SFGN 07/22/21 V12iss29 by South Florida Gay News

LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE JULY 22, 2021 VOL. 12 // ISSUE 29

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TO ACTIVISM SAVE’S COMMUNITY AND FIELD ORGANIZER SHARES HIS STORY WITH SFGN

Harvey Milk’s Legacy Lives On SOUTHFLORIDAGAYNEWS

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• 7. 22.2021

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Editorial

John Hayden ay rights icon Harvey Milk said, “I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living.” More than 40 years after his murder Milk continues to give hope to millions around the world. The Harvey Milk Foundation (HMF) exports his vision of openness and equality to parts of the world still hostile to those very basic ideals. “We provide support on the ground and behind the scenes for struggling and emerging communities around the world,” HMF’s Education Director Miriam Richter told SFGN. Milk was a public figure becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, but his foundation puts a lot of efforts behind closed doors and out of the public eye. HMF was founded in 2009 by Milk’s nephew Stuart Milk, who is also a gay man. “A lot of what we do is ... diplomatic [level] work,” Richter said. That under-the-radar approach lets foreign officials and politicians talk openly with civil rights leaders without the fear of backlash. The closed-door work honors Harvey’s legacy. Even though he had many public achievements, as an activist and politician much of his work was negotiating in back room meetings. “He used to say ‘do it if it’s safe’ while other people work to make it safe. It’s definitely in Harvey’s spirit.” Milk’s legacy also lives on in very public ways starting with a street. “The Miami Beach City Commission named a street after Harvey. It’s by the

@SFGN

July 22, 2021 • Volume 12 • Issue 29

Senior Feature Columnists

Brian McNaught • Jesse Monteagudo

Special to SFGN Steve Rothaus

Correspondents

Donald Cavanaugh • John McDonald Deon Jefferson • David-Elijah Nahmod Denise Royal • Elliot Rodriguez John Hayden • Kendall Little • Everitt Rosen • Corey Rose • Kennedy McKinney

Contributing Columnists

Pier Angelo • Terri Schlichenmeyer Rick Karlin • Dana Rudolph • Ric Reily

Associate Photographers Carina Mask • Steven Shires

Sales & Marketing Harvey Milk at his 1978 inauguration. Photo credit: Efren Rameriz, courtesy of the Harvey Milk Foundation.

convention center, high visibility right next to Pride Park,” Richter said. “It will be the first street in the state of Florida named after Harvey.” Construction of the USNS Harvey Milk is underway in San Diego, and will be the first U.S. Navy ship named after a gay man. Milk was forced out of the Navy because he was gay. Ceremonies surrounding the ship’s launch are scheduled for this fall. Also, Stoli just released its third commemorative bottle honoring the civil rights leader and benefitting HMF.

Numbered limited edition bottles hit shelves in May, just in time for his birthday. HMF, which is based in South Florida, is planning the return of their annual gala this autumn with details coming soon. To learn more about Milk, the gala, and the foundation, go to their website MilkFoundation.org. “Harvey was all about visibility and coming out because he saw the bigger picture that when everybody came out,” Richter said. “Everybody would see that we’re just like everyone else.”

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COVER: Edward Martí Kring. Courtesy photo.

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NLGJA Journalist of the Year SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS.COM, INC. — — FOUNDED, DECEMBER, 2009 BY PIER GUIDUGLI AND NORM KENT 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 or gender identity of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in SFGN. SFGN contracts with independent entities for stock images. 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.

7. 22 . 20 21 •

LGBTQIA BITES

BY KENNEDY MCKINNEY

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G Lesbian

BIDEN NOMINATES LESBIAN TO AMBASSADOR-LEVEL POST President Joe Biden has nominated Chantale Wong, the first out lesbian to an ambassador-level position in U.S. History. Wong has been appointed U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank which works on economic growth in the Asia-Pacific Region. If Biden’s nomination is approved by the Senate, she will also make history as being the first LGBT person of color with an ambassador rank. “If I am confirmed by the U.S. Senate, I will serve with humility and with [the] purpose of advancing U.S. interest at the Asian Development Bank and the region on behalf of my fellow Americans,” she said via a Facebook post. Wong is just the latest of a long list of LGBT nominees the White House has put forward. According to the

• 7. 22.2021

... HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY

Queer

NETFLIX’S ‘FEAR STREET’ TRILOGY CHRONICLES QUEER TEEN LOVE

“Fear Street.” Credit: Netflix.

Chantale Wong. Photo credit: Leigh H. Mosley, via Facebook.

Victory Institute, Biden has appointed at least 200 LGBT officials which they said is “exponentially more than any other president at this point in their administration.”

Adapted from a book series by RL Stine, the “Fear Street” trilogy, airing on Netflix, follows lesbian high-school couple Deena and Samantha as they battle an evil force wreaking havoc in their town. LGBT fans have praised the series for its candid approach to queerness and its rarity in horror films. Kiana Madeira, who plays Deena, and Olivia Scott Welch, who plays Samantha,

are proud of what the film series was able to do for queer visibility. Welch told Gay Times that she has never seen a film before where two queer women are the lead characters and get to “save the day.” Madeira agreed emphasizing the important fact that the protagonists are both queer and people of color. All parts of the “Fear Street” trilogy are available now on Netflix.

LGBTQIA BITES

‘GOSSIP GIRL’ REVIVAL INTRODUCES PANSEXUAL CHARACTER

HBO Max recently released its “Gossip Girl” reboot this time with more queer and racial diversity than the original. Max, played by Thomas Doherty, is pansexual. “Obviously my character, Max, is pansexual and for me it’s always amazing when you play a part to see what you can kind of draw from that and what you can compare it with your own life, your own beliefs,” he told Gay Times. Doherty revealed that the series has inspired him to question his personal upbringing and thoughts surrounding gender and sexuality. Joshua Safran, a writer and executive producer of the original show said that there was not a lot of representation the first time around and this time “the leads are nonwhite.” Since its premiere on July 8, the reboot has received praise for its racial and sexual diversity.

