DaVinci Real Estate Decades Furniture Dennis J’s Barber Shop Double Dippers Dunkin Donuts Ed Lugo resort Elysium Resort Fetish Factory Flip Flops Floridian Fredrick Fine Art FTL Pizza Fusion Galanga’s Gateway Cinema Gay Mart Genesis GLCC Grand Resort Green Jade Spa Hidden Treasure Holiday Park Library Humpy’s Pizza Hunters I.C.E Infinity Inn Leather Inn On the Drive Intense Fitness Island Sands Inn J. Miles Java Boys Jenkins Law Jet’s Pizza Joe’s Barber Shop Juice Blendz Karl Grace Ins

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FORT LAUDERDALE/ WILTON MANORS

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Distribution Locations

TAMPA

Baxter’s Bradley’s on 7th City Side Lounge G Bar Hamburger Mary’s Liquid Tampa MC Film Metro Wellness Center Ybor Resort & Spa

ST. PETE

Enigma St. Petersburg Flamingo Resort Georgie’s Alibi LGBT Welcome Ctr Metro Wellness Center Mr. Sun Liquors Pepperz The Oar House The Queen’s Head

CAPE CORAL

Tubby’s City Hangout

FORT MYERS

Office Pub Rascals The Bottom Line

LAKELAND Pulse Bar

JACKSONVILLE The Metro

KEY WEST

Bourbon St Pub Equator Resort

For advertising or sponsorship opportunities, contact Kevin Hopper at 954-380-8563 x2101 or kevinhopper@mmplgbt.com.

February 18, 2015

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Holy Angels Catholic Community Come celebrate a season of renewal and spiritual growth Lent is not about sinners doing penance, it’s about the redeemed growing in faith and knowledge of the love of God. Holy Angels Catholic Community “Not your father’s Catholic Church” We are a community of those who celebrate that we have been redeemed throguh the love of God. We worship according to catholic tradition.

Sunday Masses Spanish - 9:00 AM English - 11:00 AM Dignity Ft. Lauderdale - 7:00 PM Wednesday Masses English - 7:00 AM Spanish - 7:00 PM Thursday Teaching - 7:00 PM

All are welcome!

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Add your star to ours!

February 18, 2015

Shabbat services every Friday night at 8pm Special events every month!

Congregation Etz Chaim

1501 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 1501 NE 26th St.,●Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-564-9232 www.EtzChaimFlorida.org 954-564-9232 ● Friday www.EtzChaimFlorida.org Shabbat services every night at 8pm– all are welcome!

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February 18, 2015

UN: AIDS IS NUMBER ONE KILLER OF ADOLESCENTS IN AFRICA

AIROBI, KE (AP)—The 16-yearold Kenyan girl found out she was HIV-positive and pregnant at a clinic in the Korogocho slums two years ago. She still isn’t sure how she contracted the virus - her mother died from AIDS-related complications when she was six years old, and she slept with various men after dropping out of school years ago to provide for herself and her two younger sisters. “I have no expectations in life. All I want to do is look after my daughter (who is HIV-negative) but death is imminent... and is what I am waiting for,” said the girl, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of her age and to avoid stigma in her community. Global health organizations said Tuesday that AIDS is now the leading cause of death for adolescents in Africa, and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Road accidents and injury are the number one killer of adolescents globally, said Michael Hollingdale, a UNAIDS spokesman. About 120,000 people aged between 10-19 years died of AIDSrelated illnesses in 2013, the eight international organizations said while launching a global campaign in Kenya to stem the spread among adolescents. Adolescent girls, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are most affected, said the organizations which included UNAIDs, U.N. children’s fund, World Health Organization and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR, among others. In South Africa in 2013, more than 860 girls became infected with HIV every week, compared to 170 boys, they said. Girls are more vulnerable because of physiological factors that see them more susceptible to infection, said Dr. Lilian Otiso, director of services at LVCT Health, an NGO that deals with AIDs prevention and treatment

across Kenya. Social-economic factors that see girls having sex at younger ages than their male peers also play a major role, she said. They might date older men who can provide for them, she said. Others, such as the 16-year-old, are forced to fend for themselves at young ages and become victims of sexual exploitation, abuse and rape, Dr. Otiso said. “I cannot know how I contracted the virus. I had many boyfriends. I was with those boyfriends because life forced me to that situation because I was looking to survive so I was forced to do so,” said the Kenyan girl. The global campaign, called “All In” will seek to address the imbalance by encouraging strategic changes in policy and involving more young people in the effort, the organizations said. Most of the 2.1 million adolescents living with HIV in 2013 became infected at least 10 years ago, the organizations said. Their mothers were pregnant and delivered at a time when anti-retroviral medicines that can greatly reduce the possibility of HIV transmission were not available, the organizations said. Adolescents often don’t come forward for testing and drop out of treatment regimes because their emotional needs aren’t targeted, said Dr. Otiso. UNAIDS said it aims to reduce HIV infections in adolescents by 75 percent, and AIDS-related deaths by 65 percent by 2020 by providing more counseling as well as education outreach to a targeted adolescent age-range in globally. The girl from Korogocho said she now attends counseling classes at the LVCT center in Korogocho, which have changed her perception of HIV and AIDS. “I used to do anything for money. Now my mindset has greatly changed. I wash clothes for people for a living,” she said.

Arkansas House Supports Religion, Anti-Discrimination Bills LITTLE ROCK, AR (AP)—Arkansas is set to become only the second state to ban cities and counties from locally expanding anti-discrimination laws under a bill approved by lawmakers on Friday. Opponents say the bill sanctions discrimination against gays and lesbians because it blocks municipalities from adopting ordinances that go beyond state’s law, which doesn’t protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he was concerned about taking away local control from municipalities. But he said he would let the bill become law without his signature, a move often used to show discontent but acknowledge there is enough support to override a veto. Tennessee is the only state that currently blocks local governments from extending certain anti-discrimination protections. The Arkansas House approved the measure in a 58-21 vote, meaning it will become law unless vetoed. Republican Rep. Bob Ballinger of Hindsville, who presented both bills to the House, said a potential hodgepodge of local ordinances is bad for business. Some supporters said business owners shouldn’t be punished if they refuse to serve certain people. “I don’t think... a baker that loves the word of God, that’s bringing her children up to honor God and to worship God, should have her business destroyed because she doesn’t want to bake a cake for someone who is a transgender trying to marry someone else,” said Republican Rep. Mary Bentley of Perryville. Democrats argued the law could drive away business and promote discrimination against the gay community. “What it really comes down to is impeding their freedom, their freedom to live their lives as they would like to live them,” said Rep. Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock. The governor didn’t agree with that interpretation of the law. House members also approved a bill that bars the state or local governments from placing a “substantial burden” on a person’s right to exercise their reli-

COURTESY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS

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NATION

INTERNATIONAL

Gov. Asa Hutchinson

gion. Ballinger said the measure would, for example, protect a Muslim butcher who doesn’t want to work with pork or a Christian who doesn’t want to perform a same-sex wedding. “This does not create a get out of jail free card,” Ballinger said. “You have to prove it truly is a legitimate deeply held religious belief.” That legislation is patterned after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states have similar laws and 10 states are currently considering them. The authors of both bills approved Friday by the Arkansas House said they were inspired to change state law after the Fayetteville City Council in August made it illegal to discriminate against a person based on sexual orientation or gender identity. City voters overturned that rule in December.

