Agenda 011416 issue 321 by Multi-Media Platforms

January 14, 2016

2 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

4 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda /floridaagenda

JUST ADAM

The week reﬂected back through fabulously funny eyes O, REALLY? You know what I’m all about? Oprah saying “honey child” in her new Weight Watchers ad! Werq! MODEL MISBEHAVIOR. Model Jerry Hall just lost any cool points that she ever had by being the girlfriend of Rupert Murdoch. SPIN CYCLE. Cleanliness is next to “Joanliness.” SING-A-LONG. I Personally feel deeply offended that “Boom Boom Boom Let’s go back to my Room” has never been nominated as a standard in the classical American songbook. JEW ALREADY KNOW. Watching a special on the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker empire! God, as a Jewish kid from New York I totally missed out on the schmaltziness of Heritage USA! I always miss out on the fun stuff! STYLE PROPER. OK. This El Chapo guy: Worth billions, planning biopic and needs a f**king stylist. Now don’t give me this crap about being on the lam and staying incognito. If the man can invest in an underground jail-escape tunnel with air-conditioning and a mini-train, we can certainly invest in some quality fabrics, a good skin care regimen, and perhaps a quality conditioner and pomade? I really don’t ask much of my mastermind criminals, but girl please!!! CRUZ CONTROL. Ted Cruz is totally that guy that only eats the pretzels out of the party mix!! WHOLE LOTTO DRAMA. OK… OK… We know… You already won the Powerball lottery… That photo that you’re about to post is obviously showing the winning numbers... And we won’t see you at work on Monday. Now excuse me, because my eyes have rolled so far in the back of my head that I’m looking at my brain. MY HEART WILL GO ON. I’m so sick of hearing about poor Leonardo DiCaprio not getting an Oscar! Poor thing. For the past 20 years, he’s only made millions of dollars, dated supermodels, and lived in mansions. I mean, how does the poor thing ﬁnd the strength to go on??

January 14, 2016

FAMILY MATTERS. I seriously cannot stop laughing every time I turn on the news and they’re talking about the Bundy family. Bunch of white trash holding federal lands for hostage. I mean these people are right up there with Al, Peg,and Ted! Adam Cohen is South Florida’s favorite and most fabulous social commentator. He’s also single. Find him on Facbook to keep up with his hilarious take on the week’s headlines.

/floridaagenda

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING... “ʻWEʼVE GOT TO DISRUPT THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE—WE NEED A CRADLE TO COLLEGE PIPELINE.ʼ —HILLARY AT #DEMFORUM”ʼ

POPE FRNACIS expanding upon his controversial 2013 remarks about gays.

“I COULD COPE WITH A HOMOSEXUAL IN THE HOUSE. I GUESS IʼLL JUST HAVE TO AND WITH MY BACK AGAINST A BRICK WALL ALL THE TIME.” Celebrity Big Brother contestant WINSTON MCKENZIE discussing living with openly gay cast members.

CHEERS

“It is time that we recognize your history and we protect your indigenous lands…“ -Leonardo DiCaprio accepting the Golden Globe for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama.

JEERS

Teen Wolf star CHARLIE CARVER coming out as gay via Instagram.

“Nature dictates what marriage is, and the states don’t have the right to violate what nature has dictated.” -Rick Santorum discussing same-sex marriage in a radio interview in Iowa.

“PLEASE WRAP? IʼVE WAITED 20 YEARS FOR THIS. YOU GONʼ WAIT. YOUʼRE GONNA GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE TIME.” TARAJI P. HENSON accepting the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series.

January 14, 2016

“I PREFER THAT HOMOSEXUALS COME TO CONFESSION, THAT THEY STAY CLOSE TO THE LORD, AND THAT WE PRAY ALL TOGETHER. YOU CAN ADVISE THEM TO PRAY, SHOW GOODWILL, SHOW THEM THE WAY, AND ACCOMPANY THEM ALONG IT.”

JOE BIDEN discussing President Obama offering him ﬁnancial supper amid son’s illness

HILLARY CLINTON via Twitter

“OVER TIME, THIS ABSTRACT ‘KNOWING’ GREW AND ARTICULATED ITSELF THROUGH A PAINFUL GESTATION MARKED BY FEELINGS OF DESPAIR AND ALIENATION, ENDING IN A CLIMAX OF SAYING THREE WORDS OUT LOUD: ‘I AM GAY.’ I SAID THEM TO MYSELF AT FIRST, TO SEE HOW THEY FELT. THEY RANG TRUE, AND I HATED MYSELF FOR THEM. I WAS TWELVE.”

floridaagenda.com

“He said, ‘I’ll give you the money. Whatever you need, I’ll give you the money.”

/floridaagenda

Random thoughts from social media and beyond this week

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

COVER STORY

MASSIVE LGBT BACKLASH HITS STATE LEGISLATURES By Richard Hack

January 14, 2016

s legislatures in all but four states return for new sessions in the coming weeks, the LGBT community should brace itself for a major backlash against the advances made in 2015. According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 115 anti-LGBT bills were introduced in at least 31 states including Florida. Of those, at least 27 states have rolled over decisions on the bills to the new sessions, suggesting that 2016 will be a challenging for human rights in general and gay rights in particular. “2016 will prove a critical year for the fight for LGBT equality in states across the country,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The progress our movement has made is threatened by an organized effort to pass discriminatory legislation that seeks to rollback our hard-won rights. We will have much work to do to defend our rights this year, but we

will not waver in our fight to expand the map for LGBT equality to every corner of this country.” Lawmakers in 33 state legislatures will be in session by the end of next week, and 37 state legislatures will be in session before the end of January, according the HRC. Legislatures in 46 states and the District of Columbia are scheduled to convene during the first four months of 2016. In 2015, more than 115 anti-LGBT bills were introduced in at least 31 states. Because many state legislatures have provisions that allow bills to carry over into 2016 if they were neither enacted nor defeated, many of these bills are still pending. The largest number of anti-LGBT bills introduced in 2015 were aimed to authorize individuals, businesses, and taxpayer-funded agencies to cite religion as a reason to refuse goods or services to LGBT people. These bills

Graphics By: HRC.org

took many different forms across the country. Proposals included legislative attacks that sought to allow individuals, businesses, and government employees to refuse goods and services related to same-sex marriages in Alabama, the Carolinas, Texas, and elsewhere. In Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, and elsewhere, lawmakers proposed allowing adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBT prospective parents. In more than a dozen states, lawmakers introduced sweeping bills aimed at allowing all individuals and businesses to cite religion as a legally permissible reason to discriminate against LGBT people. Other anti-LGBT bills sought to restrict transgender people from accessing bathrooms, to eliminate the ability of local governments to protect LGBT residents and visitors, and even to promote the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called

/floridaagenda /floridaagenda floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

Graphics By: HRC.org

“conversion therapy.” While not in session this year, in Texas alone, last year at least 20 vicious anti-equality bills attacking LGBT Texans and their families were introduced in the state’s legislature. In 2016, HRC expects more than two dozen state legislatures to consider anti-equality measures. These include legislatures in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Specifically in Florida, the Pastor Protection bill, introduced by Rep. Scott Plakon (R-Longwood) in August, purports to protect religious leaders from being forced to conduct same-sex weddings. The bill is unnecessary because religious leaders are already free from being forced to perform any sort of wedding ceremony at all that doesn’t align with their faith or personal convictions. HB 43 moved through the Civil Justice subcommittee and is now at the Judiciary Committee. A companion bill filed in the Florida Senate has not advanced. Republican representative Julio Gonzalez sponsored the other anti-LGBT bill currently before the Florida legislature. The Protection of Religious Freedom is intended to allow doctors to refuse to treat gay people, adoption agencies to refuse to place adoptees with gay couples, and effectively any business to discriminate against gay people, as long as the business owner says it’s against their religious beliefs to do business with gay people. The bill is broad enough that it lets any business discriminate against anyone for any reason at all – race, gender, disability, whatever – as long as the business owner says it’s against their religion. HB 401 is currently referred to the Civil Justice Subcommittee and does not at this time have a companion Senate bill.

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda

THE AGENDA INTERVIEW NADAV PERETZ: PUTTING THE OUT IN OUTSTANDING TRAVEL

/floridaagenda

BY ALEXANDER KACALA

We sat down with Nadav Peretz, an entrepreneur offering LGBT travelers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the vibrant gay life in Israel. Peretz visited South Florida in partnership with the World Out Games, coming to Miami in 2017. His company, OUTstanding Travel, brings high quality travel services to gay and lesbian travelers without comprising sophistication and style.

KACALA: How many people did OUTstanding Travel host in Israel this past year? PERETZ: In 2015, we hosted close to 1,500 clients offering them tailor made and curated travel experiences. KACALA: How did you get the idea for this company? PERETZ: I worked many years in public relations for Israel. I was already dealing in a lot of different ways with Israeli PR and people who visit Israel. And then two years ago, I was in London, My friends were asking what there is to do in Israel, when to come, what’s the best way to see it. I then had the idea to open something for the LGBT community who wants to come to Israel and experience the vibrant gay life. So I came to Israel and I found an amazing business partner to start OUTstanding Travel.

January 14, 2016

KACALA: What type of experiences does your company offer travelers? PERETZ: Most of our clients come for individual or couples trip, We also offer guarantee departure where people can register to join a group trip. For 2016 we will offer ﬁve group trips. You can meet people from around the world and experience Israel. The ﬁrst few hours it can be awkward but 24 hours later, everyone becomes friends. It really is amazing to see.

