Florida Agenda #143

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AUGUST 15, 2012 H ISSUE 143 H FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

THE “STRAIGHT” LINE TO LGBT RIGHTS EDITORIAL PAGE 8

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ROMNEY/ RYAN: GOOD FOR GAYS? PAGE 9

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Controversial Miami-Dade Pastor: “Love Doesn’t Mean We Can’t Disagree” Inclusion Forum Was Scene of Emotion, Conciliation

By CLIFF DUNN

NORTH MIAMI – Nearly 100 people— gay, straight, bi, and curious about the issues— gathered last Wednesday night to discuss inclusion, tolerance, discrimination, and just what it means to be “anti-gay.” The Inclusion Forum held at Temple Beth Moshe in North Miami brought together disparate elements of a rich but lately-troubled community to air grievances and find the common ground.

ARMY PROMOTES FIRST OPENLY-GAY GENERAL PAGE 6

space from North Miami Senior High School. Carvalho called the sermons and their messages “contrary to school board policy, as well as the basic principles of humanity,” adding that he had “asked for immediate legal review to seek the termination of the contract that is involved ... as a rejection of prejudice and intolerance.” An agreement has since been reached which allows for Impact Miami to remain as a tenant of the school.

The intolerance of which Carvalho spoke wasn’t on display August 8, when Hakimian sounded a conciliatory tone—including comforting the emotionally-devastated Louis. “Our message isn’t ‘go out and harm homosexuals, discriminate against them, treat them bad’—it’s from a theological

perspective, this action is not sanctioned by God,” Hakimian told television station NBC 6 South Florida.

Hakimian sounded a similarly conciliatory tone after the forum. “Love doesn’t mean Christians can’t disagree,” he told the Christian Post on Thursday.

Openly-gay North Miami City Councilman Scott Galvin, who attended and helped organize the forum, expressed optimism in the event’s aftermath. “I was thrilled to have both sides of the debate around the same table,” Galvin told the Agenda. “The heartfelt story of Jamesly Louis had to have given everyone in the room, including Pastor Jack and his wife, pause for reflection.”H

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Pastor Jack Hakimian

WILTON MANORS “GET OUT THE VOTE” BAR CRAWL PAGE 7

FITNESS

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PAGE 18

An often-intense night of discourse and debate reached its zenith when one attendee, a gay man named Jamesly Louis, gave an emotional account of his earlier struggles with suicidal thoughts—brought upon by his insecurities over his sexual identity.

Moderated by Rabbi Jory Lang, the forum also included Pastor Jack Hakimian, who leads the congregation of Impact Miami Church, and who has been a lightning rod in the north Miami-Dade community, especially concerning his controversial comments regarding homosexuality and gays.

Hakimian’s Impact Miami sermons— which can be seen on YouTube—often concern homosexual themes. One he preached earlier this year was entitled, “Bible Says Gays and Sex Addicts Can Change and Should Change.”

Those sermons brought him into conflict with Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, because Hakimian’s church rents its congregation

Which FLORIDA: MITT ROMNEY’S or RICK SCOTT’S? In a new TV ad, Mitt Romney’s campaign calls “Obama’s Florida” a state with “8.6 percent unemployment, record foreclosures, [and] 600,000 more Floridians in poverty.”

Not according to Rick Scott, who calls that same 8.6 percent unemployment a signal that the Sunshine State is turning an economic corner, posting

online that the number vilified by Romney is “the lowest it’s been since December 2008!” and adding that “the number of unemployed has gone from 568,000 to 320,000,” and job growth “has been positive for 23 consecutive months.”

Using the same data, Gov. Scott has touted the numbers to promote his administration’s economic policies.

The two men may get a chance to add up the numbers later this month in Tampa, during the Republican National Convention, August 27-30.H

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NATIONAL DESK

6 H AUGUST 15, 2012

Gay Republicans Hope to Influence GOP Platform WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week,

the executive director of the nation’s largest LGBT conservative political

group announced his organization’s participation in this year’s party platform

drafting process. R. Clarke Cooper

of Log Cabin Republicans said that members from his organization will be credentialed attendees at the Republican National Convention (RNC) Platform

Committee meeting on August 20. The committee will meet just prior to the

start of the party’s quadrennial national convention in Tampa.

R. Clarke Cooper

Cooper said that the GOP’s 2008

platform contained language that was divisive, and specifically targeted the

LGBT community. “Just looking at the 2008 [platform], Log Cabin has gone

through and we’ve noted language in

there that’s either directly unhelpful, or seen as anti-gay, and have marked it

for deletion,” he said. In a section titled, “Preserving Traditional Marriage,” the

2008 platform endorses the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and supports

the passage of same-sex marriage bans through state referendums.

Log Cabin Republicans plan to host

a number of events during the week of the RNC, including an Aug. 26 welcome reception, a meet-and-greet with the

Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund for

openly-gay Republican candidates on

platform

for the Freedom to Marry” on Aug. 29,

provisions, as well as the divisiveness

Aug. 27, a brunch for “Conservatives

and a press event to honor congressional

Republican allies of the gay community, on Aug. 30. Another LGBT conservative

group, GOProud, will host its annual “Homocon” party on Aug. 28, at The Honey Pot in Ybor City.

DNC Platform Committee Endorses Gay Marriage

committee,

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

acknowledged

the “profound indignities” of DOMA’s

of the issue. “At the end of the day, it’ll maybe repel some and attract others to be more engaged,” Booker said.

Federal Judge Will Hear Challenge to Nevada Gay Marriage Ban RENO, NEVADA - On Friday, U.S.

District Chief Judge Robert C. Jones

-

announced that he will hear arguments

Saturday their endorsement of marriage

against Nevada’s prohibition of same-sex

Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),

Jones, appointed to the federal bench

DETROIT,

MICHIGAN

Democratic Party officials announced on

on November 26 in the legal challenge

equality, and called for the repeal of the

marriage.

the federal law that defines marriage as

for the District of Nevada by President

The Platform Committee for the

quickly to decide the case, which was

which gathers next month in North

and Education Fund against Nevada

approved the work of a separate group

officials. “It makes sense to get this

which included support for a “plank”

Jones said.

move echoes President Obama’s May

a domestic partnership law. The case,

equality for all Americans.

a Nevada state constitution gay marriage

the Democrats’ priorities on defense,

suit is the first to make a direct state

the party’s “movement to secure equal

alleging that the 2002 amendment

couples.” Foretelling opposition from

of the U.S. Constitution. It claims that

adds, “We also support the freedom

rights enjoyed by other married couples.

decide how to administer marriage as a

state brands these loving couples and

interference.”

said Lambda Legal attorney Tara Borelli.

repeal of DOMA, the 1996 law that

establishing a “selective bar to access

Democrat. Five federal courts have ruled

partnership law that passed over a veto

Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark,

And it maintains that same-sex couples

between a man and a woman.

George W. Bush, said he wants to move

Democratic

Convention,

filed by the Lambda Legal Defense

Carolina, met last week in Detroit, and

governor Brian Sandoval and other

that drafted the platform two weeks ago,

decided, and off with the circus train,”

that endorses same-sex marriage. That

In 2009, Nevada lawmakers approved

National

announcement in support of marriage

Sevcik v. Sandoval, is a challenge against

The platform, a broad statement of

ban that voters approved in 2002. The

the economy, and social issues, affirms

marriage equality claim in federal court,

treatment under law for same-sex

violates the Equal Protection Clause

religious conservatives, the platform

same-sex couples in Nevada are denied

of churches and religious entities to

“By not allowing them to marry, the

religious sacrament without government

their children as second-class citizens,”

In addition, the language calls for the

The lawsuit accuses the state of

was signed by President Bill Clinton, a

to marriage” with the 2009 domestic

that DOMA is unconstitutional.

by then-Gov. Jim Gibbons, a Republican.

New Jersey and co-chairman of the

are still discriminated against by hospital

officials and police officers who question

their relationship status because they aren’t legally recognized as spouses.