Texas Faith Leaders to Rally at Capitol for Gay Marriage AUSTIN, TX (AP)—Hundreds of faith leaders are expected at the Texas Capitol today to rally support behind marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Texans. Religious leaders from a variety of congregations will gather Tuesday to call for an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While some will also then lobby legislators on several issues, most are united in support against Magnolia Republican Rep. Cecil Bell’s “Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act.” Bell’s bill would prohibit using taxpayer funds to license same-sex marriages and ban government employees from recognizing, granting or enforcing a same-sex marriage license.

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ALABAMA GAY MARRIAGE FIGHT ECHOES STATES’ RIGHTS BATTLES

ABERNATHY FAMILY PHOTO

The Selma to Montgomery marchers arrive in Montgomery. At center are Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King, with Ralph Abernathy’s three children

U.S. attorney who prosecuted the two Ku Klux Klansmen who bombed Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963, killing four black girls in a crime that helped galvanize the civil rights movement. Many legal experts think Moore and other states’ rights advocates are on shaky ground. Ruthann Robson, a law professor at the City University of New York, said Granade’s decision should be considered the law of the state unless overruled by a higher court or contradicted by a state court. “If what Moore says is true, then no federal court could ever hold a state law, regulation or policy unconstitutional. And the 14th Amendment, then, would be essentially meaningless,” Robson said in an email. It’s unclear what Moore’s reaction would be if the U.S. Supreme Court determines that gay marriage bans nationwide are unconstitutional when the justices issue their ruling later this year. But Robson pointed to a 1958 decision involving a school desegregation fight in Little Rock, Arkansas, that made it clear states must adhere to the high federal court’s interpretation of the Constitution — a cornerstone of the inherent authority the U.S. government has on constitutional issues over the states. “If parties defy a direct order, the remedy is contempt,” she said. An official found in contempt can be fined or even jailed. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a Republican and Southern Baptist

who reads his Bible every morning in his office, said he firmly believes marriage should be between one man and one woman. But he doesn’t want Alabama to go against history’s tide this time. “I have friends who obviously believe very strongly that defiance is the route to go. I just personally don’t feel that way and I have to be the governor of all the people. I have to represent the state of Alabama to the rest of the nation and the rest of the world,” Bentley said. In Florida, the law firm that advises the state’s 67 court clerks initially said a Tallahassee federal judge’s decision voiding a gay marriage ban only applied to one clerk. That’s because, the lawyers reasoned, only that clerk was specifically named in that case. Moore made a similar argument in saying his state’s probate judges were not specifically cited. In Tallahassee, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle responded by warning clerks choosing not to follow his ruling that they could face serious legal consequences in future lawsuits, including payment of costs and attorney’s fees. All the clerks eventually complied without incident in early January. “History records no shortage of instances when state officials defied federal court orders on issues of federal constitutional law,” Hinkle wrote in the New Year’s Day order. “Happily, there are many more instances when responsible officials followed the law, like it or not.”

that order, Justice Clarence Thomas pointedly raised the states’ rights flag, complaining that the court’s decision was made “without any regard for the people who approved these laws in popular referendums or elected the representatives who voted for them.” The decision, he added, “represents yet another example of this court’s increasingly cavalier attitude toward the states.” Moore, who is head of the Alabama court system, threw the Granade ruling into disarray when he urged the probate judges in a letter to stand against “judicial tyranny” and claims Granade had no authority to “redefine marriage.” Alabama probate judges were not defendants in the case, Moore argues, and thus are not subject to a direct court order. He also said they are part of a parallel state court system that doesn’t have to submit to Granade’s views until the U.S. Supreme Court says otherwise. “She has no control over the state of Alabama to force all probate judges to do anything,” Moore said. “This is a case of dual sovereignty of federal and state authorities. The United States Supreme Court is very clear in recognizing that federal courts do not bind state courts.” Although he bristles at the link, Moore’s action drew inevitable parallels with former Gov. George Wallace’s 1963 “stand in the schoolhouse door” aimed at preventing federal court mandated desegregation at the University of Alabama. Wallace was attempting to fight integration nine years after education segregation was ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court. Moore said such a final decision hasn’t happened yet on the subject of gay marriage. “The rhetoric and demagoguery of states’ rights and federal judges, you can’t help but make that comparison,” said Doug Jones, a former

February 18, 2015

ONTGOMERY, AL (AP)— Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore’s judicial building office overlooks Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue, a history-soaked thoroughfare topped by the Alabama Capitol where Jefferson Davis was inaugurated president of the Confederacy and where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. ended the 1965 march for voting rights. As gay and lesbian couples left a nearby courthouse clutching marriage licenses last week, Moore, an outspoken critic of gay marriage, was fighting to stop the weddings using a states’ rights argument that conjured up those historical ghosts of slavery, the Civil War and the battle against desegregation. There has been resistance in other states to the tide of rulings allowing gay marriage. Some Florida clerks’ offices scrapped all marriage ceremonies rather than perform same-sex unions. In South Carolina and Georgia, legislation is being developed to let individual employees opt out of issuing marriage licenses to gay couples out of sincere religious belief. No state, however, went as far as Alabama, where the 68-year-old Moore instructed the state’s probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. “It’s my duty to speak up when I see the jurisdiction of our courts being intruded by unlawful federal authority,” Moore said. Moore objected to a Jan. 23 ruling by U.S. District Judge Callie Granade in Mobile that Alabama’s gay marriage ban violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection and due process. After the Supreme Court on Feb. 9 refused to stay the decision, Alabama became the 37th state - plus the District of Columbia - where gays and lesbians can legally wed. In his dissent when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block

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SUNSHINE STATE Carnival Corp. Joins LGBT Coalition to Pass Workplace Rights Bill TALLAHASSEE—Cruise line giant Carnival Corporation has joined a growing coalition of Florida businesses working to end LGBT discrimination in workplaces across the state. “Diversity is a business imperative,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation in a statement. “The key to innovation is diversity of thinking… having people from different backgrounds and different cultural experiences who are organized around a common objective are far more likely to create breakthrough innovation than a homogenous group. That same diversity of thinking is a powerful advantage.” Carnival Corporation is now one of 22 major Florida employers involved in the Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce coalition to pass the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, a bill designed to modernize Florida’s non-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The coalition is aligned with another campaign called Florida Competes, a grassroots effort that includes business leaders, lawmakers, faith leaders, members of the LGBT community and concerned residents who have come together to pass the the legislation. Florida has no explicit statewide statutes prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Man Arrested for Setting Fire to Wilton Manors Piano Bar WILTON MANORS — Police arrrested a 68-year-old man on Feb. 11 after a surveillance video allegedly caught him trying to set fire to a popular piano bar in Wilton Manors. Julio Edwards faces burglary and arson charges in connection with the

fire at Tropics Piano Bar & Restaurant on Wilton Drive. Police said the manager arrived the morning of Feb. 11 to find ashes near the back door and smelled smoke before calling authorities. A review of the video from surveillance cameras showed a man holding a large cup of liquid that he tossed onto a wooden fence outside the restaurant. The video then showed him trying to ignite the fence with a lighter. Employees told police they recognized the man after watching the video. Earlier, Edwards had been issued a warning by police for trespassing on restaurant property.

