SFGN 08/12/21 V12iss32

LOCAL NAME GLOBAL COVERAGE

AUGUST 12, 2021 VOL. 12 // ISSUE 32

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Vandal Charges Dropped

RaeJean Cox In Hospital

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

SouthFloridaGayNews.com

STATE ATTORNEY DROPS HATE CRIME CHARGE AGAINST PRIDE INTERSECTION VANDAL

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• 8 .12 . 2021

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Christiana Lilly he Palm Beach County state attorney’s office filed charges of criminal mischief and reckless driving against the man who allegedly defaced the pride intersection in Delray Beach in June.

The felony and misdemeanor charges were announced in court Aug. 5; the Delray Beach Police Department had originally charged Alexander Jerich with a hate crime.

A plea hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13.

“Everyone who was part of this case was disturbed by the defendant’s conduct and as prosecutors we have to file charges based on the law and the law has some gaps in it,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a press conference. “We don’t want to violate our oaths as prosecutors and we don’t want to jeopardize the case by charging inappropriately.”

Jerich, 21, was arrested on June 17 after a video surfaced online of him burning out over the intersection, leaving behind large skid marks. The intersection had only been dedicated two days prior. A witness also came forward to police, who explained that they were gathered to celebrate former President Donald Trump’s birthday and were driving through the city as a part of the festivities.

However, when they reached the intersection, someone yelled out, “Adam, tear up that gay intersection.” Jerich, or “Adam,” was picked out of a lineup by the witness; he said he came forward “not only as a community member but as a gay man.”

Aronberg explained that his office had looked into charging Jerich with a hate crime, but that it did not meet one of the requirements of the law. He said that the victim in this case was the city of Delray Beach, which does not have a sexual orientation or gender identity.

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August 12, 2021 • Volume 12 • Issue 32

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The vandalized walk. Photo courtesy of the PBCHRC.

“I encourage the state legislature to review this area of the law to allow local government to be a victim in a crime that evidences prejudice so that prosecutors can utilize the hate crime enhancer in cases like this,” he said.

The state attorney’s office also looked into charging him under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new Combating Public Disorder statute, but Aronberg said that the case did not meet the requirement of the memorial honoring or recounting “the past or public service of a Florida or United States resident.”

“The streetscape itself names no specific individuals or groups with any memorial signs or plaques and does not specifically recognize or acknowledge any individuals’ past or present, which makes it different from the examples of memorials listed in the statute,” he said.

The police report states that the cost of street space was $16,720, paid for with private money, and the city is working with the vendor to have the intersection repainted.

Richard Clausi, Jr., assistant state attorney, said that the cost to fix it has been estimated around $8,000.

The Palm Beach County Human Rights

Council (PBCHRC) released a statement denouncing the office’s charges.

“Although I was not surprised that State Attorney Dave Aronberg shied away from charging Alexander Jerich under the new Combating Public Disorder Act, I was shocked that he refused to seek enhanced penalties under Florida’s hate crimes law,” wrote Rand Hoch, the president of the PBCHRC. “If surveillance cameras caught someone carving anti-Semitic slurs in the sidewalk in front of a store owned by a Jewish person in Delray Beach, don’t you think State Attorney Aronberg would charge the person with a hate crime?”

During his press conference, Aronberg said he imagines that moving forward, how memorials are done and honored will be changed in order to protect them from vandals in the future.

“Make no mistake, we are appalled by the defendant’s actions. Hate has no place in our community and we intend to hold the defendant accountable for his crimes,” Aronberg said. “Any punishment must also include restitution that will pay for the Pride streetscape to be fully restored to its original form.”

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8 .12 . 20 21 •

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LGBTQIA BITES

BY KENNEDY MCKINNEY

IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE G Transgender

ARIEL NICHOLSON BECOMES FIRST TRANS MODEL ON VOGUE COVER In the star-studded September issue of Vogue, Ariel Nicholson graces the cover alongside seven other models making her the first transgender cover star for the magazine.

The models were selected to represent “Generation America” ahead of the America-themed Met Gala taking place later in the month.

“I’ve been put in this box, ‘trans model,’” Nicholson told Vogue. “Which is what I am — but that’s not all that I am.”

Nicholson starred in the PBS documentary “Growing up Trans” and went on to sign to DNA Models shortly after. Since then, she has been featured in Italian Vogue and walked for Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, and Calvin Klein.

“Obviously it’s a big deal being the first

T

Ariel Nicholson. Photo via Instagram.

trans woman on the cover of Vogue,” she continued. “But it’s also hard to say exactly what kind of big deal it is when the effects are so intangible.”

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

L

Lesbian

RYEN REED CHASES HER PARALYMPIC DREAMS

Ryen Reed is a multisport athlete with a passion for hand cycling. Although born with hip dysplasia and later diagnosed with spastic diplegia she has always been athletic and had a love for sports.

Reed came out as a lesbian in her teens and encountered homophobia during her athletic endeavors leading her to recloset herself for a short time. Earlier this year, Reed took third place in the paracycling trials for the Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo but ultimately did not make the national team.

Undaunted, she went from the trials to Milwaukee to compete in a four-night race series called Tour of America’s Dairyland.

She was successful and was the overall series winner putting her and her team in a good place for the Paracycling National

Keep your eyes on

South Florida Gay News

Ryen Reed. Photo via Facebook.

Championships. Reed hopes her athletic career and setbacks inspire others to accomplish their personal goals.

Her advice: “Be yourself. Just live your life the way you want to live.”

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• 8 .12 . 2021

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LGBTQIA BITES

B

Bisexual

RAPPER AQUINAS COMES OUT AS BISEXUAL

South Korean rapper Aquinas recently came out as bisexual via Instagram.

He posted a picture of the bisexual flag with the words: “I’m a bisexual” written in English and Korean.

He later shared more details as to why he decided to come out in an interview with Korean news website SPOTV. He admitted that he only started to think about coming out via Instagram “about three or four hours before posting.” He said it was “frustrating to hide” his sexuality from the public and he wanted to give courage to queer fans by sharing his story.

“In our society, LGBT+ people are still discriminated against and criticized,” Aquinas told SPOTV. “I thought that if I made this confession at a young age, LGBT+ people would gain courage and be comforted.”

The rapper plans on writing songs about the LGBT community in the future to further support the community and raise awareness.

Aquinas. Photo via Twitter.

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8 .12 . 20 21 •

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NEWS NATIONAL

BY COREY ROSE

THE COUNTRY ACROSS

TEXAS

TEXAS GOVERNOR CALLS SECOND SPECIAL SESSION Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his 17-item agenda for a second special legislative session, slated to begin just 12 hours after the first session ended. Though the Senate was able to take small actions, Democrats from the House of Representatives blocked the quorum needed to pass legislation for the third time.

Among the items on the list were renewed efforts to ban transgender students from participating on sports teams that match their gender identity, and new rules to ensure that “in-person learning is available for any student whose parent wants it,” according to Abbott’s proclamation last week.

On the last day of the first session, Texas Democrats sued Abbott, House Speaker Dade Phelan and State Rep. James White

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Photo via Facebook.

over free-speech violations after the Texas House sent law enforcement to bring Democrats who broke quorum back. The House again voted to issue arrests for the legislators who left, but that “call of the house” was blocked late Sunday evening

by State District Judge Brad Urrutia.

MICHIGAN HATE CRIME LAW COVERS TRANS INDIVIDUALS After Michigan’s Circuit Court dismissed intimidation charges against a man who harassed, assaulted, and shot a transgender woman at a gas station.

The Michigan Court of Appeals has unanimously upheld that transgender individuals are protected under the state’s Ethnic Intimidation act, which address crimes based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.

The court based its decision in part from the U.S. Supreme Court case of Bostock v.

