Agenda 100115 issue 306 by Multi-Media Platforms

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October 01, 2015

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Michael Che

Michael Che, comedian, on SNL

Jesus broke bread with people. For as often as we see him preaching on a hillside or through the city streets, we find him at the table; not just with those who agreed with him, not just with his fans, not just with the well-manicured religious folks, not just with the ragged moral outcasts. He extended fellowship to all humanity as it crossed his path. He came close and reclined beside people and across from people – and he lived with them. I don’t know Kim Davis or her story or her heart, but I’m going to guess that she’s probably never had a great deal of real, meaningful fellowship with LGBTQ people. She, like many Christians, knows where she stands on an ‘issue’, and she knows the verses to recite and the religious platitudes to offer, but she may not have ever really considered the human beings that comprise that issue. She may not be able to see that they are brothers, children, friends, mothers, co-workers; that they have built careers and started families and endured trials and laughed and celebrated and grieved – and all that

they are. Unless we’re close to people in any conversation we can all forget that. As I watched her these past few weeks, unemotionally dismissing couple after couple, matter-of-factly shutting them down one after the other, robotically appealing to a distant God she wasn’t reflecting, I grieved both for the couples and for her, because it was far less than what this is supposed to be, and far less than what I see when I look at Jesus. If Kim Davis is truly acting in what she believes to be obedience to Jesus, then I’d love to see her follow his example. I’d like to see her invite all those same-sex couples she dismissed over for dinner (or better yet, visit them where they live). I’d like to see her sit across the table from them and break bread with them and learn their names and listen to their stories and see their selfies and hear about their faith journeys. I’d like them to hear her story too. John Pavlovitz, a Christian pastor in North Carolina, quoted on GayStarNews.com

“

I understand that democracy in the U.S. is imperfect; at times it can be dysfunctional, but democracy…is what allowed us to become the most powerful country in the world.” President Barack Obama, speaking to the United Nations

JUST ADAM By Adam Cohen

ASHTON’S IN THE TANK So Ashton Kutcher is the newest shark on Shark Tank? What has he created and overseen? Demi Moore’s vaginal rejuvenation and simultaneous brief career revival? WHO KNEW? So Rob Lowe’s new show about a straight lawyer is called Grinder? BAHAAHAAA! So, who is losing their job over this? IT HAPPENS Damn I’m getting old. I just have to remind myself… Shoulders back, tuck the FUPA...straight face...and carry on. CHASING PAPA The last time I ran down the street after an old man in a robe with fierce jewels, tears streaming down my face ,screaming “PAPA! PAPA!,” there was no pope in town. Just saying. CREEPING ALONG Holy traffic! I'm moving so damn slow I think I just saw Jessica Tandy sprint past my car. ONLY FOR DADDY The only diapers I plan on changing are my sugar daddy's!! YEP... The moon is dark and kind of pink. Next are the locusts, boils, and Republicans. LOOKING ROUGH Ty Pennington is looking rough doing those mortgage ads. Put down that pipe, gurl! RIDICULOUS CSI Miami: Gotta love how ridiculous this show is...nobody sweats like a real Floridian and everyone plays it cool when there’s a dead body in their house. RED, RED WINE Just regained consciousness from my postbottle of red wine nap.

IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER Just constantly surround yourself with ugly people...and you can never go wrong!

October 01, 2015

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What’s your opinion? E-mail us at Editor@MMPLGBT.com

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WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

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The best thoughts and quotes on Facebook this week...

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NEWSWATCH

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Help for LGBT business owners

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New Agenda Business Network provides resources for entrepreneurs

MALL BUSINESSES ARE the lifeblood

of the U.S. economy. They make up 99.7 percent of all businesses and 64 percent of new private sector jobs – or 11.8 million of the 18.5 million net new jobs created since 1993. By Almost three-quarters of PETER small businesses (73%) are sole proprietorships with no JACKSON employees and 52% are home-based businesses. The explosion of the number of small businesses in the last two decades is testament enough that the American Dream of personal freedom and financial independence is still very much alive. We Americans love rags to riches stories and we celebrate personalities who have built wealth on a single, sometimes far-fetched, idea or talent. But the realities of starting and running a small business can be sobering if not downright harsh. Applying for, and complying with, state and city licenses and regulations can be an exercise in frustration. Securing commercial business financing is, at best, difficult without lots of collateral. Credit card and credit card processing companies make fortunes off the fees charged to small business owners. And while there might be nice people working at the state revenue collections department, be forewarned they aren’t very nice if you miss the deadline to file your quarterly sales taxes. Penalties are severe. Quite frankly, being a small business owner requires enterprise, determination, and multiple business management skills – including a solid understanding of marketing in today’s fragmented marketplace where social media has changed the rules of business. As the state-wide LGBT newspaper of record in Florida, the Agenda recognizes the struggles and needs of small business owners who make up the vast majority of our customers. We take pride in the successes of business owners

like Joe Pallant of Pallant Insurance in Fort Lauderdale who has faced stiff competition over the years from much bigger competitors in the insurance industry to build a prosperous business. We take pride, too, in business owners like Leor Barak of New York Grilled Cheese on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors, who struggled with a frozen yogurt business and lost tens of thousands of dollars until he found the right formula with his now-famous grilled cheese sandwiches. Mr. Barak has just announced his expansion with a second location in Boca Raton – and is pursuing franchising opportunities. Another outstanding example is young entrepreneur Casey Koslowski who travels the world promoting Fort Lauderdale and his Grand Resort and Spa. Mr. Koslowski is also a top producer at the new Auberge Beach Residences, a property which promises to set new standards for luxury real estate in Fort Lauderdale. We salute business owners like Rick Kowalczyk of Southern Nights nightclub in Orlando who took over the defunct Revolution nightclub and faced his own struggles before finding success. Mr. Kowalczyk, we are happy to say, just opened a second location in Tampa. Also in Central Florida, we recognize people like Ben Johansen and Tim Vargas, owners of Embellish FX, who turned a failing business into what is today one of the biggest and

October 01, 2015

The realities of starting and running a small business can be sobering if not downright harsh... best costume stores in the state. And the list goes on. But for every successful small business owner, there are several more who failed to make it. Insufficient capital and poor marketing are two of the common culprits. That’s why we are proud to announce The Florida Agenda Business Network, an exciting new program being launched by this newspaper to help small business owners and their supporters connect, network and thrive. Through a combination of monthly networking events, free business seminars, as well as marketing

and promotional opportunities, we want to recognize and support our LGBT entrepreneurs all over the state. We are kicking off events immediately in South Florida as well as Central Florida. We plan to join forces with chambers of commerce, small business associations, and resource providers to help build stronger LGBT-owned businesses. We are also delighted to announce that our first annual LGBT Small Business Recognition Awards and Banquet, which will pay tribute to the unsung heroes of enterprise in Florida, is being planned for early 2016. The fact is small business owners need all the help they can get. The Florida Agenda Business Network will be a good start. It’s free to join. Visit www.FloridaAgenda.com/AgendaNetwork to register and receive member privileges. Peter Jackson is the President and Group Executive Publisher of Multimedia Platforms Worldwide, parent company of the Florida Agenda.

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October 01, 2015

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AS I SEE IT

Hilary Clinton vs. Joe Biden

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MAURA “MUMBALL” LANE National Advertising Director

Published weekly by

Which candidate gets your vote?

video she released when she embarrassment launched her campaign for the 2016 of riches. The upcoming Democratic presidential nomination, Human Rights Campaign she featured several same-sex couconference and dinner this ples — both gay and lesbian — weekend in Washington among her portrait of supporters. has both Vice President Joe Biden She has repeatedly raised and presidential hopeLGBT discrimination issues ful Hillary Clinton on at town hall meetings, linkits docket. And it’s ing her platform with our hardly an accident. platform irreversibly. And Both politicians have when the Supreme Court a large base of fans and supporters within ruled for gay marriage, her the LGBT community, campaign immediately and the HRC is one of changed its logo to a rainBy the prominent gay bow-colored H. RICHARD groups in the country. In turn, those of us who The HRC has called are politically active in the HACK Clinton a “tireless LGBT community have stumbled over ourselves to champion” for lesoffer Clinton our financial bian, gay, bisexual support, continuing in lockand transgender people across the globe. And it’s easy to step with the enormous funds raised point to a 2011 speech in Geneva for previously for the Obama campaign. Currently, her hope chest stands at International Human Rights Day, in $30 million and will only grow which the former secretary of state larger as the campaign kicks into proclaimed, “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay high gear. rights.” Clinton speaks at a morning meetWhile such sound bites are ing on Saturday of the HRC’s board provocative and gained the candiand staff. Her audience will number date some valuable tire tread, she 800. Yet, as impressive as that has actually gone the extra mile to sounds, she is playing opening act to the vice president who will address openly court the gay vote. those same 800 and an additional You might remember that in the ALL IT AN

