3/2/16 V7i9 by South Florida Gay News

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Gazette Wilton Manors

March 2, 2016 vol. 7 // issue 9

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ThE opENiNG liNE Photos: Facebook.

rUmors aBoUNd as To marCo rUBio’s Early adUlT liFE iN miami Robb Kvašňák –

First off, a lot of homophobic politicians mess around with other men secondly, looking good is not a sign of being gay (uff! I wish it were) - thirdly, I will not vote for Creampuff (Marco) even if he is gay - I am voting for a 74 year old with uncombed hair, BERNIE!

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MARCH 2, 2016 • VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 9 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305

Compiled by John McDonald

PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

WilToN maNors & oaklaNd park CompETE For Tri-rail sTaTioN Gene Broyles – This would be INCREDIBLE! Would provide so many more people an opportunity to come to our area without having to worry about driving and parking and for those of us that live here an opportunity to venture “outside of the bubble” a little more often! Eric Tucker –

deidra Bergmann –

Elthon Wolffemann deCastillo -

He should come out of the closet. It is better being gay and say stupid things than being closeted and a bigot on same sex issues. People who disapprove of same sex are more insecure of themselves as someone who really doesnt care at all.

Wilton Manors should be a priority based on the foot trafﬁc in that area. I am not saying Oakland Park is a terrible idea but wouldn’t impact near as many people as Wilton Manors would.

Oh great, more parking problems in Wilton Manors for commuters that will leave their cars.

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robert E knox –

My gaydar has always been on full alert with Rubio.

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM

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howard Grubbs –

Yep. Just as the founders intended. I also think a president should be limited to one 6 year term like Senators and Congress should have the same limitation. The money we would save would be enormous and I would not be subjected to mindless ads every two or four years.

Kevin Burke –

The only career in government should be the employees’ experience. Elected leadership should have an expiration date.

kimber White –

Two four years terms is enough. Yes, we need limits, 20 plus years in city government is too long.!

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STD rates are rising in Miami-Dade and Broward counties beyond what is seen in the rest of Florida.

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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 © 2015 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

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news highlight

WiNTEr parTy rETUrNs To miami John McDonald

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

inter Party, the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual event in Miami, returns this week (March 2-7) with all of the excitement one would expect from a gay themed circuit party. “It’s a popular event worldwide,” said Michael Bath, Director of Events for the National LGBTQ Task Force. “And one that continues to grow.” What started as a local beach party 23 years ago has exploded into an event that draws thousands to South Florida annually. The entertainment is primarily supplied by DJs spinning electronic music. If shirtless men dancing is not your thing do not worry as there are other options for fun. On Friday night, an “Artscape” gathering at the new Pridelines location (6360 N.E. 4th Court) is a traditional meeting place for women. Additionally, there are opportunities to catch screenings of independent films and learn more about safe sex practices at various Winter Party sanctioned

WINTER ISSUE

events across South Beach. The Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach is host hotel for Winter Party 2016 and Bath said the event’s signature pool party is already sold out. Fifteen percent of all revenue raised by Winter Party, Bath said, is returned to local LGBTQ organizations. “We are creating a week of happiness,” Bath said. “For many people this is like a family reunion. Some of our guests may only see each other once a year and Winter Party is it.”

For more information, visit WinterParty.com

3.2.2016 •

Compiled by Jillian Melero

Christians slam aussie arts school for allowing ‘Cross-dressing’ (AP) An Australian high school has been criticized for allowing students to wear boy or girl uniforms regardless of gender. The Newtown High School of Performing Arts in inner Sydney changed its uniform policy last week to allow all students to “wear any part of the available uniform options,” the New South Wales state education department said in a statement Wednesday. Several parents and students hailed the change as a boon for transgender students, who previously needed parental approval and a psychologist’s report to gain the school’s permission to crossdress. The change was condemned as radical by the Australian Christian Lobby, an influential conservative advocacy group. “It’s a deeper problem than just boys choosing to wear a girl’s skirt to school,” ACL spokesman Wendy Francis said. “What they’re trying to do in

schools is make boys’ and girls’ gender disappear.” A number of federal government lawmakers this week backed the ACL’s call to remove federal funding from a national program aimed at preventing bullying in schools of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. Almost 500 schools have signed up to the Safe Schools Coalition Australia, which runs the program that also advocates that schools allow students to cross-dress. It is not known how many schools adopted that uniform policy, but the education department said Newtown High was not the only one in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state. Newtown High declined to comment. Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull bent to pressure from government lawmakers by agreeing Tuesday to review the continuation of 8 million Australian dollars ($5.7 million) in federal funding for the Safe Schools program, which teaches students about gay and lesbian issues. Photo: Newtown School of the Arts

(AP) Administrators say students at a Southern California high school have the right to wear anti-gay stickers on their school ID badges, just as other students have the right to wear stickers supporting gay rights. Shadow Hills High School administrators in Indio emailed The Desert Sun newspaper saying both protests were OK, as long as they didn’t escalate. The anti-gay stickers, a small rainbow inside a circle with a line through it, showed up about two weeks ago. The administrators warned that students aren’t free to

• 3.2.2016

interrupt class to express their beliefs, because students have a right to be educated without fear. One teacher says some students and staff object because they feel the gay and lesbian community has been targeted.

West Palm Beach Unveils CityNewofLGBT Web Page

(PBCHRC) Members of the West Palm Beach Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender community now have a place they can go to learn who can help them in the city. At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, the city has created a LGBT page on its website. On it the public will find information on the city’s history of supporting the LGBT community, as well as contact information for the two liaisons to the LGBT community at the city. The information can be found at: wpb.org/LGBT “West Palm Beach has led the way in promoting and supporting the rights of the LGBT community,” said Rand Hoch, President and Founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. “Having a specific name and way to contact someone to assist with LGBT-related issues in the city is so important, and just another example of the city’s continued commitment to our community. The city has two LGBT liaisons. One is located at city hall and the other is with the police department. The city hall liaison is Robert Telford. He can be reached at 561-822-1866 or at rtelford@wpb.org. The police department liaison is Lt. Greg Babcock. He can be reached at 561-822-1860 or at gbabcock@wpb.org.

utheran Church Cuts Ties with Wisconsin Boy Scouts

(AP) Boy Scouts in Appleton will have to find a new location for weekly meetings and other events. Faith Lutheran Church has been the chartering organization for the scouts for about 60 years. WBAY-TV reported that Faith Lutheran has notified the Boy Scouts that its beliefs no longer align with the church and that it will need a new location by June 1. Faith belongs to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod which has advised its thousands of churches to cut ties with the Boy Scouts after its decision to accept openly gay adult leaders. The Appleton Boy Scouts council says the overwhelming majority of its members, families and chartered organizations remain committed to scouting.

Photo: Facebook

nti-Gay Stickers Stir Controversy at California

3.2.2016 â&#x20AC;¢

Compiled by Jillian Melero

Continued

Canada’s Top political leaders Strike a Pose for Pride Toronto pictures has the potential to give a true face to our community. And what a truly diverse and beautiful community we have,’” said Mathieu Chantelois, Pride Toronto Executive Director. “By striking a pose for our camera crew, hundreds took a stand for Pride Toronto, they are telling the world that it’s ok to sit with us, but also to rally, march, celebrate, love and change the world with us.” Noted personalities in the campaign also include: Ministers of Canadian parliament, Toronto City Councillors, Trans activists, the Toronto Police Service Chief of Police, the Guinness World Record Holder for Oldest Performing Drag Queen, DJs, artists and performers, along with Pride Toronto’s recently announced 2016 Honoured Group, Black Lives Matter – Toronto. Canada’s first-ever Pride Month will launch on June 1, featuring extended programming and events throughout the city, culminating in the Pride Parade on July 3. Photo: CNN

Allowing Companies to Deny BillServices to Gays Advances

(AP)Kentucky businesses could refuse services to gay, lesbian or transgender clients in the name of protecting religious beliefs under a bill advancing in the state Senate. The bill comes after the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission ordered a Christian T-shirt company to get diversity training for refusing to print shirts for a gay pride festival. A state judge overturned the order, but an appeals court is reviewing the case. The bill is the latest effort of lawmakers in some states to react to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer that effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The Georgia legislature is considering similar legislation, and the Missouri legislature is considering amending its state constitution to protect businesses that decline to provide goods or services for same-sex marriage ceremonies or celebrations.

• 3.2.2016

Senate OKs Civil Unions, But Italy LGBT Groups are Unhappy

GLCC Names New Chamber Council Chair

Afﬁliate

(NGLCC) NGLCC is pleased to announce that Jason Rae has been named the new National Chair of the Affiliate Chamber Council. Rae previously served as the chair of the Midwest Region and is the founder and Executive Director of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “We are thrilled that Jason has joined us as the National Chair,” said NGLCC Senior Vice President Sam McClure. “Jason has shown a commitment to LGBT business equality in the Midwest and across the country, and I know his vision and leadership will be a great asset to the Affiliate Chamber Council.” The Affiliate Chamber Council (ACC), previously known as the Council of Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO), has recently undergone several changes in order to create a better support system for the 44 affiliate chambers around the country. In addition to the name change, the ACC has also restructured from six regions to four: West, Midwest, South, and Northeast.

(AP) Italy’s Senate voted Thursday to grant legal recognition to civil unions, as the last holdout in Western Europe took a compromise step to give some rights to gay couples after a bitter, years-long battle. Premier Matteo Renzi described the passage of the bill Thursday as “historic.” But gay and lesbian groups denounced the legislation as a betrayal because Renzi’s Democratic Party sacrificed a provision to allow gay adoption in order to ensure passage. The legislation, which must still pass the lower Chamber of Deputies, is nevertheless significant for an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country where the Vatican holds sway in politics and society, although Pope Francis remained conspicuously silent as debate raged in recent months. It passed 173-71, well over the threshold necessary.

Photo: CNN

(TravelOut) Pride Toronto unveiled its 2016 Pride Month theme, announcing to the world that this June, “You Can Sit With Us.” The campaign for Canada’s first-ever Pride Month, features Canada’s top political leaders: noted “sexiest man alive” and “politician dreamboat” (Vogue) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, openly out Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and partner Jane Rounthewaite and Toronto Mayor John Tory who will all participate in this year’s festivities in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Pride Toronto’s 2016 Parade will make Canadian history, with Justin Trudeau participating as Canada’s first ever sitting Prime Minister to march, alongside leadership from both Toronto’s municipal and Ontario’s provincial governments. Pride Toronto held an open photo shoot for community members, artists and city leaders to show their Pride, enabling the campaign to showcase over 300 community members of all ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and ethnicities. “If a picture is worth 1,000 words, maybe 1,000

News Briefs

Continued

Catholic League Spends 6 Figures to Blast Anti-Gay ABC for Dan Savage Sitcom (EDGE) Dear Catholic League supporters: here are your charity dollars at work. Bill Donohue, president of the virulently anti-gay Catholic League, presumably spent six figures to run a full- page open letter in The New York Times Monday that blasts Disney-ABC for its plans to air “The Real O’Neals,” a sitcom based on the life of LGBT activist and sex columnist Dan Savage. The ad reads in part: ABC, which is owned by Disney, will launch a new show on March 8, “The Real O’Neals.” It is billed as a comedy about an Irish-American family, loosely based on the life of one of its producers, Dan Savage. For those not acquainted with him, his maniacal hatred of Catholicism is so strong that it would be as though David Duke were hired to produce a show about African Americans. According to the advertising rate card for The New York Times, a full page black and white insertion on a weekday costs $158,859 to run nationally. The Catholic League, which is a 501 c3 charity, gets 100% of its income from contributions, gifts and grants. According

to Charity Navigator, their total revenue for 2014 came to $3,529,624, out of which 48.6% was spent on “programs.” Its president Bill Donohue was paid $465,769 in salary, which amounts to 16.44% in expenses.

tah Senators OK Adding LGBT Protections to Hate Crimes Law Photo: Scott Catron

Photo: soundfromwayout, Facebook.

(AP) The Latest on a plan in Utah’s Legislature that would add protections for gay and transgender people to Utah’s hate crime law. Utah senators are backing a proposal that would beef up the state’s hate crime law and add protections for gay and transgender people. Lawmakers voted 17-12 Friday in favor of the plan, saying it protects many groups of people that are not currently protected in the state. Bill sponsor Republican Sen. Steve Urquhart of St. George says he feels fantastic that the plan advanced. He

remains wary about its chances advancing further given that the Mormon Church released a statement urging legislators not to upset a balance between religious and LGBT rights. Most lawmakers are members of the faith. Some lawmakers criticized the proposal, saying it gives special protection for certain groups of people over others. The proposal would also beef up the penalties for crimes against a person or their property if the action was motivated because of the victim’s race, gender, or other protected groups.

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(EDGE) This week scientists have been making national news with important breakthroughs reported at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), one of the world’s most important annual gatherings on HIV research. Unfortunately, President Obama’s proposed FY2017 budget, which flat-funds HIV research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at 2015 levels, undermines further progress in scientific research on HIV/AIDS. Since the cost of biomedical research increases with inflation, the purchasing power of NIH HIV research dollars has decreased consistently and dramatically over the past 10 years. Funding for medical research at the NIH received a 2.5 percent increase overall -- up to $33.1 billion -- but HIV research received no additional funding for FY 2017, leaving it unchanged over the past three years and at the same level as FY 2009. “We applaud the Administration for its commitment to increase funding for biomedical research, but we worry that flat-lining our country’s investments in HIV/AIDS research will impact the lifesaving research that could help us find a cure for HIV,” said Kevin Robert Frost, amfAR’s Chief Executive Officer. The amfAR infographic, titled “Small Increase, Big Impact,” shows the declining purchasing power of the NIH’s HIV/AIDS research dollars since 2003. According to amfAR estimates, if HIV research funding were increased in line with the increase in total NIH funding, it would mean an

• 3.2.2016

additional $76.6 million for HIV research in 2017. That amount in the NIH’s HIV/ AIDS research budget could allow the NIH to: Fund 180 HIV/AIDS studies in 2017 that could significantly advance HIV prevention, treatment or cure research; Fund 51 clinical trials focused on curing HIV; or Fund a breakthrough prevention trial such as the HPTN 052 study, which in 2011, found that early initiation of antiretroviral therapy reduced the risk of HIV transmission to uninfected partners by 96 percent, or the iPrEx study, which in 2010, found that taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could prevent HIV infection. “Both the HPTN 052 and iPrEx studies were widely hailed as the number one scientific breakthroughs for their respective years,” said Greg Millet, amfAR Vice President and director of public policy. “It’s an exciting time in HIV research, and the dollars lost due to flatfunding this year alone could cost funding the next medical HIV/AIDS breakthrough.” amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested $450 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 3,300 research teams worldwide. For more information, visit www.amfar.org.