Clayton Co., and wrote, “the Bostock Court acknowledged that “homosexuality and transgender status are distinct concepts from sex,” but that “discrimination based on homosexuality or transgender status necessarily entails discrimination based on sex; the first cannot happen without the second.”

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• 8 .12 . 2021

Photo via Adobe.

State Attorney General Dana Nessel, who filed a brief in the case, told M Live, “The transgender community is at heightened risk for intimidation and biasbased crimes, and I applaud the court for making clear that gender intimidation includes intimidation based on a person being transgender.”

The ethnic intimidation charges were reinstated and sent back to the lower court. There has been no new court date set for the defendant.

COVERING LGBT NEWS SWEEPING THE NATION

NEW YORK

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN BOARD INVESTIGATES PRESIDENT One of the country’s largest LGBT advocacy groups has announced that it will be investigating its president’s involvement in aiding former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s response to sexual harassment allegations. The allegations led to Cuomo’s resignation on August 10.

Alphonso David, who has led the Human Rights Campaign since August 2019, was the first person of color to lead the organization since its founding in 1980. His name was referenced in a report that detailed response efforts Cuomo took to deny claims of sexual harassment.

Board chairs for HRC and the HRC Foundation Morgan Cox and Jodie Patterson said in a statement, “the investigation will include consideration of whether Alphonso David’s actions aligned with

Alphonso David, President of the HRC. Photo via Twitter.

HRC’s mission and values, as well as with professional and ethics standards. This board-led investigation, with which David is cooperating, will take no longer than 30 days, and will help shed light on the events that unfolded and guide the Boards on any necessary next steps. This investigation will in no way hinder the organizations’ continued pursuit of the critical work necessary to bring equity and liberation to the LGBTQ+ community.”

NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS NON-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE Charlotte’s local non-discrimination laws have been on the books since the late ‘60s, but city council members will review a proposed non-discrimination ordinance could reshape and expand protections for transgender individuals and people of color living in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The proposed amendments to the current ordinance would protect a person’s gender, ethnicity, age, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, pregnancy, natural hairstyle or disability, in addition to the pre-existing protections for race, color, religion, and nationality. While the ordinance was originally intended for small businesses that contract with the city, an updated amendment expanded coverage of the ordinance to businesses of all sizes.

Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo via PxHere.

Council member Larken Egleston told the Charlotte Observer, “I think it’s pretty awesome that we’ve got something like this that a couple years ago would have been unfathomable. I know that every day we wait, these protections are not in place, and I know the community wanted them in place yesterday.”

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BY EVERITT ROSEN

THE WORLD AROUND

ASIA

INDONESIAN SOLDIER JAILED FOR HAVING GAY SEX An Indonesian soldier was sentenced to seven months in prison for having gay sex, which the Southeast Asian country’s military classifies as “deviant sexual behavior.”

According to Today Online, a 29-yearold recruit located in Kalimantan — Indonesia’s part of Borneo island — was also discharged from the army.

The long ruling detailed the soldier’s intimate relationships with another soldier, who was named as a witness in the case.

A member of the Indonesian Navy was sentenced to five months in prison in July for having sex with a male serviceman.

According to Today Online, at least 15 members of Indonesia’s military or police have been fired in recent years for having same-sex relationships.

Indonesian soldiers. Photo credit: Gitoyo Aryo, via Wikipedia.

Despite the fact that homosexual sex is prohibited in the military, it is allowed for civilians in the world’s largest Muslim majority country, with the exception of one province.

However, there is widespread prejudice, and under Indonesia’s antipornography statute, some homosexual Indonesians have been jailed for indecent behavior.

AFRICA GHANA ASKS FOR GLOBAL HELP OVER ANTI-LGBT BILL Ghanaian legislators are receiving outrage over a measure that seeks to make LGBT rights activism illegal in the country’s parliament.

According to VOA, people who support and campaign for same-sex and homosexual rights might face a maximum 10-year jail sentence under the measure.

Individuals or organizations would also be prohibited from providing social or medical assistance to LGBT individuals.

Police stormed Ghana’s first LGBT community center in Accra in January.

After being detained at a workshop for allegedly supporting LGBT rights, 21 homosexual rights activists are now on trial.

Alex Kofi Donkor, the executive director of LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana, condemned the bill as “backward” and called on the world

Alex Kofi Donkor of LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana. Photo via Twitter.

community to push the government to repeal it.

The Ghanaian parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Committee aims to engage the general public on proposed revisions in the coming weeks.

EXPLORING LGBT NEWS EVENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE

EUROPE HUNGARY RESTRICTS SALE OF LGBT CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Hungary ordered stores to sell children’s books that promote homosexuality in “closed wrapping” on Friday, tightening restrictions that have landed Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in hot water with rights organizations and the EU. According to Reuters, books that promote gender transition and feature “explicit” representations of sexuality were also included in the order. It instructed stores to sell them separately and prohibited their sale within 200 meters of a school or a church.

The order is the first in what is likely to be a succession of instructions outlining the consequences of a legislation approved in June prohibiting the use of materials in schools that promote homosexuality and gender transition.

The new rule, according to Orbán’s

Photo via PxHere.

administration, is intended to safeguard children while leaving it up to parents to teach them about sexuality.

SOUTH AMERICA BRAZIL’S FIRST TRANS STATE LEGISLATOR BUILDS REFUGE FOR BLACK LGBT PEOPLE Erica Malunguinho, a 39-year-old artist, educator, and state senator from Recife, Brazil’s northeast, was born in Água Fria, a Black area in the city.

She was surrounded by Candomblé (her religion) dances and cuisine, as well as other Afro-descendent customs that impacted her everyday existence.

In Bantu, Malunguinho means “companion” or “one who goes with you,” a name Erica received from newly formed kin who were forcefully transported alongside one another during the slave trade.

According to The Nation, popular Black and LGBT groups across the country had established a strategy for reacting to systemic violence with structural means, and Malunguinho welcomed the chance

Erica Malunguinho. Photo via Facebook.

to express this demand through official political representation.

8 .12 . 20 21 •

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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.

Friends Chris Wynd and Christian Perez, owner of Island City Massage.

Husbands Rod Stafford Hagwood with the Sun Sentinel and Gary Lodge with Whole Foods.

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• 8 .12 . 2021

WEEK Photos by J.R. Davis

Partners of over 20 years Karen Carroll and Julie Slater, owners of Chic Optique and huge supporters of SmartRide.

Photographer Dennis Dean, Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton, and artist Claudia Castillo Quintana, owner of Claudia Castillo Art Studio.

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

Rosh Hashanah begins Monday, September 6th Make your plans now for the New Year Join Us! Let’s bring in the holidays together!

Sign up on our website: www.EtzChaimFlorida.org

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

954-633-2987

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

8 .12 . 20 21 •

9

NEWS LOCAL

RAEJEAN COX, LOCAL ENTERTAINER, IN CRITICAL CONDITION John Hayden

Earl Bunning as RaeJean Cox (left) with Michael Cyrus at their investiture for The Imperial Sun Court of All Florida at Richardson Park in Wilton Manors May 1, 2021. Photo: Imperial Sun Court of All Florida/JMH Creative.

E

arl Bunning, who performs across South Florida under the stage name RaeJean Cox, was in a major car accident Aug. 5. Bunning was driving on I-95 in Palm Beach County when the accident happened, throwing him from the car. As of this writing, friends say he’s in critical but stable condition at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

“I TOLD HIM THAT EVERYONE IS PRAYING FOR HIM AND SENDING THEIR LOVE TO HIM. HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE ME TWO THUMBS UP.” - Dacia Rance SISTER OF EARL BUNNING

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• 8 .12.2021

Bunning is a member of the Imperial Sun Court of All Florida (ISCOAF), serving as Empress of the philanthropic organization.