2,000 guests at a star-studded dinner that evening. Clinton won’t be on stage for that bash, but it won’t be a barren dais. Biden will be joined on stage by actresses Allison Janney (Mom) and Ellen Page (X Men), along with Jason Collins, who was the NBA’s first openly gay player. There are those that suggest that this is Biden’s effort to solidify his LGBT base of support for his yetundeclared presidential candidacy. No one can argue that Biden hasn’t been true to our community. Lest you forget, it was Joe Biden who became the highest elected official to support same-sex marriage in 2012 when he said he was absolutely comfortable with… “men marrying men, women marrying women” on CBS’ Meet the Press. That move is credited with encouraging President Obama to step forward and endorse gay marriage a few days later. For the HRC, the appearance of Biden is a long-overdue treat. The vice-president was force to cancel his keynote address at the same dinner two years ago because of the Republican enforced government shutdown. In announcing Biden’s appearance, HRC president Chad Griffin said, “Vice President Biden has stood up for the rights of all

Americans to live their lives free from discrimination and fear throughout his remarkable career.” That career at the moment is on virtual hold for the lame-duck vice president. Biden has made it clear that he has not decided whether to run as the Democratic candidate for President in 2016. Much of the reluctance is credited to his continued mourning at the death of his son Beau from brain cancer last May. A smaller, but important, reason for his hesitation is financial. Half a year into the campaign process, many Democratic supporters has already committed to Clinton. “Every single Clinton supporter I have spoken with about this question remains firmly committed and dedicated to her campaign,” said Dana Perlman, a former Human Rights Campaign board member who raised more than $500,000 for Obama in 2012. Added Christine Quinn, New York’s first openly gay city council speaker, “You can’t shake our support for Hillary.” Biden must make a commitment one way or the other before October 13, when the first Democratic debate takes place on CNN. Either way, for the LGBT community, it is an embarrassment of riches — long overdue.

October 01, 2015

Clinton: ‘We are all equally entitled to human rights’ Excerpt from Hilary Clinton’s speech on gay rights, 2011: Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights. . .It is violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave. It is a violation of human rights when governments declare it illegal

to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished. It is a violation of human rights when lesbian or transgendered women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments, or when people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their nations and seek asylum in other lands to save their

lives. And it is a violation of human rights when lifesaving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay. No matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we are, we are all equally entitled to our human rights and dignity.

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OPINION to resemble a 1950s sit-com. It is better for children to see people loving each other honestly and treating others with respect than it is to simply reinforce heteronormative prejudices and assumptions. Also, I should think that a man who has chosen a life of celibacy would be able to understand that family is more than child-rearing. Some of us are blessed to have or to be loving parents; but, all of us need close bonds, people on whom we can depend, and these groupings are also families. Even a loving and devoted couple, whether gay or straight, whether or not they have children, have started a small but precious and life-enhancing family. All of these family models can be healthy and divinely blessed. The pope is correct in saying that “family” is very important, but I believe the deﬁnition of family can be broader and more inclusive than he seems to realize. The pope appears to be gentler and more welcoming than his most immediate predecessors and I appreciate that; but I also hope he

will be open to seeing same-gender loving people not simply as those who should not be harshly judged, but as persons created by God in the image of God to be exactly who they are. I hope this pope who puts such value on love will come to see the beauty of love genuinely shared by persons regardless of their gender identities. I hope this pope will come to speak out against violence done to LBGT people, will consider that gender is more complex than simple binaries, and will discover that it is love that makes a family and not dogma or biology. I do not hesitate to praise this pontiff for the good work he is doing, nor do I hesitate to lift my voice in encouraging him and all religious leaders to become friends, allies, and advocates of the LBGT children of God.

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fied crowds with gentle ope Francis tones and words of love. recently visI applaud His Holiness ited the United for each of these sentiStates. He did ments and actions. He what good pascalled us all to a more tors do: he “comforted generous way of living. the afflicted and afflicted I certainly find value in the comfortable.” that message. The pope challenged But when it comes to greed, as the Gospel deBY REV. the pope’s rather myopic mands. He also called for an end to violence among DURRELL understanding of famnations. “Blessed are the WATKINS ily, I find that I must disagree with him. peacemakers.” The pope left unchalIn the spirit of compaslenged the sexist and sion, the pope advocated homophobic notion that only the for more welcoming treatment of heternormative, nuclear family immigrants and refugees. can be healthy, wholesome, or At an inter-religious service, sacred. I hope the pope will come he prayed not only with other to consider and declare that love, Christians but also with Jains and not biology, makes a family, that Buddhists, Jews and Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, thus demonstrat- grandmothers can raise their granding that we need not believe all the children, that single parents can be good parents, that two mommies or same things in order to care about two daddies can provide as much humanity and to work together to love, nurture and stability as any achieve noble goals. other caregivers. It is better for Everywhere Francis went he children to be loved and well-cared blessed children, he showed kindness to the disabled, and he electri- for than for their family model

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What I hope the Pope learns about family

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins is the Senior Minister of Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale.

PAUL BERGE

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October 01, 2015 11

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@mmplgbt. com. We welcome comments on our Facebook page also.

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COVER STORY

POPE SLAMS GAYS: NO SEX, NO MARRIAGE, NO RESPECT

October 01, 2015

He arrived with all the spectacle of Cleopatra’s entrance into Rome. Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church, Bishop of Rome and Sovereign of the Vatican City, dropped from the sky last week aboard a chartered Alitalia Airlines flight and was met at Joint Base Andrews by the President, the First Lady, their two daughters and the First Lady’s mother.

Francis gave some t was the first shade to LGBT when visit for Franhe spoke of the imporcis to America, tance of family life and and, likewise, bemoaned that “fundaAmerica’s first mental relationships upfront and personal are being called into look at the Pope. question as is the very For the occasion, basis of marriage and the U.S. delivered a red carpet, the BY the family.” While the pope took 37-member wind RICHARD time to visit some ensemble from HACK homeless at Maria’s DeMatha High Meals in WashingSchool in nearby ton, DC, His Holiness Hyattsville, and a selected not to visit homeless gaggle of children from selected LGBT youth at the Ali Forney Catholic schools in the neighCenter in New York. He celeborhood. Plus, a bevy of Catholic bishops and hierarchy bowing brated mass at Madison Square Gardens, in papal gear and robes and scraping in honor of His of green, and sat clueless while Eminence. former Daily Show corresponIt was the start of a six-day, dent Mo Rocca delivered the three city tour for the Holy first bible reading at the religious Father and, given the still fresh ceremony. A political satirist, favorable Supreme Court ruling Rocca must have felt the irony as on same-sex marriage, many in an openly gay man as he recited the LGBT community in this from the Book of Isaiah in Spancountry had hoped for some sort ish, “The people who walked in of favorable nod in our direction darkness have seen a great light; from the leader of the Catholic upon those who dwelt in the land Church worldwide. of gloom a light has shone.” Yet, Perhaps it was too much to for LGBT, no such light was expect, but this was the same granted them. pontiff, after all, that said “Who Only after his departure, am I to judge” when asked aboard a chartered American about homosexual priests in Airlines plane, did we learn his flock. That was a giant step that the pope met in secret with forward from the previous pope Kim Davis, the obstinate county who labeled homosexuality “an clerk from Kentucky, at the intrinsic moral evil.” Vatican Embassy and told her And so we waited for some to “be strong.” It is impossisignal, a sign from above, a ble to believe that the pope was blessing of acceptance. But none not fully informed about Davis, came. There was lots of smiles a non-Catholic, ex-con, trice and handshakes, before he spoke divorced. He found 15 minutes in an historical first address to out of his schedule to spend with the joint members of Congress. Davis who couldn’t wait to share It was during this speech that

her experience on Twitter and in an exclusive interview with ABC News. While ﬂying back to the Vatican, the pope was questioned about Davis who he classiﬁed as a martyr. “Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right,” Francis told reporters. “I can’t have in mind all cases that can exist about conscientious objection but, yes, I can say that conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right. And if someone does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right.” In the end, LGBTs should not have held out any hope that the Holy Father would look kindly upon gays or lesbians or bisexuals or the transgendered. He is a Catholic, bound by the doctrines of the Catholic Church. And for that reason, the Pope is ultimately as opposed to gay rights as Kim Davis. He doesn’t want gay couples to ever be able to marry legally, in the Catholic church or anywhere else. He believes that “homosexual acts [are] intrinsically disordered.” Until last week, he did everything in his power to keep those beliefs hidden. Meeting with her, as if she’s a victim of anything, has shown us his true colors. And that is fine. Until such time as God himself deems otherwise, the LGBT community remains strong, proud, and liberated. Let the pope think what he may.

