SFGN 01/01/20 V11iss1

CHECK OUT THE latest

local name global coverage

Begins in center

january 1, 2020 vol. 11 // issue 1

WMG

Pride of the Americas festival aims for hundreds of thousands of worldwide guests Page 8

SouthFloridaGayNews

@SFGN

SFGN.com

NEWS highlight

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

US hosts homosexuality decriminalization event at UN x

“The decriminalization of same-sex relations is crucial, but it is just the tip of the iceberg.”

- Jessica Stern

OutRight Action International Executive Director

1 . 1.2020

Norm.Kent@sfgn.com

CEO • Pier Angelo Guidugli piero@sfgn.com

Associate Publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com

Senior Features Correspondents Jesse Monteagudo

Correspondents

Dori Zinn • Donald Cavanaugh • Christiana Lilly • Denise Royal • David-Elijah Nahmod

Photo courtesy of the United Nations Free and Equal Facebook.

Contributing Columnists

Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily • Terri Schlichenmeyer

United States’ commitment to the principle that all governments must respect the equality and human dignity of each person under their jurisdiction, regardless of sexual orientation,” said the press advisory.

The U.S. is currently presiding over the U.N. Security Council.

Angola and Botswana in January and June respectively decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations. The Trump administration this year tapped Grenell to lead a campaign that encourages all countries to legalize homosexuality.

Grenell is among those who publicly criticized Brunei over a provision of its new penal code that sought to impose the death penalty for anyone convicted of consensual same-sex sexual relations. The State Department this week publicly defended U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote after the country’s president said he should leave over his defense of a gay couple who was sentenced to 15 years in prison under a colonial-era sodomy law.

The Trump administration’s anti-LGBT

rights record in the U.S. and its overall foreign policy, nevertheless, continue to spark widespread outrage among LGBT activists and their supporters.

The Human Rights Campaign and the Council for Global Equality are among the myriad organizations that have sharply criticized the State Department’s controversial Commission on Unalienable Rights. Activists with whom the Blade has spoken say the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy continues to harm LGBT migrants and asylum seekers.

“The decriminalization of same-sex relations is crucial, but it is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Stern in a statement that OutRight Action sent to the Blade after Wednesday’s meeting. “There isn’t a single country in the world in which LGBTIQ people don’t face discrimination or violence, purely for who we love or our gender identity. Instead of focusing only on decriminalization; we need to promote acceptance, understanding and equality for all LGBTIQ people everywhere.”

Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

Associated Press •

Publisher • Norm Kent

Art Director • Brendon Lies Artwork@sfgn.com Assistant Art Director • Adam Turner Digital Content Director • Justin Musial Webmaster@sfgn.com Arts/Entertainment Editor • J.W. Arnold JW@prdconline.com Social Media Manager • Tucker Berardi tberardi@ufl.edu Food/Travel Editor • Rick Karlin Gazette News Editor • Sallie James HIV Editor • Sean McShee Senior Photographer • J.R. Davis JRDavis12000@hotmail.com

Cover 1: Allen, posing proudly on behalf of the 2020 Pride of Americas. Photo via the Fort Lauderdale CVB. Cover 2: Tony Award-winner Gavin Creel returns to South Florida with intimate performances of his favorite show tunes. Photo Credit: Matt Murphy.

2

2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Editorial

T

he U.S. Mission to the U.N. recently hosted an event that highlighted efforts to decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations around the world.

A press advisory provided to the Washington Blade notes U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Knight Craft and U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell hosted the event that took place alongside a U.N. Security Council meeting.

Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Robert Destro; Puerto Rico Chief Justice Maite Oronoz Rodríguez; Rev. Johnnie Moore of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom; Harvey Milk Foundation Executive Director Stuart Milk and Hadi Damien, an LGBT activist from Lebanon, spoke on a panel. OutRight Action International Executive Director Jessica Stern is among those who attended the event.

Grenell on his Twitter page wrote “we read the names of all 69 countries that criminalize homosexuality” at the event.

Grenell also thanked President Trump for “your commitment to this issue.”

“Yesterday’s discussion underscored the

@SFGN

January 1, 2020 • Volume 11 • Issue 1

Associate Photographers Carina Mask • Steven Shires

Sales & Marketing

For ad placement in SFGN, contact 954-530-4970 Sales Manager • Justin Wyse Justin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Associate • Edwin Neimann Edwin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Associate • Clark Rogers Clark@sfgn.com Distribution Services • Rocky Bowell Sales Consultant • Charles A. Reid National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping Printing by Sun Coast Press

SFGN Winner of & 5 Florida Press Club Awards And runner-up for

NLGJA Journalist of the Year 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 of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. 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.

Copyright © 2020 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

HIVcare.org

Rebekka, AHF Client

AHF HEALTHCARE CENTERS KINDER (SOUTH MIAMI) 3661 S MIAMI AVE, STE 806 (786) 497-4000

MIAMI (JACKSON NORTH) 100 NW 170TH ST, STE 208 (305) 405-0045

OAKLAND PARK 1164 E OAKLAND PARK BLVD, 3RD FL (954) 561-6900

SOUTH BEACH 4308 ALTON RD, STE 950 (305) 538-1400

NORTHPOINT 6405 N FEDERAL HWY, STE 205 (954) 772-2411

DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE 700 SE 3RD AVE, STE 301 (954) 767-0887 1.1.2020 •

3

news international

By John Porter

gay VINE the

Keep up with the celebrities in our community

fashion

film

Harry Styles and the Masculine Revolution

Andy Cohen Gets Animated on Quibi

Harry Styles of the meteorically successful boy band One Direction delivers his most authentic album in both sound and visual artistry of his solo career with his 2019 album release of “Fine Line.”

During Harry’s rise to fame, he quickly stood out from his fellow band mates as a risk taker in fashion and expression. Styles continues to lean into his fluid expression of personal style with his bold Mick Jagger’esq choices in clothing and styling that has set the tone (and sent many searching for which heteronormative box the “Lights Out” singer fits in) for an awakening of a masculine revolution shared by fellow fluid stars Timothée Chalamet and Jared Leto.

Styles said recently in an interview with The Guardian, “Am I sprinkling in nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try and

Harry Styles. Submitted photo.

be more interesting? No. I want things to look a certain way. Not because it makes me look gay or it makes me look straight or it makes me look bisexual, but because I think it looks cool.”

Harry joins a growing number of Millennial and GenXer stars who are using their platform to shift the main stream definition of what it means to be masculine in a heteronormative world.

Quibi, the upcoming short-form streaming service founded by media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg has added a new project to its slate of programming with heavy hitter out gay producer Andy Cohen launching “The Andy Diaries” an animated six part series that will be 10 minutes each, in the style of the covers of his “Andy Cohen Diaries” book series.

The show will feature Cohen talking about his celebrity encounters, behindthe-scenes of his various projects, through his travels and as he traverses fatherhood for the first time.

Cohen told Deadline recently, “I’m so excited to start writing more adventures in my diaries, and animated short installments represent the perfect format to bring these to life.”

The series is produced by Cohen and his company, Most Talkative Productions,

Quibi’s post, via Twitter.

as well as Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley. The series will live on Quibi, a mobile-optimized streaming service filled with short, easily digestible shows.

The fledgling streaming service is set to launch on April 6.

music

Toy Boys and Theatre Tours, Madonna Lands in Miami

Madonna’s small venue theater tour crash landed recently in South Florida with a seven night residency at the Fillmore Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami Beach. With theatrical set pieces and a crew of backup dancers, singers and crew, Madonna once again reminds her fans and the world of her iconic ability to deliver the unexpected.

In a departure from the stadium’s and arena’s the Madame X singer has dominated for the last four decades, this intimate show is an up-close connection to the fans who have rallied for their queen at every pivot in her career.

Known for her tardiness and requirement for a warm performance space, the fans of her inaugural Fillmore show weren’t on board this time with fans chanting, “AC! AC! AC!” But never one to mince words, the Queen of Pop responded candidly to the sweaty crowd “F*** you! I’m cold. Take your clothes off!”

This comes on the heels of the news that Madonna, 61, was photographed on the balcony of her Miami Beach hotel

4

•

1 . 1.2020

with back up dancer Ahlamalik Williams, 25, arms around her waist in an embrace. Beyond the blurred lines of professional relationships, Williams is only three years older than her daughter Lourdes proving there are no border lines when you’re the Queen.

Besides the AC issue Madonna cancelled the last night of the show with barely two hour notice enraging fans, according to the Miami Herald. It took almost three before an explanation was given. She took to her instagram to address the issue saying she was suffering from a knee injury.

“I was in tears from the pain of my injuries, which has been indescribable for the past few days. I want to say how deeply sorry I am to all my fans for having to cancel my last show I spent the last two days with doctors. Scans, ultra sounds, X-rays, poking and probing and more tears. They have made it very clear to me that if l am to continue my tour — I must rest for as long as possible so that I don’t inflict further and irreversible damage to my body.”

Madonna. Photo via Madonna, Facebook.

1.1.2020 •

5

NEWS NATIONAL

Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy in Sweeden

Senate Confirms Fifth Openly Gay Ambassador Under Trump

By Chris Johnson Washington Blade

J

and

ust before adjourning for the Lithuanians really in a masterful way have holidays, the U.S. Senate confirmed gotten out ahead of an issue before it became Robert Gilchrist as the next the U.S. an issue domestically,” Gilchrist said. “And ambassador to Lithuania, making him at so, they are indeed at the forefront in many least the fifth openly gay person to serve ways I think there’s some things that we in an ambassadorial role under President could possibly learn from them as well.”

Trump.