Photo: Dennis Dean The Cabana Guesthouse & Spa

KACALA: What can people expect from their trip? PERETZ: What we do is very special and unique. Every gay guy can come and experience Israel. It doesn’t matter their age or budget. Tel Aviv is of course the highlight for gay tourists but they see more than just that. Israel is an amazing place. It is so small and you can see so much of it in a week, from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, Galilee, El’ad, you can jump to Petra and Jordan. It is a very unique place with over 3,000 years

of history. We have gay and lesbian guides that lead tours not only during the day at historical sights, but also after the sun sets. We show them the gay nightlife of Tel Aviv. We stay at very nice gay friendly hotels. We make sure that every person has the best experience. It’s very personal. KACALA: What are some obstacles you have had to overcome? PERETZ: Some people still feel like it’s not safe. That it’s very religious. It’s not the right place for gays. I get it from some clients before they come. The first day in Israel it is something that always happens to me. They meet me and they laugh at what they thought only a few hours ago before they got on the plane. After they land, it is something that changes instantly once they see it is open, you can walk hand in hand to see the city, and it is super liberal and fun and very welcoming for gays. Most people now know Tel Aviv is a gay mecca. I think we have done a good job in the past ten years to show that Tel Aviv is very special. Not only of course in Middle Eastern terms but all over the world. Even if you compare it to liberal cities in America or Canada, it is in the same category. Like Toronto, San Francisco or New York or Miami and Fort Lauderdale, it is super gay friendly. KACALA: What’s next for you and your company? PERETZ: We are going to expand to five new countries - Brazil, Greece, South Africa, Argentina and Thailand. It is going to be at the same level as Israel. Same branding and quality of experience. I am going to countries where it is a bit more difficult - where LGBT travelers may be unsure on how to travel there. So someone waits for you at the airport. Speaks English. Makes it the best possible experience for gay travelers when they come to these far off places.

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

12 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

Was it right to jail Kim Davis for contempt of court?

floridaagenda.com

MADONNA: “Im Devastated! This great Artist changed my life! First concert i ever saw in Detroit!”

YOKO ONO: “As John & I had very few friends, we felt David was as close as family. Sweet memories will stay with us forever.” BOWIE’S SON, DIRECTOR DUNCAN JONES: “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.” YUSUF ISLAM, ALSO KNOWN AS CAT STEVENS: “He has left us for another world, beyond the darkness of this present one vividly so depicted in the shadows of his last video. I truly pray he’s welcomed to the light by his Maker in that great today, which has no tomorrow.” IRISH SINGER HOZIER: “Unthinkable. The world has lost one of the most important artists and icons of our time. I was moved immeasurably by David Bowie. RIP.” MARIAH CAREY: “David Bowie we will remember your brilliance. Heartfelt condolences to family, friends & fans around the world.” JOSH GROBAN: “He never seemed of this earth. Now he’s left it. He bent rules, gender, genres, and our minds. RIP David Bowie. One. Of. A. Kind.”

GERMAN FOREIGN OFFICE: “Good-bye, David Bowie. You are now among #Heroes. Thank you for helping to bring down the #wall.”

IGGY POP: “David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is.”

RAPPER KANYE WEST: “David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime.” SINGER PHARRELL WILLIAMS: “David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace.” COLUMBIA RECORDS: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of David Bowie. It was an honor and a privilege to release his music to the world.”

J.K. ROWLING: “I wish he could have stayed on earth longer. RIP.” ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY JUSTIN WELBY: “I remember sitting listening to his songs endlessly in the ‘70s particularly and always really relishing what he was, what he did, the impact he had.” BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON: “Genius is an over-used word but I think musically, creatively, artistically David Bowie was a genius.” “For someone of my age he provided a lot of the soundtrack of our lives.” FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR: “From the time I saw his Ziggy Stardust concert as a student, I thought he was a brilliant artist and an exciting and interesting human being.”

LONDON (AP) -- Tributes have poured in for singer David Bowie, who died Sunday aged 69. Politicians, entertainers, actors and astronauts have expressed their sadness at his death. Here is a look at some of the reactions:

TONY VISCONTI, BOWIE’S PRODUCER: “David always did it his way and his way was the least obvious way. He was a true genius who proved it over and over again through groundbreaking albums. I co-produced his new album ‘Blackstar.’ He sang

Davie Bowie: Tributes to the late music legend

January 14, 2016

FORMER ASTRONAUT CHRIS HADFIELD: “Ashes to ashes, dust to stardust. Your brilliance inspired us all. Goodbye Starman.”

PAUL MCCARTNEY: “His music played a very strong part in British musical history and I’m proud to think of the huge influence he has had on people all around the world. “I send my deepest sympathies to his family and will always remember the great laughs we had through the years. His star will shine in the sky forever.”

COMEDIAN RICKY GERVAIS: “I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie.”

floridaagenda.com

BETTE MIDLER: “Bowie WAS The Man Who Fell to Earth. Curious, brilliant, enigmatic and sweet. We needed him and he appeared, changing our perceptions forever.”

with powerful energy and determination, his performances were brilliant. He will live forever in our hearts, mine especially.”

/floridaagenda

THE ROLLING STONES: “The Rolling Stones are shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the death of our dear friend David Bowie. As well as being a wonderful and kind man, he was an extraordinary artist, and a true original.”

/floridaagenda

MICK JAGGER: “David was always an inspiration to me and a true original. He was wonderfully shameless in his work. We had so many good times together... He was my friend. I will never forget him.”

January 14, 2016

14 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda /floridaagenda

Publisher Maura “Mumball” Lane

2000 Oakland Park Blvd. Suite 106 | Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 Phone: 954-380-8563 | www.ﬂoridaagenda.com

AS I SEE IT

EQUALITY VS. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: THE WAR OF 2016

o it’s 2016 and we’ve still got quite a climb ahead of us until we reach the top of the hill. As we hold hands walking through the streets of Wilton Manors or Ybor City, it’s easy to forget that the LGBT community outside of its core gayborhoods is anything but equal or safe.

January 14, 2016

Art Director Kevin Broady

Editor-In-Chief Richard Hack richardhack@wirld.com

Let’s not forget that there are still 28 states—including our own— were it is still totally legal to discriminate against gays and lesbians in the housing market, in hiring, and in shopping. When they put that sign on the wall that said “We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone” who knew they were talking about By us. Despite the Richard fact that the Hack vast majority of Americans think that LGBTs have equality now that we can get married in any state, nothing could be further from the truth. And not only in those 28 states, mind you. New York, New Hampshire and Wisconsin brag about their anti-gay discrimination laws, but still allow discrimination against transgenders. Massachusetts and Utah have a hunt a

peck approach to protection, and the Federal government is a mixed bag of limited anti-discrimination laws boundd within other items of legislation. The Democrats have re-introduced legislation to bring national anti-discrimination to all in the LGBT community, despite the fact that its chances of passing through a Republican controlled Congress in an election year are slim. Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island, the chief sponsor of the new Equality Act, said he had already been asked why he would push for such an ambitious proposal when ENDA had failed for years. “The answer is that our country is in a different place today, and momentum is on our side,” he told Atlantic magazine. “Partial equality is not acceptable. It’s time for a comprehensive bill that protects LGBT Americans from discrimination in all aspects of everyday life.” For all the gains made last year by the LGBT community, none was greater than the same-sex marriage win in the U.S. Supreme Court. The irony is now that gays can

wed, they are also exposing their sexual identify in the process every time they do, thereby opening themselves up for discrimination on all other levels, and making the need for Federal laws all the more imperitive. In the process, the wound that is exposed is religious freedom, and the right to believe what you feel is faith and gospel. To some that is an open-ended invitation to hate. And constitutionally, it is going to be the powder-keg of 2016. Do not be fooled by the cover story that some legislation has produced, claiming to be aimed at protecting clergy who ﬁnd it religiously objectionable to perform same-sex weddings. In case you’ve been asleep at the wheel, the Constitution already protects rabbis, imams, and priests from performing ceremonies that are not in accordance with their faith. Forcing an imam to perform a gay wedding is no more realistic than have attempting to force a Catholic priest to wed those who have been previously married. It’s just not going to happen, and shouldn’t happen. The real intolerance in religious freedom is when it is used as a convenient excuse to not have to perform a publically offered service to everyone who can pay the retail price. If you are a Baptist and

can convince yourself that it’s ﬁne to bake a wedding cake for a Russian jew, you are on thin ice when suggesting that you can’t accommodate a same-sex couple for the same nuptial dessert. The thought that you can only serve those with like beliefs can never work in the free market society known as America. This year, according to Matt McTighe, executive director of the LGBT advocate group Freedom for All Americans, they will be spending between $3 and $6 million toward funding gay anti-discrimination legislation in Florida, Arizona, Indiana and Georgia—the bellwether states for bigots and Bible thumpers. His goal is not to change faith-based agendas, but rather to demonstrate that such faiths can ﬁnd room within their various doctrines to accommodate equality for all. This is not bending to special interests, but rather realizing that all men (and women) deserve the same compassion and respect regardless of their religion, race, or sexuality. No, it’s not rocket science. It’s human rights. Richard Hack is the award-winning author of 26 books, and the Vice President of Content for Multimedia Platforms’ publications.

“

Religious freedom to some is an open-ended invitation to hate. And constitutionally, it is going to be the powder-keg of 2016.