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October 01, 2015

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CREEP OF THE WEEK By D’Anne Witowski

b Mike Huckabee

ust out the rainbow M16 assault rifles because things are about to get FABULOUS! The United States Army is about to become the world’s biggest pride parade thanks to President Obama’s nomination of Eric Fanning for secretary of the Army. The only thing you need to know about Fanning is that he’s a gay! What other qualifications does one possibly need to essentially be the CEO of the U.S. Army? Well, lots, actually. And Fanning’s credentials are pretty impeccable. He’s currently serving as the undersecretary of the Army and his list of qualifications is so long it would take up my entire column space. But if you ask Mike Huckabee, R-Will Never Be President, Obama just picked the first guy to come up on Grindr. On Sept. 19, Huckabee took to Facebook to criticize Fanning’s nomination. “It’s clear President Obama is more interested in appeasing America’s homosexuMike Huchabee als than honoring America’s heroes,” the Huckster wrote. “Veterans suicide is out-of-control and military readiness is dangerously low, yet Obama is so obsessed with pandering to liberal interest groups he’s nominated an openly gay civilian to run the Army. I’m not sure what Huckabee means when he says that Obama is all about the gays at the expense of “America’s heroes.” Is he saying that Obama should have nominated a military officer instead? The secretary of the Army is a civilian position, which Huckabee should know. But it’s not like Obama just nominated Nathan Lane. Even Fox News saw through Huckabee’s homophobic bullshit. On a Fox Business morning show, host Sandra Smith asked Hucka-

bee what his deal was with criticizing Fanning since he “is widely seen as very qualified for the job.” “He may be very qualified for the job,” he said, “and if he is, then nominate him because he’s qualified to lead the Army, not because of his sexual orientation. Why are they making such a big deal and talking about it?” By “they” he means the Obama administration. There is, of course, no evidence that Fanning was nominated because of his sexual orientation nor is there any evidence that Obama just can’t shut up about how gay Fanning is. Huckabee, on the other hand, cannot shut up about it. “I had people who were gay who worked on my staff, who have served in my administration when I was governor. I never went around saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got some homosexuals that are working for me.” Oh, so Huckabee has worked with known homosexuals, eh? Well then he couldn’t possibly photo: timstownhallscom be homophobic. “I just think this president is so into symbolism, that he’s this open-minded guy,” Huckabee said, “maybe he’s trying to make up for the fact that until just three years ago, he still took the position that many of us do, and that is that marriage, for example, is a biblical issue, and it is between a man and a woman. I just feel like that the president has made this such an agenda,” Huckabee continued, “and the agenda for the military is to focus on the best qualified people, and if he thinks Eric Fanning is the best for the job, nominate him, but leave his sexual orientation out of it.” You hear that, Fanning! Back into the closet for you, for the good of the country. And so Huckabee can find something else to obsess about about other than how super gay you are.

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October 01, 2015

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CAPITOL BEAT AS A COUNTRY, ARE WE REALLY THIS BAD? If we have even just a shred of humanity left in our being, we’ve been shuddering at the hateful rhetoric spewing from the mouth of some Republican candidates, and especially the one getting all the attention — DONALD TRUMP.

October 01, 2015

he punishing vitriol towards those less fortunate than the self-aggrandizing businessman who would be king, will not be repeated here. The press has devoted altogether far BY too much ink LINDA already to PENTZ that particular narcissistic hate-monger. Trump is a mixed bag on LGBT issues, at least by conservative standards, and far worse on immigration, women and the working poor. More ominously, given the way he has lambasted Congress, the White House, and both parties, it is questionable whether, as president (God forbid) he would maintain a democracy at all. So before we all get deported for one thing or another (foreignness, deviancy etc etc), let’s ask whether this country is really as bad as the ugly face presented by Trump and his supporters would have us believe? A Washington Post-ABC News Poll, released on September 16, suggests not. The poll speciﬁcally asked individuals about their views on socalled “religious freedom.” It turns out that despite the circus hoopla surrounding #DespicableHer (aka Kim Davis), a majority of respondents thought she was in the wrong. Most encouragingly, there was bi-partisan agreement among those polled about equality under

the law versus religious beliefs. Whether Democrat, Republican or Independent, a majority believed that “the need to treat everyone equally under the law” was more important than someone’s religious beliefs. Eighty percent of Democrats thought so, trailed only slightly by Independents at 75% and Republicans at 66%. Coincidentally, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released its own, similar poll, one day earlier, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. That poll found that “by a 68 to 24 percent majority, Americans oppose allowing government employees to cite their religious beliefs as a reason to deny service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.” That majority included 50% of Republicans polled. HRC has done quite a bit of polling to assess the mood in the country toward presidential candidates hostile to LGBT rights. Here are some of their most telling ﬁndings: A 55 percent majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for president who opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry, including 40 percent who strongly oppose. A 59 percent majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for president who opposes protecting LGBT people from discrimination. This is not just a progressive base issue. A 61 percent majority of Independent voters say they are less likely to support a candidate who opposes these protections, as do 58 percent of Catholic voters, 54 percent of blue collar voters and 60 percent

“

Trump is a mixed bag on LGBT issues.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HOSTILE TO LGBT RIGHTS

Percent majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for president who opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry.

Percent majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for president who opposes protecting LGBT people from discrimination.

Percent of Americans are less likely to support a candidate for president who supports laws allowing government officials such as Kim Davis to discriminate and deny service against LGBT people.

The significance here is that non-LGBT voters, and especially independents, are rejecting Republican opposition to LGBT rights.

October 01, 2015 17

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

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and economy,” he added. The HRC Indiana poll found 53% of likely voters said the religious refusal ﬁght left them with a less favorable opinion of Gov. Pence. Straight voters across the political spectrum who disagree with, or disapprove of, presidential candidates opposed to LGBT equality, constitute a powerful new base. The encouraging numbers are “warning signs that candidates should heed carefully,” Lorenz says. That message got through, in part, to the California Republican Party. Perhaps sensing that their continued anti-LGBT stance may be losing them popularity, they voted nearunanimously on September 20 to remove anti-gay communications from their platform while adding language supportive of the LGBT community. But they still stopped short of supporting marriage equality despite the fact that is now the law across the country. The poll numbers will be put to the real test, of course, just over a year from now. That’s when we will ﬁnd out whether the stridency of the pro-Kim Davis crowd and the nasty trumpetings of Trump are the desperate hysteria of an out of date, out of touch minority clinging to survival. Or whether the headlinegrabbing venom of the anti-LGBT minority can deliver the White House as well.

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of married women. Fully 60 percent of Americans are less likely to support a candidate for president who supports laws allowing government officials such as Kim Davis to discriminate and deny service against LGBT people. The significance here is that non-LGBT voters, and especially independents, are rejecting Republican opposition to LGBT rights. The allies are turning out, and they are turning out from unexpected quarters. The GOP candidates especially need the independents because, homophobic or not, they are not very likely to secure high numbers of LGBT voters. As New York University professor Patrick J. Egan, told the New York Times after the 2012 Obama win, LGBT voters “aren’t swingable because they have liberal positions on a whole bunch of issues besides gay rights.” In 2012, exit polls showed that 76 percent of voters who identified as gay supported Obama. So does this mean that Republican presidential candidates have made a giant misread of the American voting public? Brandon Lorenz, who leads the polling work in his position as Campaign Communications Director at HRC, says you just have to look at his organization’s April 2015 Indiana case study to find the answer. After that state’s governor, Mike Pence, signed a controversial and discriminatory Religious Freedom Restoration Act, “Pence’s polling dropped like a rock,” said Lorenz. “People had a very negative view of his job approval. This also damaged the state’s reputation

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“

Straight voters across the political spectrum who disagree with, or disapprove of, presidential candidates opposed to LGBT equality, constitute a powerful new base. The encouraging numbers are “warning signs that candidates should heed carefully,”

