Florida Agenda #122

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MARCH 22, 2012 H ISSUE #122 H FLORIDAAGENDA.COM A MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS COMPANY

A MORE PERSONAL LOOK AT THE RUTGERS VERDICT EDITOR’S DESK PAGE 8

GAY CHAMBER PROMOTES LAUDERDALE LOCAL PAGE 3

H Florida’s Largest LGBT  Newspaper and Entertainment Source H

OUTline NATIONAL NEWS

THE GAY KISS SEEN AND HEARD ‘ROUND THE GOP

DIGITAL EVIDENCE SWAYS JURY IN RUTGERS SUICIDE TRIAL Dharun Ravi Case Could Set Electronic Privacy Precedent By CLIFF DUNN

In Front of 2,000 Rick Santorum Supporters PAGE 09 TRAVEL

COSTA DEL SOL IS HOT

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Photo: NBC News

Robert Elias Deaton Tells Us Why

TYLER CLEMENTI

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — On March 16, a jury convicted a former Rutgers University student who used his Webcam to spy on his college roommate Tyler Clementi’s intimate encounter with another man. Dharun Ravi, 20, was convicted of all 15 counts including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy, which is considered a sex crime in New Jersey. Yet, to members of the jury, the impact of Clementi’s own Twitter notes and on-line behavior presented the most damning evidence in the case. “It was pretty hard to think about Tyler, because he wasn’t present to give

his thoughts,” juror Kashad Leverett, 20, said after the trial. Quoted in the New York Times, Leverett added, “..in the evidence that was provided, it showed that he believed he was being intimidated because of his sexual orientation.” The trial sent a cautionary message to all those who use Twitter and other social media sites that there are consequences, sometimes dire ones, in the use of technology. “This should be a cautionary tale for a lot of people….You often don’t think that what you’re doing could lead to criminal prosecution,” said Eric Nemecek, co-chair of the American ‘RUTGERS VERDICT’ continues on Page 11

Andy Kress Reveals the Secret

STEPHEN JEROME

URGENT UPDATE

SPICES MAKE GOOD MEDICINE

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NUTRITION

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES INTO SUICIDE Lawyer Stephen Jerome Leaped to Death

By BOB KECSKEMETY

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THE PASSING OF THE TORCH Pride Center’s Paul Hyman Goes to NYC

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FORT LAUDERDALE – Officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of local attorney Stephen D. Jerome, who committed suicide on Friday, March 9, after leaping 11 stories from the rooftop of his Pompano Beach office located in the BankAtlantic building at 1600 South Federal Hgwy., less than 24 hours after authorities executed a search warrant at his Fort Lauderdale home for

materials related to child pornography (Florida Agenda, March 15, 2012). Documents indicate that police were looking for specific videos containing potentially explicit and illegal materials. Jerome, who graduated from University of Miami School of Law in 1977, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, oxycodone, and marijuana, which investigators found at the scene.

When Jerome, 61, posted $1,000 bond the following morning, he went to his law office where, excusing himself, he leapt from the roof, three floors above. According to Broward County acting Medical Examiner Dr. Darin Trelka, Jerome, Jerome died at the scene “from multiple blunt force injuries.” Jerome’s suicide came just a day before his scheduled opening night

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LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF LGBT Chamber Spreads the Word about South Florida’s Gay Charms to the World FORT LAUDERDALE - Last year, members of Broward County’s LGBT business community formed the Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (GFLGLCC), with a mission that includes promoting business and economic opportunities for the LGBT and LGBT-friendly community, promoting tourism with a unified approach, and serving as an advocate and resource for all equalitypromoting member businesses.

LOCAL NEWS

paved the way for the formation of the RHA, with a stated mission to build alliances and bridges that market the area as the premier LGBT travel destination. In aid of this, the group will launch the southfloridafun.com Website this month. Blackburn notes that the GFLGLCC’s mission to Berlin enjoyed the support of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), as well as businesses with a stake in the effort’s overall success. “The Berlin trip was made possible by our hotel sponsors,” Blackburn noted. Those sponsors included the Atlantic Hotel, Cheston House, Elysium Resort, Inn Leather, La Casa Del Mar, and the Best Western Oakland Park Inn, in addition to his own Mary’s Resort. Long term, GFLGLCC has also partnered with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), which sponsored last year’s international convention of travel professionals in Greater Fort Lauderdale, and the FunMaps media group. “Their support enabled us to create a unique brochure, showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale as a world-class LGBT tourist destination,” emphasized Blackburn.

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Hyman moved the GLCC to a 2.2 acre complex of five buildings and renamed the organization “The Pride Center at Equality Park.” He is leaving South Florida to become the Executive Director of the Stonewall Foundation in New York City, a public charity for the Big Apple’s LGBT community which provides funding to other LGBT organizations. Robert Boo will become The Pride Center’s new executive director. He worked with Hyman for five of the last six years as the center’s Director of Development as well as currently serving on its board. “I’m so thrilled to be leaving the Center in such capable hands,” Hyman said at his farewell. “With Robert [Boo], the staff, the volunteers and the board, there is just no doubt about the bright future that’s in store for the Center and this community.”

“Nuts About Yogurt” holds Grand Opening on Wilton Drive

For more information about GFLGLCC, visit gogayfortlauderdale.com.

Grateful Community Bids Farewell to Paul Hyman WILTON MANORS - In a special reception held on Sunday, March 18, Paul Hyman, former Executive Director of The Pride Center at Equality Park said his goodbyes to the not-for-profit’s volunteers, staff, and Board of Directors. He was the organization’s longest-serving executive director.

Photo: Bob Kecskemety

The Chamber, a 501c(6) non-profit organization, has an ambitious agenda: to partner with local LGBT organizations to mutually promote the sunshine and fun of Greater Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, as well as partnering with those businesses who are looking to form a beachhead in the LGBT market. The organization’s president and CEO, Keith Blackburn, went to Berlin, Germany this month to attend the ITB convention, the world’s largest travel trade show, with an anticipated 170,000 attendees representing over 180 countries. “This is an amazing opportunity to promote all that Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer to a virtually captive audience,” reported Blackburn. “The ITB-Berlin event is the largest travel trade show on the planet, and a real chance to showcase what we love about where we live,” added Blackburn, whose own business credentials include operating Fort Lauderdale’s successful Mary’s Resort and gay guest house. Blackburn and the GFLGLCC are also promoting, both locally and abroad, the new Rainbow Hospitality Alliance (RHA). In 1997, the Rainbow Alliance (RA) was launched to build gay and gay-friendly tourism in Greater Fort Lauderdale. Because of legal issues, the RA was limited in its ability to expand its mission statement, and so the group was officially disbanded in 2011. This

Hyman served for seven years, bringing The Pride Center—which was then known as the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida, or GLCC--out of its toughest times, and in the process making it one of the largest and most respected LGBT community centers in the country. Hyman inherited an organization that had a building with leaking roofs, intermittent air conditioning, and dwindling community support. A new staff and expanded program services were soon followed by increased donations and memberships. In 2010,

Photo Courtesy of Krishan Manners

WILTON MANORS – On Wednesday, March 14, “Nuts About Yogurt” officially held its Grand Opening, with a ribbon cutting and event to welcome the newest addition to the once-again-thriving Wilton Drive. The store, located at 2207 Wilton Drive, next to Bill’s Filling Station and the Courtyard Café, “is a self-serve frozen yogurt shop which is a healthy alternative to ice-creams and cakes, but doesn’t take away any of the fun and enjoyment of that experience,“ said Leor Barak, the owner of Nuts About Yogurt. “With more than half of adults controlling their diet and trying to lead healthier lifestyles, we wanted to give Wilton Manors the option to have their cake and eating it, too--so to speak,” added Barak. Barak says he chose Wilton Manors as the site of his business because of the city’s amazing diversity. After visiting for the first time in 2008, it became his dream to live in the Island City. That dream is now his reality, and he is quickly laying down stakes and becoming a part of the community. “Leor is indeed a welcome addition to

Wilton Manors,” said Krishan Manners, President and CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street. “Not only has he opened a business here, but he also donated 100% of the evening’s profits to Broward House as a way to give back to the community.” “His passion for the business and love of Wilton Manors are evident in his actions,” added Manners, a familiar face on the Drive and community leader in his own right who has become something of an unofficial ombudsman and unapologetic advocate for business development. “We as a community need to support him and get his business off to a strong start. And,” he noted with an impish touch, “I highly recommend the peanut butter yogurt.” Nuts About Yogurt is open Sunday through Thursday from noon-11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon until midnight. “Our brand was created from a profound love of--and passion for--guiltless desserts,” said Barak, “I love this city and its people and decided early on that my goal is to give back. Without guilt,” Barak added with a smile.

Miami Beach Gay Pride Announces Talent Line-Up MIAMI BEACH – The organizers of 2012 Miami Beach Gay Pride say the performer line-up for this year’s event will be diva-licious, with an extraordinary line-up of musical guests scheduled to take to stage on Sunday, April 15. Miami Beach Gay Pride’s fourth anniversary event will take place at Lummus Park, located on Ocean Drive between 10 and 14 St. from noon to 7 p.m. “This year’s line-up of entertainers certainly has something for everyone,” said Babak Movahedi, president of the Pride Board of Directors. “From dance to pop and from Broadway to gospel, the Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival will be a musical sensation.” The scheduled entertainers include international dance club icon Kristine W—who holds the world’s record for most consecutive Number One Billboard Club Hits, last summer’s certified three-time Platinum artist (“Dirty Talk”) Wynter Gordon, Miami native Jessica Sutta from the Pussy Cat Dolls, former teen sensation JoJo (“Leave [Get Out]”), now age 20 and with multiple hits to her name, as well as many others, including internationally-renowned club and circuit party DJ/artists. In 2011, Miami Beach Gay Pride was the city’s largest, single-day event, attracting over 40,000 visitors, and featuring a parade with 66 entries and 1,200 participants. For more information as events and activities are confirmed, visit miamibeachgaypride.com. H


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MARCH 22, 2012

A TALE OF

TWO VICTIMS By CLIFF DUNN

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he jury’s verdict last Friday in State of New Jersey vs. Dharun Ravi was foundational in many important ways, and gave me reason, for a change, to be grateful for the rational system of jury trials that was established under our Constitution. Having lived through the 1995 O.J. Simpson verdict, I know that this isn’t always a sure thing. Having spent much of the past three weeks thinking my way through this case from all sides, my conclusion is that the right decision was handed down by a panel of honest citizens who, to their eternal credit, agonized over the ultimate fate of an emotionally-tortured Tyler Clementi. Clementi was a mere 18 years old when he decided on his own that life was so not-worth-living that he would deprive his parents, family, and people who cared about him the privilege of knowing what kind of man he would grow up to become. But the jury’s decision will resonate forever on the way in which we as a society look at bullying. These honorable men and women had to weigh the horrible consequences of Clementi’s roommate’s boorish, churlish, seemingly-incorrigible teenaged behavior with the type of man he, too, will ultimately become. Dharun Ravi is by accounts not a bad kid, just one who is endowed with a casual homophobia that is to be heard in high school and college locker rooms as often, frankly, as it is to be heard on the streets and in the taverns of South Florida’s own gay village. “Oh my God, did you see who ‘she’ took home last night,” is a familiar refrain that may be heard to be regurgitated from one end of the Drive to the other end of Dixie on any given. Not all churlish, boorish behavior originates with the straights. Ravi’s behavior has been chronicled so often that I need not recount his demonization of a gay roommate’s

