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Gazette Wilton Manors

May 4, 2016 vol. 7 // issue 17

AFTER INSERT

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f l o r i d a

g a y

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PAGE 26

REDEMPTION ON THE DRIVE A 180 D eg ree Tu rn fo r Ni c k B er r y

REMEMBERING MISS VICKY Pages 32, 33

SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS

REMEMBERING THE COPA RAID

Pages 20, 21

SOFLAGAYNEWS

SFGN.COM 5.4.2016 • 1

tHe OPeNiNG LiNe Photos: Facebook.

CRuisiNG situatiON PROmPts CaLLs tO CLeaN uP PaRk Dick Eaton –

I applaud Michael for taking this stand. There are private clubs for those who want to partake in these activities. Just because you are a gay man does not mean you have to support anything that other gays want to condone. I also support Justin and Julie for their stand as well in working to restore this public park so that all can enjoy it without being subject to this type of activity.

Comments from sFGN’s

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Compiled by John McDonald

PLaNNiNG ORGaNiZatiON aPPROVes WiLtON dRiVe LaNe ReduCtiON Kevin Burke – I applaud Broward County’s MPO for approving Wilton Manors’ city councils decision to reduce the traffic lanes. It will slow traffic and make our town safer to walk and drive thru.

daniel Nistal –

I am all up for sex and fun but public places with minors are off limit. The fact that Wilton Manors is a gay city doesn’t mean is lawless.

Ted Adcock –

What ever happened to the waterfall at Wilton Drive and 5 points?

mons Floen –

This is great but is going to turn ne 26th into a high-speed freeway between 6th and Dixie.

Robb Kvašňák –

Sex is good. I am sick and tired of the stupid idea that sex is bad. My boiling point is being reached by the prudes and fascists who hate their own bodies - and in reality it is NOT really about the bathrooms - or the drinking fountains - or sitting at the lunch counter - it is REALLY about finding scape goats for one’s own internal problems.

MAY 4, 2016 • VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 17 2520 N. DIXIE HIGHWAY • WILTON MANORS, FL 33305 PHONE: 954-530-4970 FAX: 954-530-7943

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ted CRuZ CHOOses CaRLy FiORiNa as RuNNiNG mate Jamie Blood –

now this is a match made in crazy heaven.

James Oaksun –

The typical action is to jump *off* the sinking ship, not *onto* it.

Rik Miles –

He doesn’t have a horse yet, and he’s positioning the cart?

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DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ INTERNET DIRECTOR 2010 - 2016 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.

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MEMBER

news highlight

iGLta taPs NeW BOaRd CHaiR amid deCLiNiNG memBeRsHiP John McDonald

T

he International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, grappling with decreasing membership, announced a new board of directors chair.

In a news release, the organization named Juan Julia, a Spanish entrepreneur, its new chairman of the board. The IGLTA bills itself as a leading member-based global organization “dedicated to connecting and educating LGBT travelers and the businesses that welcome and support them along the way.”

“I feel so honored to be part of the IGLTA board and it is a pleasure being the first Spanish member as the board chair,” Julia said in a news release.

Julia is founder and owner of Axel Hotels, a Barcelona based company known for boutique style properties with a catchy tagline -- “heterofriendly.” Julia is the first European to lead IGLTA since 2006 and his tenure comes at a time when membership is declining.

In a report released ahead of the organization’s annual convention last month

in Cape Town, South Africa, an independent auditor found a loss of 80 members in regions across the globe. According to the Pride Enterprises review, IGLTA had just 891 members in April of 2016. This total membership, the report states, “should be of grave concern.”

Elected as Julia’s vice chair is Richard Gray, longtime IGLTA member and current managing director for the LGBT market at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“I’ve known Juan for 15 years,” Gray told SFGN. “He is certainly a visionary leader.”

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5.4.2016 •

3

Compiled by Jillian Melero

Judge: California Police targeted Gays in sting Operations (AP) A judge who said police improperly targeted gay men in sting operations has dismissed charges of lewd conduct and indecent exposure against a man who was arrested in a public bathroom.

Superior Court Judge Halim Dhanidina ruled Friday that Rory Moroney’s arrest in 2014 was based on discriminatory enforcement and prosecution, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported.

If convicted, Moroney would have been required to register as a sex offender for life.

Moroney, 50, was arrested after a detective acting as a vice unit decoy said he exposed himself in a bathroom at Recreation Park in the Los Angeles suburb.

Moroney said the detective, who smiled, nodded and made eye contact in the restroom, appeared to be interested in sex.

During the trial, police indicated that they had arrested

K

asich Calls for Balance on Gay Rights, Religious Beliefs

(AP) Asked about gay rights and marriage equality, Republican presidential candidate John Kasich said Friday that more people should take a “chill pill” and try to get along with one another rather than turn to unwieldy legislation.

The Ohio governor appeared at a town hall hosted by the Commonwealth Club of California, where he answered questions on issues that included terrorism and health care as well as discrimination against gays and lesbians.

“Do I think people are born gay? Probably. I’ve never studied the issue, but I don’t see any reason to hurt you or discriminate (against) you or make you feel bad or make you feel like a second-class citizen,” Kasich said in a spirited exchange with a gay man in the audience.

“I don’t think that’s right. Because you know what?

Everybody’s created in the image of the Lord.”

Kasich has walked a fine line on the issue, saying that he does not support same-sex marriage but that he also has attended a gay wedding. He said that he does not believe in discriminating against anybody, but religious views must also be honored.

His answer partially satisfied 62-year-old San Francisco resident Kelly Bryan.

“I simply wanted it to be answered that gay people are born gay and that it is not a lifestyle,” he said.

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orth Carolina Lawmaker Defends Law, Acknowledges Fallout

(AP) A leading North Carolina lawmaker has told business leaders he respects their right to speak out against a law limiting protections for LGBT people - but he’s not changing his mind.

The Human Rights Campaign posted a copy of the letter, dated April 19, online Friday. In the letter, Republican Senate leader Phil Berger appears to try to assuage the businesses’ fears about the law, but also remarks: “Make no mistake: I supported, and continue to

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about 55 men for lewd conduct in the past two years.

Police said they based lewd-conduct operations on complaints, but the judge said there was little evidence of such complaints at the men’s restrooms where most stings took place.

“The presence and tactics of the decoy officers actually caused the crimes to occur,” Dhanidina ruled.

“The arbitrary enforcement of the law as seen in this case undermines the credibility of our legal system, eroding public confidence in our ability to achieve just results,” the judge said in his closing remarks.

“This judge knows discrimination when he sees it,” said Bruce Nickerson, one of Moroney’s defense lawyers. “His ruling is powerful because it sends a message far beyond this case. It sends a message to police departments throughout the state who do these decoy operations for lewd-conduct cases.”

support, the legislation.”

Ben Graumann, a spokesman for Equality NC, says the letter was sent to at least some of the 180 businesses whose representatives signed a letter seeking the law’s repeal.

A spokeswoman for Berger didn’t immediately respond to a voicemail and an email Friday.

North Carolina’s legislative session started this week.

Gov Signs Anti-Gay Tennessee Religious Counseling Bill Into Law

(AP) Tennessee’s Republican governor said Wednesday that he signed a bill into law that allows mental health counselors to refuse to treat patients based on the therapist’s religious or personal beliefs.

“As a professional I should have the right to decide if my clients end goals don’t match with my beliefs - I should have the right to say somebody else can better serve them,” Gov. Bill Haslam said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “Lawyers can do that, doctors can do that. Why would we take this one class of professionals and say you can’t do that?”

The American Counseling Association called the legislation an “unprecedented attack” on the counseling profession and said Tennessee was the only state to ever pass such a law. Opponents say the legislation is part of a wave of bills around the nation that legalizes discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.

Haslam said he consulted several counselors on both side of the issue and that they all told him that “this isn’t about taking on or not taking on LGBT clients, because even the ones who said they think the bill is needed said they never actually turned someone down for this reason.”

The governor said the decision by the ACA to update its 2014 ethics code took away therapists’ ability to make decisions based on their values. Haslam emphasized that the law only applies to counselors in private practice and does not allow them to turn away people who are in imminent danger of harming themselves

Judge Halim Dhanidina.

or others. It also requires that the counselors refer patients to other therapists if they decline to treat them.

The ACA has called the legislation discriminatory.

C

olombia’s High Court Clears Way for Gay Marriage

(AP) Colombia’s highest court has cleared the way for same-sex couples to marry in the conservative Roman Catholic nation.

Gay couples in Colombia were already allowed to form civil unions. But Thursday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court for the first time allows them to wed the same as heterosexual couples.

The decision was widely expected after a 6-3 decision earlier this month rejected a justice’s opinion that would have prevented public notaries from registering same-sex unions as marriages.

With Thursday’s decision, Colombia joins only a handful of nations in Latin America allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, including Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

As part of the proceedings President Juan Manuel Santos’ government argued in favor of marriage rights for gay couples.

Colombia

5.4.2016 •

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News Briefs

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Continued

roward Democrats Elect National Delegates

Broward County Democrats head to the polls May 5 and 7 to elect delegates to the party’s national convention.

U.S. congressional districts 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are holding elections Thursday and Saturday. Broward Democratic Executive Committee spokesman Ken Evans said it is important to remember voters must cast their ballots in the districts where they lived during the 2014 general election and must be registered Democrats.

Democrats vote for either the Hillary Clinton pledged delegates, or the Bernie Sanders pledged delegates. In each congressional district the Clinton delegates will usually be two men and two women. The Sanders delegates are usually one man and one woman although some districts only will elect one delegate, some will elect three, said Dolphin Democrats spokesman Tim Ross. Delegates are proportional to the votes received for each candidate in their congressional district.

The 2016 Democratic National Convention is July 25-28 in Philadelphia.

For polling locations and hours, visit http://files.www. floridadems.org/our-party/national-convention/Caucus_ Locations_and_Contacts_4.28.2016.pdf

A

labama City Passes Anti-Transgender Bathroom Ordinance

(AP) People in an Alabama city who use public restrooms intended for a gender other than what is listed on their birth certificate will be punished under an ordinance officials passed this week.

Oxford City Council President Steven Waits was quoted by news media outlets as saying the ordinance was a response to a new policy announced by Target Corp. last week allowing transgender employees and shoppers to use the restroom that matches their gender identity. There is a Target store in the Oxford Exchange shopping center.

Target representatives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Target officials said on the company’s corporate blog April 19 that its stance on inclusion and equality was reiterated to employees amid heated national debate over laws that LGBT advocates say effectively legalize discrimination against transgender people.

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• 5.4.2016

The Oxford ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for a person to use a restroom that doesn’t correspond with their gender at birth. Violators of the ordinance could face a $500 fine or up to six months in jail.

The Washington-based Human Rights Campaign blasted the ordinance, saying it raises a number of privacy concerns and questions about how it will be enforced.

Oxford Police Chief Bill Partridge said the law will be enforced like any other city ordinance, such as noise violations or public indecency.

“If somebody sees something that makes them uncomfortable, they would call the police,” he was quoted by Al.com as saying. “If the person is still there when the officer arrives, the officer has to witness the crime. Then we take down the person’s information, and the person who reported it has to sign out a warrant.”

News Briefs

N

ew Killings in Bangladesh Leave LGBT Community Full of Fear

(AP) The killing of two gay rights activists in the Bangladeshi capital has driven the country’s already secretive and small gay community underground, wondering if they can trust a government that considers their status to be criminal, rights groups said.

Police detectives say they are working with evidence including a mobile phone, documents and witness testimony to solve the case, in which a gang of young men fatally stabbed a theater actor and the editor of Bangladesh’s only LGBT rights magazine, who also worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

But with these being the latest killings in an ongoing wave of violence targeting atheist writers and outspoken moderates, members of Bangladesh’s minority groups and civil society worry they’re not safe, while rights group question the government’s repeated claims that the situation is under control.

That fear is especially strong among members of Bangladesh’s largely closeted gay community.

“They have gone into hiding. They are feeling particularly vulnerable,” said Meenakshi Ganguly of Human Rights Watch. “Being gay is hard enough in conservative societies.”

After the government advised those at risk to simply lay low and avoid offending others, she said, “LGBT people are hardly likely to have faith in a government that pretty much denies the LGBT community exists.”

Already, five people have been killed this year, after nine were slain in 2015. But while authorities have arrested suspects in some of those cases - mostly low-level operatives following orders in allegedly carrying out the attacks - none has yet been prosecuted, and authorities have yet to identify the masterminds. Police say they are waiting until investigations are complete before taking any suspects to court.

A

Continued

nti-LGBT Missouri ‘Religious Objections’ Proposal Suffers Setback

(AP) A Missouri religious objections proposal failed on Wednesday to get the approval of a key legislative committee in a setback for conservatives who hoped to add protections for those who cite their faith in denying services such as flowers or cakes for same-sex weddings.

Members of a House committee voted 6-6, with a tie vote not enough to advance the measure. The committee’s Republican chairman Rep. Elijah Haahr said it still has a chance to succeed if one of the lawmakers who voted against it in committee changes sides and asks for another vote. After that, it would need approval from a second committee before it could head to the House floor for debate.

The legislation previously passed the Senate following a 37-hour filibuster by Democrats.

At issue was a proposed constitutional amendment to bar government penalties against businesses that cite religion while denying goods and services of “expressional or artistic creation” for same-sex weddings. If passed by the Legislature, it would head to a referendum of voters this year.

Supporters argued it’s needed to shield businesses from being forced to provide services that violate their religious beliefs following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year legalizing marriage of same-sex couples in all states.

The Missouri Baptist Convention and Missouri Alliance for Freedom, which advocates for individual liberties, backed the proposal.

HOMEOWNERS

But it drew opposition from some of the state’s top corporate names, including agricultural giant Monsanto, brewer Anheuser-Busch and prescription drug benefits manager Express Scripts.

Critics cited economic fallout in states with laws perceived by some as discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, although Republican sponsor Sen. Bob Onder argues his proposal is narrower than measures passed in other states.

Lawmakers face a May 13 deadline to pass legislation.

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news national

LGBt inclusion in Films static, diversity drops, study says Lindsey Bahr

Associated Press

Hollywood films remained static in their inclusiveness of LGBT characters in 2015, but the racial diversity of those characters fell dramatically, according to the findings of GLAAD’s annual study.

In a survey released Monday by the advocacy group, 17.5 percent of last year’s films from the seven major studios contained characters who were lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Though unchanged in total percentage from last year, the racial diversity of the LGBT characters has plummeted. Last year, 32.1 percent of the LGBT characters portrayed in the 126 films were people of color. This year, it’s down to 25.5 percent.

The revelation comes at a time of increased scrutiny around the inclusion of people of color in Hollywood films, following a second year of all-white Oscar nominees in the acting categories and a damning USC report about the “whitewashed” industry.

Many times, too, the LGBT characters are used solely as a punchline targets, said GLAAD’s President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

“Hollywood’s films lag far behind any other form of media when it comes to portrayals of LGBT characters,” Ellis said.

“The film industry must embrace new and inclusive stories if it wants to remain competitive and relevant.”

While television continues to make strides with shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Transparent,” films are also missing the mark in their representation of transgendered characters.

Only one major studio film featured a transgender character - the critically

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derided Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara buddy comedy “Hot Pursuit.” Even worse, it’s an increase from last year.

For the four years that the study has been done, each of the seven major studios are given a grade of “good” ‘’adequate” or “failing” for their slates. Lionsgate Entertainment, which had the most films with LGBT characters out of the seven, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, and Universal Pictures were all deemed adequate.

Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios, however, were given a failing grade because none of their 2015 films included LGBT characters.

The report provides LGBT-focused synopses on many of the films counted, and many which were not, giving explanations as to why portrayals were positive or negative, or lambasting films for “gay panic” jokes.

