SFGN 06/16/22 V13iss24 by South Florida Gay News

LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE JUNE 16, 2022 VOL. 13 // ISSUE 24

SAFE OR SCARY?

STONEWALL PRIDE PAGE 20

History of South Florida Drag at the Galleria Mall Page 16

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Man Found Guilty of Murdering Wilton Manors Couple Page 18

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Tina Kotek, Aiming to Create History Page 31

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

REPUBLICANS TARGET DRAG SHOWS

@SFGN

June 16, 2022 • Volume 13 • Issue 24 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Publisher • Norm Kent Norm.Kent@sfgn.com

Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley

John Hayden

Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com

fter spending two years “protecting” students from trans kids competing in sports and “protecting” kids from the word “gay,” Florida officials could go after parents who take their kids to drag shows. Republican State Rep. Anthony Sabatini heard about the Pride On the Block: Drag Show For Kids up in West Palm Beach and went to Twitter to fan the flames of outrage, tweeting, “Drag Sex Shows aimed at children have come to Florida I will be proposing Legislation to charge with a felony and terminate the parental rights of any adult who brings a child to these perverted sex shows aimed at Florida kids. When will the sexualization of children stop?” Sabatini represents a district northwest of Orlando. When asked about the legal escalation against parents, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that Florida has laws to protect children and that investigations into parents may go forward if complaints are made. It should be noted the show in question was designed to be family friendly and distinctly non-sexual. A Drag Time Story Hour is also scheduled as part of Stonewall Pride this coming weekend.

It should be noted the show in question was designed to be family friendly and distinctly non-sexual.

Editorial

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Kataleya Davenport performs at Pride on the Block in West Palm Beach 2021. Image via Facebook.

Not to be left out, Texas is also manufacturing similar outrage. Texas State Rep. Bryan Slaton made broad attacks and accusations toward the LGBT community. In announcing the legislation, he wrote, “The events of this past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children.” Backlash to the attacks has been swift, with

people pointing out that the banning of the word gay in schools, aka “Don’t Say Gay,” was based on protecting parental rights. Now the state wants to tell parents what kind of shows they can take their children to see. Some are calling for an emergency session of the legislature to enact the bills just in time for the election. If that doesn’t happen, the parent-targeting legislation could be the next hot-button item for next session.

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NLGJA Journalist of the Year SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS.COM, INC. — — FOUNDED, DECEMBER, 2009 BY PIER GUIDUGLI AND NORM KENT South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation or gender identity of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in SFGN. SFGN contracts with independent entities for stock images. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

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LGBTQIA BITES

BY KENNEDY MCKINNEY

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G TRANSGENDER

JUSTINE LINDSAY BECOMES THE FIRST TRANS NFL CHEERLEADER Justine Lindsay is making history as the NFL’s first openly trans cheerleader. Earlier this year, Lindsay announced that she had made the Carolina Panthers TopCats team. “Cats Out the Bag you are looking at the newest member of the Carolina Panthers TopCats Cheerleader’s TopCats as the first transgender female,” Lindsay wrote in an Instagram post. “I would like to thank the beautiful and talented dancers who supported me along the way ... This is a moment I will never forget and I cannot wait to show you all what this girl has to bring. Thank you TopCats a dream come true.” TopCats Director Chandalae Lanouette and the Panthers credit Lindsay’s skills as what secured her spot on the team. “Members of the TopCats are hired based

Photo via Instagram

on their qualifications and abilities,” the Panthers said in a statement to NPR. “Our organization is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate because of age, race, religion, color, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin. We wish all the TopCats, including Justine Lindsay, an incredible season.”

... HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY

QUEER

NETFLIX’S INTRODUCES NEW QUEER VAMPIRE DRAMA

Victoria Schwab, the creator and executive producer of Netflix’s new queer drama, “First Kill,” believes it’s time for there to be a change in queer storytelling and that this show is the first step. “I grew up with ‘Buffy’ and with ‘Supernatural,’ … I wanted to be in those stories. And yet, I was told — and I was told via media — for so long that you don’t exist in those stories. Or if you do, it ends badly,” she said in an interview with The Advocate. “And so what I really wanted to do was create a space in the genre for two girls to have a queer love story.” “First Kill” follows the complicated love story of Juliet and Calliope, who develop an instant connection. There’s only one problem: Juliet is a vampire who comes from a long aristocratic line of sanguisuges, and

Photo via Netflix.

Calliope is a vampire hunter whose family legacy is to track down the undead and monsters in all their forms. The series is set to premiere on Netflix.

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LGBTQIA BITES

PANSEXUAL

‘MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT’ STAR OPENS UP ABOUT PANSEXUALITY

“Married At First Sight” star Olivia Frazer has opened up about her sexuality in an Instagram Live after previously revealing that she identifies as pansexual. Frazer explained that she didn’t even know she was coming out as pansexual or that it would be as big of a deal as it is. “I thought it was like, not a big deal, which it shouldn’t be,” she said. “I don’t like all the labels and crap, you should just be free to chill however you want.” She explained that she views pansexuality as a gift because it gives her the ability to love anyone. “I go for the connection, not the gender, not the look. I have the ability to love anybody, but it just so happens that most of my connections — and I’ve not had that many relationships — have been with men.” While the star has been receiving mixed feedback from her followers, she is hoping to continue to raise awareness and show

Photo via Instagram.

that you shouldn’t have to explain your love.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

NEWS NATIONAL

BY KIZZY AZCARATE

THE COUNTRY ACROSS

OHIO

NEW BILL WILL REQUIRE GENITAL EXAMS FOR TRANS ATHLETES

Being advertised as a “women’s rights” bill, the Ohio House of Representatives has proposed House Bill 151 into session. The Save Women’s Sports Act bill would subject all trans women athletes to required genital exams by a physician. According to the Advocate, the bill will affect secondary schools, colleges, and universities, both private and public. If a player is accused of being of the opposite sex, he or she would then need to provide a physician’s note stating “(1) The participant’s internal and external reproductive anatomy; (2) The participant’s normal endogenously produced levels of testosterone; (3) An analysis of the participant’s genetic makeup,” according to the Advocate. Republican representatives are stating that trans girls playing on women’s

Ohio Rep. Jean Schmidt, a sponsor of the ‘women’s right’ bill. Photo via Facebook.

teams, are taking away opportunities to cisgendered players. “I have fought my entire life for equal rights for women. This is equal rights for women,” said Rep. Jean Schmidt, a sponsor of the bill. Schmidt was recently in the news after stating that raped girls who become pregnant should see it as an “opportunity.”

TEXAS PASTOR CALLS FOR HOMOSEXUALS TO BE ‘PUT DOWN’ DURING SERMON According to LGBTQ Nation, Texas Christian pastor Dillon Awes said, homosexuals “should be lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head.” In a video, Awes makes a few violent references as to what he believes is an “abomination” when referring to homosexuality. “What does God say is the answer, is the solution, for the homosexual in 2022, here in the New Testament, here in the Book of Romans?” Awes asked his congregation. “That they are worthy of death! These people should be put to death!” According to LGBTQ Nation, Stedfast Baptist Church in Hurst, Texas, is “one of the most hateful churches in the country, and its pastors have repeatedly called for

• 6 .16 .2022

Pastor Dillon Awes. Screenshot via Twitter.

death to LGBTQ people.” Awes went on to say that homosexuals should be arrested and tried for their sexuality then face execution. “That’s what the Bible says. You don’t like it? You don’t like God’s Word, because that is what God says,” Awes said, defending himself when stating gays should be murdered.

COVERING LGBT NEWS SWEEPING THE NATION

OKLAHOMA

LESBIAN MOTHER FIGHTS TO KEEP PARENTAL RIGHTS

During her divorce trial in Oklahoma, Kris Williams found herself single and no longer a parent. Now, Williams is fighting back to have her parental rights reinstated. Williams’ estranged wife, Rebekah Wilson, accused Williams of verbally abusing her and their son. Williams denies the accusations. Judge Lynne McGuire, who reinstated Williams’ name on her son’s birth certificate, suggested that Williams forfeit her paternal rights, according to the 19th News. Wilson, who carried the child, and the sperm donor, Harlan Vaughn, are petitioning the court for custody of the boy. The following court date is scheduled for August, leaving Williams to wait

Kris Williams. Photo via Facebook.

a few months before the possibility of seeing her son again due to the victim protection order placed. Williams, who has another son, told the 19th News, “I am tired of watching my teenager watch me suffer.”

VIRGINIA LGBT GROUPS SKIP GOVERNOR’S PRIDE EVENT

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin missed notable faces at his recent Pride event. LGBT group leaders felt that the Republican governor’s previous on-the-record stance proved that he was not an alley of the community. “I have serious concerns about the governor’s on-the-record positions on issues like same-sex marriage and rights and protections for the trans community, especially trans youth,” James Millner, the director of Virginia Pride, said in a statement before the event began. “If the governor can demonstrate that he and his administration are true allies to our community by working with us to protect and advance our hard-won progress, I would happily attend a celebration with him next year.” According to Virginia Public Media,

Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Photo by Glenn Youngkin from Virginia, United States, via Wikimedia Commons.

there was a breach in security during the virtual meeting between Youngkin and the Virginia LGBTQ Advisory Board. The interrupters made “racist and homophobic messages and imagery.” Though his spokesperson said that Youngkin condemns the remarks, LGBT leaders still have reservations. “I would love the governor to do nothing but prove every one of us wrong,” Millner told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY EVERITT ROSEN

THE WORLD AROUND

EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE

ASIA

EUROPE

THAILAND TO BECOME FIRST SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRY TO LEGALIZE SAME-SEX UNIONS

GAY PRIDE PARADE IN ITALY FEATURED TOPLESS VIRGIN MARY

Thailand has ratified a bill that would make it the first country in Southeast Asia to permit same-sex marriages. According to Ratchada Thanadirek, a government spokesman, the Cabinet accepted the draft law after hearing from LGBT and religious groups who did not objects to the proposal. Before becoming law, the bill will be sent to Parliament for approval. The measure does not endorse samesex marriage, but it does allow couples to adopt children, manage assets and obligations jointly, and enjoy inheritance and legacy rights amongst partners, all of which are now prohibited by law. According to Bloomberg, if enacted, Thailand will become Asia’s second country to legalize same-sex marriage, following Taiwan in 2019. The Cabinet’s

Ratchada Thanadirek. Photo by Government of Thailand, via Wikimedia Commons

decision comes six months after the Constitutional Court declared that legislation should be modified to provide broader rights for LGBT people, but that marriage equality should not be granted.