U.S. Army Promotes First Openly-Gay General ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – On Friday, August 10, the U.S. Army promoted its first openly-gay general officer. Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith received her stars in a private ceremony held at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. The event also marked Smith’s coming out, although the 26-year Army veteran told Stars and Stripes, “I don’t think I need to be focused on that. What is relevant is upholding Army values and the responsibility this carries.”

Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith

Smith’s promotion, and coming out, occurs less than a year after the Pentagon ended its Don’t ask, Don’t Tell policy, under which service members faced discharge if they admitted being homosexual. A veteran of service in Afghanistan, Panama, and elsewhere overseas, Smith serves as deputy chief at the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve. Her wife, Tracey Hepner, is founder and Director of Operations for the Military Partners and Families Coalition, an advocacy group for LGBT service members. Hepner presented Smith with her general’s stars at the Arlington ceremony.H

SUNSHINE STATE

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Wilton Manors Main Street Announces Name Change WILTON MANORS – After 10 years working to improve the city’s Arts and Entertainment District, Wilton Manors Main Street officials say the organization is changing its name, and moving away from the Main Street program, which has helped change the face of many American cities, through initiatives to revitalize areas of a city which have fallen into disrepair.

“We are so grateful to the Main Street program for all that it’s done for us,” said Krishan Manners, President and CEO of the new Wilton Manors Development Alliance (WMDA). “Our Board of Directors thought—and debated— extensively about this move.

Ultimately, we concluded that we could do more for the city by expanding our focus beyond Wilton Drive.”

businesses, and city government to implement solutions that are appropriate for everyone.”

Bar Crawl Aims to GET OUT THE VOTE WILTON MANORS – On August

26, eight local bars will take part in the

“Wilton Manors GET OUT THE VOTE Bar Crawl,” in an effort to register

as many LGBT voters as possible, and

to draw awareness to issues of political importance

to

the

gay

community.

Starting at 2 p.m., volunteers, entertainers, Democratic Party officials, and the

interested public will gather at Sidelines

Sports Bar on Wilton Drive, the event’s starting point.

According to the organizers, the

crowd—with South Florida entertainers serving as guides—will move along the

Drive, in 45-minutes intervals, to each bar, where voter registrars and Democratic Party officials will speak to potential

voters. As well as Sidelines, Bill’s Filling

Station, The Manor, Rosie’s Bar & Grill, New Moon, Matty’s On the Drive, The Alibi, and Boom will participate.

“This idea has taken off, and you will

see such an energized coalition of LGBT

movers and shakers getting out the vote,” said Michael Albetta, Vice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party Campaign Committee.

In 2011, Main Street began reaching out to business owners on Dixie Highway and Powerline Road.

Additional areas will be added, including the Andrews Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard corridors.

Like Main Street, WMDA is still supported solely by donations from businesses and residents of Wilton Manors, and remains a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

“Our entire city is only two square miles, so growth in one area of the city affects the whole,” says Manners.

“This was a deciding factor for us.

As Main Street, we were limited in focus to Wilton Drive. As WMDA, we can look at the whole picture and work with the residential groups,

Although the event is organized by

AUGUST 15, 2012 H 7

adding, “This cannot happen!”

coincide with events throughout the

Romney, the presumptive Republican

Heritage Month, September 15 to

Although she has concerns that Mitt

nominee, “will push to remove most of

October 15. The producer of the

thinks there is something more important

Unity Coalition, a Florida 501(c)(3)

way to “remind LGBT voters of their duty

leadership, protection, and promotion

are heard—whatever, or whomever their

The dance competitions take place

these rights and achievements,” Morales

Celebrate ORGULLO Festival is the

than party, and says that the bar crawl is a

non-profit focusing since 2002 on the

as citizens to make sure that their voices

of Hispanic LGBTQ rights.

choice may be.”

at

Sidelines Will Move to Oakland Park Boulevard

event held September 29 at The Manor

FORT LAUDERDALE – Sidelines

Sports Bar announced this week plans to relocate from its location of six years on

Wilton Drive. In a statement, the bar’s

Marketing and Promotions Director, Jennifer Morales, said, “Sidelines Sports Bar will soon be located at 2104 Oakland

Park Boulevard, where the former ‘Jib Room’ was once located.”

A Gayborhood staple, Sidelines has

been popular with both locals and out-

of-town customers, who have made the

bar a destination-within-a-destination, in part due to its brand advertising in

other markets. Morales cited parking

in the business’ present Wilton Drive location as an ongoing concern, as well as the ability to now offer food service to patrons.

“Without giving away too many secrets,

many who support President Obama’s

the acquisition of the new Sidelines

eligible voters and concerned citizens

feet of space, nearly double its current

re-election, the organizers want all to

attend,

irrespective

of

political

philosophy. “Regardless of your party affiliation, it is your country’s given right

as a citizen to make your voice heard,” said

Jennifer Morales, Sidelines’ Marketing, Advertising, and Promotions Director.

Morales says there are a number of

important issues facing LGBT Americans

this year, but the most important one is retaining the gains we have made in civil

rights. “The single biggest issue for LGBT

voters in 2012 is that we retain these rights and not go back to a closeted and

discrimination-filled way of life,” she says,

country to commemorate Hispanic

Sports Bar garners a total of 6,000 square

location,” Morales noted. A date for the move wasn’t announced at press time.

Celebrate ORGULLO Honors Hispanic Pride in September MIAMI – A series of 14 competitions

kicked off last week, as part of Celebrate ORGULLO, a festival showcasing Hispanic

LGBT

Pride,

during

September’s Hispanic Heritage Month.

Orgullo (Spanish for “Pride”) will

various

mostly

Miami-Dade

establishments, with the last preliminary

Restaurant and Complex in Wilton Manors. The winning couple from each

preliminary venue will compete onstage

at Celebrate ORGULLO on October 6, where the audience and judges will select

the Grand Prize winners. For more information, visit celebrateorgullo.com.

Both Sides Unhappy With Jacksonville Gay Rights Compromise JACKSONVILLE - Three months after a proposed gay rights ordinance was considered by the Jacksonville City Council, the members remain divided about the measure, which would add “sexual orientation” to the city’s anti-discrimination rules in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The original measure would have added “gender identity” and “expression” to those recognized protected categories, including race, color, disability, and age.

Although two committees approved a substitute measure that leaves “sexual orientation” in the code, and provides exemptions for churches and religious institutions, a third voted down the amended bill, which also limits monetary damages for victims. LGBT advocates especially oppose this last part.

Conservatives also condemned the measure as an attack on Florida’s marriage laws. “Jacksonville residents will not be fooled about the real intent and purpose of this ordinance,” said John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family Policy Council. “Full legalized gay marriage is the goal of its proponents.”H

EDITOR’S DESK

8 H AUGUST 15, 2012

The “Straight” Line from Civil Rights to Gay Rights CLIFF DUNN, EDITOR

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AUGUST 15, 2012 • ISSUE 143

FOUNDER MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS Bobby Blair – CEO / MANAGING PARTNER

PUBLISHER

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

I

have always been an admirer of the struggle for AfricanAmerican civil rights. I remember watching “Roots” with my mom in 1977, cramped in front of our small TV set, in our apartment in Sunrise. The experience of Alex Haley’s ancestors—and all of those who suffered the harrowing trip of the Middle Passage from Africa to slavery in America—made me emotional then, and it does now.

I can only imagine the sense of injustice that many modern African-Americans (both those alive today, and those who preceded them in recent generations) experienced to be doubly-done-dirty: For the fate of their ancestors, brought here in shackles in large measure because of the color of their skin (there wasn’t a widescale slave trade for white Scandinavians in the mid-1600s, for example), and for the subsequent discrimination and relegation to second-class status they lived through after earning their national freedom.

The indignities of Jim Crow America (which was as alive and well in the liberal northeast of my birth as it was in the deep south of Old Dixie) were incalculable, and had many fathers.

I also can understand the discomfort for many African-Americans when a comparison is made between the centuries-long fight for civil rights and the modern struggle for LGBT rights.