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intimate encounter with a trick the latter had met online. “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with another dude. Yay,” he tweeted, and then again later, “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 12. Yes it’s happening again.” Someone, somehow, had a problem with the gays. Whatever was going through Clementi’s tortured psyche at the moment he posted on Facebook, “Jumping off the gw [George Washington] bridge sorry,” we know the end result. Time stamps show that Clementi posted his suicide note at 8:42 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2010, four minutes before Ravi sent a 266-word apology to Clementi, at 8:46 p.m. It read in part: “I want to explain what happened Sunday night when you requested to have someone over. I didn’t realize you wanted the room in private.” Ravi attests to a lack of homophobia and a tolerance for Clementi’s sexuality: “I’ve known you were gay and I have no problem with it,” he texted Clementi. “In fact one of my closest friends is gay and he and I have a very open relationship. I just suspected you were shy about it which is why I never broached the topic. I don’t want your freshman year to be ruined because of a petty misunderstanding, its adding to my guilt.” We don’t know if Clementi ever read Ravi’s apology, or whether it would have had—or did in fact have—any effect on the tragedy to come. We do know that Ravi, who was 18 years old at the time, was acting like any teen I’ve ever met when he deleted 86 text messages he had sent to his high school friends in the days after Clementi’s suicide, clearly an attempt to cover his tracks. As the jury found, “boys will be boys” (and “girls will be girls”) is no longer a legal justification for inflicting mental harm and infringing upon

someone’s privacy because of whom they identity as. This is foundational, and will resonate, Butterfly Effect-like, in schoolyards and in classrooms— secular and religious—until they turn the lights out. My boyfriend has a much younger, younger brother. By the time he turns the age I now am, I will have been playing pinochle with John Adams, Dorothy Parker, and Liberace for at least half a decade. His children— regardless of whether he turns out gay or straight—will have no concept of the degree of bullying with which men of a certain age or even younger had to contend. That is seminal. “The embarrassment of ridicule is always painful. The sting is greater when someone you hold close inflicts it. Shouldn’t the consequences be unforgiving?” asked Dean Trantalis, a local attorney and gay rights activist and advocate following the verdict. The estimable former Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale was echoing the sentiments of numerous Americans, LGBT and straight, who see this as an object lesson to bullies and victims everywhere, but most especially in a nation where the rule of law prevails, rather than the rule of men, and I agree. But Dharun Ravi, now 20 and by the reckoning of our base-10 numbering system very much a teenager, deserves, if not our sympathy, then certainly a chance at his life. He may yet turn it into something that honors what Clementi, his first victim, may have become. There are two victims of the teenaged Dharun Ravi’s bad, bad judgment. I hope the judge recommends deportation. H

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NATIONAL NEWS

Iowa Same-SexMarriage Supporters, Foes, Hold Dueling Rallies

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

DES MOINES, IA – The state capital was awash in same-sex marriage events this week, and both sides were well-

represented. On Tuesday, the Family Leader, a conservative Christian organization, held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda which was meant to convince the state Senate’s Democratic leaders to allow a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit marriage equality. Same-sex marriage is legal in the Hawkeye State, after a 2009 state Supreme Court decision invalidated a state law barring such marriages. Since then, conservatives attempted to write a ban into the state constitution. Iowa’s Republican-led House approved such an amendment last year, but it has stalled in the state Senate. A constitutional amendment requires lawmaker approval of the proposed amendment in consecutive legislative sessions before it is then put to popular referendum. One Iowa, an organization that advocates marriage equality, likewise held a rally on Tuesday, which featured speakers in support of same-sex marriage, including members of Iowa Republicans for Freedom, a GOP group that favors marriage equality, and the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. H

Rick Santorum, Part I: Gay Kiss Disrupts Chicago Political Rally CHICAGO, IL – A kiss by two gay men briefly interrupted a rally in support of Republican presidential

candidate Rick Santorum on Friday night held at a Christian school in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. While Santorum addressed the crowd at Christian Liberty Academy, two men in the back of the auditorium stood up and started yelling, “Mic check, Mr. Santorum!” in the fashion of the Occupy movement. Once they had the assembly’s attention, the couple castigated the former Pennsylvania senator for his stance on LGBT rights. “This will never be an equal country for families –” they began, but feeling the crowd of 2,000 people’s attention slipping away, the two men—identified in the Palatine Patch, a local newspaper, as Timothy Tross and Ben Clifford-embraced in a prolonged kiss that lasted for at least five seconds. Thus provoked, the crowd began to chant “USA! USA!” as security escorted the men out of the facility.

Tross said their kiss was neither a symbolic gesture nor a pure display of affection. “I don’t think the message should be about what my sexuality is. It’s the message that [Santorum] is saying about sexuality that matters.” H

Rick Santorum, Part II: I Will Restore “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

GREENWELL SPRINGS, LA – This weekend, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum reaffirmed his plan to bring back the Pentagon’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy if he is elected in November. On Sunday, the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania was a guest of Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, a conservative and anti-LGBT rights organization, at Louisiana’s Greenwell Springs Baptist Church.

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about ongoing cyber-bullying. In particular, the note on Reddit cites a male student with a history of verbally bullying other students both in person and on Twitter, with special targeting of students involved in the school’s Gay Straight Alliance. Reddit is a social news website where Perkins, who favors restoring DADT repeal, said the Obama administration registered users submit content, and “has systematically used this military other users vote the submission “up” or for social experimentation” through “down” in order to rank and determine “overturning the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell its position on the site’s front page and policy and forcing open homosexuality subsequent pages. Less than 12 hours on the military.” He then asked after posting the note, “Sarah” had Santorum if he would “reverse” already received over 4,000 comments. School officials also began to receive Obama’s decision. Santorum said the repeal of DADT a barrage of letters and emails from was “not in the best interest of our people across the country to expressing men and women in uniform.” He concern for “Sarah” and the school’s pledged to restore DADT, but added other bullied students. In the post, “Sarah” wrote “I am not that it “doesn’t mean that people who are gays and lesbians can’t serve” in the asking for therapy, but help in gaining momentum,” before reporting the armed services. Also on Sunday, Perkins warned details of the ongoing psychological LGBT activists against politicizing the torture experienced by her and other verdict in the Tyler Clementi bullying students. “Since the beginning of the school suicide case. “Unfortunately, some prohomosexual activists would exploit the year, I have been harassed both in personal tragedies of these families to person and online by the school’s ‘bully.’ promote a political agenda,” he said. It is hard to use the word because “Some have even laid blame not on the almost everyone knows and loves him.” Echoing the last part of that actual bullies but on Christian churches statement, she later wrote: “The and conservative politicians.” H bullying isn’t worthy of school attention unless I die.” Among excerpts posted from the alleged bully’s screenshot-captured tweets were “’Life has its ups, and you have the Downs. Please do us a favor, and fucking drown’ -- A poem dedicated to Sarah” and “Sarah for biggest slut. Go die.” H BALTIMORE, MD – School officials in a greater Baltimore-area suburb are scrambling to redress a widespread FOR MORE NEWS, SCAN cyber-bullying epidemic following a HERE TO JUMP TO student’s threat to commit suicide that was posted on Reddit. Arundel High School administrators are responding to a post last Wednesday, March 14 on the Web site Reddit from a student who called herself “Sarah.” The post--under the heading “The cyber bullying has gotten to the point where the school will not take any action unless I kill myself. Reddit- how do I get my story out and make this stop?” [italics added]— accuses school administrators of failing to address repeated student complaints Photo: DailyMail.co.uk

NATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

Photo: DailyMail.co.uk

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High Schooler Threatens Suicide on Social News Site to Seek help against Cyber-Bullying

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Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Cybercrime Committee, reported in USA Today. This case could set a precedent, impacting constitutional rights to privacy. “[People] aren’t going to be exempt from liability just because they are hiding behind a Twitter handle,” according to John Verdi of the Electronic Public Information Center. “While the law was used appropriately in this particular case, we must be careful—as a society—to not give the government broad power to censor filming of individuals or events,” he said. “Any such laws have the potential to be misused by the government to squelch discourse on matters of public concern.” Ravi—who was 18 years old at the time--set up a Web camera on Sept. 19, 2010, after his roommate, Tyler Clementi, requested privacy in their room for several hours that night. Unbeknownst to Clementi at the time, Ravi and a female friend had watched the encounter. Ravi then posted on Twitter: “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with another dude. Yay [sic].” Subsequently, Ravi sent Twitter and text messages to encourage others to watch. Clementi, 18, jumped from the George Washington Bridge three days after the Webcam viewing, on Sept. 22, 2010--barely three weeks into the men’s freshman year. During the trial, Clementi’s death was only mentioned in passing, but his suicide was the central, defining issue of the proceeding, altering what might have been—in the words of the dormitory’s resident assistant—“a roommate issue,” or at worst, a peeping Tom case, into something with far more ruinous consequences for both men. Judge Glenn Berman took more than an hour to instruct jurors on the criteria to render

a verdict. Following 13 days of testimony spread over a three-week period, the jury, which consisted of seven women and five men, deliberated for 13 hours before finding Ravi guilty of all charges. Over the 13 days of testimony, prosecutors pointed to Clementi’s checking Ravi’s Twitter feed 38 times after he learned of his roommate’s first Webcam viewing on Sept. 19, 2010. Following that first incident, Ravi told others that he had witnessed Clementi “kissing a dude.” The dorm’s resident assistant testified that Clementi had complained to him about Ravi’s conduct, and computer records show that Clementi had gone online to request a room reassignment. The jurors found Ravi guilty of bias intimidation because Clementi “reasonably believed” he was made a target because of his sexuality. He was likewise found guilty of lying to investigators, trying to influence a witness, and tampering with evidence after attempting to cover up his text and Twitter messages inviting others to watch. Some of the counts again Ravi mandate a 5 to 10 year prison sentence. Ravi, who is originally from India, has surrendered his passport. He faces possible deportation to his native country, a decision that will be made by immigration officials. Ravi’s criminal sentencing has been scheduled for May 21. From the outset, the case has been seen as having the potential to redefine how society views hate crimes and the proper way to punish bullying behavior. Some legal experts and Ravi’s own attorneys argued that the trial was an attempt to criminalize bad teenaged behavior. Middlesex County, New Jersey prosecutor Bruce Kaplan told reporters that the trial sent a strong message against bullying and in support

of victims. “They felt the pain of Tyler,” Kaplan said of the jurors. Ravi had rejected plea deals, because his lawyers said he did not believe he had committed a hate crime, for which a plea would have required his admission. They argued that Ravi was “a kid” with little personal experience of gay people. Almost none of the facts in the case were disputed. The defense stipulated to the prosecution’s contention that Ravi had set up a Web cam, and had viewed Clementi kissing a man whom he had met weeks earlier on a gay dating Web site. Electronic evidence had established an enormous chain of damning evidence: dining hall swipe card and cellphone records, Twitter feeds, dorm surveillance cameras, and a “net flow analysis” that recreated the connections between various computers in the dormitory. His lawyers also acknowledged that Ravi sent messages via text and Twitter that enjoined others to watch Clementi and his male visitor two nights after the first encounter, and deleted those messages after Clementi’s suicide. In the end, the jury decided that “boys will be boys” was an inadequate defense. One juror, Bruno Ferreira, told reporters after the verdict was read that he had voted guilty on the charge of bias intimidation because of Ravi’s multiple-tweet harassment of Clementi. “They were being done twice, not just one day,” Ferreira said. Following the verdict, Tyler’s father, Joe Clementi, who attended the trial every day with his wife, Jane, described the “painful” experience of listening for three weeks to the “bad and inappropriate things that were done to their child.” To teenagers everywhere, Joe Clementi offered words of tolerance, encouragement, and warning: “You’re going to meet a lot of people

in your lifetime. Some of these people you may not like. Just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you have to work against them. When you see somebody doing something wrong, tell them: ‘That’s not right. Stop it.’ The change you want to see in the world begins with you.” H