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7. 22 . 20 21 •

NEWS NATIONAL

FIRST PRO HOCKEY PLAYER COMES OUT AS GAY Staff Reports

Washington Blade

n an Instagram post Monday, Nashville Predator prospect Luke Prokop announced that he is gay. His announcement was applauded by the National Hockey League’s Commissioner Gary Bettman who said in part, “I want to thank him for sharing his truth and being so brave.” Prokop is the first active NHL player under contract to come out. The 19-year-old 6 foot 4-inch defenseman player is originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and has played the past four seasons with the Western Hockey League before the Predators selected him as the 73rd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. “While the past year and a half has been crazy, it has also given me the chance to find my true self,” Prokop wrote. “I am no longer scared to hide who I am. Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay. “It has been quite the journey to get to this

Luke Prokop. Photo via Twitter.

point in my life, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out. From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams.” “The Nashville Predators organization is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today and we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect,” the team tweeted.

Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

• 7. 22.2021

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7. 22 . 20 21 •

NEWS NATIONAL

BY COREY ROSE

THE COUNTRY ACROSS

KENTUCKY

KENTUCKY ALLOWS CHILDREN’S SERVICES PROVIDER TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LGBT COUPLES Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has reached a deal to continue contracting with Baptist-affiliated Sunrise Children’s Services for another year by eliminating anti-LGBT discrimination language from the agreement. Sunrise Children’s Services offers foster care, adoption services, psychiatric and therapeutic care for children and families in the state, and refused to sign a contract that would have required them to consider LGBT couples as potential foster parents, citing “deeply held religious beliefs.” According to the Advocate, the agency, which has contracted with Kentucky for over 50 years, will refer same-sex couples to other Kentucky agencies that are a “better fit” for their needs. Fairness Campaign Executive Director

Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman. Photo via LinkedIn.

Chris Hartman told the Associated Press, “We’re going to continue conversations and continue advocating for no discrimination in any state-contracted services with anyone for any reason. We don’t believe that state dollars should be utilized in the efforts of discrimination.”

MINNESOTA EXECUTIVE ORDER BANS CONVERSION THERAPY FOR MINORS Minnesota officials have taken another step towards blocking access to conversion therapy for minors with a new executive order, signed by Gov. Tim Walz. Executive Order 21-25 forbids use of state funds for the practice and calls for state agencies to “protect Minnesotans, particularly minors and vulnerable adults, from conversion therapy to the fullest extent of their authority.” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David wrote in a statement, “Governor Walz’s common sense executive order reflects best practice, expert medical voices and mountains of evidence demonstrating that the outcomes of ‘conversion therapy’ are devastating for youth. LGBTQ youth deserve to live their lives authentically,

• 7. 22.2021

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Photo via Facebook.

safe from harm. Today, Minnesota has taken another step toward the promise of full equality for all.” The effort is the latest in a series of attempts to pass a statewide ban on conversion therapy for Minnesotans of all ages. Previous efforts were blocked by the Republican-controlled senate in 2019, and sidelined by the pandemic in 2020.

COVERING LGBT NEWS SWEEPING THE NATION

INDIANA

INDIANA JUDGE DISMISSES TEACHER’S RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION CLAIM After being asked to resign for refusing to call trans students by their first names, a former Indiana orchestra teacher’s claims of religious discrimination and retaliation by the Brownsburg Community School Corporation have been dismissed by a federal judge. John Kluge objected to the district’s 2017 policy of calling every student by their preferred first name, and was allowed by school officials to refer to every student, regardless of gender, by their last name as a religious accommodation. When students and teachers began to report concerns of Kluge excluding trans students by not acknowledging them, the orchestra teacher was told he can either follow the policy, resign, or be terminated. He resigned, but would later call that

Photo via PxHere.

resignation “forced,” according to court filings. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled in favor of the district, and wrote in her decision, “A name carries with it enough importance to overcome a public-school corporation’s duty to accommodate a teacher’s sincerely held religious beliefs against a policy that requires staff to use transgender students’ preferred names when supported by a parent and health care provider.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. NELLIE’S RE-OPENS, RE-CLOSES; NAMES NEW LEADERSHIP A month into calls for the closing of Nellie’s, the D.C. gay bar has begun the process of building trust with new leadership. After reopening to a line of protesters last Tuesday evening and closing again soon after, the bar issued a public statement on its Facebook page, apologizing for the way a 22-year-old Black woman was mistakenly identified, accused of bringing in outside liquor, and dragged down a flight of stairs by since-fired security detail. The statement also served as an announcement that longtime trans activist Ruby Corado would serve as manager and director of Community Engagement. Corado is the founder of Casa Ruby, the city’s only bilingual and multicultural LGBT social services organization. Nellie’s owner Doug Shantz said in a

Nellie’s. Photo via Facebook.

statement that Corado will ensure “all of Nellie’s staff receive ongoing diversity sensitivity and inclusion training — with a focus on the concerns of LGBTQ+ people of color.” Harriet’s Wildest Dreams co-founder Makia Green told the Washington Blade, “She should be in solidarity with the people in the streets because Ruby Corado used to be one of those people.”

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY EVERITT ROSEN

THE WORLD AROUND

EURASIA

SUPERMARKET CHAIN IN RUSSIA REGRETS ACTING LGBT-INCLUSIVE VkusVill, a prominent Russian food market chain, ran an advertisement called “Family Happiness Recipe,” which featured a family that included several lesbian women. According to Human Rights Watch, the ad was posted with an 18+ warning as to avoid liability under Russia’s “anti-gay propaganda” law, emphasizing that not talking about real families would be an “act of hypocrisy.” The supermarket chain later released an apology following a barrage of hate messages and boycott threats from customers, and even some local politicians. “The item, which had been posted here, seriously hurt the feelings of many of our customers, staff, and providers,” the apology stated. “We regret this

The advertisement in question. Image via VkusVill.ru.

happened and consider the publication a mistake of ours, and a manifestation of the unprofessionalism of several staff members.”

