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June 1, 2016 vol. 7 // issue 22

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June 1, 2016 • Volume 7 • Issue 22 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943

Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com

Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli

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May 201

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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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news highlight

One Magical Weekend Takes Over Disney Resorts

John McDonald

This weekend Walt Disney World Resorts plays host to another year of magical parties fashioned for LGBT people and their friends.

One Magical Weekend, three days of pool parties, dance parties and after hours parties, returns to the happiest place on earth, June 3 to 6. Headlining this year’s event is pop singer Kesha, who struck gold with her 2012 smash hit “Die Young.” Kesha is scheduled to make a special performance at Saturday night’s main event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Tom Christ, marketing director for One Magical Weekend, told SFGN that ticket sales are strong and Saturday’s main event would take place on the same stage as Disney’s upcoming Star Wars re-boot. Christ, who together with partner Billy Looper, have been producing OMW parties for nearly 10 years, said attendees can expect high level performances by some of the top dancers and music makers on the entertainment scene.

Mango’s Tropical Café, an International Drive hotspot, has stepped up to host this weekend’s after parties featuring up and coming DJs spinning electronic music hits. Christ said attendees staying

Photo: J.R. Davis.

at the B Resort & Spa, OMW host hotel, will have access to a bus for transport back and forth from the parties held at Mango’s, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and Epcot Center.

Epcot, a theme park that mixes futurist rides with a world showcase of nations and their cultures, hosts Sunday evening’s closing event, “Deep.” Space is more limited for “Deep,” Christ said, than the other parties as organizers have planned for a spectacular display of lights, sound and visuals. Superstar duo Rosabel is providing sound.

“It’s a super-sophisticated light show with mind blowing visuals, lasers and devilishly sexy go-go dancers,” Christ said.

OMW gets underway Friday at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon as more than 6,000 people are expected to participate in the pool party.

For tickets or more information, visit OneMagicalWeekend.com. OMW takes place during the annual Gays Days in Orlando festivities. Visit GayDays.com for more info, or see page 37.

6.1.2016 •

3

politics white house watch

Photo credit: John McDonald.

Submited Photo

AHF Co-Opts Sanders Message John McDonald

I

t is often said Bernie Sanders’ message hits home with young Americans.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation certainly hopes this is true. The Los Angelesbased HIV/AIDS medical provider launched an ad campaign this spring to encourage people to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases. The campaign closely resembles the logo of Sanders Presidential campaign even using the socialist’s popular rallying cry, “Feel the Burn!”

“Senator Sanders’ powerful message resonates with a lot of Americans, particularly young people,” Jason Farmer, senior creative director for AHF told The Hill. “We hope that our light hearted – but highly important – billboard campaign for STD testing will have as well.”

In South Florida, the campaign is easily spotted on billboards and public benches.

Michael Lockwood, a pledged Sanders delegate from Fort Lauderdale, said he has no problem with AHF’s tactics.

“I think they are using it (Sanders logo) for an appropriate reason,” Lockwood told SFGN at the May meeting of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Democratic Club meeting.

“They are using it for educational purposes and to benefit the community. I think everyone on the campaign supports reduces STDs and AIDS.” Members of the Sanders campaign met with HIV/AIDS activists on Wednesday evening in California. In published reports, activists claim Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, intends to highlight the importance of access to “generic” drugs.

“Bernie has always believed there

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• 6.1.2016

should be an expansion of generic drugs throughout the world so poor people can get the drugs they need,” Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs told the Washington Blade.

“He has for years taken on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry which had resulted in unnecessary death and suffering in many parts of the world. As president, he will fight for a major expansion of generic drug production. He hopes the Democratic convention in Philadelphia agrees with that.”

Flooding the health care market with lifesaving drugs doesn’t sound so evil to most, but for Martin Shkreli and pharmaceutical companies, like Turing Inc., it cuts into their bottom line. Shkreli, known across the social media world as “Pharma Bro,” donated $2,700 to Sanders last year only to have the candidate forward the funds to a Washington, D.C. health care clinic specializing in HIV/AIDSs treatment.

Sanders and Shkreli have sparred online and in the press over the economic philosophies, hedge funds and the cost of prescription drugs. Shkreli was arrested last December by the F.B.I. for securities fraud and is free on bail.

Sanders, meanwhile, trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic Party’s U.S. Presidential nomination. California’s primary, the last major contest before the party’s national convention, is June 7.

Shkreli disclosed his thoughts of Sanders’ chances to catch Clinton Monday on Twitter.

“Time to shut up and take the L,” Shkreli tweeted.

6.1.2016 •

5

Compiled by Tucker Berardi

“Conversion Therapy” Made Illegal in Vermont “It’s absurd to think that being gay or transgender is something to be cured of,” Gov. Peter Shulmin of Vermont said.

This past Wednesday Vermont joined California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. by making conversion therapy – a practice that aims to change young people’s sexual orientation and gender identity – an illegal practice.

Earlier this year New York Gov. Andrew

N

SPORTS

FL Awards Super Bowls to Three States Without ‘Religious Freedom’ Laws

Today, the NFL announced Super Bowl locations from 2019 through 2021 – all in states free of anti-LGBT policies such as anti-trans bathroom bills or religious freedom laws.

The Super Bowls will be held in Atlanta in 2019, Miami in 2020 and Los Angeles in 2021. This will be the first Super Bowl in Atlanta in almost 30 years, according to SB Nation.

Cuomo announced regulation plans to bar insurance coverage for conversion therapy for minors.

It also seemed likely that the practice was to be made illegal in New Hampshire after both chambers passed it, but that now seems unlikely due to last-minute negotiations aimed at killing the proposition.

The ban in Vermont takes effect on July 1.

The NFL released a statement in March suggesting that Atlanta may jeopardize their chance in the Super Bowl if Georgia passed HB 757, an anti-LGBT bill.

“NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in March. “Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites.”

The bill was later vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal.

POLITICS

Moves Back On Transgender Trump Support, says ‘Let States Decide.’

A trend of Republican-backed bathroom bills aimed to stop transgender people from using their preferred bathroom have popped up all over the US. Initially, Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump announced his stance on the issue that went against the majority of his party – that transgender individuals should be able to use the bathroom that they want.

He has since rescinded to a much more moderate position.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Trump had this to say on the issue: “The party generally believes that whatever you’re born, that’s the bathroom you use. I say let the stats decide.”

When asked to elaborate on his personal stance, he said, “What I support is let the states decide, and I think hopefully the states will do hopefully the right thing.”

Trump’s response when asked what he meant by ‘the right thing?’ “I don’t know yet, I don’t know. It’s a very interesting subject.”

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• 6.1.2016

INTERNATIONAL

stones 15-year-old to death for Crowd being gay.

Syria – ISIS has executed several dozen men for there homosexuality, releasing videos ranging from throwing men off roofs to crowds throwing stones, and even one of a man being beheaded.

Jamar Nassir al-Oujan, 15, was arrested by Islamic police on May 22 by the Islamic police. After a short trial he was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to death by stoning.

A crowd gathered to watch the boy get stoned for being a homosexual. According to an eyewitness who reported anonymously, ISIS militants led the execution.

The execution took place in a city in the eastern Dier ezZor province known as Mayadin.

“Some civilians were forced to participate in stoning the victim,” said the eyewitness. “The brutal scene has shocked all residents of Mayadin.”

The Islamic extremists claim that they murder homosexual men because it is the only way to “cleanse them of their sins.”

News Briefs

Continued

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

#GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend Captain America fans have started using the hashtag “GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend” in response to a release image of the upcoming film “Captain America: Civil War” in which Captain America is shown kissing a female counterpart.

Fans are wishing the Captain was getting a kiss from someone else – his old friend Bucky Barnes.

Advocacy group GLAAD used this as an opportunity to communicate that audiences are ready to see LGBT main characters in their superhero movies.

This statement comes less than a month after a studio review that revealed Disney, which owns Marvel, did not include a single LGBT character in last year’s films.

The hashtag is similar to the one fans used to encourage LGBT representation in Disney’s Frozen sequel, #GiveElsaAGirlfriend.

It remains to be seen whether or not Hollywood will make moves to incorporate LGBT representation based on fan campaigns like these.

A

POLITICS

labama Supreme Court Annuls its Ruling on Lesbian Adoption

The Alabama Supreme Court has voided its earlier decision not to recognize a lesbian couple’s adoption that was carried out in another state.

The opinion announced Friday falls into line with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued in March that said the Alabama court erred in declaring the adoption held in Georgia invalid.

One woman bore three children, and her partner adopted them - not in Alabama, but in Georgia - where they believed their chances at adoption would be better.

Alabama courts got involved when the couple broke up after roughly 16 years, and the birth mother tried preventing her former partner from having regular visits with the children.

The Alabama Supreme Court refused to recognize the other woman as a parent, and ruled the couple’s adoption invalid under Georgia law. Alabama justices ruled that the Georgia adoption law didn’t allow a “non-spouse to adopt a child without first terminating the parental rights of the current parents.” The woman appealed to the nation’s high court.

On March 7, U.S. Supreme Court justices said in an unsigned opinion that “the

Alabama Supreme Court.

Alabama Supreme Court erred in refusing to grant that judgment full faith and credit.”

The case illustrated legal challenges facing gay and lesbian parents even after the Supreme Court issued a ruling last June that effectively legalized same-sex marriages nationwide. Not participating in the court’s decision was Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was suspended while he faces a judicial ethics hearing linked to his public opposition to same-sex marriage.

6.1.2016 •

7

I refuse to let HIV get in the way of my busy schedule. I even have a cell phone app that reminds me to take my HIV meds. When I’m not working, I keep busy with boot camp, swimming, weight lifting, meditation, traveling and — oh yeah — karaoke. I know that the more control I have over my HIV, the less power I give to the virus. I take control by taking my HIV medication every day.

8

• 6.1.2016

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news national

Key House Spending Bill Falls Over LGBT Controversy Tucker Berardi

Paul Ryan. Credit: CNN.

(SFGN) In an embarrassing blow for was “to redo a mistake” last week on the Speaker Paul Ryan, the House failed a proposal “to end discrimination in to pass its annual spending bill funding federal contracting.” water and energy programs.

During last Thursday’s vote, the House The bill failed because of a bipartisan floor erupted in jeers from Democrats amendment to protect federal workers after the vote board showed the LGBT from being fired on amendment had the the basis of sexual votes to pass, but GOP discrimination or gender leaders kept the vote open During last identity was attached to and convinced several the bill.

Thursday’s vote, members to switch The controversial their votes to defeat the the House floor social debate could proposal.

Republicans erupted in jeers argued they didn’t want it jeopardize future efforts to pass spending from Democrats to pass because it was an bills. amendment to the annual after the vote House Republicans military construction board showed had scrambled last week and veterans spending the LGBT to defeat a Democratic bill, and could have proposal to protect jeopardized support for amendment had federal workers from that legislation. the votes to being fired on the basis On Wednesday night, pass. of sexual discrimination Republicans added or gender identity, but language to Maloney’s Democrats brought the proposal that required proposal back late Wednesday night that federal contractors must comply and the measure passed. with several sections of the U.S. The vote was 223-195 with 43 Constitution. But Maloney shrugged Republicans voting for the amendment. off the change and again argued the It will be attached to an annual spending substance of his plan remained the same bill for energy and water programs. A and the second vote on Wednesday was final vote on the broader funding bill is to show Congress’ views on LGBT rights. slated for Thursday.

“The American people want to know Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney that their government is on the level,” introduced his proposal, which he said Maloney said on the House floor.

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News Briefs

E

Continued LEGAL

x-Glee Star Indicted on Child Porn Charges

Mark Salling, who played Noah “Puck” Puckerman on Fox’s “Glee,” was charged with receiving and possessing child pornography charges on Friday.

The actor was arrested last December in his home in Shadow Hills after Los Angeles police officers and federal agents found a laptop, hard drive and flash drive they claimed contained child pornography.

Salling has been charged with two counts, and federal officials claim he has agreed to surrender next Friday, at which time he is also expected to be brought before federal court.

The first count charged was for using the Internet to obtain a pornographic image and video of young girls and the second count was for possessing two other child porn videos, also featuring young girls.

“Those who download and possess child pornography create a market that causes more children to be harmed,” U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a statement announcing the indictments. “Young victims are harmed every time an image is generated,

Photo credit: marcore!

every time it is distributed and every time it is viewed.”

If he is convicted, Salling could face up to 20 years in prison for the charges.

V

SPORTS

anderbilt hires openly lesbian coach for women’s basketball team

Stephanie White was hired as head coach of Vanderbilt University women’s basketball team. She is married to a woman and the couple has three children.

She is currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and will continue to coach the Fever through the season and will take over the Vanderbilt program in the fall.

White is an outspoken advocate for same-sex marriage.

“I consider myself an advocate because I have a platform to influence people,” White said. If you can get people who may not know or don’t know they know someone in a same-sex relationship to have an appreciation for a person versus the type of relationship they’re in, I think it hits home.”

White, who turns 39 in June, joins Jennifer Azzi of the University of San Francisco as the only two openly gay head coaches in women’s college basketball.

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lgbtqia bites

L

Lesbian

Finding Dory trailer features possible lesbian couple The trailer for Finding Dory, sequel to the 2003 film Finding Nemo, features a baby with two women caretakers, which Twitter fans believe could be the first lesbian couple in a Disney Pixar film.

Skeptics claim that the women can be friends, or one of the women could be a random passerby.

This speculation comes during a growing call for Disney to include LGBT characters in their future films, sparking Twitter hashtags such as #GiveElsaAGirlfriend and #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend.

GLADD criticized Disney earlier for not including a single gay character in the 11 films it released in 2015.