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NATION b EX-U OF MINNESOTA DULUTH COACHES FILE DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Three former University of Minnesota Duluth coaches, including women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the university Monday, saying they lost their jobs because they’re female and gay. Miller led the Bulldogs to five NCAA national championships, but UMD officials cited a budget deficit when they told her last December that they would not renew her contract. The others plaintiffs include former women’s softball coach Jen Banford, who was also director of operations for UMD women’s hockey under Miller, and former women’s basketball coach Annette Wiles. Miller and Banford allege in the lawsuit filed in federal court that the university did not renew their contracts because they’re female, gay and Canadian. Wiles alleges she was forced out in June because of her gender and sexual orientation. Miller and Wiles also allege age discrimination. The lawsuit also accuses the university of unlawfully retaliating against the women for reporting that other school employees harassed them because they were lesbians, and of creating hostile work environment that made it difficult to do their jobs. It also says the women were paid less and had smaller budgets than their male counterparts on the men’s hockey, baseball and basketball teams. UMD Chancellor Lendley Black issued a statement last week, before the lawsuit was filed, disput-

Miller... led the Bulldogs to five NCAA national championships! ing the plaintiffs’ broad claims of discrimination. University officials planned to issue a statement later Monday. The lawsuit seeks unspecified back pay and compensatory damages, as well as attorneys’ fees. Miller was UMD’s first head women’s hockey coach. During her 16 years with the program, she also helped lead it to 11 Frozen Four tournaments. According to the complaint, she has the fourth most wins among active Division I women’s

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hockey coaches. But she was told at a meeting with athletic director John Berlo and Black on Dec. 9 that her contract and those of her staff would not be renewed. They told her the decision was “strictly ﬁnancial” and that the university simply couldn’t afford her salary, the lawsuit says. Miller had accepted pay cuts previously to help the school and was willing to take another but was never given that opportunity before the meeting, it says.

October 01, 2015

b NATIONAL HEADLINES AFFECTING THE LGBTQ COMMUMITY South Dakota pays $242,000 for marriage rights attorneys

National AIDS leader urges broader use of preventive drug

Clerk Kim Davis switching parties to become a Republican

SIOUX FALLS, SD (AP) - South Dakota has agreed to pay $242,000 to attorneys for same-sex couples who challenged the state’s ban on gay marriages. Attorney Josh Newville told The Associated Press the deal was finalized Friday. Newville sued in federal court in 2014 on behalf of six same-sex couples. They challenged South Dakota’s ban on gay marriages and its refusal to recognize marriages of same-sex couples who legally wed in other states. A district court judge ruled in Newville’s favor in January. Her ruling became final this summer following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide. The settlement provides about $182,000 to Madia Law, the Minneapolis firm for which Newville works, and about $59,000 to the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

JACKSON, MS (AP) - Federal officials are asking Mississippi health care providers to expand use of a medicine that can keep people from getting AIDS. Attending a conference on minority HIV and health disparities, national AIDS policy chief Douglas Brooks on Friday urged more use of the drug Truvada (trew-VAH-duh) for people at risk of contracting HIV. Studies find the drug reduces AIDS infection rates. Dr. Leandro Mena, a University of Mississippi Medical Center professor who specializes in sexually transmitted diseases, says more than 100 patients at a Jackson clinic take the drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis. But he estimates 5,000 Mississippi residents - especially men who have sex with other men and intravenous drug users - could benefit. Brooks says overcoming the stigma associated with HIV in the South is a barrier to wider use..

LOUISVILLE, KY (AP) - Defiant Kentucky clerk Kim Davis stood on a stage in a Washington, D.C., hotel Friday night and spread her arms triumphantly. “I am only one, but we are many,” she exclaimed to the crowd, and thanked God for the courage to continue her crusade against gay marriage. Davis, who spent five days behind bars in early September for violating a federal court order, was honored by conservative lobbying group Family Research Council Friday night for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the Supreme Court’s decision in June that effectively legalized gay marriage across the nation. Earlier in the day, Davis, a lifelong Democrat, announced she is switching to the Republican Party because she feels abandoned by Democrats. “I’ve always been a Democrat, but the party left me,” Davis said, according to the law firm representing her.

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October 01, 2015

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NATION b REPORT: TRANSGENDER WOMAN SUES LOUISVILLE NURSING COLLEGE LOUISVILLE, KY (AP) - A transgender woman has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a nursing college in Louisville, saying she was humiliated when she was allegedly excluded from using the women’s restroom though she identifies as a female, a TV station reported Sunday. WHAS-TV reported that the lawsuit was filed Friday in Jefferson Circuit Court on behalf of Vanessa Gilliam and that it accuses Galen College of Nursing of discriminating against Gilliam for being transgender. Gilliam, a U.S. Army veteran and a single parent, told the station in an interview that she began physically transitioning from a male to a female after she started classes at Galen, according to the report. Gilliam said she was studying for a lab test when two Galen employees approached

her and asked to speak in private. “They said the reason that they brought me in there was because that I’m a man dressed like a woman,” Gilliam added. “They talked to me about using the women’s restroom and how they have to look out for everybody else and their safety.” Gilliam said she was humiliated, so much so that she began to question her own identity. “I went from feeling really confident to like, ‘Oh my God, I’m a guy in heels,’” said Gilliam, who no longer attends Galen. “I mean I’ve come a long way. From the military, to getting custody of my kids, to being a single parent. I’m not going to let somebody tear me down and I’m not going to let this tear me down.” Gilliam is seeking reimbursement for her tuition and books, as well as

“

I was humiliated, so much so that she began to question her own identity.” --- says Gilliam

Photo: WHAS11.com

damages for emotional trauma. Galen said in a statement that it couldn’t comment because it hasn’t seen the lawsuit, but added

that the college “strives to create and maintain a respectful and safe campus climate for students, faculty, and staff.”

October 01, 2015

b POPE: ‘GOD BLESS AMERICA,’ MUSLIMS, BUT NOT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE NEW YORK (AP) - Pope Francis plunged into the melting pot of New York after reminding the country of its immigrant origins in the first papal speech before Congress on Thursday. Over an intense 40 hours that started with an evening prayer service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where he gave a deeply meaningful thank you to America’s nuns, he will address world leaders at the United Nations, participate in an interfaith service at the Sept. 11 memorial museum at ground zero and celebrate Mass at Madison Square Garden. The pope, who’s making his first trip to the United States, also planned to visit a school on Friday and take a processional drive through Central Park. The popular pontiff received a raucous welcome on his first visit to New York. Thousands of people lined the streets leading to St. Patrick’s to greet him, cheering, waving flags and adoringly chanting his name as he gestured toward them from his popemobile. The pope opened his visit to New York by expressing his solidarity

with Muslims following a Mecca pilgrimage stampede in Saudi Arabia in which more than 700 people were killed. He offered a prayer for the victims from the St. Patrick’s altar. “In this moment of prayer, I unite myself with you all in prayer to God, our father, the all-powerful and merciful,” he said. In Washington earlier Thursday, the pope had waded into bitter disputes while speaking to Congress, entreating the nation to share its immense wealth with those less fortunate. He urged Congress and the nation to abolish the death penalty, fight global warming and embrace immigrants. Lawmakers gave rousing ovations to the leader of the world’s Catholics despite obvious disagreements over some of his pleas. After he addressed Congress, the first pontiff to do so, he underscored his message by traveling to a downtown Washington church, where he mingled with needy and homeless people, blessed their noontime meal and walked among them while they ate. Soon after, he headed by plane to

New York, second stop on his threecity first visit to the U.S. He addresses the U.N. on Friday and wraps up his visit this weekend in Philadelphia, where he speaks in front of Independence Hall and celebrates Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. At the Capitol, the remarkable sight of the pope speaking in the House chamber seemed to delight lawmakers of all persuasions, though he offered an agenda more to Democrats’ liking. Besides his focus on climate change and immigration, he denounced arms sales and seemed to allude approvingly to the Iran nuclear deal and recent actions by President Barack Obama’s administration to open relations with Cuba, done with his urging. After the address, Francis appeared high on a Capitol balcony and addressed a cheering crowd of thousands below on the lawn and the Mall beyond who had watched his speech on giant TV screens. “God bless America!” he concluded, as he had in the House chamber.