The inclusion of a bare-breasted mannequin dressed as the Virgin Mary in the Gay Pride parade in Cremona, Italy, sparked a global controversy on social media and elsewhere. According to Breitbart, marchers displayed the mannequin, which was adorned with BDSM studded black leather and capped with a blue Marian veil complete with halo, in a move that many Christians have condemned as “blasphemous.” “A blasphemous and ignoble attack, clearly aimed at the faith of all Christians,” Matteo Fraioli, Italian Campaign Director at CitizenGOit, said while expressing his displeasure with the local mayor’s usage of public funds to support the show. Mayor Gianluca Galimberti, who attended the parade, defended the

Photo via Facebook.

action stating “some may not share certain ideas that may emerge from this demonstration.”

AFRICA

NORTH AMERICA

TUNISIA STAGES FIRST LGBT PLAY

PUERTO VALLARTA TO HAVE FIRST LGBT POLICE UNIT IN MEXICO

Tunis, Tunisia’s capital, has hosted the world premiere of Tunisia’s first LGBT play. In a country where same-sex actions are punished by prison sentences, director Essia Jaibi’s latest film tries to challenge orthodox perceptions. “Flagranti” (or “In the Act”), according to Jaibi, deals with “a reality that we pretend not to perceive.” The production, which was co-produced by the LGBTQ rights organization Mawjoudin (which means “we exist”), is performed by six primarily amateur actors ranging in age from 23 to 71, and it reflects the country’s decades-long battle for homosexual rights. It chronicles the experiences of people who have been victims of violence at home, at work, and in public, and is infused with dark comedy.

The cast of “Flagranti”. Screenshot via Mawjoudin/Twitter.

According to Africa News, Tunisia is viewed as more liberal on social problems than other Arab countries, although it imposes prison penalties of up to three years for both men and women for “sodomy.”

Puerto Vallarta has announced that they will have the first LGBT Police unit in Mexico. “In Puerto Vallarta, there will be a trained, equipped police force with several specialized branches inside the corporation that come to assist the many security concerns and for the welfare of the inhabitants,” the commander promised in his first meeting with local security commanders, according to The Yucatan Times. Likewise, he indicated that new patrols will be sent in the near future to enhance the municipality’s presence in the neighborhoods, after the work that Captain Viveros undertook at the time is completed. In addition, Mayor Luis Alberto Michel Rodríguez’s administration, in

Mayor Luis Alberto Michel Rodríguez. Photo via Twitter.

collaboration with the commissioner, will seek to ensure that Puerto Vallarta is ranked first in the INEGI study for security perception.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

• 6 .16.2022

Publisher's Editorial

CONVICTIONS

JEWS SAY ‘NEVER FORGET’ FOR A REASON GAYS MUST BE ON GUARD

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

ix years after Pulse, authorities in northern Idaho are leaving open the possibility for more criminal charges against 31 white nationalists accused of planning to riot at a weekend Pride festival. Members of a group known as Patriot Front face misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to start a riot. The region has a long history of domestic extremism.

Racist, right-wing regressionists run Florida now and come up weekly with more ways to deny gay citizens their rights. From the “Don’t Say Gay” law to the new idea of banning kid friendly drag shows, legislators in the Sunshine State are making it darker for all of us. It is no longer even subliminal, couched in phrases protecting family values or “parental rights.” It is town bullies marching onto Main Street, drawing their guns, and shooting up the disagreeable, the “deviants,” “the dissidents.” You, gay reader, are someone’s target. Sip your Mimosa. March in your parade. Dance on Stonewall Drive. They are coming after you again. This time, there is no cover up. Any way they can get you, they will. Here in Wilton, we are worried about how to pay for a parade. In Idaho, they are planning to lob a grenade into it. Our governor, if he could, would close classes that Tuesday, open them Wednesday, and give a speech about responsible grenade ownership on Thursday. “Grenades kill people,” he would say, “people don’t.” Maybe so, but I would still take the grenades away.

Richard Pryor once told a joke to an African American crowd about a Black pedestrian who was struck and run over by a drunk white driver, bumped 50 feet in the air by the car. “He was lucky,” Pryor said, “they only charged him with a misdemeanor, leaving the scene of an accident.” Gay America, we are black again. We are everyone’s target. The world may have tolerated us, but now they are trying to hate us all over again, the old-fashioned way, by making bad laws that hurt good people, justifying the horror and the hurt in the name of decency and democracy. They don’t want you, your parades, your parties, or your Nights of Vogue in Bars of Sin. They faked liking us. You are still queer, aberrations of God’s path. Now they are trying to register their distaste by deceit and deception in the name of democracy. Bullshit. They don’t accept us, don’t want us, and don’t need us. We are Ukraine. They can bomb our homes, kill our kids, and destroy our lives. They don’t care about us, never have and never will. They are out there, with gatling guns and AK-47’s and all the hate they can muster and save up since Harvey Milk became a gay city

YOUR METTLE IS BEING TESTED, YOUR STRENGTH QUESTIONED, YOUR HONOR CHALLENGED. PLEASE FIGHT BACK.

Photo via Adobe.

supervisor in 1978, only to be shot and killed, well, in 1978. Your mettle is being tested, your strength questioned, your honor challenged. Please fight back. You can’t say no. It’s your freedom, existence, and survival at stake. Somehow, somewhere, some way in your soul you have got to know that is more important than FLoatarama. Don’t get me wrong. Whether it is a Pride Flotilla or Stonewall Parade, they are so important to our self-identity. But science has improved. There are hurricane advisories out there, predictively telling us days in advance that a storm is coming. Heed them. The signs of hate and hurt are everywhere, not in Idaho or Tallahassee alone. They are not just winds, but real-life warnings. Like the Jews learned from the days of a Holocaust 75 years ago: Never Forget. Stand up. Be counted. Fight back. Look not just

through the impact resistant bay windows of your ocean front condo but look back to those days when we were not counted and courted but crucified and condemned. The best way of reliving the past is turning a blind eye to it; forgetting it. Use your energy, your life, your soul, your heart to dance for sure, but make it like an Irish jig, stamping out those who would discriminate against you, or see your heart stomped out with glee. It all falls upon you to recognize the flames and fires are real. There are those who do not accept you for who you are and who you want to become. Their prejudice is permanent and poisonous. Your courage is the only antidote and singular force to save your way of life. Your Pride is your power. Don’t be fooled by the glare of a false sunlight. Guard the good we have created with the strength we must have, and never forget, that — well, You Can Never Forget.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

NEWS LOCAL

J.R.’s SNAPSHOTS

OF THE

From your life... into our pages! SFGN takes a weekly look at a community that has stood together through countless trials and victories in the past year alone.

WEEK Photos by J.R. Davis

Don D’Arminio, who is running for Wilton Manors City Commissioner with husband Marc Martorana at the WMBA mixer held at Tulio’s.

Toni Barone Broker of Patricia Burnside Realty with spouse Rain Thut, RN at Broward Health Imperial Health, at the I Am What I Am event.

Partners Michael Gillespie, who works Benefits Administration for The Fraternal Order of Police Fort Lauderdale, and Tom Gutman, who’s in marketing, at WPB Pride On The Block.

Zach Fuentes, singer and songwriter of TodayChaser of Dalls Fort-Worth, with Charles Horton, owner of Lit Bar and Leboy, at the SFGN 12th anniversary party held at Grieco Ford.

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6 .16 . 20 22 •

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GUN SAFETY SUNDAY WORKS TO SAVE LIVES John Hayden

chools. Concerts. Supermarkets. Churches. Gun violence is everywhere. Now a Fort Lauderdale church is offering more than hopes and prayers — it’s offering a solution. United Church of Christ (UCC) is holding Gun Safety Sunday on June 26. They will hand out gun locks and information explaining why gun owners should use them. “It was speaking to me. It was speaking to the church to do something,” Rev. Patrick Rogers said. “It definitely was God’s vision, put into me, to do something.” The VA is providing the locks and is working with Barbara Markley, co-chair of the Gun Safety Committee with the League of Women Voters (LWV). “I wanted to do something proactive. I found out that the VA would give us gun locks. We thought if we could get people to lock up

“I HAD THIS IDEA THAT WE COULD GET ALL THE [UCC] CHURCHES IN FLORIDA TO PARTICIPATE. WE WOULD GIVE THEM GUN LOCKS AND BROCHURES ALL AT ONCE AND MAKE IT A BIG PROJECT.”

guns then we could protect kids, protect teens, reduce suicide, and reduce crime.” Gun safety’s been Markley’s mission for years. Since 2017, she’s helped distribute 17,000 gun locks. Now, 1,000 have been sitting in her garage waiting for this event. It’s been in the works for a while, and Markley said the idea is spreading. “I had this idea that we could get all the [UCC] churches in Florida to participate. We would give them gun locks and brochures all at once and make it a big project.” That caught the ear of the national fellowship, and the program could extend to all American UCC. The gun locks come with statistics that go beyond what makes the headlines in the neardaily mass shootings in America. According to the LVW and VA, most teen suicides are committed with a gun from home, eight children are unintentionally injured or killed by a gun every day, and 4.6 million kids live in homes with unsecured guns. “It’s not just the locks, it’s the education,” Markley said. “You’re making your family less safe. If you have an unlocked gun in the house, you are twice as likely to have a homicide, three times as likely to have a suicide, and five times as likely to have a fatality in domestic violence. Every day, 10 kids are accidentally shot. For the first time in our history of the country, guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens.” Gun Safety Sunday is June 26 at UCC Fort Lauderdale, 2501 NE 30 St. in Fort Lauderdale. You can visit their website at UCCFTL.org.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

