Photo: Dean Trantalis (right) and Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts.
local name global coverage January 10, 2018 vol. 9 // issue 2
Mayor’s race turns ugly Lies, slander, and homophobia IN LAUDERDALE Pages 2, 4, 28
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January 10, 2018 • Volume 9 • Issue 2
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Editorial
See pages 2, 4, and 28 for more.
Anti-Trantalis Ads Result in Accusations of Homophobia Michael d'Oliveira
A
t the Jan. 4 mayoral forum, Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts rejected the idea that a series of anti-Dean Trantalis mailers were “homophobic.” The mailers depict Trantalis, who is openly gay and the current Dist. 2 commissioner, as a puppet and in flamboyant makeup and clothing. They were created by the Florida Community Alliance PC, a Political Action Committee with a Tallahassee mailing address. Roberts did not deny he was associated with the PAC and defended the mailers. He said they were not meant to be homophobic. “Other people may interpret it that way . . . If you look at my record [which includes a vote in 2014 to support gay marriage in a city resolution and protections for LGBT individuals in the city’s procurement process] you will see that I am completely the opposite [of homophobic],” said Roberts at the forum. Sun Sentinel reporter Brittany Wallman said she was told by “quite a few voters” that they viewed it as homophobic. Interviews with some LGBT activists and Fort Lauderdale residents found mixed opinions on whether or not the ads were homophobic. Activist Michael Rajner said he does not view the mailers as homophobic. “But given the issue of homophobia is now being raised, I challenge Commissioners Bruce Roberts and Dean Trantalis to team up at the Jan. 23rd commission meeting and finally request for the city commission to codify in city ordinance, the mayor and commission’s commitment to non-discrimination that explicitly list sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classifications. Back in October, the commission amended their procurement process to See our news in video Online now!
mandate vendors doing business with the city to demonstrate such, but the city itself only has a manager’s policy on non-discrimination and hasn’t gone the full mile to enact the protections citywide by a vote of the mayor and commission like many other cities around the nation,” wrote Rajner. He called upon the city commission to push for “non-discrimination in everything it does.” Ed Leuchs, a Fort Lauderdale resident and director with the Dolphin Democrats, said it’s hard to believe anyone who puts out these mailers professionally would not know how depicting a gay man in makeup would be perceived. “If you’re running against a black candidate, you don’t do certain stereotypes. He could have just been a puppet like Pinocchio, I suppose. But the makeup was the over the top part. It’s a stereotype associated with gay men. Most of us don’t wear makeup,” Leuchs said. Fort Lauderdale resident Bill Henning wrote that he was shocked to see the mailers. “When I saw the anti-Trantalis mailer sent out by the PAC backing Bruce Roberts, frankly, I was shocked to see such blatantly homophobic imagery poisoning an election campaign here in a city that boasts such a large and vocal LGBT community, a city that is frequently praised for its LGBT-friendliness. I was appalled. This kind of crap would never fly back in New York City. I hope it’s not acceptable in Fort Lauderdale either.” Roberts, Trantalis, and former city commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom will face off in the mayoral primary on Tuesday, Jan. 16. If MEMBER no candidate gets 50 percent plus one of the vote, a runoff between the top two vote getters will be held Tuesday, March 13.
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Cover1: Dean Trantalis (right) and Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts. Cover 2: Conversion therapy bans sweep Florida. MEMBER
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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 © 2018 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
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MEMBER
NEWS local
Broward Bans Conversion Therapy
John McDonald
T
he Broward County Commission unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting the practice of conversion therapy on minors. Commissioners voted 8-0 at Tuesday’s meeting to make it illegal for licensed therapists to practice conversion or reparative therapy on minors. Broward County now joins Palm Beach County as the two Florida counties to ban conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is the practice of changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. “For many many years this was thought of as a corrective process,” said Commissioner Barbara Sharief. “It’s about time we did take a stand that we are supportive of our LGBTQI youth. It is archaic, barbaric and needs to be stopped.” Thirty people signed up to speak on the issue during the public hearing portion of the meeting with a vast majority voicing approval of the ordinance. “Not only is it negligent and untruthful to tell anyone that their identity can be changed, more importantly it is unjustifiable and cruel to promote the idea that it needs to be or should be,” said Jessica Gottsleben, a Broward County resident and representative of the Trevor Project’s 50 Bills, 50 States project. Eight states have outlawed conversion therapy on minors. Michael Rajner, Vice Chair of Broward County’s Human Rights Board, called conversion therapy “a crock of you-know-what.” Rajner encouraged commissioners to act because “we don’t have the courage in Tallahassee to take this up.” Therapist Robert Otto spoke against the ordinance saying it removes the opportunity for youth to come talk to him about unwanted or romantic feelings. Otto said the county has been put on notice by the Liberty Counsel and
preempted by the state. He said the ordinance violates his first amendment rights. Commissioner Mark Bogen said he was “outraged” by Otto’s remarks, adding “people claiming to be doing therapy don’t know what they are doing.” Rajner said there is nothing voluntary about conversion therapy. “These youth are given an ultimatum and threatened to be cast aside,” Rajner said. Commissioner Chip LaMarca, the lone Republican on the commission, asked county attorney Andrew Meyers for his opinion before the vote. Meyers said the county was not “risk free” and aware of challenges but similar laws have been upheld in the Ninth and 11th U.S. circuit courts. LaMarca eventually voted for the ordinance, prompting commissioner Tim Ryan to remark, “you’ve been in political conversion since I’ve been here.” LaMarca said it was a tough decision. “Try being a Republican in Broward County that supports his gay friends,” he said. “It’s very clear to be that this is good policy,” Ryan said. Stratton Pollitzer, Deputy Director of Equality Florida, said the threat of a lawsuit from the Liberty Counsel is “nothing to fear.” “This is not a civil rights issue,” Pollitzer said. “This is about licensed therapists lying to their patients and scaring them. Conversion therapy is a deceptive and utterly discredited practice that targets minors against their will. What we are talking about is a matter of survival.” Commissioner Dale Holness said he was glad to see the process play out in a public hearing – broadcast live over the internet. “This is the democratic process at work, listening to all sides,” Holness said. “This is in the best interest of our community.” 1.10.2018 •
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NEWS local
Dean Trantalis (left) and Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts.
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Fort Lauderdale Mayor’s Race Turns Nasty in Debate Michael d'Oliveira
I
n the Jan. 4 Fort Lauderdale mayoral debate hosted by the Sun Sentinel, a night mostly devoted to infrastructure and development issues briefly saw Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts and Dist. 2 Commissioner Dean Trantalis engage in personal criticism of each other. “You bring politics in Fort Lauderdale to its lowest level,” Trantalis flung at Roberts. While Roberts asked, “If somebody can’t tell the truth, they’re supposed to be the mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale?” Roberts, Trantalis, and former city commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom will face off in the mayoral primary on Tuesday, Jan. 16. If no candidate gets 50 percent plus one of the vote, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be held Tuesday, March 13. If elected, Trantalis would be the city’s first openly-gay mayor. If elected, Rodstrom would be the city’s second female mayor after Virginia S. Young. Current Mayor Jack Seiler, who stated he hopes Roberts wins the election, is term-limited and can’t run for re-election. The cause of the personal attacks was a series of mailers put out by the Florida Community Alliance PC, a PAC with a Tallahassee mailing address. Sun Sentinel reporter Brittany Wallman said that quite a few voters told her they thought the mailers were “homophobic.” The mailers depict Trantalis in various outfits and clown makeup and accuse him of hypocrisy over the issue of development. “Dean Trantalis registered as a lobbyist for a developer in Wilton Manors. His hypocritical rant is just another act in The Dean Trantalis Show . . . Fort Lauderdale needs a leader – not a liar,” reads one of the mailers. In the past Trantalis has represented developers before the Wilton Manors Commission, including the failed G Resort hotel proposal. Roberts said he was involved with the mailer but did not mean it to be homophobic. He cited his past record of pro-LGBT decisions,
including being the swing vote in support of Fort Lauderdale’s pro-gay marriage resolution in 2014. “Other people may interpret it that way . . . If you look at my record, you will see that I am completely the opposite [of homophobic],” Roberts said. Trantalis didn’t accuse Roberts of being homophobic, but he did criticize his involvement in the mailer. “I’m really surprised you would associate yourself with this kind of chicanery. Besides the fact that these outfits I would never be seen in, I think it really demeans you as an individual. You bring politics in Fort Lauderdale to its lowest level. That’s unacceptable. If we see another one in the mail I think you should think twice about your ability to lead this community as mayor,” Trantalis said. Roberts responded back and called Trantalis a liar, but did not get specific. “If somebody can’t tell the truth they’re supposed to be the mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale? Dean, that’s very sly of you. You talk about things that are completely untrue in your PAC statements and mailers.” However, on development and the city’s water and sewage infrastructure problems, something everyone seems to agree is the biggest challenge facing the city right now, the candidates were more closely aligned and congenial. But they were not without disagreement. When asked if they would put a moratorium on new development until the water and sewage system was brought up to date, Trantalis and Rodstrom said yes. “This is a recipe for disaster. We have to make sure [developers] pay their fair share. We are way behind the eight ball,” said Rodstrom. “We are beyond capacity,” said Trantalis. Roberts said he wouldn’t institute a blanket moratorium but would go on a case by case basis. “There has to be a balance.”
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LGBTQIA bites
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Lesbian
Lesbian Couple Trying to Get Married in 24 Countries Stopped by Cancer Diagnosis
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By Ryan Lynch Bisexual
Google Apologizes to Bisexual Advocacy Group for Flagging Ads BiNet USA.
Fleur Pierets (right) and Julian P. Boom.
A lesbian couple who was looking to get married in 24 counties had to stop after announcing that one of them will pass away soon. Fleur Pierets and Julian P. Boom had started Project 22 last August in an attempt to raise awareness by being married in every country with legal same-sex marriage, according to PinkNews. The pair was forced to stop after Bloom was found to have tumors around her brain and heart.
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“The doctors are giving her 3 more months in which she will lose her capacity to speak and to remember things, until she will slip into a coma,” Pierets said on Facebook. The pair had gotten married in the U.S., Netherlands, France and Belgium before the diagnosis. They had 18 more countries left after Germany and Malta approved same-sex marriage during last year.
After having their ads banned for saying “bisexual” and “gay,” BiNet USA received an apology from Google. The web search engine had ads by the bisexual advocacy group banned due to the inclusion of certain words that were deemed “sexually explicit,” according to MetroWeekly. Google later sent two separate emails on Jan. 2 to BiNet apologizing and telling them those words
usually are not flagged. “Okay @Google. That was quick,” BiNet Vice President Faith Cheltenham tweeted. “Thank you for reinstating the account of @BiNetUSA and affirming that words “bisexual” and “gay” are both relevant search terms and identities to take pride in. Thank you for apologizing. Thank you for fixing @adwords and let’s not next time?”
LGBTQIA bites
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Transgender
Transgender Activist Who Called Out Caitlyn Jenner to Run for Office Ashlee Marie Preston.