Going forward, an “adequate” grade will no longer be acceptable, according to the report. Next year GLAAD will hold the studios to a higher standard with the use of a five-star scale.

The studios’ art house divisions, like Focus Features and Fox Searchlight, fared better overall. Of the 46 films surveyed, 22 percent were LGBT-inclusive, up from 10.6 percent last year with releases like “The Danish Girl,” ‘’Grandma” and “Chi-Raq.” Notable 2015 films like the lesbian romance “Carol” and the transgender sex worker drama “Tangerine” were acknowledge in the report, but not included in overall percentages because they were from specialty and independent distributors and studios.

politics white house watch

Photo: Nigel Parry, CNN.

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VISIT SFGN.COM TO SEE WHERE TO FIND YOUR COPY

CLiNtON, tRumP CLOse tO CaPtuRiNG NOmiNatiONs John McDonald

A

for a rally that turned ugly as police arrested s the U.S. Presidential campaign enters 17 protestors in Costa Mesa. On Monday, the the summer season, both major political alleged ringleader, 19-year-old Luis Fernando parties are turning their attention to the Alarcon was charged with felony vandalism national conventions. and a misdemeanor for inciting a riot. Latino Republicans go first, staging their convention activist groups in California are promising in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21. Heading into similar uprisings when Trump returns to the Tuesday night’s Indiana primary, billionaire Golden State. businessman Donald J. Trump held a 996 to “We’re going to keep showing up and 565-delegate lead over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz standing against the actions and the hate of Texas.

Trump, following a five state sweep in last Donald Trump is creating. We are going to continue to just show up in week’s northeastern primaries, numbers and stand together,” has taken to referring to Luis Serrano, an organizer with himself as the “presumptive Trump, the California Immigration nominee.”

A Republican candidate is required to collect following a five Youth Justice Alliance, told the Los Angeles Times.

1,237 delegates to earn to the state sweep California, one of the last party’s nod. states to cast ballots, holds Cruz, in a last ditch effort in last week’s elections June 7. to catch Trump, stoked fears northeastern For Democrats, the narrative of sexual predators lurking primaries, is much calmer, although U.S. in bathrooms. Trump said Senator Bernie Sanders of transgender people should be has taken to Vermont refuses to throw in permitted to “use the bathroom referring to the towel. Sanders trails former they feel comfortable.” Cruz U.S. Secretary of State Hillary disagrees. himself as the Clinton in the delegate math “This is not a matter of “presumptive 1,645 to 1,318. A Democratic right or left, or Democrat or nominee.” candidate is required to collect Republican. This is common 2,382 delegates to earn to the sense. It doesn’t make sense for party’s nod. grown adult men, strangers, to Sanders, on Monday, said the party’s be alone in a restroom with a little girl,” Cruz convention July 25-28 in Philadelphia “will be told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

Pushing back against Cruz’s attempts to contested.”

Clinton, however, appears to have weathered demonize transgender people, Caitlyn Jenner proudly marched into Trump Tower to use the the socialist’s challenge. After winning four of five northeastern states last week, Clinton told ladies room.

Jenner, a Republican, quipped: “By the way, reporters it’s not how you get knocked down that matters, but “how you get back up and Ted, nobody got molested.”

Meanwhile, Trump jetted off to California keep fighting.”

5.4.2016 •

9

If you’re living with HIV, you may face another clinical challenge to healthy aging

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For additional trial details, see the full Prescribing Information at EGRIFTA.com.

a

EGRIFTA® is not indicated to treat health issues beyond the reduction of excess abdominal VAT.

SELECTED RISK INFORMATION What is EGRIFTA ®?

• EGRIFTA ® is an injectable prescription medicine to reduce the excess in abdominal fat in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy. The impact and safety of EGRIFTA ® on cardiovascular health has not been studied.

• EGRIFTA ® is not indicated for weight loss management.

• It is not known whether taking EGRIFTA ® helps improve compliance with anti-retroviral medications.

EGRIFTA ® may cause serious side effects including: • Serious allergic reaction. Stop using EGRIFTA ® and get emergency help right away if you have symptoms such as a rash over your body, hives, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, swelling of your face or throat, fast heartbeat, and feeling of faintness or fainting.

• Swelling (fluid retention). EGRIFTA ® can cause swelling in some parts of your body.

• Increase in glucose (blood sugar) intolerance and diabetes.

• Injection site reactions. Change (rotate) your injection site to help lower your risk for injection site reactions. The following symptoms around the area of the injection site can occur: redness, itching, pain, irritation, bleeding, rash, and swelling.

The most common side effects of EGRIFTA ® include: joint pain, pain in legs and arms, swelling in your legs, muscle soreness, tingling, numbness and pricking, nausea, vomiting, rash, and itching.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Please see brief summary of full Important Patient Information on next page.

Learn more at EGRIFTA.com

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• 5.4.2016

A Transformation From Within

IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION The following is a brief summary only. See complete Prescribing Information at EGRIFTA.com or request complete Prescribing Information by calling 1-844-347-4382. This information does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your medical condition or your treatment.

What is EGRIFTA ® (tesamorelin for injection)?

• EGRIFTA ® is an injectable prescription medicine to reduce the excess in abdominal fat in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy. The impact and safety of EGRIFTA ® on cardiovascular health has not been studied.

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• It is not known whether taking EGRIFTA ® helps improve compliance with anti-retroviral medications.

Do not use EGRIFTA ® if you: • have pituitary gland tumor, pituitary gland surgery or other problems related to your pituitary gland.

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Your healthcare provider will measure your blood sugar periodically.

• Injection-site reactions. Change (rotate) your injection site to help lower your risk for injection-site reactions. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice if you have the following symptoms around the area of the injection site: • redness • bleeding • itching • rash • pain • swelling • irritation The most common side effects of EGRIFTA ® include: • joint pain • nausea • pain in legs and arms • vomiting • swelling in your legs • rash • muscle soreness • itching • tingling, numbness and pricking

• Read the detailed “Instructions for Use” that comes with EGRIFTA ® before you start using EGRIFTA ®. Your healthcare provider will show you how to inject EGRIFTA ®.

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toll-free at

For more information about EGRIFTA ®, go to www.EGRIFTA.com or contact toll-free at 1-844-EGRIFTA (1-844-347-4382). ®

Distributed by: Theratechnologies Inc., 2015 Peel Street, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3A 1T8.

EGRIFTA® and EGRIFTA ASSIST ® are registered trademarks of Theratechnologies Inc. © 2016 Theratechnologies Inc. All rights reserved. 190-01-12/15

5.4.2016 •

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B

Lesbian

HiGH sCHOOL BLOCks LesBiaN COuPLe FROm PROm queeNs, BLames ‘GeNdeR disCRimiNatiON’ (EDGE) A principal for a high school in Redding, California is prohibiting a lesbian couple from being nominated as prom queens, saying it would be gender discrimination, The Record Searchlight reports.

Despite receiving overwhelming support from their classmates from Foothill High School, Hayley Lack, 16, and her girlfriend are not allowed to run for prom queens, thanks to principal Jim Bartow.

Bartow told the newspaper his decision is “completely about gender equality.” He noted Title IX requires school programs that receive federal aid cannot discrimination based on gender, saying, “We are providing equal access on both sides of the prom court.”

Lack and her girlfriend earned more than 100 signatures on a petition urging the school to change its rules. The ACLU is looking into the situation.

“Their argument doesn’t make sense to me,” Lack told The Record Searchlight. “We don’t need a female on the football team or a male cheerleader to be fair - why do we need a guy when the couple nominated is a female

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• 5.4.2016

Compiled by Jillian Melero

Bisexual

aCCused kiLLeR OF Bi teeN iNVOLVed WitH teeN’s mOm

Nicholas Hawkins.

Credit: Facebook.

Hayley Lack. Credit: Facebook.

couple? ... We’d rather just fight the battle for it and win so that future kids that are LGBT won’t have to deal with it,” she said.

“A queen and a queen can still rule perfectly fine.”

(SFGN) Three men have been charged in the death of Nicholas Hawkins, who was murdered in Alabama in February.

During the preliminary hearing, testimony uncovered that one of the accused, Joshua Reese, was in a relationship with both Hawkins and Hawkins’ mother, Daphne Webb, AL.com reports.

Reese has been identified as the shooter by the other two suspects in the case. Police Chief Jared Hall confirms that Reese was in a romantic relationship with Hawkins and with Webb. However, attorneys have yet to confirm whether or not the relationships were motive for the killing.

Suspects Cory Daniel Conner and Danny

Lee Jarvis say that they, Reese and Hawkins were doing drugs and joy riding the night of Saturday Feb. 13, when an argument broke out between Reese and Hawkins. Reese, who was driving, stopped at a nearby camper for blankets. Hawkins took the opportunity and called his mother, telling her he was afraid that Reese was going to hurt him. Webb did not notify police about the phone call until after Hawkins failed to return home.

The state medical examiner reports Hawkins cause of death as shotgun wounds and blunt force trauma to the head. All three suspects have been charged with murder, three more have been charged with hindering prosecution.

lgbtqia bites

continued

transgender

t

tRaNsGeNdeR CiViL seRVaNts iN BRaZiL CaN use CHOseN Name Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Credit: Jonas Pereira/Agência Senado.

(AP) Brazilian transgender and transsexual civil servants will now be able to use their chosen names while on the job.

Embattled President Dilma Rousseff, who faces impeachment proceedings for her management of the federal budget and could be suspended from office within weeks, signed a decree on the matter Thursday.

It’s the first time such a decree has been issued on the federal level. Some Brazilian state and regional bodies have similar measures.

Human Rights Secretary Rogerio Sotilli told journalists in Brasilia that the government’s aim is to fight discrimination. Such government workers can also have their chosen name on work identification cards.

The move is likely to irritate conservative politicians who are leading Rousseff’s impeachment case, chiefly lower house Speaker Eduardo Cunha.

5.4.2016 •

13

news miami-dade

Ladies Get Ready! Aqua Girl Returns

The hottest girl on girl event promises to be a South Beach splash Denise Royal

A

qua Girl, the largest Women’s Week celebration in the country kicks off later this month. This annual springtime party will be held from May 11-15 at the Raleigh Hotel on South Beach.

“I think attendees can expect the parties to go full blast from beginning to end,” says Caitlin Wood, Executive Director of the Aqua Foundation. “We want people to have an unforgettable time and have fun. All of the entertainment was designed to support the theme of “come play with us!”

All of the proceeds benefit the Aqua Foundation for Women, a not-for-profit whose mission is to serve as the funding catalyst for LBT wellness and equality in South Florida through grants, scholarships, and initiatives.

“The funds raised will support our grant recipients and we will choose new recipients in the fall that will benefit from these funds, I am proud to say that this year, we supported Lotus House, Project Safe, Pridelines Youth Services, SunServe and Legal Aid of Miami,” Wood said.

Highlights of the weeklong events range from dance parties at South Beach nightclubs, a comedy night, pool and beach parties, a jazz brunch, rock concert and more.

“I think we have a talent line up that is better than ever,” Wood said. “From recording artists Dev and Vela to the top Brazilian male DJ, Tommy Love for our Sunday pool party, and all our world-class DJs, I don’t think we have ever had talent this deep. Plus, we have relocated to the incredible Raleigh and their breathtaking pool.”

It all begins with a Game Night on Wednesday night. The next night there’s Speed Dating and a dance party to really get things started. For those who like to show off how limber they are, there’s Yoga on Friday morning, followed by a Splash Party at the Raleigh.

Later that night, there’s a VIP party at the Betsy. As late night turns into early morning, the fun moves to Senor Frogs for a fuego party with sounds by Elisa Seda.

On Saturday, there’s an all-day pool party at the Raleigh from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The talent lineup includes DJ MISS M, dj.shErOck*, DJ CITIZEN JANE, DJ Pat Pat, and DJ ZEHNO. The nighttime fun goes down at a dance party at Heart Nightclub, featuring DEV. Sunday there’s another pool party at the Raleigh featuring Tommy Love. Later on from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., ladies can channel their inner rock star at Karaoke at the Catalina.

Aqua Girl, which began in 1999, continues to grow every year – as does the ever-expanding variety of events, including cocktail receptions, gourmet dinners and an art exhibit.

But Wood admits there are a couple of parties that should not be missed.

“I would say, the Saturday and Sunday pool parties, Miami VIP at the Betsy for sure and then Temptation on Saturday night with recording sensation Dev and Fuego on Friday night with Columbian recording artist and chart topper, VELA,” she told SFGN. All events are 21 and over (with the exception of a few events that are 18 and over).

For more on ticketed events and pricing, visit Aqua Girl’s website at AquaGirl.com.

14

• 5.4.2016

politics out on the trail Photo Credit: John McDonald.

Out Lesbian Seeking Florida House Seat John McDonald

P

aulette V. Armstead says she is a pioneering person, but new to politics.

Armstead, campaigning for the open Florida House of Representatives seat in district 92, was the first black female police officer hired by the St. Petersburg Police Department.

“I was a street cop,” Armstead told SFGN in a telephone interview last week.

Armstead said it was her faith in a higher power that gave her the courage to walk her daily beat in uniform.

“I have a big trust in God,” said Armstead. “I felt like I was going to be protected and if something were to go wrong, I would have backup.”

Now 65 and making her first attempt at public office in her native state, Armstead, a Democrat from Deerfield Beach, is

campaigning as an out and proud lesbian.

“After much reading and reflection, I came to believe that my sexuality is not a sin but rather all human sexuality is a gift from God and that God loves me just the way I am,” Armstead said. “I also came to know and believe that God does not hate me or any other LGBT person.”

Along with her background in law enforcement, Armstead taught criminal justice classes at SUNY (State University of New York) and served as a staff attorney with the Florida Department of Natural Resources.

“I bring diverse experience to deal with the diverse issues we face,” said Armstead, who was born in Bradenton, Florida.

Five candidates – all Democrats -- have filed to represent house district 92 -- which covers parts of Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park

and Pompano Beach -- in Tallahassee. Current Rep. Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed (D-Deerfield Beach) is term-limited. Whitney Rawls, a tech entrepreneur, has received the endorsement of the outgoing Clarke-Reed who is campaigning for a seat in Florida’s senate. Florida’s primary election is scheduled for Aug. 30.

5.4.2016 •

15

news local David Jobin, CEO and President of Our Fund.

Photo: Facebook

Our Fund Doles Out Grants to 12 Organizations Recipients include YES Institute, Latinos Salud, and Tuesday’s Angels

Michael d’Oliveira

S

uicide prevention, companionship, healthier living, artistic expression and education. Those are some of the goals behind Our Fund’s donation of 78,750 in grants to 12 organizations in South Florida. Most are focused on LGBT causes but the ones that aren’t were given the money because it will be used to help LGBT individuals.

“We’re trying to make South Florida the most livable community in the country for LGBT people. We felt strongly the grant applications selected have the best chance at doing that,” said David Jobin, CEO and president of Our Fund.

Jobin said the grants, handed out twice a year, are funded by the iGive Society – individuals who donate a minimum of $1,500.

“Fifty percent of that gift supports our operations, fifty percent goes directly to our grants programs,” he said.

Mark Kent, executive director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, said the $5,000 grant his organization received will help in the search of a possible new location for performances. “We’re going to take a thoughtful look at that instead of just flying by the seat of our pants.” He estimates a decision could be reached by the end of June.

Kent said the Gay Men’s Chorus has been blessed in its relationship with Sunshine Cathedral, where its performances are currently held, but needs to expand. That could mean using Sunshine Cathedral

more nights a week and/or moving to a larger facility. “We’ve got to have additional venue capacity.”

Lucy Hernandez, executive director of administration for the YES Institute, said her organization’s $7,500 grant will be used to teach “Safe to Be Me,” a suicide prevention program focused on gender and sexual orientation, in more schools in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. “Safe to Be Me” is aimed at students and teachers.