Gay Party Cruise Gets Turned Around at Sea After Incident MIAMI – What was supposed to be a week-long joy ride to Mexico and the Caribbean turned into a near-death buzzkill at sea for almost 4,000 gay men from around the world. On Feb. 8, the RSVP Vacations’ 30th Anniversary Gay Cruise left Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, stopped in the Bahamas and was on its way to Cozumel. But the ship was forced to make a U-turn, pit stop and emergency evacuation at PortMiami on Feb. 10 after two American passengers faced serious “life-threatening situations,” according to Julie Benson, vice president of public relations for Princess Cruises, explaining that without emergency treatment onshore one or both could have died. “The (pit stop at PortMiami) took approximately three hours due to standard clearance,” said Rich Campbell, CEO of Atlantis Events, Inc., the parent company of RSVP Vacations. “We do not know if the incidents were related, but at least one of the guests likely had a pre-existing medical condition… There have been no deaths aboard this cruise.“ As of Feb. 17, Campbell said both men were released from the hospital and are doing fine. The vessel, its passengers and crew

WILTON MANORS HOSTS VALENTINE’S DAY WEDDINGS EVENT

he City of Wilton Manors held a mass wedding ceremony for 50 couples at city hall on Feb. 14 to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Broward County’s 100th Anniversary. Mayor Gary Resnick presided over the event. Commissioner Justin Flippen served as officiant. Ceremonies were conducted in the chambers of the city commission. A free reception for newlyweds and their guests was held at the Hagen Park Community Center. Sponsors for the event included the Pride Center at Equality Park, Winn Dixie, Panache Style, Premier Beverage, Jammin Express, Galleria Fort Lauderdale and BAREFOOT Wine & Bubbly.

were 80 miles off the coast of Florida when the incident occurred. Earlier on Feb. 11, passenger and Miami resident Harvey J. Burstein said, “It’s a shame these incidents happen on gay cruises. Looks like a double OD on the dance floor with one fatality.” That observation has since been denied by cruise personnel, and a request for a report from the Miami-Dade Police Department has not been received. After the two American passengers were taken off the ship in Miami, the Princess Regal headed back to sea on its voyage to Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

@StonewallMuseum, Gallery Host Celebrity Gala The Stonewall National Museum and Archive (SNMA) located at 1300 E. Sunrise Highway, Fort Lauderdale is a historical library of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender memorabilia and artifacts started by Mark Silber in 1973. By 1990, the collection grew so extensive that what was once Silber’s personal hobby became a non-profit organization. And since the hiring of Executive Director David Jobin in 2013, the organization has reached new heights by expanding to a second location last year on Wilton Drive. The Stonewall Museum Gallery in Wilton Manors has a prime spot in the heart of South Florida’s gay mecca. The gallery has invigorated existing members and enticed new benefactors and patrons. This renewed interest in the organization has afforded Silber and Jobin the resources to showcase high profile exhibits from across the country.

The gallery officially opened Oct. 30 with the debut of a documentary project, Queer Kids, by internationally renowned photographer and filmmaker Michael Sharkey. The exhibit ran until Jan. 4 and helped to rapidly advance the organizations appeal. Currently, the gallery is collaborating wih the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York to showcase Stroke: From Under the Mattress to the Museum Walls until March 8. The exhibit, displaying gay magazine illustrations from the 1950s to the 1990s, is curated by New Yorkbased artist Robert W. Richards and features 24 original works by 24 different artists. “The gallery is only strengthening the (Sunrise Blvd.) library space in both library membership and in monetary donations and donations to the archive,” said Emery Grant, director of community engagement for SNMA. In fact, there have been recent donations from celebrities and public figures like Ellen DeGeneres, Michael Sam and several others. Plus, there are countless events scheduled at the library every month. For event listings at the library, visit SNMA’s website at www.stonewallmuseum.org. On Feb. 14, SNMA hed a fundraising gala One Night with Cheyenne Jackson. The event was in cooperation with Parker Playhouse and featurd Broadway star and TV actor Cheyenne Jackson as well as Sirius XM radio host Seth Rudetsky on the piano. SEE PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT ON PAGE 23.

WHERE ARE LGBT EMPLOYEES MOST VULNERABLE?

COURTESY OF VOCATIV

There are 32 states with limited to no protections for transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual workers

Brownback, in an effort to avoid creating more ‘protected classes’, rescinded a 2007 executive order by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius that protected the rights of LGBT state workers. Kansas is now back in the mix with more than 30 states where LGBT employment discrimination is legal. And because the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has stalled in Congress due to religious arguments, there is an obvious need for the kind of coalition-building we see in Florida. But if we’re going to see real progress in the workplace, be it private or public, we need to make sure that the benefits received by one group flow to everybody, which is how right-to-work laws work anyway. When a company union negotiates a raise, every worker at that company gets a boost in pay. All workers thus become part of something larger, where the principles and goals of a movement are embodied in what President Obama calls middle-class economics. It’s high time that years of support from organized labor for human rights in the workplace are celebrated along with each corporate stakeholder and not taken for granted as we focus on LGBT worker rights, whether or not the term “competitiveness” is often used to maintain the dichotomy of management versus labor. It takes two to tango.

director of the Florida AFL-CIO. “And although some (Pride At Work) chapters are more active in some states than others, we’re working to reinvigorate the dormant Florida organization by improving recruitment and resources.” Templin admitted that the untrumpeted support coming from organized labor groups has a lot to do with the composition of the Florida legislature, where pro-business Republicans enjoy not only one of their own in the governor’s mansion but solid majorities in both chambers. “In the Tallahassee bubble, it’s far more compelling to hear from business leaders than from labor leaders,” Templin said. “Our biggest contribution continues to be on the ground. Although the words of business leaders carry a lot more weight than the words of workers, we applaud these businesses for jumping aboard. It’s the right thing to do.” As a right-to-work state, the deck is already stacked against the labor movement in Florida. Right-to-work laws exist to suppress union membership and artificially deflate their numbers, so any effort to protect LGBT worker rights should not be divorced from the greater context of promoting labor rights in general. Look no further than what happened in another right-to-work state, Kansas, where Gov. Sam