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performance at the Pembroke Pines Theater of the Performing Arts’ musical production of Mel Brooks’ play “The Producers.” The attorney, who loved the musical theater form, according to friends, was known to break out into song while in court. Jerome’s arrest prior to his suicide was not his first. The attorney was charged in 1990 with sexual performance by a child after police found child pornography magazines in his bedroom closet. He pled no contest and was sentenced to probation and community service, and the Florida Bar Association temporarily suspended his license to practice. Jerome’s Condom Man character was part of his community service for the 1990 arrest. In the guise of superhero named Condom Man, Jerome donned a cape and mask and would go to local gay clubs and bars on weekend evenings passing out condoms in addition to educating and extolling the virtues of safer sex practices to the patrons He had since built his practice back into a successful bankruptcy law practice. H With additional Barbarossa.

reporting

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Q -POINT: ANDREW BREITBART: GAY HERO? FORT LAUDERDALE – The Angry Left doesn’t have conservative commentator and author Andrew Breitbart to kick around anymore. I’m sorry to admit I never considered the legendary blogger a hero until he was gone. But his absence hit me and the country with a deafening thud. Breitbart dedicated himself to the cause of bringing to light the hypocrisy and vulgarity of the so-called “progressive” left. He wasn’t about to let them get away with pretending to be open-minded and accepting of individuality. He knew the dark history of the Left and its members’ penchant for the politics of division.Thanks to his work, many of us know the truth, too. Sometimes Breitbart got it wrong when breaking a story. With his flair for the dramatic, he would occasionally overplay a nugget of truth as though he had the scoop of the century. But along the way, he did uncover some doozies and got Americans talking about some previ-

ously unspoken political truths. Beyond than each other. At a recent gathering muckraking, he used his larger-than-life of the Conservative Political Action personality to rally unlikely groups to the Conference (CPAC), he admonished conservative brotherhood. the GOP faithful to rise above personal Breitbart was a man of inclusion. He differences for the urgent cause of deserved on the advisory council of the gay feating the political opposition. Republican group GOProud and was “The Republican Party and the conserknown to have many gay, liberal, and vative movement is not what ABC and minority friends. While this fact rarely CBS puts up on the screen,” Breitbart caused right wing outannounced. “They try to rage, it did spark a melt- “In some strange way, Breitbart portray you in the worst made it “cool,” or at least down on the left. possible light. And acceptable to be conservative” The rumor mill spat when I walk through vile epithets at BreitCPAC or I travel bart, accusing him of being a closeted gay, through the United States and I meet predicting that he would die of AIDS, people in the Tea Party who care--black, rot in hell, etc. In his lighthearted fashion, white, gay, and straight--anyone who’s Andrew would re-tweet the messages as willing to stand next to me to fight the an homage to and reminder of the true progressive Left, I will be in that bunker. nature of the left. And if you’re not in that bunker because Breitbart urged conservatives from all you’re not satisfied with this candidate, walks of life to keep focused on oppos- [then] more than shame on you. You’re on ing the radical (read: entire) Left, rather the other side.”

Photo: Wikipedia

By NICK STONE

ANDREW BREITBART

In some strange way, Breitbart made it “cool,” or at least acceptable to be conservative. Was he a gay hero? For those of us who want to see both parties fighting for inclusion and equality, maybe he should have been. The truth is that the world at large was a much, much better place with him in it. H


CANDIDLY

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CANDIDLY:

KRISHAN MANNERS President/CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street Your favorite virtue. Altruism. Tenacity. Your favorite qualities in a person. Honesty, loyalty, and the ability to actually follow through on what they say. Your chief characteristic. Kindness. Your favorite occupation. Considering I’m currently a full-time volunteer, I’d have to say one in which I actually get paid! I’ve recently acquired my real estate license, and am with Atlantic Properties International on Wilton Drive. I look forward to spending more time in real estate, likely on the commercial side. Your idea of happiness. Sharing a deserted beach with someone I love. Being with friends and family. Seeing my nephews and nieces laugh. It’s the simple things that bring me happiness. Your idea of misery. The day my partner passed away.

If not yourself, who would you be? Twenty five years ago, I could have given you a list. Now, I just like being me. Where would you like to live? I’m enjoying South Florida, but I do miss living in NYC. I think ultimately, I’d like to split my time between all of the places where I have close friends and family – all over the U.S., London, Paris, and India. Your favorite color. Blue. Your favorite authors. That’s a tough one – I actually admire anyone who writes well and there are many authors who meet that criterion. Your favorite heroes (male or female) in fiction. Again, there are many. Your heroes in real life. My cousin, Kelly. She’s the kindest, most honest and

loyal person in my life. She has the most accurate moral barometer of anyone I’ve ever met. I’m grateful to whatever powers-that-be that put us here at the same time, and am blessed to have such a remarkable woman to turn to my whole life. What characters in history do you most dislike? Hitler comes immediately to mind. I look at my friends and family and realize how much would be missing in my life had he actually lived. Your favorite food and drink. I really like all foods. Diet Coke is definitely my favorite drink (and thank you to my friends at Java Boys for never running out). What do you hate the most? People who try to manipulate me with flattery to get something from me for which they could have simply asked. It’s insulting and ultimately they probably won’t get what they want. The reform you admire the most? Those which prevent injustice. DADT was ridiculous – I was delighted to see the end of that. I look forward to the

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day the same happens with DOMA, an equally hateful piece of legislation. The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with? I’d love to be able to sing… without scaring people. How you wish to die. Quickly. Death doesn’t scare me, but the five minutes prior are a concern. What is your present state of mind? Restless. For what fault are you the most intolerant? Rudeness. Your personal motto. “Our only limitations as to what we can accomplish are those we place upon ourselves.” H Krishan Manners is the President and CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Born in New Delhi, India, he moved to the U.S. as a small child and spent most of his adult life in New York City. He relocated to Wilton Manors in April, 2010.


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Cinema | Fitness | Nutrition | Travel | Dining | Bar Guide | Recipe | Classifieds

WHAT’S INSIDE:

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his great weather reminds me that it’s time to dig my swimwear out of moth balls and get ready to interact with South Florida’s great outdoors! There is so much to do in our own backyard, in case you haven’t been to SoFla’s natural attractions recently (and no, I don’t mean Boardwalk or Swinging Richards!), shame on you! Let’s start with a healthy weekend stroll through Hugh Taylor Birch State Park on Fort Lauderdale (which rumor has it is a hotbed of conservation AND homosexuality—two of my favorite things). You can find out a lot more of what’s happening around town, inside OUT in Florida. Robert Elias Deaton has sunny Spain on the brain, and this week he has dispatches muy caliente from España’s Costa Del Sol, inside Travel. My boyfriend keeps trying to get me to eat oysters (just what is he trying to tell me?), and both he and galloping gourmand Richard David Chamberlain agree that one of the best local spots to enjoy the scrumptious shellfish is at Fort Lauderdale’s own G & B Oyster Bar. Look within, for all the delicious details, in Dining. Care to spice up your life? Nutrition expert Andy Kress says there’s a lot more to using spices than flavoring some of your fave dishes: you can use them to improve your health! Also inside, Chef Jean of Le Patio serves up a new Recipe, and there’s a whole lot more. Now, what did I do with my beach trunks? CD.

TREATING LIFE’S MISERIES With Savory Spices

Nutrition PAGE 25

SPAIN’S SUNNY TREASURE

Travel

PAGE 17

G & B OYSTER BAR Fresh and Fabulous

MEXICO COMES TO WILTON MANORS

Dining PAGE 19

Spotlight PAGE 18


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TRAVEL

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COSTA DEL SOL

Spain’s Sunny Gay Treasure By ROBERT ELIAS DEATON

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here’s a wonderful place just west of Málaga, on the Southern coast of Spain, called Torremolinos that we first learned about from Audrey Hepburn. I would love to say A.H. and I were fab friends, but such was not the case. She was, however, a world traveler and among her many finds in her gallivants was discovering the sleepy fishing village of Torremolinos in the early 50s. While we were a little young to hear about the experience directly, legend has it that Audrey spread the word

among her Hollywood buds and soon Torremolinos was sleepy no more. By the early 1960s, it was already a Mecca of homosexuality, centered around Spain’s first gay bar, a place called Toni’s—this at a time when the Franco regime would routinely prosecute homosexuals by burning

them at the stake or something like that. Lately, of course, Spain has turned the corner of acceptance and is one of ten countries around the world to legalize same-sex marriage. In many ways, they’ve come full circle, since back in the Roman days, playing around with the boy was de rigueur. In any case, these days Torremolinos has regained its hot-as-a-tamale reputation as the place to see and be seen. In particular, we highly recommend the Japanese-themed La Luna Blanca Hotel (Pasaje del Cerrillo 2) for the economy minded traveler. If Daddy’s footing the bill, try the Gay Beach Studios that fronts directly on the Paseo Maritimo where boys in thongs frolic as if there’s no tomorrow. Both places have free wifi and on-site food and clubs, but where Torremolinos is concerned, there’s no shortage of either within a ten-minute walk. The hottest dance club in town is called Home (Calle Casablanca 15) for a very good reason. When you see the masses of exposed flesh on the

can still find Italian, Chinese, and even Thai food if you wander the back streets and get lost among the locals. For an absolutely incredible dining experience, we always recommend the Spanish Garden (Avenida Salvador Allende) and have never had anything but positive feedback. A three-course prix fix menu will set you back about 12 euros, with a Pork Wellington dish that is first on anyone’s list. When you’re counting pesetas, find your way to The Carvery (Calle Saltillo) where they slice chicken, pork, lamb and beef, and heap it high. Nothing fancy, but for size queens, the huge dance floor, you’ll want to move in. portions make up for the ambience. During the day and for early evening When thinking gay baths, look sunsets, the El Gato Lounge (Paseo no further than Sauna Miguel Maritimo 1), located next to the Gay (Carlota Alessandri 166). The place Beach Studios, combines convenience is clean and fun, with an age range with some of the best Mojito specials that will please everyone chicken in town. Those looking for a little hawks to silver daddies. Glory holes, play with your music should head to Jacuzzis, sauna, steam, plunge pool, Parthenon (Nogalera), with its two and enough mini-cabins to turn you dance floors and an enormous dark into a door-to-door salesman. They room where groping hands are a may not know from Audrey Hepburn, given. but believe us when we say the When your stomach rumbles, customers at Sauna Miguel are very you’ve got endless choices ranging fast learners. Olé. H from cheap eats to elegant. While most of the restaurants on the Costa del Sol feature Spanish cuisine, you


