SFGN 4/20/23 V14iss16

OUT OF FEAR, STONEWALL SYMPOSIUM ATTENDANCE BY FL TEACHERS PLUMMETS

Christiana Lilly

April 13 was the first day of the 10th Annual Stonewall National Education Project (SNEP), a four-day symposium for educators.

But that’s not the story. Only four teachers from the state of Florida registered to attend — in years past, that number was anywhere from 50 to 100. Instead, there are more attendees traveling from out of state for the event.

The Stonewall National Archives & Museum, which hosts the event, says teachers were scared away because of attacks by the Florida legislature — “Don’t Say Gay” and book bans just to name a few. Teachers in Duval County were told to remove their “safe space” stickers, Miami-Dade County voted against LGBTQ History Month, a graphic novel telling the story of Anne Frank has been removed from Vero Beach High School, and a Tallahassee principal was forced to resign after showing a photo of Michelangelo’s statue of David to sixth graders.

“We’ve not only heard it from teachers, we’ve heard it from school board members, we’ve heard it from other kinds of professionals that work within the schools or work around people in the schools,” said Robert Kesten, the executive director of the Stonewall Museum. “Although Florida has the maximum number of people who hold that fear, there are other states where teachers are unnerved as well.”

During the symposium, educators attended sessions and discussed curriculums that provide a welcoming environment in public schools, and introducing LGBT history and culture to lesson plans. As of late, there have also been more conversations surrounding safety of teachers, students and families. Attendees have included teachers, school administrators, school unions, school board members, and representatives from local and state government.

Of the four teachers from Florida attending,

Kesten says one wore a mask throughout the entire symposium to hide their identity and asked that no pictures be taken of them. Other Florida-based teachers told him they were too scared to attend, others dropped out, a few were not able to get substitutes, and other regulars were not responding to the museum’s outreach.

This is also the first year that there were no representatives from the Florida Departments of Health and Education attending the conference. However, there were teachers attending from Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, North Carolina, Oregon, Nebraska, Texas, and Washington, D.C. There was also a presenter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tom Edwards, a gay school board member from Sarasota, was a guest speaker.

Edwards, who is gay, made headlines when he and 13 other Florida school board members were included on Gov. Ron DeSantis’s list of those who push “woke” ideology and don’t protect parental rights, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. In March, he walked out of a school board meeting after being called “an LGBTQ groomer” during public comments; he shares the dais with Bridget Ziegler, who serves as the school board chairwoman, founded Moms for Liberty, and is the wife of Florida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler.

“It’s important, I think, for all citizens to

be aware that our rights are being attacked, whether we’re from the LGBTQ+ community or the Black and brown community or women’s rights,” Edwards said. “I wanted to let everybody know that A. I’m alive and well and B. That there’s hope, because I feel that the adverse impact of such hate from the extremists has woken up — no pun intended — the rest of the population and people are really paying attention.”

Considering the low attendance from Florida teachers this year, he said it’s “completely understandable,” as they’ve been “under attack from their government for the last two years.”

“They’ve been regulated and legislated for reasons that are imaginary and there’s no basis or merit other than political and what may seemingly be financial gain,” he said.

The symposium also included the announcement of a national task force on April 15, a group that will meet throughout the year to brainstorm solutions to “root cause problems” that have led to hate speech and actions.

“I’ve become aware of how much stronger we are each time there is a setback,” Kesten said with optimism. “I think that the whole idea of Pride, the whole idea of what is expected of us as human beings is growing and that’s a really good sign.”

April 20, 2023 • Volume 14 • Issue 16 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Publisher/Editor • Jason Parsley

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Photo via Stonewall-museum.org.

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G ... HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING

Bisexual

IN THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY

B Trans T

IS ‘TED LASSO’ CHARACTER KEELEY JONES BI?

“Ted Lasso’s” Keeley Jones has been revealed to be bisexual, or at the very least under the bi umbrella during a sensual scene in the latest season.

Fans of Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” have speculated since the start of the show that Keeley is more than heterosexual, and their dreams have finally come true.

Keeley, played by queer ally Juno Temple, is in the midst of a love triangle with characters Roy and Jamie. Jack, played by queer Jodi Balfour, works to help Keeley with their stress when the moment of truth goes down. Keeley and Jack eventually take off each other’s clothes and make out behind frosted glass.

Fans await how Keeley will explore their sexuality throughout the duration of the show.

KIRSTIE ALLSOPP DEFENDS DYLAN MULVANEY AMID BACKLASH FOR CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

Trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney has risen to stardom and recently announced partnerships with Bud Light, Nike, and more as a brand ambassador.

Mulvaney has faced fierce backlash from the public for her partnerships with several controversial brands.

Kristie Allsopp on a Twitter thread compared Mulvaney to the late Paul O’Grady, also known by their drag persona Lily Savage.

“I don’t believe that Paul O’Grady mocked women,” said Allsopp. “So neither do I think Dylan Mulvaney does that.”

Mulvaney spoke of this scrutiny on IHeart Radio’s Onward with Rosie O’Donnell’s podcast.

“The reason that I think I am so … I’m an easy target is because I’m so new to this,”

said Mulvaney. “I’m not worried about the people talking about me on their podcasts. I’m worried about their listeners.”

Dylan Mulvaney via YouTube.com.

Photo via Apple TV+.

Asexual

UNIVERSITY HOSTS ANGELA CHEN FOR INTERNATIONAL ASEXUALITY DAY

The University of Massachusetts’ LGBT resource center, The Stonewall Center, hosted asexual author Angela Chen for International Asexuality Day.

Chen delivered a lecture on the lack of knowledge surrounding sexuality, which she calls “a state of epistemic injustice.”

“Angela Chen was chosen because we thought that many people on campus needed to learn more about asexuality and we wanted the growing number of students identifying as asexual to have a speaker whom they could relate to, who would affirm them and their experiences,” said Genny Beemyn, the director of The Stonewall Center.

Chen stated that many think asexuality as purely a sexuality, but she prefers to see it as much more.

“People treat asexuality as if the entire experience of being ace starts and stops in a romantic, dating, sexual context … in my own personal experience, that’s not true …

attraction.”

After Chen’s lecture, they signed copies of their book and a reception was held for asexual and aromantic members.

Angela Chen. Photo by Sylvie Rosokoff . being ace changes so many parts of your life that have nothing to do with sexual

Photo by J.R. Davis

Juan Sanchez, retired detective for The Miami Beach Police Department and Vice Chairman of the board of directors of Miami Beach Pride with Sandra Bernhard comedian, actress, singer and performer at the Miami Beach Pride VIP Beach Affair on April 14.

LAST WEEK'S COVER

YOU CAN VIEW THE ISSUE AT HTTPS://RB.GY/USSYT0

LGBTQ uotable

IT’S ESSENTIAL THAT WE PROTECT THE LEGAL RIGHT TO ABORTION, ESPECIALLY NOW. ABORTION IS HEALTH CARE. AND HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT. WE CAN NOT GO BACK, AND WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN. WE MUST STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND FIGHT THESE ATTACKS TOGETHER.

Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, blasted soccer star Megan Rapinoe for supporting transgender athletes, saying she has no stake in the matter since she’ll never have a daughter of his own because she’s a lesbian.

“It’s worth noting that 1) you are done playing sports competitively and 2) because you aren’t sexually attracted to men, you will never have a daughter to defend. To me, this simply looks like virtue signaling because you have nothing to personally lose,” Gaines wrote on Twitter.

She later deleted the tweets.

Of course lesbians have children all of the time using various methods including

adoption.

Rapinoe is engaged to basketball legend Sue Bird.

“We believe that gender equity in sport is critical, which is why we urge policymakers to turn their attention and effort to the causes women athletes have been fighting for decades, including equal pay…” the letter reads.

GAINES TO RAPINOE IN ANTI-GAY TWEET:

‘YOU AREN’T SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO MEN, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A DAUGHTER TO DEFEND’

SPORTS

PLAYING WITH PRIDE

Riley Gaines and Megan Rapinoe via Instagram.

Jason Parsley

GAY ANTI-LGBT STATE REP BOOED AT MB PRIDE

John Hayden

MIAMI LEADERS FOCUS ON IMPROVING TRANS QUALITY OF LIFE

John McDonald

IN THE MIDST OF UNPRECEDENTED ATTACKS ON TRANSGENDER PEOPLE, LEADERS IN MIAMI ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGE.