Umut Dursun, community liaison for YES Institute, says the organization works to prevent suicide and ensure the healthy development of all youth impacted by gender and orientation through education.

YES doesn’t tell students how they should feel or think about gender or sexual orientation. Instead, they ask questions and open up conversation: is anyone being bullied due to their gender expression?

What are the slurs you hear in school? What would you do if your best friend came out as gay or transgender? “We’re there to let students and teachers authentically share what they do, see and hear, and support the school with education, ideas, and practices to have all students be safe,” said Dursun.

Other recipients include The Pride Center, Equality Florida, Stonewall National Museum and Archives, Latinos Salud, Humanity Project, Tuesday’s Angels, Miami Jewish Community Services, Gilda’s Club, Pet Project for Pets and South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble.

For more information about Our Fund, visit Our-Fund.org.

16

• 5.4.2016

news local Adherence 2013, which was hosted in Miami Beach.

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HIV Conference Held in South Florida

Adherence 2016 will focus on optimizing the HIV care and prevention continuum

Denise Royal

A

dherence 2016 will take place from May 9 to 11 at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood. During these four days, the presentation and discussion of HIV treatment and prevention adherence research will be discussed.

The target audience for this conference includes physicians, nurses/nursepractitioners, pharmacists, psychologists, behavioral researchers, social scientists, epidemiologists, social workers, case managers, AIDS service organization (ASO) staff, and allied healthcare and lay professionals working in the field of HIV medicine.

The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care sponsors the conference.

Adherence 2016 will focus on five thematic areas: data for action; optimizing the HIV care continuum; optimizing the HIV prevention continuum; leaving no one behind; and ending AIDS as a public health threat.

The program will feature a Keynote address; the Gary S. Reiter, MD, and Andrew Kaplan, MD, Memorial Lecture; and the Mario S. Cooper Memorial Colloquium, as well as: • 3 pre-conference breakfast sessions • 11 plenary sessions • 5 panel discussions • 6 oral abstract sessions

After completing this activity, participants should be able to summarize public health goals to reduce AIDS-related morbidity and mortality by optimizing the HIV care continuum. In addition, attendees will be able to apply evidencebased strategies to enhance adherence to HIV treatment in order to mitigate drug resistance and achieve long-term virologic suppression; and integrate into clinical practice biomedical prevention interventions, including evidence-based strategies to enhance adherence to preexposure prophylaxis.

The conference takes place as Florida continues to be hit hard by HIV. MiamiDade and Broward were number 1 and 2 in the U.S. in new HIV infections in 2014 per 100,000 residents, according to state and federal data.

At the same time, the World Health Organization is ramping up its ambitious goal to reduce HIV. By 2020, 90 percent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status. By 2020, 90 percent of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy.

By 2020, 90 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

The deadline for standard registration for the Adherence conference is May 6, 2016. For information on how to register, visit xcdsystem.com/adherence.

5.4.2016 •

17

news palm beach county

Palm Beach County Making a Play for the Pink Dollar

Tourism department launches LGBT Subcommittee Brittany Ferrendi

P

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• 5.4.2016

alm Beach County has now realized the power of the pink dollar.

Discover The Palm Beaches — the travel planning resource for visitors both domestic and abroad in Palm Beach County — has officially launched an LGBT subcommittee on tourism this year. The committee is made up of local LGBT people.

The goal is to push and promote Palm Beach County as a welcoming tourist destination to increase the influx of LGBT travelers.

“By aligning ourselves with advocates in the LGBT community, we can properly connect our message to all visitors of The Palm Beaches as a welcoming, inclusive destination,” Ashley Svarney, director of public relations and communications for DTPB, said in a press release. “This press trip and our new subcommittee will help us to increase awareness among LGBT tourists, and the county businesses that support them in their travels here. Our goal is to become a top destination for all travelers.”

According to DTPB, research suggests that over the last five years LGBT visitors to The Palm Beaches were 58 percent gay men and 32 percent lesbian women, nine percent of which have children. These LGBT visitors are more likely to participate in cultural tourism such as live theater — and are on average more wealthy — compared to visitors to other Florida locations.

“As Discover The Palm Beaches works to reach the LGBT traveler, we believe the most efficient way we can properly connect with this important market is with a plan that incorporates the personal insight from those within our community who understand the market best,” Svarney told SFGN. The subcommittee plans to meet quarterly will focus on opportunities to engage the LGBT community through marketing.

“Our brand promise in The Palm Beaches is that ‘genuine hospitality is a way of life,’

and that’s more than just a catch phrase for us,” DTPB president and CEO Jorge Pesquera said in a press release. “Every guest, regardless of lifestyle, race or origin, is valued and respected.”

This isn’t the first of DTPB’s involvement in the LGBT community — in 2015, a DTPB Public Relations representative team participated in the Charlotte Mason Institute Conference on LGBT Tourism and Hospitality to learn more about engaging this specific market from a travel perspective.

More recently, the group was a sponsor of the 7th Annual International Gay Polo Tournament that took place last month in Wellington. DTPB also organized a press trip for LGBT travel writers, which included SFGN’s executive editor Jason Parsley. They hosted the writers on a five-day tour to further promote the county to LGBT travelers.

They visited the Gay Polo Tournament, The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum, took a food tour of downtown West Palm Beach, visited several local hotels and more.

Although DTPB has been involved in the LGBT community for years through marketing, this year they will be increasing their presence and efforts.

One of DTPB’s goals over the last year has been to diversify its marketing within Palm Beach, targeting LGBT people, AfricanAmericans, families and others. They have also invested in assets for LGBT advertisements for this fiscal year.

“I think the most important message we’re working to communicate is that The Palm Beaches are a safe, welcoming destination where genuine hospitality is a way of life – no matter your sexual orientation. People are people… love is love,” Svarney told SFGN. “We’re working to attract visitors near and far looking to enjoy the time of their life in the best place to experience Florida.”

news local Levi Kreis

Photo: Facebook

diVeRsity HONORs CeLeBRates autHeNtiCity & iNCLusiON John McDonald

L

evi Kreis won a Tony Award on Broadway for his role as the musical legend Jerry Lee Lewis, a piano keys slamming wild man.

An easy YouTube search turns up Kreis throwing down on the piano during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. “Million Dollar Quartet,” with Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis, hit New York’s Great White Way in 2010 and knocked out the competition.

“Growing up in the church, you always sung with conviction,” Kreis told SFGN in a telephone interview last month. The Tennessee native, who now calls South Florida home, is the featured performer for Diversity Honors, May 13, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Billed as “the event of the year,” Diversity Honors, organizers say, brings together distinguished people who are transforming lives through living authentically and advancing inclusiveness. Kries has been “out” as a gay man for some time and lives happily in Miami Beach with this partner, but now says he feels almost like he’s “blending in” with society because of the advancements in LGBT rights.

As for playing for the second annual Diversity Honors, Kreis said, “it does my soul good to commune with my people.”

Proceeds from the event benefit the Harvey Milk Foundation and Pride Center at Equality Park. Honorees in 2016 are: Publishing magnate Peter Clark, Aventura Commissioner Enbar Cohen, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, Palm Beach physician Mark Denker, M.D.,

Circuit Judge David Young and Attorney Rae Franks. The seated dinner soiree is hosted by Omar Lewis, weekend anchor for WSVN. Global human rights advocate Stuart Milk, nephew of iconic San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, is slated to make a special presentation. The 2016 Milk Foundation Milan Rosza Youth Award Honoree is going to Ryland Whittington, an eight-year-old transgender boy.

“The Harvey Milk Foundation and our global teams that work every day to advance human rights are proud to come together here in South Florida and host an event that honors individuals who, in their extraordinary lives, remind us all of the diversity of the human spirit and the potential that lives inside of all of us,” said Milk, in a news release.

Kreis is not tipping his hand as to what type of performance event attendees can expect. He said he is currently working on his fifth album and talks fondly of his growing up in a Southern Baptist home with a story telling father in a small Appalachian town.

He came to terms with his sexuality years ago and acknowledges the support he has received. Answering a “cattle call” for the role of Roger in a west coast touring production of “Rent” catapulted Kreis into an award winning theatrical career.

“The LGBT community lifted me up,” Kreis said. “I found a home there and it’s at the core of what I do. We choose to be incredibly vulnerable when we come out.”

Tickets are $175 per person and available at www.diversityhonors.com Attire for the evening is black tie optional.

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19

feature history Photos courtesy of Pompano Bill.

THE COPA RAID IN 1991 Steve Rothaus and Ronnie Greene

F

BSO Swarmed and Invaded the two most popular gay clubs in South Florida on May 3, 1991. Here’s exactly how the Miami Herald reported it, by award winning LGBT Journalist, Steve Rothaus, and his colleague

Owners of the Copa declined comment Monday. Club 21's or three months, undercover officers investigating two Broward nightclubs say they made cocaine deals, saw sex on lawyer, Norman Kent, said the raid was "a made-for-TV bust.

They're targeting a gay establishment for being too gay." stage and witnessed an underground cigarette trade.

Responded Page: "This is not gay bashing. This is enforcement In a Friday night show of force, 100 armed officers masked drug of narcotics laws." agents and the U.S. Border Patrol raided the gay bars.

The investigation began with a tip earlier this year to the Sheriff Nick Navarro, his wife Sharron and a visiting Soviet sheriff's South Broward substation. Accompanied by confidential military man showed up to watch. informants, a sheriff's detective and an Officers flashed pictures, recorded the scenes investigator from the state Division of Alcoholic with a video camera, sought out illegal aliens, ran Beverages and Tobacco began frequenting the criminal checks on customers and asked people The law clubs in February. where they work. enforcement team They had no trouble finding drugs, state The law enforcement team made six arrests made six arrests records show: Investigators made deals with disc -- and with its timing and tactics, infuriated -- and with its jockeys, bartenders and patrons, handing over members of South Florida's gay community. $20, $30 or $40 for bags of cocaine and $50 for "It's the most outrageous and unjustifiable timing and tactics, marijuana. Detectives witnessed live sex acts exercise of police power that I've ever heard of, " infuriated members between paid dancers and customers at Club 21, said Greg Baldwin, chairman of the Dade Action of South Florida's they wrote.

PAC, a gay rights group.

"The licencee has fostered, condoned and/ Besides making the arrests, authorities gay community. or negligently overlooked specific acts of suspended the liquor licenses of both 'lewdness, ' 'sexual activity, ' 'exposure of sexual establishments, Club 21 in Pembroke Park and organs, ' 'deviate sexual intercourse' and 'sexual conduct, '" reads Copa Cabaret near Port Everglades.

"They are not licensed to sell cocaine. And we did find cocaine the report on Club 21.

The state signed orders suspending liquor licenses at both clubs all over the floor after we got in there, " said Maj. Ralph Page, a spokesman for the Broward Sheriff's Office. "What their sexual Wednesday. The next morning, a Broward judge signed search warrants. persuasion is does not enter into it. This to me is a bum rap."

20

• 5.4.2016

At about 11 p.m. Friday -- as business began to peak -- the raid went into action. News reporters were invited to go along.

"We timed this so we could go in at a time when there was a likelihood the subjects would be there, but didn't want to be there so late there would be a large crowd and people intoxicated, " said Jim Leljedal, another sheriff's spokesman.

The border patrol found two illegal aliens, and took them in.

As many as 20 other arrests are pending. The sheriff's office has not released the names of those arrested, nor what they have been charged with.

Both bars remain open, but cannot sell alcohol.

Byron Jones, 20, said he was at Club 21 for teen night when the officers arrived. He said they lined customers against the walls, then set up tables and started taking names and Social Security numbers. He said they asked youths for names and numbers of their parents, and adults for the names of bosses.

"A lot of people were terrified. They were covering their faces when the cameras came by to videotape them, " said Jones, president of the Gay and Lesbian Youth Group of South Florida. "I saw several people I knew while they were being interrogated. They were in tears.”

SFGN is ever so grateful and thankful to the Miami Herald for allowing us to reprint this article from their May 7, 1991 edition.

publisher’s editorial history

THE BSO RAID: LIVING IN INFAMY Norm Kent

25 years ago today

T

unfairly impacted on that memorable evening. oday, on the page next to this editorial, we are republishing an article that Innocent patrons of gay nightclubs, gathering appeared in the Miami Herald a quarter socially and lawfully in state-licensed alcoholic of a century ago. Even then, our community beverage establishments were greeted by was fortunate to have one of our own, award- busloads of fully-armed cops in SWAT uniforms winning reporter Steve Rothaus, record an who swarmed the clubs, ordering all the patrons and employees in each establishment event which defined our lives forevermore.

On Friday night, May 3, 1991, the LGBT to line up against a wall, and put their hands over their heads. community of South Florida experienced its One by one, every customer was ordered ‘Stonewall’ event. It was an evening that will live in infamy, a night when Broward County’s to produce identification, citizenship cards, and driver’s licenses. Most were unlawfully chief law enforcement officer, the late Sheriff detained for hours, with no probable cause, Nick Navarro, disgraced himself and humiliated embarrassed and held against their will, by our LGBT community. armed and uniformed police officers. Some On that weekend night, at 11:20 p.m., the Broward Sheriff’s office launched an customers were legitimately scared to death.

Younger gay men and women had their parents unprecedented law enforcement operation called by cops, so they could warn them where against two of the most popular gay clubs there child was. in Broward County, the Copa The cops recorded the names of in Dania Beach and Club 21 in Never shy the patrons and video taped them Hallandale. In my judgment, the in seeking as well, without their consent raids were unlawful, the actions and against their will, collecting unconscionable, and the deeds publicity, data police could amass unforgivable.

Sheriff Navarro whatever for future record keeping purposes.

With live television crews orchestrated Finally, led out of the clubs in a following him, the sheriff single file, the customers were authorized the utterly astonishing the raid as greeted by television crews who use of over 100 Broward Sheriff`s if he were were filming their humiliation for Office deputies, partnering hosting a the morning news. with 15 state alcohol officers The gay community was only to simultaneously invade both Hollywood nominally mobilized in the nightclubs, accusing them of being opening. early 1990s. A group known as “awash with cocaine.” The sheriff’s GUARD- Gays United Against representations were a fabrication.

Repression and Discrimination, held a His allegations were an unadulterated lie. protest demonstration at the Broward County The truth and facts are that the entire police action resulted in in a total of six drug arrests, Courthouse two weeks later. About 60 activists joined in, along with the local chapter of the two at the Copa and four at Club 21. Despite ACLU, and a gay activist attorney, the late Allen this, state alcohol agents effectively invaded the clubs that evening, and served each with H. Terl, who condemned the raid.

Despite the protests, law enforcement emergency orders of suspension. They could agencies proudly defended the action. In fact, not serve liquor, essentially thus shutting them Sergeant Pat Roberts, of the State of Florida down.

Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, That was 25 years ago today. criticized the protestors for accusing Sheriff Sheriff Navarro orchestrated the raid as if he were hosting a Hollywood opening. As the Navarro of being solely responsible. “It was our raid, “ he boasted. “We were the ones who news report by Steve Rothaus indicates, the Sheriff turned the raid into a media event, called for it.”

Meanwhile, Broward Sheriff`s Office placing the entire LGBT community in a false spokesman Al Gordon said the raids “were not light. Navarro arrived on the scene, believe it or not, in a helicopter, accompanied by his wife, pointed towards any special orientation but at drugs. I don`t see any reason for the Broward dressed in an evening gown. Reporters were Sheriff`s Office to apologize for enforcing the shocked by the crass celebration, amazingly accompanied by foreign Russian dignitaries to law,” he told the Sun Sentinel, on May 4, 1991.

During Sheriff Navarro’s tenure, they never did. show off for.

The good news to reflect upon today is that A quarter of a century may have passed, but SFGN needs to still pay homage and Navarro’s successor would not only apologize, respect to the gay lives so unlawfully and BSO made a voluntary contribution of $10,000

to AIDS Center One as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Here’s what happened.

