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JULY 14, 2011 H ISSUE #86 H FLORIDAAGENDA.COM A MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS COMPANY
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POWER FUNDRAISER: A PROFILE ON AJ CROSS
REMEMBERING A FRIEND OF THE COMMUNITY NEWS: PAGE 2
PROFILE: PAGE 28
H Florida’s Largest LGBT Newspaper and Entertainment Source H
Ask, Don’t Tell” Ends Newsline “Don’t Pentagon Brings on Early Suspension to Discrimination n
FORT LAUDERDALE
JACQUES SNYMAN
By JAMES MICHAELS
You’ve seen the body, now hear his voice. Jacques will be performing a charity concert to benefit Sunserve at the Sunshine Cathedral on Monday, July 18th at 7:30pm. Courtesy, Queermeup.com
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4TH ANNUAL SUMMERFEST A benefit for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. The heart of the event, the Pool Party, will be hosted by the Shore Club in South Beach on Saturday, July 23rd from 1pm to 6pm. Courtesy, JumpOnMarksList.com
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CRYSTAL WATERS Will be performing a live concert to celebrate the 36th Birthday of the Parliament House. Complimentary Anniversary Cake on Saturday, July 23rd from 7pm to 2am Courtesy, Crystal Waters
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BAY AREA
LEATHER MEN Chelsea Nightclub hosts the “Be Who You Are Bar”, with a St. Andrews cross, spanking bench, boot blacking, and cigar play, on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Courtesy, Underthepinkcarpet.tv
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ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Department of Defense issued a memo last Friday directing secretaries of military departments to ensure compliance with an appeals court ruling that ordered an immediate halt to the enforcement of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” The Pentagon will also begin accepting applications from prospective recruits who identify themselves as homosexuals. The bill repealing DADT that was signed by President Obama last December stated that the full implementation of the law would take place 60 days after the bill was certified by the Defense Department. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates certified his portion of the bill as one of his last duties as head of the armed forces just two weeks ago. However, last Wednesday, the federal appeals court in California ordered the U.S. Defense Department to immediately stop enforcing DADT. The court said the law is unconstitutional because it treats gay Americans differently under the law. In its ruling, the federal appeals court said the government does not contend that the law is constitutional and added, “The circumstances and balance of hardships have changed, and [the government] can no longer satisfy the demanding standard for issuance of a stay.” The court gave the U.S. Defense Department 10 days to respond as to whether or not the government plans to continue to defend the constitutionality of the policy in court. Troops are currently undergoing train-
must be trained prior to repeal, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said. Activists from coast-tocoast were thrilled with the news, aespecially since the military has continued discharges, even after DADT was officially repealed. Alexander Nicholson, executive director for Servicemembers United, released a statement, “With the wait for certification dragging out beyond a reasonable timeframe, the Court has once again stepped in to require the Pentagon to stop enforcing ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ and this time it very well may be for good.” He was sure to warn, however, that “servicemembers should still remain extremely cautious with information regarding their sexual orientation for the time being. The issue remains in a state of flux, although guarded optimism is certainly warranted.” In a written statement, the Human Rights Campaign said: “Today’s decision is a harbinger that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is on its way out. With troops trained on the new policy and senior military leaders having said the process is working without significant disruption, DADT is on its last legs. The time for certification is now in order to clearly and plainly wipe this damaging law off the books once and for all.” H Photo courtesy, Freaking News
ing programs to clarify the law and ensure a smooth transition to its repeal. Most of that training is expected to be completed by this summer, yet there is no requirement that 100 percent of the force
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Go to pages 10 & 11 to see a full, comprehensive timeline of the struggle for equality in the United States Military.
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Long Time Bartender Succumbs to Cancer Photo courtesy, Tim Price
LGBT Leaders Scold City Commissioner OAKLAND PARK, FL – Members of the gay community, including community activist Michael Rajner and Dolphin Democrats president Ron Mills, attended last week’s meeting of the Oakland Park City Commission to address City Commissioner Jed Shank’s vote against a resolution proclaiming June as Gay Pride Month in Oakland Park and honoring the Stonewall Street Festival and Parade.
Activist Michael Rajner addressing the Oakland Park City Commission.
Photo courtesy, Bob Kecskemety
According to what was said at the meeting, Shank had said that he would have voted for the proclamation but the festival fell on Father’s Day and Shank felt there should also have been a proclamation for that holiday honoring fathers also. “LGBT citizens are fathers and daughters and sons and we do appreciate the proclamation you did pass,” said Mills, “but maybe you should consider the next
Fort Lauderdale Extends Insurance Coverage to Domestic Partners FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – The Fort Lauderdale City Commission voted to extend health insurance coverage to domestic partners of city employees, a step that Broward County employees have enjoyed since 1999. The insurance coverage will begin in January, 2012, when the new insurance contract goes into effect. The domestic partnership must be registered with Broward County and applies to both gay and straight unmarried couples. H
Pride Center to Hold Community Health Fair WILTON MANORS, FL – The Pride Center at Equality Park will be holding their third annual LGBTQ Community Health Fair on Saturday, July 23, in the Main Hall of their campus at 2040 N. Dixie Highway from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Available at the Health Fair will be health information for men, women, children and pets; seminars for men and women and free medical tests and screenings. Admission is free and there is ample free parking. H
Miami Shores City Council Extends Benefits to Partners of City Employees MIAMI SHORES, FL – The Village of Miami Shores voted to adopt a domestic partnership policy, becoming the sixth municipality in Miami-Dade County to do so. Miami Shores now joins Miami, Miami Beach, North Miami, South Miami, Palmetto Bay and Miami-Dade County. According to SAVE Dade, the new policy will allow for all unmarried couples employed by the Village to offer their partner health insurance benefits. The bill was supported by newly elected and openly gay councilman Jesse Walters, and was placed on the Village agenda because of the efforts of City Manager Tom Benton. H
USF to Offer Transgender Students Rooming Options TAMPA, FL – The University of South Florida in Tampa will be joining the ranks of Rutgers and Harvard and offer
students the option to live with any gender. Students will be given the choice to live alone or with a roommate or a friend of any gender or with a random roommate of any gender. Rooming with a partner of romantic interest will, however, be discouraged. H
Jacques performance is on Monday, July 18 at 7:30PM. Admission is free, but an offering will be received to benefit SunServe. To learn more about this program, contact Jacques Snyman online at www.SunshinePerformingArts.com. H
Jacques Snyman, You've Seen the Man – Now Hear the Voice!
Violent Hate Crimes on The Rise
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Jacques’ message for the anti-Bullying campaign is a simple one of refusal to submit to intolerance. “Never let anyone define you or label you. Never be bullied into silence. Never be afraid to tell the truth, but to believe in yourself and be yourself. Remember, ‘Bullying is Smoke... Courage is Fire’.” For as long as he can remember, South African Jacques Snyman has been pursuing two very different family passions; rugby and opera singing. Jacques' grandfather was an Olympic athlete and rugby champion; his grandmother sang opera. Like many boys in South Africa, Jacques received his first rugby ball as a toddler. He also started singing in family concerts at a young age. Throughout school, he was a decorated athlete in rugby and track and field and he also took home trophies for his singing. "It wasn't unusual for me to run off the rugby pitch with a bloody nose and scraped knees and head right to the stage to compete in vocal competitions," remembers Snyman. "And if anybody made fun of me for it, I'd just say 'see you on the pitch.' Snyman has played on rugby teams in South Africa and England and he helped to found the first gay rugby team. He went on to compete in the Bingham Cup (created in honor of United Flight 93's Mark Bingham, who died 10 years ago during the Sept. 11th attacks.) Jacques also has won gold medals in track and field events at the gay games, including the decathlon. Snyman's work as a counter-tenor took off in 2010 when he began studying in London with Brian Parsons at the Guildhall School for Opera. Since then, he has performed throughout Britain. The event on Monday is more than a concert; 'it is a chance for Jacques to help kids who have been bullied and abused, as part of the "it gets better campaign." Jacques knows first-hand the pain of abuse and he has vowed to use the gift of his voice to help children in need. Jacques currently resides in Fort Lauderdale and is preparing for a nation-wide tour. Jacques will performing a charity concert sponsored by Sunserve and the Sunshine Cathedral, the funds from this program go to support the SunServe Teen Program. Photo courtesy, Jacques Snyman
Long time Fort Lauderdale bartender John Lyons passed away, in the early morning hours of Monday, July 11, 2011, after a 7 week battle with lung and bone cancer. Lyons, affectionately, known as John ‘Mary’ Lyons was a 33 year resident of Broward County and tended bar at such former hotspots as Bus Stop, Everglades bar, Haymarket and 825. For the last 12 years he worked at Mona’s bar on East Sunrise Boulevard. A Navy Vetern Lyons was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Lyons was diagnosed with cancer seven weeks ago. In June Mona’s proprietor and a good friend of Lyons threw a retirement party for Lyons at the bar. Hundreds of people turned out for the event and party goers left behind $9,000 for his retirement. “You knew John by the way he dressed”, said Schultz, “always a long sleeved shirt and vest. John was the type of person that you just had to love. His heart was as big as he was.” A private Navy service will be held for Lyons at the National Cemetery in Lake Worth. In honor of Lyons, A Celebration of Life will be held at Mona’s Bar on August 25th, which would have been John Lyons 62nd birthday. H
time having a Father’s Day proclamation.” Rajner added that he appreciates the support that the Oakland Park City Commission has given the LGBT community in the past, but then he addressed Commissioner Shank directly: “Commissioner Shank, I was ashamed to hear what had transgressed. I object often to process sometimes, but you could have still voted for the item and objected to process.” To see the video of this portion of the Oakland Park City Commission meeting, go to www.FloridaAgenda.com. H
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NEW YORK, NY – The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs produced a report, released Tuesday showing a 13% increase over 2009 in violent crimes committed against people because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or status as HIV positive, according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. The data are compiled by the coalition's 43 participating organizations and are not comprehensive. They include crimes reported to the groups by victims who did not seek help from law enforcement. In fact, 50% of the 2010 assault survivors did not make police reports, with minorities and transgender people the least likely to come forward, the report said. Last year's homicide count reached 27, up from 22 in 2009, and was the secondhighest total since the coalition began tracking such crimes in 1996. Of those killed, 70% were minorities and 44% were transgender women. Among the cases was an April 2010 attack on Cal State Long Beach transgender student Colle Carpenter, who was cornered in a campus restroom by an assailant who carved "It" on his chest. Jake Finney, project manager with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, said campus police initially "were not clear that the word 'It' was a slur and indicated anti-transgender bias." The center contacted the FBI, which assisted in the investigation, and the crime was ultimately classified as hate-motivated, Finney said. The 2010 murder count is second to the 29 logged in 1999 and 2008. Among the 2008 fatalities was gay Oxnard junior high school student Larry King. The classmate charged in that killing, Brandon McInerney, is on trial. Coalition members said hate crimes tended to increase after other high-profile attacks and when civil rights advances for the LGBT community were publicly debated. H
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Issues Statement on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Injunction WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Shultz (FL-22) issued a statement concerning the recent federal appeals court ruling declaring the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy unconstitutional. “Today, a federal appeals court issued a historic order blocking the U.S. military from enforcing its discriminatory “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy on gays Continues on NEWS on Page 9
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and lesbians serving in the military. This injunction finally eviscerates the last remnants of a discriminatory, dishonorable policy that will soon be off the books for good. For too long, Don't Ask, Don't Tell has forced Americans to lie about who they are in order to serve their country. Beginning today, that will no longer be the case. “I commend President Obama for his steadfast commitment to ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell, as well as my House and Senate colleagues who have resolutely stood together to ensure that our service members no longer have to choose between serving their country and living an authentic life. To all of those in our Armed Forces who have had to hide their true identities, thank you for your service to our country. Today, we stand for you as you have stood for Americaunwaveringly, and with the utmost pride and respect.” H
Presbyterian Church to Ordain Gay Clergy
Brad Pitt Takes a Double Stand on Gay Marriage LOS ANGELES, CA – Within moments of the New York state legislature approving same-sex marriage in the State of New York, actor brad bid issued the following Tweet: “It is encouraging that New York has joined the movement to grant equality.” Actor Brad Pitt today sent a statement to People magazine lauding New York's recently passed gay marriage law.” Now, according to People magazine, Pitt, who said that he and his partner Angelina Jolie won’t get married until everyone has the same right, issued the following, more detailed statement: “It is encouraging that New York has joined the Photo courtesy, Wireimage
Boardwalk Casino/Resort Opens First Full-Time Gay Club ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Resorts Casino Hotel on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City has opened what is believed to be the first full-time gay nightclub located in a large resort/casino. The Resorts Casino Hotel was the first resort/casino to open back in 1978, when casino gambling became legal in Atlantic City. So far, the new club, called Prohibition, has been a big hit, drawing local customers and visitors from New York, Philadelphia and Washington. The push for gay customers is largely the idea of co-owner Dennis Gomes, a former casino investigator who has a reputation for turning around sagging gambling properties and whose efforts to take on the mob in Las Vegas were immortalized in the Martin Scorsese film Casino. H
Bloomberg to Officiate at Gay Wedding NEW YORK, NY – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has offered to conduct the marriage vows for one of his chief advisors. John Feinblatt, 60, and his longtime partner Jonathan Mintz, 47, will be married on Sunday, July 24, the first day the state’s new marriage equality law goes into effect, on the lawn of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of New York City. The wedding will be conducted under a large tent and invited will be city officials, family and friends. Food for the reception will be brought in from around the state. The couple has been together for 14 years. H Photo courtesy, Consumerist.com
LOUISVILLE, KY – The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. has started taking measures to allow openly gay men and lesbians in same-sex relationships be ordained as clergy. The new rules, which also apply to elders and deacons, do not require churches to ordain gay candidates, but they remove barriers to their ordination that were written into the church's constitution. The old text of the church’s Book of Order banned non-celibate clergy who did not live “within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman.” That prohibition was added in 1997. The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. is the latest of several Protestant denominations that have dropped bans on gay clergy. Others include the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church. A smaller denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, does not ordain women or openly gay clergy. H
movement to grant equal marriage rights to its citizens. But it is each American’s Constitutional right to marry the person they love, no matter what state they inhabit. No state should decide who can marry and who cannot. Thanks to the tireless work of so many, someday soon this discrimination will end and every American will be able to enjoy their equal right to marriage.” H
LGBT Journalists to Be Honored WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) announced the recipients of its Excellence in Journalism Awards. This year’s recipients are: L.Z. Granderson of ESPN and CNN (NLGJA Journalist of the Year); Sarah Petit (LGBT Journalist of the Year); Michael Luongo (Freelance Writer); Chris Geidner of MetroWeekly (Excellence in News Writing); Jeff Sharlet of Harpers (Excellence in Feature Writing); CNN,
Gay in America, “Gary and Tony Have a Baby”, Soledad O’Brien, Reporter (Excellence in Network Television); “Gay in America: Tensions and Tolerance” – WTIC-Hartford, CT., Sarah French, Reporter (Excellence in Local Television); State of the Re:Union, “Bayard Rustin: Who is this Man?” (Excellence in Radio); James Kirchick, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, “A Battle for Gay Rights in Belgrade” (Excellence in Photojournalism); Bilerico Project, “A Christmas Miracle for Betsie Gallardo” (Excellence in Online Journalism); Newscene, iTV, “Day of Remembrance” (Excellence in Student Journalism); Rauch, The Advocate, “The Majority Report” (Excellence in Opinion Writing). NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. H