The City of Miami’s LGBTQIA Advisory Board is hosting a focus group designed to develop strategies to make Miami more welcoming for trans people. The focus group is part of Miami’s Accelerate Change Together LGBTQ+ Initiative, a plan put in place to address health inequities in the LGBTQIA community.

Michael Roman, Miami’s liaison to the LGBTQIA community, said the advisory board was created two years ago and has been steadily making progress. Miami raised its score from 75 to 89 in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual municipal equality index.

“We’re super excited about the board and what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Roman.

The seven-member board currently has three vacancies.

The Accelerate Change Together focus group will meet on April 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Due to safety concerns, the venue is not disclosed to the public, said Roman.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who sponsored the ordinance that created the board, has come under attack for the city’s involvement.

“Dear @FrancisSuarez [Gillum Republican rumored to be wanting to run for president] what change do you want to accelerate?” tweeted Evan Power, Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Roman declined to comment on Power’s tweet. He said the initiative’s purpose is to improve health outcomes for LGBT people living in Miami and is made possible through a grant from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

STATE REP. FABIAN BASABE IS A REPUBLICAN REPRESENTING MIAMI BEACH. HE MAY HAVE BEEN INVITED BY ORGANIZERS TO BE IN MIAMI BEACH’S PRIDE PARADE, BUT THE CROWD MADE SURE HE KNEW HE WASN’T WELCOME.

Basabe is a gay man who’s been married to a woman since 2005 and reportedly was once a fixture of Miami Beach’s LGBT nightlife. Now he is a freshman representative in Tallahassee who won his seat by about 200 votes by campaigning to be pro-LGBT and pro-women’s health. He hasn’t lived up to his campaign promises and constituents are letting him hear it. A video posted to Twitter by Equality Florida’s Brandon Wolf shows Basabe in Sunday’s Pride parade. He’s in a red convertible holding a Pride flag, while people on the side screamed, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”

Basabe says being part of the GOP

supermajority means that his district is finally being heard and represented for the first time in years. But their interests aren’t being fairly portrayed. During an interview with CBS4’s Jim DeFede, he tried to weasel around why he voted for expansion of “Don’t Say Gay” and restrictions on drag entertainment.

He refused to give a yes or no answer when pressed on if he supported a ban on abortions in Florida after six weeks, saying he would address it during the floor vote. DeFede noted that when the vote was called, Basabe took a walk and skipped the vote.

MORE TROUBLE AHEAD

The confrontation at MB Pride was the second of the weekend for Basabe. Late last week, protestors rallied outside his district office. He came down to try and talk with them, but, according to the Miami New Times, accused them of being paid protestors.

Besides facing the wrath of his constituents, he is also facing the long arm of the law. Last week, a 25-year-old aide accused Basabe of drinking alcohol and slapping him across the face and being told to stand in a corner. Basabe says he doesn’t remember the incident.

The Florida Speaker’s Office says the matter is under investigation.

HE HASN’T LIVED UP TO HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND CONSTITUENTS ARE LETTING HIM HEAR IT.

Photo by JR Davis.

EQUALITY FLORIDA DECLARES FLORIDA UNSAFE FOR LGBT

John Hayden

The religious anti-LGBT movement used to tell people to “pray the gay away.” That didn’t work. Now they’re legislating the gay away, and it’s working.

Equality Florida is warning people to think twice before visiting or moving to the state. The organization issued a travel advisory that warns of risks to health, safety, and freedom of LGBT within the borders.

They cite many new laws targeting the LGBT community, including assaults on the trans community, LGBT youth, drag entertainment, and more.

“As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” said

Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s Executive Director.

Visit Lauderdale, Broward County’s influential tourism arm, continues to do outreach in the LGBT community. Last year they launched their “Everyone Under the Sun” marketing campaign, which stresses diversity and inclusion.

Stacy Ritter, Visit Lauderdale’s CEO and President, said this is a tough, but understandable, move.

“We are disappointed but not surprised by the position Equality Florida has taken. The LGBTQ+ community has had to endure a daily barrage of attacks by the leadership in Tallahassee, some reverting to calling members of that community ‘mutants,’ in a concerted attempt to dehumanize and marginalize people who are just living their lives.”

If you’re lighting up this 4/20, Cresco Labs has a message for you: we deserve better emojis.

The parent company of Sunnyside Medical Cannabis Dispensary, with a location in Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale, is calling on cannabis users to sign a petition to Apple for better weed emojis.

“We are fed up with using broccoli and tree emojis to talk about cannabis in texting,” Dana Mason, vice president of brand and commercial marketing at Cresco Labs, said in a press release. “With cannabis acceptance at an all-time high, it’s time to make our voices heard and demand better representation for emojis that will allow us to fully express ourselves and celebrate all the benefits that this amazing plant has to offer.”

Typically, cannabis users have to settle for the broccoli, fire or tree emoji when texting with friends. Cresco Labs is proposing three emojis to Apple: two fingers holding a blunt,

a marijuana leaf, and a smiley face with marijuana leaves for eyes.

Those wanting to participate in the survey can fill it out on change.org, and the results will be shared with Apple after July 10 — another cannabis holiday, 7/10, for THC oil.

In Florida, voters legalized medical marijuana in 2016. Patients can get access to THC products with a prescription or a “marijuana card.” Recreational marijuana is still illegal, and advocates are pushing to change this. According to the CDC, marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug; 18% of Americans said they had tried it at least once. That’s over 48 million people.

Christiana Lilly

Cresco Labs, the parent company of Sunnyside dispensary in Oakland Park, has proposed three weed emojis in honor of 4/20. (Courtesy Cresco Labs)

FLOODS WREAK HAVOC IN WILTON MANORS

John Hayden

Astrong area of rain moved over Broward County last week and stayed there long enough to turn into a storm people will be talking about for years.

Broward County officially reported 25.9 inches of rain on April 12.

Life was not any better in Wilton Manors. The city is an island and, due to aging infrastructure, is prone to flooding when there is more than a light rain.

The effects were immediate:

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) closed April 12 and didn’t reopen until 9 a.m. on April 14, leaving thousands stranded. Hours after the rain stopped, the airfield and tarmac were invisible and under significant water.

• Streets quickly flooded, leaving an estimated 10,000 abandoned cars with flooded engines. At its peak, water rose to the top of the tires. As of April 14, many side streets were still underwater and abandoned cars littered the streets, forcing drivers to zig-zag their way through town.

• Broward County schools closed April 13 and April 14 because many students and teachers were still flooded. Engineers are also looking for any damage to school buildings.

WMPD: OVERTIME AND OVERDRIVE

Wilton Manors Police Department (WMPD) was in all-hands-on-deck mode. From April 12 to April 13, they saw a 7% increase in calls. Of the 44 calls, 32 were storm related.

Three were rescues of motorists stranded in their cars with water rising all around them. The city deployed their high-water response vehicle. “Vulnerable individuals were found in good health, but were stranded and scared. Officers assisted these motorists from their vehicles and transported them to a place of safety,” WMPD Chief Gary Blocker said.

He estimates there were about 60 disabled and stranded vehicles throughout Wilton Manors. The department used their Twitter account to keep the public updated in real time.

Blocker had high praise for his team. “The members of our police department rose to the challenge, and they continue to work extended hours for our community during the aftermath of this weather event.

For this, I am thankful, and very proud

to work alongside the professionals of our WMPD!”

HOME & AUTO INSURANCE CLAIMS

Many people are waking up to realize what is and isn’t covered by their home and auto policies. Because this wasn’t a wind event, homeowners will likely need to use their flood insurance to make claims.

Many people who don’t live in a designated flood zone don’t carry flood insurance. But this storm was so heavy for so long, many of them saw damage.

Alejandro Kalaf, co-owner of WeInsure in Wilton Manors, says many of the calls they got yesterday were people wanting flood coverage, and most are outside flood zones.

Making a claim for car damage is trickier. Kalaf says cars on lease or with a loan are likely to have comprehensive coverage, but people with older cars are more likely to be vulnerable to catastrophic repair costs. “The average consumer, right now, is focused on price and not so much coverage. If you have comprehensive coverage then, yes, you are covered for flood. If you do not carry comprehensive coverage then, unfortunately, you do not have coverage for flood.”