The owner of the Copa in 1991 was John Castelli. Yes, the same John Castelli who owns Castelli Real Estate on Wilton Drive, who just served the last year as President of the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors. He and his partner, the late William Bastiansen, were not going to turn a blind eye to such a vicious law enforcement initiative. They sued the sheriff on behalf of their customers.

In full disclosure, I remember it well, because, heck, I was John Castelli’s attorney.

My law office sued the sheriff. It was not easy.

Most of the patrons did not want to go public, and being out and open was not quite as simple as it is today. It was a different world, a different century. It was 25 years ago. But we were tenacious and prevailed.

“If a man stands his ground and there abides,” reads the tombstone of the late congressman Allard Lowenstein, “eventually the whole world will come around to him.” So it was then, and so it is now.

Sheriff Navarro fought the case bitterly, refusing to even discuss a settlement or apology. But a funny thing happened on the way to the courthouse: an election intervened. In August of 1992, drowning in legal controversies for his management of BSO, Nick Navarro lost the Republican

primary for re-election. He was booted out of office.

A few months later, the late Ron Cochran, a Democrat, formerly the police chief of Fort Lauderdale, won the election. Chief Cochran and I had been friends for years. We had breakfasts together nearly every day at the historical Floridian Restaurant on East Las Olas. The Chief and I met, while I had my corn flakes, and he, his toast, burnt and dry, the way he liked it. We resolved the case in less than 15 minutes.

The resolution was simple. BSO made a modest donation to the county’s largest AIDS group at the time, Center One. Second, Cochran agreed to establish a permanent liaison to the LGBT community within BSO, which still exists today. Third, BSO publicly apologized for the raid, which enraged Navarro, who went on to start his own private security firm.

Ironically, as a private businessman, Navarro would aggressively advertise in LGBT newspapers, and a couple of his chief staffers were well known gay men. Sadly, Sheriff Cochran, would die of cancer, all too young.

Both men are now gone, but the story will never be forgotten.

Times change, and so do we with them.

There are many stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them.

5.4.2016 •

21

feature profile

Redemption on the drive

Norm Kent

Popular businessman opens up about his past

T

his year, the co-owner of Rumors Bar and Shawn the special community we have cultivated here in the and Nick’s Courtyard Café, Nick Berry, celebrates Manors,” Berry said. “We have marvelous people, caring businesses, great volunteers, and a wealth of resources his 11th anniversary on the Planning and Zoning Board of the City of Wilton Manors. He has also served that make us special. I want to keep it that way, and make for three years on the city’s Economic Development Task it even better.”

Born and raised in a rough part of Detroit, Michigan, Force, and never missed a single meeting on either.

“The greatness of Wilton Manors depends, in part, Berry recalls a childhood where his mother and an on solid partnerships with people like Nick Berry,” said abusive stepfather reared him. “ I have never met my Julie Carson, Wilton Manors City Commissioner. “Nick biological father,” he said. But he has met a new life partner since his tenure in prison, and he is ever so consistently invests time, money, and other resources grateful for his husband, Joe Bush, 48. into the bank of our City’s future. He is a vital link to our “It’s like the Brady Bunch Boy met the hoodlum,” City’s success.”

Berry joked. “Joe is the one who has calmed me down on This year also celebrates another anniversary for Nick one hand and pushes me on the other. He helps drive my Berry, one not customarily known to local residents and the LGBT business community. It represents the 30th motivations.”

That path, Berry suspects, will help him land one day anniversary of his arrest on federal charges for drug smuggling, accused in United States District Court for on the city commission in the city that he works in and loves, Wilton Manors. “My goal one the Southern District of Florida of day, in all honesty, is to be a successful conspiracy to import marijuana and and productive Wilton Manors city other related crimes. commissioner, and unlike other This past week, Berry sat down "I was sucked politicians, I intend to be open and with SFGN and met with city into the lure of accessible tomorrow and honest about commissioners to come out about his fast money and my past today. I think my character past. has been established by my deeds and “Drug running was commonplace a high life, with determination in doing better.” for many high rolling young men in my own fleet Has he ever.

South Florida in the 1980s. It was all When released from prison in 1990, about boats, planes, and automobiles,” of boats and Berry took a job as a landscaper in said Berry, now 58. “And regrettably, I planes running Pompano Beach, for $8.50 an hour. made it my existence. I was sucked into drugs on the Within a year though, he moved on the lure of fast money and a high life, to become a Telcom salesperson that with my own fleet of boats and planes high seas." began generating a six-figure income. running drugs on the high seas.”

“It was there that I met Terry But meteors burn out, and in 1986 - Nick Berry Syrcle, and together we acquired the Berry’s lifestyle ran into the law. He Courtyard Villa, a boutique hotel on was arrested, charged, prosecuted, and the ocean in Lauderdale by the Sea.” convicted. He was sentenced to, and The investment proved profitable, and planted the seeds served, five years in federal prison.

“I came out of jail a new man,” said Berry today. “While for Berry’s civic commitments. He served as the president of the Lauderdale by the Sea Chamber of Commerce. in custody, I divorced a wife I should not have married, Meanwhile, the business duo of Berry and Terry and renounced the lifestyle I should not have lived.” continued to purchase and manage other real estate A drug abuser back then, today Berry’s businesses, properties, which, Berry acknowledges, “soared in including managing real estate properties, employ over 60 people in the City of Wilton Manors. He contributes to value. We made honest money, paid taxes, and amassed and partners with a host of charities, including Hospice; legitimate properties.” This time around he bought by The Smart Ride; the city’s Historical Society; Poverello; the acre and not the ounce.

Nick Berry has remarkably transformed his life. A Broward House; and the Florida AIDS Walk.

Berry and his companies have also sponsored Women kid who grew up on dangerous streets in Detroit, a Navy in Network, the Fort Lauderdale High School Band, sailor by 1975, a federal prisoner in 1990, and a real estate magnate by 2005.

SunServe, Stonewall and The Pride Center at Equality Lots of changes, but one constant remains: “I feel Park.

The ‘tough guy’ who once flew drug-filled planes to lucky that I was able to turn my life around. I have six countries in one day now underwrites 12 charitable overcome obstacles that everyone has and used them to projects in one month, from the likes of the City of forge an inner strength. We all have road blocks in life,” Wilton Manors Police Bike Safety Program to the Special Berry said. “It’s how much drive you have for success that counts.”

Olympics, the Pet Project and Veteran’s Day events.

Be ready. It may become his campaign slogan for city “I enjoy giving back. It has helped make me who I am today, I would never have had the success I have without commission in the future.

Photo Credit: SFGN Staff.

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Gazette Wilton Manors

Volume 3 • Issue 9 May 4, 2016

Twice-Monthly Neighborhood Outlook

Community

Commission Shoots Down Trans Health Proposal

By Michael d’Oliveira

Emphasizing its consistent support for LGBT issues, the commission declined to support a motion by City Commissioner Julie Carson to add gender confirmation surgery to the city’s employee healthcare plan.

“The T is not left behind,” said Commissioner Justin Flippen who suggested a resolution that supports federal and state regulators adding transgender-related procedures and treatments to current standards of care. That resolution passed unanimously.

“It’s the right thing to do. Care is affordable and should not be excluded,” Carson said. In her advocacy, she cited the high suicide rate amongst transgender individuals and how medical and mental health professionals have deemed transgender procedures as medically necessary to the health and well-being of individuals who identify as a different gender than the one they were born into. She called it “disgraceful” the city did not provide benefits and that she had brought the issue up multiple times in the past, meeting resistance each time.

The estimated cost of $32,500 would be per year, regardless of whether or not an employee utilizes the benefits. Commissioner Tom Green said he couldn’t justify having the city and its employees pay more per year for insurance. “Who knows when this will be used,” said Green. “I’m for the idea. Not now. Not this.”

An estimate of increased costs to employees puts the extra money at between $6 and $12 a month more. Currently, employees pay between $82.38 and $151.75 from their bi-weekly paycheck. Mayor Gary Resnick said changes to the employee healthcare plan have always come from the employees and that the city shouldn’t “dictate down” to them.

Carson’s proposal did receive support from audience members, many of them transgender.

Proponents argued that the commission wouldn’t deny coverage to treat cancer or HIV/AIDS just to save money and neither should it for transgender health issues.

Bishop S.F. Makalani-MaHee, a transgender individual and activist, talked about mental

health, hormones and surgery and called upon the commission to provide the benefit. “We call them interventions because we realize there’s a crisis. A cry in the midst of crisis.”

Resident Michael Rajner, a frequent proponent of transgender issues, placed HIV/AIDS medication on the podium as he urged commissioners to support Carson’s motion. “This here is $15,000 a year, just in medication.” He called the commission hypocritical for opposing North Carolina’s transgender bathroom laws but not adding transgender benefits here. “This city should be teaching other cities.”

Green rejected the comparison, saying that North Carolina was taking away rights but Wilton Manors was not. “There is a difference.” Vice Mayor Scott Newton and Flippen also argued against adopting the policy because of cost. Newton said it should be part of the upcoming 2016/2017 budget process which will occur in the summer.

Carson vowed to keep fighting and not leave the T behind. “I’ll make it work. I guarantee it.” WMG

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Opinion

Greetings From New Jersey

Gazette Wilton Manors

MAY 4, 2016 • VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 9

By Sal Torre

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

This past week I was away celebrating my father’s 87th birthday in the great state of New Jersey.

As I adjusted to the cooler weather, rainy and cold for the entire week, I also had to adjust to a very different political climate. While the South Florida LGBT community falls in lockstep behind Hillary Clinton, the rest of the country might be marching to a different tune.

It was hard to find anyone who supports Hillary in central New Jersey, home of the angry white males. In fact, the mantra I came across was, “Anyone but Hillary.” My younger relatives were surprisingly talking about Bernie Sanders, which gives me some hope for our future generation; but unfortunately, the older crowd is ready, willing and eager to vote for Donald Trump.

Listening to their arguments and justifications, I needed to ponder what was going on here. This is Middle America for heaven’s sake, centralist politics at its best, middle of the road, not extreme rhetoric or beliefs, not the type of crowd one would think about when talking revolution.

These people are now one step away from grabbing pitch forks and marching on Washington. One does not have to look that far to understand why. Actually, all you need to do is take a train ride from Penn Station in NYC to the station in New Jersey where I get off to visit my father to find the answer.

Gazing out the window as the train heads deeper into New Jersey, leaving the great financial capital of the world behind, one can’t help but notice the abandoned factories, the crumbling infrastructure, chain link fences surrounding empty building after empty building. Beyond those crumbling, abandoned factories and warehouses lie towns and small cities that have been left behind, a part of the equation that the Clintons forgot to consider when they were signing Free Trade deals, or when the Republicans spent millions per day destroying and then rebuilding Iraq while at the same time giving tax breaks to the wealthy 1 percent. As the train continues, so do the sights of thousands of lost jobs, lost manufacturing base, and lost dreams, just left to ruin along the train tracks.

Over the past few decades, Middle Class America has been screwed big time. Now that they have finally realized the truth and are

PUBLISHER • NORM KENT NORM.KENT@SFGN.COM

demanding payback, the “establishment” seems all surprised at the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

While the wealthy 1 percent keep getting richer, while corporations merge with overseas companies to avoid paying taxes, while the price of higher education pushes young people into shackles of debt, while cities and towns deal with crumbling infrastructure, and while affordable health care is not really so affordable, Middle America has had the rug pulled out from underneath them and has been left lying on the floor with no outstretched hand to help get them back on their feet.

One obvious example of this neglect is the Federal Minimum wage, now at $7.15 per hour. Over the past few decades, this minimum should be at least $11.00 per hour if calculating inflation since the 1960s, and at least $21.75 if adding worker productivity to the equation.

While working Americans have seen stagnant wage growth, not just for a few years, but for decades, the wealthy 1 percent have seen a doubling or even tripling of their wealth during the same period. It is no surprise that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are now so popular.

They are tapping into the frustration, anger and reality faced by millions of Americans outside the Washington Beltway and the gilded halls of the few.

No one easily or willingly gives up what they already have. The 99 percent will have to fight and struggle to win back the gains they lost over the past decades. They are angry and frustrated. They will listen to and vote for those who tout their crusade. If what I listened to over the past week up in the Northeast is any indication, watch out Hillary, watch out party insiders, and watch out politicians because we are all in for a very rough ride.

As I return to Wilton Manors and take in the warmth and sunshine, I cannot shake off the ominous feelings from my time up north…’cause once you start to look and realize the truth about the broken American Dream, the social inequalities that are evident all around us, and the demagogues (one described as Lucifer himself) who might become our next President.

Well, life just got a hell of a lot scarier here….WMG

Politics

UDC Tries Again to Redevelop Center for Spiritual Living

By Michael d’Oliveira The new owners of the former Center for Spiritual Living property will take a second shot at building residences there.

Urban Design Communities [UDC] wants to build 100 units on the property, located at Northeast 15 Avenue and Northeast 26 Street – 22 villas and 88 condos.

Kathy Koch, president of Ambit Advertising and Public Relations, which spoke on behalf of UDC, said the units would be priced starting in the $600,000 range and, if approved by the commission, would be open for occupancy in 2019.

Yesterday, May 3, UDC was scheduled to go before the city’s Development Review Committee to request a zoning change from commercial/community service zoning to

residential. Final approval would be up to the commission.

In 2013, UDC presented a 72-unit rental apartment development to the city. That was a reduction of the original 150-unit complex it proposed. The 72-unit project was given initial approval by the commission but officials said they only did so to allow UDC to reduce the project further and come back for a final vote.

That vote never happened because church officials sued UDC soon after, claiming they had taken too long to get approval.

UDC never came back to the commission.

The lawsuit was eventually settled and the property was sold to UDC. Members of the East Neighborhood

Association spoke out against the project, saying they were worried it was too dense and that rental apartments were not right for their neighborhood.

Koch said UDC has invested in the city since 2009 with its remodeling of apartment buildings on Powerline Road and is ready to do more. “This is a great location and one of the last big parcels in Wilton Manors. The developers feel they can bring something special to the property. A market study indicated that prospective buyers ranked an environmentally sustainable building as one of their top considerations. The project will be LEED certified as well as beautiful.”

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Editorial

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Correspondents

NATALYA JONES • JOHN MCDONALD • JAMES OAKSUN

Staff Photographers

J.R. DAVIS • POMPANO BILL • STEVEN SHIRES

Sales & Marketing

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SALES MANAGER • JUSTIN WYSE JUSTIN.WYSE@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • EDWIN NEIMANN EDWIN.NEIMANN@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • CINDY CURTIS CINDY.CURTIS@SFGN.COM ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE • JIM ALBRIGHT JIM.ALBRIGHT@SFGN.COM ACCOUNTING SERVICES BY CG BOOKKEEPING 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.

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WMG

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May 4, 2016

Game of Realtors, Season 6

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun I'll bet most of you tune to HBO on Sunday nights to see the latest exploits on “Game of Thrones.” For those few of you who have missed that series, it deals with various power and domination games among generally amoral people who behave very badly. In that way it is sort of a “Real Housewives” with wars and violence rather than sarcasm and shade.

While it's true that we don't lose our lives or body parts, real estate brokerages find themselves in what I call a “Game of Realtors” world. Meaning, as monarchs (owners) they need to know who stands where, who's up, who's down, who's growing or shrinking, and what they choose to do about it to build their “kingdoms” (if anything).

The table here, though with “disguised” names, shows the “kingdom size” (market shares) of the lands (brokerages) within about five miles of the Classic Gateway Theatre.

As you can see, there are lots – Lots! – of small communes and collectives, and a handful of slightly larger duchies and estates.

Say you are the ruler of one of these units. Does science and theory suggest optimal strategies to follow? Whether we are talking about the HBO series or the Fort Lauderdale real estate market, there are four optimal strategies, any of which can produce a measure of longer-term success.