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16,000

Five Largest ADAPS by Viral Suppression among ADAP Clients: June 2015

14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Puerto Rico Texas Florida New York California With an Unknown With an Unsuppressed With a Suppressed Viral Load Viral Load Viral Load

adap CliENTs iN Florida havE hiGh viral sUpprEssioN lEvEls 2015 AIDS Drug Assistance Program report

Sean McShee

n January, the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors issued its annual report on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) for the year 2015. As successful HIV-treatment suppresses HIV in individuals, a successful HIV-treatment program should show high levels of viral suppression among its clients. Failure to suppress the virus indicates potential problems. In 2015, 72 percent of U.S. ADAP clients achieved viral suppression, but 15 percent failed to suppress the virus. For 13 percent, viral suppression was unknown. Failure to collect and report viral suppression data indicates poor record keeping, but not program failure. Florida ADAP clients had a viral suppression level of 85 percent. The viral suppression level of 72 percent refers to national data. State ADAPs vary in the number of clients served and in levels of viral suppression achieved. Indiana ADAP had the lowest levels of viral suppression, but had many clients 3,031. It achieved viral suppression in 36 percent of its clients, but failed to suppress the virus in 15 percent. Indiana reported 49 percent suppression status unknown. In contrast, Iowa had the highest levels of viral suppression, but few clients, 269. Iowa reported a 94 percent suppression level, with 4 percent not-suppression, and 2 percent unknown. Only ten states had levels of viral suppression below the national level of 72 percent. Of these states, only the ADAPs in Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania served more than 1,000 clients per state. Texas had the fourth largest number of ADAP clients in the U.S. and very poor levels of suppression: 54 percent suppressed, 46 percent unsuppressed, and 0.01 percent unknown. The ADAPs in these ten states may have more problems than ADAP in other states. These ten states drove down the national levels of viral suppression. HIV in the South affects may people and confronts a hostile political-cultural environment.

â&#x20AC;˘ 3.2.2016

Among Southern states only South Carolina (85 percent), Delaware (88 percent), and Maryland (89 percent) had the same or higher levels of viral suppression than Florida (85 percent) did. South Carolina, Delaware, and Maryland together served fewer clients than Florida did. Of the four states with over 10,000 ADAP clients, only Texas ranks in the lowest quarter of states by percent of viral suppression among its clients. Florida ranks at the median. New York and California rank in the third quarter. Of the eight states in the highest quarter, only three states had more than 1,000 ADAP clients per state: Illinois with 4,726, Massachusetts with 3,245, and Colorado with 1,813. Seven states reported that more than 20 percent of their ADAP clients failed to achieve viral suppression. These states were Virginia (20 percent), West Virginia (22 percent), Mississippi (22 percent), Georgia (30 percent), Oklahoma (33 percent), Texas (46 percent), and Arkansas (63 percent). All these states are in the South. Seven other states reported more than 20 percent viral suppression unknown. These states were Pennsylvania (22 percent), Mississippi (23 percent), Utah (25 percent), Georgia (27 percent), Alaska (29 percent), Maine (32 percent), and Indiana (49 percent). Only 41 U.S. states and territories submitted data on viral suppression. All data refers to clients served as of June 2015. State ADAPs vary greatly, but generally have good results. Among the large state ADAPs, California, New York, and Florida cluster together closely in viral suppression levels from 85 to 88 percent. Florida is keeping pace with the other large ADAP caseload states. The other state with large numbers of clients, Texas, has low levels of viral suppression. While all ADAPs should improve their levels of viral suppression, some have much more work to do than others do. To read the full report, please visit https://www. nastad.org/sites/default/files/2016-NationalADAP-Monitoring-Project-Annual-Report.pdf

politics out on the trail

Photo: Facebook.

Ken Evans.

Evans Tasked With Getting Gays Into Hillary’s Camp John McDonald

en Evans stood out from a crowd of mostly African Americans at a political rally Sunday afternoon in Miami Gardens. Wearing a white polo shirt with “Hillary” etched in rainbow-colored letters across his chest, Evans may have looked like the odd man out to a casual observer inside the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, but the veteran political operative was certainly in his element. “My background is coordinating things to happen with big groups of people,” said Evans at the conclusion of Sunday’s event which featured a speech by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Such is why Hillary Clinton’s campaign tapped Evans to serve as LGBT Constituency Volunteer Lead in Florida. A gay man, Evans is tasked with finding

leaders in 10 different regions around the Sunshine State that can mobilize those who identify as LGBT to vote for Hillary Clinton for President. “It’s a lot of solving issues, fixing things and organizing events,” Evans said. Evans said he encourages Floridians to vote early, by mail, ahead of the March 15 presidential primary election. U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Miami) echoed this from the stage on Sunday, “You cannot sit quietly and assume that you are going to win.” Additionally, Evans serves as state committeeman for the Broward County Democratic Party and recently completed a two-year term as chairman of Florida Democrats’ clubs and caucuses committee. He lives in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea with his partner of more than 20 years, David Lamie.

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GET TEsTEd Find free stD health clinics for testing and treatment in Florida by visiting www.yourstdhelp.com/ﬂorida.html.

sTd sUrGE

Anthony Martinez Beven

miami-Dade and Broward counties have highest trending increases in Florida

“Syphilis can have very serious complications when left untreated…Most people who have chlamydia don’t know it since the disease often has no symptoms…ANYONE who is sexually active can get gonorrhea.”

hese are the current PSA banners featured on the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) homepage of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov. Across the U.S., gay and bisexual men face the “highest and rising” number of syphilis infections, according to a November 2015 CDC trends report. “While rates have increased among both men and women, men account for more than 90 percent of all primary and secondary syphilis cases. Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for 83 percent of male cases where the sex of the sex partner is known,” the report states. Dr. Steven Santiago, chief medical officer of Care Resource, a nonprofit and health center for uninsured and under-insured LGBT patients in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, gave his opinion on more cases of syphilis among gay men in South Florida. “It’s the increase in use of recreational drugs, such as crystal meth, ‘molly,’ and ‘bath salts.’ These drugs, and alcohol, cause increases with high-risk unprotected/condomless sex,” Santiago said. He added, “It is common to diagnose someone with an STD and HIV at the same time. The risk is increased even further if the person uses recreational drugs.” Syphilis is an STD that can cause long-term complications if not treated correctly. Symptoms in adults are divided into stages – primary, secondary, latent, and late syphilis – according to the CDC. Syphilis can be contracted through direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Sores can be found on the penis, vagina, anus, in the rectum or on the lips and in the mouth. “The CDC reported recently that condomless sex had increased by 20 percent over the past decade amongst gay men. This can absolutely contribute to a rise in STD cases,” said Stephen Fallon, executive director of Latinos Salud, a gay men’s health and advocacy organization with offices and STD testing facilities in Wilton Manors and Miami Beach. In 2014, general population increases were seen in all three nationally reported STDS – chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis (primary, secondary and congenital) – the CDC said.

• 3.2.2016

Nationally, chlamydia cases in 2014 were at almost 1.5 million, STD cases. Mara Gambineri, spokeswoman for the state health department, an increase of 2.8 percent in 2013. Gonorrhea cases were around 350,000, an increase of 5.1 percent. Syphilis (primary and said that population increases should be considered when examining data. secondary) cases were at 20,000, an increase of 15.1 percent, while “Miami-Dade is the largest county, and it is not unexpected that syphilis (congenital) cases were at nearly 500, an increase of 27.5 they have the highest number of cases. The vast majority of the percent from previous year. “STDs are a substantial health challenge facing the United States. increase in bacterial STDs is from reported chlamydia cases, which CDC estimates that nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted increased significantly statewide from about 40,000 cases in 2005 infections occur each year in this country, half among young people to over 70,000 cases by 2009,” Gambineri said. Gambineri additionally attributed an increase in aged 15-24, and account for almost $16 billion in chlamydia cases to improved testing technology for health care costs,” the CDC trends report states. screening. “Each of these infections is a potential Prior to 2006, culture was previously considered threat to an individual’s immediate and long"Each of these to be the “gold standard for diagnosis of infection.” term health and well-being. In addition to Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) was increasing a person’s risk for acquiring and infections is a by most Florida health-care providers in transmitting HIV infection, STDs can lead to potential threat adopted 2006 and has resulted in better accuracy, she said. severe reproductive health complications, such “It provides superior sensitivity and specificity as infertility.” to an individual’s and is now the recommended method for diagnosis Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect immediate and of chlamydia,” Gambineri said. “Moreover, NAAT both men and women, according to the CDC. requires a urine sample rather than an invasive It can be contracted by having vaginal, anal long-term swabbing of the suspected infection site, a far more or oral sex with someone who has the STD. If a sex partner is male, Chlamydia can still be health and well- acceptable option for clients who opt for testing.” Gambineri further noted that the state health contracted even if he does not ejaculate (cum). being." department has implemented a new surveillance Gonorrhea, which can infect men or women, and case management system for STDs that has can cause infections in the genitals, rectum and been in place since 2006, and today is at almost throat, the CDC reports. - CDC Trends Report 100-percent reporting with testing laboratories. Federal, state and local health agencies are “This new system has the ability to incorporate aware of an uptick in STDs and are working laboratory results through electronic transmission,” to address the increase through educational she said. “In 2015, approximately 95 percent of all positive STD lab campaigns, improved testing and better reporting methods. Many STD cases go undiagnosed and unreported, and a majority reports received by the department were electronic.” State-level data for this STD trend is not broken down by age of cases when discovered are in private physician offices or health groups, gender or sexual orientation; however, the state health maintenance organizations, according to the CDC. Miami-Dade and Broward counties collectively accounted for department estimates that almost 200,000 gay men live in South the largest number of primarily chlamydia cases, followed by Florida, according to Latinos Salud. Fallon, from Salud, said gonorrhea and chlamydia cases are gonorrhea and syphilis cases in South Florida and statewide from highest among heterosexual women, but that’s “largely a matter of 2005-2014, according to data from the Florida Department of missed opportunities for diagnosis… Studies show that if screening Health’s Division of Public Health Statistics. During this time period, Miami-Dade County STD cases for gay men doesn’t include self-collected rectal specimens, up to increased from 5,721 to 13,440. Broward County cases increased 60 percent of infections will be missed. We’re in negotiations to add from 6,490 to 11,791. Palm Beach County had a smaller increase in that screening to our service rooster.” Fallon added that Salud has a new program called “DIversiSafe,” cases from 3,085 to 5,955. Statewide, there was an upward trend from 64,321 to 105,461 which empowers gay men to choose their preferred method of

news state protection against STDs. “For some, that will be condoms. For others, who are never going to be comfortable with condoms, we educate them about choices like negotiated safety, PrEP and TasP (treatment as prevention). Properly implemented, any of these will lower new HIV infections, though only negotiated safety would likely lower STDs. For those using any of the ‘condomless’ risk reduction methods, we recommend vaccination against hepatitis A and B, and against HPV,” he said. Santiago, from Care Resource, doesn’t necessarily agree with this approach. “This is also somewhat controversial. I

believe that ‘normalizing’ unprotected sex in this manner will decrease the perception of the risk that it carries,” Santiago said. Gambineri said STDs are preventable and that state and county health departments are “committed to educating communities… on how to prevent STDs by making positive choices, as well as knowing how and where to receive testing and treatment.” She added, “Detecting and treating STDs early is key to protecting population health. All county health departments offer STD testing services; some even have mobile health units that go into communities with high-risk populations.”

The stages of syphilis P R I M A R Y S TA G E The appearance of a single chancre marks the primary (first) stage of syphilis symptoms, but there may be multiple sores. The chancre is usually firm, round, and painless. It appears at the location where syphilis entered the body. These painless chancres can occur in locations that make them difficult to find (e.g., the vagina or anus). The chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether a person is treated or not. However, if the infected person does not receive adequate treatment, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

S E C O N D A R Y S TA G E Skin rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions (sores in the mouth, vagina, or anus) mark the second stage of symptoms. This stage typically starts with the development of a rash on one or more areas of the body. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear when the primary chancre is healing or several weeks after the chancre has healed. The rash usually does not cause itching. The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. Large, raised, gray or white lesions, known as condyloma lata, may develop in warm, moist areas such as the mouth, underarm or groin region. In addition to rashes, symptoms of secondary syphilis may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The symptoms of secondary syphilis will go away with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and possibly late stages of disease.

L AT E N T A N D L AT E S TA G E S The latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when primary and secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis infection in their body even though there are no signs or symptoms. Early latent syphilis is latent syphilis where infection occurred within the past 12 months. Late latent syphilis is latent syphilis where infection occurred more than 12 months ago. Latent syphilis can last for years. The late stages of syphilis can develop in about 15 percent of people who have not been treated for syphilis, and can appear 10–20 years after infection was ﬁrst acquired. In the late stages of syphilis, the disease may damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difﬁculty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.

NEUROSYPHILIS Syphilis can invade the nervous system at any stage of infection, and causes a wide range of symptoms varying from no symptoms at all, to headache, altered behavior, and movement problems that look like other neurologic diseases, such as Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease. This invasion of the nervous system is called “neurosyphilis.” Ocular syphilis, a clinical manifestation of neurosyphilis, can involve almost any eye structure, but posterior uveitis and panuveitis are the most common. Ocular syphilis may lead to decreased visual acuity including permanent blindness. Clinicians should be aware of ocular syphilis and screen for visual complaints in any patient at risk for syphilis (e.g., MSM, HIV-infected persons, others with risk factors and persons with multiple or anonymous partners).