The big question is: how much damage do you need before you decide to file a home or auto claim?

Kalaf shared advice he gives to his WeInsure clients. “Contact your agent and review your coverages, limits, and deductibles. I explain to the client that they can always put in a claim but it should be at least double of your deductible for it to be beneficial to the insured.”

When it comes to auto repair, he says people will need patience. “With all the vehicles that I have seen on social media under water in Broward County, I would say claims adjusters are going to be busy for a while. With most insurance companies, you are allowed to take your vehicle to any repair shop of your liking.”

Screenshot via WPLG Local 10, YouTube.

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Providing premier medical care in your community through outreach, advocacy, education, and research.

cancommunityhealth.org

LOCATIONS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

FORT LAUDERDALE

315 SE 14th St. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (754) 701-6920

PLANTATION

4101 NW 3rd Court, # 9 Plantation, Fl 33317 (754) 701-6911

LAKE WORTH

201 N Dixie Hwy. Lake Worth, FL 33460 (561) 867-9991

SOUTH BEACH

427 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 514-0813

MIAMI GARDENS

18360 NW 47th Ave. Miami, FL 33055 (786) 800-5631

OAKLAND PARK

1421 E. Oakland Park Blvd. #101 Oakland Park, FL 33334 (941) 366-0134

DR. MICHAEL SENSION

DR. AMY WECKER

LOCAL COMMUNITY REMEMBERS NORM KENT

John Hayden

DESANTIS BANS ABORTION AT 6 WEEKS

Jason Parsley

Bob Dylan’s voice played over the speakers at The Venue. Not the usual music crowds are used to hearing in the iconic club. But this wasn’t a usual day, and the crowd was there to honor an even more iconic person.

The community of Wilton Manors gathered to remember Norm Kent, a man who dedicated his time on Earth to improving the lives of others. He passed away on April 13 after a long fight with cancer, but the outpouring of love at the memorial is proof his spirit lives on.

Near the front by the podium, Norm laid in his open casket, accompanied by a Dodger Blue catcher’s mitt, a reminder of his love of baseball in general and the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers specifically. People passed by the casket to pay one final tribute to a man who impacted millions of lives in ways large and small.

The tears flowed.

But as the service began, the tears began to dry and smiles emerged. Speaker after speaker shared personal stories. John Fugate talked of how Norm came into his life, offering him shelter in a tough time. Once Fugate accepted, he never left, and walked with Norm the rest of his life.

His brother spoke on behalf of the family,

talking about growing up in Brooklyn, sharing a room growing up, and evolving baseball loyalties. It’s an insight few people ever saw.

Russell Cormican, his law partner of 25 years, spoke of how Norm put people ahead of billable hours. Cormican reflected on a man who was being harassed by police and arrested weekly, if not more, just for being homeless and trying to eke by selling papers. They filed motion after motion on each charge until the courts and police agreed to leave him alone.

Unlike his work to legalize marijuana and advance gay rights, this one never made headlines or set precedent. This one was for the little guy.

Near the end of the service, Rabbi Noah Kitty came up to offer a prayer and some words of comfort. She noted that Norm was not religious, but his Jewishness was still an important part of what made Norm.

As people shuffled out, there were hugs, stories shared between friends, and a last look back at Norm. He brought the crowd together in his life and in his death, and everyone knew the world outside the doors is intangibly different without him there waiting to go with us.

You can watch the entire memorial service on SFGN’s Facebook Page.

Despite outrage and protests from the left, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The ban will only take effect if the state’s current 15-weekban, which was signed into law last year, is upheld incourt. That challenge is before the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives.

Florida Planned Parenthood tweeted: “TO BE CLEAR: Abortion remains legal in Florida until 15 weeks. This bill will not go into effect until 30 days after the FL Supreme Court undermines our right to privacy.”

The law contains some exceptions, including to save the life of the mother. Abortions due to rape or incest would be allowed until 15 weeks of pregnancy, but only if a woman has documentation such as a restraining order or police report.

Also under the new law, drugs used in medication-induced abortions can only be dispensed in person or by a physician. Nationwide, a majority of abortions are drug induced.

Previous state Supreme Court rulings have interpreted Florida’s constitutional right to privacy as including access to abortion. But

many people fear the court has taken a hard shift to the right and will uphold additional restrictions on abortion.

Earlier in the month Lauren Book, a Democratic state senator, and Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, were arrested and charged with trespassing during a protest in Tallahassee. On April 13, Democrats in the House attempted to delay the bill’s passage, filing dozens of amendments to the proposal. All were rejected by Republicans.

Equality Florida says abortion rights and LGBT rights are a “common cause.”

“All of our rights are on the line. We are in this fight to make sure everyone has the power to control their own bodies, lives, and futures. Building a more just and equitable society means ensuring abortion care is available and affordable for all,” reads a statement on the organization’s website. “It’s essential that we protect the legal right to abortion, especially now. Abortion is health care. And health care is a human right. We can not go back, and we will not back down. We must stand shoulder to shoulder and fight these attacks together.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis signing the Heartbeat Protection Act. Photo via Facebook.

“WE ARE IN THIS FIGHT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS THE POWER TO CONTROL THEIR OWN BODIES, LIVES, AND FUTURES.”

- Equality Florida

John Fugate. Photo by JR Davis.

FAKE NEWS!

Here at SFGN we like to have fun behind the scenes. Here is a collection of fake covers we’ve done over the years. Norm loved them all.

NORM KENT

NOTED ATTORNEY, PUBLISHER, LGBT RIGHTS ACTIVIST, BASEBALL AFICIONADO

DIES AT 73

Steve Rothaus Special to

Attorney Norm Kent – relentless fighter for marijuana and LGBT rights, baseball fanatic, popular radio talk host and co-founder of South Florida Gay News – died at 73 on April 13, 18 months after learning he had pancreatic cancer.

SFGN

Courtesy photo.

In his final interview on March 28, Kent told SFGN he was diagnosed in October 2021. “That day, I said, ‘Let’s fly to Atlanta and go to a Dodgers game. If they’re telling me I have cancer, we’re going to a baseball game.’”

“You definitely can’t accuse him of not being interesting,” said Fort Lauderdale attorney Russell Cormican, Kent’s law partner for nearly 25 years.

“The most important thing looking at Norm’s legacy is that he reminds us how important it is to stand up for what you believe in, no matter how unpopular it might be or what types of repercussions or blowback you might get from people, if you know what you’re doing is the right thing,” said Cormican, 51. “When he sees an injustice, he’s not afraid to lead the call against it. That’s the common thread that’s gone through his life.”

Born Norman Elliott Kent in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 18, 1949, his family soon moved to North Woodmere in Nassau County on Long Island.

“Ever since I was a little kid growing up in North Woodmere and taking Bus 53 to junior varsity games, I was a good, competitive baseball player. The doctor once said I had steel springs in my legs,” Kent said. “I just loved the game. I love it now because you don’t know what’s going to happen on the next pitch. It’s not scripted like a movie. Like comedians, you never know what the next joke is going to be.”

To never miss a game, Kent equipped his longtime small, two-bedroom Victoria Park home with 16 televisions. “It looks like mission control,” Cormican said. “Heaven forbid there are four baseball games on. He has to see each one.”

Thirty years ago, he even owned a baseball card shop at the Gateway Shopping Center in Fort Lauderdale, Norm Kent’s Baseball Heaven.

Kent, who is survived by older brother Richard and younger brother Alan, once flirted with becoming a professional ballplayer but their dad Jesse told him, “You’re going to be the lawyer in the family.”

After graduating in 1971 from Hofstra University on Long Island with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and sociology, Kent made his father happy and received a Hofstra law degree in 1975.

During college, Kent began establishing a national reputation as a leading proponent of legalizing marijuana use.

Kent joined NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in 1971. He served 1992-94 on NORML’s national board, rejoined the governing body in 1998 and from 2013-14 served as national board chairman.

In 1988, Kent made headlines representing singer Elvy Musikka, a Hollywood woman nearly blinded by cataracts who was busted for growing pot in her own backyard.

“After 23 different operations for cataracts,” Kent recalled March 28, “she found the only thing that let her see was by taking marijuana. It had a certain THC in it which let her see.”

