from the publisher Welcome to this month’s edition of Central Florida’s Hotspots. First, I would like to welcome the newest member of Hotspots, Mr. Harry Miranda. Harry has been associated with Hotspots for many years as an event planner and marketing specialist. I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled we are that he has agreed to step up as the Account Executive for Central Florida. Harry has recently relocated to Orlando with his fiancé Michael and we wish them the very best! I would also like to give a special shout out to Brett Yancy for all of his support over the years. Harry can be reached at Harry@Hotspots.LGBT. We hope you enjoy this month’s edition as we are especially proud of our exclusive Florida interview with Cher who is coming to Jacksonville, Orlando, Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale. There is also a special feature on the success of the Doctor Philips Center, and the inaugural Venice Pride event. If you do nothing else this month (and we hope that is not the case) please GET OUT AND VOTE! We need to bring civility back to politics and you need to have your voice heard for the sake of all of our futures. Hotspots is proud to be the voice of Florida’s vibrant LGBT community for more than 30 years and for that, we thank you!
Central Florida Edition November 2018
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on the inside
Central Florida Edition November 2018
Exclusive Interview with Cher Icon talks 'hope' gleaned from the LGBTQ community, 'breadcrumbs' of her legacy and that time she jumped out a window.
content: • What’s Hot Central Florida • Hot Bodies • Hot Advice
this month’s features: • Interview with Cher • Dr. Phillips Center • Venice Pride Festival • Screen Queen
hot shots • Miss Florida F.I. • Come Out With Pride Orlando • Around Town with Amy Demilo • Oktoberfest Tampa
What’s HOT ...everything you need to plan your month
what’s hot everything you need to know
to plan your month
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Welcome once again to the What's Hot column, where we keep you in the loop with lots of important nightlife events in Tampa Bay, Orlando, and points in between. We're also your connection to many activities and events organized by local LGBT service organizations and chambers of commerce. Want to know What's Hot this month? Read on!
Thursday, November 1 The Flamingo Resort presents the Brotherhood of Bears Weekend from today through
Sunday, November 4th. The weekend will be filled with
fun, frolicking and many events. For more info: FlamingoFla.com Friday, November 2 Gays On The Move is kicking off their first Friday of upcoming events happening at Stonewall Bar Orlando. Animal House will bring Orlando's most daring men as they bring their wildest, skimpiest, and kinkiest Toga looks. Speaking of which, you can dress in full fetish gear or come as you are-so long as you feel sexy and ready to TOGA! Abandon your worries and get lost in their misfit frat house where everyone is welcome to party! Hosted by ΣΩΒ House Mutha Lacie Browning with special guest entertainer Adrian Padron (Mr Ms Adrian), and special guest DJ JB Burgos, ΣΩΒ House DJ Skinner. There will also be a Toga & Wet Underwear Contest,
Fraternity Games, Paddle/Hazing Station so, assemble your squad, charge up, and join Animal House! Saturday, November 3
SunCoast Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) announces Venice's first Pride Festival today from 1 pm to 5 pm at 3276 E. Venice Avenue, Venice, FL. Senior Co-Pastors of SunCoast MCC, Reverend
Dr. Nancy Wilson and Reverend Vickie Miller, are excited to host Venice's first Pride Celebration. For more information go to veniceflpride.com. Amalie Arena presents Twenty One Pilots in their Bandito Tour at 7pm. Tickets start at $35.75 at Amaliearena.com. Sunday, November 4
Straz Center for the performing Arts presents Straz Live! at Curtis Hixon park starting at 2pm. Now an annual community event to kick off their new season, Straz LIVE! in the Park is a family-friendly mash-up of an afternoon picnic, a concert in the park and a block party featuring live entertainment of popular Broadway tunes, favorite opera arias and a surprise guest or two. They will also have food trucks on site. This event is free, but they do have reserved tables of eight for just $125 located in front of the stage, and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
METRO services. Through entertainment they will reduce the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS and educate the community. The night is hosted by Ms. Kiala Santi, and the categories are: Presentation: "This is We" HIV Prevention Self Expression: Demonstrating the fight Against HIV/AIDS, Talent (5-7 minutes), Evening Gown: Household Realness, (Gowns must be made out of household items), and Q&A Segment. Registration: $25 to be paid between noon and 3pm day of pageant. $500 grand prize, $250 1st runner up, and $125 2nd runner up. Entry is an $8 suggested donation, which benefits Metro Wellness & Community Center. Tuesday, November 6
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall presents singer, composer, and actor, Lyle Lovett, whose career has spanned 14 albums. Coupled with his gift
Southern Nights Tampa presents the Miss Shave My Face House Pageant. This pageant presents the opportunity for performers to creatively showcase their talents and entertain the audience while learning new and exciting ways to have safer sex and about available
for storytelling, Lyle fuses elements of Americana, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in his live performances. Lyle's college buddy Robert Earl Keen has blazed a trail that's earned him living-legend (not to mention pioneer) status in the Americana music world. "Whenever Kindness Fails," "A Bigger Piece of Sky" and "The Road Goes on Forever"
have made him a songwriter's songwriter. Curtain goes up at 8pm with tickets starting at $57 at VanWezel.org Friday, November 9 The Tampa Improv presents Steve-O: The Bucket List from the infamous Jackass TV Show. Since then, Steve-O has
had continued success, as a New York Times best-selling author with the release of his memoir, Professional Idiot, and he has established himself as a force in the world of stand-up comedy. He's even landed a handful of acting roles in film and TV. Catch Steve-O today and tomorrow, November 10. Tickets are only $25 at ImprovTampa.com. Saturday, November 10 Dr. Phillips Center Presents Vince Gill In Association With AEG Presents at 8pm. Vince is one of the most popular singers in modern country music, and is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Since his breakthrough in 1990, Gill has won 21 GRAMMY Awards, entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, eight awards from the Academy of Country Music, and was inducted into