MEXICO

AFRICA JAILED TRANS WOMEN IN CAMEROON TO BE RELEASED

Two transgender women in Cameroon who were convicted of “attempted homosexuality” in May were ordered freed from prison on Tuesday, according to their lawyer. According to Reuters, on Feb. 8, Shakiro and Patricia were detained for donning women’s clothes in a restaurant. Shakiro is a Cameroonian star with thousands of social media followers, adding to the case’s visibility. Human rights advocates in Cameroon have criticized their arrests and convictions as part of the country’s rising criminalization of sexual minorities and transgender persons. “They are going to leave this prison hell where they don’t belong and where they risk extreme violence every day,” said Alice Nkom, who represents the two

Shakiro, one of the jailed women. Photo via Facebook.

women. “We are not going to stop there. We must explain to people that a court must never again convict LGBT people in this way.”

EUROPE

FIRST TRANS LAWMAKERS IN MEXICO GO TO WORK Salma Luévano is one of Mexico’s two freshly elected transgender members of Congress, three years following an imprisonment for dressing as a woman as a teenager. According to Channel News Asia, Luévano spent 36 hours locked up, which prompted the beginning of her activism in seeking respect for sexual diversity. Sit-ins in front of city hall turned to legal battles over sexual identity to force political parties to include members of the LGBT community in their lists of candidates for legislative elections held on June 6. Due to this breakthrough, Luévano and another transgender candidate, Maria Clemente Garcia, were elected as lower house legislators for the ruling Morena party.

EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE

Salma Luévano. Photo via Facebook.

“It’s a great message for our community that for decades has been so discriminated against,” said Luévano, a 52-year-old human rights defender, stylist and lawyer-in-training.

FRANCE LEGALIZES IN VITRO FERTILIZATION FOR LESBIANS AND SINGLE WOMEN France’s lower house has adopted a law that allows lesbian and single women access to in vitro fertilization for the first time. According to AP News, the law was presented by President Emmanuel Macron and was approved at the National Assembly with a vote of 326 approve and 115 against. LGBT rights organizations have been pushing for the reproductive legislation since France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. Fertility treatments are free in France, and this now includes lesbian couples and single women. “Finally,” Matthieu Gatipon, spokesperson of the Inter-LGBT association, said. “We are satisfied that this is getting done … but this has been a

Matthieu Gatipon of the Inter-LGBT Association. Photo via Twitter.

painful birth.” Gatipon stated that it has been difficult for French women who have had to put off having children for years, as well as those who have had to pay exorbitant prices to go to countries where such procedures are accessible, such as Spain and Belgium.

7. 22 . 20 21 •

FEATURE FROM HOMELESSNESS TO ACTIVISM

EDWARD MARTI KRING FROM HOMELESSNESS TO ACTIVISM SAVE’S NEW COMMUNITY AND FIELD ORGANIZER SHARES HIS STORY WITH SFGN Steve Rothaus Special to SFGN

Edward Martí Kring at a SAVE campaign in 2020. Courtesy photo.

• 7. 22.2021

FEATURE FROM HOMELESSNESS TO ACTIVISM

Growing up, nothing came easily for Edward Martí Kring. As a 6 and a half year old in 1991, he left Cuba and his beloved grandmother, with whom he shares a May 13 birthday. A few years later, he cowered in a Hialeah closet as his new stepfather beat his mother. At 16 he became homeless when she kicked him out for being gay. Despite it all — and with the help of friends and a new adoptive family — Martí Kring managed to put himself through high school and college to become one of Florida’s new generation of equal rights activists. Now 37, he is SAVE LGBTQ’s community and field organizer and newly enrolled in a national social-justice program that trains women and people of color. “In my line of work, people either have a spotlight on them or they don’t. And this kid has a light shining on him. He carries his own light. I saw winner all over him,” said Richard Jay-Alexander, a well-known Miami Beach-based Broadway and concert director whose career is associated with luminaries including Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters and Bette Midler. Jay-Alexander met Martí Kring in February at a South Beach Valentine’s Day event. “I was in awe of the fact that we live in a world where so many people are damaged goods. Some people carry it poorly. They’re bitching and complaining that life is unfair,” Jay-Alexander said. “Then you see somebody in one of the most adverse situations I recall — these years are formative — and he managed to come out of it and he’s one of these people you gravitate toward.” Martí Kring was a year old in Cuba when his parents split. About five and a half years later, he and his young mother flew to Miami and joined his grandfather in the U.S. His grandmother chose to stay behind in the Cuban fishing village of Antilla. “One of the most impactful memories I’ve got of my grandma was our trip to the airport. I don’t remember much of it because it was late at night and I was sitting on her lap, just asleep on her shoulders. And my dad, my birth dad was in the cab, as well,” recalls Martí Kring. When they woke him up they had just gotten to a security checkpoint, “where you have to say goodbye to everyone. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening. All the adults were hugging each other. And then my grandmother gave me a hug, and I could sense the sadness about her. And as I looked up, I saw that there were tears going down her eyes, and so I started to cry.” He still vividly remembers that night,

especially when his mother told him to let go of his grandmother. “‘You’ve got to let her go. We have to go now. We’re not going to see grandma for a while, so just tell her you love her.’ And I did not want to let her go. It was one of the hardest moments I endured.” Martí Kring hasn’t hugged her since. For him, that was just the beginning of a pained childhood. In Hialeah, he said, “We just kind of floated around.” Martí Kring and his mother couch surfed with relatives until she remarried. Unfortunately, Martí Kring’s new stepfather was not a good person. “He just started coming home drunk. And after a while, not coming home. And coming home late turned into violence. He would come home and she would fight with him, and he eventually started hitting her.” Martí Kring recalls being 7 or 8 years old, calling the police and hiding in a closet until they arrived. “I was so scared about what was happening and what I was hearing,” he said. “And I think I got to a point where I got tired of feeling my heart beating in my throat.” His mother stayed with her abuser for years.

Martí Kring in 1st Grade in Cuba. Courtesy photo.

Martí Kring in 2009 during a march in Washington, D.C. to protest “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Courtesy photo.