I don’t want to rehash the arguments— that you can’t choose the color of your skin (no smarmy remarks about Michael Jackson are necessary), while the nature/ nurture causes of sexual identity remain subject to interpretation—because that smacks of moral relativism: Human rights isn’t a zero-sum game, where one group’s comforts and security are enjoyed at the expense of another’s.

It is an American trait to feel outrage at injustice (often colored by one’s innerpolitical-voice, which regulates your

Bobby Blair

EDITOR ClIFF DUNN cliffdunn@guymag.net

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS sympathy level for the plight of say, Cuban refugees over Haitian ones, or your choice to support a boycott of South Africa, but not Cuba), and to help someone who is down. (This was the “John Wayne”dynamic which shaped America’s postWWII foreign policy, under which we would rebuild and help prosper those nations that had taken a righteous “lickin’” at our hands, once they had admitted their wrong actions, and recognized our official Bad Assedness, much like the “Duke” did after a bar fight in a western saloon.)

I think that Mitt Romney has trouble finding that sense of outrage toward injustice. Don’t misread me: I think he cares about right and wrong, and I think he was on the side of right last week when he reaffirmed a position he first stated in 1994: “I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts, regardless of their sexual orientation,” Romney said during his failed U.S. Senate run against Ted Kennedy. At the time, he added that he supports “the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue” (which is also an Americanized spin on liberty).

Gov. Romney can take pride in beating President Obama to the punch on this one. Gay kids need all the allies and support they can get.

But I think that his laudatory sympathy and sense of fair play for the plight of children and teenagers doesn’t translate into “big picture” empathy for those gay Americans who want ALL their civil rights NOW, thank you. After President Obama endorsed marriage equality in May, Romney reiterated “I do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and I do not favor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than by name. My view is the domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitation rights, and the like are appropriate, but that the others are not.” Oh really?

My own sense of outrage—to say nothing of my gorge—begins to rise when I ask myself “Who the hell does Romney think he is, telling me what he thinks is good for the future of my—or your—loving relationships?” I get it, Mitt: The descendant of polygamists must toe a special line when it comes to the “M” word. But it seems like that should be his problem, not mine.

A little-recalled footnote in the history of African-American civil rights is the so-called “Atlanta Compromise,” an 1895 agreement struck between AfricanAmerican leaders and Southern white politicians. It called for Southern blacks to work for substandard weekly wages, and to submit to white political rule. Although Southern whites would guarantee that blacks would receive basic education and due process under the law, blacks would not be allowed to “agitate” for equality, integration, or justice, they would not ask for the right to vote, they would tolerate segregation and discrimination, and they would not retaliate against racist behavior and violence.

The primary architect of the compromise (on behalf of AfricanAmericans) was Booker T. Washington, President of the Tuskegee Institute and a national black leader. Later, other prominent African-Americans, including W. E. B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter, saw the compromise for what it was, and believed that American blacks must take their own futures in hand (the fruit of their vision was the NAACP). It wasn’t until after Booker T. Washington’s death in 1915, that black support for his accommodational second-class citizenship shifted to an allegiance for activism. But what might modern civil rights look like today if Washington’s compromise had prevailed? How will LGBT rights look four years from now if we accommodate Romney and his “vision?”H

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POLITICAL DESK • Q-POINT

AUGUST 15, 2012 H 9

Does Ryan V.P. Pick Give Romney Cover To Shift Towards the Center?

By JOE HARRIS

T

he decision by Mitt Romney last weekend to name U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his presumptive vice presidential nominee may be the kind of political cover the Republican presidential contender needs as he shifts his campaign from primary season-mode to a general election campaign status—a “calibration” the former Massachusetts governor may find more to his liking, especially as it relates to the values stuff with which he seems most uncomfortable.

Despite his credentials as a returned Mormon missionary, a graduate of Mormon Church-owned Brigham Young University, a captain of finance, and an active Republican (since 1993, anyway; prior to that, he was a registered Independent, who had previously voted for some Democrats, including the late Paul Tsongas during the 1992 Massachusetts presidential primary), Romney has been

viewed with suspicion by the social Right and other values voters.

His single term as governor of the Bay State (2003 to 2007) did not endear him to fiscal and small governmentconservatives outside—or frankly, inside—of “Taxachusetts,” especially after his 2006 signing into law of the state’s health care reform legislation (or, more informally, “Romneycare”), the first of its kind in the U.S., which provided nearuniversal health coverage access via statelevel subsidies and individual mandates to purchase insurance.

Although in Massachusetts he presided over eliminating a projected $3 billion deficit—in part by reducing state funding for higher education, and cutting aid to municipalities—the pragmatic Romney approved the raising of fees, and his public austerity was aided by an unanticipated windfall of federal funds, and unexpected revenues generated via a

capital gains tax hike.

Conservatives can be forgiven for being confused about where Romney actually stands on the subject of gay civil rights, and Democrats like to point to the candidate’s perceived contradictions on the subject, as when, during his 1994 campaign against Ted Kennedy for the late Liberal lion’s U.S. Senate seat, Romney promised the Log Cabin Republicans of Massachusetts that he would seek “full equality” for LGBT persons, and went so far as to say that he was more supportive of gay rights than Kennedy.

In May, when President Obama announced his support for gay marriage, Romney acknowledged that, “Benefits of that nature may well be appropriate, and states are able to make a provision for the determination of those kinds of rights.” The practicing Mormon has said that his opposition to marriage equality stems from his religious beliefs.

In 2003, when the Massachusetts courts legalized same-sex marriage, the governor complained that the state was becoming “San Francisco East.” He also warned in (mock?) horror a conservative audience that “some are actually having children born to them.”

How will his Ryan selection impact this election cycle’s yet-to-be-seen Romney, particularly for gays? It may have already started, with the announcement last week by a Romney campaign spokesperson confirming the candidate’s opposition to the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay leaders, something which he publicly expressed during his failed 1994 Senate bid. Andrea Saul told reporters that the former governor believes “all people should be able to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation.” That won’t play well with the people most uplifted by Ryan’s selection for the ticket. Stay tuned.H

Q-POINT

The Consequences of Run-amok liberalism

I

By Jason Otero

’ve quietly had enough of my loudmouthed liberal Facebook friends (you know who are, the really UNHINGED ones), and the demagogic talking heads of ratings-challenged MSNBC and other media outlets, constantly trashing conservatism and spewing lie after distortion about the things for which I, as an American LGBT conservative, stand. Although I am capable of admitting that some good things have come from the Left, they are far outweighed by its demagoguery, hyperbole, and lies, which are desperate attempts to hide from the current round of resounding failures of their political ideology, and their economically and socially-disastrous president.

Blindly labeling conservatives and Tea Partiers as “anti-environment,” “racists,” “sexists,” “bigots,” and “homophobes,” without any proof is the height of disingenuousness. On the contrary, I’ve personally heard more racist, sexist, bigoted, AND HOMOPHOBIC rhetoric from within the mainstream of our own LGBT community than I ever did living in

conservative Seminole County, Florida, or in Louisville, Kentucky.

One must only look to our liberal strongholds (California, Detroit, New Orleans, New York, etc.), and the disastrous cesspool of democratic socialism in Europe, to see how liberalism, when left unchallenged, causes deep unemployment, overprinting cash (which lowers currency value and increases inflation), inescapable dependence on government, soaring deficits and debt, plummeting property values, high taxes (coupled with higher costs of living and declining wages), and a truly desperate population. This is the path upon which Obama, Pelosi, and other powerful democratic socialists have taken us. (Please, stop with the “Party of ‘No’” rhetoric.The Democrats had two solid years of supermajorities, when GOP interference was not possible.)