NEWS LOCAL

I AM WHAT I AM History of South Florida Drag John Hayden

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Drag legend Cathy Craig poses by the Wall of Fame, part of History Fort Lauderdale’s “I Am What I Am: A Tribute to South Florida’s Drag Pioneers” free exhibit running through Pride Month (Until June 30, 2022). Photo by Michael Murphy Photography

littering gowns, twinkling tiaras, and fierce attitudes. The fabulousness of South Florida’s drag history is on full display for Pride month. I Am What I Am: A Tribute to South Florida’s Drag Pioneers opened at the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale and is open to the public through the end of June. The display spotlights six people who are used to being in the spotlight: Nikki Adams, Tiffany Arieagus, Cathy Craig, Daisy Deadpetals, Electra and Latrice Royale. They were each recognized at the exhibit’s opening party. After her emotional moment on stage, Arieagus was overtaken by the moment. “It’s amazing. Unbelievable. It’s overwhelming,” she said. History Fort Lauderdale curated the exhibit. Their deputy director, Ellery Andrews, said this is just what we need in these times. “It is a fantastic moment in current events, and historic events, to honor Pride and honor our drag artists and honor our

drag pioneers. We have such a fantastic deep and rich history [in our area] that it just makes sense to do it.” In addition to displays honoring the six icons listed above, there is also a Wall of Fame featuring area divas at the height of their glamor. Also on display are dresses, jewelry, videos, and other memorabilia that make up the fabric of Fort Lauderdale’s drag scene. “It shows a history of what we do and what it can be,” Arieagus said. “We should always look to the future, but how can you know your future if you don’t know your past.” Arieagus said she’s never called it drag, only entertainment. It was entertainment she’s provided over the decades that she said not only brought joy to audiences, but also to herself. “It fills so much empty space. Sometimes you can get caught up in your problems. When I go on stage I have no problems. All I want to do is enjoy, and make the audience enjoy and feel the love.”

I Am What I Am runs through June 30 at the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale during regular hours, and is free to explore.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

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eter Avsenew has been found guilty in the 2010 murders of a Wilton Manors couple — again. After five weeks of trial, the jurors spent five hours over two days finding him guilty of murdering Steve Adams and and Kevin Powell on June 10, according to NBC 6. “These verdicts are justice served for victims Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell, their families, and our community,” Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker said in a statement to SFGN. “We thank our investigators and law enforcement partners for their passion and commitment exhibited in this case, and we commend the Broward State Attorney’s Office prosecution team for their efforts to ensure justice was served.” The case was taken to trial a second time when a key witness in the case, Avsenew’s mother, Jeanne, had to testify virtually as she was undergoing cancer treatments. The Florida Supreme Court said it was not fair to Avsenew since he could not face his accuser in court and in January 2022, it was announced he would be granted a new trial. She died of cancer in April 2022. Adams and Powell, who had been together for 29 years, were shot and bludgeoned to death in December 2010. Marci Craig, the sister of Adams, told SFGN back in 2013 that she was at the airport in Ohio to pick them up for a visit, but they never showed up. She called the Wilton Manors Police Department when no one answered their home phone, leading to the discovery of their bodies. Peter became a roommate of the couple weeks before. His attorney stated that they did not kill Adams and Powell, but discovered their bodies and then stole their credit cards and car. During the first trial in 2017, Jeanne testified that days after the couple was killed, Peter came to her house driving their car and admitted he stole it. He also allegedly told her he got rid of his gun and that “he had done something violent, something that was the worst thing he had ever done, and that he could not get out of it if he was caught,” according to court records. She also testified that her son said he had not slept in three days, had a bruise from fighting, and that “he got rid of the smell of

Peter Avsenew. Courtesy of Florida Department of Corrections.

bleach after taking a shower.” Peter drew attention when he handwrote a letter to Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes, gloating that, “it is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence … homosexuals are a disease to mankind and must be put down. I can’t put into words the feeling of ending a life it’s euphoric at the least.” In the letter Peter also implied it’s not the first time he had killed someone, writing, “these weren’t the first and won’t be the last,” and “if you only knew how many there really are you would faint.” His lawyer claimed that Peter had experienced trauma from the death of his sister at a young age and sexual abuse. He seemed to address his attorney’s claims in the letter, writing, “nothing traumatic made me the way I am. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember.” In May, a judge decided that the letter would not be presented in court during the second trial. “This would cause the jurors to convict the defendant, not because the state proved their case but because the defendant is a bad person,” Judge Martin Fein said, according to NBC 6. Still, the 12 members of the jury found Peter guilty of the murders. His sentencing is scheduled for August.

PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS Addiction and Overdose

Anyone who takes prescription opioids can become addicted to them. In fact, as many as one in four patients receiving long-term opioid therapy in a primary care setting struggles with opioid addiction.4,5,6 Once addicted, it can be hard to stop. In 2016, more than 11.5 million Americans reported misusing prescription opioids in the past year.1

Prescription opioid overdose deaths also often involve benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants used to sedate, induce sleep, prevent seizures, and relieve anxiety. Examples include alprazolam (Xanax®), diazepam (Valium®), and lorazepam (Ativan®). Avoid taking benzodiazepines while taking prescription opioids whenever possible.

Taking too many prescription opioids can stop a person’s breathing—leading to death.

SIDE EFFECTS

Nausea, vomiting, and dry mouth

In addition to the serious risks of addiction, abuse, and overdose, the use of prescription opioids can have a number of side effects, even when taken as directed:

Sleepiness and dizziness

Tolerance—meaning you might need to take more of the medication for the same pain relief

Confusion

Physical dependence—meaning you have symptoms of withdrawal when the medication is stopped

Low levels of testosterone that can result in lower sex drive, energy, and strength

Increased sensitivity to pain

Depression

Constipation

Itching and sweating

SOURCES: 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018 Annual Surveillance Report of Drug-Related Risks and Outcomes — United States. Surveillance Special Report 2pdf icon. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Published August 31, 2018. 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital Signs: Variation Among States in Prescribing of Opioid Pain Relievers and Benzodiazepines — United States, 2012. MMWR 2014; 63(26);563-568. 3 Ossiander EM. Using textual cause-of-death data to study drug poisoning deaths. Am J Epidemiol 2014 Apr 1;179(7):884-94.

Banta-Green CJ, Merrill JO, Doyle SR, Boudreau DM, Calsyn DA. Opioid use behaviors, mental health and pain—development of a typology of chronic pain patients. Drug Alcohol Depend 2009;104:34–42. Boscarino JA, Rukstalis M, Hoffman SN, et al. Risk factors for drug dependence among out-patients on opioid therapy in a large US health-care system. Addiction 2010;105:1776–82. 6 Fleming MF, Balousek SL, Klessig CL, Mundt MP, Brown DD. Substance use disorders in a primary care sample receiving daily opioid therapy. J Pain 2007;8:573–82. 4 5

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6 .16 . 20 22 •

NEWS LOCAL

READY OR NOT, IT’S TIME FOR STONEWALL The Pride Event Kicks Off June 18

John Hayden

inishing touches are being put on the parade, vendors are booked, and security is paid for. Getting to this year’s Stonewall Pride Parade & Street Festival hasn’t been easy, but the event is finally upon us. The festival is 3-11 p.m, Saturday, June 18, with the parade stepping off at 7 p.m. Wilton Drive will be closed all day through early Sunday morning. Grand Marshals will be SunServe’s Misty Eyez and NBC6 meteorologist Steve MacLaughlin. More than 100 groups will march in the parade, and 97 vendors will line Wilton Drive. Several stages will line The Drive. Organizers told SFGN that the Girls Stage will be by Bubbles & Pearls and the Center Stage/Black Excellence stage will be across from Hunters and Alibi. The Black Excellence stage was added this year to recognize Juneteenth, which is observed this Sunday.

Several bars and organizations are having their own stages, including The Manor, which has several top DJs scheduled. DJ Mogote Coyote will be spinning at Eagle. Happening Out Television Network will be on Center Stage and broadcasting the parade live online, on Roku and other platforms. The lineup of performers for this stage hasn’t been released. Admission is $7 for online advance purchase, and $10 at entrances. Entrances are by Burgers & Beers, 21st Ct & Wilton Drive, at 6th Street, and by Rosie’s. Pets are welcome as long as they are leashed and owners clean up after them.

COST OF SAFETY

TWO WEEKS AGO AT PRIDE ON THE BLOCK IN WEST PALM BEACH, POLICE, UNDERCOVER AGENTS, A SWAT TEAM, AND MORE WORKED TO STOP A CREDIBLE THREAT. 20

• 6 .16.2022

While the trappings of Stonewall are familiar, the atmosphere around the event is not. Costs have soared, primarily for security and insurance. Right-wing groups have been making threats toward LGBT groups and Pride events. Two weeks ago at Pride On the Block in West Palm Beach, police, undercover agents, a SWAT team, and more worked to stop a credible threat. A teenager in Canada has been arrested and will likely be brought to the U.S. for trial. Last weekend, militiamen from 12 states converged on Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with the goal of starting a riot at a Pride event. Police were tipped off and found the group in a U-Haul on their way to the event. SFGN talked with Wilton Manors Police at the City Commission meeting on June 14.

Stonewall Pride 2021. Photo by J.R. Davis.

We were told there are no specific threats made against this weekend party. However, there is always chatter and multiple law enforcement agencies are monitoring the traffic. Terrorists talk of using trucks or other big vehicles to plow through security. To counter these broad threats, security will be at all entrances and intersections. Various types of barricades, designed to stop large vehicular assaults, will also be in place. This is in the shadow of last year’s Stonewall, when a tragic accident in the parade staging area left one dead. The cost of security has been a point of contention. Security, which involves multiple agencies, not just WMPD, jumped about 80% from last year. Adding to the burden was the fact that the cost wasn’t known until just a couple of weeks ago, forcing organizers to scramble to find tens of thousands of dollars. At the City

Commission meeting, Mayor Scott Newton said he had negotiated the rate hike in half, relieving some of the burden. But this is a temporary solution to get the event through this year. There have been calls to have more transparency in figuring costs. Commissioner Chris Caputo said soaring costs of security could threaten future events including Stonewall and Wicked Manors, which is held around Halloween. At the meeting, Caputo was more upbeat about future events, as was organizer Jamie Forsythe, who told SFGN, “I doubt very seriously this will be the last event because Wilton Manors needs the events. One of the things we should do is create a uniform policy for security at these events.” Planning and paying for future events is an issue city and county officials will need to work on going forward, and SFGN will follow their progress.