Other roles in which Gilchrist has served The Senate confirmed Gilchrist — who’s are deputy chief of mission of the U.S. a former president of GLIFAA, the affinity embassy in Sweden, deputy chief of mission group at the State Department for LGBT of the U.S. embassy in Estonia and the employees — to the position by voice vote director of Nordic and Baltic Affairs in the on Thursday along with a slew State Department’s Bureau of of other Trump ambassadorial European and Eurasian Affairs.

“They picks without any floor debate Gilchrist is at least the fifth or controversy. openly gay person Trump [Lithuanians] Nominated by Trump in selected for a position are indeed at the has July, Gilchrist — who most as U.S. ambassador. Others recently served as director of forefront in many are U.S. Ambassador to the operations center at the Richard Grenell; U.S. ways I think there’s Germany State Department — is a career Ambassador to Nepal Randy some things that Berry; U.S. Ambassador to Foreign Service Officer, not a political appointee like other Eric Nelson and U.S. we could possibly Bosnia ambassadors.

Ambassador to Cabo Verde During his confirmation learn from them as Jeff Daigle.

Gilchrist’s confirmation hearing in October, Gilchrist well.” comes the same week Grenell faced tough questions on - Robert Gilchrist went to the United Nations Russia, which continues to seek Ambassador to Lithuania to promote the Trump hegemony over former Soviet administration’s global states like Lithuania.

Amid ongoing concerns about Russia’s initiative to decriminalize homosexuality, interference in elections worldwide, Gilchrist which he has spearheaded.

According to the conservative Center said Lithuania has set up protections that for Family and Human Rights, the group of could serve as a model elsewhere.

“I think if you look through, through nations that promote LGBT rights at the U.N. some of the recent press, you’ll see how the were having none of it.

Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

6

•

1 . 1.2020

#knowyourstatus Get tested. Get PrEP. Get treatment.

now offering #knowyourstatus #knowyourstatus #knowyourstatus #knowyourstatus

SAME DAY PrEP

Medical • Surgical • Aesthetic Specialists

Get tested, Get PrEP or get treatment Get treatment.

Gettested. tested.Get Get PrEP. PrEP. Get Get treatment. at Midway Specialty Care Center with At Midway Specialty Care Center with Dr. Howard A. Grossman Dr. Howard A. Grossman now offering

Same-day appointments reserved with Eric C. Wilkerson, MD, FAAD Board-Certified Dermatologist Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon Fellowship-Trained Cosmetic Dermatologist Providing an exceptional patient experience to those seeking a distinctive level of dermatologic care.

Skin Cancer Screenings • General Dermatology Botox • Chemical Peels • Fillers PRP Hair Restoration • Microneedling

At Midway Specialty Care Center we are “InSAME a world where I DAY could be anything, I chose a todos.

Come as you are.

PrEP able to“Bienvenidos start almost everyone on same day to be kind.

I became a medical assistant so We speak Spanish, Portuguese, and that I can play aand part inwithout caring for people.

PrEP, those with insurance.

At Midway Specialty Care Center we are English to provide comprehensive HIV

FREE

area of Dys port or $30 0 off Restylan e filler!* Expires 12/3 1/19

FORT LAUDERDALE DERMATOLOGY DR. ERIC WILKERSON

954.546.3376

2021 E. Commercial Blvd., Suite 301 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

FORTLAUDERDALEDERM.COM *Minimum purchase required and cannot be combined.

THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT THAT IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FREE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT.

Health and happiness are noton privileges, able to start same day care andalmost PrEP toeveryone our community.” they areand a human right. ” PrEP, those with without insurance.

Of f ice Supervisor,

Rodriguez, HOWARD A,A,Nelson GROSSMAN Christine Gonzalez Medical Assistant HOWARD GROSSMAN MD MD NOW ACCEPTING JONATHAN ALBERS PA-CPA-C JONATHAN ALBERS NOW NEW PATIENTS.

ACCEPTING NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS. CALL TODAY! NEW PATIENTS. NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS. CALL TODAY! CALL TODAY!

CALL TODAY! 954-530-8357

954-530-8357

2500 NE 15th Ave | Wilton Manors, FL 33305

954-530-8357

954-530-8357 2500 NE 15th Ave | Wilton Manors, FL 33305

2500 NE 15th Ave | Wilton Manors, FL 33305

2500 NE 15th Ave | Wilton Manors, FL 33305

1.1.2020 •

7

NEWS miami-dade

International Outreach Key Focus for Pride of the Americas Organizers

By Rick Karlin

T

he first Pride of the Americas in Greater Fort Lauderdale may be four months away, but efforts to attract visitors from Alaska to Argentina and all points in between began more than a year ago.

Organizers from Pride Fort Lauderdale and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, the event’s presenting sponsor, are hoping for hundreds of thousands of visitors at the festival, Apr. 21 – 26, 2020, and anticipate that 20 to 25 percent will come from out of the country.

Each year, members of the Pride Fort Lauderdale board travel, mostly at their own expense, to more than two dozen Pride festivals around the world to promote Pride Fort Lauderdale and Pride of the Americas. They also volunteer with the host organizations, marshaling parades, setting up festival sites, checking in vendors, and more.

In 2019, the travels have focused on the Americas, with trips to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao and Suriname, in addition to more than 20 U.S. Pride festivals.

The Pride Fort Lauderdale Courtesy of Pride of the Americas’ Facebook. board and planning committees also include miles away from Florida, it who have seen the ads,” Martorell added. members of Argentinian, - Shawn Palacious is still very difficult, even “There’s a lot of excitement out there. We’re Bahamian, Brazilian, Pride Board Member dangerous, to live as an openly even receiving inquiries from England and Canadian, Colombian, Cuban, gay man,” added Pride Board Europe.”

Dominican and Ecuadorean Pride Fort Lauderdale recently launched ancestry who are all actively promoting the Member Shawn Palacious, a prominent drag event to friends and families in their native performer and media personality who has French, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian called South Florida home since his youth.

Creole translations of the Pride of the countries.

This summer, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Americas website to facilitate planning by “Each of these countries celebrate Pride in very different ways,” said Pride Fort Convention and Visitors Bureau launched an visitors who may not speak English. It’s an Lauderdale President Miik Martorell, “and international digital campaign to promote important inclusivity initiative, Martorell LGBT-plus rights are viewed very differently Pride of the Americas to millions of LGBT emphasized.

With an unprecedented number of from country to country. But, in the end, it’s residents throughout the Caribbean, Latin love that unites us all, regardless of language America and North America. Awareness of international guests expected, South the event is very high among likely visitors, Florida’s hospitality industry is also gearing or culture.” up. More than 20 local hotels in Fort One of the goals of Pride of the Americas is said Martorell.

The campaign is currently running in Lauderdale and Broward County are offering to generate attention for the plight of LGBT people living in countries where people are three languages and targeting international special rates and packages during Pride of the Americas. still ostracized and imprisoned because of LGBT news and travel outlets.

“I’ve been hearing from friends in Brazil, Participating hotels can be found at their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“In my home of the Bahamas, just 40 Argentina, Canada, practically everywhere, PrideOfTheAmericas.org and new hotels

“In my home of the Bahamas, just 40 miles away from Florida, it is still very difficult, even dangerous, to live as an openly gay man.”

8

•

1 . 1.2020

are being added each week. The Galleria Mall will serve as an official welcome center, along with a second planned location in Wilton Manors, and both will be staffed by volunteers to assist guests during the festival.

Pride Fort Lauderdale is still seeking volunteers to assist with the effort, especially bi- and multilingual persons who speak Spanish and Portuguese. To learn more, go to PrideOfTheAmericas.org.

“An international festival like Pride of the Americas is obviously a huge undertaking and we couldn’t do it without the support of our city and county, the hotel and hospitality industry and most importantly, our presenting sponsor, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau,” concluded Martorell. “We’re very excited.”

NEWS health

December Report from HIV Planning bodies Sean McShee This article reports on three topics. First, it reports on the legislative update from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). Second, it discusses the meeting of the HIV Planning Council (HIV-PC). Third, it discusses the meeting of the South Florida AIDS Network (SFAN).

The Broward HIV Planning Council (HIVPC) oversees the Ryan White Care (RWC) Program of Broward (RWCBroward). The South Florida AIDS Network (SFAN) advises the RWC program of the Florida Department of Health in Broward (RWC-FL DOH Broward).

NASTAD Legislative update Congressional leaders and the White House have reached an agreement to fund all 2020 appropriation bills. This agreement includes funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative. [Update: This agreement formed the basis for December 16 Congressional approval of the 2020 budget, reported by the New York Times.]

On December 12, the House voted 230 to 192 for a bill to lower the cost of prescription drugs, like antiretrovirals. McConnell has announced that the Senate would not vote on this bill. The White House said that they would veto it.

Congresswoman Jenniffer GonzálezColón (R-Puerto Rico) has agreed to become the new Co-Chair of the Congressional HIV/ AIDS Caucus. She is replacing Ilena RosLehtinen (R-FL). Barbara Lee (D-CA) serves as its other co-chair. The following Florida House members serve in this caucus: Kathy Castor (D-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).

HIVPC met on December 5 The HIV Planning Council is looking for more members who are living with HIV. People living with HIV have a chance to help run RWC-Broward. If you would like to join or want more information, contact 954-5611681 ext. 1343 or ext. 1295.

Sonya Boyne LMHC presented on the intersections of mental health and HIV. The 2019 County Health Rankings ranked Broward 30th out of 67 Florida Counties. The top U.S. counties for mental health care have a ratio of total population to mental health providers of 310 to 1. In contrast, Broward has a ratio of 670 to 1.