Here, now, is my “short list” of the consequences of unchecked, radical liberalism: The emphasis on “good intentions” while ignoring disastrous results; the victim mentality; incitement of racial hatred and

class envy; the “thought police” and political correctness; anti-Americanism; Christian persecution; crusades against corporations and small businesses; radical environmentalism and its violent eco-terrorists; white-washing history in the “liberal image” in public schools and academia; the spreading of verifiable lies and exaggerations about global warming, and leaders who become as wealthy spreading those lies; refusing to denounce the numerous criminal and deviant elements among the Occupy Wall Street crowd; the rise of the “me first” mentality, and envious wealth- and success-haters; moral relativism; radical feminism and the “twink”-ification of men; the betrayal by the black “elite” of their own people; the radical gay “elite” who demand devotion to the Democrat Party and Liberalism; absurdly high taxes, over-regulation, and deficit spending, all deadly to an economy; “nanny government” and invasive control of every aspect of our lives, most notoriously under Obamacare;

the belief that government knows best; demonization of our military power; the myth of a shrinking middle class; and the monopoly over and corruption of the news media.

Atop my list is the Left’s “living, breathing document” re-interpretation of the Constitution, designed to make violating our rights easier, while inflating the government’s power and size dangerously beyond what our Founding Fathers intended.

Nothing extreme is sustainable or healthy for a nation, and that goes for Conservatism, too. The truth lies in the “sensible center.”

Fight honorably for what you believe in, but don’t demonize everything about your opponents while ignoring and enabling radicalism on your own side. This constitutes the height of ignorance in the political discourse of civilized 21st century society.

My advice to the Left: Get it together, girls.

Obama has driven this country off a cliff. H

Jason Otero is Creative Director of the Florida Agenda and Guy Magazine. He is a Hispanic bi-sexual, and a conservative centrist who believes both parties have good things to offer and can coexist without destroying each other.

10 H AUGUST 15, 2012

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Florida Agenda Non-Profit Services Directory Latinos Salud Free HIV rapid testing, Free one-on-one counseling and life coaching for gay Latinos 18 to 44. Free peer networking dinners and leadership training for gay Latinos 25 to 44. Free clubhouse for Latinos 18 to 30, planning alternative social events 2330 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors (954) 765-6239 and (954) 533-8681 latinossalud.org facebook.com/juntoslatinossalud facebook.com/somoslatinossalud

Care Resource Broward HIV Testing, case management, 830 E Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park (954) 567-7141

Minority Development & Empowerment HIV Testing, case management 5225 NW 33rd Ave., Building 5, Ft. Lauderdale (954) 315-4530

Care Resource Dade HIV Testing, case management 3510 Biscayne Blvd., Miami (305) 576-1234 Ext.287

POVERELLO HIV Testing, Free meals 2302 NE 7th Ave, Wilton Manors (954) 561-3663

Covenant House Emergency/temporary shelter & crisis intervention 733 Breakers Ave., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 561-5559

Out of the Closet HIV Testing, referrals 2097 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors (954) 358-5580

The Wellness Center Support groups, Lipoatrophy (Facial Wasting) 2921 NE 6th Ave., Wilton Manors (954) 568-0152

Men’s Wellness Center HIV & STD’s Testing & treatment 6405 N. Federal Hwy., Suite 205, Ft. Lauderdale (877) 259-8727

The Pride Center at Equality Park HIV Testing, support groups, elderly, youth resources, transgender resources, bereavement 2040 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 (954) 463-9005

The East Health Center HIV/STD’s Testing, screening and treatment, Immigration medical examination 2421 SW 6th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 298-1749 (954) 467-4705 Broward House HIV services, shelter, empowerment, housing, client services 1726 SE 3rd Ave., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 522-4749

Red Hispana HIV Testing, Hispanic support groups, emergency relief fund assistance, pre-case management 1350 East Sunrise Blvd., Suite 129, Ft. Lauderdale (954) 462-8889

LAMBDA Support groups, substance abuse 1231-A E Las Olas Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (954) 761-9072 Gay & Lesbian Youth Support Group Provides support to gay and lesbian youths 16 to 24 years of age 1480 SW 9 Avenue 2nd Floor Ft Lauderdale Sunshine Cathedral Campus (954) 764-5150

Brian Neal Fitness & Health Foundation Weekly group workouts, gym membership, nutrition and life mentoring classes by professionals, online programs, exercise, and health monitoring for persons living with HIV/AIDS and other lifechallenging conditions.

2435 N. Dixie Hwy., Wilton Manors (954) 336-0436 (561) 255-4913 AIDS Healthcare Foundation/Out of the Closet HIV testing, client services, STD’s testing & treatment, AHF Pharmacy 2097 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors (954) 318-6997 The Community Anger management, counseling Self pay/Sliding Scale $25-$85 16 NE 4th St., Suite 130, Ft. Lauderdale (954) 533-9819 Family Therapy Center Anger management 2415 University Dr., Coral Springs (954) 345-6222 South Florida Gender Coalition Support groups for Cross-dressers, trans-sexuals and significant others; Age 18 and older.

3233 NW 34th Ct., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 578-9454, 954-677-2587

Legal Aid Service - Broward Human Rights Initiative Low-income gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) individuals in need of legal services, Gay/ Lesbian/Bisex/Trans; Legal Services 491 N State Rd. 7, Plantation (954) 358-5635 SunServe Counseling, mental health intake and referral, Noble McArtor Senior Day Care Center, youth and family services 1480 SW 9th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 764-5150, (954) 764-5055, (954) 764-5055, (954) 549-0263 Fusion Program open to the GLBTQ community. Activities include meditation, social events, groups, movies, games, classes, and condom distribution campaign.

2304 NE 7th Ave., Wilton Manors (954) 630-1655 Spectrum Programs Case Management, Marriage & Family therapy, Outpatient Counseling, Psychiatric Services, Substance Abuse Residential Treatment 450 E Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach (954) 580-0770 (954) 781-4405

Teen Space 211 Tough teen issues, bullying, counseling 3217 NW 10th Terr., Suite 308, Ft. Lauderdale Pride Institute of Fort Lauderdale Gay/Lesbian/Bisex/Trans; Mental Health Services; Substance Abuse Detox; Substance Abuse Inpatient (954) 463-4321, 954-453-8679 (800) 585-7527

COMMUNITY SERVICES PROFILE

Every Day Is “WIN”-WIN For Women In Network

A

By Dale Madison

t a time when LGBT Rights and empowerment are at the forefront of the national debate, one local organization has taken the reins to make empowerment more than a watchword. Since 1987, Women In Network (WIN) has been dedicated to building skills in personal and business development, leadership, and empowerment for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women (the “L-B-T” in LGBT).

The non-profit group organizes business and professional networking events, advocacy efforts, health and educational programs, philanthropic and scholarship support, along with social and recreational events.

All of these are devised with a goal that involves helping others and empowering themselves.

“We started watching the show, ‘Extreme Couponing,’ and a group of us got the idea to work for a local non-profit,” recalls Julia Landis. “So we did our research.”

That research led them to a strategy for benefitting those less fortunate, and having a great time in the process. “It’s pretty amazing if you get a local grocery store to have a buy-one-get-one special, and then

you find a manufacturer’s coupon and match them up—all of a sudden, you are actually walking out with money in your hand,” Landis adds. “One of my favorites is CouponMom.com, but there are many out there that really can double or triple your buying power.”

How does this great enthusiasm translate into helping others? Landis explains: “A few months ago, we started a food drive for Poverello. We didn’t know that there are certain items that Poverello cannot, due to laws, provide for their clients. Things like barbeque sauce are considered a luxury, and therefore government money can’t purchase these. We found that we could purchase the barbeque sauce with our couponing, and got the price down to less than fifty cents per bottle. The first delivery, we took over 3,500 pounds of groceries to Poverello. Terry Sommerville, the food bank manager at Poverello, was nearly in tears, because he was able to give clients things that they would never be able to have.”

As well as the homeless, WIN has a soft spot for kids. “Many people don’t realize that over 125,000 Broward County

children can’t afford the basic supplies for school,” says Landis.

In cooperation with the Pride Center, McDonalds, Auto Nation, Power 96 FM, Waste Management, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Broward County schools, the Creative Summer Art Academy, and the Museum of Art, the “Tools for Schools Broward” program collects school supplies for disadvantaged children.