JOURNALISM IS THE FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY.

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SFGN.com/donate 6 .16 . 20 22 •

BROWARD SHERIFF’S OFFICE

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Sheriff Gregory Tony and the Broward Sheriff’s Office is here to support you! BSO is committed to the safe, fair and respectful treatment of LGBTQ+ residents and visitors of Broward County. BSO’s LGBTQ+ Liaison Committee was established to strengthen the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community by creating mutual trust and confidence through community involvement and education. Sheriff Gregory Tony SERVICE EQUALS REWARD

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BSO supports TEXT to 911 (for emergencies only) Non-emergencies: (954) 764-HELP (4357) To report a crime tip: (954) 493-TIPS (8477) To report abuse: (800) 96-ABUSE (22873) General information: (954) 765-4321 Recruiting: (954) 321-4400 or jobs.sheriff.org Records and backgrounds: www.sheriff.org Email us @ AskTheSheriff@sheriff.org

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6 .16 . 20 22 •

SPORTS PLAYING WITH PRIDE

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL PLAYER COMES OUT AS GAY Everitt Rosen

raig Napier, a Scottish category one referee, has come out as gay, stating that “we need to see the climate change.” Since Justin Fashanu played for Airdrie and Hearts in the mid-1990s, many years after disclosing his sexuality, the 32-yearold becomes the first out homosexual person in Scottish men’s professional football. In a video posted to the Scottish Football Association’s Twitter account, Napier said he wants to assist people in his situation to overcome the “stigma” and “fear” of exposing their sexuality. “It’s something that I never thought I would be sitting here doing,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve obviously lived with for a long time. It’s been a difficult journey to get to this point, but over the last couple of years, it’s become a lot easier.”

Celebrating the Month Pride June 2022

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Remembering the Day June 28, 1969 Stonewall

Craig Napier. Screenshot via Scottish FA/Twitter.

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AZEALIA BANKS HAS A LOVEHATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LGBT COMMUNITY. AFTER HER TARDY AND ABBREVIATED PERFORMANCE AT WYNWOOD PRIDE OVER THE WEEKEND, YOU CAN ADD A FEW MORE TO THE HATER’S COLUMN. She was set to appear at 1 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning. Die-hard partiers and fans grooved to a DJ set as 1 a.m. came and went. Then 2 a.m. By 2:30 a.m. the crowd was getting restless and started booing and calling for her to take the stage. Finally, at 3 a.m., Banks appeared wearing an outfit that exposed her breasts. The crowd went wild. But she wasn’t there long. Banks, who never shies away from airing her dirty laundry, took aim at event organizers. She said details were switched around leading up to the event. A couple

SHE DID A COUPLE MORE SONGS BEFORE BRINGING THE REALNESS BACK, ANNOUNCING THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO BE THERE.

songs into her set, she declared, “I was being f—ed with.” She did a couple more songs before bringing the realness back, announcing that she didn’t want to be there. Video posted on social media shows people started booing and Banks responded by throwing her microphone into the audience. At that point, a water bottle was thrown on stage. Members of her entourage came on stage, surrounded her, and escorted her off. As of this writing, she hasn’t made any mention of the night on her social media pages. Banks has a history of making antiLGBT statements. In 2019 she tried to cut ties with her LGBT fans, saying, “I love the gays ad love how much y’all love me, but I really have to eject … I find myself acknowledging/looking at s–t I’m leagues above and it really is such a setback. So, gays … I bid you adieu.” Banks also told people they shouldn’t take PrEP, a pill that blocks HIV infections. “Do not take that PrEP s–t, okay? There’s no reason for you to need to have a f–king pill so you can just f–k whoever you want to f–k and just be all f–king nasty out there on the streets acting a f–king fool.” She later apologized for that comment. She’s also made homophobic slurs against a flight attendant and was banned from Twitter over attacks on a singer in One Direction.

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6 .16 . 20 22 •

NEWS NATIONAL

GAY BASEBALL PLAYER COMES OUT OF LEFT FIELD FOR METS PRIDE NIGHT John McDonald

resh off the release of his debut country song, Bryan Ruby heads to New York this week to continue efforts in making Major League Baseball more diverse and inclusive. Ruby, founder of the organization Proud To Be in Baseball, is slated to throw out the first pitch at the June 17 game between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins. The game is designated Montclair, New Jersey Pride Night. Ruby, a journeyman infielder, came out last year against the advice of his baseball advisor. He got three offers after the announcement and decided to start Proud To Be in Baseball to serve as a support and advocacy organization for LGBT representation at the ballpark at the high school, college and professional levels. Last week, Ruby was quick to counter opinions expressed by five Tampa Bay Rays players who refused to wear a rainbow-colored Pride patch on their uniforms for pride night. The players objected on religious grounds with

Image via Facebook.

pitcher Jason Adams declaring Jesus would not want him to encourage “that behavior.” Ruby called the remarks “sad and infuriating,” telling reporters it only reinforces a regressive “don’t ask, don’t tell” culture in America’s national pastime. Meanwhile, Ruby’s first country song, Left Field, was released on Spotify June 8.

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NEWS NATIONAL

TINA KOTEK: AIMING TO CREATE HISTORY BY BECOMING AMERICA’S FIRST LESBIAN GOVERNOR John McDonald

efore you break through you gotta be you.

That’s the message Tina Kotek wants delivered as she strives to shatter another political glass ceiling. Kotek is campaigning for Oregon governor and a victory this November would mark the first time in American history a lesbian has ever been elected governor. “One of the reasons I’m running is I believe in creating a place where people can be themselves, feel safe and be successful,” Kotek told SFGN in a telephone interview. Kotek grew up in Pennsylvania and migrated to Oregon in 1987. Not long after the move, she came out and marched in her first Pride parade in Portland, Oregon. Pride events were much more organic in those days. “You just came off the sidewalk and marched,” Kotek recalled. Last month, Kotek captured the Democratic nomination for governor, winning a hard-

“I see myself more as a convenor and sometimes a coach ... Bringing the team together. Bringing in diverse perspectives and listening to everyone. My goal is always, ‘How do we get to yes?’”

Tina Kotek. Image via Facebook.

fought primary election against the state treasurer. Twitter trolls wasted no time in launching attacks, labeling her “Kate 2.0” — a reference to outgoing Gov. Kate Brown, who is term-limited and oversaw some of the country’s strictest COVID-19 policies. Kotek, however, insists she has her own executive style. “I see myself more as a convenor and sometimes a coach,” she said. “Bringing the team together. Bringing in diverse perspectives and listening to everyone. My goal is always, ‘How do we get to yes?’” In doing so, Kotek can be direct, colleagues will admit. Even her own television commercials quip she’s been called the B word. “She expects competence,” said Representative Rob Nosse. “Behind her back, some of my co-workers who didn’t like her as much as I did call her a bit of a micromanager, but she’s just a smart woman who cares about the details and expects people to do their jobs.” Nosse, a gay man who represents inner

southeast Portland in the Oregon House, said the three-way race for governor is “Kotek’s to lose.” All three candidates are women who have served in the state legislature. One of the biggest problems facing Oregon is the homeless crisis, most evident by the large masses of tents and camps in Portland and Salem. Kotek said getting people into stable living conditions is her top priority — especially the most vulnerable. “Our seniors, veterans, young people — particularly who come out of foster care. I feel it’s our responsibility as a state to get folks housed and a lot of those are LGBTQ youth,” Kotek said. Preventing gun violence is another priority for Kotek, who points to her nine years as Speaker of the House as proof there are solutions. “We improved background checks for all firearm purchases, particularly for sales at gun shows,” she said. “We made sure that domestic violence abusers and stalkers who were convicted could not have easy access to guns. We did a red flag law, a firearm safe

storage law and allowed schools to ban guns on campus.” Kotek said her record on guns presents a clear contrast from her two opponents, both of whom have the backing of the NRA. “I do think people under 21 shouldn’t have access to semi-automatic assault rifles, that certainly would have helped in the situation in Uvalde,” Kotek said. “And if you’ve been convicted of a hate crime, I don’t think you should have access to firearms.” Looking to the future, Kotek anticipates more people will embark on the Oregon Trail, much like she and her partner did, for a variety of reasons — seeking refuge from climate, looking for better wages, or yearning for human rights. “My message to our trans young people is there are people who support you in all parts of this country so hang in there, reach out to adults who can be supportive,” Kotek said. “When I think about what’s going on in Florida it just really hurts my soul that people are coming after kids who are just trying to be themselves.”