Boyne also discussed how stigma impacts mental health and living with HIV. The Meriam Webster Dictionary defines stigma as “a mark of shame or discredit.” She discussed its three levels: 1) stereotypical thinking, 2)

Jenniffer González Colón.

Photo via the House of Congress.

emotional reactions to stereotypes, and 3) discriminatory behavior.

Boyne reported that people living with HIV have an increased risk for mental health problems. Untreated mental health issues can interfere with people staying in HIV treatment. Good mental health involves realizing one’s potential, and coping with the normal stressors of life.

SFAN met on December 6 Serena Cook (RWC-FL DOH) reported on changing from issuing monthly bus passes to issuing daily bus passes. She said this was a cost-effective measure. Joey Wynn, of Midland Cares, questioned how costeffective this change would be. Clients have appointments on different days. Each daily bus pass issued costs staff-time to process and distribute. This extra cost in staff-time could exceed the savings from changing to daily bus passes.

John Milam of BioLytical Laboratories reported on a new HIV test, the Insti Test. It can generate a result within 60 seconds.

Joey Wynn discussed MidLand Cares, a new HIV agency. It focuses on filling in current gaps in service and making “things easier for clients.” Currently, Midland Cares offers same day PrEP and Telehealth. It strives to be a “one stop shop for wellness and prevention.”

happy new year

ANNOUNCEMENTS Next SFAN Meeting: Friday, January 10, at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Cross Healthplex, 1000 NE 56th St., Fort Lauderdale. SFAN welcomes newcomers.

Next HIVPC meeting: Thursday January 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Broward Government Center, Room GC430, 115 S. Andrews Ave.

1.1.2020 •

9

Palm beach datebook Art After Dark Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach View an exhibition, attend a talk, participate in an art activity, enjoy a performance, concert, or film, sip cocktails, and dine in the Museum’s elegant new bar and restaurant. Free admission. Visit Norton.org.

Palm Beaches Prime Timers Second Saturdays at 3 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth An active fraternal and social organization dedicated to bring together mature gay and bisexual men for friendship, activities, support, and personal growth for the best times of our lives.

Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

STD Testing and Flu Vaccinations First Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth The Department of Health comes monthly. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Free Friday Concerts Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach Enjoy live music from the comfort of your picnic blanket or lawn chair every week, for free! Returns in October. Call 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

Coffee Clatch at Compass First Monday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at Compass, 201 N. Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth A social group focusing on the mature LGBT+ community in Palm Beach County, providing a relaxed environment for meeting friends, discussing interesting topics, and engaging in community projects.

Free to attend, email joekolb@ compassglcc.com for details.

Transcendence Meets at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth A closed transgender youth support group for teens ages 12 to 19. For more information, email youth@compassglcc.com.

10

•

1 .1.2020

P ALM B EACH

news

West Palm Beach Mayor Reappoints LGBT Liaison Robert Telford courtesy of West Palm Beach.

Kristen Grau

W

est Palm Beach Mayor Keith James announced last week it was reappointing the city’s LGBT liaison, Robert Telford.

This will be Telford’s sixth term as LGBT liaison for the city. His first five years were under former mayor Jeri Muoio. He has been a West Palm Beach city employee since 2005.

“I am pleased that Robert Telford has agreed to serve in my administration as the City’s LGBTQ liaison,” said James.

“West Palm Beach has long been at the forefront of LGBTQ equality and inclusion in the state of Florida. With Mr. Telford as a great resource, I look forward to continuing this legacy and to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in West Palm Beach.”

Telford will act as a resource to the city leadership and community.

Under Muoio’s administration, West Palm Beach accomplished many things for the LGBT community. West Palm Beach scored perfectly on the Human Right Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a measurement of cities’ support for LGBT equality, in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

According to the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC), James did not apply to participate in the 2019 Municipality Equality Index. However,

“With Mr. Telford as a great resource, I look forward to continuing this legacy and to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in West Palm Beach.”

-Mayor Keith James

according to PBCHRC, James has “pledged” to participate in the MEI for the remainder of his tenure.

In April, West Palm Beach was also named one of the most accommodating cities in the nation, according to the senior housing referral site SeniorAdvice.com.

Other things the city accomplished under Muoio included: • •

•

extended health insurance continuation coverage to city employees with domestic partners prohibited discrimination based on gender identity or expression in private and public employment, housing and public accommodation required city contractors to provide the same family benefits to employees with domestic partners

• • •

and same-sex spouses as they provided to employees whose marriages are recognized by the state of Florida added an LGBT web page to the city’s web site updated its health care plans to include trans care benefits to municipal employees enacted a ban on conversion therapy for minors

Telford also worked as a video production specialist for West Palm Beach.

“PBCHRC is pleased that Mayor James has finally appointed a liaison to our community,” said Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. “We look forward to working with Robert once again.”

To contact Telford, email rtelford@wpb.org or call 561-822-1864.

World AIDS Museum Presents:

Medications then and now

Champagne Reception January 31; 6-8pm Exhibit Opening February 2020

/worldaidsmuseum 1201 NE 26th St #111, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

1.1.2020 •

11

SAME OWNERS SINCE '96! ALL NEW STAFF!

PEACE PIPE YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD VAPE AND SMOKE SHOP

LARGEST SELECTION IN TOWN! AND GREAT PRICES TOO! VAPORIZERS • E-LIQUIDS • HOOKAHS • CBD

MENTION SFGN FOR 30% OFF YOUR PURCHASE! EXCLUDING TOBACCO. EXP. DECEMBER 31, 2019.

OPEN MON - SAT: 10AM - 9PM • SUN: 12 - 6 PM

P ALM B EACH

g u e s t c o lu m n

PBCHRC Highlights LGBT Progress in Palm Beach County in 2019 From PBCHRC

EVERYTHING YOU NEED! MORE THAN YOU EXPECT!

15 Minutes From The Beach or I-95 954-267-9005 754-779-7007

4800 N. Dixie HigHway, Fort LauDerDaLe Just soutH oF CommerCiaL BLvD

Two Locations!

FACEBOOK.COM/PEACEPIPEFL

821 N. FeDeraL Hwy., Fort LauDerDaLe Just soutH oF sears towN Next to CuBBy HoLe @PEACEPIPEFORTLAUDERDALE

November 2019 Lake Worth Beach City Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at eliminating bullying and harassment in city facilities and at programs provided by the city.

Mayor Keith James informs the City of Miami Beach that the City of West Palm Beach will join the appellate brief filed by the City of Miami Beach in opposition to the decision of an Orange County circuit court judge which nullified that county’s LGBT-inclusive Human Rights Ordinance.

Palm Beach County Commissioners voted to join the appellate brief filed by the City of Miami Beach in opposition to the decision of an Orange County circuit court judge which nullified that county’s LGBTinclusive Human Rights Ordinance.

Delray Beach City Commissioners vote to join the appellate brief filed by the City of Miami Beach in opposition to the decision of an Orange County circuit court judge which nullified that county’s LGBTinclusive Human Rights Ordinance.

Wellington Village Council Members vote to join the appellate brief filed by the City of Miami Beach in opposition to the decision of an Orange County circuit court judge which nullified that county’s LGBTinclusive Human Rights Ordinance.

July 2019 The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners amends the definition of “sexual orientation” in the County’s Ordinance for Housing and Places of Public Accommodation from “male or female homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality, by preference or practice” to “heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or asexuality, whether actual or perceived.”

May 2019 Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw established an LGBTQ Liaison Unit to promote a positive relationship between PBSO and the LGBTQ community.

12

•

1 .1.2020

Photo via PBCHRC, Facebook.

April 2019 PBCHRC President Rand Hoch is appointed to serve on the Government Efficiency, Budget and Taxes Policy Committee of the transition team for West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James.

The City of West Palm Beach is ranked the second-best city in the country for LGBTQ-friendly retirees, according to SeniorAdvice.com.

March 2019 Ty Penserga, an openly gay man, is elected to serve as a Boynton Beach City Commissioner.

February 2019 The Lake Worth City Commission unanimously adopts a resolution urging state legislators from Palm Beach County to support the Florida Inclusive Workforce Act. The West Palm Beach City Commission unanimously adopts a resolution urging state legislators from Palm Beach County to support the Florida Inclusive Workforce Act. January 2019 PBCHRC joins SAVE Florida, Translatina and Conservatives on the Right of Equality in support of the Florida Inclusive Workforce Act (FIWA) — a new effort to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act to prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Aaron’ s

Low Cost Cremation & Funeral Exceptionally High Quality at Low Prices Complete Direct Cremation

$555*

Graveside Burial

$1855

Includes Basic Casket

We Operate Our Own Off-Site Crematory

2201 Wilton Drive | Wilton Manors

833.227.6671

AaronsCremation.com * Death Certificates Additional

Free Notary Services

1.1.2020 •

13

Publisher's Editorial

Convictions

Ten Years, One Computer, One Desk, One Office

x

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

“This is not what I meant at all, not what I meant at all...”

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

By T. S. Eliot

New Year’s Day, 2020 Ten years ago, this month, using this computer, sitting in this same office, I published SFGN’s first story and wrote my first editorial.

It was topical and timely, and the kind of thing a gay newspaper that wanted to become a firebrand for advocacy should be writing about.

It had all the juice to become a Hollywood script, and its origin, of all places, was Hollywood, Florida. Here was the plot, true and still ready for screenwriting. After all, the Front Runner never made it to the big screen. The story of Mike the Cop should.

A handsome, gay, undercover cop, who had earned awards of distinction and recognition throughout the 1990’s working undercover, was winning national acclaim being true to his authentic self. It seems that Mike Verdugo was competing on a national home design reality show competition, and winning along the way.