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October 01, 2015

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NEW YORK (AP) - A group of major global companies, including Google Inc., AT&T and Coca-Cola, are joining a coalition to push for gay rights in the workplace beyond the U.S. and Western Europe. The Human Rights Campaign-led group will push for protections in the workplace globally, including in countries where LGBT individuals face legal discrimination or harassment. HRC ofﬁcials say the organization is partly a response to developments in countries such as Russia and Uganda, where gay rights have been rolled back. Corporate America has been cited as a force in the push for gay rights in the U.S., with some companies offering LGBT protections and same-sex partner beneﬁts going back decades. Dozens of companies signed statements advocating for same-sex marriage when the issue to the Supreme Court earlier this year.

DATING APP FIRES BACK AT BILLBOARD LINKING IT TO STD SPREAD

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MAJOR COMPANIES FORM GROUP TO PUSH FOR LGBT RIGHTS GLOBALLY

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MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - A popular dating app is telling a Los Angeles-based AIDS health care group to take down a billboard that links dating apps with sexual diseases. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said Monday that it received a cease-and-desist letter from Tinder that claims the billboard falsely associates the dating app with venereal diseases. The foundation’s billboard shows a silhouette of a man la-

beled “Tinder” face-to-face with a woman labeled “chlamydia.” A silhouette of a man labeled “Grindr,” a gay dating app, faces a male silhouette labeled “gonorrhea.” The foundation says it sent a letter to Tinder saying it will not take down the billboard. The foundation provides health care to HIV and AIDS patients and says its campaign is designed to remind datingapp users about the risk of casual sex.

b MARYLAND PRISON MISTREATED TRANSGENDER INMATE to work with transgender inmates and further testified that Patuxent did not have any policies in place to provide such guidance,” Shaffer wrote, adding that the prison’s security chief did not know the federal law had specific requirements regarding transgender inmates. Shields would not comment on the specifics of Brown’s case. But he said agency chief Stephen T. Moyer issued a directive in April outlining a policy in which transgender inmates choose whether they are strip-searched by a male or female guard. Shields added that the policy explicitly prohibits searches “for the purpose of determining one’s genitalia.” Before the directive was issued, each institution was responsible for developing and implementing its own standards for searching transgender inmates, Shields said.

The audits show most institutions did not do so. The directive does not deal with housing transgender inmates or training for guards, Shields said. However, the state has issued several directives aimed at improving investigative techniques and the administrative handling of “vulnerable inmates,” he said. All guards are trained on the federal law, known as PREA, during academy classes, and each prison has a PREA coordinator on site. The state does not track of the number of transgender prisoners. “This ruling forces the entire state corrections system to adopt a clear policy for the treatment of transgender inmates regarding searches, housing and interaction with transgender inmates,” Earlbeck said. “Just as importantly, the ruling also requires mandatory staff training on these policies.”

and that I’m not a woman, that I’ll never be her,” Brown said of a corrections officer who regularly harassed her. Administrative Law Judge Denise Oakes Shaffer ruled in August that Brown’s treatment violated the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, saying the prison “failed to train all employees in how to effectively and professionally communicate with transgender inmates.” In her ruling, Shaffer said the corrections officers “created a hostile environment” that began shortly after Brown arrived and persisted until she was moved to another facility. Furthermore, Patuxent had no policies in place for how to treat transgender inmates, in violation of the federal law, Shaffer wrote in the ruling. “The majority of Patuxent’s witnesses specifically testified that they never had any training with how

October 01, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) - A transgender inmate who says she was called “it” and “some kind of animal” by guards who watched her shower has won a legal victory that forces the Maryland prison system to better train for how to treat transgender people, advocates say. Neon Brown, who goes by Sandy, said in a grievance that she was sent to the state prison at Patuxent in February 2014 for a psychological screening. Brown said she was placed in solitary conﬁnement, and kept there for 66 days despite a directive from the jail warden that staff shouldn’t segregate her from the rest of the population. During that time, she was routinely harassed by guards who made fun of her while she showered, including one who told her to commit suicide, Brown said in the complaint. “She told me I should kill myself,

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Ryan Uhler from Facebook post

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MICHAEL D. BECKER Attorney at Law

October 01, 2015

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SUNSHINE STATE

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FORT LAUDERDALE – John J. McNeill, 90, a seminal ﬁgure in the history of the 46-year-old organization of LGBT Catholics and allies, as well as the broader LGBT civil rights movement died in hospice care in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the presence of his spouse and partner of 49 years, Charles Chiarelli. A former Jesuit priest with a doctorate in philosophy from Louvain University in Belgium, McNeill helped inspire the founding of DignityUSA with articles in theological journals in the 1960s that for the ﬁrst time challenged Catholic Church teaching on homosexuality from an authoritative theological and scholarly perspective. In 1972, he convened the meeting that led to the founding of Dignity’s New York City chapter. His groundbreaking, bestselling 1976 book, The Church and the Homosexual, was an international sensation that landed McNeill on the Today show and sparked widespread debate. Subsequent books, including Taking a Chance on God and Freedom, Glorious Freedom, extended McNeill’s discussion more deeply into the pastoral and personal realms of LGBT Catholic and Christian experience.

In 1987, McNeill was expelled from the Jesuits after nearly four decades for refusing to be silenced by the Vatican on LGBT issues. The same year, he was Grand Marshal of New York City’s LGBT Pride March. Until recent years, he pursued a multi-faceted vocation as a psychotherapist, spiritual director, retreat leader, and author, with a constant focus on the needs of the LGBT community. In addition, along with Fr. Mychal Judge, he founded The Upper Room AIDS Ministry, an outreach for homeless persons with AIDS in Harlem. Through these activities, he offered hope and healing—at times literally life-saving—to countless people around the globe. Born and raised in Buffalo, McNeill entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and became a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany—an experience that for him was profoundly spiritual and led him to enter the Jesuits in 1948. Ordained in 1959, he taught philosophy and theology at Fordham University, Union Theological Seminary, and Le Moyne College, where he was a noted peace advocate during the Vietnam War. A powerful presence at nearly every Digni-

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b JOHN MCNEILL, SEMINAL GAY PRIEST, DEAD AT 90

(Photo: takingachanceongod.com)

ty convention and in many Dignity communities until recent years, McNeill was presented with DignityUSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

b AGENDA EXCLUSIVE: AL & CHUCK TRAVEL OPEN OFFICE IN WILTON MANORS

more refined experience aboard. To celebrate the opening of their Wilton Manors office, the 11th for the agency, Al and Chuck are inviting their most VIP clients on a lunch aboard the MS Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship afloat. A member of the Royal Caribbean line, sailing out

of Fort Lauderdale, the ship has 2,394 crew members, holds up to 6,000 passengers, and is so large that it contains seven distinct neighborhoods on its various decks. Among them: Central Park, a meandering garden lined with shops and ﬁne restaurants. Clear your calendar.

for its boutique all-gay cruises and tours which are billed as a travel holiday compared to the party-boat atmosphere of Atlantis or RSVP cruises. While Al and Chuck Travel also book those event cruises, their own have been crafted to appeal to the middle-aged male who appreciates a

October 01, 2015

WILTON MANORS—Al and Chuck Travel, the Florida-based LGBT travel agency headquartered in Sarasota, will open an ofﬁce in Wilton Manors the second week of November at the site of the just-closed J. Miles store on NE 7th Ave. across from the Shoppes at Wilton Manors. Al Ferguson, who founded the agency over 20 years ago with lifepartner Chuck Scott, negotiated the deal for the storefront with lessee Jerry Miles who is retiring, during a visit to the gayborhood last July. “We are going to have four fulltime agents working at the ofﬁce,” Ferguson told the Agenda in an exclusive interview. “Chuck and I have been eyeing Wilton Manors for years, and in doing some research recently discovered the city has the highest density of gays and lesbians. More per square mile than San Francisco, Los Angeles or Miami,” Ferguson said. Al and Chuck Travel is well-known

October 01, 2015

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October 01, 2015

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INSIDE HOLLYWOOD When Hollywood Gets It Wrong

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

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THE STONEWALL FIASCO: BY RICHARD HACK

 Not to rub salt into any wounds, we present some pull quotes from various reviews around the country that illustrate just had bad a ﬁlm Stonewall actually is. Read on.

The problem for Chaudhary and many others is that Emmerich has a blond-haired, blue eyed white teenager throwing the ﬁrst brick that began what became the gays march to emancipation. In reality that part belongs in history to several transgender females of color, genderqueer boys, drag queens, butch dykes and sissy men present in front of the Stonewall Inn. And nary a blond in sight.