House Votes to Stop Gay Marriages on Military Bases WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite an announcement made by the Pentagon permitting same-sex marriages on military bases located in states that permit gay marriage, the Republican controlled House of Representatives voted to forbid military chaplains from performing same-sex marriages. The measure was attached to a defense spending bill. H
Chile Preparing Bill to Legalize Gay Civil Unions SANTIAGO, CHILE – The Chilean government is preparing legislation that would legally recognize civil unions between gay couples, newspaper La Tercera reported. The bill, which could be presented to Congress by next week, would grant legal rights to gay couples who have lived together for more than one year, the Santiago-based newspaper reported, citing a copy of the draft legislation it obtained. H
New York Can’t Wait … BINGHAMTON, NY – Many municipalities in the State of New York have decided to open on Sunday, July 24 in order to start issuing same-sex marriage licenses. The law requiring marriage equality was signed by Governor Mario Cuomo almost immediately passing the New York legislation on June 24 and the bill stated that it would take effect 30 days after signing by the governor. However, July 24 lands on a Sunday when municipal offices are normally closed. The move to open on Sunday, that week started in Binghamton, NY which is located a few minutes from the New York/Pennsylvania state line. Binghamton city officials wanted to open early to avoid a huge rush of applications the following day including marriage applications from a number of outof-state couples. H
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Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at 93 Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford died late last week. She was 93 at the time of her death. Ford was very outspoken and did not necessarily agree with her husband on all issues. Having suffered from substance abuse and addiction herself, she founded the now-famed Betty Ford clinic. When Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer, she openly discussed the topic with the press, bringing breast cancer into the public limelight for the first time. She was married to former Photo courtesy, White House President Gerald Ford for 58 years when he died on December 26, 2006. Mrs. Ford will be buried alongside her husband at his library in Grand Rapids, Michigan. H
Gay Couple Told to Move to Back of Bus NEW YORK, NY – Ari Gold, a singer and his boyfriend were told to move to the back of the bus for holding hands, he said Sunday on Facebook. When Gold refused, the Shortline bus driver pulled over and called the police. Gold said "we were both listening to Whitney Houston on an iPod double jack and loving her love songs," and holding hands, when the driver pulled over to tell us to "stop sitting in the front." Gold said no, "and that's when the driver called the state trooper." When the state troopers arrived, Gold said they told the bus driver "there was nothing illegal about the way we were sitting." Still, Gold says he and his boyfriend were again told they could move to the back of the bus and resolve the problem. "We said no," and asked to file a police report but the officers "quickly exited the bus, leaving ours and the other passengers safety in the hands of a dissatisfied, discriminatory and mad driver," according to Gold, who said he couldn't get badge numbers for the officers. Gold said he stood up to the driver "despite my racing heart." Things could have easily gotten out of hand. "The only thing I could do is make sure my boyfriend stayed calm," said Gold. "I was afraid he was going to lose it." The Village Voice's Michael Musto was first to report the incident, and Shortline sent him a response, saying it will investigate Gold's account of what Photo courtesy, AMFAR.org
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Timeline of Gays in the Military and the Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” JULY 26, 1948 – President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 establishing “equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the Armed Forces without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” MAY 5, 1950 – Congress passed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which was signed by President Harry S. Truman and took effect on May 31, 1951. The Code set up discharge rules for homosexual service members. MARCH 15, 1957 – A Navy study released the Crittenden Report, which stated that “homosexual service members [do] not pose a greater security risk than heterosexual personnel.” However, it added, “Individuals and those who have indulged in homosexual behavior cannot acceptably serve in the military,” but admits that the concept “persists without supporting data, but which cannot be disproved at this time.” JANUARY 28, 1982 – A Defense Directive issued by the Pentagon, stated that “Homosexuality is incompatible with military service” and people who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they were homosexuals or bisexuals will be discharged. JUNE 30, 1986 – The Supreme Court rules that there is no fundamental constitutional right for people engaging in homosexual acts. The ruling in the Bowers v. Hardwick case was used to uphold the military’s constitutional right to discharge a person for homosexual behavior. DECEMBER 1988 – The Personnel Security Research and Education Center issued two reports examining whether homosexual service members posed security risks or were unsuitable for service. The reports “found no data to support the ban on gays in the military.” OCTOBER 1991 – While campaigning for President, Democratic candidate Bill Clinton promises, if elected, to lift the ban on homosexuals serving in the military. MARCH 19, 1993 – The Senate and House Armed Services Committees hold hearing on the military’s anti-homosexual policy. The generals and admirals that testified were against lifting the ban on gays, stating it would be harmful to national security and the welfare of the military. Secretary of Defense Les Aspin stated that he felt that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (as President Clinton called the compromise) would provide a sensible balance. The hearings continued through July 22, 1993. MAY 1993 – In the Senate and House Armed Services Committees hearings, congressional support begins to emerge over the new approach described by
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). NOVEMBER 30, 1993 – President Clinton signs the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act into law, which includes the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. MARCH 16, 2000 – The Defense Department’s Military Environment with Respect to Homosexual Conduct findings. The survey showed that 80% of those that responded had heard offensive anti-gay speech in the previous year and 37% reported witnessing negative behavior towards suspected homosexuals in the military. AUGUST 2003 – Retired Rear Admiral John Hutson, who, as Judge Advocate General of the Navy, had been responsible for enforcing DADT, called for the policy's repeal. In an article in The National Law Journal, Hutson called the gay ban “odious” and “virtually unworkable in the military.” FEBRUARY 23, 2005 – In a report released by the Government Accountability Office concerning DADT, the key findings were that during the years 1994 through 2003, the military separated nearly 9,500 service members for homosexual conduct at a cost of $95 million to replace them. MARCH 2006 – The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could withhold funding from universities that refuse to permit military recruiters on campus. Some universities forbid the presence of military recruiters because of discrimination against gays in the military. JANUARY 2007 – In an op-ed printed in the New York Times, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John Shalikashvili, calls for repeal of the ban on gays serving in the military. FEBRUARY 27, 2007 – A Zogby International poll reveals that 73% of active duty troops are comfortable with the idea of serving with gay people, and one quarter of those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan personally knew someone in their unit who was gay or lesbian. Congressman Marty Meehan targets repeal of DADT and reintroduces the Military Readiness Act. The Act failed to pass Congress. MARCH 2007 – A commission made up of economists and defense leaders, including former Defense Secretary William Perry, concluded that DADT had now cost taxpayers over $363 million since 1994 to enforce and train replacements. APRIL 4, 2007 – In response to calls for repeal, President George W. Bush stated, “I do believe the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell pol-
icy is good policy.” JUNE 13, 2007 – Rep. Ellen Tauscher became the lead sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, assuming the lead from Rep. Meehan in anticipation of his July retirement from Congress. JULY 2007 – A CBS news investigation revealed that 8,000 criminal conviction waivers were issued because the army was so desperate for new recruits. At least 100 of those were waivers for felony violent crime and drug convictions. OCTOBER 1, 2007 – Admiral Mike Mullen is installed as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his confirmation hearings, he said that he supported the ban on gays serving in the military, but was open to hearing Congress debate it. NOVEMBER 29, 2007 – ThenPresidential candidate Barack Obama told the Human Rights Campaign: “I will work for a full repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office. America is ready to get rid of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy; all that is required is leadership.” Obama campaigns on full repeal of the law.
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working for the repeal of DADT. MAY 20, 2009 – Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a decorated 18-year fighter weapons systems officer, appears on “The Rachel Maddow Show” to discuss his impending discharge under DADT. Fehrenbach was outed after he was falsely accused of raping a man. MARCH 29, 2009 – When asked about official efforts to end the ban, Defense Secretary Robert Gates tells Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday”: “I think the President and I feel like we’ve got a lot on our plates right now, and let’s push that one down the road a little bit.” JUNE 5, 2009 – A Gallup poll reveals 69% of adults favor repeal of DADT, a 6% increase from five years earlier. JUNE 9, 2009 – Judge Virginia Phillips denies the Justice Department’s attempt to dismiss the Log Cabin Republicans’ lawsuit challenging the DADT policy as unconstitutional. JUNE 22, 2009 – 77 members of the House of Representatives write an open letter to President Obama calling for the leadership he promised during his campaign to repeal DADT. JUNE 30, 2009 – Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that Pentagon lawyers are trying to make DADT “more flexible, more humane” until it is eliminated.
NOVEMBER 30, 2007 – A letter to Congress urging repeal of DADT is signed by 28 retired admirals and generals.
JULY 13, 2009 – On CNN, President Obama admits he could sign an executive order freezing discharges under DADT by Executive “stop loss” power, but admits he has chosen not to do so, stating it is Congress's responsibility to change the law.
JULY 19, 2008 – A Washington Post/ABC News poll revealed that 75% of Americans believe in the repeal of DADT.
OCTOBER 12, 2009 – On CNN, Rep. Joe Sestak, a retired Navy Vice Admiral, stated: “We should have done away with ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ years ago.
DECEMBER 12, 2008 – In response to a question from Fareed Zarkaria about DADT, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell states: “We definitely should reevaluate it. It’s been fifteen years since we put in ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ which was a policy that became a law. I didn’t want it to become a law, but it became a law. Congress felt that strongly about it. But it’s been fifteen years and attitudes have changed. And so I think it is time for the Congress, since it is their law, to have a full review of it and I am quite sure that is what President-Elect Obama will want to do.”
OCTOBER 18, 2009 – Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr., a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, “For one, it would directly impact readiness and operability, a concern that is shared by more than 1,000 retired officers.”
JANUARY 21, 2009 – White House Press Secretary Gibbs states that President Obama will repeal DADT, but adds that there are more important issues to address first, including the economy. MARCH 3, 2009 – Rep. Ellen Tauscher re-introduces the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to Congress with 112 co-sponsors. MARCH 19, 2009 – Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq veteran fluent in Arabic, announced that he was gay on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” From that point forward, Choi became an activist
NOVEMBER 24, 2009 – Federal District Court Judge Virginia Philips denies the Obama Justice Department's motion to stay proceedings and block the Log Cabin Republicans’ challenge to DADT. DECEMBER 16, 2009 – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has instructed her fellow Democrats to not take up any “controversial” legislation unless the Senate acts on it first. This included a repeal of DADT. JANUARY 14, 2010 – Advisers to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen advise him to push for a delay in the start of the repeal of DADT, suggesting that the Pentagon should wait until late summer 2011 to send a proposed replacement law to Congress expecting that a vote on DADT repeal would not happen until 2012. JANUARY 27, 2010 – In his State of the Union Address, President Obama stated: “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that Continued on NEXT PAGE
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denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.” FEBRUARY 2, 2010 – Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, both Defense Secretary Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen stated that they supported the repeal of DADT. Senator John McCain stated his support of retaining DADT by stating: “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has been an imperfect but effective policy, and at this moment, when we’re asking more of our military than at any time in recent memory, we should not repeal this law.” FEBRUARY 22, 2010 – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs again refused to say whether the White House supports DADT repeal in 2010. FEBRUARY 23, 2010 – Army Secretary John McHugh, Army Chief of Staff George Casey and Air Force Chief of Staff Norman Schwartz testify before congressional committees that they are ready and willing to work within the framework for repeal of DADT. MARCH 2, 2010 – As a result of the President’s State of the Union Address, Defense Secretary Gates sends a memo ordering a comprehensive review for the repeal of DADT. He starts a working group to conduct the review and “examine the issues associated with repeal of the law should it occur and will include an implementation plan that addresses the impacts, if any, on the Department.” The report is due by December 1, 2010. MARCH 3, 2010 – Versions of Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which include the repeal of DADT, are introduced to the Armed Services Committees of both chambers of Congress. MARCH 15, 2010 – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that she doesn’t want the House to move on banning DADT until the DOD finishes their review of the implications of banning DADT. She then asked the Pentagon to speed up their review process and that she supports a moratorium on discharges. MARCH 18, 2010 – Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo handcuff themselves to the White House fence to protest DADT. Both plead not guilty. APRIL 15, 2010 – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stated that the House has no plans to include DADT repeal in the Defense Authorization Bill for 2011. APRIL 19, 2010 – Politico reported that the White House is quietly pressuring Congress to delay a vote on DADT until after the midterm elections. APRIL 19, 2010 – While at a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer, President Obama is interrupted by hecklers demanding the repeal of DADT be included in the Defense Authorization Bill. APRIL 21, 2010 – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs admitted that the President opposes repeal of DADT before completion of the Pentagon's study,
DADT TIMELINE
which is not scheduled to be completed until December 2010. MAY 2, 2010 – Former Democratic Chairman Howard Dean joins a protest in front of the White House supporting the repeal of DADT. MAY 19, 2010 – House Armed Services Committee Chair Ike Skelton confirmed that DADT repeal will not be included in the 2011 Defense Authorization Bill. Sen. Carl Levin says that he will push forward with including repeal language in the Senate version of the bill, but only if he can get the votes in Committee during markup next week. MAY 25, 2010 – Rep. Susan Collins becomes the first Senate Republican to support DADT repeal. MAY 27, 2010 – Congressman Patrick Murphy introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2011 that would repeal the relevant sections of DADT sixty days after a study by the U.S. Department of Defense is completed. The House passes the amendment. JUNE 2, 2010 – Rep. Duncan Hunter believes the debate on DADT is just another distraction from real military threats and other priorities. JUNE 9, 2010 – The Pentagon restates that investigations and discharges of gay and lesbian personnel will continue under President Obama while awaiting DADT repeal. JULY 9, 2010 – The Pentagon sends out a confidential survey to 400,000 active-duty and reserve service members to determine their views on the impact of repealing DADT. JULY 14, 2010 – The charges against Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo for their actions in March and April on the White House fence are dropped. AUGUST 11, 2010 – Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach sues to block his DADT discharge, claiming that his case should be decided under the 2008 Witt Standard. The Witt Standard says that the burden of proof is upon the military to show that the gay or lesbian service member is a hazard to good order and discipline and that discharge is contingent upon meeting this burden of proof. SEPTEMBER 9, 2010 – U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips rules that the prohibition on gay service members serving openly is unconstitutional because it violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gays and lesbians. SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 – Lady Gaga staged a rally in Portland, Maine, in support of DADT repeal, calling on her fans to call Maine Republican Senators Snowe and Collins and urge them both to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act with DADT repeal language attached. Sen. Snowe refuses to vote for repeal prior to the Pentagon study’s completion. SEPTEMBER 21, 2010 – Senate Democrats fail to break the Republican filibuster of the National Defense
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Authorization Act, which includes DADT repeal. The filibuster is led by Senator John McCain.