Millions were watching. One of those had been watching Mike for a long time, apparently. Too long.

It seems that this stunning and tattooed muscleman had done gay porn 20 years before, prior to joining the police academy. The viewer recognized the compelling markings in Verdugo’s physique. Je made Mike’s past public. The chief brass at the Hollywood police department were mortified and petrified. But they had lawyers, so they fired Mike, using a false ruse of having not been totally honest in his application, kind of a joke given the department’s own stained history.

Verdugo fought back. He hired one outspoken lawyer, George Castrataro, who became Mike’s primary voice, saving his state license and advocating his cause. Mike went on to open gyms, work for the Broward Sheriff and restore his reputation, which should have never been stained. Good story, right?

Yes, and those are the things our gay paper

14

•

1 .1.2020

should be writing about. Causes that matter. We have exposed homosexual crooks preying on our elderly, and have celebrated gay marriage.

We have written about gay adoptions and have applauded the end of the don’t ask, don’t tell era. Gay men and women not only serve in the military, the U.S. Navy just named an oil rigger after Harvey Milk.

Of course, with victory comes defeat. With love, sorrow. With life, loss. Too many friends lost to AIDS, a pandemic we must still end. And have you ever done your part, with everything from the Smart Ride to Florida AIDS walks. So much of you still do so much for so many. What would the Fiddler, say? Oh yes — “a blessing on your head, mazel tov, mazel tov.” Yes, these are the things we should be writing about — good people doing good things, making a difference in our lives.

To be gay is a privilege, not an excuse, but that does not mean we are perfect, you know, like Trump’s letter to the Ukraine. It means we make mistakes too. So, we have our share of DUI’s, alcoholism and drug abuse that we still need to check and reign in.

There are probably better things to be known as then the community who launched “circuit parties.” Nevertheless, SFGN’s mission and duty have not changed. We report the wins, but sometimes the wounds. And that’s okay, that is what a newspaper does. That why I bought into this journey.

I tell you what I did not bargain for. I did not want to have to ever do an eight-page spread on the brutal Charlie Hebdo massacre, how French journalists were slain by terrorists who don’t celebrate diversity, but silence it.

Nobody should speak out more against discrimination than all of us in the gay community who have experienced it too often.

It happened far away, I said to myself, but why could it not happen here? It did.

Photo via Adobe.

No, I did not want to have to use the pages of SFGN to become the LGBT paper reporting to our shock that 49 gay men and women were massacred in a gay nightclub in Orlando. But we did, and our reporting was as compelling and complete and as riveting as any newspaper in the country. Still, it was not over.

I did not expect to be writing about the largest mass shooting in a high school in America occurring in our own county, where friends and colleagues taught, and whose children graduated their school. My god, this was the neighborhood I moved to and lived in when I first moved to South Florida in 1976, the beautiful and emerging Coral Springs corridor. I was a swimming coach for the teen association in their parks. Parkland was barely built. Who could fathom then what would happen decades later?

As I have said many times, I am from New York. While I was born in Brooklyn, you grew up under the arms of the Statue of Liberty and the shadows of the World Trade Center. Things happen. Bad things. Good things. Anywhere, anytime. Such is the circle of life. Somehow, we have come this far. May the road this year take you further, to newer places, happier times.

My brothers and I were also raised in the Catskills, where our grandparents owned a summer bungalow colony. Rockland and Sullivan County are a second home, Harriman State Park a National Treasure, the Red Apple Rest a family memory. We had a family reunion at the Inn at St Joseph in Forestburgh there a few years ago, in what is now a largely religious, orthodox, Hassidic community.

It is a loving, tranquil, where students of the Bible spend their days reading passages of trust

and truth. They ask for little, and study a lot.

I remember thinking, being there right after Pulse, how such a beautiful little community could easily become a madman’s target. This week, it did. Temples in Pittsburgh. Churches in Texas. This is not what we had in mind at Woodstock on Max Yasgur’s farm 50 years ago.

Writing about loves shared, days past, times ahead, those were the things I want to write about in SFGN. Like my radio show, I want to illuminate lives of success, authenticity and achievement. I don’t want to have to keep writing about temple shootings or church slaughters.

This is not why I started this paper with a gay Italian from Venice. We should be writing about the international gay gondola races, not running from bullets on the Champs-Élysées.

The reality is that the Torah teaches you “Man Plans, God Laughs.” I would rather have spent my 50th birthday 20 years ago playing in the Hurricane Softball Tournament at Mills Pond Park, and not getting chemotherapy treatments at Imperial Point. But you play the cards your dealt. And like Shakespeare wrote, “if you are honest with yourself, you don’t have to be a liar to anyone else.”

Just give that unforgiving minute sixty seconds worth of distance run. That was Kipling, not me. My quotes are simpler. Just face the fact that somedays you are the pigeon, and others days the statue. It is what it is.

Today, we begin another day, another year.

But don’t be fooled by those sports announcers on ESPN. We are all day to day, not just the tight ends with the sprained ankles.Thanks for carrying us this far. Let’s explore and see where the road goes.

column letters to the editor

Leave Trump Alone – Look at What He’s Done for the LGBT Community Reader is thankful to the president for ‘Making America Great Again’

Convictions

Editorial Cartoon

Editorial Cartoon

By Andy Marlette

Photo courtesy of the Donald J. Trump’s Facebook.

To the editor We have been reading your rag sheet for years, and it’s about time that someone calls you out for being biased, partisan and FAKE NEWS in the way you characterize our president, Donald Trump, as being anti-LGBT and treating his wife and family with disrespect.

Not ever do you give our president and his administration credit, where credit is due, such as: 1. Your recent article extending access to Prep 2. He recognized June as LGBT Pride month 3. He launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality (in Muslim countries, etc.)

4. His 2019 budget contains $291 Million funding boost for domestic HIV goals 5. He awarded one million dollars in Ryan White HlV/Aids program grants to states ALL of us, gay, straight, Democrats/Communists, Republicans, are enjoying a better economy. Job, low unemployment, low taxes, increased wages, highest employment rate for minorities and I bet you are enjoying an increase value of your 401-retirement plan.

These are things that you and the Left Media never mention. It’s time to be truthful.

Remember: some of us in the gay community are Conservative Republicans and very proud of President Donald Trump and his family, and grateful to him for Making America Great Again.

Sent to SFGN anonymously via mail

Let your voice be heard!  Submit your own letter to Jason.Parsley@sfgn.com KEEP YOUR EYES ON

South Florida Gay News

BRAKE PADS & SHOES

$99

@SoFlaGayNews

SouthFloridaGayNews

OIL CHANGE SPECIAL

$1495 $3999

99

(per axle)

SFGN.com

Let us pull your dipstick.

+ tax

+ tax

Full Synthetic Oil Change

+ tax

Lifetime Parts Warranty, FREE Brake Inspections. Install New Wagner Thermo-Quiet Brake Pads. Most cars.

up to 5 quarts of oil. Most cars.

Includes FREE Tire Rotation & Balance Check.

No Credit Check! Financing Available

FT. LAUDERDALE

901 N. Andrews Ave.

954-462-7560 www.meineke.com

1.1.2020 •

15

16

•

1 .1.2020

WMG Volume 7 • Issue 23 January 1, 2020

Wilton Manors Gazette Facebook.com/groups/WMGazette

community

Producer Brings Popular Chicago ‘Bathhouse’ Musical to Wilton Manors

By J.W. Arnold Ronnie Larsen likes bathhouses. In fact, he’s been known to crash at Steamworks, the legendary Chicago bathhouse, rather than a hotel while on overnight trips to the Windy City.

“I always meet the most interesting people at bathhouses,” the gregarious theater producer and playwright earnestly said. “You never know who you will run in to.”

It’s surprising that Larsen has never penned a play about bathhouses. His “All-Male Peep Show” chronicled adventures in Times Square while the writer lived in New York City in the 1990s. “Making Porn” was an Off-Broadway hit and inspired another Larsen classic, “Shooting Porn.” And then there was the semi-autobiographical “Cocksucker: A Love Story” about a young man’s sexual adventures at truck stops. Larsen certainly met “interesting” people there.

While on one of those trips to Chicago to present his “Penis Talk Show,” Larsen saw a flyer for “Steamworks the Musical” at the local Annoyance Theatre. He didn’t think much about it at first, but on a subsequent trip, he again encountered a bill advertising the play and bought a ticket.

“It was so much fun and the actors were having a great time,” he recalled. “I knew

it could be a big hit in Wilton Manors.”

The show, created by director Clay Goodpasture, composer Tara Trudell and several original cast members, is essentially a cabaret with a very thin plot featuring the patrons of Steamworks.

Al, an innocent young twink from Nebraska, arrives declaring “I’ve never been gay before,” (“except for a hot threesome in Lincoln”). He immediately meets Carol, the resident Boystown fag hag who endlessly complains that she can’t score a man on the North Halstead strip. Al quickly learns “the lay of the land” from bathhouse attendants TwinkieDee and Twinkie-Dum and longtime customer Chester, who claims he hasn’t left the building in 12 years.

When meeting with theater leaders about the rights, Larsen realized there was something more to the plot when he was told it was like a gay “Alice in Wonderland.” The characters were named Al (Alice), Twinkie-Dee and Twinkee-Dum (Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum) and Chester (Chesire).

“I remember thinking that sure was trippy,” Larsen admitted with his throaty laugh, “because this certainly isn’t deep theater,” referencing his recent criticallyacclaimed—and serious—drama, “An

Larsen cast 15 local actors for the show, seeking to lend a realistic touch for audiences.

“Steamworks the Musical” opens Jan. 9 at Wilton Theater Factory in Wilton Manors. Credit: Ronnie Larsen Presents.