“In a way, Stonewall is proof that the gay community has fully made the transition to the mainstream. It’s now subject to the kind of Hollywood nonsense that was previously reserved for heterosexuals.” —Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

That Emmerich thinks this is acceptable makes him ignorant or—in no uncertain terms—an as*hole, according to Hufﬁngton Post editorial director Noah Michelson.

“Stonewall is perhaps even worse than some feared it would be — more offensive, more white-washed, even more hackishly made. It’s so bad that it’s hard to know where to begin a catalogue of the ﬁlm’s sins. … Aside from its offensiveness, Stonewall is, plain and simple, a terribly made movie.” —Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair

The audience lined up to see the ﬁrst unspooling of the ﬁlm disagreed and told the protestors to “kill themselves.”

“I think we need to ﬁle Emmerich’s Stonewall – a well-

feels more like the set it is than like a location). —Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

“Emmerich seems eluded by the subject matter, despite obvious personal investment. The result appears to be haphazardly quilted from cut pieces; even the centerpiece riot — where Emmerich gets to exercise his yen for destroying iconic locations — is truncated.” —Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, A.V. Club

“Roland Emmerich’s seriously misjudged Stonewall turns the transgender drag queens who helped change America into dress extras in what’s basically a Big Apple retelling of The Wizard of Oz revolving around a Caucasian gay man’s coming of age. … Emmerich — a hugely successful director of disaster movies who happens to be gay — deserves credit for trying to call attention to the plight of gay homeless youth in this selfﬁnanced, if seriously ﬂawed, labor of love. But with thinly drawn characters, uneven performances and tin-eared dialogue, Stonewall plays at best like a musical without the songs.” — Lou Lumenick, New York Post

“Stonewall is so generally sludgy that you can’t imagine it appealing to anyone, gay, straight or otherwise. The characters don’t resonate, so their day-to-day problems don’t really strike a chord, either. Nor does the ﬁlm ever establish a strong sense of time (anachronisms abound, starting with the haircuts) or place (this Greenwich Village always

“While the director’s distinct style helps mask some of the cheap sets, Stonewall’s hamﬁsted dialogue, inconsistent tone and one-note characters undermine what little substance there is. Hopefully, the same historical event will get the adaptation it deserves in a future project made by somebody else.”—Max Nicholson, ign.com

What a mess Stonewall has become, having opened nationally a week ago, to dismal reviews and even worse attendance. It would appear to have less to do with the audiences apathy for the gay movement as their instinctive rebellion against bad ﬁlmmaking.

intentioned, profoundly silly and borderline insulting movie — under the category of Yeah That Happened or perhaps God Reminding Us We Are Idiots, and then forget it as soon as possible. Remember the Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher? Remember the Jimi Hendrix biopic with no actual Jimi Hendrix songs? No, you don’t, not really – and Stonewall will soon be consigned to that same oblivion.” —Andrew O’Hehir, Salon

October 01, 2015

When the ﬁlm Stonewall debuted at Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 15, there was a protest taking place. It was organized by Abuzar Chaudhary, a trans woman of color who thought director Roland Emmerich’s handling of the biopic was technically bad, a soundstaged catastrophe and a gross misrepresentation of a pivotal moment in GLBT history.

“As well-intentioned misfires go, it’s difficult to imagine as disastrous a dud as Stonewall, an earnest dramatization of real-life events that winds up being as lamentably flat-footed as it is inexcusably inauthentic. … It’s a shame that the beginning of a movement that has come so far, so fast has been reduced to a trite, calculatingly manipulative reenactment.” — Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

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(Photos: NYpost.com)

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LGBT HISTORY MONTH

P.L. TRAVERS: A SPOONFUL OF SPECULATION

October 01, 2015

BY GARY M. KRAMER

P.L. Travers, author of Mary Poppins, was born Helen Lyndon Goff on Aug. 9, 1899 in the city of Maryborough, in Queensland, Australia, (not in England, as many assume). She moved to England in 1924, and used the name P.L. Travers, an abbreviation of her pseudonym Pamela Lyndon Travers, which she used in her days as a dancer and Shakespearean actor on the Australian stage. Reportedly, her wealthy relatives did not approve of Travers performing, so, being independent-minded, she moved to England where she forged a career as a writer. The name P.L. Travers appealed to Goff because it sounded more masculine — or at least, gendernonspecific. Travers was the name of her father, an alcoholic banker whose career declined almost as quickly as he did. (He died of tuberculosis at age 43). His daughter was 7 years old when he passed. The author, who first published poems as a teen in Australia, was fond of myths and fantasies. This may be why she was so good at acting and writing. She constructed her own rather mysterious persona so that no one really knows her truth. Her famous literary heroine,

based on an aunt of Travers’, was a magical nanny who helped her charges through difficult situations with sensible, even tough advice. Travers, who was very no-nonsense herself, was also fascinated with eastern philosophy and theosophy, Sufism and Hinduism. In England, Travers lived with Madge Burnand, the daughter of the editor of Punch. The women shared a flat in London, and later rented a cottage together in Sussex. Much speculation has been made about whether they were lovers. Actor Emma Thompson played Travers in the 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks, which depicted Travers’ battle with Walt Disney to make “Mary Poppins.” The actress was quoted in article on the film in The Advocate about Travers’ relationship with Burnand. She stated, “I don’t know whether they were lovers or not, but she did live with Madge for a long, long time, and she certainly had very complex, passionate relationships with both women and men. She was an explorer of her own condition, and very possibly her own sexuality.” It was while living with Burnand that Travers published Mary Pop-

pins, the work that would give the author her greatest fame. Travers wrote five sequels to Mary Poppins and, as Saving Mr. Banks depicted, she reluctantly sold the rights to Disney, who produced the famous film. Travers, apparently, was not fond of the Julie Andrews/Dick Van Dyke musical and particularly hated the animated dancing penguins. As mentioned, Travers is said to have had relationships with men and women, but few specifics about her sexual relationships have ever been detailed. Her diary recounted her friendship (and possibly a relationship) with Jessie Orage, whose husband, Alfred Richard Orage, was a pupil of the spiritual teacher G.I. Gurdjieff. Travers became a follower of Gurdjieff, and through him became an occasional member of The Rope, a group that consisted mostly of lesbian writers, including Jane Heap, founding editor of Little Review, and Kathryn Hulme, author of The Nun’s Story. [Fun fact: Many members of The Rope were acquainted with Gertrude Stein, but Stein did not follow Gurdjieff; whether she and Travers ever connected is not known].

Valerie Lawson, author of Mary Poppins, She Wrote, a biography of Travers originally titled Out of the Sky She Came, indicated that both Travers and Orage “loved men.” Their close friendship, Lawson indicates, was formed over the loss of Orage’s husband, and Travers’ editor, George William Russell. Whether their friendship crossed over into a sexual relationship is not known. But Jim Korkis, a Disney historian, was quoted in the Orlando Weekly (around the time of Saving Mr. Banks) saying that, “It has been assumed that Travers was bisexual, although no one really knows for sure. She was known to be extremely flirtatious around younger men. At one point, she told an acquaintance that she thought that Walt [Disney] had ‘eyes’ for her.” Travers certainly was secretive and private. It was perhaps a source of pride for her. A quote from her in a New Statesman article entitled, “The strange life of the creator of Mary Poppins,” read, “I’m a private sort of person, as anonymous as possible — and that’s not humility.” Other articles about the author that surfaced around the time Sav-

wandered in the desert for 40 years.

sumed she was likely promiscuous. Travers was certainly sharp enough — and discrete enough — not to let anyone know her true nature. For all anyone knows, she could have been asexual, given how little evidence there is of any lover(s). But whether Travers was asexual, bisexual or something else entirely, it was certainly a taboo at the time for a woman to be intimately involved with other women. As Travers was gaining fame as a children’s author, the exposure of a same-sex relationship could have been especially harmful to her career. (Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977). This may account for why she felt she needed to maintain privacy. Travers never published an autobiography. And while the news articles and biographies hint at what might have been, all anyone can really do is speculate.

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CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM Come Join Us. For more information: (954) 564-9232

ema: Argentina.”

has wandered in South Florida for 41!

October 01, 2015

Gary M. Kramer is an award-winning, Philadelphia-based film critic. He is a contributing writer to Philadelphia Gay News, Salon.com, indieWIRE and various other media outlets. He is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews” and co-editor of “Directory of World Cin-

Now we have a new home.