1. Devour or Be Devoured. Maybe you're the leading kingdom (brokerage). Even so you only control 10 percent of

the territory (market). Uneasy is the head that wears that crown. The monarch in this position can choose to openly or stealthily increase its dominion, by various means of “acquisition.” Otherwise, some of the lower principalities may ally or build their armies to take the leader down.

2.

Secret or Somewhat Open Alliances. These will look to most people like independent realms, but behind the scenes there are other things happening – shared resources, common administration etc.

3. Super Efficiency. Bring in the leading wizards (best consultants) to drive down taxes (operating costs), in order to increase trade and thus the coin in your treasury.

4. Small Corner Domination. Find some crop or resource (market niche) that you can produce better than anyone else, focus on that, and hope you are too small for the larger kingdoms to notice.

Which strategy do you think will fare best in Season Six? Or, for that matter, in a rapidly changing real estate market that may be headed sideways or down again?WMG

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May 4, 2016

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).

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SFGN Editorial

Shame on Wilton Manors Trans health should be priority

Recently Wilton Manors decided to show the world how LGBT-friendly the city is by voting to permanently install a Pride Flag in a city park. But last week they decided to not to add gender confirmation surgery to their employee’s health plan.

Symbolism is important and so we applaud the city for permanently displaying the Pride Flag. But that symbolism should be backed up with real policy. And the city had a chance last week to do just that, but instead commissioner after commissioner, offered up excuse after excuse, on why they couldn’t offer transgender inclusive healthcare to their employees.

It was a disgrace.

Wilton Manors is one of the gayest cities in America and should be leading the charge on trans rights, but instead they passed a toothless resolution calling on state regulators to add transgender-related procedures and treatments to current standards of care.

Really? The State of Florida taking the lead on transgender healthcare? This is the same legislature that attempted to pass a “bathroom bill” just last year.

Commissioner Julie Carson brought up the motion to add these benefits, which didn’t even receive a second.

“A ‘second’ is a professional courtesy in parliamentary procedure that allows discussion to ensue,” Carson said. “My colleagues would not even engage in an open dialogue on transgender equity in our City.”

If these benefits primarily affected gay men would Carson have gotten her second?

Before gay marriage was the law of the land many cities such as Wilton Manors provided healthcare to an employee’s domestic partner, but in doing so employees were hit with a tax penalty because the federal government didn’t equate an unmarried partner to a spouse when it came to taxes. In order to make it more fair Wilton Manors voted to pay $750 to those employees affected by the extra tax burden.

The commission was quite proud of itself at the time. Mayor Gary Resnick even wrote a letter to the editor to the Sun Sentinel patting himself on the back.

“To put this in perspective, the city spends in excess of $1.1 million on health

insurance for employees,” he wrote. And added with flourish at the end “Wilton Manors truly values its diversity.”

The estimated cost to add trans inclusive healthcare would be $32,500 per year. That’s not a lot when you put it into “perspective.”

If this trans inclusive healthcare didn’t cost the city a dime you bet they would have voted in favor of adding these benefits.

But as is often the case when politicians are forced to put their money where their mouth is their true priorities come out. The trans community needs more folks that are willing to stand up for them even when it costs money to do so.

Wilton Manors needs to stand for more than just a vibrant main street.

Instead of giving the trans community a flag, give them the inclusive healthcare they need. Gender Confirmation Surgery isn’t something people have done for the hell of it.

“We know that discrimination increases suicide risk, and transgender people in states without LGBT legal protections are at higher risk of suicide, it is imperative that we adopt comprehensive trans-inclusive antidiscrimination and employment policies,” Carson said. “Proper health care for transgender individuals can be life-saving reports the American Medical Association.”

And $32,500 a year is small price to pay.

How much will the city spend on upgrading Wilton Drive? How much have they spent on additional parking? The list goes on and on.

“Each in his own way suggested that the City did not need this coverage because it was not ‘employee driven’ or that ‘no one came forward.’ Really?,” Carson said.

“When was it an employee’s obligation to tell an employer that he or she needed medical care?”

SFGN calls on Mayor Gary Resnick and commissioners Scott Newton, Justin Flippen, Tom Green to reconsider this vital part of trans health.

Perhaps the city should amend its new tagline to say “Life’s just better here…except for transgender employees.”

Meanwhile trans employees can find solace at Jaycee Park while watching the city’s newly installed pride flag wave back and forth welcoming visitors to this city of equality.WMG

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Letter

Business

$100,000 Budget Approved for Wilton Drive Improvement District

Transgender Healthcare Discrimination Must End

By Justin S. Flippen, Wilton Manors City Commissioner

By Michael d’Oliveira

Support for the creation of the Wilton Drive Improvement District [WDID] came in 2014 when it was approved by commissioners. Now, the money will follow. On April 26, commissioners approved a $100,000 budget for WDID and a non-ad valorem tax assessment of the same amount.

A majority of property owners on the street voted to levy an additional assessment to generate funding. Each property owner is assessed a different amount based on square footage. The goal is to raise $1 million over the next 10 years and the city has set a cap of $100,000 per year.

The $96,000 budget for 2017, determined by the seven-member WDID board, includes $3,600 for professional services, $20,042 for legal services, $9,100 for contractual services, $3,000 for insurance, $17,000 for promotional activities, and $35,500 for special events. Doug Blevins, WDID

chair, said a lot of the money is due to start-up costs.

He said this year’s limited funds don’t allow for much but the WDID is exploring holiday lighting and creating a “signature arts and music event” as well as a weekly “after work party” event to bring people to Wilton Drive on Thursday nights. Attendees would likely be charged a fee to help raise money to be put back into the WDID budget.

Long term, Blevins said the board wants to use funding to pay for the “bells and whistles” that won’t be included in the lane reduction along Wilton Drive. That includes street lighting, shade trees, landscaping, crosswalks and street furnishings.

The next meeting of the sevenmember WDID board, made up of three property owners, three business owners and one home owner, is May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. WMG

On Tuesday, April 26, 2016, the Wilton Manors City Commission discussed an agenda item regarding gender confirmation benefit options being added to the city’s employee healthcare plan. The discussion included personal testimonies from members of the audience. I was moved by the struggles and tribulations transgender constituents within and outside our community are experiencing as a result of rampant discrimination within the mainstream healthcare system. And while much of the discussion was on the financial cost of coverage to the city, cost to employees, and where the money would come from, an essential fact was overlooked.

It’s important to understand that when it comes to insurance coverage for transition-related care, there is wide disparity between the types of medical insurance that can be offered within the State of Florida. For example, private insurance may offer gender confirmation/reassignment surgery but discriminate when it comes to treatments such as hormone therapy.

And while government programs like Medicaid and health insurance exchanges may not discriminate against transgender individuals, they are not required to include coverage for gender confirmation/reassignment surgery, either.

In other words, just because an insurer WILL cover something doesn’t mean one’s specific plan will allow the benefit. Insurance companies can

tailor the scope of coverage at their own discretion. We need protections and regulations at both the state and federal levels banning insurance discrimination against the transgender community.

Currently, only the District of Columbia and a handful of States, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, have formally issued bulletins banning transgender discrimination in health insurance. A few states including Maryland, Nevada, and Minnesota have “some or partial protections.”

The fight for insurance equality and parity has to be at the state and federal levels, and we can help advance that conversation at the city level. That’s why I, with the unanimous support of my commission colleagues, moved for the city to adopt a resolution urging federal and state regulators to add transgender-related procedures and treatments to current standards of care.

It’s imperative that the city of Wilton Manors, a longtime proponent of LGBT rights, add its voice to this important issue in a very specific way.

The request is clear and direct - our state regulatory authorities and officials need to expand the definitions of health insurance coverage and critical care to include gender confirmation/ reassignment and transgenderinclusive medical care. WMG

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Business

Community

Commission Supports County Sales Tax Increase

By Michael d’Oliveira

Photo: Facbeook.

Broward’s proposed penny sales tax hasn’t been approved by voters but Commissioner Tom Green already has hopes for the money.

If approved by voters, the money would be divided between the cities and the county. County officials estimate the increase would generate $310 million the first year and $12.6 billion over 30 years.

Green, during the April 26 meeting where the commission passed a resolution in support of putting the increase on the November ballot, said the money could be used to improve roads, parks and build a new fire station.

“We can get to serious work on Colohatchee Park. It could help us out in so many ways,” he said. Green suggested the new station, if built, might be placed in a better location.

Recently, commissioners approved spending $28,900 to repair 52 of the 150 pilings supporting the boardwalk at Colohatchee. According to city

Community

documents, the work, awarded to Deerfield Beach firm B&M Marine Construction, won’t interfere with the park’s usage by members of the public.

This is the first phase of the boardwalk piling repair project. In the future, more funds will be requested by city staff to complete the rest of the project.

According to City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson, the city has received a $50,000 grant for Colohatchee and $50,000 for Mickel Field. “We strategically only applied for small projects,” Henderson said. WMG

Pride Flag Installation Ceremony

By Michael d’Oliveira City officials will raise the Pride Flag permanently at Jaycee Park in a ceremony on Tuesday, May 24 at 6:15 p.m. City commissioners approved the permanent display of the Pride Flag at Jaycee Park, located across from city hall on the corner of Wilton Drive and Northeast 21 Court, as a symbol of the LGBT community and the impact it has made on the city.

When first proposed last year, the idea garnered controversy. Some suggested raising the flag would cause division within the city and alienate some residents, both gay and straight. But as the idea was discussed further, public dissent at meetings dissipated.

But some new criticism over raising the flag has popped up – from inside the LGBT community.

Resident Michael Rajner said the flag should be a symbol of the entire LGBT community.

By not adding gender confirmation surgery to its employee health care plan, Rajner said the T (transgender) in LGBT was not being fully honored.

“Will @WiltonManorsCty #Rainbow flag be symbol for entire #LGBT community?” wrote Rajner on Twitter on April 26. Commissioner

Julie Carson brought the issue up for a vote at the April 26 meeting but no other commissioner supported it.

Commissioners who rejected Carson’s measure said they supported transgender rights but were worried about the cost – an additional $32,500 per year to the city and between $6 and $12 a month more paid by city employees in their premiums. Currently, employees pay between $82.38 and $151.75 for insurance from their bi-weekly paycheck.

The cost would be incurred even if no one used the benefits to go through the procedure.

Commissioner Tom Green said he couldn’t support paying more for something that might not even be used by an employee.WMG Tuesday, May 24 Installation Ceremony will take place prior to the Regular City Commission Meeting across the Street from City Hall at Jaycee Park

Stonewall Organizers Aim to Boost Confidence in Festival

By Michael d’Oliveira There’s no official theme for this year’s Stonewall festival and parade, but organizers have chosen an unofficial one: faith and financial stability.

“We’re not looking to do any radical changes or bring in some huge headliner. We want two solid years of the event running in the black with no major problems. We’re trying to rebuild faith with businesses.

Show that the city is really making an effort,” said Jeff Sterling, chief executive officer of the Wilton Manors Entertainment Group [WMEG]. The WMEG is a group of residents and business owners working with the city to plan and execute the event.

Stonewall starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 with a 6 p.m. start for the parade. It ends at 11 p.m. A familythemed event – bounce house, face painting, music and more – will be held at Hagen Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wilton Drive will be closed from Northeast 20 Street to Five Points from 5 a.m. on June 18 to 5 a.m. on June 19. Attendance is estimated to be about 25,000.

Like last year, entertainment will be paid for and provided by individual sponsors on their respective stages – five this year. “They control the entertainment, the lineup,” said Sterling. One of the additional stages is at the south end of Wilton Drive. Sterling hopes it will boost traffic there, a part of the street that historically hasn’t seen as many festival goers as the central and north parts. There will also be vendor booths set up

along the street.

One thing that has changed is that the WMEG won’t be selling alcohol. Instead, Wilton Drive’s existing bars will pay a sponsorship fee. There’s nothing to stop bars from just selling from their premises, without contributing to the event, but Sterling said they’ve all volunteered to pay and be sponsors. “As of right now, we’re not selling alcohol in the streets. Let the people, who do this all the time, do it. This frees up a whole lot of time [for WMEG] to make the event better.”

It will also prevent the possibility of another theft.

In 2011, when Pride South Florida ran Stonewall, Michael Cruz, former director of that group, was convicted of stealing $46,591 in money collected from alcohol sales. He served a one-year sentence for the crime. “This removes all that,” said Sterling.

Eventually, Sterling said he’d like to get rid of the food trucks and leave food sales exclusively to the restaurants on the street. “We’re looking to make the event almost run itself.”

“That is completely reasonable. They bring in a large vendor and the fee is covered. We had a full time person [last year] just trying to coordinate vendors. Stuff fell through the cracks. We’re bringing in professionals.”

For more information on parking, $15 at citycontrolled lots during the event, and the rest of the event, visit WiltonManorsStonewall.com. WMG

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8 •

May 4, 2016

mombian

CONVICTIONS

dO We stiLL Need tO study tHe WORtH OF same-seX PaReNts? Dana Rudolph

A

new study on children with two moms is the first to use an apples-toapples comparison and a nationally representative sample to conclude that samesex parents are as good as different-sex ones.

That’s all well and good, but with national marriage equality and no more states banning same-sex couples from adopting, is this type of research still important? And is it conclusive enough that we no longer need research on same-sex parents and our children?

The study, published in the April 2016 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics by researchers affiliated with UCLA’s Williams Institute, found that children with female same-sex parents and those with different-sex parents demonstrated no differences in general health, emotional difficulties, coping behavior, or learning behavior.

That’s probably not surprising to most readers. The vast majority of previous research on same-sex parented families has concluded the same—and many of us have personal experience to match. This study breaks new ground, however, as the first to use nationally representative data to compare only children whose parents have never been divorced or separated.

That’s important because the few previous studies that concluded children of same-sex parents face worse outcomes looked primarily at children who began with different-sex parents, one or more of whom came out as gay or lesbian or had a same-sex relationship, often leading to

separation or divorce—which in and of itself can have a negative impact on children.

The best-known example of this flawed methodology is a 2012 study by sociologist Mark Regnerus of the University of Texas. Regnerus’ study was widely discredited, but nevertheless cited in amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court by marriage equality opponents.

On the flip side, previous studies that found the children of same-sex parents were doing just as well as any others used convenience samples of volunteer participants, rather than fully representative samples across the population.

Their methods were sound, but one might question how broadly their conclusions applied.

In order to put doubts to rest, the new study’s authors used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) from 2011–2012, a nationally representative population-based survey. They compared 95 households with continuously coupled same-sex (female) parents to 95 that had continuously coupled differentsex parents. (Unfortunately, they were not able to identify enough two-dad households with kids under 18 to be able to include them.)

Not only did children with two moms have similar health and emotional outcomes to those of different-sex parents, but they did so “despite higher levels of parenting stress for same-sex parents.”

That’s pretty remarkable. The authors offer a few suggestions as to how these children cope so well despite the household stress. The U.S.

Make no mistake, though. Our families are still being threatened.

National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study, begun by Dr. Nanette Gartrell (one of the new study’s authors) in 1986, found that although 41 percent of the adolescent children of lesbian mothers experienced stigmatization because of their mothers’ sexual orientation, those who “had close, positive relationships with their mothers demonstrated more resilience.”

Other studies have shown that lesbian mothers often “feel more pressure to justify the quality of their parenting” than straight mothers, and therefore turn to support systems such as parenting groups and counseling services, which may help them nurture their children’s healthy development.

On one level, the latest study might seem unnecessary. The evidence in favor of similar outcomes for children of same- and differentsex parents was overwhelming even without it—as evidenced by its use in marriage equality cases right up to the U.S. Supreme Court. The last state to ban same-sex couples from adopting (Mississippi) recently rescinded the ban.