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SPOTLIGHT / RECIPE

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MEXICO COMES To Wilton Manors By DALE MADISON

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tephanie Lee, one of the owners of the new think at the time that it would be something for Wilton Drive eatery Pinché Taqueria, has which he would feel such passion. While living in New York in enjoyed her share of twists 2009, with the mortgage business and turns, both personally and collapsing, both Chartier and professionally. Lee, along with Lee knew that something would business partner Jeff Chartier, has have to change. Chartier opened been a professional restaurateur his first Pinché Taqueria in the for three years. She and Chartier SoHo neighborhood of Lower met when both worked in the Manhattan. Serving basic Mexican financial industry, he a broker Stephanie Lee cuisine, the small restaurant could and Lee a trader in the same only seat about 10 people, but if you’ve ever been brokerage. Before becoming a broker, Chartier lived in to New York City, many of the restaurants are small, Tijuana, Mexico, where he learned all facets of basically with walk up service, allowing patrons to the food industry--from the “front of the house” grab and go to get back to the office. After the market collapsed, Lee took a job in to working the line and serving. Little did he

an office, doing all of the “back of the house” business work. “If I do say so myself, I am very good at it,” Lee jokingly bragged. One fateful day, the phone on her desk rang and it was Chartier. He had just opened his second store: “Are you ready to leave that desk job?” he asked. The rest is cliché, or history, as we say. Lee continued to work at her office day job, and at night learned the Mexican food business inside and out. Both Lee and Chartier realized that they really didn’t want to spend winters in the New York cold. Besides, as Lee pointed out, “our business really slowed in the winter months. Enter Lee’s hairstylist, Eric, who is friends with Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick. When Lee mentioned that she and Chartier were thinking of opening a store in Florida, Eric’s immediate response was “Go to Wilton Manors.” The pair packed their bags, boarded a plane, and flew to Greater Fort Lauderdale to search for a location. “We found this big white box building,” Lee described the Wilton Drive complex across from City Hall that now houses their restaurant. The two designed the architectural layout, and presented their ideas to the building’s owner, who loved the look, was excited about the

plans, and approved it on the spot. Lee and Chartier are hoping to make a splash in the Gayborhood, with their Grand Opening scheduled for Wednesday, March 28 at 6:30 p.m., an event that’s sponsored by Herradura Tequila. Lee says that food delivery service starts this week, with delivery from Commercial Blvd. to Las Olas Blvd., and from Powerline Rd. to Federal Highway. Curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask, “What is the meaning in Spanish of Pinché Taqueria?” Lee paused with a twinkle in her eye: “I don’t know if you can put this in your article but it is Mexican slang meaning ‘that f’ing Taqueria.’” I will let the editor make the call on this one. I stopped by Pinché Taqueria for lunch later that afternoon, and I will say the food was great and the place a wonderful addition to the growing restaurant community on Wilton Drive. As for co-owner Stephanie Lee, one look at her face is all you need to know about her feelings for her new venture and her new town: “I am having the time of my life and I will never go back to a desk job,” she said. When you visit Pinché, tell them Guy Magazine sent you. H

HOT TODDY

This Week’s Recipe

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By JEAN DOHERTY

he hot toddy was traditionally drunk before bedtime, or in wet or cold weather. Toddies were believed to help cure the cold and flu. In Ireland it was, and still is, the “cheap” cure for the common cold. When I was sick in bed as a child, I vividly remember crying because my mother was having me drink a hot toddy—although I wouldn’t cry now. There are varied accounts of the origins of the hot toddy. Most people believe that it came from Britain by way of India. In India, the juice of a certain palm tree is called tari, and this juice is made into a sweet alcoholic drink. The English in India at the time used this in their tea with spices, fruit, and alcohol and then introduced it to Britain. Like nearly every recipe I give you, you can mix and play around with the ingredients. In place of Irish whiskey, you can use Bourbon or rum, and

replace the sugar with honey. As always, YOU are the chef! • 1 oz Irish whiskey • 1 spoonful of brown sugar • 1 slice of lemon • 7 or 8 cloves • 1 cup of hot water

Pour the whiskey and sugar into a strong heatproof glass. Embed the cloves, one in each segment of the lemon slice and place in the glass. Add the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve immediately. Sláinte!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.


DINING

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G & B OYSTER BAR

G & B Oyster Bar 429 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale FL 954-525-2425

Shucking with the Best of Them

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

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s a friend of mine loves to say, “you’re a shucker for oysters,” after which she usually supplies a mock drum roll by tapping her hands on the table and smiling her toothy grin. And so it was recently at G & B Oyster Bar, the sister restaurant to its more famous sibling Coconuts snuggled next door on the Intracoastal near the Bahia Mar. The restaurant opened last January and has been on our must-visit list of eateries since that point. All the anticipation was rewarded with flavor and excitement when the evening finally arrived. The oyster bar itself is an industrial affair in stainless steel surrounded by glass-tiled walls that give the place an artsy feel, and a perfect backdrop to the oyster shucker, whose hand and wrist action is a marvel in motion. There are seven kinds of oysters on display and all are imports, including

raised off the west coast of North America in a style that deepens their shells and gives them a dense and meaty texture. Both Malpeques and Kusshis arrive like tourists, fresh each day and very much alive, delivered by plane, not boat. This fact is reflected in the price--$2.50 to $3.50 per. It’s a premium you’ll soon be happy to pay when you savor the flavor.

with lobster, cheese, onions, peppers and bacon. While we passed on the G&B Hoppers ($9), the local name for frogs legs, we did observe them being eaten with the gusto of chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, and apparently just as finger-lickin’ good. We can attest to the rich mixture of aromas and flavors that made up the Cioppino ($22), a dish that originated in the Italian and Portugese fisherman from the North Beach section of San Francisco. As translated at G & P’s, it’s a stew of shrimp, crab, clam, mussels and scallops simmered to elegance in a broth of tomato-fennel. For those in the mood for Steamers ($13), the middle-neck clams served here are stacked high and dripping in a white wine broth. The staff claims that we missed the mood entirely by G & B’s inclusion of Alligator Ribs ($12) on the menu of an oyster bar. We’ll take their word that the Aji Amarillo-honey glaze is “to die.” It took less to convince us to sample the Grilled Oysters ($12), if only because they’re Elliot’s favorite. He’s smiling and so are we. Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, we’re a “shucker for oysters” and this O bar as well. H

“The oyster bar itself is an industrial affair in stainless steel surrounded by glass-tiled walls”

Malpeques from the cold waters of Canada’s Prince Edward Island. They are a sweet, salty and bold in flavor—more akin to Long Island Blue Points than the local Gulf oysters, which are harvested from Florida’s Apalachicola Bay, but only served here fried. The smaller but flavorful Kusshi (Japanese for “precious”) oysters are

There’s an amazing fresh seafood smell about G & B, which gets its name from Elliot Wolfe’s children Gates and Bennett. Wolfe owns the restaurant (as well as Coconuts) with partners Luc Limage and Merv Jonota, and the trio plays well off one another, each contributing special expertise. But it’s chef Steven Shockey who deserves much of the credit for the wonderful combination of unexpected items that round out the menu. Case in point: A Lobster Cheese Steak ($16) that bears no resemblance to anything that originated in Phillie. This version of the original is served on a fat loaf of crusted bread that is overflowing


BAR GUIDE

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FORT LAUDERDALE/WILTON MANORS ALIBI 2266 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Gayborhood tradition since 1997. Comfortable, inviting atmosphere with indoor video bars, outdoor drinking and dining. Drink specials all week, with mammoth 22-ounce Long Island Iced Teas for $3 on Thursdays.

PJ’S CORNER POCKET 924 N Flagler Dr., Fort Lauderdale Friendly neighborhood interracial bar with drinks specials every night of the week including, “In the Biz Mondays” at 9 p.m. with 2-4-1 drinks and $3 Cosmos and Apple Martinis, “Splash Friday’s” wet underwear contest, and Sunday’s pool tournament, both with a $50 cash prize!

BILL’S FILLING STATION 2209 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Videos, pool tables, dart boards, dance floor, happy hour, live shows, Tuesday and Thursday karaoke – and great burgers, to boot. Fun and friendly truck-stop-themed bar.

RAMROD 1508 NE 4th Ave., Fort Lauderdale Voted World’s Favorite Leather Bar. Pig Dance first Saturday of the month – South Florida’s Busiest, Craziest Monthly Party (with caged hunks at Midnight on Saturdays – is there a downside to this?).

BOARDWALK 1721 N Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale Over 100 of the sexiest men from all over the world. Go-go dancers, cages, billiards, 2-4-1 Happy Hours. Drag emcees and did we mention the Boys?

ROSIE’S BAR & GRILL 2449 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors Nexus of the A-Gay List. Be Seen in the Scene (without making one). Food, folks, libations, and a killer Sunday Funday.

BOOM 2232 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors The bar with two names features a dance club and Gayborhood bar. Drag Bingo on Mondays, karaoke Mondays and Tuesdays, dance music Fridays and Saturdays, and (indoor) Sunday T-Dance.

SCANDALS SALOON 3073 NE 6th Ave., Wilton Manors A line-dancin’, tight blue jeans-wearin’ good time. Country and western music, two-steppin’, three-steppin’, pool tables, and themed events year ‘round. Cowboys and Indians was never this much fun, Pilgrim.

CORNER PUB 1915 N Andrews Ave., Wilton Manors Friendly atmosphere, unpretentious clientele and staff. Next to Island City Pizza (so you can get your drink AND your slice on).

SIDELINES 2031 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Where Sports come first. Nationally known destination sports bar with TVs streaming NFL, MLB, NBA and college games. Pool tables, dart boards and large indoor (and now smoke-free) facility. Outdoor patio features area for smokers. Mixed crowd of gay men and women (who would have thought?). Featured in Bloomberg Businessweek and recommended by LOGO.