He underwent multiple surgeries, and according to ISCOAF posts on Facebook, he is able to acknowledge people around him and gave a thumbs up to doctors. He was on a ventilator to help him breathe but has been weaned off.

Friends began to worry when he didn’t show up for work on Aug. 6 and his cell phone went unanswered. Details of what caused the accident haven’t been released.

RaeJean is a popular performer in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. In addition to raising thousands of dollars for charities through ISCOAF, RaeJean performs fun, raucous shows at establishments including Scandals Saloon, The Pub, and more.

Bunning’s sister, Dacia Rance, is overseeing his care, and posted a Facebook message to his family, friends, and fans saying, “I would like to thank everyone again for all your prayers for my brother. I truly believe they are working. I told him that everyone is praying for him and sending their love to him. He was able to give me two thumbs up.”

Due to his critical condition and the COVID crisis, he cannot receive cards, gifts or visitors.

NEWS LOCAL

SPARE TIME FOR PETS THIS SATURDAY John Hayden

I

t doesn’t matter if someone bowls a perfect 300 or 20 gutter balls in a row, pets and their people will get to stay together because of the games. The Pet Project is holding its annual Bowl-A-Thon this Saturday, Aug. 14, at Manor Lanes, 1517 NE 26th Street in Wilton Manors.

The Pet Project is a local initiative that works to keep people and their pets together when times get tough. When faced with health or financial crises people often feel they can’t take care of their animal companions, leading to thousands of pet surrenders every year.

Pet Project raises money to get them through tough times. Saturday’s event goes a long way towards making that happen. “The Bowl-AThon is one of our largest annual events,” Pet Project Executive Director Sue Martino says.

“Teams compete for trophies and bragging

Photo via PxHere.

rights. It’s loads of fun.”

The goal is to raise $20,000 and bowlers are well on their way to meeting that goal. As of this writing, the top team has already raised more than $2,500 and the top individual is at $1,400.

Every $200 raised earns a raffle ticket for a 65” Smart TV. Entry fee for the Bowl-A-Thon is $50, but people can also make individual donations that so far range from $20 to $100.

Once the scores are totaled and shoes changed everyone heads over to The Pub for the after party.

For more information on The Pet Project’s work and the Bowl-A-Thon, go to their website: ThePetProjectFL.org.

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8 .12 . 20 21 •

11

SPORTS OLYMPICS

NEWS STATE

LESBIAN OLYMPIAN SEALS ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL WITH A KISS John McDonald

A

fter leading the United States to another gold medal, Sue Bird scored one for love.

Bird’s kiss with fiancée Megan Rapinoe was a reaffirming and tender moment for the high-powered lesbian couple.

“I am so proud of you. As if I could love you any more,” Rapinoe posted on Instagram.

The U.S. continued its Olympics dominance in women’s basketball, defeating Japan, 90-75 on Sunday in Tokyo. After the final horn sounded Bird made a beeline to the stands where she got a kiss and hug from Rapinoe.

It was the seventh consecutive gold medal for the Americans. At 40, Bird is the oldest basketball player to win a gold medal.

Rapinoe, 36, the purple-haired star of the U.S. women’s soccer team, convinced Bird to come out in 2017. In the summer of 2019 it was Bird who planted a kiss on Rapinoe from the stands at the World Cup in France.

Sue Bird during a game. Photo via Facebook.

Bird and teammate Diana Taurasi now have five gold medals. The women started their championship careers at the University of Connecticut. Taurasi, 39, is married to former Phoenix Mercury star Penny Taylor.

She hinted their run might not be over.

“See you in Paris,” she said, a reference to the 2024 Olympic games.

A teen receiving their vaccine. Photo via Adobe.

A HEALTHY START TO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR John Hayden

S

outh Florida is rallying around students for about 20% of all COVID cases in America, in Broward County as they prepare to Dyer says getting vaccinated becomes more go back to school Wednesday, Aug. important every day. “It is crucial that we 18. Sunshine Cathedral, SunServe, and Care stand firm in providing all care to our great Resource are teaming up to send kids back to community in every possible way. As cases class healthy and with the tools they need to continue rising, it is beneficial that we have get the new year started. such events and with no cost.”

This Saturday, Aug. 14 from Sunshine Cathedral and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Sunshine SunServe are also collecting CARE Cathedral at 1480 SW 9th Ave. back to school supplies. New RESOURCE IS in Fort Lauderdale they will be and gently used backpacks are PROVIDING offering COVID vaccines for needed, and ideally they’ll come people 12 years old and older with notebooks, pens, paper, THE MEDICAL as well as gathering essential and other essentials already PERSONNEL school supplies. “SunServe is inside. Cash donations are also WHO WILL excited about the upcoming being accepted. vaccination event with our Dyer reminds people that GIVE OUT FIRST partners Sunshine Cathedral tens of thousands of students DOSES OF THE and Care Resource,” said Terry in Broward County need help Dyer, SunServe’s director of PFIZER COVID-19 getting the year started right.

Development.

“We have so many youths in VACCINE. Care Resource is providing the need as they continue furthering medical personnel who will give their education. Backpacks and out first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. various school supplies should be the least of Recipients will then be given an appointment their worries. It truly takes a village to raise to get their second dose at one of Care a child and these kids need our support in Resource’s locations. With Florida accounting many ways.”

For more information on Saturday’s event visit: SunServe.org/VAX. 12

• 8 .12.2021

NEWS STATE

Guests partake in a discussion on stage. Photo via the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, Facebook.

FLORIDA LGBT DEMS MEET IN MIAMI FOR SUMMER CONFERENCE John McDonald

F

lorida’s LGBT Democrats cranked up the volume in Miami last weekend.

The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus held its summer conference — themed “Let’s Get Loud” — Aug. 6-8 at the Hilton Miami Downtown. The conference featured panel discussions, awards presentations, strategy sessions and speeches from elected officials and candidates.

“We need to get our community organized and energized going into the 2022 election cycle,” said Caucus President Stephen Gaskill. “We are under fire in Tallahassee. We are going to be under fire by congressional candidates and certainly by Marco Rubio.

This conference is drawing attention to specific issues that are on the agenda for the coming year and also allowing us to hear from elected officials who are actually doing the work and working for us.”

Leading off the lineup was Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the conference’s keynote speaker. Levine Cava, Miami-Dade’s first-ever woman mayor, was scheduled to deliver remarks to the caucus Saturday in a noon luncheon.

Recruiting more caucus members remains a priority. Gaskill has delegated outreach efforts to North Miami Councilman Scott Galvin, one of the longest-serving openly gay elected officials in Florida history. Galvin said he’d like to see more involvement from the L in LGBT. “There are no lesbian-elected legislators in Dade County,” Galvin said. “You can find a

couple of judges, but judges have a different set of circumstances. They are not allowed to weigh in on issues. At a candidates’ forum they can say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to comment on that.’ … So they got it easier than the legislators. There are no lesbians, no trans, it’s only five or six gay white or Hispanic males.”

Galvin said a strong effort is needed in Miami-Dade County to train and urge the next generation of LGBT candidates to seek public office.

“I hear people say, ‘he’s going to run for office one day,’ well I’m like damn that day needs to be tomorrow, what are you waiting for?” Galvin said.

The conference’s main event was a Saturday evening cocktail reception as the leading candidates for governor faced off.

U.S. Congressman Charlie Crist (FL-13) and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried are seeking the party’s nomination to challenge sitting Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Charlie and Nikki don’t appear together very much anymore,” Gaskill quipped.

“We’ve got them in the same room, at the same time in the same place so that’s something to see.”