HIV INFECTION AND SYPHILIS SYMPTOMS Individuals who are HIV-positive can develop symptoms very different from the symptoms described above, including hypo-pigmented skin rashes. HIV can also increase the chances of developing syphilis with neurological involvement.

3.2.2016 •

news national

Photo: Facebook.

news local

lEvi's TEams Up WiTh harvEy milk FoUNdaTioN John McDonald

evi’s, the iconic American clothing company known for its denim brand blue jeans, is teaming up with the Harvey Milk Foundation on a new ad campaign. The ad depicts two people in a supportive pose, one wearing a Harvey Milk denim jacket, arm draped around the other who is wearing a baseball cap turned around

backward sporting a rainbow colored Levis logo. It is designed to be gender neutral and inclusive of a whole range of body types and comes as the Levi’s Pride Collection is being introduced for the first time ever in Australia. Levi’s is promising to donate a portion of the collection’s sales to the Harvey Milk Foundation.

pridE CENTEr To hosT WomEN’s hisTory arT EXhBiTioN Denise Royal

he Pride Center at Equality Park, in collaboration with Chic Flix, will host the sixth annual art exhibition commemorating Women’s History Month. The show explores the creative perspective of 17 multidisciplinary female artists across various mediums and genres. The works highlight the contributions of women through history and contemporary society. “We are very excited to be curating this annual show for them for the sixth consecutive year,” says Closet Talk’s Judissa Atkinson. “We have a diverse group of women exhibiting this year.” A few highlights for some of the artists include: Anabel Peicher - a widely exhibited sculpture artist with many accolades. She had her first solo art exhibit in 2010 at Gallery 101 in Ft. Lauderdale. She also exhibited at the CAS Gallery at UM on June 2014, with the Ceramic League Miami in which she won the Buck Weaver memorial merit award for her ceramic Abstract III. She also has participated at Flamingo Gardens Art Fest, winning first place for 3D sculpture in 2013 and 2014 and an honorable mention in 2016. Florencia Clement de Grandprey – known for her portrayal of strong, confident women. She does so by recycling and repurposing materials that would otherwise be disposed of such as discontinued fabric and paper samples. Clement de Grandprey is a professional makeup artist as well, and uses her knowledge in art and makeup artistry interchangeably to create realistic portrait-like

paintings. She has produced murals in the US as well as in Europe as well as paintings on canvases of all sizes. Ivette Ortiz - a mixed media artist. Ivette breathes new life into bits and pieces of old, worn, and forgotten photographs and elements and incorporates them into her mixed media portrait collages and assemblages. She enjoys bringing life to the photographic history of these images, each with its own narrative; trying to tell the story behind each one. Her work further allows the viewer to imagine their own narrative. Niki Lopez - a multi-media artist who works primarily in acrylics, “My representational work allows me to share and explore stories, symbols and concepts from ancient cultures and ideologies, as well as provoke thought as to the probability of life in other dimensions, multiple universes and galaxies, how they are all inter-connected with us here on planet earth,” says Lopez. Known for her vibrant color palate, Lopez’s often ‘other-worldly’ art has been exhibited across South Florida (including the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art), New York and California. The Gallery reception event will take place March 18th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Artists will be in attendance to discuss their creations. Sponsored entertainment will include a contemporary dance number by cutting-edge dance company: Impulsik, and live painting by iconic artist: Teepop. Additionally, the show will include music, raﬄes, hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine. The vent is free and open to the general public.

This exhibition is organized and circulated by Chic Flix, the creators of ClosetTalk.com and The Pride Center at Equality Park. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/474209946099357/.

• 3.2.2016

news local

FrEEdom To BE

a 3-Day training Workshop for lGBt youth and Family Denise Royal

weekend of personal development, empowerment, and compassion is right just days away. The non-profit organization, The Peaceful Project, is presenting Freedom to Be: An Embracing Life Experience for LGBTQ Youth at SunServe in Fort Lauderdale March 4-6. The course is an avenue for becoming more comfortable with yourself and others. It is a discovery of your own values and a releasing of self-imposed limitations on your life. It is also an opportunity to make new friendships and strengthen old ones. The tools gained in this course including tools to break the cycle of blame, to increase empathy, and to understand one’s authentic power - enhance every relationship. By learning to connect with your deepest intentions to love and be loved you may help you to experience a new sense of freedom and power to create the relationships you desire. Through a grant from the Broward Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Trust Fund, the course is free for Broward LGBTQ youth and their family members. A deposit of $50 is required to reserve your space in the course. It is refundable

upon course completion. “I attended this event in November,” says SunServe Youth Outreach Advocate Dylan Howerton. “It was a personal life changing experience!” The young people participating may invite family members to attend with them. Parents, grandparents, siblings over the age of 12, and other key family members can share the experience. The maximum number of participants in the course is 35. Everyone attending receives: • A course workbook • Pamela Dunn’s book It’s Time to Look Inside: To See Yourself and Everyone through the Lens of Magnificence • An education plan to continue the practice after leaving the course • A private coaching session two weeks after the course completes. Another beautiful outcome of Freedom to Be is the supportive and encouraging community of course graduates! Two facilitators teach the course from Your Infinite Life Training and Coaching Company, and former participants serve as assistants.

The course experience hours are: Friday - 7 p.m.- approx. 10:30 p.m., Saturday - 9 a.m. - approx. 10 p.m. and Sunday - 9 a.m. - approx 7 p.m. There will be plenty of breaks and healthy snacks are available. SunServe is located at 1480 SW 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/1QkPxcq

3.2.2016 •

lgbtqia bites

lesbian

(SFGN) Vice launched its new cable station, Viceland on Monday, which will host a lineup of lifestyle programming including Ellen Page’s “Gaycation.” The show will feature Page and her best friend Ian Daniel traveling the world and examining gay and lesbian culture at different locations. The first episode of “Gaycation,” was released Wednesday on YouTube. (https:// youtu.be/NnrAISE6x08 ) and visits Ni-

• 3.2.2016

Bisexual

BrC dEsiGNaTEs marCh as BisEXUal hEalTh aWarENEss moNTh

EllEN paGE’s “GayCaTioN” prEmiErs Photo: Facebook.

Compiled by Jillian Melero

chōme, a gay district in Japan, a country where same sex marriage is illegal and there are no discrimination protections for sexual orientation or gender identity. Although Page had visited Japan twice before, she was closeted at the time, having only come out two years ago at the HRC’s first annual Time to THRIVE conference. The premier episode of Page’s “Gaycation” airs on Viceland March 2.

(EDGE) With a focus on the unique needs and experiences of bisexual+ youth, the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) proudly proclaims March as Bisexual Health Awareness Month (BHAM) for the third year in a row. Throughout the month of March, BHAM will focus its efforts on bisexual+ youth with the following weekly themes: • March 1-4: (Statistics) A focus on current statistics and research surrounding bisexual+ youth, including mental health, sexual health, and interpersonal violence. • March 7-11: (Intersectionality) An emphasis on how race, ethnicity, gender, ability, and class can further impact social, economic, and health disparities among bisexual+ youth, particularly

in regards to experiences of oppression and discrimination. • March 14-18: (Resources) A spotlight on current resources, and the creation of new ones, that can improve the health and wellbeing of bisexual+ youth. • March 21-25: (Action) The promotion of programs, policies, and services that can work to prevent or decrease social, economic, and health disparities among bisexual+ youth. The third year of Bisexual Health Awareness Month launches Tuesday, March 1st on the BRC's Twitter (with hashtags #BiHealthMonth and #BHAM) For more information, visit www. biresource.net

lgbtqia bites Transgender

Queer

BlaCk QUEEr orGaNiZEr iNTErrUpTs CliNToN FUNdraisEr Photo: Youtube.

TEXas To UsE BirTh CErTiFiCaTE To dETErmiNE aThlETE's GENdEr

continued

(AP) School superintendents in Texas have overwhelmingly approved a change that requires public school officials to use a birth certificate to determine a studentathlete's gender. A referendum ballot submitted to superintendents last month shows they voted 586 to 32 to amend University Interscholastic League rules when it comes to transgender athletes. The UIL is the state's governing body for high school sports.

The amendment goes into effect Aug. 1. It does allow other government documents to be used for the purpose of identification if a birth certificate is unavailable. Transgender advocates condemned the move, saying it will force transgender students to amend their birth certificate, a laborious and costly process, in order to play. Chris Mosier, the founder of TransAthlete.com, told the newspaper that the policy would deny transgender athletes an "equal opportunity to sports."

(SFGN) Ashley Williams is a Black queer organizer living in Charlotte, North Carolina the Nation reports. But Wednesday, Williams drew attention for interrupting a private fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. While Clinton was delivering a speech, Williams stood in front of her with a sign that read “We have to bring them to heel,” a quote from Clinton’s 1996 “super predators” speech. "They are often the kinds of kids that are called 'super-predators,'" Clinton said in 1996, in reference to an increased rate of crime and violence. “No conscience, no empathy, we can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel."

The speech has come under scrutiny as an example of Clinton’s previous support for incarceration policies which had a disproportionately negative effect on the black community. "I thought that quote was important not only because it was her own words, but because that was her pathologizing black youth as these criminal, animal people," Williams told The Washington Post. "And we know that’s not right and we know that’s really racist." In a written response to The Washington Post Clinton said: “Looking back, I shouldn’t have used those words, and I wouldn’t use them today."

3.2.2016 •

CONVICTIONS

Photo: CNN.

publisher's Editorial

marCo rUBio is ThE prUdENT ChoiCE iN CompromisEd primary

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

s the LGBT community goes to vote in the Florida primary on March 15, both gay Republicans and Democrats will get to select the candidate to represent their party. But when it comes to the Republican primary there is only one choice and that’s Marco Rubio. Republicans may represent the minority of LGBT voters in South Florida, but you certainly deserve a respectable voice in the general election. Marco Rubio is best suited to be that voice. After a knockdown, dragged out fight, only a few Republicans are still standing against Donald Trump. It has been a winnowing process that began with 17 candidates. Others may have been more progressive, but Marco Rubio has shown the wit and wisdom, the guts and gumption, to be his party’s best standardbearer. Trump has a whole bunch of delegates after last night’s Super Tuesday contests. But an election is a marathon, not a sprint, and Marco Rubio has the tenacity and toughness to push on and unite his party. The future of democracy and his party is at stake. He should and he must. Make no mistake about it. Donald Trump has not just brought this primary into the gutter; he has disgraced the Republican Party. He has demeaned the legacy of Reagan, the memory of Eisenhower, the party of Abraham Lincoln. Trump has poisoned the political process this year, demeaned and disgraced the presidential race, reduced American electoral politics to a cesspool. “Some people see things as they are, and ask

• 3.2.2016

why,” Robert F. Kennedy once said, quoting George Bernard Shaw, “but I see things as they can be, and ask, ‘Why not?’ Politics should be inspirational and motivational. We should be asking not how to make America white again, but how to make America wider, open to all, and excluded to none. Our national motto, from the days of our founders, was ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ or, ‘Out of Many, One.’ America is a melting pot, a nation of immigrants dreaming of how today we can make things better tomorrow. Marco Rubio set upon his campaign with many views that are inconsistent with LGBT aspirations. He has spoken out against same sex marriage, and judicial decisions authenticating them. But he called not for hate and insurrection, only a promise to advance his beliefs judicially and justly, in courts of law and legislative forums. With Rubio as the nominee of the Republican Party, America will get to debate conservatism vs. liberalism, a move forward towards diversity or a retreat back to nationalism. His positions may not agree with ours, but we will debate issues intelligently, advance ideas respectfully, and enhance the political process exponentially. With Marco Rubio as the Republican candidate, America will debate whether Democrats or Republicans serve our nation’s best interests. We won’t be inciting bigotry or standing silent against white supremacists. We won’t be mocking soldiers who were taken

prisoner or joking about foam parties at the Warsaw. Donald Trump has become more than a huckster with bad hair. He has inspired hate and fear, and become all that Neo-Fascists are. He has placed the safety of Americans at risk all over the world, threatening torture and unconstitutional uses of force. He has attacked peoples and populations, and mocked the disabled. Anyone who stands up to him, from jurists to journalists, has been called names and now he is threatening the press. The candidacy of the neo-Fascist with a spray tan and puffed up face will only further sour a campaign season he has already toxified with bile and venom. Rubio is now the target of Trump, but of course not on ideas or issues. In one day, Trump demeaned Rubio on personal looks, hygiene, and height. Still, Rubio has taught the Trumpster a lesson – two can play the same game. Trump is discombobulating on stage, stupidly trying to justify the fraud that was Trump University and the failures of his four business bankruptcies. It has become increasingly obvious that Trump can’t stand the heat. He can’t take what he gives out. Bullies are always that way. Let’s help take him down. Still, while you have seen five minutes of Rubio standing up to Trump on the airwaves lately, you have not seen his 40 minutes of policy making speeches. He does not salute Putin or make fun of Mexicans. He talks of a progressive

immigration plan and strengthening America’s position in Eastern Europe. Rubio stands with Israel against terror, and he stands with the military being bolstered to prevent America from becoming a victim of it. Rubio actually has a tax plan that analysts can review. He will probably gain a lot of support for his call that we have “20,000 new border agents instead of 20,000 new IRS agents.” The point here is not to endorse Rubio’s position on any of these issues. The point here is that his candidacy allows America to thoughtfully debate issues and ideas, from Cuba to the constitution, from Supreme Court justices to social security and better ways to take care of our seniors. Accordingly, with so much at stake, the South Florida Gay News has to take a position. And our position is that Donald Trump simply must not win. Next week, we will express our preference in the Democratic Presidential primary. But right now, Republicans have to choose between a candidate or a Klandidate; a respected U.S. Senator or a disgusting businessman who lies unconscionably every day. The interest of the U.S. will best be served if Marco Rubio represented the Republican Party in this year’s presidential election. If you are a Log Cabin Republican, if you are a member of the South Florida gay community, or just a plain ordinary good old god fearing Republican, get out there on Tuesday, March 15, and vote for Marco Rubio.