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• 6.1.2016

B

Compiled by Tucker Berardi

Gay & Bisexual

over 40 percent of gay and bi men are having condomless sex

A recent report published this month in the journal AIDS stated that condomless sex in bisexual and gay men is increasing, though they are not explained by preventative treatments such as PrEP or serosorting, according to HIV Plus Magazine.

The study, which included data gathered by The National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Survey over the course of 9 years, asked more than a thousand men if they used a condom

with their last anal sex partner.

The results showed that the number of HIV-negative bisexual and gay men that had condomless sex rose from 29 to 41 percent over the 9 year period.

The researchers worry that the decline of condom use may also undermine “the benefits of [antiretrovirals] in reducing transmission of HIV” if there is less promotion of condoms and access to PrEP, according to HIV Plus Mag.

lgbtqia bites

continued

Transgender

T

New study finds family rejection linked to high transgender self harm rates

The results of a new study, released Wednesday, found that self-harm and suicide rates, as well as substance abuse, are much higher in transgender and gender nonconforming adults.

The study states that 42.3 percent of the research sample reported having attempted suicide and 26.3 percent reported substance and alcohol misuse in order to ‘cope with transgender-related discrimination.’ The sample consisted of 6456 transgender and gender

nonconforming people in all 50 states.

‘When people are rejected by their loved ones, it can have serious emotional and social consequences,’ researcher Sarit Golub of Hunter College and the Graduate Center of City University of New York said.

Transgender individuals are more likely to face challenges such as poverty, homelessness, violence, and discrimination in housing and healthcare.

6.1.2016 •

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Donald Cavanaugh

T

hree Palm Beach County high school seniors recently received scholarships of $1,000 each from the Second Annual Daniel S. Hall Social Justice Award Program.

Sponsored by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council and named in honor of the Council’s Board Treasurer, Daniel S. Hall, the awards are granted to college-bound youth who have demonstrated a clear commitment to social justice in Palm Beach County.

The three 2016 recipients are: Daniel Brassloff from Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach; Boynton Beach Community High School graduate Victor Espidol; and Melanie Camejo Coffigny from Lake Worth Community High School.

The scholarships were presented at the schools’ awards ceremonies as part of their graduation programs,” said Carly Cass, Council Board Member and organizer of the award program. We were invited without any hesitation and that is a testament to the great progress made in the past couple of years.”

According to Council Founder and President, Rand Hoch, the Council received over 30 applications.

“Broadcasting information on the project resulted in an unexpected gift by a generous Council donor whose generosity increased the awards from one at $500 in our first year to three at $1,000 this year. We will continue to welcome donations for this important work,” added Hoch.

“There’s a lot of social justice work being done in the schools by LGBTQ students and their allies,” said Cass responding to a question about the selection process.

“It’s important that we recognize and reward these youth who will be the leaders tomorrow.”

Daniel Brassloff is Founder and President of We the People, an equality club at Atlantic High School. The organization created a

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• 6.1.2016

website to help transgender people. He also led the club’s participation in the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walk. Daniel will be attending Babson College to study social entrepreneurship.

Victor Espidol founded the Boynton Beach High School Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and has been an active participant in the Compass LGBTQ Community Center’s youth program. In 2014, Victor traveled to Tallahassee to urge legislators to defeat a bill that would have banned transgender individuals from using their self-identified genders’ bathrooms. He is an advocate for comprehensive sex education in the public schools and has spoken out about the need for more HIV prevention programs in Palm Beach County. Victor will study biology at the University of Florida.

Melanie Camejo Coffigny is Founder and President of Lake Worth High’s GSA, which is one of the largest organizations on campus. In conjunction with 2016 PrideFest of the Palm Beaches, Melanie and other GSA members from throughout the county joined the parade contingent of policemen and women employed by the School District of Palm Beach County. Marching together, the group showed support for LGBTQ students.

Melanie will attend Duke University in the fall to study neuroscience.

The Social Justice Award is named after Daniel S. Hall, a local attorney who manages a financial counseling company. Hall has served as the Treasurer of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council since 1990 and is its longest serving board member.

“These three students exemplify the new generation of LGBT activists, who will help bring our nation together on our issues, which, unfortunately, divide America today,” Hall said. “I am honored to have my name associated with this project.”

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15

news key west

column guest

Log Cabin Republicans to House Democrats: “Shame!”

[Last week], after 43 Republicans boldly stood up and passed an amendment that asserted no federal contractor could discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, House Democrats voted overwhelmingly to kill the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill to which it was attached.

“We should have known — those duplicitous Democrats are at it again!” Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo stated. “Headlines from the liberal media this afternoon are blaring that the House GOP killed this legislation, but the truth is that when given the choice between supporting the LGBT community and supporting runaway spending, nearly the entire House Democratic Caucus showed

their true colors and voted in support of runaway spending by voting down the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill that would have upheld federal LGBT non-discrimination protections. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her liberal colleagues should be ashamed they used the LGBT community as pawns in their quest to grow government bloat. This disingenuousness will likely not be forgotten by our GOP allies who voted in support of the LGBT community — nor will it be forgotten by Log Cabin Republicans.”

Log Cabin Republicans is the nation’s largest Republican organization representing LGBT conservatives and allies. The more than 30-year old organization has state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time office in Washington, D.C., a federal political action committee and state political action committees.

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Submitted Photo

Log Cabin Republicans

Key West Crowns its 33rd Queen Mother Andrew Printer

E

arlier this month Key West crowned its 33rd Queen Mother at a festive event at the famed La Te Da Hotel on Duval. After an evening of performances and proclamations Charlize Angel (aka James Harcup) walked away with the title, becoming one of only a handful of contenders in the pageant’s long history to earn the coveted crown with their first attempt.

Harcup, a popular performer at 801 Cabaret is still shocked at his accomplishment. “A queen usually enters several times before winning,” he stresses modestly. “One contestant has tried and failed 17 times!”

Stripped of his gown, wig and make-up Harcup is in a bathing suit sipping a cocktail by the pool at Bourbon Street Pub’s garden bar. Charlize Angel, his onstage alter-ego, has a Latina flair so I’m surprised to hear Harcup recount his journey from New York to Key West in a relatively thick Long Island accent.

“I was sick of the rat race,” he said. It’s is a familiar tale, told by many locals who have walked away from the grind of big city life. Harcup stepped away from a career in advertising and moved to Fort Lauderdale in 2006. Drag was not part of his story … and then it was.

“Halloween is when baby drag queens are born,” Harcup proclaims with a smile. “And that’s how it happened for me. Charlize Angel evolved over time but one thing led to another and before I knew it I was performing at Lips and Rosie’s and the Tranny Shack.”

Harcup moved further south to Key West on Dec. 30, 2013. Queen Mother rules state that a queen can only enter the contest after they have lived in Key West for two years.

This year was Harcup’s first year of eligibility but he had decided to wait until 2017 in order

to have a polished performance for 2017. But then he had a last minute change of heart.

He threw his name into the ring, quickly conceived a mash-up of Liza Minnelli’s New York, New York and her rendition of Single Ladies. And the rest is history.

There is nothing new about drag queens being heavily involved in fundraising.

Community service, like feathers and Cher, is clearly part of drag DNA. But Key West’s Queen Mother pageant is different. This is according to Gassy Winds, a former Queen Mother titleholder who, as J.B. McLendon, is also a frequently cast actor in town. “The Queen Mother pageant is the crème de la crème of Key West pageantry,” McLendon insists.

“Every pageant in Key West is connected to one charitable organization or another.

But it’s not just the one organization that benefits with this event.” Both Gassy Winds and Charlize Angel stress the same fact: the reigning Queen Mother is a goodwill ambassador for ALL local charities. And she raises a lot of money. “During my reign we raised $20,000 for the Studios of Key West,” Gassy boasts. “In just 2 hours. We raised $225,000 in total during my year when you combine all 31 functions I participated in.”

Charlize Angel will find out what this all means soon enough. She won a crown and is still basking in waves of well-deserved glory, but she has a significant job ahead of her.

This year the key beneficiary is the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Florida Keys. So, Charlize Angel will be performing at a variety of events for that organization.

But she will also appear and perform at other functions upon request and she is obligated to produce three of her own fundraising events. First up is an underwear auction that is already in the works.

6.1.2016 •

17

Convictions

HOLY HOMOPHOBIA! Biblical Pamphlets Inserted into SFGN Distribution Boxes Staff Report

O

ver a dozen SFGN distribution boxes in the Victoria Park and Greater Fort Lauderdale area were compromised this past week, with anonymous pamphlets containing nothing but Biblical quotes warning against homosexuality.

But the colorful and well-designed pamphlet, inserted into issues of SFGN, leaves a question open as to whether they are anti-gay, or instead, anti-Bible.

The cover reads Holy ‘Homophobic’ Bible, and when you open it up, there are a series of well known quotes suggesting homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of god, and that we are committing detestable acts.

On the other hand, when you look at the picture to

the left, could the brochure have been prepared instead by a gay activist, trying to warn people that the Holy Bible is ‘homophobic’? And that is why the rainbow colors appear on the cover of the brochure?

“Either way it hardly counts as news,” said Executive Editor Jason Parsley, “and it has no business being in the paper.”

“Nonsense,” said Publisher Norm Kent. “A crazed religious zealot is poisoning our boxes while simultaneously distorting the Bible. It is definitely newsworthy.”

Kent overruled Parsley, and the story appears today.

What do you think? Post your answer online at SFGN.com.

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Convictions Photo Credit: J.R. Davis.

Publisher's Editorial

Pride is More Than a Flag Publisher’s Note: This unsigned SFGN editorial ran in our May 5 newspaper. I’ve decided to rerun it since Wilton Manors installed their permanent Pride flag last week. But this editorial is a reminder that pride is more than just a flag.

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

R

ecently 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 transgenderrelated 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 transinclusive anti-discrimination 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.

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Mombian

Convictions

museums: thy name needs to be diversity Dana Rudolph

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“were challenging sells to the museums that ran ay was National Museum Month, and them,” she said. At first, some senior staff “were LGBTQ families have a growing source of support in museums—including ones concerned about offending visitors who may aimed at children—that have been reaching be morally or religiously opposed to all things queer.” Ultimately, however, “both institutions out to welcome all kinds of families. Margaret Middleton, a Boston-based designer, speaker, realized that the exhibits were on mission and important opportunities for representation and and consultant, has been a leader in helping to education.” make this happen.

Middleton said that when she talked with Middleton, who has spoken at numerous museum conferences and been profiled on NPR, visitors in the exhibitions, “the response was has been doing museum work for about ten years overwhelmingly positive. Both shows had sharing stations where families and family inclusion work for half could draw or write a response of that. She told me in an email to the prompt, ‘Tell us about interview that the latter “began The Chicago your family.’ We got so many as a melding of my queer activism Children’s wonderful little family portraits with my museum practice. But I and stories. I consider that a quickly realized that it wasn’t just Museum success.” While the exhibits felt queer families who were being left launched an like risks to the museums, “I out in museums: single parents, All Families applaud them for taking the risk adoptive families, foster families, Matter because I think both exhibits and families with divorced parents initiative had a very positive effect on our weren’t taken into consideration.” visitors.”

She recently collaborated in 2009 to Apart from Middleton’s with photographer Matthew welcome work, other museums have Clowney on a show at the Boston the LGBTQ been including LGBTQ families, Children’s Museum titled “Mimi’s community too. As part of LGBT History Family,” about the everyday life Month in the U.K., the Museum of transgender grandparent Erica of London partnered with (aka Mimi) Tobias and her family.

Schools OUT UK to hold a free day of talks and (While it is no longer on view, those interested in renting it or sponsoring its travel should contact workshops for families and teachers, including a performance by the London Gay Men’s Chorus the museum.) and a reading of several LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ And in 2012, she worked with curator Lisa books by actor Sir Derek Jacobi.

Ellsworth at the Children’s Discovery Museum of The Chicago Children’s Museum launched an San Jose on an exhibit inspired by San Jose Pride.

It showcased a selection of photographs of a Bay All Families Matter initiative in 2009 to welcome Area family with two moms and two kids, chosen the LGBTQ community, and has partnered with the Family Equality Council for several years on from Courteney Coolidge’s collection “American events and activities for International Family Families: Beyond the White Picket Fence.”

Both Mimi’s Family and American Family Equality Day, including a giant rainbow staircase

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and a community chalkboard where visitors can share ideas on what makes a family.

And as far back as 1991, the Boston Museum of Science included a page about a family with “Two Moms” in a book that was part of its “How Your Life Began” exhibit. Coming up, it is hosting a talk on May 25 with transgender advocate Nicole Maines and her identical twin Jonas, who will discuss their family journey as Nicole transitioned. Also speaking will be Dr. Norman Spack, co-founder of the nation’s first clinic for transgender children.

Middleton herself is also working on inclusion beyond just LGBTQ families. For example, she says, “While children’s museums and some science centers have a history of being welcoming to breastfeeding parents, traditional art and history museums do not. I’m interested in helping museums update their policies and improve their facilities to better accommodate visitors with infants.”

Generally speaking, museums can better welcome diverse families, she suggests, by “updating membership policies, representing all kinds of families in exhibits, providing allgender restrooms, and consciously choosing language that is inclusive of families of all kinds.”

To help with the latter, she has created a helpful poster on Family-Inclusive Language, available at Zazzle.com/magmidd.

While there has been some progress, more remains to be done. “Some museum associations have been encouraging museums to be more

inclusive and have made suggestions for welcoming queer visitors,” she said. “However, I have not seen them take on family inclusion.”

They could do so, she suggested, by ”hosting workshops, helping museums find funding for new programming and facility upgrades, and making recommendations for family-inclusive practice.”

While she noted that it is not visitors’ responsibility to help museums improve their practice, those who wish to do so should remember: “Museums tend to respond better to being called in than being called out. Instead of penning an open letter or tweeting the museum, set up an appointment with a museum staff member and bring concrete action items.”