The cocktail reception was a separate event that required a $150 ticket to enter.

At the reception, the caucus bestowed its 2021 legislative leadership award to Florida Senator Shevrin Jones and a lifetime leadership award to Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.

8 .12 . 20 21 •

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LIFESTYLE photos

WHAT’S BEEN

HAPPENING

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CAUTIOUSLY HELD THROUGHOUT SOUTH FLORIDA IN THE PAST MONTH! Photos by Carina Mask

On July 17, Carla Remington, known as “Car Rem” was honored by her friends and loved ones at KUBS in Wilton Manors for her over 20 years of promoting and hosting events to empower women in South Florida.

On July 25 at the Wilton Collective in Wilton Manors, artists and activists like Jack Lee Jordan (pictured), Tatiana Williams and Jazz Jennings gathered for a Black Trans Lives fundraiser to reveal a mural in honor of Clio, Alexus, Tony McDade, and Bree. Proceeds were donated to Bridging the Gap, a local Black trans-led grassroots organization.

On July 7, volunteers were hard at work painting the Rainbow Bridge in Wilton Manors!

Take a look at Boozy Babes Drag Brunch at Holy Mackerel in Wilton Manors. Every Sunday, Daisy Deadpetals EMCee’s and performs with some of her favorite drag queens. The first performance starts at noon and the second is at 2 p.m.

14

• 8 .12.2021

TO SEE MANY MORE PHOTOS, VISIT SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWS ON FACEBOOK.

NEWS NATIONAL

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES TWO LGBT WOMEN NOMINATED FOR FEDERAL COURTS Brody Levesque Washington Blade

T

he White House on Thursday released a list of President Joe Biden’s latest nominee picks to fill open seats on the federal courts. Included in the president’s choices are two currently LGBT serving women judges.

One is currently serving as Vermont’s first openly LGBT Supreme Court justice, who would also be the first openly LGBT woman to serve on any federal circuit court. The other who would be the first openly LGBT federal judge in Colorado and the first openly LGBT woman to serve as a federal district court judge in any state west of the Mississippi.

This is President Biden’s sixth round of names for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 35.

Justice Beth Robinson: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Justice Beth Robinson has served as an Associate Justice on the Vermont Supreme Court since 2011. Prior to her appointment, Justice Robinson served as counsel to Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin from 2010 to 2011.

From 1993 to 2010, Justice Robinson was a civil litigator in private practice at Langrock Sperry & Wool where she focused on civil litigation including employment law, workers’ compensation, contract disputes, and family law. She also represented LGBTQ+ individuals in civil and civil rights cases, including leading the freedom to marry movement in Vermont.

From 1990 to 1991, Justice Robinson was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, D.C., focusing on whitecollar criminal defense. Justice Robinson served as a law clerk for Judge David B. Sentelle on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from 1989 to 1990.

Justice Robinson received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1989 and her B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1986.

Senator Patrick Leahy, (D-VT) in a statement praised the nomination. “Today is a good day for Vermont. I am incredibly proud that President Biden has nominated Vermont’s very own Justice Beth Robinson to serve as a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. I strongly praise President Biden for nominating Justice Robinson, who has been a tireless champion for equal rights and equal justice in the mold of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I know that, if confirmed, Justice Robinson would serve on the Second

Justice Beth Robinson. Photo via ali.org.

RESERVE YOUR AD NOW! 954-530-4970, EXT. 1

E D I U G

THE

THE H

K TO W ANDBOO

HAT'S H

OUTH OT IN S

FLORIDA

Charlotte Sweeney. Credit: Laura Mahony Photography.

Circuit with integrity, humility, and a deep reverence for the rule of law. And I have no doubt that she would make all Vermonters and Americans proud,” he said.

“Justice Robinson has been a steadfast public servant for the people of Vermont and has served admirably on the Vermont Supreme Court. She will make a great addition to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, bringing the Vermont values of commitment to justice and equality, fairness, and Freedom & Unity to the bench,” said Gov. Phil Scott in a statement. “I applaud the president for making this historic nomination, and I urge the United States Senate to move expeditiously towards her confirmation.”

Charlotte Sweeney: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado Charlotte Sweeney is currently a partner at Sweeney & Bechtold, LLC, where she has practiced since 2008. Her law practice is devoted to representing individuals in employment law cases. Ms. Sweeney was previously a partner with LaFond & Sweeney, LLC from 1999 to 2008 and LaFond & Bove, LLC from 1997 to 1999. Ms. Sweeney began her career as an associate with LaFond & Clausen, LLC in 1995 and was named a partner at the firm in 1998.

Ms. Sweeney received her J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law in 1995 and her B.S. from California Lutheran University in 1991.

MEDICARE AND PRIVATE INSURANCE ACCEPTED

Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

8 .12 . 20 21 •

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Don’t miss a

tastE

CONVICTIONS

Publisher's Editorial

COVIDICALLY CHALLENGED RUMINATIONS FROM CHAIRMAN NORM

Feeling the hunger?

Read SFGN’s weekly food column for an exclusive bite on local bars, restaurants, and seasonal flavors.

Norm Kent

sFGn.com/FooD

norm.kent@sfgn.com

T

here is a Charlie Brown panel which shows the world’s most popular cartoon character lying home in bed at night, looking through his window, out at the stars.

He asks, “Why me?”

“Nothing personal,” a voice answers, “Your number just came up.”

So I have been dealt some blows, lately.

Who of us hasn’t?

I never ask, “why me?”

Am I so special? Why not me?

You pick yourself up. You dust yourself off.

You get in front of the crowd, find your own trombone, start up the band, and launch a new parade. Then you grab your pen and ruminate irreverently.

Here is today’s version.

16

• 8 .12.2021

1

If you speak and tell the truth now, you will never have to defend a lie later.

2

You will know your home has become a family when you never again within its walls hear the word “my.”

3

There are two buttons never to hit in lifepanic or snooze. (With credit to the TV series, Ted Lasso.)

4

Sometimes a “No” from a boss is a complete sentence.

5

Never beg for a seat. Build your own table.

6

Have you noticed that whether you wear a $5,000 Rolex or a $50 watch from Target, they both tell the same time?

7

If a man stands upon his convictions, and there abides, eventually the whole world will come around to him.

8

Give the unforgiving minute 60 seconds worth of distance run. (Credit Rudyard Kipling.)

9

You may be trying to help calm the

Photo via PxHere.

situation by telling your partner “to relax,” but those words will be meaningless if you shout them.

10

Life is a series of comings and goings, and for everything you take with you, there is something you leave behind.

11

It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not get one, then get one, and not be prepared.

12

One wrong deed can ruin one good life, like when a doctor I represented had sex in his office with one of his anesthetized patients. Even worse, now I need a new veterinarian.

13

I am thinking older age kicks in when your mind makes an appointment your body can’t meet.

14

Every time I think that something is perfect, I remind myself that even the most gorgeous rose bushes have thorns.

15

No country or citizenry that can take a life saving mask designed to stop contagion and disease, and instead turn it into a weapon to launch a culture war should ever attempt to claim to be a moral authority for the rest of the planet.

CONVICTIONS

EDITORIAL CARTOON

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LIFESTYLE CELEBRITY

BY ELLIOT RODRIGUEZ

GAY VINE THE

KEEP UP WITH THE CELEBRITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY

MUSIC

FILM

GAGA TIME!

END OF AN ERA!

FINAL SEASON OF ‘DEAR WHITE PEOPLE’

LADY GAGA AND TONY BENNETT COLLAB It seems as if Lady Gaga is everywhere nowadays. This brings back some 2010 déjà vu when she seemed to always be on the radio.