He continued: “Who was her government, or the president, to stop her from seeing? And when the police came to her house in Hollywood and said we’re going to have to arrest you for smoking pot, she said, ‘I dare you to. I don’t care. It’s my life. It’s my right to see.’

“She went to a lawyer. She went to me. And I said let’s go to court. We argued a case in [Broward Circuit Court] before Judge Mark E. Polen and we won. He said your right to smoke marijuana is a lot more important than the right of the government to tell you what to do with what you can smoke. That case became the seminal case for hundreds of others.”

While dying of cancer, Kent himself couldn’t find pain relief smoking marijuana: “No,” he said, “I had a respiratory condition in 2018 when I got a defibrillator and pacemaker.”

Shortly after college, Kent worked briefly as an urban affairs analyst for the New York Legislature, and in 1978 relocated to South Florida where his parents had moved.

Kent never officially told them he was gay.

“My parents always suspected he was gay from the time he moved to Fort Lauderdale,” said his brother Alan, a retired psychologist. “They would always ask me, ‘Do you think Norman is gay?’”

Alan Kent, who also is gay, came out to their parents in 1982. Five years later, after their father died, Norm called Alan from Provincetown, Massachusetts, with some news: I’m gay.

“I said really? Tell me something I don’t know,” Alan Kent recalled. Before he died, Norm Kent said that for him “there was no such thing as being in [the closet].”

“There was always this fear that as a gay lawyer it might cost me economically,” Kent said. “But there I was, a gay lawyer who was representing gay bars and gay friends and gay owners.”

Courtesy photo.

Courtesy photo.

Kent said that decades ago he never cared if people knew his sexual orientation. Once, a South Florida Sun Sentinel reporter interviewed Kent for a story and asked about rumors that he was gay – and then never published that he was.

“It’s not my job to do their thinking for them. It’s my job to be who I am. And I’m proud of every minute and moment of who I am and what I was,” Kent said. “And if that meant I was a faggot who could throw a baseball, that’s their problem.”

After he moved to South Florida, Norm Kent briefly wrote a column for Playbill magazine and taught sociology at Florida Atlantic University. Soon he became known locally as an advocate for runaway gay youths who hung out at Fort Lauderdale Beach.

On the strip, Kent interviewed 30 boys ages 12 to 20 working as prostitutes. By 1984, Kent had spoken with about 150 boys on the strip – a third of them said they had sold their bodies to survive.

For years, Fort Lauderdale police and politicians worked to downplay the local homeless problem, according to a 1989 Miami Herald profile of Kent headlined “Upholder of the Unpopular.”

“It was like the mayor in Amity denying that there was a shark out there,” Kent told the Herald, referring to the blockbuster 1975 film of the era, “Jaws.”

Kent spent the rest of his life advocating for homeless gay youth. In 2000 –after having just survived treatment for lymphoma – Kent met John Fugate, then 18 and disowned since middle school by his Lakeland family. Kent, who at the time published the Express Gay News in Fort Lauderdale, offered Fugate a job delivering newspapers.

“I was living under the bridge on Federal Highway just south of 26th Street,”

Fugate said March 28, weeping, a few feet from Kent’s hospice bedside. “And Norman found out that I was sleeping on the street and he invites me to the Floridian Restaurant for dinner.”

That night, Kent told him: “I just want you to know if you ever need a place to stay, you can always stay at my house. Here are

the keys.”

At first, Fugate said he was “too proud and scared” to come to Kent’s home. But a few weeks later, about 3 a.m. on a cold, rainy morning, Fugate showed up. Eventually, he moved in.

Despite their age difference, Kent, 53, and Fugate, 21, became partners. Seven years later, they ended their romantic relationship. But they remained close friends and continued to work together on and off. After Kent’s health began to decline in 2018, Fugate and his new husband Brian Swinford stepped in as Kent’s caregivers. Fugate said on April 13 that Kent died of a recently diagnosed lung cancer.

On April 10, Fugate posted on Facebook: “Sometimes you start to doubt your beliefs and wonder why it’s happening to good people and telling yourself why can’t the good people live in why does it have to be this way? I’m so lucky to have had Norm Kent in my life forever changed me to make me a better person, there’s no way on earth I could ever repay him or show him the love that I have for him other than being here for him now.”

Mark Possíen, Kent’s close friend since 1977, described his Victoria Park home as “a refuge for so many people.”

“If you were down and out, he would invite you to come and stay with him. He’d get you a job. If you were on drugs, he tried to get you off drugs,” Possíen said. “He was selfless. He did everything with no expectation of any kind or return or reward from the person.”

About 1991, Possíen moved into a spare room in the Victoria Park house where Kent helped him launch Catalog X, one of the first gay-owned mail-order adult toy businesses.

“I was Dildo Central!” Kent wrote in his final SFGN column published March 30.

By 1998, Possíen had opened two Catalog X retail stores, one in Fort Lauderdale, the other in South Beach. “It was a gay department store. We had everything we thought gay people would be interested in.”

Possíen, who closed Catalog X in 2003, now lives in Lake Worth. In late March, Kent told him that his “biggest disappointment”

about having terminal cancer was not having enough time “to sue Ron DeSantis for the drag queen stuff.”

“He said, ‘I’ve taken on all these cases all my life, I didn’t make money on them and sometimes they cost me money,’” Possíen said. “When he saw something that was wrong or unjust, he wanted to fix it.”

During college on Long Island, Kent dabbled as a reporter writing for the local Jewish Journal and Nassau Herald.

Later in South Florida, Kent himself became a media celebrity.

“He’s lived his life in the public eye,” Kent’s brother Alan said. “Norman has done a lot of good stuff and he’s had a lot of recognition for what he accomplished.”

Norm Kent’s name frequently appeared in both the Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald. Among his high-profile legal cases:

Helping adult video store owners charged with obscenity in the 1980s.

Representing the owners of nude dance clubs in the 1990s, when South Florida municipalities tried to shut them down.

Defending countless men charged with public sex in restrooms, in parks and on beaches throughout South Florida well into the 2000s.

A 1992 case that got particular attention: when gay radio superstar Neil Rogers, Kent’s close friend, was charged with indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in South Beach.

“Millions” of other men were arrested under the same circumstances, Kent

recalled March 28.

“Only straight men would go free. … And people like Neil would get into trouble. I said ‘What the hell is going on here? This isn’t right. This isn’t fair to gay people.’ Over the years, so many would be wrongfully and unjustly arrested and prosecuted.”

From 1989 to 1992, Kent had his own daily talk show on WFTL AM. Later, he hosted various radio programs including one broadcast live during the breakfast rush at the Floridian on Las Olas Boulevard.

He also represented Rogers in the radio business. “I wound up making him, as his agent, $1.5 million a year,” Kent said.

Kent said that for years, Rogers made fun of him on the radio and elsewhere, sometimes referring to him as “Norma.”

“Do you know that they gave me an award for donating money to the Broward General Cancer Society in 2000,” Kent recalled. “And they put my name up on a plaque. And one of the ladies who made the plaque, she really thought my name was Norma. She didn’t put ‘Norman Kent’ on the plaque. She put ‘Norma.’ I said, ‘Neil, you did that.’ We thought that was hilarious.”

In 1999, Kent took on a new title: newspaper publisher. He launched the Express Gay News, which covered all aspects of queer life in South Florida.

Kent sold the paper four years later to Window Media, a national LGBT media group that renamed it the South Florida Blade. Window Media went bankrupt in November 2009 and quickly shut down

“I WAS LIVING UNDER THE BRIDGE ON FEDERAL HIGHWAY JUST SOUTH OF 26TH STREET, AND NORMAN FOUND OUT THAT I WAS SLEEPING ON THE STREET AND HE INVITES ME TO THE FLORIDIAN RESTAURANT FOR DINNER.”

-

John Fugate LONGTIME FRIEND

Courtesy photo.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

the Blade. Most of the staff of the Blade reorganized and launched the Florida Agenda, which shut down in 2016.

In January of 2010 Kent launched a new newspaper and website called South Florida Gay News, along with a new business partner Piero Guidugli, who stayed with the company until 2020.