the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In August 2012, Gill was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tickets from: $39.50 at Drphillipscenter.org. A lot of us already have our minds on gift giving, decking the halls, and warm gatherings with friends and family - but it's not really the
holidays in Orlando without the annual tradition of the Festival of Trees, which starts today and goes through Sunday, November 18 from 10am to 5pm. Tickets are now on sale for Council of 101's annual event, which transforms the Orlando Museum of Art (2416 North Mills Ave.) into a winter wonderland with sparkling trees, glittering holiday vignettes and stunning décor. Now in its 32nd year, the Festival of Trees is celebrating the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Visitors can admire designer Christmas trees of all sizes, custom wreaths, a gingerbread village and more, all created by Orlando's finest designers. Each piece is available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Orlando Museum of Art. Tickets can be purchased in person, over the phone by calling 407-896-4231 ext. 254, or online through Eventbrite. For more information go to: omart.org/events/festival_of_ trees.
Thursday, November 15 The Orlando Improv presents Piff The Magic Dragon in The Dog Who Knows 2018 Tour. The star of NBC's America's Got Talent and Penn & Teller: Fool Us, who has over 100 million online views, 200,000 tickets sold, a residency on the Las Vegas strip now extended throughout 2018 and sold out shows across North America, is coming to Orlando. The Dog Who Knows 2018 Tour features never-before-seen tricks, all new jokes, and Mr Piffles in his latest disguise as a mind reading marvel. Piff plays today through Saturday November 17, with tickets only $25 at: theimprovorlando.com Friday, November 16 Dr. Phillips Center Presents In Dreams: Roy Orbison in Concert: The Hologram Tour where Roy will be performing his greatest hits, accompanied on stage by a live orchestra at 8pm. Recognized universally as one of the great rock and roll legends, Orbison's catalogue includes such chart-toppers as Oh, Pretty Woman, You Got It, Only the Lonely, Crying, I Drove All Night, It's Over and In Dreams. This tour will allow fans the chance to experience one of the most iconic figures in the history of music in a thrilling way as Orbison and his trademark
three-octave range voice comes back to the stage he commanded for decades. Tickets start at $44 at Drphillipscenter.org. Saturday, November 17
Straz center for the Performing Arts presents Diavolo Dance Theatre: Architecture In Motion at 8pm. The daredevil dance spectacle from America's Got Talent returns for more shocking, breathtaking danceacrobatics. For 20 years, Diavolo has invented
movement dynamite between its dancers and giant sets of skate ramps, wheels, interlocking boxes and abstract sculptures. With explosive and unexpected flips, leaps, turns, partnering and tests of trust, the company pushes the limits of the ever-present question of when to hold on and when to let go. “The result is dazzling” (Newsday). Tickets start at $22.75 at: StrazCenter.org
The Parliament House presents, direct from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10, Finalist Kameron Michaels. Admission is 410 inc advance and $15 at the door, with VIP $20. Neema's Amor, upscale Latin Night, at Stonewall Bar Orlando presents Ashley La Chica Bomba "Live," where
they invite you to join them for a one night only Performance by the legendary Merengue sensation. Doors open at 9pm with admission only $10 before 10pm, and $20 thereafter. The drag show is at 12am starring: Saphyre L'Sweet Cardoza, Lisa Marie Gonzalez, and Nouba Soleil. Friday, November 23 The Orlando Improv presents TJ Miller, who is one of the most sought after comedians in the world. He was named one of Variety's “Top 10 Comics to Watch,” and EW's “Next Big Things in Comedy”. TJ has been in many movies and ahs done a tremendous amount of voice over work. Catch him today and tomorrow, November 24 with tickets only $25 at theimprovorlando.com The Tampa Improv presents Tim Meadows tonight and tomorrow, November 24th. One of the longest-running cast members in the 41-year history of Saturday Night Live, this versatile comedian crafted some of the series' most memorable characters during his 10 years on the popular late night show. He has also starred in many movies and guest starred on mny TV shows. Tickets are only $20 at: ImprovTampa.com Saturday, November 24
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall presents Grammy Awardwinner KC and The Sunshine Band who are celebrating 40 years of making booties shake! Led by Harry Wayne “KC” Casey, a Florida native, and his band are best known for hits
like “Get Down Tonight,” “That's the Way (I Like It),” “Boogie Shoes” and “Rock Your Baby.” Come and “Shake Your Booty” – you'll be dancing in the aisles! The show begins at 8pm with tickets starting at $52. Tuesday, November 27 Elton John 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' Tour makes two stops in Central Florida. The first is at the Amway Arena and the second is on November 28 at Amalie
Arena. The 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour will consist of more than 300 shows across five continents, hitting North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia before reaching its conclusion in 2021. These dates mark the superstar's last-ever tour, the end of half a century on the road for one of pop culture's most enduring performers. Elton's new stage production will take his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits like no one has ever seen before. Tickets are expensive, but well worth it to see one of the superstars of or generation in his final tour! Fairwinds Broadway in Orlando presents Hello, Dolly at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from today until December 2. Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley stars in Hello, Dolly! – the universally acclaimed smash that NPR calls “the best show of the year!” Winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, director Jerry Zaks' “gorgeous” new production (Vogue) is “making people crazy happy!” (The Washington Post). Breaking box office records week after week and receiving thunderous raves on Broadway, this Hello, Dolly! pays tribute to the original work of legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion – hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history. Tickets start at $39.25 at Drphillipscenter.org
Email WhatsHot@HotspotsMedia.com to have your event considered for “What’s Hot.”