Ashlee Marie Preston, who called out Caitlyn Jenner’s continued support of president Donald Trump, will be running for political office in California. The transgender activist told Jenner she was a “fraud” at last August’s Trans Chorus of Los Angeles performance of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, according to Gay Star News. Preston confronted Jenner about her support of Trump, who previously attempted to ban transgender service members from joining the U.S. military.
“As someone directly impacted by the issues that often diminish the quality of life, I have an acute understanding of which policies must be put into play in order to move progress forward for the constituents of the 54th district and beyond,” Preston said. “I believe in prioritizing people over politics.” x Preston announced her candidacy after Sebastian Ridley-Thomas resigned on December 30 due to health issues, according to GayStarNews.
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North Miami Gay Councilman Takes on New Role with YWCA Scott Galvin will oversee programs which improve women's health and economic development Jose Cassola
jocacommunications@outlook.com
N
orth Miami City Councilman Scott mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, Galvin, who is gay, has accepted obesity prevention and other vital medical the position of director of Wellness services,” Galvin said. “For economic and Community Prosperity at the YWCA in development, we’ll give women the tools Miami-Dade. to make informed financial decisions for For nearly 100 years, since 1919, the YWCA themselves and their families.” has been at the forefront The YWCA’s programs of the most critical social aren’t just for women. movements from women’s Galvin said programs “At the YWCA, we’re empowerment and civil are also provided to on a mission, and it’s rights to affordable men, students, families powerful: eliminating housing and pay equity to and “anyone seeking violence prevention and to step into the future, racism; empowering championing the healthcare. women.” full prosperity of our “At the YWCA, we’re on a diverse South Florida mission, and it’s powerful: - Scott Galvin communities.” eliminating racism; “I’m thankful to be part empowering women,” of a strong, caring staff Galvin said. “The brand new year of 2018 has begun. With it comes tasked with a mission that is incredibly a fresh start for all of us. For me, I’m excited important to all of us,” Galvin said. to let you know I’ve started a new job with “Alongside our CEO, Kerry-Ann Royes, the YWCA. I recently became their director and our board of directors, we’ll create new initiatives to deliver social services of Wellness and Community Prosperity.” Galvin’s position is new, combining throughout Miami-Dade.” First elected to the North Miami City two branches of the organization. He will be overseeing programs which Council in 1999, Galvin has served as the improve women’s health and economic District 1 representative on the council ever since, winning elections in 2003, development. “For wellness, we will help connect 2007 and 2011. His current term expires in clients to doctors who can provide May 2019.
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1.10.2018 •
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NEWS online
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Ellen Page Marries Longtime Girlfriend
Ellen Page, left and wife Emma Portner. Photo: Instagram.
New Jersey Teacher Has Licence Suspended for Homophobic Remarks
Jenye “Viki” Knox. Photo: YouTube / CBS
Donald Trump Plans To Stop Protections for Transgender Prisoners
HIV Positive Gay Man Elected NYC Council Speaker
NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson, right, celebrates with his mother. Photo: Twitter.
Data Shows South Florida Cities Care Less
West Palm Beach skyline. File photo.
6. New Year’s Resolutions: See Which Florida Cities Will Help You Achieve Your Goals 7. Study Finds Anti-LGBT Discrimination Costs States Billions 8. Powerlifting Championship Adds First Gender Neutral ‘Mx Category’ 9. Out Figure Skater Adam Rippon Chosen to Compete in Winter Olympics Photo: Instagram / @adaripp
10. Third Gender Option Set to Go Into Effect on Washington State Birth Certificates
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NEWS local
Kenny Rapkin (right) speaking with Tom Hantzarides, the host of SpeakOUT. Photo via Youtube.
In HIV Funding, Fort Lauderdale’s Campbell Foundation Raises Profile John McDonald
F
ort Lauderdale is home to one of the top funded HIV/AIDS philanthropic organizations worldwide. In its annual report, Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) ranked the Campbell Foundation 80th out 392 global HIV/AIDS organizations. “We’re sitting in the epicenter of new infections,” said Ken Rapkin, Campbell Foundation Executive Director. Rapkin spoke to SFGN via telephone on a January morning in South Florida. A popular tourist destination, Florida is also a state with one of the highest populations of people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported 39,660 diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States. Of that number, Florida accounts for 4,972 cases. “People kind of have this idea that AIDS is over,” said Rapkin. “That it’s a done deal and all you have to do is take a pill and it’s a lot like diabetes.” That is a foolish assumption, said Rapkin, who added that some have grown weary of the struggle. “Older gay men are burned out from it,” Rapkin said. Still, for 23 years, the Campbell Foundation has endured in its mission to fund HIV research and provide better treatments. In FCAA’s newest funding report the Campbell Foundation surpassed the Wells Fargo Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, the Knight Family Foundation and Keith Haring Foundation just to name a few. In 2016 the Campbell Foundation gave out 17 grants totaling $376,646. Some of the money is distributed in what Rapkin calls end of the year “holiday hugs.” Recent beneficiaries include the Poverello Center, Latinos Salud, AH Monroe, AIDS
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Service Association of Pinellas, Broward House, Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center, FoundCare, McGregor Clinic, SunServe and Tuesday’s Angels. Rapkin said grant requests are thoroughly vetted by the board of directors and a peer review panel. The assistance of volunteers has played a big part in the foundation’s longevity, Rapkin said. “We are not top heavy,” Rapkin said. “We do not pay consulting fees and a lot of our researchers work for free.” While researchers still hunt for a cure, providing better treatment options for those living with the virus is an important part of the Campbell Foundation’s mission. Rapkin said HIV infection is “not good for the body” and while the funerals may not be happening as frequently, a new generation is grappling with issues such as premature aging and inflammation of internal organs causing osteoporosis and heart disease. “AIDS is not over,” Rapkin said. What is over is the White House’s watchdog group. When asked about the recent firings which completely gutted the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, Rapkin said he was not surprised. “Every President does this,” Rapkin said. “They want their own people in there.” The Trump Administration has yet to show its hand on how it will deal with HIV/AIDS. The White House hung a red ribbon for last year’s World AIDS Day, but President Trump has yet to disclose his strategy. Rapkin said he fears advancements made during the Obama and Bush administrations — such as PrEP and PEPFAR — will be stopped by a “pray it away” philosophy often deployed by Vice President Mike Pence. “Do they replace them (advisory council) with competent people is the question,” Rapkin said.
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NEWS national
None of America’s 100 Megachurches
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op churches would rather pray the gay away. A study by Church Clarity looked at the 100 largest churches in the United States to analyze how LGBT issues are handled. The study found that zero of the 100 churches have explicit LGBT affirming policies. Meanwhile 35 of these churches explicitly reject LGBT people. Over half (54) of the top churches have an unclear stance on LGBT issues, with 11 keeping their LGBT policies undisclosed. The denomination most likely to reject LGBT people is the Southern Baptist Church at 62 percent. Independent Christian Churches come second, with 47 percent of them rejecting LGBT people. “Part of the reason we chose to release this now is because the New Year is a time when people decide to re-engage with religion by attending church,” said Church Clarity Co-Founder Tim Schraeder. “As people of faith commit to new resolutions, we wanted to set them up for success by helping them make the most informed decision.” The vast majority of these megachurches are led by white men — 93 percent led by a white pastor, and 99 are men. “We hope that increased clarity will inspire necessary questions and waves
of change within the church,” said George Mekhail. “As we close out 2017, we’ll continue to verify church submissions to our database and score churches’ actively enforced policies that impact LGBTQ individuals.” Despite none of the 100 churches affirming LGBT people, they are out there. Church Clarity published info on 537 churches and determined 90 were LGBTaffirming.
1/4/18 11:47 AM
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FEATURE music
Local LGBTA
Musicians Hope For Jose Cassola
Big Break in 2018
jocacommunications@outlook.com
When Gonna Be Music launched in 2015, the Miami-based record label’s goal was to put out some of the hottest electronica and dance music by local artists. Two of the label’s lead singers were already known in the underground Miami music scene, bringing a large LGBT following with them: Michael M, the CEO of Gonna Be Music, and “Tough Love Miami” reality star JEI each had released music through 4 Tune / O Beat Entertainment. The label’s third artist, DROZE, was relatively unknown musically. But that has certainly changed in the last three years, as his collaboration with Danny G Italy on the “No Stop” EP and his own EP “The Droze Project” have become Gonna Be Music’s biggest downloads and chart-toppers. With no signs of stopping, 2018 looks to be a promising year for this Gonna Be “trinity.”
Gay ally JEI working on a secret music project for 2018 Former “Tough Love Miami” reality star says LGBT community has been supportive of her
Influenced by the sounds of the South Beach Club scene of the early 1990s, Jane Castro, better known to her fans as JEI, blames Madonna of all people for wanting to pursue a career in the music industry. “Madonna happened for me at the age of 10. It’s all her fault,” she said. Born in Miami to working class Cuban immigrant parents, JEI was bitten by the singing bug much earlier than that at age 5. After performing in front of a large crowd at a school event, she received her first standing ovation and her parents decided to nourish her artistic talents with singing and piano lessons. JEI continued performing in her teen years as an active Photo courtesy of JEI.
part of her high school chorus and drama club, eventually being featured in a “Miami Herald” article about local musical talent and interviewed by other local magazines. These publications opened several opportunities for JEI. She auditioned and performed on “MTV’s Spring Break” and “American Idol” in 2003. At this same time, JEI was introduced to the underground house music scene in Miami in clubs like Space. It was there that she met Edgar V, Oscar G, Ralph Falcon, Charlie Solana and Sammy O. From then on, Castro performed in the top clubs with Hot Jam Entertainment, developing her style and craft. This eventually led her to record ‘’Amame’’ with Ralph Falcon, Intruder and Murk on Nervous Records. The single was released on vinyl format in May 2011 to commemorate the record label’s 20th anniversary and garnered JEI a nomination for Best House/Garage/Deep House track at the International Dance Music Awards. JEI went on to join the cast of the reality show, “Tough Love Miami,” on Vh-1, which debuted to more than 1 million viewers on October 2011. From there, her solo single, “Show me the Money,” produced by Giuseppe D on Spy Music Group, was released on iTunes and she put out her first solo album, the self-titled “JEI,” on O-Beat Entertainment in the spring of 2014, featuring songs cowritten by JEI, Oba Frank Lords and Michael M.
SFGN caught up with JEI as she is working on a new project for 2018. Here’s what she had to say:
Your preferred genre of music to perform is dance music. Have you always been interested in the same genre of music? Always since the first time I fell in love with dance music with Robert Miles’ ‘Children’ in 1994. I was 14 years old and I played that CD until it scratched. How did you get involved with Michael M and his label? What do you feel he has contributed to your career? I chose Michael. Michael made it happen for me. After I recorded ‘Amame,’ Michael told me about the ‘Tough Love Miami’ auditions. A friend of his, Tony Miros, was doing the casting. I aced it and got it. From there, he hooked me up with Giuseppe D and we recorded ‘Show Me the Money.’ After that, Oba Frank Lords....we would later record my album and other various projects. You have a big gay following and are a big supporter and ally to our community. Why is that important to you? It’s important for me to have fans and followers. That’s what’s it’s all about and what gives me the energy to go on. As far as the gay community, they have always been there and helped me embrace my inner drag queen, you can say. They are my first fans and followers. If it wasn’t for the LGBT community, I wouldn’t be anyone. What do you next have coming up musically? I’m currently working on a secret project for 2018. Stay tuned!