Evening with John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” Larsen was given permission to adapt the story a bit and he moved the setting to South Florida. Carol has been renamed “Jennifer McClain,” with the permission of the popular cabaret singer, and while the original production costumed the actors in towels, Larsen’s version will offer plenty of full-frontal nudity.

Larsen cast 15 local actors for the show, seeking to lend a realistic touch for audiences. There are twinks and muscle hunks, bears of all kinds, daddies and sons.

“Who wants to see a show about a bathhouse with no nudity? Really? I also wanted this production to be a celebration

of the diversity of our community,” he said.

“This isn’t ‘Naked Boys Singing’,” a show that typically features “pretty” boys.

Apparently, Larsen’s audiences don’t just enjoy seeing nudity on stage, they enjoy watching theater in the buff, too. Two advertised “naked nights” have already sold out and Larsen plans to add more.

“The more the merrier,” he concluded.

WMG

Ronnie Larsen presents “Steamworks the Musical,” Jan. 9 – Feb. 16 at the Foundry at Wilton Theater Factory, 2306 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors. Tickets start at $35 at RonnieLarsen.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •1 7 1.1.2020 •

Opinion

WMG Looking Ahead in 2020

January 1, 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 23

2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305

By Sal Torre

Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

 Image via Adobe.

As I start to write another article, my first attempt was full of doom and gloom as I look ahead into the New Year. There is no shortage of topics to be pessimistic about during these troubling times.

However, I could not welcome in a new year and a new decade with such pessimistic thoughts. Voices in my head began to shout, “Stop, halt, hold the presses, pull back and start anew, don’t give in.” I forced myself to step away and focus on a more positive and optimistic train of thought as I make a second attempt to welcome in the New Year.

As I focus on life here in Wilton Manors I quickly get in a much happier state of mind.

It’s so much better to welcome in the New Year with hope and optimism than to curse it with ramblings of pessimism. Here in the Island City we have accomplished much in the last decade, and the sky seems very bright here in our Island City as we move into the new year.

I quickly acknowledge the wonderful holiday season I have been blessed to enjoy with wonderful gatherings of friends, food, and festivities with many Island City residents coming together to enjoy and celebrate. This sense of community can bring rays of sunlight through the darkest of storm clouds. This camaraderie is not limited to just this time of holiday festivities, but also throughout the year.

Dark troubling storm clouds on the horizon outside our borders can easily make one shudder with a sense of fear — fear from the insanity coming out of the White House, fear from a much-divided world, fear from the effects of global warming, fear from the concentration of wealth in the hands of just a few, fear from the monopolistic corporations that keep getting bigger and bigger. There is no shortage of bad news out there.

However, we cannot allow such pessimism to consume us and to cause us not to have hope in the future. My hope is right here in Wilton Manors. Our city’s motto of, “Life is just better here,” was not some silly creation of someone in an office

Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli piero@sfgn.com Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com Copyeditor • Kerri Covington

Editorial

Art Director • Brendon Lies artwork@sfgn.com News Editor • Sallie James

Correspondents

Sal Torre • James Oaksun

Staff Photographers

J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires

Sales & Marketing For ad placement in the Wilton Manors Gazette, contact 954-530-4970

Sales Manager • Justin Wyse justin.wyse@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Associate • Clark Rogers clark.rogers@sfgn.com Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping

cubicle. This motto came from the belief of many residents that such a reality exists here in our city, that life actually is better here. We know it, we love it, and we are committed to keeping it this way.

As I look ahead to the New Year with hope and optimism, I look forward to seeing wayfinding signs and new city gateway signs to begin appearing around town. I look forward to seeing new development plans for the church site on NE 26th Street.

I look forward to getting the new zoning and Land Use changes in place for the Andrews Ave/Oakland Park Corridor. I look forward to seeing the new entrance way completed for Colohatchee Park. I look forward to trees and streetscaping along Wilton Drive. I look forward to the newly planned Fourth of July celebrations here in our city. I look forward to more public art and to finally see utility boxes wrapped with local artwork.

I look forward to the thousands of international visitors that will be coming to the Wilton Manors/Fort Lauderdale area

Only by insuring safe and vibrant neighborhoods can we continue to be such a wonderful community.

during the Pride of the Americas celebrations in April. There is indeed much to look forward to here in our Island City.

As my thoughts roam around our city, I begin to think about certain matters that warrant our unceasing attention. Keeping a strong and committed police force is vital to the public safety of our great city.

Equally important is making sure our Code Enforcement stays vigilante throughout our neighborhoods.

Only by insuring safe and vibrant neighborhoods can we continue to be such a wonderful community. Residents should look to assist city staff by contacting Code Enforcement or other city departments when they notice something not right or have any questions. City staff has always responded to my inquires with a quick follow-up. Our elected officials are all available to listen to concerns, with their contact information easily accessible on the city website.

Optimism brings about the change we need to see, whereas pessimism guarantees no change for the better. We can make a difference if we stay involved, believe in the future and look to bring about a better tomorrow.

This is the only way life will continue to be just better here.

Happy New Year! WMG

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 of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. 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.

MEMBER

MEMBER

Associated Press MEMBER

MEMBER

Copyright © 2020 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

WMG file photo.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18

•

1 .1.2020

2 •

January 1, 2020

Nite Club Law If you drink, don’t drive. If you drive, don’t drink. If you do both, call us.

• PHOTO FACIALS • LASER SKIN REJUVENATION • LASER HAIR REMOVAL • BOTOX® / DYSPORT® XEOMIN • SCULPTRA® • RADIESSE® /BELOTERO® RESTYLANE® / JUVEDERM® / VOLUMA® / KYBELLA • PLASMA PEN SKIN TIGHTENING

Criminal Defense Law Center

• PRP HAIR RESTORATION

INJECTABLES* Dysport $3.75 a unit Save an instant $75 when 100 units or more are injected

954.763.1900

Restylane Dermal Filler Offer:

Norman Elliott Kent

Russell Cormican

2520 N Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305

12 S.E. 7th Street, Suite 700 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Buy Two 1ml Restylane Lyft and Receive one 1ml Restylane FREE ($550 Savings) PROMOTIONS EXPIRE 1/21/20

www.NormKent.com

954.462.7455 www.thesilklasercentre.com

3 •

January 1, 2020

924 N. Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

owned & operated by J.A. Astaphan MD

1.1.2020 •

19

politics

Is ‘Dixie Highway’ racist?

The debate is growing

By Susannah Bryan Sun Sentinel A movement to rename Dixie Highway — for some a painful reminder of a tragic, racist past — might be gaining steam in Broward County.

The argument is being made by one of Broward County’s youngest elected officials after she heard of a similar effort in MiamiDade.

The name Dixie harkens back to an era that glorified slavery and white supremacy, says 22-year-old Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana. Her fellow city commissioners agree, approving a resolution in early December urging Broward commissioners to take up the cause.

Broward Mayor Dale Holness says it’s an idea worth exploring and plans to bring it up for discussion early next year.

“It would be good to have input from the community, to hear their voices and what their thoughts are,” Holness said. “I am not opposed to renaming the street. The dilemma is some people are going to want Dixie to stay.

They are going to talk about heritage also.”

Javellana pitched the idea after learning of an effort by Miami-Dade Commissioner Dennis Moss to rename Dixie Highway for Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who helped lead others to freedom before the Civil War. “Dixie was the term for the South during the Civil War,” Javellana said during a Hallandale meeting on Dec. 4. “It was also a song that became the anthem of the Confederacy, with lyrics that were painting a positive imagery of

“It’s part of the whole movement to take down symbols of the Confederacy. I would love a Freedom Highway.

That would be beautiful.”

- Sabrina Javellana

Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor

Dixie Highway at NE 56th Street in Coral Ridge Isles, Fort Lauderdale. Photo credit: Elvert Barnes, via Flickr.

slavery, talking positively of picking cotton.

It’s not reflective of the times we’re in.”

On Thursday, Javellana said she’d like to see Dixie Highway renamed Freedom Highway.

In Riviera Beach, a portion of Dixie Highway is now known as President Barack Obama Highway, Javellana noted. And in Hollywood, three streets once named for Confederate generals are now known as Hope, Freedom and Liberty.

“It’s part of the whole movement to take down symbols of the Confederacy,” Javellana said of her attempt to rename Dixie. “I would love a Freedom Highway. That would be beautiful.”

The debate has not yet come up in Palm Beach County, but that could change, says County Commissioner Mack Bernard.

“We’re keeping an eye on it,” he said Friday.

“I haven’t had a chance to speak to staff, the county attorney and county administrator.”

Bernard says he’d want to learn more about costs and other issues before suggesting that Palm Beach County find a new name for Dixie Highway.

In 2017, State Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-Hollywood, urged that cities throughout Florida rename their stretches of Dixie Highway.

“The name has divided our country,”

he said at the time. “There should be no recognition of it. It does not represent who we are and what we stand for as a country today.”

On Thursday, he said he was happy to hear Broward’s mayor was taking up the cause.

“I’d love to have Old Dixie Highway be a road of black history, whether it’s Freedom Highway or Harriet Tubman or Barack Obama,” he said.

Not everyone is on board.

Hollywood resident Pat Asman fumed at her city for changing its street names two years ago and didn’t take too kindly to the thought of changing Dixie either.

“Come on,” she said. “I’m 81 years old and that name has been on that street for years.

Someone from New York must have come down here and had a problem with it. I think it’s stupid. That street goes all the way through the United States. You’re not going to change history. And it costs money to change those street names.”

Broward Vice Mayor Steve Geller said he was not averse to the idea of coming up with a new moniker for Dixie Highway.