Gay Rags A Survey of LGBT Periodicals

February 18 – March 6

Stonewall National Museum – Wilton Manors Gallery 2159 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

local name, global coverage

3.2.2016 •

Guest

Photo: Rentboy.com

CONVICTIONS

rENTBoy raid aNd iNvEsTiGaTioN is TroUBliNG Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney D-NY 18th District

attorney General lynch and dear secretary Johnson:

agency charged with protecting America from terrorists, to shut down a company I write regarding your departments’ that provided sex workers with a safer troubling investigation and on-going alternative to street walking or relying criminal prosecution of individuals on pimps. The defendants have not been associated with the website Rentboy.com. accused of exploiting sex workers, featuring I believe your decision to devote taxpayer minors on the website, financial crimes or resources to pursue this matter raises other serious offenses that would warrant a federal prosecution. deeply troubling questions More troubling still is the about the priorities of role that anti-LGBT attitudes your departments and and biases may have played in the motivations of those pursuit of this matter. As under your direction who More troubling your the Gay City News reported in have now spent untold still is the role September: time and resources on this In a 22-page complaint and issue, including the use of that anti-LGBT affidavit filed by Homeland undercover agents, rather Security Special Agent Susan attitudes and than being focused on in support of the arrest combatting terrorism and biases may have Ruiz warrants, we read an awful violent criminal activity. played in your lot about the sexual desires You no doubt believe you Rentboy.com’s customers have uncovered evidence pursuit of this could expect to satisfy by suggesting Rentboy.com hiring escorts who advertised matter. was profiting from illegal there...In place of the usual activity. As you know, this objections to prostitution, we website operated entirely are offered salacious details of out in the open for nearly gay men’s sexual appetites. It’s hard not to two decades. As the New York Times wrote conclude that law enforcement crafted the recently in an editorial: Prosecutors…have provided no complaint and affidavit to appeal to popular reasonable justification for devoting disgust with the activities described. This significant resources, particularly from an may have been calibrated to incite visceral homophobic attitudes….

• 3.2.2016

I do not question the need for strong enforcement in prostitution cases where there is even a hint of minors being exploited, where human trafficking plays a role, or where there is evidence of coercion. That does not appear to be the issue here. There was no indication of exploitation, trafficking, or coercion on Rentboy.com. Yet, to my knowledge, Rentboy.com has earned the distinction of being the only Internet-based site without any of these antecedent crimes to be targeted by the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). Based on their own prosecutorial work product, I am deeply concerned that your investigators were more motivated by the nature and orientation of the sexual activity facilitated by Rentboy.com than whatever unremarkable offenses the website’s operators may have assisted. In America, gay sex is not a crime. Many of us have fought for years to have LGBT relationships treated with the same dignity and respect long afforded relationships in the straight community. By elevating the investigation and prosecution of Rentboy. com into a matter of “national security”, your departments run the risk of resurrecting discredited and discriminatory attitudes about the consensual sexual activity of LGBT adults. The Department of Homeland Security, in particular, was not established by Congress in the wake of the September

11th attacks to serve this purpose. All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the many DHS and DOJ employees who work tirelessly to keep us safe. But for much of American history, marginalized communities have experienced government primarily through harassment and oppression. In recent years, we have made real progress towards greater LGBT equality. President Obama and his administration deserve tremendous credit for supporting and enabling that progress. But this seemingly arbitrary action by DHS and DOJ – which appears to be aimed at shaming the LGBT community rather than protecting the American people – comes off as a disturbing relic of our troubled past. It is that dark history that drives my concern over your prosecution of Rentboy.com. Ultimately what I am asking for is answers. I request that you each respond in writing with a specific explanation of why Rentboy.com was so uniquely targeted. Because without those answers, the actions of your departments will continue to raise deep concerns in the LGBT community and beyond about the motivations for this seemingly heavy-handed use of taxpayer resources.

very truly yours, Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney

column letter to the editor

rEadEr BlasTs sFGN pUBlishEr ovEr “arE WE ElECTiNG a FÜhrEr?”

ou should change the name of your paper to Norm Kent’s rants. Publishing your personal opinions on the front page is an inappropriate use of the platform you are fortunate enough to have. Your opinions are not “South Florida Gay News.” They do not represent the feelings of ALL Gay and Lesbians in south Florida, in which you have selfappointed yourself to represent. Such commentary should be in an appropriate section of the paper, devoted to peoples varying opinions on various topics. Not the front page. Maybe you really want to run a religious or political commentary and not a gay “news” paper. I hope you give this some thought.

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3.2.2016 •

Jesse’s Journal

Photos: Nigel Parry/For CNN

CONVICTIONS

TalEs From marCo’s ClosET

Jesse Monteagudo

arco Antonio Rubio (born 1971) is a Florida success story. A lawyer and an educator, Rubio climbed the ladder of Republican success at the time the GOP took over the State of Florida. After serving as City Commissioner in his native West Miami, Rubio was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000 and became the first Hispanic Speaker of the Florida House in 2006. Rubio was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010. Like Barack Obama before him, Rubio used his Senate seat as a stepping stone to his Presidential campaign, which began in April and still continues. Though Rubio is as conservative as Ted Cruz, his handsome looks, charming personality, and optimistic belief in the American Dream makes him a formidable candidate. In Rubio’s New American Century, any boy or girl who works hard and plays by the rules can grow up to be Marco Rubio. Rubio is an American Exceptionalist who is quick to attack Obama and other progressives for trying to make the U.S. a social democracy like those found in Western Europe. Though envisioning himself as a candidate for the new millennium, Rubio’s policies threaten to move America back decades, if not centuries. For

• 3.2.2016

starters, Rubio promises to repeal all of President Obama’s progressive executive orders “on day one.” Though Rubio preaches a “live and let live” philosophy he is, in the words of Matt Baume, our “most antigay presidential candidate,” which might be unfair to Cruz. For starters, Rubio opposes marriage equality. To Rubio, the Defense of Marriage Act “protects one of our most sacred institutions” and same-sex marriage itself represents “a real and present danger” to American freedom. Rubio opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA): “I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.” Rubio also opposes the adoption of children by queer parents, believing that gay parenting is “a social experiment.” Rubio supported “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which kept openly lesbian, gay or bisexual Americans from serving in the military. Furthermore, Rubio promises to undo “every single one” of Obama’s pro-LGBT executive orders and to appoint Supreme Court justices who would repeal Obergefell along with other progressive court decisions. Even so, Rubio complained to Face the Nation’s John Dickerson that he is being unfairly portrayed as a “bigot and hater” for his views about marriage equality.

Rubio’s homophobia is so intense that many observers in the LGBT community suspect that he must be hiding something. Rubio’s gay past, if there is one, has been explored by online tabloids like RadarOnline as well as by the National Enquirer. While in college, Rubio appeared on stage as a shirtless Chippendale dancer, part of a fraternity stunt. In 1990, Rubio was arrested in Miami’s Alice C. Wainwright Park, a notorious gay cruising ground, and charged with a misdemeanor. (Rubio aide Todd Harris insists that Rubio was drinking beer after hours.) Rubio’s friend Angel Barrios, also arrested that night, was later involved with a gay porn ring. A photo taken at a gay Miami Beach foam party shows a scantily-clad figure that some believe might be Rubio. According to political blogger Wayne Madsen, “people in the gay community have told me it was well-known that Rubio frequented gay nightclubs. And foam parties were almost exclusively gay events,” though Rubio claims he met his wife Jeanette, a former

Miami Dolphins Cheerleader, at a straight foam party. Does this mean that Marco Rubio is gay? And should we care? Given his extreme homophobic views, these tales from Marco’s closet would indict him as a liar and a hypocrite, like most politicians. But I don’t think that Rubio, the father of four, is a gay man. On the other hand, Rubio was born and grew up in a Miami still influenced by a traditional Latin culture, where men could have sex with other men and not be considered gay as long as they took the “manly” role. Rubio was a good-looking, athletic young Cuban, so the idea of a college age Rubio hustling for blow jobs in a Miami park known for its homosexual activity would not be inconceivable. Of course, if this is true, it would ruin Rubio’s political career, especially with his fundamentalist supporters. Which would not bother me a bit.

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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• 3.2.2016

Gazette Wilton Manors

Volume 3 • Issue 5 march 2, 2016

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

Business

Community

Colohatchee Focus Group Ready to Meet

Commission Passes Vacation Rental Regulations

By Michael d’Oliveira

Rules go into effect in 90 days By Michael d’Oliveira

Long a destination for sexual rendezvous, Colohatchee Park has been the subject of numerous resident complaints over the years. Some residents are so dismayed over the park’s reputation as a place for sex that they have intentionally refrained from using the facility. Now, just like Mickel Park, which was redeveloped after years of neglect and had become a destination for prostitution, crime and drugs, a focus group will be held to get resident input on how to repurpose the park. Patrick Caan, director of Leisure Services, said the first focus group meeting will be held on March 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Hagen Park Community Center, 2020 Wilton Drive. The focus group will be given the results of a survey which asked residents what kind of programs and amenities they’d like to see Colohatchee offer. Caan said the group will look at the current conditions, review the results of the surveys and, working with city officials, “come up with a park site master plan. The goal of a park site master plan is to implement the desired amenities.”

To pay for it, Caan said the city would most likely develop a Capital Improvement Plan. “Similar to the process with Mickel.” Just like Mickel, he said the city will also be able to apply for government grants to help fund improvements. It’s all about showing the plans are publically-driven.” Reopened last July at a cost of $1.5 million, the Mickel Park improvements are funded through a $744,000 bank loan with the rest coming from general funds, impact fees and grants. Mickel’s improvements include a walking trail, security cameras, estate-style fencing, pavilion, concert performance area, volleyball court, additional bathroom, fitness equipment stations and shade canopies. Caan said the top responses in the Colohatchee survey included expanding the dog park, adding kayak and paddle boards, an outdoor fitness area, walking or jogging path, upgrades to the pavilion and improving security by adding cameras and additional park staff or police support. “Those are the core things we will discuss.” WMG

For more information, call 954-390-2130.

A letter from multiple realtor associations was enough to cause a lengthy commission discussion on the new vacation rental regulations, but not enough to stop the regulations from being approved. At their Feb. 23 meeting, commissioners unanimously approved the new regulations, which go into effect 90 days from the time they were passed. That leaves the commission time to make changes. Commissioners expressed annoyance at receiving the letter only hours before their meeting. “I’m a little perturbed by that. I don’t like the manner in which this was presented,” said Commissioner Julie Carson. Mayor Gary Resnick called it “bad faith.” Adam Sanders, director of government affairs for The Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors, wrote in an email, “I apologize for the late arrival of the analysis, which the National Association of Realtors and the partnered firm have been working on extensively.” Vacation rentals have been controversial for years with residents complaining that visitors who rent homes in their neighborhoods are often disrespectful, leave trash and cause a lot of noise. “The time to take action is now,” said Sal Torre, president of the Westside Association of Wilton Manors. Those defending vacation rentals have said that not all of them create problems for neighbors and that many are professionally-run and actually help the city by improving property values. Under the new regulations, vacation rental owners will have to pay registration fees, register their property, comply with waste disposal and maximum occupancy rules, be available 24/7 to address concerns, submit to inspections and provide hard surface parking for all vehicles. Parking in swales would not be allowed. The registration fee has yet to be determined. Paul Rolli, president of the Central Area Neighborhood Association, suggested that a list of vacation rentals should be made public so potential home buyers know if the property they want to purchase is next to a vacation rental. The National Association of Realtors and

Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors sent a letter to the commission outlining concerns they had with the regulations. The letter, drafted by the law firm Robinson & Cole, outlined concerns over potentially high registration fees and that certain regulations were “overly burdensome.” Mindful of a possible lawsuit, Commissioner Justin Flippen said he wanted the regulations to be “as legally defensible as possible.” City Attorney Kerry Ezrol reiterated that the more stringent and restrictive the regulations, the more likely the city could be sued. “It’s a question of what your appetite for litigation is,” said Ezrol. The state legislature has also prohibited local governments from passing laws which would prohibit vacation rentals. A previous attempt by the city to regulate vacation rentals resulted in a lawsuit that the city lost. Ezrol said the city lost because former Community Services director Wayne Thies tried to regulate vacation rentals by classifying them as transient rentals. A judge disagreed with the classification. Commissioners have said they are confident the new regulations fall within the law but also directed Ezrol to write the Attorney General Pam Bondi and ask if it is possible to limit the number of vacation rentals on one street. Commissioners compared that restriction to the laws that prevent bars from being too close to schools and churches. Resident Paul Kuta suggested a 50 percent cap on each street. “I chose that generous percentage because that’s what we have in our ordinance as a limit on the number of bed and breakfast establishments we can have on NE 6 Avenue and NE 26 Street, and the city has never been sued.” WMG

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March 2, 2016

3.2.2016 •

Opinion

No Term Limits in Wilton Manors

Gazette Wilton Manors

MARCH 2, 2016 • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 5

By Sal Torre

2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

During the past few weeks I am hearing the rising drum beat coming from a collection of newspaper articles, online postings and other comments that propose instituting term limits for city officials here in Wilton Manors. Stop right there! There is absolutely no reason to impose term limits on elected officials in our small city of Wilton Manors because we already have them. They’re called “elections!” It would seem that those who lose elections and those who do not like the results of an election need someone or something to blame, claiming that the system is rigged, incumbents are unbeatable, and so on and so on. Does it ever cross their minds that these officials are reelected again and again because the majority of Wilton Manors voters feel they deserve to stay in office? No argument will convince me that Wilton Manors is not better off each and every day Commissioner Scott Newton continues to serve our wonderful city. Commission Newton always takes the time to listen to his fellow residents, is not afraid to make the tough or unpopular decisions, has actively supported the LGBT community for many years, and has always believed that Wilton Manors can be even better as we move forward. Term limits would have pushed Scott Newton out long ago, and I for one think that Wilton Manors would have suffered because of it. Our Mayor, Gary Resnick, is also mentioned when people talk about term limits. Our Mayor has to run for office every two years, unlike the four-year terms of our City Commissioners, and yet we continue to elect Mr. Resnick as our Mayor. The simple truth here is that the majority of our residents vote him back into office because they feel he is doing his job. Obviously there are many who feel differently and many who disagree with Mayor Resnick, but term limits are not the way to unseat him. A true hard-fought campaign and educating voters are the way to do it. A few years back, a very negative and slanderous campaign was waged against Mayor Resnick. Another year the Mayor ran un-opposed, and