For more information on JEI, visit www.missjei.com. For more information on Gonna Be Music, visit www. gonnabemusic.com or listen to music on www.soundcloud.com/gonnabemusic
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FEATURE music
Native Miami Musician is ‘Gonna Be’ Busy
Photo courtesy of Michael M.
Michael M, head of Gonna Be Music record label, overseeing new projects, grooming new talent for 2018
Singer, songwriter, executive, music video director, producer. Michael Rodriguez has worn many hats in the music industry, specializing in house, disco and electronic music. Beginning his music career as a teenager in Miami in the 1990s, Rodriguez first explored freestyle music, opening for the era’s most popular acts, including Noel, Corina, Stevie B, George Lamond, Lisette Melendez and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. By his 17th birthday, he had cut a few demos with now acclaimed DJ/producer Giuseppe D, marking a transition to house music and a relocation from Miami to the New York City area, where he became Michael M. In the last 20-plus years, Rodriguez has moved back and forth from Miami to New York, releasing music and collaborating with many producers including Oba Frank Lords and more recently, Edwin James for the French house label, 96 Musique. Their collaboration on “The Kids Don’t Know,” a witty meditation upon club scenes past and present, earned more than 19,000 YouTube views and was featured on the compilation CD, “100 Dance 2015,” by Universal France. In 2015, Rodriguez launched his own record label and artist-development boutique, Gonna Be Music, recruiting Miami-based artists JEI, DROZE and Ceevox. The label’s first release was “Never DROZE, JEI and Michael M. Photo courtesy of Michael M.
Stop,” an EP produced by Italy’s Danny G with lead vocalist DROZE. Rodriguez contributed as singer, co-writer and executive producer on that project, then co-wrote “When There Was House,” a track by Corrugated Tunnel featuring DROZE for Vision Collective.
SFGN caught up with Rodriguez as he’s grooming new talent in New Jersey and overseeing new projects by JEI and DROZE in Miami. Here’s what he had to say: What motivated and inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry? Growing up in Miami in the 80s, I got the bug from the local scene and radio stations like Power 96. They played a lot of freestyle music from artists like Expose, Company B, Erotic Exotic and Secret Society....all local groups. I guess I thought if they could do it, I could too -- especially after Power 96 did a contest for the school who sent the most 3x5 cards with the school name and station name [and they] would win a free concert with DJ Laz and Erotic Exotic. I started filling out the cards and got the school to participate. We won and from then on I would be connected in the local music biz scene. Funny enough, one of my longtime collaborators would be Oba Frank Lords of Secret Society.
How different is the Miami scene from New York/ NewJersey, where you are currently and were once before? I think New York has always been seen as avante garde and always the first to break out talent. But Miami is definitely giving New York a run for its money these days. A lot of the hottest DJs and artists are coming out of Miami like Oscar G, Ralph Falcon, Oba Frank Lords, Soulistk, JEI, Ceevox, Alan T, DROZE and A.D Cruze to name a few. Have you always been interested in the same genre of music? Dance music has always been my first love. Freestyle was big in the 80s and disco never really died in Miami in the 80s. Anything that gets me on the dancefloor. What are your fondest memories of your time on the Miami music scene? The Winter Music Conference in the 1990s until the early 2000s were always something to look forward to. This was before it became a Spring Break haven. Back then, you could really network and get to rub elbows with the best, not to mention a Madonna or Versace sitting in the mix.
Has the LGBT community been more embracing and supportive in Miami or New York? After living in Miami for 20-plus years, I would have to say Miami. Give me time. New York will jump onboard soon. What do you look for in talent for your label, Gonna Be Music? I can’t explain it. Sometimes it might be that I hear a song and really dig the hook and the beat. Sometimes I might hear the person sing live and I get goose bumps and just get that feeling. Ambitious and don’ttake-no-for-answer people also spark my interest. Are you selective when choosing talent for your label? Yes. I have to really believe in it, whether it’s the song, artist or DJ. It’s like dating. There has to be chemistry. After all, we’re gonna create together. Fill us in on what’s next for Michael M and your Gonna Be roster. [We’re] working on a new JEI release; a new record called ‘Running’ by A.D. Cruze, featuring Eva with a hot remix by Miami local legends Soulistk and Oba Frank Lords. [There are] more remixes of ‘No Time’ by DROZE, as well as new music by him; and I’m developing a producer/vocalist called Catacombs out of Jersey City. He’s someone to keep an ear open for in 2018.
For more information on Gonna Be Music, visit www.gonnabemusic. com or listen to music on www.soundcloud.com/gonnabemusic. 1.10.2018 •
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FEATURE music
Continued from previous page
Out singer DROZE ‘getting love all over’ Miami Gonna Be Music’s first male vocalist compiling new tracks for 2018
Bouncing back and forth between Miami and New York City his entire childhood, DROZE, born Charlles Pedroza, was raised by the radio, specifically the soul and R&B stations of the 1980s. The harmonies of SWV, Total, Brandy and Brownstone got Pedroza through his troubled teenage years. Though he may have faced obstacles, DROZE didn’t let those challenges define him. He eventually racked up 12 years of classical music training on four different instruments. Every step of the way, DROZE developed his voice, as well, but he kept that particular talent to himself. That all changed when longtime friend Michael Rodriguez, also known as Michael M, heard DROZE sing and booked him as the first male vocalist on his newly launched record label, Gonna Be Music. With a management deal in place, DROZE made his official debut last year, as a featured artist on the Danny G-produced “Never Stop.” The same team followed up with “Running (Out of Time),” peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard dance/club chart. DROZE also added vocals to the Corrugated Tunnel track, “When There Was House,” released by Ireland’s Vision Collective Recordings, then followed that with his cover on Groove Theory’s “Tell Me,” produced by Giuseppe D. The single was the first off his EP, “The Droze Project,” written and executive produced by Rodriguez with production by Giuseppe x D, KC Anderson and Oba Frank Lords.
What is your preferred genre to perform? I really love down tempo R&B, but that’s not really big on the scene right now. House is leading the way in the music industry, and I’ve learned how to throw my own soulful style into that. So, I guess, to be honest, that any performance is going to be my preferred performance. I’m just happy to be singing for people.
SFGN caught up with DROZE as he prepares to release new music in 2018. Here’s what he had to say:
We don’t have many local LGBT artists representing our community. How important is it for you to be recognized as an LGBT artist and do you feel we need more representation in the music industry? There’s definitely a lack of presence in the music industry, but it’s not hard to understand why. Sponsors, venues, labels aren’t really sure how to handle a fully out artist yet. It’s 2017 and it’s still a huge scandal when an artist comes out. I think artists tend to come out only AFTER they feel comfortable risking it all. Me, myself, I don’t consider myself a gay singer. I’m just a singer that happens to be gay. I’m
What made you want to pursue a career in music? I’ve been singing since I learned how to talk. I never thought of actually pursuing it until I met Michael M. I mean, sure I fantasized, who doesn’t? But he’s the one who found me, pushed me and continues to drive the Droze train towards new destinations.
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How did you get involved with Michael M and his label? What do you feel he has contributed to your career? Michael asked me to join him for Karaoke one night about three years ago at a dive bar, and I did. Michael kind of just threw the song book at me and told me to pick. I didn’t expect to sing, much less for Michael to record it, strip the vocal and throw it onto Soundcloud. I had never really heard my voice outside my own head until he did that. It was the most surreal three-dimensional feeling to hear my voice aloud on my phone. About a week later, he had a song lined up that needed vocals, and he asked me to sing it. That track eventually became my first song ever on iTunes, “Never Stop.” Mike is like that. He sees a bigger picture, and you’re better off just smiling and showing up for all the things he has planned. I think he dreams so big, I’d be scared if I new what was in his head. But look at where he’s gotten me; I never thought I would ever actually record an album at all, but with Mike, it was done within a year. And right after that, he had me on the talent roster for New Jersey Gay Pride, and then a gig at New York City’s legendary LE BAIN, and then Score here in Miami. He’s a driving force.
Photo courtesy of DROZE.
going to be true to who I am, though. Not changing the pronouns on ‘Tell Me’ was really important to me. I can’t imagine being someone else than who I am, and then potentially selling myself as some one else later on. I’m in my 30s and I’ve been out since I was 13. I can’t really go back at this point, and I don’t want to. Have you been embraced by our community? In what ways? I think once people make the connection that Charllie Droze is also DROZE the singer, I’m received with open arms. Luise Morera over at Score booked me while I was still performing in Jersey. He saw the hype and a video of the performances and just shot me a text. I was kind of surprised but really excited. When I got back to the 305, he had a gig for me at The Lab at Score. That was my first gig in my hometown. The owners of R House Wynwood have also invited me to sing at their venue, and I’m still working that out. Even Miami’s own 93.5 Revolution Radio made me the official host of their Pulse fundraiser last year. I’m getting love all over the city. I just want to keep nurturing that love across the venues and people I meet. These relationships are important to me.
When did you last perform? And when do you next plan to perform? My last performance was at Score nightclub in September. I’ve taken some time off since then to check out the scene, meet some new DJs and singers and start compiling new tracks for another round of releases of DROZE music. It’s only been two months or so, but I miss the stage already. I’m going to lock down a small performance at R House in the next couple of weeks, and there may or may not be a Basel pop-up performance, as well. You’ll have to stay tuned for that one. What’s next for DROZE musically? When I started ‘The Droze Project,’ I thought I knew what my sound was. I didn’t. I think, musically, I’m more flexible than I thought. Now that I know that, you’re going to hear a bit of a range on the next couple of releases. I think the new stuff will still have that DROZE soul to it, but I’m going bigger and really testing my writing skills. As always, luckily, I have Michael M to guide me and my fans to tell me what they love and what they don’t. I’m excited. 2018 is going to be even bigger than 2017. I’m more confident now, and I have a better idea of what I want to say as an artist. I hope everyone is ready.
For more information on Gonna Be Music, visit www.gonnabemusic.com or listen to music on www.soundcloud.com/gonnabemusic. Issac Schlesinger contributed to this report.