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ing Mr. Banks was released have been even more candid. According to the Daily Mail, Travers was said to be “neither warm nor kindly. She was an intellectual snob who wrote erotic prose, was a one-time fascist sympathizer, occasional lesbian and appalling mother.” Unpacking that quote, Travers is known to have written poetry for the erotic publication The Triad, and she wrote book reviews for New Pioneer, an anti-Semitic British magazine of the far right in the 1930. The article’s last point likely refers to the fact that, at age 40, Travers adopted a son, Camillus, who discovered he was a twin at age 17. Upon learning this — and that his twin grew up poor in Ireland — his relationship with Travers became strained. It is entirely possible that Travers adopted Camillus so she would have someone to love. While she lived with Burnand, and was close to Orage, her rumored same-sex encounters may have happened without being disclosed. This is likely because Travers was alive (and prominent) during the era when women did not discuss relationships outside of marriage. Females in those days were expected to marry; if they lived together, there was always speculation about them being lovers. Moreover, if a woman lived alone, it was pre-

CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM

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“

Travers is said to have had relationships with men and women, but few specifics about her sexual relationships have ever been detailed “

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THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

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ACCOUNTING

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

ATTORNEYS Michael D. Becker Attorney at Law 201 NE 2nd Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954-727-5067 / becker-lawyer.com Law Offices of George Castrataro 707 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 300 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954-573-1444 / lawgc.com Law Offices of Phillip Menditto 524 S Andrews Avenue, Suite 200 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954-641-9100 / phillipmenditto.com Law Offices of Caro Kinsella 20801 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 403 Miami, FL 33180 954-304-2243 / immigrationlawyerfl.com

CHURCH / SPIRITUAL

Center for Spiritual Living 1550 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-2868 / cslftl.com Holy Angels Catholic Community 2917 NE 6th Avenue Wilton Manors, FL 33334 954-633-2987 / holyangelsﬂ.org 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

COUNSELING Shoshana Paris House Call Counselor shoshana.paris@gmail.com 954-985-5362 / 305-951-1279

EVENTS 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

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

FINANCIAL

DENTAL

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

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

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

October 01, 2015

AUTO RENTAL

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 Wilton Manors Dental 2517 N.E. 9th Avenue Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-564-4746 / wiltonmanorsdental.com

FOOD / GROCERY

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MARKETING

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

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HEALTH

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

ORGANIZATIONS The Pride Center 2040 N Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-463-9005 / pridecenterﬂorida.com 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

Out of the Closet 2097 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-358-5580 / outofthecloset.org

UPHOLSTERY

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

PET CARE

PHP HMO SNP 888-456-4715 positivehealthcare.net Positive Nutrition of South Florida 4640 North Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-306-3887

INSURANCE

TANNING Tropical Heat Tanning 922 North Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954-232-5523

WINDOWS

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

October 01, 2015

We Insure 1975 E Sunrise Blvd, Suite 602 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304 954-903-7519 / weinsureﬂ.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

October 01, 2015

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HEALTHWISE How to boost your growth hormone naturally

f you want to increase vitality, gain lean muscle, reduce fat and increase your sleep quality— you might want to look into boosting your Growth Hormone. It sounds By complex, but Dr. Ferdinard it’s something Cadrera that you can do naturally and with great success. Growth Hormone occur naturally in the body. When we are young we have high levels of growth hormone which makes for a speedy metabolism and a good ratio of lean muscle mass to body fat. As we get older, these levels decline and we start to

notice a difference in our metabolism and body fat. Because of this many people try to boost their Growth Hormone for weight loss, increased muscle, a more youthful appearance, improved mental sharpness and other positive beneﬁts. SOME OF THE NATURAL WAYS YOU CAN BOOST YOUR GROWTH HORMONE INCLUDE:



-decreasing sugar intake / caloric restriction -decrease cortisol levels by decreasing stress -increasing protein intake (considering adding whey isolate protein drinks) -doing cardio exercise 30 to 45 minutes 4-5 days a week.

The symptoms of growth hormone deﬁciency… include having low energy, looking and feeling fatigued, general muscle loss, reduced exercise capacity, “pot belly”, more facial wrinkles, decreased quality of sleep, loss of concentration, sagging cheeks, thinning lips and loss of self conﬁdence/ self esteem. If the natural boosting methods fail to increase the IGF-1 (measurement of HGH in blood), then HGH (human growth hormone) precursors can be effective. These precursors boost you own HGH production. The best known HGH precursors are Sermorelin, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6. At my practice I see an 85% of patient positive response to the use of these precursors. If after 90 days using the precursors the IGF-1 levels fail to improve, then I consider the use of HGH. The

down side of HGH is it’s cost and overdose of it can produce, glucose intolerance, uncontrolled hypertension and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In summary, check your IFG-1 levels by a certified practitioner and discuss your options before being treated with HGH. Dr. Ferdinand Cabrera has 33 years of experience as a physician. His personal approach to Functional Medicine is based on years of firsthand interactions with unhappy patients. He became certified in Functional and Anti-Aging Medicine, became a faculty member for America Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Cabrera is the founder and president of Genesis Health Institute a premier Anti-Aging Center in South Florida for the past 8 years.

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FAST FIT

When taken in small doses, alcohol can be beneﬁcial. Now, when we say small small, we mean one ounce of liquor, six ounces of wine, or a 12-ounce bottle of beer for women.

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Cancer rates are predicted by the World Health Organization to increase ﬁfty percent to 15 million cases annually by the year 2020.

Composed mainly of water (with a small percentage of minerals, lactate and urea), perspiration accounts for between 300 and 8,000 milliliters of ﬂuid loss per day—the former for sedentary adults and the latter for high-performance athletes.

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By Richard Hack and Andy Kress from their book Baby Boomers’ Guide to the Fountain of Youth

Vitamin C helps the body formulate and maintain collagen, the skin’s cement and wrinkle preventer, thus minimizing lines and sagging ﬂesh—two essential improvements if you’re going to lie about your age without saying a word.

ROPE TO SUIT YOUR MOOD & CREATIVITY!

WWW.LEATHERWERKS.COM Copyright © 2015 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

October 01, 2015

EXTENSIVE LINE OF COLORS & MATERIALS AVAILABLE.

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The Thrill Of The Right

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PUZZLE

October 01, 2015

Across

1 Hit boxers 5 Alexandre, who wrote about a male threesome 10 Ty with a big stick 14 Fine-tune 15 Not straight 16 Bars for gay chefs 17 Where to see Modern Family 18 Cagney’s TV partner 19 Elizabeth of Transamerica 20 Title start of a rock anthem used without permission at a rally for 49-Across 22 End of the title 23 Daughters of Bilitis co-founder Phyllis 24 Fruit flavor for gin 26 Klein of underwear 29 Be stunned by a hottie, e.g. 33 Reed in a pit 34 Funny Cheri 35 Where to go for Carnaval 36 Item denied to gay couples by 49-Across 40 And so on, for short 41 Cole Porter title city 42 Disney pictures 43 Pirate, for one 45 Short-legged dog 47 Caesar’s girlfriend told them “Bite me!” 48 Homer’s boy 49 Homophobe Kim 52 Homophobe Mike 56 Like some twins 57 Dean Cain’s role with Lois 59 Georgia spread on the screen 60 Tutti-frutti holder 61 Japanese poem 62 Vows now legal for the LGBT community 63 Got a little behind 64 Gawks at 65 It’s for Colette

Down

1 Where a cobbler puts the tongue 2 Express ride

3 Opening amount 4 What a cowboy shoots off 5 007 portrayer Timothy 6 Brigham Young man, for one 7 Disney’s Mickey and Minnie, e.g. 8 Tavern order 9 Swine cooler? 10 Reproduced nonheterosexually 11 Jackie’s designer 12 Pasolini’s well 13 Wild male 21 Murphy Brown’s TV show 22 Something to talk about 24 Shaft from way back 25 Petty of A League of Their Own 26 Has the big O 27 Let up 28 Spanish castle city 29 Gay rodeo target 30 Beach birds 31 Controversial path for same-sex partners, once 32 Perform, to Shakespeare 34 Shrek and others 37 Transvestite boast? 38 Golden years org. 39 Tickled pink 44 Blew it 45 Foppish Gilligan’s Island actor Jim 46 Sacred chest 48 Glenn who played for the Dodgers 49 Style of many South Beach buildings 50 Openly confess 51 It crosses Hollywood 52 Word with Mary 53 Expressed, as farewell 54 Love of Lesbos 55 Right on a map 57 Comedienne Margaret 58 Fall behind For the solution to this puzzle, go to www.floridaagend. com/puzzle

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October 01, 2015

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October 01, 2015

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THE WEEK: FORT LAUDERDALE .