CUBBY HOLE 823 N Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale Butch bar and grill with a rockin’ daytime crowd (and a fun nighttime one, too). Fifty cent pool, 2-for-1 drinks all day every day, video games, hot movies on HDTV and DirecTV. Thursdays it’s Bare Bear Chest Night, and every Friday and Saturday the fur flies with Hot Bears on Poles (where their Grizzlies Grind)!

STABLE 205 E Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Levis-and-leather neighborhood bar, where the bears line dance and the cowboys are VERY friendly.

DEPOT CABANA BAR AND GRILL 2935 N Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale Adjacent to the America’s Best Inn and Suites. Pool open daily – No Cover or Day Pass. Great food, daily happy hour, Sunday afternoon T-Dance Poolside. Karaoke and live music. Open daily at 11:30 a.m.

SMARTY PANTS 2400 E Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Cozy neighborhood bar with daily happy hour, and regular patrons. Show night Thursdays at 9 p.m. Karaoke Friday and Saturday nights, and with matinee on Sunday afternoon.

DUDES 3270 NE 33rd St., Fort Lauderdale Men dancing for men. Hot go-go boys in an upscale atmosphere, piano lounge for more quiet interludes. Steamy shower shows.

TORPEDO 2829 W Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Dance, shoot pool, drink til 4 a.m., 7 nights a week. Doors open at Midnight; dance til Dawn.

JOHNNY’S 1116 W Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Club, bar, lounge. Male dancers and the men who love (to ogle) them. Sunday amateur strip contest (and karaoke!). LIPS 1421 E Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park The Ultimate in Drag Dining. Dinner and shows six nights a week. Sunday Gospel Brunch with the Sisters of Sequins. THE MANOR 2345 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors WeHo vibe (think: LA’s The Abbey) in the heart of the Gayborhood. Dine, drink, dance, play, mingle. Theme rooms (salsa and merengue every weekend in the Latin Quarter!). Live dancing and dining. MATTY’S ON THE DRIVE 2426 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Drink specials, billiards, and a chill gayborhood vibe. 75 Cent drinks on Wednesdays. No Drama, No Smoking. MONKEY BUSINESS 2740 N Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale Cozy neighborhood bar. Karaoke, drag shows, Patio Bar – and open at 9 a.m. daily. MONA’S 502 E Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Cocktail Lounge in the heart of Searstown. Fun customers, fun bartenders and fun proprietor (the Legendary Jerry). Outside patio. Wednesday karaoke, Thursday Speedball Tournament. NAKED GRAPE 2163 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Relaxing, friendly, hip, unique – the alternative gathering place on Wilton Drive. Wine tastings and events. Tuesday and Wednesday Late Night In the Biz.

WHISKEY BLUE 401 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale In the W Hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach, downstairs it’s the elegant Whiskey Blue, upstairs the luxe Living Room: hot dance and social settings in a distinctive atmosphere with signature cocktails and upscale patrons. Indoor and outdoor lounges. WILTON’S BIER GARDEN 2245 Wilton DriveWilton Manors German cuisine meets Der Gayborhood, in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Upstairs dining, downstairs outdoor patio and bar, DJ music, and a fun staff make one of Wilton Manors’ newest venues a good time to be had by all. MIAMI/MIAMI BEACH ­ CLUB BOI 777 NE 79 St., Miami With an urban vibe on the weekends, a diverse crowd and a diverse musical format, including Hip Hop, R&B, House, Reggae, Soca, Latin and Old School. Go-go bois and drink specials. CLUB SUGAR 2301 SW 32nd Ave., Miami Gay Latin scene, with Salsa, Merengue, Reggaeton, Hip Hop and House music always playing. DISCOTEKKA 950 NE 2nd Ave., Miami Hot music, hot scene, hot bartenders, and hot patrons in the hot heart of Downtown Miami.

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On Miami Beach’s famed Lincoln Road, never a cover. Drink specials all week long, live DJs, high energy music and a fun crowd getting their dance on til late.

Exposed brick, cold beverages and friendly staff are the mainstays of the recently bloomed Florida Avenue flower! Neighborhood bar, pool tables.

PALACE BAR 1200 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach This bar and restaurant in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco District. Mouth-watering burgers, boys (and girls!). Weekend cabaret shows Thursday through Sunday.

Baxter’s Lounge 1519 S Dale Mabry, Tampa, FL Tampa Happy Hour Tradition. Serving up some of the hottest dancers Wednesday thru Saturday nights at 10PM.

SCORE 727 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach Dance, drink, party all night on Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road. Tons of events throughout the year, including fundraisers for Winter Party, White Party, and Miami Beach Gay Pride. SPACE 34 NE 11th St., Miami Mingle and mix with gays and str8s in the heart of Downtown Miami. Indoor dance floors and outdoor rooftop bar, spectacular light show. TWIST 1057 Washington Ave., Miami Beach Great music, friendly staff, hot tourists and locals. Never a cover, always a groove. Bungalow Bar = Hot Men. In SoBe’s Art Deco District. ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA Hanks 5026 Edgewater Dr., Orlando, FL Friendly local bar with a cruisy attitude. One of Orlando’s oldest and friendliest Gay bars. Beer and Wine. Pool Tables, Video Games and a Large Patio area. Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grill 110 W Church St., Orlando, FL Eat, Drink & Be Mary! Tuesday BINGO with Miss Sammy & Carol Lee, Wednesday Trivia with Doug Bouser and Leigh Shannon’s Cabaret Dinner Show is every Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Parliament House 410 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL All gay entertainment complex with 130 newly-remodeled hotel rooms. Cruisy Hotel, Nightclub, Pool Bar, Bear/Leather Bar. New Phoenix 7124 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, FL Winter Park’s ONLY Gay & Lesbian Bar. Been There Forever! Karaoke every Tuesday and Friday at 9 p.m. Drag shows every Saturday night. Home of the $1 Jello shots. Pulse 1912 S Orange Ave., Orlando, FL Orlando’s Premier Gay Bar & Nightclub with Ultra Lounge, Jewel Box Dance Floor, and Adonis Dancers. Twisted Tuesdays with $10 All-U-Can Drink, College Wednesdays (18+) and 2-4-1 every Friday for Happy Hour. Savoy Orlando 1913 N Orange Ave., Orlando, FL “The hottest” gay bar and nightclub in Orlando. The MEN OF SAVOY Dancers from 6 p.m. til 2 a.m. every night in the main bar! Video Bar, Pool Tables. Wylde’s 3557 S Orange Ave., Orlando, FL Neighborhood bar South of Downtown Orlando. Jukebox, Video Games, Pool Tables and Dancers. Paradise Orlando 1300 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL Orlando’s casual Gay & Lesbian bar and nightclub. Patio, Tiki Bar and Pool Tables. Happy Hour 4 til 9 p.m. and drink specials every day til 9 p.m. Bar Codes (Formerly Bear Bar) 4453 Edgewater Dr., Orlando, FL Friendly Bar, Real Men and Bears... Oh My! Beer and Wine. Tends to attract the after work Happy Hour crowd. TAMPA BAY

JOHNNY’S MIAMI 62 NE 14th Street, Downtown Miami Club, bar and lounge. Johnny’s Miami boasts the best sound system in town! Plenty of safe, secured parking. Open 5pm to 5am daily. Hot male dancers and daily drink specials.

2606 2606 N Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL Tampa’s favorite Levi/leather bar has two floors (dimly lit), with the upstairs being the more cruisy. There’s Hog House shop on-premises, and the 2606 is home to the Tampa Leather Club. Monday is Underwear Night, Tuesdays are $1 drinks and on Wednesdays, Longnecks are just $1.50.

MOVA LOUNGE 1625 Michigan Ave., Miami Beach

Azalea Lounge 1502 N Florida Ave., Tampa, FL

Flirt Nightclub & Showbar 1909 N 15th St., Tampa, FL (Ybor City) Get that hometown feeling. Amazing lazer shows, big headliners and has been around for 6 years. City Side 3703 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, FL Tampa Bay’s “Best Happy Hour” til Midnight every night of the week. GBar 1401 E 7th Ave., Tampa (Ybor City), FL Dance Club & Video Bar. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 p.m. til 3 a.m. No cover before 10 p.m., $5 after with ID. Valentines Nightclub 7522 N Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL Voted #1 Nightclub in Tampa. Open 7 days a week 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday, Latin Night, Tuesdays are Boys Night Out, Wednesdays are Karaoke Night, Thursdays, No Cover Dance Party, Fridays feature Hot Go-Go Girls, Saturdays are Latino Night “Uncut” and Sundays are Hip Hop Night. Ki Ki Ki III 1908 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL One of The Oldest Bars (beer and wine). A plain bar without pretention with its share of young regulars. Rainbow Room 421 S MacDill Ave., Tampa, FL A mix between a neighborhood bar and a community center. Main bar with pool, darts, jukebox. Outdoor Tiki patio has a full volleyball court and live bands. Beer & Wine. ST. PETERSBURG Georgies Alibi 3100 3rd Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL One of the most popular gay bars in St. Pete. It’s always busy! Great VJ’s play Top 40 music. Mondays are Drag BINGO and Talent contest, Pool tourney Wednesdays, and the legendary Long Island Iced Tea nights on Thursdays. Ages 21 and over, never a cover! Flamingo Resort 4601 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL Florida’s “largest, luxury all gay resort.” Non-stop entertainment, great menu, and drinks served poolside at the Cabana. Weekly events and 2-4-1 Happy Hour daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday Happy Hour ($1 off) 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Gemini Lounge 2315 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL Gemini Lounge aims to serve a variety of tastes; music, karaoke, Internet access, poetry readings and sports on TV. Oar House Bar & Liquor Store 4807 22nd Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL Fun, friendly, laid-back atmosphere where you can get great drinks at cheap prices! Drama free! Happy Hour daily from 2 p.m. til 9 p.m. Haymarket Pub 8308 4th St. North, St. Petersburg, FL More of a Men’s bar. Showing hot videos, beer specials, Saturday Underwear Night, and different events each week. Hideaway 8302 4th St. North, St. Petersburg, FL The oldest Womyn’s bar in the country. Where music is always the main entree! Coldest selection of beer in town. Detour 2612 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL The hottest club in St. Pete. Daily specials, karaoke nights and gogo boys from Rico’s Men. Noted for it’s Saturday Drag shows and Karaoke nights. Full liquor bar. MELBOURNE/COCOA Cold Keg NightClub 4060 W New Haven Ave., Melbourne, FL Largest Gay Club in Melbourne Florida and the Premier Gay Bar & Nightclub in Brevard County. Ultra Lounge 407 Brevard Ave., Cocoa, FL


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Nestled in Cocoa Village, this bar has a full coffee bar,

There are great shows Thursday through Sunday with the best of female impersonators. Pool tables, video games, and a large outdoor patio. The only gay bar on the beach!

JACKSONVILLE

Incahoots 711 Edison Ave., Jacksonville, FL This club offers good crowds every night. Recently remodeled with three bars and a friendly staff. Everyday is a different special. A fun place anytime. Full Liquor bar. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays except for special events.

serving espresso, lattes, cappuccinos as well as draft beers & wine.