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NEWS state
Minor Rights, Major Movement Conversion therapy bans sweep South Florida
Submitted photo
Tucker Berardi
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ver the past few years, city commissioners, county commissioners and human rights groups have come together to ban conversion therapy on minors — the protections for LGBT youth spreading city by city, eventually reaching a county level with the recently passed bans in Palm Beach County and Broward County. The Palm Beach County ban “covers people studying conversion therapy as well,” Rand Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council told SFGN. “The language of our ban is different than the others have been … they cannot perform
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conversion therapy while pursuing their license, making this the most expansive ban yet in Florida.” The end of 2017 ended on quite a high note for Rand Hoch and PBCHRC with the passage of the county ban. With surgical precision the organization passed similar bans in city after city throughout the county since 2016. In total they were able to get 8 city bans passed from the county’s major cities of West Palm Beach and Boca Raton to smaller municipalities like Greenacres and Riviera Beach. Conversion therapy is a term encompassing a number of harmful
therapeutic and psychological practices aimed at changing, or “fixing” the sexuality or gender identity of an LGBT child. The practice has been condemned by a number of psychological and medical groups due to its ineffectiveness and slew of harmful effects such as depression, intimacy issues and even an increase in suicide rates. Outside of Palm Beach County, Key West, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park and other municipalities have also enacted bans. But on a county level Palm Beach was the first. Miami-Dade attempted to pass a ban in October but the commission rejected it 7-4. It’s the biggest set back for the growing
movement to ban conversion therapy on minors. But there was no set back in Broward County when they unanimously voted this week to ban the practice. While the local campaigns have mostly been successful, the same cannot be said for bans at the state level. Several attempts at banning conversion therapy throughout the state of Florida have been made in the Florida legislature, though no action has been taken. Bills were introduced to ban conversion therapy for minors in 2016 and 2017 in Tallahassee, but were never heard. “We need to change the people who are elected to the state legislature and to the
NEWS state
“I’m We glad needtotobe able to do something that can change protect thethe physical and psychological well-being people who ofare minors — especially LGBTQ youth — from elected to the state exposure to harm caused by conversion therapy legislature …and if you read the research, conversion therapy to the is state reallyoffice damaging; dangerous and damaging.” -Nan Rich
-Terry DeCarlo state office,” Broward County commissioner Nan Rich told SFGN. “The makeup of the current legislature I think would not pass [a statewide ban]. I’m hoping for a sweep in 2018, it would be nice to be able say that Florida could join New Jersey, California and other states who have done this on a statewide basis.” Although the ban has been unable to pass at state level, a recent Gravis Marketing poll of Florida voters found that 69 percent of voters think conversion therapy should be illegal, while only 11 percent think it should remain legal. With a state ban out of the question, advocacy groups such as the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have taken the initiative to pursue bans at the city — and now county — level. “I am hoping that municipalities and counties with large LGBTQ populations will take a look at this and say ‘we can do this here too,’” Hoch said. “At a local level, if you can get your political ducks in line you can do this too and protect the kids.” The Broward County ban was led by Nan Rich. “I really think the vote will be unanimous,” Rich said before the vote. And she was right – all of the commissioners voted in favor of the ban. “Our commission really understands the issue and is very supportive of an ordinance prohibiting this type of therapy.” Rich continued, “I’m glad to be able to do something that can protect the physical and psychological well-being of minors — especially LGBTQ youth — from exposure to harm caused by conversion therapy … if you read the research, conversion therapy is really damaging; dangerous and damaging.” Beyond preventing children from exposure to conversion therapy in state licensed offices, the bans send an important message to children and their parents. “All of the publicity that is going out is
educating people that this is going on, and there are certain parents that don’t love their children the way they are, and more and more people are saying that isn’t right,” Hoch said. “That’s one of the most important things I’ve seen coming out of the conversion therapy movement apart from the bans themselves.” In the absence of conversion therapy there are affirming therapies that help LGBT youth come to terms with their sexuality, deal with bullying and depressive thoughts and more. Hoch recommends that parents also pursue therapy themselves to help deal with the reality that their children will grow up differently than they expected. PBCHRC and other human rights groups are working to pass more bans with the help of local leaders, and are also trying to raise public awareness of the dangers of conversion therapy. PBCHRC has resources and templates for anyone that wants to enact in their city or county. Gainesville will vote soon on a ban. That effort is being spearheaded by the Human Rights Council of North Central Florida and its president Bob Karp. “We’ve done all the homework, SAVE has done all the homework, and I was contacted by Bob from Gainesville and I sent him eight pages of research that we’ve already done,” Hoch said. “We have all the resources to back everybody up, those who want [to pass a ban] just need to have their political ducks in line.” Hoch continued: “So all it takes is one activist to say ‘I can do this’ … we have all the materials, we just need one individual, one activist who can convince their city council that this is the right thing to do, we can help with the rest.” Here’s a list of all of the cities in Florida that have enacted bans on conversion therapy for minors thus far: Tampa, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Riviera Beach, Boynton Beach, Miami, Wilton Manors, Miami Beach, Bay Harbor Islands, El Portal, Key West, Wellington, Greenacres, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Oakland Park. 1.10.2018 •
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NEWS miami-dade
This week’s featured
photo
DJ Alex Ferbeyre and Damian Pardo. Photos courtesy of Alex Ferbeyre.
By J.R. Davis
● Rec
Gay8 and MACHO USA invading LGBT venues ahead of February festival Jose Cassola
Want to see more? White Party’s Muscle Beach The Fit Expo OutShine Film Festival
Facebook.com/SouthFloridaGayNews
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jocacommunications@outlook.com
I
n the weeks leading up to the Gay8 Festival but a third-generation Cuban American in Little Havana on Feb. 18, Gay8 and representing the Gay8 Festival and Little MACHO USA are invading LGBT and LGBT- Havana,” Ferbeyre said. “We were extremely friendly venues like Molto Bar and Restaurant, well-received and many of the Madrilenios Score, Azucar, Double Stubble and Kill Your were curious what we were all about. Between Idol. my DJ set and our blanket coverage, we forged The invasion began Friday, Dec. 29, at Molto, a very solid partnership with MadBear and 1237 Lincoln Road, for their Freaky Friday event. have initiated other international partnership Attendees enjoyed music mixes by special opportunities, all in the works.” guest DJ Alex Ferbeyre and drag performances The third annual Gay8 Festival will take place by hostess Fantasia Royale Gaga and Noel Leon. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18 on Southwest Next the tour landed at the Lab Eighth Street between 14th and Friday at Score Jan. 5. 17th avenues. The closed-off “Come join the Upcoming appearances block party for LGBT Latinos include the Mr. and Mrs. Gay8 is meant to draw gay and gayentire Gay8 Pageant at Azucar Nightclub, friendly members of all cultures 2301 SW 32nd Ave. on from across Miami, not just street team Wednesday, Jan. 24; and Double from the Latino community. and committee Stubble at Gramps, 176 NW The festival launched in 24th St., at 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2016 with 17,000 attendees. and have 25. That number grew to more some fabulous “Come join the entire Gay8 than 30,000 in 2017. A kickoff street team and committee event for the music, food and entertainment, and have some fabulous arts fest took place Nov. 8 at Miami style.” entertainment, Miami style,” Casa Juancho in Little Havana, attracting many movers Ferbeyre said. - Alex Ferbeyre and shakers of the LGBT The invasion moves on to Kill D.J. community. Your Idol, 222 Española Way, on Pardo said people at Sunday, Feb. 4. Gay8 and MACHO USA have even gone February’s festival can expect to enjoy “free global in their outreach events. Ferbeyre and films, walking tours and great food. It’s a good Gay8 head organizer Damian Pardo recently time,” he said. There will be a Pa’lante (Move Forward) attended the MadBear circuit party in Madrid, Spain. Ferbeyre said he was “extremely excited” Awards show Friday, Feb. 16, that will serve to represent Miami and the U.S. at the MadBear as a fundraiser for the Gay8 Festival. The community is encouraged to purchase VIP gathering in Madrid. “Being that it was my first European event tickets that include open bar drinks at $100 and my first time in Spain, I wanted to make sure to $150 apiece to help fund costs related to to represent myself not only as an American organizing the street festival.
VOTE JANUARY 16, 2018 For a Better Fort Lauderdale
George Castrataro For Fort Lauderdale City Commission, District 2
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission MUST have LGBT representation and George Castrataro is the right choice. As a respected legal professional working in the LGBT community for over 15 years, George Castrataro possesses the ethics, drive and determination to make a difference for the City of Fort Lauderdale’s future. As a champion of equal rights for over 25 years, George has been a leading force for change with progressive results protecting public health and safety and ensuring civil rights.
DR. ROSALIND OSGOOD Broward County School Board
George Castrataro has the leadership skills necessary to represent both the needs and voices of District 2 Residents at all levels of government. His ability to listen, build consensus and balance policy is unmatched. He brings a freshness to government that will usher in a
As City Commissioner, George Castrataro pledges to: • Reduce Traffic • Improve Public Safety • Rebuild Infrastructure • Balance Smart Growth & Development • Protect the Environment • Enhance and Coordinate Community Services • Encourage Affordable Housing
long-awaited change.
www.GC4FTL.com info@gc4ftl.com • Text: George 41242 954.372.6388 Paid political advertisement paid for and approved by George William Castrataro, non partisan for Fort Lauderdale Commissioner, District 2.
1.10.2018 •
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NEWS palm beach
Art is in the Air in West Palm Beach
Art week starts Jan. 17
Denise Royal
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est Palm Beach is bracing for an influx of artists and art lovers. Art Palm Beach is Palm Beach County’s answer to Art Basel. It’s the county’s biggest contemporary art fair – it runs January 17-21. More than 85 international galleries will exhibit paintings, sculpture, photography and emerging art in a variety of exhibits. Art Palm Beach is expected to attract serious art collectors, casual art fans and everyone in between. Art Palm Beach takes place right after Palm Modern + Contemporary (Jan. 11-15) with both happening at the Palm Beach County Conventional Center at 650 Okeechobee Boulevard near the city’s downtown area. Nearby at The Box Gallery, Art Palm Beach kicks off early with two exhibitions starting on January 13, running through February 8. One is a 40-foot mural by artist Marzia Ellero Ransom titled Ars Musae. Ransom, who was born in Italy, earned her first degree in graphic design and photography then received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from the University of West Florida(UWF). After earning a master’s degree in painting and photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, she moved back to Pensacola and is now an instructor at UWF. The second presentation traces the life and work of the late artist/actor/musician Tomata du Plenty. Born David Xavier Harrigan, (May 28, 1948 – August 21, 2000) du Plenty was an artist who lived in South Florida for part of his career – painted
people he admired, from historical figures to entertainers. The traveling national exhibition is accompanied by panel discussions and video screenings that trace the life and work of the late artist who died in 2000. “It’s a very exciting time,” says Rolando Chang Barrero, Curator of The Box Gallery. The Box Gallery is located at 811 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. (www.eventbrite.com/e/ars-musae-theodyssey-frieze-marzia-ellero-ransomtickets-39811743998) Chang Barrero is also the president of Art Synergy, a countywide movement of artists, businesses and civic leaders committed to unifying and promoting the diverse culture of Palm Beach County’s and South Florida’s vibrant arts community. “In this role, I have the privilege of introducing 12 superb works by South Florida’s best artists selected by jurors Jo Luria and Cynthia Gibbons including Laurent Dareau, Lee Andre, Brian Cattelle, Jacklyn Coyne, Nate Ditzler, Diane Lublinski, Lenore Robins, Barry Seidman, Chad Steve, Melissa Vlahos, Marilyn Walter and Tanya Witzel,” he said. “As added surprise, I’ve joined to talented emerging artists, Brian Cattelle and Chad Periman in an outdoor installation ‘The Solar Lawn Art Show’ at the entrance to Old School Square’s Cornell Museum for the Art Synergy Gala Fundraiser on January 20.”
For more information about visiting Art Palm Beach go to NextLevelFairs.com/ArtPalmBeach.
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Nite Life Law If you drink, don’t drive. If you drive, don’t drink. If you do both, call us.
Kent & Cormican Criminal Defense Law Center
954.763.1900
Norman Elliott Kent & Russell Cormican 12 S.E. 7th Street, Suite 709 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 www.NormKent.com
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NEWS national Jason Auslander, The Aspen Times via Twitter.