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER • PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR • JASON PARSLEY JASON.PARSLEY@SFGN.COM

last election Doug Blevins ran a tight race, but fell short. Mayor Resnick is still our Mayor, not due to a faulty system that term limits will cure, but because our residents keep voting him back into office. Wow, I think that’s called “democracy.” Now there might be good arguments for term limits when we talk about Congressional races or perhaps state offices. These campaigns cost millions of dollars to run, and incumbents definitely have the advantage, no doubt about it! Here in Wilton Manors, far less money is needed and can easily be raised by anyone who has any real chance of winning and serving on the Commission. Our city has less than 12,000 residents, and you need to reach at most 3,000 voters. A disliked office holder can have all the campaign dollars one can ask for, but getting those votes from residents on such a small scale needs more than dollars and incumbency. It requires a level of trust, a solid record of accomplishments within the community, ¬ and an electorate that feels secure about who they are voting for. Term limits on a local level are being peddled by some in our community as the cure-all wonder drug that will end all evil. Let’s stop looking for an easy road to getting elected, and let’s start earning it the old fashion way--through hard work, trust, respect, community service, and educating the residents of our great city on who will be the best choice come Election Day! Term limits will only limit choices, and over time will strip our city of dedicated community servants who do their jobs very well! So, get out and vote!...cause life will just get better here. WMG

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Politics

Term Limits May Go Before Voters in 2018 By Michael d’Oliveira The question of adding city commission term limits probably won’t show up on this year’s ballot. Officials discussed the idea at their Feb. 23 meeting. Resident and former mayoral candidate Doug Blevins prompted Commissioner Julie Carson to bring it before the rest of the commission. Blevins has argued that Wilton Manors should follow Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park and other cities and enact term limits. One possibility [similar to Oakland Park] is allowing commissioners and the mayor to serve multiple terms for up to eight consecutive years and taking a two-year break before running again. Fort Lauderdale limits its elected officials to three consecutive three-year terms. When

Editorial

ART DIRECTOR • BRENDON LIES ARTWORK@SFGN.COM EDITORIAL ASSISTANT • JILLIAN MELERO JILLIANMELERO@GMAIL.COM NEWS EDITOR • MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRA

the limits were enacted, commissioners in office at the time, like former mayor Jim Naugle, who had already been mayor since 1991, were allowed to serve up to an additional three terms. Vice Mayor Scott Newton said in a previous article that he believes term limits are already imposed on commissioners – by voters who kick them out of office at the ballot box if they don’t approve of their job performance. “Now is a really good time to consider doing that,” said Carson about adding term limits. “There are lots of things that need to be changed in the charter. I’d rather do them in a group rather than piecemeal.” The first step is convening a charter review committee made up of residents

to review the charter and recommend changes. With the commission’s approval, the recommendations would be presented to voters for approval. If enough signatures from voters are collected, a rejected recommendation could still end up on the ballot. No commissioner expressed an objection to the issue of term limits, but Blevins’ other idea, limits on advisory board members, seemed not to have any support from the commission. With the end of May as the deadline to get a ballot question approved by the state, city commissioners said they don’t think enough time was left to form a committee to review all the possible charter changes. “We’ve got to do it very quickly [if we

Associated Press

want it ready for November]. I like the idea of thinking about it. It makes more sense,” said Mayor Gary Resnick. Commissioner Tom Green also suggested that the charter changes would be overshadowed by this year’s presidential race as well as all the state candidates and amendments on the ballot. “It will be a much shorter ballot [in 2018],” said Green. WMG

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• 3.2.2016

2 •

March 2, 2016

Who's Doing What In WilMa (Real Estate)

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun Recently I was in Orlando at the Florida Realtors midwinter meeting. While there I saw the updated membership stats for the Realtor boards here in South Florida. Would you believe that across all three counties there are about 70,000 Realtors?

Periodically I take a look at the competitive situation here in WilMa. Does any one Realtor dominate the market in the Island City? Does any one brokerage company? Just how fragmented is the business and what implications might that have for Realtors and brokers (and customers too)? I looked at all sales of single-family homes, town homes and condos for calendar years 2014 and 2015 combined. I wanted to see who was doing what – how many transactions, how much sales volume. No I won't name names (but I do know them). Over the last two years, more than 650 Realtors were involved in at least one sales transaction here in the Island City. Those Realtors represented more than 250 separate brokerage companies. Of course, most of those Realtors (and companies) were involved in exactly one WilMa transaction in that time frame. Holy Fragmentation! But how does the business distribute overall? The two pie charts here spell it all out. Considering individual Realtors, the Realtor who did the most Island City business the last two years had just under three percent of the total market. The “Top 10” have 18 percent of the market. The “Top 50” have 41 percent! Bear in mind it is a fairly large market with more than $100 million in annual sales volume (Multiple Listing Service sales only).

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March 2, 2016

Clearly no one Realtor (or even group of Realtors) dominates. When you consider market share in WilMa for the various brokerage companies, even that would still be considered a fragmented market by the standard definition. The leading company in the Island City does about 11 percent of the total volume. Yet the “Top Five” firms do only 41 percent, and more than 250 companies have at least a small piece of the WilMa pie. WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors oﬃce of RE/MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).

3.2.2016 •

Community

Business

BID Board Seat Open By Michael d’Oliveira

Photo: Facbeook.

The resignation of Business Improvement District [BID] Board member Danny Scarfone has left his seat on the seven-member board open. The BID Board was formed last year to oversee the additional tax money generated from commercial properties on Wilton Drive. The commission has the ultimate power to decide how the additional tax money is generated but the board can make recommendations and it will have the final determination over assessments. The board is made up of three business owners, three property owners and one resident. Scarfone, who cited other obligations as his reason for resigning, owns Scarfone’s on Wilton Drive and held one of the business owner seats. The goal is to raise $1 million over the next 10 years; a maximum cap of $100,000 per year has been set. The bill for each property owner will be based on square footage. The money generated could be used for marketing, to make improvements

to the street and to fund the Two Lane Initiative, which would reduce the number of lanes on Wilton Drive from four to two. The goal of the Two-Lane Initiative is to improve pedestrian safety and add more landscaping and parking. To apply for the board, call 954-3902100. WMG

Code Compliance Officials Push For Improvements By Michael d’Oliveira

City officials have always maintained that their main goal with code compliance is to get home and business owners to keep their properties looking presentable, not collect fines. To do that, the city’s Code Compliance Department is in the midst of its Main Thoroughfare Action Plan, an appeal to commercial property owners along the city’s primary roadways – Wilton Drive, Oakland Park Boulevard, Powerline Road, Andrews Avenue, Dixie Highway and Northeast 26 Street. Code Compliance Supervisor Julio Davila said the hope is that letters, sent to 409 property owners, will spur action “so there’s a little less to do.” The program has been divided into four stages. Davila estimated it would be finished by

the end of May and said some property owners have already made improvements to parking lot surfaces, landscaping and other problem areas. “I applaud your efforts,” said Mayor Gary Resnick to Davila. “Code compliance is incredibly important. Especially among our commercial thoroughfares. I’d like to keep a better handle on that.” Resnick added that property values are directly tied to code enforcement and that it is sorely needed along Andrews Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard. “Virtually none are in compliance,” Resnick said. Commissioner Julie Carson said she’d like to see more information provided on the progress that Code Compliance is making. “We are tracking the dollar amount reinvested,” said City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson. WMG

Briefs

Egg Hunts, Parking Meters and a Science Fair By Michael d’Oliveira

News briefs from around Wilton Manors

New Parking Meters Will Take Credit Cards Don’t always have change available for a Wilton Manors parking meter? That won’t be a problem anymore. Soon, the city will replace the coin only single parking space meters and replace them with meters that accept coins and credit cards. On Feb. 23, commissioners voted to spend $83,575 to purchase and install 130 of the new meters. The new meters will also be installed at a height that is more user friendly for those in wheelchairs. The meters not being replaced will also be lowered. IPS Group will install the meters and lower the existing ones. “We do have a

lot of handicapped people who complain. It’s very important we have these lowered,” said Commissioner Julie Carson. Bob Mays, finance director and parking contract administrator, recommended the new meters because it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain the current ones. He also estimates that the new meters will result in an increase in revenue – from $193 per meter to $290. “The new meters should pay for themselves in about 2 years,” Mays wrote. He expects the meters to have a life of about five to seven years. WMG

Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt

Sponsors Needed for Wilton Manors Elementary’s Science Night Science Night at Wilton Manors Elementary won’t feature the standard paper mache volcano, but vinegar and baking soda will still be mixed to get that classic chemical reaction. That will be one of 15 science stations set up to teach students about various scientific principles, including photosynthesis, the water cycle, sound waves, fossilization, magnetization, electricity, matter and simple machines. Sharon Heinle, a teacher’s assistant with a background in science lab, is

Thousands of Easter eggs will be ripe for the picking on March 19 at Mickel Park, 2675 NW 7th Ave., during the city’s Annual Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt. The egg hunt starts promptly at 10:15 a.m. but there will also be entertainment, concessions,

organizing the event, which takes place every year at the school. This year, it will be held in the school cafeteria on April 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. “Some of the activities correlate with the state standards they have to know,” Heinle said. “This is the first year we have organized it ourselves.” But it’s also fun. “The kids love it. They really do.” Wilton Manors Elementary is located at 2401 NE 3 Ave. To sponsor one of the stations, $50 each, call 754322-8950. WMG

pictures with Mr. Cottontail and more. The event is free and open to children, from newborns to 13. Additional parking is available at St. Clement Church, 225 NW 29 St. A shuttle will carry passengers to Mickel every 10 minutes. WMG

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• 3.2.2016

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March 2, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WINTER ISSUE

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credit card used without knowledge or rather than paying the same amount to each card reduces the time necessary to pay off your understanding can be financially deadly. When deftly wielded it is a powerful tool total credit card balance and saves interest in the process. and can be very useful; use a rewards card, charge After the first account is paid off apply the everything you can to the card and the rewards amount you have been paying to that account to pile up. Then pay the bill on the due date without the second most expensive account in addition interest. There is only one rule about credit card to the minimum payment you had been making to the second most expensive account. After the interest; don’t incur it. That’s it, don’t. Credit card interest gets you nothing. You buy second most expensive account is paid off, apply the amount you had been paying to that account, stuff you don’t need without planning how to pay for it. Now you have credit card debt and interest including the amount you paid to the first now that never seems to go away no matter how hard paid off account to the next most expensive you try. That’s their plan; card issuers want to account, and so on until all your credit card account balances are zero. keep the cash flowing from your pocket to theirs. As you pay off each card, destroy the card and Remember the one rule here; don’t. notify the issuer that you want Credit card debt reduction the account closed. Some will begins with spending reduction. argue that you should not close It is virtually impossible to There is only the unused credit card accounts reduce debt concurrently with it hurts your credit score. creating it. Resources that you one rule about because Maybe closing unused credit card have available for debt reduction credit card accounts does hurt your credit are going to come from your score, though I do know that the spending reductions. interest; don’t closed credit card account will Define what you have available incur it. That’s no longer be available for future each month for credit card debt. Don’t tempt yourself. payments. Make a list of all the it, don’t. When you are done with amounts you owe, the company your debt reduction, you should you owe and the rates of interest keep one or two credit cards for you are paying on each. If you are travel and regular purchases with a commitment lucky enough to have the option of transferring balances to lower rate accounts, this is a good that you will charge nothing that you could not pay for in cash at the moment of purchase. In place to start. Anything you do to reduce the addition, the commitment must include paying carrying cost of your credit card debt frees up the balance in full at the end of each billing cycle, resources to achieve debt elimination faster. no matter what. Remember rule number one. When your transfers are made and list As you head into retirement without credit complete put the list in the order of the most card debt, you should take advantage of a good expensive interest first. Define the minimum payments required for each account. Deduct credit card, one that gives you something back, this amount from the total available for your commonly known as a rewards card. There are all sorts and you can choose which is best for your debt reduction. The remaining available is paid needs; get something back for your spending, you on the most expensive card until that balance is zero. Paying off the most expensive card first, have earned it. Missed a week? Don’t worry. Catch up at SFGN.com/RetiringGay to follow the series online. Ric Reily is the author of two books, Money Is The Root Of All - Skip The Debt Habit, and Gregory’s Hero. You can reach him at ricreily@gmail.com

3.2.2016 â&#x20AC;¢

feature local Check SFGN next week where we'll feature three more women in honor of International Women's Day.

International Women’s Day

A Spotlight on Local Women Activists Lynare Robbins

nternational Women’s Day is a global celebration that the United Nations marked as an official day to celebrate the accomplishments of women on March 8, 1975. The day was inspired by the work of women in labor movements across the U.S. and Europe in the early part of the Twentieth Century. As the movement of women’s activism grew so did support for women’s rights and gender equality

Martha Sternberg Self Employed

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? It means women are recognized for their achievements without divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. Is there a historical woman that has inspired you? Other than my mother, the first real feminist I ever knew, I’ve always admired and been inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt, wife and political aide of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eleanor made a significant contribution to the field of human rights, a topic she campaigned upon throughout her life. As head of the UN human rights commission, she helped to draft the 1948 UN declaration of human rights. What is your greatest achievement? That’s tough since I’m not sure I’ve reached that goal yet. But I’d say coming out in the mid-’80s was pretty brave since anti-LGBT sentiment was alive and well in the U.S. as it was the middle of the AIDS crisis. Those of us who were out and fighting for federal funding of AIDS drugs didn’t have time to think about what our coming out meant. We just knew we wanted to help save our gay brothers and becoming separatist lesbians like some women we knew was never an option. So, I joined thousands of others at the March on Washington in 1987 for equal rights and in 1993 for federal AIDS funding. How do you personally support or advocate women’s empowerment? I’m proud to be one the seven founders of the Aqua Foundation for Women and seen how much the organization benefits women in South Florida, whether through grants or scholarships. I was also proud to serve on the boards of Broward Women in Network and Pridelines Youth Services.