/floridaagenda

OPINION ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

and a cash value of $806 Million! That’s no typo. Oh, the things one could do with that kind of money! Of course, many of us would do the customary things like pay off bills, take care of our family genetic and chosen. Maybe take a nice long vacation, new residence or new wheels for starters. “Pay it forward” came to mind as well. Most of us know what the concept is. In part, wiseGEEK further explains it by saying: “One of the most important things that people should remember about this concept is that it should be done with a selﬂess spirit. This means that one person helps another without hoping for repayment or good deeds in return. In fact, there are some organizations that allow people to pay it forward anonymously, donating money or performing good deeds without hoping for recognition. As far as the receiver of the money, gift, or good deed is concerned, he or she is told only to do something good for someone else.” But in all honesty, how may

would really do such a thing? I know I would, and I do, as do many I know. If you recall this past November, I wrote “Giving Thanks by Giving Back” and highlighted friends Jay and John who turned their annual Thanksgiving brunch into a way to pay it forward and help others. This year they raised $2,000 in food items and $600 in monetary donations for Poverello. They (and their friends who attended) understand the concept! There are so very many things that the (lottery) money or just acts of kindness can be used for, both in and out of our community. In the LGBTQI (and all those other letters associated with “our” community) and beyond, we have homeless teens and adults. Those who are hungry. Those who struggle paying for medications or everyday requirements to survive - rent, electric, food. For many, the thought of a car is considered a luxury. Many rely on public transportation, or even walk. Many programs depend on donations and grant monies to keep their doors open and be able to do some

PAUL BERGE

Rev. Joel S. Slotnick is an ordained Interfaith minister and full time digital court reporter for the state of Florida.

January 14, 2016

of those things. There are organizations who depend on donations and sponsors. Many of us participate or sponsor yearly in events such as the AIDS Walk, Smart Ride or Bowla-Thons, to name a few. We have places such as Poverello & Church of the Holy Spirit Song who have food banks to make sure people eat. United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale has a weekly (Thursday) lunch for the homeless, where they serve a “home cooked” meal, clothes and toiletries. Part of this is accomplished through donations of all kinds. Thursday averages over 100 persons weekly; gay, straight, bi - you name it. Just before the Christmas lunch happened, someone donated 125 stocking caps. The congregation was challenged to take a cap and bring it back the Sunday before Christmas ﬁlled, knowing they would be distributed to the attendees at the lunch Christmas week. Every stocking cap was returned, ﬁlled to the brim. They were then distributed to each homeless person in attendance. You would have thought they had won the Powerball lottery! People in need are grateful to those who care. The awesome thing is, WE DON’T HAVE TO WIN THE LOTTERY to be able to pay it forward. We do it because we can. Either way, we win. For 2016, I challenge each and every reader to Pay it Forward on a regular basis. There is no better feeling to give without an expectation of wanting something in return - except a wonderful feeling and knowing you helped make a difference! I leave you with these words: “If we all do acts of kindness daily, maybe it would set the world in the right direction.” Unknown

floridaagenda.com

Happy 2016 to one and all! Many have started the year with one or more resolutions. My resolution: Not to make any! But to those who have made them and can follow through for the year, kudos to you! I’d also like to extend 1st Anniversary blessings to those of you who married By Rev. between January 6th, 2015 Joel to today. How Slotnick great it must feel to (ﬁnally) be legally joined in your very own home state and recognized as a loving couple - not to mention every bit of equality that comes with it! My year started off with a dream. Powerball. Yes, Powerball. Nobody has won it since November and as of this past weekend, it rolled to an estimated $1.3 BILLION dollars. Yes, BILLION,

/floridaagenda

Because We Can

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda /floridaagenda

18 January 14, 2016

CREEP OF THE WEEK

OPINION

By D’Anne Witowski

Kevin Swanson

ou guys. I have good news. Kevin Swanson doesn’t want to murder all of us in the name of Jesus. And by us, I mean anyone who is LGBT or LGBT-adjacent (i.e. you have a friend, relative or someone else in your life who is LGBT and you’re cool with that). He says the whole thing where he said that LGBT people should be killed was just a big misunderstanding. You see, he was just talking about what it says in the Bible, not about how he wants to spend his free time. “On the one hand, I have reiterated God’s moral injunctions concerning homosexuality contained in the Christian Bible,” he said in a Nov. 25 statement. “But when confronted with the question, ‘Shall we exhort our civil magistrate to implement the death penalty as mentioned in Romans 1 and Leviticus 20?’ ... The answer is ‘No.’” And then he says he totally wants civil servants to obey Christ but, “I have made the point very strongly that politics and government won’t save this nation.” Duh, Christ will! Swanson isn’t saying that he wants the government to kill gays. He just wants God to. So I think we all owe Swanson a big fat gay apology. After all, according to some sources (i.e. Kevin Swanson himself), 2015 was THE YEAR for Christian persecution in America “and this may yield more suffering for Christians in 2016.” Why can’t the Christians get a break in this country? I mean, Jesus Christ! It’s 2016! You’d think Christians would finally be able to freely exercise their religion instead of having to hide in shame, praying only in airport restrooms and seedy bars. The children of Christians shouldn’t have to pretend they have godless parents lest they be tormented in school. Christian teens shouldn’t be told that “it’s just a phase” or get thrown out

of their homes when they come out as believers in Christ. I mean, it’s not like the majority of Americans identify as Christian — oh, except they do. Which makes this whole “persecution” thing kind of difficult to swallow. But, you know, secular forces at work and all. “As we continue to face the devastating effects of the sexual revolution (including sins such as adultery, homosexuality and illegitimate divorce), America is risking God’s judgment,” Swanson’s statement continued. “Individual Americans have a more serious problem to confront than retribution from civil government, and that is the eternal judgment of God.” And let me tell you, God is hangry and is going to show us who is boss. How? By letting Hillary Clinton get elected. Because if she’s our next president, it won’t be a reflection of the will of the people, but rather a brutal way for God to say, “I am disappointed.” “Why wouldn’t Hillary Clinton get full rein upon this nation to continue the destructive pattern, destroy the social fabric of the nation — the family, of course,” Swanson railed on the Dec. 28 episode of his “Generations Radio” show. Yes, why wouldn’t she? Clinton’s campaign stump speech, “I will destroy all of the families in the U.S.,” polls very favorably with voters seeing as most Americans are heathens who only love butt sex and abortion. Swanson predicts that after Clinton becomes Queen, “Tremendous majorities of American kids (will be) taken down the track towards homosexuality.” It’s a curious claim because, first, how did he find this out? It’s one of Clinton’s most closely guarded campaign secrets. And also, what constitutes “tremendous majorities”? It sounds so big, and yet means so little. Like so much of what Swanson says.

Kevin Swanson

Photo: reformingfamilies.com

What’s your opinion? The Agenda wants to know...

The Florida Agenda welcomes signed Letters to the Editor, up to 400 words in length, on topics of general interest to our readers. You may e-mail submissions to Editor@ﬂoridaagenda.com. We welcome comments on our Facebook page also.

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

Corn State to Host Republican Chaff

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

CAPITOL BEAT

TED CRUZ

January 14, 2016

SEPARATING THE CORN FROM THE CHAFF

“

You have gays running rampant on one hand, and Christians being lynched on the other,” said Ted Cruz. “But, there is a solution,” he added. “We should build a nuclear bomb and use it to defend our right to believe in God as our one true Father.”

he presidential campaign trail is filled with such extreme rhetoric these days that we can easily be gulled into believing this was the latest inflammatory insanity coming out of the Cruz camp. Except it isn’t. It was the work of the satirical news site, Newslo, the words ringing with a chilling element of plausible authenticity. After all Cruz did just tell an Iowa audience that allowing a transgender girl to use a school faculty restroom was “probably better than sticking him in the shower with the teenage girls.” He also mentioned that his 5-year old daughter BY “knows the difference beLINDA tween boys and PENTZ girls,” which is more than can be said for Cruz himself. As a storm-tossed January takes its dramatic leave, we head to the farm state of Iowa and the impending caucuses, where the corn will be separated from the chaff. Not that there is really any chaff on the Democratic side. The hapless Martin O’Malley will likely see his swan song in Iowa unless something untoward occurs. Otherwise it’s onward for Hillary and Bernie who, like rock stars, no longer require a last name (or an exclamation point.) All three stand solidly in support of LGBT rights. On the Republican side, however, it’s pretty much all chaff. Applying the acid test of marriage equality, the candidates are all of one mind: opposed. This despite the fact that it is the law of the land. Time to move on already, Alabama chief justice, Roy Moore, notwithstanding. (If a judge, who is meant to uphold the law, declares he will defy it, why isn’t he just disbarred?) The slash and burn hate speech has become so normal that spoofs

like Newslo’s Cruz parody are posted routinely on social media by readers believing them to be real news stories. Times were tamer when I headlined my March 2015 column, “No Cruz Control on this Presidential Country Road.” Today, much of the Republican presidential campaign rhetoric — most notably of course in the Cruz and Trump camps — is out of control. In October, Cruz addressed the National Religious Liberties Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, organized by Kevin Swanson who has called for “the death penalty for homosexuals.” The Cruz campaign refused to recant their candidate’s presence there, and told the Rachel Maddow Show that Swanson’s support for the execution of gay people was “not explicit.” The pamphlets Swanson’s supporters distributed at the conference called for “death to gays.” Nothing explicit there. And yet there is a certain reticence among GOP presidential hopefuls to deliberately raise LGBT issues. Or a lack of clarity. A look at the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) scorecard on where the Republican candidates stand on LGBT rights reveals — with notable exceptions like Marco Rubio who opposes everything — a smattering of unclears and to-be-decideds. Even Ben Carson’s recent response to suggestions that he might want to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was riven with equivocation. “I would be willing to sit down with people from both sides and examine the evidence and make decisions based on what the evidence shows,” Carson said. This came in response to Carson’s new campaign chairman, retired Major Gen. Robert F. Dees, who seemed to suggest women and gays should not serve. But Carson declined to straight out endorse this view. However, a number of the Republican candidates have either signed or endorsed the anti-LGBT First Amendment Defense Act. FADA is an ugly piece of legislation that would on its face, explains HRC, “prohibit discrimination by the federal government based on individual