Source: Vocativ

February 18, 2015

t’s a growing who’s who of Corporate Florida: office supplier Office Depot, cruise line Carnival Corporation, family restaurant chain Darden, Jacksonville-based health insurer Florida Blue, pro baskeball franchise Miami Heat, electric utility NextEra Energy, Clearwater-based Tech Data, banking giant Wells Fargo and grocer Winn Dixie -- some of the 23 major employers throwing their collective weight behind a would-be law to protect LGBT workers across the state. This coalition, formally known as Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce (which is different from its little sister of smaller firms, Florida Competes), is currently building political momentum for enacting the Competitive Workforce Act, a bill reintroduced in the legislature last December by Rep. Holly Raschein, R-Florida Keys, and Sen. Joe Abruzzo, D-Wellington. The bill would address a hole in Florida law by banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identification. Currently, 84 percent of the largest U.S. companies have adopted policies that include these protections, while 21 states, 250 U.S. cities and 160 localities in Florida have implemented similar laws. As a result, more than 60 percent of all Floridians now live under a local human rights ordinance, said Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director of Equality Florida, explaining that many Florida lawmakers now represent these same areas. Pollitzer said 10 Republicans co-sponsored the House bill last year. He expects 12-15 Republicans to join this time around. “Florida has become a leader, providing a model for the region and the entire country,” said Pollitizer, explaining that Equality Means Business and Another Business For Equality are now trademarked by Louisiana, Virginia and North Carolina. “Florida has achieved the most progress in passing a statewide law despite the legislature being firmly in the hands of the Republican Party.” But aside from this emphasis on business, what about big labor? Why don’t we hear about the grassroots support from the Service Employees International Union or Pride At Work, a constituency group of the 900,000-member AFL-CIO? “Constituency groups like Pride At Work have been actively supporting legislation like this for more than 10 years,” said Rich Templin, legislative

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COMPETITIVENESS: MORE LABOR NEEDED TO AVOID BUSINESS AS USUAL

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BY DANIEL HICKS

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LEFT COAST

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OFF-BROADWAY LEGEND NORMAN R. GLICK DIES AT AGE 72

COURTESY OF NORMAN R. GLICK FACEBOOK PAGE

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PASSAGES

February 18, 2015

T. PETERSBURG -- Norman R. Glick of Gulfport, Florida passed away at Bay Pines VA Hospice on Feb. 11. He was 72. Glick was popular in theater circles both locally and in New York, where he worked with many Broadway stars, including Harvey Fierstein. “I first met Norman in the decrepit ballroom of the Jane-West Hotel which, at that time, was a transient residence,” said Fierstein. “Harvey [Tavel] and Norman were turning the space into The Theater of the Lost Continent to present the works of Ronald Tavel. Norman did tech, photography, sound… and together we all created some real theater magic. “With Ronald and Harvey gone, Norman was my last touchstone for those memories. I will carry them forward proudly.” According to Fierstein, Lost Continent alums include Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Jackie Curtis, Mario Montez, Agosto Machado, John Vacarro and Ruby Lynne Raynor. Last year, Glick resurrected the

comedy Two by Tavel—the work of his late partner’s brother, Ronald, and directed it in New York. Harvey Tavel, Glick’s partner of more than 50 years, died in 2013. Glick began his work off-Broadway in 1965 and after graduating from the City University of New York in 1976. He started his career working as a concert promoter. When he and his partner moved to Florida, he stepped into a role at Bay Pines Medical Center in 1983, a position he held until 2009, the same year he married Tavel. He worked closely with American Stage Theater Company in St. Petersburg. Glick is survived by his brother, David. “In typical Norm fashion, he passed from this earth the way he lived his life—full of happiness and generosity of spirit,” David Glick said. “To the end he was showered with love and admiration for the man he was: gentle , kind, caring to all he came in touch with.” Services for Glick included a full military funeral on Friday, Feb. 13, at the National Cemetery at Bay Pines VA.

PHOTOS BY COCO ALARCON

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WITH CHEYENNE JACKSON

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k o o L T U O

STONEWALL MUSEUM VALENTINE’S DAY GALA

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AS I SEE IT February 18, 2015 • ISSUE 274

BY RICHARD HACK

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

or the LGBT community at large, there is much to be happy about these days, particularly where same-sex marriage is concerned. It’s currently legal for gays and lesbians to be married in 37 states (and the District of Columbia). Raise the rainbow flag and celebrate. While it’s still illegal to perform samesex unions in the remaining 13 states, the tide is obviously turning. Even as the country waits for a decision on the subject from the US Supreme Court, the public is becoming increasing vocal about its own acceptance of gay marriage. A new poll commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign from the Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Organization, suggests that 60 percent of likely voters are now in support of marriage equality, with a majority in favor in even the most conservative states. Previously, the record high was 56 percent. There has been growth in accep-

KEVIN MILLER

February 18, 2015

FOUNDER MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS

tance for same-sex couples in traditionally conservative groups as well. Among them: 66 percent among Catholics, 48 percent among seniors, and 35 percent among Republicans. Interestingly, the poll also found that 46 percent of people now know a gay couple who are married, keeping pace with the dramatic expansion of same-sex marriage in 2014 across the country. Fred Sainz, Vice President for Communications at the Human Rights Campaign, said: “This poll is another conclusive sign that support for marriage equality and LGBT people overall continues to grow. “The reality is that eight out of ten Americans now know someone who is LGBT and nearly half of our country knows an LGBT person who is married or in a committed relationship. “The violent rhetoric of some of the so-called leaders in the dwindling antimarriage minority leave them isolated and out touch, even with voters who

otherwise support traditional definitions of marriage.” That does not, however, mean the fight is over. Conservatives continue to explore ways to interrupt the flow of popular acceptance, and not always by legal means. In 2014 in Houston, Texas, antigay activists forged signatures on petitions to repeal the city’s equal rights law. Last July, anti-equality activists submitted boxes containing petitions signed by nearly 31,000 signatures in an effort to block a planned LGBT equality law. The required number of signatures under law is 17,269 for the matter to be put to a public vote. After examination of the signatures, however, Houston City Attorney Dave Feldman announced that so many were invalid or obviously false that the recall petition fell well below the threshold. After a long legal process, and nearly a week of deliberations, the jury in the case has delivered a mixed verdict – finding that 12 of the petition’s circulators submitted sheets that contained forgery and other flaws. Houston Mayor Annise Parker said: “I am very pleased with the jury’s verdict, and I expect the court will apply the law to the verdict and issue a final judgment confirming that the petition failed. “The City of Houston has had in place for over 100 years the same rules and legal requirements governing the referendum process to ensure fairness and avoid fraud, and the jury’s verdict confirms that the petitions did not meet the legal requirements. “The plaintiffs are expected to appeal any outcome that is not in their favor. That would be unfortunate for the City. “I believe that the majority of Houston wants this divisive fight to be over so that we are able to provide equal rights protections for all of our residents. The City is confident it will prevail.” Regardless, an appellate court will likely decide this case. Meanwhile, the snowball toward equality continues to roll. Yes, there is much to be happy about these days….Until next week…