Gaga is not only just starring in a new movie about the ever so popular “Gucci” family, but is also working on an album collab with 95-year-old Tony Bennett.

PRIDE wrote that, according to press releases, “this historic album will be Tony’s last studio recording.”

Earlier this year, the Bennett family revealed that Tony had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the time of their last recording session in 2015.

Gaga has also created #Tonys95thBdayCard where fans say what they loved about Bennett while using the hashtag.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett pictured on the album of their previous live collaboration, “Cheek to Cheek.” Image via Amazon.

Gaga’s and Bennett’s rendition of “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” is now on Gaga’s YouTube channel.

Emotions and warmth can be felt throughout the video, it’s clear that these two icons have a very high regard for one another.

Netflix seems to be pumping out shows left and right, some loved and some hated. However, everyone’s favorite LGBT inclusive show is making a return.

“Dear White People” is coming back for its final season on Netflix. This will mark the show’s fourth season, where all 10 episodes will be in the form of a musical.

Netflix’s description read, “Set against the backdrop of senior year at Winchester as well as a not-so-distant, post-pandemic future, ‘Dear White People Vol. 4’ finds our characters looking back at the most formative (and theatrical) year of their lives. Both an Afro-futuristic and ‘90s-inspired musical event, ‘Dear White People Vol. 4’

“Dear White People.” Credit: Netflix.

is a can’t-miss, farewell experience with one pitch-perfect promise: sometimes the only way to move forward is to throw it back.”

The gang will all be back like the good old times before they took a two-year hiatus. The show will be on Netflix Sept.

22.

TELEVISION

MUPPET MAGIC! GONZO CAN BE A PRINCESS

Everyone grew up with the Muppets, whether it was watching them on VHS, watching them on cable television and for the newer generations, watching them on tablets.

Well it seems that the somewhat newest installment of the Muppets “Muppet Babies” has been getting some negative feedback about a particular character.

The cartoon made “Gonzo” a princess in a recent episode where they attended Miss Piggy’s ball. Needless to say it caught the attention of certain groups, such as conservatives.

Candace Owens, a conservative activist, author, host and commentator, gave the internet her two cents on the idea.

Owens tweeted, “I can’t believe I’m tweeting this but.. they are pushing the trans agenda on

18

• 8 .12.2021

children via muppet babies.

This is sick and PERVERTED. Everyone should be disturbed by predatory cartoons meant to usher children into gender dysphoria.

Bring back manly muppets, anyone?”

It wasn’t long until the imperials of the internet came and clapped back at Owens.

Users tweeted facts about how things such as this were no stranger to cartoons and shows such as the Muppets, pointing out different scenes from shows that depicted masculine characters wearing feminine clothes, and characters being nonbinary.

Owens is no stranger to tweeting controversial thoughts. Back in 2020, she commented on Harry Styles’ “Dress” Vogue cover, where she ended her tweet with, “Bring Back Manly Men.”

Gonzo proudly wears a dress on “Muppet Babies.” Image via Disney Junior, YouTube.

LIFESTYLE SHOP WITH PRIDE

FIND MORE THAN JUST RAINBOWS AT

CRAFTY QUEER STUDIO Kendall Little

A

lex Mancini is tired of seeing rainbows.

She realized a few years ago that there wasn’t a wide variety of LGBTinspired products on the market that weren’t rainbow-themed and wanted to make a change for herself and for her community.

“At the time I started my business in 2018 I felt like there wasn’t a lot of retail out there that catered to everyone under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella [more than rainbows, essentially]. I knew I wanted to work for myself, and that I wanted to be creative, and since the queer community is where my heart is, it wasn’t too hard to figure out,” she said.

So Mancini created Crafty Queer Studio, an all-inclusive online store that sells more than just rainbows.

“I make a variety of accessories and jewelry that’s constantly evolving.

Right now I have stickers, pins, buttons, magnets, earrings, necklaces, and leather cuff bracelets,” she said. “I also have a big variety of Pride flags across my collections, and I’m always happy to make custom pieces for folks.”

As a queer demigender human, Mancini’s biggest goal is making sure her community feels represented through her products.

“The purpose of my business is to be able to offer fun, affordable goods to folks in my community that actually make them feel seen. It’s very important to me that I offer something for everyone, for all identities, that I have products that folks can’t necessarily find easily elsewhere,” she said.

Customers can find a wide selection of Pride flag designs to choose from for almost every product Craft Queer

Image courtesy of Alex Mancini.

Studio offers. Mancini also offers gift packs that include earrings, necklaces, pins, and more depending on which pack is ordered.

Stickers are the newest product at Craft Queer Studio and Mancini couldn’t be prouder of them.

“My stickers are my brand-new product, and they’re really the first time that I’ve used illustration skills to actually make full designs,” she said.

“I’m really happy with them and proud of them.”

Mancini’s sticker collection includes two transgender designs, three queer designs, and five more LGBT-inspired designs.

Crafty Queer Studio sets itself apart from other businesses because of its unique style, according to Mancini.

“The biggest difference between small Pride creators is that we all have our own unique styles, voices, and ways of running our businesses. I try [to] make a sense of fun and amusement into a lot of what I do, so many of my products that have designs or text reflect that,” she said.

Ultimately, Mancini just wants her community to feel represented whether it’s within her business or another LGBT-owned business.

“We’re all in this together, and I’ve actually been really heartened by how many queer creators online support each other rather than compete with each other,” she said.

A LITTLE BIT OF FAITH AND

PRIDE

SFGN is here for you, no matter who — or what — keeps you going. Read our Spirituality Section to stay in touch with your local religious LGBT community. The only requirement? Be yourself.

SEE MORE ONLINE AT SFGN.COM/TABLE/NEWS/RELIGION

To support this LGBT-owned small business, check out www.craftyqueerstudio.com or visit Mancini’s Instagram page @craftyqueerstudio.

Got the itch to shop for more? Visit SFGN.com/ShopWithPride.

8 .12 . 20 21 •

19

Your legal questions answered

FOR FREE

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• 8 .12.2021

‘SON OFA Queer,THE STORM’ Fantasy Novel Aurora Dominguez

What can I do if I have been accused of a crime?

Russell Cormican

LIFESTYLE READING WITH PRIDE

F

or readers searching for something queer and fantasy-filled, “Son of the Storm” is the book for you.

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is the author of “David Mogo Godhunter,” and now begins a new epic series with “Son of the Storm.” I had the pleasure of talking with Okungbowa about the new epic series.

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR MOST RECENT NOVEL?

Benin, the city in southern Nigeria where I grew up.

It used to be part of the Benin Empire, whose origins date back to the 1100s. If you take a walk closer to its center, you’ll see all these vestiges of its former glory: crumbling moats, statues of conquerors, a majestic and still functioning palace. It opened a world of questions, for me, about empires past across the African continent — and West Africa in particular — and what they could’ve become if allowed to flourish. I wanted to engage with some of that, but also not write a historic retelling. So I ended up with a fantasy novel that borrows from cultures across the region and interrogates similar notions of power and marginalization and colonialism, yet remains its own unique creation that stands apart from anything past or present.

WHAT CHARACTER IN THIS NOVEL DO YOU MOST RELATE TO AND WHY?

Danso, I’d say. I’m well versed in the repercussions of being afforded some societal privileges — as a writer who has been able to occupy space and use my voice in the wider world — while also bearing a heritage of severe disenfranchisement — as a Black African man in this same world, where folks like me still have to emphasize that we matter. I have often straddled these lines in a way Danso has to, and his ruminations on handling the obstacles and challenges that come his way are informed by how I have handled mine in the past.

WHY DO YOU FEEL NOVELS WITH POWERFUL AND UNIQUE CHARACTERS ARE SO POPULAR AND HAVE SUCH A VOICE RIGHT NOW?