‘Make America Gay Again’ Flag Hung to Protest Pence’s Visit Brittany Ferrendi
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o matter where he moves, Mike Pence can’t seem to avoid that pesky gay agenda. Over the holidays, Vice President Mike Pence and his family stayed in Aspen, Colorado — where they were welcomed with a big, gay banner. Their next door neighbors hung a banner on their shared pillar. The banner depicted a rainbow pride flag with the words “Make America Gay Again,” according to the Aspen Times. One source claimed the banner came from the daughters of the couple that lives there. Their friends assisted as well. A deputy was at the scene when a man came out and put up the banner, Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo told the Aspen Times. “He was real sheepish and thought he might be confronted by the Secret Service or deputies who’d tell him he couldn’t do it,” DiSalvo said. “When they said, ‘We’re not here to control your free speech rights,’ they came out with chili and began feeding them.” Pence has an anti-gay past. He
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signed the discriminatory Religious Freedom Restoration Act (which he later backpedaled) and opposed repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Last year, two hundred protesters participated in a “queer dance party” outside Pence’s rented Washington, D.C. home to protest his homophobic history. “We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, beliefs, and we need to respect our diversity,” said Pence’s then-neighbor Joanna Pratt, who has lived there since 1979, according to USA Today. “The LGBT community has had a real struggle to be respected and be accepted, and that’s a sad statement on our country and our culture that they’ve had that struggle.” In 2016, Pence’s neighbors in Washington, D.C. also raised pride flags. In an act of solidarity against the vice president, neighbors displayed the flags as “a respectful message showing, in my case, my disagreement with some of his thinking,” one Pence neighbor told WJLA. “I have no idea what he will think about, but I hope he will change his mind. This is one way that I can show my disagreement.”
FROM THE PRODUCERS OF SEX WITH STRANGERS, REBORNING & SMOKE
Behind every secret, there’s a sin.
Jan 24-Feb 11, 2018 Empire Stage 1140 N Flager Drive Ft Lauderdale
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Publisher's Editorial
Convictions
2017 SFGN Achievements in Excellence Award: Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis
Norm Kent
Dean Trantalis.
norm.kent@sfgn.com
I
t is the beginning of January, and once petition unlawful. again SFGN will be distributing its annual Two years later, in 1995, the LGBT ‘Achievements in Excellence’ awards. community faced another challenge as You are all invited to the ceremonies we opponents of equality sought to overturn the will be hosting this year on Thursday evening, passage of Broward County’s Human Rights January 25, at Hunter’s newly renovated Ordinance. The law extended to persons, based nightclub in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. on their sexual orientation, protection from There are three recipients this year, and discrimination in housing, in employment, one of our winners is Fort Lauderdale mayoral and in public accommodations. Broward was candidate Dean Trantalis. the first county in the state to have such a law. The awards SFGN distributes go beyond In 1995, Dean served as co-chair of a political race in a singular year. They are Americans For Equality. They not only given to nominees whose careers are marked advocated for the law, they had to rise to the by dedication and devotion to the LGBT challenge of a subsequent petition drive to community. defeat its repeal. Dean would not be deterred In naming Anderson Cooper the SFGN 2017 by the challenges. He has spent a career rising ‘Person of the Year’ last week, we went out of to them, organizing, mobilizing and becoming our way to point out that we were not looking to a force for change. glamorize one achievement, but rather trying In 1997, Dean helped to coordinate the effort to reward character and accomplishment over to hold back the passage of the law which time. banned same-sex marriages here in Florida. He “Excellence,” we wrote, quoting Aristotle, went on to serve on the Board of the Dolphin “is not a single act. It is a habit.” Democrats and as its president. For the South Florida LGBT Five years later, he was elected For the South community, Dean Trantalis to represent District 2 as Fort represents one the most Lauderdale’s first openly gay Florida LGBT conscientious and credentialed city commissioner. He has voices for decades. He has been been tested by the thread of community, a leader and spokesperson in time, and held up well. Dean Trantalis the forefront of human rights Over the years, Dean has also issues since opening his law served the LGBT community represents practice in Fort Lauderdale 36 with administrative, one the most years ago, in 1982. supervisory and voluntary Born and raised in Norwich, roles with numerous AIDS conscientious Connecticut, Dean graduated agencies, review boards, and Boston University in 1975. It chambers of commerce. He and credentialed was early in 1990 when Broward has won awards of distinction voices for County first started to deal and recognition from a host with human rights ordinances of groups and organizations, decades. protecting homosexuals. Dean locally and even nationally. would become a focal point SFGN’s honor this year simply in that debate, volunteering, organizing and adds another marker to a distinguished career. strategizing for the future. This year, however, Dean’s candidacy for In 1993, he became chair of Broward United mayor of Fort Lauderdale makes that marker Against Discrimination, a local chapter of a very special. As we have said many times, state-wide effort to defeat the petition drive SFGN is published in four counties from Key launched by the American Family Association West to North Palm Beach, delivered to scores to enact a law that would have prevented any of cities and hundreds of drop off points, city or county from enacting gay-rights laws. extending far beyond the Fort Lauderdale or This effort was also defeated in the Courts, the limited parameters of the district Dean has when the Florida Supreme Court found the represented. Still, home plate IS home plate.
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Whether it has been the Express Gay News or South Florida Gay News recording the history of the gay and lesbian community for the last 19 years, the epicenter of that news operation has been greater Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, the very same-sex centric community where Trantalis has maintained his boutique law practice for years. Yes, our newspaper reaches many cities in multiple counties but few play as prominent a place in LGBT life in South Florida as Fort Lauderdale. According to the 2012 census, Fort Lauderdale has the highest concentration of same-sex households in the nation. The voice of its mayor matters. The greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT community has also become known worldwide, not only for its nightlife and hospitality industry, but its international appeal for tourists, its increasing investments for real estates, and its emerging opportunities for business professionals. In June of 2014, Dean led the drive for city of Fort Lauderdale commissioners to support a resolution backing same-sex marriage. The sitting mayor opposed it. Imagine a new scenario where the mayor of a major southern city was a proponent of your freedoms instead. The possibility reasonably exists the voice of that mayor can now become that of a gay man, one of our own, who has advocated for our lives for decades. That matters too, despite having decent opponents- Charlotte Rodstrom and Bruce Roberts- who have been gay supportive in their own careers as well.
Accordingly, Dean’s work is worthy of your acknowledgement and SFGN’s recognition, regardless of whether you agree with him on the city’s infrastructure or position regarding sea turtles. We are celebrating a community voice, not a singular vote. Dean wins this recognition for a life well lived as a spokesperson for human and LGBT rights. Win or lose this run for mayor, we salute the commitment Dean has brought to the table over many yesterdays. Straight or gay, having a mayor whose advocacy promotes human rights, tolerance and diversity enhances the lives of every resident driving from the beach to I-95. We all win. If Dean prevails in his race for mayor, the city will be represented by him with dignity and decency, not defamatory remarks or demeaning posts. That is how he has served the LGBT community in the past and you can expect that is how he will represent all of Fort Lauderdale in the future. Local elections can be biting and bitter, and already this past week a little flyer purportedly about sewage goes into the gutter about Dean’s candidacy. It features him with red lipstick. Nonsense, if he wins, he would never wear anything but a pink blush. When and if he does, hopefully on his desk will be a nice trophy and plaque from SFGN noting him as the winner of our ‘Achievements in Excellence’ Award for the calendar year 2017. He has been earning it for 35 years.
Convictions
Editorial Cartoon
Editorial Cartoon By Andy Marlette
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Convictions
Queer Studies
Jesse’s Journal
Stop researching us! We’re here, we’re queer, doesn’t matter why Jesse Monteagudo
I
n a previous “Journal” article I wrote about a group of Canadian scientists who, in a 2006 study, concluded that lesbians and gay men are more likely than heterosexuals to be left-handed. Based on the results of 20 previous studies that involved more than 23,000 men and women, the Canadian scientists concluded that the odds of being left-handed are 39 percent higher among homosexuals than among heterosexuals. Broken down by gender, they found that gay men are 34 percent more likely to be left-handed and lesbians are 91 percent more likely to be left-handed. “This is one more piece of evidence that sexual orientation is at least partly determined in the womb,” said Ray Blanchard, head of the Clinical Sexology Program at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toledo, one of the authors of the study. (Full disclosure: This writer is both gay and left-handed.) This left-handed study is not unusual. Long before Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey and his colleagues at the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University set their sights upon us, LGBT people have been researched, investigated, studied, dissected and analyzed by psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, legislative committees, law enforcement agencies, and criminologists. They have studied our parents, our siblings, where we were born, how we were raised, our education, our careers, our interests, our religious and political beliefs, our living arrangements, how we spend our money and, of course, our sex lives. Scholarly research is such a major part of LGBT culture that whenever a closet case is caught in a gay venue he would often excuse himself by saying that he was “just doing research.” All those queer studies were motivated by various factors, but most often by an ingrained need to find out WHAT MAKES US GAY.
A favorite goal of the gay sex researchers is to determine the degree that we resemble straight women (if we are gay men) or straight men (if we are lesbians). In 2008 scientists from the Institute of Psychology in London concluded that gay men “think like women” and that lesbians’ brains work like those of straight men. According to this study, gay men did well at mental tasks that women generally perform better than men, but were not as good in traditionally “male” tasks. Meanwhile, lesbians did as badly as hetero men in such a test. According to Dr. Qazi Rahman, “the fact that gay men and lesbians show cross-sex shifts in their brain functioning might also be related, partly, to the crosssex shifts in their presentation of certain mental health problems in gay men, such as higher levels of anxiety disorders, depression and eating disorders usually found in women.” Dr. Rahman goes on to say that the findings suggest that “homosexuality is a normal biological phenomenon, and not the result of biological fault.” To which I reply, “Who cares?” That I might be better at typing than at football doesn’t mean that the Benham Brothers will like me more. One thing that you can say about studies on LGBT sexuality or gender identity is the fact that they often contradict one another. A 2000 study by Dennis McFadden and Craig Champlin, of the University of Texas, agrees with the more recent London study when it concluded that lesbian brains process sound the way straight male brains do. On the other hand, according to the study, gay men’s brains process sound in a “hypermasculine” way. Drs. McFadden and Champlin claimed that exposure to androgens, a male sex hormone, in the womb is responsible for all our alleged hypermasculinity. Even so, Dr. McFadden assured us, “there’s no shortage of evidence that this is not some social-political choice, any more than being heterosexual is a social-
All those queer studies were motivated by various factors, but most often by an ingrained need to find out WHAT MAKES US GAY.