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COVER STORY

BSO

ORT LAUDERDALE--A former Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy accused of forcing undocumented immigrants into sex acts while on the job has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of armed false imprisonment, 15 counts of battery and four counts of stalking, in a case which has spanned seven years and over a dozen potential defendants. Thanks to a plea deal agreed to by the prosecution with defendant Jonathan Bleiweiss, 34, the most serious charges of sexual battery were dropped, resulting in a prison term of just five years, with 10 years probaJonathan Bleiweiss tion. Bleiweiss will not be required to register as a sexual offender. Bleiweiss became a Broward County deputy in 2001, and was recognized as Employee of the Year in his Oakland Park district in 2008. That same year, he was alleged to have begun to fondle undocumented immigrants who he had stopped for various traffic violations, and his picture was posted in an Oakland Park soup kitchen as a warning to immigrants to beware of the officer. In August 2009, Bleiweiss was arrested for sexual battery as victims began to surface and the charges against him began to mount. At one point, he faced more that 70 charges, but the cases against Bleiweiss was a difficult one to prove. since been deported,” “He was disgraceful and abused his power,” thenSmith said. Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said at a news “All the victims were consulted — the ones who conference announcing Bleiweiss’ arrest. were interested and available — but, at this point, Yet, the illegal immigrants were reluctant to testify after six years, it was the best and the most just and against him, and various cases filed in state and fair resolution that the state could come up with,” federal court were either settled or dropped. Smith said, referring to the plea bargain that resulted Meanwhile, Bleiweiss was free to move out of in Bleiweiss’ five year sentence at the hands of state, living in Oregon from 2010 to 2013, before Broward Circuit Judge Michael Robinson, who also eventually settling in San Francisco. ordered him to serve 10 years of probation and to The lack of witnesses made prosecuting Bleiweiss undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation upon his release. nearly impossible. “They didn’t want to testify,” assisWhat makes this case especially disappointing for tant state attorney Neva Smith said, speaking of the the prosecution is that their was no lack of evidence victims. “They wanted to put it behind them,” she against Bleiweiss. Yet, their illegal immigration status told the Sun-Sentinel. “Most of those victims have would prove to be the prosecution’s undoing. Most

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FORMER BROWARD COUNTY DEPUTY SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FORCED GAY SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS

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GOOD COP GONE BAD

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BY RICHARD HACK

February 18, 2015 25

were fearful of reprisal. “I can understand that,” Smith said. “They are tired. They have been held hostage by this case for years. They have been tormented and teased in their community. They don’t want their faces on camera,” she said. “He’ll get out,” attorney Alvin Entin said. “He’ll be able to live the rest of his life. And he’ll do so without the stain of being a sexual predator.” For the Broward County sheriff’s department, however, the case of one-time deputy Jonathan Bleiweiss remains a blot on its reputation and a harsh lesson learned.

February 18, 2015

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February 18, 2015

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HEALTH

THE TOP THREE BEST WEIGHT TRAINING EXERCISES EVER!

here’s nothing like variety when you go to the gym. When you’ve got a vast array of exercises to choose from, you can periodize your training program so that you can see results almost immediately without ever getting bored. Yet there are certain exercises that need to be a constant in everyone’s training regime. They are tried and true classics that will never fail to make you grow in size, strength and definition. Here they are, the classic three: the bench press, the seated military press, and the barbell squat. Each of these three is a multi-joint movement that blasts several muscle groups at a time. These powerful exercises are also great natural testosterone blasters because they require you to work your muscles deeply and relentlessly. For massive pectorals, shoulders and triceps, nothing beats the flat bench barbell press. Lie on a flat bench with a rack and place your feet flat on the floor. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip outside shoulder width. Lift the bar off the rack over your upper chest. Lower the weight by bending your elbows until the bar barely touches your chest. Once you’ve reached the bottom, press the bar up and in an arc toward the rack, flexing your pecs until you reach starting position. To avoid injuries while benching, never lift your butt and lower back off the bench. Inhale as you lower the bar and exhale as you push it back up. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed throughout, and never bounce the weight off your chest. The seated military press will widen those delts as well as train your traps and tricepss. Sit upright on a bench and place your feet flat on the floor. With your back slightly arched, chest up, shoulders, back and arms extended, hold a barbell with a wide overhand grip. The weight should be directly above your head. Now lower the bar in front of your head by bending the elbows until the bar is just

below your chin. Press the weight back up explosively, keeping your elbows pointed out, until you reach starting position. If you have shoulder injuries, avoid bringing the bar too low – in that case, try stopping it at around the nose level. Never do this exercise as a behind the neck press or you will face rotator cuff injuries. Nothing compares to the squat for targeting lower body strength and development. Stand facing a squat rack and set the bar to about shoulder height. Position the bar across your traps and grasp it with a wide overhand grip. Stand up with the bar and take a couple of steps back, aligning your feet under your hips with toes pointing slightly outward. Now with your chest out, back slightly arched and your butt out, bend your knees and slowly lower your body (like you’re sitting in a chair) until your upper and lower legs form 90 degree angles. Once at the bottom, explode upward by pushing through your heels and contracting your glutes and quads until you’ve reached starting position. For a safe effective squat, keep your back straight and refrain from leaning over. Keep your eyes facing forward and avoid looking down at your feet in the mirror. Push from your heels and don’t roll forward on your toes. It takes sweat and determination to build your body. It also takes the right exercises and routines to produce the best results. Contact trainertomb@aol.com with all your questions. Call Tom (954) 557-1119 to set up your free consultation today. Check out www.pumpnincgym.com.

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2 4 3

BAR MAP

1) BO’S CORAL REEF Arlington 201 N. 5th Ave. , Jacksonville Beach, FL

THE WEEK JACKSONVILLE BY PATRICK ROBERT

2/20

Transitions

Gershwin Concerto in F

2) IN CAHOOTS Downtown 711 Edison Ave , Jacksonville, FL

3) THE METRO Downtown 849 Willow Branch Ave , Jacksonville, FL

4) THE NEW BOOT RACK SALOON Downtown 4751 Lenox Ave , Jacksonville, FL

5) PARK PLACE Downtown 931 King St , Jacksonville, FL

Symphony Orchestra as they present Piano Concerto in F. Known for its jazz influence, the concerto is markedly more traditional than Gershwin’s best known piece, Rhapsody in Blue, maintaining the customary three movement structure. This performance will be conducted by Case Scaglione. 8:00 p.m. Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. 300 W. Water St. Jacksonville. 32202.