• 3.2.2016

in all spheres of life. International Women’s Day seeks to celebrate the social, economic, and political achievements of women and also signals a call to action for unity and continued activism. The following are local LBT South Florida women who continue the legacy of International Women’s Day in their efforts to bring about change and empowerment in their communities.

Elena Naranjo MS Ed, Licensed Mental Health Counselor What does International Women’s Day mean to you? To me, International Women’s Day symbolizes the journey of women everywhere around the world to make a space for themselves, where they can be all that they can be. Women experience different levels of oppression in different parts of the world, but we all experience some form of oppression, even if it’s seemingly subtle. And, while I no longer subscribe to a binary gender system, I can appreciate that there is still a large divide between the way “men” and “women” are treated. International Women’s Day provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon the things that still keep us from reaching our full potential. Is there a historical woman that has inspired you? Probably the first historical woman who impacted and inspired me as a child was Marie Curie. She was a brilliant chemist and physicist. She also had the self-confidence to pursue her dreams and never allowed society to limit her because of her gender. She gave me hope that, I too, had possibilities. What is your greatest achievement? Being present. I had a realization a few years ago that I wasn’t fully awake in my life. I was going through the motions, but I was completely numb. In that “aha” moment, I made a commitment to myself to be more present and make more conscious decisions. I began to care more deeply about all living beings. It has made me an activist. I connected with my passion and now it is just a part of who I am. How do you personally support or advocate women’s empowerment? I advocate women’s empowerment in all of my roles, as partner, stepmother, friend, supervisor, therapist and board member for a women’s empowerment organization. I feel that we all have the responsibility to bring each other up.

feature local

Carthy Frye-Thomas Healthcare Marketing Leader

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? I am reminded of the poem by William Ross Wallace that I read in high school called, “What Rules the World,” and of that very profound line, “For the Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Is the Hand That Rules the World.” The strength of that poem sums up perfectly what International Women’s Day means to me. The contributions that women have made throughout history deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated, as they have clearly changed the course of time. Is there a historical woman that has inspired you? There are so many famous women, both nationally and internationally that I admire. I have always been able to see greatness at any stage in life and for that inspiration I look closer to home. My mother, Aldith Phillips, has always been an inspiration of strength, fortitude and perseverance. I have always looked to her for motivation. Additionally, I have had many women mentors who’ve helped me along life’s journey. One of the most encouraging is a non-profit business development executive and business owner, Cynthia Jerry. She is a philanthropist, community leader and mother, who gave me one of my first opportunities to hone my public relations skills. What is your greatest achievement? Marrying my wife and the process of starting our family in a community that is not always supportive, but doing so proudly and without apology is without question one of my greatest personal achievements. Professionally speaking, being considered a healthcare warrior, dedicated to creating excellent healthcare experiences, while consistently advocating for the community is also something I’m really proud of. Throughout my career, I’ve worked cross culturally in an effort to eradicate perceived barriers, connect with countless communities and provide programming to a variety of individuals. How do you personally support or advocate women’s empowerment? I strive to advocate and empower women daily by my involvement in many community organizations, including Suits, Stilettos and Lipstick, Inc. of which I am a board member. Our mission is to empower women and children through education, personal and professional development, mentorship, leadership training, networking and philanthropic endeavors. For the past three years it’s been an honor to support women and give voice to their needs. Working on behalf of women is not only fulfilling, but at times, it can be a lot of fun. Throughout the years I’ve met some great people, grown passionate about my advocacy and learned a lot about myself perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve amassed from my advocacy is that sometimes in life you don’t find your purpose, your purpose finds you.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WINTER ISSUE

Out Now!

3.2.2016 •

lifestyle history

homo hisTory 101 History was never as straight as we are told. recording our history means reporting the truth. Pier Angelo

he official South Florida “season” starts with the first sighting of a Quebec license plate. After that we know for sure that the avalanche is on its way. Our northern neighbors want what most Florida dreamers seem to want, somewhere warm, active, provocative, adventuresome, comforting, gay, with blue skies. Florida’s siren song sounds irresistible, especially in frost nipped ears. They are the snowbirds, prosperous enough to afford a temporary second home or condo unit or camper or RV. And so to make them feel welcome I want to dedicate this column to all the LGBT Canadian snowbirds before they head back: On October 19, 2015 the new wave of Trudeaumania ushered in big changes to the makeup of the LGBT caucus in Parliament, with three big names going down to defeat and four new MPs to match them. Along with one retirement, that leaves six openly gay or lesbian MPs in Parliament. The Liberal caucus now features four out gay men — a record for the party — including returning incumbent and former cabinet minister Scott Brison (Kings-Hants, NS), returning MP Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West, ON), and newcomers Randy Boissonnault (Edmonton-Centre) and Seamus O’Regan (St John’s South-Mount Pearl). Boissonnault and O’Regan are the first openly gay MPs ever elected from Alberta and Newfoundland. Election night was not as happy for the New Democrats, who lost, along with more than half their seats, three strong openly gay incumbents: Craig Scott (Toronto-Danforth), Dany Morin (Chicoutimi-Le Fjord) and Philip Toone (Gaspésie-Les Îsles-de-la-Madeleine). All lost to Liberal challengers. The New Democrats queer caucus has been reduced to two members: Randall Garrison held on to his seat in EsquimaltSanich-Sooke, and Sheri Benson won in Saskatoon West. Benson is the first openly LGBT MP elected in Saskatchewan, and the only open lesbian in Parliament. The election was also notable for being the first time an openly trans person was put on the ballot for an established party. Jennifer McCreath ran under the new Strength in Democracy banner in Avalon, NL, where she received 84 votes (0.2 percent). With Libby Davies’ retirement, Scott Brison is now the longest-serving openly gay MP in Parliament (both joined Parliament in 1997), although he’ll have to win one more election to beat the 25-year record set by Svend Robinson, who retired in 2004.

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aNd hErE is a raNdom shorT lisT oF Gay CaNadiaN CElEBriTiEs. kathleen Wynne – Ontario - Canada's first openly gay premier. kd lang – Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer behind songs such as "Constant Craving." Sung a particularly stirring rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the 2010 Winter Olympics. scott Thompson – Actor and comedian, most famous for "The Kids in the Hall." rufus Wainwright – Singer. scott heggart – Athlete, activist, online gay rights advocate. sarah vaillancourt – Member of Canada's gold medal-winning women's hockey team. andré Boisclair – former leader of the Parti Quebecois, was the first openly gay politician in Canada to win the leadership of a party with legislative representation. douglas Coupland – Novelist and visual artist. ann-marie macdonald – Novelist, playwright and author. adamo ruggiero – Actor, best known for his role on "Degrassi: The Next Generation." Ellen page has starred in major films including "Juno," "Inception" When she came out in 2014, she said she did it because "maybe I can make a difference. Mark Tewksbury – Olympic gold medalist in 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Brian orser – ex-figure skater who won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo. He would later coach skaters Kim Yu-Na and Hanyu to Olympic gold medals. Gary paterson – became the United Church of Canada's first openly gay moderator in 2012. Wade maclauchlan became the first openly gay premier of Prince Edward Island in the 2015 election. He also previously served as president of the University of Prince Edward Island.

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lifestyle food

Rick Karlin

ragin’ for Cajun

othing gets me ragin’ for Cajun food more than the idea of Mardi Gras. For too many people the cuisine of New Orleans begins and ends at Popeye’s Fried Chicken. And while I do love me my Popeye’s (especially after a few too many cocktails), Louisiana cooking is so much more than that. Cajun and Creole are the major influences on Louisiana cuisine. Many people think the two are the same, but they are two distinct styles of cooking. The main difference between the two cuisines is that Creole cuisine uses tomatoes and Cajun food doesn’t. Additionally, Cajun cooking tends to be more rustic, while Creole is a bit more refined. Even a roux, the basis for sauces in both cuisines are different. A Creole roux is made with butter and flour while a Cajun roux is made with oil and flour. Cajun originates from the term “les Acadians,” which was used to describe French colonists who settled in the Acadia region of Canada (presentday New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia). When the British conquered Acadia in the early 1700s, the inhabitants were forced to relocate and many settled in the levees and coastal marshes of Louisiana. Descendants of those original Acadians also have Native American, German or French roots. “Creole” describes the people who were born to settlers in French colonial Louisiana in the 18th century. Creoles are the descendants of the French and Spanish upper class that ruled the city. Over the years, the term Creole has also expanded to include nativeborn slaves of African descent. “French Creole”

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describes someone of European ancestry while “Louisiana Creole” implies mixed racial ancestry. Cajun food is famous for being very well seasoned and most dishes begin with a medley of vegetables based on the French mirepoix (onion, celery, and bell pepper) the “holy trinity of Cajun cuisine.” Creole food is a blend of the various cultures of New Orleans including Italian, Spanish, African, German, Caribbean, Native American, and Portuguese. The dishes often include creamy sauces such as remoulade. Creoles had access to exotic ingredients and a wider mix of cultures. Restaurants in New Orleans usually serve dishes from both cultures and each resident of the city has their favorite. I love both Cajun and Creole, but this year my calendar was so full that Fat Tuesday came and went and I wasn’t able to get down to N’awlins, so I went on the prowl in Fort Lauderdale for a taste of the bayou.

Shuck ‘N Dive

650 N. Federal, Fort Lauderdale 954-462-0088 Shuck-n-Dive.com The strip mall storefront doesn’t look like much. In fact, from the outside you’d think it was a fast food franchise. Don’t let appearances fool you. This is some mighty fine Looseeana cooking, with an emphasis on seafood (but there are plenty of options for landlubbers).

Sandwiches include po’boys, burgers, fried and blackened chicken and a patty comprised of a mixture of ground gator and spicy sausage, all of which come with a choice of tater tots, fries or authentic Zapp’s chips. Entrée options include crawfish etouffée, catfish, roast duck, fried oysters (most of which are harvested from state certified Louisiana waters) and a variety of combo platters. Sandwiches are in the $10-$15 range, entrees about five bucks more. There’s a nice surprise bordering the menu; a damn good and very reasonably priced wine selection. On April 1-2 Shuck ‘N Dive will host its 2nd annual Craw Debauchery, a New Orleans food and music festival.

J. Gumbo’s

9940 NW 6th Ct., Pembroke Pines 954-842-3957 JGumbos.com In addition to a few apps and a half dozen po’boy options, the menu mostly consists of bowls of rice topped with any number of traditional, as well as some innovative Louisiana fare. The menu may be limited, but the flavors are not! Gumbo, jambalaya and chicken dishes are all about $9 for a large bowl with a scoop of rice. Vegetarian options, such as white chili, ratatouille or bumblebee stew, a mixture of corn and beans, are about a buck less.

For an extra buck you can combine three entrée options in one bowl. The fact that the menu not only indicates the heat level for each dish, but also points out gluten free and vegan options is a nice touch. Whatever you do, make certain you leave room for dessert; the peach cobbler is worth every calorie. This may be a small chain (there are franchises in 10 states, but this is the only Florida location), but it sure feels like a mom and pop operation.

Hot & Soul

3045 N Federal, Fort Lauderdale 754-206-2155 HotAndSoul.com Technically, this is not a Cajun/Creole restaurant. The menu at Hot & Soul is an unlikely mix of Southern, Asian and vegan fare. That being said, the menu always features a gumbo of the day (which sometimes mixes in ingredients from other cultures) and tasty BBQ shrimp, a NOLA staple. Husband and wife chefs Mike Hampton and Christy Samoy blend his experience as a cook at Emeril's Delmonico and her flair for unusual combinations that often incorporate her Filipino heritage with her Florida cracker roots. The food here is a bit pricier than the other places listed in this column, but you are getting top of the line ingredients and an extra dash of charm.

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F O R

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SFGNITES W E E K

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J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

3/3

circus Cirque du Soleil returns to South Florida with its new show, “Toruk: The First Flight,” tonight at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. The fanciful arena show, inspired by James Cameron’s groundbreaking film, “Avatar,” tells the story of the Na’vi and their symbiotic relationship with nature. The show plays through Sunday before moving to the American Airlines Arena in Miami on March 10. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com.

FRI

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art A temporary urban art gallery devoted to controversial gay photographer Robert Mapplethorpe opens this weekend on the Wolfson Campus of Miami-Dade College. The show will include large projections of some of his most famous images and is being mounted to promote an HBO documentary premiering on Monday, April 4 at 9 p.m. The gallery will be open daily, Thursday through Saturday, 5 – 10 p.m.

Ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham comes to the BB&T Center in Sunrise with all his friends on the “Perfectly Imbalanced” tour on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. Submitted photo.

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3/5 SUN

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theater

cabaret

Pembroke Pines Theater of the Performing Arts presents “Young Frankenstein,” the monster musical hit from Mel Brooks, through March 20 at the Susan B. Katz Theater at the River of Grass Arts Park, 17195 Sheridan St. in Pembroke Pines. The production stars audience favorite Larry Buzzeo in the comic role made famous by Gene Wilder in the classic film version. Tickets are $25 at PPTOPA.Tix.com.

You’re going to want to get up and dance at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale because the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots is playing through March 13. This show has a huge heart and even higher heels. Charlie Price realizes he can take charge of his destiny with the help of Lola, a sassy drag queen who helps save his family’s floundering shoe factory. Tickets start at $30 at BrowardCenter.org.

Jan McArt’s New Play Reading Series continues tonight with the latest work from Dan Clancy, “Middletown.” This moving play from the writer of “The Timekeepers” focuses on two couples who reminisce on their friendship, marriages, children, and the choices they made over 35 years. The staged reading offers a fascinating opportunity to observe the evolution of a new play. Tickets are $10 at Lynn. edu/events.

If you didn’t get to see Lee Roy Reams as Dolly Levi at the Wick last fall, then get your tickets for the Broadway legend’s cabaret act tonight at 8 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for Arts at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Blvd. in Delray Beach. Reams will sing and dance and share stories about his 10 major Broadway shows, including “The Producers” and “42nd Street.” Tickets are $49 at OldSchoolSquare.org.