January 14, 2016 21

Linda Pentz is the Washington correspondent of the Florida Agenda. She can be contacted at lindapentz@mmplgbt.com. Follow her on Twitter @CapitolAgenda

floridaagenda.com

This could be interpreted as a reason for cheer. Perhaps credit should be taken for all the hard work in the trenches that has turned the country around on LGBT rights. Americans overwhelmingly declare their support in polls not only for marriage equality but against the idea of using religion as a reason to deny fellow human beings their basic civil rights. But possibly there is a second explanation as well. It’s personal. The only people in America still truly deep in the closet are the straight ones who don’t know any gay people. The commitment to come out and to publicly tell the personal stories of LGBT life in America has opened the eyes, if not all the hearts and minds, of most voting Americans. And while many will still routinely vote against their self-interests (e.g. poor whites opposing Obamacare), they may be less inclined to vote against their gay nephew or aunt. (There are of course painful exceptions and the battle is by no means won.) So no, those “Make America Gay Again” caps did not come out of the Trump campaign (they are an HRC creation.) And Iowa isn’t all about corn fields. In fact, the state is home to more than 3,000 giant wind turbines and has the third largest installed-wind-energy capacity of all U.S. states. Too bad it’s about to play host once again to a whole lot of Republican hot air.

/floridaagenda

beliefs about same-sex marriage. In reality, this bill would allow nonprofit organizations and businesses contracting with the federal government to circumvent critical federal protections designed to protect same-sex couples and their families from harmful discrimination.” Rubio, who some now predict will be the come-from-behind Republican winner in the upcoming caucuses and primaries, supports FADA. Yet, while clearly opposed to marriage equality, Rubio has muddled audiences by failing to clarify whether he supports flouting the law or trying to change it. Trump has nothing to lose by denouncing marriage equality given that it is already law, but what does he really think? Gay actor, George Takei, once a celebrity contestant on The Apprentice, tried to find out by inviting Trump to lunch and asking him. As the lunch began, Trump told Takei he had just come from a gay wedding which he described enthusiastically as “a beautiful marriage.” Takei pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump’s position: “he was for traditional marriage, despite the fact that he’d been married three times. That is not traditional.” Publicly, however, Trump continues to oppose marriage equality. But with occasional exceptions, Republican candidates appear to be steering away from deliberately addressing LGBT concerns. Clearly the bigotry is still there and the GOP presidential road is paved with bad intentions toward the LGBT community. But it’s just not front and center in the political debate environment.

/floridaagenda

“

The only people in America still truly deep in the closet are the straight ones who don’t know any gay people”

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

ELECTION SPECIAL FEATURE

OBERGEFELL ATTENDS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS BY KEVIN FREKING ASSOCIATED PRESS

January 14, 2016

Jim Obergefell Photo: huffingtonpost.com

WASHINGTON (AP) - - Jim Obergefell of Cincinnati, Ohio, the plaintiff in the landmark case establishing that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry was a guest of first lady Michelle Obama for the president’s final State of the Union address. The White House said Sunday that Obergefell was among about two dozen guests invited to sit near the first lady on Tuesday. The guests include several veterans and service members, including one of the three Americans who thwarted an attack aboard a Paris-bound train. Those on the guest list highlighted

issues that Obama has attempted to prioritize during his tenure, such as expanded health insurance coveage, and issues that he hopes to work on during his final year, such as criminal justice. The guest list included a California man whose partner was killed in the San Bernardino attack, the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from the Army’s elite Ranger School and the Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case that found samesex couples have a constitutional right to marry. One seat was empty, to represent the victims of gun violence.

AMONG THOSE INVITED: uSUE ELLEN ALLEN of Scottsdale Arizona, co-founder of a nonprofit that helps former prisoners re-enter society. uGLORIA BALENSKI of Schaumburg, Illinois, a woman who lost her job during the recession and whose husband was in danger of losing his job at an auto manufacturer. The couple wrote a letter to the president thanking him for economic priorities he pursued during the recession. uJENNIFER BRAGDON of Austin, Texas, a woman attending junior college in hopes of becoming a teacher. uEDITH CHILDS of Greenwood, South Carolina, a local councilwoman who during a 2007 campaign stop, led the chant “Fired Up.” The crowd replied “Ready to go.” The call and response became an unofficial slogan for Obama’s two presidential campaigns.

/floridaagenda

uCARY DIXON of Huntington, West Virginia, a mom who has called on family members to speak up about drug abuse as a sickness, which reinforces Obama’s call to direct more resources into drug prevention programs. uLYDIA DOZA of Klamath Falls, Oregon, a Native American pursuing a degree in software engineering at Oregon Tech. uLISA JASTER of Houston, a major who became the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from the Army’s elite Ranger School. uMARK LUTTRELL, the Republican mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee, who has helped create specialty courts for veterans and those with mental health or drug problems as part of an effort to promote effective rehabilitation. uDANNEL P. MALLOY of Hartford, Connecticut, a Democratic governor who has led efforts to increase the minimum wage and tighten gun laws following the massacre of 20 elementary school students in Newtown. uBRAEDEN MANNERING of Bear, Delaware, a 12-year-old who started his own nonprofit that provides healthy food to the homeless and poor.

uRYAN REYES of San Bernardino, California, an activist whose partner was among the 14 killed Dec. 2 in the attack by a radicalized couple. He wrote in defense of the Muslim community saying the twisted actions of a few should not be used to view the majority. uRONNA RICE of Greeley, Colorado, a small-business owner whose company has benefited from trade in Asia. uCEDRICK ROWLAND of Chicago, who helps people find health care insurance under the Affordable Care Act. uNAVEED SHAH of Springfield, Virginia, a veteran originally from Saudi Arabia who fought in Iraq. uEARL SMITH of Austin, Texas, a veteran who gave Obama a military patch he had worn while serving in Vietnam. Smith kept the patch for 40 years, from Vietnam to his pardon after serving three years in prison for a wrongful conviction. Smith gave Obama the patch when he met the then-senator during the 2008 presidential campaign. Obama carried it with him the rest of the campaign. uSTAFF SGT. SPENCER STONE of Sacramento, California, who, along with Anthony Sadler and U.S. Army Specialist Alex Skarlatos, stopped a man from opening fire on passengers aboard a crowded Paris-bound train. uOSCAR VAZQUEZ of Fort Worth, Texas, a veteran who came to the U.S. from Mexico as a child and now works as a business analyst and advocate for Latino students.

January 14, 2016 23

uSATYA NADELLA of Bellevue, Washington, the CEO of Microsoft. Under his leadership, the company increased its paid leave benefits to 20 weeks for new mothers and 12 weeks for adoptive parents.

floridaagenda.com

uMARK DAVIS of Washington, District of Columbia, who started a small business that trains lowincome people to install solar panels.

uKATHLEEN O’TOOLE of Seattle, the chief of the Seattle Police Department, who has focused on community policing and undertook a pilot program in which officers wear body cameras.

/floridaagenda

uCYNTHIA “CINDY” DIAS of Las Vegas, a formerly homeless veteran.

January 14, 2016

24 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

High Court rejects appeal over same-sex parental rights

Law currently bans detainees from being transferred to U.S. soil, but a Pentagon team has looked at facilities in Kansas, South Carolina and Colorado as possible alternative detention sites. Fanning had been serving as acting undersecretary of the Army since June. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a written statement that Fanning agreed to step aside as acting secretary “to focus on achieving confirmation in the near future.” “We expect this move to be of a short duration and for Fanning to achieve speedy confirmation,” Cook said. “He remains one of the most qualified nominees to be a

Bill would let clerks deny marriage licenses to gay couples

service secretary, having served in many senior executive positions in each of the three military departments and as chief of staff of the department.” Fanning has held senior positions in the Air Force, including undersecretary from 2013 to 2015.

Mormon leader: Policy against gay marriage was word from God SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A highranking Mormon leader says the church policy against same-sex marriage was a revelation from God. Apostle Russell M. Nelson, head of the religion’s governing body and next in line for the Mormon presidency, said in a worldwide speech Sunday that Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints President Thomas S. Monson received instructions regarding same-sex couples directly from God. Nelson said that led the church to consider gay marriage a sin worthy of expulsion and forbid children of such couples from becoming members of the church. Those children can become Mormons once they are 18 if they renounce same-sex marriage. Nelson, a 91-year-old apostle, described how church leaders arrived at the decisions during a live-streamed speech from the campus of church-owned Brigham Young University-Hawaii.