2/21

Dennis DeYoung The founding member of the rock band Styx, Dennis DeYoung performed as lead vocalist and keyboardist for the group from 1961 to 1999. His solo work still pays homage to his classic band. Last year, he released a two CD + DVD package titled Dennis DeYoung… And the Music of Styx Live in Los Angeles. Expect to hear some of the classic, such as “Renegade” and “Blue Collar Man.” 8:00 p.m. Florida Theatre. 128 E. Forsyth St. Jacksonville. 32202.

Woody Allen’s favorite composer will be the focus of the Jacksonville

February 18, 2015

Getting older has its fair share of obstacles. There are a multitude of changes facing seniors, something that is depicted with unflinching honesty in the Amelia Musical Playhouse production of Transitions. These two one-act plays depict the ways seniors cope with different transitions in their lives. The first half is the scene “Last Rights” from the five-act play Hitchhike. The second half is “We Interrupt,” written by Jacksonville local Jane McAdams. 7:30 p.m. Amelia Musical Playhouse. 1955 Island Walkway. Fernandina Beach. 32034.

February 18, 2015

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February 18, 2015

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ACCOMMODATIONS TO SUIT YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS

BY JAMEER BAPTISTE

ired of hotel’s hidden service fees? Repulsed by long overdue motel renovations? Discover the many new (and in some cases more affordable) lodging options to fit the needs and comfort level of all types of travelers—perhaps even you. HOME EXCHANGE Home exchange allows homeowners to swap their property with other owners in varying locations. This type of accommodation option is usually best suited for vacationers who are comfortable lending out their home to strangers and who are planning a long-term stay. The average home exchange stay ranges between 1 to 4 weeks. Home exchanges are an affordable lodging alternative as they normally only require a membership fee for most exchange portals. The exchange provides the traveler with the traditional amenities of home (kitchen, laundry, etc.) and some even offer up some perks as part of the swap like their own personal vehicle. The two primary home exchange options are the traditional exchange and the non-simultaneous exchange. The traditional exchange occurs between two homeowners that partner with one another and travel on vacation to each other’s home at the same time. The two leading websites for a traditional exchange are Intervac and Homelink. A non-simultaneous exchange occurs when a homeowner has a vacant property available for a swap, perhaps their second residence. This exchange option allows the homeowner to swap that property at anytime without having to coordinate travel plans with a partner. This gives the homeowner free range to swap with others who have a similar arrangement. Visit the website Ivhe for non-simultaneous exchanges.

February 18, 2015

TRAVEL

VACATION RENTALS Are you traveling with a group of friends or your family? Then a vacation rental might be a perfect fit. Vacation rentals are the private living spaces of individuals who rent out their home to travelers. This accommodation setup

COUCHSURFING Couchsurfing is a relatively new concept first marketed in 2004 that HOSTELS transforms the customary travelIf you travel on a budget and are ing experience. This unique accomincredibly social, then you should look modation option combines traveling into staying at a Hostel. Hostels are and social media into one convedormitory style accommodations in nient website, couchsurfing.com. The which guests usually shack up in multi- whole idea behind the brand is the guest dorms. The number of guests intimate travel experience one shares in a single room varies from hostel to with their host. The traveler literally hostel. Each hostel also individually lives with their host, sleeping on the determines whether rooms are mixed host’s “couch” or an arranged bed situSHORT-TERM ROOM or single-sexed, so you may very well be ation. It’s all geared to making a new RENTALS sharing a room and the hostel’s facilities friend while you enjoy your traveling Short-term Room Rentals act in the with the opposite-sex. experience. same fashion as vacation rentals but Essentially, each guest is provided There is no cost to the guest for expand on this service by offering room with their own bed and a small area their lodging accommodations and requests as well. Two universal compa- (either under the bed or adjacent to the host gets no monetary compennies that provide these options to trav- the bed) for their belongings. All other sation from the company for openelers are Airbnb and 9flats.com. On facilities (bathroom, lounge, etc.) in ing up their homes to a stranger. As, both sites, guests can tailor their search the hostel are communal areas and couchsurfing.com likes to phrase it, parameters to just look for a room or are shared by all the guests staying on their service is for “friends you haven’t an entire living space to rent for a prethe property. Hostels are common met yet.” The company prides themdetermined time period. around the world; however, it’s impor- selves on that phrase and it is the basis When renting a room, guests are able tant to know that the term doesn’t have of their concept. It’s as if you’re crashto narrow their search even further by a universal meaning and can refer to ing with a friend while you’re on vacaindicating whether or not they would other lodging arrangements dependtion. You can arrange to have your host like a private or shared room. The bene- ing on which country you are visiting. pick you up from the airport. He or fit of a shared room is reflected in the To avoid any miscommunications while she can help you learn the language. price you pay for your accommodaresearching the best hostel that suits They can accompany you around town tions. And if you choose to occupy a your needs, you can visit websites that and attend different events with you. private room, in most cases you will be list hostels around the globe: hostelBasically, anything and everything you sharing a bathroom and the main living world.com and hostels.com. would do with your out-of-town friend.

allows everyone in your group to stay under one roof without feeling separated--a home away from home. Usually each travel destination has multiple vacation rental companies that house a list of rental properties to choose from. One local company here in South Florida, which specializes in waterfront rentals, is Val Gal Vacation Rentals. You can also find individual vacation rental listings on the classified website craigslist.

quarters with the owner of the property and perhaps other guests.

MIAMI/ MIAMI BEACH

2/20 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Browne has sold over eighteen million records in the United States. Hit songs include “These Days,” “Running on Empty,” and “Take it Easy.” Browne’s career came to prominence in the early 1970s with his eponymous debut album. His classic style includes memorable melody, personal lyrics, and interesting arrangements. His 1977 album Running on Empty was his greatest success, including such popular tracks as “Rosie” and “The Load-Out/Stay.” 8:00 p.m. The Fillmore Miami Beach. 1700 Washington Ave. Miami Beach. 33139.

MIAMI 1) CLUB AZUCAR 2301 SW 32nd Ave

6) EROS LOUNGE 8201 Biscayne Blvd

2) CLUB BOI 1060 NE 79th St

7) FLOPPY ROOSTER 7018 NW 72nd Ave

3) CLUB SPACE 34 N.E. 11th Street

8) HOUSE 1915 NW Miami CT

4) DISCOTEKKA | MEKKA MIAMI 950 NE 2nd Ave

9) JAMBOREE 7005 Biscayne Blvd

5) DUGOUT SPORTS BAR 3215 NE 2nd Ave

10) MAGNUM LOUNGE 709 NE 79th St 11) CLUB AZUCAR 2301 SW 32nd Ave

MIAMI BEACH 12) CAMEO 1445 Washington Ave

15) PALACE BAR 1200 Ocean Dr

13) KILL YOUR IDOL 222 Espanola way

16) SCORE 1437 Washington Ave.