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political choice.” Though all this is well and good, I could still get arrested in Russia. Androgens in the womb made an appearance in still another study, also from the year 2000, about lesbian hands. According to the researchers from the University of California at Berkeley, lesbians tend to have “more masculine” hands than straight women, “as judged by the difference in length between their ring finger and index finger.” The scientists came to this conclusion while testing a theory that higher levels of androgen influence both finger length and sexual orientation. On the other hand, the good doctors could find no major difference between straight male and gay male hands. Only gay men with several older brothers have an unusually “masculine” finger ratio; that is, they had significantly shorter index fingers. Speaking of big brothers, a study conducted in Canada (2006) concluded that, the more older brothers a boy has, the more likely it is that he will turn out gay. As reported in the New Scientist magazine, boys with 2.5 older brothers are twice as likely to be gay as boys with no older brothers at all. If this is correct, says the New Scientist, “then clearly, as average family size decreases, so will the
incidence of male homosexuality. . . . It also follows that, historically, there have been more gay men than there are today.” Though I cannot vouch for others, I can attest to the fact that I am a first-born child, with no biological brothers but still very much gay. I can go on forever with all this, but let me conclude on a happy note. According to a study conducted in 2001 by the University of California in Los Angeles, gay men and lesbians are as happy and satisfied with life as straight folks are. About 90 percent of the subjects in the study - straight, gay or bi - report being “very happy” or “pretty happy” with their lives; a far cry from previous studies done way back when gays were not so happy. Though Dr. Susan Cochran, who wrote the report, admits that “anti-gay stigma and discrimination is [still] a fact of life, . . . somehow these folks [That’s us!] manage to achieve equivalent levels of happiness as other people. . . . Perhaps it’s a better environment in which to be gay than it used to be,” she concluded. Of course if she really wanted to make me happy, she and her colleagues would put an end to all of these crazy studies.
Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer and journalist. He has been an active member of South Florida's LGBT community for more than four decades and has served in various community organizations.
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Feature pets
So Much To Love Sweety (ID 568301) is a twoyear old, full-figured gal who is looking for a new home where she can lose some weight and get lots of love at the same time. This sweetheart gets along with other cats and dogs and would do best in a home with older kids. Thanks to a fellow cat lover, Sweety has had her adoption fee sponsored, you just have to promise to give her the loving home she wants. Can you make her wish come true?
Sweety
When you adopt from the Humane Society of Broward County all pets are spayed or neutered before going home. In addition, they receive preliminary vaccinations, heartworm test for dogs over seven months, feline leukemia test for cats, a limited 10-day health care plan courtesy of VCA Animal Hospital, a bag of Purina ONE food and more. The adoption fee for dogs over six months is $100 and felines over six months are $30. For more information call the shelter today at 954-989-3977 ext. 6. The Humane Society of Broward County is located at 2070 Griffin Road, just a block west of I-95 and opens daily at 10:30 a.m. To see who else needs a home visit www.humanebroward.com
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924 N. Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
owned & operated by J.A. Astaphan MD
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lifestyle food
Ham & Egg Fare Country Ham N’ Eggs
Toast Restaurant
Rick Karlin
Diner Dash
L
et’s face it, there’s no shortage of diners in South Florida. Diners fit in with the laid back South Floridian lifestyle. When you wear long pants only two or three days a year, how fancy do you want to get? Even those of you who need to dress up for work are often looking for a quick and inexpensive meal after a rough day at the office. Many seniors don’t see the point of cooking for just one or two folks and lots of young people don’t have the time. These factors and the bad economy (unless you’re in the 1 percent), have all made it the perfect time for diners to thrive. Now you can add two more to the mix, one a long-time favorite in a new location and the other, a newcomer on the scene. Both spots up the ante on décor and service challenging expectations of what a diner can be.
Country Ham N’ Eggs
2671 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 754-202-0253 countryhamneggs.com After being a long-time (nearly 50 years!) local favorite in LauderdaleBy-The-Sea, Robert and Ginger Minlionica have opened an upscale version of their diner in Fort Lauderdale, just east of the Coral Ridge Mall. The reason for their move was simple economics, “It’s triple the size for half the rent. Our locals are ecstatic because it’s easier to get here, and there’s plenty of parking.” The name and friendly, efficient service are holdovers from the quaint old spot, while the décor is sleek and modern. The menu, while a bit expanded from the original, still offers up classic diner fare. Breakfast options include; challah or croissant French toast, waffles, eggs, pancakes and omelets with all the expected sides. There are more varieties of eggs Benedict than you knew existed, featuring the traditional as well as versions swapping out the Canadian bacon with; spinach, sautéed veggies, turkey breast, pork roll, Italian sausage lox, steak, or fried shrimp. If you want to be totally decadent (as I chose to be on New Year’s Day) sub sausage gravy for the hollandaise! The kitchen staff is flexible when it comes to substitutions and alterations. For those looking for something besides breakfast fare, there are the traditional diner favorites; burgers (traditional, salmon, turkey and veggie) and melts, as well as more unexpected options such as a quesadilla. There is also a large array of salad and fish options, plus a full bar. I don’t know why they have a full bar. Currently open only until 3 p.m.
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Toast
3020 N. Federal, Fort Lauderdale 954-533-7346 toastlauderdale.com I hope Toast makes it. It has a lot going for it; a varied menu offering a nice mix of classic diner fare as well as “fancier” dishes, comfy décor, attentive and friendly service and reasonable prices. What it doesn’t have going for it is much in the way of foot traffic or visibility. Perched on the corner of a strip mall that looks suspiciously like an old motel, with signage that can barely be seen, Toast isn’t easy to find. But, once you do, you’ll return. Breakfast fare includes the usual variations on eggs and breakfast meats, pancakes, waffles etc. There are four versions of eggs Benedict. In addition to the classic, there are also three named for exotic locales; Florentine (spinach), Californian (turkey and avocado) and Norwegian (Nova lox). Breakfast sandwich choices are varied and include the trendy avocado toast topped with spring mix and an optional fried egg, the “A BELT” (avocado, bacon, egg, lettuce, and tomato) and the traditional French favorite, croque madame, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg. Lunch options, most priced less than ten bucks; include burgers, club sandwiches, melts, wraps and deli plates as well as the classic “half sandwich with a cup of soup”. Entrée salads are quite reasonably priced and include a Cobb, Chef, Caesar and Greek (both the traditional and “Village” style, a lettuce-less combination of tomato, cucumber, onion, Kalamata olives and feta). The house salad combines baby field greens, avocado, bleu cheese, grapes, apple, walnuts, celery and raspberry vinaigrette. Grilled chicken breast, shrimp or salmon can be added to any salad and the tab will still be less than $15 For an appetizer, try the “Greek charcuterie”; hummus, tzatziki, feta, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, gyro meat served with toasted pita. There’s enough for the entire table or as a light meal for $12.95. Greek entrée specialties include; lamb or chicken gyros, spinach pie, kabobs, lamb shank or chops, moussaka, pastitsio, and shrimp or chicken Ladoregano (cooked with lemon, olive oil, garlic, and herbs). Dinners also include classic American diner favorites such as pork chops, fried shrimp, meatloaf, and roast turkey, as well as more upscale offerings as steak, grilled salmon and pasta dishes, all in the $15-$20 range, $2-$3 more for soup or salad.
Next time you’re in a diner dash check out one of these newbies or go with one of the traditional favorites listed below. Andrews Diner 2980 N. Andrews, Wilton Manors 954-563-3555
Courtyard Café
2211 N. Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors 954-563-2499 wiltonmanorscourtyardcafe.com
The Floridian 1410 E. Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale 954-463-4041
thefloridiandiner.com
Mom’s Kitchen 1940 NE 45th St., Fort Lauderdale 954-776-7292
Peter Pan
1216 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Oakland Park 954-565-7177 mypeterpandiner.com
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FEBRUARY 1-11 Winner of SEVEN Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Lyrics and Best Book Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking modern musical, is a mature, intelligent, and wildly funny look at relationships, vulnerability, and living life. On the night of his 35th birthday, Robert, a bachelor attempts to understand the pros and cons of marriage from his diverse and frequently hilarious friends, and begins to make sense of his own persistent bachelorhood.
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1.10.2018 •
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F O R
T H E
SFGNITES
W E E K
O F
J a n u a r y
J.W. Arnold
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J a n u a r y
1 6 ,
2 0 1 8
W W W . S F G N . C O M
Something’s Coming!
jw@prdconline.com
THU
1 1
1/11
Theater Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors, presents its first musical, Tim Acito’s feel good “Zanna Don’t!” Imagine a world where heterosexual attraction is taboo. What could happen when the star quarterback falls for the captain of the women’s mechanical bull riding team? It’s funny stuff. Tickets are $35 at IslandCityStage.org.
FRI
1/12
gala Talk about star power! The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach presents its dazzling annual gala, “Night of Stars: A Broadway Celebration,” with performances by Brian Stokes Mitchell, Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera and more at 7 p.m. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see so many legends live in concert. Tickets start at $50 at Kravis.org.
x
Friday
1/12
Dance
Miami City Ballet celebrates the centennial of legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins with an explosive program that includes “West Side Story Suite,” “Circus Polka” and “The Cage.” Tonight through Sunday at the Arsht Center in Miami and Jan. 27 – 28 at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets at MiamiCityBallet.org. Photo Credit: Miami City Ballet.
SAT
1/13 SUN
1/14 MON
1/15 TUE
1/16
dance
television
concert
concert
For 150 years, tango has been the dance of love. The Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aires brings this smoldering art form and an all-new production to the stage of the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale with 12 spectacular dancers and a quartet of brilliant musicians, tracing its origins on the streets of Buenos Aires. Tickets at ParkerPlayhouse.com.
Tune into the Smithsonian Channel tonight for “The Coronation,” a documentary about the 65th anniversary of the televised coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and featuring a rare filmed interview with the longest reigning monarch and breathtaking footage of the crown jewels. Check local listings for channels and show times.
Carla del Villagio performs Barbra Streisand’s greatest hits in “Simply Streisand,” tonight at 5 p.m. at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 Indiantown Rd. in Jupiter. This amazing artist recreates the excitement and high energy vocals of Streisand’s most beloved songs and looks the part, down to the tiniest detail. Tickets at JupiterTheatre.org.
The Broadway Concert Series at the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale, continues tonight at 8 p.m. with Rachel Bay Jones (“Pippin,” “Dear Evan Hanson”) Sirius XM host Seth Rudetsky will be at the piano for some songs and also interview the star about her interesting career. Tickets start at $23 at ParkerPlayhouse.com.
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Martha Graham’s Dance of Life JANUA RY 2 1 - 2 4
Copland’s Appalachian Spring; Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring; Hormel’s Legend of Bird Mountain… all performed with choreography featuring the Martha Graham Dance Company.
SOUTHFLORIDASYMPHONY.ORG � 954-522-8445 | FORT LAUDERDALE | KEY WEST | MIAMI 1.10.2018 •
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A&E music A world premiere ballet performed by the Martha Graham Dance Co. is the centerpiece of the South Florida Symphony’s 20th anniversary gala. Photo Credit: Martha Graham Dance Co.