I feel that this past decade has seen so many pivotal moments — all accelerated by technology — that our desires and craving as a people have also accelerated in this manner. One of those is a quick turnover of what we once dutifully consumed, and a yearning for more, for different, for better. Often, that more comes in the form of people who show strength in ways we wish we could and demonstrate weaknesses in ways we can relate to. Whether in real life or in stories, we’re drawn to such people always. I guess this same acceleration has made the desire for such representation all the more pronounced.

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE CONTENT OF YOUR LATEST READ AND WHAT READERS CAN EXPECT FROM IT.

I’m not reading anything as I speak, but my last read was “Riot Baby” by Tochi Onyebuchi, which really has to be experienced, not heard about. It follows a young Black girl with wild and mysterious powers, but who is still kept in check by the limitations placed on Blackness. It becomes especially ironic how helpless she is despite these powers, to protect her brother who falls into the hands of the brutal US criminal justice system. As I said, needs to be experienced for oneself.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU IN THE BOOK WORLD?

Book 2 of “The Nameless Republic” series, mostly.

I do have a few other things I’m working on which may or may not have been announced by the time this interview is published, but trust that when they are, they will be just as exciting.

WHO IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE WRITER? WHY?

I tend to enjoy different kinds of work at different times, so rather than favorite writers, I tend to have favorite works. But some people would always have a place on my shelf: Octavia Butler, Neil Gaiman, Helen Oyeyemi, NK Jemisin, Stephen King, Carmen Maria Machado. More recently, I’ve enjoyed the work of authors like Aliette De Bodard, P Djélì Clark, Roseanne A. Brown, Namina Forna, Kwame Mbalia, and others.

ANY WRITING ADVICE FOR ASPIRING WRITERS?

Finish what you’ve started. The foremost thing a writer has to find some way to achieve is staying the course. Because no matter how beautiful one’s words or how worthy one’s themes are, if the story remains unfinished, it cannot find its way into the world to be discovered.

WE SALUTE YOU. SFGN is proud to stand with the many LGBT athletes who competed for Team USA in the 2020 Olympics.

NIKKI HILTZ - TRANS RUNNER SUE BIRD - BASKETBALL CHELSEA GRAY - BASKETBALL BRITTNEY GRINER - BASKETBALL BREANNA STEWART - BASKETBALL DIANA TAURASI - BASKETBALL STEFANIE DOLSON - BASKETBALL PERRIS BENEGAS - BMX FREESTYLE HANNAH ROBERTS - BMX FREESTYLE CHELSEA WOLFE - BMX RIDER RASHIDA ELLIS - BOXING EVY LEIBFARTH - CANOE SLALOM NICK WAGMAN - EQUESTRIAN KENDALL CHASE - ROWING GIA DOONAN - ROWING MEGHAN O’LEARY - ROWING JESSICA THOENNES - ROWING ELLEN TOMEK - ROWING

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8 .12 . 20 21 •

21

OH, MARY

LIFESTYLE FOOD

SFGN’s food editor interviews the owner of Hamburger Mary’s Rick Karlin

T

here’s something about Mary… and Food/Travel Editor Rick Karlin sits down with Hamburger Mary’s owner to find out.

For those not familiar with the Hamburger Mary’s franchise here’s a quick background. The original Hamburger Mary’s, opened in 1972 by a couple of hippies, was a funky dive put together on a shoe-string budget. With humble beginnings as an eclectic late-night beer and burger joint, Hamburger Mary’s quickly established itself as a staple in San Francisco’s LGBT community. The mismatched flatware and dishes, kooky artwork, and antiques added to the kitsch and charm of the place. It was an “open-air bar and grille for open-minded people” (a motto they still use today), where everyone was welcomed.

There was a lot of anticipation (and gossip) preceding the opening of the Wilton Manors’ Hamburger Mary’s right across the street from Rosie’s, which veteran residents will recall was once, itself, a Hamburger Mary’s outlet, before leaving the franchise and re-opening as an independent operation in 2002.

In the landmark film, “The Boys in the Band” the character Emory says, “Oh, Mary, don’t ask.” Well, not only did we ask, but Ruben Lopez, one of the owners of the new Hamburger Mary’s in Wilton Manors answered.

RICK KARLIN: WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF THE WILTON MANORS’ HAMBURGER MARY’S? RUBEN LOPEZ: Dale Warner and I are the partners in the business. Dale is the owner of the franchise in partnership with Ashley and Brandon from Chicago. Dale and I are also the owners of the Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood and Long Beach.

establishment over from its original owners and dedicated our time and focus to reestablish it as a location that was welcoming for all people within the West Hollywood and Los Angeles communities. Where we have given back given and continue to give back to the community via events, raffles, and Legendary Bingo which has become part of the Los Angeles community.

RK: YOU HAVE A HISTORY WITH HAMBURGER MARY’S. CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT?

RK: WHAT WAS YOUR BACKGROUND BEFORE OPENING THE FRANCHISES?

RK: WHAT WAS IT ABOUT WILTON MANORS THAT MADE IT AN ATTRACTIVE LOCATION FOR YOUR NEXT HAMBURGER MARY’S FRANCHISE?

RL: Our history started in the early 2000s.

We had just moved from NYC (to California) and were looking to invest in a local business. We came across an opportunity to invest in the original Mary’s franchise in West Hollywood. At that time, we took the

RL: I have always had a history within the food industry. Several of my first jobs as a kid was working for my aunts and uncles within their respective restaurants. After I put myself through school at the University of Texas I moved to NY where I started a career

RL: Dale and I have always enjoyed coming to Southern Florida. Wilton Manors has always been a place where we’ve felt a strong connection, similar to Weho and Long Beach.

WM has such a strong sense of community and belonging.

THERE’S MORE ONLINE! 22

• 8 .12.2021

Hamburger Mary’s in Wilton Manors. Photo via Facebook. in retail. I had been part of the corporate world for the last 27 years, and have recently retired to focus on our brands.

RK: THERE’S A LOT OF SPECULATION ABOUT WHY HAMBURGER MARY’S OPENED ACROSS THAT STREET FROM ROSIE’S, WHICH WAS ONCE A HAMBURGER MARY’S FRANCHISE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT? RL: When the franchisers sold the parent operation, some of the original Mary’s, such as Rosie’s, decided to leave. We know and understand the significance that Rosie’s has had, and truly respect how it has established itself as a true landmark in Wilton Manors.

To be truthful, there was no calculated attempt to open across from Rosie’s. We have

OAKLAND PARK STAFF REWRITING ORDINANCE FOR FORECLOSURES TO BE REGISTERED WITH CITY Visit SFGN.com to check it out, along with more LGBT reading suggestions.

LIFESTYLE FOOD heard and read that we did this on purpose and that we wanted to take them down … and that is TOTALLY FALSE. Rosie’s is an amazing example of how hard work, great people, and dedication to a message, result in success.

We are not here to compete against Rosie’s, or any other bars and restaurants. We are here to add to the Wilton Manors community and the business landscapes on this side of the drive and that is why we got interested in the current location. We feel that we can be a successful addition that compliments the businesses and community.

RK: WHY NOT ONE OF THE OTHER LOCATIONS ALONG THE DRIVE THAT WERE VACANT? RL: At that time we had no idea there were any other available locations. It was literally a situation where we were at the Manor in January and were walking over with friends and noticed that the location was vacant. The space itself lends itself to grow, in a Mary’s way. It provides another business on this side of the Drive that, hopefully, can attract more people to visit and walk to this end to enjoy Rosie’s, Lit, Spencer’s, Mary’s, and all the other amazing mom and pop businesses within this twoblock radius.

Hamburger Mary’s in Wilton Manors. Photo via Facebook.