14) MANSION NIGHTCLUB 1235 Washington Ave

17) THE CABARET 233 12th St 18) TWIST 1057 Washington Ave

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Jackson Browne

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BY PATRICK ROBERT

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THE WEEK

Soul 2 Soul: Voices of Love The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating Black History Month with a special show featuring jazz vocalists Dianne Reeves and Phil Perry. Reeves is the reigning queen of female jazz vocalists, having recently won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Phil Perry’s soulful jazz has been featured on stage with such greats as Patti LaBelle, Anita Baker, and Quincy Jones. 8:00 p.m. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami. 33132.

2/21

Ragtime the Musical

February 18, 2015 33

The Tony Award-winning musical presents a portrait of American life in the early 20th century through the eyes of a white, upper-middle class family, an African American couple, and an Eastern European immigrant escaping to America. Timeless themes of wealth and poverty, prejudice and hope, and despair and freedom combine in this soaring musical. 8:00 p.m. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. 280 Miracle Mile. Coral Gables. 33134.

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February 18, 2015

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Palm Beach Gala Thursday, February 12 7:00-10:00 pm

@ THE STUDIO

1016 Clare Avenue, Building 5 West Palm Beach, Florida

An inspiring evening in support of the incredible work of Equality Florida. Enjoy sumptuous hors d’oeuvres

and delicious cocktails. Join us as we honor local heroes Ruth Berman & Connie Kurtz with the 2015 Voice For Equality Award. Hear the latest news about our incredible victories in the fight for LGBT equality and the challenges ahead in the annual “State of the State” address by Equality Florida’s CEO Nadine Smith. Tickets are $150 – RSVP and purchase tickets at www.eqfl.org/palmbeachgala or call 813-870-3735 Sponsorship opportunities begin at $500. Please contact Rick Hill at rick@eqfl.org or call 305-401-1021 for details. PRESENTED BY

c a t e r i n g

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR THE EQUALITY FLORIDA INSTITUTE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN FLORIDA (1.800.435.7352). REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #CH7992.

February 18, 2015

Christina’s

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THE WEEK TAMPA/ST. PETE

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BY PATRICK ROBERT

2/21

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Annie

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Based upon the classic Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, Annie tells the story of an eleven year-old orphan dealing with the harsh conditions of her Depression-era orphanage. She spends the beginning of the musical desperate to find her parents. Evil Miss Hannigan gets in her way, a kind millionaire shows her some love, and she sings about “Tomorrow” and her “Hard Knock Life.” 2:00 p.m. Carol Morsani Hall at the Staz Center for the Performing Arts. 1010 N Macinnes Place. Tampa. 33602.

2/23

Trash Talk

BAR MAP 1) BAXTER’S LOUNGE South Tampa 1519 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, Fl 813-258-8330

3) BRADLEY’S ON 7TH 1510 E. 7th Ave, Ybor City, Tampa,FL 813-241-2723

5) CITY SIDE LOUNGE South Tampa 3703 Henderson Blvd, Tampa, FL 813-350-0600

7) G-BAR Ybor City 1401 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-1016

2) BODY SHOP North Tampa 14905 North Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL 813-971-3576

4) THE CASTLE Ybor City 2004 N 16th St, Tampa, FL 813-247-7547

6) ENIGMA 1110 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg, FL 727-235-0867

8) GEORGIE’S ALIBI 3100 3rd Ave N, Saint Petersburg, FL 727-321-2112

9) THE HONEY POT Ybor City 1507 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-4663

Hardcore punk band Trash Talk have appeared in a multitude of festivals, which have helped them to garner a significant fan base. Their fourth studio album, No Peace, was released last year and includes the songs “JIgsy,” “Amnesiatic,” and “Body Stuffer.” A glowing review from Pitchfork solidified both the band’s musical prowess and their underground appeal. 7:00 p.m. The Orpheum. 1915 E Seventh Ave. Ybor City. 33605.

2/25

Maroon 5

February 18, 2015

www.FloridaAgenda.com

Adam Levine’s pop rock band is known as much for its lead singer’s romantic dalliances as for its hit music. With well over 27 million albums sold worldwide, Maroon 5 is one of the most popular bands working today. Their hit singles include “Moves like Jagger,” “Makes Me Wonder,” and “Hands All Over.” Their newest album V includes the fall hit “Animals.” 7:30 p.m. BB&T Center. 2555 NW 136th Ave. Sunrise. 33323.

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ORLANDO BY PATRICK ROBERT

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8 7 11 4

John Patrick Shanley’s 2004 play became an instant classic over a decade ago. Influenced by the Catholic priest pedophilia scandals, the play focuses on the uncertainty of truth in complicated accusations. A film version included a scenery-chewing Meryl Streep playing Sister Aloysius, the firebreathing head nun whose suspicions about a priest’s improprieties lead to a string of events. 8:00 p.m. Garden Theatre. 160 West Plant St. Winter Garden. 34787.

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Doubt: A Parable

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2/19

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THE WEEK

2/20

Slava’s Snowshow 2

BAR MAP 7) PULSE 1912 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 407-649-3888

6) PARLIAMENT HOUSE 410 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 407-425-7571

8) SOUTHERN NIGHTS 375 S Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL 407-412-5039

10) STONEWALL 741 W Church St , Orlando, FL 407-373-0888 11) THE ULTRA LOUNGE 407 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, FL 321-690-0096

9) SAVOY 1913 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 407-898-6766

provides complimentary Health and Wellness services to financially challenged people living with HIV/AIDS and offers a global LGBT athletic mentoring program for amateur and professional athletes ranging from grade school to the professional ranks. DI

ERE

NCE ONE

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E A T

A 501(c)3 organization providing services to financially challenged people living with HIV/AIDS in Fort Lauderdale

2435 North Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

BRIANNEALFITNESS.ORG

Bryan’s country music career began with writing songs for established artists Travis Tritt and Billy Currington. He signed with Capitol Records in 2007, and, from there, his career exploded. Singles off of his debut album I’ll Stay Me include “All My Friends Say,” “We Rode in Trucks,” and “Country Man.” His newest album will be released in March of this year. 7:00 p.m. Amway Center. 400 W Church St. Orlando. 32801.

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Luke Bryan

The Brian Neal Fitness and Health Foundation

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Bizarre absurdist production Slava’s Snowshow is basically a series of sketches, funny and poignant. Russian performance artist Slava Polunin has staged a dramatic and exciting clown show loosely linked through the one precipitation so rarely seen in Florida—snow. The show won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. 7:30 p.m. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 1111 N. Orange Ave. Orlando. 32801.