Celebrating 400 issues of SFGN in 2018, Kent and Guidugli highlighted a few of their most compelling stories, including:

• A five-year long program of entrapment by two West Palm Beach policemen who had entrapped more than 300 men.

• Hollywood police fired officer Mikey Verdugo in 2010 after the department learned he had appeared in a 15-minute gay porn scene 14 years earlier. (Verdugo now owns Bodytek Fitness in Davie and Wilton Manors.)

• The 2010 firing of licensed practical nurse Ray Fetcho AKA drag queen Tiny Tina, when it came out that 35 years earlier Fetcho had been charged with a lewd act for hosting a wet jockey shorts contest at the old Copa nightclub in Fort Lauderdale. (Fetcho died at 68 of cancer and diabetes in 2015.)

In 2016, Kent wrote in a publisher’s column about the last of the big gay bar raids in Broward County, when in 1991 then-Sheriff Nick Navarro created a media spectacle arresting men at the Copa and at Club 21 in Hallandale Beach.

“Sheriff Navarro orchestrated the raid as if he were hosting a Hollywood opening,” Kent wrote. “As the news report by Steve Rothaus indicates, the Sheriff turned the

raid into a media event, placing the entire LGBT community in a false light. Navarro arrived on the scene, believe it or not, in a helicopter, accompanied by his wife, dressed in an evening gown. Reporters were shocked by the crass celebration, amazingly accompanied by foreign Russian dignitaries to show off for.”

Kent said he never regretted publishing a story, even if it got him into hot water with local power figures, including activists and elected officials.

“It’s the newspaper. It’s what editorial cartoons are all about,” he said. “It’s not for the politician to be thin skinned. It’s for the politician to go naked before the canon and accept the fact that he, too, can be criticized no matter how good they think they are.”

The past five years, Kent suffered several life-threatening health setbacks. He had two brain surgeries to remove tumors, COVID in 2021 and then the pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Last September, he stepped down as publisher and handed the running of SFGN to Associate Publisher Jason Parsley.

“Jason has established himself as a very powerful voice, not afraid to stand up to anybody,” Kent said March 28.

Parsley, 45, a one-time hair stylist who in 2007 got a journalism degree from Florida Atlantic University, has worked at SFGN since 2011.

These days, a local LGBT newspaper and website are more important than ever, Parsley said.

“Our stories, need to be told, must be told,” he said. “Unlike big corporate media, an LGBT paper is invested in the community.”

“You have a hostile legislature that wants to silence and erase our voices and stories. And because this isn’t taught in school, places like the gay media are where you are going to be informed and educated and learn about the queer community.”

Parsley said Kent “had a passion for journalism and being a storyteller.”

“He leaves a long legacy of journalism and a dogged pursuit of the truth,” Parsley said. “He wasn’t just a news reporter. He also wrote scathing and biting – truthful – editorials that would sometimes call out members of our own community and push the ball forward.”

“HE’S LIVED HIS LIFE IN THE PUBLIC EYE, NORMAN HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD STUFF AND HE’S HAD A LOT OF RECOGNITION FOR WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED.”

- Alan Kent NORM'S BROTHER

to the Norm Kent LGBTQ Newsmaker Fund can be made here: www.rb.gy/2s1c8.

CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM

2038 N. Dixie Hwy (Pride Center Building B), Wilton Manors

954-564-9232 - etzchaimflorida.org

congregationetzchaim1974@gmail.com

Friday Night Shabbat Service 8p.m.

HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

1436 NE 26th St

Wilton Manors, FL 33305

954-633-2987 - HolyAngelsFL.net

Sunday Mass at 11AM

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC

Church of Our Savior, MCC

2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000

Sunday Service 10AM

SAINT MARK'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL

1750 East Oakland Park Blvd

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334

954-563-5155 | www.saintmarksftl.com

Worship Sundays @ 8am and 10:30am

ST. NICHOLAS

EPISCOPAL CHURCH

1111 E. Sample Road

Pompano Beach, FL 33064

954-942-5887 | StNicholasFL.org

Sunday Service 9:30AM

LONGTIME BARTENDER & FRIEND OF COMMUNITY POOCH

John Hayden

He was a fixture behind the bars for 40 years at some of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s legacy establishments including Sea Monster and End Up, which eventually became Elements and is now Scandals.

Pooch’s death comes just six months after the loss of his husband, Don Clark, a fellow bartender. While the cause of Pooch’s death hasn’t been released, one friend of the couple speculates he died of a broken heart.

WEDDINGS VACATIONS & FRIENDSHIPS

His friend Toni Barone told SFGN they were so close, they shared a destination wedding. Toni and her husband went with Pooch and Don on a trip to Washington, D.C. and got married in a double ceremony.

“He was like a brother to me for 44 years,” she said. “He was all around fun.”

Another longtime friend, Howard Marr, was asked by the family to share the news on social media.

“Pooch was one of the founding members of our bartending community in this town, and a true force to be reckoned with,” he wrote. “I worked with him for many years, and he, and his husband Don were an amazing couple. A true legacy couple. Pooch passing, puts another nail in the history of the gay rights movement, as he was there from the beginning.”

Howard shared a couple of fun stories that capture Pooch’s spirit. He told SFGN that Pooch’s favorite summer vacation was going to have cosmetic surgery, for which Howard teased him annually. One year Howard had to have a medically necessary procedure and says Pooch never let him hear the end of it.

Pooch is carrying two secrets with him to the grave. When asked for his legal name and age, Howard said no one knows the name, and his age is somewhere between 35 and 135 years old.

That encapsulates Pooch’s spirit: a little mystery and lots of love.

Photo by JR Davis.

RUMINATIONS ON THE CHAIRMAN HIMSELF

A BOOK FOREWORD WRITTEN WITHOUT NORM’S PERMISSION

Brendon Lies

His voice always carries itself too loudly, speaking with as much vigor and command as it can muster, as though its owner can never stop practicing for his next victory in the courtroom.

He is a lawyer, a dog lover, a newspaper publisher, a pot activist, and a founding pillar of South Florida’s LGBT community. With all the love in my heart, I would describe Norm Kent as somehow a caricature of himself. Everything that he encompasses and cares for, he makes it a part of his life, then advocates for it relentlessly while turning the volume up to 11.

I would be genuinely shocked by the mere concept of a second person like him existing anywhere else in the world. And what a shame that is.

Why? Because there’s something else Norm is, and it’s the reason I chose to write this foreword.

In order to introduce him properly, it must be said that Norm is one of the most selfless and caring people you could possibly imagine.

I’m sure he’d be happy to tell you so

himself, but in order to really believe it, it’s for the best that you hear it instead from one of the many people whose life he’s changed. In this case, that person will be me (the former Art Director of South Florida Gay News, who he foolishly hired to design this book).

For countless young LGBT people — myself included — Norm has played the role of a family member when no one else has been willing to do so. Like a father for all of Fort Lauderdale’s LGBT community, he is always there for anyone who needs a hand, a listening ear, or even a few words of hope.

It was my pleasure for eight years to work with Norm as the Art Director at SFGN. I started there fresh out of college and only months after coming out as a trans man, and it was during my time at SFGN where I saw the very best (and at times, the very worst) of Norm’s life.

His patience with me during my time at the newspaper gave me the room I needed to grow into the professional I am today, and whenever my newly out-and-proud life began to falter or feel not quite so proud anymore, he always had my back without hesitation.

I sincerely consider crossing paths with him to be one of the most fortunate things to have ever happened to me.

Sure, even today, our friendship is not always roses. Norm has even told me to fuck off a few times (possibly due to one of my many pranks on him). But to be fully honest, I see Norm not as a former employer. Instead, I see him as a family member.

Without his guidance, I can’t even imagine what my life would be like today.

And that, reader, is perhaps what Norm stands for most of all: the act of love and

acceptance towards others, treating them as if they were a member of your own family, even if their lives are radically different from your own.

I have enough stories about Norm — and the many times that he saved my ass — that I could really write my own book.

The sad news is, the vast majority of people in the world will not have the privilege I’ve had to work so close to Norm, or to have seen so deep into his life.

But fear not... the answer is right here in your hands.

See, this book contains the very best of the best in Norm’s own writings, scribed during his many years as a publisher.

Each section was originally printed as a column in SFGN, and was a rumination meant to shed much-needed light on a situation that affected our community.