“Much to my cries that she leave him,” “but that was the moment of divine Martí Kring recalled. “I said I would rather inspiration for me.” live under a bridge than spend another day “The sensation that I got was, ‘You know in this house with this man.” what? You’re gonna be just They finally split when fine. The only thing that Martí Kring was about 15. matters in life is that you’re a He and his mother moved good person.’” into a neighbor’s vacant oneEventually, Martí Kring bedroom apartment. joined Hialeah High’s thenAt Hialeah High, Martí unnamed gay-straight Kring became a school alliance club. cheerleader. “Around that “That was a saving grace time, I started to come into for me, to also see other kids being, into my own in terms that were like me. And all of of my sexual orientation,” a sudden it was just like, ‘I’m he said. “I’d begun to not the only one.’ Maybe I’m think about my sexuality. I OK.” definitely wasn’t out.” At age 16, he went to Fort His 13th birthday was a Lauderdale and his first milestone for Martí Kring. “I gay nightclub — and didn’t was just leaving my friend’s return home for nearly three house in my neighborhood, days. and I had the biggest crush When he got back home on him. I just felt so sad that his mother was in tears I just didn’t know how to waiting for him. express it. And like, there “‘Where have you been? was something so wrong I almost called the police. I - Edward Martí Kring with me. I was walking home thought you were dead!’” he from his house and I started recalled her saying. crying.” Not knowing the full story, To this day that’s one of his most vivid his mother reached out to Martí Kring’s birth memories. father, who in 1996 also moved to Miami. She “I’m having a conversation with what I hoped he might be able to figure out what thought was God, saying, ‘I don’t know what was wrong with him. I am. Am I that way?’ I couldn’t even say the Alone on a drive, Martí Kring’s father first word ‘gay.’ I said, ‘Am I like that? And if I’m asked if he was on drugs. Then he said, “I like that, I would rather you kill me than be that way. I’d rather die than be like that.’” CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE. Martí Kring said he’s not very religious,

“I WAS JUST LEAVING MY FRIEND’S HOUSE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I HAD THE BIGGEST CRUSH ON HIM. I JUST FELT SO SAD THAT I JUST DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO EXPRESS IT.”

7. 22 . 20 21 •

FEATURE FROM HOMELESSNESS TO ACTIVISM

He got a job coaching cheerleaders, and adult coaches provided him temporary housing, while helping him get back into think you might be gay.” high school. “I took a deep breath because I hadn’t After about three and a half months of really planned that moment,” Martí Kring couch surfing, Martí Kring met a family said. “But it was beautiful how life had through cheerleading, who ended up strengthened me enough to take a breath offering to take care of him. He recalled the and say, ‘Yeah, you’re right. I other saying, “we love you am gay.’” and we accept you for who Later that day he said, you are. And we would like “‘We’ve got to tell your mom.’” for you to become a part of Coming out to his mother our family.” didn’t go as well. Martí Kring Martí Kring moved into recalled his mother crying the home of Cathie and Tad for “what seemed like forever Kring, their daughter Sarah and a day” and that it was like and young son Skyler. “It “witnessing my own funeral.” was the Brady Bunch family “She even offered — I don’t that I was praying for when know if she was joking or not I was that little boy in the — to rent me a sex worker closet.” to make sure that I wasn’t Cathie and Tad wanted to straight. I was like ‘What? Are legally adopt him, but Martí you crazy? No!’” Kring said no. Despite that, Martí Kring “I knew how expensive dropped out of high school to it was to go through the help support himself and his adoption process. I already mother since she lost her job felt like family. I didn’t and the house. He enrolled feel like an adoption was in night school and got a job necessary for me to feel like at an arts-and-crafts store in family.” Hialeah. Instead, Cathie reached - Edward Martí Kring Everything went downhill out to his birth mother in one night when he asked his Miami and asked for her mother what was for dinner. power of attorney. At first, “She gave me a really cold response. She his mother said no. really wouldn’t look at me. I remember that “I remember telling her, ‘Look, you didn’t I started to cry. She looked over and I was want me, and this family wants and loves me sobbing and she said, ‘Why are you crying?’ for who I am. And I need you to do whatever I said I feel like you don’t love me anymore. “And she looked at me and said, ‘I can’t love you like this.’ I said, ‘I can’t help it. This is the way that I was born. This is the way that God made me.’ And she said, ‘No, God doesn’t make shit like you. God doesn’t make shit like this.’” Martí Kring went from being sad to angry, and threatened to move out when he turned 18, in which she responded, “Well, you don’t have to wait. You can move out right now.” Although Martí Kring agreed to move out, he had no idea where to go. He logged onto AOL Instant Messenger and began chatting with a girl he met through cheerleading. When he told her what happened between him and his mom, her mother agreed to take him in. Martí Kring packed his belongings, said goodbye to his first dog named Rocky, and had his best friend drive him to Naples where Martí Kring was among the crowd during the he stayed a few weeks with his cheerleading “Rally in Tally” in 2009. Courtesy photo. friend’s family. CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE.

“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO — WHETHER IT’S ACTIVISM OR PUBLIC POLICIES IN SOME WAY TO PROTECT OURSELVES, TO PROTECT ME AND PEOPLE LIKE ME.”

• 7. 22.2021

Martí Kring (center) with his adoptive family. Courtesy photo.

is necessary to make sure I’m OK. So sign these papers so that they can put me in school and they can make choices for me. So she signed the power of attorney.’” To honor his new family, Eduardo Lopez Martí legally changed his name to Edward Martí Kring. At age 19 and a half, he graduated from Barron Collier High School in Naples and got a job as a customer care specialist at a local Apple Store. He enrolled at Edison State College in Fort Myers (now known as Florida SouthWestern State College) and received the school’s HOPE Scholarship for first-time college attendees. He soon became politically active on campus. He started the community college’s first gay-straight-lesbian alliance — a big deal, he said, because “Collier County is very conservative.” He also became involved in student government. Within a year, “I was elected as the first, openly gay student government president.” He was elected two years in a row, back to back. “It’s a very conservative area,” he said. “I was really happy that I was living to do the things that I love to do. I’ve always been drawn to — whether it’s activism or public policies in some way to protect ourselves, to protect me and people like me.” After earning an associate’s degree at Edison, he applied to continue studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee. While waiting to hear back from FSU, he lived three months in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and spent time attending Congressional hearings. He entered FSU in 2008 and three years