RICHMOND, VA. (AP) - A Republican lawmaker in Virginia is pushing legislation that would allow clerks to refuse to issue licenses for marriages they object to on moral or religious grounds. Republican Sen. Charles Carrico of Galax said many of his constituents were concerned about what happened to Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who spent five days in jail last year for denying licenses to same-sex couples. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has already vowed to veto Carrico’s bill if it passes the GOP-controlled General Assembly. Republicans would need significant Democratic support to override a veto, which is unlikely. James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, said the Supreme Court’s June ruling that effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide has sparked a rush of Virginia legislation that he considers “harmful or discriminatory” to the LGBT community.

Photo: nbcnews.com

January 14, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from a woman who claims Florida’s previous ban on same-sex marriage deprived her of the same parenting rights as married couples. The justices on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that said Peggy Willis had no parental rights to a child conceived by her former partner. Willis and Anne Marie Mobley were in an 11-year relationship, but never married. They agreed to raise a child together, and Mobley gave birth after being inseminated with donor semen purchased over the Internet. The relationship ended when the child turned one. A Florida state court threw out Willis’ claim to parental rights. Willis said the ruling violated her constitutional rights because the Supreme Court last year overturned state bans on same-sex marriage.

the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay leader of a military service. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said Fanning is taking a staff position temporarily in the office of the secretary of defense and would return to the Army leadership position if his nomination is approved by the Senate. “We have no reason to believe that he won’t be confirmed,” Davis told reporters. In early November, Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts placed a hold on Fanning’s nomination as a protest over Obama’s ongoing campaign to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility and transfer detainees to the United States. The move was part of an effort to prevent the White House from taking executive action to close the facility. The White House had hinted that the president might use his executive authority to shut it down and move the detainees to the U.S.

floridaagenda.com

WASHINGTON (AP) - Acting Army Secretary Eric Fanning is stepping aside, at least temporarily, because the Senate hasn’t confirmed his nomination, officials said Monday. The Army’s No. 2-ranking civilian, Patrick Murphy, was confirmed as undersecretary last week, and will temporarily double as the acting Army secretary. The Pentagon announced that Fanning was stepping down “as a show of comity” to Congress. Some members of the Senate Armed Services Committee have expressed concern that his continuing as the acting secretary would violate the Vacancies Act governing requirements for filling openings that require Senate confirmation. Fanning had been serving as acting Army secretary since the previous holder of the office, John McHugh, stepped down late last fall. President Barack Obama nominated Fanning in September to succeed McHugh. If confirmed by

/floridaagenda

Army acting secretary steps aside amid stalled nomination

/floridaagenda

NATIONAL NEWS

January 14, 2016

26 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

MONTGOMERY, AL (AP) - Federal prosecutors in Alabama say the state’s probate judges must obey the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage regardless of an administrative order issued by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. Moore said Wednesday that the Alabama Supreme Court never lifted a March directive to probate judges to refuse licenses to gay couples. He said the order to refuse the licenses remains in “full force.” U.S. Attorneys Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama and Kenyen Brown of the Southern District of Alabama issued a statement saying they had “grave concerns” about Moore’s administrative order. Vance and Brown say the issue was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court last year and while government officials are free to disagree with the law, they can’t disobey it.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Advocates are praising Congress’ recent softening of a longtime ban on federal dollars going to needle exchanges amid growing intravenous drug abuse that’s spreading hepatitis and HIV in many states. The new rules, which were in the spending bill signed last month by President Barack Obama, say that federal money still can’t go to buying clean needles but can be used for other program costs in communities deemed “at risk” for significant increases in hepatitis C or an HIV outbreak. Advocates say exchanges, which provide IV drug users with clean needles and collect used ones to reduce needle-sharing that spreads diseases among users, also help get some users into drug-treatment programs. The change is significant, because it was backed by several Republicans who previously opposed federal funding. U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, a Kentucky Republican who heads the House Appropriations Committee, spearheaded the change because he and others realized something needed to be done to address the growing outbreaks and mounting medical costs, Rogers’ spokeswoman Danielle Smoot said. “We can’t ignore the growing crisis. It’s happening and we’ve got to make changes, and hopefully this will help save lives,” she said. Rogers’ state is experiencing hepatitis C outbreaks and has the nation’s highest rate of acute hepatitis C. To the north of Kentucky’s biggest city, Louisville, southeast Indiana saw a record HIV outbreak fueled largely by people abusing a prescription painkiller. There were about 200 needle-exchange programs in place in 33 U.S. states in 2014, according to The Foundation for AIDS Research. The softened federal ban should help many of those exchanges pay employees’ salaries, purchase vans to deliver clean needles to users and rent office space, said Daniel Raymond, policy director for the New York-based Harm Reduction

Transgenders take it on the chin in Indiana

of Louisville, Kentucky, in an outbreak driven largely by needlesharing among people injecting a liqueﬁed form of the prescription painkiller Opana. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a conservative Republican who had long opposed needle exchanges as part of drug-control efforts, signed a new law last spring that gave Indiana’s health commissioner authority to approve local needle exchange programs. To date, exchanges have been approved for four Indiana counties. More than 20 other Indiana counties are planning to seek state approval for exchanges of their own and Congress’ move could give some of Indiana’s exchanges a boost, said Beth Meyerson, codirector of the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at Indiana University. “For us in Indiana, and likely everywhere else, this is huge news because it allows our programs to apply for funding once it becomes available,” she said. In Kentucky, the Legislature passed a law last year that allowed local communities to set up needle exchange programs, but only the state’s two largest cities, Louisville and Lexington, have so far. Smaller counties in eastern Kentucky, which has been devastated by prescription drug abuse, have hesitated because of funding barriers and moral objections; conservatives have long believed that needle exchanges enable drug abuse.

Coalition, which provides training and technical assistance for needle exchanges across the nation. “It’s deﬁnitely a victory and I think it’s a workable compromise,” he said. While the change will eventually bring millions of federal dollars into the needle exchanges, the exact amount and the number of programs won’t be known for a year or more, said William McColl, director of health policy with the Washington-based advocacy group AIDS United. The move is especially important for cash-strapped rural areas of states like Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio - all of which are dealing with outbreaks tied to heroin addiction and abuse of other opioids. “They’re the ones who have been struggling and the federal ban has been a huge barrier,” Raymond said. Four Appalachian states - Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia - saw the rate of hepatitis C more than tripled between 2006 and 2012, the Centers for Disease Control said in a report released last year, and researchers have warned an HIV epidemic would likely follow if nothing is done. That type of epidemic came to rural southeastern Indiana, where more than 180 people have tested positive for HIV. Nearly all of those cases have been in Scott County about 30 miles north

January 14, 2016

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A Republican state senator who previously proposed granting Indiana civil rights protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has unveiled a new bill that would leave transgender rights out of the equation. Sen. Travis Holdman of Markle released the new proposal Thursday amid divisions in the GOPcontrolled Senate over his previous bill. Holdman’s new bill would have lawmakers study the transgender rights issue after this year’s legislative session. It also adds more robust protections for those with “sincerely held” religious opposition to gay people. Unlike his prior proposal, the new bill would allow cities that previously passed LGBT rights protections to keep those ordinances on the books. Senate leaders say both this bill as well as Holdman’s previous measure will be considered by a Senate committee.

floridaagenda.com

Needle exchange leaders cheer relaxed Federal Funding Ban

/floridaagenda

Feds say Alabama judges must obey US Supreme Court decision

/floridaagenda

NATIONAL NEWS

January 14, 2016

28 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

MIAMI - Zoetic Stage and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County will present the South Florida premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, an “intensely smart, immensely funny” (The New York Times) Pulitzer Prize finalist written by Gina Gionfriddo about the choices women make. Playing January 14 – 31, 2016 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House). In RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN, Gina Gionfriddo’s answer to the Wendy Wasserstein masterwork, The Heidi Chronicles, the playwright exposes three generations of women as they debate the ultimate question: is the grass always greener? Polar opposites, but equally unfulfilled, Catherine Croll (Mia Matthews) and Gwen Harper (Margery Lowe) covet each other’s lives, initiating a dangerous game of “what if?” With searing insight and trademark wit, this Pulitzer Prize finalist is an unflinching look at modernday women and the choices they face in a postfeminist world. Directed by Stuart Meltzer, Zoetic Stage’s Carbonell and Silver Palm Award-winning Artistic Director, RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN features an all-star cast including multiple Carbonell Award-winning veteran Barbara Bradshaw (Alice Croll), Margery Lowe (Gwen Harper), Lexi Langs (Avery Willard), and TV and stage stars Todd Allen Durkin (Don Harper) and Mia Matthews (Catherine Croll), reunited on stage for the first time since starring together on the Nickelodeon smash hit series Every Witch Way. “At Zoetic Stage we are extremely happy to be presenting Gina Gionfriddo’s moving, smart, and very funny play,” says Artistic Director Stu-

/floridaagenda

Rapture, Blister, Burn comes to Carnival Studio Theater

/floridaagenda

SUNSHINE STATE

Photo: arshtcenter.org

art Meltzer. “With this production we not only continue our commitment to female playwrights, we get to present four of the region’s ﬁnest female actors (and one outnumbered male) at the top of their games. This is one to get people talking on the ride home.” Zoetic Stage was founded in 2010 to create fresh, bold interpretations of contemporary plays and musicals, and is dedicated to enhancing South Florida’s national artistic proﬁle by producing regional premieres and developing new works to become part of the American stage repertoire. Zoetic Stage’s 5th anniversary season will close with Passion (February 18 – March 13, 2016), Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony Award-winning, emotionally charged chamber musical. Over the past four years, the Theater Up

Close Series has transformed the Arsht Center into a showcase for some of the most dazzling theatrical work being done anywhere in this country. Productions in the series have earned 13 Carbonell Awards and 41 nominations. The Center is also honored to have partnered with and be the home of Zoetic Stage, one of South Florida’s most critically-acclaimed theater companies. Most recently, Zoetic Stage was presented with three 2014 Carbonell Awards in the categories of Best New Work and Best Director for the comedy Clark Gable Slept Here, as well as Best Production of a Musical for Assassins. Tickets to RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN are $50-$55 and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box ofﬁce by calling (305) 949-6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org.