“I do think it’s appropriate to rename it,” he said. “But I don’t want to spend years figuring out what the new name should be. Otherwise it would be known as the street with no name — and that would be bad.” x

Other details also would need to be worked out, including how much any new street signs might cost and who would pay for them.

Jones said he had no idea.

“That’s the difficult part,” he said. “Before we talk about any name change, we need to find out who’s going to pay for it. I’m sure the signs are expensive.”

Javellana thought the county might pick up the tab.

Holness thought the cities would pay.

Geller, a former state senator, said it could be a combination of the state, county and cities, depending on who has jurisdiction over the road.

Dixie Highway runs through seven cities in Broward: Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Wilton Manors.

Geller shuddered at the possibility of each city coming up with its own name.

“I’d hate to make it more confusing by naming it five different things,” he said.

Benjamin Israel, the Hollywood resident who led the charge to rename three Hollywood streets named for Confederate generals, agreed.

“That can be confusing for out-oftowners,” he said. “They should come up with the same name.” WMG

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20

•

1 .1.2020

4 •

January 1, 2020

95.3 FM 96.9 FM

103.9 FM 1470 AM

Afternoon Drive... local and LIVE. Call-in line: 888-565-1470

3-5 P.M. MONDAY - FRIDAY

See past shows on youtube at

bit.ly/2OzWjlI

Live streaming • wwnnradio.com

$3 Off Admission Good for up to 4 people

1.1.2020 •

21

lifestyle two guys and a dog

Speaking for God? You and Me Both Brian McNaught

Photo via PxHere.

“T

rust me,” I assured him. “I’m a messenger from God.” What I didn’t go on to say, because he wasn’t ready to hear it, was that he, too, was a messenger from God. We all are. Otherwise, God/the Universe/Life/Love/Spirit has no means of communicating to us in words we’ll understand.

This idea of us being channels of truth from the Spirit comes directly from organized religion. The Catholic Church, for instance, asserted in the documents from the Second Vatican Council, that God inspires truth from the mouths of everyone. It’s a role to be embraced, and with it comes responsibility.

We are spiritual warriors, we who look for inspiration, and meaning, to guide, and give purpose to our lives. Has anyone not sat on the rocks or sand, gazing at the powerful, churning ocean, or at the spectacular, starlit sky, or walked among the ancient trees, and wondered, “How do I fit into all of this?”

I celebrate with gratitude seeing and hearing all of the answers previous seekers have posted during their short stays, such as the Desiderata. “You are a child of the Universe, “You are a no less than the trees or the stars. You have good, loving a right to be here.” Quotes abound from people, just like us, who have experienced manifestation of a glimpse of truths, and recorded them to the divine. Your make certain the revelation isn’t lost. They Most LGBT people who have been hurt by is within,” said Jesus. do it in songs, essays, cartoons, and TV relationship religion, their own or another’s, aren’t eager to Recently, I was asked how a good, Irish Catholic boy like scripts, among a myriad of manner. The was beautiful, identify themselves as spiritual warriors. I don’t myself could comfortably reconcile his homosexuality Tao Te Ching is 2,500-year-old recording of this inspiration: wonderful, and know that Dustin Lance Black would want to be with the teachings of the Church. I not only don’t try, but told his screenplays are prophetic? Would Kate for my own sake, I don’t care. The Church was never going “What is a good man but a bad man’s sacred. You Clinton or Urvashi Vaid like hearing that they to say “Gay is good,” so I said it, and they fired me. The teacher? What is a bad man but a good are messengers from God? Kate would make a Church wouldn’t allow me to be an openly gay priest, so I man’s job? If you don’t understand this, created heaven joke. But, I embrace being a mouthpiece of the acknowledged to myself that I am a priest, committed to you will get lost, however intelligent you for yourself and Universe, and I wish more LGBT people would see serving, and ordained by the affirmations of my friends and are. It is the great secret.” their lives as gifts, and their insights divine. family. Nor will the Church officially declare me a saint, so Since the beginning of time, there have others.”

We’re not supposed to think good things I declare myself a saint in the hopes of others seeing how always been those who discovered that about our angelic selves. Too much joy in being a I, and they, are manifesting the deep truths of Love, which we have to be very still in order to hear the whisper of God. And, I believe that a good many of them manifestation of God might be considered pride, narcissism, is God. “They who abide in love abide in God, and God in lived unconventional lives, such as being in same-sex loving or delusion. Only Jesus, Buddha, Joseph Smith, Mohammed, them.”

An older gay Catholic friend shared his concern about relationships, or being gender queer, unable to suppress their Moses, and a handful of others, are allowed, in some minds, need to express the Universe completely. Oscar Wilde and to say out loud, “I speak for God.” Well, I speak for God too. going to hell for being homosexual, despite years and years of loving kindness to his male spouse, his friends, family, Mary Oliver would be examples of those whose prose and And I believe you do.

I’m not talking about the often heard, “God told me to run and clients, and to strangers. poetry are profoundly wise, their observations not new, but “No,” I insisted. “You are a good, loving manifestation of reframed through their daily experiences, and reported in for President,” or “God Hates Homosexuals.” That’s not God Talk. Messages from God, or the Universe, aren’t self-serving the divine. Your relationship was beautiful, wonderful, and their gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer tongue.

The sexual orientation or gender identity of a prophet politically, or materially. They’re “other serving” spiritually. sacred. You created heaven for yourself and others.”

He pushed back skeptically. means little to me if what they say reflects my experience of “It is in giving that we receive.” Love is the source of God’s “Trust me,” I assured him. “I’m a messenger from God.” truth, or challenges me to grow beyond my comfort level. I whispers, and the whispers don’t come from an outside He smiled with a curious look. That’s a beginning. don’t need to know who they loved, or how they lived, in order source. We are talking with ourselves. “The kingdom of God to find in their words or art reflections of my own reality. But, I’m impressed with how many spiritual warriors manifest in their gay tongues the truths that match my own. And knowing Brian McNaught has been a leading educator on LGBTQ issues globally since 1974. He has that they’re LGBT often gives their gifts special meaning. Have made his many books and DVDs available for free at Brian-McNaught.com. The New York you heard k.d. lang sing “Hallelujah”?

Times named him “The Godfather of gay diversity training.”

22

•

1 .1.2020

Hosted Group of LGBT Travelers

5 Nights - 19th Annual

from $1125 pp

Halloween Cruise

Oct 30, 2020 - Nov 4, 2020

VIRGIN VOYAGES - Scarlet Lady

Book by February 14, 2020 & receive up to $400 Shipboard Credit!

Departing Roundtrip from Miami, Florida.

Visiting: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; The Beach Club on Bimini Island, & 2-days at sea More Aquafest Value! - 2 VIP Private Open Bar Cocktail Parties Private Halloween Contest With $1000 in Prizes - Guest Celebrity Entertainer Red, White, and Blue Theme Parties With Costume Prizes - Evening Social Gatherings Private Optional Excursion in Puerto Plata - Aquafest “A” Team Hosts

e Mor s: r Offe Kenya, Africa - South Africa - Burgundy/Provence - Christmas Markets

Danube - Egypt - Jordan - India - Japan - Machu Picchu - Amazon - Scandinavia

(800) 592-9058 - AquafestCruises.com 1.1.2020 •

23

spirituality

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

LISTINGS All Souls Episcopal Church 4025 Pine Tree Drive. Miami Beach Sundays at 8am and 10:30am.

305-520-5410 | allsoulsmb.org

A LITTLE BIT OF FAITH AND

PRIDE ALL ARE WELCOME 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.

SEE MORE ONLINE AT SFGN.COM/TABLE/NEWS/RELIGION 24

•

1 .1.2020

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 2917 NE 6th Avenue Wilton Manors 954-633-2987 - HolyAngelsFL.net Sunday Mass at 11AM Christ Lutheran Church 1955 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale (954) 564-7673 - christlutheranfl.org pastordeborah@christlutheranfl.org Worship: Sunday 10:00am DARSHAN CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION 1410 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors, Fl 33305 917-579-3750 www. darshancenterwiltonmanors.org RevDrGTelesco@gmail.com Interfaith Spiritual Services on Sundays 6:30PM Spiritual Study Group Thursdays 7PM

Church of our Savior, MCC Church of Our Savior, MCC 2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000 Sunday Service 10AM Fountain of Love Ministries 5481 FL-7, Tamarac, FL 33319 954-486-5959 fountainofloveonline.org Pastor Dallas Walker-Green Worship: Sunday Mornings at 11:00 am St. Nicholas Episcopal Church 1111 E. Sample Road, Pompano Beach 954-942-5887 - stnicholasfl.org office@stnicholasfl.org Sundays 8:00AM & 10:30AM (9:30AM only from Memorial Day through Labor Day) First Congregational United Church of Christ 1415 North K Street, Lake Worth 561-582-6691 - fcclw.org office@lakeworthchurch.org Service Time: Sunday 10:30AM United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale 2501 NE 30th Street, Fort Lauderdale (954)563-4271 - uccftl.org revpatrickrogers@gmail.com Service Times: Thursdays 10:30AM (Elliot Hall) & Sundays 10:30AM (Sanctuary)

FAITH & PRIDE spirituality All

Your New Year’s

Resolution?

Souls’ Epi copal Church

All Are Welcome!

SERVICES SUNDAY AT 8 A.M. & 10:30 A.M.