World Famous Dancers, Symphony Collaborate at Anniversary Gala J.W. Arnold
B
irthdays are traditionally celebrated with gifts, and to mark their 20th anniversary, the South Florida Symphony is presenting audiences with a once-in-a-lifetime present, the world premiere of a new ballet. Dancers from the famed Martha Graham Dance Co. in New York City will be traveling to South Florida for a celebratory program including the first performance of “A New Place of Life,” a ballet set to local composer Tom Hormel’s orchestral suite, “Legend of Bird Mountain.” Last year, the symphony premiered the 23-minute suite composed by Hormel, 87, scion of the famed Hormel meat-packing empire and an accomplished dancer, artist and self-taught composer. That performance was just the beginning of an exciting collaboration, according to artistic director Maestra Sebrina María Alfonso. “As an artist, when you have access to the composer, it’s more personal,” she explained. “I know him and the beauty in his music is pretty much him. He’s a great soul and incredibly nice person…his music captures such beautiful colors.” Virginie Mécène, a 30-year-veteran of the company and director of Graham 2, its training corps, choreographed the new ballet, which will be performed Jan. 21 – 24 in Key West, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Hormel’s evocative music reminded her of the cultural diversity of New York City, inspiring Mécène to create a work
interweaving stories of people in the big city. She explores themes of displacement, culture shock, diversity and loneliness, as well as love, togetherness and community, performed by a cast of 12 dancers and accompanied by the orchestra. The process of choreographing the work took many months of planning and workshops with the dancers. Rounding out the program is one of Graham’s most beloved works, Aaron Copland’s idyllic “Appalachian Spring,” and Igor Stravinsky’s controversial 1917 ballet “The Rite of Spring.” “Appalachian Spring” (1943), depicting the marriage of two Pennsylvania pioneers, is also the composer’s most popular work. It is widely considered “a jewel of Americana, a classic national treasure whose defiant innocence, affirmation, freshness and strength reaffirmed national values and ideals at a time of world chaos during World War II.” Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” revolutionized 20-century musical language and is considered by many musicologists to be the most influential work of its time. At its 1913 Paris Opera debut, audiences rioted because they had never heard atonal chords and complex rhythms before. “All three are really about youth and discovery,” reflected Mécène. “They each offer very different approaches, but the central theme is always there.”
The South Florida Symphony presents “Martha Graham’s Dance of Life” on Jan. 21 at Key West High School, Jan. 23 at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale and Jan. 24 at the Arsht Center in Miami. For tickets and more information, go to SouthFloridaSymphony.org.
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A&E theater Wilson Cruz, Dr. Culber on “Star Trek: Discovery,” will appear at Paradise City Comic Con in Miami. Photo courtesy of CBS.
Star Trek Actor Wilson Cruz to Appear at Paradise City Comic Con J.W. Arnold
A
ctor Wilson Cruz always had two items on his bucket list: perform in a Broadway musical and find a place in the Star Trek universe. The 44-year-old gay actor checked off the first when he took the stage as Angel in the musical “Rent” in 1998. And just last year, he created the role of Dr. Hugh Culber, the openly gay doctor on the hit CBS All Access series “Star Trek: Discovery.” As many actors have discovered, even a small role on any “Star Trek” franchise can catapult careers and earn legions of devoted fans. Cruz will have one of his first opportunities to greet those “Trekkies” at Paradise City Comic Con this weekend. “I was a ‘Trek’ fan for sure, but I wouldn’t call myself a ‘Trekkie’ because I don’t have (the) encyclopedic knowledge,” Cruz said in a telephone interview. “I appreciate how devoted the fans are to the show…it’s fascinating that so many hold such intricate knowledge. That’s fantastic, that’s why we do it. I make no allusions that they’re excited about me. They’re excited about the show and I’m part of the show and I get that.” Cruz was one of the first openly gay Hollywood actors and has played many gay roles, beginning in 1994 as Rickie Vasquez, a troubled gay teen in the critically-acclaimed but short-lived “My So-Called Life.” Small film and TV movie roles followed before he landed on Broadway in “Rent.” Cruz was then cast in “Party of Five,” and a string of
subsequent acting credits. Cruz actively sought out the role on “Discovery.” “I tracked it down and put a rope around it. I lassoed it and pulled it towards me,” he recalled, noting he learned about the series while it was still in development. “I wanted to be a part of the storytelling, of an LGBT storyline that carried through the series. I was excited about the prospect.” The actor did land his coveted role and was reunited with former “Rent” co-star Anthony Rapp, also openly gay, who portrays science officer Statmets. While Sulu was revealed in 2016 to be gay in “Star Trek Beyond,” their onscreen relationship would break new ground in the “Star Trek” universe. Without revealing any spoilers, Cruz promised there would be more to come. On television, Cruz may be breaking down barriers in the 23rd-century, but he’s always been committed to LGBT equality in the 20th- and 21st-centuries. “I’m a bit of a political wonk and an activist, an active member of the resistance and LGBTQ community. (I) try to find ways I can be useful and use my visibility purposefully,” he said. And Cruz’s next frontier? He’d like to portray his musical idol Prince. “Lord knows I’m not getting any younger. Part of what I love about what I do being an actor is I always don’t always know what my next project will be,” he said.
Wilson Cruz will appear at Paradise City Comic Con on Saturday, Jan. 13 and Sunday, Jan. 14 at Miami Airport Convention Center, 711 N.W. 72nd Ave. in Miami. Tickets are available at ParadiseCityComicCon.com
1.10.2018 •
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January 10 - January 16
Datebook
Theater Christiana Lilly
Calendar@SFGN.com
Top
Picks
ZANNA DON’T! A Musical Fairy Tale
Jan. 11 to Feb. 11 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. In an alternate universe, where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is gasp-worthy. Tickets $42. Call 954-519-2533 or visit IslandCityStage.org.
The Last Jimmy
Jan. 12 and 13 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The Roots’ Dice Raw explores the mass incarceration of young black men through music and theater. Tickets $25. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.
Tango Fire
Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The troupe of 12 dancers and four musicians showcase the 150year tradition of tango. Tickets $20 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.
broward county CSNsongs
Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, 3800 NE 11th Place in Lauderhill. A Crosby, Still, Nash & Young tribute band, the group will perform the band’s favorite hits. Tickets $22 and up. Call 954-777-2055 or visit LPACFL.com.
* Decades Rewind
Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Go back in time to celebrate the music of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s with more than 60 songs and 100 costume changes. Tickets $39.50 to $47.50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. com.
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* Tango Fire
Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The troupe of 12 dancers and four musicians showcase the 150-year tradition of tango. Tickets $15 to $73. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. com.
* A Night With Janis Joplin
Jan. 14 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Experience the meteoric rise of Joplin, who left music history too soon. Tickets $33 to $63. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse. com.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Through Jan. 21 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Monty Navarro is ninth in line to a family fortune, so he works his way up the ladder by ridding the family of the heirs above him. Tickets $30 and up. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.
Friday Night Sound Waves Music Series
Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Hub, Las Olas Boulevard and A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Enjoy live, outdoor music spanning genres and tributes every Friday evening through November. Free. Visit FridayNightSoundWaves.com
palm beach county
Tim Acito’s “Zanna Don’t” was a breakout hit at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Photo Credit: MGA Academy of Performing Arts.
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.
miami-dade county
* Chris MacDonald’s Memories of Elvis
* Miami City Ballet Program Two
Raise the Roof” Benefit Concert
* Wrongful Death and Other Circus Acts
Jan. 13 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. In honor of what would have been Elvis Presley’s 83rd birthday, MacDonald performs the best of The King from his early days in Nashville to his flash shows in Vegas. Tickets $50 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org. Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, 390 Sequoia Drive South in West Palm Beach. Singers and instrumentalists perform musical theater, opera, and tunes from The Great American Songbook in a concert benefiting the the church rebuild. Tickets $30 for open seating, $50 reserved seating with hors d’oeuvres, wine, and artist meet-and-greet reception. Call 561-686-8128 or visit MIWPB.com.
Free Friday Concerts
Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in
Jan. 12 to 14 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. In honor of Jerome Robbins, the company performs “Circus Polka,” “The Cage,” “Other Dances,” “West Side Story Suite,” and “In the Night.” Tickets $40 and up. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter. org.
Jan. 19 to Feb. 4 at the Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Personal injury lawyer Laura Mendes chases after cases after a fatal plane crash in this play that examines worth we place on people. Tickets $50 and $55. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter. org.
Outdoor Music Series
Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.
The Big Show
Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.
* Denotes New Listing
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 AT 9:00 PM NEW WORLD CENTER DEAN WHITESIDE, CONDUCTOR DUDE SKYWALKER, DJS SAM HYKEN, COMPOSER
#NWSPulse
nws.edu/pulse ||||||||||
WINTER CLASSES BEGIN JANUARY 16
SING! DANCE! ACT! LEARN!
Enroll today in our popular adult classes in ACTING, SINGING, BROADWAY DANCE & COMEDY IMPROV
OPEN HOUSE — SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 Sample classes • Meet the teaching artists Tour the Education Center • Register to win a FREE class
BrowardCenter.org/classes 954.414.6904 1.10.2018 •
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Datebook
Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com
Top Picks Miami Jewish Film Festival
Jan. 11 to 25 throughout Miami. The festival returns with films from around the world chronicling the Jewish experience, past and present. Visit miamijewishfilmfestival.org.
Mascara, Mirth & Mayhem: Independence Day on Fire Island - Photography by Susan Kravitz
Jan. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A talk with photographer Susan Kravitz at the opening of her exhibition chronicling the Invasion of the Pines. Exhibit closes March 11. Suggested donation $5. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.
The Ars Musae: Odyssey Frieze
Jan. 13 to Feb. 4 at the Box Gallery, 811 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. A 40-foot mural installation by Italian artist Marzia Ellero Ransom as a part of Palm Beach Art Week. Free. Call 786521-1188 or visit TheBoxGallery.info.
January 10 January 16 Broward Support Services PFLAG
Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.
SunServe Youth Group
Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fort Lauderdale, Southwest Ranches, Coral Springs and Hollywood. A support group and night of fun for LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and times.
Survivor Support
First and third Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Broward Health Imperial Point Hospital cafeteria, 6401 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Find support from counselors and peers who have lost loved ones to suicide. Call the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention at 954-384-0344 or visit FISPOnline.org.
* Denotes New Listing
broward county * America’s Sunday Supper
Jan. 14 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Delevoe Park Community Center, 2520 NW Sixth St. in Fort Lauderdale. HandsOn Broward hosts a discussion among neighbors to overcome societal barriers through service. RSVP to Dianne Perret at dianne@handsonbroward.org.
Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Author Ella Marques shares her experience transitioning at the age of 60 and her life as a world traveler and success. Suggested donation $5. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum. org.
* Martin Luther King Jr. Event
* Technology for Beginners
Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. at the Collins Community Center, 3900 NE Third Ave. in Oakland Park. Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with live performances by the Oakland Park After School Program children, words from local community leaders, free ice cream, and more. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov.
* Ella Marques’ ”I Am a Boy From Venus: It’s Time to Be Yourself”
Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157
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Third Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Pride Center, in Wilton Manors. A free computer and phone workshop. Call 954-903-4383 or register at register.helpmeeric.com.
* Lauderdale Bridge Club Lessons and Games
Mondays at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 401 SE 15th St. in Fort Lauderdale. Join the club for bridge lessons and try your hand at some games. Cost $4. Call 610-4016475 or visitMarpleBridgeClub.com.
January 10 - January 16 * Lauderdale Bridge Club Sanctioned Games
Thursdays at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 401 SE 15th St. in Fort Lauderdale. Join the club for bridge games. Cost $4. Call 610-401-6475 or visit MarpleBridgeClub.com.