She also advises, “Museum workers are often overworked and underpaid so be prepared to be asked to volunteer your time to help implement these changes. Have an idea for a possible donor if your changes require funds. Change is hard for museums and every museum will respond to criticism differently, but hearing from visitors (especially members!) in person can be powerful.”

And these changes can have a widespread impact. Middleton observed, “Family is an intersection where people of so many different identities meet. Incorporating family inclusion across all aspects of museum practice can improve the visitor experience for everyone.”

Find out more about Middleton and her work at margaretmiddleton.com or @magmidd on Twitter.

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

Convictions

Editorial Cartoon

By Mike Luckovich

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Seeing In The Dark

Convictions

7 Great Apps for People with Disabilities Belo Cipriani

W

e all have our challenges, some big, some small, and some that require assistance. As a blind man, I know firsthand the importance of reliable technology, not just for the use of completing chores, but also for mingling with everyone else. Here are seven apps for people with disabilities that enhance anything from socializing to buying groceries.

Disney Movies Anywhere

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an app that allows blind and visually impaired individuals to enjoy Disney/Pixar films through a feature called descriptive audio -- a service that has voice talent narrate the non-spoken parts of a movie. While descriptive audio has been around for some time as a special feature on DVDs, or at theaters, DMA now makes it possible to use one’s very own iPhone or iPad to watch Disney/Pixar films at the movies, as well as at your home. By using the microphone on the headphones, the app syncs up with the movie and provides the descriptive audio, which is so much better than using the often damaged descriptive audio headphones and dirty box at theaters, or having to have someone with sight click the descriptive audio button on the inaccessible DVD menus. The current library of movies available is small; however, Disney/Pixar is committed to making descriptive audio a standard feature, and, with time, will grow its number of titles.

As someone who depends on descriptive audio for entertainment, I am so happy and grateful that Disney/Pixar released this app, and hope other studios follow this fantastic example.

HandySpeech

This powerful tool gives a voice to those with speech and language impairments, such as oral, head and neck cancer, muscular dystrophy, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or autism. Available on the iOS and Android platforms, it allows people to handwrite or paste text from another app into the HandySpeech interface, and then have the application read the message out loud. The app can even understand cursive, is available in 13 languages, and does not need Wi-Fi to function. It can be used over the phone, as well as in social and professional settings.

It was created by 12-year-old Eric Zeiberg, who developed the assistive technology for his disabled sister. Zeiberg says, “I invented HandySpeech to give a voice to people who find it difficult to or are unable to speak.”

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RogerVoice

This app helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing make outbound phone calls. It provides live transcriptions, also known as captioning, and offers an automated voice synthesis. During live conversations, the spoken words appear as text messages on the screen, while the person on the other end of the line hears a phonics voice. My deaf friends and I use it all the time and it’s a great alternative to texting.

Lyft

I started using Lyft about a month ago and must say I am very happy with the service. I know that people with disabilities -- especially those that travel with guide dogs and wheelchairs -- have had problems with them in the past. And partially, this was the reason why I had not tried the service before. Now, I am happy to share that I find Lyft to be the most accessible taxi service on the market.

The Lyft app is fully accessible to the blind via the iPhone and iPad. Lyft also has added an “access” mode for people in wheelchairs to request vehicles with ramps. The app does not allow for a rider to state that they are traveling with a service dog, yet my guide dog, Oslo, was well received by every Lyft driver we met. So, it is very clear that Lyft has done a lot of A.D.A training with their drivers. Lyft also hired Marco Salsiccia, who is blind, as their Access Specialist. Salsiccia says, “The accessibility and responsiveness of the Care teams makes it quite easy to rate and review drivers; accountability is paramount in the ride sharing community, and being able to quickly remove problematic drivers and loudly announce poor experiences keeps the quality of the service high.”

Facebook

Facebook just added a feature last month that, in my opinion, made them the most accessible social media platform. The feature is called Automatic Alt Text and it generates descriptions for pictures on Facebook for the blind and visually impaired -- no matter who shares the images. Also, if pictures come into the Facebook platform via another social media

HandySpeech can be downloaded on both iOS and Android.

entity, it will create the descriptions for the images as well. Now, I am able to know why a picture is getting a lot of likes or laughs, without having to ask someone else to describe it for me. In the future, Facebook plans to add this feature to Instagram as well.

HearYouNow

This free app for the Apple iOS works as a sound amplifier and helps individuals who are experiencing some hearing loss, but are not ready for a hearing aid.

It was developed by ExSilent, a Dutch manufacturer of hearing aids, and it’s a free download. Using your headphones, you can place your device on your desk at work for a conference call, at a restaurant table, listen to the TV or radio, or simply use it to chat with someone at a party. It is very easy to customize the settings for each ear and one can even record and play back the last 20 seconds of a conversation -just in case you need to hear something twice.

Instacart

Although Instacart does not brand itself as a personal grocery shopping service for people with disabilities, they are definitely gaining a lot

of popularity among those of us who cannot drive, or find it tough to carry heavy grocery bags. Their service is only available in a few regions, but I have personally used their app in the San Francisco Bay Area, LA, NYC, Minneapolis, Boston and Miami. And in all of those places, I’ve received great service.

However, they are available in other regions as well, so I would suggest checking the app for cities where they operate. The options of stores you can choose from differ from one place to the next, yet their retail selections are generally good. Through the Instacart app, I have purchased fresh veggies from Whole Foods, large dog food bags from Petco, bulk purchases from Costco, and canned goods from Safeway. The delivery options are the best I have seen from any personal shopping service, and, in some areas, they can deliver in an hour. Another cool feature is they allow you to communicate with your shopper either via text messages or the phone.

I picked the phone feature and have received calls from the shopper to inquire about replacing an item with something else, or to describe the produce at the store. All in all, a great service for people, like myself, who find it physically tough to carry groceries from a store back home.

Belo Cipriani is the award-winning author of Blind: A Memoir and Midday Dreams.

He is a disability advocate, and is currently the national spokesman for 100 Percent Wine -- a premium winery that donates 100 percent of proceeds to nonprofits that help people with disabilities find work. Learn more at www.BeloCipriani.com.

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WMG

Wilton Manors Gazette

Volume 3 • Issue 11 June 1, 2016

Politics

Community

Resnick Gets Mayoral Challenger

Wilton Manors Annual Volunteer Luncheon

Green, Rolli file for commission race

Photos By David Roth

By Michael d’Oliveira

Mayor Gary Resnick & Paul Rolli Photo: Facebook

In his bid for a fifth term this November, Mayor Gary Resnick will face a familiar opponent.

Boyd Corbin, who ran against Resnick in 2014, has announced he will try for the mayor’s office again.

His campaign platform includes promises to end the “constant sex” at Colohatchee Park and stop the move towards reducing Wilton Drive from four lanes to two. He also wants to build a 300-space parking garage on the city hall parking lot. The deadline to file is June 24 at noon. Candidates must file with the city clerk’s office.

Asked what he’d do with another term as mayor, Resnick declined to comment and said he thought it was too early to talk about the race. Doug Blevins, who also ran for mayor in 2014, may run again but has not made a final decision.

In the race for the two open commission seats held by Commissioners Julie Carson and Tom Green, Green and Paul Rolli have filed.

In vying for a “third and last” term, Green said he just wants four more years “so that I can spend some time watching

what happens with Wilton Drive since I helped locate the money from the MPO.” He also wants to see Northeast 26 Street improved and the implementation of the green building code. “It’s going to talk a while to see some of that happen.

That’s kind of my thing now. The green stuff and transportation.”

Rolli, currently the president of the Central Area Neighborhood Association, said he wants to protect neighborhoods, keep developing the city’s economic corridors and maintain the city’s current fiscal status. “I believe in the city.”

In February, Carson said she would most likely not run but did not definitively rule out the possibility.

Now, she said she may try and keep her seat because she wants to have a strong female presence on the dais. “I would like to see a strong woman continue on the commission but I have not seen one that has indicated she is willing to do that. But it’s very early.”

For more Wilton Manors stories check out the latest edition of The Wilton Manors Gazette on Wednesday.

Saturday, May 14, 2016 the City of Wilton Manors hosted a special luncheon to recognize nearly 100 volunteers who donate their time to contribute to the development and the overall greatness of the City. Volunteers in attendance ranged from committee members, business association organizers, historical society participants, pride advocates and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) leaders. Congratulations to Paul Rolli who was awarded the Individual Community Spirit Award and to Shawn Bombard and Nick Berry, owners of Nick’s Courtyard Café, for winning the Business Community Spirit Award. WMG Below: Jamie Costa (CERT Area Captain) & Carol Currier (Historical Society & Taste of the Island Board Member)

Above: David Zastron, Gloria Silvestry, Jeffery Ferraro & Isaac Brooks III

WMG

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Opinion

WMG

Memorial Day

June 1, 2016 • Volume 3 • Issue 11

By Sal Torre

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

As we take time to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer season, two topics are swirling in my head as I sit down to write my article. The first topic is Memorial Day itself, a day to remember and honor all Americans who gave their lives serving this country while in military service. The second topic has to do with the beginning of the summer season, which means vacation time to many.

Unfortunately for residents of Wilton Manors’ neighborhoods, it means living with the problem of vacation rentals and the constant daily and weekly disruptions they create.

As we remember our fallen service personnel, we should not forget the actions taken by our political leaders who have the burden of putting our troops into action. Many of us look at the disastrous decisions by the Bush Administration that lead to the invasion of Iraqi as a complete failure, at a cost of so many lives lost, both for our troops and for the Iraqi people. The then New York State Senator, Hillary Clinton, could have helped turn the tide against the mad march to war but instead chose, in what seemed by many at the time a more popular and politically advantageous choice, to vote for the war authorization. That decision denied Hillary the nomination back in 2008 and proved to be a very bad choice for our nation.

In another war, the war on HIV/AIDS, the LGBT Community remembers all too well how Nancy and Ronnie Reagan ignored the AIDS crisis and turned their backs on old friends like Rock Hudson, with their unofficial policy that HIV/AIDS only affected homosexuals and IV drug users, not good God-fearing Americans. Once again, Hillary Clinton failed to get it right. On news of Nancy Reagan’s death, Hillary stated that the Reagan’s started a national conversation on AIDS when nobody wanted to talk about it. I think Larry Kramer’s statement rings more true, “The Reagans murdered more gay people than anyone in the history of the world.”

Perhaps the DNC Chair and champion of the South Florida LGBT Community, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, picked a flawed candidate in her rush to nominate and elect the first female President of the United States. Given the current political climate, perhaps Schultz should have looked to Senator Elizabeth Warren instead. However, we are all flawed individuals and must make decisions

based on many factors throughout our own lives, some will be good and some will be bad. If the choice for our next President is between Clinton and Trump, I will be first in line to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton; that will be the best decision.

Moving on to summertime and the problem of vacation rentals. In the same week that city emails were ablaze with complaints of a party rental here on the Westside, news out of the city commission meeting was that Jeffrey Hill, owner of numerous vacation rental properties here in Wilton Manors, decided to sue the city once again to prevent the city and residents from protecting their quality of life in our single family residential zoned neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the state restricts local municipalities from banning vacation home rentals, but many cities throughout our region are looking to code enforcement and zoning restrictions to help control the loud noises, resident complaints, parking nightmares and late-night parties. This time, I think Jeffrey is in for a big disappointment.

Pure and simple--if you want to operate a lodging business, please do so in the areas of the city that are zoned for such businesses. Make no mistake, vacation home rentals are businesses operating in areas not zoned for any such activity. There is a distinction between a homeowner wishing to rent their home seasonally for three, four or five months… and owners looking to rent on a much shorter weekly or daily time frame. These short-term rentals bring a transient element into our neighborhoods and endless headaches for residents who live next to or near one of these properties. Is requiring Jeffrey Hill to pay a licensing fee, just like any other business that operates within the city, asking too much? Owners operate these vacation home rentals to make a profit, at the expense of other tax-paying homeowners who thought they were buying homes in areas zoned for residential use only which prohibit the operation of a business or commercial enterprise.

As the summer begins, we definitely will be hearing more on these two topics swirling around my head this holiday weekend. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out comes the beginning of the fall season.

Enjoy the summer Wilton Manorites……’cause all seasons are just better here! WMG

Politics

Chief Executive Officer • Pier Angelo Guidugli Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley jason.parsley@sfgn.com

Editorial

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Correspondents

Natalya Jones • John McDonald • James Oaksun

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Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material/columns that appears in print and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher, at his law office, at Norm@NormKent.com. SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

MEMBER

SAVE Praises City Commission for PSA Support

By Michael d’Oliveira After multiple episodes of criticism over not covering transgender surgery as part of its employee healthcare plan, city commissioners were praised last week for promoting the rights of transgender families and individuals.

At the city commission meeting on May 24, SAVE [Safeguarding American Values for Everyone] praised commissioners for recognizing its public service announcement – “Family Is Everything” featuring Florida Republican Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen, her husband, Dexter, and her son, Rodrigo. The praise came the same night the city raised the Pride flag permanently for the first time.

“You’re the first city to recognize us for this

Publisher • Norm Kent norm.kent@sfgn.com

effort,” said Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE. On its website, SAVE describes itself “as South Florida’s leading organization dedicated to protecting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, against discrimination.”

“We were born out of the need to fight Anita Bryant,” Lima said.

“Family is everything. Our son is transgender. We loved him as Amanda and now as Rodrigo . . .

Every transgender person is part of someone’s family and should be treated with compassion and protected from discrimination,” Ros-Lehtinen said in the video. It can be viewed at save.lgbt.