By Peter Clark
“I'd like to punch him in the face...”
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Be afraid because our country is on a collision course where the lines between love and hate collide and people are literally being killed over ideological differences. Unfortunately, our LGBT community is no stranger to malicious attacks and bigotry. I don't need to remind you of the Stonewall Riots in 1969 or Matthew Shepard being beaten to death, and of course, the Pulse Nightclub massacre. I could have never imagined that the same hatred is still being spread through vicious lies and falsehoods. This time, however, the bully pulpit has the seal of the President of the United States on it. Yes, the leader of the free world can say, “I'd like to punch him in the face,” at a rally with virtually no pushback. It goes downhill from there and the sad part is that our founders could have never envisioned an America where the checks and balances of our democracy would be so far askew. Our hearts go out to the victims of the vicious act of hate at the Pittsburgh
synagogue, not to mention the malicious packages that were mailed to political leaders, including our very own Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and more. The time for inaction has long past and you have the most valuable tool at your disposal to stop this right now. Get out and vote! This is how democracy works and you only have once chance per election cycle to have your voice heard. If you think that your vote won't make a difference, just remember back to the 2016 election where a handful of votes turned critical states over to give Donald Trump the electoral college and the Presidency. Remember Pulse, remember the brave kids at Stoneman Douglas and remember the bombs that were mailed out from right here in our backyard. I long for the days when a heated conversation was over teachers' wages, equality and health care. Bring back civility by voting on election day and have your voice heard for what matters to you. Sitting at home and doing nothing is not an option if you want to be the change you want to see.
By Chris Azzopardi
Cher is so low-key about being Cher that calling her is like calling your mom. “Hi,� she purrs with signature simplicity when I phone her presidential suite. We are speaking matter-of-factly about
PHOTOS: Machado Cicala
Armed with a cannon of glittery ABBA bops, Cher has come to our rescue once again with an ode to the Swedish disco-pop supergroup titled – what else? – “Dancing Queen,” her 26th album and first since 2013's “Closer to the Truth.”
gay things, political things, Twitter things (“I'm finished with the emojis that we have”). About going to Walgreens and trying to remember why she went to Walgreens. This seems so very … normal? Certainly, Cher is the most multi of multi-hyphenates – fiery human rights activist, Auto-Tune
pioneer, a unicorn, the Phoenix – but no, not at all normal. Not from down here, where we've basked in the longreigning diva's treasure trove of film and music and bedazzled Bob Mackie costumes, and admired her ability to get down, do a five-minute plank (seriously), and somehow get back up again. That motion is the time-tested motion of Cher's enduring six-decade career. It's where grit meets guts meets glitter. Our Oz, our Wonderland; a safe, shimmering space providing escapist refuge since the 1960s, a span which has seen Sonny (Bono, her late ex-husband) and Cher, anthemic rock and gay dance, inventions and reinventions – Cher's mere existence brought us closer to those within our own community, and closer to ourselves. She has three Golden Globes, a Best Actress Oscar (for Moonstruck), a Grammy (for “Believe”) and an Emmy (for Cher: The Farewell Tour), and in December, she'll be the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for her indelible contributions to culture. But Cher's superheroine, Hollywood-royalty sheen isn't without genuine normalperson realness. Unlike “Believe,” there is nothing artificially manufactured about Cher's no-nonsense, everywoman, Walgreens-shopper persona. Because even when her sequins glisten like a galaxy of stars on a lit Vegas stage, when she's floating high above you in majesticgoddess fashion, and when she's still wearing a variation of her “If I Could Turn Back Time” music video one-piece at her current age of 72, Cher does the least pop icon thing a pop icon can do: remind you she's still living in your world. In July, she did her gay-icon due diligence by helicoptering onto the set of Mamma Mia 2! Here We Go Again to play the role she'd been playing in front of the world, most discernibly to generations of baby-gays and grown-up gays: maternal pillar. When I met Cher in 2016 on Halloween at a fundraiser stop for Hillary Clinton in the suburbs of Michigan, I was struck by her Cher-ness, the glitzy legend momentarily eclipsed by her warm, inviting humanness. Armed with a cannon of glittery ABBA bops, Cher has come to our rescue once again with an ode to the Swedish disco-pop supergroup titled – what else? – Dancing Queen, her 26th album and first since 2013's Closer to the Truth. In December, The Cher Show, the musical about her life, which she is co-producing, officially opens on Broadway. And next year, because she just can't help herself, she will embark on a tour appropriately titled Here We Go Again. The night we spoke, Cher was laid-back, reflective and full of hearty chuckles as she talked about that Walgreens detour, kissing Silkwood co-star Meryl Streep, the wedding dress she'd wear to Trump's impeachment party, the “breadcrumbs” of her legacy, Twitter, the devil, jumping out of a window – and not only her long-standing influence on the LGBTQ community, but our influence on her.