And what makes up a community? All of us... you included.

While some of the columns might be years old, each was carefully chosen — with the help of Norm himself, of course — based on which ones would be most relevant to our lives today.

Without much further ado, I welcome you to take a brief journey through many years of ruminations of our dear publisher, our chairman, and my very dear friend, Norm Kent.

Donations to the Norm Kent LGBTQ Newsmaker Fund can be made here:

www.rb.gy/2s1c8.

Book cover artwork by Brendon Lies.

Afedora. A thick Brooklyn accent, a gold Star of David around his neck. The lingering scent of marijuana, and one or two attractive young gay men loitering nearby.

I HAVE ENOUGH STORIES ABOUT NORM — AND THE MANY TIMES THAT HE SAVED MY ASS — THAT I COULD REALLY WRITE MY OWN BOOK.

EDITORS NOTE: Before Norm Kent’s death he was working on a compilation book of old columns. Below is the foreword to the book, written by SFGN’s former Art Director, Brendon Lies.

SFGN FOR UPDATES ON THE UPCOMING RELEASE OF NORM KENT'S BOOK, 'RUMINATIONS OF CHAIRMAN NORM'.

NORM AND PIERO

THE STORY OF SFGN'S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Tony Adams

This is reprinted from January 25, 2018

Their enduring and endearing partnership has since produced 400 issues of South Florida Gay News (SFGN). As they prepare to celebrate the paper’s eighth anniversary, the two men shared with me their motivations and memories.

Two thousand and nine was not a good year for gay media.

Local and regional gay papers around the country had been gobbled up by a conglomerate called “Unite Media.” That juggernaut had begun to collapse. Norm was suspicious.

“I started Express Gay News in 1999. I sold

it to Unite Media in 2003. When I was invited in 2009 to their lavish cocktail part on the roof of the fabulous Delano Hotel in Miami Beach, I knew something was wrong. I knew what it cost to run a newspaper. I knew they couldn’t afford a bash like that. Four days later Unite Media filed for bankruptcy in federal court. Luckily, I had sold them my newspaper for cash, but many people lost a lot of money.”

Knowing that publishing a gay newspaper is never lucrative, why did Norm and Piero start SFGN? They credit an inability to stifle their innate and passionate activism.

For Piero, his activism is traced back to Anita Bryant. In 1976, he left his native Italy to escape religious oppression and to seek tolerance and acceptance.

“At that time, the United States was to me a beacon of freedom. I didn’t know the United States, but I had a conceptual feeling about it. I was convinced that it would be better than Europe for me as a gay man. I came for college, combining my escape with my education. I was very deeply in the closet at that time, even in this new country.”

In 1978, the antigay persecutions of Anita Bryant obliterated Piero’s starry-eyed perception of America, and spurred his own need to come out of the closet.

“I couldn’t understand how it could be happening. I felt panic and danger. I woke up one morning with a sudden resolve. I sat down at my typewriter and started writing my coming out letters to family and friends. I remember the great relief I felt when I put those letters in the mailbox and knew there was no turning back.”

Piero then joined a number of small collegiate activist clubs. He obsessively

collected anything he could find in print about gay issues, focusing on the injustice of how they were reported.

“I had six or seven scrapbooks of those clippings. In those days, there was no internet and no Google. That effort helped me come to terms with myself. What Anita Bryant did pissed me off! She was an affront to what I believed about America. If not for her, I might have remained in the closet. In 1992, I moved to Florida where I met my first partner who introduced me to Wilton Manors. There, I joined a gay business network involved in social issues including AIDS.”

“Vietnam,” was Norm’s one-word answer when asked about the ignition of his activism. “There was transparent injustice everywhere. That is when I learned that no good citizens ever trust their government. The song Stand Up To The Man in the show School Of Rock pretty much sums it up. When I started the Express Gay News, my objective was to record the gay and lesbian history of South Florida. It was not being accurately reported, especially with Broward County emerging as the epicenter of the LGBT community. Ten years later, with the collapse of Unite Media, gay history and culture were once again in danger of becoming invisible.”

Remembering the injustice that brought

him and Norm together, Piero said, “Norm had written about a case of police entrapment. In those days it was not uncommon for police to deliberately persecute gay men in public parks. I contacted Norm who was representing the victim, and said I would like to get involved. Norm invited me to meet him in court. I got so upset that I offered to pay the legal expenses of the guy who was entrapped. A few months later, Norm was looking for investors to start a gay newspaper. I said I was interested, but with one stipulation. I wanted to write an occasional column about gay history. We met at Café Vico Thanksgiving weekend in 2009, and he laid out the plans for SFGN. I liked it and accepted.”

Norm added, “Piero under wrote the cost of the prosecution in that case of entrapment. We won the case, got a judgment and a settlement. Piero gave the settlement to the men who had been victimized. I made the observation to him that this case won’t get the attention it deserves in the mainstream papers, and that if I could find the money, I’d start up another newspaper because we needed a voice. With my experience, I knew what it would cost in dollars and time.”

Piero compares their partnership to those of Lennon and McCartney or Simon and Garfunkel, saying, “We both brought individual

“An Italian businessman and a Jewish lawyer walk into a restaurant…” sounds like the start of a joke, but in 2009 that is exactly what happened when Piero Guidugli and Norm Kent agreed over dinner at Café Vico to start a gay newspaper.

Norm Kent and Pier Angelo at Cafe Vico, where the discussion that led to SFGN’s founding took place. Photo credit: Brendon Lies.

“WHEN I STARTED THE EXPRESS GAY NEWS, MY OBJECTIVE WAS TO RECORD THE GAY AND LESBIAN HISTORY OF SOUTH FLORIDA. IT WAS NOT BEING ACCURATELY REPORTED, ESPECIALLY WITH BROWARD COUNTY EMERGING AS THE EPICENTER OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY. TEN YEARS LATER, WITH THE COLLAPSE OF UNITE MEDIA, GAY HISTORY AND CULTURE WERE ONCE AGAIN IN DANGER OF BECOMING INVISIBLE.”

- Norm Kent SFGN OWNER AND CO-FOUNDER

strengths to the table, but together we were even better. Of course, there were arguments, but we always agreed on priorities.”

At this point in their recollections, both Norm and Piero seemed to forget that there was anyone else in the room as they spoke about the early years of SFGN and the amazing people who came their way with a need to have their mistreatment exposed. In telling the stories of those first issues, Norm and Piero are clearly men whose satisfaction with SFGN is entirely derived from rectifying injustice.

In SFGN, they exposed a five-year long program of entrapment by two West Palm Beach policemen who had entrapped more than 300 men.

They championed a Hollywood police officer, Mikey Verdugo, who had clashed with his superiors over gay issues. Hollywood found a way to fire him, citing the fact that he had not disclosed his past in gay porn.

They investigated financial mismanagement by the developers of the condominiums at

Wilton Station, helping to get a conviction.

They protested the firing of drag queen Tiny Tina (Ray Fetcho) whose 30 years of social work included performing at facilities for the elderly. A change in employment laws brought to light an old lewd act conviction. Decades earlier, Tiny Tina ran a wet jockey shorts contest at a gay club in which she would throw a pitcher of water at the performers. The police did not like the transparency of wet white cotton. A plea of no contest to the charges against her had come back to haunt her. Ultimately, Florida’s Board of Nursing granted an exemption and a return to work as a licensed practical nurse.

Back in the moment, Piero said, “It is amazing that we are producing a print newspaper in this digital age. We’ve managed to have some profitable years, but neither of us will ever recoup our investment. We do this for our community.”

Norm has the final word, saying, “Exposing the truth is all I ever wanted to do.”

Pier Angelo, Norm Kent, and Stephen Fallon, executive director of Latinos Salud. SFGN file photo.

ON NORM

SFGN CO-FOUNDER

NORM KENT ISN’T DEAD

Guaranteed this won’t be published.

SFGN Co-Founder Norm Kent didn’t die! He lives on in current editor Jason Parsley continuing to publishing lies, blocking a conservative voice, perpetuating hysteria misleading the Gay Community with false narratives in his “Gay Rag.”

How many articles on the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill? Weekly.