“Some of the things that we need most are glue sticks, crayons, pens and pencils, pink erasers, paper—just the simple things for kids to have for learning,” Landis says. “We have several drop off locations, including right here at the Pride Center at Equality Park [2040 North Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors], or people can go online and make a donation at browardedfoundation. net. Thanks to ‘Tools for Schools,’ Broward

teachers from low income schools now have a chance to help their students to not just learn, but to excel.”

For more information about Women In Network, visit womeninnetwork.com, or contact Julia at julia@lgbtcenters.org.H If your non-profit organization is not listed in the Agenda Non-Profit Services Directory, please send your information to Dale Madison at dalemadison@ guymag.net.

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Memorial Service For

Paul holland The Pride Center

Main Hall 2040 North Dixie Highway Fort Lauderdale Fl 33305 954-463-9005

August 19, 2012 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

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

What’s Inside:

M

y boyfriend and I were going to the Five Points Publix last week when we happened to take note of one of those quirky meteorological phenomena which—in the collective consciousness, anyway—is unique to the Sunshine State: It was only raining on one side of the street. Another thing we long-time Floridians know: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” Summer is very much in the air, and for those of you who haven’t recently visited one of the summer-iest (and gayest) places in Greater Fort Lauderdale— Sebastian Street Beach—then shame on you!

For the “falling-down-on-the-fun” crowd, we offer you our special “Celebrate SEBASTIAN!” feature as a reminder; check it out, inside.

They’re baaack! It’s the return this weekend of Broward Bares It at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Find out all the fun—and naughty—details, OUT in Florida.

SeaWatch on the Ocean has been in South Florida almost as long as I have (Me: 1973, SeaWatch: 1974), and has been a local and visitor fave (the restaurant, not me) ever since.

Foodie Richard David Chamberlain takes you inside this delicious classic, with a look at its revamped menu and everlasting waterside charm, in this week’s new Dining.

Trotting-the-globe is a treat, whether your travels take you across the country or across the globe. Traveling safely is something many of us take for granted, but, to paraphrase an ancient Far Eastern formula, “We live in interesting times.” Writer Robert Elias Deaton pens a primer on the not-so-safe places for LGBT travelers—a story that could save your life, or the life of someone you love—this week in Travel.

Thank you, Tom Bonanti! Our in-house Fitness expert offers some “helpful” suggestions for those who need a lesson in proper gym Etiquette—like wiping your sweat from machines, and using your cell phone OUTSIDE the club (OMG, he got me started now). You don’t have to be a Finishing School grad to know that doing unto others, blah blah blah. Read on.

Summer lovin’—get you some! CD

GAY “DANGER” ZONES Travel PAGE 18

CELEBRATE SEBASTIAN BEACH! Spotlight

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“ROMANTIC” HYGIENE

DEEP DELICACIES SEAWATCH ON THE OCEAN

Love Jones PAGE 23

Dining

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When Gay Travel Is Not Safe Travel

By ROBERT ELIAS DEATON

I

t sounded so exciting. A three-day weekend in Acapulco, Mexico, to enjoy the high cliff divers from the top of La Quebrada, with dinner at the El Mirador Hotel (Plazoleta La Quebrada 74, 52 744 483 1155). It was Eduardo’s idea, a friend who flies his own Cessna Citation, and before you can say Ay dios mio, we were checking into the Fairmont Acapulco Princess (Costera de Las Palmas, 01 744 469 1000), a spectacular hotel that once was home to Howard Hughes.

That’s when we heard the first news alert about a decapitation in the neighborhood. And then a second decapitation. We don’t know

Market in Belem, Brazil

A Caracas, Venezuela neighborhood

about you, but to us such turn of events tends it sits at the entrance to the Amazon River and to cast a pall over after-dinner-drink-small-talk. is home to the architecturally-significant Belem On closer examination, it seems these were two Cathedral. Last year, there were 1,639 murders of 1,029 murders that took place last year in the in Belem, mainly over the rights to log in the Paradise of the Americas. Apparently, a lot has Amazon, where mostly illegal deforestation is changed since Elizabeth Taylor had her third of occurring at a rate of 10,000 square miles a year. eight marriages there, and Edgar Valdez became There are also no warning flags cautioning known as the drug lord La Barbie. Acapulco travel to Caracas, Venezuela. While we can’t has become the fourth most dangerous city in recommend it right now—there were 3,164 the world to visit, with 127.92 murders there—at one time, murders for every 100,000 Caracas’ Paseo de los Proceres inhabitants. On February 8, was one of our favorite gardens the State Department placed to stroll (and cruise!). Although Mexico on its list of countries its lovely lawns, flowers and too dangerous or unstable to sculpture are still in place and encourage Americans to visit. as magnificent as ever, armed That places Mexico in the robbery is rampant, as are same category as Afghanistan, attacks on gays and lesbians, Acapulco, Mexico Iran, and Syria. who in Venezuela are still We have a few more warnings of our own to subject to extreme discrimination. Oh well. add to the list, while the State Department plays Nice house; no furniture. catch-up. We can’t really recommend going to Should you be thinking about taking a trip to Belem, Brazil, once on our “favorites list,” since Honduras, think again. Though it is home to the

Bay Islands (with the second largest coral reef in the world), as well as the Mayan ruins at Copán and the sprawling Lancetilla Botanical Gardens in Tela, Honduras also is extremely anti-gay, with homosexual and transgender murders a frequent occurrence. In 2009, Honduras’ best-known LGBT leader, 27-year-old Walter Trochez, was assassinated by state security forces after he launched a protest against the murders of gays. In 2011, there were 1,123 murders in Hondoras’ central district. Most of these were never solved, and the killers remain free.

While we’re talking Honduras, try to imagine life in San Pedro Sula. The second largest city in the country, home to thriving coffee, banana, tobacco, beet and sugar cane plantations, it also holds the title of Murder Capital of the World. Lovely but deadly, like so much of the world seems to be these days.H Robert Elias Deaton is a world-traveling epicure who enjoys the finer things in life.

ETIQUETTE It’s Not Just For High Tea and Garden Parties!

By TOM BONANTI

I

am very lucky to have my own gym, a great private facility where I do one-onone fitness training with some of the finest guys and ladies in Fort Lauderdale. Yet when I exercise myself, I often like to go to one of the popular commercial gyms in my area just to take a break from my workplace ambience. I usually enjoy my time at these gyms, but at least twice a week I witness things that really tick me off. Before anyone tells me to go back to my own gym and STFU, allow me get up on my soapbox and vent a spell about the need for gym etiquette.

A gym is not just a place where YOU go to work out. The gym is a great social outlet for people of all ages and backgrounds to go to exercise and relieve stress. As such, there are some basic and oh-so-essential rules of gym etiquette that I feel I must review.

First, remember that you are not the only one in the gym. If you have to carry around your cell phone, put it on vibrate and when you get a call, take it outside or somewhere where you don’t have to share your call with the rest of us! Speaking of not sharing, keep

a towel with you to wipe down equipment after using it. No one wants to workout in a puddle of your bodily fluids.

Second, the gym is not your private space.

This means that you should not push in front of others to get to equipment. Rack free weights once you have finished your sets. Don’t linger at stations while you talk on the phone or waste time. Others are waiting patiently. I was once in a gym where a famous visiting porn star was working out.

His ego was bigger than his calf implants!

This behemoth pushed and shoved in front of others to hog the weights, and monopolized two and three pieces of equipment at a time.

What a gross turn-off for his multitude of fans.

A simple “Excuse me,” or “Pardon me, are you using those weights?” is so much nicer than a primal grunt, a surly sneer, and a shove from behind. Don’t forget basic kindness and manners. You expect them from others, why not let others learn from your good example?

Another basic rule of gym etiquette has to do with personal hygiene. Primal man-scent may flip your switch at Ramrod, but three-

day body odor is not acceptable anywhere.