Cher, I have a story you probably haven't thought about in some time: its 2016, you're at a Walgreens in Flint, Michigan, on Halloween. You were there campaigning for Hillary and some Walgreens shopper told you they loved your Cher costume. Yes! Oh my god! Wasn't that, like, the weirdest experience at the Walgreens?!
You tell me. I wasn't there! Haha! I needed to go into the Walgreens for something. Or: I had a moment to breathe ... I don't know. I went into Walgreens and I was looking for something, and then the girls who were helping me realized it was me, and then there was a whole kind of hubbub thing and all these little trick-or-treaters came in as I was leaving. So they were all outside and I piled them into the limousine and we were hanging out in there. I mean, I was supposed
Well... yes. Haha! But I have to tell you something: These songs are not easy. You'd think, “Oh, they're pop-y and Björn (Ulvaeus) and Benny (Andersson) and the girls start to get into them,” and they're not. No more Mr. Nice Guy! They're rough songs. And they're much more intricate than I thought, but I had a great time. Some of them are easier, and some of them have some rough spots.
You could've easily found enough inspiration in the world's current plight for another album like your 2000 indie album Not Commercial, which was dark. But we don't need that right now! We need ABBA right now! If anything, we need to not be brought down because everything is so terrible. I was just talking to this one boy who came in and he was asking me what did I really think and I said, “Babe, I think the picture's bleak. I think everyone's gotta vote.”
Thankfully, Dancing Queen is a slice of gay heaven in hell. Well, look, I wasn't doing it for that, but I'm happy if it can make people happier than they were before they heard it.
When were you first aware that the LGBTQ community identified you as a gay icon? I don't think I was when I was with Sonny. I think it happened on The Sonny and Cher Show (which ran from 1976-1977), somehow. I don't know – I don't know how that happens. I mean, how does it happen? I have no idea! It's just like, we made a pact and we're a group and that's it.
But you were seeing more of the LGBTQ community come out at some point? There was a switch?
to be going to a whole bunch of fundraisers – I ended up making them, of course – and I was busy playing with the kids.
Are you frequently mistaken for a Cher impersonator? Because, I mean, how often would the real Cher be at a Walgreens?
Yeah, there was a change, there was definitely a change. And I think it was when I was not with Sonny anymore, and then somehow it all started to click. But I always had gay friends. I actually almost got arrested at a party with my best friend at school. He was gay but he couldn't let anybody know, and he wanted me to go with him to a party and the party got raided. And we jumped out the bathroom window! It was high. We had to go over the bathtub into the window and jump out.
Right? And in Flint! Well, probably not often. Ha! But you know, the minute I start talking, they pretty much know it's me.
And you got away?
You're hard on yourself when it comes to your music. Are you happy with Dancing Queen?
Do you recall the moment that galvanized you to stand up as an ally for the LGBTQ community?
I think I did a good job. Now whether people are gonna like it…
Less studio drama than that time you stormed out on producer Mark Taylor after recording “Believe”?
Yep.
I'm not sure there was a moment; I'm not sure what it was. I just feel that, probably, there was a moment where guys thought I was just one of you. It's like, there's a moment where
you're either part of the group and you're absorbed into the group and people love you as part of the group, or they don't even know you're alive, you know? Gay men are very loyal. Look, I have a friend (makeup artist) Kevyn Aucoin – he's dead now – but he told me when he was young, he was growing up in some place in Louisiana and said how horrible it was to have to hide and be frightened, and he said he loved listening to Cher records. I think that's a dead giveaway! Haha! If you want to hide being gay, do not buy Cher records! And I had another friend who had a Cher poster on his wall. I don't remember where he came from – some small town too – and his dad ripped it off the wall and he bought another one, put it inside his closet and said it was a way to really be who he was in spite of who his dad wanted him to be.