• 3.2.2016

Slow Burn Theatre Co. Presents Slow Burn Theatre Presents

Two Grooms and Broward Center Present the World Premiere of

Music by Duncan Sheik Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater Based on the play by Frank Wedekind Directed by Patrick Fitzwater

Directed by John Manzelli

MARCH 17–APRIL 3 Amaturo Theater

What’s more fantabulous than a gay wedding!?! Two eccentric, yet lovable families, an uptight wedding planner, an ex-boy band crooner, and a diva in drag create an interactive matrimonial experience that is fun, ﬁerce and fabulous. Included with the ticket is a Southern/Puerto Rican feast of arroz con pollo, shrimp & grits, succotash, wedding cake, and a champagne toast!

MARCH 31–APRIL10 Abdo New River Room

Promotional Partners – funds raised at each performance beneﬁt:

MARCH 31 I Au-Rene Theater TICKETS at BrowardCenter.org • Ticketmaster | 954.462.0222 Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Oﬃce • Group Sales | 954.660.6307 FollowFollow us: us:

BrowardCenter BrowardCenter

3.2.2016 •

a&e art

Photo Credit: HBO

This self-portrait of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is one of dozens of images that will be projected in an outdoor exhibit at Miami-Dade College this weekend.

EXhiBiTs, Film CElEBraTE

iCoNiC Gay arTisTs J.W. Arnold

outh Florida art lovers have two opportunities to explore the legacies of influential gay artists Robert Mapplethorpe and Andy Warhol. Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe became a household name in 1989 when Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) denounced his provocative and erotic images on the floor of the U.S. Senate. His exhibitions were deemed obscene and even raided by police in what would be one of the first battles in the culture wars that eventually set the stage for gay rights and later marriage equality. The Miami International Film Festival, opening on March 3, will celebrate the works of the artist, who also died of AIDS in 1989, with an outdoor exhibit of his most famous images, “Mapplethorpe: The Pictures,” projected on the sides of the Miami-Dade College campus Wolfson Campus buildings at the intersection of NE 1st Ave. and NE 1st St., Thursday, March 3 through Friday, March 5 from 5 to 10 p.m. The outdoor gallery is free and open to the public. Also, the festival will screen a new HBO documentary, “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” on Saturday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Regal South Beach 18, 1120 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye, 2000; “Inside Deep Throat,” 2005) “don’t hold back in confronting Mapplethorpe’s personal complexities or the unabashed provocations of his x-rated photography,” according to production notes. Both filmmakers will be in attendance at the festival to accept the Knight Documentary Achievement Award. After the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, BBC reviewer Owen Gleiberman wrote, “The movie is a gorgeous edited scrapbook of underground passion.” Tickets for the screenings are $13 at 2016. MiamiFilmFestival.com and the documentary will also be broadcast on HBO on Monday, April 4 at 9 p.m.

No other artist of the 20th century had a firmer grasp on the zeitgeist of his time or a greater impact on contemporary art than Andy Warhol. Illustrator, filmmaker, painter, sculptor, photographer and celebrity—Warhol is one of the few artists to make the transition from studio into pop culture. The Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, is showcasing three exhibitions on display through May 1 that explore Warhol’s continuing legacy: Music fills the galleries devoted to “Warhol on Vinyl” The Record Covers,” an unique survey of the artist’s career through the design of record album covers. According to curators, Warhol’s tastes in music were eclectic and his record cover designs reflect his interests ranging from the classical music of Sergei Prokofiev to divas Debbie Harry and Aretha Franklin. The exhibit includes more than 100 album covers, original designs, wallpaper and video. As confidante and editor of Warhol’s “Interview” magazine from 1971 to 1983, Bob Colacello was perfectly positioned to photograph the artist’s world from inside out. “Bob Colacello: In and Out with Andy” is a collection of candid photographs documenting the glamorous social scene of Warhol’s milieu and its celebrity denizens. “An accidental photographer,” as Colacello calls himself, he captured hundreds of engaging images of Warhol with Mick Jagger, Diana Vreeland, Gloria Swanson, Liza Minelli, Truman Capote and more. The museum’s celebration of Warhol’s art, also includes an installation of more than 100 silkscreens, “Warhol Prints from the Collection of Marc Bell.” This collection includes the artist’s iconic “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” the remarkable portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Chairman Mao, and “Wizard of Oz,” all from the collection of Boca Raton resident Marc Bell.

Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. For more information and museum hours, go to BocaMuseum.org.

• 3.2.2016

3.2.2016 â&#x20AC;¢

Photo: Facebook

community announcement

ChamBEr ChaT

Community / member engagement Jorge Richa

(Marketing & Programming Director; Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC))

he Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) is the largest not-for-profit corporation in the county for gay and lesbian businesses. With membership on the rise, the Chamber’s mission is to promote a unified and thriving, gay and gay-friendly, business and professional community throughout Miami-Dade County. Our goals are to promote networking within the existing gay and gay-friendly business and professional community, to promote business opportunities for Chamber members, to promote Miami as a year-round, gay and gay-friendly tourist destination, to provide resources for our members, and to provide outreach from our community to other organizations. The MDGLCC is involved with the community is many different ways, aside from networking. Here are some facts you may not have known...

• We have active programming within the ranks of higher education - MDGLCC partners with both the student and faculty at both the University of Miami & Florida International University hosting networking and student on campus connectivity.

• We support our community - MDGLCC is a frequent attendee at our local community partner’s events. Through our MDGLCC Foundation, we support the LGBT Visitor & Community Center oﬀering a welcome and safe space for visitors and community groups alike.

For a more in depth understanding of our Supplier Diversity program and discussion on Diversity as it relates to business opportunities, please join us at our next Networking Luncheon & Business Expo on Thursday March 24 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Miami Marriot Biscayne Bay (1633 North Bayshore Drive, Miami).

• We are engaged - The Staff of the MDGLCC sits on the boards of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority, Miami Beach Gay Pride, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and the LGBT Advisory Committee of Miami Beach. We also are an affiliate organization to the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. • We support Supplier Diversity - one of MDGLCC’s main objectives is to identify LGBT owned businesses that are eligible for certification under NGLCC’s Supplier Diversity Program.

For any inquiries or interest in joining the MDGLCC, please visit GayBizMiami.com or reach us at info@gaybizmiami.com / 305-673-4440.

• 3.2.2016

"Cyndi Lauper delivers the best Broadway score in years! "

NOW PLAYING THROUGH MARCH 13 BrowardCenter.org • 954.462.0222 • For Groups of 10+: 954.660.6307

3.2.2016 •

mar.3 To mar.8

Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top

Picks

Rocket Man: The Elton John Tribute Show

March 4 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. The early days of Elton John are relived in this show using replica costumes, including some pieces worn by the singer himself! Tickets $36.04 to $78.44. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.

Coppelia

March 5 and 6 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Swanilda and her boyfriend Frantz believe that Coppelia, a doll, is a real live girl. Tickets $30. Call 305-4668002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

Becoming Dr. Ruth: An Unexpected Journey

March 9 to 13 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The small but mighty sex therapist’s story is told by Susan Greenhill, from surviving the Holocaust, serving in the Haganah as a sniper, and then a working single mother. Tickets $39. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Denotes New Listing

broward county Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus

March 2 to 6 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Based on the book, one-man showman Peter Story recounts the hilarious differences between men and women. Tickets $55. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* Toruk: The First Light

March 3 to 6 at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. Travel to Pandora in this exquisite show bringing together James Cameron’s “Avatar” and Cirque du Soleil. Tickets $40 to $115. Call 800-745-3000 or visit thebbtcenter.com.

* Million Dollar Quartet

March 5 at 8 p.m. at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive in Coral Springs. In December 1954, music history

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was made when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins got together for one time only in the recording studio. Tickets $61.48 to $72.08. Call 954-344-5999 or visit CoralSpringsCenterfortheArts.com.

* The Fab Faux

March 5 at 8 p.m. at the Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. The Beatles tribute band is back at the Parker Playhouse to perform the entirety of “A Hard Day’s Night,” as well as other favorites from the band. Tickets $57 to $117. Call 954-4620222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.org.

* Symphony of the Americas: Broadway March Madness

March 6 at 1 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. James Brooks-Bruzzese leads the symphony through a tour of Broadway greats. Tickets $20 to $35. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Cocksucker: A Love Story

Through March 6 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. How far will people go to find anonymous sex? This play explores the need for intimacy across the gamut. Contains male nudity. Tickets $30. Call 965-678-1496 or visit EmpireStage.com.

Romance/Romance

Through March 6 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Two one-act plays looks at love in turn-of-the-century Vienna and modern day Manhattan. Tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

palm beach county

* Acoustic Adventures Richard Gilewitz

March 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The fingerstyle guitarist will have you in awe of his mastery of the six- and 12-string guitars. Tickets $29. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Better Than Money

March 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 at the Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S. Military Trail in Boca Raton. World War II has just come to a close, but the chaos has just begun for the Noodleman family. Tickets $25. Call 561-347-3948 or visit ThePlayGroupLLC.com.

Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. A cabaret revue of the works of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, the brains behind “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Fosse,” and “New York, New York.” Tickets $40. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Matilda the Musical

Through March 6 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Based on the popular children’s story by Roald Dahl, Matilda teaches herself how to read and has to battle her evil parents, brother, the principal at school, all with the help of her beloved teacher, Miss Honey. Tickets $28 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

March 9 at 7:45 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The saxophonist joins the jazz band for his influence of Latin, contemporary, and pop jazz. Tickets $50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

March 7 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Watch the story of Page’s life unfold, beginning in 1965 Oklahoma. Tickets $29. Call 561-8327469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Janet Jackson

* Russian National Orchestra

Kinky Boots

Through March 13 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Charlie Price has taken over his father’s shoe business, and it’s in deep trouble -- until the flamboyant dancer Lola asks him to make a great pair of stiletto boots. Tickets $30 to $110. Call 954-4620222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* The Dumb Waiter

March 3 to 6 at The Fillmore’s Gleason Room, 1700 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. Two men are getting ready for their jobs when a mysterious visitor shakes things up. Tickets $20. Call 305- 673-7300 or visit FillmoreMB.com.

* Magic of Motown Ft. The Motor City Magic Band

March 4 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St. in Aventura. Motown is back with this six-piece band and incredible singers that’ll have you tapping your feet and clapping your hands. Tickets $40 to $45. Call 305-466-8002 or visit AventuraCenter.org.

* And All That Jazz: The Songs * Flamenco Festival: Rubalcaba of Kander and Ebb and Fernandez March 5 and 6 at the Kravis Center for the

* Gold Coast Jazz: Ed Calle Big Band * Flipside: The Patti Page Story

March 9 at 8 p.m. at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. Jackson ends her Unstoppable Tour in Sunrise. Tickets $45.25 to $125.25. Call 800-745-3000 or visit thebbtcenter.com.

miami-dade county

March 7 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The orchestra performs Borodin, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. Tickets $39 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Cameron Carpenter Jacksonville Symphony

with

March 9 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. A prodigy at the organ, Carpenter joins the symphony to perform Poulenc and Saint-Saens. Tickets $15 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

March 4 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The two flamenco musicians pay tribute to Cuban Big Band leader, Beny More. Tickets $35 to $95. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

* ADL’s Miami In Concert Against Hate

March 5 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at New World Center, 500 17th St. in Miami Beach. A night of music and honoring activist and actor Robert Gant, Jupiter Police Chief Frank Kitzerow,the Lopez-Ramos family (whose son was murdered), reformed racist skinhead Angela King, and the late journalist Steven Sotloff, murdered by ISIS in 2014. Tickets: $250. Visit ADL.org/miamiconcert

* Emanuel Ax Emperor

Plays

The

March 5 at 8 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Pianist Emanuel Ax plays Bartok, Dvorak, and Beethoven’s “The Emperor.” Tickets $40 to $135. Call 305949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

3.2.2016 â&#x20AC;¢

Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com

Top Picks Winter Party Festival

March 2 to 7 throughout Miami Beach. A gathering of LGBT people from around the world for six days of music, dancing, parties, and celebrations benefitting the National LGBTQ Task Force and the Miami Foundation’s GLBT Community Projects Fund. Visit WinterParty.com.

LAST CHANCE: Rags

Through March 6 at Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. A collection of LGBT newspapers and its impact on the equality movement. Curated by SFGN editor, Jason Parsley. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

Dinos After Dark

March 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, 4801 Dreher Trail North in West Palm Beach. Enjoy a class of wine or beer while perusing the museum’s “Dinosaurs Around the World” exhibit. Tickets $10 for members, $12 nonmembers. Call 561832-1988 or visit SFScienceCenter.org.

Broward Support Services Gender Bender Youth Group Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at SunServe Campus, 1480 SW Ninth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. A group for LGBT youth 13 to 21 to discuss gender, gender expression, binary systems, friendship, family and whatever else comes up! Free. Visit SunServeYouth.com

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.

GayWrites Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Stonewall Library, 1300 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Come join us and write your memoir, poem, blog, novel or short story. Free. Email garri1@earthlink.net

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.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party broward county *March 5 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Historic

* Old Down Untapped

March 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Bailey Contemporary Arts, 41 NE First St. in Pompano Beach. Beer by 26 Degrees Brewing, Bangin’ Banjo Brewery, and Odd Breed Wild Ales, as well as live music, art exhibitions, and food trucks. Visit Facebook.

* A Tale of Lesbian Pulp Novels

March 4 at 7 p.m. at Stonewall National Museum - Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Robin Cohen, historian and researcher, discusses the collection of gay and lesbian pulp fiction at the museum. Free. Call 954-763-8565 or visit Stonewall-Museum.org.

* Bark A Palooza

March 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bailey Contemporary Arts, 41 NE First St. in Pompano Beach. Bring your furry friends to the Pompano Beach Green Market for portraits, sliders, toys, contests, and other fun. Call 954-786-7824.

• 3.2.2016

Stranahan House Museum, 335 SE Sixth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Join Alice, the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and others for this tea party -- don’t be late! Tickets $25 for adults, $15 for children 12 and younger.

* The Lexicon of Sustainability: A Community-Based Pop-Up Art Show

March 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Harpke Family Farm, 2781 SW 36th St. in Dania Beach. Enjoy art from local artists, tour the farm, and purchase fresh produce. Tickets $10 per adult, $5 per child. Visit Facebook.