6 .16 . 20 22 •

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 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY”

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program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, and KEEP BEING YOU are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2022 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0085 02/22

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FEATURE PROFILE

GAY MALE PELICAN COUPLE GOING STRONG FOR TWO DECADES Steve Rothaus Special to SFGN

f there were such a thing, these two lovebirds would lead the Legacy Couples float at the Pelican Pride Parade. Pepe and Enrique have been a monogamous male couple for the nearly 20 years they’ve lived at Pelican Harbor Seabird Station on the 79th Street Causeway in Miami. They reside with eight other pelicans (four male, four female) in a large outdoor aviary for permanent “ambassador” residents, according to station communications director Hannah McDougall. “There are plenty of female pelicans in there if they wanted, or so chose, to pair up with a female — but every year they always choose each other,” McDougall said. “Pelicans are what we call ‘seasonally monogamous.’ They don’t mate for life. So when it becomes time to nest — nesting season — one of the rituals that pelicans have in order to choose their mate is they will pick a stick up to present to their mate [or their hopeful mate] and the mate will look at it to kind of determine, ‘OK, yeah, I like you.’ Then they’ll do this thing where they extend their necks, and they kind of bow their heads while making a little noise, and open their wings a little bit as a courtship. “It’s a very specific courtship dance, I guess you could call it. Pepe and Enrique do that just the same as all the other couples: Present each other with sticks, do their little mating dance. And when they choose each other — as they have for two decades — then they will go ahead and they’ll build their nest together.” McDougall said “well over 400 species in the wild have been documented to have same-sex relationships or copulation.” “Not necessarily mating for life or for the season, but same-sex copulation also has been recorded all over the place,” she said. Pepe and Enrique, both brown pelicans, definitely “interact sexually,” McDougall said. “The ‘mating procedure’ that they do is a very quick mounting. It’s not like a dog or anything. We call it a cloacal kiss [a pushing together of their genital openings]. All of

• 6 .16.2022

their sex organs are internal. They only have one hole for pee, poop, eggs, everything else.” Pelican Harbor was founded 42 years ago and now treats more than 2,000 animals annually. “We treat opossums and squirrels, as well,” McDougall said. “I would say we average throughout the year we average a hundred animals in care at a time. During what we call baby season that number can climb to close to 150.” About 75% of all animals treated at Pelican Harbor are released back to the wild. If they are unable to heal, feed or perch themselves, they must be “humanely euthanized,” she said. Pelicans can live 25 years in the wild; and even longer in captivity. Pepe and Enrique met at Pelican Harbor after separately arriving at about 3 years old, each suffering from wing injuries and unable to fly. Some animals, including the pelican couple, mostly recover from their injuries but still can’t be released. They’re the ones that stay on as ambassadors. Pelican Harbor Executive Director Christopher Boykin said, “With all the patients that we treat, seeing Pepe and Enrique together over these last 20-something years just reinforces and validates love.” Through the years, Pepe and Enrique have even had the chance to exhibit their parenting skills. They’ve taken turns incubating a fake egg and both helped care for fluffy baby pelicans rescued from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s all personal to Boykin, who coparented two now-grown children with their moms and his husband of nearly 30 years,

Pepe and Enrique. Photo courtesy of Pelican Harbor.

Equality Florida co-founder and Deputy Director Stratton Pollitzer. Pepe and Enrique provide “representation and validation,” Boykin said. “As a child I was taught that being gay was wrong. Some religions still [teach] misinformation,” he said. “As a selfactualized adult, I know fully well that my being gay is a beautiful and wonderful thing, and gift to the world. And seeing Pepe and Enrique, it validates and just warms my heart. It’s the truth and it’s the truth of science. It’s the truth of life.” Boykin said “there are hundreds, if not thousands of documentations of same-sex relationships from all the marine mammals, all the mammals, all the primates, most of the birds. It just keeps going and going and going.” LGBT humans “are not alone,” said Boykin, who reveals that artist Henry Cole, who illustrated the 2005 children’s book “And Tango Makes Three,” about two male penguins at Central Park Zoo that raised

a baby, has already begun sketches for a new book about the love affair of Pepe and Enrique. “With Pepe and Enrique, they’ve never strayed from each other. They’re always together. Even in the non-breeding season they’re always together. They’re best friends. They’re companions. They’re life partners,” Boykin said. “It’s part of life. It’s part of our family. It’s part of nature. And it’s part of the fabric of humanity, to have same-sex pairings in the animal kingdom and in our world.” Pelican Harbor Seabird Station offers an “Adopt Today” service for anyone who wants to contribute in honor of Pepe & Enrique. The cost is $300. You’ll receive an 8” x 10” photograph of the birds, a copy of their story, a certificate of adoption, an invitation to see them at Pelican Harbor (1279 NE 79th St., Miami) and a taxexempt donation receipt letter. For more information, call 305-751-9840.

Journalist Steve Rothaus covered LGBTQ issues for 22 years at the Miami Herald. @SteveRothaus on Twitter.

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FEATURE PROFILE

WAM’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TALKS HIV, YOUTH OUTREACH, AND THE MUSEUM’S FUTURE Christiana Lilly

here are a few ways you could describe Terry Dyer: Gay, Black, a two-time cancer survivor, a man living with HIV.

But he’s so much more than that. What he’d really like you to know about him: He’s a classically trained singer. He’s a published author. He believes in strength in numbers and bringing people together. He loves to play sports. And he’s competitive as hell — his friends and family won’t play Words With Friends with him anymore. “My brother says, ‘I don’t have fun with you,’” Dyer laughed. “I’m the type of person where it’s a ‘go big or go home’ type of mentality. I’ve always been that way.” As the new executive director of the World AIDS Museum, he’s bringing his enthusiasm, networking skills, go-get‘em attitude, and personal connection to catapult the museum forward. After moving to South Florida from California with an aviation company, he was laid off during the pandemic and focused on completing a goal of his: writing a book. In July 2020, Dyer published his memoir “Letters to a Gay Black Boy,” which tells his life’s story through a collection of letters to his younger self. That includes being a survivor of child sex abuse, contracting HIV from a long-time partner who didn’t share his status, his work with Stop AIDS in San Francisco, and also his achievements in academia and athletics. In December 2020, he was appointed SunServe’s director of development. Since he’s not busy enough, he’s also seen around town performing in cabarets, being a classically trained singer. In 2021, South Florida Gay News’ readers voted him as Best New LGBT Advocate. In April 2022, he left to become the executive director of the World AIDS Museum. “There will always be a special place in my heart for the services and the impact that [SunServe has] on the community,” he said. In his new office, South Florida Gay News had a long talk with Dyer about his life, advocacy, and plans for the museum.

• 6 .16.2022

YOU WERE ONLY AT SUNSERVE FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. WHAT CAUSED THE MOVE TO THE WORLD AIDS MUSEUM? It just made sense. It just really made sense with respect to my work in the San Francisco Bay Area, in prevention, in having worked in that field for quite some time, and then my own personal story, like it just made sense. And it seemed like the right time as well, to grow my career. HOW DOES THE WORLD AIDS MUSEUM WANT TO BRIDGE THE GAP WITH YOUNGER GENERATIONS? That’s one of the focuses that we have, with me coming into this role, is connecting to those generations and sort of bridging the gap between what happened in the early ‘80s and what’s happening now, and how important it is for them to understand, “That’s a part of your history.” You’ve got to be knowledgeable and aware of where you come from because there’s a lot of folks that have paved the way for the medication that you take, now PrEP. There’s a lot of folks that have been on the front lines and rolled up their sleeves and worked with pharmacies and medications and all that type of stuff in order to get to this point now. So I really think it’s incredibly important for our organization to be the organization that merges and sort of builds that bridge between the generations. HIV/AIDS USED TO BE A DEATH SENTENCE, BUT NOW PEOPLE CAN LIVE LONG, FULFILLING LIVES. HOW DO WE BALANCE NOT BEING FEARFUL, BUT NOT BEING BLASÉ ABOUT IT? There is such a huge stigma around HIV/AIDS, and there doesn’t need to be in this day and age right? It is so incredibly controlled at this point in time. There are medications, there’s resources, there’s education. I think PrEP forced folks to say, “OK, you know, now here’s a pill that I can take being an HIV negative person, and that will prevent me from actually contracting the virus.” Wonderful. But what it also did was create a sense of like you just

Terry Dyer, the new executive director of the World AIDS Museum. Photo by Christiana Lilly.

said, blasé, a little bit more of apathy versus really understanding the ins and outs and still knowing that HIV still affects our community. SPEAKING OF PREP, IT’S SO ENCOURAGING TO SEE COMMERCIALS FOR THE PILL RUNNING ON TELEVISION. It’s really amazing how far we’ve come with having conversations, and then it being on such a massive platform in terms of commercials, and movie stars and people that have that type of platform are advocating for these sorts of things. That’s really wonderful, but I’m hoping that people don’t think that the conversation stops there, that it’s over because we now have this pill. It’s wonderful but there still needs to be more education, there still needs to be more awareness, there still needs to be more preserving the history of HIV and AIDS. We still have to do those things because it’s still not going away. YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF TRAUMAS, BUT ALSO ACCOMPLISHED A LOT. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO SERVE AS A ROLE MODEL? This is actually something that I said to my family: I could walk outside and get hit by a car. Yeah, anytime in the day, if the Lord says this is your time, then guess what, there’s nothing I can do about that. The Lord gave me a challenge, right? With this virus, it’s how I deal with it and allow it to positively impact others that will build my character, or that will tell me that maybe this was supposed to happen. This was in my cards; this was in the plan for my life. So if I can have

conversations with younger folks and younger generations about that, and how to navigate that in a way that’s so incredibly healthy, and allow them to see that, then that’s my purpose. That’s my job. HOW HAS THE MUSEUM MOVING ONTO THE SAME CAMPUS AS ARTSERVE AND THE STONEWALL NATIONAL MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES BEEN HELPFUL? Oh, man, it’s really awesome. Because people know who ArtServe is, they’re an art incubator for wonderful artists and different forms of art. So people are coming through their space, they see, “Oh, well, what’s the World AIDS Museum?” Then we just randomly find folks coming into our gallery and I love that. I love that open concept; I love the open space. And then the fact that Stonewall has, obviously, such a rich history. We’re having conversations about doing some things together. WHAT’S YOUR LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE MUSEUM? We can’t have a name like the World AIDS Museum and only be local to South Florida. So we have already made tremendous headway into connecting with folks across the country, we already have some established relationships with different folks in parts of the country that are doing similar work or in prevention and things like that. It is absolutely my goal to take this organization national, and then eventually global.