says that DADT repeal is “at least worth a shot” in the lame-duck session of Congress.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 – Congressman Jared Polis sends a letter to President Obama asking him to stop appealing Judge Phillip's ruling and allow DADT to end.
NOVEMBER 12, 2010 – The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to lift the stay of Judge Phillips’ injunction.
OCTOBER 12, 2010 – The injunction issued by Judge Phillips ends the military’s ban on openly gay troops serving in the military. OCTOBER 13, 2010 – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs states that the Justice Department will continue to appeal Judge Phillip's ruling that DADT is unconstitutional, saying that it's the process that is important. OCTOBER 17, 2010 – The DOJ files a request for a stay of Judge Phillips’ injunction against the DOD citing concerns over religious objections and whether barracks should be segregated. OCTOBER 19, 2010 – Judge Virginia Phillips denies the DOJ’s request for a stay of injunction in Log Cabin Republicans vs. United States of America, effectively rendering DADT unenforceable. OCTOBER 19, 2010 – The Pentagon informs military recruiters that they must abide by Judge Phillips’ court ruling, which overturned DADT and accept gay applicants; however, recruiters must inform potential recruits that the policy could be reinstated at any moment. OCTOBER 20, 2010 – The Obama administration files a request with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay Judge Phillips’ lower court injunction banning enforcement of DADT. The administration believes that the policy should be repealed through Congress. OCTOBER 21, 2010 – A three judge federal appeals panel temporarily blocks Judge Phillips’ injunction, finding in favor of the Obama DOJ. OCTOBER 21, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert Gates releases guidance wherein only a service secretary can authorize a DADT discharge. OCTOBER 28, 2010 – The Pentagon study is leaked to the press. The results are favorable to repeal of DADT. NOVEMBER 2, 2010 – The appeals court indefinitely extends the stay on Judge Phillips’ ruling and orders the administration to continue to enforce DADT until the appeal is heard. NOVEMBER 5, 2010 – The legal team for Log Cabin Republicans files an appeal with U.S. Supreme Court over the stay of Judge Phillips' injunction granted by the 9th Circuit Court. NOVEMBER 8, 2010 – After the 2010 congressional elections, Defense Secretary Gates tells reporters: “I would like to see the repeal of ‘don't ask, don't tell,’ but I'm not sure what the prospects for that are, and we'll just have to see.” NOVEMBER 10, 2010 – White House Communications Director, Dan Pfeiffer,
NOV. 17, 2010 – A CNN poll shows that a growing majority of Americans, 72%, support repeal of DADT, up from 67% in September. NOVEMBER 18, 2010 – Sen. Joe Lieberman states that he has the 60 Senate votes needed to end a filibuster to permit a vote on repealing DADT. This includes 2 Republicans, Senators Susan Collins and Dick Lugar, provided the Republicans get the additional debate time they want. NOVEMBER 30, 2010 – At a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, release the recommendations of the working group. Gates recommends that the DADT be repealed. DECEMBER 2, 2010 – Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, told the Senate Armed Services Committee they wanted repeal to happen in 2010. DECEMBER 9, 2010 – Senate Republicans filibuster a vote on repealing the DADT as part of the defense reauthorization bill. Democrats in the House moved ahead with their own repeal and Sen. Joe Lieberman is optimistic that the House vote will give repeal new momentum in the Senate. DECEMBER 15, 2010 – House members again approved a bill to repeal DADT. Delivery renewed momentum to end the ban on gays in the military ahead of a possible Senate vote. DECEMBER 18, 2010 – The Senate voted to repeal DADT, sending to President Obama a bill ending the 17year ban on gays serving openly in the military. DECEMBER 22, 2010 – President Obama signed the bill allowing for repeal of DADT. However, repeal has yet to be certified, and DADT remains the law as the new provisions are phased into effect. MAY 11, 2011 – Three Republican antigay amendments are voted into the House National Defense Authorization Amendment. The first would expand DADT repeal certification to include the service chiefs. The second would prohibit Defense Department facilities from being used in same-sex wedding ceremonies in states where it is legal. The amendments pass in the House. JUNE 27, 2011 – The Pentagon confirms that it is still investigating and discharging gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members. JULY 6, 2011 – A federal appeals court barred further enforcement of the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members. H
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OPINION
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Split the Difference? There is one social minefield that crosses all borders, continents, sexual orientation, gender, race and sex ... The Bill, or the Check, as it is known here. You have just had a great meal, a few drinks and it has been a social extravaganza. You have laughed and joked, giggled and frolicked through a delicious dining delight and then it happens, the check arrives. Are you a straight forward splitter? Are you a grab the bill and plonk down a card, saying ‘You get the next one’? Or are you the clear divider? We all have that one friend who works out their portion to the cent. Fine. But inevitably their mathematics failed to take into account the $1 cover for water, or the $3 bread charge – the bread which they ordered more of. What do you do? After they have painstakingly worked it down to the nickel, do you interrupt explaining that they do in fact owe another $1.23 or do you swallow it? Many people do, it’s far too petty to hash it out and what’s $1.23 between friends? Well if it’s every week that you see this person, you have spent a slap up lobster meal for one on them! I, for one, am not petty, but when you have that friend who pushes their luck each and every week, it gets old and tired and one gets bitter. If you are the splitter, as I like to call it, you look at the bill and say split it between the amount of people at the table. Fair enough again, yet did you take into account your friend at the end of the table who just had the salad and is sober, while you polished off a steak with a bottle of cabernet? There are many circumstances where splitting the bill equally is just easier, if you all drink and all had an appetizer and a main meal. There are also times splitting it according to what people had is fair. A brunch outing to Rosie’s with someone who doesn’t drink and had a poached egg should not equate to a split bill – 10 Mimosas and a Bloody Mary should not be part of their bill – it’s really simple, but when you are in a large group, unless you have some serious
gumption that egg may end up costing you $30. Don’t for a second think that Mimosa Mary is going to be the slightest bit phased by the fact her five mimosas and full brunch only set her back $20 – she’s drunk! Another issue with group activities is there is always that person who invariably has to take a call just as that seemingly dormant check lands on the table, or your bestie who, as if on military time, manages to time a trip to the bathroom just before it arrives, returning with an air of mock surprise that they missed the bill, but they will get the next one. Ha! Or worse, just before they leave they chuck in their ‘worked out’ share of the bill and bail because of some amazingly pressing engagement (the amount is invariably incorrect). You all do the working out and, because usually they are such a good friend, they must have made a mistake when their share comes up $22 short. So, when you do eventually say something to any of these social pariahs, as if the world has lost all sense, you are the one who immediately is seen as cheap and someone else in the group (usually the one with the least income) announces they will cover any missing money so as to ensure everyone is happy. So, you slink back into your chair, that fantastic salad is already going sour in your mouth as now you just feel a little bit guilty and a lot petty. So to save face, you chip in a few extra bucks for the tip. Then of course there is the card/cash situation. I invariably never carry enough cash, so am happy to put stuff on my card. Without fail you end up saying I’ll put it on my card and someone round the table can’t simply also put some on their card – they have to short change you with the cash they have. There is that awkward moment out there on the limb when you realize you have to accept their $3 less, or look petty, and then realize once it is done and dusted, you will never see that cash again, and worse their ‘contribution’ didn’t include the tip! The other issue with card/cash is ‘I don’t have any on me but will make sure I get it to you’. Course you will! Possibly the worst situation of all, which I
Letters to the Editor In response to the Editor’s Column, “Take Pride in Your Appearance!”, in the Florida Agenda, June 16th, 2011. DEAR EDITOR, I was reading the above issue of the Agenda and thinking how much it had improved. particularly in the areas of news coverage as well as entertainment. Then I saw your "Opinion". At first I thought it was just some personal notes and comments and then I glanced over to the masthead and saw you are the editor in chief. Have you also been appointed the Wilton Manors Arbiter of Taste, Grooming and Appropriate Attire? It has been a long time since I have read such pretentious trash in a gay newspaper. I fear for your psyche having to live, surrounded by the slovenly dressed residents of Fort Lauderdale. Perhaps you should move to the Upper East Side of NYC or Beverly Hills (but not east of Doheny). I fear for your stylist and the embarrassment he must have endured as you entered the salon. His colleagues must have cringed with the thought
FOUNDER MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS BOBBY BLAIR - CEO / MANAGING PARTNER
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Alex Vaughn have come undone with here, is when you go out with a group of people and one has been offered a free trip out by someone else in the group because said person is having financial issues. O.K., but that was not my promise so I will pay my share on that occasion and not be party to the Lobster Salad and 4 Martinis. If you offer to pay for someone, that’s your problem not mine. Birthdays are another area where the above applies. If you have offered to pay for that persons birthday dinner, then good for you. I didn’t - I went and got a present, so when you realize that person ate as much as they could on your dime and drinks it up too at a restaurant that is too expensive, don’t expect the other three at the table to cover your losses. Think before you offer, and don’t offer out other people’s generosity. It isn’t pretty! I may sound downright curmudgeonly, but a dinner out should be fun and the worst trait you can ever see in a friend is that they are taking advantage of you. The second worst is when they turn to you, or a group for that matter, and make that face that clearly says, ‘well you can afford it!’ Not the point, darling! I can afford my meal and my drinks, but I am not duty bound to your bills unless I was stupid enough to offer to take you to dinner! H
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Alex Vaughn is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Agenda. He can be reached at editor@FloridaAgenda.com
Please send all your comments and letters to Editor@FloridaAgenda.com
that perhaps he had been the one to over process your hair doing highlights. If you think that linen and expensive loafers really make a difference here, you should have gone to work for Scott Rothstein. I am sure that everyone in his corrupt law firm was suitably attired in linen and Gucci's and no one was ever foolish enough to take a meeting without being suitably attired (even w/ the police). The fact that you relate these meaningless aspects of attire to pride or substance makes me ill. Your comments about appropriate dress in an initial meeting are condescending and an insult to the community. I don't own any sandals but anyone who wears them in a local bar or club deserves the horror of dirty feet. I only hope that the other staff members of Mark's List are wise enough to follow your dress code. Your comments regarding the lack of color sense in Fort Lauderdale are simply another indication of an intolerant attitude. You missed your calling. You should have been cast as the clothing guy on "Queer
Eye". You should make sure that Bravo has your resume and head shot in their files for the sequel. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps the clothing and shoe stores in the area have completely sold out of linen and expensive slip ons as a result of your missive. Perhaps that jam on southbound I-95 last week was not caused by an accident, but because of hordes of residents of Wilton Manors flocking to salons in status appropriate areas of Miami-Dade for color, highlights, manicures and pedicures. I will continue to enjoy the news and entertainment areas of the Florida Agenda but, in order to avoid further offense, I shall avoid anything with your byline. You really should consider a stronger focus on editing and lessening your opinion writing. Otherwise, your sensitivities would be more appreciated in Milan, Paris, London, Tokyo or Buenos Aires. At all costs, refrain from visiting Rio, Honolulu, Singapore, Israel or India where you would be appalled at the manner of dress. SINCERELY, J. P. COLBY
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DISPLAY AD DEADLINES: Placement by Mondays, 5 p.m. Camera Ready Artwork by Mondays, Noon CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINES: Placement by Mondays, 5 p.m. Artwork by Mondays, Noon ALL MATERIAL in the Florida Agenda is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Florida Agenda. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred or implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although this paper is supported by many fine advertisers, the Agenda cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. EDITORIAL POSITIONS of the Florida Agenda are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Florida Agenda or its staff. TO SUBMIT A LETTER OR COMMENTARY: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to Editor@floridaagenda.com by fax to 954-566-7900 or by regular mail to the Agenda office, attn: Letters/Commentary.