When in your life have you felt like the LGBTQ community was on your side when the rest of the world maybe was not? Always. I remember when I was doing (the play) Come Back to the Five and Dime (in 1976) and we had standing room only before we got reviewed, and after we got reviewed nobody came except the community – the community, and little grey-haired old women who came to matinees. We managed to stay open until we could build back up the following. Also, the gay community, they just don't leave you, they stay
with you; that's one thing that always keeps you going.
What does that loyalty mean to you? There's been sometimes where I was just, you know, heartbroken about things, but it always gives you hope when there are people who think that you're cute and worthwhile and an artist. It's a great thing to have in your back pocket.
Your mother once told you when you were a child: “You won't be the prettiest, you won't be the most talented, you won't be the smartest, but you are special.” What kind of mark did that leave on you? It just left some sort of indelible, interior tattoo. Because I have gone through so much shit in my life. I can't tell you how many times people have written, “She'll be gone by next year.” I remember I got really pissed off at somebody and I went, “I'll be here and you'll be gone.” I don't think I believed it at the time, but I was just angry.
So what you're saying is what I've longed to hear: You're immortal. Well, no, I'm not saying that. Ha! I'm just saying I can be really pissy.
At the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again premiere in July, you and Meryl Streep kissed on the lips. Was that meant to be the Silkwood reunion the internet wanted it to be? Haha! No! We were just thinking it was stupid! It was so dumb! Meryl came behind me and I
hope: I would hope that, look, I didn't go through it that easily. Both times. When I found out Chaz was gay, I didn't go through it that easily; when I found out Chaz was (transitioning) ... except we talked about it a lot, actually. But then Chaz didn't mention it anymore, so I kind of forgot. And what I think is, there's such a fear of losing the child you love, and what will replace that child. I think it's about the fear, mostly. I felt, who will this new person be? Because I know who the person is now, but who will the new person be and how will it work and will I have lost somebody? And then I thought of something else: I thought, my god, if I woke up tomorrow and I was a man, I would be gouging my eyes out. And so I know that if that's what you feel then that must be so painful that it doesn't make any difference what anyone else feels or what anyone else thinks. Chaz is so happy now and we get along better than ever.
You're known to speak your mind. When's the last time your mouth got you into trouble?
didn't know it, and then we turned to each other, she looked up at me and she said, “You weren't this tall yesterday!” And we laughed. And we just kissed! I had on my 10-inch heels, and you can see how tall I am next to her and we just thought it was funny. I said, “Kiss me!” And we just kissed! I have to tell you something: She is funny. She is wicked funny! And I don't know that she gets to show that side all that often, but she's wicked funny and she just will do anything for a lark. She's got a really great serious side, but she's got this really hysterical side too.
How do you hope your role as the mother of a trans son, Chaz Bono, has influenced other parents of LGBTQ kids? This is what I think, and this is what I would
I think it was my fingers that got me into trouble last time. I had to delete a couple of things that I tweeted, which now what I do is: If I'm gonna just go off on a rant, I do it first, I look at it, I delete it, but I take a picture of it first and then I have it. Then I decide if I really wanna put it on my Twitter or if I really wanna tweet it – or if I got it out of my system. I said something that I thought was really funny but obviously the people on Trump's side didn't feel it was funny and I got so much shit that I didn't expect.
There seems to be a fair amount of homophobes who you end up calling out. Yeah. I mean, I don't know what they are. There's just so much phobia of everybody. You've gotta be the same color, you've gotta like the same things, you've gotta be the same religion. It's like if you're not one of them, you're an enemy.
You're known for your emojis – do you have a go-to? I have a few of them. I have cake when I'm really happy, I have a ghost when I'm really happy, and when I'm really, really happy I put them together. I wish I had something that was more than the guy who's got the blue head that is screaming. I wish I had somebody with a scream and his head was coming off the top of his body. I really wish there were better emojis. I'm finished with the emojis that we have.
Am I hearing right: You're done with emojis? Yeah, stick a fork in 'em! I just want there to be more. I like the emoji that's the red-faced one with all the little signs over his mouth, which I always imagine is “fuck.” That's what I put instead of the letters because they just get so angry. But also, I use the guy with the zipper across his mouth because I can't say that. I have little fans, so I have to stop using that.
A new phase!
And we'll all go on a honeymoon after. Yes, we'll go on one big honeymoon forever afterwards. I don't see that happening because I think that there too many really smart people, in the devilish kind of way. All those people who are advising him, they're really smart. But they're really from the dark side. I don't mean the actual devil in reality – not that I think that there is a devil in reality – but just a real dark side of gutting the entire government and gutting everything that was meant to preserve our safety and the water and the air and the land and schools and healthcare and all of it.
When it comes to our current pop landscape – Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, et cetera – who do you think does or doesn't have the staying power that you've demonstrated throughout your entire career? Gosh, I don't know. It's really hard to know until there's more time under their belts, do you know what I mean? There's got to be a little bit more time under their belts to know that. I think they've all done a pretty good job so far, but I think you've gotta have ... like, I'm 54 years into this business, so I think we have to wait a minute.