SAVE also endorsed Ros-Lehtinen for

re-election because of her stance on LGBT issues, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and her support of marriage equality. According to the Washington Blade, an LGBT newspaper in DC, she was the first GOP member of Congress to back marriage equality.

Lima added that the ad is part of his organization’s push to get the Florida Competitive Workforce Act passed. The act has failed to pass numerous times in the state legislature, including earlier this year.

If passed, it would add LGBT individuals to the list of groups included in the state’s anti-discrimination law. Lima said efforts were underway to bring the bill back to the legislature. WMG

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Associated Press MEMBER

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The New World Versus the Old

Real Estate Geek

By James Oaksun Many full time residents of WilMa recall the recent issues involving Uber, the peer-to-peer transportation provider. The local taxi monopoly, irritated that their government grant had been violated, persuaded the county commission to essentially ban Uber from operating. This provoked a consumer backlash that resulted in Uber’s reinstatement, with some restrictions.

What does this have to do with real estate? Well, tourism is a vital component of the South Florida economy. Visitors expect Uber, and the substandard monopoly taxi system here left more people with poor impressions of the Florida experience.

But the “gig economy” – of which Uber is but one example – is making inroads in real estate also. Real estate can be, under certain circumstances, an attractive investment, and many people own investment properties in WilMa and throughout South Florida. It has become very popular for property owners here to rent their homes and condos on a short-term basis through services such as Airbnb and VRBO.com.

You can understand the appeal of this from the perspective of both owner and visitor. An owner is able to make some money from a property otherwise left empty, and a visitor can get something that approximates the comforts of home as opposed to a sterile hotel environment, have more privacy, and probably save money also. And improvements in technology ease the transaction.

Enter the government. Of course hotel owners are unhappy

with the competition. They are required to obtain licenses from the city and state, and also to collect various taxes from guests.

Yes short-term landlords are supposed to do the same, but as a friend of mine once said in describing one of his businesses, “it’s not much of a business but it’s a cash business.” (What the government doesn’t know… well, consult your accountant.)

Last week the real estate industry publication “Real Deal” reported on a study (funded by the hotel industry) that claimed Airbnb operators in Miami-Dade had evaded paying $16 million in occupancy taxes in the 201415 season. Hoteliers claim this places them at a competitive disadvantage and they want government to “do something” to “level the playing field” (i.e., protect their interests as the market shifts to other mechanisms).

Owners of nearby properties who are permanent residents sometimes have issues with these arrangements, as well. It doesn’t take more than a couple “bad apples” to get aggrieved homeowners to make the lives of city commissioners “difficult.” As a result, many cities are in the process of passing enhanced regulations of these short term rental situations.

How do you balance the rights of an individual property

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owner with the interests of the community? Shouldn’t you be able to do with your own property as you see fit?

And what about the tax system? Has technology and life outpaced government revenue collection? Should we be looking at revising how the government funds itself, instead of complicating popular services that the market demands?

WMG James Oaksun, Broward's Real Estate GeekSM, is a Realtor with the Wilton Manors office of RE/MAX Preferred. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI).

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Photos

Wilton Manors Raises Permanent Pride Flag Photos by J.R. Davis

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Community

Photo: John McDonald.

Men Busted For Sex At Park

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.

By John McDonald

Wilton Manors police arrested two men for lewd behavior at Colohatchee Park.

The park, located in the city’s eastern boundaries, has become a much discussed topic at city and political meetings. It has been described by one mayoral candidate as a “sex park.”

On May 12, an undercover detective for the Wilton Manors Police Department arrested two men for fondling each other in plain view on the park’s boardwalk.

In the officer’s report, the men, ages 47 and 53, admitted to committing a lewd act on each other and also stated they intentionally came to the park to meet each other.

The detective arrested the men, took them to the Wilton Manors Police Station where they were further questioned and then transferred to the main Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

The men face charges of exposing sexual organs and lewd behavior. SFGN is not releasing the names of the men out of respect for their families.

Colohatchee Park, an 8.5 acre

I’m 26 and transitioning.

community park with an additional seven acres of mangrove preserves, is a popular attraction for nature lovers, outdoors enthusiasts and dog owners. The park contains a wooded walkway over water and mangroves that leads to an open area with covered picnic spaces, volleyball courts, playground and restrooms.

Reports of men hooking up and cruising at the park became routine over the last years with one local activist, Michael Rajner, telling reporters he discovered what appeared to be semen on the park’s boardwalk while walking his dog.

Boyd Corbin, who campaigned for Wilton Manors Mayor in 2014 and plans to seek the position again this fall, said he intends to stop what he called “constant sex” at the park.

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.

WMG

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Politics

Real Estate

Property Values Increase Again This is the fifth year in a row

By Michael d’Oliveira The taxable value of properties in Wilton Manors has gone up for the fifth year in a row.

That’s according to preliminary report by the Broward Property Appraiser’s Office. The official number will be released July 1. The 8.93 percent increase resulted in a jump of citywide taxable property value from $1,085,596,166 in 2015 to $1,182,590,907 in 2016.

“That’s a $100 million property value increase. That’s meaningful for people in many ways,” said Commissioner Tom Green. He added that the city would soon be discussing the impact of the increased value will have on the budget and millage rate. The city could increase its budget depending on a number of factors, such as the level it sets its millage rate at.

“We’ll talk about that more as we get into the budget.”

On June 21, the proposed budget will be distributed to commissioners, city departments and the Budget Review Advisory Committee.

The first budget workshop will be held July 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the commission

City Sued Over Vacation Rental Regulations

City Attorney warned commissioners this could happen

By Michael d’Oliveira

chambers. The next Budget Review Advisory Committee meeting will be held July 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Emergency Operations Conference Room in city hall.

Wilton Manors’ taxable value has increased every year since 2012. The last year of decline was 2011 when the drop was 2.9 percent. At that time, the city’s total taxable value was $856,127,054.

Parkland had the highest increase at 10.84 percent. Fort Lauderdale saw a 9.57 percent increase and Oakland Park saw an 8.55 percent increase. WMG For a full list of budget meetings, visit WiltonManors.com/documentcenter/view/1727.

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As commissioners were debating new regulations on vacation rentals earlier this year, one concern was voiced more than once: would the regulations hold up in court if the city were sued?

The answer to that question may be coming soon.

Last week, Jeffrey Hill, Roger France, One Wilton Manors, LLC, Wilton Flats, LLC, and Graf Hill, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the city seeking relief from the new regulations.

The regulations were unanimously approved Jan. 26 and include registering with the city as a vacation rental, providing the city with the contact information of the person responsible for overseeing the property, waste disposal, occupancy and parking limits and compliance with inspections. The city defines a vacation rental as and residential unit or group of residential units that is rented to guests more than three times a year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised as a place available for rent on a regular basis.

“The serious restrictions on the short term vacation rentals is unreasonable and unfairly singles out petitioners and others who rent properties on a short term basis. The discrimination has no foundation in reason and is an arbitrary exercise of power having no substantial relation to the public health, safety and welfare. Such treatment violates petitioners’ guarantee of equal protection

and is an unreasonable restriction on the lawful use of the properties,” reads part of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that the city is discriminating against persons who rent properties for less than 30 days and was passed “in order to eliminate short term rentals and affect their duration within the city. The ordinance was drafted to discourage persons from renting properties for 30 days or less and to require personal information from those renters that is not required of renters for durations of more than 30 days.”

The cost of registering a vacation rental was also included in the lawsuit and labeled as excessive. In the lawsuit, one of the petitioners claimed the regulations would require the expenditure of $13,500 a year to register all their properties. The city requires each unit be registered for $750.

During discussion on the regulations, despite calls from concerned residents wanting restrictions on the number of vacation rentals allowed, commissioners repeatedly said they could not and were not trying to prevent vacation rentals from operating within the city.

At the time of the approval of the regulations, City Attorney Kerry Ezrol said, based on some recent court decisions, that the city could enact some regulations as long as it doesn’t get too restrictive. “The more regulations that are imposed . . . that is where the potential for litigation exists,” said Ezrol. WMG

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LIFESAVER useacondom.com

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Business

Business

Green Wants City Hall Parking Lot Redevelopment Revived

Wilton Manors’ New York Grilled Cheese Expands

By Michael d’Oliveira

New location opened in Boca with more to come

By Michael d’Oliveira

In a city known mainly for small businesses, New York Grilled Cheese has taken the first step in becoming bigger.

The popular restaurant, which serves grilled cheese incarnations, waffle fries and a signature side of tomato soup, has over 41,000 likes on Facebook. It opened on Wilton Drive near the end of 2013 and a second location in Boca Raton on April 12 of this year.

“We realized that we really needed to open up another location to serve the overflow.

We hoped to alleviate traffic in our Wilton Manors location, but what happened was they both got crazy. One kind of promoted the other,” said Leor Barack, founder and coowner of New York Grilled Cheese. Barak said the line for the Boca location was so long on opening day that some people left and went to the Wilton Manors location. “We were stampeded the first day we opened.”

The Boca opening was on National Grilled Cheese Day, but it was frozen yogurt that led to New York Grilled Cheese’s founding.

That and desperation.

“The whole idea really came from desperation. I moved down from Canada with all my savings and thought this yogurt business would make enough money.” Barak had opened “Nuts About Yogurt” but business wasn’t as sweet as the product he was selling.

“Little did we realize, we opened up at the tail end of that [yogurt] fad, less than a

mile radius of three competitors. We were struggling. I was living paycheck to paycheck.

So I said why don’t we try this [grilled cheese]?

We sink with the ship or we do nothing.”

So, down to a last few dollars from his father, Barak dedicated half his yogurt business to grilled cheese. The idea came from customers wanting to eat something with their yogurt. Many would go in search of a restaurant and plan to return after for desert. “Of course, they would never come back.” Eventually, grilled cheese sales eclipsed yogurt sales and Barak removed and sold the machines to make more dining room space. “We got pennies on the dollar but it was worth it.”

Now, with Boca up and running, its grand opening planned for some time in July, Barak sees more expansion to come. Delray Beach and Pembroke Pines are two possible locations. But with the original Broward location and the new one in Palm Beach, Barak said Miami-Dade is the next obvious location.

But the company won’t forget its gay roots, he promised. There are gender neutral bathrooms, “there before it became popular,” said Barak, and female impersonator Daisy Deadpedals is the face of the company, appearing in its commercials – one will run exclusively in the Boca market through Comcast. “She’s the mom. This is not your mother’s grilled cheese.” WMG

The Wilton Manors location is located at 2207 Wilton Drive. The Boca Raton location is 493 N. Federal Hwy. Visit NewYorkGrilledCheese.com for more information.

Multiple attempts by developers to build on the city hall parking lot have failed, but Commissioner Tom Green wants to try again.

At the city commission meeting on May 24, Green brought the issue up. He said he was tired looking at the retention pond on the property and thinks it could be valuable to the city if the entire lot were redeveloped. “I would like to get this back into discussion. Let’s get this back in the public consciousness.”

Green said he would like to see a mixed-use development built on the property and include retail space, residential units, a plaza or open space and possibly a parking garage. He added that the tennis courts would remain intact. The plaza, he said, would be a space for residents and visitors to meet.

Commissioner Julie Carson said she agreed with Green wanting to redevelop the property and said the city could “develop it the way we want.”

In 2013, one firm proposed a mixeduse development to include between 120 and 280 residential units, 13,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, a rooftop pool and garden, 1.2-acre plaza and

between 300 and 620 parking spaces in a fourstory parking garage.

Another developer wanted to build a hotel but, after a closer look, decided he didn’t want to risk investing time and money in a proposal that might not be approved by the commission.

The hotel would have been between seven and nine stories high with 80 to 100 rooms. A 440-space parking garage, two acres of open space and commercial space for at least one restaurant was also planned.

Previous concerns about redeveloping the property, expressed by residents, have included the impact it would have on neighboring Hagen Park and the creation of a canyon effect on Wilton Drive – too many high buildings next to each other.

Mayor Gary Resnick said the issue needs to be discussed further at a public meeting outside of the commission so the city can “flesh it out further.” WMG

Community

Island City Canoe Race Photo by Chris Cooper Line-up before the start of the race.

On Saturday, May 21, 2016 24 teams vied for a first place finish at the 25th Annual Island City Canoe Race. The annual canoe race, that also marks the City of Wilton Manors’ birthday (69 years), kicked off at the Colohatchee Boat Ramp and concluded at Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve

where participants were rewarded with refreshments provided by Leisure Services Department and the Wilton Manors Historical Society. Congratulations to all who participated. 1st Place teams: Coed (Blazing Paddles 1:11:46), Mens (Islanders 1:12:38), Women’s (Blazing Paddles Wenches 1:25:43). WMG

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Contact: One Magical Weekend billy@onemagicalweekend.com

ONE MAGICAL WEEKEND HEATS UP ORLANDO, TAKES OVER THEME PARKS FOR NONSTOP MEGAEVENTS

FORECASTERS PREDICT SCORCHING 2016 HEATWAVE JUNE 3-5 IN ORLANDO

ORLANDO – After the runaway success of last June, when One Magical Weekend made its three days of nonstop events the hit of the 25th anniversary celebration, the group of local producer/promoters immediately turned their attention to 2016.

How could 2016 ever top parties like the elaborately themed Red Party? What could be more fun than taking over all of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark for the night? And how to make the nightly after hours parties even bigger and wilder?

As the only approved producer of LGBT events in Walt Disney World® Resorts during this magnet weekend in June, when LGBT revelers from around the world pour into Orlando, they were already working with the extensive talent and support of Disney… …that means that Saturday night at Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is back!

Saturday Night, June 4, there will be a gay mega-dance event inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. If ever there were a

theme park seemingly designed with gay men and women in mind, it would have to be this one. Experience Tower of Terror and Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster for the first or 278th time or wander along Sunset Boulevard where International DJs Twisted Dee, Nina Flowers and Kidd Madonny will greet you. Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, Kesha and Beth Sacks special entertainment, sound and lighting and a brand new VIP venue add up to an epic event beyond Hollywood’s imagination.