How many articles published on the FAILURES of #46? NONE

How many articles published of the DEPLORABLE infrastructure in Ft. Lauderdale lead my Gay Mayor Dean Trantalis? NONE

How many articles published on #46 disgusting economy affecting disposable income, cost of living, housing prices and rentals, fuel cost, energy cost, and food cost within the Gay Community? NONE!

How many articles on the open borders’ crisis with HUGE amounts of Fentanyl coming in killing Broward residence? NONE!

Children and eliminating Woke ideology in our schools? NONE!

See folk’s, Norm Kent NEVER EVER published a positive word or acknowledged any POSITIVE impact’s that Conservatives have contributed to the Gay Community, but instead threw us under the bus and wished we had been thrown in the oven too! Sadly, Jason Parsley continues this disingenuous tradition as Publisher of SFGN and sadly carries Norm’s torch!

Sincerely,

Ican’t help but think Steinbeck must have had a hand in creating Norm, who at least left an indelible stamp on anyone he met. Norm navigated the world with equal parts audacity and charm, ambition and burned bridges, brilliance and obstruction. In my time working for him, I often found myself trying to win his affection and approval while hoping to evade his very notice.

Norm gave me my first full-time job in journalism, but it took a competing offer to get it. Norm had lofty dreams for his humble newspaper and would often keep us at the office late into the night, meticulously scrutinizing the smallest of details. He was the boss who would entertain my quixotic story ideas while simultaneously assigning us seemingly aimless pieces that, much to our

surprise, actually resonated with readers.

Understanding Norm’s place in the world — from SFGN’s wonderfully chaotic office to his substantially felt presence in Wilton Manors — meant embracing the legendary tapestry of his life. His was a narrative filled with triumphs and heartbreaks, some poignant and some (justifiably) beyond belief.

During my time at the paper, I developed a reporting system to improve our bottom line. It was effective enough that I inadvertently reported myself out of a job. I still remember the day Norm waved around my reports, explaining to me why he could no longer afford me, which was true. The irony wasn’t lost on either of us — in true Normian fashion, he never let it show.

When I found a new gig, Norm called to congratulate me. He said he had been just about to offer me my job back, surely another Normian exaggeration. Ever unpredictable, he expressed his gratitude, and we caught up on life. He asked about my family, said something or another about baseball, and was suddenly distracted by someone, abruptly ending the call.

That’s how I imagine — and sincerely hope — Norm lived every moment of his life: fully immersed in it right up until he wasn’t. And then, with his characteristic flourish, he’d just as enthusiastically move on to the next adventure.

How many articles on Brenda Fam strong stance advocating for Broward School

COLUMN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Andrew R. Brett, Past President Log Cabin Republicans of Broward. Founder SOFLA GAY (GREAT AMERICAN YOU) Conservatives.

SUPPORTING THE LGBT COMMUNITY

Thank you so much for the tremendous reporting and important information your paper is providing for the LGBT community.

With so many of our freedoms and rights in jeopardy on a local and state level, you consistently keep us informed, give us hope and motivate us to do more.

SFGN seems to be making greater strides in our community as a newspaper than major organizations fighting for our freedoms that

are consistently failing us as seen by the barrage of anti-gay bills and hatred growing across the country.

Thank you for being here each week to educate us, empower us and help guide us to securing our rights and freedoms.

Sincerely,

John Lupi Jr. Oakland Park, FL

Gideon Grudo Former Editor-in-Chief of SFGN

SFGN file photo.

NORM NAVIGATED THE WORLD WITH EQUAL PARTS AUDACITY AND CHARM, AMBITION AND BURNED BRIDGES, BRILLIANCE AND OBSTRUCTION.

Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo by Alexander Grey via Unsplash.

to the Norm Kent LGBTQ Newsmaker Fund can be made here: www.rb.gy/2s1c8.

THREE-SCORE YEARS AND 10

In the Psalm 90, Chapter 10, we are given the average life expectancy for humans then and now: “The days of our years are three-score years and 10, or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but travail and vanity; For it is speedily gone, and we fly away.” What the Bible calls “three-score years and 10” we now know as 70 years of age; and for a long time, our ancestors strove to reach that age. Today, the life expectancy in the USA is 79 years for women and 73 years for men, a bit of a decline due to COVID-19. Still, American who are white, affluent and without preexisting conditions can expect to reach “fourscore years” before they meet their demise.

I write all this because, within a few days (G*d willing), I will be “three-score years and 10.” When I was younger, I never thought that I would reach that age. It was the height of the AIDS epidemic and, as I witnessed too many of my friends pass on to the Great Beyond, I thought that I would soon share their fate. Instead, to quote the late Elaine Stritch, “I’m still here.” Not only do I seem likely to reach the big 70, I might be able to celebrate it in reasonably good health, as a productive member of my community. For all this I am grateful.

The LGBT community is largely youth oriented, and until recently it did not give much

ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO, ON JUNE 6, 1973, I BECAME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, THE FIRST ONE IN MY FAMILY TO DO SO.

space to its older members. Now, of course, things have changed; and communities like Palm Springs, Provincetown and Wilton Manors provide supportive havens to their queer seniors so we can live out our golden years. I benefit from all that, just as I benefit from the example of those who came before me, some of who lived beyond their fourscore years. One of those role models is David Leddick, a gay Renaissance man who lived an active and productive life until the day he died.

Twenty twenty-three is a special year for me. Almost 50 years ago, on June 6, 1973, I became an American citizen, the first one in my family to do so. And 50 years ago, after much thought, I came out as a gay man and an active member of the LGBT community. I don’t know what fate has in store for me, as I prepare to enter my eighth decade. But I will try to continue to do the best I can, so I can leave this planet a better place than it was when I arrived. For all this I thank all who give meaning to my life, especially my boyfriend, “Toto” Ron Farago, who deserves his own “Journal” article. You will soon learn more about him, and me, if “I’m still here.”

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.

South Florida Gay News

Jesse Monteagudo, 20 years old, as it appeared in his Certificate of Naturalization (June 6, 1973). Photo courtesy of Jesse Monteagudo.

Jesse Monteagudo

FOOD HALL HAULOVER

SIDE DISH

In the past few years, we’ve seen the proliferation of several upscale food courts. They may be called Culinary Centers, Food Halls, or whatever, but they were all basically, upscale versions of shopping mall food courts; individual vendors gathered under one roof.

It didn’t take long for the cracks in the foundation to show. First, there were the pressures of decreased customer base due to the pandemic, and its accompanying supply chain issue.

Finding reliable help also proved difficult as people realized they could work from home and ease childcare and traveling expenses. Customers also realized that these vendors were not asking quite the bargain prices they had expected.

DELRAY MARKETPLACE has already lost several of its food vendors and SISTRUNK MARKETPLACE has had to struggle under not only the pandemic-related issues but the upcoming demolition of its neighbor, FAT Village. The most recent Food Hall to

take a punch was Pompano Beach’s THE BITE EATERY. The dining destination, already open for nearly two months, is owned and operated by developer Richard Gollel. He had to open many of The Eatery’s food providers on his own, and one of those, the popular DELI SHACK, had to close when its employees walked off the job in protest.

VOODOO BAYOU, a Cajun café, is expected to finally open on Las Olas this spring, replacing the former Café de Paris. It will showcase New Orleans staples; gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp, and crawfish étouffée, po’ boys, as well as an 18-ounce, bonein Cajun ribeye and gator tail. This is Voodoo’s second location. It opened in Palm Beach Gardens in 2020.

THE BAKED BEAR coming soon to Miami (there’s already one in Sawgrass Mills), will feature 13 baked-from-scratch-daily cookies and 13 premium craft ice cream flavors for made-to-order ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, and Bear Bowls, a warm cookie and brownie served with a scoop of ice cream.

Watch for a rainbow-hued mural on nine repurposed steel containers on Hallandale Beach Blvd. near Dixie Hwy. It will be home to KAO BAR AND GRILL, set to open in late April or early May. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will bring Argentine-style pizzas to the area. With a blend of three different flours, then baked in a convection oven and finished on the plancha, the South American treat is crunchier and has a more evenly cooked bottom than the traditional Italian pie. Typical toppings include a mozzarella-Monterey

jack blend, ham, olives, roasted red peppers, and oregano.

Local favorite BOKAMPER’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL will be knocked down to make way for a new high-end hotel along the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale. The demolition is still a couple of years away and a new BoKamper’s will open in the hotel. There‘s still a lot of red tape, so you’ll still be able to stop by for the time being.