Dharma for Parents and Kids

First Sundays from 9 to 9:45 a.m. at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 140 W Prospect Road in Oakland Park. Parents and their children can learn together about love, kindness, patience, and inner peace in the modern home. Cost $10 per family. Call 954-537-9191 or visit MeditationInFortLauderdale.org.

mar.3 To mar.8

palm beach county * Add Some/ Take Some

Through March 19 at the Lake Worth Armory Arts Annex, 1121 Lucerne Ave. in Lake Worth. A collection of abstract art, curated by Peter Meyerhoefer. Call 561493-2550 or visit LakeWorthArts.com.

Zumba Fitness

Mondays at 6 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Get moving with a certificated Zumba instructor for an infusion of exercise and dance moves. Donation of $5 or more. Call 561-324-1626 or visit 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.

Voices of Pride

Mondays at 7 p.m. 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

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.

Positive Connection

Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Men who are HIV positive are invited to come together for support, education, and advocacy. Closed group. Call 561-324-1626 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

Rapid HIV Testing

Wednesdays at MCC of the Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. Find out your status in a safe and private way. Free. Email dropincenter@mccpalmbeach.org

Yoga Among the Orchids

Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at the American Orchid Society, 16700 AOS Lane in Delray Beach. Practice your yoga in the presence of beautiful, calming orchids. $20 a class. Call 561-404-2011 or visit OrchidWeb.org.

Rapid HIV Testing

Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays from 1 to 5:30 p.m. at Compass

GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Knowledge is power, and you can find out your status in less than 20 minutes. No need to make an appointment. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com.

miami-dade county * Feast with the Beasts

March 4 from 8 p.m. to midnight at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St. in Miami. A fundraiser for the Zoo Miami Foundation with an outdoor meal, drinks, entertainment, and animal encounters. Tickets $250. Visit ZooMiami.org.

Rainbow Circle

Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. at the University of Miami Flipse Building #302, 5665 Ponce de Leon Drive in Coral Gables. An open discussion about coming out, relationships, peer pressure, bullying, depression and more. Free. Visit Pridelines.org.

Yoga

Tuesdays from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Jose Marti Park, 362 SW Fourth Ave. in Miami. Yogis 18 and older of all levels are invited to a practice lead by a certified instructor. Bring your own yoga mat, water, and towel. Free. Call 305-358-7550 or visit BayfrontParkMiami.com/Yoga.html.

HIV Support Group

Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at South Beach AIDS Project, 1234 Washington Ave. Ste. 200 in Miami Beach. A support group for those who are HIV positive. Free. Call 305-535-4733, ext. 301 or email support@ sobeaids.org.

Book Study

Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Nurbu, will lead classes on learning the foundations of Buddhism. Call 786-529-7137.

Capoeira

Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Bayfront Park’s Tina Hills Pavilion, 1075 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Learn the Brazilian art of capoeira, a mix of dance and martial arts, with Mestre Ze Com Fome. Free. Call 305-989-6628 or visit mestrezeomfome.com.

Miami Log Cabin Republicans

Fourth Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. at Casa Larios, 7705 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Meet with other like-minded people and hear from speakers in the community. Visit LogCabin.org/chapter/florida-miami.

* Denotes New Listing

porn pulse

sCrUFF UsErs piCk hillary Hunter Houston

I have a lot going on - I don’t need to be mocked, misgendered, or marginalized, and I don’t have time to hunt out news that matters to me.

ell, it seems that manly men do prefer to have a woman in charge. This according to developers of SCRUFF, a gay hook-up app marketed as an exploration into masculinity. Or, if you prefer, looking for a trick via GPS. Whatever the case may be, SCRUFF users are overwhelmingly Democrats, a recent survey indicated. In the survey, 63 percent of respondents favor former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as America’s next President of the United States. Jason Marchant, Chief Product Officer for SCRUFF, reported findings from the survey conducted of nearly 15,000 U.S. “community members.” “The upcoming U.S. Presidential election is an undeniably hot topic,” Marchant said in a news release. “The recent passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, and the resulting Supreme Court vacancy, is a timely reminder of how transformative a supportive President can be for LGBTQ rights in America.” Seventy-two percent of survey respondents affiliated with the Democratic

I’m 26 and transitioning.

Party compared to just eight percent for the Republican Party. Clinton far outdistanced socialist senator Bernie Sanders, who pulled in just 31 percent support. Breaking it down by state, Clinton won Florida with 44 percent. Sanders took just six states: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Mexico, Idaho and Montana. On the Republican side, respondents preferred the clean shaven businessman Donald J. Trump with 39 percent support over boyish Miami politician, Marco Rubio, who netted 19 percent. Founded in 2010, SCRUFF claims eight million users worldwide with downloads taking place in 180 countries and six continents.

That’s why I read EDGE on my Android tablet. I’m being true to my future - and that’s where it will be.

The person depicted here is a model. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.

3.2.2016 •

Business Directory health

chiropractic COAST CHIROPRACTIC INJURY & WELLNESS CENTER 2608 NE 16th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33334 954.463.3036 www.coast-chiropractic.com

dental

LANE & ERIKS DENTAL ASSOCIATES 1831 NE 45th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954.771.3331 Laneanderiksdental.com 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

legal

AMERICAN PAIN EXPERTS 6333 N. Federal Hwy, Ste. 250, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-678-1074 Americanpainexperts.com

LAW ROBIN 2550 N Federal Hwy #20, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.630.2707 Lawrobin.com

SIMPLY MEN’S HEALTH 5405 Okeechobee Blvd #205, West Palm Beach, FL 561.459.5356 Simplymenshealth.com

JIMENEZ LAW 100 SE 3rd Ave #1514, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33394 954.848.3111 Jimenezlawofﬁces.com

NATURA DERMATOLOGY 1120 Bayview Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 754.333.4886 Coolsculptingnaturadermatology.com MARK ENGEBRETSON Palm Beach & Boca Raton 561.400.9297 heartofthemystery.com

professional services BARTON & MILLER CLEANERS 2600 N. Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-4314

investments

2505 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-7621 Kalismcintee.com

health EMERALD ELITE 2301 Wilton Drive, Suite 3, Wilton Manors, FL 954.629.1377 Emeraldelitehomehealth.com

DR. TORY SULLIVAN 2500 N Federal Hwy #301, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.533.1520 Torysullivanmd.com THE FLORIDA HOUSE EXPERIENCE 505 S Federal Hwy, Deerﬁeld Beach, FL 33441 800.778.6792 Fherehab.com

legal

SELZER & WEISS 1515 NE 25th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.4444 Selzerandweiss.com SHAWN NEWMAN 710 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.563.9160 Shawnnewman.com LAW GC 707 NE 3rd Ave #300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.573.1444 Lawgc.com

GREGORY KABEL 1 East Broward Blvd #700, Fort Lauderdale, 33301 954.761.7770 gwkesq@bellsouth.net

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restaurants

STORKS BAKERY 2505 NE 15th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.3220 Storksbakery.com THE FLORIDIAN RESTAURANT 1410 E Las Olas Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954.463.4041

NAKED GRAPE 2163 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.563.5631 Nakedgrapewinebar.com BEEFCAKE’S 1721 N Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 954.463.6969 Boardwalkbar.com

Have you made your wishes known? We’re here to help. 1-800-343-5400

www.levitt-weinstein.com

Pre-Arrangement Discounts For All Our LGBT Friends 48

• 3.2.2016

restaurants J. MARK’S 1245 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 (954) 390-0770 Jmarksrestaurant.com

ERNIE'S B-B-Q 1843 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 954-523-8636

BUY THIS SPACE FOR

$250 A YEAR retail

KALIS-MCINTEE FUNERAL & CREMATION CENTER

AMERICAN TAX & INSURANCE Levitt Small Ad Gay Publication :Newspaper Ad Cont. WILTON MANORS DENTAL 2929 E Comm. Blvd, 8th Floor Penthouse D, Fort Lauderdale, FL 2517 NE 9th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.302.3228 954-564-4746 Americantaxandinsurance.com Wiltonmanorsdental.com ISLAND CITY DENTAL 1700 NE 26th Street, Ste. 2, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-564-7121 Islandcitydental.com

To place an ad in the Business Directory, call our sales team at 954.530.4970

PEACE PIPE 4800 N Dixie Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954.267.9005 Facebook.com/peacepipeﬂ

DAOUD’S 2473 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.928.2437 Daouds.com NATURAL SLEEP 3040 N 29th Ave, Hollywood, FL 33020 954.951.2678 Naturalsleepfd.com

The Best Cellar

Boutique Wine Shop & Wine Bar The Ultimate Wine Tasting Experience Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., at 8:00 p.m. ONLY $15 PER PERSON! 954-630-8020 1408 N.E. 26th St. Wilton Manors, FL 33334 MASTER HYPNOTHERAPIST AND LIFE COACH ADDICTIONS • SMOKING • WEIGHT LOSS • INSOMNIA • STRESS REDUCTION • ROAD RAGE • ANGER MANAGEMENT • PAST LIFE ANALYSIS • RELATIONSHIP COACHING Coach Bill For Life

WWW.COACHBILLFORLIFE.COM

954.641.8315

retail ESTATE AUCTION CO. 6 South Federal Hwy, Dania Beach, FL 33304 954-921-2828 Estateauctionco.com

theaters

FT LAUDERDALE GAY MEN'S CHORUS PO Box 9772, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33310-9772 954-832-0060 www.theftlgmc.org ANDREWS LIVING ARTS STUDIO 23 NW 5th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954.530.1879 Classcreations.com KRAVIS CENTER 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL (561) 832-7469 Kravis.org ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 305.949.6722 Arshtcenter.org GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA PO Box 39617, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33339 954-763-2266 Gaymenschorusofsouthﬂorida.org

veterinarian

DR. PIERRE B. BLAND, DVM 3225 N. Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-673-8579 Doctorblandvet.com

Income Tax Preparation •Individual •Small Business •Free Consultation Doug Turner, Enrolled Agent Best Books and Taxes 2201 Wilton Drive bestbooksandtaxes.com

954-565-1041

Call today for appointment

3.2.2016 •

SFGN Classified$ accounting - finance HEALTH & LIFE ADVISING INC - 14 years experience. Guaranteed issue 25K critical illness insurance rates at $36 and $50 including accidental injury coverage. Best rates for life guaranteed, from limited med to full medical underwriting. Term/ROP/ WHOLE/FINAL EXPENSE/ACA HEALTH PLANS WITH SUBSIDIES AVAILABLE. CALL 954-2000140, ask for Brian

attorney

electrician

help wanted - part time

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

CNA WANTED FOR PART-TIME WEEKEND POSITION - Accepting applications for certiﬁed CNA for Saturday & Sunday-part-time. Background check, veriﬁable references and current drivers license required. Call Antonio at 954-599-3265 for appointment.

TOP DOG ELECTRIC-QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP AT A FAIR PRICE - Any and all types of electrical work performed by craftsmen who care about their work. 954-533-5005 guy@ topdogelectricﬂ.com www.TopDogElectricFL.com Lic# 97-CME-1724-X

AFFORDABLE AWESOME MASSAGE BY JIM Offering Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and LomiLomi Massage for Men; in a very comfortable, relaxed and Private Massage Studio, NOW conveniently located in Wilton Manors on NE 26th Street, with plenty of free parking. Same Day appointments are welcome; please call Jim, 954-600-5843 email: info@ massagebyjim.com or visit my website for testimonials, rates and more. GREAT OPENING SPECIAL NOW AVAILABLE! www.massagebyjim.com Licensed and Certiﬁed MM22293

classified advertising works! Place an ad in SFGN’s Classiﬁeds

954.530.4970

employment positions wanted

SFGN.com

To place a Classified Ad, call Cindy Curtis at 954.530.4970 or email at cindy.curtis@sfgn.com

AIDE/COMPANION,HHA/CNA AVAILABLE Experienced Aide/Companion, HHA/CNA available for hourly,daily, live-in or substitute position. More than 10 years experience, licensed, background check available. Excellent recent references. Phone or text 754-207-7476

licensed massage

INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODY WORK - In-calls at a private studio 15 minutes west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced licensed massage therapist offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. ASK ABOUT WEEKLY SPECIALS! Calls only 561-254-8065 for the very best massage experience you can get HANDS DOWN! Call for Spring Specials! #MA51008

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sfgn.com home & garden

help wanted EARN $300+ PER DAY - Activists Needed To Collect signatures to get Medical Marijuana on ballot. Earn $300+ per day. 954-616-7736; 754204-0114 Make own hours. HELP WANTED! - New full service gym located on E. Sunrise Blvd., looking for part time front desk help (Tues & Wed 5am- 10am and 8am-2pm every other Sat &Sun) and fill in as needed. Contact Julian via email julian@stamina1640.com. SEEKING FRONT DESK PERSON FOR DENTAL OFFICE - Looking to hire full time 8-5 front desk person for receptionist, answering phones, filing, making appts. Full time position with benefits and fun, relaxed working atmosphere for the right person. No previous dental experience needed. Willing to train if you have good attitude and work ethic. To apply, email opdentalung@aol.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

painting GREGG'S PAINTING - Interior/exterior,great rates, friendliness, reliability, neatness. No job too small. Call Gregg at 617-306-5694 or 954-870-5972.

piano

• • • • • •

Screen Room Enclosures Pool Enclosures Pavers Hurricane Shutters Sunrooms Pergolas

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.

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.

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sfgn.com pets/supplies

CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

954.993.7477 Licensed & Insured • Residential & Commercial

• 3.2.2016

rentals MIKE THE RENTAL GUY - NE Lauderdale/Wilton Manors/Oakland/Victoria Park-1/1 from $950 2/1 from $1150. Credit & Income RequirementsPets okay with restriction. Call for Details Mike 561-703-5533 $825/MONTH /DOWNTOWN/SAILBOAT BEND - Quiet, small complex. 1 BD/1 BA. Large walk-in closet, carpets, Living room,dining area,kitchen, FREE hot water, NEW A/C, LOW electric bills, assigned parking, F/L/S $825/Mo. 954-566-6251

roommates

ROOMMATE WANTED - 3bdr, 2.5 bath condo at the Tennis Club. $550 per month all inclusive. Must have job, transportation. No Smokers. Ideal for tennis player. Contact George.Alvan@yahoo.com

sfgn.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WINTER ISSUE

Out Now!

3.2.2016 •

LIFESAVER useacondom.com