Florida Democrats ﬁle domestic partnership legislation Equality Florida’s CEO Nadine Smith said, “Equality Florida applauds Sen. Sobel and Rep. Jenne for standing firm in their support of domestic partner registries. Even as marriages are now taking place for same-sex couples, domestic partner benefits continue to ensure that all Florida’s families will be treated fairly. By offering a domestic partner registry, our state can demonstrate its respect for the broad diversity of families that exists here. Expanding domestic partnership protections statewide is a matter of fundamental fairness and inclusion.” “Domestic partnerships are an important legal tool that provide protections for unmarried couples, both same-sex and opposite-sex,” added Sobel. “In fact, two-

thirds of those who rely on domestic partner benefits are opposite-sex couples. Many of them seniors who do not wish to remarry. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and what is right for some may not be right for others- but all families deserve to be able to care for one another.” “Expanding domestic partnership laws honor the many family structures that exist today and respect the important personal and practical considerations that factor into a couple’s decision not to marry,” Jenne said. “It ensures that families are not cut off from essential benefits like health insurance and vital legal protections like the right to make health care decisions for an incapacitated partner.”

January 14, 2016

TALLAHASSEE – Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) and Rep. Evan Jenne (DHollywood) filed legislation Friday (HB 1275 & SB 1666) that would create a statewide domestic partnership registry offering a defined set of legal rights and protections to unmarried couples who participate. Even as marriage has finally become an option for all couples, there are many practical reasons for why many decide not to marry. Rights and protections offered in the legislation include: advanced health care and end-oflife decisions; facility visitation; emergency notification; joint property, estate and inheritance; funeral and burial; and wrongful death. Similar versions of the legislation have been introduced in previous sessions.

January 14, 2016

30 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

STREET BEAT As we, the LGBTQ community, celebrate one year of marriage equality in the state of Florida, we would like to know your feelings on the topic?

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

LOVE HAS WON! On August 21, 2014, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled against an existing Florida marriage equality ban in the case of Brenner v. Scott. But due to many appeals the decision wasn’t put into effect until January 6, 2015. This year on January 6, 2016 we celebrated one full year of marriage equality in the state of Florida.

ANTONIO ELLISON “I’m so amazed on how far our community has come. I understand that marriage isn’t for everyone but at least we now have the right to tie the knot if we so choose,” says Antonio Ellison, a LGBTQ activist. “My only hope is that we don’t abuse this right that so many have fought for us to have in our lives today. Love has no color, race or gender divide.”

MAX SELENE “I believe that marriage equality is not something that should have been granted to us by our government,” conveyed Max Selene, an Ambassador of the Arts. “Marriage in my eyes is a simple of love; therefore, it’s a natural human right. To me, it’s only natural to want to be with the person you love forever and that’s what marriage represents.”

CHRISTIAN BLAHNIK

COREY SELENE

“Love doesn’t have any rules or boundaries and one of the ultimate ways to express your love for someone is to ask for their hand in marriage,” communicated personal banker Ifrain Tapanes. “We desire that right and should take it seriously. I ﬁrmly believe in death do us part and I feel beyond privileged to call my partner my husband one day.”

“I’m so happy yet I still get to thinking of all those who we have lost that will never get the freedom to marry because of all the bigotry in the world,” conveyed Christian Blahnik, a doctor’s assistant. “The day marriage equality became legal a massive rainbow appeared right before my eyes. I truly appreciate everyone who worked hard for this day to ﬁnally come.”

“It’s beautiful to ﬁnally live in a state where it’s legal to marry the person that you love and share the same rights that all who are married are offered,” mentioned dancer Corey Selene. “It’s a wonderful step in the right direction. And even though there’s still discrimination towards our community, at least the favorable ruling has brought us all a feeling of hope.”

January 14, 2016

What’s your opinion?

IFRAIN TAPANES

January 14, 2016

32 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

PHOTOS ADRIANNA CORTEZ

/floridaagenda

STAR STRUCK – VINTAGE GAY FAVORITES, PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB DEUTSCH AT STONEWALL NATIONAL MUSEUM

/floridaagenda

yyy SPOTLIGHT yyy

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016 33

THIRSTY FOR MORE? OF COURSE YOU ARE. CHECK OUT ALL OF THE PHOTOS YOU CAN HANDLE AT FLORIDAAGENDA.COM!

January 14, 2016

34 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

THE FRIVOLIST BY MIKEY ROX

CHUG-A-LUG 2016:

TV DRINKING GAMES GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU TOASTED

January 14, 2016

photo: nerdgiest.com

photo: tvland.com

‘Round my parts in New York City, winter’s been a breeze so far. Seventy degrees on Christmas Eve? I’ll take it. But I don’t expect the New Year to be as cooperative. When the post-holiday season throws us a storm or three, give it a good what-for with booze. Settle in for a DVR’s worth of critically acclaimed TV and these seven new drinking games to help smooth that slow transition to spring.

YOUNGER (TVLAND)

LIFE IN PIECES (CBS)

Take a sip of beer or wine when: uThe numbers 26 and 40 are spoken. It happens A LOT. uThe words “lesbian” and “vagina” are spoken – or getting it on. uThere’s any mention of social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tinder, Grindr, et al. Hey, it’s modern-day Brooklyn – what do you expect?

Take a sip of beer or wine when: uGrandpa John (James Brolin) is a sexy beast. Move over, Sean Connery! uGrandma Joan (Dianne Wiest) psychoanalyzes her children and/or their spouses. uParenting skills come into question.

Take a shot when: uLiza (Sutton Foster) and Josh’s (Nico Tortorella) relationship seems like it’s in peril. uLiza’s tries to keep her real age, or her college-aged daughter, a secret. uLiza’s boss Diana (Miriam Shor) gives the stink-eye – while wearing a chunky necklace.

Take a shot when: uBrothers Matt (Thomas Sadoski) and Greg (Colin Hanks) show signs of sibling rivalry. uTim (Dan Bakkedahl) embarrasses his family, especially son Tyler (Niall Cunningham). uSophia (Giselle Eisenberg) masters the art of sarcasm at the wise old age of 6.

/floridaagenda

THE AMERICANS (FX)

Take a shot when: uA bomb detonates. uA gun pops off. uSomeone is sleeping with the enemy.

floridaagenda.com

photo: hufﬁngtonpost.com

/floridaagenda

Take a sip of beer or wine when: uThere’s a reference to 1980s politics. Two if there’s talk of Ronald Reagan or the Soviet Union. uSomeone is murdered. uThere’s mention of another country outside of the United States. Three if they’re part of the Eastern Bloc.

photo: seriesland.com

SHARK TANK (ABC)

BLACK-ISH (ABC)

Take a sip of beer or wine when: uAn Entrepreneur cries. uAn entrepreneur overvalues his or her business and gets taken to task for it by the Sharks. uWonderful (Kevin O’Leary) refers to an entrepreneur as an insect or animal, like a cockroach or rat, for instance. Take a shot when: uBarbara Corcoran wears any neon article of clothing. She’s pretty much the queen of dayglow yellow. uLori Greiner mentions QVC or one of her many patents. uMark Cuban refers to the Dallas Mavericks.

Take a shot when: uDiane (Marsai Martin) drops a zinger. uMiles (Jack Johnson) plays up the adorable-little-boy act to his advantage. Another one if he busts a move. uZoey (Yara Shahidi) and Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner) make their father question their ‘black-ness.’

photo: variety.com

Take a sip of beer or wine when: uDre (Anthony Anderson) seeks family advice from his mostly white co-workers. uDre’s mother Ruby praises the Lord, God or Black Jesus. uBow’s (Tracee Ellis Ross) light-skinned, hippie heritage is food for fodder – particularly her knack for more “natural”

Take a sip of beer or wine when: uThe kids talk back. uThe teachers say something wildly inappropriate. uThe kids are at recess. Take a shot when: uThe teachers make up a mean-spirited game, or a game to beneﬁt their current condition, like being hungover. uThere’s a parent-teacher conference. uThe teachers play “Truth or Dare” in the faculty lounge.

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

January 14, 2016

photo: abcallaccess.com

TEACHERS (TVLAND)

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda /floridaagenda

38 January 14, 2016

ADVERTORIAL Does Back Pain have you Frustrated….. Are You Worried You Will Have to Take Pain Pills For The Rest of Your Life?…….. If this is you or someone you love, keep reading to learn about an amazing free report helping back pain sufferers!