At “Deep,” the Sunday party at Epcot, fireworks will announce to revelers that the time has come to enter the lost undersea world of Atlantis. While the “deep” blue sea engulfs the huge dance space…two of the most renowned DJs on the gay party scene, Abel and Ralphi Rosario, combine their talents into Rosabel to go deeper than anyone has dared.

Even the nightly Cadabra after hours parties have soared into a higher party plane with the move to Orlando’s newest megaclub, Mango’s. Even bigger and more elaborate than Mango’s in South Beach, this sprawling club offers a huge

dance floor, with a giant lounge and wraparound veranda.

Each night, internationally famous DJs…Ivan Gomez, Isaac Escalante, Alyson Calagna, Eddie Elias…will spin dark-sexy beats until sunrise, culminating with Sunday, when Mexico’s Alex Acosta and DJ Paulo provide a climax truly worthy of the term.

Every day, the Therapy Pool Parties will once again take place around the sprawling zero-entry pool at B Resort and Spa, Disney’s unique boutique hotel concept inside Walt Disney World. DJs Tony Ruggiero, Gustavo Scorpio, Cindel, Deanne, Edil Hernandez and JB Burgos will be spinning outside, while inside guests wander the aisles of the Gay Biz Expo and OMW Welcome/Ticket Center.

Of course Friday night’s “Riptide” returns to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark, where DJs Alexander, Eddie Martinez and Shane Stiel in the first ever Bear Lagoon spin tunes while guests spin inside the massive six-foot wave pool or cascade down the slides or “cruise” the Lazy River..with only 6,000 of your closest friends.

Photos by J.R. Davis.

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K

esha has taken the world by storm since the release of her debut album Animal in 2010. That year she was declared Billboard's Hot 100 Artist and her smash debut single "TiK ToK" was named Billboard's #1 Hot 100 Song, was the most played song of that year, and was the biggest-selling digital track in the world. Kesha has had eight consecutive Top 10 hits including four #1 singles: "TiK ToK", "Your Love Is My Drug", "We R Who We R” and “Timber”. “Timber,” a collaboration with Pitbull, peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts, Top 40 charts, UK charts, European singles charts, and Spotify, was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Song, an MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration, and won the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Collaboration. This single has sold over 4.5 million copies in the US and over 3.7 million copies internationally reaching #1 on iTunes in over 66 countries. Kesha has more than 30 million Facebook likes, more than 3.6 million Twitter followers, and over a billion views on YouTube. Between her debut album Animal and her last release Warrior, Kesha has sold over 4 million units worldwide. Kesha has toured the world, playing over 250 live shows in support of Animal and its companion album Cannibal and an additional 47 shows in support of her latest release, Warrior.

She took home the MTV EMA for Best New Act in November 2010 and was nominated for 2 American Music Awards, 4 MTV VMA Awards and 6 Billboard Awards. She has sold over 35 million combined tracks and ringtones in the U.S alone and over 59 million worldwide to date.

Kesha is an international powerhouse, Animal has been certified Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum in 16 markets (including Platinum in the United States and Double Platinum in Australia & Canada) and was the biggest selling debut album from an international female in 2010 in the UK. In the Fall of 2012 Kesha released an illustrated photo journal and scrapbook entitled “My Crazy Beautiful Life” with Touchstone. The book was a huge fan hit and was a precursor to her wildly successful MTV Show “Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life” which was the #1 series across all TV in the time period with P12-34. Kesha joined artists Ludacris, Brad Paisley, and Josh Groban as an expert on ABC’s singing competition series “Rising Star,” which premiered summer 2014. The premiere of “Rising Star” opened as ABC’s highestrated summer series debut in 2 years in Adults 18-49 and was the No. 1 most-social broadcast series of the night. This series averaged 4.6 million viewers and ranked as the No. 1 broadcast program in its Sunday time period with Adults 18-49.

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I

Kristine W

n the rarified and cutting edge realm of the dance music diva – where singers have to hit and deliver notes that thrill, truly touch hearts and souls with the words they sing and compel bodies to find the mighty groove out on the dancefloor – Kristine W has proven herself an Olympian and lasting talent. And it’s only the beginning.

She has scored 16 potent #1 dance hits and a record-setting string of nine consecutive #1s on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart over the past 16 years, earning Kristine third place on Billboard’s Best of 2000s Dance Club Play Artists rankings and landing this highly-musical and multitalented independent entertainer squarely within a pantheon of legends and major stars. Her most recent 15-track-tour de force album, New & Number Ones, released on Kristine’s own Fly Again Music label, revisited some of her past hits with new mixes and edits and offered new songs that also topped the charts.

The collection featured seven re-worked Kristine W originals, including “I Get Up,” “So Close To Me,” Glow On,” “Busted,” “and “Through the Fire.” “Land of the Living” (1997) got a Subgroover edit, ‘96’s “One More Try” enjoyed an expansive JRMX mix, and “Lovin’ You” from 2001 was edited by Soul Seekerz. “Love Come Home” opened the album in Subgroover style and closed the set with a Frankie Knuckles Vs. Bitrocka Epic Club Duet. (Love Come Home went Top 5 on Billboard’s Clubs Songs Chart in 2015 and Top 30 on the UK Club Chart.)

The collection was rounded out by covers of Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” and Donna Summer’s “Sometimes Like Butterflies”; a tribute edit that recalled the golden days of disco.

Kristine continues to enjoy many satisfying collaborations with today’s leading dance music producers and remixers. Most all of those she works with also spin in clubs to ensure that her beats and grooves are in sync with what gets people moving now and in the future.

Her chart successes find Kristine breaking records held by the likes of Madonna and Janet Jackson (most consecutive #1s) as well as Mariah Carey (fourth most #1 dance hits) and winding up in the top three of the last decade’s club play artists trailing Madonna and Beyoncé. While she has the talents of a diva in spades – a spectacularly adept and gifted emotional powerhouse of a voice – Kristine W eschews all the excesses too often associated with the term such as narcissism and egoism.

Rather, she keeps her focus on the art and profession of being a singer, songwriter and musician, and enjoys a grassroots mutual affection with fans who revere her voice, appreciate how the aspects of life and emotions she sings about echo their own feelings and experiences, and enjoy how Kristine continually pushes the envelope to forge dynamic grooves and mixes that keep the dance floor pulsing.

So how did a ranch-raised small-town girl from rural Washington State end up “probably the most soulful vocalist in dance music, period,” as All Music Guide says of Kristine? Due credit goes to Summer – to whom New & Number Ones was dedicated – who caught a youthful Kristine’s ear with her mighty and stunningly fluid pipes and instilled a lifelong love of the dance club beat and eternally evolving style in the child whose family already boasted four previous generations of entertainers, singers and musicians on both sides.

“She had that big gorgeous voice,” says Kristine of the late disco music pioneer and superstar.

“Her voice sounded almost like gospel to me. It was dance with the big background vocals and the layered harmonies and she also has a jazzy overtone to her voice. She was everything I would aspire to: Wow, that’s what I want to do. How do I do this?”

Kristine’s mother also showed her that a singing career was possible. “She did it because my Dad passed away when we were babies and it was a matter of survival. That’s what she got a job doing right away and how she was able to keep us eating,” Kristine notes.

Her maternal grandmother, who helped raise Kristine and her four siblings, was a classical violinist who was struck by lightning – “One of the few people to survive that,” Kristine notes – which threw her arms out of their shoulder sockets. After they were wired back in place, she could no longer play the violin, so she taught herself how to play the guitar set in her lap. “It just showed me the power of music because she continued to be musical, and figured out ways to adapt to her situation. She was an amazing woman.”

And there was also her paternal grandfather, a rancher and competitive horseman. “He was like John Wayne.” Her late father was a rodeo champion and country music singer.” I had a lot of inspirational people around and nurturing me. I was blessed,” she says of her childhood.

From almost the time she could walk Kristine was singing in church, talent contests and local Oprys. The music she heard ranged from the sophisticated jazz her mother sang to hard-core country to the classical warhorses and all between, plus the pop music on the radio. When she first heard Summer, Kristine saw how all she was learning was also a part of her icon’s training and background.

“When you latch onto an artist like that at such a young age and just immerse yourself in their music, you pick up on all of their nuances,” Kristine explains. “She really was a huge influence on how I approached my music career, including taking opera lessons.” She learned to play guitar and piano from her grandmother, and took up alto saxophone at seven years old to help her with her scat singing and improvisation. She would ride her bike around her hometown of Pasco, WA searching out classic jazz albums at yard and garage sales. “I studied with jazz coaches and was in all the jazz choirs, church choirs and in R&B groups. Won all the local talent contests and then went to Seattle and Portland and Spokane and beat them all there.”

Ultimately Kristine won the biggest local competition, Miss Washington, and went on to compete for Miss America, winning the opening swimsuit and talent categories (the latter by singing the Gershwin Broadway classic “Summertime”). The scholarship funds she earned enabled her to head out from Pasco to pursue her musical dreams.

“I decided to take my scholarship money and head to Las Vegas,” Kristine explains. “I couldn’t afford UCLA, it was too expensive. I couldn’t drive to New York because my car was too old and beat up. So I thought: I can make it to Vegas and I can afford to go to school there. And I know I can work my way through college performing. And I did. As soon as I arrived here I started getting hired to do everything.”

She was determined to front and lead her own band as her mom had done. “I heard a lot of you can’t do that, you can’t do this, you’re not going to be a female bandleader, it’s not gonna happen, you’re going to have to sing with somebody else’s band. I was like I’m going to sing with other people’s bands until I make enough money to buy my own PA and put together my own band.”

And so she did, leading her group Kristine W and the Sting to prominence in the fiercely

competitive Vegas market, eventually performing at the Las Vegas Hilton more than any other entertainer, including Elvis.

“I won Entertainer of the Year, Best Singer, Best Band, Best Showband,” explains Kristine. “I had 18 employees. I was the most successful female bandleader probably ever as far as showbands go.”

Record labels and production companies constantly courted Kristine with offers to sing every style of popular music imaginable. But her band’s specialty – molding pop and rock hits and classics into propulsive dance numbers – belied her musical aim. “I’m a high energy person,” she says. “I love the energy of dance music, always have. It’s really joyful and happy. To me dance music is like the energy of life.”

So she took her voice and songs to Europe, where dance music reigns supreme and most of the genre’s cutting edge producers and mixers are found, and recorded her first album in London. In 1996, “Feel What You Want,” Kristine’s debut single, made an immediate mark in the dance clubs, soaring to #1 here and abroad and becoming a dance floor classic.

“One More Try” followed for another #1 dance hit, and a third chart-topper on the album’s title song, “Land of the Living,” secured Kristine’s place as a new dance floor star.

When the album was officially released in 1997, Kristine’s in-store concert at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square drew lines of adoring fans around the block.

She signed with RCA Records and followed with more #1 hits on her 2000 album, Stronger like its title tune and “Lovin’ You.” Just as she was establishing her career, Kristine was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive strain of leukemia and given only a 30 percent chance of survival. She was given an experimental stem cell transplant and spent two years fighting the disease while also raising two infant children.

Ironically, songs she had written before being struck by the disease like “Land of the Living” and “One More Try” proved almost prophetic as well as motivational as Kristine struggled to overcome the disease. “My music always seems to give me the inspiration to keep fighting for it,” Kristine notes.

When Kristine returned with Fly Again on the pioneering indie dance label, Tommy Boy, in 2003, she racked up three more #1s: the title song, “Save My Soul” and “The Wonder of It All.” Writing the album while hospitalized and recovering, Kristine further distinguished herself as an artist whose songs of struggle and triumph speak to the lives of countless fans as well. After topping the charts again with her dance remake of the Ashford/Simpson-penned Diana Ross hit “The Boss,”

Kristine then debuted as a totally independent and selfmanaged artist with The Power of Music in 2009. Its seven #1 hits proved Kristine’s enduring appeal as a major dance music artist.

Next up was a longtime singer’s dream project that also fulfilled a promise to her mother: Straight Up with a Twist, a Top 15 two CD jazz chart album, on which she enjoyed three radio hits, including a sensual reworking of her first dance hit, “Feel What You Want” and a jazz rendition of heroine Donna Summers’ disco music landmark, “On The Radio.”

Kristine also transformed such rock classics as “Stairway to Heaven” and “Take It to the Limit” into vocal jazz stunners, redid “The Boss” in yet another genre, and closed the set with her impassioned reading of the folk-pop standard “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”

Now dancing again with New & Number Ones and a myriad of chart topping new singles from the release, Kristine continues to be a one-woman celebration of the power of music as well as determination, perseverance and independence.

And the sheer ecstasy of the inspirational dance beat. When she sings “I’ve still got my pride” on “Everything That I Got” it speaks to how she herself forged a global star career from the power of her music and talent.

The song is also a statement her fans can well understand.

“I’m fascinated by the many ways people are connecting with ‘Everything That I Got,’ which has become something of an anthem for the times we’re living in,” she notes. “We originally wrote it based on my musical experiences in Vegas and surviving these days as an independent artist in the very challenging music business.

“Yet it touches people on a lot of different levels. The song really sums up how people are feeling today. It’s about persevering, not giving up. These are pretty trying times for many folks, performers included. I hope my music helps to lift people’s spirits and also gets them moving on the dance floor, at the gym, in their cars and living rooms.”

Kristine will continue giving her followers and the music she makes everything that she’s got. “I love creating the work and seeing people’s reaction to it,” she concludes, acknowledging how her voice is a blessing to be shared with others after all it has brought to her life. “Its a gift and I’m thankful for it. It has definitely made my life very interesting. I’ve gotten to make a difference and bring a lot of joy to the world, and that’s really what’s important.” Kristine W will soon release her next album, letting her voice, soul and spirit fly again.