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10/03 Duende!

photo: clubzone.com

10/01 Collective Soul

In honor of Broward County’s 100th birthday, Himmarshee Village becomes a festival showcasing the talents and artistry of local performers. Today’s “Party of the Century” will feature an array of genres, including an international blend of dance, hip-hop, salsa, reggae, pop, and house. The event also includes street art, light shows, ﬂash mobs, and a drum battle. 8:00 p.m. Himmarshee Village. 401 SW 2nd St. Fort Lauderdale. 33301.

Collective Soul capitalized on the alternative music renaissance of the early 1990s with their hit song “Shine” and later singles “Breathe,” “Wasting Time,” and ”December.” Since their breakthrough album Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, the band has created seven number one rock hits. Their new album See What You Started by Continuing is scheduled to be released in October. 7:00 p.m. Revolution Live. 100 SW Third Ave. Fort Lauderdale. 33312.

photo:carriebennett.net

October 01, 2015

By Patrick Robert

photo: dailydot.com

10/06 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 self-empowerment. The song was later covered by Alana Davis, D’Inﬂuence, and Elle Varner. Opening is Ana Egge. 7:30 p.m. Culture Room. 3045 N. Federal Highway. Fort Lauderdale. 33306.

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THE WEEK: MIAMI

photo: ed.gov

photo: the305.com

10/04 Octoberfest Octoberfest may be ofﬁcially about a celebration of Bavarian culture and history, but everybody views it as a great excuse to drink lots and lots of beer. The Sam Adams Octoberfest in Wynwood celebrates its sixth year with an event full of dance, polka bands, DJs, food, a Miss Octoberfest pageant, strength contests, and, of course, beer, all taking place in a recreated authentic Bavarian Beer Hall. Entry is free, and there are multiple specials for the food and drinks available. 6:00 p.m. Sam Adams Castle and Beer Hall. 2250 NW Second Ave. Miami. 33127.

Dorothy, Toto, the tinman, the scarecrow, Oz, and the ruby red slippers will all be a part of the Miami Children’s Museum’s The Wizard of Oz Children’s Educational Exhibition. This traveling 2,500 square foot interactive exhibit invites guests of all ages to embark on a multi-sensory, cross-disciplinary exploration of the Land of Oz. The best part: a series of stylized movie posters and a museum quality replica of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers. 10:00 a.m. Miami Children’s Museum. 980 MacArthur Causeway. Miami. 33132.

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J-Lo’s ex-husband is the top selling tropical salsa singer of all time, having won two Grammys and ﬁve Latin Grammys. The sultry singer has sold over twelve million albums worldwide, developing cross-over appeal in the late 1990s during the Latin music renaissance along with Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias. In 2009 he was awarded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Opening is duo Gente de Zona. 8:00 p.m. American Airlines Arena. 601 Biscayne Blvd. Miami. 33132.

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10/05 The Wizard of Oz Education Exhibit

10/02 Marc Anthony

photo: by.edu

October 01, 2015 43

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THE WEEK: JACKSONVILLE .

By Patrick Robert

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10/03 Booker T. Jones

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Booker T. Jones is said to be largely responsible for the rise of modern soul music. After all, he worked with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries and earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Some of his best known hits include “Green Onions,” “Hang ‘Em High,” “Time is Tight,” and “Melting Pot.” Tonight he performs at the Ritz. 8:00 p.m. Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum. 829 N. Davis St. Jacksonville. 32202. photo: chartattack.com

photo: hiphopwall.com

10/06 Death Grips

10/02 Ying Yang Twins

October 01, 2015

The hip-hop duo responsible for the hit single “Get Low” are notorious for creating party friendly songs that ﬂirt with poor taste. Some of their more popular singles include “Salt Shaker,” “What’s Happnin,” “Shake,” “Badd,” and “Halftime.” Their new album All Around the World is due out later this year. 8:00 p.m. High Dive. 210 SW Second Ave. Gainesville. 32601.

photo: wfuv.org

The experimental group Death Grips combines hip hop, industrial music, and noise music into an interesting mélange praised by critics. The single “I’ve Seen Footage” has been their most acclaimed to date, routinely considered one of the best songs of the current decade. Their newest album The Powers That B is a double album and was released in March. Freebird Café. 201 1st St. N. Jacksonville. 32210.

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THE WEEK: ORLANDO

Deathcore superstars Bring Me the Horizon have gone from being reviled to beloved by both critics and audience alike. Their sophomore album Suicide Season signified a major turning point of growth for the group, earning them international fame. Last year they won a Best Album award from Alternative Press for Sempiternal. 7:00 p.m. Hard Rock Orlando. 6050 Universal Blvd. Orlando. 32819.

The late 1990s brought us Smash Mouth’s radio-friendly alternative rock. Songs like “Walkin’ on the Sun” and “All Star” are megahits that have been featured in ﬁlms like Shrek and Rat Race. Along with their original music, Smash Mouth is also known for performing covers of popular songs like “I’m a Believer,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” and “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” They are performing as part of Disney’s Eat to the Beat series. 10:00 a.m. Epcot Center. 200 Epcot Center Dr. Orlando. 32821.

photo: facebook.com

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10/05 Smash Mouth

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10/01 Bring Me the Horizon

10/04 Orlando Indie Comedy Fest

photo: thelastdisater.com

Forty visiting comics spend four days entertaining the Orlando community with their witty, raunchy, and irreverent humor. Performers from New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago grant a fresh perspective on life to the Central Florida denizens. Some of the stand-up comedians expected include Sean Patton, Eddie Pepitone, Ian Aber, Sammy Arechar, and Kevin Brody. Various Times. Various Venues.

photo: straightbowl.com

October 01, 2015 45

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THE WEEK: PALM BEACH .

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10/03 Brad Paisley

photo: oddballfest.com

10/02 Oddball Comedy Fest

Funny or Die’s touring comedy festival features the two biggest names in stand-up this year: Aziz Ansari and Amy Schumer. Ansari’s role on popular sitcom Parks and Recreation translated into a wildly popular career on the stage; he has become one of the most critically acclaimed comedians working. Amy Schumer is the It Girl of the summer, earning raves for both her screenplay and her performance in the hit ﬁlm Trainwreck. She recently won an Emmy for her Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer. 5:00 p.m. Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre. 601-7 Sansburys Way. West Palm Beach. 33411.

October 01, 2015

By Patrick Robert

For a time country music singers who supported LGBT issues were few and far between. The popular singer has won three Grammy Awards, fourteen Academy of Country Music Awards, fourteen Country Music Association Awards, two American Music Awards, and, most importantly, has earned the greatest honor bestowed upon a country music singer when he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 7:30 p.m. Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre. 601-7 Sansburys Way. West Palm Beach. 33411.

photo:cleeseandidle.com

10/07 John Cleese and Eric Idle

photo: musictimes.com

As founding members of Monty Python, Cleese and Idle introduced the world to a satirical brand of humor that is both wacky and smart. Their newest production Together Again At Last…For the Very First Time blends scripted work with improvised bits of storytelling, musical numbers, exclusive footage, aquatic juggling, and an extended audience Q&A. 8:00 p.m. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. 701 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach. 33401.

THE WEEK: TAMPA / ST. PETE .

Canadian rock back Three Days Grace has a string of massive alternative rock hits in the naughties off of their self-titled album and later releases One-X and Life Starts Now. Their most popular singles include “I Hate Everything About You,” “Just Like You,” and “Home.” Matt Walst has replaced former lead vocalist Adam Gontier on both the tour and the new album Human. 7:00 p.m. Jannus Live. 200 First Ave. St. Petersburg. 33701.

Sweetfields Farm’s Fall Maze is a life-sized living labyrinth of over five acres. Guests try to navigate through the many different paths of the maze, receiving questions and clues at various checkpoints to guide in the journey. Admission into the maze includes a hay ride, duck race, spider web maze, storyteller, and free craft of the season. 10:00 a.m. Sweetfields Farm. 17250 Benes Roush Rd. Masaryktown. 34604.

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10/03 Corn Maze

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10/01 Three Days Grace

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photo: thevaultofsouls.com

10/02 Vault of Souls

photo: itstheparty.com

In the basement of the infamous Exchange National Bank, a paranormal purgatory was constructed by prestigious psychics and a native shaman. Now, per reservation, Tampa society is able to gather into this Vault of Souls and see ﬁrsthand the line between this world and the next. 6:00 p.m. The Vault. 655 N. Franklin St. Tampa. 33602.

photo: tampabay.com

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