later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and international affairs. He lived in Tallahassee from 2008 to 2019 where he said he ended up leading the largest ever pro-LGBT rights rally in the area. “We had over 700 attendees and somebody gave me a megaphone. I led the crowd chanting … I’ll never forget all those voices yelling for equality, filling the courtyard of the Florida Capitol. And you could hear it echoing. It was amazing. It was absolutely just an empowering moment.” After graduation, he found a job that resonated with him: resident care specialist for the Big Bend Homeless Coalition in Tallahassee. He eventually became development and community affairs coordinator. “Not every kid is as lucky as I feel like I have been, to not hit the ground and to have to sleep on the streets,” Martí Kring said. Up to 40% of unaccompanied homeless youth are LGBTQ, he said, “when in the broader population it’s estimated that we are less than 10% of the population.” “We are disproportionately finding our queer kids are being kicked out or finding themselves on the streets. And we know that nearly half of them attempt to take their own lives,” he said. “It’s a huge problem. I don’t think any child should ever have to feel like they’re broken or unworthy of love. That’s something that we owe to ourselves as a community, as a human family, to make sure that we end these kinds of psychological attacks and abuses on LGBTQ youth.” Martí Kring later worked a few years in the hospitality field, and also planned community events for the city of Tallahassee. He moved to Miami in January 2019, and in

FEATURE FROM HOMELESSNESS TO ACTIVISM

July 2020 SAVE LGBTQ Executive Director Orlando Gonzales hired him to be the group’s community and field organizer. “We hired Eddie out of the need to have a fully operating field and canvassing program,” Gonzales said. “Our field program is SAVE’s centerpiece and core competency. When we met Eddie, we quickly recognized his skill and his talent, and that he was a perfect fit for the field and organizer position.” Martí Kring, who is single, this summer entered the year-long National Urban Fellows Program, of which Gonzales is a 2012 alumni and a current national board member. “The National Urban Fellows Program is designed to educate and train people of color and women to lead in the government and nonprofit sectors. For Eddie, one of the things that emerged in talking about his professional development is the need for further education like a graduate program,” Gonzales said. “This opportunity is also a scholarship. When you think about Eddie’s experience in life with hardships, this is a chance for Eddie to receive a wonderful chance at being able to grow and expand his opportunity in the future, and at the same time it’s a tremendous benefit to SAVE to have him go through the program while being with us at the same time. It’s a win-win.” SAVE is helping sponsor Martí Kring.

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Martí Kring during a 2020 SAVE campaign. Courtesy photo.

“What would be his salary is what we use for his participation in the program, including tuition, books and a living stipend,” Gonzales said. Martí Kring’s life has come full circle. He even reconciled with his birth mother, who apologized to him in 2014. “I’ve been learning to really forgive, wholeheartedly,” he said. “I’m learning to love her for the person that she is. She has a great heart.”

Journalist Steve Rothaus covered LGBTQ issues for 22 years at the Miami Herald. @SteveRothaus on Twitter.

Martí Kring (right) poses with volunteers in front of the homeless drop-in center. Courtesy photo.

7. 22 . 20 21 •

Publisher's Editorial

CONVICTIONS

FURTHER RUMINATIONS OF A RECKLESS MIND The Summertime Renditions of a 1960’s Radical

Norm Kent

norm.kent@sfgn.com

The first step in achieving what you want to in life requires you to get rid of what is standing in your way. Never let anything stand in your way of your dreams or aspirations, unless it is that hot bronzed guy bathing in the sun on Stonewall Beach.

It is the summer. If you don’t take a sailboat out to sea, a float out to Flockfest, or have an ice cream cone with sprinkles on the pier, you are really missing out on life.

The things you think are intimately most personal in truth are the things that are most universally most common. Even presidents and mayors poop, and some in Fort Lauderdale more publicly than others.

Things don’t have to last forever in life. They just have to last good. Live in the here and now that you can control, not in the past that you can’t.

Leo Tolstoy was right. God is not in a book, a church, or a place. The Kingdom of God is within you. It’s you who builds a kingdom of hell or a lifetime of hope.

When you lie awake at night and ask yourself, “why me?” — it’s nothing personal. Your number just came up. Charles Schulz said that in a Charlie Brown cartoon 50 years ago. Still true today.

Don’t be scared of the night. It’s only in the darkness you can see the stars.

So as you get older, you hurt quicker and heal slower. Deal with it. It’s the cycle of life. It is amazing that you can have a small tumor in your brain in 2021 treated by precision radiation, but McDonald’s still can’t serve you a hot cheeseburger.

A single smile or laugh can light up a room like the sun. Of course, it also may mean you should run to your dentist and get that new implant yourself.

Holding a grudge in your soul at someone who pissed you off yesterday is like taking poison and waiting for the other guy to die. Move on, man, move on.

Your life is a blank tablet, a “tabula rasa.” You are what you take it from there. It’s in your hands. In the gay community, we are so lucky. We have so many colors and letters to choose from. Find your favorites. It took guts to be gay in a straight world. You are a lot stronger than you think. Don’t let anyone talk down to you. Except maybe your mom. Everyone is entitled to her opinion.

• 7. 22.2021

All civilization on earth came to an end when communities started shutting down miniature golf courses and cars got rid of CD players.

Even if you think you are on the right track, if you don’t have the courage to move one way or the other, sooner or later you are going to get run over.

I was thinking about my dogs again today. When you come home from work at the end of the day, do you think they are

Photo via PxHere.

happier to see you, or are you happier to see them?

I have spent 50 years fighting for legal pot and served a quarter century on the Board of Directors of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Don’t you think every single one of these dispensaries making millions of dollars should be shipping me free weed to my home daily?

It is really phenomenal what Wilton Manors has done with gay life in the USA, from libraries to theaters, LGBT festivals to museums, food banks, the pride center, social service organizations, charitable

and care facilities. LGBT leaders in all walks of government and professional life, and Antonio’s candy store to boot. We should be so proud — except those of you who continue to deface our free newspaper boxes. One day I am going to catch you and spray you with tabasco sauce from Fort Lauderdale’s city sewer system. Promise. You have a right to be proud of your contributions and your willingness to play through, conquer adversity, and rise to the occasion.

Eighteen is the Jewish number for life. Like Fiddler on the Roof sung years ago: “To Life, To Life, L’Chaim.”