Showers can be used both before and after a workout. If your jock can stand up on its own in your locker, then it’s time to do laundry. Yes, real men bathe, wear a touch of deodorant, and wash the gym clothes.

While I’m on this tirade of discussing personal hygiene, let me say a word to those phantoms of the locker room who refuse to flush their mess or wipe off a toilet seat, and those who spit, hock, and dispose of their gum in the drinking fountains. Get with the human race. Learn to flush the toilet! Stop using the drinking fountain as your personal waste receptacle! And while we’re at it, the locker room is no place to trim your toenails, shave your head, or iron your clothes.

These are tasks to do in the privacy of your own salle de bain, as they say in France.

Finally, let me say a word or two about something that really irks me. The locker room and showers are not your private areas to carry on sexually, with yourself or with others. Your sexcapades are not as hot as you imagine them to be. It is illegal, and

furthermore, you are putting your club and others in jeopardy for all kinds of trouble.

Stop it now!

Well, I’ve gotten some things off my chest.

For me, and many others, the gym is a way of life. With a few basic rules of etiquette, a little consideration and some politeness, the gym can be a great place for all of us to workout, unwind, and socialize. For more summertime workout tips, contact trainertomb@aol.com!.H

Tom Bonanti is a certified personal trainer and owner of Pump’n Inc Gym at 1271 NE 9th Ave, Fort Lauderdale.

For more tips on how to get bigger beefier arms by summer, give me a shout at TrainerTomB@aol.com

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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.

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.

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?

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.

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).

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)!

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.

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.

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 Dr. Now serving tapas nightly. Social Hour features $5 house wine glasses, $1 Barcelona Bites, and In The Biz all the time.

bar guide

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!

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?).

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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MOVA LOUNGE 1625 Michigan Ave., Miami Beach 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.

Azalea Lounge 1502 N Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 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 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.

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.

bar guide • SPOTLIGHT

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

Ultra Lounge 407 Brevard Ave., Cocoa, FL Nestled in Cocoa Village, this bar has a full coffee bar,

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

JACKSONVILLE

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 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!

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.

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,

SPOTLIGHT

followed by dancing. Monday is karaoke night and don’t 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

Celebrate SEBASTIAN!

By DALE MADISON

A

merica’s “Favorite Gay Resort Town,”* Fort Lauderdale boasts 23-miles of sandy beaches, including one of the world’s most popular destination places for gay visitors and gayfriendly locals, Sebastian Street Beach.

Located near Fort Lauderdale’s historic (and historically-gay) Birch Road, Sebastian Street Beach intersects with North Fort Lauderdale Beach Drive (A-1-A), within blocks of some of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s gay resorts and

guest houses, and within minutes of the rest.

Sebastian Beach is also in driving and walking distance of over 150 gay-owned bars, restaurants, shops, and other businesses.

THE BEAR NECESSITIES Fort Lauderdale’s 18th Street Beach is nestled at the intersection of A-1-A), at the north end of Fort Lauderdale Beach. A fave for military daddies, leather men, and bears, it is a quieter, less crowded, and idyllic scene of sand and masculine camaraderie. H *According to gay.com.

AUGUST 15, 2012 H 21

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.

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.

22 H AUGUST 15, 2012

OUT IN FLORIDA

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

FORT LAUDERDALE

HOLLYWOOD

THE KINSEY SICKS: ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION The hilarious dragapella divas return to Greater Fort Lauderdale to poke fun at the 2012 election cycle, with such hits as “Vote for Me (I’m Not From Kenya),” and “Sell the Poor.” Saturday, August 25, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Amaturo Theater.

Tickets are $35, and are available at browardcenter.org.

NATHAN SAWAYA: THE ART OF THE BRICK Through August 19 at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood (1650 Harrison Street). The works of internationally renowned LEGO artist, Nathan Sawaya, returns to the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood. In the 2012 exhibition of “The Art of The Brick,” New York-based Sawaya presents a variety of both large- and smallscale works. For Sawaya’s show, the Center is bringing back the popular LEGO interactive room, where children of all ages can create their own masterpieces.

GATEWAY THEATRE CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL Enjoy the classics of cinema the way they were meant to be seen: In a theatre! From Friday, August 31 through Thursday, September 7, at Fort Lauderdale’s Classic Gateway Theatre (1820 E Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale—which opened in 1951, and hosted the 1960 world premiere of “Where the Boys Are,” a film that helped put Fort Lauderdale on the cultural map for generations). The festival will also include screenings of classic newsreels. The scheduled films include: “ANNIE HALL” Woody Allen at his best. Co-starring Diane Keaton.

“CASABLANCA” It doesn’t get better than this. Directed by Michael Curtiz. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

“CHINATOWN” One of the greatest screenplays of all time.

Directed by Roman Polanski.

Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston.

“CITIZEN KANE” One of the five greatest movies ever. Directed by and starring Orson Welles.

A portion of ticket sales benefits the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund. For more information, visit thegatewaytheatre.com.

SOUTH BEACH FIONA APPLE At the Fillmore Miami Beach, on Sept. 30. Her last album, “Extraordinary Machine” (2005) was named one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of the Decade.

Her latest LP, “The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do,” debuted on June 19. A reviewer in “American Songwriter” wrote, “‘The Idler Wheel’ isn’t always pretty, but it pulses with life, brutal and true.”

Tickets are $34.50 to $65.50, and are available at LiveNation. com, Ticketmaster outlets and at the Fillmore box office. More information, visit fillmoremb.com.

Also in conjunction with the “The Art of The Brick,” the Center is presenting again the Florida BRICK Creation Challenge. Florida residents ages 6 and older can use their own LEGO pieces to create and compete in this exciting, statewide contest and exhibition. Pieces will be displayed in the Center’s gallery and each participating group of entrants will be awarded prizes according to the contest’s categories. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults; $6 for students, seniors, and children ages 4 to 17; free to Center members and children under 4.

KEY WEST WOMENFEST The 20th Annual Womenfest will be held in Key West from September 4 through 9. Parties, dancing, film festival and outings for women. For more information: womenfest.com.

HOLLYWOOD BROWARD BARES IT! The immensely successful show returns to the Paradise Live at the Seminole Hard Rock on Friday, August 17. In a departure from last year’s engagement, this year’s show will definitely “TILT” the hot and steamy meter. Superstar comedian Lois Bromfield will perform her hit SNL Skit, “Sorority Girls From Hell” (“Irma, Irma, Irma—stupid, ugly Irma!”) live on stage. This year’s Celebrity Co-Emcee is Power 96 superstar radio personality Nicki Ramirez. Ticket prices are $35 for general admission, $75 for the regular VIP area (currently 80% sold out), and $1,200 for the UBERVIP Party Sections for 14 people, (which includes a lot of amenities).

For more information and tickets, visit BrowardBaresIt.com.

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

LOVE JONES • SNAP SHOT

AUGUST 15, 2012 H 23

Love Jones

By JUSTIN JONES

B

ottoming is a lot of work.

Being a promiscuous bottom is a WHOLE lot of work (I know this from past experience). Attention to anal hygiene is time well spent, of course—no one wants an accident—but still, it gnaws away at time one might spend doing something more pleasurable, namely: Partying, cuddling, eating, sleeping, cleaning the fridge, walking on hot coals— or doing just about absolutely anything else. For me, the task ranks with folding laundry for the superlative “Most Burdensome.”

I suppose most of us have our own style when it comes to this necessity. For me—to be sure extra-spotless—30 minutes to an hour is required lead-time. This carries over from my days as a slut, when the task had greater frequency (and required more detail), and thus took up even more time. I’ve calculated how much time I’ve spent doing this over the years, and it’s comparable

snap

to the total time I’ve spent at traffic lights, or walking to classes (from elementary school all the way through college).

I’m not obsessive about this, mind you, although my attention to the details of the subject has cost me considerable hours of foreplay, and the price I’ve paid in spontaneous romance has been dear. Still, I derive no pleasure in the preparation (as a chef might, say, basting his turkey—although I am a stickler for cleanliness in the kitchen).