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Beth Sacks

(New York City) - International House Artist has been working with International Circuit Remixer and Producer DJ Aron since 2012. Hit tracks that continue to play around the world at many major circuit parties include 'Let's Burn It Out', 'I Came To Work', Official songs for 'Alegria' and The Week in Brazil - 'Addicted to the Week', 'Let the Music Use You Up 2K14 remix, 'Tonight Is Forever' (Special song for Forever Tel Aviv Pride), 'Move Ur Mind', 'That's What I Want', 'I Wanna Feel Your Body', 'No Drama' "PAPA" (special song for Eliad Cohen's Papa World Tour) and our most recent hit mix turned anthem, "Voulez Vous" along with the release of our music video: Voulez-Vous (Abba) Remix by DJ Aron feat. Beth Sacks https://youtu.be/PW0ydyhSVxM Beth Sacks has headlined for Miami Pride Main Stage and for the Cherry Weekend in DC, the Paradiso White Party

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in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Sante Fe, Washington DC and New York City Pride Main Stage Festivals, at Jungle in Atlanta, Masterbeat Hard Labor Party in Los Angeles, Viva Saturdays (NYC's biggest gay dance party) and has toured throughout Europe and the USA. Recent performances include: WE Party 5th Anniversary in Madrid and the WE Paradise Party in London on New Years Day, Mexico City at Dance Floor, BABEL Club in Mexico and Paris Scream Easter Festival Weekend, Cherry DC 2016 and Score Club in Miami with DJ Aron.

Beth Sacks will be headlining for Sao Paulo Pride in Brazil at The Week Club as well as The Week Club in Rio De Janeiro with DJ Aron.

You can follow the music at: www.soundcloud.com/bethsacks & www.hearthis.at/bethsacks https://www.facebook.com/BethSacksMusic/

lifestyle tech addict

Dating Gaymer

Yes adults can like video games too

Chris Ayala

P

icture this. You see the perfect man at the bar. He’s got an adorable smile with just a hint of a dimple in his cheek. His jeans are tight, not too tight that you wonder how someone can put those on - but tight enough that you get to imagine him without them on.

You catch each other’s eyes and you decide to spark up a conversation. After a few laughs and more drinks, the bar is in the process of closing. Now’s your chance. He invites you to his place for some “play time.” Finally, because your balls were going through 50 Shades of Blue. His apartment is nice and clean. This is the perfect man. He sits down at his couch, then reaches for his controller and turns on a video game.

Instead of turning around and slowly backing out the door, speak of this growing trend of homosexuals called Gaymers. In fact, the numbers of video game players

who identify LGBT has caught the eye of many game developers. Some video games developers have begun to transition this into gameplay.

Though LGBT characters go back to the late 1980s when “Final Fight” introduced a transgender fighter, Poison, the most notable in recent years has been “Mass Effect 3” where through choices in gameplay - Captain Shephard has a relationship with another man.

In 2013, San Francisco hosted GaymerX, a convention where hardcore gaymers could meet for competitions and cosplay.

And GaymerX has grown every year since.

So meeting a man who’s into video games shouldn’t be taken as an odd encounter. Let’s face it. We’ve all been on worse dates.

Just take in mind the following when deciding to date a gaymer:

Don't assume gaymers aren't social.

It's the exact opposite. I've already mentioned GaymerX, a convention that draws thousands to San Franscisco. If that's not enough to convince you, even our local Wilton Manors establishment Latinos Salud hosts a Gaymer Night once a month which draws a big crowd to play games and socialize. And even if gaymers decide to stay indoors, they still have literally a world of other people to socialize with. MMOs are online games where you can meet and play along with other players from around the world. Game systems have group forums where you can socialize and meet new friends. They also feature video and audio chatting capabilities, so you can be in contact with like-minded players.

It's weird to dress up and go to conventions.

You know what else could be considered weird? Dressing up in football jerseys with paint on your faces and joining a stadium full of screaming fans. If that's not odd, then gaymers dressing up as their favorite characters shouldn't be either. These characters are unique in style and personality.

It's not fun to watch someone else play a video game.

If you are into watching sports, then you are also watching someone else play a game.

If you watch game shows on television, then you are also watching someone else play a game. It's human nature to enjoy spectating.

Do not say you haven't played a video game since you were a kid.

It's insulting. That's like saying you haven't ridden a bus since you were poor. It's a subtle way of saying that gamers are immature. We are not immature. Most video games cater to adults, not children. And study after study has proven that video games help exercise the brain, so it's not just for kids anymore.

Chris Ayala studied screenwriting and worked in television in Los Angeles before pursing his dream of writing novels. He currently resides in Fort Lauderdale where he’s published two series: the fantasy saga “The Last Days” and the gay concentration camp novella “Confinement.”

6.1.2016 •

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lifestyle books

Color Me Aroused A new coloring book for eager hands and minds

Brendon Lies

F

orget Grindr. There’s a new way to get your hands dirty with the man of your dreams.

The Hot Dudes Coloring Book by D.C. Taylor (Berkley Trade Paperback Original; $9.99) is definitely not for kids, with sixty heart-throbbing men from every trope from cowboys to sailors just waiting for you to unleash your imagination upon their rippling figures. Each page comes supplied with a tantalizing one-liner, just in case your mind isn’t already traveling South fast enough.

But hold up. Why would a full-grown man like yourself be interested in wasting his time or tools on anything but the real deal?

Well, the past few years have seen an interesting trend – that is, a rise in the popularity of adult coloring books.

Not only does coloring provide a stress-free way to distract

yourself from the tirade of similarly-clad men waiting for you in the next room, it can be a marvelous (and now very sexy) way to pass the time as you wait for the sun to go down.

While the paper isn’t quite as thick as you might hope as you release your aggression onto the pages, the paper has a very smooth grain, allowing you to use any dry medium your heart desires to add some ‘extra’ details that are surely lacking.

If not for yourself, the Hot Dudes Coloring Book would make an excellent gift to a friend, who could perhaps use a little more beefcake in his diet. For only $9.99 on www. penguinrandomhouse.com, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth.

Take it from me, an expert in the arts… if you know what I mean.

To grab your own copy of The Hot Dudes Coloring Book, visit http://bit.ly/25vvm2g.

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lifestyle tonys talks

Photo credit: Dermot Meagher.

Dermot’s ‘Naked’

Artist releases new book

Tony Adams

R

etired Boston Circuit Court Judge Dermot Meagher spends a considerable amount of leisure time at Florida’s Haulover nude beach looking at naked men.

Unlike many other regulars at that beach, Meagher is surreptitiously at work drawing the men who appeal to his artist’s eye. Many of the drawings previously glimpsed in galleries are now compiled and presented as a stylish book titled “Naked.”

“Naked” is a sublime collection of voyeuristic ink drawings of unclothed men relaxing at the beach. In it, Meagher, with a minimum of strokes and no colors, delivers white-hot images of skin and sand that suggest an intersection between the aesthetic and the erotic. A snowbird who divides his year between homes in Fort Lauderdale and Provincetown, Meagher describes his process, his subjects and his materials.

“I draw at the beach, with the subject in front of me in natural light.

He is on the sand near me. I am in a beach chair under an umbrella because I don’t want to get sun burnt and I don’t want him to see what I’m doing. I want to capture a pose, attitude or the moment.”

Meagher likes the fact that he does not know his subjects.

“One man I drew from afar once last year and twice this year without his ever acknowledging it came by our little outpost last week and my husband started chatting him up,” he said. “They had known each other for years. I was very irritated by this. I decided I can’t draw him anymore even though he has a wonderful big curvy body.”

Does Meagher concentrate only on men he finds sexually appealing?

“About eroticism, I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Some of the men strike me as very sexy and others are not ‘my type’ at all but they grow on me -- you should pardon the expression -- as I draw them.”

How does he achieve the elegant restraint and clarity that mark his pictures?

“I work with pen and ink on small watercolor pads that won’t attract much attention. I bring Sumi ink either in a bottle or dried in a block. Sumi makes a very strong black and when diluted, beautiful grays,” he said. “It’s a balancing act, with me anchored in the beach chair, brushes stuck upside down in the sand, and a couple of bottles of water for drinking or for adding to the ink to make mixtures held in shells or bottle caps. The whole set up is precarious and the guys don’t stay still for very long so I have to work fast.”

Meagher’s husband Renato is his most frequent model at the beach, partially because he will obey when told to stay still.

The drawings defy the coolness often presumed inherent in black and white work. They instantly convey baking and basking men sandwiched between hot sun and sand. They suggest observations, speculations and passions hidden by sunglasses, while they reveal that odd propriety to which gay men at nude beaches subscribe.

This book and other projects of Dermot Meagher are produced with the assistance of Charles L. Ross who has endowed a gallery at the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Wilton Manors.

His life and his novel INSIDE have been profiled and reviewed in SFGN.

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Naked is available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/gp/product/1523201703 For more about Dermot Meagher, check out these SFGN links: Southfloridagaynews.com/Tony-Adams/the-confessing-and-romping-of-dermot-meagher.html Southfloridagaynews.com/Tony-Adams/dermot-meagher.html For more about Charles L. Ross, check out these SFGN links: Southfloridagaynews.com/Tony-Adams/the-fairy-tale-life-of-charles-l-ross.html Southfloridagaynews.com/Columns/inside-charles-l-rosss-new-novel.html

lifestyle retiring gay

Ric Reily

Relocating

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 wellexecuted plan makes your transition to a post work life easier and more fulfilling.

R

etiring is effectively starting a new life.

That restart entails endless choices and decisions from what to do daily with your time, how to pay for it all, which things to keep and which dispose of, and where to live.

Retiring in place can be a simple step, the only change being that one day you don’t have to go to work the next day. Retiring gay in South Florida can be a simple step when you already live in a downsized mortgage free home and are happy with the environment.

Retiring in place can keep you in your circle of friends and family; can keep your living costs much the same and you can live out your life in a familiar area.

Many who retire have dreams of moving to a quaint cottage in a distant place surrounded by people or places that appeal to them.

Uprooting and moving marks a clear line between the work-a-day life and retirement.

Making this transition can also serve many other purposes for the next stage in your new life.

Moving forces you to review the things you own and decide if each is important enough to take to the new location, or will even be useful there. Obviously that full length fur coat will be of little use in South Florida.

Relieving yourself of the accumulation of a lifetime can in and of itself be freeing and such a downsizing is a good idea in anticipation of retirement, making the job at retirement that much easier.

There are many methods to deciding what goes and what is worth keeping. Turn all the hangers in the closet backwards, replacing each correctly as you use the item; the ones still backwards at the end of a year are disposable, you don’t use them. Take the

bottom half of each stack of folded clothes in your drawers and discard them; you haven’t worn them and probably won’t. Open every closet and cabinet and take everything in the back half out and discard it. Go into the garage or attic and remove things that have been sitting since the last move. Get rid of the storage unit and all its contents.

Doing this in anticipation of retiring makes the job that much less onerous when you have many other things to be thinking about.

Having done all this, when you finally move do it again. You will be amazed at how little you really need, or even use, so just get rid of it. The catharsis of lightening your worldly load will feel wonderful.

Considering where to relocate is perhaps as big a decision as retiring itself. Living and working in the cold often carries dreams of retiring to a warm place. Living and working in a city often carries dreams of retiring to a small town or rural location. Living and working in the suburbs often carries dreams of retiring to an urban or artsy environment.

By traveling to prospective retirement locations while working you can find out if one truly holds a long-term appeal. When you find yourself going back to the same place multiple times perhaps you have found your place.

More and more gays are retiring to RVing; though not the least expensive route to retirement housing, RVing delivers a previously unknown freedom. In addition, RVing serves to help identify where you might want to live the balance of your life, introduces you to a new community, and lets you see the world in your own condo on wheels. RVing is the ultimate downsizing.

Well, short of a studio on South Beach.

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 6.1.2016 •

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lifestyle food

You’re Pulling My Rib! Rick Karlin

(That is my rib, right?)

T

his past Memorial Day I was reminded of when I was a kid and we lived up north. Memorial Day meant my father would drag out the old Weber Grill for the first barbecue of the summer. Never mind that in Chicago, snow is still a possibility until June!

My dad couldn’t do many things well, but he cooked a great rack of ribs. They were everything ribs should be; tender, juicy and delicious. He’d never give away his secret, but I, the ever observant teenager that I was, watched (OK, spied) and I learned a few of his tricks. It’s a simple as 1-2-3. Three simple steps! Okay, 1-2-3-4! Four steps to great ribs. No, five. But, I swear that’s all there is.

Step 1: Buy the right ribs.

Step 2: Make a rub

This is a matter of taste, some prefer St. Louis, others swear by baby back ribs. Those that want the Flintstone effect go for beef ribs.

They’re idiots. Let’s wait for them to leave the room now that I’ve insulted them.

Good they’re gone. Whether baby back or St. Louis is simply a matter of preference; baby back ribs come from the top of the pig’s ribcage between the spine and the spare ribs of the pig. They have meat between the bones and on top of the bones, and are shorter, curved, and usually meatier and leaner than St. Louis ribs, which come from the belly side of the rib cage.

St. Louis ribs may have less meat, but are better marbled so they tend to be more tender. For the most meat to bone ratio, go for “country” style ribs, which are cut from the sirloin or rib end of the pork loin. Whichever you choose, if you follow these steps, the meat will fall off the bone.