Wilton Manors, FL Are you one of the 100 million Americans who are suffering from chronic back pain? Is your back pain stopping you from doing the things you enjoy? Are you using pain pills regularly just to get through the day? Are you afraid this may eventually lead to surgery? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we can help. We have put together a free report filled with tips to help you avoid the most common mistakes made by back pain sufferers. Back pain is not something you have to learn to live with. There are solutions, and we can help you find them. Claim your copy of “Erasing Back Pain: How to Avoid the 9 Most

Painful Mistakes and What You Should Be Doing Instead” today to take charge of your pain and get back to doing the things you love! In this report you’ll find  The 3 things you can do to avoid back surgery that will cost you nothing.  How to save yourself time and money by making the right choices for your back pain today.  How to avoid the biggest mistake made by back pain sufferers. Call (954)-351-2299 now for your FREE report or request it online at www.oceantherapycenter.com/ back.php

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

40 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

Market Place /floridaagenda

CONTACT NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR, MAURA “MUMBALL” LANE AT 954-543-5947 OR MAURALANE@WIRLD.COM TO GET ON THE LIST.

ACCOUNTING

CHURCH / SPIRITUAL

Sterling Tax & Accounting 2435 N Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-667-9829 / sterlingandhart.com

EVENTS

FURNITURE

I DO Custom Events PO Box 2357 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954-626-0131 / idocustomevents.com Source Events 605 Lincoln Road, #410 Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-672-9779 / sourceevents.com

ATTORNEYS Dean Trantalis Attorney 2255 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-2226 / trantalislaw.com

FINANCIAL Las Olas Financial Group 3000 NE 30th Place, Suite 206 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 844-779-7936 / lasolasﬁnancialgroup.com

Law Ofﬁces of George Castrataro 707 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 300 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954-573-1444 / lawgc.com

AUTO Vista Motors BMW 744 N Federal Hwy Pompano Beach, FL 855-793-7093 / vistabmw.com

Center for Spiritual Living 1550 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-2868 / cslftl.com

HEALTH

BARBERSHOP Holy Angels Catholic Community 2917 NE 6th Avenue Wilton Manors, FL 33334 954-633-2987 / holyangelsﬂ.org

CHURCH / SPIRITUAL

Etz Chaim 1501 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-564-9232 / etzchaimﬂorida.org

The Parish of St Francis & Clare 101 NE 3rd Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954-731-8173 / stsfrancisandclare.org

January 14, 2016

DENTAL Bove Dental 2500 E Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954-564-0181 / bovedentistry.com Magnolia Dental 12014 E. Colonial Drive, Ste 130 Orlando, FL 32826 407-205-9585/ MagnoliaDentalFL.com

FITNESS Pump’n Inc Tom Bonanti 1271 NE 9th Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954-557-1119 / pumpnincgym.com

FOOD / GROCERY Diana’s 12001 Avalon Lake Drive Orlando, FL 32828 407-207-0205 /dianasbakeryandcafe.com

FOR RENT For Rent 2 Bedrooms, 1 bath and kitchen, living room, frbicc@aol.com. 954-801-8283

Genesis Health Institute 1001 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-561-3175 / ghinstitute.com Better Hearing-World of Sounds 2450 E Commercial Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954-491-2560 betterhearingworldofsounds.com Ocean Therapy Center 2530 NE 15th Avenue Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-351-2299 oceantherapycenter.com

/floridaagenda

Market Place /floridaagenda

MUSIC

PHOTOGRAPHY Dennis Dean Images 3554 NE 12th Avenue Oakland Park, FL 33334 954-240-8307 / dennisdean.com

floridaagenda.com

HEALTH

REAL ESTATE Galleria International Realty 945 Las Olas Boulvard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954-234-8759 / galleriarealtors.com

INCOME TAX

Joe Grano Realtor 1881 NE 26th Street, Suite 212 Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-931-0031 / joegrano.com

Best Books and Taxes 2201 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-565-1041

INSURANCE We Insure 1975 E Sunrise Blvd, Suite 602 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304 954-903-7519 / weinsureﬂ.com Marvel Quevedo Insurance Agency 5062 South Conway Road Orlando, FL 32812 407-737-7778

ORGANIZATIONS The Pride Center 2040 N Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-463-9005 / pridecenterﬂorida.com Out of the Closet 2097 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-358-5580 / outofthecloset.org

PAWNBROKERS Sunrise Pawnbrokers 3043 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954-563-3147 / SunrisePawn.com

Island City Eyecare 2301 Wilton Drive, Suite C1 Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-764-6906 / visionsource-ice.com

January 14, 2016

OPTICAL

UPHOLSTERY

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda /floridaagenda

44 January 14, 2016

HEALTHWISE

New Year, New You:

Using Platelet-Rich Plasma to Help Achieve Optimum Health

ost of us make resolutions in January; the dawn of the New Year is a great opportunity to better ourselves. We may resolve to take better care of our minds and bodies, but unfortunately, we tend to give up on these promises before Groundhog Day. Why is this? By now, most of us know the By cornerstone of Dr. Ferdinard good health Cabrera comes from observing three basic practices: GOOD EATING HABITS - including a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet, opting for whole grains and lean sources of protein. EXERCISING REGULARLY whether it’s a brisk walk around the block or a session at our local gym. GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP - each night ideally between 7 to 9 hours. In spite of our best efforts, sometimes healthy habits alone aren’t enough to get us the results we want, and maybe that’s why we give up on our resolutions. As we age, our bodies naturally slow down: we’re more likely to experience aches and pains, our metabolism slows, and our growth factors diminish in their efﬁciency. Fortunately, there’s a way to supplement healthy aging. When taken with a healthy diet and exercise plan, Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy can help you achieve your best you.

WHAT IS PLATELET-RICH PLASMA THERAPY? PRP Therapy harnesses the capabilities of your blood to help minimize the effects of aging. As we grow older, we naturally produce less of certain chemicals that give us our youthful glow: collagen, testosterone, and estrogen, for example. PRP Therapy works by stimulating the production of collagen and increasing circulation in the body, which allows your body to heal more efficiently. In a PRP Therapy session, we draw some of your own blood and isolate the plasma. We then reinject this concentrated dose of growth factors to aid in rejuvenation and healing. In essence, PRP Therapy can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, fade acne scars, and treat thinning hair and skin. PRP Therapy has more than a cosmetic effect, it can be used for erectile dysfunction (P-Shot). It can be used for hair restoration, hair loss, or after a hair transplant. It can be also used to avoid painful intercourse and restore sexual satisfaction in post-menopausal women. If you suffer from a condition that causes chronic pain, PRP Therapy may offer you comfort. Since it increases circulation and aids the healing process in the body. This is the first in a series about the benefits of PRP Therapy. If you’re ready to see how platelet therapy can help you achieve your goals in 2016 and beyond, tune into the rest of our series.

Dr. Ferdinand Cabrera has 33 year of experience as a General Internist. He is the founder and president of Genesis Health Institute which specializes in Functional and Anti-Aging Medicine. He can be reached at 954-561-3175, or ia the Internet at www.ghinstitute.com.

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

floridaagenda.com /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

PUZZLE Brides Made

January 14, 2016

Across

1 Piece of leg 5 They poke around in leather 9 Logical beginning 13 His brother laid him in his grave 14 Take back a blow job? 15 Tombstone lawman Wyatt 16 One of a Columbus threesome 17 Rainbow shape 18 Hit the ground 19 He played Jenny’s dad in Jenny’s Wedding 22 Take an active part in S and M 23 Doze off 24 Navratilova’s winter home 27 Queer as Folk writer Jason 31 Sea shell seller 32 Get the job done 35 Gay cable network 36 She played Jenny in Jenny’s Wedding 39 Buffalo’s lake 40 Make noise in bed 41 Mineo of movies 42 Brown on a book cover 44 Our, to Vivien 46 Cap for James M. Barrie 47 Word after fish? 49 She played Jenny’s partner in Jenny’s Wedding 54 Like fervant fans 55 Polished part for a fem 56 Hawaiian wedding party, perhaps 58 Hamburger Mary’s list 59 Lascivious look 60 The Phantom of the Opera’s name 61 Type of school 62 Trust, with “on” 63 In need of BenGay

Down

1 When repeated, a 1953 Cole Porter musical 2 Small amount in a stallion’s mouth? 3 “Jaywalking” comedian 4 Like a Traci Des Jardins dish on fire 5 Enthusiastic lover’s cry 6 Florida’s Disney ___ 7 Someone else’s skill, to a sore loser 8 Rectal Allen Ginsberg poem 9 Love Songs poet Sara 10 Mary topper 11 Sinead O’Connor’s country 12 Get off the fence 20 Recoil from pain 21 Type of drama in the land of Samurai 24 Curious one 25 She had her hand up Lamb Chop 26 Teensy, in Toulouse 27 Chinese prefix 28 Base in Brooklyn? 29 Samantha not of Bewitched 30 Bea Arthur’s TV maid Esther 33 Bear of the night 34 Fork feature 37 Became aroused 38 Word before coming to a conclusion 43 Nathan’s role in The Producers 45 Loads 47 Govt. promissory note 48 Where bowlers roll their balls 49 State emphatically 50 Dotterman’s Antonia’s ___ 51 Wise guy 52 Prefix with peein’? 53 Bear’s hangout 54 Blaster for Etheridge 57 Islands instrument

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

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016

floridaagenda.com

THE WEEK: FORT LAUDERDALE .

/floridaagenda

01/15 Diva Diaries

photo: famefacts.com

01/14 Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth holds the odd distinction of being a Republican and a major LGBT activist. Her rise in popularity began with a Tony Award for her portrayal as Sally Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown followed by a stint originating the character of Glinda in the musical Wicked—a role that would deﬁne the rest of her career. Since then she’s co-starred on such television shows as Pushing Daisies and Glee. 8:00 p.m. Broward Center for the Performing Arts. 201 SW Fifth Ave. Fort Lauderdale. 33312.