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Who Knew? What Do You Think? - Overcoming Indecisiveness By sam knew, msw
In the mental health field, there’s a practice of not labeling things “right” or “wrong”. So much so, it’s given birth to the phase, “What do you think?” The idea is that the client will assign these labels to their options, which can actually act as self-motivating factor. This process, however, can leave so many of us feeling overwhelmed or stuck. Why is it that some people seem to be able to make decisions, with little wavering, and others seem to toddle back and forth on the proverbial fence? It makes sense to weigh all the options when making big decisions. But for some, even the small decisions in life can seem like major obstacles. Many who find them-
selves obsessively teetering between what movie to see or where to go to dinner aren’t able to see the self-destructive effects. For example, one issue is the obvious time lost. Another is missing out on opportunities, such as deadlines. Additionally, indecisive people also tend to regret and worry even after they made a decision, concerned if they have made the right choice. So, where does all this panic over right and wrong come from? One theory is a lack of self-confidence. People tend to focus more on their limitations or the losses. Additionally, they may be concerned with what others think – a process that could irrationally or irrelevantly hinder one’s judgment. The process is also perpetuated by self-doubt and anxiety (mental and physical). This continual overwhelming array of emotions can reach a boiling point. Indecisive individuals may shut down (opting not to participate), subsequently placing themselves in a “victim-like” mode, which can develop indecisiveness into a compulsive behavior, making the cycle more difficult to break. One thing to keep in mind is how we make choices. It would seem logical that one would want to take in all the information available before making a decision. But oddly enough, one study actually
shows that people who are decisive are selective with much of the information they look at. Primarily, they create a hierarchy of characteristics (deal breakers) and assign positive or negative attributes to related options. This allows them to spend less time reviewing options that are irrelevant. Indecisive individuals attempt to review all the details. In one study that looked at individual’s decision-making process through their eye movement, it discovered that indecisive individuals even spend a significant amount of time actively reviewing “nothing,” that is the blank space on a page. You can relieve some of the pressure of make decisions. Start by cutting yourself some slack and avoiding negative labels, such as “indecisive” or “wishy-washy.” Identifying your priorities is another step. This will help you know the difference between your needs and wants. Choices in regards to “wants” may feel less overwhelming. It’s also helpful to setup routines, minimizing the need to make decisions. And, most importantly, accept that you’re the only one that can determine what’s right and wrong in your life. H
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Sam Knew, MSW is an educator and a local counselor. He can be reached at samknewmsw@gmail.com
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OPEN FOR BUSINESS
FLORIDAAGENDA.COM
Open For Business: Backflow Bandits: A $#*t Job, But Someone Has to Do Time For It By CLIFF DUNN Club members at Island City Health & Fitness may recall a few days last month when their gym’s facilities (showers, bathrooms) were without water due to the theft of the backflow valve connection behind the club and its mutual backyard with the now-former location of the Poverello Food Bank. Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO) officials, headed up by Oakland Park District lead detective Armando Hernandez, say that all told, twenty four (24) thefts of backflow valves occurred in the City of Oakland Park. The suspects, Gannon Wing and John Martin, charged with twenty three (23) of the crimes, are believed to have been active in Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, fencing their loot at a scrap business in Collier County (Greater Naples/Fort Meyers). Wing, 20, and Martin, 29, are charged with 197 and 163 counts each, respectively. Among their mutual counts are twenty seven (27) grand thefts, twenty three (23) for criminal mischief, twenty three (23) for possession of burglary tools, and twenty three (23) for tampering with utility services. In addition to BSO/Oakland Park, the World’s Muckiest Quinella has charges pending from ten other law enforcement agencies, including BSO/Tamarac, BSO/North Lauderdale, BSO/Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Wilton Manors Police Department, Sunrise Police Department, Palm Beach Sheriff ’s Office (PBSO), Boca Raton Police Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department, and Collier County Sheriff ’s Office (CCSO). Investigators are developing leads concerning a Miami-Dade County-area scrap yard, where the suspects may have also been peddling their stolen parts. Anyone with information is asked to contact any of the aforementioned agencies.
Friends, Lovers, Fruit Flies and Strange Bedfellows
(Or, New York Gay Marriage, Part 2) Readers may recall from last week’s Open for Business that the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) is the organization that led the legal battle – conducted famously through the efforts of attorneys Ted Olson – a conservative stalwart, Bush-43 Justice Department mandarin and widower of a 9/11 victim – and David Boies, a Democratic power broker – which challenged California’s gay marriage ban (a trial court judge struck down the law last month, but the decision is being appealed). As mentioned last week, an unusually large number of Wall Street whales and captains-of-industry-types have stepped up in recent years to show their support for (and willingness to donate heavily in the support of) same-sex marriage initiatives. An event last fall in support of New York State same-sex marriage was held
at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Columbus Circle, and was chaired by three Republicans: Ken Mehlman, the openly gay former Republican National Committee chairman and current head of Global Public Affairs for private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company (KKR); Peter Thiel of hedge fund Clarium Capital; and billionaire Paul Singer, founder and CEO of hedge fund Elliott Management Corporation and the philanthropic Paul E. Singer Family Foundation, which supports numerous charitable works, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, the Food Bank of New York City, the New York City Police Foundation, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education Singer Prize for Excellence in Secondary Teaching. (Singer, whose gay son married his partner in Massachusetts, gave close to half a million dollars of his own money, and raised another $500,000 to support legalization of gay marriage in the Empire State.) The New York Times reported last year that financiers who either attended the fundraiser or made a donation to the campaign included KKR principal Henry Kravis, as well as associates Sir Deryck Maughan, Alex Navab, Scott Nuttall, John Pfeffer, Lewis Eisenberg, and David Sorkin. “Other Wall Street executives,” The Times reported, “included Blackstone Group’s Garrett Moran; Daniel Loeb of hedge fund Third Point Capital; Jay Sammons of the private equity shop Carlyle Group; Seth Klarman of hedge fund Baupost; Nick Stone of TPG; Todd Malan, in-house lobbyist at Goldman Sachs; and media investor Leo Hindery of InterMedia Partners.” During the AFER fundraiser, billionaire Singer related the story of paging through the wedding album of “my son and son-in-law,” after they were legally married. “At the moment they are pioneers,” he said, “although I felt like a loving father and father-in-law, not a pioneer, as we were looking at the pictures.”
Overheard “I’d like to hear directly from the gays who love Santorum despite Santorum's belief that gay people are no better than dog %#@!ers and child rapists, his promise to repeal the DADT repeal, his desire to write anti-gay bigotry into the U.S. Constitution, his opposition to gay adoption and his belief that consensual gay sex should be a felony. If Santorum's gay friends love Santorum as much as Santorum loves his gay friends, I'm sure they would be only too glad to speak to the media about their love of Santorum.” – Syndicated columnist Dan Savage, speaking about the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and 2012 Republican presidential candidate H
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OPINION
FLORIDAAGENDA.COM
Cross-Eyed
Sideview Mirror • Part 1 By AJ CROSS
(The following is the first of a four part series which will run for four consecutive weeks) It is unclear where he came from, except to say that his arrival could not have been timelier. Around 2:15am, while driving on I5 from San Diego to San Francisco, one of the lights on the dash display of my grey Chrysler 300 rental car turned on. Since my gas tank was full, I decided that whatever the problem was could wait until I made it to the next rest stop. It was pouring so heavily that pulling over wasn’t really an option for me and it wasn’t as if I knew anything about cars anyway. I continued along cautiously, as I could barely see the road ahead. I had to be the only car on the road, with the exception of a few big rig trucks that would pass me randomly. I had already been driving about 3 hours and was checking my cell phone for hotels in the next town, which was called Santa Clarita. I was listening to Keith Urban on the satellite radio and, just as the song came to an end, a second light turned on indicating another problem with the car and then within a few minutes it stalled. I turned off the car and then turned the key in the ignition and it started up. I pulled over to the side and began searching for the roadside assistance number of the rental company. I was looking in the glove compartment when I could see lights behind me and, as I rose up and looked back, I saw a red truck pulling up behind me. “Thank God,” I thought to myself. Out of pure paranoia, I locked my doors and slightly cracked my window enough that I could speak to whoever was coming toward me. In the side mirror I saw the shape of someone tall walking toward me. As the person got up to my window I could see it was a man. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a cowboy hat and the torrential rain seemed not to bother him at all. He gestured for me to roll down the window, so I did and he asked me if I was ok. I told him that the car stalled out and that there were some lights that came on which may be indicating a problem. I lied, telling him that roadside assistance was on the way just to give myself a false sense of security. He told me that he knew the area well and that there was not going to be a gas station or rest stop for a while and that, if I wanted, he would wait until help came. I could barely see his eyes with all the rain and the brow of his dark cowboy hat was low on his forehead preventing me from seeing much of his face. His voice was deep and he had a
moderate country drawl. Since there was no one actually coming for me, I decided to take his kindness at face value and told him the truth. He let out a small laugh and told me that he understood that being stuck in the middle of nowhere might be nerve-racking, but he assured me that he was only trying to help. He suggested that I turn off the engine and grab my things and he offered to take me to the nearest gas station or hotel until the rain let up. He told me the car would be fine there until I could come back for it. I grabbed my bag, locked the door, ran to his truck and jumped into the passenger side. I kept trying to get a look at his eyes, but it seemed that even sitting next to him that was not going to happen. He asked me where I was heading at such a late hour and I told him that I had been driving for a few hours and was headed to San Francisco. I told him that I was lucky that he had come along and he simply smiled. I could not help but notice his strong arms and well defined body showing through the drenched white tshirt he was wearing. I told him that he might want to change shirts so as not to get a cold and he simply took off his hat and pulled of his shirt. His hair had the impression of his hat on it. It was light brown with hints of gold and with small waves. I could barely catch my breath when I saw his body. His arms were muscular and his chest and abs were so perfect they looked sculpted. I tried so hard not to stare, as I could only assume he was not gay and did not want to risk offending him – especially after he had been kind enough to stop and help me. I began to ask him where he was from and, as I was speaking, he interrupted me and asked me my name. “Um, I’m Clark” I said. He put out his hand and firmly shook mine and told me his name was Luke. He was definitely a gentleman and rather country as he said “pleasure to meet you, Clark”. His grip was firm and I guessed, based on his rough hands, that he was accustomed to hard work or some type of manual labor. As we continued driving, pretending not to notice how attractive he was became increasingly difficult and I had to keep talking just to avoid my heart from exploding, it was beating so heavily. I did not know what would happen – if anything at all —but I had to let the situation play out. I had to give in to the circumstance. To be continued... H
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Gay Adoption Spike Expected in New York NEW YORK, NY – Beginning July 24, same-sex couples in New York can legally wed, and thousands of couples are expected to take advantage of the new legislation. Some, who want to raise children, may find greater support for their adoption cases by tying the knot. New York already allows unmarried gay couples to adopt, but advocacy groups say because the new law may mean easier adoptions, there's likely to be a spike in same-sex wanting to adopt. “I think they will feel more entitled to be a family under the new law,” Susan Watson, director of U.S. adoptions at the Spence-Chapin adoption agency in Manhattan told the Associated Press. Carrie Gordon Earll, Spokesperson for family advocacy group CitizenLink, told
The Christian Post Tuesday that there are a few concerns when it comes to same-sex adoptions. “Children deserve the best chance at a mother and father in the home. Nature is trying to tell us something when it attempts to give every child a mom and a dad. Same-sex adoption intentionally denies them one of these important influences in child development,” Earll said. The Marriage Equality Act offers some protection for religious and benevolent organizations that may want to refuse their services in relation to the law, such as hosting or officiating a gay wedding. In theory, church-affiliated adoption services are also afforded protection by this particular clause. “The religious freedom of faith-based adoption agencies in New York is threatened by the advance of same-sex marriage,” Earll said. Calling the law “unclear,” Earll added, “The threat to adoption agencies is one of many religious freedom concerns that come into play when marriage is redefined as something other than a man and a woman. It’s dangerous territory if we want to protect religious freedom in this country.” New York-based faith-based groups may not have a cause for concern yet, but on the federal level, things could change. Members of the U.S. Congress have been pushing since 2009 a bill, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, that would end federal funding for faith-based adoption agencies that refuse to serve poten-
tial clients on the basis of their gender identity, marital status, or sexual orientation. The bill, H.R. 1681, was reintroduced in May and is sponsored by Rep. Fortney Start, D-Calif. Among the bill's thirty-four supporters are Rep. Barney Frank, DMass. and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. The bill cites, based on findings from Gary Gates of the Williams Institute, that “there are approximately 1,000,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples throughout the United States who are raising approximately 2,000,000 children.” Utah and Mississippi are the only two states that strictly ban same-sex couples from adopting. Florida legislators overturned a prohibition against same-sex adoptions in 2010. H Photo courtesy, CBS News
happened. "We do not condone or endorse the actions taken by this one driver. His actions are not representative of the management of our company," wrote George Grieve, president of Hudson Transit Lines, which owns Shortline. "We will continue to investigate this incident until we are sure we have all the facts at which time we will take the appropriate disciplinary and remedial action. We apologize for the insensitive action of our driver and can assure you we will take the necessary steps to make sure this does not happen again." H
NEWS
New York Marriage Licenses Released ALBANY, NY – The New York State Health Department today released a new marriage license for the state to recognize same-sex couples, changing the form to have two columns for "bride/groom/ spouse." The new marriage licenses – which add the term spouse -- will be distributed to town and city clerk offices across the state in advance of the same-sex mar-
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riage law taking effect July 24. Clerks have been awaiting the new forms so they will be ready to process them when the law starts. The Health Department offered new details today about the marriage license process, explaining the 24-hour waiting period to receive a license in New York. If a couple gets a license on July 24, they'd have to wait 24 hours to be officially married. However, the agency notes that the waiting period may be waived by an order of a Supreme or County Court judge. But there is no waiting period for a "second or subsequent ceremony" if a couple is already married and wants to renew their vows. The state says the waiting period is lifted for "valid marriages between same-sex couples that have already occurred in other jurisdictions." Some same-sex couples in New York have been married in neighboring Massachusetts or Canada, for example. The state in 2008 began recognizing samesex couples married in other jurisdictions. "A couple that intends to be married in New York state must apply in person for a marriage license to any town or city clerk in the state outside of New York City," the Health Department said. "The application for a license must be signed by both applicants in the presence of the town or city clerk. A representative cannot apply for the license on behalf of either applicant." New York City has its own licensing program. H
www.JumpOnMarksList.com • Nearly a Decade of Stability and Results
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THE STYLE VOICE OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY
Home | Dining | Style | Profile | Recipe | Fitness | Out In Florida | Bar Guide | Nightlife | The Scoop | Theatre | Film
WHAT’S INSIDE?