Voices of Pride
Meets at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Join the Gay Men’s Chorus as they practice every week. Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC. com for rehearsal details.
Life Coaching
Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Latinos Salud Clubhouse, 2300 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Get one-on-one life coaching from certified CRCS coaches. For guys living with HIV, their partners, and anyone who identifies as transgender. Free. Call 954-765-6239 or visit LatinosSalud.org.
Rest Your Mind
Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Kadampa Meditation Center, 241 W Prospect Road Ste. B in Fort Lauderdale. Start your week with relaxing meditation to center yourself. Free. Visit MeditateinFortLauderdale.org.
palm beach county 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.
Sober Sisters
Mondays at 6:15 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for female recovering alcoholics. Visit LambdaNorth.net.
Out of the Closet, Into the Light
Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at MCC of the Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. AA for the LGBT community. Free. Call 561-775-5900 or visit MCCPalmBeach.org.
Out of the Closet NA Group
Mondays at 7 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for LGBT recovering addicts. Visit LambdaNorth.net.
Bisexual Support Group
Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Share your thoughts with other members of the bisexual community, discuss issues, and address concerns in a safe environment. Email marissa@compassglcc.com or visit CompassGLCC.com.
miami-dade county An Evening With Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus’ Chapman Conference Center. WLRN reporter Nadege Green moderates a talk with Coates on his latest work, “We Were Eight Years in Power.” Tickets $30. Visit booksandbooks.com.
* Wild Night: Everglades Escapade
Arsht Center Farmers Market
Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Purchase fresh food from local farmers, including fruits, vegetables, meats, prepared foods, as well as chefs, live music, and cooking demonstrations. Tickets $45 to $75. Free. Visit ArshtCenter.org/en/Visit/Dining.
POZCONNECT Support Group for Spanish Speakers
Mondays 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Pridelines, 6360 NE Fourth Court in Miami. A support group for HIV+ people, in Spanish. Free. Call Eddie at 305-571-9601, ext. 105 or visit Pridelines.org.
key west Hot Naked Hump Days
Jan. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St. in Miami. Explore the zoo at night for an encounter with black bears and alligators. Tickets $24 members, $30 nonmembers. Visit ZooMiami.org.
Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Island House, 1129 Fleming St. in Key West. Relax in the middle of the week with two-forone drinks, free shots, videos and music, giveaways, and naked boys at the pool. Call 305-294-6284 or visit IslandHouseKeyWest. com
ALL-INCLUSIVE... AS NEWS
SHOULD BE AS DIVERSE AS EVER Whether you are in the bisexual or transgender communities, are asexual, gender-fluid, pansexual, or maybe you still aren’t sure, SFGN is proudly here to connect you with the rest of our colorful community.
www.SFGN.com 1.10.2018 •
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THE
GUIDE
Business Directory
attorney
attorney
Law office of george castrataro 707 NE 3rd Ave #300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.573.1444 Lawgc.com
law office of Gregory Kabel 1 East Broward Blvd #700, Fort Lauderdale, 33301 954.761.7770 gwkesq@bellsouth.net law office of Shawn Newman 710 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.563.9160 Shawnnewman.com
Law office of Robin bodiford 2550 N Federal Hwy #20, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.630.2707 Lawrobin.com
a&e Ft Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus PO Box 9772, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33310-9772 954-832-0060 www.theftlgmc.org
To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970
beauty
furniture
Promo - 20% off combo
Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida 2040 North Dixie Hwy, #218, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-763-2266 Gaymenschorusofsouthflorida.org
cleaners
auto SoutheaSt
toyota
Jef Frankfort aka Jef Fantastic PROS Certified Sales Consultant Phone (561) 305-8758 Fax (561) 454-5555 jeffrankfort@edmorse.com www.jeffantastic.com Ed Morse Delray Toyota 2800 S. Federal Hwy. Delray Beach, FL 33483
call us to reserve space! Licensed & Insured
954-725-3633
custom alarm contractors, Inc.
Est. 1989 “Experience Matters” Service after the sale! ▶ residential security ▶ commercial security ▶ closed circuit tV www.customalarmcontractors.com 44
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dental Oakland Park Dental 3047 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954.566.9812 Oaklandparkdental.com Andrews Dental Care 2654 N Andrews Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33311 954.567.3311 Andrewsdentalcare.com Island City Dental 1700 NE 26th Street, Ste. 2, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-564-7121 Islandcitydental.com
transportation RAINBOW RIDES-SAVE MONEY ON YOUR RIDE! - We treat you like family! SPECIALIZING IN AIRPORT RIDES! Need a ride to FLL, MIA, or PBI? (or anywhere else?) I'm a friendly driver with a nice, clean Chevy Malibu. My fixed-rate pricing beat all ride sharing - apps every time. Call or text me to schedule a ride, I'll be there early and I'll text you when I arrive. No 'surge" prices, no hassles. Call or text Nikki at 954-600-3133.
www.sfgn.guide
final arrangements Kalis-McIntee Funeral & Cremation Center
2505 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-7621 Kalismcintee.com
Reserve me for as little as
$125
per month Wedding announcements? Anniversaries? Obituaries?
954.530.4970
financial services WE’RE HERE FOR ALL YOUR
FINANCIAL NEEDS Taxes IRS Issues Accounting
Bookkeeping Small Business Advising
954-667-9829
health insurance Medicare/MedicaID Florida Blue / Blue Cross Blue Shield 2765 West Cypress Creek Road Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 Call Steve Herbstman @ 954-554-7074
health American Pain Experts 6333 N. Federal Hwy, Ste. 250, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-678-1074 Americanpainexperts.com
professional services
ACCOUNTING@STERLINGACCOUNTING.COM
2435 North Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305
therapy
call us to reserve space! getaway
handyman Miami/Broward/Palm Beach Paint/Caulk/Remove Grout/Yard Work Fix Drips & Switches/Debris removal Assembles Furniture & Appliances Repair or Fix Call "Avrom" Keith 786-227-9981
sfgn.com 1.10.2018 •
45
THE
GUIDE
Business Directory
To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970 professional services
social
real estate Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors & Oakland Park REMODELED homes:
2 bedroom/2 bath condos from
$135,000
Ocean/Intracoastal from
$300,000
3 bedroom/2 bath homes
Brian S. Bedigian, P.A.
RealtorBrian@aol.com www.BrianFTL.com
Your South Florida Specialist for Over 18 Years
spirituality The Parish of Sts. Francis and Clare Where we welcome and appreciate diversity.
101 NE 3rd St Fort Lauderdale FL 33301 Mass Times: Saturday 5:00 PM Sunday 10:30 AM Ecumenical Catholic 954.731.8173
www.stsfrancisandclare.org Baptisms • Weddings • Memorial Services
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spirituality
St. Mary’s American National Catholic Church SUNDAY MASS - 12:30 PM THE PRIDE CENTER, ROOM 208 2040 N Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL
catholic = all embracing Visit www.stmarysancc.org or Call Fr Mike at 386-871-2065
954.205.5275
7:0 0P M
call us to reserve space!
Realtor
W ED N ES D AY S
Tennis Lessons at Hagen Park in Wilton Manors. Individual or group lessons. Call Robert 732-604-0362 for more information.
Helping Buyers, Sellers, Renters, and Investors for over 18 years in South Florida.
$250,000
from
sports
THE BEST SERVICE, THE BEST RESULTS SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST!
MANNY SIMONE, NEWS ANCHOR
SFGN Classified$
Taylor & Turner
To place a Classified Ad, call Tim Higgins at 954.530.4970 or email at Tim.Higgins@sfgn.com
Pest and Termite Control, Inc
William D. Turner
electrician HARRY’S ELECTRIC RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL - Additions, renovations, service upgrades, breaker panels,FPL undergrounds, code violations, A/C wiring, ceiling fans, recessed, security & landscaping, lighting, pools, pumps, Jacuzzis, water heaters, FREE PHONE ESTIMATES 954-522-3357 Lic & Ins. www. harryelectrician.com
handyman 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
home health care COMPANION AIDE - Strictly Professional, TBI, PCA, and NHTD certified Over ten years’ experience. Provide light personal care, light cleaning. Laundry and major meal prep. Respite for caregiver. Serious inquires call Karl 954-616-8952
painting
GREGG'S PAINTING - I paint both interior and exterior. Great rates, free estimates. I am detailed-oriented, friendly, reliable, punctual, and neat. No job too small. Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-870-5972 Email: gmanbenn44@gmail.com
employment wanted
taylorandturner@yahoo.com 2520 North Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305
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.
954.630.2627
Crew Leader-City of Wilton Manors - Fulltime with benefits. Supervise and perform general maintenance work inside/outside. $17.00 to $22.00 per hour. DOE. To apply, visit www.wiltonmanors.com and click on the JOBS link.
pool service
COOL POOLS- RELIABLE POOL SERVICE Professional pool service.Covering Wilton Manors, Lighthouse Point, and eastside of Pompano Beach. 15 years experience. Licensed and insured.Free estimates. Call 954-235-0775.
rentals wilton manors
MIKE THE RENTAL GUY - NE Lauderdale/Wilton Manors/Oakland Park-1/1 from $1090, 2/1 from $1140. Victoria Park-2/1=$1290.00 cable included. Credit & Income Requirements-Pets okay with restrictions Call for Details Mike 561- 703-5533 or miketherentalguy@ aol.com
real estate for sale
Wedding announcements? Anniversaries? Obituaries? Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds
954.530.4970
rentals fort lauderdale PRIVATE COMPLEX FOR RENT - 1 Bed Apt, Must See, Private complex, Fully renovated, laundry, ask: $1150.00 Progresso, 1214 NE 5th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, 33304 Call 954-552-2831
www.sfgn.guide
Classified Advertising Works!
real estate wilton manors FANTASTIC DUPLEX $499,000 - Unit is 3 bedrooms & 2 baths. Newer Roof, New Electric Panels and more. Huge Pie Shaped Lot on Quiet Street. Please call for Appointment Michael Tublin United Reality Group 561-703-5533
www.sfgn.guide
rentals oakland park 1BD/1BT $935/MONTH near Wilton Manors Nice clean 1BD/BT, with semi private landscape patio and fenced back yard off bedroom. Updated Kitchen. Tile floors and good size rooms. Walk in closet. Off street parking, about 4 blocks from the drive. Located in one story 4-Unit apartment with Laundry room. $50.00 application fee—Background check. NO SMOKING, NO PETS, CALL 754-336-7563
Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds
954.530.4970
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 954-826-9555 for more information.
professional services RESUME Consulting - Nearly 20 years of recruiting experience. Consultation includes one-on-one session, job hunting tips and tricks, social media review. Email Jason@TheDriveRecruiting.com
www.sfgn.guide
1.10.2018 •
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HOSTED DEPARTURE
7 Nights – Sept 1-8, 2018 Labor Day Alaska Group Cruise
ALASKA
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from $1,049 pp +Free Juneau Whale Watching Tour if BOOKED BY MARCH 15th
The Aquafest Value Add
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LGBT CRUISES & TOUR EVENTS
(800) 592-9058 / AquafestCruises.com Kenya African Safari-Christmas Markets Danube More in 2018 More in 2018 Castles of the Rhine -Scandanavia & Russia-Machu Picchu & 2019 & 2019