Reverend Timothy Carr

Souls’ Epi copal All

Church

All Souls Episcopal Church

4025 PINE TREE DRIVE, MIAMI BEACH 305-520-5410

| ALLSOULSMB.ORG

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC 2011 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, FL 33435

“Love without judgement” Holy Angels National Catholic Church 2917 NE 6th Ave Wilton Manors, FL 33334 Facebook.com/HolyAngelsFL www.HolyAngelsFL.org

Wherever You Are On God’s LGBTQIA Rainbow, You Are Welcome...

SUNDAY SERVICE 10 A.M. Rev. Rick Rhen-Sosbe, Pastor

954-633-2987

561-733-4000

www.ChurchOfOurSaviorMCC.org MCC, Transforming Ourselves as We Transform The World

W

ell, it is that time again.

Quit smoking?

Quit drinking? Quit relationships?

Quit sugar? Quit ?

Join a gym? Join a church? (Please do this… it is good for you.) Join a social group?

OMG! The list goes on and on and on. So many resolutions; so little time!

Though all good in one way or another… don’t do any of the above.

Instead, do this.

Treat 2019 and the past like the past. Yep. It is over. Done with.

Grab the “Etch A Sketch” of your life and turn it over and shake it like heck!

Then turn it over and bam!

It is blank. The screen is ready to draw something pretty and new.

In order to really change life for the better you must forgive yourself the mistakes of the last year. And before that too! Make that your resolution.

Now here is what I tell you: Forgive and Remember! That’s right. Forget that stuff about forgiving and forgetting. Gets you nowhere. But forgiving and remembering gets you where you wish to be on New Year’s

A home for your spirit.

Mass Schedule: Sabado 6:00 PM misa en español • Sunday 11:00 AM mass in English • All are welcome!

Christ Lutheran Church or frankly, any other time.

By forgiving yourself, you acknowledge your own “human-ness” and also realize that you may make the very same (or maybe worse) mistake again. In a theological sense you recognize your own dependence for help on the Divine; God, if you will. “I will, with God’s help.” This, is the prayer you offer in forgiveness in your future; your new year. Your 2020.

By remembering, you acknowledge your mistakes of the past and you can feel justifiably proud of progress that you have made within your very own and unique context. It is your life.

And, also by remembering you will be empathetic to another person who may be challenged in the same way that you have been. This will make you kinder.

Forgive and remember! Forgive the past and remember how remarkable you are!

And to paraphrase that great song from La Cage – “You are your own special creation” and you are loved by God. Happy New Year and may God bless you in this New Year!

1955 East Oakland Park Blvd.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306 www.christlutheranfl.org

Sunday Service @ 10am Fellowship after Service

Join us for Shabbat service Every Friday night at 8pm The 2nd Saturday of every month $15 Door includes 7 games Specials 3 cards for $1 Food available for purchase: Hot dogs, drinks, chips Doors open 6:30pm/Play starts 7pm Cash only please

Learn more about our many programs & events www.EtzChaimFlorida.org

Congregation Etz Chaim

2038 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, on the Pride Center campus For more information: www.EtzChaimFlorida.org or 954Ͳ564Ͳ9232 1.1.2020 •

25

SFGNITES

F O R T H E W EE K O F J a n u a r y 2 , 2 0 1 9 - J a n u a r y 7 , 2 0 2 0 J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

1/2

A Journey For The Ages

theater Enter a “world of pure imagination” when the Broadway adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” comes to Miami’s Arsht Center through Sunday, Jan. 5.

The show features favorites from the film, “Pure Imagination,” “The Candy Man” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of “Hairspray.” Tickets start at $35 at ArshtCenter.org.

FRI

1/3

cabaret Experience an intimate evening of incredible music and hilarious conversations hosted by Sirius XM’s Seth Rudetsky and featuring Tony Award-winner Kelli O’Hara, tonight at 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale.

O’Hara most recently starred in the revivals of “Kiss Me, Kate” and “The King and I,” as well as “Bridges of Madison County” and “South Pacific.”

Tickets at ParkerPlayhouse.com.

saturday

1/4

opera

Opera Fusion artists will present Gian Carlo Menotti’s beloved Christmas operetta, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” tonight at 8 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 S.W. 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale, and on Jan. 5 and 6 in Delray Beach and Boca Raton. The operetta tells the story of a young stable boy and the three magi seeking the newborn Christ child.

Singers are all South Florida professionals and the two boys alternating in the title role are members of Florida Singing Sons boychoir. Tickets $30 and $5 for students at OperaFusion.org.

Photo Credit: F.S. Hindle.

SAT

1/4

SUN

1/5

MON

1/6

TUE

1/7

wellness

concert

film

theater

Oprah brings her “2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus” tour to the BB&T Center in Sunrise today beginning at 9 a.m. Singer Lady Gaga will be joining the talk show host for the daylong event, including inspirational presentations, interactive exercises and the latest lifestyle research to help audiences set their own new year’s action plan and take charge of their lives. Tickets start at $45.25 at Ticketmaster.com.

This season, the Boca Symphonia is highlighting the roles women have played in classical music and featuring female conductors and guest artists.

Today at 3 p.m. at the Roberts Theater at Saint Andrew’s School, 3900 Jog Road in Boca Raton, the criticallyacclaimed chamber orchestra will perform works by Assad, Haydn and Mendelssohn, conducted by Carolyn Kuan. Tickets start at $67 at TheSymphonia.org.

It’s Movie Monday and this week, we’re catching up on all those holiday blockbusters that have had the local cineplexes packed with desperate parents and screaming kids. Our top recommendations: “Star Wars,” “Little Women,” “Knives Out,” “Jumanji” and “Spies in Disguise.” As for “Cats,” good luck finding it in a theater. That “cat-astrophe” is headed for video.

Check local listings for theaters and show times.

Turn the clock back 50 years when Chazz Palminteri’s unforgettable true story, “A Bronx Tale,” comes to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach through Jan. 12. This Broadway hit about a young man—caught between the father whose approval he seeks and a neighborhood mob boss he admires—is accentuated with dance numbers by Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast”). Tickets start at $44 at Kravis.org.

26

•

1 .1.2020

1.1.2020 •

27

PRESENTS

A&E cabaret

Broadway Star Sings Favorite Songs, Seeks Signature Role J.W. Arnold

G

SUN, JAN 19 / 6PM MAIN STAGE Prepare for full-frontal illusions, awesome physiques, and laughing until your face hurts. Hunky Australian duo Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne (motto “good magicians don’t need sleeves, and great magicians don’t need pants”) unveil the boisterous R-rated magic show that has left millions of fans gasping from Las Vegas to London’s West End. Recommended for mature audiences

®

®

IT IS THE POLICY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. THE FACILITY IS ACCESSIBLE AND ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MAIN STAGE AUDITORIUM AND THE BLACK BOX THEATER SPACE. TO REQUEST MATERIALS IN ACCESSIBLE FORMAT, AND/OR ANY ACCOMMODATION TO ATTEND AN EVENT AT THE SOUTH MIAMI-DADE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER, PLEASE CONTACT STEPHANIE APONTE, 786-573-5314, SAPONTE@MIAMIDADE.GOV, AT LEAST FIVE DAYS IN ADVANCE TO INITIATE YOUR REQUEST. TTY USERS MAY ALSO CALL 711 (FLORIDA RELAY SERVICE).

cirquedusoleil.com/alegria

28

•

1 .1.2020

avin Creel is one of the biggest names on Broadway: He won an Olivier Award for his performance in “The Book of Mormon” on London’s West End and was nominated for Tonys for his performances in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Hair” on Broadway. He finally took home his own golden statue after starring alongside Bette Midler in the 2017 revival of “Hello, Dolly!”

Creel will return to South Florida this weekend for two intimate performances of his favorite songs in Aventura and Delray Beach.

“We’re gonna sing some songs and make people happy, I hope,” said Creel. “I have a great pianist, Chris Kong, and we’re going to do songs from the Great American Songbook, songs I love from the theater, peppered with song from the shows I’ve done.”

After a pause, the 43-year-old summed it all up: “We’re going to explore the life of a Broadway performer today with songs from the past.”

Creel especially enjoys spotting young people in his audiences. He jumps at the opportunity to offer encouragement from the stage and important insights for success in an incredibly competitive industry.

Judging from his resume, one might expect Creel to relish the sounds of yesteryear, the Golden Age revivals that brought him accolades on stage.

“I appreciate the songwriting from that time and definitely appreciate the great melodies and simple lyrics. I like the challenge of making [those classics] feel sexy and new,” Creel said, “but I’m also excited by the newer stuff.”

Creel particularly appreciates the musicals of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“Dear Evan Hansen”), Jason Robert Brown (“Bridges of Madison County,” “Parade”) and Tom Kitt (“Next to Normal”) and the pressing social issues they raise. Creel, who is openly gay, co-founded Broadway Impact several years ago to advocate for LGBT rights.

In the meantime, Creel is writing and publishing his own material. He’s particularly concerned about many of the recent trends in musical theater—the volume, sound design, bigger and louder pit bands.

Tony Award-winner Gavin Creel returns to South Florida with intimate performances of his favorite show tunes. Credit: Matt Murphy.

“We’re not adjusting sonically for the singer, we’re adjusting for the audience. In an era of YouTube and ‘American Idol,’ if you’re not wailing and riffing, it doesn’t seem to have value,” he explained. “Sometimes, I worry that it’s telling young people you have to be fierce and belt it out. Even though pop music is coming into the theater—and I’m excited about it—if we’re not telling a story, we’re just screaming.”

So, what’s next for Creel?

“I want one role, that one musical role where I’m the title character and carry the show, that’s contemporary and modern and gay…and I want it to be fantastic. I envy Patti [LuPone] for her Evita, Ben [Platt] for his Evan Hansen and those unforgettable actors who landed that iconic role,” Creel said. “Regardless, I’ll die happy, [and] in the meantime I’ll keep writing my own stuff.”