And Nathaniel Frank, who has compiled decades of research on gay and lesbian parents for Columbia University’s What We Know Project, wrote at Slate in 2014, “What’s equally maddening about the focus on how gay parents do is that none of it should matter.” Many things disadvantage kids, he says, including divorce and poverty, but no wants to ban parenthood by divorcés or poor people.

Make no mistake, though. Our families are

still being threatened. The so-called “religious freedom” bills being passed or considered in several states would allow adoption and foster care agencies, even those receiving public funds, to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

The people who would discriminate because of these bills are not acting on rational facts, but on deeply held beliefs. I’m not sure throwing more research at them would change their minds. At the same time, academic studies that show we’re good parents may still help sway onthe-fence politicians or judges in custody cases, say, so they remain unfortunately necessary.

This latest study is thus an important capstone to the research done to date, ending any lingering doubts about the parenting capabilities of same-sex couples. (Even though it only looked at two-mom couples, I can’t imagine anyone getting far with the argument that twodad couples are substantially different.)

We still need more research on LGBT parents, however, especially the less-studied GBT parts of the spectrum. At this point, though, I hope we can turn away from a defensive stance—research to prove our worth vis à vis non-LGBT parents. We should now expand the research that helps us and those who support us (healthcare providers, teachers, etc.) understand more about our particular strengths and challenges and the ways we form and nurture our families. That kind of research remains vital, and will help our children continue to flourish and grow.

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBTQ parents.

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Photos: Pride Fort Lauderdale.

column jesse’s journal

RememBeRiNG miss ViCky Jesse Monteagudo

I

first met Vivien Keller, “Miss Vicky,” Vicky and I became friends. Later Vicky in the early 1980s, thanks to my moved her musical talents, and many of former partner, the her fans, to Chardee’s in late Stephen Jerome. Steve Wilton Manors, where she loved to sing; and one of held court until that club Vicky served the places where he sang closed down. was Zelda’s, a long-gone It was in the early ‘80s on the Board bar on Powerline Road that Vicky began her of Pride in Oakland Park. Zelda’s decades-long involvement South Florida on the Board of Pride South biggest attraction was “Miss Vicky’s Room,” where Vicky Florida. I was a member for almost sang and played the piano, of the Pride Board back 40 years; a accompanied by many of then; and Vicky and I had record that her gay fans. some great times together, Vicky also played her planning and working the will not be piano for special events at early Pride Festivals at broken in a Zelda’s, including a silent the long-gone Hollywood long time. film festival organized Sportatorium. by the late Jack Sturdy, This was the golden age of then film critic for The Pride South Florida, when a Weekly News. Though I am no singer, small group of dedicated activists, some I appreciated Vicky and her music, and of whom are no longer with us, created a

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form of community celebration at a time when many of us were succumbing to AIDS. For much of that time, Vicky was the only woman on the Board of Pride South Florida; and she worked as hard as any of the men on the Board. Later, when the rest of us moved on to other endeavors, Vicky remained on the Board of Pride South Florida; and she would have continued on the Board until this day had her health permitted it. Vicky served on the Board of Pride South Florida for almost 40 years; a record that will not be broken in a long time.

Though Vicky was a heterosexual woman, she did more for South Florida’s LGBT community than all but a handful of LGBT community members. When the AIDS epidemic began in the early 1980s, Vicky met with other activists at the old Marlin Beach Hotel and founded AIDS

Center One; the first group of its kind in Broward County.

When gay men’s choral groups flourished in our community, Vicky saw a need and founded WomynSong, South Florida’s first and still only lesbian chorus.

If AIDS Center One was later mired in controversy, and if WomynSong did not endure, it was not Vicky’s fault, for she put all her effort to maintain those organizations.

For many years, Vicky served the Church of Our Savior MCC in Boynton Beach as Minister of Music, pianist and choir member. She was also an active member of Congregation Etz Chaim, serving on the Board and reading prayers at services in her own inimitable style.

Vicky was also involved in the local chapter of SAGE, Senior Action in a Gay Environment, where I had the honor of escorting her to SAGE events. In an often

column jesse’s journal

divisive community, Vicky was above controversy, loving everyone and working for the good of all.

Not as well-known as her work with LGBT community organizations are her countless acts of kindness for members of the LGBT community, her community. She adopted a gay son, Michael Keller, whom she adored and who she took care of during his struggle with AIDS. Vicky also assisted other LGBT youths who were rejected by their families, often to her own financial detriment.

When my partner, Michael Greenspan, developed dementia, Vicky visited him at his assisted living facility, sang and played the piano for him, and even gave him a CD player so he could play music in his room.

Vicky was kind and helpful at a difficult time in my life, just as she was kind and helpful to so many other people at difficult times in their lives.

There are many in our community who, like me, have benefitted from Vicky’s love and support, in so many ways. Here again, Vicky thought of others first, and

herself last. That is the way she was.

Though Vicky suffered from financial and health problems during her final years, she kept up her spirits and her dedication to her community.

Fortunately, Vicky’s community came through in her hour of need. Thanks to the efforts of Vicky’s good friend and care giver Jodi Fischer, the LGBT community of South Florida raised tens of thousands of dollars for her welfare, through Vicky’s Go Fund Me account.

Our community also gave Vicky the recognition and the awards that she deserved, in gratitude for all that she has done for us. I am going to miss Vicky; her kindness, her sincerity, and her ability to bring out the best in all of us.

Like George Bailey in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the world would have been much worse off if Vicky had never lived in it. We are grateful that she did, for nine decades of untiring work and great love. Thanks to Vicky our community is a much better place and we are much better people for having known her.

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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column letter to the editor

Letter to the Editor

tHaNk yOu sFGN FOR FeatuRiNG OuR stRaiGHt aLLies deaR JasON, I wanted to take a moment to commend you and your team on the recent “Allies Edition” of the South Florida Gay News and to thank you for spotlighting the many straight friends, neighbors, and community members who continue to be integral resources for us all. As a result of the collective efforts of many of the people you showcased, we have the luxury of living in one of the most progressive places in the U.S. though we live in one of the most regressive states in the Union.

Next year I will celebrate my twentieth year with Compass. Ironically, this weekend is the twentieth anniversary introduction of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the House of Representatives. Two decades and many, many wins for the LGBT community over the course of 20 years still haven’t quite erased the bitter ugliness of that time. People were losing their lives, their partners, their jobs, homes, insurance and financial security at the very same time our government was working to make sure our unions would never be recognized under the law.

I was working at the Center for Disease Control’s National AIDS Clearinghouse in Washington DC at the time. A cure for AIDS wasn’t imaginable and the treatment for the disease was nearly as painful and taxing as the disease. The stigma of HIV cast a cloud over our community that was so dark those who opposed us turned even our closest friends and families against us through campaigns fueled by hate. Being an ally at the time was a risk, and it wasn’t the most popular position for anyone.

As ugly and vile as those days were, and as terrible as it was to see state after state move to enshrine discrimination into their Constitutions, we still had champions. Where we could not represent ourselves, we had allies.

We had people willing to take a stand, to speak on our behalf and make places for us at the

table. We simply couldn’t have done it alone.

Twenty years ago Ellen DeGeneres wasn’t out. Will and Grace wasn’t must see TV. The few gay characters you could find at the time were often depicted as caricatures whose only purpose seemed to be to reinforce unflattering stereotypes and categorically mislead the masses.

As a community we objected.

Yet in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and as late as 2008 in Florida – to the detriment of our community – politicians and motivated bigots continued to use fear tactics to suit a political agenda and ideology aimed at weakening our families or turning our friends and families against us.

It was our allies who put their careers on the line with us. It was our allies who reminded the people who loved us that they didn’t really want a reason to stop loving us or to turn us away. It was our allies who reminded people that we are sons and daughters and cousins and neighbors. Our allies fought with us so we could be teachers and counselors while others worked to keep us from being able to work at all.

Today, I am as inspired by our allies as I am by our youth. This brave new world is still in transition, and there will always be more work to do. But now WE are the ones fortunate enough to fight as allies along with our friends against economic injustice, for race and gender inequality, to preserve reproductive rights and expand civil liberty for everyone.

It is a privilege to live in a world so far away from one that was once so comfortable denying citizens basic human dignity and protection.

Your issue is a proud reminder that we did not get where we are today alone and we will never have to worry about being alone because we have allies and always will.

Tony Plakas

Tony Plakas joined Compass in 1997 as the HIV Prevention Director.

Shortly after he was named CEO and has been part of the Compass family since he moved to Florida.

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5.4.2016 •

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lifestyle cars D R I V E N

2016 Submitted photos.

des-Benz 2016 Merce G CLS63 AM Base Price: $108,725 Power: 5.5-liter turbocharged V-8 (577 hp, 590 lb-ft of torque) Transmission: 7-speed automatic Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg (EPA est): 16/22 mpg

2016 meRCedes-BeNZ CLs63 amG Steve Siler

M

The original “four-door coupe” is as slinky and sexy as ever

agnetic Black. It’s a kind of blue-black metallic that looks remarkably dressy on a Benz. And a man, apparently: I have a suit that’s pretty much the same exact color. I only found this out by accident, of course, as I stepped out of a Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG in the aforementioned suit and a passerby playfully snickered that it must be “dress like your car day” before complimenting me on my good taste in rides.

I was hardly offended.

Regardless of color but especially in Magnetic Black, the CLS63 AMG is one sexy ride.

Essentially a “four-door coupe” version of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the CLS-Class has a low roof, frameless doors, and a twoperson back seat so small that no shenanigans could possibly happen between them. The CLS63 AMG model is tarted up even more on the outside with aggressive front and rear styling, a lowered suspension, throaty quad exhaust tips and huge wheels.

It’s aggressive because it has to be.

Under the hood is a big, barrel-chested turbocharged V-8 with a massive 577

horsepower. The only way to get all that power to the ground without melting its wide tires is to give it all-wheel drive, so it has that, too. Powerful though it is, it generally drives with the civility of an HRC dinner, though with the press of the Sport button on the console, the car effectively gets “sprung.” The engine is on high alert, and with a deliberate right foot, you could be keeping up with all but the fastest Ferraris should you be inclined to challenge one at a stoplight.

The CLS63 AMG is not a new car, however, and its relative age shows particularly inside, where the cabin hasn’t been updated to reflect Mercedes’ attractive new design language. Oh yeah, and at a whopping $108,775 to start, the CLS63 AMG is, uh, kinda pricey, too. Still, I was more than proud to drive this sexy beast for the brief time I could, and based on the feedback I got, maybe Mercedes should consider loaning matching suits when they deliver their cars.

Regardless of color but especially in Magnetic Black, the CLS63 AMG is one sexy ride.

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OR YOU COULD BUY:

BMW M6 Grand Coupe Audi S7 Cadillac CTS-V

Renowned automotive journalist Steve Siler pioneered automotive writing for the GLBT community in 1998 and currently contributes auto news and reviews to Car and Driver Magazine, Yahoo Autos, The New York Daily News, Autoblog, Details, and many more. You can follow his adventures on Twitter/Instagram: @silerroad.

lifestyle retiring gay

FuNdiNG Gay RetiRemeNt Ric Reily This multi-part series, Retiring Gay, primarily considers the financial steps to successful retirement. However, preparing emotionally for retirement is equally important to a happy, fulfilling and successful retirement.

Planning for retirement is your opportunity to reconsider day to day living. Insurance, investments, spending, savings, socializing, residence and many other considerations change. Reaching retirement with a well executed plan makes your transition to a post work life easier and more fulfilling.

A

pproaching retirement can be scary with its litany of changes. With age differences in the family one might be retiring while the other is still in their prime earning years. Choosing a place to live in retirement, and making the move are stressful times. Deciding how much money is required for a comfortable retirement remains a big unknown. Providing for health care between an employers group plan and Medicare has to be considered.

Yet each challenge simply requires thought and a plan.

Those LGBT retirees lucky enough to have a pension and retirement health coverage will often bemoan the pittance they receive monthly. To those I retort; do you know what you have?

Here’s why: take the amount of your pension plus the value of your health coverage and enter it into a reverse future value calculator. If you receive benefits worth $2,000 per month you would have to have over $500,000 in wealth to generate the same $2,000 per month at today’s miserly interest rates.

Consider those who do not have the benefit of pension or health coverage. The good news is that they are forced to make a plan to create wealth sufficient to provide similar benefits. Unlike a pensioner, they are in control of their retirement funding and not reliant on the benevolence of a corporation or tax collecting authority to honor their often generations old commitments. That could be a particularly valuable benefit in the current uncertain economic climate.

How much income do you need to retire?

Though no one can give you the exact number the amount is rather simple to calculate. Much of the calculation is predicated on the life style you intend to live in retirement. The major change is that saving for retirement is no longer required, nor are the costs associated with employment such as the commute, office lunches and work related clothing.

My experience has been that I spend about what I spent while working; only now I spend it on different things.

Approaching retirement is a good time to begin to spend as if retired. Retirement is a time for disposing of things, not acquiring them. Retirement is for leisure, not chasing the next great technology.

Planning for retirement includes considering how life will be different the day after you no longer report to work.

Those who receive pensions should check with their provider for survivor benefits for LGBT partners. Some provide them, typically with a reduced monthly benefit during the live of the pensioner; some will also provide partner health benefits. Knowing your options both during your lifetime and for your survivor will allow you to maximize your benefits.

Sadly, with the current mix and lack of legal protections across every governmental level LGBT persons can not rely on settled law to serve them in the event of the passing of a partner.

For assets outside of pension plans LGBT persons are best served by a qualified estate advisor. Those pesky relatives will stick their noses in when they smell money; nothing changes things like money.

A trust may be the answer. Trust documents require a trustee. In addition, your spouse can be a co-trustee of your trust. In the event of the passing of either the survivor is the sole trustee.

The arrangement avoids the probate process and removes any opportunity for a frisky family member to reach out a sticky little hand.

Some assets cannot be re-titled to a trust, such as 401K, Roth and IRA accounts. These accounts simply require a beneficiary and naming your spouse as beneficiary protects those accounts from intrusive family members. Inheritance rules related to self managed retirement accounts are changing and your estate advisor is best served to advise you on the use, management and timing of your self managed retirement accounts to minimize tax consequences both during your lifetime and for your survivor.

Remember, there is no reason to wait until you are a gray gay to plan. Now is the time because you never know when the time is up.

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 5.4.2016 •

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community announcement Bachelor Mark Byard from Village Pub

BaCHeLORs aNd BaCHeLORettes ON tHe auCtiON BLOCk Christie Galeano

O

NormKent.com

n Thursday, May 12, the 4th annual Red Hot & In Style will be an opportunity for members of the LGBT community to bid on some of South Florida’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, while helping families who are dealing with serious illness.

A benefit for Deliver the Dream, the event, hosted by Daisy Deadpetals, one of South Florida ‘s legendary Divas, features local men and women who are bravely putting themselves on the auction block, offering an exciting first date to the highest bidder complete with funfilled date packages. Red Hot & In Style takes place at 7 pm at Village Pub, 2283 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors.

Bidding on a bachelor or bachelorette includes an entire date package. Examples of previous date packages include a private yacht tour, relaxing spa day, tickets to popular concerts, theater tickets, gift cards to the hottest bars and restaurants in South Florida and many other exciting outings. This year’s date packages will be announced closer to the event date.

Bachelors and bachelorettes will be from a variety of industries and will also include your favorite bar tenders on The Drive! The participants will be unveiled leading up to the event.

Whether you are looking for that special someone, or you just want to mix and mingle for a great cause, Red Hot & In Style promises to be a fun night out. Anyone can bid on the date packages, as the winner has the option to go on the date with the bachelor/bachelorette or take

someone else on the date. The silent auction will also feature a wonderful variety of items.