I've been thinking a lot about how we interpret an artist's legacy after Aretha passed, and every time an icon passes on. Do you think about yours and what you hope that will be? Cher new CD “Dancing Queen” is available for purchase and her new tour “Here We Go Again Tour” hits 4 Florida cities: Fort Myers (Jan 17); Fort Lauderdale (Jan 19); Orlando (Jan 21); Jacksonville (Jan 23). To purchase the new CD or tickets to her tour go to: Cher.com
You could send out the shit emoji and you know what, Cher, the gays would go wild. Oh, I've done that before! I put a bull and that together for when I think, “Oh, this is such bullshit.”
You know, I don't really think about it. The only provision I've made is: I want all my friends and family to go to Paris and have a big party. I'm gonna fly everybody to Paris and have a big party. But no, I don't think about it too much because it's like, thinking about it can't do me any good. It is what it is, and to think about it, what will that get me? Kind of nothing. Also, what's really great is there's music left behind and there's film left behind, you know? I'm gonna leave a trail. I'll leave breadcrumbs.
What will you be wearing to Trump's impeachment party? Well, I think that we're all a little bit too premature for that, because I don't think that's gonna happen. But in my dreams I will be wearing something – oh, I think I'll wear a wedding dress! Haha! I think I'll just wear a white wedding dress. And a veil.
To symbolize? Just purity and excitement and something new.
As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter
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From July 2017 to June 2018, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts experienced a 10 percent, year-over-year increase in operating revenue earned from the shows and events it presents. The strong results cap four years of growth in operating revenue, now up 48 percent since the arts center opened in November 2014. “It's remarkable for a start-up to achieve such strong financial results,” said Jim Pugh, chair of the Dr. Phillips Center, and chair and CEO of Epoch Residential. “The operating team has essentially gone from zero to 60 in two seconds flat,” he said. “They've hit their targets and grown revenue each and every year, and are truly delivering on their core community mission. As a board, we are pleased and proud of their accomplishments.” The arts center also received a number of awards and accolades, including the 2018 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. Dr. Phillips Center was selected first among 133 IAVM performing arts center members from around the world, and was recognized for its operational excellence, safety and
security, team building and service to the community. Also last year, TripAdvisor awarded the arts center a Certificate of Excellence; Playground Magazine named it the number one performing arts venue; and Orlando Magazine named the arts center first for local live music venues. “In many ways, we hit our stride this year,” said President Kathy Ramsberger, who attributes the arts center's success to its operating as a business enterprise, focusing on earned income while earmarking annual contributions to mission and community-based support. “We're taking an aggressive approach to programming our theaters, including selfpresenting an increasing number of shows, which increases our revenue margins,” she said. “We're also committed to booking entertainment that appeals to a wide variety of tastes, ages and ethnicities, up to and including curating and presenting our own programming. “It's an exciting time to be at the Dr. Phillips Center.” For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to: DrPhillipsCenter.org
Love where you live.
Skyline Fifth. On the corner of hip and cool.
skylinefifthapartments.com 727.327.1444
hot shots photos by juan saco mironoff & stephen r. lang
46th Annual Miss Florida F.I. Winner: Jazell Barbie Royale
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SunCoast Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) announces Venice’s first Pride Festival on Saturday, November 3, from 1 pm to 5 pm at 3276 E. Venice Avenue, Venice, FL. Senior CoPastors of SunCoast MCC, Reverend Dr. Nancy Wilson and Reverend Vickie Miller, are excited to host Venice's first Pride Celebration. The official theme of this inaugural event is We Are Here. "It is time for us to engage the LGBTQ community and our allies locally because visibility and coming out helps to create safety and progress in human rights for everyone”, said Reverend Dr. Nancy Wilson. "We believe that our region has a lot to offer in the way of talent, pride, and fun and are committed to making the diversity and
strength of our community visible in Venice", said Reverend Vickie Miller. Food, drinks, and entertainment will be available. Admission and parking are free. The festivities will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:30 pm, with elected officials and special guests. The roster also includes a unique “Pet Blessing” event along with a contest and a parade of pets in pride attire. A complete schedule of the day will be published soon. They welcome sponsors and vendors as many local organizations are already expressing enthusiasm and are coming on board to make this event a success! For more info, go to veniceflpride.com.