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February 18, 2015

SCREEN SAVOR

FEBRUARY FLAIR

s film franchise launches go, Kingsman: The Secret Service (20th Century Fox/Marv) almost has it all. There’s the great setup. An independent intelligence agency, run by Arthur (Michael Caine), along with Harry aka Galahad (Colin Firth), affiliated with a Saville Row tailor shop (where they make bulletproof bespoke suits), is training a new set of recruits in an estate in the English countryside. The least likely recruit, chav lad Eggsy (scorching

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BY GREGG SHAPIRO

The Last Five Years

hot Taron Egerton), is the son of a Kingsman killed in the line of duty 17 years earlier. The special effects, often tied in to fight sequences, borrow a thing or two from the Wachowski handbook, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Director Matthew Vaughn, of Kick-Ass and X-Men First Class fame, also brings his own distinctive style to Kingsman. Kingsman earns its R rating through its depiction of ultra-violence. Bullets fly like swarms of

insects hitting virtually every target. Kingsman also employs a multitude of other weapons and explosives, as well as hands and fists. The scene in which Harry shoots up and obliterates a Kentucky hate church plays out like Tarantino on ecstasy. Most important is the sparkling sense of humor at the heart of Kingsman. Not only is it full of audio and visual references to classic cinema (yes, that’s Mark Hamill as Professor Arnold and yes, that is a blade popping out of Eggsy’s

Oxfords). Best of all is lisping villain Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a twisted Internet billionaire, whose population culling concept is couched in green rhetoric. However, Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), Valentine’s razor-legged sidekick (so to speak), is the stuff of nightmares. The bottom line is that Egerton is up to the challenge and we are almost certain to see more of the Kingsman, including Eggsy’s fellow agent Roxy (Sophie Cookson). Even the colorful and hilarious (some

1 End of the quote 6 64 Where to find a Russian river, once 65 Grouchy guy 66 Fast food pioneer 67 Do-overs for Billie Jean 68 X-Men actress Berry 69 The last word in film directing DOWN 1 What Nick Malgieri might do to a pie crust 2 One who gets your dinghy going 3 Totally ridiculous 4 Short-legged dog 5 Castro Street, on BART 6 X at a frat 7 Where Dr. Arizona Robbins works 8 Yule ring 9 Mitchell of NBC News 10 Guy up front 11 Rubber cement and such 12 Fruit homophone of a couple 13 Gets the bottom line 18 Blabbed away 22 Billy Budd, and mates 24 Online auction site 25 Cut 28 Reba’s realm, for short 29 Iditarod terminus

0 What fruits do in orchards 3 31 Italian wine center 32 Love ending? 33 Musician Ricky Wilson, for one 37 Cocks 39 Star Trek counselor Deanna 40 Many August people 43 Direction from Stephen Pyles 45 Prettify 48 Leg and loin 49 Agnes Moorehead role 50 Stones’ companions 53 Type of queen 54 Evita’s married name 55 How Homo sapiens stands 56 Conquest of Caesar’s 57 Besides that 58 Series ender 62 Show with C. Kattan 63 “Proud Mary” singer with Tina

For the solution to this puzzle, go to www.floridaagend.com/puzzle

ACROSS 1M anger for Mary’s boy 5 E with a queer orientation 10 Biggest of three bears 14 Columnist Barrett 15 Richard Chamberlain’s The ___ Birds 16 Pigged out (on) 17 Start of a quote from Cinderella’s Prince 19 “___ no idea!” 20 Head-oriented group 21 They may be domestic 23 Strutted one’s stuff 26 Where to find nipples 27 More of the quote 31 Math subj. 34 Simba’s Broadway love 35 Enjoy the taste of 36 Mouth-puckering 38 Cross-dresser movie 41 Sea bottom captain 42 Nonmonogamous groups 44 De Matteo of Desperate Housewives 46 Do tailoring 47 Sondheim musical of this puzzle’s quote 51 B. D. Wong, for one 52 Queer form of an element 56 Autobiographer of Alice 59 More ready to get plucked 60 You could get caught in it

February 18, 2015

f you insist on seeing Fifty Shades of Grey (Universal/ Focus), be warned that it is a ghastly, tasteless waste of time and a poor excuse for titillation; more clunky than kinky. When frumpy, klutzy, virginal college student Ana (Dakota Johnson) does sick roommate Kate (Eloise Mumford) the favor of interviewing 27 year old bossy billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) for the school

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he non-traditional modern movie musical The Last Five Years (Radius/Weinstein) is the perfect alternative to Fifty Shades of Grey, especially for LGBT audiences. Really, who else is going to see this movie? Based on the stage musical by Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years features Anna Kendrick in her most mature role (and potentially best performance) as “shiksa goddess” Cathy, a struggling actress/waitress. Cathy and nice Jewish boy Jamie (the gorgeous, and often partially clothed, Jeremy Jordan), a successful young novelist, meet, marry and then split-up. In this mostly sung-through musical, each character sings their version, providing alternating perspectives. To make it more interesting, Brown constructed the show so that Cathy is telling her version from the end to the beginning, while Jamie’s account is from the beginning to the end. They meet in the middle on the duet “The Next Ten Minutes.” With a relatively small cast and only a few choreographed numbers, The Last Five Years is an incredibly economical musical. While there aren’t any tunes that you walk out of the theater singing, Kendrick and Jordan sing the heck out of the songs. Director Richard LaGravenese (who wrote the screenplay for the cracked Barbra Streisand vehicle The Mirror Has Two Faces) does a decent job of bringing the musical to life on the big screen.

paper, she embarks on a life-changing journey. Grey surprises Ana at the hardware store where she works. His purchase of cable ties, masking tape and rope makes him a “complete serial killer” in Ana’s eyes, mildly arousing her interest. After they meet for coffee, Grey, who “doesn’t do romance or girlfriends,” advises Ana to steer clear of him. The trouble is that he’s become obsessed with her; sending her expensive gifts. Needless to say, a relationship develops. It’s a relationship that involves paperwork (nondisclosure agreements and such) and a playroom full of restraints, whips and other “toys,” as well as Grey’s post-coital piano playing (it’s a shame he doesn’t play the “organ”). Ana, the 16th in a series of Grey’s submissives, spends most of her time hemming and hawing about taking part in the scenario. Admitting to being “50 shades of fucked-up,” Grey eventually reveals two key points. He’s the son of a crack whore (no joke!) and that as a teen he became the sub to the dom friend of his adopted mother. Here’s the thing. This is no doubt the first in a series of films with these characters. That means we are stuck with Johnson’s goofy facial expressions and the stiff (and not in a good way) Dornan. If posing was acting, then Dornan is Olivier. However, Fifty Shades of Grey deserves respect for condom usage. But, if ever a movie should come with a Gardisil patch, it’s this HPV cesspool. In addition to being boring and un-erotic, what’s most disappointing and disheartening about Fifty Shades of Grey is that not only was it (badly) directed by a woman, Sam Taylor-Wood, but that the unintentionally funny screenplay adaptation was also written by a woman, Kelly Marcel. Feminists must be disappointed that sisterhood isn’t as powerful as it used to be. A far more successful (and literary) execution of this kind of thing can be found in the excellent 2002 film Secretary. The (spanked) bottom line of Fifty Shades of Grey is that sometimes a pencil is just a pencil.

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might say silly) conclusion doesn’t detract from the entertainment factor. Whatever you do, be sure to stick around for the film credits.

Even Stephen

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PUZZLE

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