The first thing in preparing tender ribs is creating a rub. Not only does a good rub flavor the meat, it helps break down the strands of proteins that make the meat tough. In addition to kosher salt (nothing else will do - this is not the time for your fancy pink Tibetan sea salt), fresh cracked black pepper and paprika (gets it tasting smoky before you even start) you need something with acid to help break down the proteins. I use a little apple cider vinegar, but some folks swear by mustard or even tomato paste.

After you’ve got the basics down; experiment with herbs, spices and other ingredients. Try adding cayenne pepper, chopped jalapenos or crushed dried peppers for heat. If you like yours a little sweeter, add a little brown sugar.

For tanginess, crushed pineapple is good (also contains the acid so necessary). Make at least a cup of the rub and really spread it

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onto both sides of the ribs. Massage it in with your hands and place the coated ribs in a nonaluminum (the acid from the rub can interact with aluminum pans or foil, causing the pan to discolor – and the meat sometimes picks up a metallic taste) baking dish (glass, steel or cast iron is okay). Allow to sit for at least an hour or overnight (in the fridge, of course). If you don’t have a non-aluminum baking dish, wrap the ribs in plastic wrap.

Step 3: Pre-cook the ribs.

If you cook the ribs entirely on the grill, they’ll either be charred or tough. After letting the ribs rest in the rub, place them on a rack in a baking pan. Below the rack, add some liquid (I use beer), just enough to cover the bottom without touching the ribs. Cover the pan tightly and place in a pre-heated 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Precooking helps intensify the flavor; the steam generated tenderizes the meat.

Step 4: Grill the ribs Take the ribs from the oven and let come to room temperature. If some of the rub has disappeared, you can add more, but it’s not essential. Place the ribs over indirect, medium heat on your grill. If you’re using a charcoal

grill, place the coals on one side and the ribs on the other. If using a gas grill, turn to medium low on one side and place the ribs on the other.

Cover the grill and walk away. Do not peek. Do not poke the ribs. Let them be. Have a drink, play some cards, watch some porn. Whatever you do leave that meat alone (the ribs, that is!).

After about 45 minutes, check to see if the ribs are tender by wiggling one of the bones. If it doesn’t pull away from the meat, replace the grill cover. Repeat every 15 minutes until the ribs are fall off the bone tender. This shouldn’t take more than two hours unless you are cooking enough for the Kardashian family.

There are those who say you should never add barbecue sauce to the meat on the grill.

I say to hell with them. I baste the ribs twice during the last 10 minutes of cooking. I like how the sugars from the sauce caramelize over the heat. Some don’t even like sauce with their ribs. That’s just crazy, like sex without lube.

Step 5: Give it a rest Take the ribs off the heat using large tongs (you don’t want all those juices to run out by puncturing it with a fork) and place them on a platter. Relax and have a beer or a martini. After letting the ribs rest 5-10 minutes, call everyone to the table, pass out the rolls of paper towels and extra barbecue sauce and enjoy.

Not only does a good rub flavor the meat, it helps break down the strands of proteins that make the meat tough.

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F O R

T H E

SFGNITES W E E K

O F

J u n e

2

-

j u n e

7 ,

2 0 1 6

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

J.W. Arnold

jw@prdconline.com

THU

6/2

theater “Summer Shorts,” America’s short play festival presented by City Theatre, opens tonight at the Arsht Center in Miami. This season’s Summer Shorts celebrates the laughter, diversity and joy of Miami in 90 actionpacked minutes. This year’s all-new lineup of short plays even includes 10-minute musicals, all performed by a wacky cast of South Florida’s most talented actors. Tickets are $39 at ArshtCenter.org.

FRI

6/3

concert The South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble, South Florida’s LGBT and allies concert band, presents it’s spring concert, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” tonight at 8 p.m. at the Broward Center. Artistic director Dan Bassett conducts the 50 musicians in a program of music from exotic destinations, along with the ensemble’s trademark multimedia and guest performances. Tickets are $30 at BrowardCenter.org.

The South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble performs its spring concert, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, June 3.

Submitted photo.

SAT

6/4 SUN

6/5 MON

6/6 TUE

6/7

concert

dining

film

concert

Fasten your seatbelts because Weird Al Yankovic is coming to South Florida and he’s performing hilarious new parodies from his “Mandatory Fun” album, including “Tacky” (“Happy”), “Word Crimes” (“Blurred Lines”), “Foil” (“Royals”) and more. See him tonight at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach or Friday, June 10 at the Arsht Center in Miami. Tickets and more info at Kravis.org and ArshtCenter.org.

Today through July 31, The Wick Theatre, 9301 N. Federal Hwy. in Boca Raton, is serving Summer Sunday Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The theater’s Tavern Restaurant is modeled after the legendary Tavern on the Green in New York City’s Central Park and serves up tasty delicacies, as well as live musical theater cabaret performances while you dine. Tickets are $58 per person at TheWick.org.

Experience Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” in Imax 3-D tonight at the Museum of Discovery & Science’s Autonation Imax Theater, 401 SW 2nd St. in Fort Lauderdale. This spectacular film features all of Lewis Carroll’s unforgettable characters from the world of Underland in a race to save the Mad Hatter’s life. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children and military with ID at MODS.org.

Experience the cultures of the world at Gulfstream Park, 901 S. Federal Hwy. in Hallandale Beach. Each Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Champions Plaza, musician Benji Rafaeli will perform in more than 10 languages, including Russian, Hebrew, French and Yiddish. Gulfstream restaurants also offer exclusives specials to patrons who mention “International Tuesdays” during their visits. Info at GulfStreamPark.com.

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“It is so imperative that works like ‘Not In My Town’ be shared to ensure that people understand the real impact of bias crimes in America... I am honored to be a part of NIMT...”

- Romaine Patterson

Ryan Townsend, Robyn Marie Lamp and conductor Gordon Roberts rehearse “Not In My Town,” a new musical drama abut the murder of Matthew Shepard.

a GALA EVENING of Old & New To benefit the Production of

NOT IN MY TOWN the New Musical Drama Based on the Life of Matthew Shepard

Photo Credit: Frances Suzanne Hindle.

a&e music

Mathew Shepard Opera to Receive World Premiere J.W. Arnold

A

Produced by

Words and Music by South Florida’s own

Michael W. Ross

Major Scenes from Not In My Town together with Opera & Musical Theatre Favorites, Performed with Orchestra Gordon Roberts, Conductor  Ardean Lanhuis, Director Robyn Marie Lamp as Romaine Patterson & introducing Ryan Townsend as Matthew

Friday, June 17th, 2016 at 8 pm The Walter Lawrence & Stephen Lewis Performing Arts Center, Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 SW 9th Ave, Ft. Lauderdale 33315

For Tickets go to

Operafusion.org

General Admission $38 6 PM Dinner & Open Bar plus 8 PM VIP Seating $100

An official Wilton Manors 2016 Stonewall Festival Celebration design: anne djupedal, woodhilldesign.com

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horrifying incident in LGBT history is the subject of a new opera by Fort Lauderdale composer Michael Ross.

“Not In My Town,” a dramatization of the events surrounding the tragic 1998 murder of college student Mathew Shepard will receive its gala preview by Opera Fusion on Friday, June 17 at the Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale.

Ross originally conceived the opera as a commission for an LGBT-themed work from one of his alma maters. Ross was then living and working in New York City when word quickly spread through the gay community about the horrific beating and murder of the 21-year-old in a Wyoming field.

“Everybody congregated for a candlelight vigil and then marched through the streets,” recalled Ross. “I asked myself if I could write a whole opera about that.”

While Ross chose to include the events of that October night, he made the decision to make Shepard’s close friend and ally, Romaine Patterson, the heroine of the opera.

Patterson’s name is familiar to Sirius XM Out Q listeners as the host of the former “Derek and Romaine” talk show, but most people are not aware of her role in the events that unfolded after Shepard’s murder.

Patterson and Shepard first became friends when Patterson, who is a lesbian and was leader of gay student group, defended him against a bully.

When Rev. Fred Phelps and his supporters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka protested the trials of Shepard’s murderers, Patterson created giant seven-foot-long angel wings to shield his parents from seeing the group’s hateful signs.

Her counterprotest became known as Angel Action and she would become an LGBT activist, speaking to civil rights groups and lobbying for the passage of a national hate crimes bill.

Noting that the murder occurs mid-way through the opera (but is not dramatized at her request), much of the narrative focuses on Patterson and her efforts to cement Shepard’s legacy.

Patterson is expected to attend the June preview and the world premiere, scheduled for September at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, during the school’s International Peace Week observations.

“Not In My Town” will be premiered by Opera Fusion, an innovative new performing arts company, featuring seven principals, a double chorus and 18-piece orchestra under the direction of Gordon Roberts.

The musical drama seemed like the “perfect fit” for Opera Fusion, “considering the national debate that has raged in the last 20 years, as well as the size of the work,” Opera Fusion executive director Birgit Fioravante said. “From my point of view, this work has everything a new ‘opera’ should have — great music, great drama, a riveting story.

The tonal palate is somewhere between grand opera and musical theater, giving it a wider appeal than most new works. It has the potential to move people much in the same way ‘West Side Story’ first did in its day.”

The opera has already been previewed by audiences at a series of fundraisers and during the spring concert of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida.

Noting the tremendous advances the LGBT community has made in recent years, Ross sees his opera as a period piece rooted in the era of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the Defense of Marriage Act. “It’s such a special story and by the end it reveals a beautiful message,” explained Ross. “We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. It is a gay opera but could be about any person who is persecuted or bullied.”

Opera Fusion performs “Not In My Town” by Michael Ross on Friday, June 17 at 8 p.m. at Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 SW 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $38 and $100 (including dinner and postperformance reception) at OperaFusion.org.

a&e theater

Submitted Photo

The Wick Theater’s Tavern Restaurant in Boca Raton is the scene of the crime this summer in “Murder at the Wick.”

The Wick Serves Up Murder This Summer J.W. Arnold

The Tavern at The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum is a tribute to the famed Tavern On The Green in New York’s Central Park. This summer, in addition to fine cuisine, murder is on the menu at the Boca Raton restaurant.

“Murder at the Wick,” running through July, is the creation of director and actor D.J. Smith.

“Don’t expect to see Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard or Mrs. Peacock,” warned Texas native Smith, 33. “Imagine if you actually fell into a crime scene. You showed up at a dinner party and people started killing each other.”

Unlike most similar productions, characters don’t stand up and read excerpts or monologues.

The actors are “embedded” into the guests at the restaurant and the murders occur at the most unexpected times during the meal.

A detective does arrive on the scene at a crucial moment to provide just a little comedic relief and, Smith promised, “creates a few red herrings” as guests must hunt for clues.

“You never know when someone might drink a glass of poison and keel over right there at your table,” Smith said.

The “show” is a challenge for the three to four cast members because they don’t have scripts and don’t even know how the mystery will unravel.

“The actors show up with motives and reasons to be on the scene and those motives can cause them to take some desperate actions,” Smith said.

There have been previous performances where the actors were not discovered until the end of the meal because their acting blended so naturally with the guests.

Smith recalled, “Sometimes you wind up following the wrong person. I have had guests

followed into the bathrooms because someone thought they were the killer.”

Most recently, Smith called New Orleans home because of the city’s burgeoning film and television industry. Smith’s productions there became so popular, he was approached in 2013

by Channing Tatum to offer murder mystery dinners at Saints & Sinners, the restaurant the actor co-owns on Bourbon Street.

“He wasn’t one for a lot of words—he’s a great dancer and very nice—and he loved the idea,” said Smith.

Smith produced 10 monthly performances and each sold out quickly.

The production was a natural for The Wick, thanks to the longstanding relationship Smith had with Executive Producer Marilynn Wick.

While living in Dallas, Smith took a job at Wick’s Costume World location there and soon became manager. Costume World offers the largest selection of rental, retail and theatrical costumes in the world and is headquartered in Deerfield Beach with another location in Pittsburgh.

“I wanted to get a job somewhat involved in theater that would allow me to take auditions,” he said. “Marilynn actually hired me over the phone.”

While at Costume World, Smith initiated a long-standing relationship with the Dallas gay community, providing costumes for monthly gay BINGO games, “a big deal in Dallas,” he said. “We did our part to support the community.”

“Murder at the Wick” promises to be equally successful in South Florida with the first four performances sold out.

“Murder at the Wick” is presented on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. through July 28 in The Tavern restaurant at The Wick Theatre and Costume Museum, 9301 N. Federal Hwy. in Boca Raton. Tickets are $68, including complimentary cocktail and dinner, at TheWick.org.

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June 1 to june 7

Datebook Christiana Lilly

Calendar@SFGN.com

Top

Picks

Feeding the Bear

June 2 to July 3 at the Abyss Theatre, 2304 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. A gay, single teacher is struggling with body dysmorphia on top of caring for his father suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Tickets $35. Call 954-519-2533 or visit IslandCityStage.org.

The Royale

Through June 26 at GableStage at the Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. Jack Johnson, a black boxes, rises to the top of the game despite the struggles the Jim Crow era throws at him.

Tickets $45. Call 305-445-1119 or visit GableStage.org.

LAST CHANCE: Hair!

Through June 5 at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Be a flower child for the day with a performance of this classic musical. Tickets $45. Call 561832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

* Denotes New Listing

broward county South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble: Leaving on a Jet Plane

June 3 at 7 p.m. at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

The theme of the concert is travel with music from around the world.

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

* Heathers: The Musical

June 9 to 26 at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

Based on the 1989 movie, Veronica 52

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Sawyer makes her way into the popular crowd, “The Heathers,” then falls in love with the new kid at school.m Tickets $45. Call 954-462-0222 or visit BrowardCenter.org.

Party

Through June 12 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. A night with friends turns risque when they play Facts or Fantasies. Contains male nudity. Tickets $20 to $50. Call 818-590-4448 or visit RonnieLarsen. com.