We have hired amazing people, wait staff and bartenders, and managers, but we have had a huge struggle in hiring kitchen support. It has been hard attracting anyone that wants to work in the kitchen, who has had experience. I know this has been the biggest challenge for all restaurants in South Florida. I don’t think the public is fully aware of the magnitude and need for workers in the industry.

RK: WHAT ARE THE This was frustrating, as CHALLENGES OF OPENING A we kept hitting a brick wall.

RESTAURANT DURING THE TIME I also got frustrated with the OF COVID, ESPECIALLY HERE IN feedback, but not surprised, SOUTH FLORIDA? that we were getting, but also aware that the community RL: The city was such an had no idea what we were amazing support in enabling going through. We kept telling - Ruben Lopez us to open, the process was ourselves we’re here for the CO-OWNER, faster than we expected and long haul and through this, we HAMBURGER MARY'S we had to quickly interview will grow and evolve. and hire enough staff to We have since utilized these open for Pride. A few weeks, after Pride, weeks to get grounded on our wait staff and we had a challenging situation; a gas leak bar staff. We’re excited to share that we now in the kitchen, the weekend prior to July 4. have a good solid kitchen staff.

The Fire Marshall had us close the kitchen Chef Howie, previously from Rumor’s until approved and reconnected. With it and most recently, The Pub, has joined our being a holiday week, it took two weeks to Mary’s team. We have expanded our Mary’s get re-established. Through that, we had to menu and we will be showcasing Chef Howie remain at a very limited menu, limited days specials on a daily basis. We are now open and hours of operations, as we couldn’t use every day of the week for lunch until closing. anything in the kitchen until it was approved We have set our grand opening to be Aug. and turned on by the gas company and city.

27/28 and we look forward to everyone to eat Staffing has been the biggest challenge. … drink… & be Mary…. and give back!

"WE FEEL THAT WE CAN BE A SUCCESSFUL ADDITION THAT COMPLIMENTS THE BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY."

HUNGRY FOR MORE? 

VISIT SFGN.COM/FOOD!

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.

8 .12 . 20 21 •

23

A&E APPOINTMENTS New signage was hung last week at the Wilton Manors theater space that has served as Island City Stage’s home for the past several years. Credit: Facebook.

Full Charge Bookkeeping Services

ARTSBEAT WHAT’S IN A NAME? J.W. Arnold

ISLAND CITY STAGE IS OFFICIALLY ‘HOME’ WTF? Where the heck is Island City Stage? Theater patrons seeking the award-winning gay-centric company will no longer have any trouble finding the Wilton Manors theater now that new signage has been erected.

Several years ago, Erynn Dalton of Infinite Abyss Productions leased and developed the former industrial complex on north Dixie Highway to provide a home for her company while subleasing space to Island City Stage, after both had outgrown their home at Empire Stage, owned by independent producer David Gordon.

Since the new facility served multiple entities and occasionally booked limited engagements to others, it was named Wilton Theater Factory (WTF).

According to Island City Stage Managing Director Martin Childers, both companies quickly grew and agreed to develop an adjacent building into a black box theater that would be named The Foundry. Dalton decided that space suited her needs better and moved there, joined by independent producer Ronnie Larsen and now his nonprofit POW! (Plays of Wilton).

In late 2019, Island City Stage assumed the lease for the larger building, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down performing arts venues across the country.

“It’s a long-convoluted story …Wilton Theater Factory seemed to cause confusion, so we decided to nix the branding and, since the building is now totally ours, it made sense to [finally] brand the facility Island City Stage,” Childers said.

“The sign doesn’t signal any changes in our programming – it just better represents the quality and professionalism that we strive for inside the building,” added Island City Stage Artistic Director Andy Rogow.

“Hopefully the sign is attractive enough to interest new people who may never have noticed that we were there to come in and enjoy the stories we tell.”

For more information, go to IslandCityStage.org.

GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY Experience iconic Broadway moments like you have never heard them before at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. in Wilton Manors, on Aug. 20 and 21. Singer Michael Scott Ross takes the stage at 8 p.m. to share the ups, downs and “outs” of life as an actor in a very personal cabaret show, “My Broadway: The Roles I Could Play.” Accompanied by pianist Harold Dioquino, Ross will perform his favorite show-stopping numbers from “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Producers,” “Cabaret” and “Hamilton.”

Tickets are $25 at IslandCityStage.org.

GIRL POWER Coral Gables Cinemateque, 260 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables, celebrates the 30th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s “Thelma & Louise” with a special screening on Sunday, Aug. 15 at 1:30 p.m. Katlyn Aviles, an awardwinning filmmaker and Ph.D. student at the University of Miami’s School of Communications, will introduce the revolutionary film that won an Oscar for best original screenplay, yet resonates more so with women in the #MeToo era.

Tickets are available at GablesCinema.com.

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A&E NEWS

FEDERAL GRANTS OFFER LIFELINE TO LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS J.W. Arnold

G

overnment relief finally arrived this summer to tens of thousands of arts and entertainment venues that may or may not have qualified for previous federal grants and loans to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP).

The Broward Center For The Performing Arts was one of more than a hundred South Florida arts venues and presenters to be awarded federal pandemic relief grants. Photo via The Broward Center, Facebook.

The Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) were included in legislation passed late last year and targeted billions of dollars to live venue operators and promoters, theatrical producers, museums, zoos, movie theaters and talent representatives.

The grants were awarded based on gross earned revenue in 2019. The SBA allowed grantees to request 45% of that documented revenue, with individual grants maxing out at $10 million.

Of the nearly 9,000 grants awarded totaling $6.8 billion, nearly 500 entities in Florida successfully navigated the process, receiving awards totaling $377,253,704.

South Florida fared well, with three

organizations netting the maximum award.

Nationwide, the average SVOG grant award was $757,000.

Just as with PPP, SVOG came with plenty of strings attached and hurdles to jump, according to Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) CEO Joseph Cox, who successfully applied for PPP grants to fund employees and then received an additional $1,634,051 through SVOG. “It was a protracted process, and rightly so, the SBA wanted to make sure that every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ was crossed.

The application required well over 150 documents and we had to make sure we met all of the guidance that the federal funding allowed,” Cox said.

SELECTED SVOG GRANT RECIPIENTS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

BROWARD COUNTY

PALM BEACH COUNTY

ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER TRUST, INC.

Miami

$10,000,000

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AUTHORITY

Fort Lauderdale

$10,000,000

CB THEATER EXPERIENCE, LLC

Miami

$10,000,000

SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS INC.

Fort Lauderdale

$5,404,727

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, INC.

Miami

$4,561,196

2345 WILTON DRIVE LLC (THE MANOR)

Wilton Manors

$1,831,854

Miami Beach

$1,929,740

MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE, INC.

Fort Lauderdale

$1,634,051

MIAMI CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, INC.

Miami

$1,848,304

FLORIDA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL, LLC

Fort Lauderdale

$1,225,587

FLORIDA GRAND OPERA, INC.

Miami

$949,975

SLOW BURN THEATRE COMPANY, INC.

Fort Lauderdale

$640,347

MIAMI NEW DRAMA

Miami Beach

$797,735

PREDATORY VENTURES, INC. DBA CULTURE ROOM

Fort Lauderdale

$597,804

ACTORS’ PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTIONS INC.

Coral Gables

$765,082

SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC.

Wilton Manors

$415,849

CORAL GABLES CINEMATEQUE, INC.

MIAMI CITY BALLET, INC.

Coral Gables

$251,282

SYMPHONY OF THE AMERICAS, INC.

Fort Lauderdale

$215,857

MIAMI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/ SINFONICA DE MIAMI INC.