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• 6 .16.2022

Photos by JoJo Vitalherne

PRESENTS

SLOW BURN THEATRE CO.’s PRODUCTION OF

NOW–JUNE 26 Amaturo Theater

Featuring the hit songs of

THE GO-GO’S including

“We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” and MANY MORE! Based on

Conceived and Original Book by

Adapted by

Directed by

THE ARCADIA by SIR PHILLIP SIDNEY

JEFF WHITTY

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PATRICK FITZWATER

TICKETS at BrowardCenter.org • Ticketmaster | 954.462.0222 Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office • Group Sales 10+ | 954.660.6307 Presented through special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Funding for this project is provided in part by the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, Florida, as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Josephine S. Leiser Foundation

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6 .16 . 20 22 •

Off The Wall

CONVICTIONS

GUNS OVER PEOPLE Pier Angelo

ith great Pomp & Circumstance, the United Kingdom celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne by throwing a four days party attended by tens of thousands from every walk of life. It was a magnificent production; everybody had a great time and not a single gunshot was fired. No mass shootings. Stunning by our standards. I am sure among the thousands of revelers there were a few with mental health issues but you know what? They can’t get a gun. What a concept. It should be illegal. During those same four days our country went through a whole series of mass shootings. In the movie “The Promised Land,” set in rural Pennsylvania, there is a convenience store named Rob’s Guns, Groceries, Guitars and Gas. The only thing missing to fully encompass the American culture is God. It is not surprising that the flavor of the month’s legislation, gun control, will go nowhere fast. Republicans love guns, Democrats like guns. And the NRA controls them both. Until this country comes up with an enraged grass-roots movement “a la” MADD we will continue to go our merry ways to the “sporting goods” store next door and stock up on baseball caps and AK47s or AR15s. Nineteen children slaughtered in a smalltown school will be quickly forgotten as

GOD NEVER OWNED A GUN, NEITHER DID JESUS, IN FACT I SEEM TO REMEMBER CATHOLIC NUNS TEACHING ME THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND ONE OF THEM IS “THOU SHALL NOT KILL.” 46

• 6 .16.2022

collateral damage. They had a right to life. Who is protecting them? Gun owners often say, “People shouldn’t have to explain why we need guns other than owning them is a God-given right protected in the Constitution.” The absurdity of the statement is beyond the pale. God never owned a gun, and neither did Jesus; in fact I seem to remember Catholic nuns teaching me the Ten Commandments, and one of them is Thou Shall Not Kill. And of course this gun-toting lunatic fringe is predictably anti-abortion (again the bipolar dichotomy), homophobic see Orlando), racist (see Buffalo), right-wingers who most likely do not believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution. A majority of people in the U.S. is in favor of mandatory background checks and support a reform of our gun laws. The most discouraging and pathetic part of the charade is seeing how lawmakers are removed from the pulse of the nation. In the end it remains a political game; there is nothing bipartisan about it at all, only an embarrassing spectacle. They fight hard and manage to change laws that raise the smoking age, that curb alcohol consumption, etc., but they still love guns more than our kids. But they are playing with fire. Not until some of their own kids are shot dead in a school will they find the guts to stop the madness. Or until a crack pot like Marjorie Taylor Greene walks into the Capitol with an AR15 and mows them all down. Don’t think it won’t happen. I would love to be a fly on the wall in the Capitol and listen to the chatter from congressmen and senators, but I have a very good idea of what they are saying behind closed doors. HERE ARE SOME OF THE TWEETS: @SENATORSMITHWESSON: We have the balls to stand up to the overwhelming wishes of the American people. They are such crybabies. @CONGRESSMAN AK47: They think they can scare us into voting to protect millions of innocent people from harm. We have to draw a line in the sand.

Photo via Adobe.

@SENATORRUGER: The polls say that 90% of the American people want us to vote a certain way, we agree that we can not cave in to another special-interest group, enough already. @SENATORCOLT: We have to set an example. If we vote the way the American people want us to, it would make us nothing more than their elected representatives. @CONGRESSMAN 38: When we want we can reach across the aisle to defy the interests of all. @SENATORBERETTA: Who do they think they are? Yes, they elected us into office but we are not puppets they can’t tell us how to vote.

@CONGRESSMAN GLOCK: It was a good week so far; we did nothing to prevent future shootings. @SENATOR45: They are crazy if they think we are obliged to listen to their input. Our duty is to do as we please. @GOP: No need for gun control, just make sure everyone has a weapon. @NRA: Thank you Senators for another job well done. Your checks are in the mail. Happiness is a warm gun. @NRA_MARKETING: And we even have something for the fags, go to www.pinkgun. com.

Pier Angelo was born in Italy, moved to England at the age of 17 and learned English at the Nelson School of English. He attended college and graduate school in Manhattan. In 2009 he founded SFGN with Norm Kent. Now he’s retired with his husband Tom and his Affenpinscher Cabbage. He still enjoys writing his column Off The Wall for SFGN.

CONVICTIONS

EDITORIAL CARTOON Mike Luckovich

6 .16 . 20 22 •

LIFESTYLE BOOKS

SFGN JOURNALIST WRITES NEW BOOK GIVES TIPS ON WHAT TO DO IN FORT LAUDERDALE Pictured front: Christiana Lilly. Photo credit: Carina Mask. Book cover courtesy of Christiana Lilly.

Kim Swan

t can be easy to plan a vacation, but what to do during that vacation is another story. That’s why SFGN journalist Christiana Lilly wrote a new book titled “100 Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale Before You Die” to give tourists an insider’s look on what to do when they visit the city. As a seasoned journalist who has lived in the Fort Lauderdale area for more than a decade, Lilly leads readers through the city’s historic landmarks, dining gems, quirky shops, and culture scene that makes the city so special, according to a press release. She offers many suggestions on what to do such as ordering a Dom Pérignon breakfast at The Floridian, kayaking through the mangroves, indulging in contemporary art at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and more. What started out as a boggy riverfront outpost became a world-class city in South Florida that attracts many families, outdoor enthusiasts, and tourists alike. There are places for the LGBT community to enjoy as well. These places include the bar Lips, Stonewall Pride and Pride Fort Lauderdale, World AIDS Museum, and Stonewall Museum. Whether you’re a resident or just visiting for the weekend, “100 Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale Before You Die” will help guide you on planning your next vacation in the city.

SHE OFFERS MANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO DO SUCH AS ORDERING A DOM PÉRIGNON BREAKFAST AT THE FLORIDIAN, KAYAKING THROUGH THE MANGROVES, INDULGING IN CONTEMPORARY ART AT THE NSU ART MUSEUM FORT LAUDERDALE, AND MORE.

BOOK INFORMATION

Softcover, 5.5 x 8.5. 160 pages $18. Available Sept. 15, 2022.

ORDERING INFORMATION

Phone 314-833-6600. Fax 866-999-6916. Email: books@reedypress.com Christiana Lilly is an award-winning journalist whose work ranges from lifestyle and community reporting to hardhitting investigative pieces. She has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists Florida chapter, Florida Press Club, and Florida Magazine Association. She lives in Pompano Beach with her husband and their pup. Keep up with more happenings in Fort Lauderdale by following @100thingsftl on Instagram — there’s always something new happening here!

• 6 .16.2022

BE A LEADER. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. FOR BROWARD. BE BOLD.

Larry Feuer wants to be remembered as someone who gave back to his community. He says, “The status quo is unacceptable. We have to BE BOLD to address problems that will happen decades from now.” That’s why Larry is using his estate plan to create an endowed charitable fund at the Community Foundation of Broward. He wants to impact a wide range of causes, including assistance to Broward’s LGBTQ+ community, which the Community Foundation has directly supported for more than 35 years. Thanks to generous donors like Larry, the Foundation has provided over $9 million towards LGBTQ+ issues so far. Larry is proud to have locked in a legacy that makes a difference in the place he calls home. “The Community Foundation of Broward ensures that I’ll be remembered as someone who helped people and created a better Broward for everyone.”

Underwriting support generously provided by: CASTLE GROUP

Visit the website to learn more

CFBROWARD.ORG/BE-BOLD

6 .16 . 20 22 •

LIFESTYLE FOOD

PRIDE NEWS AND CHEWS Rick Karlin

ONE SINGULAR SENSATION ONETABLE, a national nonprofit that empowers young adults (21-39ish) to find, share, and enjoy Shabbat dinners, announced at the end of May the launch of the Pride Shabbat initiative to celebrate Pride Month and the LGBT community. OneTable is “nourishing” (subsidizing) Pride Shabbats and will help participants elevate their dinners with resources and up to $10 per guest, up to $100. For more information or to become a host, visit onetable.org/pride. “We want everyone to feel welcome as their own, authentic, individual selves,” said Eva Laporte, director of Marketing and Communications at OneTable. “We know that when people can gather from a place of authenticity, conversations and connections feel deeper and more genuine. We invite the OneTable queer and ally community to host Pride Shabbats every Friday in June.”

BOTTOMS UP In celebration of Pride Month, MAISON MARCEL, the Provençal wine brand known

for its off-dry rosé, has announced the release of Love Now rosé, a new collaboration with beauty mogul and digital content creator Angel Merino. The product is available through drinkmarcel.com and at retail outlets. While we’re discussing cocktails, check out the newly opened bar at Evelyn’s in the Four Seasons Hotel Fort Lauderdale. You’ll find wines from around the world; rare, vintage and artisan champagnes; local craft beer; reimagined classics; and eastern Mediterranean-inspired cocktails and mocktails. Head mixologist Matthew Dress gets inspiration from eastern Mediterranean

flavors and fuses ingredients that highlight locations such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and parts of Turkey. A few of the special drinks are The Orchid Room, inspired by a non-alcoholic Middle Eastern drink called jallab, and a Rangpur Daiquiri.

CALL ME DADDY CORVINA SEAFOOD GRILL, in Boca Raton, will feature a five-star cowboy-cut ribeye steak with chipotle agave lime butter and tumbleweed onions for Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19. In addition, Corvina has extended happy hours, Sunday-Thursday, 4-7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m. with half-price martinis on Monday, $5 margaritas on Tuesday, Hump Day Wednesday with late night happy hour 4-9 p.m., $6 cocktails and $6 wine and a unique “9 for $9” menu with nine items for $9 each. For more information, visit corvinabocaraton.com.

NOW, THAT’S ITALIAN If you’re looking for authentic Italian fare, made by an Italian mama, check out MAMMA MIA ITALIAN BISTRO, which opened late last month at 2043 Wilton Dr. It’s the first U.S. eatery from Federica Priolo, who comes from a family of restaurateurs in Italy. “Mamma Mia is gonna be an Italian bistro, not a gourmet restaurant,” she said. “Here people can taste the traditional Italian recipes. The menu will be rotating weekly, some of the main and most liked dishes will be always available [lasagna, meatballs, gnocchi] but we will have different specials every week. On Sunday we have a special promo for lunch: one appetizer and one pasta dish proposed by the chef for just $30 [$35 with dessert]. But the signature is going to be 100% the handmade fresh pasta that

Taste of the Island from previous year. Image via Facebook. we are sure Americans will love.” The menu is limited to a few appetizers, half a dozen pastas and a few entrées and salads. Federica’s mother, Lory, makes everything herself in the small kitchen. Federica asked me to get out the word that she’s hiring. There’s no website or Facebook page yet but check out instagram.com/mammamia. bistro.