The Metro 2929 Plum St., Jacksonville, FL The Metro Entertainment Complex has been serving the GLBT community for 17 years. Features a total of 7 different venues under one roof to choose from. Lesbo-A-GoGo, monthly Tea Dances, special quest performers, female impersonators and live musicians. Boot Rack Saloon 4751 Lenox Ave., Jacksonville, FL Your Neighborhood Gay Bar - the place for men. Cold beer, music and a warm and cozy atmosphere. Hot men and cheap beer... We all know where that leads! AJ’s Bar & Grill 10244 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL Annie and Janie invite you to stop by and see some old friends and meet some new ones! Great food, awesome service, delicious mixed drinks and live entertainment. Park Place Lounge 931 King St., Jacksonville, FL A fun and comfortable gay bar that’s accommodating to both gays and non-gays. A great place to watch your favorite game, or enjoy playing Wii while the liquor flows! The Norm 2952 Roosevelt Blvd., Jacksonville, FL A neighborhood bar. Everyone is welcome, but remember it is a girls bar! Beer and Wine only. 616 Bar 616 Park St., Jacksonville, FL A warm and friendly atmosphere with a Patio bar. Karaoke on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Thursdays the Jax Bears are here for happy hour. Fridays and Saturdays enjoy the “Beer Blast.” Three Layers Cafe 1602 Walnut St., Jacksonville, FL The name Three Layers comes from their large variety of delicious three layer cakes. An inviting loft style cafe located in Springfield. Enjoy a bistro style lunch or just stop in for your morning coffee. Bo’s Coral Reef 201 5th Ave. North, Jacksonville Beach, FL

Kickbacks Gastropub 910 King St., Jacksonville, FL This is a top class venue serving over 600 different bottled beers, 84 beers on tap, breakfast, lunch and dinner 20hrs a day 7 days a week! PENSACOLA The Roundup 560 E Heinberg St, Pensacola, FL A neighborhood gay men’s bar... Pensacola’s Cowboy Bar. Open 2 p.m. til 3 p.m. daily. Cabaret 101 S Jefferson St. #E, Pensacola, FL Not strictly a gay bar, the charming and friendly Cabaret is very much a fixture in Pensacola’s GLBT community, drawing a mixed bunch each evening for happy hour, karaoke, videos, comedy shows, live music, and all-around hobnobbing and socializing. KEY WEST Bourbon Street Pub 724 Duval St., Key West, FL Opened in October of 1995 and has continued to grow ever since, it is now part of the larger collection of gay action in The Bourbon St. Pub Complex. Hot Go-Go boy dancers and a busy crowd. “Where the boys are!” 801 Bourbon Bar 801 Duval St., Key West, FL Cabaret shows upstairs with nightly performances by famed performers Sushi, Kylie, RV Beaumont, Margo, and others. This legendary establishment has been around for over 30 years, and host Happy Hour specials daily from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Aqua Nightclub 711 Duval St., Key West, FL Aqua features the “Reality is a Drag” show six days a week, followed by dancing. Monday is karaoke night and don’t

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miss the great happy hour specials from 3 to 8 p.m. daily. KWest 705 Duval St., Key West, FL Daily Happy Hour from 3 to 8 p.m., and a piano sing-along every Wednesday night. Men dancing for men after 10 p.m. Weekly drink specials and “Wet Jockey” contests on Fridays. Saloon One 801 Duval St., Key West, FL (Behind 801 Bar) This is the only gay leather bar in Key West. Conveniently located behind 801 Bourbon Bar. La Te Da 1125 Duval St., Key West, FL An upscale hotel complex with 3 bars, cabaret and restaurant. Pearl’s Patio Bar for Women 525 United St., Key West, FL Tropical themed women’s bar for gay women and gayfriendly women alike. Patio bar with a full bar featuring drinks like “Cosmopearlitans” and “Pearl’s Passion”. Bobby’s Monkey Bar 900 Simonton St., Key West, FL The gay Cheers style neighborhood bar of Key West. Happy Hour from Noon to 7pm, Karaoke on Sunday nights, pool tournaments on Tuesday nights at 7pm. Free Wi-Fi access. Garden of Eden 224 Duval St., Key West, FL A Rooftop Bar with the BEST VIEWS in the city & “BEST Long Island Ice Teas made by Melinda!” Gay, straight, fat, or skinny... Doesn’t matter! Clothing optional - gay friendly! WEST PALM BEACH H G Roosters 823 Belvedere Rd., West Palm Beach, FL Dark bar that attracts a fun party crowd. Camp is in at H.G.’s, where drag shows and bingo nights pack in crowds looking for laughs and fun. The Lounge 517 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, FL Sushi, tropical views and tasty cocktails are accompanied by acclaimed resident DJ Daisy DeadPetals. Fort Dix Bar & Club 6205 Georgia Ave., West Palm Beach, FL Mostly local crowd looking to mingle and relax. The bar is a bit on the dark and dingy side, but who knows--that could be a plus.

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FORT MYERS Office Pub 3704 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, FL Oldest gay bar in South West Florida with a festive attitude. This bear-friendly Office likes to have fun with underwear parties, drag shows, Wii bowling! Check out their country and western music night on Saturdays. Tubby’s 4350 Fowler St., Fort Myers, FL Where men come to compete (in tournaments). “Never a cover... always a smile” Tubby’s is a no-frills video bar with a total of 10 TVs and two projection screens available for patrons to use as they wish. Add a six-hour 2-4-1 Happy Hour during the Wii tournaments on the big screen! The Bottom Line 3090 Evans Ave., Fort Myers, FL This gay entertainment complex is one of the longest running clubs in southwest Florida at over 20 years, The Bottom Line features 7 bars, pool tables, drag shows and occasional guest appearances by porno stars. VENICE TOTI: Tavern on the Island in Venice 127 Tampa Ave. East, Venice, FL This South Beach inspired gay bar, boasts a dance floor and a game room with pool tables and dart boards. It’s clean, the music is mixed and the staff are friendly. A mixed crowd can be found most nights... younger, older (duh, this is Venice), gay and straight. Did you know that in the Caribbean, TOTI is slang for a beloved male appendage? How apropos. GAINESVILLE Spikes 4130 NW 6th St., Gainesville, FL It is a laid-back kind of place, with friendly bar staff. The crowds vary depending on the night. The bar has a nice open air patio area that is rarely used, but would be nice if it was. University Club 18 E University Ave., Gainesville, FL This is a fairly average small college town gay bar. It is usually busy and crowded on Thursday nights.


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Fort Lauderdale

ART EXPLOSION 2012

Presented by ArtsUnited, the ArtExplosion International LGBT Arts Festival is three weeks of art, film, music, dance, theatre, literature, comedy and cabaret by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender artists and performers. Over the years, ArtExplosion has grown from a one-night event to a two-week festival that has featured such talent as Lily Tomlin, Marga Gomez, The Kinsey Sicks, The Gay Mafia, Greg Walloch, Levi Kries, Eric Himan, Cashetta, Desmond Child, and Lea DeLaria just to name a few. Presented by the non-profit arts group, ArtsUnited, Art Explosion 2012 is one of the largest arts festivals of its kind in the country, with many different events happening throughout South Florida over a festival period. The Festival starts with one of the largest professional juried LGBT art shows in the country. In 2011 we had over 50 artists featuring more than 100 pieces of art. 2012 Dates: March 5 through 24. Opening Fine Art Show and Sale: Sat., March 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Features live music, entertainment and a great fine art show. Closing Show: BANG at the Green Room, from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring an eclectic mix of music and performers with an edgy art show.

PRIDEFEST 2012 The largest LGBT Pride Festival in Florida returns March 10 and 11, with non-stop entertainment all weekend long. Pride One of Broward County, a/k/a Pride South Florida, producer of the Annual LGBT Celebration Pridefest, is proud to announce, "Returning to the Scene of Pride" at Fort Lauderdale’s War Memorial at Holiday Park. The return of the event to Fort Lauderdale marks the beginning of a new chapter for the event’s 35th Anniversary, appropriately entitled "Beyond the Rainbow" Concert, Parade and Festival. Pridefest will be welcoming back the Pridefest Parade on Sunday March 11, at 10:30 am on the main thoroughfare inside the War Memorial at Holiday Park. The organizers are extremely proud to announce some of the entertainers who are scheduled to perform, including headliner Taylor Dayne, as well as Logo TV’s Jonathan D. Lovitz, Michelle Balan, Tony Cruz, Ray Guell, and many others. For more information, pridesouthflorida.org.

BEACHBEAR WEEKEND The annual BeachBear celebration in Fort Lauderdale will be held May 10 through 16. The host hotel is the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, 440 Seabreeze Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Thursday, May 10 - Afterburn: Windamar Resort from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tea-dance, drink specials. - BearBust: Scandals from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., happy hour prices. Friday, May 11 - Rehydrate: The Windamar Resort from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tea dance, drink specials. - Growl: Bill’s Filling Station, 8 p.m. $5 donation at the door includes one free drink. Saturday, May 12

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- BeachBearFest: Granada Street, noon - 5 p.m., marketplace, food and drinks. - Where the Bears Are: Coconut Cove Guest House, private party, visit www.bosfl.org/ - UnderBear: Boom, retro-disco, $10 beer bust, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. - The Meat Ball: Ramrod, starts at 10 p.m. Sunday, May 13 - BearBQ: Richardson Park, barbeque, beer, drinks from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Fuzz at Depot: Dance or play BINGO, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. - Bearlicious: Tea dance, The Manor, doors open at 8 p.m. Monday, May 14 - Bear Eats and Beats, Recovery brunch: Wilton Bier. - Big Bear Beer Bust: Ramrod, $10 all you can drink draft beer and $3 Absolute drinks. For more information and tickets, beachbearweekend.com.

Miami Beach

GAY PRIDE

On Sunday, April 15, Miami Beach will be more fabulous and extraordinary than ever! The city celebrates the annual Miami Beach Gay PRIDE parade and festival, a celebration of the extraordinary strength, beauty, and contributions of South Florida’s LGBT community, and an exciting all-day event that features a parade, a festival with exciting celebrity presentations and musical performances, and an Expo with LGBT-friendly vendors and businesses, refreshments and food, including a family-friendly playzone. Lesbian. Gay. Bi. Trans. Straight. PROUD. Miami Beach Gay Pride is an extraordinary celebration that brings out the best in us all. Last year's pride event brought out over 35,000 people from all walks of life and cities from across Florida-- and across the world-- making Miami Beach Gay Pride the city's largest oneday event. This year will be even better! Thanks to Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower, the most famous sandbar in the world has joined the ranks of world class cities like Sao Paulo, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Madrid that officially honor the gay and lesbian community. For more information, visit www.miamibeachgaypride.com.