All proceeds from the event directly fund Deliver the Dream’s specialized Family Retreat Program, serving families living with HIV/ AIDS, Cancer, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and other life-changing illnesses and crises. Deliver the Dream doesn’t define the family unit and is proud to serve gay and lesbian families in this community. Retreats happen every month, each inviting up to 15 families, free of charge, to get away from the stress of their everyday lives and connect with other families living with similar circumstances.

“We are so proud to partner with the LGBT community, as Deliver the Dream’s mission has always been inclusive of all families,” said Paul Withrow, executive director. “It takes a village to make our mission possible, and the generosity of our community helps us make a significant difference in the lives of countless families in crisis.”

The event is made possible through the generosity of sponsors: AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Principal Financial Group, Sterling Tax & Accounting Services, Hot Spots, SFGN, Mark’s List and OutClique.

There is no cover charge for the event so guests are encouraged to come out and be ready to bid on the ladies and gentlemen and their exciting date packages. For further information, call 954-564-3512 or email Christie Galeano cgaleano@deliverthedream.org.

aBOut deLiVeR tHe dReam Deliver the Dream, Inc. is a non-profit respite and retreat program that serves families facing serious illness or crisis by helping them to enhance coping skills, reduce stress, and cultivate relationships.

Deliver the Dream offers retreat weekends, which combine traditional recreational activities like hiking and fishing, with therapeutic peer-to-peer discussion groups, as well as expressive arts and music activities. The retreats are provided at no cost to participants. Nearly 7,000 family members throughout the Southeast have attended a Deliver the Dream weekend since retreats began in the fall of 2002. For more information on DTD, visit www.DeliverTheDream.org

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lifestyle photos

J.R. Davis

FLORida aids WaLk

CaRRyiNG ON tHe BOLd tRaditiON OF maRCHiNG FOR aWaReNess

Flo Rida hypes the crowd at the Florida Aids Walk & Music Festival

To see more photos, visit SFGN on Facebook!

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sFGN

5.4.2016 •

41

lifestyle tonys talks

Wilton Manors’ Jon Galt, The Meryl Streep Of Gay Porn, Talks About His First Time

Jon Galt at Island House Key West

Tony Adams

G

ay porn stars on a busman’s holiday or underwear models being shot poolside for ad campaigns are commonplace at Island House, the luxurious Key West clothing-optional resort for gay men.

That is where I crossed paths with Wilton Manors’ hunky Jon Galt, who caught more than my eye. He’s a gay porn star (meaning he stars in gay porn and he is gay) with a brain and a way of telling you stories that actually divert your eyes from all the candy below his neck.

Why is he called the Meryl Streep of gay porn?

“I was making videos for Catalina Studio at the time,” Galt said. “They called saying, ‘Hey, we want to pair you with a hot beefy muscular cowboy from Texas,’ so I said OK.” When I interrupt his story to ask him if he chooses which movies to do based on who his costars will be, he says, “Yes. I do porn for fun, not because I have to. I never left my career in event management. Besides, it’s hard to make a living doing porn. For me, it’s a hobby. In the old days, you could make $1,500 for your scene, but these days the pay is much less. I made and saved enough to pay for my Harley. I did it because it’s a great confidencebuilder and ego-boost. Here at Island House, I really like socializing with guys who have seen me perform. I think of them when I do a scene.

It has to be convincing for them. If I don’t have a strong physical connection to a co-star, it’s really hard to fake. I’m very black-and-white that way.

You’ll feel it if I like you or if I don’t. These days, I only make videos co-starring my husband.”

[Galt’s husband is the equally hot Vic Rocco who was soaking up attention in a large group on the far side of the pool.]

Galt gets back to the story. “I flew down to LA for the shoot but it turned out that the ‘hot beefy Texas cowboy’ was a pudgy Czechoslovakian who spoke almost no English. The script was unusually heavy on dialogue. After five minutes, the director called me into the kitchen of the house in which we were filming and said that things weren’t working, and would I assume the role that the other guy had been flown in for.

I agreed on the spot. I thought, ‘Great, I was a theater major at UCLA. I’ll finally get to use some of what I learned!’ In five minutes I had the script memorized and I delivered such a performance that the whole crew applauded and proclaimed me the Meryl Streep of gay porn. That is my

reputation, I am pleased to say.”

Galt also told me the story of his first time doing porn. A masseur-friend of his had his photo on the wall – harness, jock, very Folsom Street – when a client asked who he was. The client, an owner of Titan Media, wondered if Galt might be interested in doing porn. Galt says he didn’t believe his friend when he called with the offer. “I was living in Vancouver and Titan wanted me to come to their offices in San Francisco.

Because I was going there for work, I agreed.

On my last day there, I went to their address before going to the airport. They asked if they could do some photos. I agreed, thinking they meant snapshots, but they said, ‘Great! Get naked.

Get hard.’ They must have liked what they saw because they ran down the hall to the boss who said he loved the pictures and could I come back next week to do a movie. I said, ‘Whoa. Let’s pump the brakes here a bit.’”

“Three times they called with offers and each time I blew them off. One was for a hardcore leather and fetish thing. I told them I wanted to put a toe in the water, not jump into the deep end. I was surprised when they called me again, saying they wanted me for their annual big budget feature. I knew that if I turned this down they would not call again.”

The shoot was in the desert outside Palm Springs in 105-degree heat. One of Galt’s scenes was interrupted by the arrival of the police.

Naked he and his costar jumped inside a van while the director worked things out with the police. They moved the shoot to a secluded yard where Galt and his costar had to stand up against a corrugated steel wall. His costar passed out from the radiating heat – which is not a good reaction during sex – and had to be revived with water from a garden hose.

Galt chose a porn name that was atypical. He says, “I wanted to keep my first name because I was afraid that if someone on the street recognized me and said ‘Hey, Chance!’ I might not answer. I have always liked Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged.” The protagonist is John Galt, and the first line of the book is ‘Who is John Galt?’ Rand may have been homophobic, or more accurately, subjectivist, but I like that book.”

Galt is also called the Susan Lucci of gay porn, but he says he will save that story for the next time we meet at Island House, and then he turns to greet his patiently waiting fans.

“Yes. I do porn for fun, not because I have to.”

-Jon Galt

Photo: Tony Adams

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lifestyle history

Photo credit: CNN.

Homo History 101 History was never as straight as we are told.

Recording our history means reporting the truth.

Pier Angelo Harris Llewellyn Wofford, Jr. (born rights movement and the creation of the April 9, 1926) is an American attorney and Peace Corps.

Democratic Party politician who represented Now in his 90s he married a man 50 years Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate from 1991 to his junior more than two decades after his 1995. wife’s death. He met Matthew Charlton on a After serving four years in the Senate, Mr. beach when Wofford was 75 years old.

Wofford was narrowly defeated by Republican “At age 90, I am lucky to be in an era Rick Santorum. A noted advocate of national where the Supreme Court has strengthened service and volunteering, Wofford was also what President Obama calls ‘ the dignity of the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College marriage’” he said in a recent interview. from 1970 to 1978, served as Chairman Mr. Wofford said it took three years to tell of the Pennsylvania his three children about his Democratic Party in 1986, relationship with Charlton. as Pennsylvania Secretary “Too often, our society seeks He was a of Labor and Industry in the to label people by pinning cabinet of Governor Robert P. them on the wall- straight, key figure Casey from 1987 to 1991 and gay or in between. I don’t in the U.S. was a surrogate for Barack categorize myself on the Obama’s 2008 presidential gender of those I love.” civil rights campaign. He introduced Wofford went public with his movement Obama in Philadelphia at the impending marriage in the and was National Constitution Center essay “Finding Love Again, before Obama’s speech on With a Man” published in part of JFK’s race in America, A More Sunday’s New York Times. presidential Perfect Union.

Since 2001, Wofford has He was a key figure in the served on the boards of campaign U.S. civil rights movement several charities and service team. and was part of JFK’s organizations, including presidential campaign team.

America’s Promise, Youth Wofford was instrumental in Service America and the the formation of the Peace Corps and served Points of Light Foundation. He was a as the Peace Corps’ special representative to trustee to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center Africa and director of operations in Ethiopia. for Non-Violent Social Change. Between He was appointed associate director of the 2007 and 2009, Wofford was the national Peace Corps in 1964 and held that position spokesperson for Experience Wave, a until 1966. He also participated in the Selma national campaign that sought to advance to Montgomery marches in 1965. Wofford’s state and federal policies to make it easier for book “Of Kennedys and Kings: Making Sense mid-life and older adults to stay engaged in of the Sixties” details his years in the civil work and community life.

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m is FOR …

lifestyle food

M

other, Mom, Mommy, Mama, Madre…whatever you call her and whether she’s your best friend or a royal pain in the ass, if she’s living nearby, you’ll probably be seeing her on Sunday, May 8, Mother’s Day and, if you’re like most people, you’ll be taking her out to eat. Whether it’s dinner or brunch, there is no shortage of options, as most restaurants pull out all the stops for this holiday.

Shooters Waterfront 3033 NE 32nd Ave. 954-566-2855 ShootersWaterfront.com

Shooters special Mother’s Day brunch buffet features artisanal cheeses, antipasto, bagels and lox, assorted salads, a carving station, pastas, fresh sushi and a raw bar as well as grilled salmon, seared mahi and skirt steak chimichurri and made-to-order omelets and traditional breakfast treats. The buffet is $59 per person.

Hobo’s Grill at Rumors 2426 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors 954-565-8851 RumorsBarWiltonManors.com

Show your Mom how the other half lives (and eats) with a special all-you-can-eat buffet served from 10 to 3. If Mom likes to knock back a few (“Atta-way, girl!”) it’s only $2.50 Bloody Marys and Mimosas.

15th Street Fisheries

1900 SE 15th St., Fort Lauderdale 954-763-2777 15StreetFisheries.com Treat your mother to dinner with a breath-taking waterfront view from the beautiful upstairs dining room, from the place voted “Best Place to Take Your Parents” by the Sun Sentinel. The menu will feature a number of seafood

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Photos: Facebook

Rick Karlin

specials for the holiday, which will be offered along with a Mother’s Day trio dessert sampler featuring S’mores and banana split cupcakes with butter pecan ice cream. There’s even a special Mother’s Day cocktail; pecan cherry lemonade, made with William Wolf Pecan Bourbon.

Beauty and the Feast

601 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 954-567-8020 AtlanticHotelFL.com The all-you-can-eat brunch, served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. features carved meat and omelet stations, pasta, and fresh fruit and parfait stations, alongside French toast, eggs Benedict, shrimp and grits, and wild berry pancakes. The special Mother’s Day brunch costs $49.95. Bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas can be paired with your meal for $15.

Grille 401

Sun., May 8, 11:30 a.m.

401 E. Las Olas Blvd.

Grille401.com The Mother’s Day brunch menu includes classics such as crab cake Benedict, steak Benedict, granola encrusted French toast and steak and eggs, paired with bottomless mimosas.

Rosie’s

2449 Wilton Dr. 954-563-0123 RosiesBNG.com Every Sunday is a festive day for brunch at Rosie’s. Treat Mom to such menu delights as Bananas Foster pancakes, fried green tomato Benedict or a crab, avocado and brie omelet.

J. Marks

1245 N. Federal Fort Lauderdale 954-390-0770 1490 NE 23rd St., Pompano Beach 954-782-7000 JMarksRestaurant.com

I’ve never had a bad meal at J. Marks and the Sunday brunch, served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is no exception. Mom will love the six variations on egg Benedict, filet and eggs and, after a few of the $3 Bloody Marys or Mimosas you may have to roll her to the car.

Angelo

4215 N. Federal, Ft. Lauderdale 954-561-7300 AngeloeliaPizza.com Treat Mom to an authentic Italian dinner like Nona used to make. While the pizzas are exceptional, don’t overlook the salads, panini and calzones. For entrees, check out the spaghetti with veal meatballs and fresh ricotta, linguine with clams, or braised short ribs with crispy polenta and roasted figs.

Downtowner

10 S. New River Drive E., Fort Lauderdale 954-463-9800 DownTowner.SquareSpace.com Enjoy a buffet brunch on the terrace or overlooking the water.

It’s only $21.95 a person and just $3 for a Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Screwdriver.

If you’re looking for something different to wow Mom, why not take her on a brunch cruise? The Windridge sails at noon and returns a couple of hours later. Mom can savor a delicious buffet brunch and take in amazing views along the Intracoastal. The cruise sails from Tranquility Marina and is $69.90 per person, which includes a rose for each mother. Check it out at windridgeyachts.com/fortlauderdale/specialty/mothers-day. Or, if you prefer to cruise another way, take Mom to Beefcakes at Boardwalk. The bar’s celebrating its 31st anniversary all month, so there’s a chance Mom might win something. If not, she’ll enjoy the eye candy, sing-alongs with Deb and Bernadette and the free barbecue, served from 6 to 8 p.m.

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F O R

T H E

SFGNITES W E E K

O F

m a y

5

-

m a y

1 0 ,

2 0 1 6

W W W . S F G N . C O M

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

5/5

nightlife It’s Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican Fourth of July, or something like that. We don’t care, it’s just another excuse to party like crazy. You won’t care, either, if you head down to Village Pub, 2283 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors, where it’s “Cinco de WTF???” featuring live vocal and comedy performances by Porsche and Brenda Dharling. Hornitos margaritas are just $4 and all drinks are 2-4-1. Info at VillagePubWM.com.

FRI

5/6

theater The Fort Lauderdale Fringe Festival, hosted by Broward College, returns this weekend for the second year.

The festival is the region’s only uncensored, unjuried live theater event, featuring original, cuttingedge performances by worldly artists, Thursday through Saturday at the Willis Holcombe Center, 111 E. Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

Complete schedule and tickets at FortLauderdaleFringe.com.

If it’s Monday night then you must be watching RuPaul’s new game show, “Gay for Play,” featuring a crazy panel of celebrities on Logo.

Photo Credit: Logo.

SAT

5/7 SUN

5/8 MON

5/9 TUE

5/10

Concert

theater

film

Opera

Stand up and salute! After the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, head to downtown Oakland Park for two Fleet Week Port Everglades events, Galley Wars and a concert by Navy Band Southeast. Watch culinary specialists from the visiting Navy ships face off in an Iron Chef-style competition at 6 p.m. and then enjoy music by the talented musicians at 7:30 p.m. More information and tickets at BrowardNavyDaysInc.org.

Thinking Cap Theatre presents the South Florida premiere of Will Eno’s “The Realistic Joneses,” at The Vanguard, 1501 S. Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The 2014 Outer Critics Circle Award-nominated play explores the relationships between two suburban couples who share identical homes and the same last name. Opens May 5 and runs through May 22. Tickets at ThinkingCapTheatre.com.

Marvel Films is back this weekend with one of those blockbuster superhero franchises. This time, it’s “Captain America: Civil War.” Hunky Chris Evans returns as the freedom fighter, along with fellow Avengers Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). If you haven’t reserved your tickets yet, you may not be able to snag a seat until Monday. Check local listings for theaters and show times.

Florida Grand Opera closes out its 2016 season with Donizetti’s delightful comic opera, “Don Pasquale,” tonight at 8 p.m. With irresistible eccentric characters, fabulous music, and plenty of laughs, gay director Renaud Doucet and designer André Barbe return to Miami’s Arsht Center with their colorful and quirky production, May 7 through May 14. Tickets and more information at FGO.org.

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5.4.2016 •

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a&e art

Submitted photo.

Photographer Blake Little will discuss his exhibit, “Archetype,” opening Friday at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives Wilton Manors Gallery.

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PHOtO eXHiBit eXPLORes Gay masCuLiNity J.W. Arnold

N

ot so long ago, gay dating ads were crew and hair, make-up and assistants,” frequently peppered with phrases he said. “I also tend to have a stronger such as “straight-acting” and concept (to start) because there’s less time “masculine.” and it’s for a magazine or advertisement, Los Angeles photographer Blake Little so there’s more structure.” began exploring the concepts of gay Little continued, “With these guys, masculinity in 2006 while working on his it’s just me and the subject. It’s more book, “The Company of Men.” spontaneous.”