When I was with my ex several years ago, I made sure to anticipate the need. I’d wake up before him to perform maintenance (he enjoyed morning bouts), and I’d prep myself before he returned home from work. The system—his libido was so predictable—allowed me to successfully navigate almost never having to excuse myself, Pre-Main Event. Of course, this wasn’t always the case: In a few instances, he surprised me, and—having tempered his lust,

so I could get ready for him— we would engage (although the loss of spontaneity made the engagements less passionate).

I bring this up because I met someone recently, an obvious and self-admittedly promiscuous bottom about my age, who said he’d never cleaned himself there. (I can’t recall how the conversation turned in this direction, but he was interested to know more.)

How do you do it? He asked me, his eyes wide with wonder.

It occurred to me then that he wasn’t alone—that many young men pursue their bottomness without knowledge of a staple of the Gay Collective Consciousness: Douching. In a way, I envied him. What an effort it takes to go through so much trouble (time and time again) for so much pleasure. (The agony and ecstasy—the agony and ecstasy.)

I walked him through the

process: Every time-consuming, graphic detail, just as had been taught to me (albeit at a much younger age), and he took notes on his iPhone, on both the process and name brands.

Cute, I thought, now I’ve made Colt more money.

S o , yeah, it’s a burden.

But so is folding l a u n d r y.

And I’m still waiting for someone to teach me how to do that.

Regardless, my closet’s still clean.H

Justin Jones, 25, is a writer based in Minneapolis. In addition to his column lovejones, Justin pens Through These Eyes, a bi-weekly column for Lavender Magazine. He writes about things like being alive, being in love, and drinking too much. Facebook.com/JustinJonesWriter.

shot

78 Degree Spa: Soooo Right

By DALE MADISON

I

s it going to be John, Gino, Michael, Paul, or Don? (Sounds a lot like the beginning of “Ghostbusters!”)

Make no mistake, though, when you go to 78 Degree Spa, you won’t have to worry about ghosts. In fact, your biggest worry may be about getting addicted. After a day there, all you will want to do is curl up in a corner and realize you have just had the Day of your Life.

For couples, 78 Degree has a great room just for you and your honey, in which to share a relaxing aromatherapy massage (on two tables), with two therapists in one room: You can just feel all of those tensions leaving. This is also a great treat for you and a friend to have a boys’ (or girls’) Jour de Spa—oui?

Now, if you work out, try 78 Degree’s sports massage, a far more

vigorous approach which also includes stretching, and supports a higher degree of physical training.

While there, how about a soothing Herbal Wrap? This will pull impurities from the body—a really great way to pamper yourself, body and soul.

In addition, they offer hair removal for eyebrows, ears, back, chest, and everywhere else you can imagine.

Dry and aching feet? Try an aromatherapy hand and foot massage, and add the heated paraffin treatment.

There are just so many things to try at 78 Degree Spa. Owner John Pimenta has long been involved in the community, and is always onboard to assist the local charities in raising money. “That’s part of being in business,” Pimenta says, in his distinct New England accent.

“You have to be involved. You have to

be there and to give back, and that’s what we’ve done over the years.”

Pimenta attributes his longevity in Wilton Manors on adaptability and being flexible to the changes in both the economy and the market. “Has it been tough? Sure, but that’s life and you just have to keep pushing on,” he says, philosophically. “I think that’s one of the reasons that we’re still here, you just have to keep looking forward,” Pimenta adds. He is also upbeat about what his clients have to say about 78 Degree Spa: “I’ve had massages all over the world, and this is the best massage I’ve ever received.”

“I live in New York and travel a lot in my work. I’ve had massages in many places, but this is the best.”

“I was considering surgery for my carpal tunnel syndrome, but my pain is gone, and what you’ve taught me

will help keep it gone.”

“The environment is so peaceful.”

“My pain is gone—I’ll be back.”

You see what I mean? Give your body a vacation from life, at 78 Degree Spa, 2153 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors. For more information, visit 78degreespa. com, and tell John or any of his great team that you read about them in Florida Agenda. H

24 H AUGUST 15, 2012

DINING • recipe

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

T

here was always something so relaxing about SeaWatch on the Ocean, a local favorite since 1974. The nautical ambiance of heavy dock rope, ship lanterns, 12-spoke wheels, and dusty ancient maps and books competing for wall space was a home-awayfrom-home for many Floridians, who found the restaurant’s fresh seafood as comforting as its sagging red banquettes.

All that changed about a year ago, when the popular place closed its doors for months, as its owners remodeled the eatery in what was its first update in its 38-year history. The menu received a full fluff-and-fold as well, with the resulting transformation as sophisticated as it is complete.

The restaurant sits on the sand some 50 yards from the Atlantic, and on nights of the Full Moon, the joint is packed to capacity to celebrate the lunar experience, as it creeps over the horizon and showcases the jubilant crowd. (The next full moon party is August 30th.)

During those parties, there’s an outdoor barbecue and DJ Alex spinning in the booth.

While SeaWatch has a multipage menu featuring some top-notch house specialties— Bouillabaisse, a rich

soup of lobster, shrimp, scallops, calamari, white fish, mussels, clams, and saffron-chicken broth, with a hint of Pernod ($29.00); a Seafood Paella, heavy with king crab, chicken, shrimp, spicy chorizo, clams, salmon, and mussels served on a bed of Spanish rice ($28.00); and a slow-roasted 16-ounce Prime Rib with a zesty horseradish sauce and flavorful au jus, plus a side of Yorkshire pudding ($32.00)—it’s the lunch specials that have lately kept us smiling.

In an off-season promotion running daily between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., SeaWatch offers Sail the $7 Seas, a host of $7 lunch items, including some extremely good paninis. The grilled and pressed sandwiches range in choice from Salmon BLT with smack-your-lips applewood bacon on multi-grain bread to a Classic Corned Beef Reuben, with sauerkraut, swiss cheese on delicious sliced caraway seed loaf. All the paninis are served with a dill pickle wedge and a bag of Miss Vickie’s Simply Sea Salt Potato Chips.

Not in the mood for a Panini? Try Maria’s Tortilla Salad, sliced lean sirloin steak mixed with iceberg lettuce, tortilla chips, beans, chopped tomatoes, and cheddar cheese with a creamy Italian dressing—Maria’s special contribution.

Also priced at $7: An amazingly flavored Shrimp Penne Pasta, with grilled pancetta, sun-dried

tomato and arugula.

SeaWatch also has a very nice grilled Cheeseburger and Fries with caramelized onions, sliced pickles, tomato and a secret sauce, or a forget-the-calories Grilled Hot Dog with catsup, mustard and sweet relish. That one comes with fries as well, and plenty of them.

For dinner, the vast daily menu is available from 6 p.m. until closing. For those special few who want to see the place as the moon comes up, try Dinner at Dusk from 5-6 p.m. For $20.95, select your choice of 1¼ pound Broiled Lobster, Blackened Mahi Mahi, Roasted Half Chicken, Slow-Roasted Prime Rib, or the Broiled Combination Platter that features shrimp, scallops, and mahi mahi in a garlic, herb and butter sauce that’s a two-napkin taste treat.

Be sure to say hi to Mary at the upstairs bar, Jeannette at the door, and Beth, who manages the joint as if it’s her own nightly party. And, as always, tell them Agenda sent you.H

SEAWATCH ON THE OCEAN 6002 North Ocean Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954-781-2200

Chicken Pot Pie Cocotte

This Week’s Delicious Recipe

By JEAN DOHERTY Ingredients: • • • • • • • • •

3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced Knob of butter 1 tablespoon of flour 1 small onion, chopped A good pinch of black pepper ½ pint of chicken broth ½ cup of milk 12 ounces of frozen mixed peas and carrots, or sliced mushrooms 2 refrigerated pie crusts (I prefer to use puff pastry)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Take out the pie crusts, so they’ll come to room temperature. In a saucepan, simmer butter and onion until soft. Stir in flour and pepper, and cook until bubbly.