Miami

$169,763

CULTURE PRODUCTIONS

Wilton Manors

$178,603

ZOETIC STAGE, INC.

Miami

$166,348

ISLAND CITY STAGE

Wilton Manors

$90,846

TL TANGO LOVERS ORGANIZATION, INC.

Miami

$154,690

EMPIRE STAGE THEATER LLC

Fort Lauderdale

$46,580

SERAPHIC FIRE, INC.

Miami

$146,204

INFINITE ABYSS PRODUCTIONS LLC

Wilton Manors

$42,696

THINKING CAP THEATRE INC

Fort Lauderdale

$14,366

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• 8 .12.2021

(BY COUNTY)

RAYMOND F. KRAVIS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, INC.

West Palm Beach

$8,083,248

IMPROV CITY PLACE INC.

West Palm Beach

$3,021,424

SUNFEST OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, INC.

West Palm Beach

$2,277,154

Jupiter

$2,019,650

ZOOLOGICAL SOCITY OF THE PALM BEACHES, INC.

West Palm Beach

$1,940,355

THE WICK THEATRE AND COSTUME MUSEUM INC.

Boca Raton

$1,369,592

MALTZ JUPITER THEATRE INC.

SOUTH FLORIDA SCIENCE CENTER

West Palm Beach

$908,841

PAWN SHOP LOUNGE PALM BEACH, INC.

West Palm Beach

$870,321

Boca Raton

$784,648

PALM BEACH DRAMAWORKS, INC.

West Palm Beach

$623,725

PALM BEACH OPERA, INC.

West Palm Beach

$393,568

GOOD JAMS LLC DBA CRAZY UNCLE MIKE’S

SOURCE: U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION * ALL GRANT APPROVAL AMOUNTS ROUNDED TO NEAREST DOLLAR.

A&E NEWS MODS will use the money to cover utility Smaller arts organizations also benefited, costs, insurance, building maintenance including three Broward theaters: Empire and “all the overhead that needed to be Stage, $46,580; Infinite Abyss Productions, maintained, even though we were closed $42,696; and Thinking Cap Theatre, $14,366. for eight months. It also allocated funds for Nearly 60% of SVOG grants went to small reopening advertising costs,” Cox added. businesses with fewer than 10 employees.

Miami’s Arsht Center and the Broward Erynn Dalton of Infinite Abyss used her Center in Fort Lauderdale received the grant to catch up on back rent at The Foundry maximum award, $10 million each, but in Wilton Manors: “We were very lucky that the Broward Center, a quasi-governmental our landlord worked with us during the entity, was not allowed to apply for PPP shutdown, but we basically used the money funds earlier during the pandemic. to catch up on the back rent.”

“The Arsht Center is Phil Dunlap, director of the incredibly grateful to Broward Cultural Division, be one of the many arts the county agency that organizations to receive funds local nonprofit arts support from the SVOG and organizations and public art PPP programs. PPP allowed projects, noted that SVOG us to keep the arts alive even also assisted businesses while our stages were mostly that were “proportionately dark,” said the Arsht Center’s more for-profit — talent “THE APPLICATION CEO, Johann Zietsman. representatives and live music REQUIRED “Support from programs venues — but any amount of such as SVOG will go a long funding we can get to support WELL OVER 150 way toward helping the the cultural sector is great.”

DOCUMENTS AND Arsht Center recover from Dunlap was also optimistic the extraordinary losses of as this round of funding makes WE HAD TO MAKE revenue during the COVID its way into the arts economy: SURE WE MET ALL era and will strengthen our “In early assessments, the OF THE GUIDANCE financial position for next majority of our organizations year.” appear as if they will reopen.

THAT THE FEDERAL The Maltz Jupiter Theatre Some are still not sure when, FUNDING ALLOWED.” and the Delta variant has in Jupiter lost more than 2,600 subscribers last year, thrown us off, but most are said Producing Artistic going to press forward.”

- Joseph Cox Director Andrew Kato, just Of the 15,209 applications CEO, MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE as it was about to kick off received, the SBA has come to construction on a major a decision on 95% and most expansion of its facilities. of the funds have already “We had to scale back from finishing the been handed out. Recipients have until entire project because we haven’t raised the Dec. 31 to spend the money on allowable money to complete that work yet,” he said, expenses. noting the theater lost “millions of dollars” and was forced to furlough 80% of staff SFGN conducted an extensive search of during the shutdown. “Without the support SVOG grants awards and has compiled a of the SVOG grant, reimbursing patrons selection of awardees from Miami-Dade, for tickets and retaining our essential staff Broward and Palm Beach counties (see the chart on page 26). would have been impossible.”

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Miami’s Arsht Center was another of more than a hundred South Florida arts venues and presenters to be awarded federal pandemic relief grants. Credit: Arsht Center.

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A&E THEATER

DRAG QUEEN IS DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH NEW SHOW J.W. Arnold

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rag performer Delighted Tobehere proved she was ready for prime time in 2015 when she wowed the judges on “America’s Got Talent.”

“I will talk about this story until I’m blue in the face because it was inspirational to me,” explained Clay Smith, Delighted’s 39-yearold male alter ego. “I was living in Charlotte, North Carolina at the time and already touring internationally. I happened to be in L.A. doing a drag brunch with maybe six people in the audience and five girls in the show. The others were trying to get out of their final numbers, but I thought if it took me two hours to look like this, I’m going to do all my numbers and some of yours, too.”

Smith’s determination paid off when a casting producer for “America’s Got Talent” stepped up after the show and asked if he had ever considered being on TV. “I said yep, as long as it’s not ‘Cops,’” Smith recalled.

In an email later that afternoon, the producer invited Delighted to join the cast for a taping of the show — the following week.

“I flew home, repacked, flew back to L.A. and my first experience was walking on stage at the Dolby Stage where they hand out the Oscars. The whole thing proved you never know who is watching … entertainers, accountants, parents, anything … and you don’t know the impact you’re making on other people,” Smith pointed out.

Delighted was the first contestant to be advanced to the next round with four unanimous votes and “for the next six hours, my feet never touched the ground.

It was a life-changing moment, not because my phone began ringing off the hook afterwards, but the validation of those ‘yes’ votes certainly elevated how people viewed me.”

She didn’t win the competition, but her career did take off and the South Carolina native soon moved to New York City where she wowed the city’s picky audiences with her drag, singing and comedy.

After nearly a year of isolation during the COVID-19 shutdown, Delighted is happy to be back on stage and will be coming to Fort Lauderdale’s Empire Stage, Aug. 11 – 15.

Delighted Tobehere will debut her new show “Hello, Daddy!” at Empire Stage, Aug. 11 – 15. Courtesy photo.

“I’m so grateful to be on the road, grateful to be in the air, grateful to have an audience again,” Delighted said while driving to a performance in Palm Springs. “It’s been a difficult time for the performing arts industry, folks whose purpose, whose calling in life is to entertain people has been denied us. It’s been hard and I have a lot of pent-up energy.”

She laughed that she spent much of the pandemic in therapy, but also managed to pen her new show, “Hello, Daddy.”

“That was one of my passion projects during the pandemic — creating my 20th anniversary show — and the results are pretty exciting,” she said.

The performer has written her own shows for the past eight years, running the gamut from country music spoof “She-Haw” to “Drag 101,” where she walked out on stage as “Clay” and transformed into Delighted right in front of the audience.

“I’m just tired of her [Delighted] getting all the credit for all my hard work. What you see is that struggle … after 20 years, what do you do next? This is as close to a drag mid-life crisis as you can get!” she said.

Delighted Tobehere performs “Hello, Daddy!” Aug. 11 – 15 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Dr. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $35 at EmpireStage.com.

8 .12 . 20 21 •

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