January 14, 2016

By Patrick Robert

It’s the final night on stage for three dramatic and dramatically anxious drag queens and the cat’s coming out of the bag. These divas reveal secrets, engage in catfights, before finally coming together for the big show. The crowd pleasing musical uses music from the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s while evoking the fabulousness of a drag show with high energy musical numbers. 7:30 p.m. Broward Center for the Performing Arts. 201 SW Fifth Ave. Fort Lauderdale. 33312.

photo: goldstar.com

photo: mtv.com

01/16 Ani DiFranco Feminist icon Ani DiFranco has been a ﬁxture of college radio for decades. Her wildly political and poetic songwriting focuses on themes of female empowerment, gay visibility, and abortion rights. Her most popular song, “32 Flavors,” ironically compares a Baskin Robbins slogan to a statement of selfempowerment. The song was later covered by Alana Davis, D’Inﬂuence, and Elle Varner, and remains a vital part of American independent music history. Opening is Hamell on Trial. 8:00 p.m. Culture Room. 3045 N. Federal Highway. Fort Lauderdale. 33306.

floridaagenda.com

photo: vevlynspen.com

photo: southﬂorida.com

For over twelve years, the famously permed comedian has been entertaining America with his witty, animated performances. His breakout role came on MTV’s highly-rated improv show Wild n’ Out, helping him land prime gigs in such films as Friday After Next and First Sunday. After having just finished his highly acclaimed Born Again…Again tour, Williams is back with a new standup set titled Conspiracy Theory. 8:00 p.m. James L. Knight Center. 400 SE Second Ave. Miami. 33131.

/floridaagenda

01/17 Katt Williams

01/14 Rapture, Blister, Burn

Gina Gionfriddo’s critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize ﬁnalist Rapture, Blister, Burn explores the resentment and jealousy that befall two unfulﬁlled friends. Catherine and Gwen have taken opposite paths in life: Catherine is a career academic while Gwen has stayed at home, building a life with her husband and children. When they meet up again decades later, the question of “what if” takes over both of them. 7:30 p.m. Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami. 33132.

/floridaagenda

THE WEEK: MIAMI

01/16 Life in Color Festival Second only to Ultra in terms of major Miami electronic music festivals, Life in Color Festival employs the biggest names in EDM for a day of dancing and partying. The festival’s unique trick is that it throws gallons and gallons of paint on the participants, turning the venue into vibrant, visually-sumptuous bedlam. This year’s event includes headliners Jack U, Steve Aoki, Zeds Dead, Flosstradamus, Big Sean, and Ruby Rose. 12:00 p.m. Sun Life Stadium. 2269 NW 199th St. Miami Gardens. 33056.

photo: livenation.com

January 14, 2016 49

floridaagenda.com

THE WEEK: JACKSONVILLE .

/floridaagenda

01/15 The Light in the Piazza

photo: visitjacksonville.com

While touring the Tuscan Countryside in the summer of 1953, Margaret’s mentally handicapped daughter Clara falls in love with a handsome Florentine named Fabrizio. Margaret must let go of her tight control of Clara’s life in order for her daughter to have a romantic future. The musical utilizes Neoromantic classical music and opera to great effect, having won the Tony Award for Best Score in 2005. 8:00 p.m. Theatre Jacksonville. 2032 San Marco Blvd. Jacksonville. 32207.

The Jacksonville Symphony gives Carole King’s timeless classics the symphonic treatment. With popular new musical Beautiful the Carole King Story touring, renewed attention has been given to the 1970s singer-songwriter whose iconic breakthrough album Tapestry is still considered one of the best ever. Expect to hear songs “You’ve Got a Friend,” “It’s Too Late,” and “I Feel the Earth Move.” 8:00 p.m. Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. 300 Water St. Jacksonville. 32202.

Hot ’n horny hookups.

Non-Stop

Cruising

Get up to 10 days unlimited access.

Join now for FREE. Accessible:

photo: rollingstone.com

01/17 Jackson Browne

01/15 Carole King Songbook

January 14, 2016

By Patrick Robert

photo: youtube.com

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Browne’s career came to prominence in the early 1970s with his eponymous debut album, featuring a classic style that includes memorable melody, personal lyrics, and interesting arrangements. His 1977 album Running on Empty was his greatest success, featuring such popular tracks as “Rosie” and “The Load-Out/Stay.” 6:30 p.m. Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 315 Hult Rd. Hainesville. 32611.

The Canadian-American singer songwriter came to prominence in the late 1950s with classic, autobiographical songs like “Diana,” “Lonely Boy,” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.” His songwriting helped deﬁne a generation; he wrote such popular tunes as the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady,” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” He’ll perform all the hits in the only was such a consummate performer can tonight. 8:00 p.m. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 445 S. Magnolia Ave. Orlando. 32801.

Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis broke new LGBT ground in the summer of 2012 when their hit song “Same Love” reached both the popular music and the hip hop community, helping gay rights become more palatable to the masses. Along with that song, Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis have had other hits like “Thrift Shop,” “Can’t Hold Us,” and “White Walls.” 8:00 p.m. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 445 S. Magnolia Ave. Orlando. 32801.

photo: fanart.tv

photo: thecolorrun.com

01/16 The Color Run The Color Run is a ubiquitous part of social media: Facebook proﬁles, Instagram feeds, and Twitter tweets are full of pictures of vividly colored individuals sweating, smiling, and running. This 5K puts the emphasis on the one of a kind experience that comes from running while being sprayed with color. The Color Run Orlando has chosen Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida as its charity. 9:00 a.m. Central Florida Fairgrounds. 4603 W. Colonial Dr. Orlando. 32808.

You know the rest... now go buy this awesome Cowboy Hat! WWW.LEATHERWERKS.COM Copyright © 2016 The Werks Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Werks, LeatherWerks, PaddleWerks, Lifestyle Club, BootWerks and “Where Leather is a Lifestyle” are Registered Trademarks of The Werks Company, LLC

photo: mtv.com

January 14, 2016

SAVE A HORSE...

floridaagenda.com

01/20 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

/floridaagenda

01/14 Paul Anka

/floridaagenda

THE WEEK: ORLANDO

floridaagenda.com

THE WEEK: PALM BEACH .

/floridaagenda

01/18 Holocaust Heroes: Fierce Females

photo: startrek.com

01/17 Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage

Five decades of Star Trek is brought to the Kravis Center so hardcore fans can enjoy the franchise in all of its glory. The show includes a live symphony orchestra and solo instruments playing all of the film and television institution’s signature tunes. Along with the music, classic footage from Star Trek film and TV shows will be projected in high definition on a supersized screen. 8:00 p.m. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. 701 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach. 33401.

January 14, 2016

By Patrick Robert

Linda Stein’s newest art exhibit focuses on ten unheralded female heroes during the Holocaust. She utilizes tapestries and sculptures to illuminate the contributions these women had to preserving life in the face of great tragedy. The exhibit also includes her “Spoon to Shell” box sculptures, which focuses on how important a single spoon was during that time. The exhibit runs until January 29th. 9:00 a.m. Nathan D. Rosen Museum Gallery. 9901 Donna Klein Blvd. Boca Raton. 33428.

photo: miaminewtimes.com

photo: bocamag.com

01/20 Steve Tyrell At the early age of 19-years-old, the Texan native moved to New York City and began working with the likes of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Songs like “The Look of Love” and “Alﬁe” were helped by his ingenious touch. His concerts blend his old work, including music from his albums A New Standard, Back to Bacharach, I’ll Take Romance, and That Lovin’ Feeling, along with jazz standards, Disney songs, and classic love songs. 8:30 p.m. Colony Hotel. 155 Hammon Ave. Palm Beach. 33480.

This year’s Sunshine Music Festival spends Saturday in St. Petersburg before moving over to Boca Raton for Sunday’s fest. The lineup includes a diverse mix of singer/songwriters, country, and blues/rock bands. Some of the more popular groups include Indigo Girls, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Hard Working Americans. 11:30 a.m. Vinoy Park. 501 Fifth Ave. St. Petersburg. 33701.

The highest grossing Broadway production of all time is Julie Taymor’s innovative recreation of Disney’s ﬁlm The Lion King. The plot reimagines Hamlet with young Simba having to grow up in order to avenge his father’s death at the hands of sinister Uncle Scar. Simba’s guilt and desire for a carefree lifestyle stand in his way of taking the throne. 7:30 p.m. Straz Center for the Performing Arts. 1010 N. Macinnes Place. Tampa. 33602.

floridaagenda.com

01/20 The Lion King

/floridaagenda

01/16 Sunshine Music Festival

/floridaagenda

THE WEEK: TAMPA / ST. PETE

photo: youtube.com

01/17 Our Town

photo: smftampa.com

Thornton Wilder’s classic Our Town is performed not only at high school classes across America but also at Freefall Theatre for three weeks. The show traces the simple lives inhabiting a small American town before taking a dramatic stance in its third act, pointing out how precious each and every moment of life truly is. 2:00 p.m. Freefall Theatre. 6099 Central Ave. St. Petersburg. 33710.

photo: lionking.com

January 14, 2016 53

January 14, 2016

54 /floridaagenda

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

/floridaagenda

floridaagenda.com

January 14, 2016