By Chris Azzopardi
Screen Queen • Fall 2018 Won't You Be My Neighbor? ---------------For over 30 years, national treasure Fred Rogers welcomed kids who felt different to his “neighborhood.” Maybe you were there, enchanted by the trolley and talking puppets. Maybe you, like me, felt like you didn't fit in with the other kids, and maybe, again like me, Mr. Rogers made you feel more at home in this big, scary world – for 30 minutes every day during his longtime PBS children's show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, anyway. Uncertain, divisive times like ours call for another soul-soothing balm, and documentarian Morgan Neville, who rightfully won an Oscar for 20 Feet From Stardom, delivers just that with his Rogers-centered doc Won't You Be My Neighbor?. Perhaps most surprising to those watching his show as a child: Rogers was a quiet gay and civil rights activist, demonstrated by the casting of gay, black actor François Clemmons, who portrayed Officer Clemmons. In the doc,
Clemmons extols Rogers' no-barriers-for-love inclusiveness and compassion for everyone, recalling his special bond with Rogers, whom he considered a father figure. Beyond interviews with Neighborhood cast members and Rogers' kin, as well as archival conversations with Rogers himself, vintage footage dating back to the show's 1968 premiere is featured, including an early episode with Rogers as his alter-ego cat puppet, Daniel Striped Tiger, expressing through song feelings of inferiority. It'll wring your eyes dry, but save some tears for the rest of this moving trip down memory lane, a tightly constructed tribute to Rogers' philosophies on love and kindness for a world still trying to grasp both. Love, Simon -----------------------------------You can think Love, Simon isn't enough because it isn't. Not yet, anyway. Gay culture has long reveled in queer art-films with niche-queer narratives, where societal pressures befell closeted cowboys in Brokeback Mountain, and where homosexuality and blackness intersected in Moonlight. Comparatively, Love, Simon is one serviceable but slighter-in-scope pop bop. But if you saw it in a theater with crying teens and their crying moms, like I did, then you know the movie's banality alone –
finally, gay people get their John Hughes film – is groundbreaking. Directed by Greg Berlanti from a script based on 2016's young-adult bestseller Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agend_, I didn't expect Love, Simon to deliver highbrow gay cinema – not if its first order of business was to let queerness live in many of the same rom-com conventions as any Sandra Bullock or Jennifer Garner lovefest. And on that same massive level, in wide release on the big screen, where gay teen Simon miserably navigates out-gay life at high school as he searches for “Blue,” an unidentified, closeted schoolmate he's confided in through an emotionally invested email exchange. The proceedings are richly gay and heartwarming and nostalgic: a Whitney Houston musical number, a shamelessly '80s-by-way-of-John Hughes sensibility and an affirming tearjerker of a mom speech from Garner herself. I cried lots, and its cathartic sweetness – being the great love story it promised to be – charmed me and the Simon I once was. A deleted scene featuring actor-slash-dreamboat Colton Haynes is among the Blu-ray's special features, which also includes more deleted scenes, a Berlanti commentary and a book-toscreen featurette.
Also Out A Raisin in the Sun ---------------------Even after Lorraine Hansberry adapted her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun – the first play by a black woman to be performed on Broadway – for the silver screen, the 1961 film, directed by Daniel Petrie, preserved the theatrical simplicity of the source material. The story's familial and racial tensions also remained fraught with complications: A money-strapped black family, the Youngers, living in close quarters in the Chicago slums in the 1950s contend with how to best spend a $10,000 life-insurance check – their chance at a fresh start. That fresh start looks different for single mother and grandmother Lena Younger (Claudia McNeil), her daughter Beneatha (Diana Sands), her son Walter (Sidney Poitier), plus his wife Ruth (Ruby Dee) and their son Travis (Stephen Perry). Tremendous performances – particularly Poitier and
because watching parents try to figure out modern-day technology will forever be funny, Lisa, Miles and Mitchell go to raunchy extremes to save their children's virginity. I laughed plenty at the ridiculous gags (one involving Gina Gershon playing naked Marco Polo with her husband), but what threw me was the film's sweet, emotional through line, set in motion in the beginning when Mann, perfect in scenes where heart and humor collide, desperately tries to pretend to be OK with her college-bound daughter leaving the nest. Something else to celebrate besides Mann: sex comedies with high schoolers where one just so happens to be a lesbian. Yes and thank you, Hollywood.
McNeil as the family's willful rock, which she inhabits with true grit and grace – are the touchstones of Hansberry's moving portrait of a black family hoping to rise above the economic and cultural forces against them, and the firsthand destruction it causes when they can't. But joy – find it, the film suggests, even if the world won't let you have it. Criterion Collection's Blu-ray restoration of the classic gleans an array of well-rounded supplemental material, including interview features with Hansberry and Petrie. Blockers -----------------------------------------Here's what the Blockers trailer tells you: three teenagers are on a mission to get laid on prom night and their parents are freaking out. What it doesn't tell you is that one of those, Sam (Gideon Adlon), is a closeted lesbian. Cue the supportive dad, Miles (Ike Barinholtz), who suspects his daughter will be the only boy-averse girl of that girlfriend group, while the other parents, Lisa (Leslie Mann) and Mitchell (John Cena), have a parental meltdown and embark on a mad chase to cock-block their kids. Desperate to shut down their impending sexcapades after decoding a series of suggestive emojis, which is funny
As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyonce. Reach him via his website at http://www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).
hot bodies By Tom Bonanti
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Stop Wasting Your Time With These Useless Exercises!