Caribbean Queen
In this week’s edition of Style & Entertainment we talk past, present and future with power fundraiser AJ Cross in Profile, take a journey through the “Barefoot Luxury” of the Ritz-Carlton in St Thomas in Travel and get the skinny on the benefits of ‘Cross-training’ in Fitness. Warren Day shows us that a fantastic night can be had watching “The Pillow Man” at Fort Lauderdale’s Empire Stage in Theatre, and questions the power of comedy in this year’s summer joke fest, “Horrible Bosses” in Film. We look closely at the 2011 collection from power brand, Dsquared in Style, follow in Popeye’s footsteps with a great spinach pasta in Recipe and celebrate the fantastic launch of MyGayRadio.com and the Summer in The Scoop! Don’t worry we also have your favorites, Home, Out in Florida and our State-wide Bar Guide.
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The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas Travel PAGE 40
Enjoy! H – AV
Dsquared Spring/Summer Men’s Collection
HORRIBLE BOSSES
TRY CROSS TRAINING
Miss Unemployment?
Feel the Burn!
Style PAGE 41
Film PAGE 39
Fitness PAGE 37 Photos courtesy, Paul Rubio, Dsquared, Warner Films, KB-blogspot.com
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FLORIDA BAR GUIDE
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FORT LAUDERDALE/WILTON MANORS ALIBI 2266 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Gayborhood tradition since 1997. Comfortable, inviting atmosphere with indoor video bars, outdoor drinking and dining. Drink specials all week, with mammoth 22-ounce Long Island Iced Teas for $3 on Thursdays ATOMIC/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. 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 North Andrews Avenue, 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? 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 N.E. 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. LIVING ROOM 300 S.W. 1st Ave., Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Arts & Entertainment District meets South Beach. Friday nights they’re here, they’re queer, and they drink free from 10:30(ish) to Midnight. Only House Music club in town with its own Classical (and classicallychiseled) violinist. 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 meringue 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 2039 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Relaxing, friendly, hip, unique – the alternative gathering place on Wilton Drive. Wine tastings and events. Tuesday and Wednesday Late Night In the Biz.
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PJ’S CORNER POCKET 924 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale Interracial Private Social Club. Bottle club memberships. Get your groove back on Wednesday nights with $2 drinks. RAMROD 1508 N.E. 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?).
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.
ROSIE’S BAR & GRILL 2829 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Nexus of the A-Gay List. Be Seen in the Scene (without making one). Food, folks, libations, and a killer Sunday Funday.
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.
SCANDALS SALOON 3073 NE 6th Avenue, 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.
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.
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. VOODOO LOUNGE 111 S.W. 2nd Ave., Fort Lauderdale Gay and mixed every Sunday, with afternoon T-Dance and drink specials, then the popular Life’s a Drag show with gobs of female impersonators, hot dudes and the chicks who want to change them. 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.
MIAMI/MIAMI BEACH BAR 721 721 N. Lincoln Lane, Miami Beach Plush, lush and flush, a luxe, sexy décor that includes soft carpeting, comfy couches and a Grown Up Playroom equipped with a flat screen TV for video games, pool table, ceiling-mounted speakers. Enjoy 5 to 10 p.m. happy hours including $6 premium drinks. 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 S.W. 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. 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. 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.
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 West Church Street, 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, 7:30PM. 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 9pm. 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 6PM til 2AM every night in the main bar! Video Bar, Pool Tables.
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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, 4PM til 3AM. No cover before 10PM, $5 after with ID. VALENTINES NIGHTCLUB 7522 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL Voted #1 Nightclub in Tampa. Open 7 days a week 3PM to 3AM. 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 West Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL One of The Oldest Bars (beer and wine). A plain bar without pretention with it’s share of young regulars. RAINBOW ROOM 421 S. MacDill Avenue, 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 Avenue 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 11AM to 9PM. Saturday Happy Hour ($1 off) 11AM to 9PM. GEMINI LOUNGE 2315 Central Avenue, 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 Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL Fun, friendly, laid-back atmosphere where you can get great drinks at cheap prices! Drama free! Happy Hour daily from 2PM til 9PM. HAYMARKET PUB 8308 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL More of a Men’s bar. Showing hot videos, beer specials, Saturday Underwear Night, and different events each week.
WYLDE'S 3557 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL Neighborhood bar South of Downtown Orlando. Jukebox, Video Games, Pool Tables and Dancers.
HIDEAWAY 8302 4th Street 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.
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 9PM and drink specials every day til 9PM.
DETOUR 2612 Central Avenue, 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.
BAR CODES (Formerly Bear Bar) 4453 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL Friendly Bar, Real Men and Bears... Oh My! Beer and Wine. Tends to attract the after work Happy Hour crowd.
MELBOURNE/COCOA
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. 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. 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. 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.
COLD KEG NIGHTCLUB 4060 West New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, FL Largest Gay Club in Melbourne Florida and the Premier Gay Bar & Nightclub in Brevard County. ULTRA LOUNGE 407 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa, FL Nestled in Cocoa Village, this bar has a full coffee bar, serving espresso, lattes, cappuccinos as well as draft beers & wine.
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PROFILE
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AJ Cross Past, Present & Future By ALEX VAUGHN AJ Cross is known to many as a power fundraiser and a beacon of the community. He is currently the Vice President of Johnny’s, fundraiser for multiple charities and a columnist for the Florida Agenda and Mark Magazine. His annual birthday fundraiser is on the 14th of July and The Florida Agenda sat down with AJ to get to know him a little better. Where did you live before you moved to Florida? I am from Montreal originally. When did you move here to Florida and why? It was 11 years ago, I moved to Florida originally for work and better weather! So what’s kept you here? I wasn’t supposed to be here that long. It’s an easier lifestyle here. You can’t beat the weather and the ocean, especially when you are from up north. You have become very well known for your incredible fundraising. How did that come about? It was odd. What happened initially was I did a few birthday parties and they were big in scale, so I started to think I wanted to do more than my $50 a year to a charity. I realized at my parties I had a captive audience that I hoped had the same mind set for giving that I had and the economy was much different to how it is now –people were able to give more! A lot of my clientele is wealthy, so I utilized that as I knew they were able to give a lot of money. I thought ‘what if I disguised a fundraiser as my birthday party’? So I did; the very first was for Poverello. It grew from there. The first was at Cupids in Palm beach and it’s appropriate that this one is a reunion of the Cupids crowd, but at Johnny’s. How do you feel community has changed for the better? I think the best change is that now more than ever we have a sense of unity on a global scale. You hear about India and Israel – countries fighting for equality. You used to only hear about cities, then states, it’s new for me. This is a political climate with a president who is not afraid to say the word gay, and the idea that it’s no one’s business who you sleep with – that’s new for us! What negative changes do you see? The economy has forced people to become less able to give because now people simply can’t afford to. Ultimately, I would like to get to a point where the gay community becomes more accepting of itself. I want to go to a bar and see a gay guy and lesbian or a tranny and a masculine gay man. I want to see those walls fall first before we get so eager to demand others accept us. We are so judgemental of each other, yet we get so angry when we are judged by others. How long have you been with Johnny’s, and how has it helped your fund raising efforts? Three years. Well, the very first year I
was there, Sean is very aware of my interests; the outcome was I got non-profits to use the space at Johnny’s on Wednesdays to have fundraisers. I turned johnny’s into a rainbow lounge and offered that space for non-profits, for that year and a half we booked it 11 times. It was on Wednesdays, and we did the first for Kids in Distress. I don’t have fundraisers on nights people don’t party, so they are usually on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, so that people who are in the industries can participate! Traditionally, my biggest supporters come from bar owners and club owners who come to support my events. How much money do you think you have raised over the years? This is my 9th year, and I believe after contact with all my different agencies I feel comfortable saying a hundred thousand dollars at least. What do you see for the future? It is interesting. I have no idea how I got here. Sometimes my aim is bigger than who I am. I put myself in a position where people have expectations. I speak to people who talk about me and who didn’t even know I was AJ Cross, who I am when I’m home with my boyfriend is different to the persona! I believe in what I do. I think that people should use whatever means they have to better the community. Sometimes its popularity or connection or just money, but it’s better than just going to pool parties with hot guys that do not serve to better the world! This year’s event will benefit Covenant House. Why did you choose them? I chose Covenant House because I was homeless, which I don’t think many people know. I was a recipient of some of the benefits of Covenant House when I was a younger person. It’s a great organization. I ask nothing of any of the charities. If it moves them to advertise the event, then great. All I require is they come and pick up the cheque! Do you have any desire to run for the Mayor of Wilton Manors? Well, as you may know, I was unanimously appointed to the Budget Advisory Board of the City of Fort Lauderdale in December of last year. That was huge for me that they overlooked my profession and appointed me based on merit and what I have done with the community. As for as running for Mayor, if I got to a point where I feel who am I as a person and my expertise could do more to sustain or further develop the city, then I will run. Do you see yourself making Florida home forever? Home is where you make it. It took me a long time to consider Florida as home, but if life took me in a different direction, I wouldn’t be closed minded to that. Your column Cross Eyed has been very well received. I have been receiving fantastic feedback. How did that come about?
Toni Barone, Sean David and AJ Cross at Johnny’s 30 Year Anniversary party last year. I am pleased to hear that. I take a lot of time considering each article I write. It emerged in Buzz Magazine five years ago and it ran every week. Bobby Blair was the publisher of that publication as well when it started. It then went so SFGN and now it’s at Mark and Agenda. It has bounced around! I decided to keep writing and I want people to know I have never taken a dollar from my columns. I write because I really believe in what I am writing and that it will emotionally impact the readers. I got an email from someone whose brother died in the military; he was very moved by the piece I wrote and that’s what I write for. Sometimes someone needs their story to be told and they need a voice.
AJ Cross with The Stable’s Russell, at one of AJ’s many fundraising events.
What inspires you to write? Sometimes it’s something that I overhear, or a conversation I had with a person – although I have to say 8 times out of 10, it’s something that pissed me off. I find a way to understand it by writing and investigating. I find an understanding or make peace with it, and it helps that I feel people share the Photos courtesy, AJ Cross with the infamous & fabulous, emotions I evoke. Pompano Bill I also write out of a self- Fort Lauderdale’s very own Dame Edna. ish motive, to help people I don’t know what the purpose is; life is understand me more. I am not fond of the assumptions they make of me, I like peo- a game. Here’s all this crap we are going to give you and you can change that into a ple to surprised by who I really am. delicious cake! What would you like your legacy to That’s interesting. Do you feel that be how and would you like to be your life is that cake? remembered? Yes I do. I’m 44, not a criminal, not a I would like to remembered as somebody who lived their life. My life was set drug addict, still alive and HIV negative. I up for me to fail. I lost most of my family survived all the things that could have at an early age, and had many aspects of affected me – I didn’t do it on my own. I my life that should have led me down a dif- had helping hands, some known and I am ferent path. I am 44 now and whenever sure some unknown, but I am being interthat time comes when I’m no longer here, viewed about the good things I am doing. I want people to know your life is your This is not about how was your 9 years in own and it’s possible to beat the odds – prison! I am also not single anymore, I am success for me is being given a certain very happy with my beautiful boyfriend. H path in life that would have taken you to not the best places, and being able to AJ’s Birthday Fundraiser Masquerade prove to myself that I could change the Ball will be held at Johnny’s Fort path and beat that, [I was] better than Lauderdale tonight, July 14th, at 9pm. people expected me to be.
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THE METRO 2929 Plum Street, 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-Go-Go, monthly Tea Dances, special quest performers, female impersonators and live musicians. BOOT RACK SALOON 4751 Lenox Avenue, 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 Boulevard, 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 Street, 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 Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL A neighborhood bar. Everyone is welcome, but remember it is a girls bar! Beer and Wine only. 616 BAR 616 Park Street, 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 Street, 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 Avenue 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 Avenue, Jacksonville, FL This club offers good crowds every night. Recently remodeled with 3 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 Street, 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!
KWEST 705 Duval St., Key West, FL Daily Happy Hour from 3-8pm, and a piano sing-a-long every Wednesday night. Men dancing for men after 10PM. Weekly drink specials and "Wet Jockey" contests on Fridays. SALOON ONE 801 Duval Street, Key West, FL (Behind 801 Bar) This is the only gay leather bar in Key West. Conveniently located in the Bourbon Street Pub Complex.
PENSACOLA
LA TE DA 1125 Duval Street, Key West, FL An upscale hotel complex with 3 bars, cabaret and restaurant.
THE ROUNDUP 560 East Heinberg St, Pensacola, FL A neighborhood gay men’s bar... Pensacola’s Cowboy Bar. Open 2PM til 3AM daily.
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".
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 11AM - 8PM. AQUA NIGHTCLUB 711 Duval St., Key West, FL Aqua features the "Reality is a Drag" show six days a week, followed by dancing. Monday is karaoke night and don't miss the great happy hour specials from 3-8pm daily.