Friday Night Sound Waves Music Series

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

Free. Visit FridayNightSoundWaves. com

palm beach county

Satchmo at the Waldorf

Through 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 561-243-7922 or visit DelrayArts.org.

miami-dade county Summer Shorts

June 2 to July 3 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami.

The annual short play festival of the best in the country, including 10-minute musicals. Tickets $39. Call 305-949-6722 or visit ArshtCenter.org.

The Flick

Through June 12 at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 NE Second Ave. in Miami Shores. Three movie theatre employees are cleaning up at the end of the night and it comes out that their lives may be more dramatic than the films on the screen. Tickets $30. Call 305-751-9550 or visit MadCatTheatre. org.

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 305-375-3000 or visit PAMM.org.

The Big Show

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Just the Funny Theater, 3119 Coral Way in Miami. A collection of comedy mixing the likes of improvisation and sketches. Tickets $12. Call 305-6938669 or visit JustTheFunny.com.

* Weird Al Yankovic

June 4 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

The four-time Grammy Award winner has ruled the world of musical parody for decades. Tickets $22 and up. Call 561-832-7469 or visit Kravis.org.

Photo: Facebook.

Theater

* Darius Rucker, Dan and Shay and Michael Ray

June 4 at Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way in West Palm Beach. The former frontman for Hootie and the Blowfish went solo in 2002, later becoming the first black musician to be given the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association. Tickets $45 and up. Visit WestPalmBeachAmphitheatre.com.

Black Coffee

Through June 5 at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St. in Delray Beach. In this Agatha Christie murder mystery, Hercule Poirot and Hastings visit physicist Sir Claud Amory -- and discover that he has been poisoned.

Tickets $30. Call 561-272-1281, ext. 4 or visit DelrayBeachPlayhouse.com.

See the PAMM Outdoor Music Series every third Thursdays at the Perez Art Museum in Miami.

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Datebook

Community Christiana Lilly Calendar@SFGN.com

Top Picks Networking Breakfast

June 2 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the LGBT Visitor Center, 1130 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach.

Network with LGBT friendly business owners over breakfast.

Free. Call 305-673-4440 or visit GayBizMiami.com.

LGBT Housing Initiatives

June 2 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Pride Center, 2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors.

Join an interactive webinar with speakers from around the country to discuss LGBT housing initiatives for seniors. Free. Email bwilliams@pridecenterflorida. org or visit PrideCenterFlorida. org.

Free Museum Day

June 5 from noon to 5 p.m. at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real in Boca Raton. Enjoy a day of free admission to the museum with collections of photography, glass, sculpture, contemporary art, and works by modern masters. PLus, live a live violin and piano duo from 3 to 4 p.m.

Visit bocamuseum.org.

broward county GLLN Board Elections

June 2 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Timpano Chophouse, 450 E. Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. The Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Network meets for its board vote and to present a check to Latino Salud and Pet Project. Open to the public. Entry $20 for members, $25 nonmembers.

Visit GLLN.org.

* Heroes In Recovery 6K

June 4 at 7 a.m. at Huizenga Plaza, 32 E Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Join the Frontrunners, and LGBT running and walking group, to support those recovering from alcohol and substance abuse. Call 954-247-8642 or visit FrontRunnersFortLauderdale.org.

* Artist Encounter Series: Photographer Coco Alarcon June 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. at IKEA, 151 NW 136 Ave.

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• 6.1.2016

Broward Support Services

Gender Bender Youth Group

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

PFLAG

Tuesdays in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and Southwest Ranches. A support group for parents of LGBT youth 13 to 21. Free.

Visit SunServeYouth.com for dates and locations.

GayWrites

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

Free. Email 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 Sunrise. Peruvian photographer Alarcon leads an interactive photography workshop looking at “Family is…” Free. Email rvegas@bfabroward.org.

* Sick Puppies Comedy: Beginner’s Improv Comedy Classes

Mondays from June 6 to July 25 from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Join the fun with this beginner’s improv class, ending in a special graduation show. No class on the Fourth of July. Call Casey Casperson at 954-667-7735 or visit SickPuppiesComedy.com

* Injury Prevention Through Stretching

June 8 7 p.m. at Holiday Park, 1200 G Harold Martin Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Bill Rodowsky PTA, LMT will lead a clinic with the Frontrunners, an LGBT running and walking social club, about the importance of stretching in your exercise routine. Free. Call 954-247-8642 or visit FrontRunnersFortLauderdale.org.

* The Election Connection June 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pride Center,

2040 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. Are you prepared to vote in November? Check your voter status, register, update your voter information, and more with the Broward County elections office. Call 954-357-7050 or visit BrowardSOE. org.

palm beach county Lei Me Luau

June 12 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Mad Hatter Lounge, 1532 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Raffles, drinks, pig roast, and other Hawaiian-inspired fun to benefit Compass GLCC’s HIV prevention programming. Call 561-547-8860.

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.

Zumba Fitness

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

June 1 to June 7 more. Call 561-324-1626 or visit CompassGLCC. com.

Sober Sisters

Mondays at 6:15 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for female recovering alcoholics. Visit LambdaNorth.net.

Out of the Closet, Into the Light

Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at MCC of the Palm Beaches, 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. AA for the LGBT community. Free. Call 561-775-5900 or visit MCCPalmBeach.org.

Voices of Pride

Mondays at 7 p.m. at Compass GLCC, 201 N. Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. Join the Gay Men’s Chorus as they practice every week. Free. Call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com

Out of the Closet NA Group

Mondays at 7 p.m. at Lambda North, 18 S. J St. in Lake Worth. A support and discussion group for LGBT recovering addicts. Visit LambdaNorth.net.

miami-dade county 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.

Yoga

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

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

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.

HIV Support Group

Drag Brunch

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

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

6.1.2016 •

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Business Directory health

chiropractic Coast Chiropractic Injury & Wellness Center 2608 NE 16th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33334 954.463.3036 www.coast-chiropractic.com

dental

Lane & Eriks Dental Associates 1831 NE 45th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954.771.3331 Laneanderiksdental.com Oakland Park Dental 3047 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 954.566.9812 Oaklandparkdental.com Andrews Dental Care 2654 N Andrews Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33311 954.567.3311 Andrewsdentalcare.com Wilton Manors Dental 2517 NE 9th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-564-4746 Wiltonmanorsdental.com

American Pain Experts 6333 N. Federal Hwy, Ste. 250, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-678-1074 Americanpainexperts.com Simply Men’s Health 5405 Okeechobee Blvd #205, West Palm Beach, FL 561.459.5356 Simplymenshealth.com Natura Dermatology 1120 Bayview Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 754.333.4886 Coolsculptingnaturadermatology.com Mark Engebretson Palm Beach & Boca Raton 561.400.9297 heartofthemystery.com

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

professional services Barton & Miller Cleaners 2600 N. Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-566-4314 Kalis-McIntee Funeral & Cremation Center

health Emerald Elite 2301 Wilton Drive, Suite 3, Wilton Manors, FL 954.629.1377 Emeraldelitehomehealth.com

Dr. Tory Sullivan 2500 N Federal Hwy #301, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.533.1520 Torysullivanmd.com The Florida House Experience 505 S Federal Hwy, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 800.778.6792 Fherehab.com

investments

2929 E Comm. Blvd, 8th Floor Penthouse D, Fort Lauderdale, FL

954.302.3228 Americantaxandinsurance.com

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

legal Selzer & Weiss 1515 NE 25th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.4444 Selzerandweiss.com Shawn Newman 710 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.563.9160 Shawnnewman.com Law GC 707 NE 3rd Ave #300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.573.1444 Lawgc.com

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

spirituality The Parish of Sts. Francis and Clare Where we welcome and appreciate diversity.

101 NE 3rd St Fort Lauderdale FL 33301 Mass Times: Saturday 5:00 PM Sunday 10:30 AM Ecumenical Catholic 954.731.8173

BEEFCAKES 1721 N Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 954.463.6969 boardwalkbar.com

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

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

retail

Peace Pipe 4800 N Dixie Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954.267.9005 Facebook.com/peacepipefl

Daoud’s 2473 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 954.928.2437 Daouds.com

The Best Cellar

Boutique Wine Shop & Wine Bar The Ultimate Wine Tasting Experience Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., at 8:00 p.m.

ONLY $15 PER PERSON! 954-630-8020

www.stsfrancisandclare.org

1408 N.E. 26th St. Wilton Manors, FL 33334

Have you made your wishes known?

MASTER HYPNOTHERAPIST AND LIFE COACH

Baptisms • Weddings • Memorial Services

We’re here to help.

1-800-343-5400

www.levitt-weinstein.com

Pre-Arrangement Discounts For All Our LGBT Friends • 6.1.2016

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Emerald Home Cleaning 3 Hours for $60.00 Use how you wish (Hand Scrubbed Floors) American Tax & Insurance 954-524-3161 Levitt Small Ad Gay Publication :Newspaper Ad Cont. 8/17/15 1:56 PM Page 1

Island City Dental 1700 NE 26th Street, Ste. 2, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-564-7121 Islandcitydental.com

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Storks Bakery 2505 NE 15th Ave, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954.567.3220 Storksbakery.com

Law Robin 2550 N Federal Hwy #20, Fort Lauderdale, FL 954.630.2707 Lawrobin.com

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

restaurants

ADDICTIONS • SMOKING • WEIGHT LOSS • INSOMNIA • STRESS REDUCTION • ROAD RAGE • ANGER MANAGEMENT • PAST LIFE ANALYSIS • RELATIONSHIP COACHING Coach Bill For Life

WWW.COACHBILLFORLIFE.COM

954.641.8315

retail Estate Auction Co. 6 South Federal Hwy, Dania Beach, FL 33304 954-921-2828 Estateauctionco.com

theaters

Ft Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus PO Box 9772, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33310-9772 954-832-0060 www.theftlgmc.org Andrews Living Arts Studio 23 NW 5th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954.530.1879 Classcreations.com Kravis Center 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL (561) 832-7469 Kravis.org Adrienne Arsht Center 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 305.949.6722 Arshtcenter.org Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida PO Box 39617, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33339 954-763-2266 Gaymenschorusofsouthflorida.org

veterinarian

NormKent.com

Dr. Pierre B. Bland, DVM 3225 N. Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954-673-8579 Doctorblandvet.com

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

954.610.8816

Iris Seymour

954-565-1041

Call today for appointment

6.1.2016 •

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SFGN Classified$ 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

sfgn.com

To place a Classified Ad, call Tim Higgins at 954.530.4970 or email at Tim.Higgins@sfgn.com

licensed massage 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

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.

pets/supplies

INCREDIBLY AWESOME BODYWORK IN WPB - 1st TIME CLIENTS SAVE $25 PER SESSION. In-calls at a private studio 15 minutes west of PBIA. Intuitive, experienced licensed massage therapist offers affordable rates 7 days, early to late. Calls only 561-254-8065 for the very best massage experience you can get HANDS DOWN! #MA51008

cleaning services 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 954-560-4443

MASSAGE RELIEF BY DENNIS - $60 per 90 min-Out calls higher. Swedish, Deep Tissue, Specialty Back, Lower Body and Feet. Couples Discounts. Seniors Welcome. Delray Beach. 22 years experience. MA18563 Call Dennis 561502-2628...

apartment wanted LOOKING FOR 1 BEDROOM APARTMENT Serious, Mature stable Nursing Care “Practitioner” with C.N.A. Degree/B.A. Seeks live in position in Fort Lauderdale area. NO PRIORS! (Verifiable) Call Brian at 954-529-3490

Place an ad in SFGN’s Classifieds

954.530.4970

rentals fort lauderdale

entertainment 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!

moving & storage ICON MOVING SERVICE... PROMISES/ DELIVERED - We are your Local, Long Distance, and Overseas moving company! We have extensive corporate and local moving experience with A+ rating from BBB. Call for a free estimate! 561-3383157

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

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.

pool service COOL POOLS- RELIABLE POOL SERVICE Professional pool service.Covering Wilton Manors, Lighthouse Point, and eastside of Pompano Beach.

15 years experience. Licensed and insured.Free estimates. Call 954-235-0775.

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• 6.1.2016

FORT LAUDERDALE RENTALS - Looking for a great rental in FORT LAUDERDALE? One bedrooms starting at $900. Two bedrooms starting at $1,000. 1st/last/security + good credit. Visit my website and call me today. www.mikesREteam. com 954-627-1222 ext. 901 Mike Trottier, Realtor @ Mike’s Real Estate (iHome Florida Real Estate)

rentals wilton manors RENTALS IN WILTON MANORS - Looking for a great rental in WILTON MANORS? One bedrooms starting at $1,000. Two bedrooms starting at $1,200. 1st/last/security + good credit. Visit my website and call me today. www.mikesREteam. com 954-627-1222 ext. 901 Mike Trottier, Realtor @ Mike’s Real Estate (iHome Florida Real Estate)

rentals furnished housing *PERFECT RELOCATION RENTALS* 4 WEEK + SPECIAL FROM $395/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 oakland park

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OUR BEST OFFER EVER JUST GOT BETTER!

OAKLAND PARK RENTALS - Looking for a great rental in OAKLAND PARK? One bedrooms starting at $1,000. Two bedrooms starting at $1,400. 1st/ last/security + good credit. Visit my website and call me today. www.mikesREteam.com 954-6271222 ext. 901 Mike Trottier, Realtor @ Mike’s Real Estate (iHome Florida Real Estate)

ALASKA. CARIBBEAN. EUROPE UP TO

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40% OFF

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

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800-985-5148

SUNDAY-THURSDAY - Need a last minute room?

Take advantage of our $79 dollar rates at the Calypso Inn, Wilton Manors. Walk in rates only. Not good for reservations. Valid major credit card required.

Phone Wes Leigh at 954-605-3561 to see if there is a vacancy.

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MODERN LUXURY LIVES HERE.

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