Hitting the gym is a necessary part of staying fit and healthy. It's also the only real fountain of youth available to those of us who want to stay vibrant and attractive for as long as possible. For all these reasons and more it is important not to waste time or spin your wheels when you are working out. Certain commonly used exercises and practices are ineffective and just plain unsafe. Here is my list of some time- consuming mistakes and useless exercises to avoid in the gym. Jerking heavy weights on the leg extension machine with the intention of blasting your quadriceps (the muscles on the front of your thighs) is a recipe for serious knee injuries. Besides straining the cruciate knee ligaments and causing
damage to the meniscus, this exercise can over -develop your quads causing your hamstrings (the muscles on the backs of your thighs) to become excessively tight and inflexible. Tight hams in turn can cause low back pain and contribute to injuries. Avoid all this lower body “drama� by sticking with squats, presses, and lunges. Any exercise that involves pushing or pulling a bar that's positioned behind the neck can damage the rotator cuff muscles that attach your humerus (arm) to your scapula (shoulder). Once you strain or sprain these muscles you are in for a lifetime of shoulder pain and maybe even a permanent disability. When you do wide grip lat pull downs or barbell or dumbbell shoulder military presses, sit up straight, point your chest outward and pull or press the weight in front of you.
Doing cardio can be a boring waste of time especially if you set your cardio machine too slow every workout. Varying your pace and intensity during your hour or so of cardio is a more successful fat loss strategy. The best way to burn calories is by mixing fast and slow speeds. This is also the best way to address the body's different energy systems and muscle groups. Sit-ups are as useless and ineffective as the high school physical education teacher who bulleyed you all throughout your sophomore year. Locking your feet under a rack or bench and rolling up on your lower back as you pull on your 7 cervical vertebrae will only give you a sore back and stiff neck. Instead, do crunches. Keep your feet flat on the floor or slightly elevate your legs over an exercise ball to stabilize your hips. Extend your arms and crunch your torso bringing your elbows to your knees. You can feel the burning in your abs already! When you go to the gym, your main goal is to lift weights, so for cryin' out loud use a weight that's heavy enough so that your muscles feel worked by the end of a set of 8-12 reps. Pyramid your weights up with each set, but be careful to maintain good form with each rep.
For more tips on how to maximize your time in the gym, contact TrainerTomB@aol.com. Visit www.pumpnincgym.com .Schedule a free consultation today (954) 557-1119
hot shots photos by nickolas richardson harry demasiado & peter clark
Come Out With Pride Orlando
around tampa bay by amy demilo
The Newly crowned Miss Florida F.I., Jazell Barbie Royale and Mr. Florida M.E. Carlos RB. One of my favorites... Shae Shae wins Miss National.
Perfect Squeeze!
Vanilla and Chocolate Flavors.
Beth Anne Sacks performs a G St Pete.
= s p u k o o H
Visit www.squirt.org to hook up today
hot advice By Andreus Quinones
Over it & Three’s A Crowd “Now the problem, is that I liked it, and I want to do it again. I don't want my boyfriend to feel as if I am not into him anymore or anything like that...”
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Dear Andreus, It's that time of year again, and always as the holidays approach my partner's mother wants to come and visit, and stay for 2-3 weeks at a time in our home. My partner, of course is ecstatic, but honestly, I can't stand the woman. She criticizing everything about our home, the food we prepare for her, the bed she sleeps in, etc. I have tolerated this for years, but I am at my breaking point. What do I do? Sincerely, Over It Dear Over It, As with any type of relationship, you teach people how to treat you. If this is, and has been an ongoing issue, I would first speak with your partner and voice your concerns. As far as your part in this situation, you can respectfully put her in check. When she makes inappropriate comments, or criticizes, then respond with something positive. For example, if she says – “I would have never bought this sofa,” then your reply with something like, “We love this sofa, and we chose it because it is exactly what we wanted for our space.” Sometimes you have to say things which cause the other person to think about what they just said. Ultimately, she is a guest in your house, and she must respect you and your space. And if Momma does like the bed, leave a blanket and a couple of illows on the sofa. Enough said!
Dear Andreus, Recently on a night out on the drive, my boyfriend and I both got kinda drunk. We met a really hot guy, and for the first time ever, we took someone home. It was great! The sex was amazing and I had a lot of fun. The next day, after the guy left, my boyfriend told me that he was uncomfortable and that he never wants to do that again. Now the problem, is that I liked it, and I want to do it again. I don't want my boyfriend to feel as if I am not into him anymore or anything like that, I just like the thrill of the new experience. I don't wanna do it all the time, just every now and then. But he told me that he only wants sex to be between us. How can I address this without causing waves? Sincerely, Three's A Crowd, Dear Three's A Crowd, Well, clearly, Pandora's Box has already been opened. Now you have to deal with the TRUTH. I know that you say that everything is fine with you and your boyfriend, but reaching outside is usually a sign that either something is lacking, or that you maybe have gotten bored. How much do you love him? What more do you want in your sex life? Is there anything that you can change so spice things up? Honestly, if you two can come to a way to improve your own sex life without stepping out or involving another party, from the sounds of it, that is the best solution. Clearly this guy loves you, and the idea of sharing you with someone else is too much. So I would leave things as they are, don't poke the bear. Because pushing something as delicate at this, can turn a wave into a tsunami. And we all know how destructive those are.
hot shots photos by tony fowler
The 9th Annual Oktoberfest Tampa