AQUA GIRL

For Women Who Love Women, May 2 through 6. Now in its eleventh fabulous year, Aqua Girl™ continues to attract women from all corners of the country, the Americas and around the globe. The week continues to grow with an ever-expanding variety of events that enhance its appeal and have created what is now one of the hottest Women’s festivals in the country. From dance parties, to comedy shows, to live music, to pool parties, to a bowl-a-thon, jazz


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Miami Beach

brunch, dine-out event, VIP reception, art show, and celebrity meet-and-greets and so much more. Having so much fun never did so much good, with 100% of the proceeds from Aqua Girl benefitting the Aqua Foundation for Women, a not-for-profit-foundation whose primary mission is to promote the equality, strength, health, and visibility of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. Monies raised during the Foundation’s signature week, as well as through individual and corporate donations go directly to educate, empower and foster the lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women’s communities throughout South Florida. For more information, visit aquagirl.org.

Orlando

GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE OF MID-FLORIDA

Rescue can take many forms, from a single individual trying to make a difference by saving one dog to a group of people working together for the common goal of saving many animals. GRRMF concentrates on Golden Retrievers. GRRMF is comprised solely of volunteers and is self-supporting, relying on fund raising and donations to support all rescue efforts including veterinary care. 100% of all donations are used for the rescue effort. GRRMF, Inc. is recognized by and affiliated with The Golden Retriever Club of America, Inc. For more information, contact the Intake Coordinator at 407-332-2840.

BACK DOOR BUMBY

Revolution Nightclub (375 S Bumby Ave. in Downtown Orlando) along with GRINDR and MyFlexRadio presents: “Back Door Bumby: Enter Through the Back” every 3rd Thursday of the month. This is Orlando's premiere college night. No cover when you show your GRINDR or MyFlexRadio App. No cover ‘til 11 p.m. for those 21+ (18+ welcome) and no cover ‘til midnight with college or theme park ID. Free drinks 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Drinks specials throughout the night. Performances by Shantell D’Marco and Macaviti. DJ Joanie on the decks in the disco area and VJ J.B. Burgos in the Hydrate Video Bar.

BIG BOY PRIDE

Starting on Thursday, March 29 and continuing through Sunday, April 1 at the Parliament House. This four-day event will be loaded with lots of fun, unity and brotherhood. This event is for “big boys” and the men who love them. Relax by the pool, join in on many of the group activities, play on the dance floor and includes seminars, cocktail parties, mixers and various club nights. Purchase your Participant Package and reserve your room through the Big Boy Pride website (www.bigboypride.com). So grab your boys and

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start planning now to meet us in Orlando. The early bird registration fee for this four-day event is only $75.

Bay Area

THE SUNDAY BBQ

Ybor Resort and Spa, 1512 8th Ave. (15th St.) in Ybor City. Every Sunday at 5 p.m. Lots of hot flavorful guys here lining up for some buns, wieners and other tasty items. Come on down and put some sun on those buns in our open-air tropical Asian-themed patio with Jacuzzi. Remember: what happens at the resort, stays at the resort.

THE NEARLYWED GAME Every Thursday night from 8 to 11:55 p.m. at Hamburger Mary’s (1600 7th Ave. in Ybor City). With host Michael Dixon. You won't want to miss all the fun and laughs as couples who think they know each other find out if they really do. Come watch, or get in on the fun. If you want to be a contestant, call (813) 241-MARY. Reservations are highly recommended!

Key West GAY SPRING BREAK

Gay Spring Break in Key West attracts LGBT students and their friends from late February to early April to the beaches and the clubs of the beautiful tropical island. Take a break for spring break in a place that embraces individuality, diversity, and openness all year long. Want to participate in Gay Spring Break? Contact the offices and pick up your Gay Spring Break ID Card. Just call 305-294-4603 or email them at info@gaykeywestfl.com for more information.

PRIDEFEST

Key West has a lot to be proud of: the southernmost U.S. city recently tied with San Francisco for the title of Best City for Unity Between Gays and Lesbians, and they won hands down in Best City for Unity Between Gays and Straights. Both their city and county official mottos are “One Human Family. Their LGBT leaders serve openly, and visitors are welcomed throughout the island. Key West shows their pride every day, and this is your chance to be a part of the celebration. Come out for Key West Pride, June 6 to 10, and enjoy dance parties, drag shows, bike tours, water excursions, a street fair, and even a parade through town. Their Miss Pride, Mr. Pride and Ms. Pride competitions are infamous for their fun and their skin. Make your plans now to attend Key West Pride. Most events are All Welcome. All events are uniquely Key West. For more information, keywestpride.org.


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FITNESS

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DINING

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THE SPICE OF LIFE: DO YOU HAVE IT? Treating Life’s Miseries with a Touch of Flavor

By ANDY KRESS

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or hundreds of years, spices have kindled international trade inspiring man to voyage out and discover new lands. Over these years, they have been used for everything from medicines, dyes and perfumes to the flavorings in your food. Today, spices are still prized for the variety and tastes they can lend to your diet. Without these flavorings, foods would be bland or even tasteless. Using a variety of spices can add new tastes and flavors to humdrum dishes, sparking your appetite for healthier foods. Characterized by pungent aromas and flavors, spices are the roots, buds, bark, flowers and fruits of plants. Even though spices are rich in minerals, they are usually used in such minimal amounts, making them low in nutritional value--perfect for those who are heavy handed on things, without blowing their diets. Because spices lose their pungency after being exposed to light and air after a short period of time, proper storage of these precious flavorings is very important. Storage in a dark, dry cupboard or closet kept at room temperature is ideal. Spices and flavoring can be found just about anywhere, so there is no need to skip out on them. Getting fresh herbs and spices for sprucing up your meal is best, but standard spices usually come in the dried form. They can easily be brought back to life by adding a little water and letting them soak in a small dish for a few minutes to soften. Buying spices doesn’t have to be expensive. All spices are going to have around the same nutritional value, so save your cash and pick up a deal when you can. Whether you’re shopping at the Dollar Store™ or Whole Foods™, the spices you buy will be identical except for the packaging! Learning to use spices will not only bring out the better chef in you, but it can also improve your desire for healthier foods. And, improved taste is not a spice’s only contribution. Every one of them is known to contain medicinal applications. A few

examples are ANDY KRESS listed below: Allspice and Cardamom are a great way to relieve some everyday digestion problems and flatulence. In vitro studies on allspice have also demonstrated its antibacterial and antifungal uses as well. Black Pepper is not only just for the dinner table. S niffing black pepper may prevent fainting attacks for the more dramatic among us. Caraway Seeds aid in the production of milk, a major bonus for nursing mothers. Cayenne Pepper has so many medicinal qualities, it is often called the “king of spices.” It is thought to be a natural mood enhancer, as well as stimulating your metabolism, lowering your cholesterol, healing ulcers, cleansing the circulatory system and relieving arthritis. Cinnamon is highly versatile and can be used to relieve gas and bloating. Coriander has been used as a digestion aid for years and in larger quantities is a great source of vitamin C. Ginger is very useful in calming nausea and motion sickness. Mustard has been used since Ancient Rome to relieve pain and congestion. Nutmeg and nutmeg oil, used in larger doses, are great for hallucinations if that’s your thing. Saffron, the most expensive of all the spices, is touted as an aphrodisiac. Last but not least is Turmeric, a spice valued for inflammation and digestive problem. Stocking up on spices can help prevent and cure your body’s most common woes, so add these spices to your arsenal at home and don’t be afraid to shop for the best prices in town! H Andy Kress is a certified fitness trainer, yoga instructor and nutritional counselor in Fort Lauderdale, FL. For more nutritional tips or inspired exercise routines, reach him at 954-789-3930 or via email at andyfitnesstrainer@ gmail.com

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PLACE TO PALACE - Home improvement and handyman services. Best rates, and smart solutions. Drywall, Painting, Tile, Doors, Wood Decks, Masonry, Purgolas, and Ceiling Fans. Turn windows into doors! Truck available for yard clean-up or apartment maintenance and moves. FREE estimates! Lic. & Ins. CC#11-FC-16297-X Cert. Ctrl#11-18694 Ben (954)565-9674

ACCOUNTING / TAXES TAX PREPARATION SERVICE for individuals and selfemployed. Electronic Filing, Reasonable Fees, Personal Service. Located in Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors area. Call Tom (954)764-0221 or e-mail taxpreparationservice@yahoo.com

COMPUTER SERVICES

**OPTIMA** COMPUTER REPAIR - COMPLETE IN HOME SERVICE. Get the best performance, protection & value from your computer investment, *A+ Hardware & OS CERTIFIED. *Friendly, professional, RELIABLE service. Reasonable rates. Call Mike (954) 817-3883

COUNSELING

A MIND AT PEACE/ THERAPEUTIC SERVICES/ RON "DOC" CHAMBERS, MSW (954) 627-0103 1975 East Sunrise Blvd., Suite 629 Fort Lauderdale. HIV Related Issues /Anxiety /Depression /Schizophrenia /Relationship Problems /Anger Management Problems /Same-Sex Battering /Domestic Violence. Most Insurance Accepted /Credit Cards Accepted.

MOVING

ELITE RELOCATION MOVING & STORAGE We've provided quality moves for over 30 years. It's always a smooth move when you choose Elite Relocation. Contact us today at (954)975-8660 - www.elitemoving.com RED BOX MOVING - OWNER IN TRUCK ON EVERY MOVE. CALL NORBERT DIRECTLY. Affordable, Reliable, Careful. MV#567/INSURED. (954) 305-9176 or (561) 506-5540 www.redboxmoving.com

EMPLOYMENT

RETAIL SALES POSITION ON WILTON DRIVE- Full and Part Time Positions Available Now! Call 954-873-3889 PT / FT ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE NEEDED - We are a streaming / internet LGBT radio station, south florida based. This a commissioned sales position. For more info do contact us via email; Info.MyGayRadio@gmail.com SALES ASSOCIATES - The Florida Agenda, Mark Magazine are looking for dynamic salespeople to join our team. Are you energetic, proactive, and passionate about sales? Then this could be the “Star Role” for you! Seeking true “go-getters” with a great work ethic. Existing accounts available for immediate income. Contact Bobby @ 954-336-0436 or Bobby@bobbyblair.com JOHNNY's MIAMI HUNTING FOR BEARS - GREAT $$$ South Florida's Favorite Male Strip Club is seeking BEAR DANCERS for new Special Event. Great Pay + Tips. Send photo and contact info to JohnnysBarMia@gmail.com

EMPLOYMENT

JOHNNY's MIAMI LOOKING FOR DANCE MANAGER MINIMUM 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE. GREAT PERSONALITY A MUST. If you have experience in nightclub personnel management… Join our growing team! Send your resume to JohnnysBarMia@gmail.com

DENTAL HOME IMPROVEMENT

Derek’s 24 HR HANDYMAN SERVICE. Introducing our new cabinet shop! For all your custom made cabinetry countertops laminates. YOU MUST SEE OUR WORK, just ask our clients. All electrical to code; ANY & ALL plumbing work, Drywall finish work / repair. Crown / baseboard pro-install, interior / exterior painting, demo work, Pressure washing, Decor tile install, Complete home up-dates. For large jobs, 4-man crew available. WE CAN HANDLE IT ALL! Instant call back, direct service response. No job is ever too small. Excellent references. Derek (954) 825-5598