Gavin Creel performs in concert on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center, 3385 N.E. 188th St. in Aventura. Tickets start at $50 at AventuraCenter.org.

He repeats the program on Monday, Jan. 6 and Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Tickets start at $60 at OldSchoolSquare.org.

MASTERWORKS II BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 6 BORENSTEIN: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 60 (U.S. Premiere) featuring Irmina Trynkos, violin NARDI: Upon An Ocean (World Premiere)

JAN. 15 Tennessee Williams Theatre Key West JAN. 16 Broward Center Ft. Lauderdale JAN. 18 Temple Israel of Greater Miami Miami TICKETS ON SALE NOW SOUTHFLORIDASYMPHONY.ORG 954.522.8445

1.1.2020 •

29

LOYALTY IN ACTION.

Gay g n i s i t r e v d A Works.

Engaged customers are...

6%

... more likely to indicate it is theonly brand they would purchase from in the future.

WE’RE HERE FOR ALL YOUR

FINANCIAL NEEDS Taxes IRS Issues Accounting

Bookkeeping Small Business Advising

954-667-9829 ACCOUNTING@STERLINGACCOUNTING.COM

2435 North Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305

Information provided by the SFGN 2019 CMI Consumer Survey.

SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS.COM

CALL 954-530-4970 30

•

1 .1.2020

FLOPPYROOSTERFL.COM

INFO@FLOPPYROOSTER.COM

OUR COMPETITION DOESN’T

MEASURE UP TO US All trim work | Painting | Drywall | Stucco | Plaster Popcorn removal | Smooth ceilings | Room additions Hurricane windows and doors | Metal framing Kitchen & bathroom remodeling Complete drywall and framing services Door crown and base | Wood floors and tiles

JOHN BLACKBURM PH : (954) 627-2060

Lic/ins # CC-03 - 10792-FC

www.sfgn.guide

COLLEC Y A D THIRD

TIVE

L A C I D E M O N A N A U MARIJ EEDED N D R A C E.COM

LECTIV DAYCOL

HIRD

AVE E 4TH 1210 N ALE UDERD A L T R + 18 FO 33304 FL

WWW.T

SFGN is proud to support those who support our community.

Call our sales team at 954.530.4970

!

O PREIN Y A D N OOW F NDAY2-6

M N1 AT-SU 11-7 S BD OIL TS - C S A E R T PET REAM PAIN C - FLOWER S E I M GUM -ROLLS & PRE MORE MUCH 1.1.2020 •

31

SFGN AVAILABLE AT ALL THESE BUSINESSES!

To get your pick up location listed, call 954.530.4970

SFGN's

Business CARD

BUZZ

Russell Cormican &

2232 Wilton Drive Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 (954) 630-3556

2266 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

huntersftlauderdale.com

(954) 565-2526 alibiwiltonmanors.com

•

20% OFF

1 .1.2020

2

R

32

RESORT & SPA SERVICES MENTION: THE MIRROR FOR THE DISCOUNT.

!

SWAP SHOP SFGN's

Hookups =

Call our sales team at 954.530.4970 employment wanted SPECIAL HIRE NEEDED - Earn $45,000 per year. Experienced, self-motivated professional salesman needed. Work competitively in a highly flexible and relaxed LGBT-friendly environment.

Fax resume to 954-530-7943.

for rent fort lauderdale FT LAUDERDALE AND WILTON RENTALS • Wilton Manors - 2/1 $1,250 includes cable. water and community pool • Middle River Terrace - $1110 Water included. Pet ok.

• Lake Ridge - Efficiency $950 All tile. Water included. Pet ok.

Call Now Michael Tublin, URG 561-703-5533 or miketherentalguy@aol.com Efficiency Apartment - Pvt Entrance, Patio, Parking, Dixie &14th Ct., A/C, Pet Considered, 1st, Last & Sec. $900. Inc Utilities. Call 954 629 4400 Fort Lauderdale 1/1 Rental - Updated 1 Bed/1 Bath, 2 blocks from Wilton Drive on NE 15th Street, Quiet 4-plex, New Kitchen with Granite Counter, Tile floors thru-out, Mini-split A/C in bedroom, Off street parking, Laundry, $1100/month, First, Last and Security to move-in, 954-815-2550.

1 bedroom, 1.5 bath Condo - S Coral Ridge on Middle River. Gay-friendly, secure, swimming pool, Must be vetted, yearly rental $1550/M. 1st & Security • 978-994-0086

www.sfgn.guide

for rent wilton manors Furnished 1 bed 1 bath apartment - Great Neighborhood, short walk to Wilton Drive. $1300 a month First and Security, 1-year lease. Fully furnished Contact Mike or Lee at 561-254-8125.

for lease fort lauderdale AVAILABLE!!

NEWLY RENOVATED OFFICE BUILDING 1759 N Andrews Square, Ft. Laud, FL. 4,000 Square Feet – Will Divide/$25 PSF. CALL OWNER - DAVID @ 954-224-2500 or email - davidbrandwein@earthlink.net

help wanted TIRED OF PUNCHING A CLOCK? - Yellow Cab of Broward has gently used hybrid vehicles waiting for you to drive. Earn between $1,500 - $2,000 per week. Be your own boss! Call us at: 954-727-7191

Looking for a better roommate?

Place an ad here... we won't ask.

954.530.4970 handyman

now hiring

HUSBAND FOR RENT - Is he procrastinating home repairs? He says he will do it tomorrow?? After the football game?? We fit right in - in the house or the yard, small or big jobs: tile, dry wall, paint, plumbing, roof leaks, broken furniture, irrigation, fences, and more! It doesn't cost to hassle us to see the work - so why wait? Neat, clean work for a reasonable price.

Call Haim at 954-398-3676, sidnalll@yahoo.com

Club Fort Lauderdale Now Hiring Now Hiring Full time team members for a Private Men’s Club. Customer / Hospitality experience is a plus. We are open 24/7, so you must have a flexible schedule. We are looking for reliable, dependable team members. The position requires cleaning during your shift. We offer competitive wages. Submit application and resume to the front desk. 110 NW 5th Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311.

954-525-3344 www.clubftl.com

GREGG’S PAINTING - Interior/Exterior. Free estimates, great rates! Detail-oriented, friendly, reliable, punctual and neat! No job too small. Broward & Palm Beach counties. 617-306-5694 | gmanbenn44@gmail.com

piano

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO? Learn from an experienced teacher. All levels and ages welcome. Learn to play classical, popular, jazz, or show tunes. Visit www.edwinchad.com or call 954826-9555 for more information.

954-849-0280

Premium Shampoos and f ine conditioners Blow dry Full brushing out Nail trimming

Visit www.squirt.org to hook up today

TopDogMobile.net

Comfort and convenience at your door!

Serving the Ft. Lauderdale area since 2005!

Ear cleaning Sanitary trimming Expression of glands (if desired) Full haircut

Help Wanted!!! - THE GRAND RESORT AND SPA is Now Hiring!!! Looking for a Full-Time and Part-Time Housekeepers for this award-winning, men’s clothing optional, spa resort. Candidates must be able to work a flexible schedule, which will include weekends and holidays, have hotel/resort experience, and references. Candidates should be efficient, detailed and dependable. Send resumes to jobs@grandresort.net for consideration. No Phone Calls Please!

GRAND RESORT AND SPA - The Spa at The Grand Resort is looking for a Licensed Massage Therapist for our day spa. Also looking for a Licensed Full Specialist. Waxing, nails (no fills, acrylic) simply buff or clear coat and a variety of facials. We’ll train you on our products and services. The right therapist and specialists can do well in our spa. We’ve been in business for 18 years and have received many awards. All equipment and materials are provided. We receive guests from the resort we are located in, along with clients from neighboring hotels and guesthouses.

Commission and 100% of your gratuity. 3-4 days available for the right candidates. Email a resume to spa.director@hotmail.com.

notary Mobile Notary Services - affidavits, documents in support of disability claims, wills, medical directives and officiant services. Call 954.804.3854

investment opportunities INVESTMENT PROPERTY OPPORTUNITY Broward County investment opportunity. Own 54% of a land lease with 50 years left. $7 million firm. Call Gene Billero for more details @ Billero & Billero 954909-1010.

NEW RENTAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY Invest in new construction in central Florida. Up to 30 units can be either sold or rented at your discretion.

Fee-simple properties in brand new subdivision.

Close to Atlantic Ocean and shopping. $12 million. Perfect investment for your portfolio. Call Gene Billero for more details @ Billero & Billero 954909-1010.

business opportunity

personals Seeking Relationship - Single White Male, 54, decent, nice appearance, seeks educated healthy mature black male top. Call or text Jeff @ 305.781.2122. Broward County area.

1.1.2020 •

33

lifestyle cars

gear shift

local lgbt car enthusiasts

Welcome to a series of features on locals and their beloved cars. This week features Aldo Steppes with his 1963 Ford Thunderbird. Photo credit: Carina Mask. To see more, visit SFGN on Facebook.

Check out SFGN’s special car issue at SFGN.com/cars2019

34

•

1 .1.2020

1.1.2020 •

35

SOCIAL MEDIA

NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 15, 2020 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Free Entry • Ticketed Event • Free Parking Silent Auction • 50/50 Raffle • Food • Entertainment Reserve Anniversary Party Tickets Online: SFGN.com/10

SPECIAL GUESTS

SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS

KITTY MEOW

Hosted at Grieco Ford of Fort Lauderdale

Benefitting

Event Emcee: Miss Bryan

EVENT DONORS:

CHAMPAGNE BORDEAUX

Music by VJ Cliff R.