I will end with that number of random ruminations this week, looking forward next week to more cogitatively compromised musings of the mind of a ‘60s Jack Kerouac radical, still playing out the game in 2021. How, I don’t know, but it sure beats the alternative. Anyway, take care, and don’t forget to support your local free community newspaper. We need you to help us be us. So maybe pass on that carrot cake dessert at the new Kraft Deli and Bistro this week, and spend that Benjamin instead on a classified to promote your real estate office, now making big bucks in this community today because in no small part, SFGN has been showcasing gay South Florida for 10 years, for free, illuminating you, your life, your loves, and your dreams. Thank you.

CONVICTIONS

EDITORIAL CARTOON By Mike Luckovich

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CONVICTIONS

Off The Wall

DID YOU KNOW? Pier Angelo

he idea of a direct route across the Isthmus of Suez was considered a fantasy until the 19th century. Up to that point mariners had to brave pirates and violent storms by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. But the fantasy was taken up by a cross-dressing French wine merchant, Barthélemy-Prosper Enfantin (1796-1864). A Utopian socialist and early advocate of gender equality, Enfantin believed the East had a female essence and the West was strictly male. Egypt and in particular the Suez could be their site of reconciliation. His extravagances and success brought him to the attention of authorities, who argued that he was endangering public morality. Enfantin had announced that the gulf between the sexes was too wide and this social inequality would impede rapid growth of society. Enfantin called for the abolition of prostitution and for the ability of women to divorce and obtain legal rights. This was considered radical for the time. In August 1832 he was arrested, and on his appearance in court he desired his defense to be undertaken by two women who were with him, alleging that the matter was of special concern to women; the request was promptly refused. The trial took two days and resulted in a verdict of guilty, and a sentence of imprisonment for a year with a small fine. A year later he arrived in Egypt where he pushed for a project linking the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. His idea reached Ferdinand de Lesseps, a French diplomat serving in Cairo. He founded an entity called The Suez Canal Company and persuaded Egypt to support the project. By 1869 the 120 miles miracle in the desert was complete. The Suez Canal is one of the wonders of the world. Nineteen Thousand vessels a year pass through the Canal, loaded with more than a billion tons of goods. On his return to France, Enfantin occupied minor offices. He became first a postmaster

Barthélemy-Prosper Enfantin, taken sometime between 1860 and 1870. Public domain.

near Lyon, and in 1841 was appointed, through the influence of some of his friends who had risen to posts of power, member of a scientific commission on Algeria, which led him to engage in research concerning North Africa and colonization. In 1845 he was appointed director of the Paris & Lyons railway. Three years later he established, in conjunction with Duveyerier, a daily journal, entitled Le Credit, which was discontinued in 1850. Enfantin held fast to his ideals and beliefs to the end. His personal influence over those who associated with him was immense. “He was a man of noble presence, with finely formed and expressive features. He was gentle and insinuating in manner, and possessed a calm, graceful and winning delivery.” – (Gent. M. Jan. 1865). His evident sincerity, his genuine enthusiasm, gave him his marvelous ascendancy. Enfantin died suddenly in Paris on September 1, 1864. He was listed by Lessups as the founder of the Suez Canal.

Pier Angelo was born in Italy, moved to England at the age of 17 and learned English at the Nelson School of English. He attended college and graduate school in Manhattan. In 2009 he founded SFGN with Norm Kent. Now he’s retired with his husband Tom and his Affenpinscher Cabbage. He still enjoys writing his column Off The Wall for SFGN.

NEWS LOCAL

FOODIE FREAKS, A FUN EVENT, MAKES A TANTALIZING RETURN JULY 26 Avraham Forrest

eep those tastebuds warm and palettes cleansed. Foodie Freaks’ culinary event is just around the corner. The 14th Foodie Freaks event is set for July 26 with the location remaining a mystery until 24 hours before the event, Foodie Freaks founder Julietta Wenzel said. The event is an opportunity for local chefs to break away from standard American fare. “They get one night that they get to have as much fun as they want, and whatever their imagination can dream up, the chef can make,” Wenzel said. Wenzel also said she doesn’t know what will be served until the day of the event, but the menu is typically made up of small portions with around six to 10 courses. When the menu is revealed, each meal is made only once and is never reproduced.

Embark on a culinary adventure. Photo via PxHere.

“The people that attend these events, they’re world travelers, they’re people that like adventure and excitement, so it’s an opportunity for them to have a once in a lifetime meal,” she said.

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NEWS LOCAL

J.R.’s SNAPSHOTS

OF THE

From your life... into our pages! SFGN takes a weekly look at a community that has stood together through countless trials and victories in the past year alone.

• 7. 22.2021

WEEK Photos by J.R. Davis

Joe Pallant with boyfriend Billy Mesmer Feliecias, softball star.

Award-winning artists James Wang and Ernesto Masis.

Alexander Orta, pharmacy operations manager for Walgreens, with husband Alejandro Estrada, product application specialist designer at Empire.

Husbands of 18 years Nathan Klarfeld, past Equality Florida steering committee chair at the Stonewall National Museum and Archives as well as past president and Board of Directors member, and Raphael Klarfeld, formerly on the board of directors for Stonewall National Museum and Archives.

CHECK WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK PAGES FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION REGARDING IN PERSON ATTENDANCE OF SERVICES AS WELL AS VIRTUAL VIEWING OPTIONS.

We close out Pride month by resuming in-person services!

Join us every Friday night at 8pm We’re getting back together again – Welcome home! Your community shul welcoming LGBTQIA Jews & allies since 1974

Our Shabbat service can also be viewed on Facebook Live Every Friday at 8pm

Congregation Etz Chaim

2038 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, on the Pride Center campus www.EtzChaimFlorida.org / RSVP HERE: info@etzchaimflorida.org

Church of Our Savior MCC 2011 South Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach, FL 561-733-4000 www.churchofoursaviormcc.org

In Person Worship Returns

SPIRITUALITY

Join us June 27th at 10 AM for services in our beautifully updated sanctuary. We will also continue streaming the service on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/ ChurchofOurSaviorMCC. Visit our web site for more details & updates.