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 Street, 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 Road, 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 Street, West Palm Beach, FL Sushi, tropical views and tasty cocktails are accompanied by acclaimed resident DJ Daisy DeadPetals. FORT DIX BAR & CLUB 6205 Georgia Ave, West Palm Beach, FL Mostly local crowd looking to mingle and relax. The bar is a bit on the dark and dingy side, but who knows--that could be a plus.
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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 Street , 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 Northwest 6th Street, 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 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL This is a fairly average small college town gay bar. It is usually busy and crowded on Thursday nights.
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The Scoop
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By BRAD “SCOOP” CASEY
MyGayRadio.com Premieres! July 4th weekend saw the premier of MyGayRadio.com, a dance music website that is broadcast from South Florida. Over the long 4th, MyGayRadio broadcast the music played at Living Room, The Manor, Rosie’s and the Gay Tea Cruise. The response to the music station was extremely positive, with thousands of visitors tuning in from all over the country and Europe. The station streams live music 24 hours a day with a softer tone during the day and a higher energy level in the evening. MyGayRadio.com is the brainchild of Multimedia Platforms, LLC Publisher Bobby Blair and Aiden Solis, who have been working on this project for two years. MyGayRadio.Com will be broadcasting weekly from various clubs in South Florida. Any club wishing to participate is urged to e-mail Bobby Blair at Bobby@bobbyblair.com.
The ‘Quiet’ Dog Days of Summer Are Here Nothing new but the dog days of summer have arrived. Hot, humid, rainy afternoons. It occurs every year. Us locals are used to it and bide our time in our gardens, BBQ weekends, a few happy
hours during the week and maybe a soiree into the evening on a weekend. Welcome to summer in South Florida. July 4th weekend in South Florida saw a relaxed three-day weekend. There were lots of outdoor events. Beaches from Miami to West Palm Beach were blanket to blanket. Our guest accommodations were busy. From what I could see, most of our entertainment venues were busy, as well as eating out spots. Our next threeday weekend comes in September for Labor Day.
Short Takes • We understand that two, well heeled, businessmen are after a well established business on Wilton Drive! It’s turned into a bidding war between the two giants who don’t like to lose. The establishment in question is selling property and business… • The Wine Cellar on Oakland Park Boulevard has closed. The popular restaurant that featured German cuisine was under the ownership of Billy Sands, who also operates the Diner by the Sea in Lauderdale by the Sea. Sands said he closed the restaurant in order to take the summer off, but will reopen The Wine Cellar at a new location come Fall.
• Sean David beaming over customer response to the recently opened Johnny’s Miami in Miami’s upcoming entertainment district. “We are doing extremely well, one of the best things I’ve done,” he says. • The Oakland Park City Commissioner, Jed Shank, is getting some heat from the gay Sean David community for his vote against a City Proclamation honoring Gay Pride week, concurrent with the recent Stonewall Street Festival. The proclamation passed on a vote of 4 to 1. Shank said he supports Broward’s gay community, but voted against the proclamation because the commissioners did not, also, offer a proclamation honoring Father’s Day. Why he didn’t offer a proclamation for Father’s Day is the big question. Thanks for picking us up this week and remember: To have a friend, you must first be a friend. H
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If you have a “scoop” for Brad Casey, please e-mail your information to BradC@jumponmarkslist.com
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A.J. CROSS ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY/FUNDRAISER A masquerade ball and fundraiser for Covenant House will be held tonight, Thursday, July 14, from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. at Johnny's Fort Lauderdale, 1116 West Broward Boulevard. H
BOXERS AND BRIEFS AUCTION Will be held at Bill’s on Wilton Drive on Monday, July 18, starting at 8 p.m. A benefit for Tuesday’s Angels. Featuring some of the hottest bartenders in South Florida. Nikki Adams of Broward House, Miss Kitty, Russell Matheny of The Stable and Greg Phelps from Georgie’s Alibi are this year’s auctioneers and Toni Barone is this year’s special guest emcee. This year will feature a live underwear auction, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. H
BROWARD BARES IT 2011 Friday, August 19, from 7 to 11 p.m. Voted Fort Lauderdale’s #1 fundraiser. Bigger, badder and bawdier – this year is being super-sized for your pleasure! Have you ever wanted to see some of your favorite local and national singers, dancers, comedians and performers take their clothes off ? Well, here is your chance because on Friday, August 19th, inside the Paradise Live Theater at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (1 Seminole Drive in Hollywood, FL.), a host of them will be getting together for one night and taking “IT” off for you all in the name of a good cause. Broward Bares It is a hilarious, sexy, steamy and zany night of burlesque, comedy and vaudeville dance acts and songs presented onstage in a Broadway atmosphere. For more information, visit www.Browardbaresit.com. H
21ST ANNUAL POVERELLO CENTER BOWL-A-THON The teams are forming for the 21st Annual Bowl-A-Thon to be held on Saturday August 13th. Registration at 11am Bowling begins at Noon. To Register visit www.poverello.org and for more information contact Dale Madison, 954-561-3663 Ext. 123. The event will be held at the Sawgrass Lanes 8501 North University Drive, Tamarac, FL, 33321 H
LEATHER MASKED BALL POOL PARTY Sunday July 17th The Cheston House will host the Leather Masked Ball Pool Part from 1-5pm. $10donation includes beer and light food. There will be free parking for the first 25 cars. The Chesterton, 520 North Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 H
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Miami SUMMERFEST From Friday, July 22, to Sunday, July 24, a benefit for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The heart and soul of the 4th Annual SummerFest Weekend, the SummerFest Pool Party, has kicked things up a few notches by moving to the pools of the Shore Club Hotel in South Beach. Guests will get the chance to dance poolside to the beats of Deejays Miik and Charlie Rojas, while VIP guests will enjoy exclusive access to the private pool at the Shore Club Hotel Beach House. SummerFest Pool Party tickets are currently on sale: $25 in advance for general admission and $45 for VIP. Each ticket includes two free cocktails with general admission receiving two free Chambord Vodka Cocktails and VIP having the option to enjoy both Chambord Vodka and Herradura Tequila cocktails. The Shore Club will also host a Summer Sunset, a VIP cocktail reception on Friday, July 22, in its spectacular Penthouse, where guests will enjoy an open bar and tasty appetizers while experiencing one of the most amazing views in South Beach. Other SummerFest events include Summer Storm, a Saturday night dance party at Score, featuring Brazilian deejay Rafael Calvente, SummerFest Brunch on Sunday at the Lords South Beach and Summer Fling Tea Dance at the Palace on Sunday afternoon. To purchase tickets, visit www.SummerFestmiami.com. H
“CIRQUE ELOIZE” Following sold-out engagements in Montreal and Toronto, world-renowned Cirque Éloize presents the criticallyacclaimed new production. Cirque Eloize, in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil are offering a spectacular, mindblowing fusion of new theatrical circus and urban dance . There is a very special pre-sale and discount opportunity to see Cirque Éloize ID at the Adrienne Arsht Center this summer.. Tickets start at $25 - Go to www.arshtcenter.org and enter code: PREMIUMCIRQUE to receive a 15% ticket discount exclusively for MDGLCC members. Opening July 26. H
AFRICAN TREASURES; SELECTIONS FROM THE NAOMI WILZIG COLLECTION Now through August 31st, at the World Erotic Art Museum, 1205 Washington Avenue on Miami Beach. This is a presentation of the Naomi Wilzig African Art Collection featuring objects used across the continent of Africa for fertility and divination practices. Artifacts highlighted within the exhibition illustrate the characteristics of fertility worship within the home and community and continue to play dynamic roles in the lives of many societies. This exhibition explores the significance, aesthetics and purpose of African material objects as well as their social contexts. For more information, visit them online at www.weam.com. H
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Bay Area LEATHER NIGHTS AT CHELSEA Starting Tuesday, July 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Chelsea Nightclub, 1502 N. Florida Avenue in Tampa. The “be who you are bar” is opening their doors for Leathermen to have a night like no other. Come and meet the nicest, friendliest Leathermen you’ll see at a bar. Included will be a St. Andrews Cross, a spanking bench, rope spider web, cigar play, boot blacking and much more. Drink specials for men in leather, boots and another garments from 7 to 9 p.m. Leather nights at Chelsea will be held the first and third Tuesday night of every month. If you need to know more or want to be on the mailing list, please send an email to: tbrulesz@gmail.com. H
AIDS WALK ST. PETERSBURG 2011 Saturday, September 10, registration is from 8:00 a.m. Walk Starts at 10:00 a.m. from the North Shore Park in downtown St. Petersburg. Join them for the 2011 AIDS Walk St. Petersburg in sunny downtown St. Petersburg to benefit members of our community affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. Watch for more information. H
THE SUNDAY BBQ IS BACK Ybor Resort and Spa, 1512 8th Ave. (15th Street) in Ybor City. Every Sunday at 5 p.m. Lots of hot flavorful guys here lining up for some buns, wieners and other tasty items. Come on down and put some sun on those buns in our open-air tropical Asian-themed patio with Jacuzzi. Remember: what happens at the resort, stays at the resort. H
FLAMINGO BINGO Thursdays hosted by Kevin Johnson. Win free drinks and prizes from 8 to 10 p.m. Code Bar opens at 7 p.m., the Video Bar opens at 10 p.m. and don’t miss Girl’s Night in the Blu Room, which opens at 11 p.m. with $3 Miller Lite longnecks. The Flamingo Resort is located at 4601 34th St. S in St. Petersburg. For more information, visit www.flamingofla.com. H
GAY BOWLING First Thursday of each month from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Dunedin Bowling Lanes, 405 Patricia Avenue in Dunedin. For more information, call (727) 736-1282. H
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Central Florida MISS GAY FLORIDA AMERICA PAGEANT To be held at the Parliament House (410 N Orange Blossom Trail (W Livingston St) in downtown Orlando. Wednesday and Thursday, July 20 and 21, at 8 p.m. Official state preliminary to Miss Gay America. For city pageant information and locations, contact Ron Hernandez at www.facebook.com/MissGayFlorida America. Other upcoming pageants at the Parliament House: MR. FL USofA, Monday, August 8, at 9 p.m. Official state preliminary to Mr. Gay USofA. For contestant information, contact Mr. Gay USofA, David Hunter at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=150 2712644 or Darcel Stevens at www.facebook.com/darcel.stevens. MISS COMEDY QUEEN – Monday, August 22, at 9 p.m. For contestant information and seating, contact Loc Robertson at www.facebook.com/pages/MissComedy-Queen/63663618949. THE CLOSET BALL – Monday, September 26, at 9 p.m. For contestant information and rules, contact Ms. Darcel at www.facebook.com/darcel.stevens. MISS GAY ORLANDO – Monday, October 17, at 9 p.m. SUNSHINE STATE ALL AMERICAN GODDESS and ALL AMERICAN GODDESS AT LARGE – Monday, November 14, at 9 p.m. Official state preliminary to Miss All American Goddess and All American Goddess at Large. For contestant information, contact Derek at www.sunshinestateaag.com. MISS METROPOLITAN CONTINENTAL PLUS and ELITE – Monday, December 5, at 9 p.m. Official preliminary to Miss Continental Plus and Miss Continental Elite. For contestant information, contact Jim Demundo at (407) 281-2820. H
CRYSTAL WATERS LIVE Saturday, July 23, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., the Parliament House (410 N Orange Blossom Trail (W Livingston St.) in Orlando) celebrates turning 36 years old. Crystal Waters will be performing a live concert, featuring her smash-hit songs: “100% Pure Love,” “Destination Calabria,” “Gyspy Woman” and “Makin’ Happy”. Tickets are $12 Advance/$15 Door. That includes your club admission for the remainder of the evening. Satisfy your sweet tooth with complimentary anniversary cake in the Courtyard. Admission for this entire event is only $10. H
HRC DISCO BOWLING Sunday, August 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bowling fun with great music for equality. Individual tickets are $35 which includes HRC General Membership. Team price (4 to 5 people) $135/ $165 includes which HRC General Membership. Tickets for individuals/ teams can be purchased on-line with no transaction fees. Go to www.hrc.org/ orlandobowl. Sponsorships available, contact HRC-Orlando@cfl.rr.com for a sponsorship packet today. Disco Bowling wil be held at the Colonial Lanes, 400 N. Primrose Drive in Orlando. H
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C’est Magnifique A Touch of Paris in South Florida Sometimes we all need to get away from the usual. Of course, a European vacation visiting the countryside of France would be a great venue for that. But when busy schedules and/or finances do not permit such an extravagance, do not fear. We are fortunate to have a wee (or should I say “oui”) touch of France right in our own backyard. The Rendez-Vous Bakery and Bistro will permit you to enjoy a bit of French wine, food, and pastry for a fraction of the cost of a trip overseas. Rendez-Vous offers options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so whatever time of day that a desire for something French hits you, you can be assured your wish can be fulfilled. Because I generally dislike the mess and fuss of fixing breakfast, I often opt to eat my first meal of the day out. A recent Sunday morning found me seated at a roomy wooden booth at Rendez-Vous, contemplating a wide menu of options to get my day going. A crepe sounded delicious, as did something called eggs forestiere, which consists of two eggs dipped in a wild mushroom sauce. After sipping a cup of coffee, my eye was drawn to a selection of quiches on the menu. I finally decided on the quiche Florentine. It promised a puff pastry shell filled with egg batter, spinach and Swiss cheese. I asked for the
jean’s kitchen