METH PROBLEM? www.SouthFloridaCMA.org

FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FLORIDA AGENDA CLASSIFIEDS CALL KEITH CHAMLEE AT 954-465-1563


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N.E. FT LAUDERDALE/WILTON Lovelyland2/1 A/C. Hurricane impact windowsMANOR & doors,AREA Private-- lush w/largeterrace, rooms, eat-in kitchen, newquiet appliances, tile floors, CAC, priscape Gated house, neighborhood, Private vate patio,$1185/mo., cable ready.cable/WIFI NO Smoking/NO please. $875/mo. parking. internetPETS available. For more by appointment (954)592-3772 info E-mail: JimOnTime@hotmail.com or call Jim (954) 6675447 LAUDERDALE BEACHQUALITY - Antioch FT LAUDERDALECONDO 2/1-StreetWalk in2BR/1BA, shower, FORT Furnished, between A1A and the Smooth Intracoastal, walkD/W, to Designer bath, Open Granite Kitchen, top range, Sebastianvery Beach, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, electric Icemaker, spacious unit, CAC. $1250/mo. 1yr Lease, F/S. and Call (954) basic 448-9811 cable included, 6 month lease, on site laundry, midcentury, 20 Apt Complex, pool, $1250/mo. Call (401) WILTON 935-8186MANORS- Large 1/1 Apartment one block from Shoppes of Wilton Manors, bars & nightlife. Tiled floors, ceiling fans, A/C, fireN.E. FT LAUDERDALE-WILTON MANORS AREA- Lovely, place. 12 ft sliding glass doors lead to screened pool and patio, lots Bright, IMMACULATE, 1/1 tile floors, A/C, W/D available, cable of storage. $975/mo. includes rent, water and propane. Quiet Street ready, water, garbage, pest control incl., private patio, gay - No Pets. 954-563-4442 friendly, NO PETS $725/mo (954)592-3772 LLOYD ESTATES (NECONDO OaklandQUALITY Pk) 2/1 house, floors, carport, FT LAUDERDALE2/1-tiled Walk in shower, river front,bath, CAC, Open $925/mo +$925 security.Smooth Year lease Designer Granite Kitchen, toprequired. range, D/W, 1/1 fully furnished, king unit, bed CAC. in lg bedroom. Icemaker, very spacious $1250/mo.river 1yr front, Lease,CAC. F/S. $750/mo security. Short term available for slightly more. Call (954)+$750 448-9811 Call Bill (954)249-2009 LAKE RIDGE 1/1 GARDEN SETTING- Charming 1 BD Apt. in this LAUDERDALE well-maintained2/15-plex. Tiled Floors, CAC,&great FORT APT -Gated, very clean well locakept. OK gay w/ complex. approval. $850/mo. Fabulous731 garden setting tion! Small petssmall Laundry on-site, NW 1st Ave. w/sitting areas. $760/mo. Water incl. Available 04/01. Call Call Nick (954)805-1195 Michael (954)540-3543 LAKE RIDGE 1/1 GARDEN SETTING Charming 1 BD in FORT LAUDERDALE 2/1 APTGated,-very clean & wellApt. kept. this well-maintained 5-plex. Floors, CAC, great location! Laundry on-site, small gayTiled complex. $850/mo. 731 NWSmall 1st pets Call OK w/ approval. Fabulous garden setting w/sitting areas. Ave. Nick (954)805-1195 $760/mo. Water incl. Available 04/01. Call Michael (954)540-3543 WILTON MANORS- Large 1 BD Apt. located on quiet cul-desac one block from of Wilton -Manors. CAC, ceiling REDUCED PRICE IN Shoppes WILTON MANORS CONTEMPORARY LIVof storage. 12tiled ft. sliding glass fans, tile floors, fireplace, ING. New house with large 1lots bedroom, & huge bath. 850 sq doors lead to screened pool andkitchen, patio.Granite, W/D on ft, New construction, New solid wood S/S,premises. Beautiful Rent, which water & propane is $975/mo. concrete floors,includes TONS ofelectric, storage & cabinets, Walk-in closets - W/D Sorry no pets. available, CAC.(954)563-4442. Hurricane impact windows & doors, Private lush landscaped terrace, Gated, quiet neighborhood, Private parking. $1185/mo., Cable/hi-speed internet available. Call Jim (954) 667DANIA BEACH. Share a charming home and lamai. Lush 5447 or JimOnTime@hotmail.com tropical setting. Lakeside, quiet and safe comm. Furnished Room Includes: Utilities, Direct w/ TV,sleeping W/D. $500/mo. NonLAKERIDGE - Cozy Apartment loft. Full bath & smoker/drugs Call Ronfan, (954) 965-7759 orpool (315) 857-7759 kitchen. Tile floors, ceiling tropical secluded & patio area. 1 mile to beach & Wilton Dr. Within Hopper transportation to Wilton Dr. On-site laundry available. Private off-street parking. Unfurnished. No smoking/pet negotiable. For one quiet person only/no drama. THE PARISH OF STS. FRANCIS & CLARE 101 NE 3rd Electric,- WiFi, Direct TV, water included. $750/mo. Reduced Ave. rent Street just North of Broward Blvd. and E of Andrews considered in exchange for light yardwork (954)636-9298 Mass Times: Sat @ 5 PM; Sun @ 10:30 AM; Wed @ 7 PM. Where we welcome and appreciate diversity - a progressive community in the Catholic tradition. (954)731-8173; www.stsfrancisandclare.org

ROOMMATES

SPIRITUALITY

LICENSED LICENSED MASSAGE MASSAGE

RECESSION RELIEF -$40/90 MINS! Out calls higher. RECESSION MINS! Out Body calls &higher. Swedish, DeepRELIEF-$40/90 Tissue, Specialty Back and Lower Feet. Swedish, discounts, Deep Tissue, Specialty Back and LowerBeach, Body &16Feet. Couples seniors welcome. Delray yrs Couples discounts, seniors welcome. Delray Beach, 16 yrs experience. MA 18563. Dennis (561) 502-2628. experience. MA 18563. Dennis (561) 502-2628.

PET SITTING PET SITTING

SPIRITUALITY

THE PARISH OF STS. FRANCIS & CLARE 3rd DIGNITY FT LAUDERDALE - Roman Catholic101 MassNEevery Street of Broward Blvd. andNE E of6th Andrews Ave. Sunday- 7justPMNorth at Holy Angels CC 2917 Ave, Wilton Mass Times: Sat @socials 5 PM;and Sunmore. @ 10:30 Wed @room 7 PM. ThereAM; is always at Manors. Monthly Where weDignityftl@bellsouth.net. welcome and appreciate diversity - a progressive our table. community in the Catholic tradition. (954)731-8173; WE ARE HERE FOR YOU… DIVINE MERCY CHAPEL - The www.stsfrancisandclare.org American New Catholic Church 2749 N.E. 10th Ave., Wilton DIGNITY LAUDERDALE - Roman Catholic every Manors, FL,FT33334 (954)567-1930 Sunday MassMass 10:30AM, Sunday 7 PM at 7:00PM Holy Angels CC 2917 NE 6th Ave, Wilton Friday Holy Hour www.newdivinemercy.org Manors. Monthly socials and more. There is always room at CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRITSONG Welcomes you to our table. Dignityftl@bellsouth.net. come and worship with us every Sunday at 10 am and every WE ARE HERE CHAPEL - The meet atMERCY the SpiritSong Worship at 8YOU… pm. WeDIVINE Wednesday nightFOR American Catholic N.E.Suite 10th 3Ave., Center at New 2040B NorthChurch Dixie 2749 Highway in Wilton Wilton Manors, 33334B (954)567-1930 Sunday Massbehind 10:30AM, Manors FL, (Building on Equality Park Campus, the Friday Holy Hour www.newdivinemercy.org Pride Center). God7:00PM loves you just the way He made you. Come discover HisOFpurpose for you.SPIRITSONG For more info:Welcomes (954) 418-8372, CHURCH THE HOLY you to info@cohss.com, www.cohss.org. come and worship with us every Sunday at 10 am and every

RENTALS RENTALS // FTL FTL

Wednesday night at 8 pm. We meet at the SpiritSong Worship Center at 2040B North Dixie Highway Suite 3 in Wilton GOLD COAST Cushions, Manors (BuildingUPHOLSTERY B on Equality- Re-upholstering, Park Campus, behind the ThrowCenter). pillows,God Large selection to made choose from or Pride loves you just of thefabric way He you. Come bring in His yourpurpose own fabric. Broward / Dade. Call discover for you. For more info: Palm (954) Beach. 418-8372, Edgar (954) 491-4937 info@cohss.com, www.cohss.org.

2 BD largeMANORShouse w/ pool, new new kitchen, WILTON 9 Unit gayCAC, complex 1/1- 129large NW fami25th ly room, dining optional room & Pool, livingtile room, laundry large Street. Clothing floors, privateavailable, patio/yard. No screened porch & F/S private backyard. Call Ed (954)632-6639 dogs. $695/mo. (954)326-9096

GOLD COAST UPHOLSTERY - Re-upholstering, Cushions, Throw pillows, Large selection of fabric to choose from or bring in your own fabric. Broward / Dade. Palm Beach. Call Edgar (954) 491-4937

ROYAL PARK - Near Wilton Manors 1BR/1.5BA, $825-$900/mo. FORT LAUDERDALE/IMPERIAL POINT- Well-maintained, 2BR/2BA, $950 - apartment $1100/mo.inGated Security, Pools, quiet 1 bedroom Georgian CourtClubhouse, complex on NE Gym, Steam room. OK. Cable/Water/Trash includ62nd Sauna Street.and Convenient toPets downtown, beach and Wilton ed. Call Naim Naqi, Broker/ and SFG, Realtors (954)565.2025 Manors. Nice grounds pool. Credit check required. $700/mo. Call owner:TO (917)334-1146 RIVERLAND-CLOSE DOWNTOWN - Efficiency, 1BD, and

WILTON MANORS HOUSE FOR RENT- Beautifully landWILTON Apt. with located on quiet scaped, 2MANORSbedroom large 1-bath1 BD home pool. Very cul-deprivate sac oneyard, blockhuge fromcarport, Shoppescentral of Wilton CAC,considceiling fenced A/C,Manors. laundry, pets fans, tile tile floors, floors,dishwasher. fireplace, lots of storage. 121st ft.Terrace. sliding Great glass ered, $1600. 2917 NE doors lead to Call screened pool and patio.Available W/D on March premises. neighborhood. Nick (954)-805-1195 15 Rent, which includes electric, water & propane is $975/mo. REDUCED Price WILTON MANORS HOME CONTEMPOSorry no pets. (954)563-4442 RARY LIVING. New home with large 1 bedroom, & chic huge tiled bath. 850sq ft., New construction, New solid wood kitchen, Granite, S/S, Beautiful stained concrete floors, TONS of storage & cabinets, Walk-in closet - W/D(available), Central

UPHOLSTERY

UPHOLSTERY

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