Join us for masked, socially distanced in person worship. 11 AM Sundays. Services also LIVE-streamed on Facebook and posted on website for safe at home viewing.

“Love without judgement” Holy Angels National Catholic Church 1436 NE 26th Street Wilton Manors. 33305 Facebook.com/HolyAngelsFL www.HolyAngelsFL.org

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A home for your spirit. Mass Schedule: Sabado 6:00 PM misa en español • Sunday Mass at 11 AM in English • All are welcome!

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LISTINGS CONGREGATION ETZ CHAIM 2038 N. Dixie Hwy (Pride Center Building B), Wilton Manors 954-564-9232 - etzchaimflorida.org RabbiNoahKitty@etzchaimflorida.org Friday Night Shabbat Service 8p.m. HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 1436 NE 26th St Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-633-2987 - HolyAngelsFL.net Sunday Mass at 11AM

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, MCC Church of Our Savior, MCC 2011 S. Federal Hwy. Boynton Beach. churchofoursaviormcc.org | 561-733-4000 Sunday Service 10AM TEMPLE BAT YAM 5151 NE 14th Ter Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334 954-928-0410 Friday Night & Saturday Morning Streaming Online at templebatyam.org

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LIFESTYLE CELEBRITY

BY ELLIOT RODRIGUEZ

GAY VINE THE

KEEP UP WITH THE CELEBRITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY

CELEBRITY

MUSIC

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DREAM TEAM!

LIL NAS X TEASES COURT DATE Now if you are not aware, Lil Nas X has had some serious backlash with his controversial sneaker release. He is even going to court because of his notorious “Satan Sneakers.” Lil Nas X has been teasing his fans with his upcoming court date with a couple of tweets. The court visit is in reference to the pending case against him for creating his controversial Satan sneakers, PRIDE wrote. He’s been getting off the fire tweets over the weekend, imagining a world in which “he drops the soap after being locked up.” But on the day of, he released a skit built in a Tyler Perryesque format. Now while all this seems like a plan just to poke some fun at his court date,

Lil Nas X. Photo via Facebook.

there is a deeper meaning to this. A bigger picture of the whole charade. The skit is all a teaser for his next single “Industry Baby,” which is produced by “Yeezus” himself, Kanye West, set to release July 23.

WILLOW SMITH AND AVRIL LAVIGNE TEAM UP The duo that no one would have expected, Willow Smith’s new album “Lately I Feel Everything” has a feature with Avril Lavigne. This pop-punk album seems like a new domain for the artist who many know for the hit song “I Whip My Hair Back and Forth.” Smith told PRIDE, “I’m just so excited because me and Avril have never performed live together before, so this is going to be a whole completely different experience … To have Avril and Travis playing together on one song, I just think it’s going to be absolutely spectacular. It’s just going to be pop-punk astronomical royalty and I’m so honored to be able to watch that happen and be there with them, and be able to perform with them.”

Willow Smith (right) and Avril Lavigne. Image via YouTube.

Smith also features another punk star, Travis Barker who appears in the song “G R O W.” You can catch Smith’s full album performance with Barker and Lavinge on Facebook.

FILM

STRIKE A POSE!

MJ RODRIGUEZ NOMINATED FOR EMMY If you are a fan of “Pose,” then you may have already heard of some big news that happened to actress Mj Rodriguez. Rodriguez was nominated for an Emmy, and is the first out transgender lead actress ever nominated for an Emmy in the Lead Actress category. Laverne Cox made history when she became the first out trans person to be nominated for an Emmy Award in an acting category. That happened in 2014 when she was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series with her work on “Orange Is the New Black,” PRIDE wrote. Although Rodriguez was nominated for this role for the drama series “Pose,” she isn’t just stopping there. The New York Times confirmed the

• 7. 22.2021

work Rodriguez and Maya Rudolph will be doing in an upcoming comedy. “I am a foolish, silly, crazy girl,” Rodriguez told the New York Times, “and I’ve been wanting people to get a hold of what Michaela Jaé has to offer when it comes to her funny side. So I’m definitely flexing them. A lot of people just haven’t got a chance to see it, but they’ll be seeing it pretty soon on this show. I really cannot wait. They’re going to see a whole different versatile character.” As grand as the nomination is, it will be no easy task to claim the gold. The nominees list has a bunch of great talent as well, such as Uzo Aduba for “In Treatment,” Olivia Colman and Emma Corrin for “The Crown,” just to name a few.

MJ Rodriguez. Photo via Facebook.

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THE LAW OFFICES OF NORMAN KENT AND RUSSELL CORMICAN Russell Cormican

Attorney at Law 12 SE 7th St Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Norman Elliott Kent

Attorney at Law 2520 N. Dixie Hwy Wilton Manors, FL 33305

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SUN OF A BEACH LIFESTYLE FOOD

Rick Karlin

BEACH HOUSE

270 N. Pompano Beach Blvd. 954-607-6530 beachhousepompano.com The beachfront in Pompano near Atlantic Ave. is becoming quite the hot spot. Our community is claiming a section of the beachfront, just south of Atlantic, dubbing it (unofficially) Stonewall Beach and parking in the municipal garage just one street west of the beach is less than $2 an hour, so you can see why it’s becoming so popular. Plus, the beaches are cleaner and less crowded than in Fort Lauderdale. Of course, with increased traffic comes a demand for dining options and there are plenty in the area. From the decidedly upscale Oceanic to the casual Lucky Fish to a nearby BurgerFi, there’s something for everyone’s budget. Falling right in the middle of the dining options, pricewise, is Beach House. Wedged between Pompano Beach Blvd. and the dunes, Beach House has a casual laid-back vibe. You can sit on the patio overlooking the dunes and the beach, but for a better view, head up to the second floor for a panoramic view of the beach and the ocean. While service is quick, you never get the feeling that you’re being rushed out to clear the table. Starter options include a few sushi rolls, averaging $16 each or “Beach Bites” including a tuna poke stack, grilled artichoke, sliders, wings, clams, or ceviche. Appetizers run $12$17, and seem a little high-priced compared to the sandwiches. Sandwiches and salads are in the $12$20 range and offer large portions. Salads include a Caesar, Caprese, iceberg wedge, and barbecue chicken over kale. Sandwich selections range from chicken Cordonbleu or a traditional club or burger (with