NORM KENT: ANYTHING BUT AVERAGE

As you no doubt have read by now, our beloved Co-founder Norm Kent passed away earlier this month. In my 40 years writing for the LGBT press, I’ve worked for many, shall we say, “colorful” publishers and editors. Some were wonderful people, some were a bit more mercurial, but none compared to Norm. He was a man of strong opinions, and he had no trouble voicing those. But he was also a generous and jovial man. He, and by extension, SFGN, is one of the most professional publications for which I have had the opportunity to work. We’ll miss you, Norm.

The Bite Eatery. Photo via Facebook.

Rick Karlin

YELP! THINKS THESE ARE THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN FLORIDA THERE’S MORE ONLINE!

The Bite Eatery. Photo via Facebook.

KAO Bar & Grill courtesy photos.

GOOD TROUBLE FOR ‘WOKE’

Brian McNaught

‘ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS’

Aurora Dominguez

It’s time to be really creative in caring for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and adults. We’re losing ground, and we need to color outside the lines. As Congressman John Lewis told us, as well as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s time to create “good trouble.” I’m talking about an Underground Railroad for transgender children and adults, billboards with challenging messages across the states, and adults standing outside the windows of First Grade classrooms wearing t-shirts that say, “I Love Being Gay.”

Three times in the past week, I’ve been asked, “What do we do about these anti-LGBTQ laws that are springing up everywhere?”

One question came from a student in an audience of 150 at the University of Maine where I gave a Zoom talk. A dinner guest told me that he and another major donor have contacted national and state LGBT organizations to ask, “What are you going to do differently to make a difference?” And yesterday, a trained and licensed counselor told me that his organization is no longer allowed to counsel young people who are transgender. Otherwise, they’ll lose their license to counsel.

When women had no access to birth control information, other than from their doctor, and were aborting their babies with hangers in back alleys, Margaret Sanger broke the law by printing brochures that explained contraception, and had them passed out freely

and mailed. The police tried sending her to jail. Now, birth control information is easily accessed. There are some laws that need to be creatively circumvented.

I told the counselor of transgender youth that I’d be happy to counsel the young people, and run group sessions for them in our home, if need be. I’ve been doing sexual counseling and leading group discussions for nearly 50 years without a license, but certified as a sexuality counselor and educator. The state can’t do anything to me, and I’m glad to do it for free. Billboards need to say, “‘Woke’ Means You Woke Up.”

An Underground Railroad means that we’ll help transgender people make it into states where they can get the medical assistance they need in order to be their true selves. Can we find temporary shelter, a support group, and a job for them?

LGBT political groups need to keep doing the work they’re so good at doing, but in a statewide and nationwide coalition with Jewish, Women’s, Black, and Latino groups, and with progressive churches and others.

Saul Alinsky, the famed activist who wrote “Rules for Radicals,” was asked by a group of seminarians on the eve of their ordination, “How do we make sure we don’t get co-opted by the system?” He replied, “Decide tonight if you want to be a priest or a bishop?”

People who fear losing their status are not my target audience here. Doing “good trouble” is for those who prioritize equality regardless of the risk.

Brian McNaught has been an author and educator on LGBTQ issues since 1974. Former Congressman Barney Frank said of Brian, “No one has done a better job of chronicling what it’s like to grow up gay." www.brian-mcnaught.com.

Check out “Only on the Weekend” by Dean Atta, a tale about three boys and two cities and the struggle of keeping a long-distance relationship.

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR MOST RECENT BOOK?

“Only on the Weekends” was inspired by moving from London, England to Glasgow, Scotland in 2019. I thought about how hard this kind of move would be for a teenager leaving behind their friends and everything familiar. I knew I wanted to write a gay romance and so I thought about why a teenage boy might suddenly have to move city and how he might try to keep a long-distance relationship going with his boyfriend. I decided the reason would be his dad’s job, and for this to work I decided to make his dad a single father. Once I’d made these initial choices the rest of the story and its characters fell into place. My main character Mack and his dad Teju are combinations of several people I know, and Mack’s boyfriend Karim is a combination of several guys I’ve dated. Finlay, the second love interest, is inspired by many queer Glasgwegians I’ve met since moving here.

WHY DO YOU FEEL REPRESENTATION OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE IS SO IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING BOOKS?

I’m pretty focused on Black queer representation. I think there should be opportunities for authors of all ethnicities and lived experiences to write books. When I write a book I don’t aim for variety but authenticity. I only write characters I know from experience or can research extensively. I think we’ll get better representation with greater diversity among authors and publishers.

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BOOK AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO WRITE IT.

It’s a tale of three boys and two cities. Mack has to move from London to Glasgow because of his dad’s job. Mack tries to keep a long-distance relationship going with Karim, his boyfriend back in London. This proves difficult because Karim has a busy schedule as captain of his school basketball team. Mack meets Finlay in Glasgow and, despite being a famous social media influencer, Finlay seems to have all the time in the world for Mack. I decided to write this book because I love romance and, in my opinion, there aren’t enough queer romances. I also thought there aren’t enough stories set in Glasgow. A lot of people may know Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands but you mostly see Glasgow represented in gritty and quite harrowing stories. My experience of Glasgow has been full of kindness, amazing art and culture, and it’s all been really queer-friendly so I felt I had to celebrate that.

Illustration via twitter.com/GLSEN.

Dean Atta. Courtesy photo

ACTOR TALKS TRANSITIONS, TRANS LIFE ON STAGE

J.W. Arnold

In Vanessa Garcia’s “#Graced,” a world premiere play opening May 4 at Zoetic Stage in Miami, a young woman, Cat, seeks authentic experiences while on a “Lewis-and-Clark-esque” trip across the country with her lover Lewis.

One of the unique characters they encounter along the way is Blake, a queer homeschooled teen, portrayed by Miami transgender actor Sabrin Diehl.

“Blake is a 16-year-old girl who is just starting to figure out that she might not be straight and she might not be cisgender,” explained Diehl. “She’s very much at the beginning of her journey.”

Diehl, who is now 24, came out as a lesbian at 14. Two years ago, during the height of the pandemic, the New World School of the Arts grad began questioning their gender identity.

“At the same time, my dad was imprisoned for a while and had just been released. There was a lot of space for emotions to come out,” they said. “I realized that I was trans and felt very much nonbinary. I’m obviously androgynous enough to be playing a teenage girl, but I had a lot of conversations with [directors Sarah Hughes and Victoria Collado] about what Blake is going through.”

Blake and Diehl’s experiences share similarities, along with obvious differences. Unlike Blake, who is somewhat isolated, at New World and surrounded by diverse

students, Diehl “could be myself.”

“I came out very loudly and figured it out for myself,” they recalled. “The connection with Blake is especially sweet, but it comes out very messily for her … like it does when you’re young and queer. But, it was met with tenderness and it’s healing to see that in the play. There are a lot of young gay and queer people who don’t get that.”

Diehl believes the timing of the premiere is important, especially given the political attacks the transgender community is facing in Florida and other Republican-led states. It’s personal, they added.

“It’s a great play with a lot of important perspectives around where we are as a country,” Diehl, who is also CubanAmerican, elaborated. “This show dares to ask all the questions. There’s also a lot happening right now because of social media and when you give someone a ‘label’ there are all sorts of prejudices that come along with that.”

They concluded, “I’m happy people are talking about pronouns, but I don’t want people to be afraid to speak to me or get to know me just because I’m trans. It’s hard and it was hard for me, too. Since it’s such a wellwritten show and being directed brilliantly, I believe this very clear message will come through. We need to have conversations and not be afraid of each other.”

Zoetic Stages presents the world premiere of Vanessa Garcia’s “#Graced,” May 4 – 21 at the Arsht Center in Miami. Tickets are $55 – 60 at ZoeticStage.org.

Local transgender actor Sabrin Diehl portrays a queer teen in the world premiere of Vanessa Garcia’s “#Graced” at Zoetic Stage in Miami. Credit: Artists Management.

RACHMANINOFF

Featuring Svetlana Smolina, piano

BRUCKNER Te Deum

Featuring spectacular vocalists & South Florida Symphony Chorus

April 26 | The Parker

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