grilled potatoes as an accompaniment, though a salad was also an option. The quiche arrived with a golden, flaky crust and a savory filling that offered a perfect blend of ingredients. It was rich without being too powerful. As I leisurely forked my way to the last bite, I vowed to return to try other quiches on the menu. My partner, going a more traditional route, selected the eggs benedict. It was a traditional benedict, but he especially enjoyed the lemony tang in the hollandaise sauce as well as its, according to him, “not too thick and gooey texture.” Lunch on another visit displayed a menu filled with both French – as well as more traditional American – fare. Several savory crepes with options such as chicken, ham or seafood sounded tempting. If you are not a carnivore, there is a vegetable crepe on the menu, as well. Several entrees, both cold and hot, also caught my attention, making a final choice even more difficult. Deciding that the theme of the bistro was clearly French, I opted for a hot entrée: merguez on a baguette. Let me explain. It offers two lamb sausages and onion marmalade on a fresh baguette. I felt as if I would be speaking French at any moment. It was a wonderfully savory choice that took me out of my food comfort zone. Rich and a tad spicy,
Fresh Spinach Pasta
The cartoon character Popeye is portrayed as having a strong affinity for spinach, becoming physically stronger after consuming it. A frequently circulated story claims that this portrayal was based on faulty calculations of the iron content. In the story, German scientist Emil von Wolff misplaced a decimal point in an 1870 measurement of spinach's iron content, leading to an iron value 10 times higher than it should have been and this faulty measurement was not noticed until the 1930s. Spinach first appeared in England and France in the 14th century, probably via Spain, and gained quick popularity because it appeared in early spring, when other vegetables were scarce and when Lenten dietary restrictions discouraged consumption of other foods. In 1533, Catherine De'Medici became Queen of France and fancied spinach so much that she insisted it be served at every meal. To this day, dishes made with spinach are known as "Florentine," reflecting Catherine's birth in Florence. • 1 1/4 cups torn spinach leaves (frozen spinach works well too, but make sure to drain it well) • 2 tablespoons water • 1 egg • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Combine spinach and water in a saucepan. Cover, and cook till spinach is very tender. Cool slightly. Place the spinach and liquid in your blender. Add the egg and salt. Cover, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute. A pasta machine is the pasta maker's BFF. Just follow these tips for a perfect dough: Use the machine for the final kneading. Run the dough through the widest setting on the machine, fold into thirds, and roll again. Continue this process until the dough is shiny and elastic. Work the dough through the settings of the machine until the desired thickness is reached. You are a chef ! H
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Jean Doherty is the Chef and Owner of Le Patio Restaurant in Wilton Manors (954) 530-4641
By TIM SLIVINSKI without any one flavor overwhelming the others, the onion marmalade offered just a touch of sweetness that contrasted well with the earthy sausage. A smoky, spicy harissa sauce on the side was offered for an extra kick! A more than generous porRENDEZ-VOUS BAKERY AND BISTRO tion of French fries —what else! 1576 East Oakland Park Blvd. — accompanied the sandwich. A fresh baguette is, to me, always a 954-563-2228 great vehicle for a sandwich. It made a the eyes. Rendez-Vous also offers a selection of perfectly filling lunch. My partner was intrigued by and selected the Assiette wines if you care to sip a bit of the Campagnarde salad. He was presented grape, either before or with your lunch with a beautifully colorful arrangement or dinner. The list leans heavily toward of mixed greens, red tomatoes, brie, pro- French varietals, as one might expect. sciutto, saucisson sec, paté and corni- The price points for both glass and bottle chons. It was a plate of freshness that selections are very reasonable. If you offered an array of textures as well as want to be truly French and summery, try a bottle of the Cote de Provence Rosé. flavors. He was pleased, very pleased. While dining at Rendez-Vous, it is Rosés from Provence are among the best imperative to take note of the day’s selec- in the world, and they offer a light, fruity, tions of pastries and desserts. Displayed refreshing contrast to the South Florida in a case along the wall, each dessert summer heat. The next time the mood for a quick looked not only delicious, but also like a work of art. Bright, vivid colors against trip to Paris strikes your fancy, sample a dark chocolate and fresh, colorful fruits touch of France right here in South in mini-tart shells beckoned each person Florida. The Rendez-Vous Bakery and to try just one. Perhaps on my next visit Bistro can transport you, at least for an I will succumb to the decadent goodness hour or two, to a quaint little bôite that and richness of at least one of them. you just happened to find along a French Nevertheless, each one was a feast for country road. H
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Try Cross Training
Put some variety into your summer routine and feel the burn! By TOM BONANTI Ancient Greeks praised the virtues of multi-sport training two thousand years ago, claiming it created wellrounded athletes who possessed bodies of strength, speed, skill and beauty. Modern tri-athletes achieve astonishing levels of fitness by combining swimming, running and cycling. This multi-sport training is called “crosstraining” and, among other great benefits, it can add real variety to your workouts. Cross-training is a super way to get and stay in shape. Simply, this method combines two or more different activities into a fitness program while avoiding overtraining injuries and boredom. The advantages of this type of training include: various parts of the body are worked to improve overall fitness; muscles and joints in one activity are rested avoiding stress related injuries; new activities are introduced into your workouts, keeping them fresh and fun. The key to cross-training is variety. Aerobics classes are great cardio-vascular training, but injuries to joints from overdoing it are common. Weight training gives you stronger,
bigger muscles, but does not bolster aerobic fitness or increase flexibility. Cycling builds mighty thighs and killer calves, but does little for your upper body. Expanding your workouts and diversifying your routine through cross-training can help you achieve several fitness goals at once (bigger bi’s and tri’s, better stamina by including some cardio, decreased body fat, etc.). Studies show that too much of one activity can lead to injury, which increases the likelihood of exercise drop out. Muscles also adapt and refuse to grow doing the same routine day-in and day-out. Cross-training avoids these crises by strengthening weaker and more underdeveloped muscles while not over-working others. In short, crosstraining can prevent you from getting burned out, fed up and bored! So, how does all of this work and how do you get started? First, break out of the box you’re in and be willing to try new things. Second, get ready to sweat and feel the burn this summer! If you’re hitting the gym 3-4 times a week to build serious muscle in your
upper body, you may want to take up running on 2 or 3 of the days you are not lifting to give your upper body a break. Running is a great heart, lung and lower body workout. If your primary form of workout is cycling (a low stress workout for lower body), try rowing on alternate days or for the second half of your workout to tighten and tone the upper body. If your major form of exercise is regular walking, try adding some laps in the pool or a light free weight routine to your fitness agenda to tighten and tone upper body. Whether you are a serious athlete in training for a sport, or a regular guy whose goal is Photo courtesy, a healthy, good looking body, KB-blogspot.com cross-training may be for you. Just be creative, enjoy yourself, get into a regular routine, and start today. For more ideas on cross training routines, send email to trainertomb@aol.com. H
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Tom Bonanti, is a certified personal trainer and owner of Pump’n Inc gym at 1271 NE 9th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Email: TrainerTomB@aol.com Facebook: TrainerTomB. On the Internet at: www.pumpnincgym.com
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The Importance of Being Grateful By MICHAEL FRENCH
“Grateful,” as defined by Webster’s, is “feeling or showing appreciation of kindness; thankful”. During the twists and turns of the day, some of us are tempted to feel overwhelmed by what’s “wrong” with life instead of taking stock and being grateful for the good we experience each day. The longer we live, the more ups and downs we will have. Our perception of life’s daily routine, events (those planned or unexpected), each triumph and defeat, dictate their impact on our emotional and physiological health. Life is a roller coaster full of peaks and valleys. Too many of us focus on the things we want to achieve in life, the things we have not yet achieved, and/or the things we do not yet have. We chase after them, gripe about not having them and wish we had what we think we don’t have. We wonder when we will get what we think we lack, and scheme to have it. It is all well and
good to have goals, to visualize and work towards them, but it is critically important to your happiness and health to take time and appreciate what’s good in your life and what you have already accomplished. Gratitude is under-rated and under-utilized. To quench our thirst, we turn the faucet and we have clean water to drink; we want light and we flick a switch; when we’re hungry, we open the refrigerator to find a cornucopia of choices to fill our belly. Do you take all that for granted or do you quietly remind yourself there are more than a billion people we share this planet with who don’t have those luxuries? When someone lets you in a line of traffic, holds the door for you or compliments you, do you glibly ignore this random act of kindness with an indifferent, obtuse sense of entitlement? Or, do you bask in the moment of this positive experience that you should feel grateful to have come your way? When your partner treats you wonderfully in every way but leaves the cap off the toothpaste, do you forget the romantic dinner he lovingly prepared for you the night before and make sure you admonish him for that more than you showed your gratitude for the delicious meal? When you aren’t grateful for the positives in your life, and acts of kindness are taken for granted or ignored like some leaf blowing down the
street, you are missing out on an important component of happiness. Why? Being grateful immediately increases your satisfaction with life and allows you to feel happier. In turn, you will accomplish more because you won’t be anchored down by negative thoughts. Instead, you’ll be more likely to let your heart and mind set sail. Focusing on things to be grateful and appreciative for reminds us of our priorities and what is fundamentally important in our lives. Showing gratitude is healthy; it’s easier to be thankful. Practicing gratitude and thankfulness is good for your blood pressure, a foe of bulge encouraging cortisol, a friend of anti-aging, inside and out. Gratitude, like misery, is contagious. You do feel better when you act grateful. Demonstrating your feeling of gratitude, send a hand-written (yes, the kind for which one uses a pen!) and write a “Thank You” note for a gift, favor, dinner party or, heaven forbid, ”just because”! You can make a real difference in some else’s day, giving them a reason to feel grateful by letting them know they are appreciated. Pay attention to the uplifting
impact on your mood when you feel thankful and when you show your thankfulness. Doing so makes you a kinder and more likable human being. Wearing a smile of gratefulness is very attractive. You’ll be surprised at the results. There are very few things in life that have the power to encourage, inspire, provide peace of mind and bring happiness all at the same time. Being overtly grateful is one of them. This is an old cliché, but its message holds true, now more than ever. “Stop and smell the roses!” Do it every day! You’ll be grateful. H
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Michael French, is Agenda’s Home from Home columnist. Contact Michael at mf7954fla@gmail.com
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Something Wonderful and Unique This Way Comes Infinite Abyss Presents “The Pillowman” A Stage Review by WARREN DAY Not all unique plays make for a good evening in the theater, and certainly most good evenings are with plays that aren’t all that unique. Yet a production company in South Florida, known as Infinite Abyss, obviously believes there’s no reason you can’t have both, as they are once again proving with their latest offering, the quite funny and very thought-provoking, “The Pillowman.” For people who care about live theater and who crave to see it done well, “The Pillowman” at the intimate Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale is the kind of evening that will restore your faith in what a community theater group can achieve. Written by the Irish playwright Martin McDonagh – who’s had four of his plays nominated for a Tony (including this one), who was also nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay of “In Bruges,” and who won an Oscar for Best Short Film in 2005 – he may be the best playwright you’ve never heard of. In “The Pillowman,” McDonagh concocts a Twilight Zone cocktail composed of equal parts Edgar Allen Poe and Roald Dahl, with a dash of Samuel Becket and a beer chaser of the Marx Brothers. When you see this play, you’ll realize that last sentence is not hyperbole, for McDonagh is brilliant at mixing
far-out comedy and startling tragedy, and in creating the kind of moments that live theater does best. The play takes place in a totalitarian state at an undetermined time; a writer of unpublished short stories has been brought in by the police for questioning, because some of his stories are too similar to several bizarre murders of children. Weaving throughout the play, we hear summaries of seven of those stories, which have the ring of allegorical parables. This play doesn’t have a message, but it does have questions, and that’s a far more honest and hopeful undertaking than all the preaching in lesser dramas and all the platitudes in situation comedies. Life is short and brutal, McDonagh seems to say, but stories can outlast fame and fortune, politics and relationships, and, for better or worse, give structure to the randomness of our lives. In every pun sense of the phrase, this play is deadly fun. And it’s been given a superb production by the director Jeffrey D. Holmes, the producer Erynn Dalton and as fine an ensemble cast as you’ll see in Florida. Holmes has an uncanny ability to get outstanding performances from his actors, particularly his lead, as is the case here with the highly talented Scott
Douglas Wilson as Katurian K. Katurian. Erynn and Jeffrey are not merely a producer and director, they are dramaturgical wizards and right now, along with their excellent cast, they are creating magic in a small theater in a big way. H
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Playing through July 30 at the Empire Stage Theatre, 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, Performances are Thurs, Fri & Sat @ 8pm. Tickets: $25. Pay online at http://infinite-abyss.com or cash only at door.