This Friday, an exhibit of Since “The Company of his portraits, “Archetype,” Men” was published in 2011, opening at the Stonewall he has frequently heard from Little’s National Museum & Archives’ other gay men, many who portraits Wilton Manors Gallery will recently came out, praising are largely celebrate Little’s discoveries his work for giving them unadorned, during the preparation for a vision of real gay men to that book and the subsequent whom they could relate. focusing on volume, “Manifest,” Little’s work came to the the individual published in 2013. attention of Stonewall’s thenstrength and “I was trying to show an executive director David Jobin character of alternative of what I think a more than 18 months ago and each subject. lot of gay men look like and the exhibit was scheduled for challenge the stereotypes,” the Wilton Manors gallery, he explained. “I wanted to which focuses on LGBTstrip away the pretentions of what I think themed art and cultural displays. a lot of gay men think they’re supposed to Little will attend the opening reception look like.” on Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. and participate Little’s portraits are largely unadorned, in a discussion about his work moderated focusing on the individual strength and by Miami Herald LGBT reporter Steve character of each subject. Unlike his Rothaus. The reception is free and open commercial photos, these portraits are to the public. intimate and raw, quietly subversive While in South Florida, Little also plans and powerful, shattering mainstream to photograph five subjects for his new stereotypes of homosexuality. book, planned for release in December.

“When I work with celebrities, I have a “Archetype – Portraits by Blake Little” will be on display at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives Wilton Manors Gallery, 2157 Wilton Drive, through July 3. Admission is free. For more information, go to Stonewall-Museum.org.

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Ronnie Larsen Presents at Empire Stage

A Comedy by David Dillon May 6th - June 12th Tickets at RonnieLarsen.com "One of the most uplifting and affirming representations of gay life on any stage ever." - The Advocate

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may 4 tO may 10

Datebook

Theater Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

top

Picks

Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama

May 6 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Gospel singer Mavis Staples opens the show for the Blind Boys of Alabama to perform spiritual songs from across time. Tickets $20 and up. Call 561832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons

May 11 at 8 p.m. at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th St. in Fort Lauderdale. The 12 stars of the past seasons battle it out, including Pearl, Adore Delano, Alaska, Courtney Act, Ginger Minj, Miss Fame, and others. Tickets $36.50 to $301. Call 954-462-0222 or visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.

LAST CHANCE: Roof!

Through May 8 at the South MiamiDade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay. Vic and Adam throw a rooftop party, which brings a host of odd characters. Tickets $41. Call 786-573-5300 or visit SMDCAC.org

* Denotes New Listing

broward county * Impractical Jokers

May 7 at 7 and 10 p.m. at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The stars of the truTV show show bring live comedy to Fort Lauderdale.

Recommended for 16 and older. Tickets $53.75 to $250. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* Little Women

May 7 to 8 at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

The classic novel of the March sisters is told through radio theater. Tickets $25. Call 954462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

* Cosmic Sounds of Dhrupad: Gundecha Brothers

May 8 at 5 p.m. at Broward Center for the

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Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.The most ancient style of Indian classical music is performed by the Gundecha Brothers. Tickets $30. Call 954462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

The Submission

Through May 8 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors.

Danny, a gay playwright, is elated that his play is chosen to be performed at a festival -- but he turned it in under the pen name of a black woman. He hires a black actress to fill in for him, but it only makes things more complicated. Tickets $35. Call 954519-2533 or visit IslandCityStage.org.

* Satchmo at the Waldorf

May 13 to June 12 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre, 201 Clematis St. Just months before his death in 1971, Louis Armstrong talks about his life and career.

Tickets $64. Call 561-514-4042 or visit PalmBeachDramaworks.org.

Free Friday Concerts

Fridays at 7:30 p.m. at the Delray Beach Center for the Arts, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Enjoy live music from the comfort of your picnic blanket or lawn chair every week, for free! Call 561-2437922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

miami-dade county * Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Don Pasquale May 10 to 22 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. The story of Carole King, from her start as a girl with a dream in Brooklyn.

Tickets $30 to $115. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

May 7 to 14 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Don Pasquale fears that his nephew Ernesto will steal his fortune, so he seeks to find a woman to marry, which only causes his problems to get worse. Tickets $25 to $229.

Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

* Gold Coast Jazz: Giacomo Gates & The Gold Coast Jazz The Hammer Trinity Society Band Trio Through May 8 at the Adrienne May 11 at 7:45 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Gates and the trio perform favorites from the Great American Songbook. Tickets $50. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Friday Night Sound Waves Music Series

Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami.

Casper Kent discovers he is in line to the throne and must defend the precious hammer from pirates. The three-part play

is performed over 6.5 hours. Tickets $150.

Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

Them Beaux

Through May 13 at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. A reinterpretation of “The Beaux,” a play set in the Deep South with con men, hijinks, love, and deception. Tickets $25.

Call 305-751-9550 or visit MTCMiami.org.

Stage Kiss

Through May 15 at Main Street Players, 6766 Main St. in Miami Lakes. Former lovers, She and He head back into show business after a two-decade hiatus and, unbeknownst to them, are cast in the leading roles. Tickets $25. Call 305-5583737 or visit MainStreetPlayers.com.

PAMM Outdoor Music Series

Third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum Miami, 101 W. Flagler St. in Miami. Come out for live music from DJs and musicians by the bay. Drink specials available. Free with museum admission. Call 305-3753000 or visit PAMM.org.

The Big Show

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami.

A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-693-8669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.

datebook: history

Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Hub, Las Olas Boulevard and A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Enjoy live, outdoor music spanning genres and tributes every Friday evening through November. Free. Visit FridayNightSoundWaves.com

palm beach county Gyorgy Lakatos, the Gypsy Guitar King

May 5 at 7 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. The Hungarian guitar virtuoso performs his own works from the “Back to the Roots” tour. Tickets $35. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Short Cuts 6

May 6 to 15 at Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail in Boca Raton. Enjoy eight, 10-minute shorts from the best South Florida playwrights.

Tickets $25. Call 561-347-3948 or visit WillowTheatre.org.

By Norm Kent Our lives are marked by historical events that make an impact on who we are and what we become. For me, a 1960’s Vietnam War protestor, I will never forget that May 4, 1970, was the day National Guard troops shot dead four college students at Kent State University in Ohio. 46 years ago, today.

You may only know of this only from the pop song, ‘Four Dead in Ohio.’

I know of it because the bullets of that murderous act still ring in my heart decades later.

I’m 26 and transitioning.

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.

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.

5.4.2016 •

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Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly

Gender Bender Youth Group

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top Picks Transcendence

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

The Art of Tyce Marshall

Through May 6 at Art Gallery 21 at the Woman’s Club of Wilton Manors, 600 NE 21st Court in Wilton Manors.

Experience the work of Tyce Marshall, inspired by seascapes, as well as the artwork of artists Mark Baker, Patti Maceri, Pamela Moloboado, Carl Phillips and Pat Wahl. Free. Call 954661-4740 or visit ArtGallery21.org.

Brew at the Zoo

May 7 at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St. in Miami. Sample beer and spirits from around the globe with live music from hip hop band, Arrested Development. Tickets $40, $50 at the door. Visit ZooMiami.org.

broward county

* Bike Safety Day in Wilton Manors

May 7 from 10 a.m. to noon at Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors.

Bike giveaways, obstacle course, bike registrations, safety inspections, and more with the city. Free. Call Johnnie Goodnight at 954- 390-2120, or email jgoodnight@ wiltonmanors.com.

* Wings for Life World Run

May 8 at 7 a.m. at the BB&T Center, One Panther Parkway in Sunrise. Runners around the world take off at the same time for a moving finish line. Tickets $50. Call 954-835-7000 or visit TheBBTCenter.com.

LGBT Senior Competency 101 • 5.4.2016

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

meditation and instruction with Western Buddhist teacher, Jay Radin. Free. Visit MeditationinFortLauderdale.com.

palm beach county * Delray Beach Craft Beer Fest

May 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Old School Square, 51 N Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Enjoy a night of beers, games, live art, and more. Tickets $35 to $50 before May 13. Visit DCBraftBeerFest.org.

Zumba Fitness

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 Jay Asher at ijasher@aol.com.

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.

in Wilton Manors. Learn how your business can better serve the LGBT senior community during one of these classes, with options to book a longer session for staff. RSVP to Bruce Williams at 954463-9005, ext. 109 or email BWilliams@ PrideCenterFlorida.org.

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

Shutterbugs

Third Mondays at 7 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Love photography? Join BLAST and other women to explore the art of digital photography. Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com

Rusty Gordon Democratic Caucus

GLBT

Third Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Meet other like-minded people in this group open to the public. Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com .

PFLAG

Fourth Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Temple Shaarei Shalom, 9085 Hagen Ranch Road in Boynton Beach. A rap and support group for LGBT and straight spouses and their families and friends.

Free. Call Carole 561-716-9464.

BBAD Open Mic Night

Life Coaching

Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Latinos Salud Clubhouse, 2300 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. Get one-onone life coaching from certified CRCS coaches. For guys living with HIV, their partners, and anyone who identifies as transgender. Free. Call 954-765-6239 or visit LatinosSalud.org.

Introduction Cultural Buddhism

May 19 and June 15 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway

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to

Modern

Mondays 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 140 W. Prospect Road in Fort Lauderdale. Join a guided

Third Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m. at the ActivistArtistA Gallery, 404-422 W. Industrial Ave. in Boynton Beach. With beer and wine in hand, check out some of the area’s best musical talent. $5 sign up fee. Call 786-521-1199.

Boynton Beach Art Walk

Fourth Thursdays from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Boynton Beach Art District, 404-422 W. Industrial Ave. in Boynton Beach. Art studios will be open for the public to view, as well as food, music, dancers and live performances. Call 786-521-1199.

miami-dade county * Savvy College Planning: Six Ways to Cut College Costs

May 10 and 12 from 6 to 7 p.m. at The Brockway Memorial Library, 10021 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. David Treece, investment adviser, will discuss financial aid, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number, college pricing, and more.Free.

RSVP to 305-751-8855, info@davidtreece. com, or TreeceFinancialGroup.com.

Arsht Center Farmers Market

Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. Purchase fresh food from local farmers, including fruits, vegetables, meats, prepared foods, as well as chefs, live music, and cooking demonstrations. Free. Visit ArshtCenter.org/ en/Visit/Dining.

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.

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.

Prayers For World Peace

Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1273 Coral Way in Miami. Buddhist teacher, Todd Ellenberg will lead prayers and meditation. Cost $10.

Call 786-529-7137.

Drag Brunch

Sundays noon to 4 p.m. at Senor Frogs, 1450 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. Enjoy unlimited cocktails while enjoying a meal with laughs from Elaine Lancaster, Adora, Angie Ovahness, TP Lords, and Ebonee Excell. Tickets $39.95. Call 212-481-6203 or visit VossEvents.com.

* Denotes New Listing

porn pulse

BumPeR CaRs & dumPsteR CLeaNsiNG Hunter Houston

E

ver wondered how to describe your sexual activity?

Well then look no further than GaySexPositionsGuide.com. This interesting website provides terms and photographs of more than a hundred different anal, oral and group sexual positions.

Yes, the classic missionary position is displayed along with other exercises named “doggy style,” “pile driver,” “bumper cars,” “folded deck chair,” “Eiffel Tower,” and “tea bagging.” A visitor to GaySexPositionsGuide. com can click on a name of a certain position and view many different examples. It goes without saying that this site is NSFW (not safe for work) but then again, when covering porn, what is?

Switching to the professionals we found an interview that bareback star Ryan Cummings recently gave to the Bay Area Reporter in promotion of his live sex show at San Francisco’s Nob Hill Theatre. Cummings, a bottom, who markets himself as a “cum dump,” explained to the newspaper how he prepares to take a pounding.

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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 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

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

electrician 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

home and garden

POOL SERVICE Mention this ad and receive your first month

FREE! some restrictions apply

Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds

954.530.4970

landscaping

piano WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO? Learn from an experienced teacher. All levels and ages welcome. Learn to play classical, popular, jazz, or show tunes. Visit www.edwinchad. com or call 954-826-9555 for more information.

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.

sfgn.com

pets/supplies

MIKE THE GARDENER - Lawn and Garden care.

Trim, cut, prune plants and trees, apply mulch, stone and flowers and more. Call Mike at (561)543-6337

licensed massage Serving Broward Since 1999

Call for a free estimate: 954-367-7007 Web: www.skimmerspools.com Email: skimmerspoolservice@gmail.com

entertainment

home and garden

JAZZ TRIO AVAILABLE - 25% DISCOUNT TO SFGN READERS!!!!!!! - Jazz vocalist with over 30 years experience performing in South Florida is available with her trio for your special event,party or corporate fundraiser.Booking now for the balance of 2016 and into 2017 so reserve today.Recent performances include JAZZ IN THE PINES and WALK ON WEDNESDAY MUSIC SERIES. I work with South Florida’s finest jazz musicians to make your special affair one to remember. Reasonble rates. 25% Discount when you mention you saw ad in SFGN CLASSIFIEDS.Call Cindy at 954-298-8158. www.myspace.com/cindycurtisandcompany I can’t wait to sing for you!

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 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

cleaning

CLEAN IT RIGHT! - The best cleaning for your buck.

1BD $60, 2BD $70, 3BD $80 and up. Excellent rates & references. 10 years in business. Serving Broward, North Miami-Dade & S. Palm Beach. Call Manny 954560-4443

Now HiriNg! Call 800-DiLigENT

sfgn.com 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.

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music lessons VOICE LESSONS & MUSIC THEATRE COACHING - Over 30 years experience. Students have performed on (and off) Broadway, in National & International tours, recorded solo albums & placed in prestigious competitions. www.kreutzmusic.com 617-967-0575

954.610.8816

Iris Seymour

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.

rentals furnished housing *PERFECT RELOCATION RENTALS* 4 WEEK + SPECIAL FROM $425/WEEK Intimate 7 unit Liberty Garden Suites offering all the comforts of home. for your Vacation or Temporary Housing Needs. Beautifully Furnished & Fully Equipped Studio & One BR Apts. with Full Kitchens, in lush tropical Gay Resort setting. 5 Min south of Airport in Dania Beach. Central to Haulover Nude Beach & Wilton Manors. Incl. WI-Fi, laundry,private parking, utilities, cable, tel. Gay Owned & Operated.

Longer term Monthly rates available for 3 months+ Stays. Pets Always Welcome. Celebrating Our 19th Year. Call Joe or Jack at 954-927-0090 or visit www.

LibertySuites.com

rentals

rentals - vacation

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

BUNGALOW RETREAT IN BLUE RIDGE MTNS - Bungalow is nestled in the mountains of

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 real estate broward county

roommates

rentals fort lauderdale

1 BEDROOM/1 BA-FURNISHED APT. Spectacular 13th Floor, view of Middle River and Ocean;Newly remodeled, new appliances and furnishings. Secure Building,gated parking,heated pool/BBQ. Free laundry, free cable TV, Rec. room. $1375/month plus F/L/S. 1 year lease. Anthony 619-822-5158;Available May 10th.

North Carolina. Enjoy cool nights and comfortable days in this 2 BD cozy cabin.Hot tub, very private & rustic. Weekly- $800; monthly-$1600.Fully equipped and 45 mins. from Ashville. Call Steve (203) 7220558.

STUNNING TRI LEVEL 4/3.5 TOWNHOUSE Outstanding features throughout. 2 car garage, 3 bedrooms on 3rd level.Kitchen features granite counter tops,stainless steel appliances.

One bedroom on the first floor. Double door entry and impact windows. “A” rated schools.

In highly desirable Victoria Park area.No rental restrictions.843 NE 16th Terr. Ft. Lauderdale. $599,000. Call Marcia at 954-649-1976.

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