ISLAND HOPPING Imagine sampling food from all your favorite, and soon-to-become-favorite, places for one reasonable price. No need to imagine as TASTE OF THE ISLAND, now in its 17th year, welcomes everyone in to explore the wide range of culinary delicacies available in South Florida on Monday, Nov. 14, at Wilton Manors’ Richardson Park. What makes Taste of the Island better than other dining events is its exclusivity. There will be up to 60 vendors (30

HUNGRY FOR MORE? 

have already committed) from Wilton Manors and the surrounding community. Only a select number of tickets are sold, ensuring those attending a chance to sample all the offerings in a relaxed atmosphere. While we enjoy learning about new places in nearby neighborhoods, it would be nice if this year more Wilton Manors restaurants choose to support the community and participate, so that it truly is a Taste of the Island. Let your favorite places know that you’d like to see them at Taste of the Island this year. Free parking is provided a few steps away at the City Hall/Hagen Park lot, with complimentary shuttle service. Limited parking is also available at Richardson Park; make reservations online. For more information go to tasteoftheisland. org.

KNOCK KNOCK Who’s there? TULIO’S TACOS with free delivery through July 3.

VISIT SFGN.COM/FOOD!

Rick Karlin is SFGN’s food editor. Visit SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at RickKarlinFL@gmail.com. The views Rick expresses are his own and do not represent the opinion of SFGN.

VICTOR ZEPKA RECENTLY NAMED AS ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER The irrepressible and exuberant Victor Zepka has been named as an assistant to publisher Norm Kent, still recovering from cancer surgery in April. If you are looking to have your nightclub, restaurant, or hospitality establishment develop a working

• 6 .16.2022

business relationship with SFGN, Victor (305-502-6000) will be available all weekend during Stonewall Pride to stop by and discuss opportunities with you, while reflecting on his own 40+ years being part of the South Florida LGBTQ business community.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

LIFESTYLE TWO GUYS AND A DOG

SEXUAL MESSAGES, RULES, AND GUILT Brian McNaught

“W

e don’t have sex outside of the relationship,” my young friend shared with me. He then proceeded to tell me about a party at which he watched his husband make out with another person.

“I was happy for him,” he said. “I wanted character felt that she had encouraged his him to have that fun.” attention and was unclear that she didn’t He also described sleepovers with friends want things to go any further. He called her during the COVID containment during “a prick tease.” which he, his husband, and his friends We at the dinner table found ourselves would cuddle during the night. talking about how difficult it is to apply “Do people get erections and touch one today’s standards of open, honest another?” I asked. communication between sexual partners to “Yes,” he replied. what transpired 50 or more years ago. The “That’s sex,” I offered. “How are you guys women’s liberation movement helped us all defining sex outside of the relationship?” understand the lack of power women feel “Anal penetration.” they had in past relationships, and how the “But, for me and many others, fondling gender roles they were put in made it nearly another person’s erect penis is sex,” I said. impossible for them to clearly communicate “Erotic kissing is sex.” “no.” Men, too, were confused by the peer “Well then,” he replied, “I guess we have pressure to “get past first base,” and the sex outside of the relationship.” seeming sexual flirting they got from their As most of us have learned, open, honest female dates. communication is essential for the health I’ve often thought that if the “Me Too” and growth of any relationship, but so too is movement shined its light on the gay understanding what is being communicated. male community, many people would be Some high school girls who want to be embroiled in legal proceedings, myself sexual but don’t want to included. When I was young “lose their virginity,” allow and in a gay bar, it wasn’t for anal sex. If the hymen uncommon for me to get GAY, STRAIGHT, hasn’t been torn, they grabbed on the ass or in the reason, they are technically crotch. I’ve seen the same OR BISEXUAL, a virgin no matter how behavior at some gay parties THE RULES ARE many times, and with how where alcohol makes it many partners they’ve had easier to cross boundaries THE SAME. TAKE anal sex. One friend of mine you’d never want crossed RESPONSIBILITY calls that the “poop hole with your son. loophole.” do the best they FOR YOUR ACTIONS, canPeople At dinner tonight, a with what they’ve got, WHETHER IT BE heterosexual woman friend and sometimes what they’ve asked if we’d seen the got are conflicting signals FEELING ENTITLED television series, “Anatomy about what’s appropriate of a Scandal.” It concerns TO SPEAK TO, TOUCH, sexual behavior. I wasn’t an a trial in which a highinnocent bystander when OR OTHERWISE ranking political figure is I got groped. I was in tight accused of rape during his pants that accented my INDICATING SEXUAL time in college. She had assets. I hungered for the INTEREST. watched the program with attention, but wasn’t ready her elderly father who felt for it. As a cradle to crave that the two parties had Catholic, I was sexually different perspectives on what transpired frustrated and naïve. Is it any coincidence several years before. The woman character that my first live-in boyfriend was an felt she had clearly said, “No,” and the male Episcopal priest 15 years older than me, and

• 6 .16.2022

Photo via Dollar Photo Club.

the one who groped me in the first and only gay bar I knew at the time? As an adult, I’ve clumsily crossed lines a few times, and live with regret and guilt about it. In the eyes of the friends with whom I took liberties, there was no foul, and they probably can’t remember it happening. But I didn’t have the sexual maturity at the time to fully understand how my behavior might be unwanted, nor the good sense to distance myself from “a prick tease.” In helping others understand the power of sexual attraction, a teacher friend of mine used the example of the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker doing busy things until a female woodpecker walks by and flirts. Then, Woody’s eyes pop out, the top of his head opens up, and his brains fall out. Sexual excitement can be like that for men, and I’d argue women too. Once anything sexual, sensual, or intimate with another person

becomes apparent, a process is started that can be difficult to maturely manage. Gay, straight, or bisexual, the rules are the same. Take responsibility for your actions, whether it be feeling entitled to speak to, touch, or otherwise indicating sexual interest. Be aware of the signals you’re sending. Having a provocatively clad body suggests that you’re aware of your appeal and you hope to get a response. It may not be everyone’s attention you seek, but how are we supposed to know that? Speak up, ask questions, establish expectations, and respect the guidance you get. If you don’t say “no,” then don’t blame the other party for crossing the line. Finally, it’s unfair to judge the behaviors of those who lived in different eras without knowing and understanding what the societal messages, the gender roles, and the levels of awareness were at the time.

Brian McNaught has been a leading educator on LGBTQ issues globally since 1974. He has made his many books and DVDs available for free at Brian-McNaught.com. The New York Times named him “The Godfather of gay diversity training.” Brian has a weekly YouTube/FaceBook podcast called, “Are You Happy Without the Movie?”

Reach local LGBT communities across the nation. Start connecting with over a million loyal readers in print and online across the country. 212-242-6863 info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com

6 .16 . 20 22 •

LIFESTYLE READING WITH PRIDE

‘THIS IS OUR RAINBOW’ Aurora Dominguez

here are not a whole lot of queer anthologies exploring the LGBT community, and thus “This is Our Rainbow” edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby was born.

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND CREATING THIS ANTHOLOGY?

see yourself on a shelf. To be able to read and feel comfortable with who we are and what makes us all special. To have those books exist in the first place, so that kids, especially, can see themselves reflected on the page. KATHERINE: I agree, I think that Reading with Pride is about affirmation, that wherever you are in your own journey of your identity and how you fit into this big messy world, is valid and important.

NICOLE: Dahlia Adler, a Young Adult author who also runs LGBTQreads.com and has put together a bunch of anthologies, had tweeted something like, “Someone should be putting a queer anthology together if they’re not already.” I immediately agreed. There is such a wide variety of identities within the LGBTQ+ community, and it seemed right to have one place to put as WHY DO YOU FEEL REPRESENTATION much representation as possible for kid OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE IS SO IMPORTANT readers to get into their hands. So I said to WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING BOOKS Dahlia, okay, but I have no idea how to do AND CHARACTERS? it, so I’m not going to actually do it. And she said, well, Katherine Locke has done it NICOLE: The queer experience is different before, so I’m going to pair you two up, and she did. Katherine and I talked and realized for everybody, so the more stories that exist, the more someone that we meshed well, might have a chance so we decided to go for of finding that mirror it. "I THINK THAT READING WITH book. Even with KATHERINE: It’s been our anthology, try so great too to bring PRIDE IS ABOUT AFFIRMATION, as we may reach as together a collection many identities and of stories that really THAT WHEREVER YOU ARE IN readers as possible, do show such a wide YOUR OWN JOURNEY OF YOUR we’d never be able to variety of experiences represent everyone. and identities and IDENTITY AND HOW YOU FIT I’m hoping there’s hopes and dreams. something for This is the kind of INTO THIS BIG MESSY WORLD, everyone in this queer representation anthology, but it just that would have meant IS VALID AND IMPORTANT." goes to show how the world to us when - KATHERINE LOCKE much room there we were the age of our Editor of "This is Our Rainbow" always is for more. readers (ages 9-12.) Kids deserve to see We are so proud of the themselves, no matter anthology and how it came together, and so grateful to Dahlia for what that means, period. KATHERINE: Exactly — everyone’s story putting us together! is important. We could have many more WHAT DOES “READING WITH PRIDE” MEAN anthologies like this one, and still not cover the whole breadth of the queer experience. TO YOU? But I think it’s worth trying. Everyone NICOLE: For me, I think it means being deserves that moment where a story feels able to pick up a book that reflects the like it’s speaking directly to you, at that queer experience and being proud of what’s moment, wherever you are. And there inside of it. To walk into a bookstore and have been so many stories that have been

• 6 .16.2022

Book cover image from Amazon.

wildly overlooked, especially by BIPOC queer creators. I hope we continue to see more stories in all formats from underrepresented voices.

WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM THE ANTHOLOGY? NICOLE: A little bit of everything! We tried to get as much representation on the page as possible. And we tried to appeal to as many different types of readers as possible, too. We’re lucky to have some stories that skew to the younger middle grades, some that skew a little older, and we have a couple of graphic novel shorts in there, along with a story in verse. We really wanted this to be a book for as many kids as we could make it. But, most importantly, I think fans can expect a lot of joy and hope from this anthology. KATHERINE: That was important to us. It was actually the only directive we gave our contributors. It could be any genre, any format, but we wanted it to be hopeful and joyful, uplifting. We wanted kids to be walking down the hall hugging this book to their chest, and sleeping with it under their pillows, and sharing it with their friends. So there’s time travel and dragons and golems and witches, but also Ferris wheels and crushes and summer and thrift shopping and cat adoption. There’s so much here for readers.

WHAT’S UP NEXT FOR YOU IN THE BOOKISH WORLD? NICOLE: My next book is called The Science of Being Angry, which came out May 10. It’s about an 11-year-old girl named Joey who has anger issues she’s trying to understand. She throws temper tantrums and sometimes gets violent and gets in trouble a lot in school and at home because of it. She’s a triplet, and her brothers never get angry as she does, and neither does her mama, one of her moms she shares DNA. In her search to figure out why she is the way she is, she and her best friend (and crush) end up turning to 23-andMe to try and find out information on the sperm donor her moms used to conceive the triplets. It’s a messy story about family, as Joey tries to fix things so that her mom (the one she doesn’t share DNA with) will love her anyway, and Joey won’t keep hurting the people she loves most, either. KATHERINE: I have a picture book out in February called BEING FRIENDS WITH DRAGONS about how sometimes friendships can be tough and we all have to learn to be good friends. And my next novel, THIS REBEL HEART, for teen readers, came out April 4. It’s about a Jewish girl swept up in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and deciding whether or not to fight for a city and country that has never loved her the way she loves it. It’s queer and fantastical and I’m very excited for people to read it!

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CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM 2038 N. Dixie Hwy (Pride Center Building B), Wilton Manors 954-564-9232 - etzchaimflorida.org RabbiNoahKitty@etzchaimflorida.org Friday Night Shabbat Service 8p.m. HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 1436 NE 26th St Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-633-2987 - HolyAngelsFL.net Sunday Mass at 11AM

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC Church of Our Savior, MCC 2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000 Sunday Service 10AM TEMPLE BAT YAM 5151 NE 14th Ter Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954-928-0410 Friday Night & Saturday Morning Streaming Online at templebatyam.org

SFGN is here for you, no matter who — or what — keeps you going. Check out the Spirituality Section each week to stay in touch with your local religious LGBT community. The only requirement? Be yourself.

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A&E THEATER

‘IRMA VEP’ AT ISLAND CITY STAGE ROFL(MAO)

J.W. Arnold

fter a rather serious and thought-provoking start to their 10th anniversary season, Island City Stage in Wilton Manors reversed course in the penultimate production with a campy satirical romp that left audiences in stitches on opening night. “The Mystery of Irma Vep” by Charles Ludlam does touch on the dark arts and paranormal (and also werewolves, mummies and vampires), but discards the even darker subjects of white supremacy, sociopathy and misogyny, mental health and even cannibalism that audiences were subjected to in “Armature” and “Suddenly, Last Summer” earlier this season. Ludlam’s 1984 Off Broadway hit (not to be confused with the current HBO series “Irma Vep”) chronicles the adventures of the residents of regal Mandacrest Estate on the British moor. Audiences are introduced to Lord Edgar, an Egyptologist, and his second wife, Lady Enid, and also the maid Jane Twisden and groundskeeper Nicodemus Underwood. Gazing over them all is the haunting portrait of Lady Irma, the first mistress of the manor, with her ghastly scowl and piercing eyes. Paying obvious homage to vintage theatrical, film and literary genres, Ludlam’s characters are terrorized by vampires, werewolves and spirits of the dead. Lord Edgar seeks answers in an ancient Egyptian tomb, while Lady Enid discovers her predecessor is actually locked away in a hidden cell in the mansion. Or is she?

If the plot sounds contrived — it is — the real fun is in the staging. Ludlam wrote the play for two actors who must play eight characters of both sexes. Because the license requires both actors be of the same sex, cross dressing calamities are sure to be experienced. Veteran South Florida actors Bruce Linser and Larry Buzzeo are both perfectly suited for the challenge, performing more than 35 costume changes over the course of three acts. The costume changes aren’t enough, as both actors marvelously shift from one character to another, often in the course of seconds. Linser displays comedic genius, particularly as the noble yet naive Lord Edgar, while Buzzeo’s Lady Edna frequently channels Eve Arden as Principal McGee in “Grease.” Buzzeo’s quirky Nicodemus is unforgettable, while Linser’s Jane provides the perfect foil, a nod to Downton Abbey’s Mrs. Hughes. In addition to the costumes, the quick pace and wacky plot twists are accentuated by a gorgeous set and dramatic lighting by Ardean Landhuis and brilliant sound design and clever effects by David Hart. Special kudos go to the team of dressers backstage who make the split-

PAYING OBVIOUS HOMAGE TO VINTAGE THEATRICAL, FILM AND LITERARY GENRES, LUDLAM’S CHARACTERS ARE TERRORIZED BY VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES AND SPIRITS OF THE DEAD.

Bruce Linser (left) and Larry Buzzeo star in Island City Stage’s production of “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” playing through July 10.

second costume changes possible, too. It might have been challenging enough to just mount the play as Ludlam wrote it, but director Andy Rogow takes some liberties, slipping in modern references that make the play feel contemporary and just a little hipper. On opening night, it took audiences several minutes to realize that they were included in the many inside jokes peppered throughout, but they soon caught on, setting off giggles as the one-liners rolled

on. (Go ahead and have that extra glass of wine before the show.) But, by the end, belly laughs and groans abounded as the cast brought the show to its highly anticipated, but surprise conclusion. “The Mystery of Irma Vep” is a welcome diversion from the depressing news of the day — inflation, politics, war in Ukraine — and with its campy sensibilities and genderbending twist is a perfect complement to Pride Month festivities.

Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors, presents Charles Ludlam’s “The Mystery of Irma Vep” through July 10. Tickets are $35 at IslandCityStage.org.

• 6 .16.2022

SunServe Youth Life Coaching Counseling Support Groups Safe Space youth@sunserve.org (954) 764-5150

6 .16 . 20 22 •

A&E APPOINTMENTS The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida will present the regional premiere of Andrew Lippa’s “Unbreakable” at the Sunshine Cathedral, June 24 and 25. Credit: Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida.

ARTSBEAT THE SOUNDS OF PRIDE J.W. Arnold

GAY MEN’S CHORUS IS ‘UNBREAKABLE & UNSTOPPABLE’ The Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida will present its Pride Month concert, “Unbreakable & Unstoppable,” on Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25 at the Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 S.W. 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The centerpiece of the program is Andrew Lippa’s song cycle “Unbreakable,” originally planned for the 2020 season, but postponed after the COVID-19 pandemic struck. According to program notes, “Unbreakable” is “a curated selection of stories throughout American LGBTQ history — like Harvard’s ‘Secret Court’ of 1920, the life of transgender and gay activist Sylvia Rivera, the Lavender Scare, the remarkable work of Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams, and others. ‘Unbreakable’ is a heartrending and ultimately triumphant look at where we’ve been, what we’ve come through, and who we are today. Most of all, ‘Unbreakable’ is a tribute to the perseverance and power of a people who would not be defeated and could not be broken.” The work was premiered by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in 2018 and most recently performed to critical acclaim by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. The second half of the program, “Unstoppable,” includes a selection of gay anthems “that have inspired our community to be ourselves on dance floors and in diverse communities across the globe.” Artistic Director Gabe Salazar will conduct the performances.

Tickets start at $38 at GMCSF.org.

‘CAN’T CANCEL PRIDE’ RETURNS FOR THIRD YEAR ON IHEART RADIO The third annual “Can’t Cancel Pride – Proud AND Together,” a celebrity benefit concert for the LGBT community celebrating visibility and inclusivity, can be streamed through June 30. Hosted by queer singer, actress and social media personality JoJo Siwa, the concert features chart-topping artists Katy Perry, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Anitta, Dove Cameron, Betty Who and Kim Petras. Special appearances include Billy Porter, Manila Luzon, Erika Jayne, Big Freedia and Amy Schneider. During this year’s broadcast, Elton John is honored with the first Impact Award for his humanitarian work through the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Can’t Cancel Pride has raised over $8.3 million for LGBT organizations to date, and in 2021, the event reached 6.3 million viewers and listeners.

“Can’t Cancel Pride” can be viewed on demand throughout Pride Month on iHeartRadio’s YouTube channel Facebook page, The CW App and CWTV.com and on LGBT streaming service Revry.

• 6 .16.2022

FEATURE PETS

GENTLE GIANT E! LOV LOOKING FOR

LINDA

Calling all BIG dog lovers, Linda wants to go home with you. At 113 pounds, Linda is the largest dog at the Humane Society of Broward County and might be part Saint Bernard. Her previous owner moved and could not take her along and Linda is definitely missing them. She is anxious when she goes outside as if she is looking for her former family. Linda will need a patient new family who will give her time to adjust and settle in. This 5-year-old beauty is described as a gentle giant, who needs durable toys and a proper walking harness. She doesn’t know her own strength and does pull a bit when she goes for walks. Linda loves the coolness of a cold tile floor and will do best in a home with older kids. Do you have room in your heart and home for her?

Appointments are not necessary to visit the Humane Society of Broward County. However, please complete the preadoption application on the website www.humanebroward.com prior to stopping by if you would like to meet a pet. The shelter is located at 2070 Griffin Road, a block west of I95, and opens daily at 11 a.m. If you have questions call 954-989-3977 ext. 6. Can’t adopt, but want to help? The Humane Society has wish lists on Amazon and Chewy. ALL STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND CUSTOMERS SHOULD WEAR A MASK TO ENTER THE SHELTER.

6 .16 . 20 22 •

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