THERE’S MORE ONLINE! 22

• 7. 22.2021

the usual topping choices) to a catch of the day, or a yummy lump crab meat sandwich. There’s even a terrific option for vegetarians, the Green Goddess; with ricotta, cashews, and avocado on multigrain bread. All sandwiches come with a choice of sides: fries, grits, mac and cheese, rice and beans, salad, or a peanut-ginger coleslaw. A trio of taco options rounds out the more casual fare. Entrees are a bit pricier in the upper $20s (and low $30s if you opt for steak). In addition to the ubiquitous grilled salmon, there’s shrimp and grits, barbecue ribs, and a piquant and aromatic Key Lime chicken. Steaks are market price and the ones I saw going past my table looked delicious. There are a few dessert options, but the only one that matters is the Key Lime pie. The best that I’ve ever had, either here in the Fort Lauderdale area or the Keys! Tropical cocktails average $10-$15 but are large and what you’d expect at a beachfront place. There is a surprisingly good wine list and an array of beer selections. There are a bunch of young people wandering aimlessly around who appear to be servers, but we lucked out with an experienced and attentive waiter. With so many delicious bites and strong cocktails, the bill can total up quickly. Of our group of four, three had two rounds of drinks, a platter of oysters, and split one dessert. One had the chicken entrée — the others split some appetizers and before we knew it our bill was almost $250, before adding a tip. But, ordering more judiciously, you can easily enjoy a meal at Beach House for $25 a person.

Tuna poke stack at Beach House. Photo courtesy: Rick Karlin.

SIDE DISHES The revitalized 13th street corridor has another restaurant, BRUNO’S EATS, that should bring in big crowds. Bruno “Chef Max” Maxino and Peggy Ann Blain, who’ve been operating a popular food truck since 2013 have opened the storefront. The menu is Caribbean fusion, including influences from Haiti, Jamaica, and Latin American. 603 NE 13th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954864-9679. Popular Las Olas spot, YOLO is closed for a major renovation. “There’s nothing we’re not going to refinish and re-do. It’s going to be YOLO reimagined,” says co-owner Tim Petrillo, of the Restaurant People. “The way the restaurant feels will be 100% different.” The project is expected to take three to four months. When one door closes another opens. Watch for the opening of PAPA DUKE’S DELI, next to the Dairy Queen on Wilton Dr. The signs have been up for months, but owner Chip Meeker says it will be open by the end of the month. The signature dish is the Drunken Brisket sandwich featuring slow-cooked brisket, with pickled vegetables, and spicy pepper tapenade. The bread will be from Sullivan Street Bakery in Miami, the only location outside New York City of the bakeshop founded by James Beard Award winner Jim Lahey. 1952 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors, 954-530-4914, PapaDukesWM.com.

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Rick Karlin is SFGN’s food editor. Visit SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at RickKarlinFL@gmail.com.

UNSUNG STORY: AN INTERVIEW WITH GAY FILMMAKER AARON BEAR Visit SFGN.com to check it out.

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7. 22 . 20 21 •

A&E APPOINTMENTS OUTshine Film Festival continues its monthly 954 GLOW series with “Swan Song,” starring Udo Kier as an aging hairdresser who rediscovers his sparkle. Credit: Magnolia Pictures.

ARTSBEAT IT’S MOVIE TIME J.W. Arnold 954 GLOW AT THE GATEWAY OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival continues its monthly 954 GLOW series with a special screening of “Swan Song” on Saturday, July 24 at 5 p.m. at the Gateway Cinema, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. The film stars Udo Kier as Pat Pitsenbarger, an aging hairdresser who escapes his nursing home to style a dead woman’s hair (Linda Evans) for her funeral. He embarks on an odyssey across his small town of Sandusky, Ohio, and rediscovers his sparkle along the way. The film also features Jennifer Coolidge as Dee Dee Dale and Michael Urie as Dustin. “Swan Song” is also available for on demand streaming at home, July 25 – Aug. 2. The film will open in theaters on Aug. 6 and on demand Aug. 13. For more information and tickets, go to OUTshineFilm.com.

GIRL POWER ON DISNEY+ Marvel’s “Black Widow” was a box office smash — raking in $80 million at the theaters and an addition $60 million in streaming on opening weekend — until it wasn’t. Industry insiders are still buzzing about the spectacular drop-off the following weekend, possibly due to fears of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 Delta variant. There’s still plenty of room to socially distance in theaters, but even a modest flatscreen TV will do this bigbudget spy thriller justice. It’s not the best Marvel movie, but the moxie and onscreen chemistry between stars Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh make this origin story worth the price, either way you watch. Check local listings for theaters and show times. “Black Widow” is also available for streaming on demand on Disney+ Premium.

MARKY MARK IS A REAL DADDY IN ‘JOE BELL’ “Joe Bell,” opening in theaters on July 23, is the intimate and emotional true story of an Oregonian father (Mark Wahlberg) who pays tribute to his gay teenage son Jadin, embarking on a self-reflective walk across America to speak his heart to heartland citizens about the real and terrifying costs of bullying. The Academy Award-winning writing team behind “Brokeback Mountain” and director Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men”) make the most of this story, coaxing award-worthy performances from Wahlberg and co-stars Connie Britton and Gary Sinise. Not all the critics agreed with SFGN, but maybe they’re suffering from extended pandemic lockdowns in Hollywood. Check local listings for theaters and show times.

AILEY: DANCING MAN Many know the name Alvin Ailey, but how many know the man? Ailey’s commitment to searching for truth in movement resulted in pioneering and enduring choreography that centers on African American experiences. Director Jamila Wignot’s documentary “Ailey,” opening in theaters on July 23, grants artful access to the elusive visionary who founded one of the world’s most renowned dance companies, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Despite a conventional approach to storytelling, the highlight of the film is the peppering of Ailey’s signature dances throughout, including “Revelations.” And like Ailey himself, the film largely glosses over his homosexuality, aside from a few references from his most intimate friends. Check local listings for theaters and show times.

• 7. 22.2021

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