Photos courtesy, Empire Stage
When Employment Is Worse Than Unemployment “Horrible Bosses” Millions will find “Horrible Bosses” laugh-out-loud, grab-yoursides and slap-your-leg funny. That’s for sure, and for most people, that’s all they require of a summer comedy and they’ll feel no need to look underneath the carpet. Certainly this movie is a far better successor to last summer’s “The Hangover” than “Hangover II”. I say successor because in structure and intent these three comedies have a lot in common. In fact, they follow the same formula that’s been dominant in recent years as movie makers (and more pointedly, movie financers) try to attract the all-important demographic of 18 to 30. Young adults are marketplace attractive because they have more disposable income than those younger and older, and they also go out to movies a LOT more than their parents, grandparents and those with young children. This film’s premise is a crowd pleasing one about three basically nice guys taking revenge on their ever-so-horrible bosses. Now that’s a thought, if not a deed, that many can identify with, for who among
us has not felt under appreciated by a boss who deserved so little appreciation in return? Jason Bateman has the Marquis de Sade as his boss (Kevin Spacey at his snarkiest), while Jason Sudeikis, of “Saturday Night Live,” has an out-of-control cokehead for his (Colin Farrell in a very funny performance), and Charlie Day, of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” has a ball-busting, no-holds-barred nymphomaniac (Jennifer Anniston in a moldbreaking role). Granted with the recession and 9.2% unemployment, changing jobs isn’t an option for these guys, so they turn to the least likely option of murdering those who stand in the way of their workplace happiness. Maybe it’s a subliminal clue as to what bothers me about “Horrible Bosses” that I’ve used more hyphenated words in this review than I have in the last six, because the filmmakers do try to cobble together some comedic styles that don’t always mesh. At the center, we have our three protagonists as “men behaving badly,” an ever-increasing cliché in comedies that seem dedicated to
the permanent adolescentization of the American male (think of any half-dozen Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn movies). The trouble is that in order for these three-stooges-type-characters to be likable, you have to give them some extreme opponents to justify their many failings. And in the case of this movie, even that’s not enough to make their incompetence and gross immaturity palpable or playable. The writers also unleash an avalanche of vulgarisms in the mistaken notion that it makes their character more hip and their jokes funnier, to which I say “no f**king way!” What bothers me the most about these movies is that they seem to celebrate dumbness, and contribute to the anti-intelligence attitude that’s so prevalent in today’s pop culture and in today’s not-sofunny politics, perpetuating the falsehood that you can do one stupid thing after another and still come out on top. Sorry guys, but that has even less reality about it than a Kardashian family reunion. H
Photo courtesy, Warner Films
A Film Review by WARREN DAY
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Caribbean Queen: The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas By PAUL RUBIO
I once dismissed St. Thomas as nothing more than another homogeneous cruise ship destination chock full o’ fanny-packed freaks, tax-free shopaholics and predatory tourist operators, littering the streets, the mountainsides and bays with their daunting presence. Yet late last year, on my third trip to the island, I was introduced to St. Thomas’ lesser-known eastern reaches and have since reaped the rewards of taking the road less traveled. My apologies, St. Thomas. I underrated you. Far beyond the McDonald’s and the neon fanny packs, the sleepy towns in and around the east end have evolved as pockets of seaside glamour, a delicate blend of West Indian flavor and wealthy ex-pat investment. The serenity and laidback vibe on this part of the island, often lumped as Red Hook Bay, reveal a gentler, more welcoming side, and an ideal foundation for the US Virgin
The scenic vista overlooking the lovely Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas.
Photos courtesy, Paul Rubio
Island’s most esteemed resort, the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas. Straddling the downy sands and crystalline waters of Great Bay, the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, assumes its rightful role as ambassador to the island’s natural bounties and luxurious offerings. The hotel’s fortitude stems from an atypical equilibrium between traditional West Indian elegance and modern luxury. Even in its most recent renovation last year, the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas kept a style true to its location and cultural surroundings, forgoing trends of hypermodern, minimalist overhauls. Its barefoot luxury and tropical elegance are constant reminders of the beach’s splendor and the Caribbean’s vibrant colors. Every room ends in a private terrace or balcony, the ideal spot for absorbing the azure serenity and the lush hilltops dotting petite peninsulas. The spa’s outdoor treatment pavilion edges over the bay’s crashing waves, ambushing your senses with everything ocean as the world’s best therapists work magic on your body. The resort’s 53-foot catamaran, Lady Lynsey, sails into the horizon come late afternoon, grabbing a front row seat for the sun’s awe-inspiring descent. Under the twinkle of starry nights, the hotel transforms Grand Bay beach into your own private open-air dining room, with
champagne at the ready and a six-course meal at your leisure. Given its prime waterfront location, the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, teems with opportunity for taking full advantage of the sand and sea. Unlimited use of paddle boats, kayaks, Hobie cats, windsurfboards and snorkel equipment means you’ll have way too much fun traversing Grand Bay in, under and above the water. Besides her sensational sunset cruise, Lady Lynsey sets sail for neighboring St. John several times per week for a quick evening island hop to indulge in St. John’s awesome dining and bar scene (note: the tuna at Rhumb Lines is epic). Those keener on poolside R & R can enjoy the postcard perfect views from the 125 ft. free-form infinity edge pool, cocktails in hand. And those feeling a bit more private can indulge in the vistas either from the comfort of the Club Lounge (with its full Cruzan Rum Bar and unlimited champagne) or there’s always your private deck. More than a mere outpost of a highend chain, the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, discloses a multi-faceted spirit uncommon to the Caribbean. The hotel’s warm “come as you are” philosophy lends to a
rare, genuine acceptance of gay travelers, especially in this vastly homophobic region of the world. Though dozens of Caribbean hotels do carry some kind of “gay-friendly” label (especially in today’s desperate quest for the gay dollar), the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, welcomed the GLBT globetrotter and alternative families long before it was politically correct or corporately mandated. There’s simply no faking the warmth and respect I received when my partner and I vacationed here. Eighty-one countries deep into my travels, my time at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, goes on record as one of the greatest experiences of my travel-writing career. It’s undeniably one of the globe’s most well-rounded resorts, effortlessly fusing dissimilar elements of signature Ritz-Carton decadence with beachfront simplicity, facilitating a complete disconnect from the world at-large and inspiring an unexpected love for the quiet eastern shores of St. Thomas. To experience the “Caribbean Queen” visit: www.ritzcarlton.com/StThomas or call 1.340.775.3333. There is no passport required for visiting the US Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas. H
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A Reflection of Dsquared’s 2011 Spring/Summer Men’s Collection By ERIC CHRISTIAN Dsquared's 2011 Spring and Summer collection was a blast from the past with reminiscences of the 1980's and early 90's hit “Miami Vice”. We all know it wouldn't be Dsquared without a mix of color, prep and hot models with sex appeal. Celebrities, socialites and the who's who in the world watched as handsome, male models strutted down the runway in blazers and jackets tailored sharp and strong; shorts and polos in pink, turquoise and green; and high-cut denim paired with silky printed shirts that apparently have no buttons (the better to show off those abs). It seemed as if the collection started to take you around the world, from Scandinavia to Mykonos, and then to Florence, Italy. It reflected a somewhat fictional tourist that spent his vacation traveling and dressing to different parts of the countries. The crowd watched the wardrobe change as the Dsquared men explored the Norwegian coast in trench coats, a beanie, roughed-up jeans, mountain boots and a scarf. Jet-setting onto Mykonos, Greece, where the sun is shining and there's always a party. Here the Dsquared man walked down the runway in red, yellow, and bright, orange shorts and swim briefs, paired
with gladiator sandals. By night, he stepped out in colored trousers, gingham blazers, loafers, sunglasses and deck shoes. There was definitely everything a man could possibly want in this collection. Hats off to Dean and Dan Caten for such a wonderful Spring and Summer 2011 collection. H
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For styling, luxury personal shopping, editorial and shopping tours, contact fashion & style expert Eric Christian at eric@styleconciergemiami.com and online at www.styleconciergemiami.com
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EMPLOYMENT Courtyard Cafe: Seeking experienced part-time overnight shift server accustomed to high volume. Also looking for flexible part-time cooks with experience flipping eggs and making guests happy. Apply in person: 2211 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors RETAIL SALES POSITION - full or part-time available immediately! Call (954)873-3889
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HOME IMPROVEMENT Derek’s 24 HR HANDYMAN SERVICE. Introducing our new cabinet shop! For all your custom made cabinetry countertops laminates. YOU MUST SEE OUR WORK, just ask our clients. All electrical to code; ANY & ALL plumbing work, Drywall finish work / repair. Crown / baseboard pro-install, interior / exterior painting, demo work, Pressure washing, Decor tile install, Complete home up-dates. For large jobs, 4-man crew available. WE CAN HANDLE IT ALL! Instant call back, direct service response. No job is ever too small. Excellent references. Derek (954) 825-5598 or E-mail: DerekGallaway@att.net
BABYSITTING NOA SWORDY - Your local baby-sitter! Qualified pre-school teacher. Clean background check. Fluent in English, French, and Hebrew. Available day and night. Call for affordable rates. (954)579-9661
COMPUTER SERVICES
PLACE TO PALACE Home improvement and handyman services. Best rates, and smart solutions. Drywall, Painting, Tile, Doors, Wood Decks, Masonry, Purgolas, and Ceiling Fans. Turn windows into doors! Truck available for yard clean-up or apartment maintenance and moves. FREE estimates! Lic. & Ins. CC#11-FC-16297-X Cert. Ctrl#11-18694 Call Ben (954)565-9674
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EMPLOYMENT NEW MIAMI BAR A Beautiful and upscale New Gay Bar located in the heart of Downtown Miami is opening soon - we are looking for Barbacks, Security, Bartenders, Cocktail Servers, DJ's, MC, VIP Host, Cashier, Male Dancers. Also looking for an experienced Bar Mgr. and Dance Mgr. Excellent Pay and benefits. Send Photos, Resume, Contact Info to:newmiamiclub@gmail.com NIGHTCLUB POSITIONS - TWIST - The popular gay bar in South Beach seeks responsible applicants with experience for all positions. Email resume to Valentino@twistsobe.com SOUTH BEACH - Part time sales associate for adult bookstore. Send resume to kdbstyle@yahoo.com BARTENDERS - FULL & PART TIME POSITIONS available at Michele's Dining Lounge, 2761 East Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. Call Michele at 954.821.6877 or submit your resume to Michele@Michelesdl.com
LICENSED MASSAGE PROFESSIONAL THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Deep Tissue, Swedish, Reflexology, Stretching, Mon-Sun, 10AM-8PM. In/Out Calls. NON-SEXUAL. Ft Lauderdale. Call Robert (954)494-2372 Lic.# MA 19604 AWESOME MASSAGE BY JIM - Offering Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and Lomi Lomi Massage. All in a very comfortable, relaxed and Private Massage Studio conveniently located On the SE Corner of Oakland Park Blvd and Federal Hwy - Nationally Certified and Licensed MM22293 www.massagebyjim.com or call Jim Libonati (954)600-5843 info@massagebyjim.com
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SPIRITUALITY CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRITSONG Welcomes you to come and worship with us every Sunday at 10 am and every Wednesday night at 8 pm. We meet at the SpiritSong 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. DIGNITY FT LAUDERDALE - Roman Catholic Mass every Sunday 7 PM at Holy Angels CC 2917 NE 6th Ave, Wilton Manors. Monthly socials and more. There is always room at our table. Dignityftl@bellsouth.net.
UPHOLSTERY RENTALS / FTL WILTON MANORS AREA - Very nice 2/1, CAC, tile floors, private patio & parking, W/D hook-ups, dishwasher, hurricane windows, gated entry. $1,000/mo. F/L/S Call (954)682-9428 SOUTH MIDDLE RIVER - Charming studio apt. featuring lush landscaping, parking, and laundry facilities. POOL, friendly neighbors and roaming peacocks add to the fun! $595/mo. Utilities included! Brad (954)200-0166 2/1 CONDO ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF WILTON MANORS. Pool, located on the canal, dead end street; near I-95 and Oakland Pk Blvd. Dish washer. Includes cable and water. Coin laundrt machines located on property. $800/month. Call 954.937.3872. WILTON MANORS GAY COMPLEX - Remodeled 1/1, CAC, Tile Floors, Heated Pool, Pets OK. One Block to Wilton Drive! $800/mo.-$1700 moves you in. Call (954)600-0620 WILTON MANORS 2/1 DUPLEX - CAC, tile floors, fenced yard, plenty of parking! Pets OK! $895/mo. F/S (954)608-8305 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 included. Call Naim Naqi, Broker/ SFG, Realtors (954)565.2025
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WILTON MANORS - 9 Unit gay complex 1/1- 129 NW 25th Street. Clothing optional Pool, tile floors, private patio/yard. No dogs. $715/mo. F/S (954)326-9096 MIDDLE RIVER TERRACE - Newly Renovated 1/1, private fenced yard, very clean, window wall a/c, great location by Wilton Drive. $759/mo. Call (954)683-4411 Re/Max Preferred.
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ELITE RELOCATION MOVING & STORAGE We've provided quality moves for over 30 years. It's always a smooth move when you choose Elite Relocation. Contact us today at 954-975-8660 - www.elitemoving.com
LAKERIDGE 3/2 - Apartment is part of multi-family property. Great rental price on a property listed for short sale. $1250/mo. Call 954-683-4411. Re/Max Preferred
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 GUYS and DOLLIES. Moving * Storage * Packing * Crating * Shipping. “A” Rated Member of the BBB Register Movers since 1976. Major credit cards accepted. For free price quote, Call (954) 566-1270
PET SITTING
SOUTH MIDDLE RIVER - With Shared Pool. Detached, private. Large granite kitchen, more. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, direct access to W/D, and courtyard with pool, pet okay. $1100/mo. Call 954-683-4411 Re/Max Preferred OAKLAND PARK - Efficiency For the Small Budget: New kitchenette being installed now. Ready by 7/1. Hot water, garbage, electric included. $625/mo. Call 954-683-4411. Re/Max Preferred
FURNISHED / RENTALS / FTL PERFECT RELOCATION RENTALS – 3-6 MONTHS From $295/week & $1100/month Beautiful Studio, 1 & 2 BR Apts. Turn key, fully furnished & equipped, clothing optional pool, laundry, parking. Close to Gay & Nude Beaches. Pets Welcome. Includes utilities, cable, telephone, Wi-Fi Internet. 954-927-0090 or visit www.LibertySuites.com
ROOMMATES WILTON MANORS – Room to Rent, $500/mo. Newly decorated room in a 2/2 condo, includes all utilities, use of WiFi internet, cable TV, Laundry facilities on site, Swimming pool, within walking distance of Wilton Drive and all its Bars/ Restaurants. non smoking/ no pets. John: 954 709 2138 OAKLAND PARK 3/2 TO SHARE – Large room 11 X 17, huge closet, shared bath, pool, spa, tiki bar, W/D, CAC, parking. $650/mo. all utilities included. w/ cable and internet! No drunks/drugs, must love dogs. Ref req. Available 8/1 Call 954-980-1123
GOLD COAST UPHOLSTERY - Re-upholstering, Cushions, Throw pillows, Large selection of fabric to choose from or bring in your own fabric. Broward / Dade. Palm Beach. Call Edgar (954) 491-4937
JEWELERY
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