Slowly stir in broth and milk, a little at a time. Heat to boil, stirring constantly.

Boil one minute. Congratulations—you have just made a béchamel sauce.

Add the chicken and the veggies. Unroll first pie crust using the lid of your

cocotte, and cut around it with a paring knife. Spoon the chicken filling into the little cocottes. Place the pastry on top of each one, making sure to cut a few holes with your knife so it’ll breath. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, and serve with a salad. You are the chef!H

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.

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

AUGUST 15, 2012 H 25

MARKETPLACE

26 H AUGUST 15, 2012

08/31/12

Classic 1979 Mecedes Benz 450SL

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

08/31/12

APT FOR SALE

Top Auto Gallery

FOR SALE Sunrise Condo 55+ 1 BR & 1 ½ Baths.

Includes Tennis, Golf, Pools, Club House Activities.Please Call 954-205-2187 until 10PM.

2000 Jaguar XJR-R Supercharged 82K immaculate $11,500

Cleaning services

1982 Porsche 928 81K Guards RED 100% Immaculate & original $11,500

CLEAN IT RITE RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL CLEANING. Best cleaning for your buck. Reliable & affordable. Ten years in business. 1 BR, $45.00, 2 BR $55.00, & 3BR $65.00. Manny (954) 560-4443 Broward, Palm Beach & Dade

1979 Mercedes 450 SL Pristine 100% original condition w/hardtop $13,500 1978 Corvette Indy 500 PACE CAR 80K RARE $13,500

Get Your Business Really Seen!

Computer services Where’s PCLauderdale? Anywhere you want us to be! Computer support for the home or office. We deliver! South Florida’s Premier Tech Solutions Provider 954.636.3322 www.PCLauderdale.Com “OPTIMA” COMPUTER REPAIR - COMPLETE In Home Service. Get the best performance, protection and value from your computer investment, A+ Hardware & OS Certified. *Friendly, professional, RELIABLE service.

Reasonable rates 954-817-3883

GLK Enterprises, LLC

1979 450SL with only 119k original documented miles. Stunning example complete with a vintage Nardi steering wheel w/original hardtop and as NEW Original black canvas ragtop. Beautiful chrome bunts on New Firestone radials. Also included are factory original alloys and original steering wheel. Mint original special ordered RED Leather interior. New AC, new fuel distributor, alt., trans service, including full service completed 7/12/12. Books records and a Celebrity history. $13,500. Trades are welcome & considered.

310-990-6780 www.topautogallery.com Find us:

facebook.com/TopAutoGallery twitter.com/TopAutoGallery

1977 Lancia Scorpion Abarth Pinnifarina Design. Orig. 44K Very Rare $9750 Vintage Classic Exotic collectables Financing Available!

View photos at

Topautogallery.com Call Tim Evans for more details

310- 990-6780

Counseling/support GLBTQ HELPLINE & SUICIDE AWARENESS PROGRAM Lonely? Not leaving the house much? And you just can’t get motivated? Concerned about the way a b uddy is acting? Depressed, at the end of your rope? Got something on your mind you can’t talk to friends or family about? Call the GLBTQ Helpline & Suicide Awareness Program. Simply to talk, learn, and become aware. (305) 646-3600. Free & Confidential. Tri-lingual counselors available 24/7

Get Your Business

Really Seen!

MARKETPLACE

FLORIDAAGENDA.COM

Home Improvement

RENT / LEASE

Derek’s 24-Hr Handyman Service Introducing our new cabinet shop! For all your custom made cabinetrycountertops 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

PERFECT RELOCATION RENTALS From $295/ week (4 Week Special) & $1100/month (3 Month Special) Beautiful Studio, 1 & 2 BR Apts. Turnkey, fully furnished & equipped, clothing optional pool, laundry, parking. Close to Gay & Nude Beaches. Pets Welcome.

Incl. utilities, cable, tel., Wi-Fi Internet. 954-927-0090 or visit www.LibertySuites.com

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: 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

Wilton Manors – East Fort Lauderdale RENTALS, SALES|

medical Currently enrolling HIV trials for people who have never used antiviral medication, people failing a regimen which currently contains an integrase inhibitor, and for people on stable antivirals. For more information please call Verne Appleby, R.N. at 954-524-2250 ext 211. Labs and study medications supplied at no cost to participants.

EMPLOYMENT Male Cosmetologist or EAsthetician Florida licensed professional wanted for all male guesthouse. We do it all except hair services! Reception, exceptional client service, spa maintenance and sales aptitude a plus. Submit your resume to: Spa@ thecabanasguesthouse.com or call 954-565-2307.

CALLING professional FEMALE IMPERSONATORS, ENTERTAINERS, SINGERs: MARVIN NATHAN WANTS YOU!!! Marvin is opening her new dinner show at Matty’s on the Drive starting July 26 and is looking for outstanding guest entertainers to be part of this fabulous new show. Please contact Marvin at lasvegasentertainer@yahoo.com. Please include pictures and resume. Thank you Miss Honey!

licensed massage Recession Relief - $40 per 90 MINS - Out Calls Higher. Swedish, Deep Tissue, Specialty Back, Lower Body & Feet. Couples Discounts. Seniors Welcome. Delray Beach, 16 yrs Experience. MA18563 Dennis (561) 502-2628

RENT / LEASE ROYAL PARK Near Wilton Manors 1BR/1.5BA, $825$900/mo. 2BR/2BA, $950 - $1100/mo. Gated Security, Clubhouse, Pools, Gym, Sauna and Steam room. Pets OK. Cable/Water/Trash incl. Call Naim Naqi, Realtor RWSF Realty 954.565.2025.

AUGUST 15, 2012 H 27

N.E. FT. LAUDERDALE-WILTON MANOR AREA Lovely, IMMACULATE, 1/1, tile floors, a/c, washer/ dryer available, cable ready, water, garbage pest control included,private patio, gay friendly, NO PETS, please $725.

By appointment.(954) 592-3772 WILTON MANORS 3 BED / 2 BATH POOL HOME JENADA ISLAND, GREAT LOCATION! Almost 1800 Sq. Ft., plus carport, tile, new carpet in bedrooms, new paint, fenced private pool area, washer/dryer, pets OK, Only $2200. Call Robert Geary MacKilligan 954-234-8759 or rgmsell@aol.com WILTON MANORS- large 1 BD Apt. located on quiet cul-de-sac one block from Shoppes of Wilton Manors.

CAC, ceiling fans, tile floors, fireplace, lots of storage. 12 ft. sliding glass doors lead to screened pool and patio.

W/D on premises. Rent, which includes electric, water & propane is $975/mo. Sorry no pets. (954) 563-4442

Spirituality T h e Paris h of S ts . F rancis & C lare 101 NE 3rd Street - just N of Broward Blvd. and E of Andrews Ave. 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 CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SONG welcomes you to come and worship with us every Sunday at 10am and every Wednesday night at 7pm. We meet at the Spirit Song Worship Center at 2040B North Dixie Highway, Suite 3 in Wilton Manors (Building B on Equality Park Campus, behind the Pride Center). God loves you just the way He made you. Come discover His purpose for you. For more info: 954-418-8372, info@cohss.com, www.cohss.org We are here for you…DIVINE MERCY CHAPEL-The American New Catholic Church 2749 N.E. 10th Ave., Wilton Manors, FL, 33334 (954)567-1930 www.newdivinemercy.org Sunday Mass 10:30AM, Friday Holy Hour 7:00PM WIG WILD INSPIRATIONAL & GATHERINGS Calling all Queens, Bears, Twinks, Guppies, Trannies, Fairies, Spiritualists, Yoga Folks, LGBTQ’s, Poets, Dancers, Actors and all our Straight Allies. WIG the Gay Empowerment/ Spiritual Revival awaits you every Wed. 8PM at Boom - 2232 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors, FL 33305, $10 Donation Call (954) 630-3556 Miami Herald, “The next generation’s spiritual Stonewall.”

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28 H AUGUST 15, 2012

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